his Conversion for it was this look that brought home this Prodigal He saw him and looked on him with the eyes of pity and by looking upon him infused into him the secret efficacy of his spirit and pierced his heart with the beams of his grace which so prevailed with him that it brought him to repentance as it did with Peter which made him to go out and weep bitterly for his sins after he had thrice denied his Master Thus they make it as a cause of his Conversion And taking it thus this point will follow The Conversion of a sinner is from Gods free Grace Gods Grace is the cause of it Many pregnant Examples might be brought both of the unregenerate before their Conversion as also of the Regenerate in their falls after their Conversion for the further confirming this point in hand What disposition was there in the Apostle Paul to further his Conversion was he not breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Disciples of Christ Jesus and had he not procured a Commission from the High-Priests to bind all that were of that way Did not God behold him a far off Did he not look upon him from the habitation of his dwelling And did he not thus behold Matthew the Customer Zacheus the Usurer Mary the sinner and us Gentiles When we were as the Apostle saith without hope and God in the World being strangers from the Covenant of promise and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel I could bring variety of Examples that would serve to strengthen the point but I will remember you but of one more and so hasten to the Uses and that is of Peter was not God fain to look on him afar off before he repented He had denied his Master once and wept not yea twice yet shed not a tear though the Cock had crowed And the third time he denies him yet weeps not until Christ beholds him and then as the Text saith he wept bitterly Assuredly if Christ had not cast an eye on him and beheld him with a gracious aspect had a thousand several persons questioned with him about his Master he would have denied him a thousand times Thus a sinner is like an Eccho he cannot speak first to God but must answer a voice from God The Reasons And needs must this be so because we are dead in trespasses and sins as the Apostle saith and as the Father of this Prodigal avoucheth of him dead not in a swoon but dead stone-dead as we say and therefore have no more power to stir hand or foot for the furthering of our own Conversion then Lazarus had power to come out of the grave before Christ called him A second Reason why Gods Grace is all in all in the work of our Conversion may be this That all matter of boasting might be taken away for we are very ready to ascribe unto our selves that which of Right belongs unto the Lord. Thus have we seen the Reasons now let us hear the Uses And in the first place this may serve for Confutation first of the Pellagians who affirm that our good Actions and Cogitations proceed only from from free-will and not from Gods special Grace The second Use is for our Humiliation There is no goodness nor aptness in thee to that which is good why then shouldest thou be lift up with any conceit of thy self Oh beware of this boasting for whereof hast thou to boast Surely of nothing but sin and misery Thirdly Let it be for Exhortation to all such as have any tokens and signs of their Conversion to ascribe all the Praise and glory thereof unto the Lord. Say with David Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name be the glory For it is of his mercy not of thy deserving Is there any difference betwixt thee and a Reprobate God found it not in thee but did put it into thee thou art of the same nature with them thou hadst no more ability to work out thy own Salvation than they had Thou seest many commit lewd pranks some Murder others Whoredom c. Thou leavest yea hatest these things What is the cause surely Gods Grace and only Gods Grace Give Glory therefore unto God praise his name yea let all that is within thee praise him And ran Behold the readiness of this Father to receive this his penitent child the one is not so willing to return as the other is joyful to receive The Father seeing of him coming doth not stay until he cometh but ariseth to meet him yea and when he was a great way off so far as he could see him he goeth to meet him and stayeth not for his coming nigher Hence learn God is very ready to shew mercy to every trâ—e Penitent So saith the Prophet Esay He is very ready to forgive Those Titles given him for his name testifie as much The Lord the Lord Strong Merciful and Gracious c. The Reasons are these First because man is the Workmanship of Gods own hands and therefore he is the more ready and willing to save him A third Reason may be this because none might despair of his mercy he is ready to shew mercy that by the example of such as have found mercy others also might resort and repair unto him for mercy in the time of need Is this so that God is ready to forgive every true Penitent then let none lay the fault upon God if they perish in their sins for God is ready and desirous to forgive and doth often call upon us to turn from hour we are here but Tenants at will and know not how soon our great Landlord will turn us out of this earthly Tabernacle We may be cropt off like an ear of Corn for what is this life but as a nest of straw and clay soon shaken a pieces Many have seen a fair bright morning who never behold the evening as the Sodomites And upon many the Sun hath set in the evening to whom it never appeared rising in the morning So was it with the rich Glutton in the Gospel Seeing this is so we have great cause speedily to repent Fourthly because for the present thy estate is fearful the wrath of God hangs over thy head by a twined thred if thou hadst Eyes to see it thou eatest in danger of thy life thou drinkest in danger walkest in danger sleepest in danger lying between death and the Devil as Peter did between the two Soldiers bound with two Chains Now who would be in such a danger one hour for the gaining of a World But we hasten to the Uses And first This reproveth that wonderful madness and exceeding great folly of such as procrastinate and defer their Conversion to the Lord and put off their Repentnace though the Lord call them thereunto and offer them never so fit an opportunity But I have time enough to repent in say some what tell you me of Repentance as yet Is not God merciful Did he not shew
to Destruction the other in a filial Affection invite me to grace which leads to Salvation 52. Of Heaven Heaven is such a glorious structure that it flags the Plumes of Contemplation to soar up unto it and that only by the way of Gods Footsteps in the frame of the inferior Orbs and the speech of his word The heavens declare the Glory of God and the Earth sheweth his handy work which indeed surpasseth Admiration that two such heavy Elements being conglomerated into one spherecal body in meditullioa eris in haerentem should as it were hang by Geometry only supported by the Pillars of the Air in its triple Regions of several tempers over which is the Fire qualifying and correcting the Airs coldness so that by the Temperatures of all the Elements living Creatures are composed and the Universe preserved Ascend we now unto the Spheres of the Sun and Moon the great Luminaries of day and night with the rest of the fixed Stars whose influences gives a quickning vigor of life and motion to all Vegetable Beings From thence view we that glittering Vault that Azure Canopy inamel'd with so many sparkling Diamonds that Galaxia as is feigned the White Rode to Heaven Climb we from thence to the primum mobile that great Wheel of the World whirled about by the hand of Heaven which gives motion to the lower Spheres Now the Eye of Contemplation begins to dazel laying aside the Opticks of Sense and Reason take we the prospective of Gods word which commits to the Eye of Faith and discovers unto us in part the superexcelling Beauty of the Heaven of Heavens that great City the new Jerusalem whose walls are of Jasper the Foundation of several pretious stones which the holy Ghost illustrates according to our Capacities the twelve gates twelve Pearls and the street of the City of pure Gold as it were transparent Glass In the middle of it the River of life as clear as Chrystal and on each side a Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of Fruits every month and the leaves of the Trees were for the healing of the Nations This City needs no light of the Sun or Moon for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Such glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God whose Citizens are Saints and Angels God the Father the Temple God the Son the Beauty God the Holy Ghost the Love In this City we shall receive high Dignity conceive mutual amity flourish in Eternity shine in Charity rejoyce in Piety by knowing God we shall see him by seeing God we shall love him and by enjoying God we shall praise him we shall see God with Affection possess him with Consolation enjoy him with delectation Here the mind is filled with the Torrent of Divine Pleasure the heart satiate with Divine Love here are living Fountains pleasant Valleys delitious Gardens the height of Felicity is superexcelling Glory this Bride-chamber of festivity superabounding jollity From this Mountain of Spices from this Watch-tower of heavenly things we shall see the Comliness of Honour the splendor of Saints and the grace of Kingly Majesty In this bosom of security there is Rest from Labour Peace from Enemies Pleasantness of novelty security of Eternity and sweetness of the Vision of God How sweet then is it to meditate on this City but much sweeter will it be to be refreshed in it to be possessed of it to behold him who is the Bridegroom of the Soul the Prince of Glory O most Glorious Creator who art the perfection of Glory and thy habitation is in Glory who art clothed with Majesty and Honour and deckest thy self with light as with a Garment and stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain how insearchable art thou in thy wisdom and thy ways past finding out how shall dust and ashes praise thee how can I magnifie thy Name in thy wonderful works which are unutterable unconceivable unexpressable what I cannot comprehend I will admire and what I cannot sufficienly admire I will rest content with thy favour here in hope of injoyment of thy Honour hereafter To thee O Lord be Glory Eternity Immortality Praise and Thanks-giving for ever and ever Amen A Looking-glass for our English LADIES OR Daily Directions for their Dress and APPAREL Vertuous Ladies I Shall here give Directions to you for your Dress and Apparel that so you may walk in this degenerate Age as Women professing Godliness and not as those that by their naked Breasts and Fantastick Garbs are and alas there is too many such amongst us an Abomination to the Lord. First then for the Time Your Clothes may not be used every day alike Times and Seasons are to be observed There is a time of Fasting and Mourning when they must be laid aside according to the Practise of Gods Servants who have clothed themselves with Sackcloth upon such Occasions to signifie that they were unworthy of the worst Attire And this did God give in charge to his people Israel that they should put off their ornaments from them that he might know what to do unto them In times of Mourning then they are not fitting courser Attire is then best beseeming neither may be for every ordinary days wearing In the days of Rejoycing and Publick Solemnity these are fittest to be worn For this was the Rich man in the Gospel taxed he was cloathed in purple and fine linnen every day He is not simply condemned for wearing these but for a daily using of those costly Ornaments making them as it were his Working-days Attire Secondly for the Manner we have the Apostles Rule Adorn your selves in Modest Apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety c. which becometh Women professing Godliness So then in Ornament as in every thing else our Godliness Modesty and Sobriety must appear It may not then be strange or garish which argues neither Modesty nor Honesty but Levity and Inconstancy but according to the sober Custom of our Countrey from which we should not vary for how monstrous and ugly is that part which agreeth not with the whole Body Neither may it be differing from our Sex but according thereunto The Woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to the Man neither shall a Man put on a Womans Garment for all that do so are abomination to the Lord. The Law of Nature and common Honesty condemns to have Women Mannish and Men Womanish in their Attire Oh then our sin Nor may it be above our Places Callings and Degrees As God hath placed some Men above others so ought Men to fit their Attire and Habit according to the quality of the places wherein they are So Joseph's Ornaments were to put a difference between him and the Inferiour Princes of Pharaoh's Court. Neither may it be beyond our Means or Maintenance but according to our Ability in our places wherein we are For to go as fine and costly as the foremost in our Rank is not sobriety Our change
mercy to the Thief at the last gasp I doubt not but to be saved as well as the precisest of you all But thou who thus goest on head-long to Damnation come hither and let me shew thee thy monstrous folly that if it be possible thou mayst be recovered out of the snare of the Devil who art thus taken by him at his will First thou blessest thy self with hope of long life thou wilt repent when thou art old but how knowest thou that thou shalt live till thou comest to be old Dost not thou see how upon the Stage of this World some have longer parts and some have shorter And as we enter into the Lords Vineyard do we not so go out that is in such a manner and at such an hour some in the morning some at noon some at night some die in the dawning of their lives passing from one grave to another being no sooner come out of the womb of one Mother but another Mother receives them into hers Some die in Youth as in the third hour others die at thirty forty or fifty as in the sixth and ninth hour and othersome very old as in the last hour of the day Now tell me how many die before fifty for one that live till they be past that age What hope hast thou to live till thou beest so old Doest not thou daily see and hear of many that go well out at night and are found dead in the morning and of many other that are suddenly slain or come to some untimely death why may it not be thus with thee how vain then and false is thy hope of long life seeing none can tell what a day what an hour may bring forth And Secondly But say thou dost live till thou beest old and art freed from much of this trouble having understanding memory sight and sense c. yet who can tell whether God will hear thee at the last gasp For what can be more righteous than that the Lord should contemn thee at the hour of death who hast contemned him in thy whole life Thirdly let this admonish every one of us to defer no time but speedily to repent Abraham rose up betimes to sacrifice his Son so do thou make hast to sacrifice thy sin Zacheus came down hastily when he was called why then do we defer coming to our Saviour Hearken not to that Crow-crying cras cras to morrow to morrow the voice is dismal But now we will proceed to the next words in the Parable But when he was yet afar off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him The readiness of the Father to receive his Son is here noted First by his looking on him afar off For when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him Secondly by running to him while he was afar off He had compassion and ran Thirdly by his kind imbracing of him He fell on his neck and kissed him To begin with the first But when he was yet a great way he saw him Albeit this be put here in the last place yet it is referred by most of our Expositors to the first time of his Conversion for it was this look that brought home this Prodigal He saw him and looked on him with the eyes of pity and by looking upon him infused into him the secret efficacy of his spirit and pierced his heart with the beams of his grace which so prevailed with him that it brought him to repentance as it did with Peter which made him to go out and weep bitterly for his sins after he had thrice denied his Master Thus they make it as a cause of his Conversion And taking it thus this point will follow The Conversion of a sinner is from Gods free Grace Gods Grace is the cause of it Many pregnant Examples might be brought both of the unregenerate before their Conversion as also of the Regenerate in their falls after their Conversion for the further confirming this point in hand What disposition was there in the Apostle Paul to further his Conversion was he not breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Disciples of Christ Jesus and had he not procured a Commission from the High-Priests to bind all that were of that way Did not God behold him a far off Did he not look upon him from the habitation of his dwelling And did he not thus behold Matthew the Customer Zacheus the Usurer Mary the sinner and us Gentiles When we were as the Apostle saith without hope and God in the World being strangers from the Covenant of promise and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel I could bring variety of Examples that would serve to strengthen the point but I will remember you but of one more and so hasten to the Uses and that is of Peter was not God fain to look on him afar off before he repented He had denied his Master once and wept not yea twice yet shed not a tear though the Cock had crowed And the third time he denies him yet weeps not until Christ beholds him and then as the Text saith he wept bitterly Assuredly if Christ had not cast an eye on him and beheld him with a gracious aspect had a thousand several persons questioned with him about his Master he would have denied him a thousand times Thus a sinner is like an Eccho he cannot speak first to God but must answer a voice from God The Reasons And needs must this be so because we are dead in trespasses and sins as the Apostle saith and as the Father of this Prodigal avoucheth of him dead not in a swoon but dead stone-dead as we say and therefore have no more power to stir hand or foot for the furthering of our own Conversion then Lazarus had power to come out of the grave before Christ called him A second Reason why Gods Grace is all in all in the work of our Conversion may be this That all matter of boasting might be taken away for we are very ready to ascribe unto our selves that which of Right belongs unto the Lord. Thus have we seen the Reasons now let us hear the Uses And in the first place this may serve for Confutation first of the Pellagians who affirm that our good Actions and Cogitations proceed only from from free-will and not from Gods special Grace The second Use is for our Humiliation There is no goodness nor aptness in thee to that which is good why then shouldest thou be lift up with any conceit of thy self Oh beware of this boasting for whereof hast thou to boast Surely of nothing but sin and misery Thirdly Let it be for Exhortation to all such as have any tokens and signs of their Conversion to ascribe all the Praise and glory thereof unto the Lord. Say with David Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name be the glory For it is of his mercy not of thy deserving Is there
any difference betwixt thee and a Reprobate God found it not in thee but did put it into thee thou art of the same nature with them thou hadst no more ability to work out thy own Salvation than they had Thou seest many commit lewd pranks some Murder others Whoredom c. Thou leavest yea hatest these things What is the cause surely Gods Grace and only Gods Grace Give Glory therefore unto God praise his name yea let all that is within thee praise him And ran Behold the readiness of this Father to receive this his penitent child the one is not so willing to return as the other is joyful to receive The Father seeing of him coming doth not stay until he cometh but ariseth to meet him yea and when he was a great way off so far as he could see him he goeth to meet him and stayeth not for his coming nigher Hence learn God is very ready to shew mercy to everytrie Penitent So saith the Prophet Esay He is very ready to forgive Those Titles given him for his name testifie as much The Lord the Lord Strong Merciful and Gracious c. The Reasons are these First because man is the Workmanship of Gods own hands and therefore he is the more ready and willing to save him A third Reason may be this because none might despair of his mercy he is ready to shew mercy that by the example of such as have found mercy others also might resort and repair unto him for mercy in the time of need Is this so that God is ready to forgive every true Penitent then let none lay the fault upon God if they perish in their sins for God is ready and desirous to forgive and doth often call upon us to turn from our evil ways that so we might not perish Secondly seeing this is so that God is ready to shew mercy to every one that seeks it let this be as a spur and goad in our sides to make us turn unto him and seek for Mercy at his hands He will not be wanting to thee if thou beest not wanting to thy self The last Use may serve for Imitation Let us be like to our Heavenly Father and be as ready to forgive others who have offended us as God is to forgive us who have and do daily offend him It may be fome have offered thee wrong yea great wrong yet must thou forgive and that readily Why is there then so much suing and intreating and begging for Reconciliation before Pardon be obtained Remember God is more gracious unto thee and oughtest not thou to be so unto thy Brother Further in that we here find the Son coming to confess and the Father running to forgive Hence learn we God is more ready to shew Mercy than Penitent Sinners are to sue for Mercy the one comes softly the other swiftly the Father was the forwarder of the two Vse Take notice then of Gods wonderful Love who albeit he be the Party that is offended yet is more ready to forgive than we to seek or to beg Pardon Secondly let this serve to increase our boldness in coming to the Lord thou canst not be so forward to come as God is to meet So ready to crave Pardon as he is to forgive He fell on his neck and kissed him Here is a joyful meeting betwixt so good a Father and so bad a Son Mercy and Truth are met and each of them kiss the other Here is Truth in the Prodigal for he dissembled not and Mercy in the Father He fell on his neck c. By these Circumstances the heat and fire of his Affections is declared and his entire Love unto his Son expressed for a kiss hath ever been as a pledge and pawn of kindness which is possessed by it By this Ceremony or Rite they did express their Love in the time of the Primitive Church one to another which Ceremony continued till the days of Justin Martyr in customary use before their approaching to the Lords Table thereby to testifie their hearty Reconcilement each to other this was called a Holy Kiss It is a Ceremony also of Civility and hath been and is still in use Thus Joseph Blessed his Brethren and fell upon their neeks and kissed them c. When Judas the Traitor studied with himself what course might be the best to bring Christ to his death he could devise not a more subtil shift than under a shift a pretence of kindness to cover his Villany When the Church in the Canticles sueth to her Spouse to shew his Love unto her she intreateth him to kiss her with the kisses of his mouth viz. that he would manifest his Love and Affection unto her by manifest and good tokens Thus the Father kisseth his Penitent Child thereby to seal and confirm his love and good will towards him that he might make no doubt thereof So then in that the Father doth thus manifest and declare his love and good will to his Son after his coming into his Presence hence let us learn this Lesson God will manifest and make known his love unto his Children by evident signs and tokens upon their Conversion and turning to him And were it not so how could we be affected with it What is it for a blind man to know that the Sun is a most glorious bright Greature when he himself doth not see it So what is it for a Man to know there is much love hid in God except he have some sense and feeling of it Now to the Vses And first is this so that God doth not only love and inwardly affect his Children but doth also manifest the same by signs and tokens that they may be out of doubt thereof Then this may serve to confute that Doctrine of the Church of Rome who hold that no man can be certainly assured of the love and favour of God he may hope well and so forth But no man can have any assured Confidence What is this but a Rack and Torment to weak Consciences What doth this but extinguish the truth and sincerity both of faith and love towards God What Fruit bringeth this but impatiency in time of trouble and Persecution and indeed maketh a way for desparation of Gods Mercy Secondly let this stir up every one of us to a diligent examination of our selves whether God hath as yet kissed us with the kisses of his mouth whether he hath as yet manifested his love unto us by signs and tokens For till we have assurance hereof what comfort can we have And in the last place this may serve for the great comfort of all such as have Gods love manifested unto them by the former signs For as the terrors are great which that Man hath in his Conscience who is in doubt of the love of the Almighty towards him so is the comfort as great which that Man hath who is hereof perswaded For come tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril
that the elder should serve the younger He that is most eminent in grace or place to be most forward in seeking Peace this is most God-like the most Excellent Majesty that is offended descends from his Throne of Glory to beseech proud Sinners to be Reconciled unto him O my Brethren you that are more Excellent than your Neighbours that have parts or gifts or places above your Brethren see how Religion directs you to improve them in the desires and endeavours for Peace But if this be so what shall we then think of the wrangling and brawling Spirits of these days that are of such a salt fiery Humour that they can scarce live peaceably with any just like Flax or Gun-powder the least spark imaginable will catch them that will strive and contend about Trifles like the Frog and the Mouse for the Marish ground till the hungry Kite come and snatch them both away Ah! surely these must needs be the last days since Love and Charity is grown so cold for you shall scarce find a Parish that is not divided you shall hardly come into a Family that is not dis-joynted every one being ready to bite and devour one another Beloved if that you would but seriously consider what wide Ears and long Tongues too many Men now adays have it would make you blush sweat and stand amazed Where are the Friends whom we dare put Trust in now adays We are all in pieces and all divided like Jacob's Troop into divers Companies or like Laban's Sheep of divers colours some white some black and some speckled some of this mind and some of that some of one Opinion and some of another We are a Chaos of Confusion a Tohn and a Bohn like the People scattered over the Land of Egypt to gather stubble and to pick up straws In a word there is few amongst us live like Brethren The second Rule is this Christians must be content to yield in their own Right for a Godly Peace whose Right was ever clearer or surer to the whole Land of Canaan than Abraham's was He had it all made over to him and to his Posterity from the Lord Paramount of the whole Earth and yet when this strife fell out between Abrahams and Lot's Shepherds about common of Pasture he propounded unto Lot his choice of any part of the whole Land that was before him and would content himself with Lot's leavings See saith Abraham is not the whole Land before thee separate thy self I pray thee from me not that Abraham was willing to part with Lot but that they might preserve that Brotherly Union at a distance which they could not keep by keeping together If thou wilt take the left hand saith Abraham to Lot then will I go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then will I go to the left Now Lot's Eye was so great upon the fat and pleasant Valleys of Sodom as that forgetting his good manners to his Uncle he made his choice and Abraham lost nothing by his condescention unto him for as soon as Lot was separated from him the Lord appears unto Abraham and renews his promise of the whole Land to him and to his Seed See my Brethren God will not suffer us to be losers in any thing wherein for his sake we deny our selves and our own right in order to a Religious peace If our Brother Lot hath a mind to the fat and pleasant portion of Sodom let him take it surely if his design be profit and not peace the Lord will find a time to fire him out of it again it matters not what we suffer in our own particular Interests so as God might have his glory in a godly peace Were there more of Abraham's condescention amongst us how easily might our unhappy differences be taken up The third Rule is That in order to peace all expostulations and exprobrations of injuries be laid aside We hear nothing from Abraham of any unkindness but only a loving and humble entreaty Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and me The repeating of an old wrong is but as the rubbing upon an old sore which doth but anger it and make the Cure the worse It is an Holy Art of forgetfulness to be forgetful of Injuries I would there were Graves made Domicilia silentii Houses of silence between us and all our Dissenting Brethren that upon sober and Religious grounds do separate from us to bury all passions and suspicions of Injuries and let these Graves be Kibroth Hattaavah Graves of Lust I mean to bury all those Corruptions which have provoked one the other My Brethren you do all profess your selves to be Abraham's Children inheritors of those promises which were made to him remember that Christs Argument doth as much concern the Children by promise as the Children by flesh if you are Abraham's Children you will then do the works of Abraham Amongst others forget not these which I have shewed you And shall I now Brethren take up a Reproof or rather a Lamentation over those imbittered censures which Godly Brethren let fall one against the other Are we Brethren Are we Godly I am confident that it may be safely concluded that some on both sides are Brethren truly Godly Why then why are we so bitter one against the other What means the Gall and Wormwood that is in our Discourses and Meetings Ah my Brethren my Brethren did our Lord Christ wash his Apostles Feet and amongst them a Judas feet and shall we throw dirt in one anothers Faces Is this Christ-like Doth this become Christians Did he pour out his precious Blood to purchase our Peace and shall we draw out one anothers Blood in breaking our Peace Did he bequeath his Peace unto his people as his last and best Legacy he had to leave unto them and shall we like foolish Children spend our portion in undoing one the other There are two other Rules now which though they be not in the Text yet they do belong unto the Doctrine The first is this There are three Beautiful Sisters which are inseparable Companions unto this happy Heavenly Off-spring I mean a Religious and well-grounded peace The first is Truth Love the Truth and Peace Zach. 8.19 Love Peace but Truth with it Truth before it If you let go Truth Peace will not be worthy your Love you love Peace because it is the Mother of plenty but if you provide not for Truth to dwell with it your Peace will prove the Daughter of Vanity your Peace can be neither true nor lovely that is separated from the love of the Truth The second is Righteousness Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Psal 85.10 In that notable meeting of the Divine Attributes in Jesus Christ these two Righteousness and Peace are matcht together no Righteousness can procure our Peace with God but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and no Peace can stand with Men unless
can master Passion so often to forgive Now mark what Christ Answers If ye had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye might say unto this Sycamine Tree Be thou plucked up by the Roots and be thou planted in the Sea and it should obey you Though Christ might point to a Sycamine Tree there present yet doubtless that which he did chiefly aim at was this root of bitterness that corruption which is naturally in every one of our Hearts indisposing us to Reconciliation whereby the work is as hard to forgive offences as to root up spreading Trees Now if a grain of Mustard-seed will stock up this bitter Root and throw it into the Sea of forgetfulness where it may never grow nor appear more Oh where is your Faith then where is this grain of Mustard-seed to be found If ever the publick good did provoke us to exercise Faith in this Duty of forgiveness now even now it doth If the glory of one man of one Parish be great in passing by offences how eminent and exemplary will the glory of a City be To conclude Dear Friends keep your eyes your ends your aims Heaven-ward Christ-ward God-ward and whatsoever is against Heaven against Christ or against God be you against it And whatsoever is for Heaven for Christ for God be you for iâ— And if we walk according to this Rule peacâ— shall be upon us and upon the Israel of God But the Peace that is here spoken of and Brotherly Love being both now adays things scarce to be found I shall end this my Farewel Discourse with the following Poem out of the Ingenious Herbert Viz. Sweet Peace where dost thou dwell I humbly crave Let me once know I sought thee in a secret Cave And ask'd if Peace were there A hollow wind did seem to answer No Go seek elsewhere I did and going did a Rainbow note Surely thought I This is the Lace of Peaces Coat I will search out the matter But while I lookt the Clouds immediately Did break and scatter Then went I to a Garden and did spy A gallant Flower The Crown Imperial Sure said I Peace at the Root must dwell But when I digg'd I saw a Worm devour What shew'd so well At length I met a rev'rend good old man Whom when for Peace I did demand he thus began There was a Prince of old At Salem dwelt who liv'd with good increase Of flock and fold He sweetly liv'd yet sweetness did not save His Life from foes But after death out of his Grave There sprang twelve stalks of Wheat Which many wondring at got some of those To plant and set It prosper'd strangely and did soon disperse Through all the earth For they that taste it do rehearse That vertue lies therein A secret vertue bringing Peace and mirth By flight of sin Take of this grain which in my Garden grows And grows for you Make bread of it and that repose And Peace which every where With so much earnestness yo do pursue Is only there Closet Employment OR Several Vertues and Vices particularly Characterized with pertinent Applications under each Head fit for every Christian seriously to ponder upon all the days of his Life when he is by himself alone 1. Of Truth TRuth is like the seamless Coat of our Saviour without Rent or Division of Heresie or Error it is wove with the fingers of Love and put upon a gracious Soul by the hand of Faith which makes her a comely Bride in the Eye of the Bridegroom Lord if my mistaken Soul be misled through the dim spectacles of Opinion strip her of that dark Habit and vest her in the light of Truth as with a Garment 2. The Creator known by the Creature By the pourtraiture of Hercules Foot we find the Mathematical proportion of his body by the visible foot-steps of the Almighty in the tract of his Creatures we see in part the perfections of the Creator the Rays of the Sun directs my Eye to their glorious Orb the Rivals of the Earth to their Fountain-head the streams of the Sea to their immense Ocean that Flower of the Field which darkned the splendour of Solomon's Robe instructs me to contemplate the beauty of the maker Clear up O Lord the Eye of my dusky soul that what I cannot reach to by the sight of sense and reason my Vnderstanding may admire and see thee by faith in thy infinite perfections 3. Of Prayer Faithful Prayer is a winged Mercury which speeds our Necessities to God himself and pleads our Infirmities at the bar of Heaven and that with such winning Oratory as prevails with the Father of Mercies for a Blessing a promise apprehended by Faith not returning without the pardon of sin sealed by the Spirit of God as a Love-token to a Repenting sinner Gracious Father let not I pray the multitude of my sins or the greatness of my transgressions cloud my Prayers so as to turn them into Air but let them be as faithful Messengers of my Hearts desires to find Entertainment in the Court of Heaven and bring down the Pardon of my guiltiness with the Blessing of Grace to relieve my wants for my future comfort 4. Of Repentance The Soul of Man Naturally runs counter to the Commands of God like our Grandame Eve after forbidden Fruit till happily through the grace of God stopt in the career of her designs by Repentance as Balaam by an Angel which shews her Disease in the glass of the Law also her Remedy in the glass of the Gospel so that she becomes a gracious Convert Vomiting up those pleasurable baits of sin like an overcharg'd Stomack Luxurious Morsels that made her sick So Merciful art thou O Lord unto us which were such Enemies unto our selves that while we are posting in the high Road of Iniquity to our own Ruine thou turnest us back by the Angel of Repentance changing the complexion of our greedy Appetites from cursed Fruit to a Zealous hunger after the Bread of Life so good art thou to save us though against our wills 5. Of Humility Humility is rightly defined the Queen of Vertues the death of Vices the Looking-glass of Virgins and the Receptacle of the Blessed Trinity She is like the Vertuous Woman whose price is above Gold or Precious Stones her lowly Habitation is a gracious Heart where she sits Regent amongst other Vertues who as so many Daughters rise up and call her Blessed they are all exercised about strengthning the inward Man Humility levelleth Ambitious desires Patience teacheth to bear Afflictions Hope expects a deliverance from them Charity Relieves the Necessity of the Saints and covers a multitude of faults and Faith lays hold on Eternal Life Thus shall it be done to the Soul that the King will Honour Honour O Lord the Heart of thy Servant with these high-born Graces then enter thou King of Glory Humility's House thy own Fabrick that the Graces may bid thee welcome Let Humility Entertain thee as her gracious Guest
thy Passions be so great that thou must place them somewhere let me Advise thee to consult thy own heart study thy own imperfections where thou shalt find matter enough to work upon for thy better advantage Arraign thy Passions before Heaven as Traitors to God and Man Humbly sollicite the Lord to Metamorphize thy hatred in love to himself thy Envy in Charity to thy Neighbour and thy Malice against the suggestions of Satan that so overcoming thy self through his grace thou maist be made a Pious Zealot of his Glory 28. Of Anger Anger is an Inflammation of the spirits raised from the hot Furnace of Choler the symptoms are a frowning Brow a sparkling Eye and a virulent Tongue which picks the Lock of discreet silence and sets at Liberty a multitude of Faults which was covered with Love speaking what it should forget to the dis-repute of Friends and Familiars it banisheth Patience breaks the bands of Affection and distempereth the whole course of Nature so that it may well be called a short Madness till brought into a better temper by the Manacles of Moderation Corrected by discretion Impatient Man if thy fiery Temperature be so predominant that thou canst not master this blind Passion think on that Divine Vengeance due unto thee for thy Transgression let it fright thee out of thy Cholerick Nature as Piander was affrighted with a clap of Thunder which made him think that the gods were angry with him Let the same consideration imprison thy thoughts but with better Illumination that Gods Judgments are ready to seize upon thee for this thy Frenzie and pray thou unto him to change the complexion of thy heart into a holy Zeal against thy Passions so maist thou be angry and sin not 29. Of. Back-biting The Back-biter is a secret Coward which Wounds at a distance the poyson of Asps is under his Lips which he vents by the Engine of a false Tongue not daring to look his Enemy Truth in the face The Tale-bearer and Prater are of the same Linage Children of Mischief who delight to Fish in troubled Waters Trumpeters of Folly sounding a false Alarm in seditious Ears which are as foul Channels only fit for the reception of stinking Waters a smooth brow gives them Entertainment but an Angry Countenance drives them away saith Solomon as the North Wind drives away Rain for where Wood faileth the fire goeth out where there is no Tale-bearer strise ceaseth Give me O Lord what wilt thou give me that harmless spirit the spirit of Meekness that I dip not my Tongue in this Gall of bitterness and that my Ears be not spunges of foul detraction to nourish prejudice against my Neighbour prevent me also I pray from the mirery aspersions of evil Men who whet their Tongues like Swords and shoot out their Arrows bitter words they encourage themselves in Mischief and the way of Peace they will not know 30. Of Lying A Lyar is much conversant in the Black Art in that he is continually hammering out Lyes upon the Anvil of his dark Heart He is like an irregular Clock which retails falshood by Minutes telling them out in gross by a lying Alarum Amongst all the Societies of Men a Lyar is a most odious Creature in that he out-faces Truth by a down-right Lye as Gehazi his Master Thy Servant went no whither Or else by Mental Reservation and fallacious Equivocation as the Devil at Delphos Aio te Aeacidae Romanos vincere posse or else he will palliate his Design with a gloss of Scripture as Satan to our Saviour He will give his Angels charge over thee so cunning a Factor is the Lyar to beget Proselytes to the Father of Lyes winning belief from unsettled Judgments not able to distinguish Light from Darkness Truth from Error Great God who art the searcher of Hearts discover I beseech thee unto me by the light of Truth the dark inventions of my deceitful Heart set a Watch before my Mouth that my Tongue run not counter to the Balance of Truth but order thou my Conversation by the square of uprightness that I deceive not my self by lying Vanities or my Neighbours by ambiguous Truths 31. Of Swearing The common Swearer is a black-mouthed Cannon fired by his own Passions thundring out Dammes as so many Bullets against the Battlements of Heaven as if he would Quarrel with his Maker for his preservation It is matter of amazement were not God infinitely Merciful that he break not in pieces like an over-charged Gun and that he opens not a way to let down speedy Vengeance upon himself Of all the sins that Man commits there is the least Profit or Pleasure in Oaths unless it be for the confirmation of a Lye for the compassing of a wicked Design mask'd under the guise of Truth or to set a gloss of unsanctified Rhetorick upon a Ranting Speech framed by that grand Artist the Devil Tremble thou then O Profane sinner at this thy Character consider the Mercy and Long-sufferance of God who will not that thou shouldest perish prevent in time by thy unfeigned Repentance the Judgments of God which thy Oaths as Messengers to Heaven invokes to thy destruction Since Satan and thy own evil Nature hath conspired together to make thee Blaspheme the Name of God earnestly intreat him to set a watch before thy Lips that thou offend not with thy Tongue and to mold thy Heart into a better temper that thou be not obnoxious to thy sober Brother or such an Enemy to thy self as to hasten Ruine to thy own soul 32. Of Drunkenness Drunkenness is a sleepy Potion which seizeth the faculties of the Soul locking them up in a Lethargy of sin depriving them of their Natural Function to the support both of the outward and inward Man whereby they come to lose their Active Vertues it stifles the Understanding with fumes of Wine banishing from it the power of Reason which distinguisheth a Man from a Beast it prompts the Will to all kind of Wickedness and drowneth that Noble Register the Memory in the sink of Brutality forgetting what it should remember and remembring what it should forget Consider then O Man with detestation this staggering sin of Ebriety what a Protean Disguise it puts upon thee that couldst thou see thy Monstrous hew in the Glass of discretion how thou art reeling headlong in the way to Hell was enough to fright thee into a sober temper But while thou art snorting in this deathful sin in this Swinish security without infinite Mercy thou maist awake in Hell 33. Of Covetousness Covetousness is not unfitly called the Root of all Evil a sour Root indeed slipt from the Crab-tree-stock of our fore-Parent Eve it generally grows in the ground of all mens hearts but Rich Soyls are the most natural for it in that it receives the greatest Nourishment from them as a thirsty Humour from a Dropsical Body It bears all sorts of evil Fruits which are desirable for Profit and Delight It is
and to Eternity with God For with him things are not past present and come as with us but always present in one infinite moment And therefore the Lord who seeth all the sins of a Reprobate by one pure individual act from and to all Eternity may as well pass an act of Damnation against them as if they were actually committed Par. Might not God as well damn men in a Capacity of holiness as thus to leave them to sin and then condemn them for it Conf. It is a curious and unprofitable question to dispute whether he might not without wrong to the Creature have done so Perhaps Rom. 9.20 21 22. will prove he might but such a case never did nor never will fall out However to our Capacity the justness of God should not shine so perspicuously if he should damn a Creature that never sinned for then should he inflict undeserved Punishment whereas in the course he now takes he only denyeth undeserved Favours and layeth on them deserved Penalties Par. But if Gods Decrees binds not man to a necessity of sinning how came sin into the World seeing Men and Angels were made holy and the whole Creation is by God himself pronounced good Conf. Gods Decree doth no otherwise bind man to a necessity of sinning than the withdrawing of the upholding hand from a staff reared up binds it to a necessity of falling viz. in a privative way I shewed before that sin is only privative that is a defect of some thing required as darkness is nothing else but a defect of light and these privations do not necessarily require causes or Creation light was indeed created but darkness was before on the face of the deep Now though God made Angels and Men holy he made them not Gods that they should stand of themselves without his help which when he withheld from man and some of the Angels they faltred in their obedience and so became sinful DIALOGUE III. Concerning the Providence of God Par. HOW can God by his Providence dispose of second causes that things can come to pass contingently freely or miraculously when he hath fore-ordained how they shall be in his immutable will Conf. There is a twofold necessity 1. In Gods Decree so all things that are fall out necessarily and cannot be otherwise 2. In Natural Causes so fire necessarily burns water necessarily wets c Now to us things are said to fall out necessarily when we apprehend a sufficient next cause But this sometimes is not sometimes appears not before the effect from whence the Notions contingent free miraculous have their rise As for Example When an Infant is formed in the Womb though in respect of Gods Decree it is necessarily a Male or necessarily a Female and so in time will prove yet to us from whom the next cause of this distinction in the womb is hid it is contingent whether it be Male or Female Par. How can God strengthen and govern all Creatures in their actings and be free from sin seeing many actions are sinful Conf. You must distinguish betwixt the action and the evil in it some sins are actual but none actions Therefore as a skilful Minstrel playing on a jarring Instrument causeth it to sound but it s own badness causeth it to sound jarringly So God causeth us to act but that we act sinfully the cause is in our selves To kill a man is not simply evil sometimes it is not only lawful but a duty but killing a man upon such terms without a just cause or call Sin lyeth in the moral circumstances not in the physical substance of the Action Par. If God be perfectly glorious how can he glorifie himself in the works of his Providence seeing nothing can be added to that which is perfect Conf. We may consider the glory of God these two ways 1. As it is essential to him and so it is ineffably perfect 2. As it is revealed to us and this because of our weakness is only in part and by degrees A Moses can but view the back parts a Paul but see in part and darkly as in a glass And God is said to glorifie himself when by the great works of his Providence he lets us see further into his glorious Attributes Par. If the Providence of God offer to men occasions to sin how is God free from the iniquity committed by reason thereof Conf. As a King that executeth Justice though he know some wicked fellows will thereat take occasion to be Traytors to him is not to be blamed So Gods works being holy though wicked men abuse them through their own perversness and make them occasions to sin he is not unrighteous out punisheth them in just Judgment suffering them to fall by their own folly Par. When God by his Providence makes wicked men scourges to his people how can they be blamed for doing what God would have done Conf. Though wicked men can do nothing to the people God but what he gives way to yet forasmuch as they endeavour to exceed their Commission and aim not at Gods Glory but their own ends shewing hostility and not pity to Gods people they shall answer for their ambitious malice though God by his wisdom will cause the wrath of man to praise him and the remainder of wrath he will restrain DIALOGUE IV. Concerning the Fall of Man Par. HOW could tasting the forbidden Fruit be so great an offence as to deserve Damnation Conf. Some give this reason that this act of our Parents was a breach of each of Gods Commandments in particular and indeavour to make it appear by an induction though for mine own part I think it holds in some not in all but this I desire to speak with modesty and submission However it cannot be denyed but the breach of the least of Gods Commandments maketh us guilty of all And the violation of his Law who is infinite deserveth infinite punishment which because it cannot be in extent we being finite must be in duration Nor doth the small value of the fruit abate any thing but rather aggravate it for as Master Byfield saith well their sin was greater that upon so small an Advantage would adventure Eternal happiness Par. But how comes it to pass that Adams fault and punishment is derived to his whole Posterity Conf. Adam stood in Covenant with God as Man not as a Man that is as a publick not a private person And therefore as he received the Covenant of Works and for a time stood by it for himself and all mankind so for himself all mankind he fell from it Par. Would it not have made more for Gods glory to have kept men from sin to serve him in holiness Conf. No for by this means man is a fit object for the rich mercy or just Judgment of God which by occasion hereof God manifesteth to his own glory Par. Some affirm that sin dishonoureth God others say he cannot be dishonoured whether of these is true Doctrine Conf.
the glory of the World comes to the Funeral all Israel all at once in the same 〈◊〉 they come from far they 〈…〉 wings of the 〈…〉 all Mourn 〈…〉 to bury him in his own Town at his own House What can be done more in Samuel's Honour To be Buried is an Honour buried in ones own Countrey much in his own place more but to be so buried as Samuel was in such a place by such a People with so many Tears so great a Solemnity this is Samuel's Happiness and the Saints Honour You see then our third Doctrine An Holy and Profitable Life ends in a Happy and Honourable Death Life is Deaths Seed-time Death Lifes Harvest As here we sow so there we reap as here we set so there we gather of Holiness Happiness and of a blessed Life a Death as blissful He that spends himself upon God and Man shall at the last have all the Honour that Heaven and Earth can cast upon him So Samuel found it so Jacob few men comparable to him in Holiness as few so Honourably Buried So Asa Hezekiah Josiah David c. but especially for Josiah and Hezekiah those great Reformers those Profitable Members the Text takes special notice of their Obsequies Josiah having received his Deaths-wound abroad is brought home in his Chariot and much Honour attends him to his 〈◊〉 he is Buried amongst his Fathers and 〈…〉 nay all Judah and the Neighbouring Towns are Mourners Vse And is this so Then here we see what course must be taken if we will arrive at Honour Men may dream to meet with Honour in many paths they may think to make their Name famous by other means But when they have tyred themselves in seeking this in by-paths as the young Students Elijah's Body they must with them seek in Heaven if ever they will find A Godly fruitful Life hath a fairer prospect towards Honour than all the Advantages in the World besides Be one as poor as Onesimus yet if Onesimus that is Profitable his Name out-lives him Be one as great as King Jehoram or Jehoiachim if he idle out his Life he lives undesired he dyes unlamented What we hear spoken we see executed in all Ages Consult with your own Experience and tell me whether the Names of Idolaters Drunkards Adulterers Swaggerers be not rotten and accursed in despite of all Monuments Titles Offices Policies Favours whatsoever When in the mean time the Righteous notwithstanding all slanders clamours imputations and aspersions is of blessed Name and Memory And if so feed upon the Wind no longer build Babels no more lay no more Foundations in Hell whilst you think to erect a Building by flattery baseness dependency lying swaggering c. but go to the Lord of Honour for lasting Honour Pray much Read much Hear much Honour him in all the passages of his Worship and you have his word for your Preferment And as for men be to them as Jehoiada was profitable and they shall be to you as Israel to him Merciful Ah the fruitful liver finds Mercy in his death his Conscience favours him and heartens him upon death it self The Angels of God those Officers of Heaven comfort him and fetch him in all state to his Crown the Lord of Glory receives him with all Honour and puts upon him the Glory of Heaven the Saints departed regard him as a part of themselves of Christ the Saints living honour his Name and follow him to Heaven with their Loves and Affections The wicked have a world of Commendations for him and the blind Balaam can say O that my end may be like his Thus Honour and Happiness and nothing else abide us hereafter if now we can lay forth our selves to God and Mans Advantage But for the wicked who bestow themselves in the World like Drones in the Hive who either have no Calling or do no Service and towards God so demean themselves as if they were his betters scorning his Children scoffing at his Word trampling upon his Name his Sabbaths his Worship let them never deceive themselves their Names shall rot they shall find no favour in Death their Consciences shall brawl them out of all quiet Men shall rifle into their lives their whoredoms treacheries villanies shall flie thorow the world every Drunkard shall sit upon them every rake-hell judge them censure them and deride them In the mean time whilst that the Name is thus torn below the Soul is brought before the Judge Convicted Committed to Hell covered with shame delivered up to everlasting contempt O then be not cursed but blessed be Happy be Honoured be well thought of in Life well spoken of after Death be Righteous be Humble be Serviceable this is the way as Heaven tells us a Samuels Life will draw on a Samuels Death nothing else In a second place let this afford comfort to fruitful Members and faithful Christians Let them know that the World will change ere-long the wicked who have now the applause must down the godly who are as yet under shame shall one day shine as so many glorious Suns in the highest Heavens Yield then beloved to the Worlds Sons let them have the place give them leave to speak the time will come when Honour shall know its home and Innocency have its Crown All the wiles in the World shall not keep the wicked from contempt nor all the wits in Hell the Godly from Honour Samuels Name may be over-cast and clouded for a time but in the end his light will shew it self Whilst he is present he is not valued but this is Samuels Honour when gone he is mist when dead he is lamented all Israel strives to do him all Honour Blessed be that Life that ends in so glorious a death thrice happy that Man whom Angels God and all Men do strive to Honour A true Christian may travel in life under Troubles and Contempts but marke his end and you shall find as Peace so Honour When he is Buried a true and honourable Funeral is Solemnized men mourn not in the Face but in the Heart respect him not in shew but in truth their Consciences Reverence him their Souls find a miss of him the Angels of Heaven man him in a goodly Train to Heaven the Saints on Earth follow him with greatest Affections to his Grave Seven nay thrice seven Years after the Funeral he is not forgotten Thus are the men whom the great King loves Honoured And now shall Men and Women bear with patience the absence of dearest Friends when it is for their outward preserment And when Christ would Marry a Child prefer a Friend advance our Acquaintance should we stand off No If this be the worst that Death can do to the Godly to strip him of his Rags and cloath him with Robes to free him from all contempts and possess him of greatest Honours to redeem him from all shame and to Crown him with Glory in the Hearts Mouths Consciences of Men in the face of Heaven and