written on a monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious written on the Hospitall-gates yet goe to hell written on his own house yet another come to possesse it All these are but writings in the dnst or vpon the vvaters where the characters perish so soone as they are made They no more proue a man happy then the foole could proue Pontius Pilate a Saint because his name was written in the Creed But they that be written in heauen are sure to inherite it Now to apply all this vsefully to our selues some perhaps would be satisfied how wee may know our names written in heauen It is certaine that no eye hath looked into Gods booke yet himselfe hath allowed certaine arguments and proofes whereby wee haue more then a coniecturall knowledge The principall is the Testimonie of Gods Spirit concurring with our spirit Rom. 8. 16. But of this I haue liberally spoken in some later passages of this booke together with the most pregnant signes of our election Here therefore I am straightned to insert onely some there omitted effects Which are these foure If our hearts be on Gods booke If the poore be in our booke If wee well order the booke of our conscience Lastly if we can write our selues holy in earth then be bold we are vvritten happy in heauen 1. If our heart be on Gods booke and this wee shall find è conuerso if Gods booke be in our heart Mary laid vp Christs words in her heart It must not lye like loose corne on the floore subiect to the pecking vp of euery fowle but it is ground by meditation digested by faith manet alto corde repostum God saies My sonne giue thy heart to me doe thou pray My Father first giue thy selfe to my heart I aske not whether this booke lyes in thy study but whether the study of it lyes in thy heart The life of the Scriptures is not in verborum folijs sed in medulla cordis not in the letters and leaues but in the inwards of the heart It is not lectio nor relectio but dilectio not reading but leading a life answerable that assures vs. If we syncerely loue this booke wee are certainly in Gods booke Mary zealously louing Christs word is said to chuse the better part that shall neuer be taken from her 2. If the poore be in thy booke and this is reciprocall then thou art in their booke and the conclusion is infallible thou art in the booke of Life For the relieued poore by their prayers entertaine or make way for thy entertainement into euerlasting habitations And Christ at the last day calls them to himselfe that haue beene charitable to his members Come yee blessed receiue the kingdome prepared for you Your works haue not merited this kingdome for it was prepared for you but as that vvas prepared for you so your charitie hath prepared you for it Come and take it Let not thy left hand knowe vvhat thy right hand doth Doe thou write it in the dust the poore will write it in their hearts GOD findes it in their prayers their prayers preuaile for thy mercie mercy writes thy name in heauen Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God Therefore Cast thy bread vpon the waters drowne it in those watry eyes it is not lost in that Riuer like Peter thou throwest in an angle bringest vp siluer enough to make thee blessed Via coeli est pauper si non vis errare incipe erogare The poore is the high-way to heauen if thou wouldest not wander in thy iourney shew mercy Non potes habere nisi quòd acceperis non potes non habere quod dederis Thou canst haue nothing vnlesse thou receiue it thou canst keepe nothing vnlesse thou giue it Him that the poore writes not charitable on earth nor doth God write saueable in heauen 3. If thy name be written Christian in the booke of thy Conscience this is a speciall argument of thy registring in heauen For if our heart condemne vs not vvee haue boldnesse and confidence towards God Ang. VVhat if mans ignorance and vnmercifull ielousie blot thee out of the booke of his credite Si de libro vinentium nunquam propria deleat conscientia so long as thy owne conscience doth not blot thee forth the booke of blessednesse If the good spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that glory is our shame If the euill spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that shame is our glory Therefore it is that Hugo calls the cōscience Librum signatum et clausum in die Indicij aperiendum a booke shut and sealed onely at the Resurrection to be opened Conscientiam magis quà m famam attende falls saepe poterit fama conscientiae nunquam Looke to thy Conscience more then to thy credite fame may often be deceiued conscience neuer The beames that play vpon the water are shot from the Sunne in heauen the peace and ioy that danceth in the conscience comes from the Sonne of righteousnes the Lord Iesus If a hearty laughter dimple the cheeke there is a smooth and quiet mind within Vpon the wall there is a writing a man sitting with his backe to the wall how should hee read it but let a looking-glasse be set before him it vvill reflect it to his eyes he shall read it by the resultance The writing our names in heauen is hid yet in the glasse of a good conscience it is presented to our eye of faith and the soule reades it For it is impossible to haue a good conscience on earth except a man be written in heauen 4. If the booke of Sanctification haue our names written then surely the booke of Glorification hath them and they shall neuer be blotted out For God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the vvorld that wee should be holy and vvithout blame before him in loue Now as we may reason from the cause to the effect so certainely from the effect to the cause Election is the cause Holinesse the effect as therefore euery one written in heauen shall be holy on earth so euery one holy on earth is written in heauen This sanctitie is manifested in our obedience vvhich must be Ad totum I had respect to all thy commandements Per totum I haue enclined my heart to keepe thy statutes Alway euen to the end De tote to keepe thy precepts with my whole heart In Rome the Patres conscripti were distinguished by their robes and they of the Liuery in London haue a peculiar habite by themselues to differ from the rest of the Company Is thy name enrolled in that Legend of Saints thy liuery will witnes it thy conuersation is in heauen A Senator relating to his sonne the great honours decreed to a number of Souldiers whose names vvere written in a booke the sonne was importunate to see that booke The father shewes him the
they were iustified credendo in venturum Christum by beleeuing in the Messias to come So Luke 2. Simeon is sayd to waite for the consolation of Israell To day to our selues His mercie is euerlasting his truth endureth from generation to generation The same gracious Sauiour that he was Yesterday to our Fathers is he To day to vs if we be to day faithfull to him All catch at this comfort but in vaine without the hand of Faith There is no deficiencie in him but is there none in thee Whatsoeuer Christ is what art thou He forgaue Mary Magd. many grieuous sinnes so hee will forgiue thee if thou canst shed Mary Magdalens teares He tooke the malefactor from the Crosse to Paradise thither he will receiue thee if thou haue the same faith He was mercifull to a denying Apostle chalenge thou the like mercie if thou haue the like repentance If we will be like these Christ assuredly will be euer like himselfe When any shall proue to bee such a sinner he will not faile to bee such a Sauiour To day he is thine if to day thou wilt be his thine to morrow if yet to morrow thou wilt be his But how if darke death preuent the morrowes light He was Yesterday so wert thou he is to day so art thou hee is to morrow so perhaps mayest thou not be Time may change thee though it cannot change him He is not but thou art subiect to mutation This I dare boldly say He that repents but one day before he dyes shall find Christ the same in mercie and forgiuenesse Wickednesse it selfe is glad to heare this but let him bee faithfull on his part as God is mercifull on his part let him be sure that he repent one day before he dies whereof he cannot be sure except he repent euery day For no man knowâ—… his last day Latet vltimus dies vt obseruetur omnis dies Therefore sayth Augustine we know not our last day that wee might obserue euery day To day therefore heare his voyce Thâ—… hast lost yesterday negligently loosest to day wilfully and therefore moyst loose for euer ineuitably It is iust with God to punish two dayes neglect with the losse of the third The hand of faith may be withered the spring of Repentance dryed vp the Eye of Hope blind the Foot of Charitie lame To day then heare his voyce and make him thine Yesterday is lost To day may be gotten but that once gone and thou with it when thou art dead and iudged it will do thee small comfort that Iesus Christ is the Sâ—…e for euer For euer to our Children He that was yesterday the God of Abraham is to day ours and will bee for euer our childrens As well now the light of the Gentiles as before the glory of Israell I will be the God of thy seed sayth the Lord to Abraham His mercie is 〈◊〉 them that feare him frâ—… generation to generation Many parents are â—…ollicitously perplexed how their children shall do when they are dead Yet they cosider not how God prouided for them when they were childreÌ„ Is the Lorâ—… 〈◊〉 shortned Did he take thee from thy mothers brests and whâ—… thy â—…arents for sooke thee as the Psalmist saith became thy Father And cannot this experieÌ„ced mercy to thee perswade thee that he wil not for sake thine Is not Iesus Christ the sâ—… yesterday to day and for euer I haue beene young sayth Dauid and 〈◊〉 now old yet haue I not sâ—…ne the rightâ—…s forsaken that is granted nay nor his seed begging bread Many distrustfull Fathers are so carking for their posteritie that whiles they liue they starue their bodies and hazard their soules to leaue them rich To such a Father it is said iustly Diâ—… es hâ—…di pauper iâ—…psque tibi Like an ouer-kind Hen he feeds his Chickens and famisheth himselfe If vsurie circumuention oppression extortion can make them rich they shall not bee poore Their follie is ridiculous they feare least their children should be miserable yet take the onely course to make them miserable For they leaue them not so much heires to their goods as to their euils They doe as certainely inherite their Fathers sins as their lands God layeth vp his iniquitie for his children and 〈◊〉 â—…fspring shall waâ—… a â—…sell of bâ—…d On the contrâ—…ry The good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—…d lâ—…ndeth and his seed iâ—… blâ—…ssed That the worldling thinkes shall make his posteritie poore God sayth shall make the good mans rich The Precept giues a promise of mercie to Obedience not onely confined in himselfe but extended to his sâ—…d and that euen to a â—…sand generations Trust thâ—… Christ with thy children when thy friends shall 〈◊〉 vsurie 〈◊〉 no datâ—… oppression be condemned to hell thy selfe roâ—…en to dust the world it selfe turned and burned into Cinders still Iesus Christ is the same Yesterday and to-day and for 〈◊〉 Now then Reu. 1. 〈◊〉 Grace and Peaâ—… are from him Which is and Which 〈◊〉 and Which is to come So Glory and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him Which iâ—… Which was and Which is to come euen to Iesus Christ the saâ—… Yesterday today and for eâ—…r GODS BOVNTIE OR The blessings of both his hands Prov. 3. 16. Length of dayes is iâ—… her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour BY Wisedome here the consent of Diuinâ—… vnderstandeth the Sonne of God the Sauiour of Man In the first to the 〈◊〉 he is called the Wisedome of God In 〈◊〉 are hid all the treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge Wisedome is formerly commended for her Beautie here for her Bountie Length of dayes is in her right hand in her left riches and honour Conceiue her a glorious Queene sitting in 〈◊〉 throne of Mâ—…iestie and â—…lling her children about her to the participation of those riches which from euerlasting shee hadde decreed them Not to trauell farre for distribution the parts of this Text are as easily distinguished as the Right hand from the Left Here be two Hands and they containe two sorts of treasures The Right hand hath in it Length of dayes the Lest riches and honour The right hand Is vpon good reason preferred both for it owne worth whereby it excelles and for the worth of the treasure which it containes It hath euer had the dignitie as the dexteritie Length of dayes Is the treasure it holds This cannot be properly vnderstood of this mortall life though the sense may also stand good with such an interpretation For by me sayth Wisedome thy dayes shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the yeares of thy life shall be increased Wisedome is the mother of abstinence and abstinence the Nurse of health Whereas voluptuousnesse and Intemperance as thâ—… French Prouerbe hath it Digges the owne gâ—…e with the teeth But all a mans Wisedome cannot keepe him still aliue The wise man dyeth as the foole sayth Salomon And the Father of Salomon excludes it from hauing
power to keepe a man That he should liue still for eâ—…r and not see â—…rruption Meâ—…ushalem liued nine hundred sixtie and nine yeares yet he was the Sonne of Eâ—…ch who was the sonne of â—…ared who was the sonne of 〈◊〉 who was the sonne of Cainan who was the sonne of 〈◊〉 who was the sonne of Seth who was the sonne of Aâ—… who was the sonne of dust The best constitutions that communicate in the sanguine of the Rose and Snow of the Lilly haue this parentage they are the sonnes and daughters of dust This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—… not 〈◊〉 to the Poles nor are these dayes measured by the Sunne in his Zodiacke all is pitched aboue the Wheele of changeable mortalitie It is Eternitie that fils the Right hand of Wisedome Length of dayes Dayes for the Claritie Length for the Eternitie Dayes Mans life in this world is called a Day a short day a sharpe day Short for instat vesper it is not sooner morning but it is presently night The Sunne of life quickly sets after it is once risen Sharpe for miserie is borne with life brought vp with life and to the good dies with life to the wicked remaines in death Like Hippocratâ—… twinnes inseparable in their beginning processe end So that aged Patriarch to Pharao My dayes haue beene few and euill So. Iob. Man is of few dayes and many troubles Animal â—…vi breuissimi solicitâ—…dinis infinitae And Paul cals it the euill day It is somewhat to comfort that though it be sharpe Euill yet it is but short a Day Redeeme the time for the dayes are euill But howsoeuer Semper mali dies in seculo yet semper boni dies in Domino as Augustine sweetly Though the world hath alwayes euill dayes yet God hath alwayes good dayes And this Day shall haue no night Nox non erit illic There shall be no night The Sunne that inlightens it cannot be ecclipsed That cittie hath no need of the Sunne neyther of the Moone to shine in it for the Glorie of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it No clouds shall draw a vaile of obscuritie ouer it Here the light of the Sunne darkens the Moone and the Moone obscures the luster of the Starres Sometimes halfe the earth is in light the rest in darkenesse But in these Dayes Albeit there is one glorie of the SVNNE another of the MOONE and another of the STARRES and one starre differeth from another starre in glory yet the light of one increaseth the light of another and the glorie of one is the glory of all Dispar est gloâ—… 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 Latitia omnium So in summe here we liue but a short day Giue vs this day our dayly bread But in that world wee shall haue Daies those good dayes and great dayes dayes of eternall length for they shall haue no night Length As the glorie is cleare for the Countenance so it is long for the Continuance Nullus erit defectus nullus â—…erminus There shall be 〈◊〉 charitâ—… chara â—…rnitas Gods eternall decree to chuse vâ—… in Christ had no beginning but it shall haue an end when the elect are taken vp to glory The possession of this decreed Inheritance shall haue a beginning but no end Wee shall eâ—…er be with the Lord. Gods mercie in both hath neither beginning nor end for it is from euerlasting to euerlasting Here then is both the Countenance it is a cleare day and the Continuance it is of length the very same Length that Euerlastingnesse it selfe Hezekiahs day was a long day when The shadow of the sunne went tenne degrees backward in the diall of Abâ—… Iosuah had a long day when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of 〈◊〉 And there was no day like that before it or after it But both these dayes had their nights and the long forbearing sunne at last did set Here the dayes are so long that it shall neuer be night You see the clearenesse and the length both are expressed Dan. 12. They that be â—…ise shall shine as the firmament and they that turne many to righteousâ—…es as the starres there is the Claritie and that for euer and euer there is the Eternitie There is nothing made perfectly happy but by Eternitie as nothing but eternitie can make perfect misery Were thy life a continued scene of pleasures on whose stage griefe durst nâ—…uer set his vnwelcome foote were the spoyle of Noahs Arke the cates of thy table hadst thou king Salomons wardrobe and treasurie Did the west Indie send thee all her gold and the East her spices and all these lying by thee whiles a late succession of yeares without carâ—… snowes white vpon thy head thou weâ—… euer indulgent to thy selfe and health to thee Yet suddenly there comes an impartiall Purseuant death and hee hath a charge to take thee away 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bathing thy selfe in thy delights Alas what iâ—… 〈◊〉 thy glory but a short play fâ—…ll of mirth till the last act and that goes off in a tragedie Couldest thou not haue made death more welcome if hee had found thee lying on a padde of straw feeding on crâ—…s and water gruell Is not thy paine the more troublesome because thou wast well Doth not the end of these temporary ioyes aâ—…ict thee more then if they had neuer beene Onely then eternitie can giue perfection to pleasure which because thiâ—… world cannot afford let vs reckon of it as it is a meeâ—…e Through 〈◊〉 and desiâ—… our Home whâ—… we shall be happy for 〈◊〉 In her Left hand riches and honour The gift of the right hand is large and eternall of the left short and 〈◊〉 Yet you see I am short in the long part giue mee leaue to bee long in the short part Herein wee haue many things considerable 1. That Riches and Hâ—…r are Godâ—… gifts 2. That all are not so but some and therefore it is necessary for vs to learne whether God gaue vnto vs that riches and honour which we haue 3. That albeit they are his gifts yet but the gifts of his left hand 4 That wealth and worship are for the most part companions for both those gifâ—… lie in one and the same hand 1. Riches and honour are Godâ—… gifts therefore iâ—… themselues not euill Sunt Dei 〈◊〉 â—…rgo iâ—… se bona Saith Augustine Ne pâ—…tentur â—…a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bâ—…na 〈◊〉 â—…lis That they may not be thought euill they are giuen to good men that they may not be thought the best good they are giuen also to euill men A rich man may be a good man and a poore man may be wicked Christ sanctified 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 and that in his 〈◊〉 Life Death 1. In his Birth hee sanctified Pouertiâ—… when hiâ—… chamber of presence was a Stable his crâ—…dle a manger his royall robes course ragges Hee sanctified
of ice thus suddenly thawed as waxe with the heate of Luxurie But Parum iusto a little that the righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked For the armes of the wicked shall be broken the strength of their state shall be confounded Their wealth is not Gods therefore he takes no charge of it But the Riches of the good is the riches of God and he will prosper it 2. These riches are well disposed or vsed Pietie not lust rules them He whom Gods blessings hath made rich giues God his part man his part and keepes the thirds to himselfe He returnes part 1. To God it is reason that he who giues all should haue part of all And because thou shouldest not grudge it hee chalengeth but a litle part but the tenth part wretched men that will not giue him one that gaue them tenne As Pilates wife sent her husband word Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man meddle not with Gods portion lest a voyce come to thee as to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man This was good Iacobs resolution of all that thou shalt giue me I will sure ly giue the tenth vnto thee Goe too now ye that say the Gospell hath no law for Tythes and that they were meerely ceremoniall Iacob payed them vnder nature they are therefore vnnaturall men that deny them You can find no law commanding your payment but you shall find a law condemning your non payment What can then be pleated for our accursed Impropriations Did the heauenly Wisedome euer giue you those riches Shew vs your Patent and wee will beleeue you If euer God did conuey his owne portion to you shew vs his hand and seale for it Where did euer Iesus passe away his royall prerogatiue or acknowledge any fine before a Iudge that you say Haec nostra sunt these are ours What money did you euer pay him for them where is your acquitance Shew your discharge O but you plead prescription If you were not past shame you would neuer dare to prescribe against the eternall God Nullum tempus occurrit Regi the king of heauen had these from the beginning and will you now plead prescription You may thus vndoe the poore Minister in these terrene Courts but your plea shall bee damned in the Courts of God We can produce his act and deed whereby hee separated Tenths to himselfe haue you nothing to shew and will you take away his inheritance Goe to you haue a Law and by your owne law this proceeding is intolerable You say you hold them by your law by your law you shall be condemned Perhaps you thinke to make amends for all for you will encrease the stipend of the vicar When the Father hath gotten thousands by the sacrilegious Impro priation the Sonne perhaps may giue him a Cowes grasse or a matter of fortie shillings per annum Or bestow a litle whiting on the Church a wainscote seate for his owne worship Yea more hee may chance to found a litle Almeshouse and giue twelue pence a piece a weeke to sixe poore people O this oppressor must needes goe to heauen what shall hinder him But it will bee as the by-word is in a Wheelebarow the fiends and not the Angells will take hold on him For is it not a great piece of charitie to get fiue hundred pound a yeare from God and to bestow twenty markes a yeare on the poore When Dauid prouiding for the Temples building saw how bountifully the Princes and people offered he giues solemne thankes to God acknowledging that they had all receiued this first from him f For all things come of thee and of thine owne haue we giuen thee The originall is of thine hand What here the left hand of God gaue to them their right hand returnes to God They did not as our Churchsackers and ransackers doe robbe God with the right hand and giue him a litle backe with the left take from him a pound and restore him a peny Well you would know whether God hath giuen you your wealth and he sayes whatsoeuer you haue gotten by Tenths was none of his giuing and besides euerlasting malediction it shall make your posteritie beggars 2. The second rule of vsing our riches well is when God hath his owne in the next place tribuere cuique suum to render euery man his due If they bee Gods gifts they must be disposed with iustice This is double Commutatiue distributiue Iustice. The one Arithmeticall the other Geometricall Arithmeticall is to giue euerie one alike Geometricall is to giue euerie one according to his deserts 1 Cùm res adaequaturrei 2. Cùm res adaequatur personae There are two rules for him that would be iust a negatiue and an affirmatiue rule 1. The negatiue Doe that to no man which thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe Quod tibi non vis alterine facias 2. The affirmatiue Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you doe ye euen so to them Not what euerie man out of his disordered passions would haue another doe to him but what in his composed and deliberate iudgment he approues done to himselfe let him doe that to others Wouldst thou be relieued Relieue Wouldest thou borrow lend If I should follow this point of iust distribution as a marke to discerne of your riches whether they are Gods goods or not how distasting would my speech be How few of your houses are filled with those treasures onely which the heauenly wisedome here disperseth How litle of them is found to come in Gods name It may be some of your wealth was giuen you of God but your euill vsage alters the nature of it and it can no more properly be ascribed to him It is hard to draw this circumstance into a square it is so confused in your actions that I cannot tell how to find a method for it in my discourse You may make your riches none of Gods blessings by vsing them ill in respect of others especially three wayes Or Detinendo debita by detaining things due to others Extrudendo vilia by putting forth base things for good Corrūpendo vtilia by corrupting with good things others 1. By detaining those things that are due to others these are either Debts Promises 1. Debts Rom. 13. Owe no man any thing but to loue one another Indeed there must be some owing as there must be some lending without this mutuall commerce we are worse then Sauages But we must pay againe The wicked borroweth and payeth not againe Debt is not deadly sinne when a man hath no meanes but when he hath no meaning to pay There must be votall restitution if there cannot be actuall Restore Quoad affectum thought you cannot Quoad effectum For if their be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not God reckons that as done which
twinkle and fall at last to blind connivence It is a wretched thing when Iustice is made a Hackney that may bee back'd for money and put on with golden spurs euen to the desired iourneys end of iniurie and iniquitie If the partie be innocent let his cause be sentenced for his innocencies sake if guiltie let not gold buy out his punishment If the cause bee doubtfull the Iudge shall see it worse when he hath blinded his eyes with Bribes But the will of the giuer doth transferre right of the gift to the receiuer No for it is not a voluntary will But as a man is willing to giue his purse to the theife rather then venture his life or limbe so the poore man giues his Bribes rather then hazard his cause Thou sayest the theefe hath no right to the purse so giuen God sayth nor thou to the Bribe And this is sinfull in a Iusticer though he passe true Iudgment on the cause but much more accursed when for this he will condemne the cause he should allow or allow the cause he should condemne To iustifie the wicked and condemne the innocent is alike abhomination to the Lord. Farre be from our soules this wickednes that the eare which should be open to complaints is thus stopped vp with the eare-waxe of partialitie Alas poore truth that shee must now bee put to the charges of a golden eare-picke or shâ—… cannot be heard But to shew that these riches are not of Gods giuing his anger is hoâ—…e against them Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Briberie The houses or tabernacles the â—…hambers hals offices studies Benches a Fire shall consume them They may stand for a while but the indignation of the Lord is kindled and if it once begin to burne all the waters in the South are not able to quench it These Riches then come not of Gods blessing but I pray that Gods blessing may bee yours though you want those Riches Time that seuere moderator chargeth me silence and I rather chuse abruptly to breake off my discourse then immodestly to abuse your tryed patience The Lord send vs the gifts of his Left hand at his owne good pleasure but neuer denie vs the blessings of his Right for Iesus Christ his sake Amen The second Sermon PROV 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour WE are looking into the left hand of Wisedome and there haue found 1. that Riches and Honour are GODS gifts 2. That euery mans riches and honour are not so that the mouth of wickednes might be stopped Therefore to satisfie our owne consciences that they are Gods blessings to vs I obserued that they must be 1. honestly gotten 2. iustly disposed and that by rendring sincerely that which is due 1. to God 2. to Man 3. to our selues Duties to others ended my former discourse I must now beginne at Our selues The third act of disposing our Riches well when God hath his portion and Man his portion is to take the thirds to our selues It is Gods will that with the wealth he hath giuen thee thou shouldest refresh and consolate thy selfe Thou preparest a table before mee thou annointest my head with oyle my cup runneth ouer Wherefore hath God spred a table before thee but that thou shouldest eate Wherfore giuen thee a cup running ouer but that thou shouldest drinke If thou haue wine make thy heart glad if oile let thy face shine if bread strengthen thy spirits Weare thy owne wooll and drinke the milke of thy owne flockes It is a blessing which the Lord giues to those that feare him Thou shalt eate the labour of thine owne hands happie shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee But a curse to the wicked that they shall plant vineyards and not taste the fruit thereof The riches that God truely giues man truely enioyes Euery man to whom God hath giuen riches and wealth and hath giuen him power to eate thereof and to take his portion and to reioyce in his labour this is the gift of God Now a man may take from himselfe this comfort in abusing his wealth and this many wayes especially foure to Superstition Malice Ryot Miserie 1. By spending them vpon workes of Superstition to the dishonour of God And this is a high degree of ingratitude When God hath giuen them a sword to defend themselues and they turne the poynt of it vpon his owne brest So God gaue Israell sheepe and oxen and they offer them vp to Baall Many in England are beholding to God for great reuenewes lands and Lordships and they therewith maintaine Iesuites and Seminaries his professed enemies These vse their riches as the Israelites did their eare-rings and iewels God gaue them for their owne ornament and they turne them to an Idoll 2. By malice in abusing them to vnnecessary quarrels contentions of Law to the hindrance of Gods peace and their neighbours welfare When men will put out one of their owne eyes to put out both their neighbours Nay both their owne for one of his Thus what they get by the happines of forraine peace they spend in ciuill warres How vnnaturall is it for one hand thus to beate and wound another Eyther of them gets a shell You know who goes away with the meate 3. By ryot Quicquid dant dant vel veneri vel ventri They spend more vpon the Tauerne then vpon the Tabernacle at the house of playes then at the house of prayse more vpon their owne hounds then vpon Gods poore children Iulius Caesar seeing women carrie little Dogs vnder their armes asked if they had no children God asketh you that giue your bread to dogs if he hath no children for your charitie But they answere all as the wicked in the 12. Psalme Our tongues are our owne They stop the mouth of all exhortation to frugall courses with It is my owne a man may spend his owne as hee list I wast none of your goods and what hath friend in priuate or preacher in publicke to doe with it But they shall find one day that they were but Stewards that these Riches were but intrusted to them and they shall giue a strict account Nothing is properly a mans owne but Peccata sua his sinnes Thy sinnes are thine owne thy riches Gods 4. By miserable niggardice in forbearing to take his owne portion and so becometh his owne consumption No maruell if such a miser starue others when hee famisheth himselfe Such a one is the worst vermine the land beares another vermine seekes but to feed it selfe but he hoording vp his graine feedes many thousands of them Let him beware least they also at last deuoure himselfe As that Germane Bishop that hauing great store of corne in a grieuous famine refused to sell it to the poore and suffered the Rattes to eate it But by the â—…ust iudgement of God the Mise and Rats which he fed with his
for the most part inseparable companions Eccle. 6. God giues to a man Riches and Honour First Riches and then Honour for it is lightly found so much Riches so much Honour and reputation is measured by the Acre I haue wealth enough saith the worldling Luke 12. I will turne Gentleman take my ease eate drinke and be merry Riches are the staires whereby men climbe vp into the height of dignitie the fortification that defends it the food it liues vppon the oyle that keeps the lampe of Honour from going out Honour is a bare robe if Riches doe not lace and flourish it and Riches a dull Lumpe till Honour giue a Soule to quicken it Fiftly then Honour and Riches Wealth and Worship doe beare one another companie 4. Lastly obserue that though riches and honour be Gods gifts yet they are but the gifts of his left hand therefore it necessarily followes that euery wise man will first seeke the blessings of the Right First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and these things shall be added to you Godlinesse is the best Riches Riches the worst let vs striue for the former without condition for the other if they fall in our way let vs stoope to take them vp if not let vs neuer couet them It is no Wisedome to refuse Gods kindnesse that offers wealth nor pietie to scratch for it when God withholds it When the Lord hath set thee vp as high as Haman in the Court of Ahasuerus or promoted thee to ride with Ioseph in the second Chariot of Egypt were thy stocke of Cattell exceeding Iobs seauen thousand sheepe three thousand Camels fiue hundred yoke of Oxen did thy Wardrobe put downe Salomons and thy cup-bord of plate Belshazzars when the vessels of Gods temple were the ornature Yet all these are but the gifts of Wisedomes left hand and the possessors may be vnder the malediction of God and goe downe to damnation If it were true that sanctior qui ditior that goods could make a man good I would not blame mens kissing the left hand and sucking out Riches and Honour But alas what antidote against the terrour of conscience can bee chym'd from gold What charme is there in braue apparell to keepe off the rigour of Sathan Quod tibi praestat opes non tibi praestat opem That which makes thee wealthy cannot make thee happie Ionas had a Gourd that was to him an Arbour he sate vnder it secure but suddenly there was a worme that bitte it and it dyed Compare secretly in your hearts your riches to that Gourd your pleasure to the greenesse of it your pompe attendance vanities to the leaues of it your suddaine encrease of wealth to the growing and shooting vp of it But withall forget not the Worme and the Wind the Worme that shall kill your roote is Death and the Wind that shall blow vpon you is calamitie There is a greater defect in this wealth and worshippe then their vncertaintie Non mâ—…do fallacia quia dubia verùm insidiosa quia dulcia They are not onely deceitfull through their ticklenesse but dangerous through their lushoâ—…snesse Men are apt to surfeit on this luxurient abundance it is a baâ—…e to securitie a baud to wantonnes Here is the maine difference betweene the gifts of Gods right hand and of his left He giues reall blessings with the left but he doth not settle them vpon vs he promiseth 〈◊〉 perpetuitie but with the graces of his right he giues assurance of euerlastingnes Christ calles Riches the riches of deceitfulnesse but grace the better part that shall neuer be taken away Dauid compares the wealthy to a flourishing tree that is soone withered but Faith stablisheth a man like Mount Sion neuer to be remoued He that thinkes hee sittes surest in his seate of Riches let him take heed least he fall When a great man boasted of his abundance sayth Paulus Emilius one of his friends told him that the anger of God could not long forbeare so great prosperitie How many rich Marchants haue suddenly lost all How many Noblemen sold all How many wealthy heires spent all Few Sundayes passe ouer our heads without Collections for Ship-wrackes fires and other casualties Demonstratiue proofes that prosperitie is inconstant riches casuall And for honour wee read that Belâ—…sarius an honourable Peere of the Empire was forced in his old age to beg from dore to dore obulum date Bel sario Fredericke a great Emperour was so low brought that he sâ—…ed to be made but the Sexton of a Church O then let vs not adhere to these left hand blessings but first seeke length of dayes eternall ioyes neuer to be lost A man may enioy the other without fault the sinne consisteth praeferendo vel conferendo either in preferring Riches or in comparing them with faith and a good conscience Vtere caducis fruere aeternis Thou must necessarily vse these transient things onely enioy and rest vppon the euerlasting comforts of Iesus Christ. When God hath assured to a Christian spirit the inheritance of Heauen he ioyfully pilgrims it through this world if wealth and worship salute him by the way he refuseth not their companie but they shall not stray him out of his path nor transport his affections for his heart is where his hope is his loue is where his Lord is euen with Iesus his Redeemer at the right hand of God Now this mans very Riches are blessed to him for as from the hand of God hee hath them so from the hand of God hee hath to enioy good in them Whereas to some sayth Salomon I haue seene Riches kept for the ownâ—…s thereof to their hurt to this man they shall worke to the best blessing his condition in this life and enlarging his dition in heauen as the wise man sweetly The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrow with it Thus in particular if we conferre the right hand with the left we shall generally learne 1. That both Gods hands are giuing it is enough if man giue with one hand but the Lord settes both his handes a doling his Almes of mercie Nemo tuarum vnam vincet vtraque manu No man can doe so much with both handes as GOD with one hand with one finger Hee hath Manum plenam extensam expansam hand full not emptie so full that it can neuer be emptied with giuing Innumerable are the drops in the sea yet if one be taken out it hath though insensibly so much the lesse but Gods goodnesse can suffer no diminution for it is infinite Men are sparing in their bountie because the more they giue the lesse they haue but Gods hand is euer full though it euer disperse and the filling of many cisternes is no abatement to his euer running fountaine Our prayers therfore are well directed thether for blessings whence though we receiue neuer so much wee leaue no lesse behind Let this
master of Requests in heauen haue all our suites wee are sure either to receiue what wee aske or what wee should aske It is extensa a hand put forth and stretched out Stretched out not to receiue but to giue The Prophet speakes of Rulers that stretch out their hands for bribes and cry Giue yee but the Lords hand is put forth to offer good things All day long haue I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient people Indeed God hath a hand and woe to the man against whom it is stretched Homer sayth that all the Gods could not ward a blow of Iupiters hand His hands are not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands that cannot be sufficiently preised but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands that cannot be resisted It is a heauy hand when it lights vpon men in anger It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God When reuolting Israell fell to serue Baal and Ashtaroth Whethersoeuer they went out the hand of the Lord was against them for euill When the men of Ashdod were smitten with Emerods it is said the hand of the Lord was heauie vpon them So Dauid in his grieuous miserie Thine arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth mesore It is not this hand that God here stretcheth out Bernard sayth God hath two hands Fortitudo and Latitudo A hand of strength Qua defendit potenter wherewith he protects his friends and confounds his enemies A hand of Bountie Qua tribuit affluenter wherby he disperseth and disposeth the larges of his gifts This is the hand here put forth manus regalis and giues munus regale a royall hand full of reall mercies let vs humbly kisse it It is expansa not a shut hand but open Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing with plenteousnesse God giues richly sayth Paul Man is poore because hee is a creature the very namâ—… of creature inferres pouertie it implies a receiuing of all Quid habes quod non accepisti The Creator hath the possession of all and the disposition of all at his own pleasure Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights Bread in the Lords prayer is called Ours Giue vs this day our daily bread but ne putetur a nobis dicimus da nobis lest we should imagine it our owne from our selues we are taught daily to begge it of our father in heauen whose it is It is the Lords hand that barreth the gates of our cities that filleth our garners with plentie that sets peace about our walles and prosperitie in our pallaces that blesseth our goings out and commings in euen all the workes of our hands But what speake I of temporall things the gifts of his lest hand in comparison of length of dayes euerlasting ioyes the treasures of his right Repentance humilitie charitie and the Lady of all graces Faith come from his hand and are the faire gifts of God Ipsum velle credore Deus operatur in homine The first will to beleeue is wrought in man by God If any aske Cur illi ita suadeatur vt persuadeatur illi autem non ita Why doth this man beleeue another remaine in infidelitie Hic digitus Dei the hand of God hath bin here working faith in the soule of him that beleeueth All comes from this hand of mercy Quisquis tibi enumerat merita sua quid tibi enumerat nisi muneratua He that reckons to God his merites what doth he reckon but Gods mercies Quae bo na mea dona tua those that are my goods as Gods gifts 2. Though hands be here attributed to God yet it is but by way of metaphore not literally and in a true proprietie of speech To conceiue GOD to bee as man with humane dimensions was the heresie of the Anthro pomorphites and hee that thus grossely thinkes of God sayth Ierome makes an Idol of God in his heart But herein God stoopes to the qualitie of our vnderstandings ascribing to himselfe anger and displeasure as it were passions to the impassible whereas Nec Deus affectu capitur nec tangitur irâ—… they are not passions but perfections God hath a mouth by which he teacheth man wisedome he hath feet by which he walketh on the earth his footestoole he hath hands by which he giueth food to all flesh he hath none of these organically as men haue but in the varietie of effects which he produceth So Bernard Per effectum haec habet non per naturam 3. Obserue that in the left hand there is a double benefite Riches and Honour in the right but a single one Length of dayes yet this one farre transcends both the other For if we should restraine it to this world long life is a great blessing and more valuable then wealth and worship But taking it as it is meant for eternitie For this life is but a span long a span then now scarce the length of a finger as Psal. 23. I will dwell in the house of the Lord for euer originally to length of dayes but fitly traÌ„slated For euer the left hand is as far exceeded by the right as short mortalitie is by euerlastingnesse Aged Israel to his grand-children Ephraim Manasseh two sonnes of Ioseph when the father had placed the first borne Manasseh to his right hand and Ephraim the younger to his left hee crossing his hands layd the right vpon Ephraim and the left vpon Manasseh When Ioseph would haue remoued his hands he refused I know it my sonne I know it Manasseh also shall become a people and he also shall be great but truely his younger brother shall be greater then he The Lord doth blesse many Manassehs with his left hand in riches and honours but blessed be that Ephraim to whom his right hand is commended Lord let others enioy the treasures of thy left hand but lay thy right vpon our soules 4. I conclude Since the Lord out of both his hands powres and showres vpon vs these mercies what should we doe but be thankfull Shall wee receiue benefites by heapes and is the incense of our gratitude of so thinne a smoake Et capitur minimo thuris honore Deus All these blessings seeme to say to man Take and take heed Accipe redde caue Receiue returne beware Take warmth from me sayth apparell heat from me fâ—…yth fire strength from me sayth bread Restore thankfullnesse to the Giuer Or else beware lest the fire burne thee water drowne thee aire choake thee lest all giue destruction that should giue comfort Receiue in the name of God Returne in the Praise of God or Beware in the feare of God To whom for the blessings of both his hands be glory ascribed from all lips and hearts for euer and euer Amen THE LOST ARE FOVND LVK. 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that
Thou O Lord art onely vvoorthy to receiue glory and honour They haue nec boni inopiam nec in bono superbiam They are not poore in good workes nor proud of good workes They wrote their charity in the dust therefore did God write it in Marble They seeme to forget the works of mercie they haue done therefore are they remembred by Iesus Christ. 4. The answere of Christ Mat. 25. 40. In as much as yee haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me The miseries of my brethren are my own miseries Wee haue an high Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities That invulnerable and glorified brest is still touched with the sense of our wounds Saul thou persecutest mee he sayes not mine but me me in mine He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Surely he will pity the misery of euery one that is afflicted with the sorowes of all Quis recusabit pro Christo pati quando Christus compatitur patienti Who would refuse to suffer for Christ when he is sure that Christ suffers with him Here is excellent direction for our works of mercy that no sinister end draw them from vs but syncere loue to Christ. If any fish for the applause of men his bait shal be his owne hooke to snare himselfe Da Christo looke on the poore man and in that member behold the Head Christ. He that shall giue a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his reward A cup of water is but a small gift yet done in that Name and for that cause it is rewarded as an excellent worke of mercy It is the true note of a child of God to shew mercy to a Christian because he is a Christian. Naturall men haue their priuate ends and aduantagious respects in their beneficences Such a one shall doe me seruice flatter my addiction bring intelligences to mine eare I will make him my property my charity shal bind him to me Morall men will sometimes giue euen for pities sake but the true Christian doth it for Christ his sake and lookes no further Dooing good vnto all especially to them that are of the houshold of faith Some thinke that the best worke is to build Temples and Monasteries but indeed the best worke is to relieue not the dead but the liuing Temples of Christs mysticall Body It was an ancient complaint Fulget Ecclesia in parietibus â—…get in pauperibus The Church flourisheth in her glorious buildings but mourneth and pines away in her poore members Deny not due cost to the dead walls but first satisfie the liuing bowels that Christ may say Come yee blessed I come now to the sentence of Condemnation Math. 25. 41. Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels In this forme of damnatory iudgement are foure points considerable A Reiection of the vvicked a Reason of that reiection an Obiection against that reason a Confutation of that obiection In the Reiection are many particulars gradually inhancing their iudgement They are partly Priuatiue partly Positiue Depart from mee yee cursed there is Poenadamâ—…i Into euerlasting fire there is Poena sensus As there be two kindes of sinne Delictum and Peccatum Delictum est desertio boni Peccatum perpetratio mali the one a forsaking of that is good the other a committing of that is euill So there is a like proportion of punishment a depriuing of ioy and a giuing ouer to torment Heere is 1. A grieuous refusall Depart This seemes nothing to the wicked now such is their dead securitie Depart Why they are content to be gone Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore their heart is fully set in them to doe euill But as when a Prince opening his long locked vp Treasurie graciously takes some in with him and saying to other ill-meriting followers Depart it will be a disgracefull vexation So when the glory of heauen and those vnualuable treasures shall be opened and dealt about to the faithfull vvhat horror will it be to the Reprobates to be cast off with a Depart Blessed are the eyes that see the things vvhich yee see saith Christ to his Saints For Kings haue desired to see them and were not suffered If it were such a Blessednes to see Iesus in humility what is it to see him in glory But from this the wicked are bidden Depart 2. The losse of Saluation From mee your Sauiour that was wounded for you that offered my bloud to you which was offered for you And if from mee then from all that is mine my mercy my glory my saluation Consider here what an excellent thing it is to haue familiarity with Christ on earth that he may not cast vs off as strangers from heauen He that would haue Christ know him there must not be a stranger to Christ here He must haue some fellowship with GOD How If wee walke in the light we haue fellowship with God and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. To walke in the darke is to haue fellowship with the Prince of darknesse to walke in the light is to haue fellowship with the Father of lights VVill a Reprobate that hath alwaies turned his back vpon Christ here presse into his company Vpon what acquaintance Yes Wee haue eate and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets as if they should say We haue fed at thy Communion table and heard thee preach in our Pulpits Still this proues no acquaintance for in the one you did eate Panem Domini non Panem Dominum the bread of Christ but not Christ with the bread In the other you haue heard Uerbum Domini not regarded Dominum verbi Your eare hath beene open but your conscience shutte Therefore ver 25. Non noui vos as familiar as you presume yet you are such strangers to me that I know you not They neuer vvillingly came neere Christ but to persecute him therefore hee shall then cast them farre enough off for euer 3. The deserued Malediction Yee cursed Hee is cursed that being borne in sinne liues in it and dyes in it without seeking recouery I call this curse merited because they loue it As hee loued cursing so let it come vnto him Hath he loued it Let him take his loue As hee clothed himselfe with cursing as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like vvater and like oyle into his bones ver 18. It was his outside let it be his linings it was his outward stuffe let it be his inward stuffing Euery one that hath not first a pardon by Christ must heare this curse pronounced against him from Christ. O then suffer not thine eyes to sleep till Christ hath sealed thee a Quetus est Giue
mouth of Christ. Let mee conclude with that sigh from his soule Could ye not watch with me one houre It will not bee long ere the glasse be runne the houre out Iudas is at hand iudgement is not farre off then may you sleepe and take your rest This day is neerer you now then when you first entred the Church Twice haue the blasted eares eat vp the full corne twice haue the leane kine deuoured the fatte Pharaohs dreame is doubled for the certainty and expedition Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry If wee shall haue comfort in this day when it is come wee must long for it before it doe come What comfort shall the Vsurer haue hee desires not this day for then the Angell sweares there shall bee no more time and his profession is to sell time He sels it deare very costly to anothers purse but most costly to his owne soule Such as bribe for Offices farme Monopolies contract an vsurious rent for life doe they desire it Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darkenesse and not light The soule groaning vnder sinne desires it Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death The suffering soule may desire it Come Lord Iesus The faithfull Spouse wedded to Christ desires this comming of her Husband she is now espoused that is the plenary consummation of the marriage Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue honour to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and the Bride hath made her selfe ready Blessed are they that bee called to this marriage supper To the vngodly it will be a fearefull day Ignis vbique ferox ruptis regnabit habenis there shall follow an vniuersall dissolution Downewards goe Satan his angels and reprobates howling and shriking gnashing of teeth the effect of a most impatient fury to be bound hand and foote with euerlasting chaines of darkenesse Where fire shall torture yet giue no light wormes gnaw the heart yet neuer gnaw in sunder the strings eternall paines punire non finire corpora Small sorrowes grow great with continuance but O misery of miseries to haue torments vniuersall and withall eternall not to be endured yet not to be ended Vpwards goes Christ the blessed Angels and Saints singing with melodie as neuer mortall eare heard The onely song which that Quire sung audible to man was that which the Shepheards heard Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Yet Christ was then comming to suffer what may we thinke are those Halleluiahs euerlastingly chanted in the Courts of Heauen we know not yet we may know one speciall note which an vniuersall Quire of all nations kinred and tongues Angels Elders All shall sing Blessing and glory and wisedome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Amen To the spirits of iust men made perfect The Citizens of heâ—…uen are of two sorts by Creation or Adoption Created and naturall Citizens are the Angels Adopted are Men. Of these be two kindes some Assumed and others Assigned The Assigned such as are decreed in their times to be Citizens said before to bee written in heauen The Assumed such as are already possessed of it here Spirits of iust men made perfect But how then is the Apostles meaning cleared How are the militant on earth said to be come vnto these iust spirits in heauen Yes wee haue a Communion with them participating in Spe what they possesse in Re. Now we are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of GOD. Onely our apprentiship of the flesh is not yet out but they haue their freedome But as wee haue all an vnion with Christ so a Communion vvith Christians the combatant on earth with the triumphant in heauen Spirits this word hath diuerse acceptions It is taken 1. Pro animo for the Mind Luke 10. 21. Iesus reioyced in spirit 1. Chron. 5. 26. God stirred vp the spirit of the King of Assyria 2. Pro sede rationis et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 2. 11. What man knowes the things of man saue the spirit of man which is within him 3. Pro Affectuvel Afflatu for the motion of the mind whether good or bad Luke 9. 55. Ye know not what maner spirit ye are of So there is called the spirit of lust the spirit of pride c. 4. Pro donis spiritus sancti for the gifts of Gods Spirit Act. 8. 15. Peter and Iohn prayed for the disciples at Samaria that they might receiue the holy Spirit meaning the graces of the holy Spirit Gala. 3. 2. Receiued yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith 5. Pro efficacia Euangelij for the effectuall working of the Gospel and so it is opposed to the letter 2. Cor. 3. 6. The letter killeth but the Spirit giueth life 6. Pro spiritualibus exercitijs for spirituall exercises Gala. 6. 8. He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape euerlasting life Iohn 4. 23. True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit truth 7. Pro regenerata parte for the regenerate part of a Christian and so it is opposed to the flesh Gala. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh 8. Lastly Pro anima immortalâ—… for the immortall soule Eccl. 12. 7. Dust shall returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it This spirit did Steuen commend into the hands of Christ. Act. 7. 59. And Christ into the hands of his Father Math. 27. 50. yielding vp the spirit Thus it is taken here Spirits he doth not say bodies they lie in the dust vnder the hope of a better resurrection Spirits Wee find here what becomes of good mens soules when they forsake their bodies they are in the heauenly Citie There are many idle opinions what becomes of mans soule in death Some haue thought that the soules then though they die not yet are still kept within the body as it were asleepe vntill the last day But the Scripture speakes expresly the contrary for Diues his soule was in hell and Lazarus his soule in Abrahams bosome I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the Word of God Some haue imagined a transmigration of soules forsakeÌ„ of their owne bodies into other bodies Herod seemes to be of this opinion when newes was brought him concerning the fame of Iesus he said to his seruants This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead He thought that the soule of Iohn was put into the body of Iesus It is alleaged that Nebuchadnezzar liuing and feeding with beasts vntill seuen times were passed ouer him had lost his owne soule and the soule
in the heart but howsoeuer shield thy head loose not thy hope of saluation thy faith in Iesus Christ. Homo qui habet se habet totum inse said the Philosopher He that hath himselfe hath all in himselfe But ille habet se qui habet Christum ille habet Christum qui habet fidem He hath himselfe that hath Christ and he hath Christ that hath faith Whatsoeuer you loose loose not this though you loose your loues though you loose your liues keepe the faith I will trust in thee though thou kill me saith Iob. I haue kept the faith saith Paul though I beare in my bodie the markes of the Lord Iesus If insatiate death be let alone to cutte vs into pieces with the sword to grind vs into the mawes of beastes to burne vs in the fire to ashes yet so long as our head Christ is safe he hath the Serpents attractiue power to draw vs to him Father I will that they whom thou hast giuen me be with me where I am The more we are cut off the more we are vnited death whiles it striues to take vs from him sends vs to him Keepe faith in the Head With what mind soeuer Seneca wrote it I know to good vse I may speake it Malo mihi successum deesse quam-fidem I rather want successe then faith Fidem qui perdidit nil habet vltra quod perdat He that hath lost his faith hath nothing els to loose But it is the Lord that preserues the head O God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my â—…ead in the day of battell 2. The next Policie in Serpents is to stop their â—…ares against the noyse of the charmers This is one of the similitudes which the Psalmist giues betweene the wicked and Serpents Their poison is like the poison of a Serpent they are like the deafe adder that stoppeth hor â—…are Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming never so Wisely This charming as they write was invented in the Easterne countreyes where they were pesterd with abundance of serpents Which musicke the Serpent hearing wisely distrusting his owne strength thinkes it the surest course to stop his â—…ares This he doth by couching one â—…are close to the ground and covering the other with his voluminous tayle The incantations of this world are as often sung to vs as those charmes to the Serpents but we are not so wise as Serpents to avoyd them Sometimes a Siren sings vs the charmes of lust and thus a weake woman overcomes him that overcame the strong Lyon Lenam non potuit potuit superare Leaenam Quem fera non valuit vincere vicit hera Sayes the Epigrammatist He goeth after her straight way though her houseâ—… the way to hell going downe to the chambers of death Sometimes Satan comes to vs like a gold-finch and whistles vs a note of vsurie to the tune of ten in the hundred we are caught presently and fall a dancing after his pipe Sometimes like Alecto he charmes vs a Madrigall of revenge for private wrongs instantly we are caught with malice destruction sits in our lookes Not seldome hee comes to a man with a drunken caroll lay thy peny to mine and we will to the wine he is taken suddenly he runs to it though he reeles from it He sings the slothfull a Dormi securè and hee will sleepe though his damnation sleepeth not Yea there are not wanting that let him sing a song of blasphemie they will sweare with him Let him begin to raile they will libell with him Let his incantation bee treason and they will answere him in gunpowder Yea let him charme with a Charme a witlesse senceles sorcerie and if a tooth akes or a hog grones they will admit it admire it Of such follie the very serpents shall condemne vs. But as open â—…ar'd as men are to these incantations of the Deuill and sinne let the musicall bells of Aaron be rung the sweet songs of Sion sung they will not listen they will not be charmed with all our cunning So that wee shall be faint to send them to the Iudgment seate of God with this scrole on their forheads Noluerunt incantari Lord wee haue done our best but this people would not be charmed 3. Their third Policie They flie mens societie as knowne enemies and rather chuse a wildernes seeking peace among bryers and thornes And may they not herein teach vs with Moses rather to chuse affliction in a wildernes with the people of God then to enioy the pleasure of sin for a season Much hath bin and may be said to lessen mens dotage to the world and yet one word I must adde Non quia vos nostra sperem prece posse moveri Did euer any of you know what the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost is whiles that comfort and iubilation dwelt in your heart I aske you how the world stood in your sight Stood it not like a deformed witch deuils sucking on her breasts a shoale of vgly sinnes sitting like screechowles on her head bloud and massacres besmearing her face lies blasphemies periuries waiting at her backe extortion and oppression hanging on her armes wickednes and wretchednesse filling both her hands the cryes grones and imprecations of widowes and orphans sounding in her eares heauen thundring vengance on her head and the enlarged gates of the infernall pitte yawning to entertaine her Is this your Paramour O ye worldlings Is this the beautie you hazard a soule to get O munde immunde euill fauoured world that thou shouldst haue so many louers Ecceruinosus est mundus siâ—… amatur quidsi perfectus esset Quid forâ—…osus faceret quùm deformis sic adoratur If the world beeing ruinous so pleaseth men what would it doe if it were sound and perfect If it were faire and beauteous how would wee dote on it that thus loue it deformed But how rare a man is hee Qui nihil habet commune cum seculo that hath no communion with this world That retires himselfe like the Serpent and doth not intricate his mind in these worldly snares who does not watch with enuie nor trauell with auarice nor clime with ambition nor sleepe with lust vnder his pillow But for all this Vincet amor mundi money and wealth must be had though men refuse no way on the left hand to get it We may charge them Nummos propter Deum expendere to lay out their wealth for Gods sake but they will Deum propter nummos colere worship God for their wealths sake We say let the world waite vpon religion they say let religion waite vpon the world You talke of heauen a kingdome but Tutius hâ—… câ—…lum quod brâ—…uis â—…ca tenet That heauen is surest thinke they that lies in their coffers As those two Gyants bound Mars in chaines and then sacrificed to him so men first coffer vp their
good Prince he giues those seruants grace and honour whom hee perceiues least ambitious of it Such men seeke not for honour as for a Iewell they would faine find but onely stumble at it as Saul sought but his Fathers Asses when he lighted on a Kingdome Pride like smoke will surge vpward though it vanish into aire massie vertue like gold keeps below is more preciously respected Hee that would mount cares not what attendance he daunces at all houres vpon whose staires hee sittes waiting what enormities he soothes what deformities he imitates what base offices he does prostrate himselfe to so he may rise His carriage is alienum a se quite another thing from himselfe he doth glew it on indecently that he may skrew himselfe into fauour This man neuer vnderstood the charge that goes with honour Which the most wise disposition of God hath coupled together Charge without some honour would ouerlay a man If a man could haue honour without some trouble it would so transport him that he were continually in danger of running madde The poore man enuies the great for his honour the great perhaps enuies the poore more for his peace for as he liues obscurely so securely He that rightly knowes the many publicke and more secret vexatitions incident to Honour would not as that King sayd of his Crowne stoope to take it vp though it lay at his feete before him 2. Liue worthy of that Honour thou hast Greatnesse not gooded with grace is like a Beacon vpon a high hill Qui conspiciunt despiciunt they that behold it hate it though perhaps they dare not censure it The knee may be forced to reuerence but but the mind cannot but abhorre so vnworthy a Statue In his pride he stomackes the couerd head or the stiffe knee of a good Mordecai fretting that other men do not thinke him so good as he thinkes himselfe But indeed he doth not thinke himselfe more honourable then others thinke bim base All the poore honour that hee hath is onely kept aboue ground with his body both corrupt fall and rotte together and if it bee coniurd vp at the funerall to present it selfe yet it failes not to goe backe with the Heralds 3. Forget not your originall ye whose browes the wreathes of honour haue aboue hopes engirt If the Lord hath raised you out of the dust and lifted you vp out of the dunghill and set you among the Princes of the people yet forget not your Fathers house nor the place of your beginning Miseranda obliuio originis non meminisse He neuer truely vnderstands what hee is that forgets what hee hath beene Salomons obseruation is often true Follie is set in great dignitie Albeit this bee not the right Vbi Follie in excellencie Now these excellent fooles soone forget de quo surrectio detur From howe low estate they are risen They consider not how glad their Carkases would once haue beene of a warme couering that are now richer then Lilies more gorgeous then May scarce Salomon in all his glory was arayed like one of these They consider not that neede once made them trudge through the Mire euen many tedious iourneys that climbe by vniust Riches to that dignitie as in their Caroches to be whirled through the popular streetes It was Iacobs humble acknowledgement of Gods mercie to him With my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands If blind Ingratitude would suffer many proud eyes to see it howe iustly might diuerse say With my staffe came I hither walking and now I ride in triumph with attendants To these let me apply the words of the Prophet Looke vnto the Rocke whence ye are hewen and to the hole of the pitte whence ye are digged Remember your poore beginning that you may blesse God for your aduancing Say not onely in generall Quis homo What is man that thou O Lord art so mindfull of him But Quis ego What am I and what is my Fathers house that GOD should thus raise me vp 4. If thou haue Honour keepe it but trust it not Nothing is more inconstant for it depends vpon inconstancie it selfe the vulgar breath Which is Bellua multorum capitum a Beast of many heads and as many tongues which neuer keepe long in one tune As they neuer agree one with another so seldome doe they agree long with themselues Paul and Barnabas come to Lystra and raise an impotent Creeple Hereat the amased people would needs make them Gods and draw Buls and garlands to the Altars for sacrifice to them Not long after they draw Paul out of the Citie and stone him They suddenly turne him from a God to a malefactor and are ready to kill him in stead of killing sacrifice to him O the ficklenesse of that thing which is committed to the keeping of vulgar hands Trust not then popularitie with thy Honour so it is mutable but trust vertue with it so it is durable Nothing can make sure a good memorie but a good life It is a foolish dreame to hope for immortalitie and a long-lasting name by a monument of brasse or stone It is not dead stones but liuing men that can redeeme thy good remembrance from obliuion A Sumptuous Tombe couers thy putrified Carkase and be thy life neuer so lewd a commending Epitaph shadows all but the passenger that knew thee telles his friends that these out-sides are hypocriticall for thy life was as rotten as is thy corpes and so is occasioned by thy presumed glorie to lay open thy deserued infamie Neither can the common people preserue thy honour whiles thou liuest nor can these dull and senselesse Monuments keepe it when thou art dead Onely thy noble and Christian life makes euery mans heart thy Tombe and turnes euery tongue into a pen to write thy deathlesse Epitaph 5. Lastly if God giues to some men Honour it is then manifest that God allowes difference of persons He ordaines some to rule and others to obey some masters others seruants he setteth some vp on high and placeth others in a low degree To repine at others greatnesse and our owne meannesse is to cauill with God as if hee wanted wisedome and equitie in disposing these inferiour conditions It is a sauage and popular humour to maligne and inveigh against men in eminent places That rhyme When Adam delued and Eue span Who was then a Gentleman seemes to bee made among Iacke Strawes followers and to sauour of Rebellious discontent God allowes no man to vilefie where hee hath honoured no scurrilous Libelles disgracing those that liue yea disparaging the very dead shall passe the Court of Gods Iustice vncensured Where the Lord conferres and confirmes Honour woe to the tongue that shall traduce it This second poynt hath held vs long the breuitie of the rest shall ease it 3. Obserue that Salomon in the donation of the left hand couples together Riches and Honour as if these two were