that person who first stepped in after the troubling of it as the Scripture testifieth But as for our Poole of the Worde blessed be that GOD who hath enriched and honoured thee O my soule with it it can cure and make whole at one time scores hundreths thousands diseased in soule what ever sinnes they haue committed O Peter the healing Streames of this curing Poole flowe so aboundantlie out of the fountaine of thy mouth that Spirite of Iesus thy Master who came downe upon thee in the day of Pentecost joyning His vertue with them that not one soule only not tē only not 20 only not an hundreth only not a thousand only but even three thousand diseased yea dead soules are that day added unto the Kirke Acts 2.41 Coulde this be considered O my soule O how frequently O how busilie O how joyfullie would men of all ranks and conditions resort to this blessed Poole of the Worde of GOD O how carefullie and attentiuely Acts 10.33 would men resorting unto it with Cornelius hearken to it Yea ô how earnestlie would they in their Chambers awaiting for the Spirit of GOD vvith the Apostles pray for the Spirit to the ende that His Vertue being joyned with that Worde they resolue for to heare in the publicke Congregation they might haue their deade diseased soules cured and quickned thereby WOe is mee vvoe is mee O my Soule that so manie baptized in the Name of IESVS should thinke and speake of that good Worde of IESVS vvhich is the onelie Worde of Life as that Reprobate Pharaoh thought and spake of that good Word of GOD sounded by Moyses and Aaron unto the Israelites and to himselfe Exod. 5.9 directing his Taske-masters thus to speake to the people Let them not regard vaine wordes When vvee Christians consider this O my Soule vvee all condemne Pharaoh but alace howe manie bee there amongst us who saye not onelie in their heart but with their lippes yea by their workes The vvordes of GOD are vaine wordes O Idolaters Blasphemers Adulterers and other grosse Sinners If anie time yee resorte to the House of GOD vvhat rounde ye one to another And when yee goe foorth from His House what bee your speaches Let yonder Blast goe yonder wind shaketh no Corne. Hearken for GODS cause O my Soule Our GOD hath not mens Cornes in such account neyther counteth Hee so baselie of His Worde that Hee will daine to shake their Cornes with it For Hee hath a baser winde of the which Hee accounteth not so much whereby Hee is able to shake all the Cornes in the Worlde Besides this I must tell thee O my soule Albeit that Worde which the men of GOD preach shaketh not mens Cornes yet it can shake Kinges it can shake Queenes and Subjectes of all estates That same Pharaob who durst open his blasphemous mouth against GOD and His Worde founde this to bee true by a dolefull experience For shooke not that Worde of GOD him spoken by Moyses unto him out of his Royall Chariot when hee was ryding securelie there in the bottome of the Sea yea in the Dungeon of Hell Shooke not that Worde spoken by Ieremie unto Zedekiah King of Iudah not onelie out of his Royall Palace of Ierusalem of Iudea but scattered it him not unto Babel ô poore Iewes saw ye ever an Edie winde as wee call it scatter an heape of light Chaffe towardes the foure corners of the Earth so miserablie as that Worde of GOD spoken by IESVS and His Apostles unto your Fathers hath scattered you and your praedecessoures these sixteene hundreth yeares agoe I know a Blast or two of this winde of the Worde of GOD which shooke a King so that it chaunged his countenance it loosed his loynes and made his knees to smyte one against the other sitting at his owne Table Dan. 5.5.6 at a Banquet Royall accompanied with his Queene and Counsellers I knowe a Blast of this Winde blowne by a man of GOD standing at a Barre to bee accused which made his Iudge to shake and tremble for while Paul is disputing of Righteousnesse and of Temperance and of the Iudgement to come Foelix the Iudge trembled so that hee might abyde Paules praesence no longer saying Goe thy wayes for this time and when I haue a convenient time I shall call for thee Act. 24.26 VVere the emptie Houses and olde Livinges amongst us fearfullie burdened miserablie wracked and daylie chaunged from man to man from surname to surname looked unto it might bee seene that even the deboashedest amongst us might learne to scarre from attempting to style that good VVorde of GOD vanitie or winde If thou loue thy selfe heerefore ô my Soule abhorre to thinke and speake of the VVorde of thy GOD vvith Pharaoh and learne to thinke and speake of it as thy GOD hath directed thee and so thinke and speake thou of it as of that Milke whereby the New-borne Babes of GOD are nourished as of that Bread 1. Pet. 2.1 Deut. 8.3 Luke 24.32 Ier. 23.29 vvherewith GODS Children are fedde as of that Wine vvhereby they are refreshed and comforted as of that Fire vvherby that Drosse of the remnant of their sinnes is purged from them and they are purified as good Golde to be layde up in that cleane Treasurie which is aboue as of that heavie Hamber which is able to breake and bruise in pieces all such as dare attempt to contemne it yea in a worde as of that Meate vvhereby their hungrie Soules are fedde and as of that Medicine vvhereby their sicke and bruised Soules Ezek. 47.12 are bound up and cured O LORD GOD VVhen shall Men beginne to haue the Preaching of the Sacred VVorde albeit it bee sounded by Heard-men by Fishers and so by the verie off-scouringes of the Earth in anie kinde of reverence For what heard by mans eare in this our dead time is so neglected is so despised by mans heart as Thy Majesties Worde preached is Alace alace ô LORD GOD that blinde man should willinglie suffer himselfe to bee deceived by that great Deceiver Satan that hee can even despise speciallie that which Thy wise Majestie hath highlie advanced Tell me Tell me ô my soule whereby is it that thy mercifull wise GOD hath appointed that saving Grace to bee conveyed to thee on Earth here which is onlie able to bring thee to that perfect Glorie which is aboue It is not ô my soule by the touching of thine hand or anie other member of thy bodie nor by the taste of thy mouth nor by the smelling of thy nosthirls nor by the sight of thine eyes that thy GOD will gift thee with that grace on Earth in time which must crowne thee with glorie when time shall cease but it is by the hearing of thine eare that thy GOD will doe this Let others neglect this let others mocke this alwayes ô my Soule when thou hearest this I charge thee that thou rejoyce Yea I charge thee that thou
to eate with such men not to bee companions of such men But wherefore 1. Cor. 5.11 Ephes 5.7 O my Soule shouldest thou bee loath anie of these wayes to communicate with Sinne Remember O my soule GODS Threatninges and besides that GODS Execution according to His Threatninges so sure I am thou shalt bee easilie scarred from attempting to communicate aniewise with Sinne unlesse unhappilie thou resolue even with vilde Lameth to The Moste High GOD. Are not GODS Children ô my soule thus counselled by their Father Goe out of Babel my People that yee bee not partakers in her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues Revel 18.4 That lying Murderer ô my soule perswaded my Grand-mother Evah That if shee woulde communicate with him in transgressing of GODS Commaundement she should finde a shining precious Pearle But that Spirit of Trueth who delighteth to haue thee living for evermore assureth thee That if thou joyne with a man in his sinnes thou shalt not bee severed from him when hee is plagued for his sinnes But will not our GOD prooue as good as His Worde and so execute as Hee threatned especiallie when Hee findeth that His Threatninges are mocked That will Hee doe undoubtedlie O my soule Corah Dathan and Abiram are sent downe as thou knowest to the Pitte quicke for attempting to rise up against Moyses and Aaron Vpon the morrowe all the multitude of the people of Israel alace communicating with them in their sinne will gather themselues together against Moyses and Aaron crying loudlie Numb 16.41.42.43.44.45.46 and peartlie Yee haue killed the People of the LORD Alvvayes alwayes came there not foorth such a fearce vvrath frō the LORD that before Aaron can come to them albeit he ranne vvith all his force to make an Attonement for them there died of that Plague fourteene thousande and seaven hundreth While the Wife of the Levite vvas villanouslie abused at Gibea a Citie of Benjamin to the death the whole Tribe of Benjamin alace vvill communicate with this Villanie For when the other Tribes their Brethren besought them to deliver unto them the committers of that wickednesse to the ende Iudges 20. And 21. that that evill might bee put away from Israel not onelie would they not obey the voyce of their Brethren but they gathered themselues together to fight against them Alwayes turned not this O my Soule at length to the verie over-throwe of Benjamin Nowe what must thou doe in this respect O my Soule for thine owne praeservation Hearken hearken I pray thee vvouldest thou vvith that valiant Religious Champion Ioshua stand by thy GOD with anie man and fall from thy GOD vvith no man lifting up thine head aboue all thinges earthlie all living on earth towardes the third Heavens in the feare of thy GOD and by the especiall grace of His Spirit conclude thus with thy selfe I will seeke and I will serue my GOD with anieman but I will sinne against my GOD with no man Let the King with his Subject and Subject with his King seeke and serue GOD as Davids Subjectes with him and hee with them did But if all the Subjectes of the Land forsake GOD let the King say with Ioshua I and mine house will serue the Lord. Ios 24.15 1. Sam. 21.17 If the King will fall away from GOD let the Subjectes with Saules Courteoures looke to him and refuse to followe him And if hee attempt to command them to forsake their GOD let them answere couragiouslie vvith the Apostles Whether it bee better to obey GOD or Man judge yee Acts 4.19 Let the Husbande vvith the Wife and the Wife with the Husbande seeke and serue GOD as the Shunamitish Ladie with her Husbande did 2. Kinges 4. But if the Wife vvith Lots Wife vvill looke over her shoulder to Sodome let the Husband vvith Lot keepe his heart and his eye straight upon that Mountaine of Glorie Genes 19. towardes the vvhich the LORD hath directed him If the Husband with Nabal vvill prooue prophane and ungrate let the Wife with Abigall remaine religious and thankfull 1. Sam. 25. Let the Parent with the Childe and the Childe with the Parent seeke and serue GOD as Abraham and Isaac served Him joyntlie and sweetlie together But let the Parent vvith Iaakob learne Gen. 22.6.7.8.9 not to sinne with the Childe for when Simeon and Levi fell into vilde murder vvho were both his sonnes can hee not crye Simeon and Levi Brethren in evill Gen. 49.5.6 the instrumentes of crueltie are in their habitation into their secret let not my Soule come my Glorie bee thou not joyned with their assemblie If the Father will fall away from GOD vvith Saul yet let the Sonne sticke constantlie unto Him vvith Ionathan Yea if the Mother which brought thee foorth fall away from GOD not onelie suffer her not but if GOD haue cloathed thee with Authoritie see that thou take order vvith her 2. Chron. 15.16 as King Aza tooke order vvith his Mother and her Groue otherwayes bee assured that GOD whom thou shouldst not onlie loue better than thy Mother Luke 14.16 but for whose cause thou shouldest hate all that belong unto thee shall take order with thee OH O my soule when shalt thou finde eye-salue to enlighten thee to the ende that thou mayest once see sinne in the own vilde colour of it When shall that Dew come downe from Heaven which may happilie soften thine heart and make it so delicatelie tender that thou mayest once feele sinne in the owne heavie weight of it and so be made now at length to know it in the owne horrible nature with all it drawes after it with all it hath joyned with it and all to the ende that I before I bee made to lay downe this earthlie tabernacle may bee mooved to scarre with it yea to hate it and vvith the verie hazard and losse of all I haue to arme my selfe against it Stoppe thine eares ô my Soule against Satan and close thine eyes upon him also when he speaketh to thee touching sinne when he bringeth thee before sinne or sinne before thee for belieue mee hee will tone it so hee will fairde it so that he will make thee take it for some sweet pleasant wholesome Apple while it is that onlie bitter and destroying poyson which slayeth bodie and soule Open thine eares O my Soule to heare thy GOD enlarge thine heart O my Soule to belieue thy GOD when Hee speaketh unto thee touching sinne for Hee will tell thee that sinne is an uglie defiling thing that sinne is a monstruous uglie defiling thing yea that sinne is a cruell monstruous defiling thing Sinne is an uglie defiling thing making the sinner foule yea even foule in His eyes before whom alone he hath speciall neede to bee cleane and so in the eyes of GOD his Maker and Iudge Sinne is a monstrous uglie defiling thing for none can possibilie wash away that filth which it draweth
the onlie Mid-man by whom all His Subjectes great and small anie wayes offending Him or standing in neede of anie thing from His hands should haue recourse unto Him discharging them herewith under all highest paine to make anie sure by the mediation of anie other whomsoever Secondlie if the Prince the Kinges eldest Sonne beeing thus authorized by His Father haue by his publicke Proclamation having received speciall warrand from His Father to doe so certified all His Fathers Subjectes That none of them can possiblie come to His Father but by him Thirdlie if the Lordes of the Kinges secret Counsell beeing certified of the trueth hereof would beside this being commanded by the King and His Sonne charge all the Subjectes to come to the Kinges Sonne yea to His Sonne onlie whensoever they haue to doe with the King His Father Now O blind peart Seminarie I appeale thy conscience unlesse thou hast lay de aside all conscience and made that Whore of Babel thy god if thou be acquainted with that voyce which was sounded from the Heavens that day in the which that blessed and sole Saviour of the world was baptized This is My welbeloved Sonne in whome I am well pleased Math. 3.17 Yea hearest thou not this voyce sounding over againe with an addition that day in the which that holie One was transfigured This is My welbeloved Sonne in whome I am well pleased Math. 17.5 heare Him ô Seminarie wilt thou not heare the Sonne saying unto thee I am the Way the Veritie and the Life Iohn 14.6 no man commeth to the Father but by Mee Hearest thou Him not thus sweetelie inviting thee to come directlie unto Himselfe Come unto Mee all ye which are wearie and ladened Mat. 11.28 and I will ease you Yea O Seminarie possessed with a deafe devill when GOD speaketh to thee by His Worde wilt thou not heare that great Apostle Paul who was well acquainted with the whole counsell of GOD saying unto thee There is one GOD and one Mediator betwixt GOD and Man even the Man CHRIST IESVS Sure I am 1. Tim. 2.5 were olde Chrysostome aliue hee would as farre condemne the avowed prophane madde follie of the superstitious papist in this point as hee commended the holie wisedome of that sincere Woman whose Daughter was possessed with a Devil for speakes hee not thus touching her Beholde the wisdome sayeth hee of the woman she prayeth not to Iames Chrysost de Cananea she maketh not her supplication to Iohn she goeth not to Peter neither respecteth she the companie of the Apostles requiring helpe from any of them but instead of them all taking happily unfained repentance for her companion she goeth directly forward to blessed Iesus that only Well which was able to yeeld out that sweet Water which she thirsted for But will the restlesse Seminarie rest ô my soule when these things are broght from the verie Mouth of GOD unto his eares No no for the tricking Seminarie who can cunninglie catch simple souls by his intrapping subtilties will confesse that blessed IESVS that onlie Sonne of the Great King is the onelie Mediator of Reconciliatson betwixt GOD and Man But with this he will maintaine That there be other mediators of Intercession besides Him who may make and doe make request unto GOD for us Spare not spare not here O my Soule to say unto the shamelesse peart Seminarie while hee speaketh thus Avoide Satan as one sent foorth by that craftie Foxe and cruell Dragon first by his subtiltie to snare thee then by his crueltie to slay thee demaunding him even from a strong heart and with a good countenacce thus O Seminarie out of what booke out of whose mouth learnedst thou to put a difference betwixt the mediator of Reconciliation and the mediator of Intercession For out of GODS Booke out of GODS mouth speaking to thee by Scripture thou learnedst it never albeit no booke besides GODS Booke no mouth besides GODS Mouth must in this point informe thee direct thee cōmand thee For telleth not GODS Booke mee and so GODS Mouth first that wee haue no mediator who can possiblie intercede for us at the hands of our GOD but that Mediator who hath reconciled us unto GOD For be not these the words of Paul There is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2.5 If Paul had spoken thus There is one Mediator betwixt God and Man the man Christ Iesus hee had spoken enough to convince the lying Seminarie but he wil say more even thus There is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Iesus to make the Seminarie ashamed if hee could be of his subtiltie For hereby he would tell thee ô my soule That as there is onelie one true God and no wayes in anie respect another even the Father Sonne holie Ghost so there is onlie one true Meciator and no wayes in anie respect another Secondlie telleth not Gods Booke and so Gods Mouth mee That this Iesus Christ could not possiblie haue bene a Mediator of Intercession for us praying to God for us unlesse Hee had bene a Mediator of Reconciliation for us by His blooddie Sacrifice satisfying His Fathers Iustice for our Sinnes O vilde Seminarie darest thou giue that great Disciple whome Iesus loved and who lay in Iesus Bosome the Lie And yet speaketh he not thus If anie man sinne we haue an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Iust and He is the Reconciliation for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2.1.2 Thus joyntlie joyning Christs Intercession and Reconciliation together and from His Reconciliation of us proving That He hath onlie right to intercede for us for if He had not reconciled us He could no wayes haue had any interest to pray for us neither durst we haue had attempted to haue had recourse to Him as to our Mediator Yea which is more O my soule if He had not bene our only Reconciler He could not haue bene our Mediator at all Let me not herefore ô my soule heare anie more word touching Maries intercession anie whisper touching Peter Paul and so foorth of Angels and of Saincts intercessions for were anie of these crucified for me hath anie of these reconciled my God to me but let mee heare alwayes my blessed and onelie Iesus let mee see Him let mee imbrace Him let mee kisse Him yea let mee keepe Him while I breathe in the inward Coffer of my heart as mine onlie Mediator who hath reconciled me to God who intercedeth for me with God for mine eyes haue seene mine eares haue heard mine hands haue hādled that sweetest smelling Sacrifice offered up by Him upon the Crosse unto God His Father for all my debt of sinne and of punishment due unto mee for my sinnes And this His Sacrifice I haue seene heard and handled in that cleane and cleare Looking-Glasse of Gods Worde and in that shining Mirrour of the Sacraments annexed by His Majestie unto
in praying unto Him while He refuseth as thou thinkest to heare thee Hast thou Grace to desire to continue in praying unto Him while Hee delayeth as thou thinkest to heare thee Yea which is more findest thou the smallest measure of griefe because thou canst not desire to continue in praying unto Him as thou wouldest that thou canst not pray unto Him as thou shouldest Bee assured that God whom thou thinkest to be farre from thee is neare thee is with thee yea is in thee by His Spirite as in His Temple hearing thee albeit thou hearest not that He heareth thee pitying thee albeit thou feelest not that He pitieth thee and for to deliver thee albeit thou thinke that thou canst not bee delivered Answere me answere me ô my soule if thou canst If thy God heard thee no wayes pitied thee no wayes and were never to helpe thee couldest thou desire to be heard of Him to bee pitied by Him to bee helped by Him Yea if thy good God longed not as it were to doe thee good couldest thou eyther long or lament that thou longedst not for good at His hands For as he who never saw the Sunne cannot misse the sight of the Sunne so hee who never sawe God cannot misse God Thus it is not nature that misseth Grace but Grace which misseth Grace onlie And therefore he spake truelie who said Num oranti beneficia denegabit Augustine qui orantes at ne deficiant sua pietate instigat Can that good God refuse to grant His Gifts unto that person who praying unto Him for them is stirred up by His Goodnesse not to faint but to continue in praying unto Him THou canst not be ignorāt ô my soule being acquainted with holie Scripture that as cruell Pharaoh King of Aegypt had fearce Taske-masters set by him over the Lords Israel So that cruell Dragon Satan thy greatest Enemie hath his owne bloodie Taske-masters sent foorth against Gods secret ones to shame them to slay them and that those his Taske-masters resemble in one thing especiallie the Taske-masters of Pharaoh Pharaohs Taske-masters as holy Scripture testifieth Exodus 5.13 are not contented to intimate Pharaohs will unto the poore Israelites but they must with fearce countenances sharpe tongues strong handes hasten them without all delay to doe it Even so Satans Taske-masters doe not onlie command those over whom they are set and in whom they doe reigne to obey the Devils will but they hasten them so to obey it that they can neyther eate nor drinke nor sleepe as it were till Satans will be executed by them But who be the Taske-masters of Satan ô my Soule Let that Disciple whome Iesus loved and in whose Bosome hee lovinglie sometime lay resolue thee The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes 1. Iohn 2 16 and the pryde of life Young Ammon is so boasted and beaten by that Taske-master The lust of his flesh nighing after his sister Tamar that he pyneth away frō day to day 2. Sam. 13. till having obeyed the command of that fearce filthie Taske-master he defile his sister unnaturallie Young Absolom is so beaten and boasted by that alluring Taske-master The pryde of lyfe longing after a Crowne that he can take no rest by night nor by day 2. Sam. 15. till hee put even the Crowne off his own olde father upon his head contenting that his father in the meane time for safetie of his lyfe flee out of Hierusalem bare-headed and bare-footed That uncouth Traytor Iudas is so boasted and beaten by that deceiving Taske-master The lust of the eyes and so Matth. 26.14.15 of Covetousnesse that he cannot be stayed possiblie by all that his Master hath done to him by all that his Master hath done for him by all that his Master hath spoken to him in the audience of his brethren touching him who should betray Him from betraying of Him and all to the ende that hee may see thirtie pieces of Silver delivered unto him Lament lament herefore O my Soule the miserable estate of these pitied by others albeit not by themselues who esteeme themselues to bee the greatest amongst men Will Noble men will great men bee commanded by that Great Good God speaking unto them and hasting them to doe His Good Will by those His kindly smyling and meeke Taske-masters in whose mouthes Hee hath put His Worde And yet they dare bee contented to bee commanded by and to bee as most miserable slaues couched under that Evill one Satan and those his furious Taske-masters hasting them to doe the Devils evill will Will our Gentle-men O my Soule be servants to anie man content to bee Schollers to bee Trades-men to bee Crafts-men And yet they can rejoyce to suffer themselues to be abused by Satan by Sinne by the which in such sorte hee fighteth against their Soules that no slaue roweth in a Galley so farre against his will under the uncouth bondage of that cruell Monster the Turke as a very world of these men in this our Age row with both their hands and feet as it were under the Devil hastned in the meane time by his foresaide Taske-masters and yet not against their will but willinglie not with griefe but with joy Let the Adulterer the Idolater the Murderer the Fornicator the Drunkard the Seditious man the Oppressor the False man the Covetous man lay his hand to his heart so shall hee finde this to be true The consideration hereof made wise Salomon acquainting us with the nature of the wicked man and counselling us to beware of him thus to speake Enter not into the way of the Wicked and walke not in the way of evill men avoyde it Prov. 4.14.15.16 goe not by it turne from it and passe by it For they cannot sleepe except they haue done evill and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall HAth thy God ô my soule sweetlie this day sounded in thine eares the soft voyce of Consolation promising unto thee comfort deliverie and His best things be not offended if to morrow thine eares be made to heare the sharpest sound of the bitter winde of Confusion threatning thee with greater troubles and griefes than ever thou heardest or felt before O Iaakob hath not thy God propined thee liberallie with the Birth-right Gen. 17.29 enriched thee gloriouslie with His blessing but must thou not heare afterwards that Esau thy Brother hath avowed to kill thee whereupon thou must be contented not onlie to turne thy backe upon thy tender Parents but with paine and griefe to serue a churlish Laban for twentie and one yeares O Ioseph seest thou not to day thy Brethrens Sheaues standing up and doing reverence to thy sheafe but must thou not be contented even after that to see thy Brethren stripping thee naked Gen. 37. 39. of thy partie coloured Coate and thereafter first putting thee in a Ditch and then selling thee to the Midianites to bee carried downe to Aegypt O