signified by that name In the eyes of worldlings a Christian is despised and accounted but the offskowring of the earth the cause of this contempt is their ignorance they see the earthen vessell but know not the treasure which is within it or else for loue of the treasure they would imbrace the vessell But against this contempt of men wee haue to set that honourable estimation which God hath of a Christian for the high and honourable stiles which Gods giues him testifie that in the Lords account the Christian is an high and honourable person Againe the manifold names which are giuen him declare that it is not one grace onely but manifold graces of God which must concurre to make vp a Christian and this doth teach vs that it is not so easie a thing to be a Christian as commonly is supposed Last of all the honourable stiles giuen the Christian admonish him to walke worthy of his calling that he may answere the names which God hath giuen him since hee is the free-man of God the brother and the member of Christ why shall he abase himselfe to the seruitude of Sathan and sinne The Censure But now the contrary conuersation of many proues that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name THE SECOND PART WHEREIN IS DISCRIBED THE DISPOSITION OF HIS INWARD MAN CHAPTER I. Of his Inward Man The Lords Command MAN looketh to the outward appearance 1. Sam. 16. 7. but I am the Lord who searcheth the heart and the reynes Iere. 11. 20. therefore my Sonne keepe thine heart with all diligence Prou. 4. 23. wash it from thy wickednesse Ierem. 4. and giue it vnto mee Pro. 23. 26. Let the hid man of the heart be vncorrupt 1. Pet. 3. 4. and keepe thy selfe in thy spirit Malach. 2. 15. Cast off concerning the conuersation in time past which is corrupted and put on the new which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4. 22. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord my God I know that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in righteousnesse and that the man is blessed in whose heart are thy wayes therefore O Lord take away from mee the stony heart and giue me a heart of flesh put a new spirit into my bowels let neuer mine heart be diuided from thee O my God but let it be vpright in thy statutes and faithfull before thee knit it to thee that I may feare thy Name so shall I neuer be ashamed Another O Lord my God who brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the bloud of the euerlasting couenant worke I beseech thee that which is pleasant in thy sight and grant according to the riches of thy grace that I may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in mine heart by faith and so my whole Spirit soule and body may be kept blamelesse to the comming of the Lord Iesus to whom be praise and glory for euer The Christians Practise of this Command I Haue prepared mine heart to seeke the Law of the Lord and to doe it Ezra 7. 10. I will not regard wickednesse in mine heart Psal. 66. 18. for I haue set the Lord as a seale on my heart and signet on my arme Cant. 8. 6. My heart abhorres all labour that is wrought vnder the Sunne Eccles. 2. 20. onely I delight in the Law of God as concerning the inward Man Rom. 7. When the Lord saith to me seeke yee my face my heart answereth O Lord I will seeke thy face Psal. 27. My heart is purified in obaying the truth 1. Pet. 1. 22. and it shall cleaâ—…e to the Lord without separation 1. Cor. 7. 35. THE OBSERVATIONS THE Christian soiourning in the body consisteth of an outward Man and an inward eyther of them hauing their owne kinde of life senses actions and operations of so contrary qualitities that as saith the Apostle when the one is decaying the other is renuing By the one he walkes among men and hath his conuersation honest in the world by the other hee walkes with God as Henoch did and hath his conuersation in heauen In all his outward behauiour hee sheweth himselfe an example of godlinesse so that euen in his countenance gesture and language hee carries a print of godlinesse as the high Priest had grauen on his fore-head holines to the Lord but his chiefe care is to deck the hid Man of the heart which before God is a thing much set by But in this age many carry the name of Christians who neuer knew what this inward Man is and farre lesse hath felt the power of his spiritual life they are not the holy temples of God which should be more beautifull within then without as was Ierusalems Temple but are painted sepulchers pleasant without full of rottennesse within hauing the faces of men and the hearts of beasts If the Lord Iesus whose eyes are like fire and who with one looke can see them both within and without come to iudge them hee will not giue sentence of them as hee did of Nathaniel Behold an Israelitie in whom there is no guile but will charge them with that which Simon Peter said to Simon Magus I see that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and band of iniquitie and that thy heart is not right in the sight of God The Censure And hereby also it may be knowne that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER II. Of his New Minde The Lords Command THE light of the body is the eye if the eye be single the whole body shall be light but if thine eye be wicked then all the body shall be darke wherefore if the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is the darknesse Math. 6. 22. Take heed then that the light which is in you be not darkenesse Luke 11. 35. for yee are the children of light therefore sleepe not as others doe but watch and be sober 1. Thes. 5. 6. not as vnwise but vnderstanding what the good will of the Lord is Ephe. 5. 17. Not as other Gentiles who walke still on in the vanitie of their minde hauing their cogitation darkned and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Ephe. 4. 17. but be yee changed by the renuing of your minde that yee may proue what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12. wise in that which is good simple as concerning euill Rom. 16. 19. But be not wise in your selues neyther high minded Rom. 12. 16. If any man thinke that hee knowes any thing the same knowes nothing as he ought 1. Cor. 8. 2. An high mind goes before a fall Prou. 29. 23. Neyther will the Lord
like vnto those seauen yeares of famine in Egypt eating vp the seauen yeares of plentie shall deuour all the apples of their former worme-eaten pleasures all fat and excellent things shall then depart from them the earth shall giue them none of her encrease the water shall not lend them out of her treasures so much as a drop to coole them the light of the Sunne shall not comfort them yea the light of a candle shall not shine vnto them because they despised the light of the Lord and rendred no fruit vnto him in all the time of their life And now the great number of Professors who stand like fruitlesse trees in the Lords Vineyard who in stead of growing decay hauing lost their first zeale with the Church of Ephesus looking backe to Sodome with the wife of Lot longing againe for the Onyons and flesh pots of Egypt with the carnall Israelites returning like dogges to their vomit and so ending in the flesh where they made a shew of beginning in the spirit euidently proues The Censure That all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER V. Of his New Apparrell The Lords Command concerning it THou art miserable and naked by nature and knowest it not Reuel 3. 18. I counsell thee come and buy from me white rayment that thy filthy nakednesse doe not appeare verse 1â—… If thou wilt hearken to my wisedome and hide my commandements within thee Prou. 2. 1. I will spread my skirts ouer thee and couer thy nakednesse Ezech. 16. 8. Put ye therefore on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse and long suffering Col. 3. 12. and aboue all things put ye on Loue. Col. 3. 14. Finally be strong in the Lord and put on the whole armour of God that yee may be able to stand against the assaults of the diuell Eph. 6. 10. 11. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord who giuest all health and grace to thy people take from me I beseech thee the filthy garments of sinne shame and confusion wherwith I was conceiued and borne and cloth mee with thy righteousnesse and saluation giue me that marriage garment whereby I may haue place at thy banquetting table and get inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in Christ Iesus The Christians Practise of this Command THE Lord hath taken from me my filthy garments and clothed me with change of rayment Zach. 3. 4. hee hath giuen me the Lord Iesus to be my righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1. him haue I put on and am baptised in him Gal. 3. 27. I haue cast away the workes of darknesse and walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13. clothed with a garment not party-coloured as Iosephs was but compact of many vertues tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse and long suffering Col. 3. 12. Iudgement is a crowne to my head I haue put on Iustice and it hath couered me Iob. 29. 14. I haue also put on loue 1. Thes. 5. 8. and haue decked the hid man of my heart with a meeke and quiet Spirit 1. Pet 3. 4. these are excellent ornaments which God hath giuen me Ezech. 16. 7. Aboue them all I haue put on the whole complete armour Eph. 6. euen the armour of light Rom. 13. the armour of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 6. 7. the armour of God Eph. 6. The hope of saluation is my helmet Righteousnesse is my breast-plate Veritie my girdle Faith is my Bucklar and my feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace And the Lord hath put into mine hands the shield of saluation Psal. 18. 35. the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Eph. 6. and the sling of Prayer Eph. 6. Thus am I forced to walke armed continually because of mine Aduersarie for my life on earth is a warre-fare Iob. 7. 1. and as the good souldier of Iesus Christ 2. Tim. 2. 3. I must fight against principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse Eph. 6. And I am sure that when the weeke of my warre-fare shall end then shall appeare the day of my refreshment Acts. 3. 20. my euerlasting Sabboth and my marriage day with the Lambe Reuel 19. 7. then shall I be throughly couered with white rayment Reuel 3. 5. then shall this mortall put on immortalitie and this corruptible incorruptibilitie 1. Cor. 15. The Lord shall cloth me with broydred worke a frontlet on my face earings in mine eares a chaine about my neck and bracelets on my hands and hee shall put a crowne vpon my head Ezech. 16. Yea the Lord himselfe shall be vnto me a crowne of glory and Diademe of beautie Esay 62. thus will hee decke mee like a Bride attyred with Iewels Esay 61. 10. and as a chaste spouse to be presented to my immortall Husband the Lord Iesus 2. Cor. 11. THE OBSERVATIONS THE Christian yee see hath foure suites of Apparrell three whereof hee puts on ordinarily in this life the fourth is his holy dayes garment for when the weeke of his warrefare is ended and the Sabboth comes which is the day of the consummation of his marriage with Christ after which shall neuer come a night then shall his Father cause his best robe to be brought out and shall couer him with it His first garment is the garment of Christs righteousnesse which on the part of God being imputed to him that is by the free gift of God giuen to be his owne and on his part receiued by faith and couered therewith defends him against the stormy and consuming wrath of God By this righteousnesse of Christ is not vnderstood that holinesse of his diuine nature which is incommunicable neyther that righteousnes of his humane Nature consisting in a perfect obseruance of the Law Morall which hee neuer transgressed in thought word nor deed and by vertue whereof Christ the man was sufficiently able to inherit life by the condition of the couenant of worke Doe this and liue But that righteousnesse which hee as our Mediator by fulfilling that singular Law of a Redeemer hath acquired and purchased that hee might communicate it to his brethren for their saluation who had none of their owne by which they could be saued For this singular law of a Redeemer which was neuer imposed to man nor Angell but onely to Iesus Christ required that he should loue God and his brethren in such sort as to beare in his owne body the punishment of their sinnes and satisfie the iustice of God to the vttermost for them that so the praise both of Iustice and Mercy might be reserued vnto God If all Adams posteritie had perished in sin where should haue beene
will I eate of meates sacrificed to Idols or otherwayes forbidden whereby my God should be offended The fatherlesse also doe eate thereof and I will not eate my morsels alone Iob. 31. 17. I will poure out my soule to the hungry Esay 58. 10. and send a part to the poore for whom none is prepared Nehem. 8. 12. THE OBSERVATIONS THe Lord our God hath dealt very liberally with the Christian as concerning his meat for hee hath not onely giuen him euery greene hearbe but euery thing also that moueth and liueth hath God giuen him for meat Gen. 9. 3. yea all his creatures hath he subdued to serue man man being a seruant to his God according to that of the Apostle All are yours and ye are Christs But the wicked eye of that euill one enuies that man should enioy this great goodnesse of God and therefore as he tempts man to think that meat lawfull which God hath proclaimed to be vnlawfull for so he did to our Parents in Paradice so also he tempts man to count that meat vnlawfull which God hath proclaimed to be lawfull that so by one of two extremities he may snare the consciences of men This is that Doctrine of diuels so called by the Apostle which forbids to marrie and commands to abstaine from meat which God hath created to be receiued with thanks 1. Tim. 4. 4. and now is set out to the world by that Apostate Church of Rome vnder the shew of holinesse and truth for so vnto some men they command abstinence from all flesh at all times as to their Charter-house Monkes to others they command abstinence from flesh at certain times and that not for fasting and prayer onely but because forsooth in the dayes of Noah all flesh was accursed but not the fish Is not this to binde the Conscience where God hath made it free Is not this to pollute that which God hath purified Act. 10. 15. Woe be vnto them for they put darknesse for light and light for darkenesse they speake good of euill and euill of good Esay 5. 20. And yet the Christian notwithstanding that God hath giuen him this libertie hath a great care that hee vse not his libertie as an occasion to the flesh therefore in eating hee hath first a respect to God that hee offend him not in the vsing of his creatures secondly a respect to his brother that hee offend him not and thirdly a respect to himselfe that his Table be not a snare to him and the nourishment of his bodie become not the nourishment of sinne in his body First then in eating hee lookes vp to GOD and receiues his meat with prayer and thanksgiuing and that for two causes For hee knowes that man liues not by bread onely but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God and that it is not the meat but the blessing of God that continues life for if it were then they who are best fed would proue most liuely and healthfull but we see the contrary by experience that as Daniel grew better vpon his pottage then the other children did on the Kings portion so are poore laborers more healthfull and liuely then they who are more delicately nourished Againe hee knoweth that in euery creature Sathan hath laid his secret snare to trappe him and therefore doth hee eate circumspectly so putting downe his hand and his head to those creatures which are beneath him that hee also lifts vp his eyes and his heart to God who is aboue him not vnlike to the watchfull Cock of whom Naturalists write that when with the one eye hee doth looke downe to his meate with the other hee doth looke vpward least any rauening Bird vnwares should come vpon him And as patient Iob when his children were banquetting sent for them sanctified them and sacrificed for them euery day fearing least they had sinned and blasphemed God in their harts so the Christian knowing the malice and subtiltie of Sathan fearing his owne weaknesse armeth himselfe before meat at meate and after meate with continuall prayer Secondly the Christian so regardeth himselfe in eating that hee keepeth a dutie to his neighbour for albeit all things be lawfull to him yet will he not eate of any meat whereby his brother may be offended And as for them who are in necessitie hee is mindfull of them that of his abundance something may be forth-comming to them Worldlings like churlish Nabal doe account all that they haue their owne Shall I take my bread and my flesh said he c. 1 Sam. 25. 11. and they cannot suffer willingly any thing to goe by their owne mouthes as if they onely were the sonnes of God for whom all things were made but the Christian deales his bread to the hungry hee will not eate his morsels alone as Iob doth protest of himselfe at least with godly Nehemiah hee will haue a care to send a part to the poore for whom none is prepared The third point of the Christians discretion in eating doth respect himselfe if his portion be small hee vseth it with contentment hee doth know that God is the great steward of the whole familie who giueth to euery one of his Children their portion in due measure as he knoweth to be meetest for them and therefore will hee not murmure in any case If againe his portion be more then may content him hee doth vse it with sobrietie for Temperance is not so well knowne in want as it is in wealth To abstaine when thou hast not may be of compulsion but in the middest of wealth to be continent is great sobrietie As Sathan got the vantage of Adam and Euah by tempting them to eate of forbidden meate so hee doth seeke vantage of their children by tempting them to eate in a forbidden measure And as a Citie without wals is an easie pray to a stronger enemie so is a man saith Salomon who cannot restraine his appetite Intemperance is not onely a sinne but a mother of many sinnes and therefore is Sathan the more carefull to driue inconsiderate men vnto it For first toward thy God it doth make thee vnable eyther to giue him seruice or to receiue any good from him hee that is ouercome of surfetting can neither pray to God nor praise him nor yet receiue any Grace from him As in mirie and watry places nothing groweth were the seede neuer so good which is sowne in them so in a heart ouercome with drunkennesse which is as Augustine called it magna animae submersio a great drowning of the soule no instruction can take place wherefore wisely did Abigail who tolde not Nabal his folly till his wine was gone from him Neither doth it onely inable vs to doe good but prouokes vs also to manifold euils against the Lord our God as Israell sat downe to eate and rose vp to play so when men haue
the increase which God giueth me I will stretch out mine hands to the poore and needy Prou. 31. that so in my need I may stretch out my hands to the Lord. Psal. 143. THE OBSERVATIONS AS God hath giuen to man a tongue to speake an eye to see and an eare to heare so hath hee also giuen him an hand to worke it were a monstrous thing to see the mouth of a man bigger then his whole body and to see the most part of mans life spent in eating and idle talking with his mouth rather then in doing any good with his hands is certainely no lesse vnseemely Idlenesse was neuer tollerated by God euen when Adam was in his innocencie hee would not haue him to liue without labour and therefore appointed him to dresse the garden of Eden and laid it as a law on him and on all men In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou liue Caine and Abel were borne Lords and heyres of all the world yet were they not brought vp without a calling the one was a keeper of sheep the other a tiller of the ground Iacob being demanded by Pharaoh what his vocation was gaue him a very good answere but if it were demanded of many now a dayes they would not know what to answere on whom it were good for the common-wealth the Apostles Canon were practised he that laboreth not with his hands should not eate To no Country hath God giuen all things not to Canaan in her best estate therfore when Salomon built the Temple hee sent to Tirus for Timber to Ophir for Gold yea to no man in the world hath God giuen all things but hath so dispensed his gifts among men that euery man should worke one for the help of another The actions of the hands of a Christian are three first hee lifts them vp to God by prayer secondly he puts them downe to labour in his vocation and thirdly hee extendeth them to do the works of mercy and compassion toward the needy The first action of his hands is the lifting vp of them to God by prayer and that is a testimonie of the lifting vp of his heart this he doth because hee knoweth that all labour is vaine vnlesse the Lord blesse it It is in vaine to rise earely and to lie downe late and to eate the bread of sorrow the Lord will surely giue rest to his beloued Adam without the Lords command made a garment to himselfe but it couered not his nakednesse Ionas made a booth but it defended him not from the heat Rahel sought children by artificial meanes as the eating of Mandrakes by naturall meanes as copulation with her husband but shee got none till shee sought them from God by prayer Peter fished all night and tooke nothing but when Christ commanded him to cast in the net then he prospered On the other hand Prayer drawes downe a blessing vpon the workes of our hands The marriage of Isaac could not but prosper for Abraham in the beginning of it sought Gods blessing by prayer Eliazer in procuring it he vseth prayer Rebecca her parents and brethren sent her away by prayer and Isaac receiued her with Prayer Thus our workes sanctified by prayer shall prosper and if wee call the Lord to the beginning of our actions wee shall not faile to see his blessing vpon the end of them The second action of the hand is to worke in the lawfull trade and vocation whereunto God hath called vs. A lawfull trade I call that manner of life which is allowed in the word of God and these are of diuers sorts for God in his wisdome hath so distributed his gifts among men that vnto none hath he giuen all but hath made euery one to stand in neede of the help of another Religion then takes not away lawfull Trades and vocations but rather establisheth them When those men of war asked Iohn the Baptist what they should do they receiued this answer doe violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages he commanded them not to forsake their calling but the corruptions of their calling Thus Cornelius after his conuersion to be a Christian remained a Captaine and if Religion take not away the calling of a Souldier farre lesse are we to thinke it takes away other callings Onely it correcteth the abuses of the calling whereby men adde to the good ordinance of God the deceit of Sathan vsing a lawfull calling in an vnlawfull manner as when the merchant in making of his merchandise vseth deceitfull ballances or weights of a double measure As indeed there is no calling in the world so good which hath not the owne worme to corrupt it The third action of the hand is to stretch out and giue to the poore It is true of all the godly which Salomon saith of the godly woman She stretcheth out her hand to the wheele and then shee stretcheth out her hand to the poore for after that God hath increased them in their lawfull calling then of their aboundance they giue to the needie The Lord hath made some of his children rich in worldly things and others hee hath made poore that the one should be examples of mercy the other patternes of patience in his Church Vnder the Law God fore-warned Israel that the poore should euer be with them and our Sauiour hath sore-warned vs of the same vnder the Gospell and therewith the commadement is giuen With-draw not therefore thine hand from thy needie brother For this cause was it inioyned to the Israelite in the time of haruest that hee should leaue a part of his cornes standing in the fields that the poore might take it teaching vs that as wee haue a hand willingly to take from the Lord so we are bound to open it and liberally giue to the poore For this liberalitie to the indigent and needie is recommended to vs both by the example of God himselfe and of his most excellent creatures The goodnesse of God is extended to all hee makes his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall euen vpon those which are vniust teaching vs not to neglect farre lesse to contemne other men who are Gods creatures euen then when for their euill qualities wee may make iust exception against them that so wee may be the children of our heauenly father And as for the creatures of God we see that as they excel in goodnes so they communicate their good vnto others Omne enim bonum est communicatiuum sui The Sunne keepeth not his light to himselfe but sends out his beames to giue light and heat to the world the Cloudes when they are full drop downe their raine to the earth the Trees of theiâ—… owne accord le ts fall their fruit to the vse of man albeit no man doth require it yea the Angels doe delight to Minister vnto our necessities for why is