Profession only but our daily Practises too that must proclaim us Heralds of this Faith V. ALTHOUGH our Merits can never reach Heaven yet our pious Endeavours may if they are sincere because there is a Mercy hangs over our Heads that will pardon our Deficiency All the Blossoms and Buds of our Piety spring forth from this Stem and he that either believes or loves his Saviour that died for him cannot imagine he is too much industrious to live well This was the Female Sex's Faith here and she had scarce effus'd it out with floods of Tears when the Infernal Fiend in a Consternation forsakes his hold unable to endure the Eccho of that Sound which was repeated by the diviner Accent of our Redeemer's Lips and this Faith must be a Preservative against Sin and by its diviner Charms chase Satan to his Chains of Darkness 'T is this that prepares Heaven for us that makes us survive our Monuments become Immortal in our Graves and promises Eternity to our Dust and Ashes 'T is this that consummates our Happiness and will safely arrive us where the Blessed Jesus shall receive us into His Glory VI. O MOST Divine Omnipotence Thou sentest Thy Son Christ Jesus to die for us that by Believing in Him we might attain to Everlasting Life He under whom Thou hast put all things in Subjection was pleas'd to condescend to level Himself with them and dethron'd Himself to undergo a Crucifixion for our Souls that we might receive the Benefits of His Death and Passion and be Partakers of His Glory Oh let not those Miseries of our depraved Nature which petitioned Thy Mercy and Compassion make us uncapable of it Let not those that plead Ignorance of Thee but by Thy Miracles be more ardous in acknowledging Thine abundant Goodness than we who by the Manifestation of Thy Love claim an Interest in Thy precious Blood VII BUT grant O Lord that we may live in a perpetual Thanksgiving to Thy Merits who camest down from the Bosom of Thy Father to purchase and save our Immortal Souls To this end do Thou inspire into us that Faith without which it is impossible we should please Thee and with which Thou annexes all other Graces Teach us so to rely on Thy Mercies that we may not neglect the Means or imagine that a dead Faith will conduct us to that Life which Thou hast promised to none but them as work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling MED XVII Of Love and Charity 2 Pet. i. 7. And to brotherly-kindness charity TRUE and Sincere Love is an inseparable Property of a Pious Person No Christian can subsist without Faith and where that Vertue is Charity is not wanting Where the Lustre of Charity is extinguish'd the Heat of Faith must consequently be quenched Thou may'st as well rob the bright Luminary the Sun of his Light as deprive Faith of the Gift of Charity Charity is the External Act of the Internal Life of a Christian. The Body is dead without the Spirit and Faith is dead without Charity Jam. 2. 26. He is not a Member of Christ that is not inspired with his Spirit and he is not endued with his Holy Spirit that is destitute of the Gift of Charity II. THIS Theological Vertue is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And by the Goodness of the Fruit the Tree is demonstrated Charity is the bond of Christian perfection saith the Apostle Col. 3. 14. As the Bodily Members are united together by the Spirit so the true Members of the Mystical Body are united by the Holy Spirit in the Bond of Charity Solomon's Temple was all covered with Gold within and without 1 King 6. 21. So our Bodies and Souls which are the Almighty's Spiritual Temples ought in like manner both within and without to be beautified with Love and Charity Let this regent Vertue exercise its Efficacy in moving thy Heart to Compassion and thy Hand to Contribution For one without the other is not effectual III. FAITH receiveth all from God the Fountain of all Goodness and from that Stream Charity as a Channel conveys it to her Neighbours By Faith we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature who is Love 1 Joh. 4. 8. Therefore where Charity manifesteth not Externally Faith Internally doth not inhabit No Man believes in the Lord Jesus which doth not express Affections of Love to Him and none can fulsil that New Commandment except he loves his Neighbour None can really apprehend the Benefits of Christ with a Heart unfeigned which has not Bowels of Compassion to the distressed IV. CHARITY is the Seminary of all Vertues and nothing can be of good growth which proceeds not from that Root And this Vertue truly delineated is the Soul 's Spiritual Relish for unto it alone are all things dulcified all Adversity Pain Anguish Trouble nay even Death it self And And the Wise Man confirms this That Love is as strong as Death Cant. 8. 6. And indeed I think I may invert the Wise Man's Text and with Assurance proclaim That Love is stronger than Death For Love brought down a Saviour to die for us Sinners that the Sting of Death might be removed from us He when he had overcome the sharpness of death did open the kingdom of heaven to all believers Oh let us then embrace this Love and die unto Sin daily that we may live unto Righteousness V. ALL the Works of the Most High proceeds from this lovely Attribute even Punishments Denunciations and Judgments The Two great Luminaries and the Constellations of Heaven illuminate not themselves but us wretched Creatures Fire Air Earth and Water were created for our Necessity The Beasts Herbs Plants Trees Birds Fish and Fowls were all for our Use. And as God has been so gracious to give thee Plenty of these Blessings so do thou distribute to thy Neighbours according to their Necessities And this must be done freely with true Amity Affection and Compassion else all our Charity is nothing worth but will prove like sounding Brass or a tinkling Symbal VI. CHARITY is patient 1 Cor. 13. 4. For no Man is easily enraged with those whom he truly affects Charity likewise is bountiful And he who has been so liberal as to resign his Heart to his Friend will without all question not with-hold from him any temporal Enjoyments for the Relief of his Necessity Charity envieth not it thinketh no Evil is not puffed up and behaveth not it self undecently Next she seeketh not those things which are her own neither is she provoked to Anger she imagineth no Mischief nor rejoyceth not in iniquity but she beareth all things believeth hopeth and endureth all things she refuseth not to do unto others as she desires them to perform unto her Tongues and Prophecies shall cease and Arts and Sciences be destroyed but Charity shall never be extinguished VII LET us then study this Lesson of Love and Charity and howsoever thy Friend or Neighbour be qualified towards thee yet remember
Darkness for my Sin that would not lay hold on the Means of Grace IV. NEXT The Four Elements in their order accuse me And First The Heavens acquaint me they have supplied me with Light to my Joy and Comfort The Air whispers me I have given thee all manner of Fowl my Region affords to be at thy Command The Water violently speaks I have given thee all manner of Fish to eat And the Earth opens her Mouth saying I have given thee Corn Wine and Oyl to nourish thee but how hast thou abused these Mercies to the Contempt and Dishonour of our Creation Therefore let our Benefits redound to thy Punishment let the Fire consume thee the Water overwhelm thee the Air fann and winnow thee the Earth swallow thee up and Hell devour thee V. THE Holy Angels which were appointed by the Almighty to minister unto me in this Life and to be my Comforts in the Life to come they accuse me for by my Sins I have deprived my self of their Ministry in this Life and Hope of their Fellowship in the World to come the Voice of God's Divine Law accuses me either I must fulfil it or perish to perform the one is impossible and to undergo the other is intollerable VI. GOD the most severe Judge and potentest Executer of his Eternal Law accuses me Him I cannot deceive who is Wisdom it self from him I cannot fly who is Power it self and reigns every where Whither then shall I fly Psal. 139. 7. Even to thee O Blessed Jesu my alone Redeemer and Saviour I hear a Voice which bids me hide my self in the clifts of the rock Cant. 2. 14. Thou art that Rock and thy Wounds are the Clefts in them will I hide my self against the Accusations of all the Creatures VII My Sins cry aloud even unto Heaven but thy blood which was poured forth for my sins cryes louder Heb. 12. 2â— My Sins are potent to Accuse me but thy Passion is effectual to Defend me the Unrighteousness of my Life is powerful to Condemn me but thy most perfect Righteousness is powerfuller to Save me I appeal therefore from the Throne of thy Justice to thy Mercy-Seat but I dare not appear before thy great Tribunal unless thy holy Merits interpose betwixt me and thy Judgment MED II. That the Cross of the Holy Jesus should excite us to Repentance Rom. v. 8. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us BEHOLD my Soul thy Saviour's Sufferings the Wounds of him that was crucified and the Torments of him that expired on the Cross That sacred Head at which Angels tremble is platted with a Crown of Thorns That Face which in Beauty exceeded all Mankind's is spit upon by the Ungodly Those Eyes brighter than the Sun in his Meridian are obscured in Death Those Ears which were accustomed to hear Angelical Anthems are infested now with arrogant Speeches and scornful Reproaches That Mouth from whence proceeded Divine Oracles and dictated to Angels their Celestial Lessons receives nothing but Gaul and Vinegar Those Feet which the devout Magdalen kissed and wiped with the Hairs of her Head are fastened with Nails Those Hands which stretched out the Heavens like a Curtain are now extended on the Tree of Shame II. THAT Body the Deity 's Temple is scourged and wounded with a Spear Nothing escap'd the malicious Jews but his Tongue and that was meekly exercised in Praying for his Persecutors And he who now Reigns in the highest Heavens underwent all this for lost Mankind He felt the Pains of Hell and cry'd out My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. So great was his Agony and Anguish that he which comforteth Angels stood now in need of one to comfort him III. IF this happens to the Just what shall become of wretched Sinners What measure shall the Almighty take with us for our Offences who is so wrathfully displeased with his well-beloved Son for the Sins of the whole World O God of infinite Mercy take from us these stony Hearts of ours and give us Hearts of Flesh that we may tremble at thy Word and melt at thy Judgments Lord let us not forget thy Acclamations and Tears Thou cryedst from the Cross Behold O ye Sons and Daughters of Men what I suffer for you Was ever Grief so great or any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow But O Thou whose Property it is to have Mercy convert our stubborn Hearts unto Thee MED III. Of the Fruits of Repentance Mat. iii. 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance THE Foundation of a Holy Life is True Repentance and where that is acquired Remission of Sins and Eternal Life succeeds Why then do we deferr our Repentance and procrastinate it from day to day To Morrow is not in our possession and to Repent sincerely is not in our power but when the Judgment-Day is approach'd we must render an Account not only for one Day but for our whole Lives II. ACKNOWLEDGE and bewail thy Sins so shalt thou find God in Christ appeased towards thee I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions saith the Lord Isa. 43. 25. inferring our Sins are enrolled in the Court of Heaven Turn away thy face from my sins begs the Royal Prophet Psal. 51. 9. Demonstating that our Iniquities are in God's sight Be converted unto us O God prayeth Moses therefore our sins do separate us from God Isa. 59. 2. Our sins have answered us complaineth Isaiah ver 12. and do accuse us before God's Tribunal Cleanse me from my sins is the Psalmist's Petition Psal. 51. 2. Concluding our Sins in appearance are sordid in the Eye of the Almighty III. SIN is the Distemper of the Soul which moved David to cry out Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Psal. 41. 4. It is for Sin that we are blotted out of the Book of Life So said the Eternal Whosoever shall sin against me I will blot him out of my book Exod. 32. 32. We are cast off by the Almighty for our Sins which made David deprecate Cast me not away from thy presence Psal. 51. 11. Sin torments the Mind and dries up the Moisture as the Psalmist experienc'd Restore me to the joy of thy salvation Psal. 47. 12. IV. Sin is infectious says the ProPrphet Isa. 24. 5. The earth is defiled by the inhabitants thereof which have transgressed the law Our Sins press us down to Hell else the Psalmist had not broke out saying Out of the deep have I cried to thee O Lord Lord hear my voice 130. 1. Sin is the spiritual Death of the Soul So says the Apostle We were sometimes dead in our sins Ephes. 2. 1. By mortal Sin Man loseth his Creator who is the infinite and Incomprehensible Good therefore to be deprived of him is an infinite and incomprehensible Evil. And as the Almighty is the chiefest Good so Sin is the chiefest Evil. V. CALAMITIES and Punishments are not absolutely Evil for many times from them Good is
extracted Nay they may properly be called Good because they are God's Messengers and proceed from him who is the Fountain of all Goodness Moreover they lead us unto the chiefest Good even Life Everlasting Christ by his Passion entered into his Glory Luk. 24. 26. And Christians by Tribulations enter into Life Eternal Act. 14. 22. And consequently Sin is the chiefest Evil because it draws us from the chiefest Good VI. THE Sinner is accused by his Conscience which he hath defiled by his Creator whom he hath offended by the Sins he hath committed by the Creatures he hath abused and by the Devil who hath seduced him How saving then is Repentance which frees us from such Accusations Let us haste then with speed to such a soveraign Catholicon If thou deferr thy Repentance till Death thou do'st not forsake thy Sins but they forsake thee and it is very difficult to trace out an Example of sincere Repentance at the Hour of Death except that of the Thief upon the Cross. VII FOVRTEEN years have I served thee said Iacob to Laban it is time now that I should provide for my own house Gen. 31. 41. And if thou hast pursued the World and chased after the Vanities of it so many Years it is now high time to provide for thy Soul Every Day nay every Hour and Minute we accumulate Sin Oh let the Spirit every Moment wash it away with Tears of Repentance The Almighty infuses not the Oyl of Mercy but into the Vessel of a contrite Heart He first mortifies us by Contrition and then quickens us by his Spirit of Consolation He leads us into a deep abyss of Grief and brings us back by his Restraining Grace VIII Elias first heard a vehement Wind overturning Mountains and cleaving Rocks and after the Wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake Fire 1 King 19. 11. At length there followed a still small Voice ver 12. From whence we may inferr That Terrour is the precursor of the Love of Omnipotency and Sorrow precedes Comfort God binds not up any Wounds that are laid open by Confession He Pardons and Justifies none except they Acknowledge and Condemn themselves He Comforts not unless they first Despond And this is the sincere Repentance which God by his Holy Spirit operates in us MED IV. Of Man's Salvation Tit. ii 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men WHY art thou perplexed O my Soul and why art thou dubious of the Mercy of God Remember thy Creator who created thee without thy Assistance who formed thee in secret in the lower parts of the earth Psal. 139. 15. He who took care of thee before thou wer 't born Will his Providence neglect thee now thou art fashioned after his own Image To Thee the Great Creator does thy unworthy Creature address himself Though my Nature is infected by Satan and wounded by Thieves which are my sinful Corruptions yet my Creator liveth II. HE which made me can renew me He that created me without any Evil can chase all Evil from me whatsoever hath gain'd admittance by the Devil's Suggestions Adam's Prevarication or my own Actions yea though it hath over-spread my whole Substance The Almighty never hated his own Workmanship We are before him like Clay in the Hands of the Potter Had he hated me certainly he would never have created me when I was nothing He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 3. 10. He created me wonderfully and redeemed me miraculously but his Love was never so highly expressed than in his Wounds and Passion III. SURELY we were indulgently belov'd for whose sakes the only begotten Son of God is sent from the Bosom of his Father Dear was the Price of our Redemption and great was the Mercy of our Redeemer To make us Rich he embraced Poverty for he had not where to lay his head Mat. 8. 20. To make us the Sons of the Most High he condescends to become Man and doth not after he had accomplish'd our Redemption neglect us but still intercedeth for us Rom. 8. 34. IV. LET my Sins Satan and all the Powers of Darkness accuse me in Jesus my Mediator will I trust who is Greater than my Accusers Let my Weakness affright me yet in his Strength will I glory For the Sufficiency of my Merit I am familiarly acquainted my Merits is not sufficient it suffices me that he is propitious against whom I have sinned and whatsoever he hath decreed not to impute will be perform'd and all Guilt with the Price of his most precious Blood shall be done away V. LET it not then perplex me that my Sins though many and of such a magnitudâ— discomfort me For were I not oppress'd and heavy laden with Sins what need I earnestly request Christ's Righteousness Had I no Distemper I had no necessity to implore the Physician 's Help but I am spiritually sick and He who is the Lord our Righteousness is both our Saviour and Physician Lord I am Sick a Sinner and Condemned and upon the Grand Inquest of my Conscience pronounce my self Guilty but have Mercy on me O my Physician my Saviour and my Righteousness MED V. The Youth's Memento Eccles. xii 6. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth IT was both seasonable and profitable Advice and one of the elegantest and choicest Expressions in the Royal Preacher's Sermon For who is he which is now Young and Vigorous that is certain he shall live to be Old And yet that potent Voice which loudly proclaims to all the World and whose Sound will remain till Death shall be expired is scarce aucible in the Ears of thousands II. 'T IS one of this divine Chanters harmonious Lessons and yet the World thinks it too harsh a Note and is very much displeased with the Tune 'T is strange and an amazing Wonder That the Sweetest and Wisest of Preachers should have so slender a Train of Followers being his Oratory is so Rhetorical and Divine And yet it is so weighty a Text which though they shun to hear understand or read they cannot evade the seeing for the whole Universe is but a Comment on it every Creature we behold preaches this useful Doctrine which we so supinely sleep out with our Eyes open III. NATURE her self carries this Memento in her Forehead and the very Bruit Beasts in this Philosophy can reason with us And it is strange madness that Man should forget his Maker did he but remember himself But alas blooming Youth affects not to be put in mind of Heaven which he is not acquainted with 't would impair his Memory and make him think of his Prayers too often Piety will but chill his Blood Religion makes him look wither'd the Thoughts of Heaven and a Future-State will make him sager than his years requires his Blood informs him he is not yet qualified to turn Divine he may serve his Creator time enough when he is more at
Vision which no mortal Eye ever was Spectator of but shall not be excluded if it don't obscurely lose it self on Inferiour Objects here Below No Ear did ever audibly hear its true Description but may be admitted to the divine Harmony and heavenly Halleluja's of it if it incline not to the Syrenical Charms of Sin and the bewitching Musick of sordid Carnality III. 'T is a Vision whose bright Idea cannot be delineated by the most elevating and contemplative Speculations of any Metaphysical Brain though never so Angelical 'T is not a sublime Fancy but true Sanctity that can reach it The Divine Apostolical Geographer St. Paul though lately there could not exactly give us a Description of it and Sacred Scripture divinly characters it out but in Parables and Simitudes to demonstrate how infinitely transcendent is that Glory which is so unexpressible and beyond all comprehension Were all the Pearls Rubies Saphires and Diamonds the Earth produces muster'd to a Splendour they would not equallize the diminitivest Glance of the radient Beams of Sol's bright Eye and yet that magnificent Luminary surrounded with so many attending Constellations that derive their Lustre from him is but a Spark to his shining Countenance VI. WHO then would offer up that Part an Oblation to the World which might be render'd the Instrument of so much Felicity and suffer the Profuseness of his wanton Blood to revel there where sublimer Passions and Flames should triumph He that would be an Inhabitant among the Spirits of the Just must discipline his own to the same Uniformity and convert his Body to a Temple where his Heart must be both Altar and Sacrifice or rather an Emblem of the Sanctum Sanctorum for those excellent Graces of the Spirit to inhabit in V. THE stately Mansion-House of Life must be converted into a Mansion of Divine Love and the magnificent Palace of Heroick Spirits into a Royal Court of peculiar Graces and then that Part which as Natural Philosophors observe which lives first and dies last shall become purely Vital and not be liable to Mortality Nothing but a thrice Glorious Trinity can satiate this Triangle which must be shaped to the purest Figure and taught in all its Pulses to palpitate nothing but Heaven and Eternity VI. OUR Bosoms must be converted to Closets of Devotion and our Hearts to Cabinets of immaculate Innocency and fervent Prayer embellish'd with that sparkling Diamond a lively Faith the Lamp at which all our minor Graces as Tapers light themselves and like Stars borrow their Lustre from this Luminary 'T is not a Heart that can chime to the airy Sound of any tinkling Religion and pretends a Sanctity fix'd in its Countenance that makes Affectation his Conscience and Moroseness of Humour Tenderness of Spirit VII NO 't is a Heart adorn'd with the White Robe of Humility crown'd with the Diadem of Love fumigated by Prayers the odoriferous Scent of Chastity and the Fragrancies of a Life of Sanctity that couches it self within the embracing Arms of our Saviour's Spouse and stiles himself a Mourner in her Persecutions that looks upon the VVorld as the Enemy of its Glory and had rather embrace Mortality than prove a Rebel against Heaven 'T is such a Celestial Heart that must be a Preparative for this transcendant Vision and happy is he that arrives to that Purity VIII Fortifie us therefore O Lord against the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked VVorld and elevate our Thoughts to the sublime Contemplations of Thy Glory Level in us every arrogant Thought that dares exalt it self against the Potency and Purity of Thy Law and sanctifie us for Thy Self and Service that the Practick Part of a Life of Sanctity may be our chiefest Employment that when we are summoned to depart hence we may be accepted of Thee and being fled from the Eye of this Lower Orb we may take a Prospect of Thy Heavenly Palace of what neither Eye hath seen Ear heard nor Heart can conceive the Glory Thou wilt impart in the Fruition of Thy Self MED XXII Against Covetousness Heb. xiii 7. Let your conversation be be without covetousness COVETOUSNESS is the Root of all Malignity and he that is a Slave to Riches his Mind is always indigent he is tugging continually at the Oar and accumulates worldly Dross but as the Psalmist says he knoweth not who shall gather it Psal. 39. 6. And as he is impoverished in his Mind so he is miserable in his Station for Bounty and Goodness are Strangers to himself and others and Charity with him is so frozen that the Poor instead of recompenceing him with their Prayers are more ready to attend him with their Imprecations Fix not thy Trust in uncertain Riches but place thy Mind on what is certain 'T is certain the Hour of Death will come and then what will all thy Wealth avail thee They cannot assist thee in a true Repentance nor plead thy Cause in the Court of Heaven They cannot procure thee an easie Passage hence nor give thee Assurance of Eternal Happiness II. THEREFORE lay aside this bitter Root and graft new Plants of Liberality and Charity Make haste with speed and undertake this Task lest thou offend the Almighty and endanger thy own Soul The covetous Person must needs allow this Maxim That he lives without God in the World And our Saviour informs us we cannot serve God and Mammon Luk. 16. 13. For he that wholly sets his Heart upon transitory Treasure must of necessity unfix it from God and Eternal Glory and is uncapable of performing that Duty which is required by the Almighty III. SEE with what eagerness the Covetous pursues Riches and is greedy as a Lion after his Prey All Opportunities of Gain are readily embraced Prayer and all Religious Duties are laid aside to accomplish and attend it So prone is frail Mortality to this Sin that he leaves nothing unattempted to answer his sordid Avarice nay it is often apparent that Unlawfulness and Fraudulency is used by the Covetous to that degree that many Families have suffered Destruction though it were to the utter Ruine of the Souls and Bodies of the Misers themselves And now what can these Men expect for the Cruelties they transact but to be excluded from Happiness and to receive that Reward of not inheriting the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 10. IV. THEY which hoard up Terrestrial Treasures resemble those that place their Fruits in low and moist places not considering they are incident to Putrefaction Oh how infatuated are they then which indulge themselves to that which is liable to Corruption For how can that which is Temporal satisfie the Soul which is Eternal The Animate Part comprehends all Corporal Things by virtue of its Spiritual Nature that it cannot be distended and filled by any Quantity All things the higher they soar towards Heaven the less they cark and care to hoard up This may be attested by the Fowls of the Air which neither sow nor reap Mat. 6. 26.