science of all things is now grown sottish and senseless not onely as Calvisius forgetting those things which he was well acquainted withall but even losing the knowledge of himselfe he that to whom before all the beasts of the Forrest and every living Creature came as the Queen of Sheba to Solomon to admire his wisdom must now go to the beasts and birds and creeping things to learn severall lessons for instruction to the Pisemire for providence Prov. 6. 6. to the Stâ—rk and to the Swallow for to make a right use of time Jer. 8. 7. to the Oxe and to the Ass for knowledge c. Esay 1. 3. to the Fouls of the Air for confidence Matth. 6. c. The sloathful Christian reproved MAjor Lepidus a loose Roman whilst his Camerades upon a very hot day were exercised in the Army he laid himselfe down in the shade saying Utinam hoc esset laborare I would this were all the duty that I were to do So it may be said of many idle sloathfull Christians amongst us such as with Balaam wish to dye the death of the Righteous but they will not take any care to live the life of the Righteous they would fain enter in at the straight Gate but they would be loath to croud for it they have longing desires to be in the Church triumphant which is in Heaven but care not whether they ever make a step or nor into that which is militant here upon earth Prosperity of the wicked destructive PRosperity to the wicked is as wind to a bladder which swels it untill it burst like a Ship when she is top and top gallant soonest cast away like a Spider in a Kings house soonest swept down When a wicked man is at the highest then he is nearest his fall and usually when he is in the ruffe of all his bravery God so orders it that he is humbled on a suddain Gods acceptance of Sinners through Christ. THemistocles on a time having highly offended K. Philip and not knowing how to regain his favour goes and takes young Alexander his Sonne in his arms and so presents himlsef before the King which when he saw and perceiving the young child to smile upon him his wrath was soon appeased towards him Thus we have all of us highly offended and provoked the King of Kings God himselfe What shall we do to regain his favour No way so ready as to take his Son Christ Iesus in our arms and upon the bended knees of our hearts to prostrate our selves before him and then we shall find to our comfort that as one looking through a green or red glass all things will seem to be of the same colour so God looking through his Sons Righteousness upon us will for his sake accept us for Righteous and so be reconciled unto us The Christians heart never quiet till it be in Christ. THe Needle 's point in the Seamans Compals never stands still but quivers and shaks till it come right against the North-pole The Wisemen of the East never stood still till they were right against the Star which appeared unto them and the Star it selfe never stood still till it came right against that other star which shined more brightly in the Manger then the Sun did in the firmament And Noahs Dove could find no rest for the soal of her foot all the while she was fluttering over the floud till she returned to the Ark with an Olive-branch in her mouth So the heart of every true Christian which is the Turtle-dove of Iesus Christ can find no rest all the while she is hovering over the waters of this world till it have silver wings of a Dove and with the Olive-branch of faith fly to the true Noah which signifieth Rest till Christ put forth his hand out of the Ark and taking it in receive it to himself Christ the proper food of the Soul EVery kind of living Creature hath a kind of food proper to it selfe offer a Lion grass and he will have none of it but give him flesh and he ears it Fodder is for the heards and the flocks of the field but flesh for the beasts of the Woods that hunt for their prey Thus offer a Christian heart all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory thereof which is but as the flower of the grass they will not down there is no relish in them but give it Christ who saith My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed then it falls to very eagerly and makes a comfortable meal thereof Prayers of the wicked ineffectuall IT is said of the precious stone Diacletes though it have many excelling Soâ—eraignties in it yet it loseth them all if it be put into a dead mans mouth And certainly Prayer which is the onely Iewel of a Christian though it have many rare vertues in it many excellencies belonging to it yet it loseth them every one if it be put in a Mans mouth who is dead in sins and trespasses The ingratefull Christian reproved WE would think that begger intolerably impudent that coming to our doors to ask an Alms and when we have bestowed on him some broken bread and meat yet like those impudent persons the Psalmist speaks of that grudge and grumble if they be not satisfied if they have not their own will and their own fill he should not hold himselfe contented unlesse he might have one of our best dishes from the Table But this is the case of very many amongst us We come all as so many beggers to Gods mercy seat Quantumvis dives dives Dei mendicus est Annon mendicus qui panem petis saith S. Augustine And God gives us abundance of many good things as life liberty health of body c. yet we cannot be quiet nor think our selves well unless we be cloathed in Purple and fare deliciously every day as such and such do not considering in the mean time many that are below us and above us too wanting those things which we comfortably enjoy The great danger of little Sinnes A Little rope sufficeth to hang a great Thief a little dross abaseth much Gold a little poyson infecteth much wholsome liquor a little Heresie corrupteth much sound doctrine a little fly is enough to spoil all the Alablaster box of ointment So the smallest sin the least peccadillo without Gods mercy is sufficient to damn our souls to all eternity A worldly minded Man no heavenly minded Man THe Lark as long as she sits on the ground is very silenâ— and still but being once mounted up into the air hovering in the golden beams of the delightful Sun then she seâ—s up her pretty little throat and chants it out merrily It is just so with worldly minded Men whilst their thoughts and affections are leâ— out upon the things of the world they are faint and dull and as even dead to all good
the Saints in glory do now behold there they see not Christ in the form of a servant but Christ in his Kingdome in majesty and glory not Paul preaching in weaknesse and contempt but Paul with millions more rejoycing and triumphing not Persecuting-Rome in fading glory but Ierusalem which is above in perfect beauty and splendour And there they hear too not Eliah Esay Daniel with all the Prophets of old Peter Iohn Iames Iude Apostles of the new Testament preaching to an obstinate people in imprisonment persecution and reproach but triumphing in the praises of their God that hath thus advanced them God a mighty God CAnutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chair to be set by the sea-shore at the time of the flood and sitting in his Majesty commanded the waves that they should not approach his throne But when the Tide kept his course and wet his garments Loe saith he what a mighty King I am by sea and land whose command every wave dareth to resist Here now was weaknesse joyned with might It is otherwise with God he is a mighty God It appears in the Epithite that is added unto EL which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of prevailing might whom the winds and seas obey In Daniel he is called EL ELIM the Mighty of Mighties Whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods Which words being abbreviated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and there-hence as the Learned have observed did take their name of Maccabees Certainly this Epithite is a just ground of that which King David perswades Ascribe unto the Lord O ye mighty ascribe unto the Lord glory and strength Psal. 29. Drunkennesse the shame of England THere is a complaint in Pliny for the time present and past Latifundia perâ—diderunt Italiam Italy is undone by large severalls We may take up the like complaint against drinking Multifundia that is multum infundendo the pouring in of much liquor is the shame of England already and will be if not reformed the utter undoing of it To trust in God who is the great Lord Protector of his people THere is an excellent story of a young man that was at Sea in a mighty raging tempest and when all the passengers were at their wits end for fear he onely was merry and when he was asked the reason of his mirth he answered That the Pilot of the ship was his father and he knew his father would have a care of him The great and wise God who is our Father hath from all eternity decreed what shall be the issue of all wars what the event of all troubles He is our Pilot he fits at the stern and though the Ship of the Church or State be in a sinking condition yet be of good comfort our Pilot will have a care of us There is nothing done in the lower house of Parliament on earth but what is first decreed in the higher House in Heaven All the lesser wheeles are ordered and overruled by the upper Are not five sparrowes saith Christ sold for a farthing One sparrow is not worth half a farthing And there 's no man shall have half a farthing's worth of harm more than God hath decreed from all eternity How to come off well in ill Company IT is reported of the River Dee in Merionith-shire in Wales that running through Pimble Meere it remaines intire and mingles not her streams with the waters of the Lake So if against thy will the tempest of an unexpected occasion drive thee amongst the Rocks of ill company though thou be with them be not of them keep civill communion with them but separate from their sins and know for thy comfort thou art still in thy calling and therefore in Gods keeping who on thy prayer will bring thee off with comfort Greatness and Goodness well met together SImeon the Son of Onias was as a fair Olive-tree that is fruitfull and as a Cypress-tree which groweth up to the Clouds A Cypress-tree is high but barâ—en an Olive-tree is fruitful but low So a Christian is or ought to be not onely a Cypress-tree reaching high in preferment and worldly honour but he must also be low as the Olive-tree bringing forth fruit with patience like Simeon neither low nor barren though an Olive yet as high as the Cypress though a Cypress yet as fruitful as the Olive-tree Prosperity of the wicked destructive THe King of Egypt blest himself for having any thing to do with Polycrates King of Samos because he was over fortunate for having a massy and rich Ring he cast it into the Sea to try an experiment in despight of fortune he found it again at his Table in the belly of a Fish which was brought fâ—r a present unto him The thriving estate of the wicked is set out at large Their Bullock gendreth and miscarrieth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her calâ—e c. And they come not into misfortune as other men What no misfortune Even the greatest in this that they are so fortunate Surely it were good for men not to be acquainted with such engrosers of Prosperity and much lesse to be partakers of their unhappy happiness Gods people meet with many discourgements in the World TIberius Constantinus in the year of our Lord 577. commanding a golden Cross set in Marble to be digged up that it might not be trod upon found under it a second and under the second a third and under the third a fourth So the dearest servants of God in this world digging for the hidden treasure of the word and putting themselves into aframe of Gospel obedience find but hard dealing in the world cross under cross and lossâ—upon â—upon loss and sorrow after sorrow Look how the waves in the Sea ride one upon the neck of another and as Iobs messengers trod one upon the heels of another so miseries and calamities and vexations in the course of this life follow close one upon the other The great comfort of heavenly meditation PHaroahs Butler dreamed that he pressed the ripe Grapes into Pharoahs cup and delivered the Cup into the Kings hand it was a happy dream for him and signified his speedy access to the Kings presence But the dream of the Baker that the birds did eat out of his basket on his head the bak'd meats prepared for Pharoah had an ill omen and signified his hanging and their eating his flesh Thus when the ripened grapes of heavenly meditations are pressed by a good Christian into the cup of affection and this put into the hands of Christ by delightful prayses it is a true Argument of reall comfort that that Christian in â—o doing shall be shortly taken from the prison of this flesh where he liveth and be
no other is the estate of Man either weeds or flowers and both wither whether Trees good or bad both die as dyeth the wise so the fool Rich Men dye and poor too Death is unavoydable life and death take turns each of other the Man lives not that shall not see death be he a King with Saul a Prophet with Ieremy a wise Solomon a foolish Nabal a holy Isaac a prophane Esau be he of what rank soever he must dye Nay let there be a concurrence of all in one let Samuel both a good Man a good Minister a good Magistrate have as many priviledges as are incident to a Man yet can he not procure a protection against Death his Mother may begge his life but none can compound for his Death so sure it is that all must lie down in the dust and dye Why it is that we must be Charitable to all Men. IT is written of that Moses Atticissans that when he did give Alms to a poor profligate wretch his friends were much admired that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato the great divine Philosopher would take pitty on such a wretched Miscreant but he like himself in such misty dayes as those were made answer Humanitati non homini I shew mercy on the Man not as he is wicked but as and because he is a Man of my own nature His answer was good and warrantable for if we consider our first Parents we shall find our selves bound though â— longinquo by the same obligation to do good unto all men There is neither Iew or Graecian bond nor free Male or Female but all are one in Christ Iesus neither Indian whether of the East or West neither Barbarian of Morocco nor Inhabitant of Monomotapa but all are brethren whom as we have opportunity we must embrace with Charity such as are true Saints with joy for their Sanctification those that are not such in the judgement of Charity with hearty and earnest supplications to the great God of Heaven and Earth for their true and timely conversion to the faith that is to be found onely in the Lord Iesus Not to grieve or be troubled at the worlds discourtesies And why so SUppose a Man by birth Noble and by revenues Rich that as travailing home-wards through a forraign Country he should be way-laid fall into the hands of Thieves and villains and by them be robbed of his Mony and stripped of his rich and Courtly apparell and besides that have many indignities and base unworthy affronts put upon him and yet should passe by all as little or nothing concerned in the businesse And why so but because he considers that he is not in his right Ubi he hath no long time to abide with such wretched People and that if he can but make some shift for a time till he came to his own Country and place of aboad there he should have his friends about him monies and all things necessary to supply his want and necessities The same is our case Why should any of us grieve and be troubled at the worlds discourtesies at the Reproaches and wrongs that are put upon us by the World and worldly Men For have we but so much faith as to believe it we have an Heavenly home and an eternall life by Câ—rist prepared for us at the which when we once arrive we shall be sure to meet with friends enough even God his blessed Saints and Angells who will honour us Riches and treasures inestimable that will store us joy and glory unspeakable that will for evermore refresh us To regulate our Wills by Gods Will. IF a Man lay a crooked stick upon an eeven levell ground the stick and ground ill suit together but the fault is in the stick And in such a case a Man must not strive to bring the even-ground to the crocked stick but bow the crooked stick eeven with the ground So is it between Gods will and ours there is a discrepancy and jarring betwixt them But where is the fault or rather Where is it not Not in the will of God but in our crooked and corrupt affections in which case we must not like Balaam seek to bring Gods will to ours but be contented to rectifie and order the crookednesse of our Wills by the rectitude and sanctity of the Will of God which must be the Ruler and Moderator of our wills for which cause we are to cry out with David Teach me O Lord to do thy will and with the whole Church of God in that pattern of wholsom words â—iat voluntas tua Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven never forgetting that too of Christ Iesus himself in the midst of his agony and bloody sweat Non mea sed tua siat voluntas Father Not my will but thine be done Luk. 22. 42. To appear before God in all humility how high soever our condition be IT is observable of Rebecca that all the way of her journey she was mounted on a Camell and rode amongst the Servants but when she had once set her eye upon Isaac then she lighted down from the Camell and put her self into a posture of all humble and low obeysance So must the men of this world do however it be that many of them bear up their heads on high stand upon the upper ground of riches and preferment and are therefore bold and carelesse not so much as once minding those that are below them yet when they come into the Lords presence and are to deal with the great God of heaven and earth then they are to come down from their Camells fall down and kneel before the Lord their maker and be as humble lowly and vile in their own eyes as possibly may be How it is that Faith is the first act of Repentance AS a prisoner that lies in hold for debt if a man should come unto him and promise him that he would take order to pay his debt and thereby discharge him of his imprisonment he first believes that he is both able and willing so to do it then he hopes for it and lastly he is as it were dissolved into love ravished with the thoughts of such an unexpected reliefe and therefore seeketh to do all things that may please him So is it with a repenting Convert he first believes that God will do what he hath promised that is pardon his sins and take away his iniquities then he resteth that what is so promised shall be performed and from that and for it he leaves sin forsaketh his old course of life which was displeasing and for the time to come maketh it his work to do that which is pleasing and acceptable in his sight The comfortable art of spiritualizing the severall occurrences of the world and observing God's providences therein IT is storied of Mr. Dod a painfull Preacher in his time that intending to marry but
of those thirty would prove to be overspread with Heathenish Idolatry six of the eleven remaining with the doctrine of Mahomet so there would remain but five parts of the thirty wherein were any thing of Christianity And among those Christians so many seduced Papists on one hand and formal Protestants on the other that surely but few are saved Nay such is the paucity of true believers that as that Olive-Tree mentioned by the Prophet with two or three berries on the uppermost bough Satan may be said to have the harvest and God onely a few gleanings It should therefore make us strive the more tanquam pulvere Olympico that we may be of the number of those few that shall inherit Salvation Spiritual sloath in the wayes of God reproved THere is mention made of certain Spaniards that live near unto a place where there is great store of Fish yet are so lazy that they will not be at the â—ains to catch them but buy of their Neighbours And such is the sinful stupidity of most Men such the spiritual sloath upon them that though Christ be near them though Salvation be offered in the Gospel and as it were brought to their very houses yet they will not work out their salvation This was the case of the Israelites It is said that they despised the pleasant Land Psal. 106. 24. And what should be the reason Canaan was worth the looking after for it was a Paradise of delight a type of Heaven I but they thought it would cost them a great deal of trouble and hazard in the getting and they would rather go without it And thus many had rather go sleeping to Hell then sweating to Heaven To be more carefull for the Body then the Soul a thing justly reproveable THere is a Parable of a Woman which travelling with child brought forth a twin and both children being presented to her she falls deeply and fondly in love with the one but is carelesse and disâ—respectfull of the other this she will nurse her self but that is put forth her love grows up with the child she kept herself she decks it fine she feeds it choicely but at last by overmuch pampering of it the child surfets becomes mortally sick and when it was dying she remembers her self and sends to look after the other child that was at nurse to the end she might now cherish it but when the Messenger came she finds it dying and gasping likewise and examining the Truth she understands that through the Mothers carelesnesse and neglect to look after it the poor child was starved thus was the fond partiall Mother to her great grief sorrow and shame deprived of both her hopefull babes at once Thus every Christian is this Mother the children are our Body and Soul the former of these it is that Men and Women fall deeply and fondly in love with whilst indeed they are carelesse and neglect the other this they dresse and feed nothing is too good or too dear for it but at the last the body surfets comes by some means or other to it's death-bed when there is very little or no hope of life then Men begin to remember the Soul and would think of some course to save it the Minister he is sent for in all haste to look after it but alasse he finds it in part dead in part dying and the very truth is the owner through neglect and carelesnesse hath starved the Soul and it is ready to go to Hell before the Body is fit for the Grave And so the foolish fond Christian to his eternal shame and sorrow loseth both his Body and Soul for ever The nature and properties of the Holy Spirit set forth for our instruction in the similitude of a Dove THough Pliny and all the Heathen writers were silent the Holy Word of God hath enough to set out unto us the nature and properties of the Dove There is first of all Noahs Dove with an Olive branch in her mouth a peaceable one 2. Davids dove for the colour with Feathers silver white not speckled as a bird of divers colours but white the emblem of sincerity and there 's Solomons dove for the eye a single and direct eye not learing as a Fox and looking divers wayes 3. Esayes Dove for the voice in patience mourning not in impatience murmuring and repining Lastly our Saviour Christs Dove for bill and claw innocent and harmlesse not bloudy or mischievous Now qualis species talis spiritus as the Dove so the Holy Ghost 1. A Spirit that loves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of one accord 2. Et qui â—ugit fictum cannot abide new tricks meer fictions indeed feyned by feyned Christians party-propositions half in the mouth and half in the mind 3. And when he speaketh he speaketh for us with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed such is his love and so earnest 4. And hurts none not when he was in the resemblance of a Dove No not when he was Fire he was harmlesse Fire at the same time And thus it is that the nature and properties of the Holy Spirit are set forth for our instruction in the resemblance of a Dove teaching us to be peaceable to love singlenesse in meaning speaking and dealing to sufâ—er harm but to do none Magistrates Ministers c. to be Examples of good unto others and why so NAturalists report of the bird Ibis whereof there are many in Egypt especially in the City of Alexandria that it â—ateth up all the garbage of the City but leaves somewhat behind it that is more noysome then any filth it had eaten Others write that it will devour every Serpent it meets with but from the egge of this bird cometh the most hurtfull of all Serpents the Basilisk the sight whereof killeth Thus it is to be heartily wished that those who are entrusted for the Peoples good whether in Church or State be not like unto this bird seem to do something good but much hurt withall but that in them as they are Gods upon Earth may alwaies be found that which the Psalmist hath of God in Heaven Thou art good and dost good Psalm 86. 5. that their lives may be Examples of good because that otherwise their authority will be lesse prevailing for suppressing those evils whereunto their bad Examples give encouragement God to have all the glory JUstinian is said to have made a Law that no Master-workman should put up his name within the body of that building which he made out of another Mans cost And our own History tells us that when William of Wickham then Chaplain to Edward the third was by him made overseer of the work for the repair of Windsor Castle that those three words which he caused to be inscribed upon the great Tower This made Wickham had not he construed them another way as that no he made the work
neither or some kind of Monster betwixt both new devices for gain new wayes of cheating new wayes of breaking So that without all doubt God is devising some new manner of Iudgment as was said of Korah and his complices Numb 16. 29. To blesse God for all THere is a kind of Dialogue betwixt one Doctor Thaulerus and a poor Man that lay begging by the high-way side Good morrow poor Man 〈◊〉 the Doctor I never had any bad morrow said the beggar No sayes the Doctor Thou art a miserable poor Man thou art as good as naked without any cloaths on thy back no Friends nor any one to relieve thee How can it then be true that thou sayest thou never hadst any bad morrow I 'le tell you sayes the beggar Whether I am sick or in health whether it be warm or cold weather whether I be cloathed or naked rich or poor I blesse God for all O but Friend said the Doctor What if Christ should cast thee into Hell If he should sayes he I would be contented but I have two arms the one of Faith the other of Love wherewith I would lay such fast hold on him that I would have him along with me and then I am sure that Hell would be Heaven if he were there And thus it is that we should blesse God at all times in all places upon all occasions and in all conditions as well for years of Dearth as years of Plenty times of Warre as well as times of Peace for Adversity as well as Pâ—osperity in sicknesse and in health in weal and in woe in liberty and restraint whether it be that the Lord giveth or whether he taketh away still to blesse the Name of the Lord. Godlinesse a great mystery and why so THe World hath her mysteries in all Arts and Trades yea Mechanical appertaining to this life which are imparted to none but filiis scientiae Apprentices to them These have their mysteries have them nay are nothing but mysteries So they delight to stile themselves by such and such a Mystery such and such a Craft c. Now if Godlinesse be great gain and profitable unto all things a Trade of good return and in request with all good Men then to be allow'd her Mysteries At least such as all other trades have And the rather for that that there is Mysterium iniquitatis a Mystery of iniquity so that it would be somewhat hard if there were not Mysterium pietatis a Myâ—â—ery of Godlinesse to encounter it That Babylon should be allowed the name of a Mystery and Sion not that there should be profunda Satanae deep things of Satans and there should not be deep and profound things of God and Godlinesse for the Spirit to search out and dive into Apoc. 2. 24. How a Man should demean himself being fallen into bad Company IT is said of Antigonus that being invited to a great Feast where a notable Harlot was to be present he asked Counsel of Menedemus a disâ—reet Man What he should do and how he should behave himself in such Company Who bade him onely to remember this that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of a King So good Men may be invited where none of the best may â—eet Many an honest Man may fall into a Knaves company the best counsel is Keep ever in mind that they are Kings Sons Gods Children and therefore it were a base thing for them to be allured by the Wicked to do things unseemly and that they should much degenerate if they should make any sinfull compliance with such as are notoriously wicked The desperate Sinner's madnesse ST Ambrose reports of one Theotymus that being troubled with a sore disease upon his body when the Physitian told him that exâ—ept he did abstain from intemperance as drunkennesse and excesle he was like to lose his eyes his heart was so desperately set upon his sin that he said Vale lumen amicum Farewell sweet light then I must have my pleasure in that Sin I must drink though I drink out my eyes thea farewell eyes and farewell light and all O desperate madnesse for Men to venture upon Sin to the losse not onely of the light of the eye but the light of Gods loving Countenance for evermore It is to be supposed that no Man will be so far owned by his words as to say Farewell God and Christ and eternal life and all I must have my Sin yet though directly they say not so they do in effect say it They know that the Scripture saith that no Drunkard Whoremonger nor Covetous nor unclean person shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven then whosoever that knowing this goeth for all that in such a way doth as it were say Farewell God and Heaven and farewell all that God hath purchased by his bloud rather then I will lose my Sin I will lose all Christ-masse day to be held in remembrance AS Kings keep the day of their Inauguration As Cities have their Palilia when the trench is first cast up And Churche's their Encaenia's when they are first dedicate As Men their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they first came into the World So all good Christians celebrate the day of Christ's Nativity a day of Joy both in Heaven and on Earth In Heaven for a day of glory unto God on high On Earth for a day of Peace here below and good-will towards Men A day of joy to all People past present and to come such a day as wherein after long expectation the best return was made that ever came to the poor Sons of Men such a day as the Lord himself made let us therefore rejoyce therein How to Feast comfortably JOseph had his Tomb in his Garden to season his delight with Meditations of his death The Egyptians had a Skeleton or carcasse brought into their Feasts for the same purpose At Prester-Iohn's Table a Deaths-head is the first thing set on And Philip had not onely a Boy every Morning but a Dead-Man's skull on his Table every meal to put him in mind of his Mortality And thus ought we all to do mingle our Feasting with the meditation of our Farewell out of this wretched life when we sit at dinner to think of our dissolution and ever â—o set our own carcasse before the eyes of our mind saying within our selves Alas this feeding and Feasting is but a little repairing and propping up of a poor ruinous house that ere long will fall down to the ground and come to nothing Heaven not to be found upon Earth IT is storied of a King of Persia that he must have an imaginary Heaven and thereupon he is at the charge of a stately brave Pallace where in the top he caused the Heavens to be artificially moulded and the Sun Moon and Stars to be painted and under them the clowds that by art moved up and down distilled
things from Man whose breath is in his nostrils Isay 2. 22. Afflictions though grievous yet profitable SUppose that a Man were driven to great straights in the want and need of these outward things as not knowing at present which way to turn himself so that walking sad and solitary in the streets some Friend of his taking notice of his condition should from a Chamber-window or the like place throw down a bag of money unto him and by the fall thereof should hurt his hands or break his head so that the poor Man not perceiving at present what his matter was should be much daunted and grieved at the multiplying of his sorrows but after some small time having recollected himself and finding the bag not to be filled with stones but silver whereby he should be enabled to pay his debts and have somewhat to spare for the better maintenance of himself and Family Would he not soon forget the breaking of his head love his Friend never the lesse and fall into a serious and hearty thanksgiving that ever he was so happily wounded Thus it is that there is no Affliction so grievous but it brings comfort with it there is no persecution be it never so bitter but brings a bag of Gold joy unspeakable to Gods people and though it may somewhat hurt them in the fall yet by that time they have picked out the Gold tasted of the comfort thereof they will love God the more and cry out with David It is good for me that ever I was afflicted Psalm 119. The excellency of divine Meditation LUther relates a story of two Cardinals riding to the Councel of Constance by the way they heard a Shepheard weeping and bewailing himself bitterly One of the Cardinalls moved with compassion turned aside out of the way to comfort him as his necessity should require and he found him looking on an ugly Toad and he told him he could not but weep in consideration of the goodnesse of God and his own unthankfulnesse that God had not made him such a Creature as that Toad with which the Cardinal was so affected that he fell off his Mule in a swound and coming to himself again he continually cryed out Well said S. Augustine Indocti rapiunt coelum c. The unlearned take Heaven by violence and we with all our learning wallow in the delights of Flesh and bloud Thus it is that the meditating Christian makes out some spiritual advantage upon all that he hears and sees if he see nothing of God in those things which the World counts great he looks upon them as nothing as Honour a bubble Wordly pomp a Fancy the Rich man a lye There 's not a beast of the Field a Fish in the Sea a Foul of the Ayre no not the least pile of grasse that he treads on but affords him a meditation And as to the matter of Providence there 's not the falling of a Sparrow the turning of the wind the changing of Counsells the alteration of affections or the answer of the Tongue bâ—t he takes notice of them in a way of Spirituall improvement God onely to be worshipped as the great Creator of Heaven and Earth IT is the observation of one well skil'd in the Iewish learning that there is onely one verse in the Prophecy of the Prophet Ieremy which is written in the Chaldee tongue all the rest being in the Hebrew viz. So shalt thou say to them Cursed be the Gods who made neither Heaven nor Earth and this so done by the Holy Ghost on purpose that the Iews when they were in captivity and solicited by the Chaldeans to worship false Gods might be able to answer them in their own language Cursed by your gods we will not worship them for they made neither Heaven nor Earth Thus it is that God onely is to be worshipped as the great Creator of all things God must have the glory in all being the maker of all The whole scope of Psalm 147. 148. tend to this effect that God must be praised because he is Creator of all things Let any make a World and he shall be a God saith S. Augustine hence is it that the holy Catholique Church maketh it the very first Article of her Creed to believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth and particular Churches abroad begin their publique devotions thus Our help be in the name of the Lord who hath made both Heaven and Earth Let us then with the four and twenty Elders fall down before him and say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive honour glory and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. The Religious Hypocrite discovered IT is observeable that the Eagle soareth on high little intending to fly to Heaven but to gain her prey And so it is that many do carry a great deal of seeming devotion in lifting up their eyes towards Heaven but they do it onely to accomblish with more ease safety and applause their wicked and damnable designes here on Earth such as without are Cato's within Nero's hear them no Man better search and try them no Man worse they have Iacob's voice but Esau's hands They professe like Saints but practise like Sathans they have their long prayers but short preyings They are like Apothecaries gally-pots having without the title of some excellent preservative but within they are full of deadly poyson Counterfeit holinesse is their cloak for all manner of Villanies and the Midwife to bring forth all their Divellish designs Men by Nature hardly brought to the Confession of their sins IT is said of the Elephant that before he drink in the River he troubleth the Water with his feet that so he may not see his own deformity And it is usual with such as are well struck in years not so much to mind the Looking-glasse least therein they behold nothing but hollow eyes pale checks and a wrinkled front the ruines of a sometime more beautifull Visage Thus it is that Men by Nature are hardly drawn to the confession of their sins but every Man is ready to hide his sins by excusing them with Aaron by colouring them with fair pretences as did the Iews by laying them on others as Adam did or by denying them with Solomons harlots they are ready to decline Sin through all the cases as one said wittily In the Nominative by Pride In the Genitive by Luxury In the Dative by Bribery In the Accusative by Detraction in the Vocative by Adulation In the Ablative by Extortion but very loath to acknowledg them in any case very hardly brought to make any Confession of them at all Not to murmure under Affictions And why so SUppose a Man to have a very fair house to dwell in with spatious Orchards and Gardens set about with brave tall Trees both for use and
him Thus what Nature taught the Creature Experience hath taught Man To strike the Enemy where he may with most hurt and leave things impossible unattempted for Prudence is of force where Force prevailes not Policy goes beyond strength and contrivance before action Hence is it that direction is left to the Commander Execution to the Souldier who is not to aske Why but to do What he is commanded The state of a kingdomc or Common-wealth known best by the administration of Iustice. THe Constitution of a Man's body is best known by his pulâ—e if it stirre not at all then we know he is dead if it stirre violently then wee know him to be in a Fever if it keep an equall stroake then we know he is sound and whole In like manner we may judge of the state of a Kingdom or Common-weale by the manner of execution of Iustice therein for Iustice is the pulse of a Kingdom If Iustice be violent then the kingdome is in a Fever in a bad estate if it stirre not at all then the Kingdom is dead but if it have an equall stroake the just and ordinary course then the Kingdom is in a good condition it is sound and whole without the least corruption imaginable The prevalency of fervent Prayer SOcrates telleth that when a terrible fire in Constantinople had fastned on a great part of the City and tooke hold of the Church the Bishop thereof went to the Altar and falling downe upon his knees would not rise from thence till the fire blazing in the Windowes and flashing at every doore was vanquished and the Church preserved so that with the flouds of his devotion he slaked the fury of that raging Element And the same shall be the force of Englands prayers for Englands peace and welfare if wee be fervent therein Hereticks and Schismaticks may range Enemies conspire and the People rise up in tumults but let us trust in him that never forsaketh them that faithfully call upon his holy name God onely to be seen in Christ Iesus A Man cannot behold the Sun in the Eclipse it so dazeleth his eyes What doth he then He sets down a basin of water and seeth the image of the Sun shadowed in the Water So seeing we cannot behold the infinite God nor comprehend him we must then cast the eyes of our Faith upon his image Christ Iesus When we look into a cleare glasse it casteth no shadow to us but put steele upon the back then it casteth a reflex and sheweth the face in the glasse So when we cannot see God himselfe we must put the Manhood of our Lord Iesus Christ as it were a back to his Godhead and then we shall have a comfortable reflex of his glory Riches availe not in the day of Wrath. IT is sayd that there stands a Globe of the World at one end of the Library in Dublin and a Skeleton of a Man at the other there it is that one need not study long for a good lesson And what lesson is that Though a Man were Lord of all that he sees in the Map of the world yet he must dye and become himselfe a Map of Mortality And therefore if the Devill tempt him with a View of the glory of the World Omnia haec tibi dabo he may resist him with the words of our Saviour Sed quid proderit homini c What will it profit a Man to win the whole world and to lose his owne soul Affliction from God is for his Children's good A Tender hearted Father walking with his little Son suppose in the City when he perceives him gaze up and down and wander from him withdraws himselfe behind some pillar or hides himselfe in some corner of the street not that he means to lose him but to make him cry and seek after him and keep closer to him afterwards So doth our heavenly Father with us he correcteth every son whom he loveth he hides himselfe and as it were pulls in the beams of his Gracious favour for a time when wee are rambling about in our thoughts and 〈◊〉 in our imaginations but it is to make us cry after him the louder and to keep closer to him for the time to come and to walke more circumspectly than ever wee did before The peaceable Man's comfort IF a Man stain were found in the field and it not known who slew him God provided That the Elders of the next City should wash their hands in the blood of an Heyâ—er and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it be mercifull O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy People of Israel's charge and the blood shall be forgiven them So this one day will be a comfort to the Consciences of all well minded men that they may appeal to the great God of heaven that they have prayed heartily for peace have Petitioned humbly for peace have been contented to pay dearly for peace and to their powers have endeavoured to refraine from sins the only breakers of Peace and therefore trust that the Christian English Protestant blood which hath already been and hereafter may be shed shall never be visited on their score or layd to their charge Knowledge very useful in the matter of Reformation DAngerous was the mistake committed by Sir Francis Drake in 88. when neglecting to carry the Lanthorn as he was commanded in the dark he chased five hulks of the Dutch Merchants supposing them to have been of his Enemies the Spaniards such and worse Errors may be committed in the Reforming of a Church or Commonwealth good mistaken for bad and bad mistaken for good where the light of knowledge is wanting for direction How to know whether a Man belong to Heaven or not IT was wont to be a Tryall whether land belonged to England or Ireland by putting in Toads or Snakes or any other venemous Creature into it and if they lived there it was concluded that the land belonged to England if they died to Ireland So if venemous Lusts live in us if sin reign in our mortall bodies we belong to Hell but if they dy by Mortification if there be no life in them then shall we be sure to set up our eternall rest in Heaven and be made heires of Heaven and have full possession of those Mansions which Christ our elder brother hath prepared for us God's way the safe way to walk in IF a Man travelling in the King's highway be robbed between Sun and Sun satisfaction is recoverable upon the County where the robbery was made but if he takes his journey in the night being an unseasonable time then it is his own perill he must take what falls So if a man keep in God's wayes he shall be sure of God's
Hedghogs are all time-servers they do all things for the time but nothing for the truth they believe for a time as long as the warm Sun shines on them but as soon as any storm of persecution ariseth by and by they have a starting hole to hide themselves in they turn faces about and change their Religion with the Time God doth not onely deliver but also comfort his Children THe Eagle doth sometimes carry her young ones onely from a dangerous to a safer nest sometimes she rouseth them out of their floath and directs them where they may find their prey Even so dealeth God with his children he freeth them from danger and bringeth them to comfort He did not onely bear the Israelites on the Eagles wings of protection which shewed a deliverance from evill but he brought them to himself whâ—ch shewed a bestowing of good How a man is said to pray continually THough in the old Law the Priest did not continually offer sacrifices unto the Lord yet fire was continually burning upon the Altar and never went out So though we do not continually offer to God the calves of our lips yet the fire of devotion and spirituall fervency must continually be burning in our hearts and never go out And this is the true meaning of the Apostles exhortation Pray continually not pray continually with the tongue as though that should never lie still but pray continually meaning with that part which doth indeed never lie still except we be still and that 's the Heart A bad reformation of a Church is the deformation of the Church IT was the complaint of the Emperour Adrian when he lay a dying Many Physitians have destroyed the Emperour meaning that their contrary conceits and different directions had hastned his death and cut him off before his time Just thus there are many censurers and correctors of our not sick but sound Religion approved by the sacred Scriptures and attended by the blood of many faithful Martyrs There are so many Reformers and Rectifiers of all ages sexes and degrees of all professions and trades that take upon them to order our Church according to the crooked line of their own severall imaginations that they have almost reduced all things in it into a Chaos and confusion and so spoyled and defaced one of the most compleat Churches for Doctrine and Discipline decency and order now extant in the Christian world Carnall pleasure to be changed into Spirituall pleasure IT is reported of one Leonides a Captain who perceiving his Souldiers left their Watch upon the City-walls and did nothing all the day-long but quaff and tipple in Ale-houses near adjoyning commanded that the Ale-houses should be removed from that place where they stood and be set up close by the Walls that seeing the souldiers would never keep out of them at the least they might watch as well as drink in them So because we itch after delight and pleasure we must needs have and we cannot be kept from it God hath appointed that we should take delight enough and yet serve him never a whit the lesse For it is no part of Gods meaning when we enter into his sweet service that we should be debarred of all delight but onely that we should change the cause of our delight delight of the service of sin into a delight in the service of God Isaac must not be sacrificed but the Ram all rammish and rank delight of the world not Isaac i. e. all spirituall laughter all ghostly joyes all heavenly delight and pleasure The manifestation of God in severall respects THe Sun doth manifest it self first by day-light and that is common to all which dwell in the same Horison unto which the Sun is risen some have more than day-light they have also the Sun-shining light which shining light of the Sun is not in all places where day-light of it is Finally the Sun is manifest in the Heavens in his full strength for the body is present there which none can endure but the Stars which become glorious bodies by that speciall prâ—sence of the Sun amongst them In like manner God in whom all things live and move and have their being doth manifest himself unto some by the works of his generall providence of which St. Paul speaks God leâ—t not himself without witnesse c. This manifestation of God is like the day-light it is common to all it is an universall grace The eyes of all things look up unto thee c. There is a second manifestation and that is more particular but to some onely it is like the Sunshine it is that manifestation which God vouchsafeth to his Church of which Esay speaketh Arise shine for thy light is come c. for in comparison of the Church the rest of the World sitteth in darknesse and in the shadow of death The third and last manifestation is that which God maketh of himself in Heaven to the Angels and Saints the clearest and fullest whereof a creature is capable and those which partake this presence of God become thereby glorious Saints more glorious than the Stars which receive their resplendent lustre from the aspect which they have to the Sun's body so that it seemes there are those who are in better case than we are and there are those who are in worse and therefore we must thank God for our present advancement and remember that we make forward unto that nearnesse unto which God is reserved for us in the Heavens The seven Sacraments of the Papists not of divine Institution WHen Christ feasted that great multitude with five loaves and two fishes it is observed that the five loaves were of the Baker's making and the two fishes of God's making The Papists stiffly maintain seven Sacraments in their Church viz. Baptism the Eucharist Matrimony Orders Penance Confirmation and extream Uâ—ction But most sure it is that the two first onely are of God's making in the other five appears the knavery of the Baker they are of the Pope's making and not of God's Christian Liberty abused by the Sectarian party CAmbyses demanding of his Counsellours Whether he might not marry his sister by the Law of the Land They answered That they found no Law that allowed a brother to marry his sister but one that permitted the King of the Persians to do as he list Thus our proud peevish sectarian Libertines impatient of Government a rebellious and obstinate people cannot in all the Scripture find any sound or seeming proof for their foul rebellions against lawfull Authority neither can their fals prophets their chief counsellours find out any such places for them but therefore they use in a wrong sense so to enlarge and amplifie the great benefit of our Christian liberty the which indeed is a freedom from all hellish slavish fear but not from a holy and son-like fear a freedom from
the curse but not from the obedience from the damnatory but not from the preceptory part of the Law that they have now made simple people little seen in heavenly matters believe that the reyns lie loose upon every Christian's neck and they left to their own disposalls that there is a liberty purchased for Christians a quidlibet audendi to do what every man liketh and to live under no obedience to Governours whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill How to take Pleasure safely HE that handles a Hedghog takes him by the heel and not by the head otherwise he may chance to beshrew his fingers for though it seem to be but a poor silly creature not likely to do any great harm yet it is full of bristles or prickles whereby it may annoy a man very much Thus must we take pleasures not by the head but by the heel considering not the beginning but the ending of them for they may seem to be little or nothing dangerous at the first yet afterwards as with bristles or prickles they will pierce through the very conscience with pains intolerable The Secrets of God's Counsells not to be pryed into THe Israelites charge is They must not presume to go up to the Mount And indeed a boundary were no boundary if it might be passed A man knowes by his ground that an Inclosure is no Inclosure if it may be common But how much more must this be conceived of the Inclosure of God that ground which he hath fenced unto himself for a sanctuary We must take heed then of profaning the Sanctuary of God and venturing in sacred things further than he giveth leave Curiosity in this kind hath been the mother of Heresies when men have been busily witty in searching into rather than believing of that profound Article of the Creed concerning God the Father Man that is not able to understand his own Nature David confesseth such knowledge is too wonderfull for him dreameth that he can comprehend the nature of God Others have lost themselves whilst they have dived into the mysteries of the Incarnation who are not able to understand their own Regeneration Thus they busie themselves as some have done to know where Lazaras's soul was when his body lay three daies in the grave and in the mean time care not what becomes of their own souls so that what with the cuous Cur Why of some and Quomodo How of others there hath been manifold passing the bounds climbing the mount and intrusions upon God and the things of God There hath been a great deal of foolish knowledge in the world prying into God's Ark enquiring into things not revealed so that as there needs a spur unto good and saving knowledge so a bridle to restrain and keep men in from that knowledge which is curious and presumptuous And blessed is that discretion which maketh wise to sâ—briety Ministers to be wise Master-builders HE that hath an house to build will not admit of every workman that offereth his help or that is commended by others or will labour best cheap but he will be sure to have the most experienced the most able workman Thus it was when the Tabernacle of God was to be builded they took not tag and rag from amongst the refuse of the Congregation but such as were filled with the Spirit of God in wisdome in understanding in knowledge and in all workmanship And shall we then choose or commend to the Ministry to the spirituall building of the house of God every cobler and bungler unsufficient illiterate persons either Ieroboam's Priests that were of the lowest of the people or such as Eli's sons who were the lewdest of the people Parity in the Church or State not to be admitted LYcurgus being importuned to establish a popular Estate amongst the Lacedemonians that so the least and the meanest and most unfit to rule might bear like sway with the greatest and wisest fitly answered That he who most desired it should begin it first at home in his own house presuming that in a private house or family parity would never be liked And thus there have been some both in Church and Commonwealth that so earnestly long'd for equality in the one and parity in the other that they would no longer dispute for it but fell to fight for it and since they could not bring it in with their tongues they would therefore take help of their hands But it were to be wished that all so minded would learn some wit from Lycurgus in their anger and first weigh in judgment by the poise of wisdom in the ballance of indifferency hanging upon the beam and rule of Right the inconvenience of pulling down all Officers and setting up community of Rule in an Army and then consider whether the like equall Masterdom may be justly put upon the Church which is an Army with banners or such a levell flatted upon the face of the Commonwealth which is to consist of Governours and Governed The true Christian's hopes of Heaven SR Thomas Bodley that great advancer of Learning did give for his Arms three Crownes with this Posie Quarta perennis erit as if he should have said These three Crowns which I bear in my Coat are but the difference of my House and Gentry but Quarta perennis erit the fourth Crown which I look for in Heaven shall be everlasting and immortall That fourth though it be but one Crown yet shall be worth all those three Crownes yea three thousand more than such as those are The fourth shall be eternall Thus it is that the men of this world may abound in such things as may make them seem more excellent than their neighbours may be crowned with Rose-buds with outward pomp and splendour But this Crown if not taken off their heads by violence will fall of it self by mortality and then there 's an end of all their hopes and honours both together Now the state of many of the dearest of God's children here in this life is not usually so eminent and illustrious they wander up and down in sheep-skins and goat-skins are made a by-word a laughing-stock the drunkard 's song and instead of roses they are crowned with thorns and for the testimony of a good conscience many times with martyrdome Yet here 's their comâ—ort that there is a crown of life of righteousnesse immortall incorruptible laid up for them in the highest heavens which God the righteous Iudge will set upon their heads in that day when all their enemies shall be cloathed with shame and confusion of face for ever What true Repentance is SIn is an aversion from God and conversion to the World Repentance therefore must shake off the World and embrace God Nazianzene sets it forth in a very fit resemblance comparing the soul to a pair of writing Tables out of which must
yea though the Temple in his time were become a den of thieves yet then and there sent he up devout and holy prayers to Heaven Get but God and get all AS Noah when the Deluge of waters had defaced the Earth and blotted the great book of Nature had a copy of every kinde of Creature in that â—amous Library of the Ark out of which all were reprinted to the World So he that hath God hath the originall copy of all blessings out of which if all were perished all might easily be renewed Let friends and goods and life and all forsake us yet let but the light of God's countenance shine upon us and that shall be life and friends and goods and all unto us Afflictions the ready way to Heaven A Man taking his journey into a far Country and enquiring for the way is told that there are many plain waies but the streight and right way is by woods and hills and mountains and great dangers that there are many Bears and Lions in the way much difficulty is upon the road thither Now when he is traâ—ailing and finds such and such things in the way such mountains and hills of opposition such flats and vallies of danger he concludeth that he is in the right way thither And so the child of God that is going to the kingdom of Heaven though there be many waies to walk in yet he knowes that there is but one rigâ—t way which is very strait and narrow full of trouble full of sorrow and Persecution full of all manner of crosses and afflictions and when in this life he is persecuted for God and a good cause whether in body or in mind it argueth plainly that he is in the right way to salvation To be provident for daies of triall MEn in policy prepare cloaks for the wet provision for winter a staffe for old age a scrip for the journey they 'l be sure to lay up something for a rainy day or a bank of mony to flie to when occasion serveth Thus it should be with all true Christians they should be alwaies striving for the more and more assurance of God's favour to be sure of a stock going in the Lord's affection to get some perswasion of God's love whereby they may be able to stand in the evill day in the saddest of times in the hour of death and in the day of judgment A good Man is the prop and stay of his Country IT was the Poet's vain and groundlesse conceit of Hector that so long as he lived Troy could not be destroyed terming him the immovable and inexpugnable pillar of Troy But well may it be said of a faithfull man that he is a mighty stay and strength a main defender and upholder of the place where he liveth for whose sake for whose presence and prayers out of the Lord 's abundant kindnesse to all His even the wicked are often within the shadow of God's protection and spared It is Peace that sets up Religion ANtigonus told the Sophister he came out of season when he presented a treatise of Iustice to him that was at that very time besieging a City he could not hear the voice of the Lawes for the noise of Drums And so the Lawes of God the comfortable voice of the Gospell cannot be heard in times of war and hostility Religio doâ—enda non coercenda Fire and faggot are but sad Reformers It is Peace that is the good Ioseph the best Nurse to Religion When the Church had peace and rest then and not till then it multiplied Children to be brought up in the fear of God PArents are very carefull to prefer their children to great places and Noblemen's houses and to that end they give them gentile breeding which is welldon of them But if they would indeed be good parents to their children they should first endeavour to get roomes for them in the kingdom of Heaven But how shall this preferment be had God hath an upper and a lower house His Church and the â—ingdom of Heaven the Church is his house of grace Heaven is his house of glory Now if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glory then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace bringing him up so in the fear of God that both in life and conversation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church and then assure thy selfe that after this life he shall be removed to the second House which is the house of glory and there for ever be a freeman in the kingdom of Heaven In thus doing thou shalt not leave him an Orphan when thou diest for he shall have God for his Father Christ for his Brother and the Holy Ghost his Comforter to all eternity Heavenly Principles tend Heaven-ward FIre which here we kindle and is engendered on the earth it being no earthly but an heavenly body hath ab origine an aptnâ—sse and inclination carrying it towards the sphear of Fire which is the proper place thereof So from what time a man by God's calling is begotten to be an heavenly creature here on the earth he hath produced in him an inclination which doth make him move God-ward being heavenly principled he tends Heaven-ward Never did poor exile so much long to smel the smoak of his native Country as he breathes and pants after the Kingdome of Heaven Sathan suiting himself to all humours IT is observable that a Huntsman or Forrester goeth usually in green suitable to the leaves of the Trees and the grasse of the Forrest so that by this means the most observant in all the Heard never so much as distrusteth him till the Arrow stick in his sides And thus the Devill shapes himself to the fashions of all men if he meet with a proud man or a prodigal man then he makes himselfe a flatterer if a covetous man then he comes with a reward in his hand He hath an apple for Eve a grape for Noah a change of raiment for Gehezi a bag for Iudas He can dish out his meat for all palats he hath a laste to fit every shoo he hath something to please all conditions to suit with all dispositions whatsoever Love the bond of all perfection AS the Pâ—imum mobile in the Heavens sets all the other Sphears a going which move and make musiâ—k as the Pythagoreans thought in the god's bosome As Ens in Logick communicates his beeing to the ten Preâ—icaments So is Love to the ten Commandements in which they live and move and have their being Love is the end the scope at which they all aime the perfection in which they rest the tribute which they exact it is the bond of perfection or perfection of bonds the most perfect bond that ties all graces to us Forgivenesse of others an argument of God's forgivenesse of us TAke a
of Greece Viso Solone vidistiomnia In seeing Solon thou seest all even Athens it self and the wholy glory of the Greeks Tell me Christian Hast thou faith and assured trust in the Lord then thou hast more then all the wonders of Greece upon the point all the wonderful gifts of grace for faith is a mother vertue from which all others spring and without faith all the best of our actions are no better then sin Hypocrites in their saying well but doing ill reproved â—Ulius Caesar in his Commentaries writeth of the French Souldiers that in the beginning of the battel at the first onset they were more then Men but at the second or before the end less then Women They would talk bravely and come on couragiously but at length give off cowardly Such are the hypocritical Hotspurs of our times who have Gods word swiming in their heads but not shining in their lives such as set up the Temple with one hand and pull it down with the other like scribling School-boyes that what they write with the fore-finger they blur with the hinde-finger who if words may be received their pay is gallant but if deeds be required their money is not currant who in professing and protesting are more then Protestants but in practising and performing and persevering less then Papists Zeal in God's service made the worlds derision DOgs seldom bark at a Man that ambles a softly fair pace but if he once set spurs to his horse and fall a galloping though his errand be of importance and to the Court perhaps then they bark and flie at him and thus they do at the Moon not so much because she shines for that they alwayes see but because by reason of the clouds hurried under by the windes she seems to run faster then ordinary And thus if any Man do but pluck up his spirits in Gods service and run the wayes of his commandments it is Iehu's furious March presently and he shall meet with many a scoffe by the way that runneth with more speed then ordinary The great danger of Sacriledge IT is no Christian but a right Heathenish trick to demolish holy places or through sloth and covetousnes to suffer them to fall Nay the very Heathens would never do that to the Temples of their false Gods that we Christians do to the house of the true God for they hated and fled from all sacrilegious persons Were the Church leprous we could do no more then pluck out the stones as they did in the old Law in a leprous house nay they would not even in such a house pluck out all the stones as they do in Churches but onely such as were leprous Well let such know that next to the injury done against the Temple of mans body there can be no greater injury then that which is done against the body of the Temple and one day all such sacrilegious irreligious prophane persons may chance to feel that whip upon their conscience which sometime Celsus felt who after the robbing and prophaning of many Churches hearing one day that place of Esay read Woe unto them that join house to house that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth cryed out immediately Vae mihi filiis meâ—s Wo then be to me and my children for ever The Hypocrites inconstancy IT is reported of the Shee-wolfe that she hath an yearly defect in procreation for at the first she beareth five young ones the second time but four the third time but three the fourth time but two the fifth time but one and then afterwards remaineth barren Thus Hypocrites forgetting the solemn vow they made to God in Baptism as also those principles of Religion wherein they seemed expert to their Catechizers as they grow upward in age they grow downward in Grace with Demes embracing this present World and with Hymeneus and Alexander making shipwrack of a good conscience verifying the by-word young Saints old Devils The laughtâ—r of the wicked is but from the teeth outwards IT is said of Paulus Emilius that having put away his wife Papinia without any cause as it seemed to others stretched forth his foot and said You see a new and neat shooe but where this shooe wringeth me not you but I alone know meaning that there were many secret jars happening between the marryed which others could not possibly perceive And certainly the most wicked men the greatest enemies to God and his Gospel the most traiterous and rebellious of a People or Nation may be so jocund and merry and shew such magnanimity in their faces that none can imagine by any outward circumstance but that they are truly cheerful and couragious in their hearts and yet in the midst of all their mirth and greatest delights even in the very ruffe of all their bravery they have secret heart-burnings and grievous vexations what God and themselves only know The Lord hath spoken it tâ—ice and therefore it must needs be plain and peremptory That there is no Peace to the wicked Their looks may be sometimes lively but their hearts are alwayes heavy Gods omnipotency AMongst all the gods of the Heathens Iupiter was in the greatest esteem as the Father and King of gods and was called lupiter quasi juvans Pater a helping Father yet as the Poets feign he wept when he could not set Sarpedon at liberty such was the imbecillity and impotency of this Master-god of the Heathen But the hand of our God is never shortned that it cannot help he is ever able to relieve us alwayes ready to deliver us Amongst all the gods there is none like unto him none can do like unto his works he is God omnipotent Prayers and tears are the Weapons of the Church THe Romans in a great distress were put so hard to it that they were fain to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods to fight with them and so they overcame And this ought to be the course of every good Christian intimes of publique distress to flie to the weapons of the Church Prayers and Tears The Spartans walls were their spears the Christians walls are his prayers his help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made both Heaven and Earth The gradation of Faith THe heart of every believer is like a vessel with a narrow neck which being cast into the Sea is not filled at the firstâ—asily â—asily but by reason of the strait passage receiveth water drop by drop Thus God giveth unto us even a Sea of mercy but the same on our part is apprehended and received by little and little we go from strength to strength from grace to grace and from one degree of vertue to another praying alwayes as the blessed Apostles O Lord encrease our faith that from weakness of faith and
seat of sin a man feeleth no weight of it but like a fool it is a sport and pastim unto him to do evill And it is therefore a good signe that sin is removed out of his seat out of his chair of state when it becomes ponderous and burthensome to us as the Elements do when they are out of their naturall place An ill-liv'd Minister is a scandall to the Gospell A Cracked Bell makes a very harsh sound in every ear the mettall is good enough and it may be was once well tuned it is the rift that makes it so unpleasantly jarring Just thus is a scandalous and an ill-lived Preacher his calling is honourable his noise is heard far enough but O the sad but the slaw which is noted in his life marrs his doctrin and offends those ears which else would take pleasure in his teaching It is possible that such a one even by that discordous noise may ring-in others into the triumphant Church of Heaven whilst there is no remedy for himself but the fire either for his reforming or judgment Every Christian ought to be an ingenuous Christian. WE read Matth. 4. Christ had a great dispute with the Devill in which he had him at great advantage in his quotation of Scripture vers 6. He shall give his Angells charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone This was quoted out of the 91 Psalm vers 11 and there it is He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies Yet Christ did not catch this advantage he did not so much as upbraid him for leaving out that passage which he might justly have done but he answers to the thing Yea Christ might have taken a further advantage against the Devill for the words following in the Psalm are a prophecy of Christ destroying the power of the Devill Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion and the Adder shalt thou tread under thy feet Christ did not take the advantage of this neither and upbraid him with it he had enough against him in the thing it self he brought How unseemly then is it for men when they are seeking out for truth to piddle about words to catch at phrases to lye at the catch for advantages and to get hold of expressions It is for Christians to be ingenuous to be plain one to another For it is a signe that men have lesse advantage of the matter when they seek so much after expressions and passe by the meaning Sure it is if God should catch at advantages with them the most pregnant and ripe-witted would never be able to abide it Philosophy to be subservient to Divinity THe Iewes read the book of Hester in their Synagogues because they account it Canonicall Scripture but before they read it they let it fall to the ground because they do not finde the Name of God once mentioned in it as their Rabbins have observed So for the morall Treatises of Philosophers we must read them because they speak of vertue and happinesse and are good Handmaids to Piety and Devotion But we must let them fall to the ground before we read them they must be subservient to the Scripture they must be read with reference to Scripture because they do not give glory to God Impossible for a man to know all his sins IT is with the children of men as with the Housewife that having diligently swept her house and cast the dust out of doors can see nothing amisse not so much as a speâ—k of dust in it whereas if the Sun do but a little shine in through some cranny in the wall or some broken quarrell in the window she may soon see the whole house swim and swarm with innumerable moats of dust floating to and fro in the aire which for dimnesse of light or sight before she was not able to discern Even so it is with many that are carefull of their waies so that little may be seen amisse that might require either reformation or amendment yet when they shall come to look more intentively into God's Law a little beam of light reflecting upon their souls from it will discover unto them such an innumerable company as well of corruptions in their hearts as of errours and oversights in their lives that it shall make them as men amazed cry out Lord what earthly man doth know the errours of his life Children to be well principled EVery thing must be taken in his time Let a bladder alone till it be dry and all the wind in the world cannot fill it no not so much as raise it up whereas being new and moist the least breath enlargeth it It is no otherwise in ages and dispositions Inform a child in precepts of learning and vertue whiles years makes him capable how pliable he yieldeth how happily is he replenished with knowledge and goodnesse But let him alone till time and ill example have hardned him till he be setled in an habit of evill and contracted and clung together with sensuall delights he becomes utterly indocible sooner may such a plant bow than break such a bladder be broken than extended God must be served like himself THere are some of the Heathens that worship the Sun for a God and they would offer to the Sun somewhat suitable and therefore because they did so much admire at the swiftnesse of the motion of the Sun they would not offer a snail but a flying horse a horse with wings Now a horse is one of the swiftest creatures and one of the strongest to continue in motion for a long time together then having added wings to the horse they conceived he was suitable to be a sacrifice for the Sun So when we come to God to worship him to sanctifie him to call upon his Name we must not bring the bare calves of our lips but the ferâ—ency of our hearts we must behave our selves so as to give Him the glory that is fit for such a God to have God is a Spirit and he must be worshipped in spirit and in truth not a civili onely but a divine worship also proportionable in some measure even to the Nature of God himself The difference betwixt a carnall and a spirituall Man in point of Knowledge TAke a blindman set him in a clear night with his face upon the Moon when it shines when all the Stars are sparkling round about yet he sees nothing of the brightnesse of the one or twinkling of the other onely some glimmerings or keperceives some kind of reflex upon him whereby he concludes that the Moon is up and that the Stars shew themselves But then take a quick-sighted man with a perspective-glasse in his hand and he discovers all he walks all over the skie from star to star from one
again and so was recovered out of all the extremities in which he lived before In this life we are just such as those poor men of Israel rifled plundered spoiled in a manner and condition every way straitned now Death is our Iubilee and when the Trumpet begins to sound life is then loss Death is the good mans advantage then it is that he enjoyes a better state than ever he had before What though Death be to the wicked as the Rod in Moses hand that was turned into a Serpent yet to the godly it shall be like that of Eliah a wand to waft them into a better life then it is that the funeral of their vices shall be the resurrection of all their gracious actions The greatest of Men subjects of Mortality IT is with Men as with Letters that have great and glorious superscriptions Right Honourable Right Worshipful c. but when opened there is nothing but a little black ink and dust upon them So though men have great places and offices whether it be in Church or State and make a great outward show in the world yet within there is but a little black blood and dusty flesh to cover it dust they were and to dust they must return again Death strips us of all worldly outward things IT is with us in this world as it was in the Iewish fields and vineyards pluck and eat they might what they would vvhile they were there but they might not pocket or put up ought to carry vvith them Deut. 23. 24. Or as with Boyes that having gotten by stealth into an Orchard stuffe their sleeves and their Pockets full with Apples and Pears well hoping to get out vvith them but when they come to the Door they find one that searcheth them and taketh all their fruit away from them and so sendeth them away empty vvith no more fruit then they brought in Or as poor men that being invited to a rich mans boord have the use of his Plate to drink in and silver spoons to eat with whilst they are there but if any of them dares to be so bold as to put up a piece of Plate or a spoon there is search made by the Porter e're they are let out for what is missing among them and so they are turned out as they came in In like manner it is with us in regard of these temporall blessings we have free liberty to use them while we are here but vvhen we are to go hence there is one vvaiting on us that will be sure to strip us and suffer nothing to pass with us unlesse it be some sorry sheet or a sear ragge to rot with us such as vve shall have no sense of nor be any whit at all the betteâ— for than if vve vvere vvholly vvithout them The worth of a true Christian. WHen Henry the fourth that late King of France vvas told of the King of Spains ample Dominions As first he is King of Castile and I quoth Henry am King of France he is King of Navarre and I am King of France he is King of Naples and I am King of France he is King of the Sicilia's nova Hispania of the Western India's and I am King of France he thought the Kingdom of France equivalent to all those So let the soul of every good Christian solace it selfe against all the wants of this mortall Pilgrimage in this that it is a member of the Church one hath more learning or wit yet I am a Christian another hath more honour or preferment in the world yet I am a Christian another hath more silver and gold and riches yet I am a Christian another hath larger possessions yet I have an inheritance in heaven I am a Christian Were but this consideration of the true Christians worth laid in the ballance of the Sanctuary it would weigh down all temporary conceits whatsoever Magistrates to be advised in point of Iustice. IT is said of Lewis the King of France that when he had through inadvertency granted an unjust suit as soon as he had read that verse in the Psalm Blessed is he that doth righteously at all times recalled himselfe and upon better thoughts gave his judgement quite contrary Hence it is that an act of justice ought to flow from mature deliberation and advised attendency especially there ought to be consideration when it concerns the life or death of a man In getting the things of this World Gods way is the best way AS the Israelites travailing through the Wildernesse towards the Land of promise Numb 9. 22 23. which to have gone the next way had not been a journey of many dayes yet were they many years about it they were to go as God led them as they saw the cloud go before them and not to take that way that seemed best or most compendious in their own eyes So must we observe Gods wayes in our trade at home and traffick abroad in our walking towards wealth we must keep the way that God leads us go no other way then we can see him going before us follow the line of his Law though it seem to lead us in and out backward and forward as it were treading in a Maze and not take those wayes that seem gainer and nearer in our own eyes and much more compendious then the other though we might compass wealth with a word or two with the bow of a knee onely one way whereas we must travail and toyl and moyl much e're we come by it the other way though we might attain to it in a day or a week the one way whereas we are like to stay many weeks many moneths nay many years it may be e're we come at it the other way yet this way must we keep and resolve to forsake all the world with our Saviour Math. 4. 10. If it be offered to entice us out of it The Israelites when they went out of Gods precincts they went withall out of Gods protection and so fell before their foes Numb 14. 44. So those that make more haste then good speed to be rich that balk Gods path and step out of Gods way to get wealth shall surely come to evil Psalm 28. 20. How to judge of an Hypocrite THere can be no difference betwixt a gliding star and the rest the light seems alike both while it stood and whiles it fell but being once fallen it is known to be no other then a base slimy Meteor gilded with the Sun-beams and now a man may tread upon that with his foot which before his eye admired had it been a sâ—ar it had still and ever shined now the very fall argues it a false and elementary apparition Thus â—ur charity doth and must mislead us in our spiritual judgements if we see men exalted in their Christian profession fixed in the upper Region of the Church shining with appearances and outsides of Grace we
or Figure-flinger do but hit in one thing of twenty he is presently cryed up for a Cunning man but let the Physitian work six hundred cures yet if through the impatience of his Patient he fail but in one that one fail doth more turn to his discredit then his many eminent cures did formerly get him praise Thus doth the world deal with men in the matter of censure If a worldly minded man have but an outward gift of strength of speech or of any other naturall endowment he is accounted filius gallinae albae one of the white boyes of the time a precious man a man of excellent parts c. though he be at the same time in ordine ad spiritualia an Idolater a prophane person c. But let the child of God be truly zealous for God honest and holy in life and conversation yet if there be but one infirmity in him as who is free or if he have through weaknesse fallen into some one sin that one infirmity against which he striveth or that one sin for which he is grieved shall drown all the graces in him be they never so eminent never so great and the World is ready to give him up for a wicked man an Hypocrite c. The godly and ungodly their different motions in goodness A Violent motion is quick in the beginning but slow in the end a stone cast upward is then most weak when it is most high but a natural motion is slow in the beginning quicker in the end For if a Man from a high Tower cast a stone down-ward the nearer to the center the quicker is the motion And therfore when a man at his first conversion is exceeding quick but afterwards waxeth every day slower and slower in the wayes of goodnesse his motion is not natural and kindly but forced otherwise like a constant resolved Christian the longer he lives and the neerer he comes to the mark the more swiftly doth he run the more vehemently doth he contend for that everlasting Crown which he shall be sure to attain at his Races end Self-conceited Men blameâ—worthy Men. St. Hierome observeth â—hus much of Petrus Abaelardus and his followers that he was used to say in point of Controversie Omnes sane Patres sic dijudicant at ego non c. Indeed the stream of all the Fathers run this way but I am of another judgement So what S. Augustine affirmeth of some in his time Nisi quod faciant nihil rectè judicant is too too true in this self-conceited time of ours Men wade so far in a vein of singularity that they think nothing well done but what they doe themselves how do they dote upon the issue of their own empty brains and thus admiring themselves vvhom do they not censure hating the persons of their superiours and scorning the opinions of their elders Great Men to be merciful Men. AS the Snow which falls upon the Mountains being dissolved into water by the beams of the Sun descending into the valley maketh it to give her encrease but being deprived of the Sun's heat remaines congealed useless and unprofitable So they which are in high places as it were Mountains in Court or Country upon whom the favour of God and the King shine most ought not to be frozen in Charity not to be bound up to themselves but to be publique spirited men to have the bowels of Piety and pitty melt within them for the good of their inferiour brethren A Rich Man is Gods Steward A Begger upon the way asked something of an honourable Lady she gave him six pence saying This is more then ever God gave me O sayes the Beggar Madam you have abundance and God hath given you all that you have say not so good Madam Well saies she I speak the truth for God hath not given but lent unto me what I have that I may bestow it upon such as thou art And it is very true indeed that the poor are Gods Almesmen and the Rich are but his Stewards into whose hands God hath put his Monies to distribute to them in the time of necessity An Orthodoxal Christian hath a like esteem of all Gods Ordinances WHen at the taking of new Carthage in Spain two Souldiers contended about the murall Crown due to him who first climed up the wall so that the whole Army was thereupon in danger of division Scipio the Generall said He knew that they both got up the wall together and so gave the scaling Crown to them both Thus a good Orthodoxal Christian doth not clash Gods Ordinances together about Precedency he makes not odious comparisons betwixt Prayer and Preaching Preaching and Catechizing Prayer publique and private premeditate and extemporary but compounds all controversies about Gods Ordinances by praising them all practising them all and thanking God for them all Gods two hands of Mercy and Judgement THere is mention made of a Load-stone in Aethiopia which hath two corners with the one it draweth-to with the other it puts the Iron from it So God hath two arms the one of Mercy the other of Iudgement two hands the one of Love the other of wrath with the one he draweth with the other he driveth the one stroaketh the other striketh and as he hath a right hand of favour wherewith to load the Saints so he wants not a left hand of fury wherewith to dash the wicked in pieces A Wife to be subordinate to her Husband AS Tertullian saith of a King that he is solo Deo minor hath in his Kingdom none above him but onely God so is a Woman in a Family solo marito minor she should command all in the house but her Husband she may be similis but not aequalis honoris she may partake in the same kind of honour but not in the same degree of honour as Man doth otherwise if it come to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the rule of a woman actum est de â—amilia farewel all good order Why Because women have more of the heart then the head their affections out-step their discretion they are commonly more witty then wise so that wisdom requiring the pondering of circumstances the forwardnesse of their affections will not suffer them to pause so long hence it is that their resolutions are rash and wilfull which cannot prognosticate any good event Happily some woman may be as wise as Abigail and some man as silly as Nabal yet then neither doth Man lose his Prerogative nor Woman acquire a title above him deal with him she may per viam consilii but not imperii counsel him she may command him she may not The fiery triall on the Church of God VVHen the Romans immortalized any of their Emperours they did it with this Ceremony They brought one to swear that they saw him go to Heaven out of the fire intimating That the fiery trial had passed
use it as an occasion served and Rachel that other holy woman did not desire the Mandrakes so much to hold in her hand or to smell to as to be made apt thereby to bring forth the fruit of her womb And we must not come to the Well-spring of life and when we have filled our pitchers spill all presently on the ground nor we must not so much labour to know the Word that we may subtilly dispute or discourse of it as to practise it that we may shew the fruit of it in the amendment of our lives and conversations Dulness and drousiness in the service of God reproved IT is reported of Constantize the great that when divine service was read he would help the Minister to begin the prayer and to read the verses of the Psalms interchangeably and when there was a Sermon if any place of special importance were alleadged that he would turn his Bible to imprint the place the better in his mind both by hearing and seeing it and being as it were revished with those things which he heard he would start up suddenly out of his Throne and Chair of State and would stand a long while to hear more diligently and though they which were next him did put him in mind to remember himself yet he heard the word so attentively that he would not give any ear at all unto them How wonderfully should this confound us that are every way inferiour when we hear Emperors mighty Kings shew such a good heart in hearing of the word of God to be so chearful in the service of God and we in the mean time to have such lumpish and dull spirits as to be never a whit moved or affected with the same that though Christ talk with us never so comfortably in the way yet our hearts are not so much as warmed within us though he putteth his hand to the hole of the door yet we will not list up the latch to let him in and though our well-beloved speak yet we will not hearken unto him A good man bettered by Afflictions SPring water smoaketh when all other waters of the River and the Channel are frozen up that water is living whilst they are dead All experience teacheth us that Well-waters arising from deep springs are hotter in Winter than in Summer the outward cold doth keep in and double their inward hear Such is a true Christian in the evill day his life of Grace gets more vigour by opposition he had not been so gracious if the times had been better I will not say He may thank his Enemies but I must say He may thank God for his Enemies Christ compared to an Eagle CHrist is not unfitly compared to an Eagle in three respects First because as the Eagle fluttereth over her young ones and safeguards them from any that would annoy them so doth Chris carefully protect his Church that the Gates of Hell nor the deepest Counsells of her Enemies shall not prevail against her Secondly as the Eagle stirs up her nest and taketh up her young ones enforcing them to look towards the Sun thereby trying her generous and degenerating brood even so doth Christ make triall of true and counterfeit Christians he rejects them as counterfeits that have but owl light such as hate the light but those which can look upon the Sun of Righteousnesse and delight in beholding of him they go for true Christians Thirdly The Eagle hateth the Serpent and wheresoever he seeth him renteth him with his Beak And Christ the seed of the woman did break the Serpents head The Hypocrites discovery of himselfe THere are a sort of Men that call themselves Christians professe that they know God and that their hope is in Heaven but no sooner doth any vanity come in the way any temporal commodity present it selfe but their hearts quickly betray where their Treasure is just like the Iuglers Ape of Alexandria which being attired like a reasonable Creature and dancing curiously to his Masters Instrument deceived all the Spectators untill one spying the fraud threw a handful of Dates upon the Stage which the Ape no sooner espied but he tore all his Vizard and fell to his Victuals to the scorn of his Master which gave an occasion to the Proberb An Ape is an Ape though he be clad never so gaily And most sure it is that an Hypocrite will at last shew himselfe an Hypocrite for all his specious shew and goodly pretences The Churches condition under the two Testaments St. Paul resembleth the different conditions of the Church under the two Testaments to the different conditions of a child when he is in his nonage though he be heir and when he is come to his full age While he is in his nonage though he be heir yet he is kept in awe and under a Pedagogue but when he cometh to full age his Father affords him a more cheerful Countenance and a more liberall maintenance Even so under the Law the Church was kept under and scanted of Grace but under thâ— Gospel she is more free and endued with a more plentifull measure of Gods holy spiriâ— The Kingdom of Heaven an everlasting Kingdom MOrtal Kingdoms are not lasting and while they last they continue not uniform Are not everlasting they have their Climacterical years and commonly determine within certain periods The Politicians write of it Bodine by name and he out of othâ—rs and the stories are clear and experience daily sheweth it to be so Iustin hath calculated the three first Monarchs but Sleidan all four and we see their beginning and ending And as they are not lasting so while they last they continue not uniform The Planters of great States are commonly Heroical men but the Proverb is Heroum â—ilii noxae The Parents were never so beneficiall as the children are misâ—hâ—evous oppressing by Tyranny or wasting by Vanity worldly peace breedeth plenty plenty breeds pride and pride breeds war wherewith cometh Ruine This being the condition of mortall Kingdoms how blessed is that Kingdom of Heaven which shall have no end the words are short but they are full The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it this is typified in David and Saul the Kingdom of the one was tempâ—rall of the other eternal The Angel repeats the same promise The Psalms do often urge it so do the Prophers Esay especially they all concur in this that it shall have no end Gods Lawes obeyed are the support of a Common-wealth IT fareth with the body politick as it doth with the body naturall if the humours keep their proportion we have health no sooner do they swerve from it but they begin a disease which maketh way to puâ—refaction and so to dissolution wherefore we apply physick to reduce them again into a due temper Even so while good Lawes sway our carriage towards our selves towards our neighbours each man doth well the
they hear them and not take in one Sermon before the other be well concocted they would soon find another manner of benefit by Sermons than the ordinary sort of many forward Christians do Outward formality onely in the service of God condemned MEn put on clean linnen their best cloths and how often do they look in a glasse to see that all be handsome before they show themselves in the Church to their neighbours and it is hoped that they which will not come slovenly before their neighbours will not appear sordidly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth and withall remember that that God that approveth this outward decency requireth the inward much more He will have us lift up to him not onely clean but pure hands also A neat outside and a slovenly inside is like a painted Sepulchre full of dead mens bones And it is to be feared that most of our Churches in the time of Gods service are full of such Tombs There are a generation that are clean in their own eyes but are not washed from their filthinesse Conversion of a sinner wrought by degrees LIttle children of whom â— travail again in birth c. saith the Apostle Gal. 4. 19. untill Christ be formed in you So that conversion is not wrougâ—t simul semel but by little and little in processe of time In the generation of Infants first the brain heart and liver are framed then the bones veins arteries nerves and sinews and after this flesh is added and the Infant first begins to live the life of a plant by growing and nourishing then it lives the life of a beast by sense and motion and thirdly the life of a man by the use of reason Even so God outwardly prevents us with his Word and inwardly he puts into us the knowledge of his will with the beginnings or seeds of faith and repentance as it were a brain and a heart from these beginnings of faith and repentance arise heavenly desires from these desires follow asking seeking knocking And thus the beginnings of faith are encreased and men go on from grace to grace from one degree of virtue unto another till they be tall men in Christ Iesus Not to be ashamed of the profession of Christ. ST Augustine in his Confessions relates an excellent story of one Victorinus a great man at Rome that had many great friends that were Heathens but it pleased God to convert him to the Christian religion and he came to one Simplicianus and tells him secretly that he was a Christian. Simplicianus answers Non credam nec deputabo te inter Christianos c. I will not believe thee to be a Christian till I see thee openly professe it in the Church At first Victorinus derided his answer and said Ergone parietes faciunt Christianum What! do the church-walls make a christian But after wards remembring that of our Saviour He that is ashamed of me before men c. Mar. 8. 38. he returns to Simplicianus and professeth himself openly to be a christian And let this Text of Christ alwaies sound in our ears also and that of the Revelation where the fearsul such as Nicodemus nocturni adoratores such night-walkers in religion such as are faint-hearted in the profession of Christ are put in the fore-front of those that shall go to hell before murtherers whore-mongers adulterers c. Man to be Sociable IT is to be observed that the farthest Islands in the world are so seated that there is none so remote but that from some shore of it another Island or continent may be discovered as if herein Nature invited Countries to a mutuall converse one with another Why then should any man court and hug solitarinesse why should any man affect to environ himself with so deep and great reservednesse as not to communicate with the society of others Good company is one of the greatest pleasures of the nature of Man for the beams of joy are made hotter by reflection when related to another Were it otherwise gladnesse it self must grieve for want of one to expresse it self to Ministers to live according to that Doctrine which they teach others THere was a ridiculous Actour in the city of Smyrna which pronouncing Oâ— Coelum O Heaven pointed with his finger towards the ground which when Polemo the chiefest man in the place saw he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a great chafe saying This fool â—ath made a solectsm with his hand he hath spoken fals Latin with his finger And such are they who teach well and do ill that however they have Heaven at their tongues end yet the Earth is at their fingers end such as do not onely speak fals Latine with their tongue but false Divinity with their hands such as live not according to their preaching But He that sits in the Heavens will laugh them to scorn and hisse them off the stage if they do not mend their action Englands Ingratitude to God SCipio Affricanus the elder had made the city of Rome being at that time exanguem moriturum in a deep consumption and ready to give up the ghost Lady of Affrick At length being banished into a base country-town his will was that his Tomb should have this Inscription on it Ingrata patria ne ossa mea quidem habes Unthankfull country thou hast not so much as my bones Thus many and mighty deliverances have risen from the Lord to this land of ours to make provocation of our thankfulnesse yet Ingrata Anglia ne ossa mea quidem habes may the Lord say Ingratefull England thou hast not so much as the bones of thy Patron and Deliverer thou hast exited him from thy thoughts burried him in oblivion there is scarcely a footstep of gratitude to witnesse to the World that thou hast been protected The Papists blind Zeal discovered RHenanus reporteth that he saw at Mentz in Germany two Cranes standing in silver upon the Altar into the bellies whereof the Priests by a device put fire and frankincense so artificially that all the smoak and sweet perfume came out of the Cranes heaks A perfect emblem of the Peoples devotion in the Romish Church the Priests put a little fire into them they have little warmth of themselves or sense of true zeal and as those Cranes sent out sweet perfumes at their beaks having no smelling at all thereof in themselves so these breathe out the sweet perfumed incense of prayer and zealous devotion whereof they have no sense or understanding at all because they pray in an unknown tongue Saints in glory what they hear and see ST Auguctine was wont to wish three things First that he might have seen Christ in the flesh Secondly that he might have heard St. Paul preach Thirdly that he might have seen Rome in its glory Alas these are small matters to that which Austin and all
been without them Gen. 6. Thus when Men send out lusts to seek them wives and unclean spirits to woo for them When Men send out Ambition to make their houses great and Covetousness to joyn house to house and land to land When Men send out flattery lying and deceiptfull speeches and do not send out Prayers and loud cryes unto Almighty God to direct them in their choyce they may thank themselves if they meet with wives but not such meet helps as God otherwiâ—e intended for them The heighth of Patience QUeen Ann Bullen the Mother of the blessed Q. Elizabeth when she was to be beheaded in the Tower thus remembred her thanks to the King From a private Gentlewoman he made me a Marquiss from a Marquiss a Queen and now he hath left no higher degree of earthly honour for me he hath made me a Martyr Here was Patience in the highest degree such a Patience as had its perfect work and came up to its full growth when punishment becomes preferment when for Christs sake and his Gospels persecution shall be held an honour and misery a dignity ipsamque crucem coronam and the very Cross a Crown This is the Patience of the Saints The prevalency of a good Example JUstin Martyr confesseth that he left Philosophy and became a Christian Scholler through the admiration that he had to behold the innocent and godly lives of the Primitive Christians hearing them pray unto God for the good and welfare of those who to the utmost of their power endeavoured and wrought their ruine Thus forcible thus effectuall thus prevalent is the Example an holy life When Men and Women live so chastly walk so circumspectly and order themselves so holily so meekly so blamelesly that Men that are even strangers to a godly life are strongly wrought upon and very much affected with and won to Christ by their religious and gracious conversation Faults in manners and Errours in Doctrine to be distinguished in the matter of Reproof IT is observable that Almighty God hath in old time dispensed with some precepts of the second Table concerning our duty to Men as in bidding Abraham to kill his Son Isaac contrary to the sixt Commandement and in suffering the Fathers to have many Concubines contrary to the seventh Commandement and in advising the Children of Israel to rob the wicked Egyptians of their Jewels contrary to the eighth Commandement But he who cannot deny himselfe as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 2. 13. never dispensed with any Precept of the first Table concerning his own true honour worship and holinesse Thus it is that there must be a difference put betwixt Faults in manners and Errours in doctrine for principles of faith are like a Mathematicall point which admits of neither ademption nor addition to be patient in suffering a private wrong onely concerning our own Persons is commendable yea Noble But when once the quarrell is made Gods and the Churches injurias Dei dissimulare nimis est impium it is too great impiety for any man to bear In such a case the Prophet Eliah called for fire from Heaven upon his Enemies In such a case St. Paul in the sight of the whole Church of Antiochia withstood Peter to his face In such a case God assisting me saith Luther I am and ever shall be stout and stern herein I take upon me this title Cedo nulli I give place to none And in such a case renowned Iewel sweetly to the same purpose I deny my learning I deny my Bishopwrick I deny my selfe onely the faith of Christ and truth of God I cannot deny with this faith and for this faith I trust I shall end my dayes Judgement-day the terrors of it to the wicked IT is reported of Zisca that valiant Captain of the Bohemians that he commanded that after his decease his skin should be flead from his body to make a drum of it which they should be sure to use when they went out to battail affirming that as soon as the Hongarians or any other of their enemies should come within the sound of that Drum they would never be able to abide it Now if Zisca's Drum and the beating thereof was so terrible to the poor Hongarians how fearfull shall the sounding of the last Trumpet be to the wicked when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from Heaven with his mighty Angels to judge the quick and the dead Saul was astonished when he heard Iesus of Nazareth but calling unto him Herod was affrighted when he thought that Iohn Baptist was risen again The Carthagenians were troubled when they saw Scipio's sepulchre The Saxons were terrified when they saw Cadwallon's image The Philistims were affraid when they saw Davids sword The Israelites were appalled when they saw Aarons rod The Romans were dashed when they saw Caesars bloudy robe Iuda was ashamed when he saw Thamars signet and staffe Baltazar was amazed when he saw the hand-writing on the wall And all the Enemies of God and goodnesse look they never so high wax they never so bigge in this World shall be then confounded when they shall see Christ appearing in judgement Christ seen more clearly under the Gospel than under the Law AS a King in his progress coming to some great City divers of his train ride before him and many more come after him yet all come to the same place but those that are before do not see what entertainment is made in the way so wel as they that come behind Thus it is that Christ is seen more clearly under the Gospell than under the Law The Patriarks and the Israel of God saw somewhat of Christ as they were before him but not one half which we see that are behind Moses was then under a cloud but his face is now unveyled It was a good observation of an acute Preacher now with God then lying on his death-bed O how happy said he are the Peopl of this age that see more of Christ than ever their Predecessors did more than the Patriarks and People of old They had onely Moses Psalms and the Prophets but we the Books of the new Testament setting out Christ before us Not to give occasion that Religion be ill-spoken of WHen a Pagan beheld Christians receiving the blessed Sacrament and observed with what reverence and devotion they demeaned themselves in that holy businesse he was inquisitive what that action meant It was answered by one of them That God having first emptied their hearts of all their Sins as pride envy covetousnesse contention luxury and the rest did now enter into them himself with a purpose to dwell there He was silent for the present but followed and watched them whom he saw to be Communicants in that action for two dayes together And perceiving some of them to fall into quarrells uncleanness
understand him And the other remembring that he was a Minister stood not alwayes upon the pureness of his style but was farre more solicitous of his matter then of his Words Thus as Children use money to jingle with and Men use flowers for sight and scent but Bees for hony and wax not to gild their wings as the butterfly but to fill their Combs and feed their young In like sort there are those that tip their tongues and store their heads some for shew and some for delight but Ministers above all men have these talents in trust that therewith they may save themselves and those that hear them they must condescend to the capacities of their Hearers stoop to the apprehensions of the meanest become all things to all Men in S. Pauls sense that they may win some Hence was that saying of a reverend Bishop Lord send me learning enough that I may preach plain enough The Sinners wilfull blindness condemned THe Lionesse will not company with the Lyon after her commixtion with the Leopard till she wash her selfe in water unwilling that her Adultery should be manifested by her scent And the Viper is so wise that before its copulation with the â—ish Muraena it first vomits and casts out all the pernicious and venemous poyson that is within it But O the wilfull blindnesse of poor sinfull Man by nature more adulterous than the Lionesse more venemous than the Viper going a whoring after every sort of vanity full of hatred and malice suffering strange Lords to tyrannize over him without repugnancy yea and such cowardly Lords that if but resisted would flee from him yet he gives way to them not fearing that his disloyalty shall be perceived and revenged by his Righteous Lord and Master whose patience will at last break out into fury and break him too into a thousand pieces The hasty unexpected death of friends not to be matter of excessive sorrow A Bijah the Prophet meets with Jeroboams wife and tells her that he was sent with heavy news and with that especially Thy childe shall die And which might add the more unto her sorrow Thy childe shall die assoon as thou enterest thy foot into the City so that she could not so much as speak to him or see him alive And it was so which was the occasion of a Nationall mourning there being in him bound up the hopes of all Israel And thus it is that many judge it very heavy tydings to hear of the early untimely deaths of friends and acquaintance that like grapes they should be gathered before they be ripe and as Lambs slain before they be grown But why should they judge so Why take on so with grief and sorrow It is true that Tears are sutable to an house of mourning so that Moderation lends a Napkin to dry up the excess of weeping Consider then that nothing hath befallen them but that which hath done may do and often doth betide the best of Gods dear Children No Man grieves to see his friend come sooner then ordinary more speedily then usually others do to be Rich and Honourable or to see his friend or childe outstrip others in learning and wisdom to have that in a short time which others long labour for Why then should any Man be troubled but rather count it matter of joy when their Children or friends by death obtaine so speedily such a measure of spirituall Riches and such a height of heavenly glory in so short a time besides they have this benefit before those that live longer they are freed from the violence of the Wine-press that others fall into and escape many storms that others are fain to â—ide through Death the meditation thereof profitable to the Souls conversion THere is a story of one that gave a young Gallant a curious Ring with a Deaths head in it upon this condition That for a certain time he should spend one hour every day in looking and thinking of it He took the Ring in wantonnesse but performed the condition with diligence it wrought a wonder on him and of a desperate Ruffian he became a conscionable Christian. It were to be wished that Men of all sorts would more think of death then they do and not make that the farthest end of their thoughts which should alwayes be the nearest thought of their end but to spend some time fixedly every day on the meditation of death and then by Gods grace they would find such an alteration in their lives and conversations that there would be gladnesse in the Church peace in their own souls and joy before the Angels in heaven for their Conversion The great usefulnesse of Scripture-phrase IT is very remarkable how God himself the greatest Master of speech and maker of it too Exod. 4. 11. When he spake from Heaven at the Transfiguration of his Christ our Iesus made use of three severall texts of Scripture in one breath as in Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son Psalm 12. 7. In whom I am well pleased Esay 42. 1. Hear ye him Deut. 18. 15. No doubt but God could have expatiated as he pleased but this may reprove the curious queaâ—inesse of such nice ones as disdain at the stately plainnesse of the Scripture and to shew of what authority Scripture-phrase is with God Happy then is that man that Minister that can aptly utter his minde in pure Scripture-phrase in that heavenly dialect the language of Canaan It is not the froath of words nor the ostentation of learning though usefull in its time and place nor strong lines that will draw men up to Heaven but strong arguments and convincing â—own-right truths drawn out of the treasury of Gods Word as when a Sermon is full of the â—owells of Scripture so that God and Christ may as it were seem to speak in the Preacher Conversion of a sinner painfully wrought IF a woman cannot be delivered of her child which she hath carried but nine months in her womb without pain and perill of life though she conceived it in great pleasure we must not think then to be delivered of sin which is a man an old man a man that we have carried about in our hearts ever since we were born without any spirituall pain at all The conversion of a sinner is no such easie matter there must be the broken heart the contrite spirit the mourning weed the pale countenance the melting eye and the voyce of lamentation pain for sins past pain for the iniquities of the wicked pain for the abominations of the land and place where they live pain to see the distractions both of Church and State and finally pain for their absence from their heavenly country These are the pangs and throws of the second birth the dolours that attend the conversion of a sinner The Hypocrite characterised THere is mention made of a Beast called
with the fool he shall say in his heart though he believes otherwise that there is no God then he destroyes the Nobility of Man for Man is a kin to the beasts by his body and if he be not a kin to God by his soul he is a base and ignoble Creature Atheism will unman any Man and deject any thing that is the advancement of humane Nature Riches ill gotten never prosper IT is related of Tecelius the Popes pardon-monger in Germany that having by sale of Indulgences scraped together a vast sum of money and returning for Rome was met and eased of his cash by an odd fellow who being afterwards apprehended and prosecuted as a fellon produced a Pardon not onely for sinnes past but sins to come granted unto him by Tecelius himselfe and being thereupon acquitted by the Judge enjoyed the booty which being ill gotten was as wickedly spent And thus it is that ill gotten goods seldome prosper they have a poysonfull operation in them bringing up the good food together with the ill humours He that hath any such hath but lockt up a Thief in his closet that will rob him of all that he hath He may heap up silver as the dust and prepare Rayment as the clay he may prepare it but the just shall put it on and the Innocent shall divide the silver For when a man out of a covetous desire of gain shall make a Marriage with Mammon and give a bill of divorce to Iesus Christ care not which way nor how he scrapes up wealth so as he have it then it is just with God to blast his hopes and blow upon his estate that all shall come to nought God onely heareth and answereth the Prayers of his People IT is a pretty observation that St. Augustine makes out of the Parable proposed by our Saviour where he that knock'd at Midnight to borrow bread of his Neighbour found all the whole family asleep onely the Master of the house was awake and he answered and opened and gave him that he craved though it was an unseasonable time Nullus de Ianitoribus respondit none of all the Porters none of all the Servants none of all the Children made him any answer they were all asleep onely the Master was awake and heard when he called Just so it fares with us when we knock and call at the doors of Heaven for any Mercy none of all the Prophets or Apostles none of the blessed Saints departed make us any answer Alasse they hear us not they sleep in peace and are at rest from their labours onely God Almighty who is the Master and Maker of that blessed Family he and onely he doth hear and answer at what time soever we cry unto him call when we will he is alwayes awake to heare us Happiness and blessednesse the onely things esirable St. Augustine hath the story of an Histrionicall Mountebank that to get Spectators and mony by them promised to tell them the next day what they most desired The Theater being full of People and their minds full of expectation What was the device Vili vultis emere charè vendere you would all buy cheap and sell dear But by Mr. Mountebank's leave this holds not for the good Man in a famine will buy corn dear and sell it to the poor cheap And on the other side the unthrift will sell his Inheritance cheap and buy vanities at a very dear rate Now if he had told them Beati vultis esse you would all be happy this had been a full satisfaction Blessednesse is every Mans desire Now whosoever hath the Sun hath the light of the Sun He cannot want water that hath the fountain and he that hath God shall be sure of blessednesse It is therefore every Mans part to cleave to this blessed God who will deliver him from sin and hell which is blessednesse begun and bring him to salvation and Heaven which is blessednesse consummate The just Reward of Treachery and false dealing PHilip Duke of Austria paid the Ambassadours of Charles the fourth who had betrayed their trust in counterfeit coyn whereof when they complained it is answered That false coyn is good enough for false Knaves Iames the first King of Scots was murthered in Perth by Walter Earl of Athol in hope to have the Crown and crown'd he was indeed but with a Crown of red hot Iron clap'd upon his head being one of the tortures wherewith he ended at once his wicked dayes and devices And Guy Fawkes that Spanish Pyoneer should have received his Reward of five hundred pounds at an appointed place in Surrey but instead thereof he had been paid home with a brace of bullets for his good service if Iustice had not come in with a halter by way of prevention Thus Traytors have alwayes become odious though the Treason were commodious Let those Kill-Christs and those State-Traytors Sheba Shebna c. all disturbers of present-Government be never so industrious in contrivance never so confident in the effecting of their treacherous designs let them plot on whet their wits beat their brains associate confederate take counsell together break vowes promises and Covenants swear and forswearr yet all shall come to naught toto errant Coelo they are Heavenly wide quite out they shall miss of their purpose and meet with disappointment and the just judgements of God upon them and their Posterity in the conclusion The great danger of sleighting Church-assemblies St Augustine out of the Parable concerning the Man that fell amongst Theives and was wounded and left halfe dead notes of him that he was going down from Jerusalem to Iericho from the Church I warrant you Ierusalem was the Church of God the holy City Jericho was a cursed place branded with an ancient curse since the days of Joshua and thither lay his journey Whereupon St. Augustine notes Si non descendisset fortasse in latrones non incidisset Had he not been descending and going downward from God and from his Church peradventure he had not fallen into the hands of Thieves God would have protected him the Lord would have safe-guarded him that no evill should have betided him But becaus he was going from the Church to a cursed place like enough about a naughty businesse therefore God gave him over As many therefore as desire Gods protection and blessing let them resort to the Church to serve and seek him Conversion of a Sinner not wrought all at once SUppose it now Mid-night and the Sun with the Antipodes He doth not presently mount up to the height of our Heaven and make it Noon-day but first it is twilight then the day dawns and the Sun rises and yet looks with weaker eyes before he shine out in his full glory We do not to day sweat with summer and be shaken with the fury of the Winter to morrovv but it comes on with
to be as tickle as Eli's stool from which he may easily break his neck that he must drink wormwood in a cup of gold and lie in a bed of Ivory upon a pillow of thorns so that he may well say of his glory as one said of his roab O nobilem magis quam felicem pannum or as Pope Urban said of his Rochet That he wondered it should be so heavy being made of such light stuff Prayer turning Earth into Heaven IT is said of Archimedes that famous Mathematician of Syracuse who having by his Art framed a curious Instrument that if he could but have told how to fix it it would have raised the very foundations of the whole Earth Such an Instrument is Prayer which if it be set upon God and fixed in Heaven it will fetch Earth up to Heaven change earthly thoughts into heavenly conceptions turn flesh into spirit metamorphose nature into grace and earth into heaven To passe by the offences of our Brethren DAvid was deaf to the railings of his enemies and as a dumb man in whose mouth were no reproofs Socrates when he was abused in a Comedy laughed at it when Polyargus not able to bear such an indignity went and hanged himself Augustus sleighted the Satyrs and bitter invectives which the Pasquills of that time invented against him and when the Senate would have further informed him of them he would not hear them Thus the manlier any man is the milder and readier he is to passe by an offence as not knowing of it or not troubled at it an argument that there is much of God in him if he do it from a right principle who bears with our infirmities and forgives our trespasses beseeching us to be reconciled When any provoke us we use to say We will be eeven with him but there is a way whereby we may not onely be even but above him and that is forgive him We must see and not see wink at small faults especially Qui nescit dissimulare nescit vivere may with some grains of allowance passe current He that cannot dissemble is not fit to live Kingdomes and Common-wealths their successions from God THe Romans closing in with that permanent errour of Mankind to mistake the Instruments and secundary Agents in Gods purposes for the main Efficient were wont variously to distinguish the derivation of their Empire as by force so Iulius Caesar was invested by the Senates election so Tiberius by the Souldiers so Severus and by Inheritance so Octavius Augustus But most true it is that to what means soever they imputed their Emperours were it Birth or Election Conquest or Usurpation 't is God who gives the Title to Kingdoms and Commonweales by the first and it is he also that directs and permits it by the last The whole Heart to be given to God SOme great King or Potentate having a mind to visit his Imperiall City the Harbinger is ordered to go before and mark out a house suitable to his Retinue and finding one the Master of that house desireth to have but some small chamber wherein to lodge his wife and children It is denyed Then he intreats the benefit of some by-place to set up a Trunk or two full of richer goods then ordinary No saies the Harbinger it cannot be for if your house were as big again as it is it would be little enough to entertain the King and all his royall train Now so it is that every mans body is a Temple of God and his heart the sanctum sanctorum of that Temple His Ministers are sent out into the world to inform us that Christ is comming to lodge there and that we must clear the rooms that this great King of glory may enter in O saies the Old man carnall yet but in part renewed give me leave to love my wife and children No it cannot be having wife and children he must be as having none Then he desires to enjoy the pleasures of the world That 's denyed too he must use this world as if he used it not not that the use of these things is prohibited not that the comfortable enjoyment of our dearest relations is any way to be infringed but the extraordinary affection to them when they come into competition with the love that we owe unto God For he will have the whole heart the whole minde the whole soul and all little enough to entertain him and the graces of his holy Spirit which are attendant on him Nec mihi nec tibi sed dividatur was the voice of a strange woman and such is that of this present world But God will take nothing to halfs he will have the whole heart or nothing The good Christians comfort in time of the Churches trouble MArtin Luther perceiving the cause of the Church to go backward puts pen to paper and writes to the Elector of Saxony where amongst other expressions this was one Sciat Celsitudo tua mhil dubitet c. Let your Highnesse be sure that the Church's businesse is far otherwise ordered in Heaven than it is by the Emperour and States at Norimberg And Gaudeo quod Christus Dominus est c. I am glad that Christ is King for otherwise I had been utterly out of heart and hope saith holy Myconius in a letter to Calvin upon the view of the Church's enemies Thus it staggers many a good Christian at this day to see Sion in the dust the Church under foot the hedge of government and discipline broken down all the wild beasts of Heresie and Schism crept in such as labour to root out true Religion to dethrone Christ and to set up the idle fancies and enthusiasticall conceits of their own phanatick brains some crying out against the Church with those Edomites Down with it down with it even to the very ground others casting dirt upon her harmlâ—sse ceremonies But let the Churches friends rest assured that God sees and smiles and looks and laughs at them all that the great counsell of the Lord shall stand when all 's done that Christ shall reigne in the midst of his enemies and that the stone cut out of the mountains without hands shall bring down the golden Image with a vengeance and make it like the chaff of the summer floor Dan. 2. 35. The sad condition of People under Tyrannicall Government IT was a just complaint of Draco's Lawes in Lacedemonia that their execution was as sanguin as their character for they were written in bloody letters And the Romans lamented the cruelty of those Tribunalls where the cheap proscription of lives made the Iudgement-seat little differ from a Shambles A Man made Offender for a word Poor Men sold for shooes Or as the Turks at this day sell heads so many for an Asper Such is the condition of People under Tyrannicall government under
will fall short if he have no other Bow but that of Reason to shoot in though his diligence be never so great his learning never so eminent and his parts never so many in making up the reckoning he will be alwaies out and not be ever able to say as Martin Luther when he had been praying in his closet for the good successe of the consultation about Religion in Germany Vicimus vicimus We have prevailed we have prevailed but rather cry out with the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his waies past finding out Atrue child of God being delivered out of the bondage of Sathan made more carefull for the future IT is reported of the Turks now inhabiting the sometimes famous City of Ierusalem and having an old prophecy that the City shall be retaken and entred at the very same place where formerly it was assaulted and conquered have in or near that breach immured all passage and prevented all probability of entrance again Ictus piscator sapit The burnt child dreads the fire And a child of God who by Sathans malice and over-reaching policy is brought into sin and by Gods mercy brought out again doth passe the remainder of his time more warily so that if Sathan his mortall enemy have heretofore made assault upon his soul be it at the privy door of his heart by sinfull imaginations he 'l be sure to keep his heart with all diligence if at the too too open dore of his lips by filthy communication he 'l not fail to set a watch before his mouth if at the ears which often prove carelesse sentinells by admitting and entertaining idle talk and slanderous reports he 'l rather become a deaf man and hear not then ever that raging and malitious enemy shall soyl him at the like advantage Riches Beauty Wisdom c. in comparison of God are lying vanities AUlus Gellius writeth of a vain Grammarian that made himself very skilfull in Salusts works Apollinaris to try his skill met him on a day and asked him What Salust meant if he were so expert in his writings as he professed himself to be by saying of C. Lentulus that it was a question Whether he were more foolish or vain The Interpreter made answer The knowledge I take upon me is in antient words not those that are common and worn thread-bare by daily use For he is more foolish and vain then Lentulus was who knoweth not that both these words note but one and the same infirmity Apollinaris not satisfied with this answer makes further enquiry and thereupon concludes that they were called foolish vain men not such as the people held to be dullards blockish and foolish but such as were given to lying and falshood such as gave lightnesse for weight and emptinesse for that which hath not true substance Thus it is that all the things of this world described in that Triumvirate of S. Iohn whether they be pleasures riches honours c. if they once come into competition with the honour of God they are not onely foolish but lying vanities such as the covetous mans wedge of gold the arrogant mans industry the politick States-mans brains the confident mans strength the ambitious mans honour or any thing else that displaceth God of his right and carrieth out mans heart and hope after it is a lying deceitfull vanity empty as the wind and as fleeting as the mist in the air Joy in the midst of Affliction IT is storyed of Andronicus the old Emperour of Constantinople that all things going crosse with him he took a Psalter into his hand to resolve his doubtfull mind and opening the same as it were of that divine Oracle to ask counsell he lighted upon Psal. 68. 14. When the Almighty scattered Kings they shall be white as snow in Salmon and was thereby comforted and directed what to do for his better safety Now it is to be understood that Salmon signifies shady and dark so was this Mount by the reason of many lofty fair-spread Trees that were near it but made lightsom by sâ—ow that covered it Hence to be white as snow in Salmon is to have joy in affliction light in darknesse mercy in the midst of judgment as for instance In sorrow shalt thou bring forth saith God to the Woman she shall have sorrow but she shall bring forth that 's the comfort Many are the troubles of the righteous that 's the sadnesse of their condition but the Lord will deliver them out of them all there 's their rejoycing There is no sorrow no trouble no temptation that shall take any godly man but he shall be as snow in Salmon God will not suffer him to be tempted above that he is able but will with the temptation also make a way to â—scape that he may be able to bear it Reverend and devout behaviour to be used in the Church of God ADaman in Bede tells in his discourse of holy places from the mouth of a Bishop who had been there that in a Church erected in that place from whence our Saviour ascended there rushed annually in those times asilent gale of wind from Heaven upon Ascension day which forced all those it found standing to fall prostrate on the earth The story may not be justifiable yet 't is antient and it were to be wished that when we enter into the house of God we needed no wind to blow us upon our knees but that falling down by the dejection of our bodies we may rise up again by the exaltation of our souls Besides let all men take notice that he which comes thither as he is without preparation goes away as he was without a blessing and he that praies as if God were not there when he hath prayed shall find him no where We must enter all ear while God speaks to us all heart and tongue whilst we speak to him because if the heart go one way and the tongue another if we turn Gods house into an Exchange or Stewes by thinking on our gains and lusts we defile not the Temple as Antiochus did by painting unclean beasts on the doors without but by bringing them within into the body of the place No Promise to be made but with reference to Gods good pleasure PHilip threatned the Lacedemonians that if he invaded their Country he would utterly extinguish them They sent him no other answer back again but this word If meaning that it was a condition well put in because he was never likely to appear against them Thus St. Paul promised the Corinthians to come by them in his way to Macedonia and did it not for he evermore added in his soul that condition which no man must exclude If it stand with the pleasure of God
his Vineyard to keepers but God keeps his Church in his own hands he may use the help of men but it must be as tools rather then as his agents he works by them they cannot works but by him so that in spite of the gates of hell his Church his Vine shall flourish Even so return O God of hosts look down from heaven and visit this Vineyard of ours thy Church which thy right hand hath planted and the branch which thou hast made strong for thy self The sad condition of all impenitent Sinners IT is said of Antoninus Arch-Bishop of Florence that after he had heard the confession of a wretched Usurer he gave no other Absolution than this Deus miseratur tui si vult condonet tibi peccata tua quod non credo c. God be mercifull to thee if he please and forgive thee thy sins which I do not believe and bring thee to eternall life which is impossible i. rebus sic stantibus if God doth not wonderfully work a strange conversion in his heart And such and so sad is the condition of every unregenerate man every impenitent sinner they are no other then bondslaves of Sathan firebrands of hell vessells of wrath men without God in the world No wonder then that as long as they continue in such a wretched estate God cease to be mercifull unto them deny them forgivnesse of sins here in this life and admission into his Kingdom of glory hereafter God as he is a God of mercy so he is a God of judgment and therefore not to be provoked NOthing so cold as Lead yet nothing more scalding if molten nothing more blunt then Iron and yet nothing so keen if sharpned The aire is soft anâ— tender yet out of it are ingendred thundrings and lightnings the Sea is calm ana smooth but if tossed with tempests it is rough above measure Thus it is that mercy abused turns to fury God as he is a God of mercies so he is a God of judgmen and it is a fearfull thing to fall into his punishing hands He is loath to strike but when he strikes he strikes home If his wrath be kindled yea but a little wo be to all those on whom it lights how much more when he is sore displeased with a people or person Who knowes the power of â—is anger saies Moses Let every one therefore submit to his Iustice and implore his Mercy Men must either burn or turn for even our God is a consuming fire Promises of God the excellency and comforts that are to be found in them IT is said of Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus that being much wounded in conscience by reason of the great sin he had committed in subscribing to the Popish errors he was much comforted by reading those words 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptance that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners c. Thus was Beza supported under his troubles by the words of Christ Ioh. 10. 27 28 29. Mention is also made of one that was upheld under great affliction and comforted from that of Esay chap. 26. 3. of another in the like condition from that of the same Prophet chap. 57. 15. of a third a young Maid upon the knowledge of a reverend Divine yet living that went triumphantly to Heaven by the refreshing she found in that well known Text Math. 11. 28. Many also are the drooping spirits that have been wonderfully cheared by reading the eighth Chapter of St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans and by that Text of St. Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life c. And thus it is that great is the excellency transcendent the comforts that are to be found in Gods Promises they are the good Christians Magna Charta for Heaven the onely assurance that he hath to claim by There is no comfort no true reall virtuall comfort but what is built and founded upon a Scripture-promise if otherwise it is presumption and cannot properly be called true comfort The Promises are pabulum fidei anima fidei the food of faith and the very soul of faith They are a Mine of rich treasures a Garden full of choise flowers able to enrich the soul with all celestial contentments to sweeten the sourest of conditions The truth is there is no promise of God but if he be pleased to illighten unto us and shew us our interest in it will afford a plentifull harvest of everlasting joy and that which is true and reall contentment indeed The griping Usurer and his Broker characterised IT is commonly known that the neather Milstone stands or lies still and stirs not So the wretched rapacious griping Usurer sits at home and spends his time in a kind of diabolicall Arithmetick as Numeration of hours daies and monies Substraction from other mens estates and Multiplication of his own untill he have made Division between his soul and Heaven and divided the Earth to himself and himself if God be not the more mercifull to a worser place And for his Broker he is not much unlike the upper Milstone without which the neather may seem to be unservicable that is quick stirring and runs round so he is still in action like the Iackall yelping before the Lion for a prey ever contriving how he may bring grist to the Mill mony into the Usurers bank and sorrow to his own soul. Hence is that phrase of the Prophet Grinding the faces of the poor who like corn are ground to powder betwixt them But let all such know that it were better for them if they endured all temporall punishment whatsoever that a milstone were tyed about their necks and so cast into the bottom of the sea than that both body and soul should be cast into hell fire for evermore The danger of fleshly lusts to be avoided CLemens Alexandrinus hath a story that the first who found out fire was a Satyre a wild man and perceiving it to be a creature beautifull and resplendent like a hot suitor he offers to kisse it But the fire speaking to him said Take heed Satyr come not near me for if thou dost I shall burn thy beard The meaning is that unclean lust being a fire which lâ—st fâ—ll be arts have found out they aâ—e told if they meddle with it they are sure to be burnt by it Can a man go upon hot coals and not be burnt take fire in his bosome and his cloaths not be consumed go in unto a strange woman and be innocent come near such a she-fire and not be sindg'd He cannot it is impossible He may tread upon coals thinking to tread them out but he will first tread the fire into his own feet he may think to take fire in his bosome and his cloaths
soon find him out give him power and he will soon shew what grace is in him put him into an Office and he will presently be seen in it Hence it is observable that the same word that signifies prosperity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 schalvat in the Hebrew is rendred by the Arabick Investigatio and by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inquisition or Examination to make a strict search or to examine throughly So that whereas Adversity tries but one grace that is Patience Prosperity will try all graces it will try a mans love whether he love God or the world it will try his zeal whether at a dead lift he will venter Christ or his estate it will try his hope whether it be on Heaven or Earth it will try his charity whether it be at home or abroad it will try the whole Man and suddainly discover to the world what mettall he is made of Gods ends and mans ends as to the persecution of his Church the vast difference betwixt them A Physician letteth a man blood by the application of Leeches and they suck much blood from him but the Physicians ends are one thing and the Leeches ends are another thing the Leech draweth blood from the man onely to satisfie it self but the Physiâ—ian letteth the man blood to cure his distemper Such is the difference between Gods ends and wicked mens ends in the persecution of his own people God by suffering his own Church and People to be persecuted it is for to purge a way their evill distempers of sin and security or whatsoever it is that may offend that thereby he may make his people better by their afflictions but wicked and ungodly men by troubling the Church it is for to destroy them and root them out that they may be no more a People to accomplish their own wicked designes and to satisfie their rage and malice upon them in their utter ruine and overthrow These are their ends but God hath other ends as Ioseph said to his brethren You did intend me hurt but God did intend me good so it may be said concerning all ungodly wicked men they do intend evill against the Church and people of God but God intends his People's good they intend to persecute and destroy but he intends maugre all their contriâ—ments whatsoever to preserve keep and continue his Church to the end of the world Let the Church's enemies plow never so deeply and make furrowes on the backs of Gods people never so long yet Gods ends are grace and mercy and peace to do them good in the latter end The serious confession of one sinner to another may be the conversion of one the other IT is related of St. Iohn the Evangelist that being upon his return from Pathmos to Ephesus after the death of Domiâ—ian he was set upon by a company of Thieves amongst whom was a young man their Captain to him St. Iohn applyed himself by way of wholsom counsell and advice which took so good effect that he became a new man and was converted and went thereupon to all his fellow thieves and besought them in the Name of Iesus Christ that they would not walk any longer in their former wicked waies He told them withall that he was troubled in conscience for his former wicked life and earnestly entreated them that as they tendred the eternall welfare of their own poor souls they would now leave off their old courses and live more conscionably for the time to come The counsel was good and well taken so that many of those great Robbers became great Converts Thus it is that one Sinners confession of his faults to another may happily prove the conversion of one the other Hence is it that the meaning of that Apostolicall precept Confesse your faults one to another Iam. 5. 16. is made out by some Interpreters to be That those that have been partners together in sin they should go one to another and seriously confesse their sins each to other He that hath been a drunkard let him go to his companion and tell him that he is troubled in mind because of his former excesse And let the unclean person go to her partner in sin and tell her God hath troubled his conscience for his lust and it may be this may awaken her conscience too so that she may bethink her self of her wicked courses and be converted The not laying of the Church's troubles to heart reproovable IT is worth the taking notice of how that when the holy Ghost doth reckon up the Tribes of Israel for their renown as Of the tribe of Iudah were sealed twelve thousand of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand c. But if you mark the enumeration you shall find one Tribe left out and that is the Tribe of Dan And why is it so Much ado there is to find out the reason of Gods omission of that Tribe one reason is and that a true one too because this Tribe made a defection from the true worship of God and fell to Idolatry Another reason there is and that probable enough because they did not lay to heart the calamities of Gods Church for when the other Tribes were jeoparding their lives in the highest places of the field they remained in ships let the rest of the Tribes shift for themselves they would not lose their trading so they would follow their Merchandizing And for this it was that God sets a brand of obloquy upon them in not allowing them so much as a name amongst their brethren and companions And thus reprovable are all they too that lay nothing of the Church's calamities to heart let Religion sink or swim the Gospell stand or fall the Church of God prosper or prosper not they are but as so many Gallio's they care for none of all these things like the Tribe of Dan they remain in their ships at their trades at their bargaining buying and selling though the Church's sorrowes come on never so fast they look on as altogether unconcerned not in any way contributing to the support thereof Heaven the poor Saints comfortable inheritance VAlens the Emperour threatned S. Basil That let him go whither he would yet he should neither by Sea nor Land be safe from his power Well said the good man be it so For all the Emperour's rage I shall be either in Heaven or under Heaven And in the like manner there was a Cardinall threatned Luther That there should not be a place left for him in all the Empire of Germany wherein he should be free from danger O saith Luther smilingly If Earth cannot keep me safe Heaven shall Thus it is that many of the dear servants of God such as perhaps have no place in the World wherein to put their heads or such as heretofore had better accommodations but are now glad to live in poor Cottages smoaky houses
c. or such as it may be are driven to and fro by Sea and Land as having no abiding place of rest or safety where to repose themselves yet here 's their hope here their comfortable assurance that maugre the malice of Men and Devils they shall be either in Heaven or under Heaven though they have no abiding place on Earth below yet they have one prepared for them eternally in the Heavens above The not growing in Grace reproved LOok but upon a company of Ants or Pismires how busie they are about a Mole-hill how they run to and fro and weary themselves in their severall movings yet never grow great but as to the slender proportion of their bodies are still the same And such are many Christians in these dayes many Professors in our times who go from one Ordinance to another and yet make little progresse or encrease in Religion such as run from one Church to another from one Preacher to another and it may be from one opinion to another but never grow up to the true Grace and in the true knowledge of the Lord Iesus Whilst we are here in this World to provide for Heaven hereafter THere is mention made of a Nation that use to chuse their Kings every year and whilst they are in their annuall government they live in all abundance of State have all the fulnesse their hearts can wish but when the year is once over all their pomp and glory is over too and they banished into some obscure remote place for ever One King hearing this being called to rule over that Nation made such use of his time that in the year wherein he raigned as King he was not lavish in spending his Revenues but heaped up all the Treasure he could get together and sent it before him to that place whither he should be banished And so in that year of his Goverment made a comfortable provision for all his life time afterwards Thus it is that God hath given to every one of us a time to live here in this world and but a little time at the most it may be not a week not a day not an hour It will be then the greatest part of our wisdome that whilst we are here in the way to salvation and suck at the breasts of those Ordinances that may feed us to eternall life and draw at those Wells called in Scripture The wels of Salvation now to lay up for the time of our banishment before we go hence and be no more seen and be sure that whilst we are in this world to provide for Heaven hereafter As we are called Christians to bear up our selves like Christians ALexander the great when he was invited to run a Race amongst the common Multitude He gave them this answer Were I not the Son of a King I did not care what company I kept but being the Son of a Prince I must employ my selfe in such company as is sâ—table to my birth and breeding Thus stood he then upon the honour of his Family and would not disgrace his Princely nature so farre as to be familiar amongst the vulgarrabble And thus must every one of us do We have each of us a race to run for so the waies of Christianity are called We are as Alexander was Kings and Princes in all Lands Now so it is that Sin as a Vagabond and loose Companion would seek to converse with us The Devills aim is that we should mixe our selves with such lusts and such sins as he presents unto us Lust would have our hearts and Sin would have our affections both of them strive to be familiar with us But let us answer them from a noble and generous mind as Alexander did That we will not so abase and dishonour our selves as to mix or joyn our selves with the base and common things of this World but stand upon the honour of our spirituall birth and do nothing that may any way be dishonourable to the excellency of our high Calling in Christ Iesus To take especial care for the Soul's safety IT is observable that if Merchants venture a great or most part of their Estates at Sea where there may be hazzard in the voyage they will run speedily to ensure a great part of their Commodities And thus should all of us do â—his bodie of ours is the ship the Merchandize and freight in this ship is no lesse then our most precious soulâ—s Glory caelestiall is the Port whereat she would arrive but many dangers there are in the way storms and Tempests of Temptations are on every side she may chance to run upon the Rocks of Presumption or sink into the quick sands of â—ispair What is theâ— to be done By all meanes go to the ensuring Office let us run to the Testimony of Christs spirit in our own spirits by the Word to evidence and make it out clear unto us That the Ship shall be safe the Commoditie brought secure to the Haven that ship body and soul and all shall anchor safely in Heaven there to rest with Christ in glory for evermore Idlenesse the very inlet to all Temptations IT was the speech of Mr. Greenham sometimes a painfull Preacher of this Nation That when the Devill tempâ—ed a poor soul she came to him for advice How she might resist the Temptation and he gave her this answer Never be idle but be alwayes well employed For in my own experience I have found it when the Devill came to tempt me I told him that I was not at leasure to hearken to his Temptation and by this means I resisted all his assaults Thus must all of us do when the Devill comes to tempt any of us say I am not at leasure to lend an ear to thy Temptation I am otherwise employed I am in the work of my God busied in the work of my lawfull Calling and taken up with the thoughts of Gods blessings thereupon then he will never be able to fasten upon thee for so it is that he never gets advantage of any Man or Woman but either when they are out of Gods way or idle or have their hands in some sinfull action then it is that they do even tempt the Tempter to tempt them and lay themselves open to a world of sinne and wickednesse Action the very life of the Soul WHilst the stream keeps running it keeps clear but if it comes once to a standing water then it breeds Frogs and Toads and all manner of filth The Keyes that Men keep in their pockeâ—s and use every day wax brighter and brighter but if they be laid aside and hang by the walls they soon grow rusty Thus it is that Action is the very life of the Soul Whilst we keep going and running in the wayes of Gods Commandements we keep clear and â—ree from the Worlds pollutions but if we once flagge in our diligence
estate supposing that she would not go along with him but she answered the Emperour saying There is a cause that hinders me from partaking the benefit of your bounty The affection I bear to my husband because I have shared with him in his Felicity Whereupon the Emperour being displeased with her answer banished her likewise Memorable is that also of David's brethren and those of his Fathers house who when they heard of his being in the Cave of Adullam sleighted the forfeiture of their goods and venturing the displeasure of Saul went down to comfort him And thus it is that true Friendship is best tryed in times of Affliction and distress A brother a Friend a Wife is for the time of Adversity Away then with those Summer-birds those false-hearted Friends that like ditches are full in the Winter-season but dry in the heat of Summer when we have most need of them Natural Wants and weaknesses not to be objected against the practice of Divine Meditation MEn that are sick and weakly in their bodies do not altogether abstain from food and Physick but rather use them that they may recover their strength again and though their appetite is small yet they force themselves that by eating a little and a little they may get a stomach Shall a Man that is dim-sighted shut the windowes because the house is dark Shall he not rather open them to let in the light that he may the better see to go about his business And the colder a man feels himself the more needful he thinks it to come to the fire and warm himself or use some exercise that so he may recover his natural heat Thus in like manner the sight of our own natural wants and weaknesses is not a sufficient plea to barre us from the exercise of divine Meditation but rather incite us thereunto it being an excellent means to clear up our sight to enlighten our minds with more knowledge to get spiritual health and strength and to warm our cold and frozen hearts that so by Gods assistance we may perform service unto him with more heat of Godly Zeal and fervour of devotion The greatest boasters the smallest doers ERasmus in his Adagies reports of a young Man that had travailed many Countreys and at last returning home began to praise himself in every Company and amongst many his other excellent feats that he had done he said that in the Isle of Rhodes he out-jumped all the Men that were there and all the Rhodians could bear him witnesse of the same Whereupon a stander by said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou sayst true think this to be Rhodes and jump here And then he could do just nothing but hid his face for shame Thus as those sticks that send forth most smoke do afford least heat So those Men that are the greatest boasters are for the most part the least doers according to our English Proverb Great boast and small roast Alas what are words meer vanâ—ty if not attended with deeds hence is that saying Loquere ut te videam so speak that I may see you make no more words but what may be demonstrated by deeds in the view of all Men. God rewarding the least of good done to his People IT is reported of Herod Agrippa the same that was eaten up of Worms Act. 12. 23. that being bound in chains and sent to prison by Tiberius for wishing Caius in the Empire one Thaumastus a servant of Caius carrying a pitcher of Water met him And Agrippa being very thirsty desired him to give him drink which he willingly did Whereupon Agrippa said This service thou hast done in giving me drink shall do thee good another day And he was as big as his word for afterwards when Caius was Emperor and Agrippa made King of Iudea he first got his liberty then made him a chief Officer of his houshold and after his decease took order that he should continue in the same Office with his Sonne How much more then shall Christ reward those that shall give to his distressed members but a cup of cold water one of the least readiest and meanest refreshments that may be in the midst of their Afflictions Shall not he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet have a Prophets reward Yes surely they shall not be unrecompenced when Christ shall appear in his glory he will own them before Men and Angels Want of matter not to be pretended against the practice of Divine Meditation LOok but upon an Earthly-minded Man and hee 'l have matter enough to think and meditate upon in worldly things if it were for a whole year together building as it were Castles in the ayr busying himself about things that are not or ever shall be and herein they are such quick Workmen too that they can both gather their straw and burn their brick in full tale Strange then that any Man should object the want of matter or barrennesse of invention in the Meditation of things spiritual whereas did he but resort to Gods store-houses like the Egyptians to Iosephs did he but open the large volume of the Creation and unclasp the book of holy Scriptures he might find abundant matter of Meditation besides the consideration of his own misery his manifold sins and corruptions wants and imperfections Gods great Mercies and blessings the adminâ—stration of his Judgments the workings of his Providence c. so that there is no want of good seed no cause to complain of any thing but the barrennesse of heart and aversnesse to good things if there be not bringing forth fruit in a plentifull manner More comfortable to have a strong Faith then a weak one AS two Ships sailing together the one sound and well tackled the other leaking and wanting sailes though both do arrive at the same port yet not both alike disposed the one comes in merrily and confidently the other with much difficulty and doubting So the strong in Faith doth singingly walk towards Heaven goes on comfortably and with full assurance when they of little faith do but as it were creep thither with many doubts great fears and small joy And therefore as it is no Wisdom for any Man to continue poor that may be Rich or to live in Fear when he may be free from it So it is no point of Wisdome no piece of Christian Prudence for a Man to content himself with a weak Faith when by any means he may encrease it Men to be forward in promoting the cause of God and Religion FAmous is the Story of one Terentius a Captain in the Emperour Valens his Army who returning from Armenia with a great Victory the Emperour bade him ask what he would He onely desired as a Recompence for all his service That there might be granted a Church to the Orthodox in Antioch where to the honour of the place Christ did as it were
O how shall I be able suffciciently to describe the happy state of that Couple whom the Church hath joyned Prayer and thanksgiving have confirmed Angels in Heaven proclaimed and the Parents on Earth approved Such were those of Rebecca and the Woman of Timnah the one for Isaac the other for Sampson though both appointed by God yet consented thereunto by Parents on all sides But on the other side O how miserable is the state of that pair which by contemning the advice and consent of their Parents do so highly offend God that they can expect no blessing from God till with weeping tears they have sued unto God for pardon and by all possible means of submission and humiliation which is the bâ—st plank after Shipwrack sought to be reconciled to their Parents and labour in what they can to make a compensation for their former disobedience with a care of Conscionable walking before them Afflictions of this life the comfortable use that is to be made of them A Ship after a long Voyage being come into Harbour springs a leak the Master is somewhat troubled at it and is never at quiet till it be stopped so that it is an evill to him yet he comforts himself in this that it did not happen unto him when he was out at Sea that had been a great deal worse and might have proved the ruine of them all And thus it is for troubles and sorrows there is a comfortable use to be made of them so long as they happen to us in this life We may say They are upon us but blessed be God they are upon us here in this World so that by a sanctified use to be made of them they shall never be eternally upon us in the World to come Hence is that prayer of S. Augustine and of all good Men in his words Domine hic ure hicfeca ut in aeternum parcas Here Lord do what thou wilt with me but spare me hereafter and that of Fulgentius Di Domine patientiam hic c. Give patience here Lord and pardon hereafter Whatsoever my grievances are here upon Earth let me rejoyce with thee in Heaven Constancy of holy Duties makes the performance of them easie IT is easie to keep that Armour bright which is daily used but hanging by the Walls till it be rusty it will ask some time and pains to furbish it over again If an Instrument be daily plaid upon it is easily kept in tune but let it be but a while neglected and cast in a corner the strings and frets break the bridge flies off and no small labour is required to bring it into order again And thus also it is in things spiritual in the performance of holy Duties if we contiue them with a settled constancy they will be easie familiar and delightful to us but if once broken off and intermitted it is a new work to begin again and will not be reduced to the former estate but with much endeavour and great difficulty Men to be Provident Christians IT is said that in the dayes of Solomon Iudah and Israel dwelt safely every Man under his Vine and under his Figtree from Dan even to Bersheba i. e. from one end of the Country to the other But then at the very next verse following it is said And Solomon had fourty thousand stalls of Horses for his Chariots and twelve thousand Horsemen What! Peace and plenty Horses and Horsemen Quam male conveniunt How can they stand together Very well No doubt but this was one of the greatest points of Solomon's wisedome to foresee à danger and shun it in times of Peace to provide for Warre And thus it must be the care of all good Christians to be provident Christians with Ioseph in times of Plenty to lay up for times of Dearth now in the strength of Youth to provide for the weaknesse of Age now in the time of Gospel-light and knowledge to be stocked and stored with Graces and Gospel-promises to live upon in worser times Hell-torments the Eternity of them to be considered IT is reported of a Voluptuous young Man that could not endure to be craossed in his wayes and of all things he could not bear it to be kept awake in the dark but it so happened that being sick he was kept awake in the night and could not sleep at all Whereupon he had these thoughts What is it so tedious then to be kept from 〈…〉 and to lye a few hours in the 〈◊〉 Oh what is it then to be in torments and everlasting darknesse I am here in my own house upon a soâ—t bed in the dark kept from 〈◊〉 but one night but to lie in flames and endlesse misery How dreadfull must that needs be These and such like Meditations were the happy means of that young Mans Conversion and by the blâ—ssing of God may be the like unto divers others when they shall consider the Eternity of Hell-torments that they are everlasting for ever and ever a fatall Soul-wounding expression when there shall be a suffering of as many years as there be sands on the Sea shore and Stars in the Firmament for their number yet no comfort at all Oh this Eternity of torments is the Hell of Hell In the curse of Adam there was a donec reverteris In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread untill thou return c. there 's no donec no time limited no bounds set to the Torments of the damned in Hell they are for evermore Christian perfection to be attained by degrees MEteors soon after their first appearing make the greatest shew A Fire of thorns as soon as it is kindled gives the fairest blaze and makes the most noise and crackling and both of them decrease by little and little till they disappear whereas the Morning light shineth more and more unto the perfect day Mushromes come to their perfection in one nights growth but trees of Righteousnesse of Gods right planting are still in growth and bring forth most fruit in old age Psal. 92. 14. Summer-fruits are soon ripe and soon rotten but Winter-fruits last longer Infants in the Womb that make more haste then good speed prove abortive whereas those that stay their time come to their growth by degrees And thus it is that we must think to aspire unto Perfection but in a graduall way not imagine that we can the first day in the beginning of our first conversion attain unto it For as Nemo repentè fit pessimus No Man is made the worst at the first so Nemo repentè fit optimus No Man is made the best all at once which made a good old Christian cry out Nolo repentè fieri summus c. I would not upon the suddain attain to my highest pitch but grow towards it by little and little Nondum apprehendi I have not yet attained sayes the blessed Doctor of
nose Menip They have all flat noses Merc. Then he with the hollow eyes Menip They all have hollow eyes all have naked ribs disjoynted members all are carâ—asses Why then says Mercury to Menippus In Death there is no difference betwixt the King and the Beggar And it is true Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat Men upon Earth as in the game of Chesse supply different places One is a King another a Queen another a Bishop another a Pawn But when the game is done and they are shuffled into one bagg into the grave they are all alike Ignorant Worldly Purchasers IN the Parable of the Supper and the ghests that were bidden we find one that had bought a Farm and he must needs go see it Another had bought five yoke of Oxen and he must by all means go try them strange Purchasers What buy a pig in a poke Land and Oxen unsight unseen but we may read of another manner of Purchaser and that a Woman too Prov. 30. that first considered a Field and then bought it she cast up the price considered the soyl the tenure the situation then drives the bargain and takes possession Now the Wordly Purchaser buyes hand over head considers not what he buyes The voluptuous Epicure eats drinks and is merry but he never looks after the reckoning that after all this he must be brought to Iudgment The Drunkard swills and carowses and rises up early to take his fill of Wine never minding the shot that there is Mors in olla in the end it will bite like a Serpent and sting like a Coâ—katrice The Luxurious Man that spendeth his time in dalliance little thinketh that there is a sting in the tayl of his Wantonnesse Nocet empta dolore voluptas that he is but as an Oxe to the slaughter and a Fool to the correction of the stocks The griping Covetous wretch that joyneth house to house and Land to Land making his barns bigger takes no notice that he is but a Fool for his labour and shall be suddenly snatch'd away from all All these and many more like these poor Ignaroe's take upon trust and pay dear in the conclusion Whereas the serious Christian sits down casts up his charges considers what it will cost him to be Rich in this World what his Honour and greatnesse will come to and then purchaseth accordingly Men to be careful of what they promise unto God in the matter of Charity IT is usual with Men that when they are to go upon some long Iourney or Voyage into a fat Countrey they promise that if God be pleased to return them safe they will give so much or so much to the Poor Or as a Man passing by an Hospital promiseth the poor People that as â—â—cometh back again he will give them something towards their relief but when he comes back he passeth by not so much as thinking of them This is the case of many Men in these promising dayes of ours If they may be but prosperous in such a Voyage successefull in such a design If God will but do thus and thus by them then they will do thus and thus unto him they will relieve the Poor there 's no act of Mercy but they will be one of the foremost to put it on yet when their turn is served they never think of their promise at all But let all such know that their Promise stands upon Record in Heaven they may seem to forget it and sneak away not paying the shot of their engagement here in this life but God will call them to a Reckoning for it and take it upon their bodies and Souls hereafter Let none think therefore to passe a Vow to the Lord in a good mood for a good purpose but that he will take it and exact it at their hands Things of the World not to be so highly prised IT is a Rabbinical conceit that Moses being a Child had Pharaoh's crown given him to play withall and he made no better then a Football of it cast it down to the ground and kick'd it about as if it were a sign of his future vilipending temporall things That he should esteem the reproach of Christ greater then all the Treasures of Egypt Thus ought we all to do especially when Riches stand in compettion with Christ away with them or they will make away with us It is Christ's own Counsell Sell all thou hast and give it to the poor sell it or if no Man will buy it give it Or if no Man will take it leave it It is not worth thy keeping especially not worth thy carking do thou part from it rather then it shall part thee from Christ For he that impoverisheth his Soul to enrich his body is more mad then he that kills his Horse to â—ose his Money at a race How it is that Godfathers and Godmothers undertake for Children in Baptism AN Infant being born to an estate of Inheritance cannot actually take possession but is carried to some part of the Land in the Nurses or some other's arms where the Guardian of the Child taketh Livery and Seisin for its use and promiseth fealty and to do such service as the Premises are bound to All which the Heir though but then an Infaâ—â— is fully to make good when he comes to years of discretion Thus in the Sacrament of Baptism the Child is conditionally received into the Congregation of Christ's flock but the Godfathers and Godmothers answering to the Stipulation of the Church proposed unto them and undertaking on the Childs part the Child coming to years of understanding is engaged to perform in as full a manner to all intents and purposes as if it had been able to have answered for it self The Poors relief Heavens treasure AS when a Man is outed in England whether it be by banishment or otherwise if he have but laid up a bank at Venice Amsterdam or some such like place he goes thither with more comfort and much more confidence then otherwise he should have done because he shall meet with that there in safe hands which will â—ellcome him when he comes to it Hence is it that we are called upon to lay up treasure in Heaven to make unto our selves Friends of unrighteous Mammon such are our good Works and Alms-deeds which being sent before are laid up as a stock of Money in a faithful â—and not in a Bankrupt or Mountebank's hands but in the trusty hand of God Almighty which will repay us again with interest And thus it is that all good Men have made sure that when they shall come to dye they have sent their Charity before them to lye in bank for their better refreshing Ill-gotten goods never prosper IT is an observation set upon the house of Desmond in Ireland That Maurice Thomas the first Earl raised it by Injustice and by Injustice Girala the last Earl ruined
Crown of glory but hath divers other titles of preheminency given unto it of which all shall be true partakers that are Godly A Crown of Righteousnesse by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse A Crown of Righteousnesse by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse A Crown of life because those that have it shall be made capable of life Eternal A Crown of Stars because they that receive it shall shine as Stars for ever and ever The slavery of Sin to be avoided WHen Alexander found Diogenes in his Tub and disputed with him Whether was the freer estate With Alexander to command thâ— World or with Diogenes to be confin'd to a baâ—rel The Cynick answered Latior tua potestas non felicior Thou commandest others I command my self I am a servant to the King the King is a servant to his slave yea even to my slave I am Emperour over those affections that exercise a dominion over thee And surely most true is that undeniable Axiome quot Vitia tot Tyranni Sin and slavery cannot be separated The Dog runs at the Masters whistling but for the Master to go at the Dogs commanding is a preposterous servility Great cause have we then to abandon that service which must be obsequious to the Vilest proudest basest grooms in our Family our own carnall lusts which are no better though they dwell with us then the very limbs of Belial How to use the World rightly A Servant whilest a stranger walks with his Master followes them both but when the stranger takes his leave and departs from his Master he leaves the stranger and followeth his Master Thus whilest the World doth any way concur with the Lord and conduce to the Salvation of the pretious Soul so far we may accompany it but if it once depart from that then let us give the World a Farewell follow God and have a care of our Souls Again as Almighty God by bounding and confining the waters to their proper places hath made the Sea a garment which was before a grave to the whole Earth So we by bounding and ordering our affections towards the World and actions in the World may make it a help which otherwise would be an hinderance in our way to Heaven Fac trajectitium saith S. Augustine meaning that we should employ these Earthly things to the glory of God and the good of our brethren that like provident Merchants we may have those temporals returned in Heaven by bill of Exchange into things Eternal Christianity the best Nobility HErmodius a Nobleman born upbraided the Valiant Captain Iphicrates for that he was but a Shoomaker 's sonne My bloud saith Iphicrates taketh Beginning at me and thy bloud at thee now taketh her Farewell intimating that he not honouring his house with the glory of his virtues as the house had honoured him with the title of Nobility was but as a woodden knife put into an empty sheath to fill up the place but for himself he by his valorous atchievements was now beginning to be the raiser of his Family Thus in the matter of Spiritualty He is the best Gentleman that is the best Christian The Men of Berea who received the Word with all readinesse were more Noble then those of Thessalonica The Burgesses of Gods City be not of base linage but truly Noble they boast not of their Generation but their Regeneration which is far better For by their second birth they are the Sons of God and the Church is their Mother and Christ their elder Brother the Holy Ghost their Tutor Angels their Attendants all other Creatures their Subjects the whole World their Inne and Heaven their Home John 14. 2. The Devill rewarding his Servants CHarls King of Swede a great Enemy of the Iesuites when in the time of Warr he took any of their Colledges would first hang up all the old Iesuitâ—s and then put the rest into his Mines saying That since they had wrought so hard above ground he would now make a tryall how they could work under ground Thus the Devil when the Wicked have done him what evil service they can upon Earth he confines them to his lower Vaults in Hell for evermore A sad reward to sow trouble and reap nothing but horror and vexation of spirit still bringing fewell to that Fire which must burn themselves to all eternity Every thing in specie made perfect at one and the same time in the Creation ALL Artists in what they do have their second thoughts and those usually are the best As for Example A Watchmaker sets upon a piece of Work it being the first time that ever Men were wont to carry a Passe-time in their pockets but having better considered of it he makes another and a third some ovall some round some square every one adding lustre and perfection to the first invention whereas heretofore they were rather like Warming-pans to weary us then warning-pieces to admonish us how the time passed The like may be said of the famous art of Printing Painting and the like all of them ouâ—doing the first copies they were set to go by But it was not so with God in the Creation of the several species of Nature he made them all perfect simul et semel at one and the same time every thing pondere et mensura so just so propoâ—tionate in the parts such an Elementary harmony such a symmetry in the bodies of Animals such a correspondency of Vegetals that nothing is defective neither can any thing be added to the perfection thereof Men to argue themselves into a mood of Contentment ALexander that great Monarch of the World was discontented because Ivy would not grow in his gardens at Babylon but the Cynick was herein more wise who finding a Mouse in his sachel said He saw that himself was not so poor but some were glad of his leavings Thus had we but hearts to improve higher providences we might soon rock our peevish spirits quiet by much stronger Arguments As to take notice of Gods bountiful dealing with us that we are lesse then the least of his Mercies that though we be not set in the highest form yet there are many below us that God is our good Benefactor this would bring us to that passe as to conclude with our selves Having food and rayment therewith to be content and though we were many times cut short of Creature accommodations yet this would limit our desires after them and make us rest assured that nothing is withdrawn or withheld from us which might be really advantagious to us To do good for evill A Malefactor in birth and person a comely Gentleman was sentenced to death by a Iudge deformed in body Hereupon he turned all his prayers unto Heaven into curses and revilings of the Iudge calling him a stigmaticall and bloudy Man The patient Judge for that time reprieved him still he
up their arrowes at Iupiter then their chief god as in defiance of him for that rainy weather Which when they accordingly did thâ— arrows fell short of Heaven and full upon their own heads so that many of them were very sorely wounded Even so do our muttering and murmuring words either for this or that which God sendeth they hurt not him at all but return upon our own pates and wound both deeply and dangerously Gospel-invitation to comfort A Party of the Syrian hoast as they were forraging about light upon a little Hebrew Maid they brought her to Naaman their Commander in chief he bestowes her upon his Wife the Girle perceiving that he was infected with Leprosie said unto her Mistresse Would to God my Lord were with the Prophet that is in Samaria he would soon deliver him of his Leprosie Such is the voyce of the Gospel to every unrepentant Sinner O that you would come unto Christ seek after him by a lively Faith and Repentance for your sins he would deliver you from the threatenings of the Law and release you of those impossible conditions which you are there bound unto he hath conquered Death and Hell for your sakes paid the ransome for your sins and in the end by his Redemption will bring you to life everlasting The moderate use of Worldly things PLiny maketh mention of Cranes that being about to fly over the Seas they take up stones in their feet and sand in their throat to poyse them against the wind and as they come near the Land by little and little cast them down so lightning themselves that the desired shoar seeth the last stone not â—aken away but let fall Thus it is that good Men use the World as if they used it not they take up the care of Riches as a Viaticum to serve them in this life they know that enâ—ugh is useful too much a burthen and therefore as they come nearer and nearer to their desired Râ—st they more and more disburthen themselves and cast off every thing that hindreth in their way thither The work of the Law preceding the Work of the Gospel IF a Man have a corrupt and dangerous sore in his Flesh if he will be cured or prevent the danger of a Gangrene he must prepare himself both for trouble pain and many other inconveniencies as first the lancing of it then the cutting and squeezing out the filthy and corrupt matter then corrosives to eat out the proud Flesh and lastly if need be searing and cauterizing before any healing plaister be applyed Even so in the spiritual healing of our Sins the work of the Law must precede the work of the Gospel First that of the Law to humble us then that of the Gospel to comfort us before there be any obtaining of pardon any comfort in the hope of Redemption the Law must take â—s in hand search our frailty lance our Sins squeeze out the Corruption of our Natures make us cry and roar again with the smart of our wounds And then it is that the gentle Cataplasms of the Gospel may be applyed and the comforts of Remission ministred unto us from the Physitian and Surgeon of our Souls Christ Iesus Divisions in Church and State to be prevented TAcitus in the life of Agricola his Father in Law describing the figure form fashion complexion chivalry and resolution of the Britaiâ—s in that time observeth this also that they were then drawn into petty partialities and factions and the greatest help the Romans had adversus validissimas gentes as he calls our Warlike Nation was that they had no Common-Councell they did not consâ—lt together but each City fought against their Neighbours Et ita dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur they are his own words whilest one by one sighteth all are subdued And it is much to be feared that the Romans are again entring our Land they expect an advantagious succâ—sse by our home-bred factions and divisions so that the Pope may well be said never to have had hopes of a greater harvest in England For how can it otherwise be How shall the Church of Christ the body of Christ the houshold of Faith the Kingdome of Heaven upon earth stand if there be so many Sizers and Concisors and cutters and carvers of her Members Sorrow for Sin must be in particulars PHysitians meeting with diseased bodies when they find a generall distemperature they labour by all the art they can to draw the humour to another place and then they break it and bring out all the corruption that way All which is done for the better eâ—se of the Patient Even so must all of us do when we have a general and confused sorrow for our Sins labour as much as may be to draw them into particulars as to say In this and in this at such and such a time on such an occasion and in such a place I have sinned against my God For it is not enough for a Man to be sorrowful in the general because he is a Sinner but he must draw himself out into particulars in what manner and with what Sins he hath displeased God otherwise dolus latet in generalibus he may deceive his own Soul Perseverance in goodnesse enjoyned IT is said of Hannibal that notwithstanding the rough Rocks and craggy clifts of the Alpes he proceeded onward in his design for Italy with this resolution Viam inveniam aut faciam I will either find or make a way that is the terminus ad quem and thither I will go Thus it is that God being Alpha and Omega he will have his servants to run from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning to the end in the constant profession of the Faith They that were marked to be preserved in Ierusalem were distinguished by the character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the last of all the Hebrew letters teaching them that they must run their race even to the last that their Profession must be Sacramentum militare or like to that in the Covenant of Marriage Till death us depart with the Spouse in the Canticles not to leave their hold with Mary Magdalen to stand wait and stay at the Sepulcher and with the Woman of Canaan to cry and continue in crying And why because that as they have heaped Sin upon Sin and drawn the threds thereof so bigg so long till they made them cords of Vanity and after wreathed those cords till they became Cart-ropes of Iniquity so that now being called unto Sanctification there being alwaies in Christianity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Furthermore they should encrease more and more from Faith to Faith from vertue to vertue crying out with S. Paul Nondum apprehendi I have not yet attained c. Sorrow for Sin must be proportionable HE that falleth into the midst of a deep
at the gate of his Pallace the Image of Bounty or Hospitality The needy Travailer with joy spying such a sight makes his approach thither in hopefull expectation of succour but still silence or an empty Eccho answers all his cries and knocks For Hospitality 〈◊〉 stand at the gate but to be sure there 's none in the house Then comes another who having his hungry trust often abused resolves to pluck down the Image with these words If there be neither meat nor drink in the house What needs there a sign Thus great portalls in the Country and colour'd posts in the City like so many Mock-beggars promise relief but they are often found but Images dumb and lame signs For Hospitality is not at home you shall have Divinity at their gates but no humanity wholesome counsel but no wholesome food much exhortation little compassion charging the weary Travellers ear but in no wise overcharging his belly they have Scripture against begging but no bread against famishing The bread of the Sanctuary is common with them but not the bread of the buttery If the poor can be nourished with the Philosophical supper of morall Sentences they shall be prodigally feasted but if the bread of life will not content them they may be packing Multiplicity of Law-Suits condemned IT is related to the honour of Sir Thomas Moor then Lord Chancellor of England and the charitable constitution of those Times wherein he lived as a thing never seen either since or before that he having ended a Cause then before him did call for the next to be brought but answer was returned him That there was never another Cause behind and so with thanks unto God the Court was dismist at that time whereupon in perpetuam rei memoriam it was ordered That the proceedings of that day should be registred in the Roles of the Chancery as may be seen at this instant What a charitable disposition What a peaceable frame of spirit was upon the hearts of Men in those darker times And what a raging Torrent of dissention is broke in upon us in dayes that are far more clear Every Man almost lives like a Salamander in the fire of Contention Witnesse the multiplicity of Law-Suits the swarms of Lawyers the sholes of Clerks and Registers that are to be found in the midst of us witnesse the crowds of Clyents dancing attendance upon the Courts of Iustice in the severall Judicaâ—ures at Westminster and elsewhere so that what the Apostle said to the Corinths Is there not a wise man amongst you why do ye go to Law may very well be inverted upon us We are all mad or else the Lawyers would have lesse employment The Sin of Sacriledg condemned AN Italian Seignior came with his Servant to one of our Ladies Images no matter which for they do not scant her of number he threw in an Angle of gold the humble picture in gratitude made a courtesie to him The Servant observing and wondring at her Ladiships plausible carriage purposed with himself to give somewhat too that he might have somewhat of her courtesie as well as his Master So he put into the basin six pence and withall takes out his Masters Angel the Image makes him loving courtesie and seems to thank him kindly Thus it is too too common now adayes to take away the Clergies Angel and lay down six pence in the stead thereof to take away their just maintenance and put â—hem upon the Peoples benevolence like those that steal a goose and stick down a feather or those that have undone many then build an Hospital for some few so they having made a sad purchase of Church-lands having taken away a Talent of Church-maintenance return a mite of popular Contribution Truth commended Falshood condemned PYrrbus and Ulysses being sent to Lemnos to take from Philoctetes Hercules arrowes the two Legates advised by what means they might best â—rest them out of his hands Ulysses affirmed that it was best to do it by lying and deceipt No said Pyrrhus I like not of that course because I never used it but alwayes loved the Truth at my Father and my Ancestors have ever done Whereunto Ulysses replyed That when he was a young Man he was of his mind too but now being old he had learnt by long experience dearly bought that the surest way and safest art in Mans life is Fallere et mentiri to lie and cheat Surely many of this Age are of Ulysses's mind they speak one thing intend another they are all courtesie in promise no honesty at all in performance but true Israelites are of Pyrrhus's spirit Magna est Veritas et praevalebit Great is the Truth and will prevail is the sweet Poesie of their profession both in themselves and those that relate unto them and they resolve upon the doctrine of Christ Iesus their Master that the Truth shall make them free Piety and Policy not inconsistent FAbles are not without their usefull Moralls A Boy was molested with a Dog the Fryer taught him to say a Gospel by heart and warranted this to allay the dogs Fury The Mastiff alias Maze-Thief in the original Saxon spying the boy flyes at him he begins as it were to conjure him with his Gospel The Dog not capable of such Gospel-doctrine approacheth more violently A Neighbour passing by bids the boy take up a stone he did so and throwing at the dog escaped The Fryer demands of the Lad how he sped with his charm Sir quoth he your Gospel was good but a stone with the Gospel did the deed And most true it is that prayers and tears are good weapons but not the onely weapons of the Church It is not enough to bend the knee without stirring the hand Shall Warr march against us with thunder and shall we assemble our selves in the Temple lye prostrate on the pavements lift up our hands and eyes to Heaven and not our weapons against our Enemies shall we beat the ayr with our voyces and not their bosoms with our swords onely knock our own breasts and not their pates Sure a Religious Conscience never taught a Man to neglect his life his liberty his estate his peace Piety and Policy are not opposites He that taught us to be harmlesse as Doves bad us also be wise as Serpents Progresse in Piety enjoyned THe Prophet Elias after he had travelled a dayes journey in the Wildernesse sate down and slept under a Juniper Tree and there God calls upon him Up and eat and when he found him a second time Up thou hast a journey to go and when he had travelled fourty dayes and was lodged in a cave What doest thou here Elias Go and return unto the Wildernesse by Damascus and do thus and thus So whether we be entred in our way or have proceeded in it whether we be babes in Christ or stronger men whether carnal or spiritual we must up and
eat and strengthen our selves first with milk and then with stronger meat We have still a greater journey to go we must walk from grace to grace from virâ—ue to virtue from knowledg of knowledg and alwayes think that we hear a voyce that calleth us forward and saith Thou hast yet a greater journey to go What dost thou here Elias Why standest thou here loytring all the day long There is no time of standing in this life we must still forward and take notice that every blessing of God bestowed upon us is a further calling on and a greater engagement to duty The service performed unto God must be personall THere is an old Tale idle in it self the use may be good A certain Man that would never go to Church when he heard the Saints-bell ring would say to his Wife Go thou to Church and pray for thee and me One Night he dreamt That both he and his Wife were dead and that they knocked together at Heaven gate for entrance St. Peter by the Legend's leavâ— is Porter and suffered the Wife to enter in but kept the husband out answering him Illa intravit prose et te She is gone in both for her self and thee As thy Wife went to Church for her self and thee so she is gone to Heaven for her self and thee The Morall instructs every one to have a personality of Faith and a propriety of devotion not to have their Faith pin'd upon anothers sleeve not to think to go to Heaven upon another Mans score but that himself serving God himself may be blessed of God both here and hereafter Saving Faith the onely Faith AS a cunning Lapidary that shews the buyer an Orient pearl and having a little fed his eye with that our-pleaseth him with a Saphire yet out-values that with some Ruby or Chrysolite wherewith ravished he doth lastly amaze him with a sparkling Diamond transcending them all Or as Drapers shew divers colours yet at last for a Master-piece exceed all with a rich piece of well-dyed Scarlet So there are divers Graces and Virtues like to Iewels but the most pretious of all is Faith And there are divers degrees and sorts of Faith as divers coloured cloaths but the saving Faith is arrayed in the Scarlet robe hath dipped and dyed her self in the bloud of Iesus yet she is white pure white Rev. 7. 14. as the snow of Lebanon The Faith that believes Gods Word to be true is a good Faith but not illa fides that saving Faith The Faith that believes many Men shall be saved is vera fides no illa fides a true Faith but not the Faith Onely that Faith which believes a Mans own Soul redeemed justified saved by the merits of Christ Iesus and that not without works answerable thereunto is the onely Faith and the Queen of all other Graces Covetousnesse in the Clergy condemned THere is a Fable of a Widow that being thick-sighted sent to a certain Physitian to cure her he promiseth it to her and she to him a sum of money for satisfaction The Physitian comes and applyeth medicines which being bound over her eyes still as he departs he carries away with him some of her best goods so continuing her pains and his labour till he had robbed the house of her best substance At last he demanded of her being now cured his pay agreed upon She looking about her house and missing her goods told him that he had not cured her for whereas before she could see some good Furniture in her house now she could perceive none at all she was erst thick-sighted now poor-blind And are there not such spiritual Physitians to be found amongst us such as with long or at least tedious prayers prey upon the poor and devour their houses the purse is still the white they level at Miserable men that look to their own good more then the Churches serving God with their parts themselves in their hearts working like those builders in the Ark rather for present gain then future safety but as they desire rather nostra quam nos so they preserve rather sua quam se loving like Demas the World losing like Iudas their own Souls Riches how to be used LOok but upon a Fly coming to a platter full of sweet and pleasant honey if she thrust not her self altogether into it but onely touch and taste it with â—er mouth and take no more then is necessary and needful she may safely take â—ing and fly to anothâ—r place but if she wallow and tumble in the honey then is she lymed and taken in it and whilest she is not able to fly away she doth â—here lose her life Thus if a Man take onely so much of his Riches as may suâ—tain and honestly maintain his estate bestowing the rest well and in a Christian â—anner then they cannot hold him back or barre him from the Kingdome of Heaven but if Covetousnesse shall bewitch him and prick him on to scrape and rake together more and more then he shall never be satisfied but fall into many snares and temptations The incorrigible Sinners desperate condition IT is written of the Elephant that as if guilty of his own deformity and therefore not abiding to view his snowt in a clear spring he seeks about for muddy and troubled waters to drink in Thus the incorrigible Sinner that hates to be reformed because he knowes his wound is deep he will not suffer the Chirurgion to search them willing rather to kill his Soul then disquiet it He refuseth to look into the glasse of the Law or to come to the clear springs of the Gospel or any perspective that may present his evill Conscience to his eyes but seeks rather to muddy and polluted channels such as misty Taverns clowdy Ale-houses vapouring Tobacco-shops Societies of Sin and all this to drown the thoughts of former iniquities with flouds of new And if he be inforced to any such reflection he spurns and tramples that admonition as Apes break the glasse that shews their deformity He runs himself prodigally into so many arrears of debt that he cannot endure to hear of a reckoning and thus dispairing to pay the old score he recks not into what new and desperate courses he precipitaâ—es himself Wisdome how to be regulated AS God appointed the Iews a measure how much Manna they might gather so St. Paul appointed the Romanes a measure how much Wisdome they might gather Let every Man understand according to Sobriety The Iewish measure of Manna was as much as an Omer would hold what they gathered over turned into Worms and puâ—refaction So the Wisedome which men gather beyond sobriety doth no good but puff them up and corrupt them and put them upon strains of Machiavillian policy Wisedom not well regulated is like a dangerous knife in the hands of a Mad-man and to speak truth there is nothing so much to be
can the Timber that lyes in the Carpenters Yard hew and frame it self into a Ship If the living Tree cannot grow except the root communicates its sap much lesse can a dead rotten stake in the hedg which hath no root live of its own accord And thus if the Christian's strength be in the Lord as most certainly it is and not in himself then the Christlesse person must needs be a poor impotent Creature void of all strength and ability of doing any thing of it self towards its own salvation If a Christian that hath a spiritual life of Grace cannot exercise that life without strength from above then surely one void of that new life dead in Sins and trespasses can never be able to beget it in himself or any way concur to the production of it so helplesse is the state of unregeneracy so impotent the condition of every Man by Nature The state of Nature for all its specious out-side a state of Friendship with Hell AS it is with the fighting of two Fencers on the Stage you would think at first they were in earnest but observing how wary they are where they hit one another you may soon know they do not intend to kill one another And that which puts all out of doubt when the prize is done you shall see them merry together sharing what they have got from their deluded Spectators which was all they fought for Thus you shall have a carnal heart a Man in the state of unregeneracy make a great bussle against Sin by complaining of it or praying against it so that there seems to be a great scuffle betwixt Sathan and such a Soul but if you follow him off the Stage of duty where he hath gain'd the reputation of a Saint the prize he fought for you shall see the Devil and him sit as Friendly in a corner as ever The Sinner's desperate madnesse TErtullian stood as it were amazed at the folly of the Romans ambition who would endure all manner of hardship in Field and fight and run through any difficulty whatsoever and for no other thing but to obtain at last the honour to be Consull which he aptly calls Unius anni gaudium volaticum a joy that flits away at the years end Desperate then must needs be the madnesse of all wretched sinfull Men who will not endure a little hardship here but entayl on themselves the eternal wrath of God hereafter for the short Feast and running-banquet their lusts entertain them here withall which often is not gaudium unius horae a joy that lasts an hour nay so transient that it hardly feems to be at all The difference betwixt Sermons preached and Sermons printed THere is as much difference between a Sermon in a Pulpit and printed in a book as between milk in the warm breast and in a sucking bottle yet what it loseth in the lively taste is recompenced by the convenience of it The book may be had at hand when the Preacher cannot And that 's the chief end of Printing that as the bottle and spoon is used when the Mother is sick or out of the way so the book to quiet the Christian and stay his stomach in the absence of the Ordinance yet he that readeth Sermons and good books at home to save his pains of going to hear is a Thief to his Soul in a Religious habit he consults for his ease but not for his profit he eats cold meat when he may have hot He hazards the losing the benefit of both by contemning of one offering sacriledg for Sacrifice in robbing God of one duty to pay him in another The bare enjoyment of Church-priviledges doth not make up a true Christian. VVHen a Statute was made in Q. Elizabeths reign that all should come to Church upon penalty of being looked upon as in a way of Recusancy and so punishable by Law The Papists sent to Rome to know the Popes pleasure He returned them this answer Bid the Catholiques in England give me their Hearis and let the Queen take the rest And withall a dispensation was granted so that very many came to Church but it was more for fear then love more for the saving of their purses then any thought at all of saving their poor deluded Souls And thus it is that as Christ had his Saints in Nero's Court so the Devill his servants in the outward Court of his visible Church so that a Man must have something more to entitle him to Heaven then living within the pale of the Church and giving an outward conformity to the Ordinances of Christ There must be an inward conformity of the mind to the laws of God a subjection to the Scepter of Iesus Christ and a readinesse to be led by the guidance of the blessed Spirit otherwise he may be of the Church but not in the Church a Partaker of Church priviledges but no true Proprietor of the Graces and benefits thereby accrewing Acknowledgment of Mercies received the ready way to have them further enlarged IT is and usually hath been the manner of great Men such as from basenesse and beggery have ascended to Kingdomes and Empires and from sitting with the hirelings and dogs of the flock have been seated on Thrones of State and Tribunals of Justice to be delighted to speak often of their poor and mean beginnings to go and see the low roof'd Cottages where they were first entertained and had their birth and breeding yea there was one of late years that being got by desert into the Divinity chair did without superstition hang up in his Closet some part of that mean apparell wherein he first saluted his Oxford Mother A good way no doubt and being done with a good mind the ready way to have Mercies and blessings enlarged It would not be unusefull therefore for the Christian to look in at the grate to see the smoaky hole where once he lay to view the chains wherewith he was laden and to behold the snares of Sin and Sathan wherein he was once entangled but then to open his mouth with thanks unto God who will be sure to fill it with his tender and loving kindnesses The excellency of Christ Jesus IT is observeable that when some great King or Potentate draweth near unto his Royall City the Dukes Marquesses Earls Lords and others of the Nobility and Gentry ride before him Now if a stranger standing by should ask Who is this Man and who is that What power hath that Man at Court What place hath this What means hath a third It would be answered This is my Lord Duke that such an Earl the other such a great Lord such a one is the Lord Treasurer that the Lord Admirall and that other the Lord Chancellour c. but when the King comes he saith no more but onely That 's the King And why so And why no more but so because in
that one slender word all the greatness of the rest is included the King being the Fountain of Honour from whence all their glory is derived Thus it is that if all the created goodnesse all the Priviledges of Gods children all the Kingdomes of the Earth and the glory of them were to be presented at one view they would all appear as nothing and emptiness in comparison of the excellency and fullness that is to be found in Christ Iesus The Ministers joy in the conversion of Souls IF it cannot but delight the Husbandman when he seeth his plants grow his fruits ripen his Trees flourish If it must needs rejoice the Shepheard to behold his sheep sound fat and fertile If it glad the heart of a Schoolmaster or Tutor to observe his Schollers thrive in Learning and encrease in knowledg It must needs be matter of abundant joy to any Minister of the Gospell when People are brought to Fellowship with God in Christ Iesus when they are as it were snatched out of the slavery of sin the jaws of Death and Hell and brought into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God then it is that he may be said to reap the fruits of his labours in the great comfort of his own Soul Gods pardoning other Repentan◠Sinners a great motive to perswade us that he will pardon us also IF one should come to a Physitian of whom he hath had a large report of his skill and should meet with hundreths by the way such as were at that time his Patients and all of them should tell him how he hath cured and healed them of their severall infirmities this must needs encourage him to go on with confidence of his skill that he will recover him also So should every Repentant Sinner run to Christ the great Physitian of his Soul because so many thousands have been healed so many great Sinners have been forgiven such as Manasses Mary Magdalen S. Paul c. This may be a great motive to perswade us all that upon Repentance he is and will be ready to forgive us also according to that of the Apostle He hath shewed Mercy unto me that others might believe in God Men to be carefull in the triall of their Faith Whether it be sound or not IF one be told that his Corn is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his Money is counterfeit that the deeds and Evidences upon which his Lands and whole estate depend are false it must needs affect him much and make him look about him to see if these things be so or no. And shall not Men look then to the Faith they have upon which depends the eternall Welfare of their immortall Souls seeing God accepteth none except it be sound effectuall lively and accompanied with good works such a Faith as worketh by love purifieth the heart and shews it self in fruits worthy amendment of life 1 Thes. 1. 3. Men not to be ashamed of their Godly Profession though the Wicked speak evill of them SUppose a Geometrician should be drawing of lines and Figures and there should come in some silly ignorant fellow who seeing him should laugh at him Would the Artist think you leave off his employment because of his derision Surely no For he knows that he laughs at him out of his ignorance as not knowing his Art and the grounds thereof Thus let no Man be ashamed of his godly Profession because Wicked Men speak evill of it And why do they so but because they understand it not it is strange to them they see the actions of Godly Men but the rules and principles that they go by they know not and hence is it that they throw dirt in the face of Religious profession but a Wife man will soon wipe it off again God ordering all things for the good of his Church PUt the case all were turned upside down as it was in the confused Chaos wherein Heaven and Earth were mingled together and the waters overcoming all the rest yet as when the Spirit of the Lord did but move upon the Waters many beautifull Creatures wee produced and the Sea divided from the rest so that those waters which then seemed to spoil all serve now to water all without which 〈◊〉 cannot possibly subsist Even so were the Church in never so confused 〈◊〉 yet God will in his great Wisedome so order the things that seem to undo us that they shall make much for us and bring forth something of speciall use for the Churches good something to water and make fruitfull the house and People of God Sin the godly Mans hatred thereof IT is said of the Dove that she is afraid of every Feather that hath grown upon on Hauk and brings as much terrour upon her as if the Hauk were present such a native dread is as it seems implanted in her that it detests and abhors the very sight of any such feather So the Godly man that hath conceived a detestation against Sin cannot endure any thing that belongs to it or that comes from it No not the least motion or inclination though it bring along with it never so fair pretences never so specious shews shall have the least welcome or entertainment Vanity of the Creature without God TAke a beam of the Sun the way to preserve it is not to keep it by it self the being of it depends upon the Sun take the Sun away and it perisheth for ever but yet though it should come to be obscured and so cut off for a while yet because the Sun remains still therefore when the Sun shines forth again it will be renewed again Such a thing is the Creature compared with God If you would preserve the Creature in it self it is impossible for it to stand like a broken glasse without a bottom it must fall and break It is well known that the being of an accident is more in the subject then in it self insomuch that to take away the subject the very separation is a destruction to it So it is with the Creature which hath no bottom of it self so as the sepaeration of it from God is the destruction of it as on the contrary the keeping of it close unto God though in a case that seems to be the ruine of it is its happinesse and perfection How it is that God is to every one of his Children alone IT is observed That a Mathematicall point hath no parts it is one indivisible For let a thousand lines come to one point every one hath the whole and ye◠there is but one that answers all because it is indivisible and every one hath all So it is with God though there be many thousands that he loves dearly yet every one of them hath the Lord wholly For that which is infinite hath no parts and therefore he bestowes himself
by it What comfort reap they by it None at all their Consciences bearing them witnesse that they are none such as the World takes them to be The losse of an onely Son or nearest relation not to be over-much lamented IT is said of Cleobis and Biton that in absence of the Horses they drew their Mothers Chariot to the Temple themselves for which obedient act of theiâ—s she prayed that they might be both of them rewarded with the greatest blessings that could possibly happen from God to Man but so it hapned that they were both of them found dead in their beds the next morning News thereof was brought to their Mother as matter of great misfortune which she in a manner slighted saying I will never account my self unfortunate that was the Mother of two such Sons whom the Gods have invested with immortality for their pious and obedient actions And shall then a Pagan Mother having no other light but that of dusk nature take it for a divine favour that her two Sons did so early quit this life And shall Christian Parents or any others within the pale of the Church such as are better enlightned pule and repine and look sowre upon Heaven and upon God when in mercy he hath done for theirs not what is pleasing to them but what is most fit and commodious for both nothing being done but for the best to them that love him so that for the most part life is not so much taken away as death given for a speciall favour and advantage Noreturn from Hell THere is a story of an ignorant Man that being at Church and hearing the Preacher set out the pains of Hell as a just reward of all those that forget God said That he would not believe there was any such thing as Hell or any such pains at all To whom the Preacher replied That if one should come thence and tell him the truth thereof yet he would not believe or take any care to avoid it For as the party came thence to tell him of it so he would hope to do as much when he was there to warm another But let no Man be deceived that cannot be Vestigia null a retrorsum there 's no return from Hell Dives being there may make it his suit but all in vain Luk. 16. For as the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave or Hell as it is sometimes expressed shall come up no more i. e. shall never converse or transact any businesse upon the Earth again Powerfull Preaching of the Gospell IT is said in the Revelation of S. Iohn that amongst many other visions He saw an Angell fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospell to preach unto them that dwell upon the Earth and to every Nation and Kinred and Tongue and People saying with a loud Voice Fear God and give glory to him c. And what next followed Another Angell saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Babylon the great City is fallen c. Apoc. 14. 7. 8. See here now the efficacy and power of Gospell preaching let but the Gospell be sincerely preached Babylon must down the Devill and Dagon must fall before the Ark of Gods presence Whatsoever the purposes projects pretences policies conspiracies combinations and consederacies of lâ—ud Atheistical and wicked men be yet they shall never be able to stop the stream of Gods word dam up the wells of Salvation or hinder the free passage of the Gospell no more then to bind up the wind in their fists or stop the rain of Heaven from watering the Earth It is true that the Ministers of the Gospell may be the Instruments of Sathan be stocked stoned hewen asunder burned with fire slain with the sword clap'd up in Prison fettered in chains sequestred plundred decimated c. yet the Gospell it self may be nay is in lively operation a light that cannot be put out a heat that cannot be smothered a power that cannot be broken For even then the constant sufferings and patient bearing of the crosse doth as by a lively voice publish and proclaim the truth of the Gospel for which they suffer and serveth to win many to the Faith of Christ Jesus Punishments of the Wicked in this life nothing in comparison of those in Hell hereafter IT is said of Christ that going up to Ierusalem and finding in the Temple those that sold Oxen and sheep and Doves and the changers of Money sitting he made a scourge of small cords quasi flagellum as it were a scourge saith the vulgar translation made up of small cords such as he gathered up from amongst the People in the binding of their Sacrifices bearing the likenesse and form of a Scourge and with this he drove them out of the Temple And so it is that the sorrows troubles vexations and punishments that befall the Wicked in this life they are but quasi tales as it were such they are but the type the Figure the similitude of such the meer beginnings of sorrows but flea-bitings in comparison of what shall befall them hereafter For when Christ shall come to Judgment he will make a whip indeed such an one that by the stripes thereof the Wicked shall be whipped into Hell and all such as forget God Faith and Love inseparable IT is a Rule published by the Heathen that all Vertues are so interwoven and linked together in a chain that he that hath one hath all and he that wanteth but one wanteâ—h all So it is with that worthy pair of Graces that Heavenly couple Faith and Love Faith not without Love nor Love without Faith but both together Not Faith without works nor works without Faith but the one must be fruitfull to bring forth works and the other thankfull to confesse them Faith must work by Love and Love live by Faith for Faith without Love is but seeming and Love without Faith is disordered Then as it is Christ's own rule that the things which God hath joyned together no Man should put a sunder so Faith and Love being lodged as two guests in one house and locked up as two Iewels in one Cabinet they should by no Man whatsoever be dis-joyned or divided Sacrilegious persons condemned THe antient Romans by the light of Nature disliked and checked Quint. Fulvius Flaccus because he had uncovered a great part of Iuno's Temple to cover another Temple of Fortune with the same tiles they told him that Pyrrhus and Hannibal would not have done the like and that it had been too much to have done to a private dwelling house being a place far inferiour to a Temple and in conclusion forced and compelled him by a publique decree in Senate to send home those tiles again What a shame then is it for Christians such as pretend to be knowing Christians to come behind the Heathen who did more for their Idols then they will do for