to hell if the hand and the chaine that held him had not beene the stronger or as the noble King Richard the first of the name who when the rest of the Princes and Gallants travailing in the Holy Land where they then warred were come to the foote of an hill from whence they might view Jerusalem the holy Citie then possessed by Saracens without hope of recovery for the present and therefore put Spurs to their Horses every one in a youthfull contention who should be the first and have the maidenhead of that prospect Hee puld downe his Beaver over his eyes and would not gratifie them with the vaine pleasure of so sad a spectacle for God forbid said he that I should be hold that Citie though I could which though I would I know not how to rescue so is it but cold comfort to such to thinke of heaven whose life gives so weake evidence for their Title to it whose possibilities are so remote upon I know not what reversion after such and such and such a thing done which they finde then too late that they are not likely to have either space or grace or place to doe Foolish men that lay the greatest burthen upon the weakest horse and leave that one thing which is necessary to their bed when they are fit to doe nothing God called to them to hasten in their life to day if yee will heare my voyce harden not your hearts then they were loath to forsake their sweete sins as Lot to goe out of Sodome till the Angel pluckt him out then they answer coldly as Austin reports of himselfe Give Lord but not yet then they devise a thousand shifts to delay let Salomon bid them remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth they are ready to say to thinke at least as the Devills to our Saviour Art thou come to torment us before our time Whereas they are afraid if they should beginne too soone in Religion they might be Saints and happie before their time but when death comes they change their note their pulse then beates quicke and faint a dangerous symptome of Death O Lord make speede to heare us O Lord make haste to helpe us Then in haste the Minister the Sacrament their prayers then Lord have mercy upon me and so like Gallants that have lost their time in the Alehouse to make amends ride all upon the spurre suriously right Jehues march ready to overrunne the sober traveller so these runne upon the speede at last and thinke to be at heaven before those who have travelled soberly thitherward all their life but what if God should answer their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not yet time in their life with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at their death what if God should say to him as the Crabbe in the Fable to the Serpent when hee had given him his deaths wound for his crooked conditions and then saw him stretch himselfe out streight At oportuit sic vixisse It is too late now you should have lived so What if the sword of Gods Iustice seaze upon him that flies so to the Sanctuary of his Mercy as Joab was slaine even at the hornes of the Altar May not a man receive unworthily not discerning the Lords body by the eye of faith for according to the Father this is the food of Eagles not of Dawes and so eate damnation to himselfe for in this case it is not meate but a knife or sword saith Cyprian The Emperour was poysoned in the Hostie and at last a man may die notwithstanding the Sacrament as the Israelites in the Wildernesse died with Manna in their mouthes Basilides the Emperour of Russia refused a Coelestiall Globe of gold wherein the cunning Artificer as it were in emulation of God had curiously framed a modell of heaven nothing was wanting of the number of the spheares or of the life of the motion which was sent unto him as a rare present from the German Emperour for said he I doe not meane to busie my selfe in the contemplation of heaven and in the meane time did lose the possession of the earth as the German Emperours doe daily to these Turkes it may be wisely and a mâ—id laught at her master Thales the great Astronomer who gazing on the Starres on a sudden fell into a ditch 〈◊〉 thinke justly and the Iew is little pittled who let goe the helme of the ship which he steered at the first approach of the Sabbath and so suffered shipwracke for ought I know deservedly For our Conversation must he in Heaven indeede but it is not a Iacobs staffe but a Iacobs ladder will bring us thither we must behold the heaven but wee may hold the helme also and guide our course the better as Pilots doe we may looke to our estate and walke in the labours of our calling with diligence and if wee doe this with conscience every day is a Sabbath as Clemens speakes what then is to be done as Basil in a like case Let not all thy delight befor earth but minde also heaven so here we must not be all for the world nothing for heaven Suffer not the world to take up the best roomes in the heart while Christ by that meanes is shuffled into the stable but as the Aethiopian Indges in all their meetings reserve the highest seat empty for God so doe you seeke the kingdome of Heaven in the first place e That house is happy where wordly Martha complaines of heavenly-minded Mary saith the Father Happy is that soule which is so tempered that though it run betweene both yet the by as is alway drawing toward heaven that abounds so much in expressions of love that way that the world may have cause to be jealous and complaine of some neglect that feares not the feare of the worlding that if he should follow holinesse toofast he should not be able to live by the trade like the Athenians who in the Consulation whether they should admit Alexander the Great into their Calender and Canonize him for a God which he sued for at first were very zealous against his impious ambition but were soone cold upon the poliâ—icke suggestion of a crafty companion who put them in minde of the power of Alexander and wished them to consider lest while they stood so much for Heaven they were likely to lose earth so these had rather forgoe heavenly than undergoe any hazard af the losse of earthly thinga but the Christian not so but resolves Viderit utilitas let the world looke to that let the world goe as it will I will doe according to the command of my Saviour and build upon his Promise Seeke the Kingdome of God and all these things shall he cast upon you Hypocrites whose conversation is betweene heaven and earth like Erasmus as the Papists paint him like the flying Angel in the Revelation which in the Parable of the Sheepe seeke out
THE HEAVENLY CONVERSATION AND THE NATVRALL MANS CONDITION In two Treatises By IOHN STOVGHTON Doctor in Divinitie sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and late Preacher of Gods Word in Alderman-bury London Printed at London by T. G. for John Bellamie and Ralph Smith and are to be sold at the three Golden Lyons TO THE RIGHT Honorable HENRY Earle of Holland and Baron of Kensington chiefe Gentleman of his Majesties Bedchamber chiefe Justice and Justice in Eyre of all his Majesties Forests Chases Parkes and Warrens on this side Trent Chancellor of the Vniversitie of Cambridge Constable of the royall Castle of Windsor one of his Majesties most Honorable privie Conncell and Knight of the most noble order of the Gaâ—ter Right Honorable A Debtor I acknowledge my selfe unto the Church of God by calling a speciall ingagement lieth upon me both of trust and promise to serve the Church in this way in bringing towards the furtherance of the building of it that which hath beene squared and framed to my hand by a wise Master builder who hath showed himselfe approved unto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed This I doe here humbly present unto your Honours protection I may perhaps from some incurre the censure of too much boldnesse in using your Honours name but your courtesie and sweet affabilitie springing from your native gentelnesse of disposition doth secure me and the rather since I present this unto your Honour not in my owne name but in the name and behalfe of the Widdow who though she may claime the priviledge of her Sex from appearing in Print herselfe yet shee is desirous that the living and lasting Monuments of her deare husband should be brought forth for the good of Gods Church under the patronage and protection of your Honour to whom the Author was every way so much oblieged now I have no reason to doubt but that as your Honour was pleased to take the Reverend and learned Author into the protection of your noble family for you will bee pleased to countenance these his owne legitimate children which are now sent abroad as Orphans deprived of their father Their owne worth cannot but gaine them esteeme but I know your Honour will prize them the more for their fathers sake who whilest hee was alive did secure your Honour by his Prayers which he did daily offer up to God not pro forma as a legall and dead ceremony but pro Anima as a spirituall and lively sacrifice in the behalfe of your honour and happinesse and now that he is dead yet speaketh in these and those other Sermons of his which beare your honours name If you be pleased to patronize countenance and peruse them they will reflect much brightnesse upon your noblenesse as they receive splendour from it Thus under your Honours protection I doe present them unto the world humbly craving the priviledge of your pardon for my boldnesse and heartily beseeching the Lord to mak you still and still to doe worthily in Israel and to inrich your Honour more and more with grace here and glory hereafter Your Honours humbly devoted in all duty and observance A. B. To the Christian Reader GIve mee leave with thy acceptation to doe the office of a Timothy in bringing to thee the Parchmonts lest behind by that worthy man of God Doctor Iohn Stoughton These should have attended a larger Volumne but other of his Sermons having gotten the start of them and being left alone they are now presented to thee in this little Manuell They were left written with his owne hand and Preached in one of the Schooles of the Prophets and so fitted for a learned Auditorie That which did sway with me in the Publishing of these and rhose other Sermons of his that are already brought forth into publike view next to the desire of the publike good was the feare of wrong that both the Church and Authour might sustaine by the publishing of more imperfect Coppies Those private and imperfect Coppies which passed from hand to hand did runne the hazzard of a surreptitious Edition I clearely saw for some of them and had just cause to suspect it in the rest that if I would not publish them others would they falling into the hands of some mercinary persons whose boldnesse is such as that it is not restrained eirher by the good of the Church or credit of the Author whilst they looke no higher than their owne private gaine which is all their godlinesse though many times their immaginary gaine proves their reall losse What is here presented to thee is intirely the Authors owne without adding the least tittle to them least my Addition should detract from them They are now published for the ingenious Readers benefit and not the Critickes censure and are recommended not to a bare reading but to thy practise The blessing of these labours I commend to him that alone must give the increase and the God of Heaven give a rich blessing to them for thy soules good Thine in the Lord A. B. A Methodicall Analysis of the chiefe heads handled in this Treatise on Phil. 3. 20. 1. TExt 1 Dependance of the words they looke backe 1 As part of a collation to the immediatly precedent verses 2. As a ground of illation to the 17. verse 2. The sence of them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred 1 Our city 2 Our municipall state and degres 3. Our politique bent and aime 4 Our politicall and civill administration 5. Our carriage and behaviour as citizens 1 Observation The conversation of a Christian is in heaven 1 There is explained what it is and how a Christian hath his conversation in heaven 1 In affection 2 In indeavours expressed in much 1 Alacrety 2 Diligence 3 Resolution 3 In act by a double Analogy and conformity with heaven 1 Conformity of sanctitie which appeares in his 1 Heavenly meditations 2 Divine communications 3 Conscionable operations expressed in his obedience 1 In the great things of the Law such as are 1 Delight in Gods Day 2 Exercise of Prayer and other workes of Piety 3 Helping forward the salvation of others 2 In the lesser things expressed in 1 Doing all 1 With the same care 2 By the same rule 2 Drawing the practise of Divinity to his earthly Domesticall and dayly affaires II Conformitie of felicitie Two things make a difference betwixt a Christians happinesse here and hereafter Misâ—y Sin yet these doe rather deprive us of the 1. Degree than truth 2. Perfection than possession 1. Misery may 1. Eclipse but not 2. Extinguish it 2. Sin doth not 1. Seperate us from Christ but 2. Drives us closer unto him II. Here is examined whether the life of ordinary Christians be according to this Rule Many beare the name of Christ and yet doe not answer it as 1. Prophane persons whose conversation is in Hell 2. Worldlings whose conversation is in the earth 3. Hypocrites whose conversion is betwixt heaven
and earth III. Here is suggested the forceable motives that may perswade us to this heavenly conversation taken from 1. The excellency of heaven 2. The vanity of the world consider 1. A great estate 1. Hath scarse a shadow of happinesse 2. Brings no inward joy cordiall contentment 3. Hinders our speed in the race of godlinesse 2. A means estate 1. Puts us upon a necessity of seeking heavenly things 2. Is our best securitie against spirituall enemies 3. Dignitie of man consider 1. What dignitie nature hath conferred upon us in the 1. Frame of the heart 2. Fabricke of the body 3. Reliques of nature 2. What dignitie is confirmed upon us by grace 4. Brevitie of life which should make us 1. Not to spend our precious time on trifles 2. To use all speed and diligence 3. At least to doe as much for heaven as for earth 5. Necessitie 1 Of our times which should make us to be 1. Zealous for Religion 2. Zealous in Religion expressed in the practise of 1. Serious repentance and sincere reformation 2. Fervent and earnest Prayer 2. Of our place and calling 1. Christians they must not be all for the earth it is against their dignitie and advancement 2. Ministers they must not 1. Bury their Talent but 2. Worke for heaven 1. Draw others to heaven by diligence in preaching 2. Goe to heaven themselves by Holinesse of life FINIS Errata PAge 28. line 7. for was Read and as Ibid l. 26. for conversation communication p. 36. l. 2. for when then p. 40. l 16. for an in p. 57. l. 10. blot out did p. 111. l. 19. for men that may p. 112. l. 13. for mans is meanes p. 113. l. 5. for faults faculties p. 120. l. 17. for bitter better p. 121. l. 22. for more appeare it appeares more p. 127. l. 3. for comportures compartners p. 134. l. 17 for i of we ibid. l. 18. for absent present p. 135. l. 23. for cause case p. 176. l. 14. blot out quoad p. 184. l. 5. for law lawgiver p. 189. l. 26. for breake be onely p. 193. l. 23. for once one p. 194. l. 8 blot out by p. 195. l. 18. read did not actually p. 146. l. 23 for loathsome in effects the same in effects p. 197. l. 18. for If I p. 198. l. 21. for no a. p. 202. l. 17 for Displicere Displeasure p. 208 l. 25. for answer am sure p. 213. l. 20. for mouth moth p. 235. l. 15. for most not THE HEAVENLY Conversation PHIL. 3. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Conversation is in Heaven THe Learned Origen being at the Church in Ierusalem was requested to Preach there but opening the Booke for that purpose he fell upon those words of the Psalme But unto the wicked saith God what hast thou to doe to take my words into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my Commandements behinde thee c. which awakned more the memory of his sin which was this He being apprehended and put to his choise by his persecutors whether hee would offer sacrifice to their Idols or suffer his body to be defiled with a most ugly Blackmore one hee must of force shunning the latter hee yeelded inconsiderately to the former his conscience now as it were thundering from heaven against him he could not goe on but closed the Booke againe and sate him downe with bitter weeping and lamentation all the people also out of a tender affection and sympathy of his sorrow giving as the Father speakes* a charitable contribution of teares towards the reliefe of his misery and bearing a part in the burden of his sad Song and dolefull Ditty the briefe whereof they had then heard and seene Beloved I feare that wee must either close the Booke or disclose our owne shame for this Text upbraides our times and Saint Paul for ought that I see is resolved and speakes enough to shame us all For where are the Christians now that can say the Responsall after him Our conversation is in heaven without blushing outward for shame or bleeding inward for griefe Who can behold the deformitie of his Chrystall life in this Chrystall glasse without teares such as may truely be stiled Sanguis animae the blood of the soule It is reported of one that hee was so lusty and quarrel some that hee was ready to fight with his owne Image so often as hee saw it in a glasse let us fall out with our sinnes the spots that deface the Image of God in us but God forbid that any should picke a quarrell with the glasse of Gods Word by which wee may dresse our selves to perfection of beauty wisely Socrates who commendeth the use of a glasse to all sorts as if the friend in it gave faithfull counsell in all cases Art thou beautifull and comely Cave ne animi improbitate corpus tuum dehonestes Art thou homely and deformed Facâ—ut animus virtute corpus suum consecret Art thou faire take heede thy body bee not like an Aegyptian Temple stately without but having within a soule as blacke as a Gypsie with vice Art thou foule see that thy soule within make amends for thy body without being like a rich pearle in a rude shell But most true is this of this Glasse which of all other knowes not how to flatter and who knowes whether there be not that vertue in this divine speculation to restore a man to himselfe as hee that was transformed into an Asse returned to his owne shape when hee came to behold himselfe in a Glasse the strength of the charme being wholly evacuated Well then let us behold our selves here in this Glasse if not what wee are at least what wee ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words looke backward to the former and that ambiguously either as part of a Collation to what is in the immediately precedent verses if you read them with the Adversative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Illi sic nos autem non sic They do thus But we doe not thus or as a ground of Illation to the 17. Verse if you read them with the Causall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Nos sic vos ergo etiam sic wee doe thus and therefore doe yee also thus Be yee followers of me and such as tread in our steps For Our coversation is in Heaven The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it may be diversly rendred First Our Citie and so it suits best with the latter part of the Verse wherein otherwise there will be an incongruitie of Language if you referre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence wee looke a singular Relative to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Heavens a plurall Antecedent which may be salved if you referre it to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it may wel stand in that sense Secondly Our municipall state and dignity our Burgesship Thirdly Our politique bent aime fetch for I suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 may signifie the same in civill affaires that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth in warlike Fourthly Our Politicall and Civill Administration and managing of things Fifthly our Carriage deportment and behaviour as we are Citizens c. Yet I confine my selfe to the last which I see our learned Interpreters have expressed also whose judgement and authoritie I willingly follow not troubling my selfe or you with any further anxious disputes or curious Criticismes the stones were hewed and squared in the mountaines there was no noise of hammer in the building of Salomons Temple which yet was so compact they say as if it had bin but one stone without any joynting or ciment The Astronomers cut the heaven into many circles and plough up many barren furrowes by their suppositions as lightly as the Mathematicians draw lines in the dust but wee shall not neede many Hypotheses to salve the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or appearances of these heavens Observe also with mee in the whole Frame but one line which you see written in legible Characters as it were with a Sun-beame The conversation of a Christian is in Heaven In which notwithstanding it will be usefull to consider and distinguish three imaginary Points First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conversation the Axel-tree upon which the whole spheare is turned Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our the inferior Pole and Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Heaven the superior Pole These shall be my Ecliptique Line with in which my Discourse shall bound it selfe First I will explaine Quid sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is and how a Christian hath his Conversation in Heaven Secondly I will examine Quale sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether the life of ordinary Christians be according to this Rule or not and Thirdly I will suggest Quantum sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How forcible motives may provoke us to this Heavenly conversation First Let no man say who shall give me Elias Chariot in which I may mount up to heaven here needs no change of place but a change of minde which may lift it selfe up to heaven while the body lies upon the earth as Abraham went into the Mount while the Servants and Asses staid below in the Valley Let no man say what must I be like the prophane Gyants which heaped mountaine upon mountaine to scale heaven although the violent take the kingdome of heaven by force as our Saviour speakes in another sense or like proud Lucifer who made his nest among the starres No blessed is he who hath a Low minde in an high Conversation God is high as Austin sweetly and yet the more we lift our selves up the further we are from Him the more we humble our selves the nearer the swelling leaven of pride can never doe it the true growth and stature of Grace and Vertue makes a Christian as high as heaven makes him in heaven many wayes First Affectu in affection A friend of Cyrus in Xenophon being asked where his treasure was which might enable him to bestow his daughter honourably according to his ranke and place made this answer Where Cyrus is my friend and a shame it is for a Christian if hee either know not or professe not that his treasure is there where the Lord is his friend Where the body is thither the Eagles where Christ is thither sharp-sigh ted and lofty soules will resort for according to our Saviour Where the Treasure is there is the heart also and according to the Philosopher Animus est ubiamat non ubi animat the minde is where it loves not where it lives No marvell then if in this respect we say The conversation of a Christian is in heaven though you see his person here upon earth so you see the starres sometime in the water you see them move which notwithstanding you know are fixed above in the Firmament so the Christian though he seeme to flote up and downe in the troublesome waves of the lower world yet there is he fastened with the Anchor of Hope and thither is he carried with the sailes and oares of desire for as the raies of the Sunne touch the earth yet still are there from whence they are darted so a lofty and pious heart is familiarly conversant withus but remaines fixed in his Originall as Seneca makes the comparison where being mounted like Saint Paul in Gregory Nyssen d He le ts fall a looke upon these lower things from a loft not without some scorne they seeme little or nothing in his eyes and no wonder for as heavenly things seeme small to an earthly man as the starres to him that beholds them from earth appeare but as a point a glistring point indeed a golden point and yet but a point so by a farre better reason to a godly man whose affections have raised him to heaven when hee beholds it from thence the whole earth is contracted to a Point or rather appeares like as they call a shadow nigrum nihil a little blacke and darke nothing So a Christian indeed during the time of his Pilgrimage useth these earthly things as necessaries though hee accounts them but as Accessaries like the haires upon our heads they are but an excrement yet they are an ornament and as Austin speakes of Maries with which she wiped the feete of our Saviour They were superfluous for her owne head yet they were necessary for the feet of Christ The Church in the Revelation hath a crowne of starres upon her head and the Moone is under her feete The Spirit in the Acts descended upon the Head they thinke of the Apostles the Disciples cast the money at their feete Heavenly blessings spirituall graces are the crowne of a Christian earthly things he tramples under his feete according to that of the Psalmist Blessings are upon the head of the righteous that is heavenly Thou hast put all things under his feete that is all earthly Heavenly blessings they are Bona throni the goods of the throne Earthly they are Bona scabelli the goods of the footestoole as Austin tearmes them in the account of a Christian who in this is like God himselfe of whom the Scripture speakes Heaven is his Throne and the earth is his Footestoole for so a Christian useth all earthly blessings but as helps as a footestoole to climbe into the throne of Heaven and this use is lawfull for as Tertullian saith a Christian may make a Nose-gay of flowers to smell to but hee may not make a crowne of flowers to set upon his head so God allowes the sweetnesse of outward blessings to his servants for a refreshing alwayes provided they set them not in the highest place in the highest price In a word Temporall blessings are for his use but eternall for his desire and affection as Gregory speakes Anaxagoras being asked whether he cared not for his countrey with the ruine whereof
he seemed to be little moved yes said he there is none of you that cares more than I doe for my countrey pointing with his finger up to heaven as though heaven were his countrey and so it is a Christians indeed for if the proposition of the Philosopher be true that is our country where wee have the best fare and entertainement then his conclusion is infallible therefore heaven is my countrey without which I cannot live well for there is a plenty of all good things Let then the Philosopher comfort himselfe that he was not banished though out of his countrey and that he was not confined to any place like a Snaile to her shell because he was a free denizan and a Citizen of the world the Christian is not ashamed to confesse the whole worlds libertie to be but a banishment to him who is but a Pilgrim in a strange Land here because he is a free Denizan and Citizen of Heaven Nay more he stayes in the world as in some more free and noble Prison where you must pardon him if he cannot be in love with his fetters though perhaps of gold Hee is in the body as a child in the wombe in a walking Sepulcher his delivery from thence shall be his Nativity from whence he meanes to begin the account of the tearme of his Life To live with God is the onely life to raigne with Christ the onely libertie according to that of Simeon Now lettest thy servant depart so that the body is as the Bridewell and Prison of our life as Basil interprets it this is that hee sighes and breaths after Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ Come Lord Jesus come quickly How long Lord for ever Christ was borne in an Inne to teach him to make the world but a throwfare where if hee take his rest yet he must not set up his rest Secondly Conatu in Endeavour without which affection is like Rahel beautifull but barren neither doth a woman without a man neither doth the Affection of hope produce any thing serviceable without Endeavour Pythagor as was wont to say that he had another errand to the Olympick games then the most that frequented them some came for pleasure and to pot it in a knot of good fellowes which were like to meet there some for gaine and to vent their commodities at a good rate in such a faire of people some for Glory and hope to be crowned conquerours and win the Garland for valour and activitie in those sports and exercises but he professed that hee came onely as a looker on pleasure and gaine and glory are the Trinitie which the world adores and the behaviour of the most is such as though they came into the world upon no other errand but to scramble for some of these They smile perhaps when they see children so fond and busie and eager about their toyes making Houses and Pies of dirt kissing their babies of clouts blowing bubles into the ayre out of a shell and running after them and when they reade that Domitian the Emperour persecuted the poore Christians abroad in his Empire and persecuted the poore flies at home in his Palace they would take respit perhaps to decide the controversie whether that act had more crueltie or this idlenesse more folly but let them looke to it whether they be not carius ineptis haunted with a more tragicall and costly folly who being placed by God in this August Palace of the world where the Heaven is the sieling the Earth the floore can finde no better employment The carriage of a Christian I am sure hath passed this sentence upon them already which is such as though he repined that he was forced to be so much as a looker on at these Apish Anticks which in a scornefull silence he checkes with the severitie of his frowne and confutes with the majestie of his countenance in which you may reade his minde written in Hieroglyphicall letters that he thinkes with Anaxagoras that he was borne to contemplate heaven observe which way he may get thither and therefore he followes the suite for these earthly things something coldly negligently as one that cares not much which end goes forward or rather generously and nobly tanquam Candidatus Caesaris as a Favorite of Caesare as they were wont to say at Rome and if he speed enjoyes his conquests moderatly using them as the dogs drinke at Nilus or as Gidions Souldiers lap and away lest if hee should let loose the reines he might be guiltie in the use of his lawfull libertie as a man they say may commit adultery with his owne wife in a word useth them as though he used them not tanquam aeternitatis Candidatus as Tertullian speakes as one that is a favorite of eternitie But for heavenly things good Lord what alacritie shewes he what diligence what resolution They report of Mahomet an ordinary Turke that this was the first step of his advancement to the Empire his Master Solyman the great let fall a letter out of a window which while the rest to approve their diligence to their Lord ran about for Ladders he without any more deliberation or circuit leapt out of the window and returned presently This is the nature of Love and Zeale to overlook all danger to forget themselves to please God and these are they that came to preferment to be favorites in the Court of Heaven when they that are so wise to looke before they leape may look long enough before they rise and a foole he is that lookes for any other ladder to climbe to Honour besides his Masters favour What diligent The Ancients were wont to paint fortune taking Cities in a net for one Timotheus an Athenian Captaine whom they drew sleeping by but our Timothy knowes the new Ierusalem the Citie above cannot be taken otherwise and therefore plants a streight siege about it with an army of vertues plies the battery with the ordinance of prayer casts up mounts against it giving all diligence that he may adde to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse mountaine upon mountaine as the Gyants did that at last he may scale heaven What resolution the famous Artificer Phidias advised the Athenians to make the statue of Minerva the Tutelary goddesse of the Citie of Marble rather then Ivory alleadging two reasons First because Marble was more durable and this passed with allowance Secondly because Ivory was more chargeable at the mention whereof with infinite indignation they commanded him silence base wretches that study to beate downe the price of heaven and will not deale except they may have it under foot the ancients were wont to call an Holocaust prodigam hostiam the prodigall Sacrifice but a Christian
thinkes it the best thrift and most saving bargaine when he can offer himselfe wholly to God a living Sacrifice pleasing and acceptable in his sight and therefore resolves with David I will not serve the Lord of that which cost me nothing and followes our Saviour whose counsell it is Let not thy right hand know what thy left hand doth doe not anxiously compute the charge of a good worke as men doe some Summe upon the fingers end consult not with flesh and blood for what can be so bard that hee is affraid to undergoe or what so sweete that he is not resolved to forgoe that he may gaine heaven The way is straight and narrow yet he will strive to enter for the way to heaven is not easie he is like to meete scoffes and scarres and a thousand Scarcrowes for many thwarting inconvenience and discouragements lie crosse in the way to heaven but hee accounts these the glory of his triumph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fought the good fight saith the Apostle Paul as a word in a boasting it is a goodly thing to goe to heaven any way lame maimed or blind even the right foote the right hand the right eye if it offend him cut it off plucke it out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a goodly thing Burne my foote if you will that it may dance everlastingly with the blessed Angels in heaven stil'd the Martyr in Basel nobly He is a wise Merchant that can purchase heaven at any price To conclude hee knowes this life is but a way to life as the Spartan mother comforted her sonne who in a battell where hee fought valiantly had received a wound of which he was like to limpe ever after that his halting would but make him remember vertue every step so the worst that can happen to him doth but make him remember vertue every steppe that every steppe may set him so much nearer to heaven hee thinkes hee is placed in this world as in a royall Theatre the Earth the Stage the Heavens the Scaffolds round about the spectators God men and Angells himselfe an Actor his part Piety his reward Eternity his conscience alwayes prompting him behinde the Curtaine it skils not what the spectators thinke or say looke to the Iudge be ambitious to please God who beholds thee and therfore resolves though the world hisses me yet I heare I eare not so I may heare a plaudite from him Well done good servant enter into thy masters joy O blessed plaudite he stirres his hands to clappe them and droppes a crowne of life from betweene them upon my head Thirdly Actu In act for hee cannot be out of heaven whose conversation makes that place heaven wheresoever he is and that by a double Analogie and conformity with heaven of sanctity and felicitie of happinesse and holinesse First Conformit as sanctitatis a conformity of sanctitie which appeares in every part of his life as the light of the candle breakes out at every side of the Lanthorne and as the leaven in the Gospell which the woman put into three pecks of meale insinuates it selfe into his thoughts words and deedes all which it makes to rise and swell toward heaven for what shall wee say of his Heavenly Meditations in which methinkes hee resembles a Bird of Paradise so called which is reported by the Naturalists to flie continually without any rest and was never observed so much as to touch upon the earth no more doth this blessed Bird of Paradise but is alway upon the wing in divine mediâ—â—tious unlesse perhaps you may thinke he comes nearer the Phoenix which is said to beget her heire of her owne ashes to which she is resolved in her bed of spice her neast being nothing else but a pile of the most precious spices of Arabia curiously collected by her afore for that purpose and kindled by the heate of the Sunne-beames as a Christian kindles by frequent meditation the sweete notes that hee hath collected in reading or hearing which like the Angel in the sacrifice of Manoach carries him up to heaven in a flame of heavenly affection and leaves her selfe an heire behinde of her owne ashes a never failing succession of the like heavenly meditations I know this practise is not vulgar or easie for the Monke said truely that to be a Monke in outward shew was easie but to be a Monke in inward reality was hard it is no hard matter in comparison to make the outward man the visible man a Monke immure him in a Cloyster and retire him from worldly distractions nor is it any easie matter to circumscribe the infinite libertie of the inward man But a Christian labours to be the same without that he is within like the beautie of a Diamond not skinne deepe onely like the ordinary beauty for if you could have a window in his breast you should see nothing within but heavenly thoughts hee breathes not oftner than hee thinkes on God according to the Father he climbs often into Mount Nebo the mount of Meditation for a prospect of the land of Promise from whence his blessed eyes of Faith and Hope like Calib and Joshua the faithfull Spies animate him to a noble resolution by their happie tidings The land is good let us goe up and fight for it and if he chance to step aside sometime among worldly affaires you must understand he is there not as a turne-coate Traytour but as a wise Intelligencer as a Spie was the Spies that went to Iericho to avoid being snared by any ambush he returnes by the Hill-countrey that is as I interpret it improves even humane occurrences to some divine expedience and reduceth temporall occasions to spirituall use Wherefore saith Chrysostome very sweetly The literall foules of the heaven have wings and these mysticall foules of the heaven have wisedome to flie aloft that the snares and lime-twigges of the world may not entangle them surely in vaine is the net spread before the eye of all that hath wings as Salomon speakes Such in the second place is their Conversation for as our Saviour after his Resurrection conversing with his Disciples spake of such things as concerned the Kingdome of God and Moses descended from the Mount where he had conference with God brought the Tables of the Law to the people so the Law of Grace is in his lippes and out of the Abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As the posts of the doore of the house without were sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe which was eaten within so the heart that is washed with the blood of Christ cannot be ashamed to have their lippes painted with the same It is Nazianzens comparison for this is the beauty of the Spouse in her Lords eye who like some elegant Lover makes this a great part of her commendation Thy lippes are like a threed of scarlet this is the safetie of the Spouse as the blood
sprinkled upon the Posts was the Israelites as the scarlet thread in the window was Rahabs for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to salvation The Latines call the roofe of the mouth Coelum Heaven and the lower part Solum palati the ground of the palate The most mens speech is altogether of earth as though they had no heaven in their mouth they dash all their words against the earth like the fish in the Gospel either dumbe or nothing but gold in their mouth It is cleane contrary with S. Pauls Christian who not content to be a silent and dumbe spectatour of heaven like the fish so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so to suffer the conceptions of his minde to die there like abortive birthes smothered in the wombe but labours to bring them to the light and deliver them to others that they may also partake of his sweetnesse and so dividing himselfe betweene solitarinesse and company meditation and communication thoughts and speech that one may make the other profitable the one being begunne and inducted into the soule by the Spirit and the other having instructed others in the way of godlinesse as the Father hath it See in the last place his operation for what is his whole life but an Angels worke a continuall attendance upon God The Church is as the Father stiles it an heaven upon earth the presence Chamber of the great King how often doth hee waite there with what devotion like David according to Saint Austins Glosse I will goe into the house of the Lord as a stone in his building saith the Father like Christ himselfe his parents sought him in vaine in cognatione carnis among his kindred but found him imployed in domo Patris in his Fathers house The Sabbath is the Lords day our rest and employment then a short abridgement of the long story of eternitie is seasonable how truely doth Hee call this Day his delight how cheerefully doth he welcome in Hee commeth forth of his chamber like a Bridegroome and rejoyceth as a Gyant to runne his race like the Jew that was wont to put on his best apparell to expect the approach of this day and hasten it forward wooing with these words Veni sponsa mea Come my Spouse like the Spouse in the Canticles rather untill the day breake and the shadowes flee away I will get me to the mountaines of Myrrhe and to the hill of Frankincense he hath espoused his soule to the beauty of holinesse in these blessed ordinances and therefore his eyes will prevent the morning watch that hee may adorne and prepare himselfe be times and meete these solemnities with the sweete perfume and incence of meditation and prayer Prayer and the rest of the works of Piety are the Ladder to Heaven how often may you see him like the Angels in Iacobs vision ascending and descending by this It is a received maxime in Philosophy that Oratio is Quantitas discreta but it is a certaine truth in Divinitie that Oratio debet esse Quantitas continua according to that of the Apostle Pray continually Too much discretion in the world hath brought too little devotion and unjustly censured the heate of devotion for want of discretion But 't is not either the virulence of the tongue or violence that can make a Christian intermit this course The Angel that strove with Iacob said Let me goe for the morning approacheth forsooth afraid as the Rabbins would have it that if he were deteined any longer he should incurâ—e some censure of irregularity or be injoyned some pennance for tardinesse at his Mattins But a Christian saith indeede to his deare sinnes Let me goe sollicitous to prevent all intanglements to shake of all impediments which might hazard the least interruption of his sweet intercourse with God in prayer And to make no more particular instances the heavenly Hierarchies of Angels are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heires of salvation or is not this the very trade and occupation of a Christian the magnificence of Piolomaeus Philadelphus I suppose gave originall to the phrase in which all noble and magnificent workes are called opera Philadelphia I dare say a Christian esteemes that his most honorable imployment when he may provoke the glory of God in the good of his brethren especially in the matter of heaven and salvation these are his opera Philadelphia workes of Charity For he holds the common truth in Philosophy the most proper worke of a living creature is to beget one in his owne likenesse to be a certaine truth in Divinitie the most specificall and characteristicall act of a living Christian is at least to endeavour to beget another in his owne likenesse to draw many to God and therefore that which Plato said divinely was the end of marriage that when out race shall be ended and we must â—radere Lampada give up our borrowed light wee may have those that may rise up in our place that may stand up in stead to serve God that the fire of his Altar may never goe out this may be truely said the end of all his commerce and converse with others Neither is he thus in these great things of the Law only but as carefull in the lesse men will not lightly lose the least ends of Gold the least Commandement observed brings a great reward and the least sinne cannot bee committed without great danger even the secret lusts and motions of the heart which cannot bee discerned for sinne otherwise when motes and atomes in the tenth Commandement as it were in the Sun-beames the point of the speare pierced our Saviours side so did the prickes of the thornes wound his sacred head and therefore though counterfeit Christians make no bones of lesser sinnes make no conscience of lesser duties like Pharoahs Magicians whose art could not reach to make such things as were lesse then a Barly-Corne and therefore failing in the production of Lice were forced to acknowledge the finger of God as the Rabbins give the reason yet a currant Christian is the same in great and lesse matters in both like himselfe if not like God himselfe of whom Austin elegantly he is so great an Artisan in great matters as that hee is not lesser in the smallest He did all with the same care and by the same rule the Iewes have a Law which enjoynes them to take up any paper which they see lying on the ground and the reason is lest happily the Name of God be written in the paper and ignorantly troden under foote the Christian is free from such superstitious curiositie yet full of religious care observes every title in Gods Word least unawares hee might dishonour the name of God and trample upon any of the least of his Commandements and therefore he hath respect to this in all his wayes this is the
Card and Compasse without this as there be few men that can draw a streight line or a circle without a Rule or compasse none can leade their life aright or make streight steps to heaven with this they may for as while one line of the Compasse is firmely fastned upon the Card the other goes steadily the true circuit So while the mind of man is fixed upon the Word by contemplation and observes it he may keepe his life and actions within compasse and run safely the way of Gods Commandements A man may huddle up a mud-wall a banke of earth in haste of that which comes next to hand saith the moralist but 't were madnesse to attempt to build a Palace a Temple without choice stones without line and levels Now a Christian by a holy life labours to build himselfe up a Palace for the great King a Temple for the living God and therefore thinkes hee can never be choice enough of the stuffe or workemanship whereas any rubbish trash or any slovenly slubbering over is good enough for another use Socrates was said to have cald Philosophy downe from heaven to earth so doth he draw the practise of Divinitie even to his earthly and domesticall and daily affaires and by this heavenly course rather then he should not bee in heaven makes his house wherein he walkes before God in the uprightnesse of his heart and sinceritie be it never so meane a Cottage a very heaven as Chrysostome speakes To conclude this That which the Ruffians in Seneca scoffe at in the sober young man is true of him in a sense more divine hee so workes so recreates him selfe so sups so drinkes so speakes so lives as one that is to give a just account to his heavenly Father wherein hee would not faile or bee taken tripping for all the world and in a word he passeth his life in this world as in a royall Temple which God hath built for his owne service the world is a sacred Temple to those that study perfection the moralist acknowledgeth appointing man his Priest every day of whose life is marked in the Calender of truth for an holy day upon which all other worke is unlawfull this onely we must labour that we may serve our course and keepe our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or turnes so faithfully in the Temple of vertue here that through it we may assuredly passe and be preferred to the Temple of honour which God hath prepared for us in heaven to which God hath framed it so there is no accesse but by the former as it was also signified at Rome in the two Temples which were so contrived and so called Secondly conformit as felicitatis A Christian is an heaven by a conformitie of happinesse which is so great that the Father calls it an heaven before we come to heaven not without reason There be two things indeede that make a broad difference sinne and misery which we are subject to here but shall be from hereafter and yet these two deprive us rather of the degree than of the truth of the perfection rather than of the possession of happinesse The present tense in Grammer is accompanied with the imperfect the future with the plusquam perfectum and such is the condition of our present and future happinesse our future is more then perfect our present is imperfect indeed but yet true happinesse Misery may eclipse it here perhaps but cannot extinguish it they may kill me said a Philosopher to the Tyrants but they cannot hurt me they may take away my head but they cannot take away my crowne saith the Christian and divinely Tertullian the thigh feeles not the paine in the sinew when the soule is in heaven the heire of heavenly joyes may passe through the vaile of teares and goe mourning all the day going weeping all the way scattering his precious seede with his teares but you know the saying an Heires teares are laughter under his mourning cloathes Sinne is infinitely the worse of the two and yet sinne doth not separate us from Christ it drives us closer to him rather and he cannot bee farre from heaven that is so neare Christ c For where Christ is there is heaven saith the Father Sinne doth not separate us from God who reconciled in Christ beholds us not as a Judge guiltie malefactours but as a father weake children and he is not farre from heaven that is so neare God for where the King is there is the Court is our common saying sinne doth not separate us from the communion of the holy Spirit who dwells in us and makes us living Temples of God and what difference I pray betweene the Temple of God and Heaven To end this in a word a Christian is in this world like Adam in Paradise which as some imagine was situate above the clouds and therefore not defaced in the universall Deluge of waters in the Paradise I say of a good conscience the Garden of God which is situate above the clouds of all misery where the Tree of Life is continually watered with the Torrent of pleasure which never leaves running till it ends his course in his Ocean of Eternitie Such is the Conversation of a Christian in Heaven but is Ours such That was the second Point we propounded 2. I am afraid that some may say after this character of a Christian as Linacer when he had heard our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount Either this is not Gospell or we are not Christians our Saviour asked who toucht him then when the multitude pressed about him many throng about Christ in profession and a forme of godlinesse but few touch him to draw any vertue from him and power of godlinesse many beare the name of Christians b to their judgement and condemnation not to their salvation and remedy as the Father speakes to whom we may say as Alexander did to a souldier who was called Alexander by his name but played the coward egregiously either fight better either live better or else presume not to usurpe the glorious name many flie to that of the Jewes The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and thinke to take Sanctuary and save themselves there from all danger as the Jewes fable that Og the King of Bashan escaped in the floud by riding astride upon the Arke without though they never enter as if they thought with Martius that they could not possibly be condemned within sight of the Capitoll the Temple For to point at these in a word are there not many Prophane persons whose conversation is in Hell like the Demoniacke in the Gospell whose abode was in the graves and how farre are they from hell thinke you who will goe rather to an Alehouse Whorehouse Playhouse then to the House of God Vbi fuisti Where hast thou beene apud Inferos in Hell saith Erasmus merrily comparing Tipling Cellars to Hell Her feete goe downe to death her
steppes take hold of Hell saith Salomon of the Harlot to leave a Sermon to goe to a Play is to forsake the Church of God to betake ones selfe to the Synagogue of Satan to fall from Heaven to Hell And what are they who doe nothing else all their life but warre against heaven more properly than the barbarous Scythians who thought they did it valiantly when they shot their arrowes against heaven which fell upon their owne pates the true Antipodes of God and all goodnesse that by a new found Art of memory never remember the Name of God that made them but in their oathes and blasphemies and by a new found Art of forgetfulnesse seeme to have forgotten their owne name as they say Messala did that they are called Christians that rather than faile of sinning with mutuall emulation like unhappie boyes strive who shall goe furthest in the dirt they thinke it a foule shame to be ashamed of sinne and their ambition is who shall be most famous for infamy The Jewes observe that the same word diversly pronounced Bethsheba with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shibboleth signifies the well of Oath and Bethsaba with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sibboleth the well of plentie I am sure for Oathes the Land mournes of which there is such store as if men by an easie mistake of the point used to draw and drop oathes as it were out of the well of plentie But I shall shew you greater abominations then these it is the Apostles exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God the word indeede is ambiguous and signifies sometime to follow and sometime to persecute the Apostle delivers this with the right hand and would have us follow and pursue holinesse as it were withdrawing our selves from earth and retiring to heaven and that apace for feare we overtake them not but many take this with the left hand and running upon a wrong sent follow neither peace nor holinesse but breake the peace by proclayming open warre and persecuting holinesse without which no man shall see God the tongue is set on fire on hell and they set their mouths against heaven and blaspheme the Saints Good Lord that ever the reformed Church should verifie that which the Poet wrote once of Rome Omnia cùm licet non liceat esse pium When it is lawfull to bee all things but to be piously disposed and these times to be the prophesie of the morall Philosopher when Honour is attributed to vice Gideon received those for his Souldiers that bowed not the knee to drink but lapt like a Dog and Iephta made that the tryall of life or death if they could pronounce Shibboleth and is not now swearing a sufficient pasport for entertainement in the world and drunkennesse as good as letters of Commendation for preferment he that is so precise hee cannot kneele to Bacchus and carouse it so hee that lispes at an oath Sibboleth and cannot thunder them out thicke and threefold with a full mouth Shibboleth dismisse him for a coward he is an Ephramite and as he was wont to doe note him in your Calendar for a Priscillianist a Puritan but they that can do both and with a grace he is a brave lad a true trojan a Gileadite For those two for the most part are companions in evill Simeon and Levi as though wine sprung out of the earth from the blood of the Gyants that fought against the Gods as they in Plutarch imagined so it armes the Tongue against God all his Saints whose persons because they are out of reach they rend and teare their names Poore blind men that offer violence to the Saints as Sampson laid hand upon the Pillars to plucke the house upon their owne heads For this I feare will be the end of this sport and I would to God onely the Princes of the Philistims as indeede they doe sate and laught at this the Poets say Iupiter never throwes his thunderbolt but when the Furies wrest it out of his hand I feare these Furies will draw Gods judgements upon us I know not what vaine hopes like false guides which set a man out of the way beare us in hand that we may goe by sinne and hell to holinesse and shut our eyes against the light of the Gospell and yet at last come to heaven the way indeede to hell is easie for as Bias scoffed the dead goe thither blindfold with their eyes closed but let no man thinke any life will bring a man to heaven as though Christ sent blood out of his side to redeeme us and not water also to purge his redeemed and wash them from their sinnes As though those whom the divell drives headlong to hell as once hee did the Gadarens hogs into the deepe had any reason to conceive they were mounting to the pinacle of the Temple to some high place in heaven who if there were as many heavens as there be dayes in the yeare as the Basilidians foolishly dreamed are not like to come to the lowest point of the lowest without more then ordinary repentance Secondly wordlings whose conversation is in earth who degenerate so far from all noble thoughts that they had rather be Terrae filii sonnes of the earth then heires of heaven which deface the Image of the heavenly Father stamped in the soule not in their coines with continuall rubbing against the earth Wormes and no men that doe not walke upright to heaven but crawle upon the earth the seede of the Serpent inheriting his curse to creepe upon their belly and licke the dust and like that better then the choice delicates the foode of Angels like the Israelites of whom Tertullian whose pallats rellish Garlick or an Onion of the Aegyptian earth better than the Angelicall viands of heaven whom the earth hathwholly swallowed up as once it did Corah who lulled asleepe with the flattering blandishment and faire entertainement they meete with in the world are nayled to the earth as Sisera was by Iael and will not so much as lift their eyes to heaven unlesse it be as the moralist observes that Hogs doe who goe nodling downe and rooting in the earth all their life and never looke upward till being ready to be kild they are laid flat upon their backe and forced so those men are all their life scraping in the dunghill and never thinke upon God or heaven till wrastling with the pangs of death they are even overcome and laid flat upon their backe then they that were prone to earthly cares like Martha like the woman in the Gospel that had a spirit of infirmitie and was bowed downeward and carelesse and supine to all heavenly things are forced to thinke of heaven but perhaps can brook them little better then Cerberus did the light at which he startled and strugled so when Hercules had brought him so farre that he had well nigh twitcht him downe backe againe
provoke us to this heavenly conversation First The excellency of heaven Jacob for the love of Rachel covenanted to serve an apprentiship of seaven yeares to Laban and when bleare-eyd Leach was thrust upon him he refused not her nor seaven yeares more that he might enjoy his beloved Rachel God hath two daughters eternall happinesse the sairer but the younger and sineere holinesse the elder indeed but not so lovely because she is something tender ey'd with the teares of repentance the exercises of mortification which yet wee must not refuse if we love the other The beautie indeede of celestiall happinesse like Rachel first woves a man to the service of God but this is the Law of the place the younger sister cannot be bestowed in marriage before the elder a man cannot enjoy beautifull Rachel unlesse hee bee content to imbrace bleare-eyd Leah a man cannot enter the joyes of heaven till hee have first passed through the valley of teares neither is the condition hard I suppose Iacob buried all his cares at last in the bosome of his beautifull Rachel and forgot all his labour in her sweete embraces as if hee had tasted a cup of Nepenthe or drunke the whole River of Oblivion And how much more shall a Christian in heaven They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy pleasures or as the old translation hath it they shall be drunken with the plentie of thy house upon which Saint Austin thus descants it is a most requisite and exquisite word they shall be drunken with the fatnesse of thy house I with this cup the Apostles were drunken and therefore being beaten with rods they went away from the councell rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ with this cup were the Hebrewes drunken and therefore suffered the spoyling of their goods with joy expecting a City in the Heavens with this cup were althe Martyrs drunk who therefore as we say a drunken man will take no hurt ran to meet death kissed the stake sang in the midst of the flames and felt no harme being farre from feare or paine Euagrius in Cedrenus bequeathed three hundred pound to the poore in his will but tooke a bond before hand of Synesius the Bishop for the repayment of this in another life according to the promise of our Saviour with an hundred fold advantage and the very next night after his departure appearing to him in his shape delivered in the bond cancel'd as fully discharged Beloved one day in the presence of God one day will make amends abundantly abundantly for an hundred yeares trouble you will not aske my bond for this I know you will take Gods word but then according to the Arabick proverbe shut your five windowes that the house and all that are therein may shine consult not with your senses with carnall reason which like Sarah laughs at heavenly promises looks onely to earthly possibilities and as the Sunne whose rising discovers the Terresttiall Globe to our sight but hides the starres and the coelestiall but beleeve these things beleeve them firmely and meditate on them freequently and as Antaeus overcome by Hercules renewed his strength by falling to the earth so let us quicken our selves to an heavenly conversation when wee finde the world hath dul'd us by raising our mindes to the consideration of the excellencie of Heaven Uanity of the world Quod hic facio What do I here said Monica Austins mother when she had heard an excellent discourse of the incomparable joyes of Heaven What doe wee here say I poring and losing our time about earthly things who are invited to heavenly What doe wee I will tell you like the young man at Athens who fell in love with the Image of Good Fortune an elegant statue that stood in the Senate house and because hee could not obtaine her for his wife of the Senate to whom hee commended his sute set a crowne a garland of flowers upon the head of it and put a rope about his owne necke and so died and they are not like to make much the better match who dote upon the glory of the world scarce a picture a counterfeit a shadow of true happinesse For what true content can all the world affoord a Christian They say it is not the great Cage that makes the Bird sing I am sure it is not the great fortune the greate estate that brings alway the inward joy the cordiall contentment therefore he who would seriously rejoyce let him take comfort in that which will never perish many times great estates like the Camels bunch will not suffer men to enter the straitegate no more than that creature can goe through an eye of a needle and like long garments a thousand to one if they doe not trippe up the heeles at the least if they doe not hinder our speede in the race of godlinesse whereas a meaner condition makes us seeke the way to heaven and secures us in it for as we see at London because they are straited for roome they build more in height and as souldiers are defended in their Tents by a trench dig'd round about which is nothing else but an hollownesse and want of earth as Parisiensis whose comparison this is so for the most part want of earthly things puts us upon a necessitie of seeking heavenly and withall is our best security against our spirituall enemies Glasse keepes out the winde and raine but le ts in the light and therefore is usefull in building and a moderate estate is not much unlike it in nature or use and therefore is most desirable which is neither so meane as to expose a man to the injuries nor so great as to exclude a man from the influence of heaven His left hand is under my head and with his right hand he shall embrace me saith the Spouse of her welbeloved in the Canticles and this is the dealing of God with his Church for the most part he bestowes the blessings of the left hand upon her in such a measure as to support her from perishing with want or extremity he holds her up by the other hand to keepe her from drowning his left hand is under my head but so still that she may be kept hungry and longing for the blessings of the right hand and account them the principall With his right hand he shall embrace me and while she is in this state she is so farre from murmuring that she sings this as a song of triumph and will be contentented not troubles her selfe about many things but in the words of Salomon Uanitie of vanities all is but vanitie bids adieu to the vanitie of the world and as the Father glosses upon these words to raile upon them and chide and raile them away Dignity of man They that looke towards the earth onely are but equivocall men c
men in name but not in minde to use the words of Chrysostome for what is there even in our nature which doth not lift us up to God to Heaven the frame and fabricke of our bodies so upright that it compels us to tread to trample upon the earth to looke up to heaven and for this purpose Anatomists observe that beside foure muscles in the eyes common to us with bruite creatures there is a peculiar one in mans to lift it upward the head is therefore round a fit seat for the minde and withall that it may be put in minde to thinke upon heaven whence it is and whereof the figure is a resemblance the heart is both a triangle and a Pyramis a Triangle because the world cannot satisfie it no more than a round can fill a Triangle but there will be empty corners still onely the blessed Trinity can fill the capacitie of the heart whose Pallace and Chamber of Presence it should be according to the Initiall letters of the Latine word COR which makes Camera Omnipotentis Regis The Chamber of the Omnipotent Ruler as some have seriously observed and an inverted Pyramis narrow below almost sharpened to a point that it might touch the earth no more than needs must Tota in puncto in Ieroms phrase the whole stands in a narrow point and broad above to receive the influence of Heaven The Rabbins also have observed that there be just so many bones in a mans body as there be letters in the Decalogue and just so many joints and members as there be dayes in the yeare teaching us to offer up a double Holocaust of all our strength and all our time wholy to God in the obedience of his commandements And the whole man is Inversa planta a tree turned upside downe as the Philosopher hath noted long agoe whose rootes are towards heaven from whence it derives all the sappe and juice of Grace which makes the branches towards earth flourishing and be fruitfull in good workes My well-doing extends not unto thee saith the Psamist but unto the Saints that doe excell in vertue and therefore to conclude this in a word because I know these are but allusions and Theologicall comparisons are not Syllogisticall to enforce an argument to prove is a worke most proper and peculiar to the heavenly Ierusalem Plant even Christ himselfe who is God-man blessed for ever in heaven as Clemens speakes And though the fall of man hath defaced the Image of God in him yet the very reliques of his Nature doe testifie that hee was framed for him for heaven for as the statue of Olympian Iupiter was framed lying all along upon the ground out of that vastnesse of proportion and stature that any one might easily discerne that if it were set upright the roofe of the Temple could not conteine it so man the Image of God though his fall hath layd him groveling on the earth yet even so we cannot but perceive that if Grace should please to raise him there is a royall capacitie in him for which all the world is too little For if nature hath not conferd so much dignitie upon man that he cannot stoope to the earth without abasing himselfe I am sure Grace hath Christ hath redeemed him with his owne blood and made us Kings and Priests to God and therefore 't is not amisse before we be serviceable for the world to put Alexander question to his follower that perswaded him to runne at the Olympicke games Doe Kings use to run at the Olympicks and to follow the instruction of the Philosopher to a Prince for a direction how hee should carry himselfe at a banquet in saying no more but this Remember thou art a Kings sonne Fourthly brevitie of life wee reade in Salomons Ephemerides there is a time to be borne a time to dye the time to live is so short as some observe that hee skips it over and vouchsafeth not once to name it The Philosopher affirmes that man is therefore the wisest of all creatures because hee alone can number and they note this as an essentiall difference betweene them that Bruta non numerant brute creatures cannot number I am sure this is most true of that divine Arithmetick which the Psalmist prayes for Lord teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome then wee may not spend our precious time upon trifles the Italian proverbe is he that will lodge well at night must set out early and take up his Inne betimes Beloved we cannot beginne too soone to set onward upon our journey toward the new Ierusalem the Iewes tell of Ben Syra yet a child that he begged of his master to instruct him in the Law of God who defer'd it and put him off saying he was to young yet to be entered into divine mysteries then hee replyed but master said he I have beene in the Churchyard and perceive by the graves which I have laine downe by and measured and finde shorter then my selfe that many have dyed younger than I am and what shall I doe then and if I should die before I have learned the Law of God what would become of me then master The consideration of our short life should cause us to make haste to learne to know and serve God and to thinke wee cannot begin to study that lesson too soone that can never be learned too well And withall to use all speede and diligence lest so as Chrildren have usually torne their books we have ended our lives before wee have learned our lessons let us therefore translate our care and greedinesse from earth to heaven and as some doe cut off their horses tailes to make their backes stronger and fitter for burden 't is the Rabbins comparison which they apply to liberalitie so let us cut off all superfluous expences of time that wee may afford to bee more liberall towards necessary and noble uses lest if wee let much water goe beside the mill wee spend much time beside the maine businesse as it was observed of Demosthenes that his breast was too short for his periods so wee finde it true in a case of the greatest importance that the period of our dayes be ended before we come to the period of our desires the comfortable assurance of eternall happinesse At least let us not thinke much to doe as much for heaven as we doe for earth Percute quâ aratrum bestirre thy selfe as if thou wert at plough said a father to his sonne Glaucus when he saw him overcome by his Antagonist at the Olympick games where hee had forced him to contend in hope of gayning great glory because he had observed great experiments of strength in his ploughing So may I say with the same diligence that men use in plowing the earrh if they would imploy it that way men might purchase heaven why then are we so foolish to refuse a motion so equall a bargaine so advantageous why doe wee sticke
to bid a point of Time to buy a Circle a Crowne of eternitie especially seeing we cannot but know it better then the heathen Philosopher did that pronounced all that resolved it Vnlesse I had beene admitted to partake of these it had beene no great matter to be borne unlesse wee get a part of heaven it was not worth the while for us that wee are borne Fourthly Necessitie double of ours times and place First Times for send your meditations abroad as Noah did the Dove out of the Arke and they will finde no place to rest but returne and tell you of an universall deluge of affliction which hath well nigh overwhelmed the Church of God unlesse as the Duke of Alva told the King of France who asked him whether he had observed the late great Eclipse no said he I have so much to doe upon earth that I have no leasure to behold the heaven so wee are so busied in the world that we thinke not on Gods kingdome or be so rude and barbarous to thinke the state of the Church is nothing to us abroad while we at home feele nothing But what if our selves be in more danger the more secure we are Have we any priviledge above our neighbours May not God justly take away his Gospel and his mercies from those that abuse them I read it observed in the Scriptures that when the Israelites came to eate of the fruites of the land de frugibus terrae the Manna ceased If Hony be thy friend doe not swallow all saith the Arabick proverbe Let us take heed we abuse not the gentlenesse of God toward us lest if we grow earthly minded God take away his heavenly Manna the richer the Wine is the sowrer is the Vineger saith the German and c if his love hath beene so unspeakeable towards us his hatred of our lewdnesse will be infinite like himselfe being voyd of limits and bounds saith a father and how shall we prevent our owne danger or relieve the miseries of our brethren When Ierusalem was taken there was heard they say a voice from heaven Migremus Let us depart hence let us doe so betake our selves to God to Heaven for helpe in these dangerous times an heavenly conversation lest Gods judgements sease upon us as the Souldier slew Archimedes while he was drawing lines in the dust so busily First Be zealous for Religion A Lacedaemonian woman delivered her sonne going to the warre his fathers Buckler with this mothers blessing either let me see thee bring this backe to me my sonne with life and victory or let me see thee brought back againe upon this dead with honour either fight victoriously or die valiantly The Serpent say they if he be so invironed that hee must of necessitle passe thorough one of them will sooner adventure upon the flame or fire then the shadow of the Poplar Tree Let us resolve either to live with the Gospel or dye for the Gospel and the faith of our Fathers the Buckler that defended them from all dangers and let us feare more the black shaddow of Roman superstition then the bright flames of a Marian persecution There is a prophesie reported in Telesphorus that Antichrist shall never overcome Venice nor Paris nor the royall city of London But we have a more certaine word and let us take heed we be not luke-warme in Religion lest God spue us out of his mouth Secondly be zealous in Religion To this end let us then practise First Serious repentance and sincere reformation If the booke of the Law chance to fall upon the ground the Iewes custome is presently to proclaime a fast why should not wee doe so who have let the Law of God fall to the ground many times and trample upon it too by disobedience I have heard sometime that one of the wisest Statesmen that ever sate at the sterne of this Kingdome had this verse written upon his Study dore Anglica Gens est optima flens pissima ridens The English nation is most healthfull when it swimmes in teares and more dangerous to fall into a sicknesse when it overflowes with laughter The truth whereof our late experience hath confirmed In the Plague what shewes of devotion what faire promises but some have well observed a double fault in our nation concerning the state of their bodies which may be better applyed to the state of their minds that the English are not sicke soone enough and they are well too soone to correct both which let mee give but one word of advice Let our repentance be swift and currant lest Gods decree outrun it and let our fasts be according to an old Canon which defines their continuance even untill the starres appeare in the Firmament and let us humble our selves betimes before the decree come forth and let us goe thorough still with the worke when it is begunne and resolve with Iacob I will not let thee goe untill thou blesse me Secondly Let us be servent and earnest in Prayer The Jewes have a blasphemous fable that our Saviour found out the right pronounciation of the name of God the Tetragrammaton and that wrought all his miracles but the right invocation of the name of God will indeede worke miracles and doe wee thinke much to aske and have There was one at Rome offered the booke of the Sibyls to sale entire and whole a rare monument but set a round price which the King would not adventure upon then burning the halfe of the bookes and doubling the price of the whole for the remainder he made a second offer and that was also refused hee made no more adoe but burnt againe the halfe of the halfe and doubled againe the whole price of the whole and so once more he offered the reliques the third time and then the King at last bethought himselfe and bought Beloved God offers us now his Gospell his sonne with peace and prosperity all blessings are as it were let downe from heaven to us in the sheet which Peter saw and that at no great price our prayers onely if wee make nice and dainty to purchase these blessings when the Lord is so willing to make sale I feare the time will come when wee would be content to bid teares and sweate and blood and our very soules for the least part of them and yet may goe without Let us pray earnestly then for our selves for our brethren let us not thinke much to weepe for them that bleede for Christ The Iewes have a saying that since the destruction of the Temple of Ierusalem the doores of Prayer have beene shut but the doore of teares was never shut a sonne of teares cannot perish Let us knocke at that doone Our place and Calling It is one of Ieremiahs Lamentations that they that are brought in scarlet should embrace the dung and the Lapwing is made an Hieroglyphicke of infelicitie because it hath as a Coronet upon the