Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	able_a	church_n	zion_n	12	3	8.5984	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61120	Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...	Spencer, John, d. 1680.; Fuller, Thomas, (1608-1661)	1658 (1658)	Wing S4960; ESTC R16985	1,028,106	735

and in the end uncomfortable singularities To take heed of strife vain-glory and pride in their own conceits to have such humble judgments as that they can be willing to learn any though unwelcome Truth to unlearn any though darling Error have such humble lives and purposes as that they can resolve to obey with duty whatsoever they are not able with reason to gainsay And thus it is that War may be in the Church but not Contention and jarring Difference of Judgment hath and ever will be in the Minds of Men And why so THere was never any Instrument so perfectly in tune in which the next hand that ●ouched it did not amend some thing Nor is there any Iudgment so strong and perspicatious from which another will not in somethings find ground of Variance See we not in the ancient Churches those great lights in their severall Ages at variance amongst themselves Ireneus with Victor Cyprian with Stephen Ierome with Austin Basil with Damasus Chrysostome with Epiphanius Cyril with Theodoret. Desired it may be Desired it may be but hoped it cannot That in the Church of God there would be no noyse of Axes and Hammers no di●●erence in judgments and conceits For while there is corruption in our Nature narrownesse in our Faculties sleepinesse in our Eyes dif●iculty in our Profession cunning in our Enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard things in the Scripture and an envious Man to superseminate there will still be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that will be differently minded In this hard necessity therefore when the first evil cannot be easily avoided our Wisdome must be to prevent the second that where there is not Perfection yet there may be Peace that dissentions of Iudgments break not forth into dis-union of hearts but that amidst the variety of our several conceits we preserve still the Unity of Faith and Love by which onely we are known to be Christ's Disciples Men not to be Censurers of one another IT was an old trick of the Gentiles as Gregory Nazianzen Arnobius and Minutius tell us to object illiteratenenesse unto the Christians But a very unfit way certainly it is for Christian Men amongst themselves to refute adverse opinions or to insinuate their own by their mutual undervalewing of each others parts and persons to censure every one for dull and bruitish who in judgment Varieth from their own conceits If then they must needs be censuring let them look to what is wanting in themselves and to what is usefull in their brethren The one will make them humble the other charitable and both peaceable The joyful coming of Christ Jesus in the Flesh. WHen Solomon was made King they did eat and drink with great glad●●●● before the Lord 1 Chron. 29. 42. And at the solemn Inaugurations of such Kings and Princes the Trumpets sound the People shout the Conduits run wi●e Honours are dispensed gifts distributed prisons opened Offenders pardoned Acts of Grace published nothing suffered to eclipse the beauty of such a Festivity Thus it was at the coming of Christ Iesus in the Flesh Wisemen of the East brought Presents unto him rejoycing with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10 11. The glory of God shines on that day and an Heavenly hoast proclaim that joy Luke 2. 9 14. Iohn the Baptist leapeth in the Womb Mary rejoyceth in God her Saviour Zachary glorifieth God for the Horn of salvation in t●e house of David Simeon and Hanna blesse the Lord for the glory of Israel And after when he came to Ierusalem the whole Multitude spread garments strewed branches cryed before him and behind him Hosanna to the Son of David Hosanna in the highest Matth. 21. 9. And the Psalmist Prophesying long before of it said This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Psal. 118. 24. Hard to be drawn from Custome in Sin WAter may be easily dam'd up but no art or industry can make it run backward in its own channel It was by a Miracle that the River Iordan was driven back And it is very near if not altogether a Miracle that a Man accustomed to do evil should learn to do well That the Tyde of Sin which before did run so strong should be so easily turned That the Sinner which before was sailing Hell-ward and wanted neither wind nor tide to carry him should now alter his course and tack about for Heaven Hic labor hoc opus est this is a work indeed and that a hard one too To see the Earthly Man become Heavenly to see a Sinner move contrary to himself in the wayes of Christ and Holinesse is as strange as to see the Earth fly upward or the bowl run contrary to its own byass The commodity and discommodity of Learning AS the juice of the same Earth is sweet in the grape but bitter in the Wormwood Or as the same odour is a refreshment to the Dove but a poyson to the Scarabaeus So the same Learning qualified with Charity piety and meeknesse may be admirably usefull to edifie the Church which with Pride contempt and corrupt judgment may be used unto harmfull purposes as the Philosopher speaks Nothing is more dangerous then Wickednesse in armour Hence is it that Satan hath usually set on work the greatest Witts in sowing Errors in the Church as Agrippina gave Claudius poyson in his delicatest meat Or as Thieves use to pursue their prey with the swi●test horses so the Devill made choyce of Licentius a Man of rare parts but a corrupt mind Wherein Satan would fail of his end if Men would make no other use of their Gifts and Learning then to make them as engines and Instruments for the more happy promoting of Piety and pure Religion Holinesse an excellent thing ALexander coming with his Army against Ierusalem Jaddus the high Priest went out of the City to meet him adorned with his Priestly robes an upper garment of Purple embroydered with gold and a golden Plate on the fore-side wherein the Name of God was written The sight was so grave and solemn that the Emperour fell to the ground as reverencing the Name that was thereon inscribed Thus it is that in Holinesse there is such a sparkling luster that whosoever behold it must needs be astonished at it Nay even those that oppose it cannot but admire it Holinesse is an excellent thing a beautiful thing it carries a gracefull Majesty along with it wheresoever or in whomsoever it is truly and sincerely professed The least Man in the Ministery not to be contemned AS in a building some bring stones some timber others morter and some perhaps bring onely nails yet these are usefull these serve to fasten the work in the building Thus the Church of God is a spiritual building some Ministers bring stones are more eminent and useful others Timber others lesse they have but

strawes sticks mud or filth that it holds Thus it is with most Mens Memories by Nature they are but as it were pertusa dolia meer riven tubs especially in good things very treacherous so that the vain conceits of Men are apt to be held in when divine Instructions and gracious Promises run through trifles and toyes and Worldly things they are apt to remember tenacious enough but for spiritual things they leak out like Israel they soon forget them Psal. 106. 13. Sin the remainders thereof even in the best of Gods Children AS in a piece of ground even after the best and most accurate tillage some seeds and roots of those noysome weeds wherewith it was formerly much pestered will still remain and will be springing up be it never so sedulously never so assiduously managed So after the gracious work of Regeneration there will be a smatch of all Sin in some degree or other hence it it that Methodius an ancient Bishop of the Church compares the inbred corruption of Man's heart to a wild Fig-tree growing upon the wall of some goodly Temple or stately Pallace whereof albeit the main trunk of the stem be broke off and stump of the root be plucked up yet the fibrous strings of it piercing into the joynts of the stone-work will not utterly be extracted but will be ever and anon shooting and sprowting out untill the whole frame of the building be dissolved and the stone-work thereof be disjoynted and pull'd in pieces Four sorts of Men undertaking the work of the Ministery MArcus Antonius de Dominis that shufling Archbishop of Spalato then Dean of Windsor and furnished with a fair Mastership besides would needs put on for a good fat Parsonage in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of that Church Dr. Thomas White the same that founded Sion Colledg London being one of the Prebends opposed the motion hinting to the greedy Bishop the unevennesse of his desires by telling him that there were four sorts of Men that undertook the work of the Ministery quorum pascere quidam nec volunt-nec valent quidam valent sed non volunt quidam volunt sed non valent quidam et valent et volunt some that neither would nor could discharge it some that could but would not some that would but could not some that both would and could And thus it is that some are to be found in the midst of us who such is their ignorance that they neither will nor can divide the word aright such as leaping from the shopboard leave sowing of garments to make a rent in the Church or if by chance they looked upon the university they think themselves as su●ficiently inspired with the gift of Prophecy as he did with the gift of Poetry tha● dream't upon the top of Parnassus Others there are such is their unworthinesse that can but will not that are able but sloathful in the work of the Lord and look more after the Fleece then the Flock committed to their charge some also such is their unhappinesse that would but cannot as hindred by some natural imperfection in the want of Utterance weaknesse of Memory or the like Other some again such is their glory that both can and will deliver the whole truth of God preach in season and out of season to the great comfort of themselves and those tha● hear them How the Heart of Man may be kept up steady in troublous times TO make a Ship ride steady in the midst of a tempe stuous Sea Four things are required First she must be well-built strongly well-timberd not weak artificially well-moulded not tender-sided Secondly she must be down ballasted with some sad and ponderous lading Thirdly low-maste● and low-built may be added too for high-carved and Tant-masted Ships wil● fetch way in a stresse Fourthly Sure Anchor'd by which means though moved she may be said to live and keep her station Thus the Heart of Man if ever we think to have it steady and fixed in the midst of troublesome times if eve● we labour for stable and composed spirits that whatever Hurricano storms or raging Tempests come down upon the World upon the Church upon the places where we live or upon our selves we may be able to ride it out We must be built upon a sure foundation and that is Jesus Christ well timberd with sanctifying Graces down ballasted with sound Iudgment and true Christian direction Low-masted to be humble and lowly not heady and high-minded And lastly sure Anchored having a sound solid and substantial Faith Faith not fancy Hope not like that of the Hypocrite which shall be cut off Iob 8. 13. 14. To keep close to the word of God especially in times of trouble IT is reported by Mr. Fox of one Gregory Crow a Seaman that being wracked at Sea and having cast all overboard he kept his New Testament about his neck and so floating upon his broken mast was after four daies discovered by some Passingers taken off all Frozen benummed and as it were sodden by the continual washings of the water but which was most observeable he kept his book close to him Thus if ever we intend to keep our heads above water in the Sea of this troublesome World we must be sure to keep close to the Word of God and not to suffer it to depart from us let money wares Ship and all go ere we forego that So likewise in all our doubtfull Cases whether Vowes Oaths Marriages dealing with Men entercourse with God or any difficulty whatsoever go to the Law and to the Testimony for resolution being glad that God hath found out a way to cast the wavering scale and to direct our conversation Faith a sure Anchor-hold in time of distresse AN Anchor being let fall it passeth through the Water and violently maketh its way through all the waves and billows never staying till it come at the bottom where taking hold of the ground which lyeth out of sight thus by a secret and hidden force staying the Ship so as though it be moved yet it is not removed but still keepeth her station Of such use is Faith to the Soul of Man when it is in a stress tossed with the waves and billows of Temptations and trials threatning to swallow it up Faith breaks through all never resting till it come at God himself who is invisible and taking hold upon him by a secret force it stayeth the Soul and keepeth it from being driven upon the rocks or sands of desperation An Anchor it is and a sure Anchor t●at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Sheat Anchor which the Soul must trust to which it may ride and live by in whatsoever stress can come down upon it The exceeding love of God to Mankind admirable IT is reported of a certain Merchant in London that he made much of a poor Cobler that dwelt near him and did as good

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 ●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 tra●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 rig●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 do●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 ●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 aptn●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 P●imum mobile in the Heavens sets all the other Sphears a going which move and make musi●k as the Pythagoreans thought in the god's bosome As Ens in Logick communicates his beeing to the ten Pre●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

the Farms the pleasures the profits and preferments that men are so fast glued unto that they have hardly leisure to entertain a thought of any goodness Goodness and Greatness seldom meet together IN our natural bodies the more fat there is the lesser blood in the veins and consequently the fewer spirits and so in our fields aboundance of wet breeds aboundance of tares and consequently great scarcity of Corn And is it not so with our souls The more of God's blessing and wealth the more weeds of carnality and vanity and the more rich to the world the less righteous to God commonly What meant Apuleius to say that Ubi uber ibi tuber but to signifie that pride and arrogance are companions to plenty And what made Solomon to pray against fulness Prov. 30. but to shew that as they must have good brains that will carry much drink so they must have extraordinary souls that will not be overcome with the world Goodness and greatness do seldom meet together as Asdrubal Haedeus said in Livy Rarò simul hominibus bona fortuna bonaque mens datur Who is the man except it be one of a thousand Cui praesens faelicitas si arrisit non irrisit but if the world ran in upon him he would soon out-run it Perseverance is the Crown of all good actions WHatsoever is before the end it is a step whereby we climb to the top of salvation but it is not the uppermost griece whereby the highest part of the top may be taken hold of A man may be tumbled down from the ladder as well when he is within a round or two of the top as when he is in the midst or below the mi●st And a man may make Shipwrack when he is within ken of land as when he is a thousand miles off What had it profited Peter to have escaped the first and second Watch if he had stuck at the iron gate and had not passed through that also VVho maketh account of land-oats that shead before the Harvest or of fruit that falls from the tree before it be ripe It is not to begin in the spirit and end in the slesh not a putting of the hand to the Plow and looking back but a constant perseverance to the end that shall be crowned Prayers of the godly the unanimity of them WE read of Ptolomeus Philadelphus King of Egypt that he caused the Bible to be translated by seventy Interpreters which seventy were severally disposed of in seventy several cells unknown each to other and yet they did so well agree in their several translations that there was no considerable difference betwixt them in rendring the Text an argument that they were acted by one and the same spirit Surely then it must needs be a great comfort to all good Christians when they shall call to mind what seventy nay seventy times seventy yea seventy hundreth yea seventy thousand which are peaceable in Israel which on the bended knees of their souls pray daily unto God for peace And though they know not the faces no not the names of one another have neither seen nor shall see one another till they meet together in Heaven yet they unite their votes and center their suffrages in the same thing that God would restore peace and order both in Church and State and to every particular member therein that we may yet live to have comfort one of another who no doubt shall have a comfortable return of their prayers in Gods due time The powerful effects of Rhetorical Elocution THe breath of a man hath more force in a Trunk and the wind a louder and sweeter sound in the Organ-pipe then in the open air So the matter of our speech and theam of our discourse which is conveyed through figures and forms of Art both sound sweeter to the ear and pierce deeper into the heart there is in them plus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more evidence and more efficacy they make a fuller expression and deeper impression then any plain rough-hewen long-cart-rope speeches or language whatsoever can do A Caveat for unworthy Communicants MR. Greenham in one of his Sermons speaking of Non-residents wisheth that this Inscription or Motto might be written on their study-doors without and walls within on all their books they look in beds they lie on tables they sit at c. The price of blood The price of blood The like were to be wished for to all that have been bad Communicants that in great letters it were written on their shop doors without walls within on all their doors on their day-books and debt-books and whatsoever objects are before their eyes The guilt of blood the guilt of blood even the guilt of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ who dyed for them Every good Minister to speak a word in season opportunely EVery Husbandman as he hath so he observeth the seasons to sow his seed and his ground to cast his corn into some he soweth in the Autumn fall of the leaf some in the Spring and renewing of the year some in a dry season some in a wet some in a moist clay some in a sandy dry ground as the Holy Ghost speaketh He soweth the Fitches and the Cummin and casteth in Wheat by measure Esay 28. 25. Thus the spiritual Husbandman dealeth with the husbandry of his God he hath his seed for all seasons and for all grounds and all hearts some for the time of judgement some for the time of mercy some for the season of mirth and mourning as wet and dry seasons some for the birth and burial as for the Spring and Fall some for them who sorrow in Sion and some for them that rejoyce in Jerusalem Esay 6. 2. Pardon of sins the onely comfort A Traitor that is condemned to death may have the liberty of the Tower to walk in and provisions of meat and drink appointed at the States charges yet he takes little comfort in either because his Treason is not pardoned and he expects daily to be drawn to execution Thus a man that hath the advantage of all these outward things if he want assurance of the pardon of his sins and of Gods love in Christ Jesus to his soul they will be but as miserable comforters to him and he cannot take any true delight in them The difference betwixt Sermons preached and Sermons printed SErmons preached are for the most part as showres of rain that water for the instant such as may tickle the ear and warm the affections and put the soul into a posture of obedience hence it is that men are oft-times Sermon-sick as some are Sea-sick very ill much troubled for the present but by and by all is well again as they were But printed sermons or other discourses are as snow that lies longer on the Earth

spiritual Crosses and been prepared for the worst of times that could be Mans Extremity Gods Opportunity PHilo the Iew being employed as an Ambassador or Messenger to Caius Caligula then Emperor of the Romans his entertainment was but sleight for he had no sooner spoke on the behalf of his Country but was commanded to depart the Court Whereupon he told his People That he was verily perswaded that God would now do something for them because the Emperor was so earnestly bent against them And certainly Gods help is then nearest when Man 's is furthest off the one's extremity made the ot●er's opportunity Ubi desin●t P●ilosophus incipit Medicus c. Where the Philosopher ends there the Physitian begins and where the Physitian endeth there the Minister beginneth and where Mans ayd endeth there Gods beginneth Deliverance is oft nearest when destruction seemeth surest Parents not to be too much dejected for the death of an onely Sonne or Child ABraham was ready to have sacrificed his onely son Isaac And God gave his onely Sonne Christ Iesus to death for our salvation It is most true that the death of an onely Sonne must nee●s be grievous and the cause of great heavinesse and lamentation But let all disconsolate Parents take notice what Elkanah said to Anna Am not I better to you then ten Sons So doth God say What though I have taken away your onely Sonne the child of your delight there is no just cause of complaint I have taken but my own I will be better then ten hundred sons to you and you shall one day find that he is but gone before as your Feo●●ee in trust to take possession and keep a place for you in Heaven How it is that Men may be said to learn of little Children dumb shews c. SExtus Tarquinius the sonne of Lucius being suborned by his Father pretending to be banished fled fraudulently to the Gabii where having screwed himself so much into their bosomes as he thought was sufficient for his design sent secretly to know his Fathers pleasure who leading the Messenger into the Garden walked a while and not speaking one word with his staffe strake off the heads of the Dazies which grew there the Messenger reports this to his Son who thereupon put the chief Noble-men of the Ga●ii to death and so by force and Injustice usurped a power over that Common-weal Such was the tacite Counsell that Periander the Corinthian gave unto Thrasibulus the Tyrant of Athens when pulling the upper ears he made all the standing corn equall intimating thereby what a Tyrant must do that would live safe and quiet Thus it was but in a better way and a far better sense that when the Disciples were building Castles in the ayr quaerentes non quaerenda seeking who should be highest in Heaven when they should rather have been enquiring how to get thither Christ sets a little Child before them who neither thinks great things of himself nor seeks great things for himself con●uting hereby their preposterous ambition and affectation of Primacy And thus it is that dumb shews may be said to speak out much to the purpose and speechlesse Children read many a significant Lecture to the Sons of Men as of simplicity humility innocency ignoscency c. not of childishnesse peevishnesse open-heartednesse c. Non praecipitur ut habeant aetatem sed innocentiam parvulorum not of their age but innocency Whereupon some mis-understanding the Text in a Nichodemicall way as one Goldsmith an Anabaptist and Masseus a Franciscan Fryer to abundance of more then childish folly Gods Judgments the causes of them to be considered LAy a book open before a Child or one that cannot read he may stare and gaze upon it but he can make no use of it at all because he understandeth nothing in it yet bring it to one that can read and understandeth the language that is written in it hee 'l read you many stories and instructions out of it It is dumb and silent to the one but speaketh to and talketh with the other In like manner it is with Gods Iudgments as S. Augustine well applyes it All sorts of Men see them but few are able aright to read them or to understand them what they say Every Iudgment of God is a reall Sermon of Reformation and Repentance every Iudgment hath a voice but every one understands not this voice as Paul's companions when Christ spake to him they heard a voyce and no more But it is the duty of every good Christian to listen to the Rod and him that sent it to spell out the meaning of Gods a●ger to enquire and find out the cause of the Crosse and the ground of Gods hiding his face Why it is that he dealeth so harshly with them and carrieth himself so austerely towards the● The Love of God the onely true Love EVery beam of Light proceeding from the body of the Sun is either direct broken or reflex direct when it shineth out upon the Center in a lineary motion without any obliquity broken when it meets with some grosser body so that it cannot shine out-right but is enforced to incline to one part or other and therefore called a collaterall or broken light reflex when lighting upon some more grosse body it is beaten back and so reflects upon its first principle Thus let the Sons of Men pretend never so much to the Love of God their Love is either a broken or reflecting Love seldome direct broken when it is fixed upon the things of this World reflex when it ayms at self-Interest Whereas the Love of God is the onely true Love a direct Love without obliquity a sincere Love without reflexion such a Love as breaks through all impediments and hath nothing in Heaven but God and desireth nothing on Earth in comparison of him such a Love as looketh upon the World by way of subordination but upon God by way of eminency The Active Christian object of the Devil and Wicked Mens malice LUther was offered to be made a Cardinal if he would be quiet He answered No not if I might be Pope and defends himself thus against those that thought him haply a proud Fool for his pains Inveniar sane superbus c. Let me be counted Fool or any thing said he so I be not found guilty of cowardly silence The Papists when they could not rule him rayl'd at him and called him an Apostate He confesseth the action and saith I am indeed an Apostate but a blessed and holy Apostate one that hath fallen off from the Devil Then they called him Devil But what said he Prorsus Sathan est Lutherus c. Luther is a Devill be it so but Christ liveth and reigneth that 's enough for Luther So be it Nay such was the activity of Luther's spirit that when Erasmus was asked by the Elector of Saxony Why

Judgments AS those that have the Iaundise see all things yellow by reason of the humour of that di●ease corrupting the sight by the overflowing of the gall over the whole body So men of corrupt Iudgments misapply matters and persons and are not able to give a right Iudgment according to truth but run on according as their Fancy leads them just like a blind Man that can see no more light at noon-day then at mid-night and must needs there mis-judg day for night and night for day Wanton Hearers of the Word reproved SUch as have weak and sickly stomachs are alwaies finding fault with the Cater Cook or Carver and think they could feed a great deal better if there were better provision And thus there are some queasy wanton Hearers of Gods Word such as find fault with their Pastor and think they could edify much better by such or such an other Wherein they say they know not what For it is neither Paul nor Apollos that can edify that is give encrease make the Word effectual God hath reserved that work to himself that so his Ordinance not the gifts his blessing not the commendations of the Preacher might be regarded that the Treasure might not be esteemed for the Vessel but the Vessel for the Treasure and so neither Paul magnified nor Apollos despised nor either or both relyed upon and God himself neglected Nor Hearing severed from Prayer for that makes Prayer abominable nor Prayer from Hearing for that makes Hearing unprofitable but that both being joyned together our obedience in Hearing may make our Prayers accepted and our fervency in praying may procure our hearing to be blessed The vast difference betwixt the Power of God and Man IN matters of Arithmeticall accompts set one against ten ten against an hundred an hundred against a thousand a thousand against ten thousand although there be great oddes yet there is some comparison but if a Man could set down an infinite number then there could be no comparison at all because the one is finite the other infinite So it is betwixt the Power of God and Man set all the Princes and Powers of the Earth in opposition to God they shall never be able to withstand him It was once the saying of Pompey That with one stamp of his foot he could raise all Italy up in arms And the mighty Men of the World may have Nations Kingdoms and Common-wealths at their command but yet God is more powerfull then them all If he do but arise they shall all of them flye before him If he once fall to fettering of Princes it shall be done so sure that no flesh shall be able to knock off their bolts again If he but once make fast the barrs of our City gates we may trust to it they shall be so fast that no Invader shall be able to break them open so infinite is his power that in Davids thoughts it was not to be matched Psal. 89. The great danger of Apostasie IN the affairs of this life it is a shame for a Man to begin an enterprise and not to go through to begin a piece of Work and leave it off in the middle it will give just occasion for every Man to point at him with his finger deride and jeer him saying This Man began to build and was not able to finish that he hath taken a great deal of pains to no other purpose but to leave a Monument of Fol●y and Vanity for the World to laugh at And thus he that hath received the common graces of God and many good gifts of his Spirit which have enabled him to do much good and faithful service and then takes the grace of God and turns it into wantonnesse and smothers and quenches the Spirit Or having been in a fair way to Heaven having some time walked on Religiously and faithfully till he come within some sense of his Reward and within view of the Crown prepared for him then to turn out of the way and Apostatize in the broad way What is it else but to tread in a path that without Repentance will lead to utter destruction Heb. 6. Wicked Thoughts to be carefully washed off from the Heart IT is the part of a skilful Surgeon or Physitian not onely to take away any appearing Ulcer or to cool the heat of a burning Feaver with outward applications but to look into the inward causes and malignity of the disease and so to order the matter that the cause being taken away the effect may necessarily follow Now it is well known that the seed of all sins and the Well-spring of all Wickednesse ariseth from the Heart of Man the Heart is therefore to be washed as from all wickednesse so from all wicked thoughts they being the Sources and originals of all unrighteousnesse not that they are all so For they may be sometime accompanied with horror and detestation of Sin or cast into our Hearts by Sathan yet not consented unto but Men think too little of such thoughts the thoughts therefore that are to be thought on and cleansed from the Heart are such as proceed from our own corrupt Nature or suggested into our minds by the malice of Sathan whereunto we give consent and liking or else they be the allurements of the World which we cherish and delight in The high price of Mans Redemption AMongst the Romans th●●e their proper goods and estates which Men had gotten in the Wars with hazard of their lives were called Peculium castrense or a Field-purchase Well then may the Church and every true Member therein be called Chris●s Peculium castrense his purchase gotten not onely by the jeopardy of his life but with the losse of his life and bloud 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And if it were possible he would rather lose his life a second time ere he would lose the least limb for which his life was so laid down Gods great tenders of Mercy to repentant Sinners IF a Iudge of an Assize should say to a Felon or some Malefactor in the Goal Confesse but your faults and become an honest Man I will pardon you and not onely so but you shall be made a Iustice of Peace or some great Man whereby you shall have power to judge and examine others Surely he would upon this promise be moved quickly to confesse the Felony and forgo his theft Thus it is that the Iudge of all the World makes great tenders of Mercy that if a Sinner will truly and from his heart confesse his sins and resolve to leave them he shall have pardo● and not onely so but he shall be made a King and Priest unto God the Father an heir of God and joynt-heir with Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 17. The fulnesse of Reward reserved till after this life PLutarch though an Heathen yet of Honourable esteem even to this day amongst us hath a

the matter of Society laid open 337. The sincere upright man described 604. The scarci●y of such 612. How to deal with sin being once committed 603. Wherein the poysonfull nature of Sin consisteth 608. Sins lethargy 629. Sin to be removed as the cause of all sorrow 636. Sinne the godly Man's hatred thereof 642. The woful gradation of Sin 659. The best of Men not free from sin in this life 470. 548. Sin of the meanest Man in a Nation may be the destruction of it 509. The extream folly of Sin 510. Sin may be excused here in this World but not hereafter 514. Insensibility of Sin the sadnesse thereof 521. Sin in its original easie to be found 582. How sins may be said to ou●-live the Sinner 585. Sin the strange nature thereof 596. All Sinne m●st be hated and why so 598. God not the author of Sin 599. How it is that the singling out of one beloved Sin makes way to a full sight of all sin 351. Sin committed with deliberation premeditation c. greatly provoketh the Holy Spirit of God 353. To take heed of smaller sins as bringing on greater 354. 649. Men covering their Sins with specious pretences reproved 361. To beware of masked specious sins 368. Beloved Sins hardly parted withall 376. When it is that a Man is said throughly to forsake his Sin 391. Men deluded by Satan in not taking the right notion of Sin 395. Every Man to confesse that his own Sin is the cause though not always the occasion of punishment 421. New inventions of Sin condemned 453. The great danger of living in any one known sin 456. Sin unrepented of heavy upon the Soul at the time of death 456. Consideration of our secret sins a motive to compassionate others 457. No Man able to free himself from Sin 240. The great danger of sleighting the least Sin 256. 597. Sin not consented unto excusable before God 271. Sins of infirmity how to be known from other sins 273. Great Sins attended by great Judgments 286. Sin of a destructive Nature 288. 531. 607. To be affected with the falling of others into Sin 296. The great danger of Sin unrepented of 298. How it is that every Man hath one darling sin or other 327. The distemper of Sin not easily cured 332. Godly and wicked Men their difference in the ha●red of Sin 350. The more a Man is now troubled for Sin the lesse shall he be troubled hereafter and why so 350. The sad condition of adding Sinne to sinne 237. The least of Sinnes to be prevented 46. 593. Sin to be renounced as the cause of Christ's death 59. 649. Sin onely is the godly Mans terrour 132. Sins of Infirmity in the best of Gods Children 143. Sin overthrowes all 1●7 The retaining of one Sin spoyleth a grea● deal of good in the Soul 149. One Sin never goes alone 172. Strange Sinnes strange punishments 183. Not to be in love with sin 199. One foul sin spoyleth a great deal of Grace 203. When sins are at the height they come to destruction 205. The great danger of little sinnes 218. 367. 659. The sense of sinne is from God onely 221. Sinne of a dangerous spreading nature 415. How it is that one Man may be said to be punished for another Ma●● sin 419. Sin to be looked on as the cause of all sorrow 464. The slavery of Sinne to be avoided 499. 625. Sin to be looked on as it is fierce and cruell 535. Sin and the Sinner very hardly parted 536. Some one sinfull quality or other predominant 548. The great danger and guilt of lying under the guilt of any one eminent sinne 600. The sinsulnesse of sin 601. As to beware of all sins so of beloved sins 602. The growth of Sin to be prevented 10. How Sin is made the prevention of Sinne 39. Sin trampleth on Christ 50. Little Sins if not prevented bring on great●r to the ruine of the Soul 56. Sense of Sin is an entrance to the s●ate of Grace 56. Impossible for a Man to know all his sins 57. The difference of Sins as they are Men regenerate and unregenerate 60. The weight of Sin to be seriously peysed 77. Remembrance of sins past the onely way to prevent sins to come 83. Relapses into sin dangerous 89. Every impenitent Sinner is his own tormentor 50. A sinful Man is a senselesse Man 80. The Sinners estate miserable 89. A gracelesse Sinner will continue to be a sinner still 92. The wrath o● God best appeased when the Sinner appear●th with Christ in his arms 99. The Devils charge and the Sinners dis●harge 131. The Sinner's Meme●to 204. Desperate madnesse 639. The Sinner's security 216. God's acceptance of Sinners through Christ 217. The incorrigible Sinner's stupidity 264. His desperate condition 590. The secure carel●sse Sinner 509. Sinners crucifying the Lord of life daily 537. The Devil 's hard dealing with the ensnared Sinner 594. How the wounded Sinner is to be cured 595. An ungrations Son not worthy to be his Fathers heir 40. The excellency of Sonday or Lords Day above other dayes 539. To be more strict in the holy observation of Sonday or Sabbath then heretof●re And why so 540. Sorrowes of this life not comparable to the joyes of another 162. The best improvement of Worldly sorrow 185. Sorrow that is true is for the most part silent 293. The excellency of godly sorrow for Sinne 362. For a Man to be sorry that he cannot be sorry for sin is a part of godly Sorrow for sin 519. The least proportion of godly sorrow for sin accepted by God 520. Sorrow for sinne must be in particulars 559. Must be proportionable 560. Other mens sins are the good mans sorrow 581. A meer Souldier an enemy to peace 107. The truly noble Souldier 336. The Soul●ier's Calling honourable 415. Wherei● the true valour of a Captain or Souldier in War consisteth 544. The devout Soul will admit of none but Christ 10. More care for the body then the Soul condemned 11. No quietnesse in the Soul till it come to Christ 19. If the Soul be safe all 's safe 42. The Souls comfortable Union with Christ 44. How the Soul lives in Christ onely 44. The Souls sleighting of Christ offering mercies condemned 37. The winning of a Soul unto God very acceptable unto God 153. The health of the Soul is the true health of the body 162. To be careful for the Souls good 182. To take especial care for the Souls safety 348. 458. Men living as though they had not Souls to save reproved 368. How it is that Soul and body come to be both punished together 377. 675. The captivated Soul restless till it be in Christ Jesus 415 420. The Souls comfortable enjoyment of Christ 419. The Soul of Man pretious in the sight of God 462. Excellency of the Soul of Man 502. A foul polluted Soul the object of Gods hatred 503. The high price of the Soul 503. The folly of Men in parting with their