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A07488 Goodnes; the blessed mans badge: or Gods character stampt on mans conscience In two sermons before the most excellent Prince Charles. By Richard Myddleton his Highnesse chaplayne. Middleton, Richard, d. 1641. 1619 (1619) STC 17871; ESTC S107387 56,318 177

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and of more maiesty and vse vessels of honor dishonor 2. Tim. 2. Thirdly those parts of the house that are destitute of goodnesse as sinkes draughts and such voyding places seruing for base yet necessary vses are ordayned to the common good of the whole house and so as that it cannot want them without a great inconuenience And therefore if the master builder to preuent these particular euills should leaue them our of his building he should preiudice and hurt the common good of his house which cannot bee without them So hath our God prouided in this goodly building of the World that euery man should bee good in his nature and kinde and that some should be vessels of honor better then the rest and withall that the wicked and impenitent which are the sinks and draughts to keepe the rest of the house sweete should for the common good exercise and seruice of the whole house be tollerated as necessary though stinking and noy-some euills Next are wee to consider the markes and euidences of goodnesse that it may bee knowne of euery man It is so painted out in the holy Scriptures and in such broade characters that euen runners may reade them Therefore if you would know where goodnesse is by the head you must obserue these foure enrollements First her witnesses Secondly her seales and assurances Thirdly vshers Fourthly her attendants First the witnesses which testifie for goodnesse are to bee found out For if witnesses bee needefull in euery doubtfull case then to prooue where true goodnesse is witnesses will bee most needefull If you please to call for them 2. Cor. 7. Saint Paùle hath rankt them for you into a short but sweete summe These witnesses are without all exception they wil proue infallibly where goodnesse is Let vs produce them The first witnesse is a care to come out of our sinnes The second is a clearing of the Conscience by a true and vnfayned repentance The third is an indignation against sinne and our selues for our sinnes The fourth is a holy feare to fall into any sin againe The fift is a great desire to be out of that fearefull and damnable estate The sixt is a zeale of Gods glory The seauenth is a punishing and taking vengeance of our selues for our sinnes that God may not punish vs nor take vengeance on vs here or hereafter Examine the goodnesse of thy heart by these witnesses If these witnesse for thee then happy art thou that euer thou wast borne if not labour to get these witnesses but take heede of suborning them The seales and assurances of goodnesse come next to be examined Call for them of Saint Peter 2. Pet. 1 they are also seauen in number The first of them is a liuely faith working by loue The second is a sound knowledge of God in Iesus Christ The third is temperance in all the good creatures of God the fourth is patience to beare sweetely whatsoeuer God shall please to lay vpon him The fift is godlinesse not to stagger or swerue from the commandements of God for any disaster The sixt is brotherly kindnesse in dispensing the blessings of God The last is loue of God and man euen our enemies that they may not want the vttermost of our helpe in body goods and minde If these things be amongst vs and abound wee shall neuer bee vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ These seales make our calling and election sure for if these things be in vs we shall neuer fall Let our labour bee to get these seales of goodnesse to seale vnto vs the inheritance of Heauen But the better to know this noble Empresse this goodnesse we must also behold her vshers For as Kings and noble Personages are knowne by their vshers euen so is goodnes Now shee hath not only one but fiue seueral vshers Gal. 5 no quarter waiters they waite all at once The first is called loue for all true goodnesse proceeds from loue The second is ioy for goodnes reioyceth whē it doth any good The third is peace for euen the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding is in the heart of him that loues goodnes The fourth is long suffering for no iniuries can abate his goodnes The last is gentlenesse to entertaine sweetly all occasions of doing good And then followes goodnes All these I call vshers to goodnes because they leade and conduct goodnes to all her honourable actions for these make the way for goodnesse to worke In a word the last meanes to know goodnes by is her attendants They are not many but they are very excellent you may euer know her by them They are but three Gal. 5 as Saint Paul accounts them but they are worth all the glittering traynes of Kings and Emperours of the world One of them is called Faith a fit attendant to waite on goodnes and all great personages The second is Meeknesse the sonne and heire of Faith euermore at the heeles of goodnes that shee swell not with any conceite of her owne worth The last is Temperance another of Faiths issue to bring goodnes onely necessaries and to keepe off all superfluities Thus goes goodnes attended you easily may know her by her traine no King in the worlde is so nobly attended For seldome doe such seruants as these get any roome to serue in with great personages Onely goodnes giues them entertaynement else they might goe a begging For who will admit into his seruice such poore base bare leane hunger-bitten strangers as faith meeknesse and temperance but I must make an end Thus you see what a worlde of excellent matter my theame offers mee euen a whole body of Diuinity an Ocean of learning But I must now be contented to haue brought you thus farre acquainted with goodnesse in hope that Gods grace may so work the loue of it in your harts that you may be enamoured and rauished with the wonderfull beautie of it And that this beautifull Rahel may possesse the loue of your hearts the onely way is to put away that bleare eyde Leah the loue of the world for the loue of goodnesse and the loue of this world can neuer stand in any league together The sicke person though hee change his bedde and lodging neuer so oft hath neuer the better rest because hee carries his sicknesse with him the cause of his vnrest So though we lie neuer so soft though we think neuer so well of our selues yea except wee put away the loue of our goods which doth hinder euermore the loue of goodnes we shall neuer become the children of goodnesse or heires with God Temporall things may wel be compared to the tree that the Elephant leanes vnto that beeing halfe cut thorow deceiues him when he leanes vnto it Like vnto mandrage which if duly taken is good phificke but if immoderatly it casts one asleepe congeales the spirits and killes the naturall faculties So doe riches and the things of this life if we