he haue destroied you and consumed you from off the face of the earth For remember I pray you what he saith in Deut. If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold of iudgement I will execute vengeance on mine enemies and I wil reward them that hate me I will make mine arrowes drunke with blood and my sword shall eat the flesh of mine aduersaries Phila. Truely Sir you may iustly feare that for our great contempt of the Gospell and generall coldnesse both in the profession and practise thereof God will take it from vs and giue it to a people that will bring foorth the fruit thereof Theol. Wée may well feare indéed lest for our sins especially our loathing of the heauenly Manna the Lord remoue our candle-sticke take away our siluer trumpets let vs no more heare the swéet belles of Aaron cause all vision to faile our Sabbaths to cease and bring vpon vs that most grieuous and sore famine of not hearing the word of the Lord spoken of by Amos the Prophet Then shall all our Halcion dayes and golden yeares be turned into wéeping mourning and lamentation God for his infinite mercy sake turne it away from vs. Phila. Amen Amen and let vs all pray earnestly night day that those fearful iudgements may according to Gods infinite mercies be held backe which our sinnes doe continually cry for and that his most glorious Gospel may be continued to vs and our posteritie euen yet with greater successe Asune No doubt it is a very great sinne to despise the word of God and I thinke there is none so bad that will doe it For we ought to loue Gods word God forbid else He that loueth not Gods word it is pitie he liueth Theol. These are but words of course It is an easie matter to speake good words And very many will say as you say but both you and they in your practise doe plainly shew that you make no reckoning of it you estéeme it no more then a dish-clout I thinke if the matter were wel tried you haue scant a Bible in your house But though you haue one it is manifest that you seldome read therein with any care or conscience and as seldome heare the word preached How else could you be so ignorant as you are Asune I graunt that I and some others are somewhat negligent in the hearing and reading of the word of God but you cannot say therefore we doe contemne it Theol. Yes verily Your continuall negligence and carelesnesse doth argue a plaine contempt Sure it is you haue no appetite nor stomacke to the holy word of God You had rather do any thing then either read or meditate in it It is irksome vnto you You read not two Chapters in a wéeke All holy exercises of religion are most bitter tedions vnto you They are as vineger to your téeth and smoke to your eies The immoderate loue of this world and of vanity hath taken away your appetite from all heauenly things And where as you shift it off with negligence as though that would excuse you the Apostle hits you home when hée saith How shal we escape if we neglect so great saluation Marke that he saith if we neglect Antile Belike you thinke men haue nothing else to doe but reade the scriptures and heare sermons Theo. I do not say so I doe not say ye should do nothing else For God doth allow you with a good concience and in his feare to follow the workes of your calling as hath béene said before But this I condemne in you and many others that you will giue no time to priuat praiers reading meditation in Gods word neither morning nor euening neither before your businesse nor after And although you haue often vacant time enough yet you will rather bestow it in vanity and idle pratling and gossipping then in any good exercise of Religion Which doth plainely shew that you neither delight in holy things neither is there any true feare of God before your eyes Antil I tell you plainly wee must tend our busines we may go beg else we cannot liue by the Scriptures If we follow Sermons we shall neuer thriue What do you thinke euery man is bound to read the Scriptures Haue we not our fiue wits Do we not know what we haue to do You would make fooles of vs belike But we are neither drunke nor mad Theol. That euery man of what condition soeuer is bound in conscience to heare and reade the word of God hath béen shewed and proued in the beginning of our conference But as for your fiue wits they will not serue your turne in these matters though you had fiftéene wits For all the wit reason and vnderstanding of naturall men in Gods matters is but blindnesse and méere foolishnesse The Apostle saith that the wisedome of the most wise in this world is not onely foolishnesse with God but indéed very enmitie against God And again he saith that the naturall man with al his fiue wits vnderstandeth not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned Most prudently to this point speaketh Elihu saying There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almightie giueth vnderstanding Antile I vnderstand not these Scriptures which you doe alleadge they doe not sinke into my head Theol. I thinke so indéed For the holy ghost saith Wisedome is too high for a foole Antile What do you call me foole I am no more foole then your selfe Theo. I call you not foole but I tel you what the Scripture saith which calleth all men though otherwise neuer so wise politike and learned very fooles till they be truly lightned and inwardly sanctified by the Spirit of God as appeareth Tit. 3. 3. Where the Apostle affirmeth that both Titus and himselfe before they receiued the illuminating Spirit of Gods grace were very fooles without wit and without all sense in Gods matters Phila. I pray you good M. Theologus let him alone For he will neuer haue done cauilling I see he is a notable cauiller Let vs therfore proceed to speake of the fift signe of Condemnation which is swearing Theol. It may well indéed be called a signe of condemnation For I thinke it more then a signe it is indéed an euident demonstration of a Reprobate For I neuer wist any man truly fearing God in his heart that was an vsuall and a common swearer Phila. I am flat of your minde for that For it cannot be that the true feare of God and ordinary swearing should dwel togither in one man sith swearing is a thing forbidden by flat statute And God addeth a sore threat to his Law that hee will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine but will most sharpely and seuerely punish that man Theol. You say true And God saith moreouer that if we doe not feare and dread his glorious and fearefull name Iehoua he will make our
great blissings vnto our children and posterity from age to age from generation to generation Phila. You haue fully answered my question and well satisfied me therin out of the scriptures yet I pray you giue me leaue to adde one thing vnto that which you haue at large set downe The Lord saith by the Prophet Amos that for their sinnes and rebellions hee had giuen them cleannesse of teeth that is dearth and scarcitie and yet they did not turne vnto him Also hee with-held the raine from them and punished them with drought and yet they did not turne vnto him Moreouer hee smote their Corne their great Gardens their Orchards Vineyardes Figtrees and Oliue-trees with blasting and mildeaw and the Palmer-worme did deuoure them and yet they did not returne vnto him Last of all hee smote them with pestilence and with the sword and ouerthrew them as he ouerthrew Sodome and Gomorrah and they were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning yet for all this they did not turne vnto him Yee haue not turned vnto mee saith the Lord. But now to come to the point Out of this I gather that if wee multiply our transgressions God will multiply his plagues vpon vs but on the contrary if wee would vnfainedly turne vnto the Lord our God with all our hearts all plagues should bee staied all dangers preuented and no euill should fall vpon vs. For because they would not turne therefore hee smote them If therefore they had turned hee would not haue smote them But now I pray you briefely conclude this point and declare in few words what it is that doth most materially concerne our peace and publike good Theol. These fewe then briefly I take to be the things which belong to our peace Let Salomon execute Ioab and Shemei Let Iohn and Eliah slay the Priests and Prophets of Baal Let Aaron and Eleazar minister before the Lord faithfully Let Ionas be cast out of the ship Let Moses stand fast in the gap and not let downe his hand Let Iosuah succed him Let Cornelius feare God with all his household Let Tabitha be full of good workes and almes-deeds Let Deborah iudge long in Israel prosper and be victorious Let vs all pray that the light of Israel may not be quenched And this I take to be the summe of all that belongeth to our peace Phila. The summe of all our conference hitherto as I remember may be reduced vnto these few heads First mans naturall corruption hath beene laide open Secondly the horrible fruites thereof Thirdly their euill effects and workings both against our soules and bodies goods name and the whole land Lastly the remedies of all Now therefore I would grow to some conclusion of that which you touched by the way and made some mention of namely the signes of saluation and damnation and declare vnto vs plainely whether the state of a mans soule before God may not by certaine signes and tokens bee certainely discerned euen in this life Theol. Besides those which before haue béene mentioned wée may adde these nine following Reuerence of Gods name Keeping of his Sabbaths Truth Sobrietie Industrie Compassion Humility Chastity Contentation Phila. These indeede I grant are very good signes but yet all of them are not certaine For some of them may be in the Reprobats Theol. What say you then to Saint Peters signes which are set downe in the first chapter of his second Epistle which are these eight Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godlinesse Brotherly kindenesse Loue. Saint Peter saith If these bee in vs and abound they will make vs neither idle nor vnfruitefull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Which is as much as if hée had said they will make vs sound and sincere Professors of the Gospell Phila. All these I grant are exceeding good signes and euidences of a mans saluation but yet some of them may deceiue and an hole may bee picked in some of these euidences I would therefore heare of some such demonstratiue and infallible euidences as no Lawyer can finde fault with For I hold that good Diuines can as perfectly iudge of the assurances and euidences of mens saluation as the best Lawyer can iudge of the assurances and euidences whereby men hold their lands and liuings Theol. You haue spoken truely in that And would to God all the Lords people would bring foorth the euidences of their saluation that wée might discerne of them Phila. Set downe then which be the most certaine and infallible euidences of a mans saluation against the which no exception can bee taken Theol. I iudge these to be most sound and infallible Assured faith in the promises Sinceritie of heart The spirit of adoption Sound Regeneration and Sanctification Inward peace Groundednesse in the truth Continuance to the end Phila. Now you come neare the quicke indeed For in my iudgement none of these can be found truely in any reprobat Therefore I thinke no Diuine can take exception against any of these Theo. No I assure you no more then a Lawyer can finde fault with the Tenure of mens lands and fee-simples when as both the Title is good strong by the law and the euidences thereof are sealed subscribed deliuered conueied and sufficient witnesse vpon the same and all other signes and ceremonies in the deliuering and taking possession thereof according to strickt law obserued For if a man haue these forenamed euidences of his saluation sure it is his Title and interest to heauen is good by the law of Moses and the Prophets I meane the word of God God himselfe subscribeth to them Jesus Christ deliuereth them as his owne déede the holy Ghost sealeth vnto them yea the three great witnesses which beare record in the earth that is water blood and the spirit doe all witnesse the same Phila. Now you haue very fully satisfied me touching this point And one thing more I do gather out of all your speech to wit that you doe thinke a man may be assured of his saluation euen in this life Theol. I doe thinke so indéed For he that knoweth not in this life that he shall be saued shall neuer be saued after this life For S. Iohn saith Now are we made the sonnes of God Phila. But because many doubt of this and the Papists doe altogether denie it therefore I pray you confirme it vnto vs out of the Scriptures Theol. The Apostle saith We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroied wee haue a building giuen vs of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Marke that he saith both he and the rest of Gods people did certainely know that heauen was prouided for them For the spirit of adoption beareth witnes with our spirits that we are the children of God And againe the same Apostle saith From henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall
heauen and wide gates into hell I pray you therefore proue them out of the Scriptures and lay them forth somewhat more largely Theol. The first which is Infidelity is proued out of the fourth chapter to the Hebrewes where it is written Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as vnto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it And againe They could not enter in because of vnbeliefe Héere we sée that vnbeliefe did barre out the old people from entring into the land of promise which was a figure of Gods eternall kingdome And sure it is that the same vnbeliefe doth barre out thousands of vs. For many will beléeue nothing but their owne fansies They will not beléeue the word of God especially when it is contrary to their lustes and likings profits pleasures Though things be manifestly prooued to their faces and both the Chapter and the Uerse shewed them yet will they not beléeue or though they say they beléeue yet will they neuer goe about the practise of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will say another When God saith yea they will say no and so giue God the lie Some againe will say if all bée true that the Preachers say then God helpe vs. Thus you sée how Infidelity doth barre men out of Heauen and cast them into hell Phila. Let vs heare of the second gate which is Presumption of Gods mercy Theol. This is set downe in the 29. of Deuteronomy where the Lord saith thus When a man heareth the words of this curse and yet flattereth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst that is one sinne to another the Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen Héere we sée how the mightie God doth thunder downe vpon such as goe on in their sins presuming of his mercy and saying in their hearts If I may haue but a Lord haue mercy vpon me thrée houres before death I care not But it is iust with God when those thrée hours come to shut them vp in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart as a iust plague for their presumption Therefore the Prophet Dauid seeing the grieuousnesse of this sin praieth to be deliuered from it Keepe me ô Lord saith he from presumptuous sins let them not raigne ouer me Let all men therfore take héed of presumptuous sins For though God be full of mercy yet will he shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy But they shall once know to their cost that iustice goeth from him as well as mercy Phila. Let vs come to the third gate which is the Example of the multitude Theol. This is prooued in the 23. of Exod. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill In another place the Lord saith After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein yee dwelt shall yee not doe and after the manner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances Against this Law did the Children of Israel offend when they said in the stubbornnesse of their heart to the Prophet Ieremy The word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare But we will doe whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth and we will doe as we haue done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem Note héere how they doe altogether refuse the word of the Lord and how to follow the example of the multitude Wée sée in these our daies by lamentable experience how thousands are violently carried down this streame and for defence of it some will say Doe as the most men doe and the fewest wil speake of you Which is a very wicked speach For if wée will follow the course of the most we shall haue the reward of the most which is eternall perdition Let vs therefore take héed of bending with the sway For the sway of the world doth waigh downe all things that can bée spoken out of the word of God and openeth a very wide passage into Hell Phila. Proceed to the fourth gate into Hell which is the Long custome of sinne Theol. This is noted by the Prophet Ieremy to be a very dangerous thing For he saith Can the blacke More change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good which are accustomed to doe euill Noting thereby that it is as hard a matter to leaue an old custome of sinne as to wash a black-more white or to change the spots of a Leopard which because they are naturall are most impossible So when men through custom haue made swearing lying adultery and drunkennesse as it were naturall vnto them oh how hard it is to leaue them For custome maketh another nature and taketh away all sense and féeling of sinne Phila. Let vs heare of the fift gate which is the Long escaping of punishment Theol. This is auouched by the wise man in these words Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe euill Where he sheweth that one cause why men are so hardned in their sinnes is because God winketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediately after they haue sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raine fire and brimstone vpon another and cause the earth to swallow vp the third then men would feare indéed But it hath béene shewed before that God taketh not that course but though he méet with some in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall neuer come to their answer Euen as an olde théefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwaies so escape and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts But let men take héed For as the prouerbe saith Though the pitcher goeth long to the well yet at last it commeth broken home So though men escape long yet they shall not escape alwaies For there will come a day of reckoning a day that will pay it home for all Thus you sée how impunity leadeth numbers to destruction That is when men are let alone and neither smitten by the hand of God nor punished by the law of the Magistrate Phila. Let vs come to the sixt gate which is the Hope of long life Theol. This is affirmed by our Lord Iesus concerning that rich worldling who
iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him with his stripes we are healed This great Prophet we sée doth plainly affirme that Christ suffered for our sins by his suffering we are saued The Prophet Ieremy testifieth the same thing saying Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I wil raise vnto Dauid a righteous branch a king shall raigne and prosper shall execute iudgment iustice in the earth In his daies Iudah shall be saued Israel shal dwell safely and this is the name wherby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnes This Prophet tumpeth with the other For he saith that Christ is the righteous branch that he is our righteousnes which is al one as if he had said our sins are pardoned only through him through him we are made righteous Moreouer he affirmeth that Iudah Israel that is the Church shall be saued by him The Prophet Zachary that I may speake it with reuerence telleth the same tale word for word Hée auoucheth the same thing with the other two Prophets For he saith In that day a Fountaine shall be opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse The meaning of the prophet is that in the daies of Christs kingdome the fountaine of Gods mercy in Christ should be opened and let out to wash away the sinnes and vncleannesse of the Church So then we sée that these thrée great witnesses doe all agrée in this that through Christ onely wée are washed from our sins and through him onely wée are made righteous Séeing then that eternall life is onely in the sonne therefore he that hath the son hath life Be of good courage therefore O Asunetus for no doubt you haue the son therfore eternal life Feare not your sins for they cannot hurt you For as all the righteousnes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the most righteous men that euer liued vpon the face of the earth if it were yours could doe you no good without Christ so all the sinnes in the world can do you no hurt being in Christ For there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Plucke vp a good heart therfore be no more heauy and sadde for if you be found in Christ clothed with his perfect righteousnesse being made yours through faith what can the diuel say to you what can the Law doe They may wel hisse at you but they cannot sting you they may grin at you but they cannot hurt you For who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God maketh request for vs. Reioice in the Lord therfore againe I say reioice For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world our Lord Jesus is stronger then all None can plucke you out of his hands he is a strong Mediator he hath conquered all our spiritual enemies he hath ouer come hell death damnation he hath led captiuitie captiue he hath spoiled principalities powers and hath made an open shew of them triumphed ouer them in his crosse He hath most triumphantly said O death I will be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie Séeing then you haue such a Mediator and high Priest as hath conquered the hellish armie and subdued all infernall power what néed you to doubt what néed you to feare any more Moreouer you are to vnderstand and to be perswaded that Gods mercy is excéeding great towards penitent sinners all such as mourne for their transgressions according as he saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart he will put them all out of his remembrance The Prophet Dauid doth most liuely fully describe vnto vs the mercifull nature of God in the 103. Psalme where he saith The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger of great kindnes he wil not alwaies chide neither keepe his anger for euer he hath not dealt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy towards those that feare him As far as the East is from the West so far hath he remoued our sins from vs. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust The Historie of the lost sonne doth most notably set foorth the wonderfull mercie of God towards penitent sinners There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace tender make much of such poore sinners as haue broken and contrite hearts for their sinnes for it is saide that when the father saw his repenting sonne a great way off he had compassion on him and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him and cloathed him with the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand shooes on his féet and caused the fat calfe to be killed for him Euen so the euer lasting father doth reioyce at the conuersion of any of his lost sons Yea there is ioy in the presence of the angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Moreouer the Lord doth most liuely expresse his merciful nature and disposition in this that he is very loath we should perish willingly cast away our selues Therfore often in the holy scriptures he doth mourne for vs bewaile our wretchednes and taketh vp many pitifull complaints and lamentations for vs saying Oh that my people had hearkned vnto me and Israel had walked in my waies And againe Oh that thou hadst hearkened vnto my commandements then had thy prosperity been as the floud and thy righteousnesse as the waues of the Sea Againe he mourningly complaineth by his Prophet Hosea saying Oh Ephraim what shall I do vnto thee Oh Iudah how shall I entreat thee And in another place What could I doe more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done Mark here how compassionately the Almighty God doth yearn ouer vs and euen as it were blée◠vpon our wounds The Apostle also doth note the rich mercy maruellous loue of God to mākind in this that he doth beséech vs pray vs by the ministers of the gospel that we would be reconciled vnto him The words are these Now then are we embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs sted that you be reconciled vnto God Is it not a strange thing that the omni potent God should fall to intreating of vs poore wretches It is all one as if a King should intreat a begger whom
iust cause of mourning wéeping and lamentation because such abhomination is committed in Israel Dauids eies gushed out with riuers of téeres because men kept not Gods lawes and an horrible feare came vpon him because men forsooke the law of God Ieremy did sigh in secret wishing that his head were ful of water his eies a fountaine of téeres because of the sins of the people Nehemiah mourned for the transgressiō of Gods people Lots iust soule was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites shall we mourn nothing at all for these things shall we be no whit grieued for the pride of our land shall we shed no téeres for such horrible intolerable abhomination They are odious in the sight of God and men the aire stinketh of them It is Gods maruellous patience that the diuel doth not carry them away quicke and rid the earth of them or that fire brimstone doth not come downe from heauen consume them Antil You are too hot in these matters of attire you make more of them then there is cause Asune I conne him thanke Gods blessing on his heart I shall loue him the better while I know him because he is so earnest against such shamefull and detestable pride Is it not a shame that women professing true Religion should make themselues such pictures puppets and peacockes as they doe And yet I heare few preachers in the pulpit speake against it Antil I maruell you should be so earnest in matters of apparell You know well enough that apparell is an indifferent thing and that Religion and the kingdome of God doth not consist in these things Theol. I know right well that apparell in it owne nature is a thing indifferent but lewd wanton immodest and offensiue apparell is not indifferent For all such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them and maketh them sinfull and euill by circumstance For otherwise why should the Lord threaten by his Prophet that he would visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as were clothed with strange apparell that is the fashions of other countries Zeph. chap. 1. 8. Againe why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and minsing minions of Ierusalem for their pride and vanity in attire if there were no euill in such kinde of abuse the Lord saith thus in the third of Esay against those braue gallant dames Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walke with stretched-out neckes and with wandring eies walking and minsing as they go and make a tinkling with their feet therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Zion bald and the Lord shall discouer their secret parts In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calles and the round tires the sweet bals and the bracelets and the bonnets the tiers of the head and the stops the head-bands and the tablets the ear-rings the rings and the mufflers the costly apparell and the vailes and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoods and the lawnes And in stead of sweete sauour there shall be stinke and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing of the haire baldnesse and in stead of a Stomacher a girding of Sacke-cloth and burning in steade of beautie Then shall her gates mourne and lament and shee being desolate shall sit vpon the ground Thus we sée how terrible the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of Ierusalem for their excessiue and abhominable pride And this may wel be a Mirrour for the proud minions of our age which assuredly may well feare the Lord will bring some such iudgement vpon them as hée did vpon the daughters of Ierusalem For their sin is as great in this kinde as was the daughters of Zion and God is the same God now that he was then to punish it Antile Tush neuer speake so much of these matters of apparell For we must doe as others doe and follow the fashion or else wee shall not be esteemed Theol. If you follow them not you shall be more estéemed of God of his Angels Saints and all good men As for all others if you estéeme them more then these you shew what you are Antil Well for all that say you what you will pride is in the heart and not in the apparell For one may be proud of plaine apparell as well as of costly And some are as proud of their falling bands and little sets as others are of their great ruffes Theol. You speake foolishly For how know you that can you iudge mens hearts inward affections Can you say when mens and womens apparell is sober modest and Christian-like that they haue proud hearts are proud of that attire You goe very farre indéed to iudge the heart You ought to iudge charitably of such as goe soberly and modestly attired euen that their heart is according to their attire As for you we may rather thinke your heart is vaine light and foolish because your attire doth strongly argue it And as the Prophet saith The triall of your countenance testifieth against you you declare your sinnes as SODOME and hide them not Antile I pray you then set downe some rules for apparell out of the Scripture Theol. I may well set downe what I will but surely most men and women will do what they list For verily it may be thought that many of this age haue forsworn God his word al goodnesse For they are come to this point let God say what he will they will do what they list For as the Prophet saith They haue made a couenant with Hell and with death and are growen to an agreement Esay 28. 15. And I doe verily thinke if God himselfe should come downe from Heauen in his owne person and disswade men and women from this vanitie of apparell yet would they still vse it as it were in despite of God and as it were to anger him the more For they are so extraordinarily enamoured and so immoderately delighted with it and do so continually and altogether dote on it and are so wood mad of it that they will haue it though men and angels and all the world say nay nay which is more though they should go to the diuel quicke with it And therfore it is but lost labour to speake against it preach against it or write against it It is but euen to plough the sea or knocke at a deafe mans doore for there is no hope of any reformation Onely this we gaine that the world is reprooued and conuicted of sinne and these things shall stand in record against them in the last day so that they may say they had a faire warning and that there was a Prophet amongst them Philaga Yet for all this I pray you set vs downe some directions and rules out of Gods holy booke concerning attire For albeit some bee very bad and
an harlot drop as an honie-combe the roofe of her mouth is fofter then oile yet her latter end is bitter as worm-wood and as sharpe as a two edged sword All these prudent speeches of the holy Ghost doe most euidently shew vnto vs what a feareful thing it is to commit whoredome and so to fall into the hands of whores and harlots Therefore Iob saith of the wicked Their soule dieth in youth and their life among the whore-mongers Phila. You haue very well shewed out of Gods booke the great danger of whoredome and adultery And it is greatly to be lamented that men in this age make so light of it as they doe and that it is so common a vice nay that some alas with griefe I speake it doe professe it liue by it and prostitute themselues wholly vnto it Theol. Such men and women may iustlie feare the plaguing hand of God for the Lord saith by his Prophet Though I fed them to the full yet they commited adultery and assembled themselues by companies in harlots houses They rose vp in the morning like fed horses euery man neigheth after his neighbours wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this Phila. Me thinketh if men were not altogether hardned in this sinne and euen past feeling and past grace this threatning and thundring of God himselfe from heauen should terrifie them Theol. A man would thinke so indéede but now we may take vp the old complaint of the Prophet I hearkened and heard and loe no man spake aright no man repented him of his euill saying What haue I done Euery one turned to their race as the horse rusheth into the battell Antile Tush whoredome is but a tricke of youth and wee see all men haue their imperfections Theol. You speake prophanely and wickedly For shall wee count that but a trick of youth for the which the Lord smote thrée and twenty thousand of his owne people in one day Shall we count that but a trick of youth for the which the Lord threatned Dauid his owne seruant that the sword should neuer depart from his house Shall we count that but a trick of youth for the which Hamor and Shechem the father and the sonne and many other both men women and children were cruelly murdred by Simeon and Leui the sonnes of Iacob Shall we count that but a trieke of youth for the which the Lord slew Hophni and Phineas the two sonnes of Eli the Priest in the battell of the Philistines Shall we thus set all at six and seuen and make light of such horrible villanies Doth not the seueritie of the punishments shew the greatnesse of the sinne Doth not the Apostle say These things came vpon them for our ensamples vpon whom the ends of the world are come and yet you passe it ouer with a tush and a tricke of youth as if God were to be dallied with No no be not deceiued God is not mocked They which will not be mooued now in hearing shall one day be crushed in pieces in féeling And they which now call whordome a tricke of youth shall one day howle and crie yell and yelpe for such trickes with woe and alas that euer they were borne Antil Oh sir you must beare with youth youth you know is fraile and youth will be youthfull when you haue said all that you can Theol. Yes but God doth allow no more libertie vnto youth then vnto age but bindeth all vpon paine of death to the obedience of his commandements The Apostle saith Let yoong men be sober minded Dauid saith Wherewith shall a yoong man cleanse his way In taking heede thereto according to thy worde The wise man saith Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And further addeth that if they will needes follow their lusts their pleasures and their owne swinge yet in the end he will bring them to iudgement arraigne them condemne them and tame them in hell fire well enough Phila. Yet we see men are so violently carried after their lust and so desperately bent that they will haue the present sweet and pleasure of sin come of it what will Come sicknesse come death come hell come damnation they are at a point they will pay the highest price for their lustes They will purchase their pleasures with the losse of their soules Oh wofull purchase O damnable pleasures Theol. Swéet meat will haue sower sawce and a dramme of pleasure a pound of a sorrow Such cursed catifes shal at last pay a deare shot for their pleasures Such desperate wretches shall one day know to their euerlasting woe what it is to prouoke God to sin with so high an hand against him They shall well know in spight of their hearts that vengeance is prepared for the wicked and that there is a God that iudgeth the earth Let al men therfore take héed in time For whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge And the Apostle saith flatly That whoremongers and Adulterers shall not inherit the kingdome of God Let therefore no fornicator or vncleane person bee found amongst vs as was Esau But let vs abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And let euery one know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and nor in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God 1. Thess 4. 5. Héerein let vs consider the wise spéech of an ancient Father Sinne while it is in dooing ministreth some pleasure but when it is committed the short pleasure thereof vanisheth awaie and long sorrow commeth in stead of it Neither let vs héere reiect the saying of a wise Heathen Shunne pleasure for feare of smart Sowre things follow sweet and ioy heauinesse Antile Yet for all this you shall not make me beleeue that whoredome is so hainous a mattter You make more of it then it is Theol. True indéed For you and such as you are will beléeue nothing against your lusts and fleshly delights and that is the cause why you are deafe on this eare I will therfore adde a word or two more out of the oracles of God to that which hath vin spoken The wise king saith He that committeth Adulterie with women destroieth his owne soule and so is accessarie to his owne death which is no small matter For wée vse to say if a man hang himselfe drowne himselfe or any manner of way make away himselfe that he was cursed of God that Gods hand was heauie against him that the diuell ought him a shame and now he hath paid it him And all the countrey rings of such a strange accident when and where it falleth out and the Crowner of the Countrey doth sit vpon it How much more may all the world wonder at this that a man should destroy his owne soule and wittingly and willingly cast
yet appeare what they shall bee but when hee commeth they shall bee made like vnto him Their names are already taken and entred into the booke of life and one day they shal be crowned One day it shall be said vnto them Come yee blessed c. One day they shall enioy his presence where is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for euermore Psal 16. Therefore let all Gods secret ones reioyce sing and be mery For howsoeuer in this world they be contemned trodden vnder the foot made no bodies and walke as shadowes being counted as the very rags of the earth and the abiects of the world yet the time wil come when their happinesse and felicitie shall be such as neuer entred into the heart of man it is endlesse vnspeakeable and vnconceiueable Phila. I doe now plainely see that there is no cause why Gods people should be too heauy and dumpish in their afflictons I see that though they be not free from all afflictions yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions For no rod no crosse no chastisement is hurtfull vnto them but all in the conclusion commeth to a blessed issue Theol. You haue vttered a great and a most certaine truth For there is no affliction or trial which God imposeth vpō his children but if they endure it quietly trust in his mercy firmely and tary his good pleasure obediently it hath a blessed and comfortable end Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the middest of their sorrowes They may with patience comfort submit themselues to their Fathers corrections taking them patiently and euen kissing his holy rod and saying in themselues Sith my Father will haue it so I am content séeing it is his minde I am willing withall As old Ely said It is the Lord let him doe what hee will And as Dauid in like submission said in a certain case Behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his owne eyes And in another place he saith I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hast done it Behold here then the patience of Gods Saints and their humble submission vnto his most holy will They know all shall end well and that maketh them glad to thinke of it I conclude then that the children of God are happy in what state soeuer they are happy in trouble happy out of trouble happy in pouertie happy in plenty blessed in sicknesse blessed in health blessed at home likewise and abroad and euery way blessed But on the contrary the wicked are cursed in what state soeuer they are cursed in sicknesse cursed in health cursed in plenty cursed in pouertie cursed in prosperitie cursed in aduersitie cursed in honour cursed in dishonour For all things worke together for their destruction Nothing doth them any good They are not any thing the better either for Gods mercies or iudgements All weathers are alike vnto them They are alwayes the same in prosperitie and aduersity they are no changelings And as we say A good yeare doth not mend them nor an ill yeare paire them Phila. You haue long insisted vpon this point Now proceed to the fourth signe of a mans damnation which is the contempt of the Gospell and lay open both the greatnesse of the sinne and the danger of it Theol. This sinne is of another nature then the former It is a sinne against the first Table It toucheth the person of God himselfe For to contemne the Gospell is to contemne God himselfe whose Gospell it is If to contemne the Ministers of the Gospell be to contemne God and Christ as our Lord Jesus auoucheth Luke 10. 16. how much more then to contemne the Gospell it selfe Therefore it is dangerous meddling in this sinne It is to meddle with edged tooles to meddle with princes matters to touch the Arke to come héere the holy mountain which all were things full of great perill and danger Yea it is to spill the Sacrament It is Noli me tangere It is to raile at a King It is to spit God in the face It is high treason against the King of glory Therefore this sinne of all other can neuer be endured and may at no hand be borne withall For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes can he put vp the contempt of his owne person Can he abide any to spit at his Scepter or to throw a stone at it No surely hée will not Therefore the holy Ghost saith He that despiseth Moses Lawes dieth without mercy vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee worthy which treadeth vnder foot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith hee was sanctified and doth despise the Spirit of grace And againe If they were punished which obeied not the word spoken by Angels how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation If they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth how shall wee escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from heauen Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith That it shall be easier for Sodome in the day of iudgement then for the contemners of the Gospell Moreouer he saith The Queene of the South shall rise vp in iudgement against all froward despisers of his Word For she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater then Salomon is heere For Christ is greater then Salomon his doctrine and wisedome farre more excellent And therefore their sinne is the greater which contemne it They shall neuer be able to answer it For the spirit saith Hee that despiseth the word shall be destroied S. Peter also telleth vs that the old world and men of the first age are now in hell fire because they both despised were disobedient to the doctrine of Christ which though not personally yet in his diuine spirit he spake by Noah So then we sée clearely God will neuer take it at our hands that his glorious Gospell should be so vniuersally openly contemned as it is Phila. You haue spoken most truly and also shewed it out of the Scriptures that the contempt of the Gospell is a most hainous sin yet for all that it is most lamentable to consider how little men esteeme it and how light they make of it Many regard it no more then an eg-shell they thinke it is not worth a gally half-penny they will not goe to the doore to heare it they take it to be but a breath from vs and a sound to them and so the matter is ended They esteeme it but as a noise or empty sound in the aire or as a voice afar off which a man vnderstandeth not they neuer felt the power of it in their hearts Therefore they preferre their sheep their Farmes their Oxen their profits their pleasure yea euery
thing before it they know it not to be any such pretious iewell as it is Although our Lord Iesus himselfe compare it to a hid treasure and a most pretious pearle yet these filthy Swine of the world tread it vnder feet For they know not the price of it though Salomon the wise saith All the marchandise of gold siluer pearle pretious stons are not to bee compared vnto it yet these beasts these dogs and hogs of the world contemne it They esteeme a cow more then Christs most glorious Gospell They are like Esops cocke which made more account of a Barlie corne then all the pretious stones in the World they are like little children that esteeeme their rattles more then a bag of gold they are like the Gadarenes which esteemed their Hogs more then Christ and his Gospell they make nothing of it They thinke it not worth the while Many of them sit idle in the streets euen vpon the Sabboths While the Gospell is preached in their churches many are at cards and tables in Ale-houses Many vpon the Sabboths sleep vpon their beds all the Sermon while in the after-noone Many will heare a Sermon in the fore-noone and they take that to be as much as God can require at their hand and that he is somewhat beholden vnto them for it but as for the afternoon they will heare none then they will to bowles or Tables These men serue God in the forenoone and the diuell in the afternoone some run after whores and harlots on the Sabboths some run to dancing and bear-baitings some sit vpon their stalles some sit in their shops some by the fire side some sit idly in the streets some goe to the stoole-ball and other looke on O miserable wretches O cursed catifes O monstrous hel-hounds which so grosly and openly contemne the Gospell of Christ What will become of them in the end Assuredly their damnation sleepeth not A thousand deathes wait for them they lie open on all sides to the wrath of God And wee may wonder at his maruellous patience that he doth not throw downe balles of wild-fire from heauen to consume and burne vp both them their shops and houses and euen make them spectacles of his vengeance for so notorious contempt of such sacred holy and high things Theo. You haue spoken very truly zealously and religiously and I doe greatly commend you for it And I must néeds affirme the same things For they cānot be denied And for mine own part I think the Gospell was neuer so openly contemned in any age of a people liuing vnder the profession of it and vnder a godly and christian prince as it is in this age For howsoeuer some make a shew of religion yet they haue denied the power thereof They turne the grace of God into wantonnes as S. Iude saith vers 4. They make the Gospel a cloake for their sins They receiue it imbrace it as it wil best stand with their profits pleasures their lusts likings their credit policies and not a iot further They will practise it at their leasure These men professe they know God but by their works they deny him are abhominable disobedient and to euery good work reprobate This age is full of such carnall Protestants Phil. This age indeed aboundeth with many hollow hearted hypocrites dissemblers time-seruers which howsoeuer they make a face and beare a countenance as though they loued the Gospell yet their heart is not with it Their heart is with Atheisme their heart is with Popery They haue a Pope in their bellie they bee Church-Papists Howsoeuer now and then they come to the Church and heare a Sermon and shew a good countenance to the preacher yet their heart goeth after couetousnesse The Lord complaineth of this by his Prophet Ezechiel saying This people will sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not do them For with their mouths they make iests and their hart goeth after couetousnes God complaineth of this also by his Prophet Ieremy saying Will you steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsly stand before me in this house whereupon my name is called say we are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations Is this house become a den of theeues wherupō my name is called Where we see how the Lord doth chide his people and sharply reproue them for abusing of his temple worship sacrifices making them a cloake for their sins and making his house a den of theeues which should bee an assembly of Saints Now all this is a liuely description of our time wherein many vse the exercises of the world prayer and sacraments not to kil and mortifie sin but to nourish and shelter their sinnes For they blindly imagine that if they come to the church pray and heare the Sermon they are discharged of their sins though they leaue them not They imagine they haue giuen God his full due and that therefore they may be the more bold to sin afterward These kind of hypocrites are like rogues which vse medicines not to cure sores but to make sores These are like the Papists which think if they heare masse in the morning they may doe what they list all the day after Theol. I sée now you haue very well profited in the knowledge of God true religion You haue spoken soundly and like a man of knowledge in Gods matters For the common sort of people thinke indéed that all religion consisteth in the outward seruice of God though their hearts be far from him To whom God may iustly say This people draweth neere me with their lips but their hearts are far from me Of whom also God may iustly take vp all his iust complaints of his people Israel and Iudah which are so frequent in all the Prophets to wit that he did abhorre their sacrifices loath their oblations detest their incense despise their new Moones disdaine their rams lambs and goats accounting them all but as mans blood dogs blood swines blood and all because their hands were full of blood because they executed not iustice iudgment in the gate because they were not obediēt to his wil because their harts were not with him because they vsed or rather abused all these things as shelters for their sins Phila. The great contempt of the Ministers of the Gospell in this age doth strongly argue the contempt of the Gospell it selfe For a man cannot loue the Gospell and hate the faithfull Ministers thereof But wee see by lamentable experience that the most graue godly and learned Ministers are had in derision of very base and vile persons And as Iob saith They whose fathers I haue refused to set with the dogs of my flock they were the children of fools and the children of villaines which were more vile then the earth For now euery Rascall dares scoffe and scorne at the most graue and ancient Fathers and Pastors of
the Church dares flout them as they walke in the streets and as they ride by the high-waies And though the holy Ghost giueth them glorious and lofty titles as the Stewards of Gods owne house disposers of his secrets disbursers of his treasure keepers of the broad seale keepers of the keyes of heauen Gods Secretaries Gods Embassadors Angels yea the very glory of Christ and all this to expresse the excellencie of their calling yet these vile varlets and venemous vermine of the earth dare call them proud prelats pild parsons pelting priests O monstrous and intolerable impietie Now it is come to passe that this most sacred function which is glorious in the sight of God and his Angels and in it selfe most honorable is had in greatest contempt of all callings For now the earth is full of ranke Atheists and mock-gods which scoffe at the Gospell and bleare out their tongues at all Religion These kind of fellowes neuer dissemble for the matter They make no shew at all they are no hypocrites they hide not their sins but declare them openly like Sodom They care not if they neuer come to the Church they are too ful of it They liue like brute beasts They think the Scriptures are but fables They raile at the Ministers and Preachers They make flat opposition against them and are notorious mockers past-graces Theol. Of such the Apostle S. Peter foretold that in the last daies should come mockers and such as would liue after their owne lusts c. Of such a godly writer saith Verbum Dei securè contemnitur promissiones inanes esse creduntur minae pro fabulis habentur That is The word of God is carelesly contemned his promises are counted vaine and his threatnings fables Of such the Poet saith Heu viuunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Aut velut Infernus fabule vana foret Alas men liue as they should neuer die Or as though all speech of hell were a starke lie Now is also the time wherein the world swarmeth with papists and Atheists and most men liue as if there were no God For now religion is hated true godlinesse despised zeale abhorred sincerity scoffed at vprightnesse loathed preachers cōtemned professors disdained almost all good men had in derision For now we may iustly complaine with the Prophet Iudgement is turned backe-ward and Iustice standeth farre off Truth is failen in the streets and equitie cannot enter Yea trueth faileth and he that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a pray The Prophet Micha bewaileth the times saying The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men They all lie in wait for blood euery man hunreth his neighbour with a net The Prophet Ieremie complaineth of the same euill in his time namely that the people were come to be past shame in sinning Were they ashamed saith he when they had committed abhomination Nay they were not ashamed neither could they haue any shame This is a liuely picture and a very counterpane of our time For now we haue put on a brow of brasse we are become impudent in sinne We cannot blush we cannot be ashamed We are almost past shame and past grace O Lord what will this géere grow to in the end Phila. We may iustly feare some great iudgement of God to be neere vs yea euen to hang ouer our heads For the Lord will neuer leaue the contempt of his Gospell and his ministerie vnpunished Theol. You haue spoken a truth And wée haue heard before how the old world was plagued for it And wée read how grieuously the Jewes were asflicted by the Romanes for this sin as our Lord Iesus did plainly foretell We read also that after the Lord had broached the Gospell himselfe and spread it abroad by his Apostles conquering the world thereby which thing was signified by the white horse his rider his bow and his crowne and yet shortly after saw that the same began to be contemned in the world and made light of then hée did in most fearfull manner plague the earth with warres blood-sheddings tumults dearth famine and pestilence which all are signified by the red horse the black horse and the pale horse which did appeare at the opening of the second third and fourth seale So likewise vndoubtedly God will seuerely punish all iniuries wrongs contempts done to his faithfull embassadours as appeareth Apocal. 11. 5. where it is set downe that if any would hurt the two witnesses with their two Oliues and two candlesticks whereby is signified the faithfull Preachers of the Gospell with all their spirituall treasures and heauenly light fire should procéed out of their mouthes and deuoure their aduersaries That is the fire of Gods wrath should consume all that had oppressed them either by mockes flouts railings slaunders imprisonment or any other kinde of indignity Of this we haue a plaine example or two in the Scripture First we read how fire came downe from Heauen and consumed the contemptuous captain and his fifty at the threatning and calling for of Eliah Secōdly how two Beares came out of the forrest and tare in péeces 42. yonkers which mocked Elishah the Prophet of God calling him bald-head bald-pate So then by these examples it is manifest that howsoeuer the Lord may wink at these things for a time and make as though hée saw them not yet the time will come when he will raine fire and brimstone vpon all the scoffers of his faithfull Ministers and contemners of his Gospell All this is plainly declared in the 5. Chapter of the Prouerbs of Salomon where is shewed how the wisedome of God euen Jesus Christ the highest wisdome doth cry aloud all abroad in the world and manifest himselfe in the open stréets but yet is contemned of wicked worldlings and scoffing fooles Therefore saith Christ Because I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand but none would regard yee haue hated knowledge and despised all my counsell therefore I will laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth vpon you like sudden desolation and your destruction like a whirle-winde Then shall they call vpon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me Héere then we see is terrible wrath and vengeance threatned from heauen against all prophane contemners of Christ and his euerlasting Gospell or any the faithfull publishers and proclaimers thereof Behold therefore yée despisers and wonder consider well what will become of you in the end d ee not thinke that the most iust God will alwaies put it vp at your hands that yée should so manifestly contemne both his Word and the most zealous Preachers and professors thereof No no assure your selues hee will bée euen with you at last He will smite you both sidelings and ouerthwart he will dog you and pursue you with his iudgements and neuer leaue following the chase with you till
gold and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire Lastly S. Paul saith flatly that extortioners shall not inherit the kingdome of God Thus we sée how many fearefull woes and threats are denounced from heauen against these pestilent cut-throats of the earth Phila. And all little enough For they are steeped in their sinne and the staine of it is so soked into them as it will hardly euer be washed out True it is that you said that these cruell oppressing bloud-suckers are the most pernicious and pestilent vermine that creepeth vpon the face of the earth and yet I thinke there were neuer moe of them then in these daies For now the wicked world is full of such as doe sundry waies bite pinch and nip the poore as we see by euery daies lamentable experience but you can speake more of it then I. Therefore I pray you lay open the sundry kinds of oppression vsed in these daies Theol. There is oppression by vsury Oppression by bribery Oppression by racking of rents Oppression by taking excessiue fines Oppression in bargaining Oppression in letting of leases Oppression in letting of houses Oppression in letting of grounds Oppression in binding poore men to vnreasonable couenants Oppression in thrusting poore men out of their houses Oppression in hiring poore mens houses ouer their heads Oppression in taking of fées Oppression by Lawyers Oppression by Church Officers Oppression by engrossers Oppression by forestallers Oppression of the Church Oppression of the Ministery Oppression of the poore Oppression of widowes Oppression of Orphanes And thus we see how all swarmes with Oppressions and nothing but Oppressions Oppressions Phila. In truth this is a most cruell and oppressing age wherein we liue yea a very iron age It seemeth that the great ones minde nothing else they are altogether set vpon oppression they dote and dreame of it they finde sweet in it and therefore they are mad of it As Salomon saith Oppression maketh a wiseman mad It seemeth therefore that this vice is of such maruellous force that it can bereaue men of their wits and make men starke mad of getting goods by hooke or by crooke they care not how nor from whom so they haue it Yet no doubt the most wise God hath enacted many good lawes for the suppressing of this euill and doth threaten the execution of them in his owne person and especially his Law doth prouide for the safetie of the poore the fatherlesse the widow and the stranger But you M. Theologus can repeat the statutes better then I because you are a professed Diuine Therefore I pray you let vs heare them from you Theol. In the 22. Chapter of Exodus God made this law following You shall not trouble any widow or fatherlesse childe if thou vex or trouble such and so hee call and crie vnto me I will surely heare his crie Then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widowes and your children fatherlesse Againe he saith Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is needy and poore but thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the Sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and therewith sustaineth his life lest hee crie against thee vnto the Lord and it be sinne vnto thee Moreouer the Lord saith Thou shalt doe no iniury to a stranger for yee were strangers in the land of Egypt And God himselfe threatneth that he will be a swift witnesse against those which kéepe backe the hirelinges wages and vex the widow and the fatherlesse The Apostle saith Let no man oppresse or defraud his brother in any matters For the Lord is an auenger of all such things Salomon also saith If in a country thou feest the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iustice and iudgement be not astonied at the matter for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they Eccles 5. 7. All these holy statutes and lawes enacted and prouided against oppressors doe plainely shew what care the Lord hath for his poore distressed and desolate people Phila. But these oppressing hel-hounds are such as care for nothing No Law of the Almighty can bridle them nothing can feare them nothing can restraine them They haue made a couenant with Hell and death They are frozen in the dregs they are past feeling And as Iob saith These are they that abhorre the light they know not the waies thereof neither continue in the pathes thereof Their hearts are as hard as the Adamant Nothing can mooue them nothing can worke vpon them There is great crying out euery where of the stone in the reines which indeed is a great torment to the bodie but there is no complaining of the stone in the heart I meane a stonie heart which is the sorest disease that possibly can fall into the soule of man and yet in these times it groweth very rife For mens hearts are as hard as brasse and as the neather Milstone as the Scripture speaketh For many especially of these vnmercifull and oppressing tyrants say in their hearts God will do neither good nor euill Therefore they put the euil day far from them and approch vnto the seat of iniquity They are at ease in Zion they lie vpon beds of Iuory and stretch themselues vpon their beds and eat the lambes of the flocke and the calues out of the stall They sing to the sound of the viall they inuent instruments of musicke like Dauid They drink wine in bowles and no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph that is the troubles of Gods people The Prophet Esay also complaineth of these kind of men saying They regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the work of his hands And another Prophet saith they say in their harts God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see They are so proud that they seeke not for God They think alwaies there is no God his iudgements are far out of their sight Their waies alwaies prosper and therefore they say in their hearts Tush we shall neuer be moued nor come in danger Theol. You haue spoken very well touching the stéelinesse and hardnes of these mens harts who are so vnmerciful to their poor neighbors that almost none can liue by them They do so disturbe disquiet al things that poore men can dwell in no rest by them Therefore truly saith the wise king A mightie man molesteth all both hireth the foole hireth those that passe by But the poore man speaketh with prayers that is by the way of entreatie and supplications For the poore are afraid of them They quake when they sée them as the beasts quake at the roaring of the Lion Many poore Farmers poore Husband men poore Heards poore Labourers poore widowes and hirelings doe
goods and name Theol. I haue dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them and therefore they can neuer be enough spoken against For the whole world lieth in them as S. Iohn testifieth If men therefore could be recouered of these diseases no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace and wée should haue a most flourishing Church and Common-wealth but as long as these doe lie in the way there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be powred vpon vs or that euer we shall come to haue an inward conuersation with God For these vices blinde our eies burden our hearts and as the Prophet Ieremy saith hinder many things from vs. But touching your petition I must néeds grant that as these vices are the very bane of the soule and most certaine signes of condemnation so are they very dangerous to the body goods name yea and to the whole land both Church and Common-wealth Phila. Shew vs out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body Theol. The Lord our God saith that if wée will not obey him nor kéepe his commandements but break his couenant he will appoint ouer vs hastie plagues consumptions and the burning ague to consume the eies and to make the heart heauy So also he saith that if we will not obey his voice to obserue all his commandements and ordinances that then he wil make the pestilence cleaue vnto vs vntill hée haue consumed vs that hée will smite vs with the Feauer with the botch of Egypt with the Emeroids with the Scabbe and with the Itch that also he will smite vs with madnesse and with blindnes and with astonishment of heart So then you see what great euils the Lord threatneth to inflict vpon our bodies in this life for these and such like sinnes But on the centrary the holy ghost saith Feare God and depart from euill so health shall be vnto thy nauell and moisture vnto thy bones Phila. What euill doe these forenamed sins bring vpon vs in our goods and outward estate Theol. They cause God to curse vs in all that we set hand vnto as plentifully appeareth in the forenamed Chapters where the Lord saith thus If thou wilt not obey the commandements of the Lord thy God cursed shalt thou bee in the towne cursed also in the field cursed shall be thy basket and thy store cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land and the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy sheepe Cursed shalt thou bee when thou commest in and cursed also when thou goest out The Lord shall send vpon thee cursing trouble and shame in all that thou settest thy hand vnto And further he saith That hee will breake the staffe of their bread that ten women shall bake their bread in one ouen and they shall deliuer their bread againe by waight and they shall eat and not be satisfied You do therefore apparantly sée that these sins will draw downe Gods wrath vpon vs and al that we haue Phila. What hurt doe these sinnes to our good name Theol. They bring reproch shame infamy vpon vs and cause vs to be abhorred and contemned of all good men They doe vtterly blot out our good name For as vertue maketh men honorable and reuerend so vice maketh men vile contemptible This is set downe where the Lord threatneth Israel that for their sinnes and disobedience he will make them a prouerbe common talke yea a reproach astonishment amongst all people In sundry other places of the Prophets he threatneth for their sinnes to make them a reproach a shame and hissing and nodding of the head to all Nations Phila. I doe verily thus thinke that as sinne generally doth staine euery mans good name which all are charie and tender of so especially it doth blot those which are in high places and of speciall note for learning wisedome and godlinesse Theol. You haue spoken most truely and agréeable to the Scriptures For the Scripture saith As a dead flie causeth the Apothecaries ointment to stinke so doth a little follie him that is in estimation for wisedome for honor Where Salomon sheweth that if a flie get into the Apothecaries box of ointment and die and putrifie in it she marreth it though it be neuer so pretious Euen so if a little sinne get into the heart and breake out into the forhead of a man of great fame for some singular gifts it will blurre him though he be neuer so excellent Phila. Shew this I pray you more plainly Theol. Wée obserue this in all experience that if a Noble man be a good man and haue many excellent parts in him of courtesie patience humility and loue of Religion yet if hée be couetous the common people will haue their eye altogether vpon that and they will say Such a Noble man is a very good man but for one thing hée is excéeding couetous oppresseth poore men dealeth hardly with his tenants kéepeth no house doth little good in the country where he dwelleth And this is it that marreth all Moreouer let a Judge a Justice or a Magistrate bée endued with excellent gifts of prudence policie temperance liberality knowledge in the law yet if they be giuen to anger or taking of bribes oh how it will grieue them amongst the people For they will say Hée is a worthy man indéed but there is one thing in him that marreth all he is an exceding angry and furious man he is as angry as a waspe he will be in a pelting chafe for euery trifle hée will fret and fume if you doe but blow vpon hun And besides this he is a very corrupt man hée is a great taker of bribes hée loueth well to bée bribed hée will doe any thing for bribes Furthermore if any Preacher be a man of great gifts the common people will say of him Oh hée is a worthy man indéed an excellent Scholar a profound Diuine a singular man in a Pulpit but yet for all that hée hath a shrewd touch which marreth all he is an excéeding proud man hée is as proud as Lucifer He hath very great gifts indéed but I warrant you hée knoweth it well enough For hée carrieth his crest very high and looketh very sternely and disdainefully vpon all other men Hée is vnmeasurably puft vp with ouerwéening and thinketh that he toucheth the clouds with his head Thus therefore we sée how the dead flies marre all and how some one sinne doth disgrace a man that otherwise doth excell Phila. What is the cause why some one sinne doth so blot and smut the most excellent men Theol. The reason héereof is because such men are as a candle set vpon a candle-sticke or rather vpon a scaffold or mountaine for all men to behold and looke vpon And sure it is
they haue a thousand eies vpon them euery day and that not onely gazing vpon them but also prying very narrowly into them to spie out the least moat that they may make a mountaine of it For as in a cleane white paper one little spot is soone espied but in a péece of browne paper twenty great blurs are scant discerned euen so in Noble men Judges Magistrates Justices Preachers and Professors the least spot or specke is soone seene into but amongst the baser sort and most grosse liuers almost nothing is espied or regarded Phila. Sith the eies of all men are bent and fixed vpon such men as are of some note therefore they had neede verie heedfully to looke to their steps that they may take away all aduantage from them that seeke aduantage Theol. Yes verily And furthermore they had néed to pray with Dauid alwaies Direct my steps O Lord in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer mee And againe Order my doings that my footsteps slippe not vphold mee in mine integritie For if such men bée neuer so little giuen to swearing to lying to drinke or to women it is espied by and by and therewithall their credit is cracked their fame ouer-cast their glory eclipsed and the date of their good name presently expired Phila. Now as you haue shewed what great hurt these sinnes doe bring vpon our soule bodies goods and name so also I pray you shew what danger they doe bring vpon the whole land Theol. Questionlesse they doe pull downe the wrath of God vpon vs all and giue him iust cause to breake all in péeces and vtterly to subuert ouerthrow the good estate both of church and Common-wealth yea to make a finall consumption and desolation of all For they be the very fire-brands of Gods wrath and as it were touch-wood to kindle his anger and indignation vpon vs. For the Apostle saith For such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disodedience Phila. Declare vnto vs out of the Scriptures how the Lord in former times hath punished whole Nations and Kingdomes for these and such like sinnes Theol. In the fourth of Hosea the Lord telleth his people that hée hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the Land and the reason is added because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing lying killing stealing and whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood Therefore shall the land mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off Héere then we sée what it is that wil incense God against vs and cause vs all to mourne So likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Amos that for the cruelty and oppression of the poore hée would plague the whole land Shall not the land tremble for this sayth the Lord and euerie one mourne that dwelleth therein Againe the Lord sayeth by his Prophet Ieremie Doe they prouoke mee to anger and not themselues to the confusion of their owne faces Therefore thus sayth the Lord Behold mine anger and my wrath shall bee powred vpon this place vpon man and beast vpon the tree of the field and vpon the fruit of the ground and it shall burne and not be quenched Againe the Lord saith If yee will not heare these words I swear by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste and I will prepare destroyers against thee euery one with his weapons and they shall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar trees and cast them in the fire Likewise the Lord threateneth by his Prophet Ezechiel saying Because yee haue not walked in my statutes nor kept my iudgements therefore behold I euen I come against thee and will execute iudgement in the middest of thee euen in the sight of Nations and I will doe in thee that I neuer did before neither will I doe any more the like because of all thine abhominations For in the middest of thee the fathers shall eat their sonnes and the sonnes shall eate their fathers Againe by the same Prophet the Lord saith The land is full of the iudgement of blood and the citie full of crueltie Wherefore I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the pompe of the mighty to cease and the holy places shall be defiled When destruction commeth they shall seeke peace and not haue it Calamity shall come vpon calamitie and rumour vpon rumour Then shall they seeke a vision of the Prophet but the law shall perish from the Priests and counsell from the auncient The King shall mourne and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the land shall bee troubled I will doe vnto them according to their waies and according to their iudgements will I iudge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Last of all the Lord saith by his Prophet Heare O earth behold I will cause a plague to come vpon this people euen the sruit of their owne imaginations because they haue not taken heed to my words nor to my Law but cast it off Almost innumerable places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the prophets but these may suffice to prooue the maine point to wit that the iust God doth punish whole nations and kingdomes for the sinnes and rebellions thereof Phila. Sith all these sinnes for the which the Lord did execute such vniuersall punishments vpon his owne people doe abound and ouerflow in this land may wee not iustly feare some great plague to fall vpon vs and the rather because our transgressions doe increase daily and grow to a full height and ripenesse so as it seemeth the haruest of Gods vengeance draweth neere and approacheth Theol. We may indéed iustly feare and tremble For if God spared not the Angels that sinned how shall he spare vs If he spared not his owne people what can wée looke for If hée spared not the naturall braunches how shall hée spare vs which are wilde by nature Are we better then they Can we looke to bée spared when they were punished Are not our sinnes as many and as great as theirs Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect Is the arme of the Lord shortned Or is not God the same iust God to punish sinne now that he was then Yes yes assuredly And therefore wée haue great cause to mourne and lament to quake and tremble because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging ouer our heads Thus did Ieremie thus did Amos thus did Abacuck when they plainely saw the imminent wrath of God approching vpon the people of Israel and Iudah Phila. I thinke we may the rather doubt and feare because the punishment of these forenamed vices is neglected by the Magistrate For commonly when they that beare the sword of Iustice doe not draw it out to punish notorious offenders and malefactours the Lord himselfe
will take the matter into his owne hands and bee reuenged in his owne person which is most dreadfull and daungerous For it is a fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God Theo. You haue spoken a truth For if those which are Gods deputies and vice-gerents in the earth doe their duties faithfully in punishing vice and maintaining vertue in smiting the wicked and fauouring the godly then assuredly euill shall bée taken out of Israel Gods wrath preuented and his iudgments intercepted as it is written Phineas stood vp and executed iudgement and the plague was staied But if they for feare fauour affection gaine flattery bribery or any other sinister respect will be too sparing and remisse in punishing of grosse offenders and be rather ready to smite the righteous then doe they excéedingly prouoke Gods wrath against the land and against themselues Phila. One thing I doe greatly lament that there be either none at all or very slender censurers either by the Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall authority for diuers of these fore-named vices as pride couetousnesse oppression lying idlenesse swearing c. Theol. It is a thing to be lamented indéed For where doe wée sée a proud man punished a couetous man punished an oppressor punished aswearer punished a liar punished an idle person punished Now because they know they cannot or shall not be punished therefore they are altogether hardned and imboldned in their sinnes as the wise man saith Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe euill Phila. One thing I do much muse at wherein also I desire to be further satisfied to wit what is the cause that vnder so godly a prince so many good lawes and so much good preaching and teaching there should notwithstanding be such an excesse and ouerflowing of sin in all estates Theo. The causes héere of are diuers and manifold But I will nominate soure especiall ones in my iudgement The first is mans naturall corruption which is so strong as almost nothing can bridle it The second is ill presidents and externall prouocations to euill The third is the want of teaching in many congregations of the land by reason whereof many know not sinne to be sinne The last reason is the corruption and negligence of some such as are in authority Phila. Doth not this inundation and ouerflowing of sinne with the impunity of the same Prognosticate great wrath against vs Theol. Yes vndoubtedly as hath in part béene shewed before And there he diuers other presages of wrath though not of the same kinde which are these Vnthankefulnesse for the Gospell The abuse of our long peace Our generall security Our secret Idolatries Our ripenesse in all sinne Our abuse of all Gods mercies Our abuse of his long patience The coldnesse of professors Our not profitting by former iudgements as pestilence famine dearth and the shaking of the Sword Phila. This last I take to be a speciall token of approching vengeance that we haue not profited by former warnings Theol. True indéed For it is an ordinary thing with God when men will not profit by milde corrections and common punishments then to lay greater vpon them And when a former trouble doth vs no good we are to feare a finall consuming trouble For so we reade in the Prophecie of Hosea that at the first God was to Ephraim as a moth and to Iudah as rottennesse but afterward when as they profited not by it he was to Ephraim as a Lion and to Iudah as a Lions whelpe So the Lord saith in another place that if they will not come in and yéeld obedience at the first call of his wrath then he will punish them seuen times more But if they continue in their stubbornnesse then he threatneth to bring seuen times more plagues vpon them according to their sins If by all these they would not be reformed but walke stubbornely against him then he threatneth yet seuen times more for their sins and the fourth time yet seuen times more The proofe héereof wée haue in the booke of the Iudges Where we read how the people of Israel for their sins were in subiection to the King of Aram Naharim eight yéeres afterward because they profited nothing by it but returned to their old sinnes therfore they serued Eglon king of Moab eightéene yéeres After that againe for their new sinnes and prouocations the Lord gaue them vp into the hands of Midian seuen yéeres After all this for the renewing of their sins the Lord solde them into the hands of the Philistins and the Amonites which did gréeuously vex and oppresse them for the space of eightéene yéeres Last of all we reade that when neither famine nor pestilence could cause them to returne vnto him then he deliuered them vp to the sword of their enemies and held them in bondage captiuity thréescore and ten yéeres After all this when they were deliuered out of Captiuity and returned home safely to their owne nation and inioyed some good time of peace and rest yet at last they fell to renewing of their sinnes and therfore the Lord plagued them most grieuously by the diuided Gréeke Empire euen by Magog and Egypt Seleucidae and Lagidae and that by the space almost of thrée hundred yéeres And this is it that the Prophet Hosea did foretell that the children of Israel should remaine many daies without a King and without a prince without an offering and without an image without an Ephod and without Teraphim Phila. You haue very largely laide open this last token of vengeance to wit that God at the first doth but beat vs vpon the coat but if we continue in sinne he will whip vs on the bare skinne and if men will not yeeld at the first gentle stroaks then he wil strike harder and harder till he haue broken our stout stomacks and made our great hearts come downe Therefore it is good yeelding at the first for we shall get nothing by our sturdinesse against him We doe but cause him to double his strokes and strike vs both sidelings and ouer-thwart For he cannot indure that we should gruntle against him with stubborne fullennesse But now to the point Sith there are so many presages and foresignes of Gods wrath I pray you shew what it is that staieth the execution and very downefall of the same Theo. The praiers and téeres of the faithfull are the speciall mean that stay the hand of God from striking of vs. For the praiers of the righteous are of great force with him euen able to do all things Saint Iames saith that the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent and bringeth the example of Elias to proue it For saith he Though Elias was a man subiect to the like passions that we be yet was he able by his praiers both to open
all our loue and chearefull obedience towards him For therefore wée loue him and obey him because we know hée hath loued vs first and written our names in the booke of life But on the contrarie the Doctrine of the Papists which would haue men alwaies doubt and feare in a seruile sort is most hellish and vncomfortable For so long as a man holds that what encouragement can he haue to serue God What loue to his Maiestie What hope in the promises What comfort in trouble What patience in aduersity Antil Touching this point I am flat of your minde For I thinke verily a man ought to bee perswaded of his saluation And for mine owne part I make no question of it I hope to bee saued as well as the best of them all I am out of feare for that For I haue such a stedfast faith in God that if there should be but two in the world saued I hope I should be one of them Theol. You are very confident indéed You are perswaded before you know I would your ground were as good as your vaine confidence But who is so bold as blinde Bayard Your hope is but a fancie and as a sick mans dreame You hope you can not tell what You haue no ground for that you say For what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke in no path of saluation What hope can a man haue to come to London spéedily that trauelleth nothing that way but quite contrary What hope can a man haue to reape a good crop of corne that vseth no meanes neither ploweth soweth nor harroweth What hope can a man haue to be fat and well liking of his body that seldome or neuer eateth any meat What hope can a man haue to escape drowning which leapeth into the Sea Euen so what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke nothing that way when you vse no meanes when you doe all things that are contrary vnto the same For alas there is nothing in you of those things which the Scriptures doe affirme must bée in all those that shall be saued There be none of the fore named signes and tokens in you You are ignorant prophane and carelesse God is not worshipped vnder your roofe There is no true feare of God in your selfe nor in your houshold You seldome heare the word preached You content your selfe with an ignorant Minister You haue no praiers in your family no reading no singing of psalmes no instructions exhortations or admonitions or any other Christian exercises You make no conscience of the obseruation of the Sabbaths you vse not the name of God with any reuerence you breake out sometimes into horrible dathes and cursings you make an ordinary matter of swearing by your faith your troth Your wife is irreligious your children dissolute and vngratious your seruants prophane carelesse You are an example in your owne house of al Atheisme and conscienceles behauiour You are a great gamester a rioter a spend-thrift a drinker a common ale-house-haunter an whoore hunter and to conclude giuen to all vice and naughtinesse Now then I pray you tell me or rather let your conscience tell mée what hope you can haue to be saued so long as you walk and continue in this course Doth not S. Iohn saie If wee say wee haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are liers Doth not the same Apostle auouch that such as say they know God and kéepe not his commandements are liers Againe doth he not say Heth at committeth sin is of the Diuell And whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God Doth not our Lord Jesus flatly tell the Jewes which bragged that Abraham was their father that they were of their father the diuell because they did his works Doth not the Apostle Paul say His seruants we are to whom we obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes Doth not the scripture say Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous Doth not our Lord Jesus affirme that nor euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in Heauen Therefore I conclude that forasmuch as your whole course is carnall carelesse and dissolute you can haue no warrantable hope to be saued Phila. I doe verily thinke that this mans case which now you haue laied open is the case of thousands Theo. Yea doubtles of thousand thousands the more is the pity Asune Soft and faire sir you are very round indeed Soft fire maketh sweet mault I hope you know wee must be saued by mercy and not by merit If I should doe all my selfe wherefore serueth Christ I hope that which I cannot doe hee will doe for me And I hope to be saued by Iesus Christ as well as the best of you all Theol. Oh now I sée which way the game goeth You would faine make Christ a cloake for your sinnes You will sinne that grace may abound You will sinne frankly and set all vpon Christs score Truely there be many thousands of your minde which hearing of Gods abundant mercie in Christ are thereby made more bold to sin But they shall know one day to their cost what it is so to abuse the mercie of God The Apostle saith The mercy and louing kindnesse of God should leade vs to repentance But we sée it leadeth manie to further hardnesse of heart The Prophet saith With him is mercy that hee may bee feared But many thereby are made more secure and carelesse But to come néerer the marke you say you hope to be saued by Jesus Christ And I answer that if those things be found in you which the Scriptures do auouch to be in all that shall be saued by him then you may haue good confidence and assured hope otherwise not Now the Scriptures do thus determine it and set it downe That if a man bée in Christ and looke to be saued by him he must be indued with these qualities following First he must be a new creature Secondly hee must liue not after the lusts of men but after the will of God Thirdly he must be zealous of good works Fourthly hee must die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse Fiftly he must be holy and vnblameable Sixtly he must so walke as Christ hath walked Seuenthly hee must crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Eigthly he must walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Last of all he must serue God in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life Loe then what things are required of all that shal be saued by Christ Now therefore if these things be in you in some measure of tenth then your hope is currant sound good otherwise it is nothing worth For in vaine doe men say they hope to be saued by Christ when as they walke dissolutely The reason hereof is because the
speake something of it Theol. The sleights of Sathan in this behalfe are moe and more slie then I or any man else can possibly discouer For who is able to descrie or in sufficient manner to lay open the déepe subtilties and most secret and sinfull suggestions of the Diuell in the hearts of men Hée is so cunning a crafts master this way that none can perfectly trace him His workings in the hearts of men are with such close and hid deceits and most methodicall and craftie conueyances that none can sufficiently finde them out But yet notwithstanding I will béewray so much as I know or can conceiue of his dealings with men that heare the word that he may steale it out of their hearts and make it fruitlesse and vnprofitable First of all hée bestirreth him and laboureth hard to kéepe men fast asléepe in their sinnes that they may haue no care at all of their saluation and therefore disswadeth them from hearing or reading the word at all lest they should bée awaked If this will not preuaile but that they must néeds heare then his craft is to make their hearing vnprofitable by sléepinesse dulnesse by-thoughts conceitednesse and a thousand such like If this will not serue the turne but that the word doth get within them and worke vpon them so as thereby they grow to some knowledge and vnderstanding of the truth then he practiseth another way which is to make them rest themselues vpon their bare knowledge and so become altogether consciencelesse If this will not suffice but that men fall to doing and leaue some sinnes especially the grosse sinnes of the world and doe some good then he perswadeth them to trust to those doings without Christ and to thinke themselues well inough because they doe some good and leaue some euill If this bée not enough but that men attaine vnto the true iustifying faith which apprehendeth Christ and resteth vpen his merits then he deuiseth how to blemish the beauty of their faith and weaken their comfort through many frailties and wants yea grosse downefalles and ranke euils so as they shall bée but spotted and leaprous Christians If this weapon will not worke but that Christians doe ioyne all good vertues with their faith and abundantly shine foorth in all fruits of righteousnesse then he casteth about another way which is to daunt and dampe them with discouragements as pouertie necessity sicknesse reproches contempts persecutions c. If none of all these will doe the déeds but that men constantly beléeue in Christ and patiently and ioyfully endure all afflictions then his last refuge is to blow them vp with gun-powder that is to puffe them vp with a pride of their gifts graces and strength and so to giue them an vtter ouerthrow whilest they doe not walke humbly and giue God the praise of his gifts Thus haue you a little taste of Sathans cunning in making the word vnfruitfull amongst vs. Asune I pray you good sir seeing I am ignorant and vnlearned giue me some particular directions out of the word of Gnd for the good guiding and ordering of my particular actions in such sort as that I may glorifie God in the earth and after this life be glorified of him for euer Theol. It were an infinite thing to enter into all particulars but briefely doe this First séeke God earnestly in his word pray much in all things giue thanks Eschew euil and doe good Feare God and kéepe his Commandements reforme your selfe and your houshold loue vertue and vertuous men kéepe company with the godly and auoid the society of the wicked Liue soberly iustly and holily in the present euil world Speake alwais graciously ◠beware of filthy communication Recompense to no man euill for euill but recompense euill with good Be curteous and pitifull towards all men Take héed of swearing cursing and banning Beware of anger wrath and bitternesse Praise your friend openly reprooue him secretly Speake no euill of them that are absent nor of the dead Speake euill of no man speake alwaies the best or at least not the worst Reuerence Gods name and kéepe his Sabbaths Auoid all the signes of condemnation and labour after all the signes of saluation Aboue all things take héed of sin for that is the very cutthroat of the soule and bane of all goodnesse Tremble therefore and sinne not For if you sinne marke what followeth Sixe great dangers in sinne God seeth His Angels beare witnesse The conscience pricketh Death threatneth The Diuell accuseth Hell deuoureth You sée then that sinne is no scarcrow or iesting matter Euery sin that a man commiteth is as a thorne thrust déepe into the soule which will not be got out againe but with many a sigh and many a sorrowfull oh oh Euery sinne is written with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond vpon the conscience and shall in the last day when the bookes shall be opened accuse vs and giue in euidence against vs. If a man commit sinne with pleasure the pleasure passeth away but the conscience and sting of the sinne abideth and tormenteth deadly but if a man doe well though with labour and painfulnesse the paine passeth away yet the conscience of well dooing remaineth with much comfort But the best end of sinne is alwaies repentance if not in this life then with woe and alas when it is too late Therefore take héed in time take héed I say of sinne Six most hurtfull effects of sinne Sinne hardneth the heart Sinne gnaweth the conscience Sinne fighteth against the soule Sinne bringeth foorth death Sinne maketh ashamed Sinne procureth all plagues of bodie and soule Behold therefore the euil effects of sin For this cause Zophar the Naamathite speaketh very wisely to Iob saying When thou shalt lift thy face out of thy sinne thou shalt be strong and shalt not feare thou shalt forget all sorrow thou shalt temember it as the waters that are past Where Zophar plainly sheweth that the auoiding of sinne is our strength and the committing of it our weakening According to that of Salomon The way of the Lord is the strength of the vpright man Therefore walke in the way of God and take héed of the waies of sinne For God punisheth euery sinne his way some one way and some another and no sinne can escape vnpunished For because God is iust therfore he must néeds punish sinne in all men though in diuers manners as the wicked in their owne persons the godly in Christ Beware of it therefore and flatter not your selfe in your sinnes Remember how euery disobedience and euery transgression hath had a iust recompence of reward God hath in all ages matched the causes with the effect that is sinne with the punishment of sinne The Isralites for breaking the first commandement in making other Gods were often smitten by the hand of God Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron for the breach of the second commandement in offering strange
art faire thou art all faire my loue there is no spot in thee Marke that he calleth his Church faire all faire and without spot not because she was so in herself but because she was made so in him And assuredly the eternall God beholding her in his son doth so estéeme and account of her For as hée that beholdeth any thing thorough a red glasse doth take it to be red as is the colour of the glasse so God the Father beholding vs in his son doth take vs to bée of the same nature and quality that he is that is perfectly righteous For this cause it is that he loueth vs setteth his heart vpon vs and will not be remooued from vs. For his loue to his children is alwaies one and the same although we haue not alwaies the like sight and féeling of it As the Moone is alwaies the same in substance and quantity though sometime it séemeth vnto vs to be wasted into a very small scantling Let vs know then to our great comfort that the loue of God towards vs in his deare sonne is constant and alwaies alike and that he wil not discountenance vs or shake vs off for some infirmities no nor yet for many infirmities for the merciful God doth accept of his children because their generall care is good and the vniuersall Tenor of their life tendeth vnto righteousuesse howsoeuer they may greatly faile in many particular actions Two or thrée fits of an Ague do not prooue a diseased body nor two or thrée good daies a sound body euen so some few infirmities doe not argue a wicked man nor two or thrée good actions a good man but we must haue an eye to the certaine and settled course of a mans life Euen as men are truely said to walke in a way when they goe in it although sometimes they trip and stumble so Gods children doe walke in the way of righteousnes although sometimes they stumble and step out of it or sometimes be violently haled out of it by theeues For Sathan and the violence of our lusts doe often hale vs out of the way but we must get into it againe as soone as we are escaped Now then to conclude draw to an end sith God is so infinitely mercifull and constant in his mercy sith such great and precious promises are made to vs in Christ sith the Lord doth not regard our infirmities when our harts are with him Therefore O Asunetus be of good chéere let nothing trouble you feare not the assaults of the Diuell regard not his temptations for assuredly your sinnes are forgiuen Christ is yours heauen is yours and all the promises of life and saluation belong vnto you so as you néed not to doubt you cannot miscarry your name is written in the booke of life Asune I am greatly comforted and cheared vp with your words your preaching of the Gospell and laying open of Gods abundant mercy in Christ and of the promises do exceedingly reuiue me and euen as it were put new life into me they are as Sacke and Sugar vnto my soule and more sweete then the hony and the hony combe they are as Physicke to my sicke soule and as oyntment to my spirituall wounds I doe now beginne to see what misery is in man and what mercy is in God And I know by wofull experience that where misery is not felt there mercy is not regarded but now it hath pleased God to giue me some feeling of mine owne wretchednesse and misery and yet with good comfort in his mercy For I thanke God for it I begin now to grow to some perswasion that the promises doe belong vnto me my sins are forgiuen and that I am one of them that shall be saued Theol. I doe greatly reioyce that God hath according to his rich mercy wrought this good worke in you I doe from the bottome of my heart giue him the praise and glory of it Happy are you that euer you were borne in whom God hath wrought so gratious a work It is of his high fauour and speciall mercy towards you for it is the only priuiledge and prerogatiue royall of Gods owne children truely to repent and beléeue I beseech God therefore to increase your faith and to fill you full of ioy and peace in beléeuing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Antile The Sunne draweth low Asunetus it is time for you and me to be going Phila. Indeed the night will approach by and by and therefore we must of necessity breake off Theol. Sith it is so wée will héere surcease and goe no further Asune Sir I will now take my leaue of you I can neuer be thankefull enough for all the good instructions and comforts which I haue heard from you this day I hope I shall remember some of them whilest I liue I doe therfore praise God for you and for your counsell and for this day which I hope shall be the first day of my repentance and true conuersion vnto God Theol. The Lord for his infinite mercies sake grant it And I most humbly beséech the Almighty God to establish you with his frée spirit that you may procéed and goe forward in a Christian course vnto the end Phila. I pray you good M. Theologus pardon my boldnesse for you see I haue beene very bold to propound many questions vnto you wherein you haue fully satisfied me to the great ioy and comfort of my soule I doe therefore praise God for you and I hope I shall neuer forget some things which you haue vttered But I will now commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build further Theol. Farewell good Philagathus The Lord blesse you and kéepe you in all your waies and the God of Heauen preserue vs all and continue vs in his feare vnto the end All glory be giuen to God FINIS A Table containing all the principall matters conteined in this Booke and directing to the Page where they are set downe MAns naturall corruption Page 5 Mans misery in nature 6 Mans nature corrupted but not destroied by Adams fall ibid. Some sparkes of Gods Image still remaine after the fall 7 Man in the state of nature cannot doe any thing that pleaseth God ibid. Man naturally neither seeth nor feeleth his miserie 8 Man in nature is vnder the tyrannie of Sathan and curse of the Law 9 Man growne to yeeres liuing and dying in the state of nature perisheth for euer 11 Man continueth cursed till he be borne againe ibid. None can be saued but onely the regenerate 12 Regeneration what ibid. The qualitie of regeneration 13 Remnants of sinne after regeneration 14 Regeneration vnperfect in this life ibid. Meanes of regeneration 23 Eight infallible signes of saluation 30 Eight signes of damnation 31 Nine manifest tokens of damnation ibid. Pride described 33 Pride of gifts condemned 35 Pride in apparell condemned 40 Rules of the world for
land and discharge it of all the horrible sinnes thereof Drowne them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Christ as it were in a bottomlesse gulfe that they may neuer rise vp in iudgement against vs. For although our sins be excéeding many and fearefull yet thy mercy is farre greater For thou art infinite in mercy but we cannot be infinite in sinning Giue vs not ouer into the hands of the Idolaters left they should blaspheme thy name and say Where is their God in whom they trusted But rather deare Father take vs into thine owne hands and correct vs according to thy wisedome for with thée is mercy and déepe compassion Moreouer we most hartily beséech thy good Maiesty to blesse our most gratious King Iames and to shew much mercy to him in all things Guid him in thy feare and kéepe him in all his waies working in his soule vnfained sorrow for sinue true faith in the promises a great care to please thée in all things and to discharge the duties of his high place in all zeale of thy glory and faithfulnesse towards thy Maiesty that as thou hast crowned him héere in earth so hée spending his daies héere below in thy feare may after this life be crowned of thée for euer in the Heauens Wée béeseech thee also to blesse his Maiesties most henorable priuy Counsellors Counsell them from aboue let them take aduise of thée in all things that they may both consult and resolue of such courses as may be most for thy glory the good of the Church and the peace of this our Common-wealth Blesse the Nobility and all the Magistrates in the Land giuing them al grace to execute iudgement and iustice and to maintaine truth and equity Blesse all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell increase the number of them increase thy gifts in them and so blesse al their labours in their seueral places and congregations that they all may be instruments of thy hand to inlarge thy Sonnes kingdome and to winne many vnto thee Comfort the comfortlesse with all néedfull comforts Forget none of thine that are in trouble but as their afflions are so let the ioyes and comforts of thy spirit be vnto them and so sanctifie vnto all thine their afflictions and troubles that they may tend to thy glory and their owne good Giue vs thankefull hearts for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall for thou art very mercifull vnto vs in the things of this life and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life Let vs déepely ponder and weigh all thy particular fauours towards vs that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may bée gained yet néerer vnto thée and that therefore wée may both loue and obey thée because thou art so kinde and louing vnto vs that euen thy loue towards vs may draw our loue towards thée and that because mercy is with thée thou maiest bée feared Grant these things good Father and all other néedefull graces for our soules or bodies or any of thine throughout the whole world for Jesus Christs sake In whose name we further call vpon thée as hée hath taught vs in his Gospell saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. A praier to be vsed at any time by one alone priuately O Lord my God and heauenly Father I thy most vnworthy childe doe héere in thy sight fréely confesse that I am a most sinnefull creature and damnable transgressor of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements that as I was borne and bred in finne and stained in the wombe so haue I continually brought foorth the corrupt vgly fruits of that infection contagion wherein I was first conceiued both in thoughts words works If I should goe about to reckon vp my particular offences I know not where to begin or where to make an end For they are mo then the haires of my head yea farre moe then I can possibly féele or know For who knoweth the height and depth of his corruption who knoweth how oft he offendeth Thou onely O Lord knowest my sins who knowest my heart nothing is hid from thée thou knowest what I haue béene what I am yea my conscience doth accuse mée of many gréeuous euils and I doe daily féele by woful experience how frail I am how prone to euill how vntoward to all goodnesse My minde is ful of vanity my hartfull of prophanenes mine affections full of deadnesse dulnesse drowzinesse in matters of thy worship seruice Yea my whole soule is full of spirituall blindenesse hardnesse vnprofitablenes coldnesse and security And in very déed I am altogether a lumpe of sin a masse of all misery therefore I haue forfaited thy fauour incurred thy high displeasure haue giuen thée iust cause to frown vpon me to giue me ouer leaue me to mine owne corrupt will and affections But O my déere father I haue learned from thy mouth that thou art a God full of mercy flow to wrath of great compassion kindnesse towards all such as grone vnder the burden of their sinnes Therefore extend thy great mercy towards me poore sinner and giue me a generall pardon for all mine offences whatsoeuer seale it in the bloud of thy sonne and seale it to my conscience by thy spirit assuring me more and more of thy loue fauour towards me that thou art a reconciled father vnto me Grant that I may in all time to come loue thée much because much is giuen and of very loue feare thée and obey thée O Lord increase my faith that I may stedfastly beléeue all the promises of the Gospel made in thy son Christ rest vpon them altogether Enable me to bring foorth the sound fruits of faith and repentance in all my particular actions Fill my soule full of ioy and peace in beléeuing Fill me full of inward comfort and spirituall strength against all temptatious giue me yet a greater féeling of thy loue manifold mercies towards me worke in my soule a loue of thy Maiesty a zeale of thy glory an hatred of euill and a desire of all good things Giue me victory ouer those sins which thou knowest are strongest in me Let me once at last make a conquest of the world and the flesh Mortifie in me whatsoeuer is carnall sanctifie me throughout by thy spirit knit my heart to thée for euer that I may feare thy name renue in mée the image of thy sonne Christ daily more and more Giue me a delight in the reading and meditation of thy word Let me reioyce in the publike ministery thereof Let me loue and reuerence all the faithfull Ministers of thy Gospell Sanctifie their doctrines to my conscience seale them in my soule write them in my hart giue me a soft and melting heart that I may tremble at thy words and be alwaies much affected with godly sermons Let not my sinnes hold backe thy mercies from me nor mine vnworthines stop the passage