is to be done to us and no other matter more heavie and more worthy of tears then the sinnes and impenitencie of men If it came to mind so often unto a man that he should die and that he was to plead his cause before God as often as he in a pensive manner Cause of mourning discusses the matter with himselfe of the helps of this life surely he would be more sad and more diligent in the amendment of his life and of repentance And if the same man should call to mind the eternall torments he could not but despise the world and in comparison of them think all the afflictions of this world pleasant From which opinion and fervency of devotion we are the more distant because we are so much inveagled with the inticements of the flesh In brief it behoveth The life of the flesh is the death of the spirit a Christian most firmly to perswade himselfe that if it goe well with his body and that he flow in pleasures of this world that his spirit is dead but that hee liveth if hee crucifie his flesh with his desires and concupiscences for the one is the death of the other if the spirit live it must needs be the body shall spiritually die and be offered a living sacrifice Rom. 12. Which way of life all the Saints from the beginning of the world did observe eating and drinking with thanksgiving the bread and cup of The bread of tears tears according to that of David Psalm 80. Thou shalt feed us with the bread of tears and thou shalt give us drink of teares by measure And Psalm 41. My teares were unto me my bread both day and night And this bread of teares faith by a wonderfull sweetnes doth mix and temper and the drink of teares is pressed from the tender grapes of devout hearts by true repentance and sorrow which worketh to stedfast salvation As The fruit of worldly sorrow contrariwise the sorrow of this world bringeth forth death witnesse St. Paul the losse of honour temporall and frail goods and it is often so sharp and bitter and impatient that men catch themselves in a net or bring themselves to their own death by divers wayes of which there be many examples in the histories of the Ethnicks for which it were better to be more moderate and shew themselves better Christians who know it to be far unworthy their profession for the loss of frail goods to lose their souls which the whole world will not recompence Far be it from us that for temporall goods we should not mourn or thirst after eternall seeing the use of them is most short ends with death When a man departeth saith the Psalm 49. he taketh not all neither doth his glory descend with him which law is equally spoken to all no lesse to the King then to the meanest Begger the dead body putrifieth and so a living Dogge is better then a dead Lion as saith Solomon Eccles 9. yet the Lord will set the death at all times and the face of them that are in bonds among all people and he wipeth the the teares from every face as it is written Isa 25. Therefore remember to carry moderatly the losse of earthly things and that the whole world is not worth one soul for The love of the world bringeth sorrow which Christ vouchsafed to die But if thou prosecutest not these frail things with so unruly a love thou shalt be lesse troubled with the losse of them seeing this that it is the condition of things beloved that things lost are more desired and so the labour of fools afflicteth them which are the From whence the pertur bations of the mind words of Eccles 10. The sons of this age doe gather goods with great labour with no lesse fear doe they possesse them and with greatest griefe forgoe them which is the sorrow of the world begetting death Apoc. 10. we read of those that followed adored the Beast had no rest to whom all these are like that adore the goodly Beast of earthly wealth and avaritious desires thereof a kind of men most wretched unquiet and full of sorrows whom perhaps we shall shall not evilly compare to Camels or Mules for as they by rockes and steep hils carrying Silken Garments Pearls Aromatick Spices and generous Wines on their backs doe draw many servants with them for security sake and so at evening coming to their stables their pretious ornaments and painted cloathes and garments are taken from them and now being weary and stripped nothing but the prints of stripes foul marks of blows are to be seen So those which in this world did shine in Gold and Silkes the day of their death being come have nothing but the prints and skars of sinnes through the abuse of riches committed unto them Learn then O learn to leave the world The world in the world iâ— to be left before it leave thee with most bitter pains which he who doth and first separateth his soul from the world to this man it is easie to be separate in body from it neither doth he grieve for the losse of it For as the Israelites even now being about to leave Egypt were daily pressed with greater burdens by Pharaoh going about utterly to overthrow their whole progeny or stock so We carry nothing out of the world the infernall Pharaoh envying our eternall salvation when we are neer to death so much greater care and rapacious desire of earthly things is hee wont to infest our soules withall which blindnesse is the more remarkable because we cannot carry the least dust with us of all those heaps of mony which we have gotten into the Kingdome of heaven because that way is so strait as all earthly things and of the body doe exceedingly hinder the passage of the soule The way is strait which leadeth to heaven and few there be that find it Matth. 7. As the Husband-man on the Barn-floore separateth the Wheat from the Chaffe so death setteth free the seed of the faithfull souls from the chaffe of the world neither are they any other thing else indeed but chaffe carried hither and thither with the wind Psalm 1. Therefore do that with all thy might and let not that depart out of thy mind which we brought before out of St. Paul The sorrow which is according to God worketh repentance to a firm salvation but the sorrow of the world bringeth death CHAP. XXI What is true divine Worship Levit. 10. The sonnes of Aaron did offer to the Lord strange fire and there went fire from the Lord and devoured them THis fire is said to be strange fire because it was other then that which burned perpetually on the Altar and which by the commaandement of God did burn the Offering and it is a type of the false divine The false worship of God worship The sonnes of Aaron did deserve to be burned with the
truly humbled think themselves worthy of nothing Jacob Gen. 32. who pronounceth himself unworthy of all divine favour and temporall blessings Therefore to his example and pattern a heart truly humbled contrite acknowledging himselfe unworthy of the least heavenly visitation and consolation be it never so little crieth O Lord my soule thine handmaid is unworthy of thy great love and mercy which thou hast shewed it in Christ Jesus behold since thou gavest me thy Sonne I come with two troops with the blessings I say of grace and glory And indeed if a man would weep a sea of teares it were not sufficient price for the least heavenly favour or consolation Therefore the grace of God is meerly pure and free gift and the merit of man is nothing else but punishments and eternall damnation which every one knoweth What misera men God respects through faith and acknowledgeth freely man consequently is guilty of his own misery and is pardoned of God that which cannot befall man without this zealous acknowledgement and so to obtain the favour of God Wherupon S. Paul 2 Cor. 12. saith I would boast of the infirmities in me that the power of Christ might awell in me For such is the mercifulnes of God he will not see his workes suffer corruption but so much the weaker it is in it selfe so much more fortitude is divinely infused into it according to that the Lord said unto Paul My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect in infirmity Wherefore by how much a true Christian in his own judgment is more wretched by so much doth God pardon more freely to the manifestation of the riches of his glory in a vessell of mercy Rom. 9. not looking to any merit of his by heavenly consolations more sincere then all human joyes Furthermore we call not him a miserable man not he that is poore Why a man is wretched and destitute of human succour and comfort but he that from the bottome of his heart acknowledgeth and is grieved for his sinnes for if sinne were not there would be no misery in the world and so much could not befall man but that he is worthy of much more Far be it from us to grieve because many heavenly benefits are not bestowed Man is worthy of no divine grace seeing we are not worthy of the least no not the life we carry about with us Which saying although our flesh think it a very unworthy and hard saying yet if we will obtain the grace of God the truth is to be spoken and every true repentant sinner most be a most bitter Judge and upbraider of himselfe for his sinnes Wherein then and wherefore should a man open his mouth Truly thus I think what ever man thou be it is better for thee to say thou canst say nothing in these two words Lord I have sinned Have mercy upon me a sinner certainly God himselfe requireth nothing else of a man but that he should deplore his sins and crave pardon which two whoso The best work of man neglecteth may be said that he hath omitted the best part Take heed therefore O man to powre forth teares for thy body because it is naked because it is afflicted with hunger and cold and because it suffereth persecutions because it is restrained in bands or because it is weak and sick but bewaile and send forth tears for thy soule which is constrained to dwell in flesh and bloud obnoxious to sinne and death Vnhappy man that I am cryeth blessed Paul Rom. 7. who shall deliver me from this body of sinne And this Christian acknowledgement and conscience of his proper and inward misery this grace-thirsting repentance Faith is the door of grace this faith fastened on Christ alone opening the doore of grace in Christ by which God cometh into the soule therefore repent and amend saith John chap. 3. Behold I stand at the doore and I beat or knock if any shall heare my voyce and shall open it to me I will enter therein and I will sup with him and he with me Which supper is nothing verily but the remission of sinnes consolation life and happinesse at this doore of faith our most loving God at his own time doth meet the wretched soule here the truth ariseth from the earth and justice looketh from heaven here Mercy and Truth meet one another Justice and Peace doe kisse each other Psalm 85. Here the offender Magdalene I say the soule of Mystical Magdalen man all confused and powring forth tears anointeth the feet of our Lord washeth them with teares wipeth them with the hairs of her head of most profound humility Here the spirituall and mysticall Bishop in the holy ornaments of faith offereth the true sacrifice the contrite heart and lowly and the frankincense of true repentance and contrition I say the teares for sins committed that true cleansing water The misticall Bishop and sacrifice of a Christian wherewith the mysticall Israel are washed and made clean by faith and efficacy of the bloud of Christ And thus much Christians it appeareth how by the acknowledgement of your proper misery and faith in Christ you may attain the grace of God so that by how much every one in their own judgement is more wretched so much the more dearly beloved of God and by him is adorned with great favours CHAP. XX. By Christian contrition our life is daily amended and made more and more fit for the Kingdome of Heaven and life eternall 2 Corinth 7. Godly sorrow worketh repentance to eternall salvation but worldly sorrow worketh death TRue Christianity consisteth in pure Faith true Charity and holy life which have their beginning out of serious Holiness from whence contrition repentance and a strict and severe knowledge of himselfe perceiving daily more and more his defects and amending them daily and participating the righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ by faith 1 Cor. 1. and cannot be obtained The fear of God by any other means in which if we walk in the continuall feare of God after the example of good children and subjects we doe not nourish any thing belonging to the flesh All things are lawfull for me saith Paul 1 Cor. 6. but are not all expedient in me making me better For even as a sonne in his fathers house doth not all things which many times the lust of the flesh prompteth him unto but warily observeth his father and as it were by the eye doth counsel with him before hee cometh to say or doe any thing So a true Christian and the Child of God will chastice his senses with Christian modesty neither will doe or speak any thing without the fear of God But for The ioy of the world doth extinguish the fear of God the most part all men are without the feare of God do addict themselves to worldly pleasures not knowing it is better continually to feare God then to wallow in
shall he obtain everlasting life unlesse he first repent The example of this doctrine is set forth by Zacheus the Publican Luke 9. who understood the doctrine of faith and conversion in a sound sense acknowledging that onely to bee true faith by which a man should be turned from his sinnes to God and which expected and hoped for the remission of sius from Christ and desired to participate of his merit it behoveth him to give over sinning and in firm trust of the divine grace to cleave to the bounty of Christ and so he construed or understood the Sermon of Christ Mark 1. Repent and beleeve the Gospel that is desist from sinning be yee filled with the good hope of my merit and expect the remission of sins from me onely Wherefore Zacheus saith to Christ Behold Lord I give halfe of my goods unto the poore and if I have defrauded any man of any thing I doe restore it fourefold By which words he doth not commend his works no but extolleth grace by which he was given to understand the way of true repentance therefore this sense hath his prayer O Lord I am so grieved that I have circumvented my neighbour that I Acknowledgement of sinne in faith doth the Son favour will restore unto him fourfold and I will bestow halfe my goods upon the poore Wherefore seeing that I confesse my sinnes and likewise doe fully purpose in my mind to leave my sins and doe firmly beleeve in thee I doe prâ—y and beseech thee to pardon me and vouchsafe to circumvent me with thy grace Which lawfull form of conversion the heavenly Physitian allowing and receiving he answereth This day is salvation come unto tby house For the Sonne of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost And this is the true repentance and conversion by faith which God worketh therefore is the beginning middle and ending so that no other thing is required of us then a will not to resist the will of God or voluntarily not resist the holy Ghost after the manner of the contumacious Jewes of which mention is made Acts 17. and 13. wee read of those whom Saint Paul reproacheth in this manner It behoveth us first to speak unto you the Word of God but because you reject it and judge your selves unworthy of eternall life behold we turn us unto the Gentiles It is our part therefore after the manner of sick folks to take the counsel of the Physitians and to obey their Precepts and as he in the beginning The processe of spirituall cure of the disease doth signifie the pains to the Patient so God laâ—eth open our sinnes as he doth to the sick and gently admonisheth us what things are to be avoided that his medicines may exercise their full strength so God doth shew us what is to bee declined or avoided lest the medicine of his most pretious bloud bee made void and work nothing at all Moreover so soon as a man by the grace of the holy Ghost doth forbeare to sinne here upon A man of himself can neither think nor doe any good truly the grace divine doth begin in him to work new gifts which before and without this would make no beginning nor was sufficient by himselfe to think any good thought much lesse to doe any good but from thence forth the good that is in us is not ours but cometh of divine grace according to that of Saint Paul Rom. 12. I speak by the grace that is given me And 1 Corinth 15. By the grace of God I am that I am and to us grace is freely imputed with the whole merit and the obedience of Imputation to whom it belongeth Christ no otherwise then if it were our own so we bee penitent Neither doth imputation lest we erre belong to the wicked and the contemners of the word of God neither doth Christ work but in the penitent And even as a Schoolmaster leading the hand of a child that he learnes to write and then praiseth his writing so God which in us doth work crowns and commends those things Without me saith Christ you can doe nothing that is good and we are apt by nature without him to doe the things that are evill and this onely is proper to us But that which is good is meer grace neither hath flesh any thing whereon to boast Therefore happy are you O mortals if you give your minds to forbear sinning and to consent unto God no otherwise then a young Virgin that giveth her promise and faith to her Spouse that embraceth her And Christ truly the Spouse of our soules goeth about or endeavoureth to manifest in us that he is willing Christ worketh the will in us or doth consent by calling us so courteously to him in his Word and our Conscience I say by seeking us alluring us and imbracing us thinking no such thing as to desist from sinne lest his pretious bloud be spilt in vaine for us CHAP. XXXV Without a holy and Christian life all Wisdome all Arts and Sciences yea the knowledge of the whole Scripture and Theology is in vain Matthew 7. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven BEcause in charity consist or are contained all the duties of a Christian man and so all the life of Christ was nothing but a sincere and most pure love hereupon blessed Paul 1 Cor. 13. under the name of Charity comprehends the whole life of a Christian man And it is the property of true charity to respect God alone in all things not to have the least respect to The property of sincere charity his own honour or profit but in all things gratis and for that cause onely because God is the chiefest good and to doe it for his honour and the good of his neighbour Which charity whosoever hath not he is a Who is an hypocrite true hypocrite and when in all his workes he respecteth onely his own works and not God alone it appeareth to bee false love which he boasteth of Therfore let us allow that this man understand the holy Bible without book and speak with the tongues of Angels yet all these things shall profit him nothing but he shall bee as a sounding Without charity all things profit nothing brasse or as a tinckling Cymball For as no food can nourish the body unlesse it be turned into juice and bloud so the word of God and the Sacraments are to no purpose if they be not expressed in our life and The true fruit of faith and the Sacraments works neither is the new man any other then a man converted holy and full of charity Therefore Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 13. If I could prophesie and know all mysteries and all knowledge and all faith so that I might remove mountaines and have no charity I am nothing That is if I
smell so Christ which is the tree of life by tasting and by triall is understood I say by tasting in faith his lowlinesse and humility and patience and by eating of his fruit whereby consequently his soule might find rest and tranquillity and be made capable of divine grace and consolation Which two into a heart void of faith and unfenced with the humility and lowlinesse of Christ cannot enter to fructifie seeing that God giveth grace only to the humble Seeing then it is thus what doth Christ profit a man who hath no society with him Such are all those who living in the darknesse of sinne cannot be companions of light according to that of Saint John If we say we have society with him and walk in darknesse we are liers and want the truth But if we walk in the light as hee is in the light we have joynt fellowship with him Which in the second chapter hee addeth The darknessc is passed over and the true light now shineth hâ—e which saith hee is in the light and hateth his brother is in darknesse untill now He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no offence in him But he that hateth his brother is in darknesse and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither he goeth because darknesse hath blinded his eyes And how long a man remaineth in that terrible cloud of sinnes he cannot bee lightned of Christ which is the true Light and come to the knowledge of God For the true knowledge of God and Christ consisteth in that hee understands God to be meere The true knowledge of Christ Grace and Charity which who hath not and exerciseth this man knoweth it with the most ignorant So all knowledge consisteth ariseth out of the understanding experience and works of truth and so certain it is that hee which doth not exercise charity howsoever hee make many words of it yet he perceiveth not the perfect nature of it In like manner Christ is meere love humility meeknesse patience and vertue the which who hath not is ignorant of Christ although hee can prattle many things of him and usurp his name After the same manner the word of God is nothing but Spirit whereupon they which live not in the Spirit these consequently doe not know what the word of God is although they fable and dispute of it every where Therefore it belongeth not to him to judge of love who never exerciseth it For all knowledge as we said even now beginneth with feeling experieÌ„ce Knowledge ariseth out of experience Nor is it his part to speak of the light that never moved a foot out of his own darknesse to see the light and what is light in man but faith and charity according to the saying of Christ Matth. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Now seeing that the most holy life of Christ is nothing but meer love if we endeavour to drink and draw from him true faith humility lowlinesse and patience as it is given in commandement to us by the severe Law of Learning then truly we are transformed into his image and we are beautified and adorned with his love no otherwise then if we were covered with Christ himselfe which is the eternal and true Light according to that of the Ephesians chap. 5. Arise thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ will inlighten thee Whereupon it followeth again that as many as doe not awake from the sleep of the world that is concupiseence of the eyes of the flesh and pride of life their soule cannot truly be illuminated by Christ Contrariwise they which assume the life of Christ and follow him in faith these truly are illuminated according to that of Saint John chap. 8. I am the light of the world he which followeth me in faith charity hope patience lowlinesse humility feare of Onely the martyrs of Christ illuminated God and prayer walketh not in darknesse but shall have the light of life As if he should say Onely those that imitate me have the light of life and the true illumination and knowledge of mee By reason of the same Faith and Life of Christ or Christian life blessed Paul Ephes 5. calleth the faithful the Light You were saith he sometimes darknesse but now light in the Lord. And 1 Thess 5. You are all the sonnes of light and the sonnes of God we are not of the night nor darknesse having put on the breast-plate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation To this belongeth that of the Book of Wisdome which faith That the holy Ghost doth flye wicked persons but comes into holy souls and of them makes Prophets and friends of God Which if it flye the wicked it is plain that they cannot be inlightened of it To which that is like that Christ denieth the world that is carnal minds not repenting them at all can they receive the holy Ghost But that there might be a perfect and absolute example amongst men and an Idea of vertue therefore the Son of God became Man and by his most holy life became the publick Light of the world that all men might follow him beleeve in him and be illuminated from him Now seeing the false Christians themselves know not Christ to be the most perfect and absolute righteousnesse or vertue therefore they did not care for following him it is manifest that the Ethnicks the most rigid observers lovers of vertue did goe far beyond them Of whom the wisest as Plato Aristotle Cicero and Seneca determined If the virtue of the body may be seen or could bee seen it would appeare more cleare then Lucifer or the day starre But those that shal behold Christ with the eye of faith he being the true Lucifer or Day-star doth far excel them and Faith in Christ illuminateth the heart those shall so see and contract the word of life 1 John 1. But if the Ethnicks did so esteeme virtue and desired to see it how much more ought Christians to esteem it above all things seeing Christ is meere virtue meere The love of Christ is to imitate Christ lowlinesse yea God himselfe Whereupon not without cause Saint Paul preferreth the love of Christ before all Sciences or knowledge for that he which loveth him it necessarily followeth that hee doe embrace his lowlinesse and humility out of his meere and most sincere love towards him whereby he is further illuminated and daily Light grace is given by humility transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. For God giveth grace to the humble saith Saint Peter 1 Epist chap. 5. And Saint Bernard The floods of grace doe flow downwards not upwards By all which it cometh to passe that the grace of the light and of knowledge divine is not communicated to a man that liveth not in Christ but walketh in the
130. If thy imperfections be great again and again remember Christs merits are far greater and say with David Psalm 11. Have A repentanr soul is at peace with God mercy upon mee according to thy great mercies And when by the grace of God thou art penitent for thy sinnes and dost behold Christ in faith then in like manner God is grieved at thy punishment and pardon and remission followeth this thy divine and wholsome contrition by and by and so oft as thou becomest an offender and returnest again to him by sorrowfull sighes For even as the Leper was healed in a moment when he said to Christ Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole and he answered I will be thou clean So Almighty God inwardly and in the Spirit maketh thee clean saying Be confident my sonne thy sins are forgiven thee Which great mercy of God in cleansing and pardoning our sins prefigured in that Lepers example ought not to give us occasion to sin again but more and more to glorifie God whereupon thou mayst say My soule praise the Lord. IX Outward injuries reproaches and How iniuries are to be born upbraids beware they doe not provoke thee to wrath indignation or revenge but rather think them to be certain trials of thy heart by which God would prove thee what is in thee and in thy heart doth lie hid I say whether meeknesse and humility or pride and wrath For whatsoever lieth hid in a man or concealed provocated contumelies do make triall of him Therefore if thy heart bee indued with humility and lowlinesse thou wilt easily beare all contempts nay whatsoever shal happen to thee of that kind thou wilt accept it as a punishment of God for thy just desert and sinne after the example of David who being reproached to his face by Shimei said 2 Sam. 16. God commanded him to revile David Moreover thou shouldst think the contempt of us to be a great part of the contumely of Christ which a living and a true member of him ought to participate according to that saying Heb. 13. Let us goe to him bearing our infirmities Not being unmindfull with what heart with what lowlinesse hee did beare his reproach then conclude for him in like manner thou art to bear thy reproaches and private injuries with an equal mind Do not thou say Shall I suffer these things at his hands For by reason of the lowlinesse and most patient heart of Christ all things should bee moderately born by thee I conceale the benignity of Christ to be so great that for one contumely that an innocent doth suffer he is ready to reward it with many honours and gifts That David knew when hee received the reproach of Shimei as a pledge and token of honour to come saying Suffer him to revile as the Lord hath commanded him If the Lord shall respect my affliction and the Lord shall return me good for his cursing this very day Wherefore let not the fables of men perturb thee but rather rejoyce because the glory of Gods Spirit resteth in vile things 1 Pet. 4. Victory consists in patience X. Study to overcome and pacifie thy enemies and detractors with benefits and goodnesse not in wrath nor in revenge nor in returning answer for no man will be reconciled to thee by this means seeing that victory consisteth in virtue not in vice For as Devils doe not drive one another out or away so revenges and maledictions doe not pacifie but provoke thy calumniators For as no man goeth about to heale a frantick man or a wretched person or a wounded man afflicted with soares with beating or club-law so a man evil affected to you is to be handled with lenity and not with cruelty and by sweet and gentle means pacified That which God himself to overcome us doth think he must observe pacifying our malice with his goodnes and our wrath with his love and inviting us with this such and so great benignity to repentance And Paul hath commended the same Art unto us Rom. 12. Bee not overcome of evill but overcome evill with goodnesse For this is our victory XI If in thy neighbour thou observest Wee ought not to envie good in others a gift which God hath adorned him with before thee and others take heed thou dost not envie this in him rather rejoyce give God thanks for seeing all the chosen and faithfull are one body it followeth that the beauty of every member doe ennoble the whole body On the contrary if thou perceive The sin of our neighbour is to be condoled any misery in thy neighbour lament it as thine own thinking the condition of all men to be equall and the weaknesse of the flesh to bee alike and hee that cannot take compassion nor condole he is no member of Christ For hee thought ours his own by compassion hee delivered us from all our miseries To which belongeth that of Saint Paul to the Galatians chap. 6. Bear one anothers burdens and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ XII The vices and sins of our neighbour are to be hated even as the works of Hate the vice not the mâ—n the Devil and if he should be no otherwise lest thou become more wicked then the man himselfe but rather bewaile his lot because he is subdued with such sinnes and commend his cause to God as Christ prayed for his enemies upon the Crosse Father forgive them And contrariwise whosoever hateth man cannot please God seeing it is his property to desire to rectify all men according to that of Luke 9. The Son of Man came not to destroy but to save mens souls XIII Think all men frail but thy self A Christian thinks himselfâ— the greatest sinner most frail for before God all men are of equal condition and alike condemnable because we have all sinned neither have we any thing whereon wee may boast before God Then how great a sinner soever thy neighbour be take heed thou beleeve not therefore thou art the better before God Let him that standeth take heed that hee fall not Yea he that maketh himself the lowest of all men this man keepeth the grace and favour of God It is sure that thou no lesse standest need of the grace and mercy of God then the greatest sinner which is the greater to thee the more humble thou art Wherefore blessed Paul accounted himselfe the greatest sinner 1 Tim. 1. And therefore saith That he obtained mercy Christ shewing his patience in him To which alike is that which he saith 2 Cor. 12. As concerning my selfe I will boast of nothing but my infirmities XIV That true illumination doth follow The contempt of the world is from illumination contempt of worldly things For even as the sonnes of this world have their inheritance upon earth as temporall honours fraile wealth vain splendor and beauty which they love and keep as treasures so the treasures of the sons of God are poverty
holy life is righteousnesse before God and so to be interpreted and it is as sure that all that thou dost is unperfect lame and defective Moreover that thou beware of the Devils Cobwebs and his devices whose properties and custome is to sow Popple amongst the Wheat to whom therefore thou art not to give place but how much more is in the new gifts the more do thou beware thou abuse it not to thine honour but in humble fear of God ascribe whatsoever it be to the great and eternal author of them Remedies against spiritual pride and to thy selfe on the contrary thou shalt deny all things lest perhaps thou mayst say sometimes in thine heart O great faith of mine great knowledge great gifts for lest thou deceive thy selfe none of these are thine but Gods without whose illumination thou remainest a dead filthy and vile sheafe Therefore these gifts are none of thine no more then the glistering of a gem or pretious stone wherein as a Jeweller hee putteth his treasure so God placeth in thee his goods but without them thou art empty and void And it were great dotage and foolery to take occasion to boast thy self of another mans goods as I shall speak more in the second book For even as a Jeweller when as so oft as he pleaseth hath power to put his treasure or Jewels into another box to carry where hee pleases or keep about him so God every moment may take his gifts from thee whom therefore thou oughtst to feare and with all diligence eschew spiritual arrogancy Moreover thou must think that Almighty God will require an exact account of those things of thee And how great soever those things be which our heavenly Father hath lent thee through Christ they are onely beginnings and first fruits of solid graces Furthermore it is thy part to know that there is no perfect gifts obtained but by prayer from God without which whatsoever they be that thou hast those truly are but shadowes and unprofitable dead seeds bearing no ripe fruits as thou mayst understand by my little book of prayers No profitable gifts are obtained without prayer whereby examples we teach that without prayer no heavenly gifts doe descend into the heart of man Of which little book that thou mayst have some taste I invite thee to read those things which I have written in the second booke of prayers There be two things in speciall which all our prayers ought to respect one is the destruction of the Devils image which commeth in power of incredulity pride covetousnesse lust wrath and such like The other is the restauration of the divine Image in which is contained faith hope charity humility patience lowlinesse the fear of the Lord which two things are by The sum of the Lords prayer divine workmanship briefly contracted in the Lords prayer as I may so say that it maketh part for us and part against us For if the power of God be to be sanctified then it behoveth thee to kill thine owne power with all the pride of old Adam If thâ— kingdome of God be to be built in thee the Devils must be overthrown if the will of God be to be fulfilled in thee thine must needs be contemned and denied And these two heads in the book of prayer are required if thou wilt have it profitable unto thee are shadowed as I said even now in the Lords Prayer which is a certain breviary of heavenly and temporall gifts which because the Son of God commanded us to pray therefore those things his heavenly Father will give us much more willingly it is more sure then needs be called in question or any doubt made thereof Of which in another place Finis Glory to God alone The Contents of the Chapters of this Book CHap. 1. Of the Image of God pag. 1 2 Of the Fall and Apostasie of Adam 9 3 How Man is renewed in Christ to life eternall 18 4 What true repentance is and what the Crosse 28 5 What true faith is 36 6 How the word of God ought to live in man 44 7 How the Law of God is written in the heart 52 8 Without true repentance man cannot challenge Christs merit 60 9 The Antichristian life of men deny Christ and true faith 71 10 Worldly men by their lives deny Christianity 75 11 Those that imitate not Christ are none of his 78 12 A Christian must die to himself live to Christ 91 13 A Christian must die to the world himself 100 14 A Christian ought to despise his own life 110 15 The old mâ—n should die the new man revive 122 16 The combat of the Flesh and Spirit 129 17 A Christians inheritance is not of this world 136 18 Eternal things to be preferred before temporal 146 19 Most miserable to himself most dear to God 154 20 By contrition our life is to be amended 163 21 What true divine worship is 176 22 Amendment of life a mark of a Christian 193 23 The friendship of the world is to be avoyded 199 24 Of love towards God and our Neighbour 206 25 Of love to our Neighbour in speciall 221 26 Wherefore our Neighbour is to be loved 227 27 Wherefore our enemies are to be loved 238 28 The Creator to be loved before the Creatures 245 29 Of the reconciliation of our Neighbour 251 30 Of the fruits of love 261 31 Self-love and arrogancy defile the best gifts 273 32 Good works without charity not acceptable 281 33 God accepteth works according to the heart 286 34 God alone the author of our salvation 291 35 Without a holy life all things are unprofitable 302 36 Who tast the virtue of the hidden Manna 308 37 Their loss who follow not Christ in their lives 324 38 The fruit of an Antichristian life 341 39 How the purity of doctrine is to be obtained 350 40 Certain Rules conducing to a devout life 362 41 Christian Religion wherein it â—onsisteth 375 42 Spirituall pride is to be eschewed 400 FINIS
fire of revenge because they broke the commandement of the Lord which zeal of the most just God those likewise provoke against themselves which out of their own invention and singular devotion and presumption of religious sanctity doe invent a new and uncommanded kind of worship not of God commanded Into which indignation of the divine Godhead lest perhaps we The punishmeÌ„t of it should fall into it also it remaineth to see wherein the true worship of God consisteth for the punishment of the temporary fire which in the old Testament is remembred against feigned worship standeth as an argument that God will doe the like in the new Testament for false religions both with eternal fire and warres and devastations of the lawes then which I know not whether any fire can be more terrible if he so avenge it is most sharp And the nature The true worship of God of the true divine worship and the reason wil easily appeare to us by the comparison of both the covenants together that which God required in the old Testament it was externall and typicall full of figures and shadowes of the Messias and full of ceremonies which that nation was bound to observe strictly and according to the letter In which rites and images the faithfull of the Jewes did as it were behold the Messias by faith in him are saved through the compact and promise divine which God in the new Testament did fulfill This consisteth not in externall Figures Ceremonies Rites Statutes and Lawes but is altogether inward and drawn into Spirit and Truth consisting of faith in Christ beâ—ause by him the Temple the Altar Sacrifices the Ark and Priesthood with all the Morall and Ceremoniall Law are fulfilled whereby consequently we are graffed into Christian liberty free from the maledicti-of the Law Gal. 3. and Jewish ceremonies Gal. 5. So that with a free heart and holy spirit dwelling in us we might serve God Jer. 31. Rom. 8. And our faith and consciences are bound to no traditions of men The trueÌ„ worship of God consisteth in 3 things Moreover three chiefe things are requisite to a true spirituall internall and Christian worship that is to say The true knowledge of God Then of Sinne and Repentance Thirdly of Grace and remission of sinnes And these three are one no otherwise then God himselfe is one in Trinity for in the knowledge eternall of God is contained both repentance and remission of sinnes and that consisteth in faith which taketh hold of Christ and in him and through him acknowledgeth God his omnipotence love mercy righteousnesse verity wisdome of God all which is God himselfe and Christ and the holy Ghost And that not absolutely alone and by his What iâ— God own nature but respectively also and beholding of me by his gracious wil in Christ by which means he is God omnipotent to me mercifull to me eternall righteousnesse to me by grace and remission of sinnes and to me eternall truth and wisdome Nor there is no other way with Christ who is become unto me eternall omnipotency omnipotent Head and Prince of life my most mercifull Saviour perpetuall love justice and righteousnesse immoveable according The true knowledge of God to that 1 Cor. 1. Christ is become our wisdome from God and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption All which and every one of them also are spoken in like manner of the holy Ghost And this is the true knowledge of God which consisteth in faith and it is not a meer knowledge but a joyfull living and powerfull trust by which I sweetly feele in me the beams and infusion of the divine omnipotencie of God so as I am held and carried by it to live in it and perceive my selfe to be moved and to be so In a word that I may feele and apprehend the riches of his goodnesse and mercy in me for can can there be greater charity thought upon then that which God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost have shewed unto us all most abundantly What righteousnesse more perfect and ample then that whereby he draweth us from sinne death hell and the Devill Or what can bee added to that Faith is the vertue and power of God heavenly and infallible truth and wisdome of his This then is the true and solid faith consisting in lively and effectuall trust and not only in words or the noyse of words or externall sounds In which knowledg of God or faith it behoveth us all the sons of God daily more and more to profit be perfected Whereupon blessed Paul hath sufficient for us to wish for Ephes 3. That we may know the love of Christ exceeding all knowledge as who should say all the study of our whole life if it were imployed to know the love of Christ it would not be sufficient to learn the exceeding largenesse thereof Neither doth onely knowing define this knowledge be not deceived but thus much more he wil that we The lively knowledge of God participate tast and have triall of the sweetnesse well-pleasingnesse vertue and lively infusion in our hearts inword and in faith of his divine love so great and immense without expression For shall we say he knew the love of Christ which never tasted it never proved it according to that of the Hebrewes chap. 6. Who have tasted the heavenly gifts and the good word of God and the power of the world to come which in faith is obtained through the word Neither is any other the effusion of the love of God into our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 4. wherein consisteth the fruit and efficacie of the divine word And to shut up all this is the true knowledge of God arising from tast and experience and consisting in living and solid faith which therefore the Epistle to the Hebrewes calleth Hypostasin and most certain eviction Furthermore this knowledge of God which consisteth in living faith is a part of the eternall and spirituall divine worship What faith is as in like manner faith it selfe is a spirituall gift living and heavenly as also the light The true knowledge of God doth change the heart brings forth vertue and vertue of God Therefore when this knowledge goeth before by which God doth as it were drinke to our souls to tast and relish it according to Psalm 34. Tast and see how sweet the Lord is it cannot be but serious repentance will follow that is the renewing of the mind and amendment of life For from the perceiving solid knowledge of the omnipotency of God there followeth withall humility seeing that it is not possible under the powerfull hand of God not to be made crooked nor to make himselfe straight From the tast of the divine mercy proceedeth love towards his neighbour for no man is or can be childish or can deny his neighbour any thing who is experienced of the divine love and shall remember that God out of his meer mercy hath given him