such as are pure in heart and bodie without shall bee Dogs and Swine sensuall Epicures uncleane persons within shal bee all cleane and chast ones And this conclusion I cannot omit as having before grounded it in the text Marriage is Honorable and the bed undefiled and God will blesse all that so preserve it But whoredome and Adultery are odious and base in Gods esteeme and hee will judge all such as pollute themselves thereby you see that the Parallel of the two members of the Text doth necessarily import it Blessed art thou that fearest the Lord in this particular Thy wife shal be as the vine about thine house Thy Children as olive plants about thy Table The Lord shall blesse thy Stock and store thy goings out and comming in thou shalt eate of the fruite of thy labours and see the travaile of thine hands with peace and prosperity to Israel As all the plagues of the uncleane shall pursue the former so shall all the blessinges of the cleane follow thee Thy body shal be cleane thy health continued thy posterity shal be pure and be free from pollution as an holy seed thy estate shall prosper thy Name shal be savory and as an Oyntment powrd out Thy selfe shalt see God for so shall all pure in heart do and the Lord shall bring thee forth with honor one day with chast Joseph whom God released from all false aspersions loe here are they that have washed their garments in the blood of the Lambe walk undefiled have not toucht any uncleane thing therfore I will be a father unto them and they shal be Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty yea thy foule garments shal be all taken from thee and the cleane linnen of the Saints shal be put upon thee and thou shalt walk with Christ in white for he hath câ—unted thee worthy Onely preserve thy soule in sutable purity with thy Body keep both in holines and honor and thou shalt inherit all the promises of God made to such The Papists do not so much magnify their vestall virgins because they are not defiled with men though many of them are as the Lord shall honor thee before men and Angells as his chast and undefiled spouse and set a Crowne of glorie upon thine head Thy marriage shall not prejudice nor stain this virginity fear it not such as have abused this honorable estate calling it a life of the flesh shall not come where thou hast to do to interrupt to disturbe thy happines Enjoy this thy Comfort here Seperate thy selfe from all uncleannes of body and spirit yea hate the Garment spotted with the flesh Seperate the pretious from the vile and thou shalt be honorable Oh ye Ministers of the Lord that carrie his vessels in your handes and draw neer to him bee ye cleane and handle not his matters with unclean handes defile not his Bible his Church â—acraments Ordinances with polluted handes bodies and the Lord shall say to you as to his Prophet you shal be precious Finaly to conclude All ye his people who have got out of this depthe of uncleannesse be truly thankfull to God never cease to magnifie him for so narrow a scape and so great a Deliverance it s a thousand to one that ever you got out of this pit do not try conclusions put it not to the venture by sinning againe whether God will plucke you out the second time If you will try know that if ever at all you get to heaven you shall find it an harde worke Play not the Mountebankes to thrust your flesh through because you have balme at command to thrust after it you may perhaps misse of it when you would have it and if God save you it shal be as through fire though God cannot repent if ever you were his yet he shall make every veine in your hearts to ake ere you come to feel it and that Kingdome of God which else might have affoarded large entrance unto you shall now become a narrowe passage If you love your soules bring not such a needlesse sorrow upon your selves It s enough too much thatâ— you spent so much of your former daies in the vanity of the flesh the service of your Iusts spendther in holy awe and godly fear Say with Hezekia and David The living shall prayse thee the dead will not can not But I will sacrifice to the Lord with the voice of thanksgiving Salvation is of the Lord. To him Father Son and Spirit Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity be all honor and prayse for ever Amen A Table of the principall things of this Treatise Alphabetically framed A. THe Analyse of the Text. Pag. 1. Admonition to prevent the dishonour of Mariage 14. Admonition to the religious party Maried to the irreligious 37. Advice of the most judicious friends requisite for marriage 54. Aptnesse and sutablenesse required in marriage 60. Acceptions against the generall rule 62. 63. Who are Apt or unapt 62. ibid. Admonition against overweening our owne strength in unapt marriage 65. Affecters of unequall marriages to learne to be wiser 69. Admonition to all parties to beware of their marriage promises 102. Admonition against discord in marriage Sundry Caveats 1. Be not consident of your owne strength 2. Pray for this Grace of Amiablenesse 3. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ his meeknes 4. Renounce not God to use Carnall shifts 5. Each parts keep the severall bounds of their place 6. Be prepared before for the hardest 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. Instructions to forward Professors to beware of the sinne of Adultery 352. Admonition to usurping women in matters of God taxed 284. Admonition to the wife against the evill of priding her selfe in her diligence and houswifery 295. Attire of women subject to their Husbands direction 275. Adultery a great sinne Objections against it answered 329. God will have all uncleannes laid open in his colours us odious 330. Reasons of the point 333. 1. Vncleannesse is a very neere and naturall affection 2. Men are very proâ—e to blanch it over 3. This sinne enchanteth and bribeâ—h the judgement 4. Adultery is full of Colours and excuses to hide it selfe undâ—r 5. Either for prevention of the sinne or stopping the mouth of the Sinner 6. that sensuality might have the more strong disswasives to 337. Gods judgements against Adultery and uncleannesse in many Branches See Judgements Instructions to be subdued by the Terror of God against it 315. Admonition to all uncleane ones 348. in two Branches 1. Desace not Gods way 2. To preveâ—t the sinne 349. B. IN Couples where both are Bad the woman commonly is the worst 24. in â—ine Good admonitions to Bad Couples 36. When the good and Bad joine together seldome is the worse bettered by the good but often the better is marrea by the worser party 37. 38. C. COmfort and encouragement to good couples who honour their marriage 17. Jewish Contracts what and how solemnized Pag. vid.
let me speake unto you and be admonished ere it be too late ere either the one of you be swept from the other or both to destruction to consider your sinne at the first humbling your soule for it and much more for the long thred of your former course which you have spent amisse And if neither of you will at all profit by either word or workes of God while you live together but goe on hardned in your mutuall wickednesse yet when God shal separate the one from the other by death crying out lamentably of his or her sinfull course oh let the survivour be yet gastred out of his den and with that third Captaine of fifty cry out to God and say Although thou hast parted us Lord and my companion be dead in sinne yet let my life I pray thee be precious in thy sight unsettle me from those lees upon which I am setled for want of roling that I may breake off my long prophane fruitlesse conversation and seeke thy face and recover my selfe ere I depart and be seene no more Oh! it were better I grant if the Lord were so pleased that as both of you have bin partners in sinne and one corrupt flesh so you might both together repent and become one spirit in the Lord both of ye might be rouzed by his terrours out of your dead sleepe that the one being humbled might gaster his fellow and say husband wife seest thou not that Gods hand is out against us and his wrath is upon us we are under all adversity our bodies soules children and affaires nothing prospers oh we have made use a long time each of other for the divels vantage till our bones be full of the sin of our youth except we returne in time God will be avenged on us and send us to our place and long home of misery Alas we have never honoured marriage as other holy couples have done its strange patience that yet we are on this side hell let us now joyne together and turne to the Lord that if possible all may be forgotten and forgiven Oh! happy you if ever you should live to see that day happy your poore children and family whose soules you should snatch out of the fire and be instruments of pulling them out of that misery unto which you have bred them But I forbeare But there is a fourth sort of marriages whereof either party onely is religious These also are to be humbled for their ungrounded attempt the one for ventring upon an irreligious yokefellow the other for irreligious entrance Zachary and Elizabeth are commended that they were both just therfore it is a staine to such marriages as wherein either party is good the other opposite to it Example whereof we have in Scripture David and Michal Nabal and Abigail Iob and his wife The Lord who forbad to sowe one field with divers seedes or to weare a garment of linsey-wolsey much more abhors that the marriage-bed should be defiled with persons of divers religious for we know no opposition is so strong as that which is spirituall and how then should there be amity and love where the seeds of greatest enmity abide What a tempting of God is it to draw the yoke of God with one that drawes in the yoke of the Divell Oâ— as Paul speaks in the like case What fellowship is there betweene Christ and Belial the beleever and the infidell what is such an union save a monster compounded of divers natures by an adulterous mixture What a noysome thing were it for a lively and healthy body to walke with a dead caâ—casse bound to it backe to backe How long could it continue how should it avoid putrifaction as appeareth by the manner of that punishment in some cases inflicted among the Heathens as that image of Nebuchadnezzar which had the body made of mettals and the feet of clay could not abide long without dissolution so neither can that temper which consists of such contraries And hitherto adde that which one well observeth that when good and bad joyne together seldome is the worse bettered by the good but often the better is marred by the worser party The browne bread in the oven wil be sure to fleece from the white not that from it How can it otherwise be in this so neere a knot of marriage since it s seldome seene but it s so in all other fellowships when the one party is patient devout meeke sober a lover of the Word conscionable in Sabbaths and the use of meanes the other carelesse froward unchaste intemperate and prophane what a corrasive must the one needs be to the other and instead of an helper what a continuall dropping was it a savory thing thinke we to Iob to heare his wife bid him Curse God and dye himselfe being so armed with patience as to say Shall wee receive good things of God and not evill When David danced before the Lord and in the height of zeale brought home the Arke of God was it a pleasing thing to heare Micol to call him foole for his labour and although they are not so grosse as to scoffe at their husbands or wives yet what a crosse is it to have such lying in our bosomes as are of a diverse minde what complaint is so usuall in these dayes as to heare the complaints of good husbands of ill wives and wives of husbands through this desparity Some making their moane for the churlishnesse straightnesse maliciousnesse restraint from use of meanes others for other eye-sores of which sort unequall marriages are infinitely fruitfull So rare are those couples of whom it may be said They draw mutually and equally in one yoke as Zachary and Elizabeth both just diligent hearers zealous worshippers lovers of God of good men and the like And hence it is that there is oftentimes little difference betweene those families in which both be bad and those in which onely either party is good because commonly the better party makes himselfe but a prey to the other Religion must alway be the disadvantage of the party and the irreligious must beare the chiefe sway even as the elder brother will dominâ—â—e over the yonger because of his birth-right so the better party must ever looke to be the underling As we say or a syllâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the conclusion ever followeth the weaker 〈…〉 Alaâ— where both parties are as they ought how 〈…〉 is done â—o many croâ—â—es businessâ—â— of the world debts and temptations by sinne and Satan come betweene that even the comfort of such marriages goes neere together what good is like to be done when the one is alway thwarting the other in the duties of the family or lesser occasions I say when the maine is crazie how shall the rest be sodered But enough of these To passe therefore to another sort of couples how many husbands are of this ranke disaffected to their
appeare Thirdly and more especially those severall duties of worship which in private and apart from the other family do concerne them which although they ought to performe alone also yet not alwaies but jointly and mutually as to conferre read pray confesse and give thanks Fourthly they must be joint in the duties of charity to the poore harberousnes to strangers reliefe of other both publique causes and private persons whom by occasion God offereth to their regard Fifthly that mutuall harmony in all religious relations both towards themselves as instruction reproofe advice admonition or encouragement or else others in the Communion of Saints of which reade more at large in my Catechisme Part 2. Artic. 4. or else in their generall and exemplary conversation in the sight of the world which when it is mutuall is resembled in the glasse of each others practice but if not then looses her beauty as we see in the opposition which the holy Ghost makes betweene Abigail and Nabal in that point E're I answer any questions about this I must ground and prove it by reasons and Scripture For the latter it needs not many proofes That of these two worthies Luc. 1. 6. may be sufficient of Zachary and Elizabeth that both were upright before God in all the Commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe In which sentence most of those 5. particulers named before are touched That of the Apostle may be added that they defraud not each other except in the case of fasting least saith he your praiers be hindred that is your joint communion in religious worship Now if there must be such an entercourse in extraordinary duties how much more in ordinary But it s objected that Zachary cap. 12. bids them in their deepe humiliations to be apart this seemes to contradict jointnes I answer The phrase is not to be exclusively taken that they should alway be apart for the Prophets scope in the words is that there be singular uprightnesse in their humiliations for which cause he enjoines secrecy because he mournes truly who mournes without witnesse but this excludes not jointnesse in other times and cases because fervency being as well required in them as sincerity which is more stirred up by mutualnesse it is meete they should bee mutuall in that respect as apart in the other So that these two as occasion differs exclude not each other And there is speciall reason of this duty For first God is not now the God of them apart as before but jointly as married of them I say and of their seed and therefore now Reas 1 God must be sought jointly by them both not onely in severall as in their former estate Secondly the good things which they receive from God though they pertaine to their severall happinesse as their faith hope knowledge yet they reach to the furtherance of each others grace if they be bound then to trade with the whole body of Communion for the increace of grace how much more one with another Thirdly whatsoever they enjoy good or evill in a manner they enjoy it in common Their sinnes are common God may punish the one in the other their gifts and graces are common both blessed for the others sake their infirmities are common each being a fellow feeler of the other their blessings as health wealth successe are common their calling and businesse common tending to the common good of them and theirs their crosses common yea their punishments their posterity their dwelling their friends are common Shall their God then bee severall Shall their religion and worship bee disjointed No sure mutuall wants and needs must unite and reconcile them to one God with common consent Fourthly Religion is the golden Cement of all fellowships and unions both to knit and to sanctifie the same more firmely and closely together That union which is not thus fastened is but as the union of those foxes backward by firebrands in their tailes soone dissolved and very hurtfull The Iewes have a pretty observation upon the Ebrew name of the woman the first and last letters whereof make up the name Iah God which if they be taken from the middle letters leave all in a combustion for they signifie fire If God inclose not marriage both before and after and be not in the middest of it by this band of religious feare marriage is nothing save a fire a contentious and an unpeaceable condition But this consent of both in the Lord is the most firme and blessed of all Those tearmes are ever strongest and best agreed which agree in the best third or couple Now the Lord is the best and the safest band What a sweet glasse is it for husband and wife to see each others face yea heart in to be acquainted with each others graces or wants to be assured of each others love and loiall affection then to looke how they stand affected to the band of their union I meane fellowship in religion faith hope and the fruits Fifthly let us examine this truth but onely in one prime and chiefe act of religion and that is faith in the alsufficiencie of providence and that will teach us the rest What is the married estate save a very stage of wordly care to act her part Single persons never come to understand what care meanes till marriage come That 's the black oxe which treades heard upon them How shall this tread be borne except faith in the promise act another part of holy carelesnesse I meane in point of carking Surely as the fashion of some countries is to hang up a care-cloth in the Bride-chamber to coole the heat of other affections in the married and to put them in mind what an estate they are entring upon so well may this cloth of care ever hang in their chamber except faith take it downe and fasten their care upon him that careth for them cutting off all superflous carking Now this grace belongs jointly to both of them not only to the husband who followes the world hard to please his wife but also to the wife who as the Apostle saith is as ready to please him What a gulfe of care doe both implunge themselves into except the Lord vouchafe them his antidote What craft trickes coosenages dâ—ceits will they not find out to scrape and rake together all being fish that comes into their net What clamors discontents and brawles will arise if defeated of their wills What basenesse will utter it selfe upon any other expences then expected But let the Lord be their portion rocke and defence and what can distract them How sweetly will both draw in this yoake if as they have made God the God of the hilles so they can make him of the vallies I meane the God of their bodies as well as their soules Now if this one joint gift do so runne through all their life what will joint consent in all graces do as hope of salvation fitnesse to die
so few backsteps comming from thenceward would thinke any other save that there they were devoured And who would dare to hasard himself upon such a point as whether he should come backe from thaâ—pit from which its ten to one if any at all returne That heathen Philosopher Xenocrates may teach us wisedome herein who was a Stoick of most exact chaâ—tity and morallity He having read to his scholers deep Lectures of austerity and abstinence from all pleasures seeming to his Scholers to speak more then he had strength to performe was attempted by them what he was they got an harlot of exquisit beauty and laid her in his bed to provoke him to folly But he according to his rules abhorring the temptation answered them he would not buy repentance at so deere a rate Surely if he who had no more to lose save his morrall conscience and feared lest the forfeit thereof would prove so irrecoverable what should we Christians say who have our soules to lose what should it profit to winne the world and lose them or what shall bee given in exchange of them And having no hope of recovering repentance any more how should they tremble at so great a losse In one word this I say that this sinne hath a wofull spirituall giddinesse and drunkennesse annexed unto it disabling the sinner from laying it to heart except strange mercie prevent him so that as Salomon speakes in comparing the two sexes so may I say in comparing these with other sinners I have seene of them one of a thousand to repent but of this scarse one of a thousand It s the Lords course to give over these sinners to their haunt and custome It s said of Queene Tomyris that having overcome Cambyses a bloody Tyrant in battell and surpris'd his person she cut off his head and sous'd in a barrell of blood saying satiate thy selfe with that whereof thou hast beene alway so insatiable So saith the Lord to the Adulterers since fleshly pleasure hath beene that which thou hast alway so hunted after fill thy selfe with it for ever Split thy soule against the rocke and stone-wall of my seventh Command at which thou hast so stumbled let that grind thee in peeces This curse of God sealing up the heart of the Adulterer gives him over to his owne sinfull sweetnesse so that the surfet thereof doth so wast and embezell the spirit of such an one that he walkes up and down staggering in the drunken pleasure of his uncleannesse he is quite a sleepe as Jona under the hatches If any of Gods Marriners Ministers I meane cry out Arise thou Adulterer call upon God and pray if possiâ—ly this tempest of wrath may bee prevented Alas hee is as that fellow upon the top of the mast ready to topple into the Sea and yet neither awakes nor feares any danger Once I knew and still there bee some alive who will beare me witnesse a most oâ—ious Adulterer of seventy yeare old who having long consumed his strength with harlots as he in the Proverbs wasted himselfe and all at last being laid in a barne good enough for him for no man could endure the vermin and savour which came from his rotten body was rèquested thus Potter so was his forename call upon God he replyed with his ordinary oathes Pox and woundes is this a time to pray thus he spake at death All his life long the season of Praier and Repenting was not come And now at his death lo it s gone As he merrily sayd of Marriage either it s not yet time or past time Oh! its just with God to bereave such of all list to apprehend any sound notion of their misery they are held off from capablenesse to mourne after God and in a following deceipt of sin even to death I heard once an Oxford man of worthy Memory in a Sermon relate of two students of eminent parts in that Vniversity who were sunke in a brutish Custome of Tobacco and Sacke and then into a loathsome habite of uncleane Pleasures and in time grew into such a slavish Impotency of spirit in those waies that when Necessity urged them to returne to their Chambers they could not there rest till they had pitcht a new meeting and so another till in time they grew so enfeebled and past all sense of Sobriety that with their pipes and Pots at their mouthes they were faine to be had into their beddes and so miserably died Alas no wonder If drinke and riot alone can do it how much more when lust is added to it as a threefold cord not easily broken Both streames meeting in one channel to overflow the bankes This is that Arrow of God shot through the livor of all such uncleane ones to be so enthralled to their lust that all sap of the spirit is dried up and a kingdome of uncleannes set up in their hearts and bodies to carry them beyond all hope of repenting Muse of this seriously if thou wouldest roote up the love of lust and kindle a deadly fewd with it never to be razed out Touching the outward Penalties what should I say Or what can I adde to that I have already said of Gods judgments against this sin Looke to the former doctrine Onely I adde this Exhortation Suffer not thy selfe when thou readest the judgments of God against the Name body person of an uncleane wretch to passe away without Meditation till they have wrought thy heart to a due abhorring therof yet lest I might seeme to mention this point for nothing let me adde one outward Penalty to all the former and that is That even Repentance it selfe is not able wholly to wast off the staine of this sin from the Committers of it Such is the wounde that those men give to the Name of God his religion and truth do suffer so deadly by their meanes that God in justice suffers them to expiate it by an outlasting infamy This was Gods threat to David Thou hast made the Enemies of God to blaspheme therfore lo the sword shall never depart from thy house nor reproach from thy name That same text which shall most eternize thee for a man according to Gods heart shall againe crocke thee saying Save in the matter of Bathsheba That 's a back blow yet just for he thought his secret conveyance would cover all but he saw not this That the thing he had done displeased the Lord therfore he must feele it to his smart His repenting God knew but yet that must not serve to quit him of a worke of sorrow as before I noted He that comitteth folly with a woman is destitute of understanding his blot shall never goe out Courts of men absolve such from all aspersions but when they are white and fayre in them they are foule and blacke in Gods No time no concealment of witnesses no dwelling farre off no oaths of purging no bribes must ever looke to doe it when as Repentance cannot do it Who
is a lesser degree of grace under this onely appearing in the seed tender and weake and that is of such as although they reach not so farre yet have their eye toward this bridegroome counting him one of ten thousand comparing selves with such as are married to him thinke themselves far inferiour wish their case were so happy abhorre their own treachery count the feet of such beautifull as wooe them to Christ thinke highly of the offer love to be such friends of the Lord Iesus and children of his Bridechamber full of tears affections and desires after it Even these are not to be excluded neither there is hope of such that they may come to be married to Christ in due time therefore it were unequall that for meere lacke of time and training they should be rejected rather if better faile in ordinary providence there being sufficient ground to hope that their little is in truth I dare not deny but a contract with such may be lawfull and the Lord may cover defects in mercy especially if the more forward party be industrious to improve a little to a greater measure in the other if the weaker party be teachable and in either of both there be a selfe-denying heart if God crosse their hopes to lye downe meekely at his feet humbled for sin the cause thereof and patiently taking up and bearing their crosse till God amend it By all this it appeares that Marrying in the Lord requires good consideration and that they who so marry have laid the foundation of future honour beforehand And who doubts but it had need be so for what hope is there that they who never sought it before should ever light upon it after Honour requires good breeding and it is a stud which except it subsist upon a good ground-cell will soone lye in the dust Rash and sudden attempts in this kinde doe but make way for shame and reproach onely marrying in the Lord prepares the soule for the worke it hath her tooles in readinesse to fall to the trade whereas the contrary is still to seek yea the very method of the Apostle in this Epistle shewes no lesse for he speakes of no marriage businesse before he have fully opened the doctrine of faith he layes that for the bottome and then comes in and tels such their Marriage is honourable Faith then is the hand and wheele which must frame a vessell for honour prepared as for all other so for this worke of marriage And in truth as it is all Religion upon point so it is the marriage ring which makes the soule one with the Lord and this ring is beset with many rich jewels all of them serving for the honour that is the well carrying and discharge of marriage duties One jewell is humility and selfe-denyall whereby the heart is tamed and humbled to this worke with all subjection and freed from that rudenesse and rebellion of spirit which makes it fit for nothing but it owne will and ends but this grace levels it to the obedience of this ordinance Another jewell is peace whereby the soule is so calmed and pacified within it selfe in the point of pardon and Gods favour that it can beare any affronts even as the shooes or brasse boots of the Souldier can walke upon rocks or pikes and feele no hurt so an heart well a paid in the Lord is calme and able to cleare the coast of all distempers and to goe through discontents and crosses such as an unquiet spirit cannot A third is purity which cleanseth the soule of many bad humours very unequall for marriage selfe-love pride disdaine wrath heart-burning jealousies and conceits and makes a man much fitter for marriage A fourth the last which I will name is righteousnesse that is the fellowship with Christs holy nature by which the soule partakes the properties of Christ qualifying it with wisedome influence strength meeknesse patience holinesse cheerfulnesse long-suffering and compassion which graces as they make him a meet head and husband for the Church so they make married couples meet heads and helpers for each other Faith I say doth draw from Christ all such abilities and graces as may prepare the soule to all the services which the marriage estate cals for Even as the spokes or staves of the wheele strengthen it for the good motion of it so doth faith strengthen this great master-wheele of conversation which is Marriage Reas 2 Againe except the honour of Marriage be forelaid in the entrance when the minde is free and impartiall how should it be like to be provided for in marriage it selfe Alas marriage hath her handsful of trial what grace is already wrought in the soule marriage will finde a gracious heart work enough at the best for it iâ— given to exercise grace It is not given to worke grace without singular mercy doe occasion it but to exerciâ—e it for what abundance of other distractions doe there fall out in this estate which as the Apostle tels us keepe off the soule from sitting close and comely to God The necessity of marriage-occasions are such as compell the parties each to please other in the matters of this life So that except single persons have well bethought themselves and fitted themselves with a stocke to live upon they will finde it an hard thing to act a true part on this stage upon the sudden rather they are like to finde except God alter it marriage to pul them from God to carry their spirits to worldlinesse unsetlednesse cares feares temptations lusts sometimes on the right hand by baits to carnall ease and jollity and otherwhiles on the left to snares and distempered passions of anger and impatience neither of which extremity favours religion but kils and damps it taking up all the time and leasure of the soul from attending the best things or at lest causing it to attend them lesser as good never a whit as we say as never the better Reas 3 Besides these reasons what hope have we that when we forsake Gods way he will be found of us in ours How just is it for him to forsake us and give us over to our owne by-ends and respects in our marriages and to suffer us to defile our selves more and more that as we entred badly so we should live worse and end worst of all As Paul saith The wicked waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived so may the Lord plague ungodly marriages by themselves and scourge them with their owne whip so that the husband should be deceived with the bad qualities of the wife and she by his one defiling the other more and neither doing any good to the other Wee see it thus daily uncleane men doe but teach their wives their trade that they might match them in their kinde carnall proud and bad wives draw their husbands to the like evils one must please another by concurring with
transcendent The world is now a dayes become a great snare each yong one scarce out of the shell tickles himselfe with the proposall of great hopes to himselfe and telling him His fortunes are great and he may marry in so and so high a degree and what is so high but his hopes may equall And thus not looking at his base beginnings and unlikelihoods of any thing but puffing up himselfe with offers with conceit of his owne worth he growes to thinke the world too narrow to chuse in And never I thinke was the spirit of the male-sex so vast as in this age wherein the multitude of the female sexe and the contempt thereof hath brought it to passe that every boy new out of his prentiship values himselfe by the scores and hundreths although scarce worth a groat besides his occupation And the most men deeme none be they never so religious which in our Fathers dayes would have bin counted rich matches fair or good enough for him except beauty and wealth in an higher degree then common make them so In so much that except parents overstraine and halfe exhaust themselves to dowre their daughters be they otherwise never so well brought up and deserving they lye by as no body Quest But what will some say Doe you envie our lot to be better now then in former times or is it unlawfull to marry to wealthy ones and our betters Answ I answer If God lay out a portion for you without your politicke ambitious seeking and such an one as whose portion in grace equals her estate yea such as in judgement desire you for your religion although you are inferiour otherwise I deny not but friends consenting it is lawfull God hath brought such a vantage to your hands But what is this to mens covetous and proud desires As one once said of his second match I will now have a gallant whatsoever it cost me and so he had such a one as he fancied But by that time he had wintred and summered her a while his bladder was so prickt that he sadly wisht he had one of his former wives sise and fashion as plaine as he then thought her to be I conclude thus overweene not your selves when there is little worth in you to equall the meanest women or husbands but moderate your spirits and marry in the Lord. Nothing hinders but the Lord and outward meanes may concurre as the case may stand and then the question is ended But if it be so that a match of 500. pounds be offred with the Lord and another of seven or eight hundreth without him or at least without any apparent hopes of him what then shall be done I answer other conditions being concurrent in any tolerable proportion despise the greater offer and take the lesser counting the misse of thy gaine happy and the gaine of her grace with that losse more happy Buy thy wife in such a case if thou be wise and let it appeare that Gods oracles are no tyes with thee If her price be above pearles I trow thou who wilt not part with a little gold or silver for it art well worthy for thy betraying her for a little pelâ—e to betray thy selfe to sorrow and to have bag and baggage and all Tell me in what marquet couldest thou traffique so well as to game a pearle for a little silver doubtlesse thy silver would not recompeâ—ce thy losse if thou shouldest chuse it with a farre lesse bargaine The times have bin wherein the man was to bring a dowry to the woman though I think they held not long I am sure Christs marriage is such to his beloved thinke thy selfe to be the man and aske thy selfe if not what thou wouldest give yet what thou wouldest forgoe for a good companion I thinke the dayes were never so rare for marriages in this kinde as now and yet the sorrowfull fruit of the contrary should bring this choyce into date againe It s a custome we know for men ambitious to buy honour rather then want it yea glad they are if they can so come by it Do you so Marriage is honourable buy it whatsoever it cost you and be glad you can get it so Let bad customes be no prescriptions and set a good one against a bad Fourthly let the Lord be much solicited by prayer both ordinary and extraordinary for this blessing beg hard for it rather then want I said before pay for it and now I adde pray for it pay and pray too and thinke it worth it Let the Lord see that your soule is deepely in love with it and will not be denied seeke to honour him for ever for it and count it not every mans case and you shall see what answer he will make you If prayer will not get it try if importunity will prevaile come for a wife as she Mat. 15. came for her daughter and refuse any nay this is the way to get it God will grant it thee rather then be wearied and yet he loves it with importunity Either God will heare you or else give you a reason which shall satisfie you which I adde because I beleeve that exceeding good marriage were not good for some that seeke it it would puffe them up and hurt them they rather need exercising marriages But this know God will not part with his jewels so easily as not to be sought to for them this blessing is like to that Ezek. 36. which the Lord so promised to give his people as yet he would besought too by them for it Commit thy way to Iehova and he shall effect it If thy wife be to thee as Samuel was a sonne to Hannah a wife of prayer thou maist the more rejoyce in her and say with Iacob Loe the wife which the Lord in mercy hath given his servant To the pure all are pure each gift is sanctified by prayer else if thou doe onely light well by accident as Nabal upon Abigail she shall be but a dry morsell to thee without favour or favour thou shalt finde her as he did a snare to thee 〈◊〉 helplesse helper God depriving thee of the staffe of â—read the true good of a good wife not onely a dry pit but even an encrease of thy judgement It is said Abraham called Eliezer his servant in this weighty businesse of chusing a wife for his son Isaac bidding him to put his hand under his thigh a solemn adjuration for assurance that he would not chuse him an heathenish wife but one of Terahs family the best which then could be had though not as it ought beyond the river how much more oughtest thou to put thy hand under the Lords in this case of thine owne marriage vowing that if he will provide a Rebecca for thee and make thy voyage prosperous thou wilt discerne as reall a providence as Eliezer saw in meeting of her at the well Is there never a wife for thee
said the parents of Sampson but thou must needs goe among the uncircumcised Vow it that if God will betrust thee with one that is religious though another should be laid against her yet thy load-stone would draw the former Fiftly adde hereto the advice of the most judicious and impartiall friends that thou canft come by for though two eyes are too few yet he that will advise in this case must onely judge with one that is a single eye and looke but one way Such is the subtilty of sutours now a dayes that though their merit be never so small yet they will so goe to worke that their credit shall be good forestalling the truth by their interest either in a good Minister or man of note if they be but morall they will engage them by gifts if religious by seeming devotion to thinke well of them It s a sad thing to thinke what bad matches have bin made by the mediation of the best men being first deluded Alas how easie is it to make charity and credulity to be on mens sides the best have bin deceived about this businesse But the third person who neither soweth nor moweth by the bargaine is fitter to judge of this game then parties are And be assured that true intelligence is not easily come by in these interblending dayes yet as I have said thou hast a promise that God will hide no secret from thee if thou be his friend so that thou dost not pervert thine owne way and stumble at the offence which thou layest before thy selfe to thinke with erring Samuel that the annointed of the Lord is before him when it s no such thing but thy carnall conceit we easily beleeve that to be which we would have to be The judgement of the Church either is infallible in this kinde or else it s safter erring with it then hitting well without it Great is the cosenage of dissembling parties when they set themselves to sale by religious semblance Machiavels maxime is all in all viz. soundnesse of religion is difficult to be had and quits not the cost in the worlds esteeme shewes are easie and will serve the turne even as well Hence it is that few walke humbly and plainly most are content with shewes As that Scholler of Cambridge said If I may get my degree I have that I came for let learning goe where it will so these I am now upon sale hill if I be once sold I have enough And I should offend many honest hearts if I should discover what I know touching the humours of some malecontents in this kinde especially of the female sexe basely pretending that their conscience is the ground whereas it s but a stalking-horse serving to scrue themselves into some good opinion for marriage whereas their turnes not being served but their ends crossed they have bewrayed themselves in their colours to be but counterfeits A spirit for the nonce is needfull in this discerning worke therefore let inquistion be narrow and wise among them that are neither neerest the blood nor to the advantage by such a match Sixtly be very observative and carefull in your mutuall parlies together to marke the spirits of each other having first begged of God an understanding heart The eare saith Elihu trieth words as the furnance doth mettals the foole beleeves every thing but the wise ponder sayings So doe you And as I said of the helpe of other mens eyes and wits Establish thy thoughts by counsell for in the multitude of councellours there is peace so I say to your selves trust not so to others as to put and dash out your owne eyes and braines but consult with wisdomes oracle and aske it of him who gives and upbraides not There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding as Paul saith the spirituall man judgeth of all things and is judged of none so here onely adde this They who have bin very wise in and for others yet in their owne case and this of affection especially have failed much and the proverbe is verified here Once all men have doted Put difference therefore betweene smooth words and neat passages of wit or conceits that come onely from the braine and betweene sound grounds planted in the heart Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake to a wise hearer It s hard for a barren heart to dissemble fruitfulnesse or for a well-seasoned to seeme unsavory Question each with other not concerning persons but things not about preachers or Sermons or duties of religion or circumstances onely of abuses and corruptions of time for who is not up to the eares in this now adayes but concerning the reall worke of the Word by name how the Law hath quelled a proud heart and stopt the course thereof in evill how it is brought so low and to such a tamenesse as to crouch to God for the crums that fall from his table to be low in her selfe and lay aside all her ornaments glad to be equall to them of low degree and the like Looke not at the gifts of each other but try whether a meane opinion of our selves encreaseth as knowledge encreaseth aske each other what the nature of a promise is wherein the nature and life of faith consists Also how faith purifies the heart kils the strongest lusts and passions quickens the heart by a principle to all holinesse meeknesse patience mercy to the distressed and sorrow for the sinnes of others If these seeds be planted in the spirit they will subdue it unto God yea they will set a new frame within and make the countenance to shine And whereas it s objected Object few can so fully satisfie themselves in the degrees of each others grace Answ I answer try the substance and let degrees appeare in time it s well if grace in youth can creepe though it cannot goe though the forwarder it is the better if in the want of great measure yet the savour of these things breake forth out of the cloud and where bashfulnesse and modesty is the veile to cover some graces their 〈◊〉 parts be clothed with the more honour I know 〈◊〉 better care-marks to chuse good couples by then humility and modesty Despise not a little if these two be for as the Prophet saith There is a blessing in it Observe also how providence swayeth your mindes to or against each other observe each others disposition parts naturall guises and behaviour that which one thinks comely another distasts and some disproportion and unsympathy herein may cause religion to be meanly thought of And to end remember that this businesse borders much upon the outward man beware therefore that neither outward defects doe weaken nor their abilities doe forstall thy judgement either way from the due weighing of the best things in the ballance to or fro Slight defects will soone be supplied by religion
the Prophet had enjoyned thee some great thing shouldst thou not have done it much more to wash and be cleane So I say if the service were farre greater wouldst thou not admit that when the scope is Marry and bee happy Oh but is it enough say these that we be precise in worship and religion and in our conscience to God but we must be so strict in marriage So strict how strict wouldst thou not take as much paines for a purchase Nay for a good Horse or a good Hawke wouldest thou presume both were good enough if price enough were set upon their heads No sure but the rather thou wouldest looke to thy bargaine So doe here thinke not a wife unquestionable because of her price enquire of her true value when thou art married and art stung with his or her unquietnesse unfaithfulnesse uncleannes oh then what injunction should be put upon thee which thou wouldst not yeeld unto to be eased of such a burden in a right way But I cannot promise thee thou shalt prevaile then so well as thou maist prevent it now Doe as some Gentlewomen doe they will take no maids to traine they will have them trained to their hand or else none What will not a foole doe out of season to shunne sorrow when he hath smarted but in season that he might not smart he will not stirre a joynt nor wet his finger To verifie that of Salomon To the foole God gives toile and vexation for his portion because he wil not be wise for his own ease But I have before purposely handled this point I willl trench no more upon it So much for this use of reproofe A second use then to finish all is exhortation to contracted couples to prise their contract for the use of it I shall not need to joy them of it that now they have their desires accomplished that will come alone but let it be their care to sactife themselves and their marriage for time to come It was the custome of the Church of the old Testament to offer sacrifices to God upon solemn occasions as upon solemne meetings of the family when warres were attempted upon any speciall service of God to be performed as fasting thanksgiving Sabbaths circumcision of the children recoveries from sicknesse enjoying of any blessing Hezekia and Jonah deliverd offered sacrifices made songs and vowes Marriage therefore being a speciall change of estate such as befalls once in the life should have no lesse solemne preparation for entrance into it The entry of yong ones into this condition cannot but amase the thoughts and possesse the spirits and powers of the soule more then ordinarily striking jealousie into them least their succes should not answer their expectation and they should not be happy in each other So that upon whom should all this care and burden be cast save Iehova who hath said to married ones as well as others In nothing take thought but in all things commending your selves to God by prayer and and cast your care upon him for he careth for you Let this be your care even the promise of God Yea in the verse immediately following this text of Marriage the Apostle meets with this corruptions in couples let not your conversation be in covetousnesse for he hath said I will not faile thee nor forsake thee It is no easie thing to stirre up a dead heart to reflect meditations of our future estate take this time therefore now the thoughts and passions of of the soule are up in armes now the iron is hot strike some impression of God faith in his alsufficiency and providence into your selves And as the Lord of the Mannor at each alienation comes in for his herriot so now at this your change pay God his fine the best jewell of all you have devote your selves give up your soules to him with mutuall consent rest not in the praiers of others but set close your selves to the Lord in your own supplications both apart and together without seperation Astronomers call the twelve days of the Nativity Criticall for the twelve moneths of the whole yeare the daies of your entry upon marriage should be even such for looke how the constitution and frame of them is so may you expect the time of your marriage will be either for Gods use and the honor of your marriage or for your owne ends Vnblest entrances have naughty successes Recognize with your selves what the solemne opinion and hope is which the Lord his Church and your selves have conceived of you Tremble to thinke how wofull a defeat it were to frustrate them and your selves Acknowledge God to be the ordainer of this estate looke what rules he hath directed you unto for an happy life in this kinde muse of them set your hearts unto them and let them sinke deeply into your hearts take the Lord as a solemne witnes of your intents and purposes to walke by rule as you looke for peace And by strong resolutions bind your fickle hearts as with cords to the Altar and pray God to set his seale to them that they may prove as good silver in the performing as they seemed in the promising And more particularly these two things I advise you unto First looke what especiall base distempers and lusts you have found to sway in you either formerly or since your purpose of marriage labour to purge them out that you may not carry defiled bodies or spirits into the married estate As Physitians at the end of a disease give their patient a clensing potion to expell all scurfe of bad humours remaining so doe you you are entring into a pure and honourable estate honour it before by burying all your Idols and cashiering your base lusts that they crowd not in with you into the wicket of marriage lest if you shall dare to carry an uncleane froward covetous discontented and unsavoury heart with you into that estate the Lord shall accurse you and make them as Judas his sop unto you to defile you for ever after To the pure all things are pure but to the impure every thing even the very minde and conscience are defiled Secondly look what feeble seeds of knowledge and grace were sowne before marriage you ply and attend them carefully for time to come Promise yea secure the Lord beforehand that no contentment of flesh no humouring of each other no reaching at commodity shall so forestall you that this worke of God should be forgotten by you rather lay all sacrifices by the Altar and renew your Covenant both Gods with you and yours with him tell the Lord thus When my husband my wife first met me I was very busie in grounding my selfe in the principles of knowledge the sight of sinne to humble me the truth of the promise to cast me out of my selfe upon the armes of mercy I was occupied about the doctrine and use of regâ—neration union and the new creature now
all filth proceedes I meane the heart Get the Lord Iesus to come in with his spirit to clense thine husband thy wife to wash them and make them undefiled to him selfe as his own spouse without spot or wrinkle of wilfull basenes Get him to clense that Augean stable that throughsayre of base thoughts the master wheele of your soule the will and affections the theefe that betrayes all and then the roote being pure so shall the branches bee Salomon aymes at this my son give mee thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my waies And why he addes for an whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit q. d. if thine heart be pure thine eyes and senses thy body and members shall follow and not delight in the false hiew of an harlot Who is he whom God loves surelye him who is upright in spirit such an one onely such shal be kept from her but the sinner shal be caught in her snares If the thoughts bee impure they will betray the body to the eyes eares and companie of the uncleane and Satan will play the Proctor soone bringing one uncleane person to another There is a contemplative filthines of the fancy and senses which the Lord compts the Adultery of the spirit by basenes of spirit within nourishing unloyall conceits inwarde dallyances capering thoughts and fancies of uncleannes both sleeping and waking and so set the doore opē to outward actuall defilement which although providence restreyne yet are odious to God and will break out in time Yet I would here speake with caution I know in the best unmarried or married there bee naturally planted these imaginary and Idëall uncleannesses steaming up from the fornace of concupiscence a naturall principle not alway subject to the law of grace it is a law of the members in a double sense a dye in graine but yet so long as it is abhorred opposed and quenched by all possible diligence it shall not be imputed provided that the meanes to subdue it bee not slighted But I speake of an heart permitted to it selfe without controll and bridle For when the doore standes loose upon the latch how soone may it be opened Crackte glasses we know laste not long they wayte but for the next knocke and then are gone Alas what thanke is it for a man not to bee uncleane for lacke of opportunity or because he was overruled for a time The religion of these tymes is come to this Suspect by men what you will so you can proove nothing what care they for giving occasions of never so much suspicion Is this thy honesty that because thou canst weary them in the court who accuse thee therfore thou art chast Nay because thou darest purge thy selfe by oath like a forsworne wretch therefore thou hast wyped every crumme of thy lips Is not thy conscience as a thousand witnesses nevertheles I tell thee thou hast thy brand in heaven already and perhappes upon earth too or else art next doore to it And what oddes is there betweene these two not to be approoved for chast or to be thought uncleane It s harde to say whether many men and women have lost their credit or their chastity sooner Luste if once it kindle as the sparkle will kindle to a great fire will soone snare us and bring foorth fruite unto death But if there be purenesse in the bent of the spirit and the sway of the soule tendes to Chastity the streames will easily become pure So much for the first Secondly there must be chastity of Prevention also That is a narrow survey of the cinque-ports of the soule by which traytors to Chastity arrive at the shore Preserve the in-lets of your Soule I meane the out warde senses eares eyes inward fancy and Idea's of evill closely and firmely and then the body will follow Still we must proceed by degrees The spirit lets in sin to the body by these conduits and Channels David sweetly prayeth set a doore before my lips O Lord so set a watch before my senses that there come in no vanity Lord not only leade mee not thy selfe into tentation but forestall all other tempters that I bee not led for thou preservest the soules of thy Saints and he whom thou lovest scapes them all which another at one time or other shall assuredly fall into It was Davids misery to cast his eye from the roofe of his house in an unwatchfull manner and there wanted not one to further the occasion So Sampson Those who loath the act will also abhorre the fomenters therof all extravagances of senses and sensuality all setting themselves to sale haunting of markets fayres night-metings wakes dancings and common festivals which with all the like occasions Alehouse hauntings or frequenting of forbidden and noted houses as give ayme to the fleshe to play her part All needlesse travailes and jorneyes without warrant among multituds of all sorts all Dina-like rovings gaddings about without due cause all loose carrying about the eyes through the aire of the world All gestures beckes aymes of an unchast heart soone appeare to such as are of like temper birds of a fether will flocke together Intemperate diet excesse of gaming 's delights pampering the flesh amorous books sonnets stage-playes effeminate disguizings arayings of one sexe in the others attire a thing censured by all writers both morrall and divine Iestings and unsavoury rotten communications allusions similitudes and discourses what are they but as bawdes and Pandars to uncleannes Drinking of hot inflaming wines or waters in an usuall distempered custome no infirmity of nature requiring what are they in bodies hot and lustfull of themselves save inflamings of lust and spurring of a running horse I say especially in such persons as neither make use of the ordinance nor yet abstaine from excesse of provocation Must not of necessity such sinfull plethory have a like vent And where there is no Chastity of prevention making men abstinent from promiscuous occasions is it like there will be Chastity of bodie like occasion being offered of the one as the other No doubtles a body desirous to be Chaste will also be very cautelous of meate drinke fashions softnes delicacy and pleasures which will be as oile to the flame and he who is not chast in the suburbes is not to be trusted in the city Dives in all his riot and luxuriousnesse must scape hard if he were not incontinent This argument I know is common I need not insist save onely for the custome of these daies which will needes separate meanes from endes and bee seene going onward to the Den and not seene to come back and yet maintaine it that they kept out This is to divide the things which God hath not separated I give to all who would shunne this plague the counsell belonging to it soone farre slowly Get from such occasions as soone goe from them as farre and
which can turne your swordes into mattocks and speares into plowshares who can make the oxe and the lyon the beare and the lambe to feed together that is take out your felnesse and put into you an heart of Amity and consent Then shall you bee another while for the honor of that Ordinance with equall endeavors which all this while you have so reproched Vse 3 And thirdly let it bee admonition unto both parties and first let mee say this Enter not into marriage in a confidence of your owne strength when couples first meete together youth strength and carnall Confidence upon their owne meanes with fleshly content each in other makes them dreamâ— of a dry summer and thinke I shall not be mooved It wilâ—e alway hony moone with me as if the bitternes of an unquiet heart were passed away But poore soules you know no more your owne spirits then Hazaël did when hearing the Prophet telling what a cruell wretch he should proove he asked Am I a dog to do such things You dawb with untempered morter which will fall off in frosty wether But when experience hath schooled you and shewed you the discontents of marriage and with what bitter ingredients sin hath poysoned your hoped successes wheÌ„ husband prooves an unthrift wife an ill housewife businesse in the world crosse and left-handed when also cares feares losses charge of children sorrowes of the wombe and nursery bad children debts and straits come upon you at once none wherof you have grace to prevent oh then you see that your first merry meeting will not beare off all assaults And yet what should I speake of such things when a base heart in the middest of all contrary mercies pamperd with the creature but wickedly proud and unthankful can and oftner doth cause this woe to couples more then all adversity Oh this canker growes out of blessing oftner then affliction wherfore enter this estate with selfdeniall humble your selves bee as Ephraim who was as an heifer unused to the yoke but after he repented and smote upon his thigh Do you so beforehand and beg armor of God for the hardest bost not of the best ere you put off your harnesse the best will alway save it selfe Secondly know this That although the Lord should free you from such disasters yet marriage of it selfe without speciall grace will try of what mettall you are made Even meer continuance of time Custome and usuall society will by corruption procure a fulsomenesse satiety yea a wearinesse of each other Acknowledge therfore that this frame of your marriage will not stand alone it needes daily props to keep off an impatieÌ„t spirit For why The meer spirit that is in you lusts to envie enclines to crossenes elvishnesse and self willednesse of spirit when as yet there is no vexation without to cause it What need is there then to ply the Lord with prayer for the sweet uniting of your spirits and calming of your hearts That the peace of God passing understanding may fence or as the word is beleaguer and hemme in your soules or as a garison keepes a towne safe may preserve them with the knowledge of God and possesse them in patience Alas let all your whetting and provoking each other be reflected backe upon your owne selves fret with indignation against the Roote within purge out that leaven and then your hard hearts shall melt into teares for each other spend your time of jarring in prayer and earnest request to God for mercy and pardon That he would take off your rough edge and make you polished and squared stones to couch in the wall of this building which before could lye no way Oh! the Lord for ought you know may make you blessed meanes of each others conversion that you may blesse him that ever you met who so oft have cursed your owne eyes for seeing each other Let the fruite bee as God will sure I am the crosse of an uncomfortable yoake should perswade you rather to spend all your life in prayer then in Rebellion For its better if it must be so that God delay your desires whiles you are praying then whiles you are sinning and stopping the course of prayer Thirdly put on the Lord Iesus and he shall so furnish you that you shall not need to take any more thought how to fulfill your base lustes any more Put him on in his long suffering meeknesse bowels of compassion as the Apostle speaks which will not only prevent those evills of an unquiet and unsavory spirit through a well a payde heart but also will teach you to beare and lie under your Crosse and to bee as God will have you to bee Fight not against God but put on the Armour of peace as a Brestplate to beare off all the darts of distempers If the Lord will not be entreated one way ply him another Remember an heart armed with holy Resolution in this kynd is shot free and able to conquer a city The patient in spirit is better then the hasty and the end of a thing is better then the beginning Patience carryes with it halfe a release it is as it were boot in beame If then thy wife and thine husband cannot be wonne to consent yet if thou canst possesse thine owne spirit thou shalt conquer hers The best victories are by yeelding in this kind Strange is the nature of a quiet spirit it must prevaile at last because it will wayt till it have no nay But especially it hath this power in it to quench any fiery dart far better then any resistance and wrath If Cannon shot light upon the Wool-packe it loseth his force but if upon a stone wall it batters it to peeces and a soft answer puttes away wrath Bring Iesus into this ship he will allay all the waves bring this Arke into the campe of debate and it will make all whist and quiet when the Whirlewind ariseth suddenly from the heart of an unquiet man or woman and like to that tempest Iob 1. assaults every corner of the house to ruine it yet if this spirit of a soft voyce encounter it all wil be soft and calme on the sudden The cause why the house of Jobs children fell downe was because it was such a wynde as beset on every syde So it will fare with thee If when one wynd is arisen in the house theÌ„ by by another be up in the other corner to resist it woe to that house Then is the season of thy Calme O husband when thy wives heart is up in heat and then of thy quiet hert ô wife when thy husband fumes storms But if both be up at once be thou ô man the wiser and say It s now out of season for mee to meddle Else thou wilt throw downe thine house and destroy thine own peace The second blow makes the fray therefore while the cloude is as a mans hand
blessing Looke about thee and see what objects God hath planted for thy bounty to be bestowed upon Thy wealth if it be a standing poole will stinck and baine thee If it be a streame it will be sweet and all the bulke shall be pure unto thee As in the Manna all had their due the plenty of the gatherer of much abounded to the supply of him that lacked By the decaies of others God trieth thee If when blessing comes in upon thee thou welcomest it with an evill eie saying This is little enough to pay debts this will do well to encrease my stocke this is for the clothing of my children I will spend this upon costly apparell for my wife and all that comes is onely for thine owne use and thou shrinkst up the bowels of thy compassion so much the more know this will destroy all as a Canker bred in a fayre apple No say thus This plenty will serve mee and God too part of this shall supply the defects of my faythfull Minister poor decayed neighâ—our such a poor widdow such poore Orfans poor Students at Vniversity hast thou such an heart to the poor members of Christ that no complaints may be heard in thy streets that thou and they may meete together and worship God with the more joyfull hearts that the Gospell and religion of God may be supported both in peace and especially in persecution It s a signe that God meanes to make thy horne full and thy winepâ—esse to burst with new wine well continue doe so still try the Lord if he will not requite thee Thy goodnesse cannot reach unto the Lord himselfe let it extend to his saints such as excell in vertue SeÌ„d thy treasure to heaven before thee cast thy bread upon the waters trust God after many daies if thou trust God it shal returne againe Many rich husbands professe religion but all their serving of God is no other theÌ„ the poorest ChristiaÌ„ may performe to pray heare conferre But as for the dutie they owe to God as rich men they cast it behind their backe They thinke that their workes should hinder their faith and so hoard up hundreths yea thousands together but do nothing till God by degrees wast and consume both them and their posterity as a moth and at last roote them up quite out of the land of the living Beware of this curse therfore Seventhly if any affâ—onts losses ill successe or discontents befall thee in thy course of providence by ill debtors servants children looke up in thine innocency with cheerfulnes to the smiter aswell as in thy gaynes Both are alike from him even to weane thee from the sweet milke of those brests which thou art loth to be weaned from to knocke thee off from hence and to prepare thy spirit for better welfare Bee patient Trades are as the sun which though it set over night yet returnes in the morning Iobs latter dayes after he had been tried prooved happier then the former And when both the mizer and waster shall both be left to want the Lord yet shall susteyne thee and thy faith which yet the world thinks will buy no meate in the marquet shall be such currant pay in heaven that it shall purchase thee abundance upon earth To conclude let all thy providence determine in this full point That hereby thine heart may rejoice thou and thy wife enjoying the fruite of thy travaile that thou mayst not be like to them that roste not that they got in hunting For what hath a man of all that sore travaile and labor which as a poore son of Adam he hath taken here under the sun save that a man eat and drinke and cheere his heart in the goodnes of the giver and rejoice in the wife of thy youth let her share with thee I meane not as Iob saith That he kisse his owne hande and magnify the Idoll of his provident head saying All this hath mine hand gotten nor that he soake himselfe in the Creature and set himselfe to looke upon the sun in her brightnes and the Moone in her encrease adoring the outward meanes and denying the Almighty this were Idolatry and Sacriledge No but quietly and thankfully praysing God and rejoycing as those Israelites were charged to do when they brought their first fruites in all which they put forth their handes unto Taking with a loving right hand that which God reacheth out causing themselves to serve him with a glad heart for all which the Lord hath don for them Better thus then as many do pursing and stopping up in holes corners in an ragge or in the ground perhaps here one debtor running away with an hundreth there another cheater with fifty or perhappes a theese digging thorough stealing as much in another kynd To the wicked God gives toyle and vexation of body of spirit more discontent then all their plenty can breed peace wheras the rest of the Righteous is sweet bee their portion more or lesse thorough the good will of him that dwelt in the bush added to their Providence See then that it be so that thou play not the block under all mercies so that neither a good day should mend nor a bad paire thee But first for thy outward condition proportion thine expences according to thy revenews as neer as thou canst keep downe thine heart and then its lawfull for thee to live according to thy meanes Cut thy coate according to thy cloth rather living at an under then an over rate as knowing its easier to fall then to rise and yet understanding what scantling God allowes yet better be a cheerfull dispenser then a base niggardly grudger at the use of what God hath given As the good woman sayde husband better spend it freely as God sendes it then knaves run away withall TheÌ„ for thy spirituall course let thine heart be doubly and trebly cheerfull in the Lord saying with her my Soule magnifies the Lord and my flesh rejoices in his salvation If I ought to make him my strength in the lowest adversity although neither vine should beare grapes nor the olive her fruit although there were neither Calfe in the stall nor bullock in the flocke how much more then when my pathes are anoynted with oile and my streames run full of butter and hony And so much if not too much for the answere of this question wherin providence standes Vse 1 I conclude all with use and first of reproofe for this point is fruitfuâ—l in unfruitfulnes first how many husbands are there who contrary to the vowes made to their wives in this behalfe at their entry upon marriage cast off this burden from themselves lay it wholly upon the weake shoulders of their wives In the mean while themselves bearing themselves upon the fidelitye or thedrudgery of the wiâ—e at home go abroad and open the sluce and floodgates of prodigality and
then it will seeme plesant Nourish and cherish and hate not thy owne flesh in this first respect as Nathans lambe in the true bosome of the Lord Iesus the tenderest husband that ever was Secondly this thy Respect and Tendernesse must reach to her person and that in her Safegard and Defence Thy wife walkes under God in the shaddow of thy wings and protection Thou must bee as a vaile to her eye to keep off the dint of all lust and strange desires as Abimelec told Sara of Abraham As the eyelid is made by nature a tender filme and very mooveable and watchfull to the body of the eye that no dust or mote fall into it to offend it so must the tender husband come betweene the least aspersion of reproach and infamy cast upon the name of his wife wrongfully And when thou art dead let her rest safe in the Ark of Gods protection by the benefit of thy living prayers before sent up for her to the throne of grace that God would be an husband to the widdow that so even when dead yet thou mayst speake But while thou art living thou must bee as a wall of fire to her let everie one that hath ill will to thy wife as many will have even for that which deserves honor knowe that they maligne thy selfe Nay herein love her better then thy selfe that thou wiltright some wrongs done to her which perhaps if done to thy selfe thou wouldst passe by more strongly Let her Name and honor bee as sweet oyntment unto thee The husband who shall content himselfe in the generall love of his wife beeing yet supinely negligent of her repute or enduring any within doores or without to disesteeme her without sharpe rebuke or to bee knowne himselfe to see any of her weaknesses with the least contempt is not worthie to have the comfort of her vertues or the love of a religious companion The like I say of her body both in health and sicknesse Whatsoever diet or warmth or shelter either at home or abroad by thy selfe or others thou seest necessary for the preserving her in health and vigor from the least assault or impression that neglect not keepe away wether distemper disease for her be as a Physitian according to the discretion thou hast and the knowledge of her bodylie frame and infirmities in the absence of better helpe Prevent all dangers from her which possibly might assault her and what soever sorrow or sad newes ill and sudden accidents thou deemest would disquiet her turne them away if it bee within thy power or keepe them from her notice lest they might overthrow her spirit or weaken her body Yea as our Lord Iesus did so do thou if a danger must needs ceaze upon thee provide it may not come to her knowledge or as little amaze and affright her as may bee In her diseasednesse neglect no meanes which either thy counsell purse or friends can helpe her to advise for soule physicke for body attendance and nursery to person Grudge not that shee lyes upon thine hand But as thou wouldst have I say not her but Christ himselfe to tender thee in thine so do thou her in her defects Let it appeare to her cleerly that her life is precious and her losse would be uncomfortable If the poore Shunamite seeing her child dead lockt it up in the Chamber hasting to the Prophet proventing al pudder to her husband aldisquiet in the family by taking it upō her selfe how much more should the husbands wisedome and tendernes reach to thy wife that no Sicknesse or Sorrow might ever ceaze upon her more deeply then needs must if thou canst keep it off Say not with unnaturall Nabals Thou tookest her not for sicknesse but for health for better not for worser knowing that good wives in their health lay up desert enough to be tendred in their sicknesse The wife is not for nothing sayd to bee under her husbands covert Doe thou as Boaz did to poore Ruth upon the cold floore in the chill night spread the lap of thy garment over thy beloved I charge you sayth the husband in the Canticles O yee danghters of Ierusalem watch by my spouse sit by her and keepe silence wake her not untill she please Good reason shee have more rest thē thou let thy waking be her security gaster her not up too early sluggish women will not good ones should not be waked too soone Shee is alway in griefe that for thee by thy meanes what day weeke moneth is she free through the yeer breeding bearing nursing watching her babes both sick that they might be well and well lest they be sicke If she lose a childe by the hand of God or by casualty her tender heart takes more thought for it in a day then thy manly spirit can in a moneth the sorrow of all lies upon her Shee had need to be eased of all that is easeable because she cannot be eased of the rest We reade in the fable that the male sparrow once accused the female for that she did not so much take paines in building of their nest as he did But she replied There was cause why shee should pleade exemption Shee had all the trouble of laying the egs of sitting of hatching feeding them and therfore some reason she should be spared in the building of the nest let him do that who did nothing else and she prevailed And shall not shee who alleageth for her selfe with more reason Get her asleep if thou can but awake her not till she please And tell mee shall not her ease be thine Or canst thou have any if she want Little dost thou thinke of those gripings checks pangs wherewith she walketh whē as thou goest through stitch with thy matters with an hardy courage If all wives be not so I speak not so much in their behalfe but the good wife is usually so yeeld her this fruite of tendernes it s all the milke thou givest Yea let thy hollow cheeks pale face sad heart be as a Calender in which others may read thy wives infirmities their number their measure and how long they have continued I speak not Rhetorique unto thee but Divinity As and husband must loath uxoriousnesse so much more Stoicall insensiblenes remembring who it is who sayth Erre in her love let thy soule know no other objects while shee lives let them be abhorred And when she hath breathed out her last yea even when she lyes by the walles yea in the mouldes yet then is there another honor due to her memory when shee is not even this that thy hand be upon thy side for the losse of another rib thy sweet companion Mourne not for her without hope like an heathen shee is not lost but sent before but yet as Abraham as Jacob so mourne thou even till the dayes thereof be accomplished Bee not as the horse as the
any dependancie upon him and equally for her good as for his All shew a kinde of ennobling the mans sexe and denying of her to him as the head and more excellent not that the man might upbraid her but that she might in all these read her lesson of subjection For otherwise it s also true that neither the man without the woman nor she without him but both in the Lord. And doubtlesse as Malachi speaks herein is wisedome for God was full of spirit and hath left nothing after him to be bettered by our invention Reas 2 The second warrant hereof is penall and yet so much the stronglier tying the woman being now in a fallen condition For this is sure that notwithstanding all I have said yet the woman being so created by God in the integrity of nature had a most divine honour and partnership of his image put upon her in her creation yea such as without prejudice of those three respects might have held full and sweet correspondence with her husband But her sin still augmented her inequality and brought her lower and lower in her prerogative For since she would take upon her as a woman without respect to the order dependance and use of her creation to enterprise so sad a businesse as to jangle and demurre with the divell about so waighty a point as her husbands freehold and of her owne braine to lay him and it under foot without the least parlee and consent of his Obeying Satan before him nay God himselfe so that till she had put all beyond question and past amendment and eaten she brought not the fruit to him to eate and so became a divell to tempt him to eate therefore the Lord strips her of this robe of her honour accursing her with this penalty that her appetite should bee to her husband Which law is not as the law of the Medes and Persians for that must alter but a Law which bred a Law an instinct of unequall inferiority and smote into the heart of Eve a falling from her station and subjected her to her husband This appetite here spoken of not onely meaning her weaknesse of desire for some speciall end as benevolence respect or the like but the totall subduing of the bent of her spirit to him not thinking her subsisting enough without him but a confessed yeelding up of her insufficient selfe and that after a penall sort to depend wholy upon him A just hand of God upon her that she who would be Paramount as a Lady above him in sinning should bee fetcht downe to a spirit of feare and subjection under him whom she had so basely dishonored And from this roote comes that of the Apostle that the woman sinn'd and not the man meaning not first she was in the transgression and what then Therfore let her be subject Read the place The man is the glory of God but the woman of the man Therfore she ought to have power on her head in token of subjection and modesty And againe I permit not the woman to usurp authority over the man but to be in subjection And Saint Peter let the women be subject to their owne husbands lest the word be evill spoken of And to the Ephesians Wives submit your selves to your husbands as to your head for he is as Christ to the Church the saviour of his body So Peter addes As those holy women formerly were in subjection to their husbands Sara by name to Abraham calling him Lord By all these arguments these two Apostles not the one who was married but the other unmarried doe conclude the woman under subjection that without grudging she might resigne up her selfe under God to her husband And doubtlesse if it be asked by what commandement this subjection of the wife stands in force it s doubtlesse by the vertue of that fifth which imposes obedience upon inferiors to their superiors although in divers degrees with an implied penalty of disobedience And questionlesse if looke no further then the sinne and curse it selfe in the letter therof there is no lesse threatned to the woman then such a subjection to the man as had paine and irking annexed unto it Even as that other penalty also annexed unto it of breeding and travaile extendes to a mortall paine and pinch as considered in it selfe In it selfe I say for notwithstanding all this the Lord our mercifull and indulgent father in and through the mediation of Christ hath in great favour asswaged and released the rigor and measure of these penalties I have else where treated hereof If the common favour of Christ our Redeemer had not eased whole mankind from the excesse of all sorts of penalties what were the life of man but desolation and misery But in meer pity to the accursed creature weltring under her punishment as a man wounded lies wallowing in his blood the Lord Iesus hath brought things to a Reconcilement both in heaven and earth So that the heavens heare the earth the earth the creatures and they man who else should subsist If the Oxe Horse Asse and other beasts which by mans sinne are of subjects turn'd rebels against him and bereft him of his Lordship were not againe retracted to some useful subjection who should come neer them But now their rebellion to us is moderated and a shaddow of our Lordship over them restored not to the godly only but wholy to the nature of man by whose industry the wildest are tamed I say by a common fruit of the superabounding merit of Christ Such is the release of this penalty of women for though for their abusing the end of their creation by hurting destroying him whose helpers they were created to be the Lord abased them to a low degree of inferiority to the man and that justly yet through Christ this extremity is dispenced with and reduced to a tolerable mediocrity for the ease of womankind So that God can make that a royall and honorable equality after a sort which sin made a yoak of tedious slavery But to the Elect it s far better Notwithstanding through bearing of Children she shal be saved if she continue in faith holynes and modesty that is her curse becomes a blessed occasion of salvation So in this point of subjection it be comes an wholesome meane to humble the soule under the mighty hand of God and the guilt of her nature and so to drive her to Christ And not so alone but is a continuall holder downe of her soule under subjection to God in the course of her conversation And both make her in this religious awe and subjection to her husband so much the more pretious in the eye of God and all that know her Lo a penalty made an ornament very highly esteem'd of God And as for those womē who feare not God yet this indulgence of providence if it be not a meane to breake their hearts and to
insolencies of women not able to containe themselves within boundes of silence and subjection I am so farre from warranting that I here openly defie them as ungrounded and ungodly and I cannot but wonder that any should bee itching after novelties as being present in such assemblies especially themselves being publique persons and such as ought to discerne better betweene things that differ To both I say beware lest your pride of gifts carrying you beyond the bounds of your private condition and your curiosity in favouring and being led away with such vizored ostentation of graces doe not wrap you within in the sinne of Nadab and Abihu and Vzza and Vzzia who under pretext of holinesse adventured to profane hallowed things nay of Cora and his complices who murmured against Moses and Aaron opposing their calling and office If when you bee convinced by the word you will yet rebell take heed lest you perish in his contradiction as Saint Jude speaks teaching others by their fearfull example because they would take none themselves If such as these had beene from God the divell would not have let them alone so long quiet in their attempts But hee knowes distraction in opinions makes him reigne in the world And to these more impudent persons I adde all such undertaking women who either in families companies or in the private converse with their husband usurpe authority despising the graces of God in their husbands and others and taking upon them all the speech at the table to discourse of religion to debate matters in question in the Church to decide things of difficulty to spend all the time in hearing themselves talke of good things These although they thinke they have learned many things yet have not learned one great thing to wit wisely to judge what their sex and state will admit And therefore though haply what they speake is good yet it s not comely for them it s as a garment of good cloth but made into a garment very unfit for the body for lack of taking measure beforehand These are not helpers but hurters by their unseasonablenesse But I digresse not too farre No reason there is why the impudence of the Rebellious should prejudicate the gifts of an humble wife soberly improoved Neither doth the holy Ghost envie her the honour of her grace and helpfulnesse But as Bathsheba saith Prov. 31. 31. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her workes praise her in the gates Subjection and helpfulnesse enterfeer not one whit both may agree well Subjection caused the wife of Manoa when the Angell appeared to her with a sollemne message to distrust her selfe and to call her husband when God preferres her she modestly craves leave and preferres her husband and his judgement before her owne deriving her owne honour upon him Howbeit afterward wee see that the case so requiring when as upon the Angels departure from them Manoa was left in a carnall feare lest he should die having seene God his wife steps in with her helpfulnesse betweene him and his feares saying if the Lord would have slaine us doubtlesse he would not have revealed himselfe unto us in this sort to tell us we shall have a sonne and yet to kill us She saw further in this case then hee and therefore gives him advice what to settle himselfe upon What could more aptly have beene spoken how is that of Salomon verified A word in season is like Apples of gold and Pictures of silver And how is Abigail honored for her wise counsell to a man who for that her wisdome was so farre from disreputing of her that he sent for her to bee his wife shortly after So that when David was in the way of heate and resolution to shed Nabals and his families blood she encounters him saying let not my Lord doe such a thing as this It shall not grieve him when he shall sit upon his throne that he hath not shed innocent blood Oh! how comly a thing it is for Christian wives to come in thus with humble subjection somtimes with a soft word to allay wrath to stay the husband from prejudice against good persons and causes to enterpret all in the better part to observe him when the word kindles any affections in his soule and presently to follow them home not to suffer them to slip out and vanish to provoke him to mercy and compassion to draw him from a naturall course to a morrall from a morrall to a spirituall to perswade him to equalnesse and indifference towards such as are at controversie to debate and decide things peaceably to stay his hand from immoderate correction of children or servants when she sees passion prevaile against judgement yea and sometimes with the same meecknesse and mildnesse to convince him of an evill quality or pang as choler discontent worldlinesse censuring of others rashnesse and the like admonishing also to beware of the occasions which might lead thereto wherewith shee herselfe should receive the like from him Somtimes to win his adverse heart to a more entire love to Gods Sabbaths to his word preached to his faithfull Ministers and servants to affect them to associate them and to renounce all his old company and fellowship in evill To be alway darting some savour of that which they have heard in publique and prompting him with it that the world eat not up all Oh! these things come sweetly as the latter raine from a woman who counts it her happinesse to see her husband to bee brought home to Christ who mournes for his rebellion and rejoices to see his heart broken As Mordecai told Ester so should a good wife tell herselfe who knowes whether thou art come to thy place for such a season even to bring home one sheep to Christs fould Doubtlesse if Satan were not a professed foe to such helpfulnesse the worke would proceed with more ease and successe So much for the first branch The next head of the wives helpfulnesse is in matters of the world Salomon as truly said of this as of any other vertue of the wife that a wise woman buildeth her house For though it be little in comparison which a poore woman can add to the estate of her husband yet she must bee all in all for the preserving therof So that an improvident woman is next a waster in this only respect and loseth much But if she be also a spendthrift and really wastfull there is no end of her spoile till she have brought all to nothing and overthrowne both her husbands state and posterity She is the Moth yea Canker of the marrow and beauty of his estate and by insensible morsels devours at length the whole substance And because there bee many queazy women yet such as would be religious that thinke it a peece of religion to be no housewives let Bathsheba a Queene who might more stand upon her estate then the proudest Dame may upon her dowrie in
the world and his Dutchesse of her death that shee might no more be looked after But still the harlot lived prospered in health still the Duke pretending other journeis haunted her company burning in his lâ—st much the more who sees not uncleannesse to bee as ingenious as the Poet describes the Parrat when she is hungry or as the belly which he calles a Master of Arts Therefore I say the Lord deales accordingly with it That which we commit in secret the Lord will revenge in the open view of the world and reveale in the tops of houses as at the last this Dukes Villany And by how much this sinne escapes the judgement of man the more cunningly and smoothly by so much God sets himselfe to meete with it the more terrible That so his method might make it the more hated for his colours are in graine layd in oile and will soone wash out our false paint Reas 5 Fifthly that either by this discovery the Lord might teach his people the prevention of this sinne before hand rather then they should learne repentance too late having before polluted themselves and this he cheefly intends or else if notwithstanding all his waies men will still try conclusions with him their mouthes may bee stopt and themselves put to silence either from ability to excuse the fault or decline the punishment They cannot then pretend that they were the bolder to commit it because they thought it slight They cannot with any forehead deprecate the punishment of that which is so confessedly odious Reas 6 Sixthly that those men who are prone to live by sense in a course of sensuality might have aswell reall and sensible pulbacks from this sinne by Gods abhorring and opposing it as by the beholding the examples of loose and dissolute offendors to be tickled and as it were to stand on thornes till they be like them The Lord tries us with this bitter sweet that is whether his bitter or the worlds sweet be chiefe with us if not yet we shall not have all our will nor all the sweet of our lust but with it we shall have some sting and pricke in our flesh to make vs sit uneasie upon our cushion especially in this woefull world degenerated to all licentiousnesse as in other sinnes so in this of uncleanesse which so overfloweth the bankes of countreys and townes in this declining age that if examples may prevaile there shall not want enough to corrupt the bodies and defile the mannors of the most Iust it is that such as defile the ordinances with the scurfe of their owne inventions should be given over with Papists to the pollution of their bodies by all kinds of lust the outward uncleannesse having beene alway a brand of the spirituall So much for reasons Now I returne where I left to make fuller answer to that question how it may appeare that God is such a Iudge of this sinne I say therefore if wee shall consider these passages following it may First if wee shall consider that the Lord hath not spared to set his owne deerest people on the stage for this sin of uncleannesse It s said that Joseph Maries husband was a just man and was loth to defame her openly when he perceived her to be with child but meant privily to rid his hand of her But the Lord is not as man he is a just and jealous God not sparing to exemplifie and traduce his best servants that their blurre and penalty might scare all from venturing A just King will begin with some servant or favorite of his owne by making him the spectacle of his severity when he would have all his subjects put it out of question that if they transgresse in the like they shall not go guiltlesse And if this bee done in the greene tree if the fire so easily kindle upon that what shal be done in the dry If the very righteous be not free from being stigmatiques in the court of this justice what shall become of the ungodly and wicked And if Iudgment begin at the house of God what shall be done with the rest the stubble who are ready to be burned I say what then shall become of the common rout of Sodomites Adulterers and fornicators Tremble oh ye uncleane wretches Do you see Lot David Salomon Sampson sholled out from their fellowes for this and looke you to escape Secondly see what a judgement appeared upon the bastard of-spring of the Adulterer It might seeme unjust that an innocent should be so plagued for the fathers uncleannesse as to be shut out and cut off from the congregation to the tenth generation Surely the taint was deepe and the iron moll cankerfretted which could so hardly be washt out what did this argne but that by so severe a sentence not to be expiated by blood or any other clensing the Lord would deterre men from such filthinesse That if they durst not thus offend they might tell themselves they must cut off the fruite of their sin from ever comming where God and his people had to doe Who should dare to be so profane if yet the heate of his lust would permit him to think seriously either of the hell which himselfe or the excommunication and blasting curse which his bastarde child should incurre But Alas It s to be feared that these thoughts are the first of those which these last thinke of Thirdly the penalty inflicted upon Adultery was death without remedie There were divers sorts of death inflicted upon malefactors by the law and some learned men question what this death was The agreed tenet is that it was stoning although strangling and burning were used for some excesses in this sin when it came to incest or the unnaturall sins of sodomy and bestiality The theefe was not hanged but spared by making restitution and in single fornication lesse penalties might be allowed but in these cases the Lord would allow none as if the offer of a requitall in such cases were most unseasonable No but gave way to the jealousie of the husband and himselfe admits no pecuniary mulct to redeeme that which jealousy counts to bee above ransome yea so terrible a law he ordeynd for the uncleane harlot upon the instance onely of a jealous husband that if she stood upon her triall and gaynesayd the accusation she should be set before the Priest and there drinke a cursed water and if she were guilty shee was found out by the providence of God and plagued with rotting of her belly and thigh and so perished So shee gat nothing by her concealment for in stead of the peoples stoning Gods hand seased upon her And what is this save Gods comming in person to judge a whore Fourthly what severe judgments hath God executed upon uncleane persons Let first Scripture then experience speake for Scripture how did the Lord pursue David for his Adultery First with the rape of Thamar then
handes whole flesh is defiled with this sin Who sees not the unsutablenesse hereof So that as the leper was wont to be shut out of company to have his lips sown up scarse suffred to breath to try out unclean so here This sinner shuts out himself from God in that he cannot approach to him with auy member without loath somns I speak not this to exclud any Penitent from the free grace of God though God who gives each penitent grace gives not each sinner to be Penitent for Rahab Bathsheba Tamar yea a worse theÌ„ al Mary Megdalene found mercy sorecoverd the honour of each member but I speak odious the sin is in peculiar Let it therefore bee a second Meditation against it Thirdly meditate of that wofull seperation which it maks inwardly betwixt God and the soule Few see this But if union with God be the roote of all other Previledges and a restoring us to our integrity what then is seperation from him and cutting off from the fountain save a curse Now who so is one with an harlot is cut off from God For how can a man bee at once a member of an harlot and a member of Christ Know you not that who so is one with Christ is one spirit And what is he then who is one with an harlot Can he with and in the same spirit be united to one and to other at the same time Doth he not what lieth in himselfe to disjoynt himselfe for ever from God who is joined with an whore Is it so easy to unlinke the chayne of uncleannes and to be knit to God who is once enchained in the band of this sin Or can there be communion and influence mainteyned with God while fellowship continues with Harlots Is purenesse and filthines so easily reconciled A spirit of of holâ—ies with a spirit of Adulterie What communion betweene Christ and Beliall Or how can two walke together except agred If theÌ„ the spirit be sadded grieved what joy can it have to walke with the soule Where was Davids fellowship with God become when he had defiled himself with what a conscience thinke wee did he walke What peace joy going in and out with God had hee Or why doth he so crave for the spirit and for washing and renned grace save that he felt them withdrawne from him And if the Spirit of Christ be gone what is the Name of Christ and of Communion worth Perhaps many an Adulterer pleaseth himselfe in this that he is not yet cast out from the church But why is he not cast out Is Gods judgment changed Where then is that censure become of which Paul speaks of That ye beeing gathered together with my spirit in the Name of the Lord Iesus deliver such an one an uncleane wretch unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his soule may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus Is not here solemne excommunication against uâ—dcleannes urged Neither let any cavill and say This was in a case of high degree of this sin For Gods netres take all open sinners in foule kindes bee the degrees what they what else meaneth that speech Withdraw your selves from every brother who walketh inordinately How Except by the censure excommunicating him from Communion of Sacraments and secret fellowship Thus once it was But the sin of man interverting the Censure disanulles not the Ordinance If such bee not cast out the greater is the shame of Neglecters and the offender hath the greater wrong And say that he bee not formally cast out by Discipline hath hee not really cast out himselfe by his Desert As he once sayde of his Bookes That they were published and they were not in effect for none could understand or be the better for them so say I. They are in Communion and they are not locally by intrusion not spiritually not by acceptation so that save for his pleasing himselfe sinfully he is never the better for it For why Doth not Conscience within tell him All who would thrive by the Ordinances must cast up their gorge So saith Peter Casting out all superfluity as new borne babes covet the sincere milk of the word to grow by And are not all things uncleane to the uncleane Doth not such a mans spirit say to him as God to Elya what dost thou here Elia Why takest thou my word pure as my selfe into thy mouth hating to be reformed Minister into thy mouth hearer into thine eares beeing both in thy body and spirit polluted Can wrath or doubting as the same Apostle speaks hinder the lifting up of pure hands and must not an uncleane conscience much more Can such a swine comming into the Assembly to Sermon or Sacrament thinke himselfe to bee in his place Doth he not tell himselfe a Stewes an whores bosome are fitter for thee then such a place as Gods house Now if outward Communion which yet many a sinner will buy with his mony or thrust himselfe into boldly bee so unproper for him what then is Communion with the Graces of God with his Saints with the Duties of both Tables Hath such an one any joy in his soule peace with God delight in his Service exercise of graces as seale faythe meeknes compassion patience Or can he lay claime to an holy example Are not these irkesome objects to such more fit to teare them in peices to thinke themselves cut off then to comfort them So then let this bee a meditation of great weight to gaster the soule from all uncleannesse or to humble it beeing fallen to consider what a Gulfe it sets betweene the Lord and the soule so that one cannot come at the other And woe bee to him that is alone All ordinances all duties all graces speaking thus to him If God helpe not how can I helpe thee with the Barne or the winepresse Influence being wanting presence gone what can second comforts availe Doe not all issue from union with the head Doe not all Conduit-comforts rise and fall with the fountaine Except then thou carest not for God for his spirit or Christ beware of uncleannesse For that laies-all Channels of the spirit dry embarrens the soule of all heavenly savour making it as carelesse to have it as it is empty of it And these three may serve for a short discription of the nature of this sinne and how wee may derive Arguments from thence to deterre us from it Now to the penalties Touching which they are either spirituall or outward For the former the Reader may partly gather what the spirituall burthen is which God lates upon it by that which before I said of the nature of it For if it be so defiling and hardning a sinne and so seldome is found in the way of repentance who should not be afraid of it Who is so stupid as seeing a drove of Adulterers going towards the den of the Dragon the Divell I meane with their foresteps and observing
should imagine a possibility of it seeing what the name of David Lot Salomon till this day suffer for it As a blur in faire cambrique so is this alway cast upon him as his shame God doth not usually upbrayde his people But this he alway casts him in teeth withall yet this Caution I adde by the way It is not lawfull hereby to condemne whom God hath justified but to cover it rather for our parts But for caution to others the Lord will rather make a Record of it and hang it on the file then it shal be forgotten And when we heare the uncharitable imputations of men fret not at them but say God is in it he will keep it on foot he will checke the soule with it and caufe the guilty therof to possesse the sin of their youth as Iob did If God shall conceale the shame of any guilty of this sin let them prayse him and make an end of all in his privy Chamber of mercy and Repentance that so his open judiciall proceeding in court may be stopped Let this also adde some weight of terror and divorce thee from this sin whip the slaves backe with this rod But the son will be drawne by love So much for this second of Meditation The third and last is to practise somewhat And this is the mayne of all other helpes to rid us of this muscheefe And it consists of sundry particulars Touching all which let the Reader understand that they properly concerne such as have beene actually defiled with uncleannesse in one kind or other And these men are either guilty of their Crime during their estate of ignorance and unregeneracy or else such as have revolted from that grace which they have either soundly or seemingly received To both I would give some advise and first to the former To that then which hath beene abundantly spoken of the Terrors of God against this sin let this only be added That all those men whose hearts God shall touch for it doe lay them close to their hearts that as that pearking presumptuous Asahel was met with and pierced in the fifth rib by Abners speare so may these wild creatures be in their ventrous provoking of God Surelie such a giddy lightnes is in every uncleane heart yea the religious they cannot be solid when as they would they are so drunken with this sin except the law or else that old Simeon speakes of which must open and let out the thoughts of many hearts do let out these wild and unbrideled affections And as that Asahel 2. Sam. 2. being once darted through was tame enough and stopt in his wantonnes so let thy soule be earnest with God to step out of his ordinary way to make an high sence and sharpe hedge of Thornes which he doth but for few in this kind yea to set an Angell before the doore of that harlot shaking a sword that thou mayst no more venture to returne This will not bee till a fire bee thrust into thy soule to feele the intolerable wrathe of God upon all Whoremongers which may so sting thee that as a man scalt or burnt hath small joy or mirth so the feeling of thy selfe in the suburbs of hell may cause thee to feele small list or edge to thy former occupation Hell my freind is no paynced sire on the wall such as thou seest in Alehouses to make drunkards merry but is kindled with the breath of God who hath vowed to bee a terrible judge and consuming fire to all defilers of themselves with whores or harlots single or married yet entreat him that this terror of his may not be extreeme and desperate as his was of whom I last spake ending in violent laying of hands upon himselfe and preventing of Repentance but rather breake the force of lust pull down thy jollity that it may bee as sad an object to thee as was the murthering of the Lord of life to Peters hearers Act. 2. 37. And not onely so but stoop and quaile under this terror of God wee see prisoners at the barre doe not descant or quarrell with the Iudge all their language is confession and supplication for why They know the Iudge hath them at advantage their lives stand at his curtesie Do thou likewise Will God judge Adulterers Stoop then at his barre hee can save or destroy Other Iudges admit appeale themselves may and must be judged their judgements may bee questioned disannulled they sit but upon the breath and life of a man Not so the Lord hee is Iudge of the high Court a Soveraigne King and Iudge If hee once passe sentence no revocation it toucheth the life of thy precious soule This should affright all uncleane persons What suing and seeking is there to the Iudges of spirituall Courts if they threaten but the sheet Oh! but here 's a greater Iudge that can damne thee in hell for ever No bribes prevaile here he is like that enemy of Babell who should scorne all gifts and bee above gold and silver Submit therefore under his hand confesse thy damnation is just lie prostrate upon the earth with thy mouth in the dust and say oh thou the Soveraigne God of the Creatures enemie of all uncleane wretches if thou send mee to hell I have nothing to alleadge if I perish I may thanke my selfe thou hast power to destroy Tremble at this Soveraignty doe not quarrell nor shift with him there is nothing to be pleaded save meere favour I can say nothing why the sentence of death should not be pronounced against me Secondly seeing all repentance stands not in a preparative go on be earnest with God to give thee a glimpse of hope in the Lord Iesus who was made all sinne and this by name not onely for David but for the nature of man and for thine and hath satisfied the wrath of this Iudge that he might say deliver him I have accepted a ransome The law of Moses knew no such attonement stoning and strangling was the end of it As the Iudge tells some felons that the law hath no mercy for them their sinnes exceed it so here But the Gospell affords more grace refuseth to pardon no sinne no offence which the soule can be humbled for I grant this will not easily enter so debauch't a spirit to dream of a possibility of such a grace For when that conscience which was so deeply benummed is once stirred to the bottom it becomes as sensible as ever it was senselesse before and while conscience holds under bondage it s no easie thing to fee such an hope of grace by the Gospell But yet in this thy amasement utter losse an despaire in thy selfe thou must wait upon God who can sustaine thy bottomlesse spirit from sinking altogether till in due time he open a crevis of light into thy dark dungeon And when it shall please him to turne thine eie towards some likelihood of finding mercy in the
way of promise follow this worke hard It belongs to the hopelesse not to such as turne this hope to a snare Beg of the Lord to turne a terrified heart into a melting one that it is which must mould an uncleane soule to a cleane and chast one no hammer can doe this mercy must dissolve it in the fornace of grace Lin not till thou feele that heart which hath beene drencht in the sweetnesse of lust to bee steept in bitternesse over head and eares for thy wounding the Lord of life and his Virgin-pure flesh to death by thy unclennesse Looke not upon other sinners thy selfe wert murderer sufficient of his sacred person thou soughtest to destroy his Godhead as well as his flesh if it had beene in the power of thy sinne though there had been no other sinner in the world thou hadst beene enough And shouldst thou not care for thy base lust sake to kill not a man onely an innocent Vrija but the person of the Sonne of God If this melting spirit be wrought in thee by the spirit of grace thou shalt behold him ' as pierced willingly and of his owne accord for thee who didst as little deserve it as Judas the Traytor but yet seeing thou hast a melting heart which he wanted and canst with Peter weepe bitterly it s a signe that the curse shall turne to a blessing yea thou shalt see God so ordering the matter for thee and Christ so giving up his soule to the speares point of wrath for thee that thine eie shall behold another sight that is an enwrapped hope of forgivenesse in this satisfaction of his and of life in his Resurrection so that now thine horror shall turne to hope And know it only this glimpse of Sun-shine in thy dungeon of feare can dissolve thy hard heart and prepare thee for pardon Thirdly let this hope rip up all the seames of thine uncleane heart and all that filth which lay hid in the entralls thereof never like to have come to light had not God revealed it and uncased thee Let I say this seed of hope discover that which an habituall love of thy sinne would have smothered for ever For this opening and ingenuous confessing of thy sinne will make way for further mercy It s none of thy worke but the spirit of grace that makes way for it Now a franke heart is put into thee to be as open as ever thou wert close before yea and to take as much paines with thy selfe how thou maist give glory to God in a full confession and turning up that cursed poake of falshood from the bottome pouring out all thy sinne as ever thou tookest care before to sweare thine heart to an hellish secrecy It s with thee as with a woman who hath many old peeces of gold and jewells lying by her which she is loth to forgoe although shee might thereby make a summe for the purchase of faire house and land yet perhaps rather then quite forgoe the purchase she will fetch them all and poure them downe upon the table So when hope of mercy offers it selfe oh the pearle thereof exceeding all petty shreds wil make thee freely disburden thy soule of whatsoever loads it thy most beloved lusts I speake not now of abandoning the habits of them that 's mortification following after but of the cleere intention and meaning of thy heart to abandon without any base hollownesse Oh! thou desirest now to spare God a labour of proclaiming thy sin before men and Angells and if it were meet as it is where Gods ordinance may prevaile thou wouldest chuse that place ratherest to shame thy selfe in where the solemne presence of God his Angels and Church are gathered together Still I speake with caution if thy sinne have broken out publiquely but if thou hast kept it secret thou art not tied to make thy self publique nor to take witnesse except thy hard heart require it to confesse to others for the breaking thereof the reason is because the way of Church-correction for open sins is one and the Evangelicall correction of the spirit of Christ in private is another But usually these sinnes are open and therefore openly to be proclaimed in confession as in the committing If mercy have toucht thee at the heart never so little it will worke in thee as Gods voice in the Whale when she vomited up Jona upon the drie ground thou shalt no more take care what become of thy lust so thou maist be rid of it nor who shame thee so thou be shamed and sinne have her due Thou takest more care how God may be honoured in the abhorring of thy rebellion how others may be flaited from the like how thine owne heart may be melted upon melting not how thou may maist scape in an whole skinne and lie hardened in thy stie of uncleannesse No rather shall litter and whelpes and all be raked together and cast to the dunghill I tell thee of a sollemne thing rarely seene yet I will not say I have not seene such a confessing spirit Ephraim had it when shee smote upon her thie the Publicant the Prodgall the Theefe on the Crosse and here and there as a berry left upon the bush I have seene such as uâ—fained Penitent but when I did so I never pleased my selfe with any object like it I was almost ravisht with it and tooke it as a reall marke of the Lords pardoning of it in heaven which was so performed on earth And good cause for what shouldst thou care to nourish that in thy selfe which thou purposest for ever to be divorced from Therefore here on Lord say thou comes the most tainted Adulterer that ever lived These were my first allurements to silthinesse such and such companies I haunted such baites for my lust I maintained so many base harlots married or single I clave unto Such were the places I frequented the filthie Sonnets I sang the musique dauncings revellings and wantonnesse I was defiled withall yea such and such were the colors whereupon I hardned my heart in sinne such fees such bribes such perjuries such friends in Courts and Proctors I corrupted with mony and in this confusion I had lien for ever had not mercy cast an eie upon me No day no Sabbath or season of worship came amisse no light of conscience could beare downe my sinne no shame of world no patience of thine long winking at me no good education no hope of my friends no terror by thy judgments could disswade I sinned against all Here therefore I uncase my selfe oh Lord Against thee thee Lord have I done this villany in it selfe morall in me spirituall and in an high degree I was ever tainted even from the womb and this my sinne is but one of a thousand which the forge of my heart hath sent forth If for this thou hadst drown'd me in perdition even in the act burying mee up in the bed of my lust thou hadst beene
just yea thy deserting of my spirit cutting off my daies and sending me into the hottest place of hell had beene little enough for me But oh if thou shalt wash this spot away and cleanse me with hyssop I shall be whiter then the snow what I am is not the thing confusion belongs to me for it it s all I can plead But there is mercy with thee that thou maist bee feared and some little hope hath opened my heart to confesse my sinne as rather relying upon thy word then upon my owne feares that thou wilt deale rigorously and of mine owne mouth as thou moughtst condemne mee Fourthly thou must not thus walke onely with thy Penance fagot upon thy shoulders and the sheet of thy shame upon thy back as one shut out and excommunicated from the Assemblies upon whose face thy father hath spit But thou must set before thine eyes a double promise One this That if the Lord shall once accept thee all thy former sins shall never bee so imputed as to cast thee off Looke that place in Jeremy full of Comfort If an harlot be divorced from her husband shall he returne to her any more No surely But loe thou Adulterer thou harlot you have defiled the Bâ—d which I made Honorable yet I will deale better with you returne and I will accept you sayth the Lord And what upon thaâ— Surely it shal bee with thee in my accompt as if thou hadst never sinned The Lord will open to such a fountaine for sin and uncleannes This may seeme as a cable to the eye of a Needle such mercie for so gracelesse a wretch yes bee encouraged for the Lord lookes not at the greatnesse of the sin if thy Traytors heart distrust him not but at the expression of his owne grace and getting himselfe a name in pardoning it that where sin hath abounded grace might abound much more A dog will catch at this moisell and poison himselfe for he will sin to try a conclusion But this must not east off a poore penitent soule who hath sinned alreadie and beene carried by the streame of his Sensuality Neither must an hypocrite be bolstred nor yet the grace of God to his own frustrate And secondly consider What thou hast beene the Lord lookes not at he beholdes thee in his Son as washed purified therfore wil bee honored even by these members which have most served the lusts of thy uncleannes The Lord delights to see it so if once the property bee altred Witnesse Mary Magdalene so highly honored by Christ to bee the first witnesse of his Resurrection and so enrolled in the book of God that wheresoever the Gospell should come her Name should be honorable How did our Lord Iesus admit her to come to his body and with those eyes handes wherewith shee had beheld embraced those tresses and forelocks which had allured so many uncleane lovers yet he was content to be washed annointed and wiped what exceeding love is this thus to restore an Adulterer to his blood and to entertayne him to that dignity and service which he had forfeited Try thine owne heart in this Case no other Medicine save this made of the blood of Christ can satisfy for thy sin nor wash off the guilt and stayne of it Beleeve this promise apply this blood and this wil bee a true seed of abhorring it for ever Fayth will carry thee to the Crosse of the Lord Iesus tell thee thus I have seene him bleed and breath out his last conflict with wrath and overcome it for the full expiation of thy uncleannes if it could have overcome him thou hadst lost the day for ever but seeing he got the victorie thy sin shall not damne thee so long as he prevailed against death and hell for thee Christ onely can make a divorce between thee and thy sin Till he shed his pretious blood in the defiance of sin the soule and sin could never be made Enemies Onely death which separated his soule and body asunder can divide them If then thou seekest no other morrall shifts nor carnall Popish waies of abhorring this sin at least dost rest in no other all is well Thou takest a sure course to part with it for ever I Come in therfore and claspe to this pardon offred thee in the promise sue it out and apply it to thy soule Perhaps thy base heart will chuse rather to lose it then to take it Gods way But consider since God will not stoope to thy way and there is but one way to come to him bee it never so unwelcome stoope to that way and come in Any way of thine own dawbing with untempered mortar will please thy flesh better then this But seeing in them thou must perish by this thou maist bee saved to use Esai's wordes in the promises there is continuance in the other lying vanity cleave to this and know this onely can satisfy God and change thy lepers skin therfore venture upon this If thou canst possibly perish in beleeving this perish yet know much more sure it is thou must perish except thou beleeve If thou like those nasty lepers sit still in the city die thou must no shift of it here thou mayst live value thy life at no greater rate then the life of a desperate man is worth if elswhere there were hope thou mightst shrug at it But worse then thou art thou canst not bee if thou finde more favour then thou deservest count it for a vantage But howsoever do not preferre assured death before hope of recovery nor lose it for venturing Fiftly rest not here neither but if more mercy be shewed thee then thou lookedst for for God is best to a sinner when he is past pleading then let this perswade thee to follow him for further Grace I meane when the guilt of thy Conscience is gone sue to him for Repentance for the mortifying and subduing the rage power defiling and snaring property of thy sin And begin with the roote kill there first begin not with Adoni-bezek at the fingers endes Christ stabbes the old man at heart first As himselfe told the Pharisee nothing which comes from without can defile the man But that which defiles the man comes from within From the heart proceed as other sins so uncleannes and all the fruits Therefore either purge the roote first or else let all alone Thou shalt fynde this a new worke Yet that faith which hath washt thy Conscience and inner man from guilt and feare and hell Can purge thee a second way from all slavery to thy lust Mercy will act the part of a Priest it will both set an eternall oddes betweene thee and thy lust And it will mortify thy Concupiscence dayly till it be quite dead It will trvely set thee on mourning Truely worke thee to an hearty indignation against thy selfe It will teath thee the art of sinne detesting which no wit of man no skill of
hypocrites can teach thee It will intercept all thy succours of lust thy provision to fulfill thy lustes When the Court is pulled downe who needes to feare suires in it It will cause thee not morally but from a Principle of grace to shunne all meanes motives provocations and snares of uncleannes which the Devill shall straw in thy way That so the oile being gone the flames may vanish It shall change thy uncleane thoughts affections eyes eares into cleane and pure ones If thy harlot meet thee and say It is I thou shalt answer but I am not I not my selfe Another is become that in mee which my cursed selfe was wont to bee The signe is pulld downe the Alehouse is let to a man of trade no more harlots nor adulterers come there new Lords new Lawes all old things are done away behold all things are become new I am redeemed with a price not to be mine owne if my Lord and Master will endure lust if any accord betweene Christs body and an harlot aske him leave and I obey else I am not my owne Oh! this Grace shall bring thy lust to the horns of the Altar binde it thereto with cords cut the throate of it with the sacrificing knife of the Priest Thy Priest will teach thee to do that office very handsomely to let out the ranke blood of thy lust and the strength and sway which it bare in thee yea it shall drag thine uncleane heart to Golgotha and naile it to the crosse of thy Priest with the same nailes which nailed the body of Christ It is happier to find out those Implements Crosse blood nayles tombe and all then ever Helen was or any Popish relique-monger and to make use of them too to better end then at this daie that Popish Covent of Friats do who have hired those places of the Turke built Temples Altais and silver floores in honor of the Passion It shall cry in thy soule Oh lust I wil bee thy death oh Concupiscence I wil be thy destruction The sting of fin is death and the strength of lust is the law But thanks be to God in Iesus Christ who hath condemned sin in the flesh mortified it by the flesh of his holy body hat neither guilt nor dominion might prevaile Pursue the victory the Lord is with thee thou valiant man and in this thy strength fight and lin not while through thy Captaine both sin and luste die in thee Sixthly returne to the Lord with full bent of soule to renounce all cleaving to the flesh and to cleave to him without seperation That grace which hath killed lust will quicken the life of purenesse in thy soule it will indeed make thee a tâ—ue Pentient not only to renounce uncleanes but to embrace a Chaste spirit and live a Chaste life to returne to God in a contrary practice of unblameablenesse all thy daies so farre as weaknesse will permit As he tooke off from thy jawes the yoke of servitude so he shall make his owne joake easie and his burden light He shal bee as one that layeth meate before thee thou shalt be so preserved by the sweetnes of grace that all the sweetnesse of lust of adultery of lascivi usnes shall stinke before thee so that they shall never have hope to recover thee into their possession any more And what then remayneth but when lust knowes not what to doe with thee then thine eare be bored with Gods awle that so thou maist bee his servant and walke in purenesse and holines all thy daies The Lord blesse this maine Direction with all other unto thee and remember none but Christ can heale this sore And so much for the former branch of Counsell to them who are onely guilty of the sin I passe lastly to the other who have revolted from this Grace once obteyned Lastly therefore if thy uncleannes be yet of a deeper die as beeing a revolt from the Grace of God and the vow of thy spirituall baptisme once made then know the Cure is somewhat different from the former Here then Remember that the seed of God in his dyeth not Therefore if once God hath awakned thee out of this thy relapse and the dead sleep of security under it which if he love thee he will do by some three string'd whip or other which hee shall make for thee as once he did for those defilers of his Temple by some crosse or stirring terrors of the word in thy soule then take Davids course Beseech the Lord first that the despaire and extreame horror which an ill conscience sicke of a relapse might worke in thee through unbeleefe added to it may gratiously bee kept off and so thine heart may be stayd from utter departing from the living God upon feare that he is wholly departed from thee Secondly remember that the covenant of God cannot be repealed it comprehends thee when thou canst not it Therefore apply those mercies of old and be comforted Thirdly take heed lest Satan confound and oppresse thy spirit by the conscience of thy base revolting sinning against such mercies and snarling thy soule with so many successive evills as thou hast heaped upon one another without an heart to get out For its an easie thing to lose a mans spirit and selfe in the divells maze Fourthly with a penitent heart for thy trechery that thou shouldest kick up thy heele against former mercies and covenants behold that promise of which I formerly spake and apply it unto thy soule as thou art able knowing that whatsoever Satan hath to gainsay the Lord Iesus was made all sinne both of rebellion against and also revolt from God that thou mightst be his righteousnesse and recover it having lost it Fifthly let the affliction of thy soule so deeply cease upon thee till through mercy it have soaked into thee and pierced thee as deepe as thy sinne hath peirced God as the tent must go as deepe as the sore is festered and fetch out the bottome scurfe content not thy selfe with such an humbling as thy slight heart would admit For this is one attendant of this sinne to be light and wanton and not to bee able to bee serious Therefore set thine heart to it mocke not God make not the remedy worse then the disease that thou shouldest even be fetcht in againe by Satans clawes ere thy repentance is finished which were to unsettle the work of God in thee and worke thy heart to a despaire of recovery It hath beene the portion of many uncleane ones never to get a serious spirit If therefore thine heart be once downe hold it as if thou shouldst keepe corke under water and trust it not pray thus withdraw from me all objects of vanity and teach me thy law gratiously Arraigne accuse condemne thy selfe judge thy selfe lest God judge thee and till God raise thee be content to lye low beare the indignation of the Lord because thou hast sinned and be
glad if any such veine of wrath may bee let into thy soule as may truly subdue thee under the mighty hand of God that he may raise thee up Thinke not the time long take leasure an heart long defiled a vessell once fustie will hardly change her hiew nor bee sweetned Sixthly let faith alway come betweene thy sinning and thy repenting soder not up a repentance of thine owne its bad in any sinne but deadly in this such sudden leapings out of one contrary to another may admit as easie a relapse from this to the former And so thou maist make thy fall to become a falling sicknesse if the power of pardon and purging come betweene thy sin and thy redresse then is the cure from God and from Christ the sure Physition whose healings are sound and perfect Let his blood come into thy nasty soule come between thy sinne and thy spirit loosening the sweetnesse and the defilement thereof from thee or else it will returne Morall plaisters may hold while the soule is in feare But when sensuality returnes she breakes all such cords in sunder Seventhly when God hath healed thee goe thy waies and thinke thou meetest with him that said Sinne no more lest a worse thing happen to thee even an impenitent spirit Let the experience of thy revolt bind thee to a double care and feare of time to come as that incestuous Corinthian a kindly Convert and as fit an object as any to bee set before a relapsing Adulterers eye approved his repentance so do thou thine How rare a sight were it in these daies to see such an one so swallowed up with sorrow that the Church had need to comfort him in all the haste for feare of despairing Oh! mourne for the wasting of the spirit of grace by an uncleane spirit of thine owne count thy selfe cut off moane thy condition in the eares of God and beseech him to set thee so in joint againe that thine heart may bee stronger then ever to resist thinke thy selfe unworthy to be restored to the Communion of Saints be as an excommunicate in thine owne eies as those offenders in the ancient times who were hardly and by degrees admitted to the Assembly Then the judgements of the Ministers were so harsh as if such might not be admitted as Cyprian and others erroniously thought but to be sure they were admitted with great difficulty for feare of second relapses But now our discipline is in a contrary extreame be thou a law to thy selfe Eightly if thy revolt have been open and publique let thy repentance be so Thinke not that remarkeable offences will be huddled up in the Court of heaven without open repentance and more then ordinary humiliation Most mens plaisters are too narrow for their sores But if wee observe Gods penitents you shall see that their revolts were never so famous as their repentings have beene eminent Thou hast sinned with David repent also with him and let the Church bee well satisfied she hath not lost a member Ninthly be content to beare the reproach of thy sin for ever as a burden upon thy back yea to carry it written in great letters upon the forehead if God think meete to exercise thee in that kind Not thou but hee must judge of the breadth of thine offence It s to keepe downe thine heart which would ever be pearking up and floating aloft and running to the like excesse Better have thy fagot alway upon thy backe Tenthly returne to so much the more close and narrow walking with God watching to a chast and inoffensive course not only against open evills but even secret-suspicions and learne to sanctify the marriage bed against such â—orraine provocations But if any desire to reade more of this Argument I referre him to my Treatise of the Sacraments part 2. and the Chapter of Sacramentall Repentance So much here may suffice Vse 5 Fifthly if God himselfe be so severe a witnesse and Iudge of Adulterers thundring out such threats against them let it bee a caveat to all Magistrates and Governors both Civill and Ecclesiasticall who take upon them the censures of such Delinquents to looke to themselves you are in the place of Gods Officers you should execute the authority of God Doe in these cases as the great judge would do If he sate in judgement he would verefy this threat here in my Text Perhaps its not in your power to do as he would do if he sate in Commission against Whooremongers But yet as farre as lies in your power shew your selves swift witnesses against this crew which doth now so swarme in Cities great townes and generally every where and among all sorts that they wil make the land rue it spew out her inhabitants as once CanaaÌ„ did hers Consider what a vengeance this one sin not to speak of others both spirituall morall might justly bring upon this our land which groaneth under it as much as ever Israel and Iuda did to which God doth threaten such terrible plagues by Esay Ieremy and other Prophets for their fulnes of bread the sins of SodoÌ„ their neighinglike horses after their neighbors wives or else after other harlots which perhaps in England is the more frequent Suffer not vile Adulterers making open profession of it to live with their Harlots and Bastards under their noses nay in the beddes of their wives expelling them and harbouring the other in their bosomes with despite Do not through bribes and flattery or an ill Conscience privy to the like evills through sloth and ease or love of sin seeke pretences to shift your handes of censuring such and so connive at them But by what meanes possibly you can vindicate the honor of God assoyle the land of the just plagues which shee is liable unto for hatching such vipers in her Bosome Bee vicegerents of God! will you not judge them Yes judge these sinners I say not stone them for it s beyond your power and the long impunity of this sin hath hardned the hearts of men in their Impudence but send them to the Carte to the house of Correction to the sheet and shame of their uncleannes to excommunication from the Sacraments and the fellowship of Christians Poste not off these men from one Magistrate to the other as if neither were willing to brand them with shame they have sinned both against Church and commonwealth let them pay for both But in no wise harden them by alaying releasing exchanging of Censures If you discharge those whom God holdes guilty turning such heynous sins to meer Pageants huddling up that which the Lord would have proclaymed on the tops of houses know it your lives shall go for theirs God will call you over himselfe and when he punisheth Adulterers themselves he will judge you for not executing his judgement upon them which have prevented it and spared their soules Lastly let this Point be also Encouragement and Consolation to all