he after some intreaties answered him to this effect (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Climac Grad 4. pag. 49. I saith he in this work of the Kitchin did never think that I served men but God who enjoyned me true service in my place and judging my selfe unworthy of any rest by reason of my many failings when I look on this fire in my chimney how intolerable the burning thereof would be to my flesh I am put in minde of the everlasting and much more unsufferable burnings of hell fire due to all impenitent sinners and the thought of this torment doth resolve me into teares for my sins And now if we will make use of this example we shall not need to goe abroad and gather instructions from other mens lifes as Pambo did we shall finde matter enough at home to exercise our thoughts with For example sake and to set our consciences on work in this duty If any of us shall bee tormented with an headach or a toothach or with the stone or strangury or a hot fever or some other tormenting paine that will not suffer us to take any rest we may make the like use of the burning fever or tormenting ach which we feel that this Cook did of the scorching fire which he looked upon We may think if this little smart in comparison and these short torments seem so unsufferable as that I would not endure them for a yeare together though I might gaine a Kingdome by it how unsufferable are the eternall torments of hell fire and what a fool am I if I plunge my soule into them for ever for gaining of a paltry profit and a fading and a filthy pleasure And if after drinking a cup of pleasant wine in our thirst or after eating a good dinner in our hūger or if after a sweete sleep when we have been weary we finde our selves comforted and refreshed then there is occasion to think O Lord how much more joy and refreshing will it bee to my soule when I shall rest from all my labours in Abrahams bosom and with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob shall eate bread in the Kingdome of God and shall bee fed with the pleasures of Gods house for evermore And againe if at any time wee be overjoyed who sometimes is not when some great preferment befalleth us such as are a high place in the Court a great office in the City or some matter of much gaine in our trading then it will be seasonable to think if such a scant advancement do so much overjoy mee what a joy will it bee and how shall I rejoyce when I shall be taken to bee Gods adopted son and to be heire of his Kingdome and a fellow citizen with the Saints in glory And thus we may doe on all the like occasions and if thus we do doe still converting earthly occurrences into matter of heavenly meditations we shall be profited toward salvation by every thing of moment that we see or heare abroad and by those things which we find feel in our selves But this practice is never more seasonable nor never more profitable then when we come to the Lords Table In this Sacrament wee have for the outward matter of it bread and wine in substance the same with that which is upon our own boards but in use of a far different nature When they be upon our own boards then they be naturall things ordained for the refreshing of the body and preservation of mans nature but when they bee on Gods board they are spirituall things ordained for the nourishment of the soul and the preservation of Gods grace within us Now if it be a point of wisdome to take occasion of heavenly thoughts from them when they are meere naturall things how necessary will it be to have more elevated thoughts of them when they are consecrated to a mysticall and supernaturall use Now that they are set apart to a sacred use they must needs be profaned if they be not handled in a sacred sort Here they are holy signes which represent Christ unto us with all the benefits of his Passion and we make them as no signes if we doe not see Christ and his death represented in them Therefore in the celebration of this Sacrament the Church teacheth the Minister to say sursum corda lift up your hearts and it teacheth the people to answer him back again Wee lift them up unto the Lord. When therefore our eyes doe look on these creatures on the Lords Table our hearts should look to Christ in heaven When we see the bread cut and broken in pieces that biddeth us remember that his sacred body was broken and torne in pieces for our sins And when we see the wine powred out of the vessel into the cup and out of the cup into our bodies that biddeth us remember that his precious blood was emptied out of the veines that our soules might be purged from their sins And when the bread and wine is delivered into the Communicants hand that telleth him that God the Father doth now reach unto him from heaven the flesh and blood of his deare Son that they may nourish his soule to eternall life as the bread and wine doth nourish his body for this naturall life So that in the whole institution of this Sacrament there is nothing dumb or without its signification and so likewise in the celebration of it wee should passe by nothing as if we were deafe and did not understand the meaning of it For conclusion as S. Paul said to Timothie so I say to every Communicant Meditate on these things while ye be about this holy work and 1 Tim. 4.15 Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things that ye may know how to make use of all Gods ordinances for his Glory and your own comfort CAP. III. The blessings of this life are nothing to the blessednesse of the life to come Cap. 3 WHen this woman magnified the happinesse of that mother who had bred so good a childe as he was who had discoursed in this manner our Lord amended her speech by telling her of a far greater blessednesse then that was consisting in the hearing and keeping of Gods word And hence I collect that the blessing of good children and other the good things of this life are much short of the blessednesse which accompanieth godlinesse and an holy life The proofes for confirmation hereof are three 1. The testimony of Solomon 2. The condition of worldly happinesse in it self considered and 3. It s want of those excellencies that are in the true blessednesse I. The first proofe is the Testimony of Solomon set down in the book of Ecclesiastes In it his Testimony is delivered 2. wayes 1. In a generall doctrine 2. In particular instances 1. His doctrine is this Of all worldly blessings and the happinesse that men can gaine by them he saith in the entrance of his book Vanitie of vanities saith
the Preacher vanity of vanities and all is vanity Eccles 1.2 He meaneth that all the things of this life without godlinesse and a good conscience are meere emptinesse and things of nothing Thus hee beginneth his speech concerning the glittering greatnesse of this world and then of the true blessednesse that accompanieth Gods service hee addeth in the conclusion of that book Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter feare God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man For God shall bring every work into judgement c. Eccles 12.13 14. Where 1. when hee saith Let us heare the conclusion of all hee meaneth that that which now hee was to say namely to feare God and keep his commandements was the substance of all that needed to be said the summ of all that either the Preacher needed to teach or the people needed to learne This alone is sufficient to make a man happy And 2. when he saith for this is the whole duty of man he giveth the reason why he had said of godlinesse that it was the summe of all namely because it is the whole duty of man that is all that is required of him to the attaining of blessednesse and eternall glory Lay these things together and the summe is that all other things are of no worth onely the feare of God and his service is enough of it selfe to make a man truly and eternally happy This is the generall doctrine that the Preacher teacheth in that book 2. His particular instances are these and such like He propoundeth for example sake (a) Eccl. 1.16 c. humane wisdome (b) ca. 2.1 2. worldly mirth (c) ca. 2.3 c. pleasures of all sorts (d) ca. 4.9 c. riches and worldly wealth (e) ca. 6.3 c. children and long life c. all which are esteemed the chief treasures of this life and of all these Solomons conclusion still in the end of the discourse is that it is vanity and vexation of spirit And by this he giveth us to understand that having made diligent search gon through the whol course of the world to seek for blessednesse to content his soule he could finde nothing among the most desirable things but vanity and vexation nothing that could give him any satisfaction or contentment It was onely the feare of God and his service that could yeeld that which he sought for This is the first proofe of the point and it is a full and a cleare one II. The second is the Condition of worldly blessings considered in themselves and it is this that for all the goodly shews that they make yet if they bee without godlinesse they leave a man still in a cursed and a damnable state For a man may have good children and himselfe may be a bad man So it was with Saul and Ionathan his son and with Ahaz and EZekias his son and with Manasses and Iosias his son And so a man may have riches and honours and pleasures and yet be in a worse case then the begger that lyeth at his gate So it was with Dives in the Gospell he was clothed with purple and fared delicately every day and was honourable among his neighbours and yet Dives was in a miserable case even in the midst of all this abundance A few dayes did but passe over his head and hee was caried into hell and tormented in that flame and could not obtaine so small a comfort as a drop of water to coole his burning And whereto now did all his former pomp serve him but onely to make him more sensible of his torments Miserum est fuisse foelicem It is an increase of a mans misery that hee hath formerly been happy And now I dare say there is never a man living but will think that Lazarus with all his beggery and sores was in a far more happy condition then Dives who lived in such plenty and honour And this example alone to say nothing of Pharaoh and Haman and Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar and Herod and such like this example I say alone is proofe enough that all worldly blessings may leave a man in a miserable and cursed condition for any help that they can afford him And doth that deserve the name of happinesse that leaveth the possessors of it in such a miserable and cursed state III. Thirdly the same truth is further proved because the greatest happinesse in this world is destitute of those prerogatives which are the proper glory of the true blessednesse namely these 3. fulnesse sincerity and eternity 1. The first prerogative is fulnesse without any lack or defect For true blessednesse is accompanied with full joy even as much as either the heart can desire or the soule receive David speaking of this blessednesse saith unto God In thy presence is fulnesse of joy for evermore Psal 16. ult A vessell is said to bee full when it hath as much as it can hold and so that joy is full when it is as much as there is any roome to receive it And such is the joy saith David that is in Gods Kingdome But that speech of the Gospell is yet more significant and full when it is said to the good servant Enter into the joy of thy Lord. Mat. 25.23 For when we speak of a cup of water wee doe not say that the man entereth into it but that it entereth and is taken down into the man because that water though it may fill the man yet it is no greater then the capacitie of the mans stomach into which it is received But if we speak of a river or a bathing tub or such like large continent we cannot say that the river or the tub of water entreth into the man but rather that the man goeth or entereth into it because the quantity or measure of that water is greater then the man is capable of or can receive And so in this case when our Lord receiveth his faithfull servant into his heavenly Kingdom Tam magnum est gaudium coelestis patriae de Deo ut non possit concludi in homine ideo homo intrat in gaudium illud incomprehensibile non intrat gaudium illud in hominem velut comprehensum ab homine Cajet in Mat. 25.23 he saith not Let the joy of thy Lord enter into thee but Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord because as a learned Writer observeth those joys of Gods Kingdome are so full that they run over and cannot be contained within us our scant vessels are not large enough to receive them Such is the fulnesse of joy that is found in true blessednesse But now the blessednesse of this world take it when it is at the best and at the fullest though it have its comforts and its joyes yet a fulnesse of joy it cannot be said to have because alwaies something is wanting that that happy man still doth desire and that in two respects 1. because
will bee so serious and attentive in matters of Gods service that other by-thoughts will not easily divert or turne away his minde And therefore if worldly thoughts do much disturbe our hearing it is an argument that the studie of the world is more frequent with us and more delightfull to us then the studie of Gods word For redressing of which errour and to keepe our mindes from evagations and distractions our care must be to place our studie on Gods word and thereby to season our mindes with a love of heavenly things and a serious care of our salvation 2. It will be an helpe also if we use such posture of body as may be apt to keep our senses waking and to drive away heavines sleep How this is to be done we may take direction from examples of former times First then wee read in the Gospel that when our Lord had read his Text and was ready to speak unto the people the eies of all them that were in the Synagogue were fastened upon him Luk. 4.20 Which words as they shew with what attention they prepared to heare the Sermon so they intimate that by this means they were likely to continue their attentiō For as the mind sendeth out the eies to look upon that which it selfe liketh so the eies if they bee fastened on an object do stirre up the minde to think on that thing which they present to its view Consequently as gazing abroad distracteth the minde with varietie of objects so the fastening of them on the speaker doth settle the mind where the eies are fixed And by reason hereof it will bee some help to sharpen our attention if sometimes as occasion requireth wee fasten our eies upon the Preachers face look that way where we desire our minds to be Againe Solomon saith of the wicked man that he shutteth his eies to devise froward things Prov. 16.30 He meaneth that as men when they are in serious meditation do shut the eies that nothing may distract their minds so the wicked man shutteth his eies that hee with more intention may devise mischief And so in this work of hearing it may sometimes be an help to attention if wee look downward or cover the eies that the minde having no distraction from without may be the more intent on his present businesse Thirdly wee read of the ancient Monks in Egypt And the name of Monks was then as honorable for their devotion as now it is growen contemptible for the superstition of later times that they in their prayers did sometimes cast themselves downe upon the ground and anone after rose up againe and praied standing with their hands lifted up to heaven And this they did * Humi namque diutiùs procumbentem nō solùm cogitationibus aiunt verùm etiā somno graviùs impugnari Cassian Inst lib. 2. c. 7. pag. 27. because as they said if a man did lye long upon the ground he would bee set upon not onely by idle thoughts but more especially by sleepe And so if in our hearing wee finde that by long sitting at ease wee grow heavie and dull of hearing wee should rise and stand up to awaken our senses And if by long standing wee finde our selves weary of our worke wee may for a time seek some ease by sitting and so still change the site of the body and use such varietie in gestures as for the present we finde most availeable to keep us in attention 3. It will bee an other help if we labour to remove all lets and impediments that use to disturb us Solomons rule is It is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink lest they drink forget the Law pervert the judgmēt of any of the afflicted Prov. 31.4 5. He meaneth that drinking of wine and strong drink might make them unfit for judicature doing of Justice in such a case even Kings were bound to avoid it lest it should disable them for the doing of their duties And this rule bindeth us also to avoid such things as may hinder us in Gods service If wee drink wine strong drink that is apt to fume into the head and to procure drowsinesse and sleepe if we eat a full meale that calleth the spirits to the stomach for concoction and in their absence the braine is disabled for contemplation and religious thoughts and if before we come to Church we drowne our selves in meriments and sports that will season the minde with carnall delights and make the soule unfit to relish the things of the Spirit and if any man stuff his mind with worldly eares and businesses of this life that will leave no roome for spirituall instructions to enter in And if any of us do finde that by these or any other such occasions we be hindered in our hearing wee must forbeare drinking of wine and feeding to the full and delighting in carnall sports cumbring our selves with worldly cares and what soever else may breed either drowsinesse or distraction Else it will bee impossible that wee should heare with attention and as impossible that we should profit without it 4. It will bee an help to our hearing if while wee are about that work we do ever and anone reflect upon our selves and consider what thoughts doe then lodge within us And if we finde distractions to divert us we should blame our untoward hearts bewaile our corruptions and recall the minde to his businesse again This will help us against distractions because our heart will learne by often checks to bee the more watchfull and we by condemning our selves for our neglect of God and our own good shall be made the more warie of offending any more even as a traveller that hath missed his way through heedlessenes will bee the more carefull afterward to observe every turning and to avoid every by-waie that might mislead him These rules I have thought not unfit for this purpose if any man have those that bee better hee may leave these at his pleasure and make use of that which may do him more good II. The next vertue to be exercised in the time of our hearing is due reverence to God and his holy word Solomon requireth it of us in our prayers and praises of God When saith he thou goest to the house of God bee not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hastie to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles 5.1 2. Wee may note in this sentence two things a rule and a reason 1. A Rule that is expressed two waies 1. negatively in these words Be not rash c. He meaneth that we should not presume to speak unto God but with premeditation and advised sobernesse 2. Affirmatively in those words Let thy words be few He meaneth that our words should be well weighed and then they will not be many that our speech should bee sparing