simple or ignorant that contemplateth God in his creatures shall finde sufficient matter in that voluminous booke of his Creation to move him to admire the work-manship of his Maker For the heavens are his the earth also is his and hee hath laid the foundation of the world and all that therein is So as even from the Cedar of Lebanon to the grasse upon the wall hath he shewen his power and his might to the ends of the world Now to the end this Contemplation might not bee hindred by any worldly objects wee are to with-draw our eye from the Creature and fix it wholly upon our Creator For how can any one behold the glory of Heaven when his eyes are poring upon earth or how should hee whose affections are planted upon his gold erect his thoughts to the contemplation of God So as wee must not only leave whatsoever we love on earth but even leave our selves till wee become wholly weaned from earth so shall our affections be in heaven though our temporary plantation bee on earth For what are these Ostrich-winged worldings who never flie up stooping to every lure that either honour profit or preferment cast out but base Haggards who lie downe and dare not give wing for feare of weathering Whereas these high fliers whose aimes are above earth are ever meditating of earths frailtie and heavens felicitie These consider how the solace of the captive is one and the joy of the freeman another These consider how that hee who sighs not while he is a Pilgrim shall not rejoyce when he is a Citizen These consider that it is an evident signe that such an one hates his Countrey who holds himselfe to bee in good state while hee lives a Pilgrim These will not preferre the husks of vanitie before those inestimable treasures of glory These and only these value earth as it should bee valued desiring rather to leave earth than set their love on ought upon earth Neither can death take any-thing from him going out of the world who sets his love on nothing in the world Whereas it is much otherwise with them whose eyes are accustomed to darknesse for they cannot behold the beames of that supreme veritie neither can they judge any thing of the light whose habitation is in darknesse they see darknesse they love darknesse they approve of darknesse and going from darknesse to darknesse they know not whither they fall Such was Demas who forsooke his faith and embraced this present world Such was Simon Magus who bewitched the people with sorceries to gaine himselfe esteeme in the world Such was Demetrius the Silver-Smith who brought great gaines unto the Crafts-men and mightily enriched himselfe in the world And in a word such are all those whose eyes are sealed to heavenly Contemplations but opened to the objects of earth prizing nothing else worthy either viewing or loving It is rare and wonderfull to observe what admirable Contemplations the Heathen Philosophers enjoyed though not so much as partakers of the least glimpse of that glorious light which is to us revealed How deeply searching in the influence of Planets how studious after the knowledge of Herbs Plants vertue of Stones which inforced in them no lesse admiration than delight in so sweet a Contemplation Now if the Heathens who had no knowledge of God but only a glimmering light of Nature being not so much I say as the least beamling in comparison of that glorious light which wee enjoy conceived such sweetness in the search of causes and events preferring their Contemplation before the possession of earth or all that fraile earth could promise what surpassing comfort or ineffable sweetnesse are wee to conceive in the Contemplation of GOD the one and only practice whereof maketh man blessed although in outward things hee were the poorest and needfullest in the world The blessed Saints and faithfull servants of GOD have beene so ravished with this sweetnesse as they were drunke with joy in Contemplation of the Highest For either honour or preferment they were so indifferent as they rejected it and for riches so equally contented as they dis-valued it selling their possessions and laying the money at the Apostles feet Yea Peter to instance one for all no sooner tasted this sweetnesse than forgetfull of all inferiour things hee cried out as one spiritually drunke saying Lord it is good for us to bee here let us make us here three Tabernacles let us stay here let us contemplate thee because wee need nothing else but thee it sufficeth us Lord to see thee it sufficeth us I say to bee filled with such swetnesse as commeth from thee One onely drop of sweetnesse hee tasted and hee loathed all other sweetnesse What may wee imagine would hee have said if hee had tasted the multitude of the sweetnesse of his divinitie which he hath laied up in store for those that feare him Surely the contemplative man whose affections are estranged from earth and seated in Heaven makes use of whatsoever hee seeth on earth as directions to guide him in his progresse to heaven His eyes are not like the Ambitious mans whose eye-sore is only to see others great and himselfe unadvanced nor like the Covetous mans whose eyes Tarpeia-like betray his soule seeing nothing precious or prosperous which he wisheth not nor like the Voluptous mans whose sealed eyes are blinde to the objects of vertue but unsealed to the objects of vanitie seeing nothing sensually moving which he affects not nor like the Vain-glorious mans who practiseth seldome what is good or honest for the love of goodnesse but to bee praised and observed Whereas the true Contemplative man loves vertue for vertues sake concluding divinely with the Poet This amongst good men hath beene ever knowne Vertue rewards herselfe herselfe's her crowne And for these light objects of vanity hee as much loaths them as the Voluptuous man loves them and for coveting hee is so farre from desiring more then hee hath as hee is indifferent either for injoying or forgoing what hee already hath and for aspiring hee holds it the best ambition of any creature to promote the glory of his Maker Hee is ever descanting on this divine ditty God! For his thoughts are spheared above earth and lodged in the Contemplation of heaven And if so be that hee chance to fixe his eye upon earth it is as I said before to direct his feet and erect his faith to the Contemplation of heaven For by consideration had to these temporall goods to use the words of a devout Father hee gathereth the greatnesse of the heavenly Councell Comprehending by the little ones those great ones by these visible those invisible ones For if the Lord shew or rather showre so great and innumerable benefits from heaven and from the ayre from the land and sea light and darkenesse heat and shadow dew and raine winds and showres birds and fishes and multiplicity of herbs and plants
see any stranger arrive they will presently demand if he would have a mistresse and so they make whores of their own wives and are contented for a little gaine to weare hornes such are the base minds of ignominious Cuckolds Here is a dangerous I le for our amorous Gallant who makes his Travell with griefe I speake it too oft the ruine of himselfe and his estate Happy are those but too few are those who with wise Ithacus stop their eares to these Soule-tainting and Sinne-tempting Syrens Yet some there are and some there have beene ever I perswade me whose noble conquests over themselves and their owne desires have seconded if not surpassed those many conquests which they atchieved in forraine Nations As the admirable continencie of Alexander the Great in sparing Darius wife and his three daughters The continency of Scipio during the space of foure and twenty yeeres wherein his prosperous exploits could purchase him no more glory than in the besieging and taking of a City in Spaine he gained him renowne by repressing his flame of Lust when a beautifull Maid was brought him restoring her with a great reward to Allancius a Celtiberian Lord to whom shee was espoused No lesse worthy was that part of Marius who having Sylla's wife and sisters in his power sent them nobly unattempted An example of like continencie might hee instanced in Mahomet the great towards the faire Greeke whom albeit hee entirely loved yet to shew unto his Peeres a princely command of himselfe and his affections as he had incensed them before by loving her so hee regained their love by sleighting her whence the Poet With that He drew his Turkish Symeter Which he did brandish ore the Damsels head Demanding of such Ianizers were there If 't were not pity shee'sd be slaughtered Pity indeed but I perforce must doe That which displeaseth me to pleasure you Many such instances ancient and moderne Histories afford but I must not insist on each particular lest I should inlarge my selfe too much in this Branch My exhortation shall be to such whose unmellow yeeres crave instruction that they would betake themselves to imployment for Idlenesse maketh of men women of women beasts of beasts monsters And amongst imployments ever mix such Readings as may minister matter either Divine or Morall to allay the heat of this distempered passion We reade of the Roman Stilpho that albeit he was naturally addicted to all incontinency yet by reading certaine precepts of Morall Philosophy he became an absolute commander of his owne affections Hate to consent to that which so transformes man as hee wholly loseth the true title of man and becommeth meerely bestiall Nos qui accepimus rationis lucem communem cum Angelis non transeamus vitam in silentio cum pecoribus Thou art beautified with an Angelicall feature let it not participate of any inferiour creature To be short art thou a Gentleman beare that posture still staine not a native glory with an infamous blemish This vice of all others derogates most from Honour for we commonly say Such whose lightnesse incurres scandall to have lost their Honour O let not the Honour of a generous minde suffer eclipse for a minutes pleasure Lais asking of Demosthenes so much for one Nights-lodging he presently replyed I will not buy repentance at so deare a rate Dearer is the rate of shame than of Coine Prize Honour at that estimate as the height of pleasure may never have power to surprise it Canna wife to Synattus whom one Synoris of greater authority than Synattus loved making no small meanes to obtaine her love yet all in vaine supposed the readiest way for effecting his desire to bee the death of her Husband which he performed This done he renewed his suit to which shee seemingly consented But being solemnly come into the Temple of Diana for celebrating the Nuptials she had a sweet potion ready which shee drunke to Synoris where with they both were poisoned to revenge her Husbands death Here is a Pagan patterne of inimitable continency who rather than she would consent to contract Mariage with her Husbands foe dis-valued all future hope of preferment yea embraced Death as a happy Agent of her intended revenge The wise saith that sententious Philosopher may gather gold out of dung which may be thus applyed The wise Christian may cull excellent flowers from an Ethnicke garden for the Envious man he is the Spider which sucks poison from the fragrant'st and freshest Flowers I will conclude this point and intreat the generous affected whose glory should be Vertues Booty and whose best beauty to be enriched by her bounty to make Vertue their Prize being so praise-worthy of her selfe as shee needs no outward praise To purchase which incomparable blessing I could wish Gentlemen that your resort to eminent places bee more spare till you finde in your selves an aptnesse to resist if any unchaste motion make assault Yet good it were not to presume upon one single triall for the disposition may bee more temperate ar one time than another and the assault also more perillous To court Beauty is an enterprize of danger for some I have knowne who upon their accesse to Beauty have beene free-men who upon their returne became slaves But you will object to vanquish where there is no assault made is a weake conquest True but to play with the candle till we suffer our wings to bee cing'd is a greater folly I would not hazard my honour upon those termes as by affronting temptation to bee caught To conclude this Branch as the substance of the Soule is pure so this masse of flesh is corrupt staine not the purity of the former by conversing with the latter for to parley with so subtill an enemy is to give way to his policy Observing these you shall goe to your graves with Honour not to the graves of Lust the Sepulchres of shame and receptacles of corrupted love Wee will now descend to the second Maladie incident to Youth that Eagle-soaring passion Ambition THose who are affected to this use to say with Tiridates in Tacitus Sua retinere privatae domus de alienis certare regia lausâ— est These can never confine themselves to their owne raising their hopes above possibility but are building airie castles of purpose to confront greatnesse We shall never heare them talke of any subject save soveraignty or dominion One termed an Empire a monstrous and untamed beast and so may this Passion be well defined whose aime is onely to purchase glory albeit her aymes be planted on indirectest termes We reade how Pausanias killed Philip of Macedon onely for fame or vaine-glory so did Herostratus burne the Temple of Diana at Ephesus with this resolution because hee could not by any act of renowne eternize his memory he would gaine him fame though by an act of infamy How violent these Ambitious heads are and have beene ever there is
scarce any State which hath not felt where civill warres have menaced no lesse danger to the State than forraine powers private factions than open hostilitie In some likewise so deepe impression hath Ambition wrought as the Envie which they conceive at others greatnesse deprives them of all rest This appeared in Themistocles who walked in the Night-time in the open street because he could not sleepe The cause whereof when some men did enquire hee answered that the triumph of Miltiades would not suffer him to take his rest The like height of Ambition shewed Alexander weeping bitterly to see his father win so fast before him fearing nothing should remaine for him to conquer Now how naturally Youth is affected to this illimited motion may be observed even in usuall games where Youth rather than hee will endure the foile exposeth himselfe to all encounters It is glory which he aimes at and before he lose it he will hazard himselfe for it His Prize is his praise hee values nothing more than to get him a name which may brute his renowne and gaine him respect with his Dearest His disquiet for what is Ambition but a Distraction of the mind is to affect that best which doth afflict him most Augustus had broken sleepes and used to send for some to passe the Night away in telling tales or holding him with talke See the misery of Ambitious spirits whose ends are without end limiting their desires to no other period than sole soveraigntie Their ayrie thoughts like Icarus wings are ever mounting till the Sunne which they threatned dissolve them Inferiour taskes they as much sleight as Eagles doe Flies they love not to stoope to basenesse when many times lowest fortunes entertaine them with no lesse discontent than despaire can force them to And in their lowest ebbe when Hope forsakes them and their neerest like Tiberius friends shrinke from them and no comfort remaines save expectance and sufferance of all extremities you shall heare them upraid Prince or State relating with much vain-glory what dangers they have undergone for them Instance whereof even in these latter times might be produced as in that Ambitious French-man the brave Byron who seeing no way but one burst out into these violent extremes I have received three thirtie wounds of my body to preserve it for him and for my reward he takes my head from my shoulders He now quencheth the torch in my bloud after hee hath used it This is the condition of high spirits whose aimes were transcendent to close up their tragicall Scene with a vain-glorious boast of what they have done little considering how their Countrie might lawfully exact and expect as much as was in them to performe and they still debrours to her because they had their being from her Yet see though sometimes they stand upon termes of resolution desiring to die standing when the sentence of death is pronounced and all future hope extinguished they will be as that great French-man was Supple as a glove presenting their heads as willingly to the sword as Agis did his unto the halter It is strange to note how these men walke in clouds imagining themselves most secure when imminencie of perill assures them nothing lesse The reason whereof may seeme to be this they flatter themselves in their vanitie as Pygmalion with his Image or Narcissus with his Shadow reposing more confidence in their owne valour and the aide which Themistocles or Pausanias-like they contract abroad linking and uniting themselves with forraine powers than on all the information of friends or the perswasions of a loyall and uncorrupted heart But these as that Heroick Prince noted must bow or breake be their persons never so hopefull or directions behovefull to the State they must be curbed or the State endangered Their properties is ever to swim in troubled waters nor can they endure to be mated Though their aimes bee to perpetuate their greatnesse yet those Beasts which are bred about the River Hypanis and live but one day may oft-times compare with them for continuance whence the Poet saith excellently out of his owne observation Much have I seene yet seldome seene I have Ambition goe gray-headed to his grave There is nothing which the Ambitious man hates so much as a corrivall he hopes to possesse all and without a sharer But so indirect are his plots and so insuccessive their end as hee findes to his great griefe that the promise of securitie had no firme foundation to ground on nor his attempts that issue they expected Now Gentlemen you whose better parts aime at more glorious ends so consine your desires to an equall meane that mounting too high bring you not to an irreparable fall Wee are borne indeed as that divine Father saith to be Eagles and not Iayes to fly aloft and not to seek our food on the ground but our Eagle-eyes are to be fixed on the Sunne of righteousnesse not on temporall preferments We are to soare to the Tower from whence commeth our helpe For it is not lifting up a mans selfe God likes but lifting up of the spirit in prayer Here are wings for flying without feare of falling for other aymes they are but as feathers in the aire they delude us howsoever they seeme to secure us But I heare some young Gentleman object that it is a brave thing to be observed in the eye of the world to have our persons admired our selves in publike resorts noted yea our Names dispersed Indeed I grant He who consists on nothing more than showes Thinkes it is brave to heare Loe there be goes But such whose solid understandings have instructed them in higher studies as much disvalue popular opinion or the Corckie conceits of the vulgar as true Nobilitie scornes to converse with any thing unworthy it selfe Their greatnesse hath correspondence with goodnesse for esteeme of the world as in respect of their owne worth they deserve it so in contempt of all outward glory they disvalue it Come then yee nobly affected Gentlemen would yee be heires of honour and highly reputed by the Highest Resemble the Nature of the Highest who humbled himselfe in the forme of man to restore miserable man vilifying himselfe to make man like himselfe It is not beleeve it to shine in grace or esteeme of the Court which can innoble you this glory is like glasse bright but brittle and Courtiers saith one are like Counters which sometime in account goe for a thousand pound and presently before the Count bee past but for a single pennie It is more glory to be in the Courts of the Lord to purchase esteeme with him whose judgement never erres and whose countenance never alters It is reported by Comines in his French Annals that Charles whom he then served was of this disposition that he would make assay of the greatest matters revolving in his mind how he might compasse them yea perchance saith he assayes farre above
is their love to the Court This moved his Highnesse of late to declare his gracious pleasure to our Gentry that all persons of ranke and quality should retire from the Citty and returne to their Countrey where they might bestowe that on Hospitality which the liberty of the time too much besotted with fashion and forraine imitation useth to disgorge on vanity Their ancient Predecessours whose chiefest glory it was to releeve the hungrie refresh the thirstie and give quiet repose to the weary are but accounted by these sweet-sented Humorists for men of rusticke condition meere home-spun fellowes whose rurall life might seeme to derogate from the true worth of a Gentleman whose onely humour is to be phantastically humorous O the misery of errour how farre hath vanity carried you astray ye generous spirits that you should esteeme noble bountie which consists not so much in Bravery as Hospitality boorish Rusticitie How much are you deluded by apish formalitie as if the only qualitie of a Gentleman were novell complement or as if there were no good in man besides some outlandish congie or salute Alas Gentlemen is this all that can be expected at your hands Must your Countrey which bred you your friends who love you the poore whose prayers or curses will attend you be all deprived of their hopes in you No rather returne to your Houses where you may best expresse your Bountie by entertaining into your bosome that which perchance hath beene long time estranged from you Charitie For beleeve it as assuredly yee shall finde it that your sumptuous Banquetting your midnight revelling your unseasonable rioting your phantasticke attiring your formall courting shall witnesse against you in the day of revenge For behold the Lord commandeth and he will smite the great house with breacheâ— and the little house with clefts Returne therefore before the evill day come distribute to the Necessitie of the Saints become good Dispensers of what you have received that yee may gaine your selves grace in the high Court of Heaven But as for yee that put farre away the evill day and approach to the Seat of iniquitie Ye that sing to the sound of the Viâ—ll and invent your selves instruments of Musicke yee shall goe captive with the first that goe captive O miserie that Man with so beauteous an Image adorned with such exquisite ornaments of Art and Nature accomplished to so high a ranke above others advanced should delude himselfe so with the shade of vanitie as to become forgetfull of his chiefest glory But experience I doubt not will unseale those eyes which lightnesse and folly have blinded till which happie discovery of Youthfull errour I leave them and returne to my former Discourse You may perceive now how requisite Bountie is for a Gentleman being an especiall marke as I observed before whereby we may discerne him Amongst sundrie other Blessings conferred by God on Solomon this was not one of the least in that he gave him a large heart Not onely abundance of substance and treasure to possesse but a large heart to dispose Indeed this is a rare vertue worldlings there are who possesse much but they enjoy little becomming subject to that which they should command The difference betwixt the poore wanting and rich not using is by these two expressed the one Carendo the other Non fruendo Of which two the greater misery is the latter for he slaves himselfe to the unworthiest Servitude being a Servant to obey where he should be a Master to command To conclude this point in a word if wee ought to shew such contempt to all earthly substance as hardly to entertaine it much lesse affect it let us make it a benefit let us shew humanitie in it by making choice of the poore on whom we may bestow it This which we waste in rioting might save many from famishing let us bestow therefore lesse of our own backs that we may cloth them lesse of our owne bellies that we may feed them lesse of our owne palats that we may refresh them For that 's the best and noblest bountie when our Liberalitie is on such bestowed by whom there is no hope that it should be required THe third and last marke whereby a true generous Disposition is distinguished is Fortitude or sloutnesse being indeed the argument of a prepared or composed minde which is not to be dismayed or disturbed by any sharpe or adverse thing how crosse or contrary soever it come Excellently is this Fortitude defined by the Stoicks terming it a vertue which standeth ever in defence of equitie not doing but repelling an injurie Those Heires of true Honour who are possest of this vertue dare oppose themselves to all occurrents in defence of reputation preferring death before servitude and dishonour If at any time as many times such immerited censures occurre they die for vertues cause they meet death with a cheerefull countenance they put not on a childish feare like that Bandite in Genoa who condemned to die and carried to the place of execution trembled so exceedingly that he had two men to support him all the way and yet he shivered extremely Or as Maldonatuâ—â— relates how he heard of those which saw a strongman at Paris condemned to death to sweat bloud for very feare proving out of Aristotle that this effect may bee naturall But these whose generous spirits scorne such basenesse never saw that enterprise which they durst not attempt nor that death which could amate them where Honour grounded on Vertue without which there is no true Honour moved them either to attempt or suffer But now to wipe off certaine aspersions laid on valour or fortitude wee are not to admit of all daring Spirits to be men of this ranke For such whose Ambition excites them to attempt unlawfull things as to depose those whom they ought to serve or lay violent hand on those whom loyall fidelitie bids them obey opposing themselves to all dangers to obtaine their purpose are not to be termed valiant or resolute but seditious and dissolute For unlesse the enterprise be honest which they take in hand be their Spirits never so resolute or their minds prepared it is rashnesse but not valour having their actions ever suted by dishonour Sometimes likewise the enterprize may be good and honest the cause for which they encounter with danger vertuous the Agents in their enterprize couragious yet the issue taste more of despaire than valour Example hereof wee have in the Macchabees in the death of Razis one of the Elders of Ierusalem a lover of the City and a man of very good report which for his love was called a Father of the Iewes One who did offer to spend his body and life with all constancie for the religion of the Iewes yet being ready to be taken on every side through the fury of Nicanor who so eagerly assaulted and hotly pursued him he fell on his Sword yea when his bloud was utterly
the wall of the City with banner displayed Another Bohemian espying this ran to the Captaine and clasping him fast about the middle asked one Capistranus standing beneath whether it would bee any danger of damnation to his soule if hee should cast himselfe downe headlong with that dogge so hee termed the Turke to be slaine with him Capistranus answering that it was no danger at all to his soule the Bohemian forthwith tumbled himselfe down with the Turke in his armes and so by his owne death only saved the life of all the City The like worthy exploits might bee instanced in those heires of fame the Rhodians in the siege of their City the Knights of Malta in their sundry defeats and discomsitures of the Turks the inhabitants of Vienna who being but a handful in comparison of their enemies gave them not only the repulse but wholly defeated their designes This Valour or Fortitude which indeed appeareth ever in the freest and noblest minds is excellently defined by the Stoicks to be A vertue ever fighting in defence of equitie These who are professors of so peerelesse a vertue are more ready to spare than to spill their aimes are faire and honest free from the least aspersion either of crueltie or vain-glory for as they scorne to triumph over an afflicted foe so they dislike that conquest unlesse necessitie enforce it which is purchased by too much bloud The Salmacian Spoiles rellish better to their palate for they are so full of noble compassion as the death of their enemy enforceth in them teares of pitty This appeared in those princely teares shed by Caesar at the sight of Pompeys head and in Titus that Darling of Mankind in those teares hee shed at the sight of those innumerable slaughters committed upon the Iewes Now as my purpose is not to insist on the postures of warre so I intend not to dwell upon every circumstance remarkable in martiall affaires but upon the maine scope of militarie discipline whereto every generous and true bred Souldier is to direct his course Let your aime bee therefore Gentlemen to fight for the safetie and peace of your Countrey in the defence of a good conscience which is to bee preferred before all the booties of warre for as you have received your birth and breeding from your Countrey so are you to stand for her even to the sacrifice of your dearest lives provided that the cause which you entertaine in her defence be honest without purpose of intrusion into anothers right or labouring to enlarge her boundiers by an unlawfull force For howsoever the ancient Heathens were in this respect faultie being some of them Truce breakers others violent intruders or usurpers of what was little due unto them wee for our parts have learned better things being commanded not to take any thing from any man but in all things learne to be contended But of all enterprizes worthy the acceptance of a Gentleman in this kinde if I should instance any one in particular none more noble or better deserving as I have else-where formerly touched than to warre against the Turk that profest enemy of Christendome the increase of whose Empire may bee compared to the milt in mans body for the grandure of it threatens ruine and destruction to all Christian States drawing light to his Halfe Moone by darkening of others and shewing even by the multitude of his insolent Titles what his aimes be if the Lord put not a hooke in the nose of that Leviathan Praise-worthy therefore are those glorious and no doubt prosperous expeditions of such English and other Christian Voluntaries as have stood and even at this day doe stand engaged in personall service against the great Turke for these though they perish in the battell shall survive time and raise them a name out of the dust which shall never be extinguished These are they who fight the Lords battell and will rather die than it should quaile These are those glorious Champions whose aime is to plant the blessed tidings of the Gospell once againe in that Holy Land which now remaines deprived of those heavenly Prophets which she once enjoyed of those godly Apostles which she once possessed of that sweet Singer of Israel with which her fruitfull coasts once resounded O Gentlemen if you desire imployment in this kinde what enterprize more glorious If you aime at profit what assay to your soules more commodious If you seeke after fame the aime of most souldiers what expedition more famous since by this meanes the practices of Christs enemies shall be defeated the borders of Christendome enlarged peace in Sion established and the tidings of peace every where preached Neither did ever Time give fairer opportunity to effect it than now when the very Guard of his person his Ianizaries begin to mutine and innovate by interposing their suffrages in his government Besides in assayes of this nature being taken in hand for the peace and safety of Christendome assureth more securitie to the person engaged for little need hee to feare a strong foe that hath a stronger friend Admit therefore that you returne as one that commeth with red garments from Bozra so as the Devill and his angels like wilde Bulls of Basan run at you you shall breake their hornes in his Crosse for whom you fight As wee have discoursed of imployments publike which wee divided into two ranks Civill and Military and of the manner how Gentlemen are to demean themselves in Court or Campe so are we now to descend to imployments private wherein wee purpose to set downe such necessary cautions or observances as may seeme not altogether unprofitable or unusefull for the consideration of a Gentleman And first I will speake of the imployment of a private Iustice of Peace wherein he is appointed and made choice of not only to redresse such annoyances as may seeme to prejudice the state of that Countie wherein he lives and is deputed Iustice but likewise to mediate attone and determine all such differences as arise betwixt partie partie for to these also extends the office of Iustice of Peace Yea wee are to wish him to be as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Compounder as a Commissioner of the Peace Godlinesse should bee their chiefest gaine and right and peace their greatest joy for such are both Pacidici Pacifici Pleaders for peace and leaders to peace Peace-lovers and peaceable livers As for the rest they are deservedly blamed that confine all their practice not within those ancient bounds usque ad aras but with those usuall bounds usque ad crumenas The old position was was Iustice is to bee preferred before profit but now the termes are transposed in the proposition and the avaritious desire of having never disputeth of the equity of the cause but of the utilitie Kinde men such are but where they doe take hardening their hearts against the crie of the poore
never utterly failed or beene taken from us This the holy Fathers of the Church which have lived in the ages next ensuing doe declare Tertullian who lived Anno 200. writeth thus All the coasts of Spaine and divers parts of France and many places of Britaine which the Romans could never subdue with their sword Christ hath subdued with his word Origen who lived Anno 260. writeth thus Did the I le of Britaine before the comming of Christ ever acknowledge the faith of one God No but yet now all that Countrey singeth joyfully unto the Lord. Constantine the Great the glory of all the Emperours borne here in England and of English bloud who lived Anno 306. writeth in an Epistle thus Whatsoever custome is of force in all the Churches of Egypt Spaine France and Britaine looke that the same bee likewise ratified among you Saint Chrysostome who lived An. 405. writeth thus In all places wheresoever you goe into any Church whether it bee of the Moores or of the Persians or even of the very Iles of Britaine you may heare Iohn Baptist preaching Saint Ierome who lived Anno 420. writeth thus The French-men the English-men they of Africa they of Persia and all barbarous Nations worship one Christ and observe one rule of religion Theodoret who lived Anno 450. writeth thus The blessed Apostles have induced English-men the Danes the Saxons in one word all people and countries to embrace the doctrine of Christ. Gregory the Great who lived Anno 605. writeth thus Who can sufficiently expresse how glad all the faithfull are for that the English-men have forsaken the darkenesse of their errours and have againe received the light of the Gospel Beda who lived Anno 730. writeth thus England at this present is inhabited by English-men Britaines Scots Picts and Romans all which though they speake severall tongues yet they professe but one faith Thus you see how the Gospel of Christ having beene first planted in this Land by Iosâ—ph of Arimathea and Simon Zelotes in whose time Aristobulus and Claudia and not long after King Lucius also lived hath ever since continued amongst us as testifieth Tertullian Origen Constantine the Great Athanasius Chrysostome Ieâ—ome Theodoret Gregory Beda and many more which might here have beene alleaged Now how singular and exquisite a benefit have our Progenitours received by meanes of these faithfull Professours of the Gospel and first Planters of the Christian faith here in this Iland What a miserable famine of the Word had the people of this Land sustained if these faithfull friends and sincere Witnesses of the truth had not loosed from the shore and embarked themselves in danger to deliver them from the danger of soules shipwracke In which danger wee likewise had beene sharers had not this so rich a fraught so inestimable a prize rescued us from danger and directed our feet in the way of peace The story of Theseus includes an excellent Morall whose love to his deare friend Perithous the Poet labouring to expresse shewes how hee went downe to Hell of purpose to deliver his friend from the thraldome of Pluto under whom hee remained captive which without offence or derogation may properly seeme to allude next to that inimitable mirrour of divine amity to these noble and heavenly Warriours who descended as it were even to the jawes of hell encountring with the insolent affronts of many barbarous Assassinates ready to practice all hostility upon them Yet see their undaunted spirits their godly care enflamed with the zeale of devotion and their love to the members of Christ kindled with the coale of brotherly compassion made them as ready to endure as those hellish fiends and furies the enemies of truth were ready to inflict choosing rather to perish in the body then to suffer the poorest soule bought with so high a price to bee deprived of the hope of glory These were good and kind friends being such as would not sticke to lay downe their lives for their friends suffering all things with patience and puissance of mind to free their distressed brethren from the servile yoke of hellish slavery and bring them by meanes of Gods spirit by which they were directed to the knowledge of the all-seeing verity Such as these professe not friendship under pretences or glozing semblances making their heart a stranger to their tongue or walking invisible as if they had found the stone in the Lapwings nest but as they are so they appeare affecting nothing but what is sincerely good â— and by the best approved Their absolute ayme or end of friendship is to improve reprove correct reforme and conforme the whole Image of that man with whom they converse to his similitude whom all men present If at any time they enter into discourse it ever tends to fruitfull instruction if at any time they enter into serious meditation of the world their meditation is not how to purchase estate or fish after honour or build a foundation on oppression to enrich their posterity with the fruits of their injurious dealing No they have the testimony of a good conscience within them which testifies for them should the world and all her Complices bandie against them Wherefore admit they should bee put to all extremities and suffer all the indignities which envie or malice could dart upon them the weight of every injury is to bee measured by the sense or feeling of the sufferer for the apprehension of the Sufferer makes the injury offered great or little if hee conceit it small or no injury howsoever others esteeme it the burden of the wrong is light and therefore more easily sleights it Now Gentlemen wee have traced over the whole progresse of Acquaintance wherein if happely it be thought that we have sojourned too long my answer is That in passages of greatest danger there is required more circumspection then rashly to goe on without due deliberation And what occurrent in all the passage or pilgrimage of man is beset with more danger then the choice of Acquaintance especially to you Gentlemen whose meanes is the Adamant of Acquaintance Wee have therefore insisted the longer upon this Subject that you may be the lesse subject to such who will winde them in with you of purpose to feed and prey on you To cure which maladie no receit more soveraigne then to imprint in your memory that golden rule or princely precept recommended by that pious and puissant Saint Lewis to his sonne Philip in these words Have especiall care that those men whose Acquaintance and familiarity you shall use be honest and sincere whether they be Religious or Secular with whom you may converse friendly and communicate your counsels freely but by all meanes avoide the company of naughty and wicked men whose society ever tends to inordinate respects Take these Cautions therefore as the last but not least worthy your observation Be not too rash in the choice of
of the earth and the ministry of all creatures successively in their seasons ministring to us to allay our loathing and beget in us towards our Maker an incessant longing and all this for an ignoble and corruptible body what how great and innumerable shall those good things be which hee hath prepared for them that love him in that heavenly Countrey where we shall see him face to face If hee doe such things for us in this prison what will hee doe for us in that Palace Great and innumerable are thy workes O Lord King of heaven For seeing all these are very good and delectable which hee hath equally bestowed upon both good and evill how great shall those bee which hee hath laid up onely for the good If so divers and innumerable be the gifts which hee bestoweth both upon friends and foes how sweet and delectable shall those be which hee will onely bestow upon his friends If such comforts in this day of teares and anguish what will hee conferre on us in that day of Nuptiall solace If a prison containe such delights what I pray you shall our Countrey containe No eye O Lord without thee hath seene those things which thou hast prepared for them that love thee for according to the great multitude of thy magnificence there is also a multitude of thy sweetnesse which thou hast hid for them that feare thee for great thou art O Lord our God and unmeasurable neither is there end of thy greatnesse nor number of thy wisedome nor measure of thy mercy neither is there end nor number nor measure of thy bounty but as thou art great so be thy gifts great because thou thy selfe art the reward and gift of thy faithfull warriours Thus is the spiritually Contemplative man ever employed thus are his affections planted thus his desires seated caring so little for earth as hee is dead to earth long before hee returne to earth drawing daily neerer heaven having his desire onely there long before hee come there Now to instance some whose profession was meerely contemplative having retired or sequestred themselves from the society of this world wee might illustrate this subject with many excellent Patternes in this kind as those especially who strictly professed a monasticke life becomming severe Enemies to their owne flesh and estranging themselves from conversing with man Which kind of discipline as it was in respect of humanity too unsociable so in respect of themselves doubtlesse sweet and delightfull being so intranced with divine contemplation as they forgot earth and all earthly affections Of this sort you shall reade sundry examples whereof one more memorable then the rest might bee instanced in him who reading that sentence of holy Scripture Goe and sell all that thou hast presently imagining it to bee meant by him did so The like contempt towards the world might bee instanced in holy Ierome Paulinus that good Bishop of Nola and many others upon which I would bee loath to insist for brevity sake Neither certainely can they whose thoughts are erected above the center of earth having their Hearts planted where their treasure is placed deigne to fix their eye upon ought in the world because they see nothing worthy affecting in the World for they thinke godlinesse is a great gaine if a man bee content with that hee hath They doe good being rich in good workes and ready to distribute and communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Yea they have not only learned in whatsoever state they are therewith to be content but wholly to relinquish both selfe and state to advance the glory of God But it may be now well objected that these men whereof we now treat are fitter for a Cell then a Court and therefore too regular masters to have young Gentlemen for their Schollers for how should these whose education hath beene liberty conversation publike society and who hold good fellowship an appendice to Gentry betake themselves to such strictnesse as to be deprived of common aire live remote from all company passing the remainder of their dayes in a wildernesse as if they had committed some egregious fact that deserved such severe Pennance mistake me not my meaning is much otherwise for as I would not have Gentlemen Libertines so I would not have them Hermits for the first as they are too prodigally secular so the latter are too severely regular Neither am I ignorant how a Cloyster may bee no lesse shelter unto errour then a more publike place of delight or pleasure But my discourse touching this Contemplative Perfection was purposely to draw the Curtaine from before the Picture and to shew to their eye that faire Idaea or feature which hath beene so long shadowed I meane the faire and beautifull structure of the inward man which so long as it is darkened with these bleere-eyed Leahs these objects of vanity cannot enjoy it selfe but peece-meale as it were divided from it selfe seemes wholly deprived of life for a Heart divided cannot live And what are these objects of vanity whereon the eye of your Contemplation is usually fixed but those soule-soiling sores of this Land Pride and Voluptuousnesse With what greedinessâ— will a young Gallants eye gaze upon some new or phantasticke fashion wishing O vaine wish that hee had but the braines to have invented such a fashion whereby hee might have given occasion to others of imitation and admiration With what insatiablenesse will hee fix his eye upon some light affected Curtezan whose raiment is her onely ornament and whose chiefeâ—t glory is to set at sale her adulterate beauty No street no corner but gives him objects which drawes his eye from that choicest object whereon his whole delight should bee seated No place so obscure wherein his contemplative part is not on the view of forbidden objects greedily fixed How requisite then were it for you young Gentlemen whose aymes are more noble then to subject them to these unworthy ends to take a view sometimes of such absolute Patterns of Contemplative Perfection as have excelled in this kind But because a three-fold cord is hardly broken I will recommend unto your consideration a three-fold Meditation the daily use and exercise whereof may bring you to a more serious view of your owne particular estate First is the worthinesse of the soule secondly the unworthinesse of earth thirdly thankefulnesse unto GOD who made man the worthiest creature upon the earth For the first What is shee and in glory how surpassing is she to use the selfe-same words which an holy Father useth being so strong so weake so small so great searching the secrets of God and contemplating those things which are of GOD and with her piercing wit is knowne to have attained the skill of many Arts for humane profit and advantage What is shee I say who knoweth so much in other things and to what end they were made yet is
soule enjoyeth Yea but our silken worldling or delicate Wormeling will object This discipline is too strict for flesh and bloud to follow Who can endure to yeeld his head to the blocke or his body to the faggot when the very sight of death in another ministers to the beholder motives of terror Surely this is nothing to him that duely considereth how be that loseth his life shall save it but he that saveth his life shall lose it What is a minutes anguish to an eternity of solace Wee can endure the launcing or fearing of a putrified member and this endures as long as our time of wrastling with our Dissolution which brings us to our Saviour nor skils it much what kinde of death wee die seeing no kinde of death can hurt the righteous be the terrors and torments of death never so numerous The way then to contemne death is to expect it and so to prepare our selves for it as if wee were this very houre to encounter it resolving never to goe with that conscience to our bed with which wee durst not goe to our grave being so uncertaine whether before the next morne wee shall bee taken out of our bed and shrouded for our grave And this shall suffice touching our Mortification or Contempt of life if with such a sacrifice wee may bee thought worthy to honour him who gave us life Wee are now to speake of Mortification in respect of name or report wherein you are to understand that this is two-fold First in turning our â—ares from such as praise us Secondly in hearing with patience such as revile us For the first it is and hath beene ever the condition of sober and secret men to avert their eare from their owne praises at least with a modest passing over such vertues as were commendable in them which modesty appeared in Alphonsus Prince of Aragons answer to an Orator who having repeated a long Panegyricall oration in his praise replied If that thou hast said consent with truth I thanke God for it if not I pray God grant me grace that I may doe it Others likewise we reade of who could not with patience endure their persons or actions to bee praised above truth this princely passion appeared in Alexander who hearing Aristobulus a famous Greek Historian read his writings purposely penned upon the memorable acts he had atchieved wherein he commended him farre above truth being mightily incensed therewith threw the booke into the river as he was sailing over Hydaspes saying with all hee was almost moved to send Aristobulus after Neither indeed will any wise man endure to heare himselfe praised above truth seeing no lesse aspersion may be laid on his person by being too highly praised than if he were discommended for should wee praise one for his bountie who is publikely knowne to the world to be parcimonius or for his humility who is naturally ambitious or for his continencie who is licentious our praises would not tend so much to his honour as to the display of his nature yea even he himselfe guilty in himselfe would tax us knowing that he the least of all others deserved these praises from us It is flattery saith one to praise in absence that is when either the vertue is absent or the occasion is absent But in the report of our owne praise admit wee should deserve it the safest course is to withdraw our eare from hearing it lest vaine-glory transport us upon hearing of those praises which are spoken of us for if our aymes be only to purchase popular esteeme preferring the praise of men before the praise of God or the testimony of a good conscience as our aymes were perverted so shall wee bee rewarded Now there is no better means to abate or extenuate this desire of praise in us than duly to consider whose gifts they bee that deserve this praise in us for were they our owne wee might more properly be praised for them but they are Gods and not ours therefore is the praise to be ascribed unto God not unto us For he that would be praised for Gods gift seeketh not Gods glory but his owne in that gift though he be praised by men for Gods gifts yet is he dispraised by God for not seeking Gods glory but his own for this gift and he who is praised by men God dispraising shall not be defended by men God judging nor bee delivered God condemning Whereas he that loveth God will chuse rather to bee deprived of all future glory than detract by any meanes from God the Author of all glory Let us then so avert our eare from selfe-praise or ought else that may beget in us vain-glory or ostentation that we may become like unto him who dis-esteemed all worldly praise from the houre of his birth to the houre of his passion Secondly we are to heare with patience such as revile us and reason good for observing this a blessing is pronounced on us Blessed are yee saith the Lord of all blessing when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Yea not only the Prophets but even Him of whom all the Prophets bare witnesse yet became hee as one that did not heare having no rebukes in his mouth When hee was tempted in the wildernesse the Scripture was his armour of resistance when hee was reviled on the Crosse he prayed for his enemies to expresse his heavenly patience Now if the Sonne of God was in the desart tempted what Hermit can expect to bee from temptation freed If the Master be reviled how may the servant looke to bee intreated For howsoever some or indeed most of the ancient Fathers doubt whether the Divell did know that Christ was GOD or no touching that parcell of Scripture wherein Christ was tempted in the Desart yet may it appeare probable by inference from the text it selfe that after Iesus had said unto him It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God the Divell tooke him up into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them saying All those things will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Whence I collect that after Christ had told him that he was God he continued his temptation which was an argument to evince him of palpable ignorance or of distrust to Christs speech which argued his diffidence but our purpose is not too curiously to insist upon these subtill digressions it sufficiently appeareth that Christ who ought to bee every faithfull Christians patterne was reviled yet opened not hee his mouth but with sweet silence and amiable patience offered his prayers unto his Father for them who maliciously offered him upon the Crosse leaving us an example of admiration and
Pitty the moanes of the afflicted wipe off the teares of the distressed comfort them that mourne in Sion The ordinary forme of begging in Italy is Doe good for your owne sakes Doe good for your owne sakes for your owne selvs for your owne soules No sacrifice to God more gratefull to your selves more usefull or to your own soules more fruitfull then to be zealous in all holy duties and compassionate to the needful for he that in himselfe burnes not in devotion can never inflame another with the zeale of devotion neither can any one shine unlesse before he burne shine in the works of compassion unlesse he burn before with the zeale of a devout affection So as many though they be Lights in respect of their ministry or office yet are they Snuffs in respect of their use effect or service Exhibit therefore freely of those good gifts and bounties which God hath bestowed on you and shew your liberality now in the opportunate time for as there is a time that none can worke so there is a time when none can give give it then in your life time that you may expresse your charity with your own hand and not by way of Legacie for many make good wills which I much feare mee proceed not of good will being rather by the sentence of mortality inforced then of their owne charitable disposition affected to leave to the poore afflicted of the world which they so exceedingly love while they sojourned here in the world And what shall these bountifull Legacies availe them these charitable Wills profit them when they shall make their beds in the darke and enter parlie with their owne Consciences whether this coacted charity of theirs proceeded from compassion or compulsion leaving what they could no longer enjoy and giving that which was not in their power to give Surely no more benefit shall this inforced charity conferre on them then if they had sowne the sand for fruitlesse is that worke which deriveth not her ground from a pure intention or sanctified will In the Easterne countries they put coine in the dead mans hand to provide for him after his departure hence The like provision carry these along with them to their graves who deferre giving till they cannot give making their Executors their Almoners who many times defeate the poore or number themselves in Bead-roll of the poore whereby they gull the deceased enriching their owne Coffers with the poore mans box O Gentlemen you whose corps are followed with many mourners and oft-times inward rejoycers send out those sweet odours of a good and devout life before you dispense and dispose faithfully in whatsoever the Lord above others hath enriched you deferre not your charity to your death lest you be prevented of your charity by death bethinke your selves how you would be provided if that great Master of accounts were this houre to call you before him and make your reckoning with him would you not bee glad your conscience told you how you had beene faitfull disposers or imployers of those Talents which were delivered to you Would not your hearts rejoyce within you to have such a Testimony as the witnesse of an undefiled or spotlesse conscience within you Would it not intraunce you with an exceeding joy to heare that happy and heavenly approbation Well done good and faithfull servants you have beene faithfull over a few things I will make you rulers over many things enter yee into the joy of your Lord If this could not choose but joy you so dispose of your earthly Mammon that you may be partakers of this surpassing joy in the Courts of Sion And so I descend to the last Branch of this last Observation expressing that object of ineffable consolation whereto this Active Perfection aspireth and that spirituall repose of heavenly solace and refection wherein it solely and properly resteth MAn is borne unto trouble as the sparkes fly upward being here a sojourner in the Inn of this world and drawing every day neerer and neerer the end of his Pilgrimage where mans life is the Travellers embleme his forme of living the very mirrour of his sojourning his home returning the type or figure of his dissolving In which progresse or journall of man by how much more the Sun-diall of his life proceedeth by so much neerer the night-shade of death approacheth Yet behold the misery of man His desires are daily to disquiet and disturbe himselfe for shew me that man howsoever affected or in what degree soever placed whose desires are so firmely fixed as his mind is not troubled in the pursuit of that whereto his aymes are directed For to begin with the Highest because his thoughts are ever aspiring'st doth the Ambitious man ayme at honour or preferment Behold he purposeth with himselfe to gaine or attaine such a place under his Prince not so much for his owne ends as he pretendeth but to be usefull to his friends and behovefull to his Countrey but since that houre he entertained the first infant thoughts of Ambition hee hath felt sufficiently the danger of that infection reaping no other fruits but distractions in respect of Competitors or want of enjoying himselfe being pestred by multitude of Sutors Or is he covetous There is nothing which he eyes or beholds upon this Vniverse tending to profit or promising hope of profit which hee presently conveyes not to his heart coveting whatsoever hee sees and seeing nothing that he doth not covet hee tumbles and tosses and will not suffer his eyes to slumber but like miserable Menedemus in Terence or greedy Gripus in Plautus hee afflicts and torments himselfe making his owne desires his owne disquiets Or is hee Voluptuous His fond affection procures in him this phrensie or distraction Hee goes to the house of the strange woman gives eare to her incantation sports with Ismael lusts after her beauty in his heart and is taken with her eye lids yet see how sensuality brings him to misery by meanes of this whorish woman hee is brought to a peece of bread and the adulteresse will hunt after his precious life but to passe over these and take a view of such whose course of life seemes better disposed then to converse with the world either by ambitiously aspiring to Honours the great mans Darling or by too eager a pursuit after Riches the worldlings Mammon or by too hot a quest after pleasure the wantons Minion For to reflect a little upon the aymes of such who affect Contemplation and every day better their knowledge in the serious or exquisite search of the natures vertues or operations of all creatures wee shall find to use the words of Salomon That even in these there is vanity and affliction of spirit for howsoever wisedome raines downe skill and knowledge of understanding exalting them to honour that hold her fast yet Salomons conclusion after the search of wisdome and folly is definitively this In much
it wee must hunger and thirst after righteousnesse to direct us in the way which leadeth to heaven It cannot be saith a devout holy man that any one should die ill who hath lived well Wee are then to labour by a zealous religious and sincere life to present our selves blamelesse before the Lord at his comming O if wee knew and grosse is our ignorance if wee know it not that whatsoever it sought besides God possesseth the mind but satisfies it not wee would have recourse to him by whom our minds might bee as well satisfied as possessed But great is our misery and miserable our stupidity who when wee may gaine heaven with lesse paines then hell will not draw our foot backe from hell nor step one foot forward towards the kingdome of heaven Yea when wee know that it pleaseth the Divell no lesse when wee sinne then it pleaseth God to heare us sigh for sinne yet will wee rather please the Divell by committing sin then please God by sending out one penitent sigh for our sinne For behold what dangers will men expose themselves unto by Sea and Land to increase their substance Againe for satisfaction of their pleasures what tasks will they undertake no lesse painefull then full of perill A little expectance of penitentiall pleasure can make the voluptuous man watch all the night long when one houre of the night to pray in would seeme too too long Early and late to enrich his carelesse heire will the miserable wretch addresse himselfe to all slavish labour without once remembring either early or late to give thankes to his Maker Without repose or repast will the restlesse ambitious Sparke whose aimes are onely to be worldly great taske himselfe to all difficulties to gaine honour when even that which so eagerly hee seekes for oft-times bring ruine to the owner Here then you see where you are to seeke not on earth for there is nought but corruption but in heaven where you may bee cloathed with incorruption not on earth for there you are Exiles but in heaven where you may be enrolled and infranchised Citizens not on earth the grate of misery but in heaven the goale of glory In briefe would you have your hearts lodged where your treasures are locked all your senses seated where they may be fully sated your eye with delightfull'st objects satisfied your eare with melodious accents solaced your smell with choicest odours cherished your taste with chiefest dainties relished your selves your soules amongst those glorious creatures registred Fix the desires of your heart on him who can onely satisfie your heart set your eye on him whose eye is ever upon you and in due time will direct you to him intend your eare to his Law which can best informe you and with divinest melody cheere you follow him in the smell of his sweet ointments and hee will comfort you in your afflictions taste how sweet hee is in mercy and you shall taste sweetnesse in the depth of your misery become heavenly men so of terrestriall Angels you shall bee made Angels in heaven where by the spirituall union of your soules you shall bee united unto him who first gave you soules And so I come to the third and last When wee are to seeke lest seeking out of time wee be excluded from finding what wee seeke for want of seeking in due time If words spoken in season bee like apples of gold with pictures of silver sure I am that our actions being seasonably formed or disposed cannot but adde to our soules much beauty and lustre To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven which season neglected the benefit accruing to the worke is likewise abridged There is a time to sow and a time to reape and sow wee must before wee reape sow in teares before wee reape in joy Seeke we must before we find for unlesse wee seeke him while hee may be found seeke may wee long ere wee have him found After the time of our dissolution from earth there is no time admitted for repentance to bring us to heaven Hoc momentum est de quo pendet aeternitas Either now or never and if now thrice happy ever Which is illustrated to us by divers Similitudes Examples and Parables in the holy Scripture as in Esau's birth-right which once sold could not be regained by many teares and in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus where Abraham answered Dives after hee had beseeched him to send Lazarus that hee might dip the tip of his finger in water and coole his tongue Sonne remember that thou in thy life-time received'st thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now hee is comforted and thou art tormented And in the Parable of the ten Virgins where the five foolish Virgins tooke their Lamps and tooke no oile with them but the wise tooke oile in their vessels with their Lamps and when the Bridegroome came those that were ready went in with him and were received but those foolish ones who were unprovided though they came afterwards crying Lord Lord open unto us could not be admitted For know deare Christian and apply it to thy heart for knowledge without use application or practice is a fruitlesse and soule-beguiling knowledge that hee who promiseth forgivenesse to thee repenting hath not promised thee to morrow to repent in Why therefore deferrest thou till to morrow when thou little knowest but thou maist die before to morrow This day this houre is the opportunate season take hold of it then lest thou repent thee when it is past season Man hath no interest in time save this very instant which hee may properly terme his let him then so imploy this instant of time as hee may be heire of eternity which exceeds the limit of time Let us worke now while it is day for the night commeth when no man can worke Why therefore stand wee idling Why delay we our conversion Why cry wee with the sluggard Yet a little and then a little and no end of that little Why to morrow and to morrow and no end of to morrow being as neere our conversion to day as to morrow Why not to day as well as to morrow seeing every day bringeth with it her affliction both to day and to morrow Meet it is then for us to make recourse to the Throne of mercy in the day of mercy and before the evill day come lest wee be taken as hee who beat his fellow servants when the great Master of the Houshold shall come O earth earth earth heare the Word of the LORD Earth by creation earth by condition earth by corruption Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeeres draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them While the Sunne or the light or the Moone or the Starres that bee not
where wee are to seeke Where in Heaven the house of God the Citie of the great King the inheritance of the just the portion of the faithfull the glory of Sion Where not without us but within us for the Kingdome of God is within us So as I may say to every faithfull soule Intus habes quod quaeris That is within thee which is sought of thee It is God thou seekest and him thou possessest thy heart longeth after him and right sure thou art of him for his delight is to bee with those that love him Lastly when on Earth when in this life when while wee are in health while wee are in these Tabernacles of clay while wee carry about us these earthly vessels while wee are clothed with flesh before the evill day come or the night approach or the shadow of death encompasse us now in the opportunate time the time of grace the time of redemption the appointed time while our peace may bee made not to deferre from youth to age lest wee bee prevented by death before wee come to age but so to live every day as if wee were to dye every day that at last wee may live with him who is the length of daies What remaineth then but that wee conclude the whole Series or progresse of this Discourse with an exhortation to counsell you an instruction to caution you closing both in one Conclusion to perswade you to put in daily practice what already hath beene tendred to you Now Gentlemen that I may take a friendly farewell of you I am to exhort you to a course Vertuous which among good men is ever held most Generous Let not O let not the pleasures of sinne for a season withdraw your mindes from that exceeding great weight of glory kept in store for the faithfull after their passage from this vale of misery Often call to minde the riches of that Kingdome after which you seeke those fresh Pastures fragrant Medows and redolent Fields diapred and embrodered with sweetest and choicest flowers those blessed Citizens heavenly Saints and Servants of God who served him here on Earth faithfully and now raigne with him triumphantly Let your Hearts bee exditers of a good matter and your voices viols to this heavenly measure O how glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God as the habitation of all that rejoyce is in thee Thou art founded on the exaltation of the whole Earth There is in thee neither old-age nor the miserie of old-age There is in thee neither maime nor lame nor crooked nor deformed seeing all attaine to the perfect man to that measure of age or fulnesse of Christ. Who would not become humble Petitioner before the Throne of grace to bee made partaker of such an exceeding weight of glory Secondly to instruct you where this Crowne of righteousnesse is to bee sought it is to bee sought in the house of God in the Temple of the Lord in the Sanctuary of the most High O doe not hold it any derogation to you to bee servants yea servants of the lowest ranke even Doore-keepers in the House of the Lord Constantine the Great gloried more in being a member of the Church than the Head of an Empire O then let it bee your greatest glory to advance his glory who will make you vessels of glory But know that to obey the deligths of the flesh to divide your portion among Harlots to drinke till the wine grow red to make your life a continued revell is not the way to obtaine this crowne Tribulation must goe before Consolation you must clime up to the Crosse before you receive this Crowne The Israelites were to passe thorow a Desart before they came to Canaan This Desart is the world Canaan heaven O who would not bee here afflicted that hee may bee there comforted Who would not be here crossed that hee may bee there crowned Who would not with patience passe thorow this Desart onely in hope to come to Canaan Canaan the inheritance of the just Canaan the lot of the righteous Canaan a fat Land flowing with milke and honey Canaan an habitation of the most holy Canaan a place promised to Abraham Canaan the bosome of Father Abraham even Heaven but not the heaven of heaven to which even the earth it selfe is the very Empyraean heaven for this is heaven of heaven to the Lord because knowne to none but to the Lord. Thirdly and lastly that I may conclude and concluding perswade you neglect not this opportunate time of grace that is now offered you I know well that Gentlemen of your ranke cannot want such witty Consorts as will labour by their pleasant conceits to remove from you the remembrance of the evill day but esteeme not those conceits for good which strive to estrange from your conceit the chiefest good Let it bee your task every day to provide your selves against the evill day so shall not the evill day when it commeth affright you nor the terrours of death prevaile against you nor the last summons perplex you nor the burning Lake consume you O what sharpe extreme and insuperable taskes would those wofull tormented soules take upon them if they might bee freed but one houre from those horrours which they see those tortures which they feele O then while time is graunted you omit no time neglect no opportunity Bee instant in season and out of season holding on in the race which is set before you and persevering in every good work even unto the end Because they that continue unto the end shall bee saved What is this life but a minute and lesse than a minute in respect of eternity Yet if this minute bee well imployed it will bring you to the fruition of eternity Short and momentany are the afflictions of this life yet supported with Patience and subdued with long sufferance they crowne the sufferer with glory endlesse Short likewise are the pleasures of this life which as they are of short continuance so bring they forth no other fruit than the bitter pils of repentance whereas in heaven there are pleasures for evermore comforts for evermore joyes for evermore no carnall but cordiall joy no laughter of the body but of the heart for though the righteous sorrow their sorrow ends when they end but joy shall come upon them without end O meditate of these in your beds and in your fields when you are journeying on the way and when you are so journing in your houses where compare your Court-dalliance with these pleasures and you shall finde all your rioting triumphs and revelling to bee rather occasions of sorrowing than solacing mourning than rejoycing Bathe you in your Stoves or repose you in your Arbours these cannot allay the least pang of an afflicted conscience O then so live every day as you may die to sin every day that as you are ennobled by your descent on earth