fancies never It is a debasing of humanitie below beasts to please the eye I say not in beholding one man teare and mangle another but to see poore beasts encountring each other and mangling each other being set on by man we must not make Gods judgements and punishments of sinne for we made the beasts wild our sinne put the enmitie betwixt the Woolfe and the Lambe c Quis seras â—â—cit â—isi â—u Mor. de verit religionis cap. 12. the matter and object of our recreation Alas sinfull man it is Mr. d Direct 156. Boltons patheticall expression what an heart hast thou that canst take delight in the cruell tormenting of a dumbe creature Is it not too much for thee to behold with dry eyes that fearefull brand which only thy sinne hath imprest upon it but thou must barbarously also presse its oppressions and make thy selfe merry with the bleeding miseries of that poore harmlesse thing which in its kinde is much more and farre better serviceable to the Creator then thy selfe Yet I deny not but that there may be another lawfull use of this Antipathy for the destroying of hurtfull and enjoying of usefull creatures so that it be without any taint or aspersion of crueltie on our part or needlesse tormenting of the silly beasts It is a sure note of a good man He is mercifull to his beast And it is worth our marke That the Lord commands a mercy to a creature perhaps not worth two farthings and for this He promiseth a great mercy the like blessing which is promised to them who honour their father and mother Deut. 22. 6 7. If thou finde a birds nest c. Thou shalt in any wise let the Dam go and take the young to thee That thou mayest prosper and prolong thy dayes This is to lead to mercy and to take out of our hearts crueltie saith Mr Ainsworth It is the least of all in Moses law and yet such a promise is annexed thereunto as we heard so true is that which the learned Knight hath The debts of mercie and crueltie shall be surely paid Think we on this so we have our duty and we shall teach our children theirs and then though the bloud of the creature be not spared for we have dominion over it yet it shall not be abused nor shall we delight our selves in the pain of it which tends to much evil which we must by all means and all too little prevent and at the first while the minde is tender and doth easily receive any impression 15. It is not possible to point at all the evils whereof our corrupt nature is fruitfull nor at all the meanes whereby to prevent the growth of the same I remember how Ad Dâ—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocrates concludes his oration so full of instructions With all our diligence we cannot overcome the pravitie and corruption of our nature And yet we must not sit still therefore and do nothing at all because all we do is too little We must with the husbandman cast up the ground and cast out the stones and thorns that is the order and then cast in the seed that is our duty And we must look up to an higher hand who makes the seed to grow that is a parents wisdome We must not forget the order this plucking up these weeds first where with our nature like the sluggards field is over-run which will so choake the seed as that no fruit can be brought to perfection The Greeks have a proverb some what homely but it teacheth very much you must not put f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. deâ—ducat meat into a chamber-pot This teacheth that good instructions to a stubborn and corrupt heart are as good meat to a foule stomack the more we put in the more we increase the distemper We must look to the cleansing the heart in the first place the keeping that fountain clean as we would the Spring-head whence we would fetch pure water I remember the reproof that was given to a very loose companion who yet would sit very close and attentive at a Philosophers lecture It g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aul. Gell. 17. 19. will come to nothing young man which you take in nay it will rather hurt then do good because you have not looked to the cleansing of the vessel And this reproof is the same in substance with that prohibition which we finde Ier. 4. 3. 4. h Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 1. p. 203. When there is no pains taken for the cleansing of the heart first but we bring our old corrupted hearts to new and holy lessons they agree no better then new wine and old bottles all is lost the instructions spilt and if any good purposes were they vanish like the morning dew and the heart returns again like the swine or the dogge And the very reason thereof we have heard 16. We may note now in the shutting up hereof that we may abridge our way and make it shorter by leaving precepts and proposing examples for these take best with children and it is the more compendious and certain way So the sober master reproves his drunken servant he bids him leade his horse to the water when the horse had drunk and had sufficient he bids his servant make the horse drink again which when he assayed but could not do he thereby corrected his servant as the verier beast And so the old man in i Lib. 1. Ser. Sat. 4. insâ—â—viâ— patâ—r optimus hoc me c. Horace deales with his young sonne for disswading him from the vices and sinnes of the time he proposeth such unto him whose sinne had been their ruine See childe yonder poore ragged fellow it is very truly observed of him that he was a very bad husband of his time and purse he cast away his time as a worthlesse commoditie and his money as if it could never be spent now he would recall both but cannot Learn thou by his example to account time pretious and well to husband both it and thy purse Learn also to put a fitting esteem upon those creatures which are appointed for thy nourishment and refreshing for this fellow whom you heare crying out for one bit of bread and one drop of drink was wont having plenty of both to tread his bread under foot and to cast his drink in the street Behold another he goes creeping by the wall nothing but skin and bone a loathsome carkeise he rots above ground It is truly observed of him that he minded nothing but his pleasure he would do whatsoever was pleasing in his eyes and now that his light is consumed to the socket and going out in a snuffe and pains are upon him he mourns But now behold a third see how well furnished he is every way accomplished a companion for the best man in the parish he hearkened to instruction and was wise After this manner the
Childe who could not for the lownesse of Parts be framed to doe much good service will frame it selfe to doe none at all but the contrary much hurt as we see in experience Suppose then for so we may that a Childe be framed by nature and for Parts but to drive the Cart or hold the Plough p Natura servus ad slivam natus why yet if he be fit for either of these two imployments Servill we call them before he had strength for that labour in that emptie space of Time before for so the Parent makes it which lyeth betwixt 6. yeers and 13. which runs forth like water whereof is no use to waste the Childe might have been fitted by good culture and Tillage to have known the nature of the worke he should afterwards be set about which yeelds many excellent instructions no profession more then Husbandry doth this working in the Earth It is an ancient it was an honourable q Plin nat Hist lib. 18. 3. Dr. Hack. Apol. B. 3. sect 3. profession also though now Cooks are in more esteeme r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. poed 2. 1 p. 106. and the Lord condescended to the capacitie of none more then to the capacitie of the Husbandmen which sets much upon their score But for want not of nature or parts but of this culture Å¿ Manifestum est non naturam sed curam deâ—ecisse Qâ—int 1. 1. of the minde which should fill up the empty space of time before mentioned and the minde too your Husbandmen many or the most of them understand no more concerning the lessons which the holding of the Plough the tearing up of the ground the casting in of the seed the dying in the earth the growing of the same the cutting the gathering the housing and threshing thereof no more doe they understand of all these things or of the lessons there-from then their Oxe or Horse doth whom they follow And all this for want of this culture of the minde the season being neglected because the Childe was designed for the field For my part had I a Childe to designe thither to the Plough I meane or to the Sea or to some lesse stirring trade in all these cases or courses of life learning is neglected as a thing of no use I should as faithfully for it were my duty bestow upon him the culture and manurance of his minde first and as readily I should doe it and I should thinke to very good ends as another Parent would doe that had designed his to the Colledge The purpose then I tend unto and that I would conclude from hence is but this What ever is wanting to the Childe Let not education or instruction be Wanting t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. sho 1. p. 209. Children who have beene no way apt by Nature have beene made Apt by education And they who have been very Apt by Nature to good have proved very bad by neglect and carelesnes Translated out of the same Author the following page 210. Fill up this emptie space which commonly Parents make so with some seasonable instructions And the more unfit and unapt the Child is the more the Parents care and paines must be Nor must the Parent be hartlesse in the businesse but as the Husbandman their work is like sometime they meete with hard and stony places which by good culture they make fruitfull he must labour in hope And how unserviceable soever the Childe seeme to be yet He that had need of an Asse can make use of him whereto though the Parent cannot designe him yet his Lord can I remember that Noble Schollar Morneus tels us That his Maide would sweepe out of his study and into the Dust-basket such little pieces as he could make very good use of and could not spare so by his appointment in She brought them againe wherein he taught both the Maide and us not to despise Small things there may be for ought we know a blessing in them nor neglect the poorest weakest creatures What know we what the Great God intends them for Let the Parent doe his Duty He shall finde great satisfaction therein in giving his utmost care and paines A Pilot saith Quintil. hath a satisfying plea though his ship miscarry that he was watchfull at the Sterne and imployed his best care and skill there If Parts be wanting and Grace too a Commoditie the Parent cannot stow in the Childe yet he must be lading it as he can yet the Parent hath this comfort in case of miscarriage That he he hath steered his course according to the Rules of Right Reason and by the Compasse of Gods Word In case of defects and wants in the Childe we must learne submission to Him that made it so We must not strive with our Maker Let the Potsheard strive with the Potsheards of the earth What weaknesse or imperfection there is we must think it good because the Lord sees it best As we must not question His power no not in a wildernesse so not His worke because if it be deformed sinne hath done it The work must not say to the workman why hast thou made me so God made us well we unmade our selves Sinne causeth this double decay of Gods Image on us We may note this with it That a good man may have a bad house yet the man never the worse And a good wit and a good minde both though it is none of the best signes Natura â—ibi peccat in â—no perichâ—atur in 〈◊〉 may have a bad dwelling And if so we must comfort our selves in this That God can supply the want of eyes hands feet He can give some inward speciall gift which will countervaile that want what ever it be The want of the outward eye shall intend the minde perhaps further the inward and more noble light and so in the rest It may be also if those had beene open they had been guides to much evill and the hands as active that way and the feete as swift which now are maimed or imperfect And as we must learne to submit unto Him not questioning His worke so also to depend upon Him not questioning His power no not in a wildernesse An happy weaknesse as before was said that puts us off from our owne bottome and rooteth us on God Who can provide there and then when man is at a stand The lesse likelyhood in the creature the greater should be the creatures trust The Lord many times crosseth the streame and course of meanes to shew his own Soveraignty and to exercise our dependance He setteth aside more likely and able meanes and blesseth weake meanes to great purpose Things or instruments by which God will worke may have very meane appearance as worthlesse they may be in shew as a dry y Exod. 7. 17. stick an Oxes z Judg. 15 16. goad or the jaw-bone a Judg. 3. 31. of an Asse yet of
singular efficacy when God will be pleased to work by them Who as one saith b Maxima è minimis suspendens Adv. 132. 112. doth hang the greatest weights upon the smallest wyars which may teach us a patient submission unto Him and a quiet dependance on Him The summe is and our lesson If the Childe have great parts signes thereof there may be be greatly thankfull but boast not of thy selfe nor Childe as many doe a commoditie quickly changed as a forward Spring is quickly blasted If the Childe have weake parts be thankfull too and rest content Crave wisdome the rather to improve them to make them stronger as too few doe but so we should doe and it is all we can doe when we have spread our selves and our Childe as the King the letter before the Lord. 3. The Parent must forbeare and forbid all reproachfull scorning words they are too ordinary from Masters servants and others yea and from Parents too in case the Childe have any noted imperfection or uncomelinesse There must be great care taken here Vilifying words hurt much and sad the spirits As we are taught touching the Parts of our body so touching our Childe I suppose it to be infirme and defective The more deformitie and uncomelinesse it hath the more weaknesse of parts the more honour and incouragement let it have for we shall finde the poore Childe apt to discouragement A Parent must see to it also that his weake Childe be not slighted by his Brothers or Sisters which is too ordinary How deepe soever Children are in our affections and one deeper then the other yet is it a point of discretion to ballance c Non debent fratres lancium instar c. Plut. defiaâ—er Amore them outwardly as even as possibly may be One must not be like a scale at the top another at the bottome He that is apt nimble and ready must not have all the encouragement and he that is heavy and dull none at all Nay a Parent must look to it that his weake Childe so I suppose the case hath in praise and commendation above his merit and proportion He must imploy him sometimes and commend d Regetur laudetur saepius vincere se putet Quint. 1. 1. him too in such things whereof perhaps the Childe cannot skill at all We must deale with our Children as with our fingers it is Plutarchs e De fiaterno Amore. p. 360. comparison and he saith it makes much for maintaining the bonds of love betwixt brethren at writing and at our musicke whether of voice or instrument so likewise in other employments we bring all five fingers All doe helpe and the very least finger comes in with its grace and hath its share as well as the formost though it hath not the like strength nor can it adde much to the furthering the worke Just so with Children and then we have the scope of the similitude which tends but to this That we use all gentlenesse towards the weake Childe and that we give it no discouragement but praise and incouragement rather above its proportion This is the third lesson We have observed both from former and latter experiences That Parents and Children both are great troublers of themselves because great projectours and able well enough they thinke to guide their owne course He that will tell his observation must say thus That Parents doe ordinarily designe their Children being yet young whereof more in a fitter place one to this profession and another to that The third and youngest the weakest also both for Nature and parts to the Ministry as if it were as easie a matter to make the Childe a Minister I speake in the Parents Dialect as to teach him the art of cobling shooes But so he hath designed them and accordingly projects for them and ordinarily as crosse as he ordered his Dinner who put his pottage into a Sieve and his bread into a platter not according to their nature and ingeny which must be looked unto but as the Parents purse is and the way towards preferment leadeth The Childe also will be but little behinde the Parent short spirited and all for the present He hath been drawing Maps of his desires and hath calculated his owne inclination and sees his fitnesse for that condition of life his Parent hath cut him out and designed him unto And if all things were as ready as the Childe thinks himselfe if the place whereof the Parent hath the Advoâ—sion were but vacant that he might step in how well he could fit it and discharge it also in his conceit Such bubbles these young folke are specially if they have tasted of the Arts and are put into good Clothes then they think all things else are answerable to the vanity of their mindes which fills them and pleaseth them making them think of themselves above that which is meete That they are some great ones c Act. 8. 9. This is the folly which we may too ordinarily observe both in the Parent and the Childe both imitating Children For what else are these things which they have fained to themselves and drawne such faire pleasing Maps of but like clay castles and Pies which Children have set up now and will downe anone And yet about these follies these windy speculations doth the Parent perhaps the Childe too pierce himselfe with many dividing distracting cares And all this †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disquieting in vaine is because they think they are able to order their own steps to cut their own course Note we this then for this is the lesson 4. He that sits in the Heaven and whose eyes runne through the earth He it is Who is the great Pilot Who steers our course through the Sea of this World And though we think least of Him because we thinke our selves wise enough and Some-thing yet when we have thought all we can think and wearied our selves out with thoughts and tumbled about the hatches yet our course must be as He that sits at the Sterne will have it And assuredly they that can look up to that Hand not slacking their endeavours nor letting their hands hang down d Descriptio hominis inertis animum despondentis Jun. Heb. 12. 12. If we can be patient God will be profitable but the Times and meanes we must leave to Him not chalenge to our selues Felth. Res 60. p. 1â—6 they who can quietly resigne themselves to that all-disposing eye they shall at the end arrive if not where they desired yet where they shall say is best for them For He onely knows His compasse and will steere such a course as shall be best for the Parent and Childe both if they can expect and waite the Lords time and Answer And for the better staying the Parent from making haste and perswading with him to pluck downe these high and vaine thoughts like Castles in the Aire without any foundation wherewith he troubles and
to God S. Con. 85. In a Family the Fathers and the Mothers care is the greatest The Childes care is onely to obey and the servants to doe his work Care of Provision and Protection doth not trouble them Most of our disquietnesse in our Calling is that we trouble our selves about Gods work whereas we should Trust God and be doing in fitting the Childe and let God alone with the rest He stands upon His credit so much that it shall appeare we have not trusted Him in vaine even when we see no appearance of doing any good when we cannot discerne by all our spialls the least shew either for provision or Protection We remember who were very solicitous for their Children and because they could not provide for them nor protect them neither therefore perish they must in the wildernesse We must remember also That the Lord took care of those Children and destroyed those distrustfull parents who thought there was no path in a wildernesse because they could not discerne any nor meate to be had there because their hand was too short to provide it It is dangerous questioning the power of God in the greatest straite If He bring any person into a wildernesse it is because He may shew His power there for provision and protection both God works most wonderfully for and speaks the sweetest comfort to the heart in a wildernesse Note we this then and so I conclude There is much uncertainty in the Certainty of man and all Certainty in the uncertainty of God I tearme it so by allowance of the Spirit i 1 Cor. 1. 25. in respect of mans apprehension There is no uncertainty in God but all Certainty as in Him is all Wisdome all Strength We apprehend that there is a Certainty in man and an Uncertainty in God for if we observe our hearts we Trust Him least but that is our Foolishnesse and Weaknesse There is all uncertainty in men even in the best of men in Princes place no Certainty there There is all Certainty in God as in Him is all Wisdome and Strength put we confidence there Cast we Anchor upwards Commit we all but in well-doing all we have and all we are into his everlasting Armes Then assuredly we shall finde a stay for our selves and a portion for ours Provision and Protection both He is all to us and will be so when we are nothing in our selves And so much touching my Wildernesse and Gods providing for me even there though I tempted him ten times I call it a wildernesse for so I may because so my foolishnesse in my wayfare made it And Gods provision for me was very remarkable and therefore to be remembred for the Parents sake and Childrens too of great use and concernment to both Indeed he that can say no more of his Travels but that he passed through a Wildernesse hath said little to commend his Pilgrimage but much to magnifie the power of That Hand whereby he had a safe Convoy through the same It is a poore and worthlesse life such mine is that hath nothing worthy to be remembred in it but its Infirmities But yet there is nothing so magnifies Gods power * 2 Cor. 12. 9. as mans weaknesse doth When I shall give account of my life and cast up the summe thereof saith Iunius k Miserationes Domini narrabo quum rationes narrabo miserae vitae meae ut glorificetur dominus in me qui secit me vitâ Junii affix Oper. Theol. and so he begins I shall tell of the mercies of the Lord and His loving kindnesse to me ward And then he goes on reckoning up the infirmities of his body some of his minde too but that he puts a Marke upon is what extremitie he was in at Geneva and how graciously the Lord disposed thereof for that was remarkable indeed Beza also spareth not to tell us nay he fills his mouth with it how troublesome the Itch was to him not so easily cured then Deut. 28. 29. as now and what a desperate way the Smart the Chyrurgeon put him to and bad Counsell put him upon Such it was that there was but a step betwixt him and death but God wonderfully put to His Hand inter Pontem fontem Beza could not but confesse that Mercy as we finde it in his Epistle before his Confefsions And so farre That the Parent and Childe both may learne to account Gods works and if it might be to call His mercies by their names and to rest upon Gods providence as the surest inheritance Now I come to give the reason of my paines in all this which follows and what ingageth a Parent unto this Duty 1. I considered my yeers declining a pace When the Sunne is passed the Meridian and turned towards its place where it must set then we know the night approcheth when man ceasing from his work lyeth down in the Darke It is the Wisemans Counsell l Eccles 9. 10. and it is his wisdome to do that which is in his hand with all his might m Prima Actionum Argo Committenda sunt extrema Briareo de Aug. l. 6. 41. before he goes hence for there is no working in the grave The putting off this Day and the next and halfe a day cost the poore Levite and his Concubine very deer as we read Iudg. 19. And it teacheth us in our affairs concerning our selves or ours in setting our house in order That it is dangerous triflng away the Day-light I cannot say with Isaac I am old or mine eye is dimme but I must say in the following words I know not the day of my Death God may spare me among mine yet longer for my building is not so old but it may stand And yet so unsound the foundation is for it is of Clay it may sinke quickly as my good Father before me I may lye down turne to the Wall and to the earth all at once though yet I have scarcely felt and so also my Father before me the least distemper If this consideration come home and proves seasonable I shall then set all in a readinesse and in order that when Death comes I may have then no more to doe but to welcome it and shut the eye and depart tanquam Conviva Satur as one that hath made an improvement of life and hath hope in Death That was my first consideration 2. I considered my Children all three young the eldest but peeping into the World discerning little the second but newly out of the armes the youngest not out of the Cradle I considered also they are not so much mine as the Lords Whom thou hast borne unto me saith the Lord Ezek. 16. 20. And therefore in all reasonable Construction to be returned back againe unto Him by a well ordered education as himselfe hath appointed These thoughts so over-ruled me at length for I am not easily drawn to take my Pen in hand and prevailed with me to pen some instructions
saith That by Adam sinne entred into the world It sufficeth to know That God by just imputation realizeth the infection into the whole race of Adam in whom we were as in a common Lumpe and in his leaven sowred In his Loines we were and there we sinned and so did partake of his guilt which like a common infection worse then a leprosie we took from our Parents and transmitted it to our Children a Seede of evill doers So we sprang up as the seede doth with stalke and huske though the fanne made the same difference betwixt the wheate in the heape and the other fitted for the seede as grace doth betwixt the Parent and the Childe Though the Parent be accepted in the righteous one and his sinne covered the guilt remitted yet sinne and guilt are transmitted to the Childe Hereby the Parents see matter of great humiliation h Book pag. 32 they feele a tye also and an engagement upon them to doe their utmost to prevent the evill whereof they have beene a Channell of conveyance unto their Childe It is their Image They its debtors It is very equall and a point not so much of mercy as of justice That we should for I am a Parent too labour by all meanes and take all occasions whereby through Gods blessing our owne and bad image may be defaced and the New which is after Christ formed on and in the Childe This is that we should endeavour with all our might giving All diligence It is an heavy and grievous judgement which we reade threatned against Parents and Children I will recompence your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together i Esa 65. 7. That is Because the Fathers have committed an abomination and ye their Children have done according to the same abomination therefore the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him k Ezech. 18. 20. I will lay your sinnes together as upon heapes visiting you both Children and Fathers in your heapes of sinne O pray we in our prayer pray l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iames 5. 17. wrestling and weeping pray we earnestly m Hosea 12. 3. 4. Remember not against us former iniquities n Psal 79. 8. Recompence not our iniquities and the iniquities of our Children together nor measure out unto us our old Worke into our bosome This Mercy we should pray so for and long-after even from the heart-root we should long For if the curse was heavy and sore which we reade of Psal 109. 14. then is the mercy great and greatly to be sought after from the Lord Let not the iniquitie of the Father be remembred with the Lord against the Childe and let the sinne of the Mother be blotted out Whensoever the Lord visits the Childe for Sinne certainly it should call the sinne of the Parent to remembrance o 1 King 17. 18. and so it will doe if the conscience be not asleepe or seared Then he will discerne that there was a great and weighty reason that made the Woman of Canaan thus to petition Christ p Matt. 15. 22. Have mercy on me O Lord thou Sonne of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Divell She counted the Childes vexation hers so would she the mercy We have filled our Childrens bones with sinne which will fill their hearts with sorrow It is our engagement to doe all we can though that All be two little to roote that sinne out which we have beene a meanes to roote so fast in I shall in another place the Second Part q Chap. 2. speake more unto this roote of bitternesse and the fruits springing thence whereby all are defiled Here I have onely pointed unto it as it engageth the Parent upon this so necessary and principall a service touching the good culture and breeding of the Child And we see what an engagement it is the greatest and strongest that can be thought of And so much as an Induction to Duty what this Duty is comes now to be handled To the Reader THis Treatise tendeth to the erecting of faire Edifices to the Lord which are the children of children of men The Author sheweth himself herein a skilfull builder in that he first layeth a sure solid foundation and then reareth thereupon his goodly edifice This the Lord Himselfe noted to be the part of a prudent builder Luk. 6. vers 48. He wisely sheweth when and by whom especially this foundation is to be laid even by Parents so soone as their children attaine any competent capacitie Young and tender yeares are flexible and may easily be bowed this way or that way They are like a Argillà quidvis imilaberis udâ— Hor. the moist potters clay which may readily be fashioned into any shape and like soft waxe which soone receives any print Nor so only but also long retains what it first receiveth like b Quo semel est imbuta yecens servabit odorem Testa diu Idem a vessell which long holds the savour which it first tooke while it was new Old men are said to remember in their elder yeares what they learned in their younger I shall not need to presse this further it being so plentifully and pithily pressed by the Author himself who layes his foundation very deep even in the mothers wombe and goeth along from infancy to childhood thence to youth and so on till he bring his childe to a growne yea an old man full of dayes going to the grave in a full age like as a sheafe of corne cometh in in his season c Job 9. 26. In every estate and degree of these Ages even from the wombe to the grave he prescribeth pertinent and profitable directions not to children only but also to Parents Guardians Schoole-masters Tutors Governours of all sorts of Societies yea and to Ministers too whom he fitly styleth Instructors of Instructors So full he is as he hath passed nothing over in this long journey without a due observation whether it concerns the mothers care of the childe in her wombe or after in the infancy or both Parents care about a new birth or initiating it in pietie good manners good literature at home at schoole at Vniversity or any other good Seminary Yea also about calling marriage carryage to Parents to their superiours equalls and inferiours in all ages times and places This is that faire Edifice whereof intimation was made before fairer then the Edifices which have formerly been erected by Xenophon in his d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Institution of Cyrus by Plutarch in his Treatise e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of training up children by Clemens Alexandrinus in his f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instructour of children by Hierome in his Epistle to Laeta concerning the g De institutione filiae educating of her daughter by Erasmus in his Discourse h De puâ—ris stalim liberaliter iastituendis of timely and liberall training up of children or by others in
like Treatises This Author hath more punctually and pertinently handled all kinde of duties from ones first entrance into this world to his going out thereof then any of the fore-named Authors or any other that have written of the like subject Such varietie of matter is here couched as it will prove usefull to all of all sorts that will reade and heed it The Lord give a blessing to this and all other like labours of his faithfull servants Amen William Gouge THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK CHAP. I. WHat the Parents dutie when it begins Gods gracious work upon the Childe framing it in the wombe and giving it its due proportion of parts what thanks therefore pag. 1. 2. How Sinne defaceth Gods Image How repaired Of Baptisme and the solemnitie thereof The Mother the Nurse to pag. 4. The Mother is most imployed about the head of the Childe my head my head saith the Childe carry him to the Mother saith the Father 2 Kings 4. 19. The Mother is charged with the head Father and Mother both with the heart and this work is for the closset pag. 4. What Infancy is called an Innocent Age but miscalled Something may be done even then for the rectifying the Childes body and his heart too Grave considerations pressing to that Dutie from pag. 5. to pag. 9. CHAP. II. CHild-hood and youth how they differ whereâ—â— they agree unhappy Ages both The period of this Age not easily defined The Parent makes it longer or shorter as their care is more or lesse pag. 10. Parents not discharged in point of care when they have charged the Schoole with their childe how vain that thought pag. 12. How preposterous the Parents care How much Father and Mother both do crosse their own ends What a point of wisdome it is well to Time our beginnings When the Seed-Time what their imployment there to pag. 15. CHAP. III. A Two-fold imployment which lyeth in the order of Nature and right reason Lets hindring this twofold dutie two fondnesse fiercenesse extreames yet ordinarily in one and the same Parent I. Of fondnesse what causeth it Youth more profitable Child-hood 〈◊〉 delightfull * Fructuosior est adolescentia liberâ—rum sed Infantia dulcior Sen. epist 9. What hurt fondnesse doth The Divels â—â—â—â—theâ—ing engine to pag. 18. Foure mightie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fortifie us against it from pag. 19. to pag. 2◠〈◊〉 â—xamples evidencing how destroying it is to pag â—â— Repeated concluded in Mr. Bâ—ltoâ—s words with some use of the whole to all Parents to page 26. II. Fiercenesse whose fruit it is and how much it hinders to pag. 27. It helps not to unroot evill but rather roots it more in to pag. 29. It hinders much the Implanting of good to pag. 30. Considerations which may help to calme a Parent when in heat of spirit he is about to unroot evill are three very worth his consideration to pag. 33. Considerations which may arrest a Parents hand when he is about the implanting of good are foure which being considered will command an answerable practise to pag. 35. CHAP. IIII. OVr nature like a soyle fruitfull of weeds what they are and how unrooted 1. Pride the heart-string of corruption Chrysostomes note upon it how cherished how the contrary grace may and ought to be instilled to pag. 38. 2. Frowardnesse a spice of the former The Parents dutie here how the contrary grace may be inforced to pag. 40. 3. The way of lying and the way the Parent must take to prevent the course of it a great work if it may be done if not the Childe is fit for no societie to pag. 41. 4. Idlenesse how corrupting and provoking Labour how naturall to a man how he is provoked thereunto to pag. 43. 5. A bad Maligâ—us comeâ— quamvâ—s candâ—do simplici râ—biginem suam suam affricuit Sen. epist 7. companion how infectious and corrupting he will defile the best and most candid nature with his foule example pag. 44. 6. The evill of the Tongue prevented by teaching the Childe silence and this the Parent must teach himself and his Childe under five notions The briefe of that which concernes the Childes Instruction is while it is a Childe let its words be answers Nature teacheth much at this point and they more who walked by an higher light pag. 47. 7. An oath a word cloathed with death in a Childes mouth the Parent as in all so here very exemplary yea yea nay nay The Friers note upon those words No more must be heard from a Childe pag. 48. 8. The Childe must be taught what weight there is in those words yea yea c. A good hint there-from to teach the Childe to abhorre that religion which gives no weight to words nor oathes neither pag. 51. 9 10 11 12. Nick-names and abuses that way are ordinary with Children and a fruit of corrupt nature so quarrelling uncovering their nakednesse mocking scorning the meaner sort Great evills to be corrected and prevented in Children betimes a notable example to presse us thereunto to use our Inferiours kindely to pag. 53. 13. Cursing a great evill so imprecations against our selves Foure great examples full of instructions who spake rashly and were payed home in that they spake to pag. 57. 14. As Childrens Tongues must be watched over for the Tongue is a world of wickednesse so must their hands They will spill more then they eate how to teach Children to prize the good creatures pag. 59. 15. Children delight in the pain and vexation of those weake creatures that are in their power A great evill to be looked unto and prevented betimes considering our natures what they are page 61. 16. Nature fruitfull of evills more then can be pointed at or prevented but that is the true and genuine order of nature to prevent the evills thereof first pag. 62. 17. Teaching by examples the best way of teaching and the shortest they make the deepest impression pag. 64. CHAP. V. THe implanting of good the order therein The foure seasons in the day seasonable therefore 1. How uncomfortable darknesse is how comfortable the light A notable lesson there-from wherein our light and the true light differ to pag. 67. The Sun knoweth his appointed Time what that teacheth The Sun is glorious in his rising and refresheth how that instructeth pag. 68. Sin and sorrow will sowre the sweetest earthly Blessings where the root of our comfort pag. 69. The Sun a publique servant teacheth man so to be even to serve his brother in Love and to shew to him the kindnesse of the Lord what the Idol of the world what makes man an abomination from pag. 69. to pag. 71. The Morning the first fruits of the day our season what a Mercy to have it but a greater to take it what our first work and with whom what our engagements to set about it what may be instilled by continuall dropping from pag. 71. to pag. 77. CHAP. VI. VVE eat bread at Noon What that implieth
but our Pitie and our Praise 2. Thus they see Gods handy-worke and it is wonderfull in their eyes but still they see their owne Image also and cause enough to bewaile the uncleannesse of their Birth What the Pharisees once spake of him whose eyes Christ had opened is true of every mothers Childe Thou wast altogether borne in sinnes which should Joh. 9. 3â— make every Parent to cry out as that mother did Have mercy on me O Lord thou sonne of David my Childe is naturally Matth. 15. 22. Joh. 3. the childe of wrath Except it be borne againe of water and of the spirit it cannot enter into the kingdome of God The Parents see evidently now that they are the channell conveying death unto the childe The mother is separated for some time that shee may set her thoughts apart and fixe them here The father is in the same bond with her and in this we may not separate them God hath made promise to restore this lost Image this not tooke but throwne away integritie And this now their thoughts run upon and they pray That the Lord would open their mouthes wide and enlarge their hearts towards this so great a Mysterie They have a fruit of an old stocke it must be transplanted and out they carry it and into the Church they beare it as out of old Adam whence was transmitted to it sinne and death into the second Adam whence it may receive Righteousnesse and Life Then at the fountaine they hold it blessing God Who hath opened it for sinne and for uncleannesse And there they present it not to the signe of the Crosse but to Blood Sacramentally there that is Righteousnesse purchased by the death of Christ and now on Gods part appropriated and made the childes And the Parents blesse His name and exalt His mercy who hath said at such a time as this Live Who hath found out Ezâ—k 16. 6. a Raâ—some to answer such a guilt A righteousnesse to cover such a sinne so big and so fruitfull A life to swallow up such a death with all its issues This the Parent sees in this poore element Water appointed by God set apart fitted and sanctified for this end With it the childe is sprinkled and for it the Parent beleeves and promiseth Then home againe they carry it It is a solemne time and to be remembred and thâ— vaine pompe takes not up much time where wiser thoughts from truer judgement take place Friends may come and a decency must be to our place sutable but the Pageant like carriage of this solemne businesse by some speaks out plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A â—ancie Act. 25. 23. that the heart is not right nor is that vaine pâ—mpe forsaken which yet is now upon their lips to say They who have better learned Christ do better understand the nature and solemnitie of the action they are about so their great businesse is with God before whom they spread themselves and their childe Who can worke by meanes as secret as is the way of the spirit and can set this water closer to the soule then He hath set its bones which yet no man understandeth nor can tell when or how To Him they offer it before Him they lay it praying That this water may ever lye upon the heart of theirs as a fruitfull seed quickâ—ing renewing sanctifying That that water may as the Rocke ever 1 Cor. 10. 4. follow the childe The rocke removed not but the waters there-out followed them so the Parents pray That this water may ever follow the childe as a fresh spring still quickening washing refreshing untill the day of refreshing shall come This is their dutie now and this is all they can do beside the tending of it and this their dutie and their life must end together Now the childe lyes at the mothers breast or in the lap she is the nurse without question or so she should be though it is a resolved case that in some cases she cannot and in some she may not mercy must be regarded before this sacrifice But looke we still That mercy be not the pretence and ease the thing that is pleaded for that alters the case very much and will not prove a sufficient excuse wherewith to put off so bounden a dutie The * Aul. Gel. lib. 12. cap. 1. Macrob lib. 5. cap. 11. Erasm puerp Heathen have spoke enough to this point and more then all the Christians in the world can answer for the deserting and putting off unlesse in the cases before pointed at this so naturall and engaged a service At the mothers breast then we suppose the childe is and the eyes are open abroad it looks nothing delights it they shut againe as if it would tell the Parent what they should be now and it selfe hereafter both crucified to the world and the world to them 3. The childe is yet so little that here is little for the father to do yet All that is and it is no little worke is in his closet But besides that for it is the mothers worke too here is work for the mother enough It must be tended though it sleepe much more when it is awake And here is the observation It is hard to say which is more the mothers tendernesse or the childes frowardnesse and yet how they agree how they kisse one the other as if the parent were delighted with it It is an affection somewhat above nature implanted for the preservation of man so the Heathen could say by the God of mercy otherwise it might not be so for the more froward it is the more she tenders the little thing And it much encreaseth the childes score which he can never pay The Parent and the childe can never cut scores or strike tallies for they will never lye even 4. Infancy is a dreame we say The most part of it is spent in the cradle and at the breast the remainder in dressing and undressing Little can be said to it And yet something may be done even the first two yeers for the framing of the body as Nurses know best but something it is and the fashioning of the minde too and the younger it is with the better successe I have read of a great Conquerour yet not so great as that he could overcome his passions or an ill custome it is a second nature he learnt an unbeseeming gesture at the brest and shewed it on his throne If I remember his Nurse was blamed for it for she might have remedied it while the parts were tender Some-thing may be done also for the fashioning of the minde and preventing of evill It is much what they who are below Christians have spoken and practised this way which I passe over Note we The first tincture and dye hath a very great power beyond ordinary conceit or my expression And therefore observe well what they do who are about this childe not yet three yeers old and what the childe doth
It may soone learne some evill and that evill may grow past helping quickly Looke to the eye and eare all goes indifferently in as well as at the Mouth and you shall smell the Caske presently just what the liquor was Keep the inward and hid-man as you should do the outward neat and free from contagion and corruption as young as it is it may receive a bad tincture and that entreth easily now which will not depart without difficultie 5. I have heard a childe sweare before he could creepe Qui jâ—â— câ—m 〈◊〉 quid no◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quin. Aug. Conâ—es lib. cap. 7. hereupon the heathen man hath asked what will such an one do when it is grown up I have seene a childe threaten yet it could not strike and scratch before it could hurt and pale with anger it was Augustines observation because another did partake of its milke And this corruption which so soone will shew it self is strangely furthered by a foolish practise Give me a blow childe and I will beat what hath offended This teacheth revenge betime that daring and presumptuous sinne for it disthrones God and puts the law out of office I say that practise leades unto it as we might easily observe if we would observe any thing Many thinke that the Time is not yet it is yet too soone to be so watchfull over the childe But by this neglect and putting off we suffer matter of trouble to be prepared We neglect not a sparke because it is little but we consider how high it flies and how apt things about it are to take fire There is no Lord Verul Essayes 21. 125. greater wisedome said that great Scholler then well to Time the Beginnings and on-sets of things Dangers are no more light if they once seeme light Our dutie is to looke to small things they leade to great Is custome no small matter said one who was short of a Christian Shorten the childe in its desires now specially if it be hasty and cry and will have it Then say some the childe must have it say I no but now it should not Shorten it here and the rather because it cryes if he have it give him it when it is still and quiet Correction rather when it cryes Let it not have its will by froward meanes Let it learne and finde that they are unprofitable and bootlesse A childe is all for the present but a Parents wisedome is to teach it to waite Much depends on it thereby a Parent may prevent eagernesse and shortnesse of spirit which else will grow up with the childe and prove a dangerous and tormenting evill We shall helpe this hereafter and soone enough say some Let the childe have its will now it is but a childe And be it so but that is the way to have a childe of it as long as it liveth As Sr. Thomas More said to his Lady after his manner wittily but truely They might as well say they will bend the childe hereafter when it is as stiffe as a stake though they neglect it at the present when it is as tender as a Sprig I will tell my observation I have knowne some children who might not be shortned least it should shorten their growth what they would have they should have for they were but children these have lived to shorten their Parents dayes and their own and to fill all with sorrow for afterwards they would not be shortned because they were not while they might a Siquid moves à principio move Hip. Hippocrates hath a good lesson and of good use here If thou wouldst remove an evill do it at the beginning As the spring of nature I meane saith the * Considerations touching the Church Lord Ver. applying it to the rectifying the politick body the spring of the yeere is the best time for purging and medicining naturall bodies so is the first spring of Child-hood the most proper season for the purging and rectifying our Children To come then to the maine instruction I intend here which is this As we observe Adams ruines appearing betimes in the childe so must we be as timely in the building against these ruines and repairing thereof It is a great point of wisedome as was said well to time our beginnings And this a parent will do if he shew but the same care about his childe as he doth about his house or ground if he observeth the least swelling or cracke in his wall or breach in his fence about his ground he is speedy and quicke in repaire thereof for it gaines him time and saves him a great deale of cost and labour both That may be done with a penny to day that will not hereafter with an hundred pound And that now mended in a day which will not hereafter in a yeere And that in a yeere which will not be done in our time So King IAMES so famous for his sayings pressed the speedy repaire of breaches in high-wayes We cannot borrow a speech that is more full I meane we cannot take a metaphor that is fitter to presse home this dutie it is low and descendeth to the lowest capacitie and teacheth the Parent to be quicke and expedite in repairing the ruines of old Adam in his young Childe for though it seemes as a frame but newly reared yet unlike other buildings it presently falls to decay and if our eyes and hands be as present to repaire the decayes thereof which is our dutie it would save us much time cost and labour Faults may be as easily corrected at the first as a twig may be bent but if they grow as the body doth they will be tough and stiffe as the body is they will knit and incorporate as the bones do and what is bred in the bone will not easily out See Cameâ—ar chap. 16. of the flesh as that sturdy beggar said A neglect toward the child now tends to such a desolation hereafter as the Prophet speaketh of Thy breach is great like the Sea who Lam. 2. 23. canheale thee There is nothing works more mischiefe and sorrow to a man I give my pen the more scope here because parents give and take so much libertie then doth that which he mindeth least to prevent and that is the beginnings and first growth of evill There are little Motions thereof at the first but they grow as Rivers do greater and greater the further off from the spring The first risings are the more to be looked unto because there is most danger in them and we have least care over them though yet they will quickly over-cast the soule Therefore that we do at the beginning Dimidium â—acti qui bâ—ne coepâ—t â—abet is more then halfe we do afterwards saith the Poet and he speaks not without great reason so forcible continually is the beginning and so connexed to the sequel by the nature of a precedent cause The Bishop hath a good meditation upon the sight of a bladder
putem c. Quint. lastit l 2. cap. 1. no more wit what expect we from a childe He was ashamed to be seen at the doore he helpt himself well to go within the doores then as his friend said he was within indeed and the further he was so much the more within so a childe will do he will hide himself in the thicket at least he thinks so further and further if he apprehend much rigour there is much wisedome to be used here and mercy also and great reason there is to incline us to both as we shall hear in due place For the present that which hath been said may assure us that fiercenesse helps not in the unrooting of evill it hinders much the implanting of good There it hurts very much which is the second 2. If ever mildnesse gentlenesse calmnesse and sweetnesse of carriage do good and do become then more especially when we would winne upon the affection and sink into the understanding when we would lodge some precepts in the minde draw the heart and set it right Now while we are instructing handle the childe freely and liberally in a sweet and milde way speak kindly to it we must now and then we may have its heart for ever if we be rough and harsh now we fright away our game The instruction which we inforce into the minde by a kinde of violence will not long continue there but what is insinuated and fairly induced with delight and pleasure will stick in the mind the longer Trem. Preface before Iob. If Moses be to instruct he is commanded to speak not to smite and it teacheth us That a sweet compellation and carriage wins much upon the heart but we suppose we are dealing with children It is a mad behaviour and no better to suffer the hand to move as fast as the tongue and to strike at the head too the seat of understanding The head is to our little world as man is to the great world the verie abridgement or epitome of a man spare the head of any place else you may drive out that little which is and stop the entrance for coming in of more The Lord make all teachers understand this truth and pardon our failings herein and the Lord teach parents also whose duty more peculiarly we are upon to correct and instruct their children in all meeknesse That we may all learn I will set down some considerations which may calm the parent and take off from his hastinesse when he would unroot evill a great enemy to that good he ows and doth really intend the childe 3. I suppose now such a parent who hath beene fierce and eager upon the childe striking flinging kicking it as the usuall manner is because of its stomack towards the parent which he will pluck down and because it stands in a lie which he is resolved to fetch on t such a Parent I suppose for such there are and this I would have him consider it may make him wiser against the next time First †1. Who is that upon whom he hath bestowed so many hard blows both from hand and foot too I tell but my own observation who is it he hath used so disgracefully with such contumelious words It is no other then the image and glory of God A strong consideration to cause the 1. Cor. 11. 7. parent to carry himself comely and reverently before the childe which he may do and yet make the childe both to know and keep its distance else it cannot know its dutie A Parent cannot conceive the childs condition to be more Maxima debetur pueris Reverentia Iuv. Major è longinquo Reverentia Tacit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. de prosper Adver Hom 5. â— deplorable then was the Rich-mans in the Parable yet saith Chrysost and he makes it very useful Abraham called him Sonne a compellation still befitting a Father so also words and actions well becoming that sweet name a Jud. 9. α. and most likely to winne upon and to convince the childe whereas bitter and vilifying words become not though we did contend with the Devill a Jud. 9. α. Kinde words make rough actions plausible The bitternesse of reprehension is answered with the pleasingnesse of compellations Sonne let that be the name for so he is though never so bad And as a childe hath no greater argument to prevail with a Father then by that very name of love so nor hath a parent any stronger argument whereby to prevail with his childe then by that very name of dutie whether we respect his Father on earth whose childe he is or in heaven whose image and impresse he beares though now much defaced This is the first †2. And it is his own image too that 's the second consideration his very picture even that childe whom in the rage and rore of his anger he hath thrown and battered so He is a mad man that will kick and throw about his picture specially if the picture doth fully and lively shew forth his proportion This childe is the parents picture right and never so fully the parents image as now that it is in a stubborn fit It is a certain truth a parent never sees his own revolting and stubborn heart more expressed to the life then he may do in a stubborn childe then he may see it as plainly as face in water answers face this is a weighty consideration if it be put home A Parent must consider whence had the childe this who put this in which the parent would now in all haste fetch out Sinfull peremptory nature runnes in a bloud it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 1. 18. by tradition the childe received it of the father This the Parent must not forget and then his carriage will not be such as may lose the childes heart and alienate his affections such an effect harshnesse and roughnesse may work it may make the childe think that the parent hates his own flesh a In â—mendando nâ— acerbus c. quidam sic objurgant quasi oderint Quint. 2. 2. 3. Is the childe thus stiffe and stubborn thus confirmed in evill Doth it stand against all the parents knocks and threats like a rock immoveable Consider then he must whence was that Rock he wen The parent is the quarry or pit whence it was taken and whence it contracted this Tanquam dura siiâ—x aut stet Vâ—g rockinesse It cannot be too often considered but it was the former consideration the parent must consider this here and it sufficeth to calme and quiet him to take off from his eagernesse that the time was when the childe was not so stiffe and so though it was tâ—nder like a twig so as a twig or the sight of it would have moved and stirred it but then the parent would not it was too soon the time was not yet afterwards would be soon enough Now if it be too late he must thank himself
unapt we were when we were children learning something now would make it fresh again though the difference is much betwixt a man and a childe and it must be considered What we understand fully we think a childe might understand more readily and hence proceeds more hastinesse then is fitting which shews the Teacher to be the verier childe 4. Lastly let the Parent consider how long he hath been a disciple and how little he hath learnt It may be an Elephant or some imitating creature may be taught more in one moneth then he hath learnt in a whole yeer in matters most necessary this consideration if it be put home would calme him sure enough And so much for the removing of the Lets CHAP. IIII. Our nature like a soil fruitfull of weeds What her evils are How unrooted or prevented NOw we look to the preventing of evils which while they are but in the seed may be crushed as it were in the egge before there comes forth a flying Serpent or Cockatrice and I begin with that which is most radically in us and first sheweth it self that is †1. Pride it is the sinne of our nature and runs forth to seed rank and luxuriant the soonest of any It is the first sinne which declares its life in a childe and last dies in a man We read a Judg 9. 34. that Abimelechs skull was broke with a milstone thrown down upon him by the hand of a woman then he called out hastily unto his Armour-bearer Slay me that men say not A woman slew him Observe saith Chrysostome a Tom. 6. sâ—r 1. The man was dying yet his pride would not die Indeed it is the very heart-string of our corrupt Nature cut it and that beast will die but like the heart in the body it will hold out the longest I shall speak more hereof in my second part where we shall see the root of this sinne and the fruit of it too In this place being upon the dutie of a parent I shall onely shew how farre we parents fall short at this point and what our folly is for what we should soonest suppresse in children we first cherish and maintain Indeed all that are imployed about them b Quint. de claris Orat. are for the most part teachers of vanity unto them but of nothing more then of priding themselves and over-valuing their worth which is nothing whereto I conceive this makes a way verie ready and compendious †1. If a childe have some portion in the world above its fellows then it is presently a master or mistresse and others its servants He I include both sexes is taught to command when he should learn to obey and hath titles of respect given unto him before he knows how to deserve them or give them where they are due he hath others under him when he should be under others and not differ from a servant c Gal 4. 1 2 in point of subjection and obedience it is the old and standing rule though Lord of all This inhanceth our nature above the worth of it and makes the childe think it self some body d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 9. some great one when it is a very little one to that he thinks himself a very nothing I have observed they that have been masters when they were but Boyes and in theâ—â— season to learn subjection have proved the basest servants afterwards and boyes all the dayes of their life †2. Another way there is to blow up this little bladder which is by putting on the childe such ornaments so the parent intends them as serve neither for necessitie nor ornament nor decency and then bidding the childe looke where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys 〈◊〉 41. m Gen 18. it is fine An ordinary custome and very effectuall to lift up the minde To teach the childe so much to looke on it selfe that afterwards it cannot looke of I remember a merry fellow if he did intend hurt to any person would then give him a rich sute of apparell A 〈◊〉 cui 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vestimenta dabat 〈◊〉 Hor. strange kinde of injury a man would thinke but he found it a sure way and certain to hurt He should finde his enemy looking work enough he would so looke upon his fine costly cloathes that he would forget the vilenesse of his body And for the minde of this man so prancked-up now it would be as new and as gay as his cloathes and then he would hurt him sure enough For this is a compendious way to take hurt or a fall To looke upon the cloathes and forget a mans selfe and his first principles Sr. Thomas More tells us of a countrey wherein the men went very plaine but the children were as gay as jewells bracelets and feathers would make them It was his fiction but it findes some realitie and truth amongst us with whom children are so decked up and some also who passe for and walke as men of whom we may say as the Prophet in a case not very different for they also lavish gold out of the bag to adorne their Idoll Remember this and shew your selves men But sure enough Isa 46. 8. our rule teacheth us otherwise touching our children That they are worse trusted with superfluities till they have learnt from us the nature use and end of apparell why it was first put on and since continued In the meane time an handsome neat but plaine dresse doth best and is the safest garb A wise man can see his way here and guide himselfe and his childe between a cynicall affected plainnesse scanting themselves and a pageant like ostentation fomenting pride and strange conceits Reade Chrysost upon 〈◊〉 3. 1 vers 21. Hom. 18. Abusing that most fearefully to most contrary ends which God hath given to make us humble and thankfull Our Proverbe forbids us to stirre up a sleeping dogge and the Greeks have another to the same purpose We must not cast up fire with a sword Both the one and the other teacheth us not to foment or stirre up corrupt nature but by all fitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de Educat meanes to keep it down so may we prevent this evill But we see the contrary is practised we doe stirre fire with a sword we doe foment corrupt nature by vain and phantasticall fashions such as if the Divell were in mans shape they were the words of a grave and learned Divine he D. G. could not be more disguised then now in mans cut and garb A great and a provoking evill this our dutie is to prevent it what may be and betimes Here is a fit place to plant in the Grace of humilitie lowlinesse of carriage how the viler a man is in his own eyes the more gracious he will be in every mans eye besides The lower his deportment is so it be in truth and sinceritie and not below himselfe the higher he is
old man instructed his sonne by way of example and that way Exemplis vitiorum quaeque no 〈…〉 we may take nay we must if we intend the information of children Thus much touching a parents first work with his childe which is the watching over him for the rooting out of evils what these evils are and the way to prevent them CHAP. V. The implanting of good The order therein foure seasons in the Day very seasonable for this work THe childe is yet in his flower and first spring And that is the season of sowing and planting the seed of instruction which is the next work and now followeth The Preacher gives us a good lesson and incouragement both In k Eccles 11 6. the Morning sow thy seed and in the Evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good In this hope the parent proceedeth and according to his rule and charge Deut. 11. 19. Foure seasons there are in the day very seasonable for instruction according as they shall minister matter so a parent may fit his occasionall instructions These seasons are as we finde them lie in the Text though not in the same order I. In the morning when thou risest II. At noon or the season when thou sittest at the table III. When thou walkest by the way IIII. At night when thou liest â—own § 1. In the morning when thou risest There is no season in the day fitter for instruction then is the morning nor fuller thereof Now the Sunne is returning and begins to appeare on this our side of the Globe making all light and lightsome about us oh how comfortable is it to see the light and how safe to walk by it Before darknesse covered the earth and masked the face of the same and then we could not discern in what order things lay nor what way to settle about them Many doubts we have and feares in darknesse some reall though the most imaginary for it is our nature in darknesse if we finde them not there to frame them there Our way in the dark is uncertain and hazardous full of danger Learn hence What darknesse is to the outward man so is ignorance the key of some mens l Reade our Jewell 27. Art Religion to the inward I know not whereat I may stumble nor wherein I may fall nor falling how dangerously I may fall nor how irrecoverably Onely this difference there is and it is a great one betwixt him that walks in darknesse and him that lives in ignorance the darknesse of the minde He that walks in darknesse walks charily and cautelously feeling his way with one hand and fencing his face and the choice ornament thereof with the other because he hath no light to guide himself by and he knows he is in darknesse and is sensible of the danger Therefore it falls out ordinarily that he scapeth and preventeth danger because he is so sensible of the same what I feare most is like to do me least hurt for it is likely I am prepared for prevention It is not so with a man walking in ignorance and darknesse of minde He goes on boldly and confidently according as the proverb is he discernes no danger he cannot fear it The former by his carefulnesse may not fall The latter by his ignorant carelesenesse must needs fall it is not possible to be otherwise The former if he fall he will surely rise again for he knoweth he lieth not where he would The other falling lieth still and can never rise again till a light appeare unto him the one knoweth where he is and what he doth the other knoweth nothing as he ought to know There is one we may call that one as Satan called himself Legion for that one is many who holdeth ignorance to be the mother of devotion but that one is the mother of fornications and thence it is that she prevaileth with them and deceives so many for as she hath gained so she holds all she hath gained by the tenure of ignorance There is a farre greater difference betwixt a well knowing and conscientious man and an ignorant person then is betwixt a man walking in the Sun and working by it and another walking in the night when neither Moon nor Starre appeares The one clearely setteth forth the other he that worketh by the Sunne seeth all cleare about him where he is and what he doth and why he doth it he that is in darknesse discerneth nothing nor can do any thing as he ought to do and yet which is much worse living in the darknesse of ignorance he discerneth not his danger He that doth in any part understand what ignorance is and the fearfull effects of the same this ignorant man doth not will pray for himself and his as they who were upon the sea and in great danger They wished for the day m Acts 27. 29. Send forth Lord thy light and thy truth through thy tender mercie let the Day-spring from on high visit us Thus he wisheth for the day And now This Day-spring from above hath visited us we that once walked in darknesse have seen a great light and the glory thereof we have seen as the glory of the onely Sonne of God upon us who dwelt in the shadow of death hath this light shined Oh happy are the people then that are in such a case how blessed are they to whom the Sun of righteousnes hath appeared they are children of the day and of the light it is day with them alwayes day though neither Moon nor Starres appeare that is though they finde no influence from the earth or regions bordering thereupon But clean contrary it is with them to whom this Sunne of Righteousnesse appeareth not or against whom they shut their eyes as some will do though as the proverb is we should shew them the n Lact. 7. 1. Nec si Solem in manibus gestemus fidem commodabunt ei doctrinae Sun in our hands seeing but will not see How miserable are the people that are in such a case they sit in darknesse as they do on the other side of the globe when the Sun is with us nay worse then so they dwell in a land dark as Aegypt was even in the land of the shadow of death For though they have the Moon and Starres upon them I mean the confluence of all outward things yet they sit in darknesse in deep darknesse For as the Sun is to this outward world so is the Lord Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse to the world of beleevers without Him it is all dark with Him it is still light like the land of Goshen happy are the people that are in such a case blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Send forth thy truth Lord and thy light and through the tender mercy of our God let the Day-spring from above visit us This may take up our
imployment the serving of God as becommeth with reverence and feare and then our selves and our brethren in love These are the services which must take up the whole day But more especially in the morning we are fittest for them when we are wholly our selves as the saying is The powers and faculties of the outward and inward man being awakened and refreshed But first we must addresse our selves to God and set our soules in order before Him that we may strengthen and perfume our spirits with some gracious meditations specially of the chiefe end and scope wherefore we live here and how every thing we do may be reduced and ordered to further the maine This is first to be done and a necessitie there is that it be done first else that which follows to be done will be done to little purpose It follows now That we consider briefly how we stand ingaged to this principall service even to â—all upon all to awake as the Prophet saith All without us and within us to return unto the Lord according as we have received and to give praise unto His Name for now praise is comely †1. It is He that kept us when we could not keep our selves He kept our houses which the watch did not keep from those who y Job 24. 16 17. marked them forth in the day-time Our security is as Noahs was in Gods shutting our doores He it was who preserved that spark of mankinde alive in the midst of the waters as the Father z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Tom. 5 Ser. 6. in medio elegantly for so we reade And the Lord shut him in a Gen. 7. 16. The Lord shut in our doores upon us also kept us in safety kept out danger else we had not been alive The destroying Angel I mean danger in any kinde waiteth but his commission from the Almighty and when he had it we heard what havock he makes From this destroyer the Lord kept us though our hearts were not so besprinkled as they should have been nor did we keep our selves according to our b Exod. 11. 22. See Mr Ainsw charge under the safe and secure protection of that Bloud as we should have done yet notwithstanding the Lord kept us The Lord is the great wing of our protection our castles towers houses doores chambers c. but the small feathers thereof These nothing without Him He All without them We may reade of c Athanasius Cenâ— 4. one who had a safe convoy himself alone through a troop of enemies five thousand in number all and every one appointed for his destruction And of another d H. 3 Charâ—oâ— we may reade murdered by a Monk when he lay entrenched with an Army of friends about him 40 thousand strong Safety is from on high from the Highest is our protection He is our Sun and shield He kept us this night which is now past But behold His goodnesse yet further He hath renewed the face of the earth unto us given us a new resurrection with the day lengthened and stretched out yet further our span of time renewing our strength and making us fresh like the Eagle crowning us with loving kindnesse and tender mercies such mercies as whereby our hearts are â—heered to see the light which thousands cannot say great reason we should call upon all to praise the Lord and this right early for now praise is comely †2. We must now every one to his work in his lawfull calling or to that which fitteth for the same if children we are not made as it is said of the Leviathan to take oâ—r pastimes in the world and to passe our dayes in vanity The Sun riseth and man goeth to his labour every man his severall way and in those severall wayes so many snares great cause to fence and guard our hearts and as was said to perfume our spirits from above that we may avoid these snares from below e The first fruits of our lips and hearts are to be offered unto God Am◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why wilt thou suffer thine adversary to surprise thy castle or strong holds first in the morning Basil de jejunio p. 285. for we shall meet with them it is not possible to be otherwise We draw along with us such a concaâ—enation a chain of businesse as that we must needs be fettered and puzled with them if a gracious hand leade us not the way into them and help us out of them In the commerce betwixt man and man which drives the great trade of the world There sinne sticks as close as a naile sticketh betwixt the joyning of the f Ecclus. 27. 2. stones which consideration engageth us to feare alwayes and to walk close with God that our wayes may be established lest going beyond our brother in bargaining we exchange the favour of God for some poore advantage from the world †3. Now that we are going every man his way as the way of our calling leads us now we must know that God and He onely openeth our way to all our occasions leades us unto them and gives us an issue out of them we labour in the fire if God restrain His influence from above we may be early up and never the neare as the proverb is we may gather and put our gatherings in a broken bag Therefore as in all our gettings we must get wisdome so in all our wayes we must seek â—o and for wisdome so shall our wayes be established g Endeavour without prayer is presumption prayer without endevour is temptation It is the strength of the Almighties hand that inables us It is His wisdome that instructs us His blessing that crowns all with successe To Him we must go in all conditions of life for direction and guidance And in all our necessities for supply as being the fountaine and spring-head of every good and perfect gift Iam. 1. He that would obey well must seeke to God He subdueth the spirit and makes it subject He makes the mountaine â— valley and the rough way smooth He that would governe well must seeke to Him He gave Salomon an understanding heart 1 King 3. 12. He that would carry himselfe valiantly in a just quarrell must seek to God as that victorious h Ante bellum in oratione jacuit ad belâ—um de oratione surrexit priusquam pugnam manu capesseret supplicatione pugnaâ—it Salv. dâ—gâ—bâ—â— lib. 7. p. 251. Commander did who alwayes rose from off his knees to go to fight for He teacheth our hands to warre and our fingers to fight Psal 18. 34. He that would have understanding and knowledge in his Trade must binde himself a servant unto God for He enableth us this way Exod. 31. 3. And this we must know for our incouragement That there is no greater glory no not to His Angels then that they serve before Him If the husband-man would k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. lib.
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Tom. 5. de Lâ—zâ—ro concio 1. unreasonable The ox the horse and the asse These saith the Father usefully when they are fed go on their way carrying their burdens and performing their service but man so overchargeth himself that his meat proves his burden if not this surfeit and makes him unfit to return any service but such as sheweth him to be a debter onely to the flesh which indeed we must nourish that it may be serviceable but further we owe it neither suit nor service Think then how ill we do requite the Lord when fed by Him we spurn against Him loaded with His mercies we load Him with our sinnes refreshed with His comforts we grieve His Spirit by a contrary and unsavorie walking Here then is a fit place and season to teach and learn abstinence one of those vertues so much commended and that may help much to the learning of the other patience so I invert the order d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiâ—t Aul Gell. lib. 17. cap. 19. He that hath gotten command over himself at his Table in moderating his appetite and can deny himself what his stomach eagerly craves will be able to command himself in great matters and bear hard things It is unseemly for a man the Lord over the creatures to be brought under the power of the creature and if he would not which is his wisdome he must consider as well what is expedient as what is lawfull e 1. Cor. 6. 12. And so he teacheth his childe by his own example as well as by precept and much better and now is his season for abstinence is best taught and learnt at the first and no where better then at our meat f Câ—meditur quantum ad famem bibitur quantum satis pudicis castis sunt omnia quast comedâ—rint bibâ—rint disciplinam Teâ—t iâ— Apoll. cap. 39. It is Mr Perkins g On Gal. 5. 2â— p. 181. rule That man must deny his desires at the table he must command himself there as one under his own power and not under the power of the creatures if he look to be able to deny goods good-name wife children selfe and all All which must be parted with when they stand in competition with the truth else we lose our selves These are sweet bits indeed and he that cannot deny himself his sweet biâ—s at his table wâ—ll very hardly h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 8. 34. deny himself in these If a man must needs swallow that bit because it is sweet and that cup of wine because it is pleasant if he hath so farre lost the command over himself that this he must needs do when yet his stomach needs it not It is very probable then that the same man will strain at the cup of sorrow as at a cup of trembling it will no more down with him by his will then will a Camel but if down it must it is because it must be so there is no remedie for God hath put the cup into his hand and he must drink thereof The lesson then is At our tables we must begin this deniall so we shall frame unto it the better in other things of greater importance We may note here that naturally we are very short spirited all for the present we are impatient of waiting soon tired there even almost before we begin though the Lord hath said The waiting of the meek shall not be forgotten And though the Lords manner is to make His children wait putting a long date to the performance of His promises when yet His deferring is no empty space for in that space much good is done even a fitting for the promise as while the seed lieth in the earth the time is not lost for the hard winter fitteth for the more hopefull Spring But I say so the Lords manner is to inâ—re unto a patient waiting to stay as in the case of Lazarus k John 5. 6. and with those He most loveth two dayes longer when the extremity seems greatest so long as we may think with Martha that the season for help is quite past We may take notice how short our spirits are by that we reade of the two sisters but especially of the three disciples l Luke 24. 21. The third day was come and not fully over and yet but so long deferring their hopes weakened their trust And to day is the third day By them we may learn how short our spirits are and how impatient in waiting But the shortnesse and eagernesse of our spirits appeares in nothing more then in those things which presse upon the necessities of nature We see ordinarily the bread and the cup are put to the mouth before so much as a thought the quickest thing that is is conceived of Him who hath ordained both for our comforts And we may remember how hard it pressed upon Esau yea and upon the good old Prophet m 1. Kingâ— 13. 15. who was easily seduced upon the mention of bread which sheweth us the eagernesse of our appetites and how peremptory the demands of an hungry stomack are which a man can no more rule then he can his tongue but He who restrained the ravenous lion from tearing the asse and the Carkeise mark it can restrain our eagernesse this way and give us the command of our selves for the better performing His command in cases extraordinary and in suffering great matters when He shall call us unto it I think now of the extremities which famine drives unto and they are scarce utterable by them that never felt them I think also how soon our very necessaries which we have riotously abused and carelessely cast at our feet may be taken from us But then I think withall that in these extremities wherewith Gods dearest children may be exercised and pressed they do so look up to Gods hand and so rest upon it that they certainly finde the same hand as gracious towards them in sustaining them as it was powerfull in holding the mouth of the lion in the forementioned case So as though the extremitie be great yet they do not put forth their hand to wickednesse not to such horrid and bloody dishes as we reade and heare that some in their extremities have done If God take away the meat He can take away the stomach also as the Martyr said or restrain the rage of it so as it shall not touch the carkeise or such unclean things But we cannot tell what delicate wanton persons may do in their straits nor how far our unmortified lusts may carry us If we are in no part crucified to the world and have the world in no sort crucified to us the extremitie may prove unsupportable want of necessaries will presse sore upon those who alwayes have lived at the full and fed themselves without feare and could never part with so much as any of their superfluities They who feed themselves like beasts saith Clem.
Alex very likely will walk and do like beasts n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paed 2. 11. wants to such are more disrellishing then dead beer after the sweetest banket They that live in pleasure and lie at ease cannot endure a change o We are hardly brought to change from soft beds to hard boards Hist of the World 4. 2. 11. p. 158. And therefore as we expect the support of the Almighties Hand in our fainting time when we have nothing to support us from without we must look up humbly and thankfully to the same Hand now that we have plenty And we must accustome our selves now that our tables are spread to a sober temperate use of the creatures and to all fitting abstinence holding command over our spirits in His strength we are able to do it who over-powered the lion that we be not brought under the power of the Creature The body hath some preparatives before a purge and when we would come out of a sweat kindely we cast off first one cloth then another so should we do in the ranknesse and sweat of our prosperity p Vitia longae pacis opulentae securitatis Salv. And now the time calls upon us famine and the extremities thereof we have q Chap. 4. § 14. read and heard of and what hath it taught us Our tables are as full of excesse as before and fuller of surfeit So the fool goes on and is punished he cannot lay things to heart but they that are wise do heare the voice of the rod and do fear before it walking humbly with the Lord They have got command over their spirits and are got from under the power of the Creature by denying themselves a little in this and a little in that Now in this lesser thing so making way for greater so as when the rod of their affliction shall bud out again which they expect nay when the Lord shall turn the former rod which wrought no reformation into a serpent so that it stings like a scorpion they may feel the smart thereof but the poyson thereof shall not be deadly And so much to teach us abstinence and to get command over our selves that we be not brought under the power of the creature which will help us much to possesse our souls in patience in the day of trouble They that have not learnt to wait are not fitted to receive the fruits from the r James 5. 7. earth or the accomplishment of the promise from heaven Now touching our children the lesson is this we must not give them alwayes when they aske nor so much as they would have let them feele sometimes the want of it and the biting of an hungry stomack It sweeteneth the creature when they shall have it and puts a price upon the same when it is in their hand It is rare amongst those that are grown up to finde a stomack full of meat and an heart as full of praise The emptie stomack feeles the comfort and is in likelihood more enlarged Let the childe abstain from all sometimes but not often it is their growing time yet sometime altogether from all at all times from part They must not taste of every dish nor look so to do it is not good for the Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. Paed 2. 1. pag. 103. parent lesse wholsome for the childe there is a drunkennesse t Plures cum sâ—t vino sobriae ciboâ—um largitate sunt â—briae Hiâ— lib. 2. â—p 17. in eating as in drinking Accustome children to waite now they will waite with more patience hereafter But more specially teach them a fit and reverent behaviour both before and at the table Though they sit at a common table yet it is Gods table He spread it for the parent and the childe Though there we receive common blessings yet we must not put upon them common esteeme nor return for them common thanks children must not by their rude and uncivill deportment before and at the table make it a stable or an hâ—gs-stye nor must they drown themselves there in an eager fulfilling their appetite like beasts u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Mex Pop. 2. 7. pag. 127. at their manger or swine in their trough like beasts I say that have their manger before x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loâ—â— laud. pag. 128. them and their dung hill behind them hereof Clem. of Alex. makes very good use and that is all I tend to here 6. And now that we have eaten we must remember to return praise Our great Master is our great example Before He gave common bread He gave thanks and when He administred the Sacrament of His blessed body and bloud He concluded with an Hymn * Matt. 26. 30. y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hearken to this saith Chrysostome y upon those words all ye that goe from your common table like swine whereas ye should give thanks and conclude with a Psalme And hearken ye also who will not sit out till the blessing be given Christ gave thanks before He gave to His disciples that we might begin with thanks-giving And He gave thanks after He had distributed and sung a Psalme that we might do so likewise so Chrysostome Now then that we are filled it is the very season of thanksgiving saith the y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Châ—s de Lâ—z Ser. 1. Tom. 5. Father And he that is now to addresse himselfe to return thanks is supposed to have fed temperately and to be sober They that have fed without feare and are filled with their pasture are more like to kick with the heele then to return praise and in so doing are worse then the most savadge creatures who to shew their thankfulnesse will be at the beck of those that feed them We must remember that with us men every favour requires a z Omne beneâ—icium exigit oâ—â—icium Lege Chrysost in Gen. cap. 12. Hom. 32. Man must not be like his belly what it receives to day it forgets to morrow and when it is full it thinks of temperance Translated out of Basil de jejunio p. 281. Psal 154 10. returne much more when we receive these comforts of meat and drink from Gods hand we must return in way of homage our thankfulnesse If it should be thrice asked as one in another case what is the speciall dutie or grace required in a Christian I should answer thrice also supposing the season Thankefulnesse Thankfulnesse at our sitting down Thankfulnesse at our receiving the blessing Thankfulnesse when we are refreshed Thankfulnesse is as good pleading in the Common Law the heart string a Lord Cooke Pref. Littlet thereof so of Religion It is the very All of a Christian if it be with all the heart And heartie it should be for as it is for beasts to eate till they be filled so is it beast-like to look downward when they are filled If God
simple things to confound the wise It is a good note which the Learned Advancer gives us m P. 107. We see how that secret of nature of the turning of iron touched with the Loadstone towards the North was found out in needles of iron not in barres of iron And this I have added that we may take notice of the power and wisdome and goodnesse of God As in mountains and all hills fruitfull trees and all cedâ—rs Beasts and all cattell So also in creeping things such despicable creatures n Psal 148. 9. 10. Quicquid â—ssentii dignum est id etiam scieutiâ Novum organ 1. 120. Creatorem non in coelo tantum mirantur terrâ sole oceano elephantis camelis c. sed in minutis queque animalibus formâ—ca culice muscis c. Hier. lib. 2. Ep. 22. p. 268. For I see that all the hostes of men though they should joyne their strength together cannot make the least of these creatures which I see not a creeping worm not the flying dust where-from I must conclude as the Prophet before me o Isa 40. 12. 17. all nations before Him are as nothing and they are accounted unto Him lesle then nothing and lighter then vanitie it self This use the Prophet could make of the smallest dust when it came into his eyes We should not neglect the least atome or mote in the Sunne for that also gives us an instruction It was spoken to the praise of a Prince excellently learned That he was a carver or divider of cumine seed which onely noted his patience and setled spirit to enter into the least and most exact differences of causes p Cymini sector Adv. p. 69. So much to the generall view of the creatures upon the earth for we are yet no higher particulars here unto us are infinite and to insist upon generalls is to walk in a maze Therefore I shall single out two creatures from out of the throng for the singularitie of natures work in both the one the greatest that goeth on earth the other the smallâ—st that creepeth on the same It is a well known observation and experience concludeth it That in every kinde there is the greatest and the smallest q Datur maximum minimum in uâ—â—que genere a greatnesse which cannot be exceeded and a littlenesse which cannot be contracted So in men though we should not beleeve the narration of Hollings-head yet we know there have been men of great stature r Hist of the World p. 1. 5. 8. Dâ— Hak. Apol. 3. 2. and we see there are dwarfes So in Creatures going on the earth and never rising higher there is the greatest and the least and in those two I shall now instance The Elephant is the greatest I shall not relate what we reade touching his ready obedience dociblenesse memory and some other things scarce credible Å¿ Sâ—e Plin. Nat. Hist l. 8. cap. 12. L. Ver. Hist vitae mortis pag. 72. Alsted Phys pars 6. cap. 5. Certain it is he is Behemoth in the plurall number because of his massive bulk as big as many beasts and as the beast is such is his strength So we reade in the Historie of the Maccabees t 1. Macc 6. 37. And upon the Beast were there strong towers of wood which covered every one of them and were girt fast unto them with devices there were also upon every one two and thirty strong men that fought upon them besides the Indian that ruled him The more loaded he is the firmer he goes because feeling his burden he puts out his strength He is the chief of the wayes of God as we reade in Iob u Cap. 40. 19. And it is notable which followeth He that made him can make His sword to approach unto him If we mark whose sword that is it carrieth the eye to God and teacheth the childe the wonderfull might of His power He 9. 19. that made him c. Therefore as Iob also saith If we speak of strength lo He is strong The other creature we call the mite or weevell a very little creature the least of any saith the Naturalist and that little which is is all throat The husbandman shall meet with it in his barne as sure as he findes it in his cheese and for one as the old Poet saith five hundred * Plaut cur Act. 4 scen 4. A great devourer it is where ever it is but most likely in the corn-heap It will consume saith be that writeth y Maxima è minimis suspendens Adv. p. 112. l. 2. Hist of the World A. 2 vers 13. 4. chap. 16. 2. of husbandry x Populátque ingentem farris acervum curculio Virg. a great heap of grain Hence the instruction is God usually hangs the greatest weight upon the smallest wyars And doth the greatest works both in a way of mercy and of judgement by the silliest and weakest executioners He needs not an army of Giants one whereof and he was the greatest that I think our last Centuries have taken notice of was of such a stature that the sole of his foot did cover foure of ours z Grimstone Hist of the Nethâ—rland p. 39. The Lord needs not an army of such nor needeth He iron charriots nor Elephants to make a battel fierce and terrible against a backsliding and revolted people When a Nation needeth a sharp knife as the Father expresseth it to cut away the dead fresh the Lord can do it by despicable instruments and yet of force and sharpnesse enough to execute His pleasure who to approve Himself the God of all power worketh great things by the weakest meanes Even by His northern Army the locust the cankerworm the caterpiller a Joel 2. 20. 25. A locustis à maribus genus omne occidâ—ur at que arroditur frugum Arnob. lib. 1. p. â— in fol. vic com These silly creatures can make a Garden of Eden before them a desolate wildernesse behinde them and nothing shall escape them verse the 3. If He speak the word and bid it go the silly frog shall scale the palace and the Kings bed-chamber The rats shall take the tower The mise shall consume all the provision of war and in one night they shall do it as writeth Herodotus And so speaketh that monument there of one holding a mouse in his hand and bidding the beholder look up to God and serve Him in feare b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to relate nearer to the thing in hand A little worm can devoure all the provision of bread as experience hath sometimes told us and that noted story in Grimston who writeth That the corn twice or thrice sown was as often eat up by a little worm or gray snaile and in one night whence followed dearth famine pestilence wolves c Pag. 819. Anno 1586. Oh that man so dependant a Creature should carry himself proudly before the God of Heaven Who to
approve Himself the God of all power and able to abase the proud heart hath a thousand wayes and meanes whereby to do it He can by a gnat a fly an haire stop the breath and by the weakest means destroy life and lively-hood We have often read these words and there is much comfort in them to such who are fearers of the Lord Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and with the creeping things d Job 5. 23. Hos 2. 18. c. I remember what an old Preacher said upon these Texts It was this What great matter is it will some man think to be at league with the stones of the field or in covenant with creeping things of the ground he feares no danger from these No said the Preacher he doth not and therefore being out of covenant with his God his danger is the greater because not feared He that feares not God hath cause to feare every thing and that he least feares may most hurt him That stone which lieth before him may dash out his brains by such a meanes as no man possibly could suspect and the beast that is in his hand and knows not his strength nor shall put it forth yet may occasion his fall I knew a man for he lived amongst us who had a Barbary horse to present to his great friend and stroaking the back of the beast and there feeling it crushed with the saddle was presently in a great rage with his man and in that rage stamped with his foot the heel of his boot being after the fashion high slipt within the crevice of the stones it was on a causie-way and he plucking his heel out again with some heat and choler fell down forward where a sharp stone standing above the rest met with his fore-head and his brains and dashed them out A great mercy to be at league with the stones and in covenant with the beasts and creeping wormes which we cannot be if out of covenant with God So much to the works of God on the earth and to the instruction therefrom which in this cursorie way and view of them we may take along with us They serve to refresh and comfort to instruct and humble God is great in the very least and to shew Himself the God of all power He can and doth bring to passe great works by the weakest and simplest persons and meanes It follows now that we take a view of the great Waters II. for they with the earth make up but one Globe In the view of this subject leaving more subtile enquiries for a fitter place I behold first their surface secondly their barres and bounds thirdly their weight fourthly the Creatures therein 1. The surface thereof it is as the windes and weather is if calme the sea is very pleasing and in some places like a table if stormy then troubled and raging casting up mire and dirt It sheweth us the common errour and mistake we have when we commend a person for we say he is a very good man unlâ—sse he be stirred or e Multi nonnullam man suctudinem prae se fâ—runt quans diu blanda omnia amabilia experiuntur at verò qui eundem sâ—rval modestiae tenorem ubi pungitur irritatur quotusquisque Cal. Inst lib. 3. cap. 7. § 4. movâ—d Vnlesse he â— stirred So is the sea also a comely pleasing creature in her calmes but rough and dreadfull in her stormes If the winde stirre the sea mouâ—ts if they bluster it roares I know not a consideration that may sooner calme a man if in a commotion as winde enough he shall finde to cause it But surely a good man findes a calme or makes it even then when there is much stirring about him The windes and stormes properly taken tell us what the sea is and metaphorically taken they tell us what the man is Our passions are elegantly called tortures f Et vino tortus ira Hâ—r Tortures upon the body many times make the minde more secret or opens the mouth against judgement as said a Lawyer honest and learned for rackings stood not with his law g Fortescue chap. 22. But tortures upon the minde tell us what the man is they discover a man If passion hath puâ— the minde upon the rack and the person now suffer no wracâ— in the storm of his passion he is a man of a sound constitution we cannot doubt of it For our h Pâ—etâ— perturbationes non inscitè appellat torturas quod ab iis secreta c. Augment l. 8. p. 252. passions try what a man is indeed as the stormes and windes what wood the ship is made of how firme and sound it is how well compact and set together and so forth for the use hereof is large 2. The surface of the waters shews us how the Lord deales with His ransomed ones conducting them to their haven For with those travellers prisoners sick men we see sea-men joyned Psal 107. All those conditions fitly resembling the condition of those that seek the Lord but none of all more fitly then the latter He findes stormes as well as calmes doubts and feares as well as refreshments He seeth the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep According to this resemblance or sea-faring condition the Lord deales with His servants they are like that ship tossed with windes and almost covered with waves and they may continue so high till the fourth watch but the end shall be a calme for out of these great waters they shall be delivered and through those barres they shall break though they seem as strong as iron and brasse and over the wall they shall leap in His strength through whom they do all things for the sea and the winde obey Him so do all temptations and feares at His rebuke they flie if He say Be still The stormes and waves of temptation are calme and still also which leades me to the second enquiry that is 2. What their bounds and barres Hereunto the Lord Himself Jer. 5. 22. answers Feare ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not tremble at my presence which have planted the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it There we reade what boundeth the raging sea and sets unto it its limits The Lord hath saith the Father walled k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Cor. Hom. 4. about the sea with the sand He hath bridled and held in the strong raging hâ—reof with a very weak thing it is the sand thereof and that a worme can creep over But yet when the Lord hath decreed it so That thitherto the water shall come and no further l Job 38 10. 11. 12. and here shall thy proud waves be stayed then shall those sands to be to the sea
as barres and doores m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Hex Hom. 4. for there is the decreed bound It had carried a greater shew of possibility to nature if the Lord had said I have set the rocks a bound to the sea and the land clifts as doores to the same but then it had not so magnified His power nor so exalted His Name that strong Tower as now that the sand is the bound thereof which wonderfully establisheth the hope of the Righteous and secureth them when the flouds of great waters are at the neck and even running over the head that yet there is a decreed bound so farre and no further As in the case of Ieremy the three Children all the faithfull of God who may be delivered up even into their enemies hands That they who hate them may be Lords over them and execute upon them the pleasure of their own will which is the utmost extent of their chaine or bound and yet they shall not do what they think they can do and is in their power to do they shall do them no hurt The Lord sits upon the flouds and orders them though they rise high yet He is above them n Psal 93. 3 4. As the promise was of old for that question is a strong affirmation yron shall not break the Northern yron and the steele o Jer. 15. 12. though the enemy be hard as yron the Lord will be too hard for them so though the waves roare yet they shall not passe those little sands the decreed place I remember now the holy confidence securitie rather of Luther News was brought him that the enemies banded themselves against the Church and were resolved to swallow up Saxony and to eate Gods people as bread We will not be dismayed said Luther He that sits in the heavens laughs at their rage and shall we cry p Melc Ad. vità Luth. No we will sing and our song shall be the 46 Psalme God is our refuge c. Though the waters of the Sea roare that is though the enemy threaten to swallow us up quick yet he shall do us no hurt none at all Our God sits upon the water flouds He is above them Wickednesse is cast into the midest of an Ephah a Bushell q Zech. 5. 7. That is saith Mr. Calvin it hath its measure it s bound which it shall not passe The righteous know That the Lord is greater then all Gods and as once it was it will ever be In the thing wherein the enemies deale proudly He will be above them r Exod. 18. 11. The Lord rules in the middest of His enemies Å¿ Psal 110 2. And will deliver if not from all as He did Peter yet certainly from the greatest expectation t Act. 12. 11. of the Adversary He will so deliver that all shall see that there is no God that can deliver after this sort Dan. 3. 29. For He hath appointed the bound which the enemy cannot passe though they think not so and the further they run like a Spring-tide or destroying floud which carryeth down all before it the more wonderfull in the end will Gods power appeare in opposing and stopping the same For those flouds of ungodlinesse which rise so high and open so wide upon the righteous as if they would swallow them up quick shall either break and dash themselves to pieces with their own violence or they shall be a means decreed as in the former examples and in Ionah to bring them to their safe haven the place where they would be so mightie is God in power and so excellent in working and never more glorious then when He opposeth strength with weaknesse in the eye of nature and wisdome with foolishnesse which is as if a man should set a few sands as barres and dores to the Surging-Ocean when the surges thereof are many degrees above the sands So much to the second and the establishment the soule hath therefrom The third is 3. What weight these waters have It seemes a matter of more use to consider how good a servant water is so fire also and how hurtfull they are both when masters over us and ours of use indeed to consider how good every thing is in its place order and use and how good service it doth therein But then again how evill it is and what hurt it doth when through mans sinne who hath broken his rank and left his first standing also it is out of that place and order We need make no question hereof but use a great deale I have proposed a question whereto every childe can make answer but I intend the use for who knows not That the waters are heavy Aske the beast that tugs at the wheele when it hath told its rounds * Charron which it will soone learn to do it will stand still and tell you the water is weighty so will he or she say that beare it on their shoulders or upon their heads But this wearinesse is and this weight they finde in the water when they tugge at it to draw it from out of its place for though it is heavy in its own nature yet not in its own and proper place Elementa non ponderanâ— in proprio loco He that diveth into the waters and lyeth under more then would fill many Hogsheads feeleth no weight from all that Nay suppose a man were in the bottome of the Sea and life within him the water would soone choake him but he would feele no more weight from all those billows over his head then he would from a feather upon his backe for the water is in its owne place and the person â—â— out of his and that is the reason why he feeles no weight but yet he will be choaked with it This is of ordinary use and thus it is applyed when a person is over head and eares in sinne when he and his sinne are affianced yea marryed together when he is joyned to his Idol and is let alone All this while his sinne is delightfull unto him he taketh pastime in it as the Leviathan in the waters and findeth no trouble in it at all but peace and satisfaction rather Voluptate frui maxima voluttas Sin is a light matter with him so also is pardon and forgivenesse of sinne so small a matter in esteeme now as not worth the craving a seeking after in good earnest though he doth in a customary way and for order sake reckon up the fift petition amongst the rest He cannot desire ease for he feeles no burden nor enlargement for he feels not how he is enthralled And the reason hereof is his sinne is in his heart as in its proper place and center and being so it burdens him not But now stay a while till this person be laid upon his sick bed till his way be hedged up with thornes till his moneth come when he must cast forth his sorrows till he be
griped Non reddit oracula nisi constrictus with paines both within and without till death look in at the windows and sinne stares him in the face and now is summoned to make his appearance before the Iudge of the whole world before whom the lying spirit spakes truth b Job 1. Natura vexata prodit seipsaâ—â— much more the conscience of a man Suppose we I say a person in such a case Nay we will not suppose it we need but antidate the time for it certainly comes and will hasten and then put we some intergatories to this man in this case we shall finde his minde changed Aske him what he thinks now of the cup of pleasure which he drunk down so greedily he will tell you he findes it bitternesse in the latter end it was indeed like sugar under his tongue but now in his bowels it is as the gall of Aspes and to have overcome his pleasure had been pleasure indeed c Vicisse voluptatem voluptas maxima Groâ— 243. Aske him what he thinks of pardon for sinne he will tell you it were news from heaven indeed the best and most comfortable tidings that could be thought of Aske him how he feeles his sinne now he will tell you heavy very heavy the weightiest thing in the world sand is heavy and lead is heavy but sinne exceedeth them all d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Châ—ys de Anna ser 6. p. 946. it presseth down to the nethermost hell into the deep 's among Dragons So he will say And have I feigned all this no sure I appeale to the consciences of all men that are neither a sleep nor seared And to the testimony of all those Ministers and others who have visited the sick and men appointed to dye men put in feare and knowing themselves to be but men men in such a case as was before mentioned I appeale I say to the testimony of all such who have conferred with men put in feare they will give cleare evidence to the truth of that I have said And indeed how can it be doubted For God hath set it down by an eternall Decree That vexation and sin should be inseparable e Jussâ—sti domine sic esi ut omnis inordinatus affectus siâ—i sit Poena But there is a yet clearer voyce which sealeth this truth for when sinne seizeth upon the soul and the weight thereof is felt the soul will then wish it could lye hid in the bottom of the Sea swallowed up therein or covered under the lowest sand of the hills or mountains foundations This we should think on betimes and consider it in our hearts For sin causeth wrath even from the Lamb f Revel 6. 16. that meek and mercifull Saviour and will make us hide our selves if we could from His face the beholding whereof unto the righteous is better then life They who will not be taught by instruction must be taught by pain g 2 Esdr 9. 11 12. Other enquiries there are some necessary and usefull which might be easily made but not so easily resolved nor so usefully There are some qualities in the waters which we see plainly but not so plainly the reason of the same That is darke and obscure to moderate mindes and doth but mocke and deceive the more curious who scorne that safe refuge of occult properties h Latent animos temperatos illudunt curiosis qui putant â—uncta ad certas causas reducere manifestas irrident salutare Asylum illud oâ— cultae propri tatis Scalig. â—xercit 218. 8. I take that which I think most familiar and quickest for use So much to the demands and resolves thereunto 4. For the works of God in the great deepe they are innumerable and wonderfull Amongst them the strangest and most admirable is That little fish which will slugge a ship and stop her under full sailes so the i Scalig. Ibid. Plâ— nat Hist lib. 9. cap. 25. Naturalists say and we leave them to their proofe But we may certainly conclude hence It is easie for the Lord then to stop a man when he is breathing forth threatnings and is now upon an eager pursuit and furious march in his own way the way of sinne and death Time would faile me here and my understanding both The Lord is great in the least fish the Axchoie which we use Apâ—a abuse rather to provoke appetite as He is wonderfull in the greatest Crocodile the greatest if we observe his originall from so low a boâ—tom as is the quantitie of a Goose-egge reaching at length unto sixteene cubits k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—od sic lib. 1. pag 31. or the greatest Whale fish The Sea-Dragon that wonderfull Leviathan and so described by God himself l Job 41. And yet I cannot tell whether Gods work is lesse wonderfull in the Ship which reeleth upon the waters like a drunken man and sometimes falleth into the great deep then riseth again and is carryed safe to its harbour Assuredly the Lord is as wonderfull in steering and conducting this vessell to Him we must pay our vowes still climbing and tottering and sinking and drowning so as the passengers are in deaths often yet still living and weathering it out As wonderfull I say is the Lord The ship-masters phrase here as He is in the water-creatures which are in the deep their proper element And as wonderfull is the Lord too nay much more wonderfull for He shall be admired of all them that beleeve m 2 Thes 1. 10. in conducting a weather beaten sâ—ul to its haven For behold such a soul if we can weathering out its tempests climbing over the billows of temptations carryed now like a gallant ship well ballasted and rigg'd with a strong gale of faith thence I think we may borrow our expression n 1 Thes 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and full assurance of hope This is an high contemplation and commands the minde to fixe upon it I now look back to what hath been said touching the earth and waters that we may gather up yet further instruction from both We have reached almost unto the extent of mans dominion for we are not yet so high as the aire so high his dominion reacheth We might have observed therein the serviceable obedience of the beasts which upbraideth the base ungratitude and rebellions of Gods own nursed children The Oxe knoweth c Esay 1. 3. It was an old complaint but mans ingratitude reneweth it every day No creature so rude or savage that stands not in awe of man and dreads him as his soveraigne and will be content to be ruled and be struck too by the hand that feeds them The vast greatnesse of the Elephant hath not priviledged him from mans service he hath under-gone the burden of a woodden turret and hath exposed himself to the extremities of warre The Camel a beast of incredible strength too hath submitted himself upon
his knâ—es to receive his burden Particulars are infinite The Prophet concludes the truth in generall tearmes All the beasts of the field pay most obsequious vassallage to man so the foules of the ayre yea and the fish of the Sea The great monsters there that make the deep to boyle like a pot are not exempted from mans government from them hath he toll of bones and oyles and tribute from all the rest How full and convincing then is the Lords question Have I been a wildernesse unto Israel No to Thy praise be it spoken a delightfull Paradise Thou hast been Thou hast furnished man with a lightsome and delightfull dwelling place a disloyall tenant though he be and Thou broughtest him in unto it as into a paradise like a rich heire ready furnished with all furniture for use for delight for ornament To the intent that man should serve Thee and serve Thee cheerefully Thou hast made all Thy creatures to serve him That he might subject himself wholly unto Thy will Thou hast put all things under his feet That he might be Thine Thine only Thou hast created all these outward things for his body his body for his soul both for thy self I conclude now with the words of Chrysost upon the contemplation of the Land and Sea and that Host of creatures in both And all these saith the Father serve for the good of them that feare the Lord theirs are all things for they are Christs Thus then let me reason the case If these things are done and bestowed before our eyes let us think what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Châ—ys Hom. 22. in ep Ad Eph. good things are layed up for them in the heavens in those mansions there If where they are strangers and but sojourners they have so much homage so much honour where their Citie is what glory shall they have there If where their Lord said ye shall have affliction they have such a Ministry so many servants such an attendance such a guard such a retinue for the Angels are their Ministers The stones and creeping things fish and fowle are at a league with them and are their servants if so while here below then what rest what quiet what securitie above there where the Lord hath assured them shall be the place of their eternall rest What and how good and great things shall they have there So the Father reasons and concludeth the glory of the Saints and so much to the contemplation of the earth and waters The b Plin. nat Hist 2. 8. cap. 38. Aire is the next that which filleth up this vast and III. emptie place which we see above us and also filleth those crannies in the earth which we see not And whether in the waters or no I cannot tell but this we know that the fishes which we perceive not to breath do dye without it Of all the works of Gods hand it is the most admirable both for the wayes thereof and operations there-from I know not which we could want of all the creatures of God but I am sure we cannot want aire My veines arteries nerves all are quickned by it it is the soul of our breathing If I had all that heart could wish all were nothing if I wanted aire and aire must be good and wholesome too or else all would be as good as nothing Therefore it is Gods great doale to the world all share in it And it hath a kinde of ubiquitie It is every where and yet we cannot see where it is so like it is the likest of any to a spirit for it is the most bodylesse body by which name it is sometimes called As we call that for which we have no name to expresse its strange vertue and efficacy If I could go to the furthest parts of the earth or sea there it is If I could climbe up to the uppermost region there it is also If I could descend into the lowest vaults and caves of the earth there it would be found It is as inseparable from a man as his conscience is shut the windows barre the doores draw the curtaines all close yet you can as easily shut out your conscience as it The aire will come in it will visit us in what condition soever And if this may be said of the creature what then of the Creator He that hath given the creature so large a circuit three regions of the world hath yet appointed it its bounds But take we heed we limit not the Holy One of Israel By this creature we ascend neerer to the Creatour then by any other but yet we come infinitely short we must not compare God to any creature for to Him nothing is like The aire is pure and cleare of it self and in its own nature but if it were so to us it would not be agreeable to ours it would be then too rare and thin and not agreeing to our earthy and compounded bodies therefore for our benefit and comfort sometimes for our punishment too it receives alteration from beneath or from above or from about it thence it is that most times the aire refresheth and sometimes poysoneth sometimes temperately cooling sometimes again with heate scorching Sometimes it candies the herbs and trees and hideth the waters as with a stone d Job 38. 30. and then who can stand before His cold e Psal 147. 17. who casteth forth His yee like morsels for so we must resolve the Lords f Job 38. 29. question out of whose wombe came the â—ce And if it be said who can stand before His cold how much more then who can stand before Him when He is angry for our God is a consuming fire 1. Here the winds have their circuit but where there treasure is we cannot tell I know what the Poets â—aigne and what the Philosopher of the greatest experience that our part of the world had doth write hereof But the sacred Scripture saith That the Lord causeth it to blow g Psal 127. 18. 104 â— He raiseth the stormy winde for He hath appointed them their work their circuit as He hath the treasures h Job 38. 22. for the snow and haile And we heare their sound and feele them too but the place whence they come we know not nor whither they will so secret is the way of the winde And as secret is the way of the spirit but more admirable in working it casteth down strong holds too it levells high and exalted things But I am too high This we may conceive The same wind which now shaketh the lâ—afe and maketh the feather to move being charged agâ—inst am untâ—ine would have turned it up from the foundation And the same strength that bloweth up the dust if it came against the earth would shake the bottoms of it And this should make us feare before Him that whatsoever He hath done whether it seeme great or little we should confâ—sse His handy worke anâ— according
will the day and night and never consider Him who made all these things Let us not be like unto them but as we have hearts able to comprehend better things so let us use them that we may fill our wayes with perfect peace Let us wisely meditate in all the works of God for they are the wisdome of God in which we should know God and glorifie Him and give thanks unto Him So we reade when Eliphaz would perswade Iob the feare and reverence of Gods Majestie he biddeth him behold the starres how high they are The Prophet Isaiah when he will assure the Church of the mercy of God that He will according to His mighty power fulfill all His promises he saith thus who hath measured the waters in His fist and counted heaven with His span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in a weight and the hills in a ballance In meditation of these great works of God the Prophet would teach them to feare no man but put their onely trust and confidence in God So the prophet Ieremie setteth out the constant course of the day and night for us to consider and in it to know how unchangeable the love of God is to all His Saints So our Saviour Christ by the goodly colours of the flowers of the field He would have us learn what a fatherly providence God hath over His children to cover their nakednesse Who clotheth so gloriously the fading flower The Prophet David in many places and especially Psal 104 doth make a goodly rehearsall of the providence of God in ruling the whole world thereby exhorting us to obey God to hate iniquitie Thus should we by these exhortations and instructions teach all our senses our eyes to see and our eares to heare so that in the creatures of God we may see His glory love His goodnesse feare His Majestie expresse His Image in all our conversation So farre Mr Dearing Lectur 19. on Heb. 4. 34. c. where he informes us touching the Sabbath the works thereof and the perpetuitie of the same But I may more fitly shut up this in the words of S. Basil upon the same subject y Hom. 8. in Hex ◠p. 94. When I look back to behold the varietie of things I have spoken of then I think I have spoken a great deale and too much But then again when I consider the admirable wisdome of the Creator in them all I may very well begin my speech again for indeed I have said nothing nothing to the incomprehensible Power unsearchable wisdome exceeding riches of goodnesse which the Lord hath manifested in all His creatures and towards man the Lord of them all What remaineth then but as He is great and wonderfull in working so He is greatly to be praised as His power is wonderfull so should our feare be as His mercy exceedeth so should our thankfulnesse in our measure though indeed His mercies exceed all thanksgiving and praise So much when thou walkest by the way And now that the Sun is departed from us we have done with our walk The night succeeds and the instructions there from follow CHAP. VIII In this world the day and night have their course when they cease it will be alwayes day or alwayes night How that instructeth What darknesse teacheth How we are engaged to lie down with serious thoughts of God and His goodnesse 4. AT night c. I suppose now the Sun set upon us when the beasts go out to prey and man retires from his hard labour under the Sun It is a fit time for a man now to retire into himself also and to consider not so much his little world the severall parts powers and faculties of the same Though that is a point of great consideration and would fill another book but how he hath employed these in the day-time to the glory of the Giver and the good of them amongst whom he lives This is a strong argument to presse home this consideration even this That the longest day will have his night § 1. Let that man who hath spent the day in the may-game of the world and as the most do who make no account of time nor think themselves to be accountable for it let him ask himself what contentment he findes in the pleasures so eagerly pursued all the day before and what comfort they now give unto him now that the night is come and his doores shut upon him He must needs answer that they are gone and passed and most likely they have left but a sad relish behinde But yet if he be resolved when he is wakened to tread the same wayes again of sin and death he must needs consider withall if he have the consideration of a man that though now through Gods gracious dispensation towards him the night is and the morning will dawn yet a night will come which shall never have morning A night when our pleasures and profits and honours all that we call good things and so dote upon when all shall set and returne no more While we live here in this world As the morning cometh so cometh the night and as sure as the night followeth day so sure sorrow follows our pleasures which may teach us not to over-joy or over-prize our worldly contentments when the candle of God shineth upon our tabernaele for they are short and momentany of small continuance As sure as the night cometh so sure a change will come And here also when it is night we know the day will dawn again in its apponted time And though sorrow may abide for a night yet joy may come in the morning It is easie with Him to make it so Who turneth the shadow of death into the morning a Amos 5. 8. And the darkest time here below may cleare up again comfort may return as the morning doth and when troubles do usher in comforts they make comforts more comfortable It is said of the Sirens that they weep in calme weather and sing in a storm b Aug. de Civit. lib. 12 cap. 20. for they know that after a calme they shall have a storm and after a storm they shall have fair weather The Morall teacheth us this point of wisdome in the time of adversitie wisely to consider and to look back c Respice Trem. Eccles 7. 14. to the change of things to call to minde the time past how it hath been God hath set prosperitie and adversitie one against the other Now the day is but it will be night anon now the night is and anon the morning will be And thus I say it is while we live here just like travellers as the father spake very usefully d Basil in primum Psal p. 113. This life is a way-fare here we meet with some things which do delight us but they will away we must passe by them And here we meet with some thing which will annoy and offend us
140. in fol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hom. â—â— 9. p. 328. Doctriâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—nâ—â— imbutus animum bonis artibus non imbuâ—raâ— Tacit. lib. 15. cap. 11. In a word such an one he should be who can promote the soul of his childe I mean that the childe may prosper as his soul may prosper that is the prime and essentiall part both in father and childe and this is the very master-piece of a mans skill and evidenceth his faithfulnesse nothing more then doth the promoting thereof And note we that this price is put into the masters-hand I mean he hath the fairest opportunitie for promoting the childes good this way that can be wished if he have an heart unto the price his means and opportunitie is much every way more then the minister or pastour hath But I will open this light no further The adversary knows it too well and we know it by his practise in all hard difficult and perillous times m Aug. de civil 18. 52. A Elian. de var. Hist. l. 3. Advanc first book pag. 60. Our times are not such now yet my words here will be a complaint That in this choice we want the parents discretion and judgement very much in no one thing more If the parents choose ought for the childes body be it garters stockins shoes he will have them good n Aug. de verbis Domini se 16. de civit Dâ—i lib. 3. cap. 1. Res nulla mineris constabit patri quam filius Juven 7. he is not so carefull in the choice of the master who should make the childe good The parent commonly will put forth his childe more carelesly then he will his childes coat or his own suit of apparell and yet both if we observe it put forth to making The clark of the Church shall serve the turn or he that onely reades there two most ordinarily the unfittest men in a whole countrey But if the parent do happen upon one for it is hap and not choice that hath more knowledge and skill yet then the conversation of the man is not looked unto how well able he is to command himself though that be the chief thing to be regarded for it works most upon the childe Mr Aschams observation requires ours He will make others but bad schollers who is an ill master to Himself School p. 23. Mr. Hooker gives us a good rule also The onely way to repaire old ruines breaches and offensive decayes in others is to begin reformation at our selves p Vpon Jude â— For children are taken by example we have heard q pag. 11. Therefore the parents care and foresight at this point is more especially required and no more but what he will take in putting forth his cloth to making he puts it forth to such an one who can make it so as that it shall give a gracefull comelinesse to the body and commend the workman So carefull a man is in putting forth his cloth not so in putting forth his childe though as was said both put forth to making daily experience tells us so much and the little good the childe hath found now after six yeers schooling either for the informing his understanding or reforming his manners The little in both which the childe gained speaks it out plainly that a wise choice was not made And if the parent could understand the language he should then heare that his losse hereby were more and the injurie greater then the thief had done him who hath taken away his purse or broken his house Therefore let a parent shew his discretion in the choice of him to whom he will commit his childe for he must remember that he puts the childe out to making as he doth his cloth and he cannot but remember also that there holds little proportion betwixt his childe and his cloth though he would have them both made and then certainly he will choose a workman for both And now that I think of this that when a childe is put to a master he is put out to making for so much we must needs grant And when I think again what a treasure a childe is and what a charge comes along with it and then again what a faire opportunitie the master hath in his little nurcerie or seminary to prune and manure this little plant so as it may grow fruitfull that the Church and State and Parents that all may rejoyce together when I consider the opportunitie the master hath even to his hearts desire so farre exceeding the opportunitie which the Pastor hath at least doth take as that he hath not a day for a week nor searce an houre for his day nor hath he the opportunitie to call his disciples to an account When I consider this I shrink at the thought of this charge for I must needs think that a masters charge is very weighty and that his neglect must be very much if he do not very much good So much touching the choice of a school-master and the weight of his charge if he be answerable unto it the use the Church hath of him is much more then is ordinarily conceived and the service he doth greater then he is by the most accounted for but he serveth a good master The God of recompences Whose paiment is sure If saith the Father r Chrysost in Eph. Hom. 21. â— they who draw the Kings picture have an answerable respect and reward what are they worthy of who adorne and polish Gods Image such is man in what esteem should they be had or what reward do they deserve If this their due be not paid them there is yet comfort in this that they who do the Lords work diligently in helping what they can to repair and beautifie this Defaced Image shall have reward answerable to the greatnesse of their service a great reward For the place of paiment it is not set down whether here or hereafter that must be left to the wisdome of our great Master but the paiment is certain and answerable to the honour of the work And so much also briefly to the dignitie of this work As briefly now touching the method or way of performing the same The way the Master must take with his Scholler I shall but point at it a gain is clean contrary to the common practise which is the tasking the memorie in the first place But I will not repeat what was before spoken s these two Preface p. 8. Book p. 97. 98. things I will addde 1. The Master must make the Mother-tongue I mean that wherein the childe is daily versed and understands a precognition to that tongue he understands not it is the onely ready means to informe a childes understanding in both and to speed his course 2. A Master must make great use of the childes senses but so he doth not do unles he makes the same use of examples It is most certain that a childe understands more by one
therefore it was but coldly proceeded in then and is like to lie now as a thing not thought upon or forgotten And therefore the forementioned Mr Horne hath taken the best and safest course and but according to the advice of his Elders he hath laboured for himself and is setting forth a work of his own whereby he leades on the childe to Rhetorick Oratorie Grammar is touched upon too in passage in a clearer way then any man yet hath goâ—e before him in So Schollers like wells are the fuller the more they are drained Pag. 71. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Tom. 5. serm 55 â— The more they let out themselves for the good of others the more they are filled And a fulnesse this man hath if the skill in the languages and arts may be accounted so and which is the crown of all he hath an heart to lay forth his treasure and to spend himself for the common good And that is the way to encrease even to a fulnesse to empty our selves continually for the publick good as Chrysostome writes very usefully I have spoken this at this point in a zeal I have to promote the childes good my subject now and he who gives another his due doth not in so doing detract from any other I know there are many able and faithfull Ministers this way and the Lord encrease the number of them But I consider Schollers must be wound-up within the same common winding-sheet and laid to the same mould In that very day though their works follow them for their labour cannot be in vain in the Lord yet their thoughts perish It is good to know them and to use them while we have them Thus farre touching the way the Master must go and such helps which serve very much to promote the Scholler in the same way The Masters duty follows and that is to do his work throughly and fully in point of reformation and information before the childe passe from under his hand And Parents must have patience and suffer both to be done before the childe be other-where disposed of It proves no small disadvantage to the childe and Church that he is hasted to an higher Forme or place while his minde is empty and unfurnisht of such matter whereof before he came thither he should be well furnished or that he is posted into a strange countrey to learn the language before he hath learnt his Religion or attained any stayed or fixed carriage or command over himself The successe must needs be answerable for the childe is then most left to himself when he is least himself when he is in the most slipperie age and place y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys in Gen. Hom. 44. â— Reade Ascham â—â—hol p. 13. I mean when the furnace of concupiscence is most heated as the Father speaks when affections are strongest from within and provocations more stirring from without Therefore till the childe hath some good understanding of himself and book till he can command the one and well use the other what should he do abroad either at the Vniversitie Innes of Court or in a farre Countrey We can neither teach nor learn how to weigh measure or point the winde as the Noble Advancer speaketh against the sending of children abroad too soon and too unripe Humanitie will not down nor Logick neither and Littleton worse then either of the former They that go too unripe to those places quickly grow rotten In all probabilitie and we cannot easily conceive otherwise youth will leave that they understand not and can finde no sweetnesse in And they will to that which they can do and their natures must needs relish They will to such companions their books they understand not whose language they can skill off and when they cannot draw at the fountain they will to the sinke in those places and you may sent them as strongly that there they have been as if they had fell into a vessell wherein is no pleasure There is great cause we should labour to set our children as upright as we can and to fix their carriage before we send them forth from us else there is great danger of miscarrying considering what our natures are as was said z Pag. 44. The summe then touching this point is That there be a Graduat proceeding with the childe as up a paire of staires That the childes seed-time be improved to the utmost And for the daughter that she have generall instructions all qualities the parent can bestow which may set off and yet stand with decency and sobrietie more specially that she be accustomed to the essentialls of huswifery unto all that may make her rejoyce in time to come And when the Parent in his house and the Master in the Schoole shall have thus fully discharged this care touching the childe then may the Parents have thoughts touching the disposing of it to some lawfull calling whereof as followeth CHAP. X. Of Callings what the dignitie of some what the main end and use of all how to judge of their lawfulnesse Our faithfulnesse and abiding therein Doing the proper works thereof Designing the childe thereunto THE Lord hath disposed us in the civill Body as He hath the members in the naturall one needing another and serving for the good of another and all for the common good The foot saith not if I had been the hand I had served the body nor saith the hand if I had been the head I had served the body every member in his proper place doth his proper office for therefore hath the wise Disposer placed it so God hath set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased Him a 1 Cor. 12. 17. 19 20 21 22. And if they were all one member where were the body But now are they many members yet but one body And the eye cannot say unto the hand I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost Ibid. Hom. 32. juxta cap. â— have no need of you Nay much more those members of the body which seeme to be more feeble are necessary The Lord so tempering the body together that there should be no schisme in the body Even so in the body politique God hath given to some the preheminence and principalitie of the head They must look to their influence They are resembled to the head for weightie causes who can conceive the manifold instruments of the soul which are placed in the head the consideration whereof instructeth very much It is an high point of honour to be head and Lord over others so is it an high point of service It will not be impertinent to remember the words of a great Divine and devout Spaniard to his great Lord b Avila's Spirituall epistles 15. pag. 130. which are these Looke upon the Lord of men and angels whose person you represent He that sits in the place of another it is but reason that he have the properties
of Him Whose place he represents A Lord of vassals is a Lieutenant of God There is nothing to which great Lords ought to attend so much as truly and cordially and like men who live in the presence of God to remaine ever faithfull and firme to Him without hanging either to this way or to that And this will be easily performed by that great man who shall attentively consider That he is but the Minister of God as one who but meerely executes and must not exceed the Commission which is given to him God places not great Lords in the world to the end that they may do and undo what they list but to execute the laws of His holy will And though they may account themselves Lords yet are they still under the universall Lord of all in comparison of whom they are more truly vassalls then their vassalls are theirs and their power is as truly limited as their vassalls power is for as much as concernes the dispensing with what they ought to do So much to his dutie whose office is to be the head of the body how great that office is and how strong the engagement for the answerable discharge of the same Others He hath made Seers as the eyes of the body such grace and excellency He hath given them They must look to it that their eye be single single towards their Masters glory These considerations will help much hereunto first That they are called His holy ones upon whom the Lord hath put the Vrim and the Thummim such excellencies we can neither expresse nor conceive c Exod. 28. 30. Quae qual a fuerint non consla◠2. That the higher their place is the lower their service The eye must observe how the feet walk The more proper and peculiar their persons are the more common servants they are They must observe how the hands work nor so only they are a leading hand look on me and do likewise d Judg. 7. 17. for they are as the Ship Admirall that carryeth the Lanthorn but of this a little after The third consideration is That the Apostles were sent forth as if they had neither bellies to feed nor backs to cloath yet neither did want as men of another world divided betwixt two and faithfull Stewards for both Their Lord and His Church Publique persons these are they must serve others not themselves the eye sees not for it self not yours but you e 2 Cor. 12. 14. is a standing rule At that instant saith that devout Spaniard doth that person cease to be publique when he hangs never so little towards the particular he must stand like a stalke of a ballance no wayes bending Lastly then I will remember for it is very usefull how that grave Divine f Avila's Spirituall epist Ibid 131. writes to him whom God had set as an eye in the body Your Lordship must consider that as you are set as an eye in the body so hath He placed you in the eyes of many who take that to be a rule of their lives which they see you do make account that you are seated in a high place and that your speech and fashions are seen by all and followed by the most men Take it for a point of greatnesse to obey the laws of Christ our Lord without doubt inferiour men would hold it an honour to do that which they saw practised by great persons And for this reason I beleeve that the Prelates of the Church and the Lords of the world are a cause of perdition to the most part of souls I beseech your Lordship that as you are a particular man you will look into your self with a hundred eyes and that you will look into your self with a hundred thousand as you are a person upon whom many look and whom many follow And take care to carry both your person and your house so orderly as the Law of Christ requires that he who shal imitate your Lordship may also imitate Christ our Lord therein and may meet with nothing to stumble at The vulgar is without doubt but a kinde of Ape Let great men consider what they do for in fine that will be followed either to their salvation if they give good example or for their condemnation if it be evill I will adde one thing more and it shall be the speech of Sarpedon to his brother Glaucus it is worth all mens knowledge Come on brother we are Lords over others accounted Gods upon earth Let us shew that we are so in deed and not in name Our work must evidence our worth They who are the highest Lords must in point of good service to their countrey be the lowest servants They that are above others in place must shine before others in vertue They that eat of the fattest and drink of the sweetest and so have the best wages must by the rule of propertion do the best work And this that our underlings such who are inferiour unto us may have cause to say these are honourable persons and they walk honourably they are prime first and principall men amongst us and they are as their preheminence in place imports the first and formost in every good and honourable action So Sarpedon g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hom. Iliad ◠12. encourageth his brother That as two worthy persons they might do worthily and it is worthy every mans knowledge that hath preheminence above others And so much to assure us what the dutie of those great officers is who are set as the head over the body and as guides and lights thereunto They guide all They must be be well able well to guide and command themselves for as they guide so the people follow their example is a command h Cogi eos dicit qui exemplo Petri Judaizabant Galat. 2. 14. Bez. if well they follow well Being like sheep a A cuRious and delicate fabrick so precious for use that it seemes to be made of finer mould then the rest of the body But that it should be made of the same matter wherof Bricks and Tyles are sheweth that God is admirable in working Chrys to the people of Antioch Hom 11. wandring cattle which will drive well in a flock but not single and alone i Advanc B. 2. 272. And as this may instruct us touching the dignity of those persons who are as the head and eyes in the body so may it informe us touching our obedience to both for from this little empire in this world obedience to the head is strongly inforced The beginning of all motion all the knots and conjugations of sinews are in and from the head they have their head there which teacheth that the bodies motion is by law from the head And for the eye it is notable which one observeth how observant all are of it and to it k Asch Fox p. 62. So much to those principall officers so fitly resembled to those principall
parts in the body Others the Lord hath set as hands to the body as feet others every one in his proper place and station In the body naturall the eye hath the gift to see not to go The foot to go not to see In the great body of the world it is still as it was Hirams countrey yeelded excellent timber and stone Salomons countrey good wheat and oyle so in the body politique one needs another one supplyeth the need of another ones aboundance the others want Hereto we are called and stand bound as our callings are And to this end according to the diversitie of callings God hath given diversitie of gifts for the discharge of the same and better correspondence each to other and all this that there should be neither lack nor schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another It were a monstrous thing said the Oratour if one arme should seek the strength and spirits of the other that it self might exceed its proportion in both and leave the other arme shrunk and withered so were it for one man to graspe unto himself the good and livelihood of another not caring so himself be increased how faint feeble and impoverished the other be This were monstrous in nature it is as monstrous in politie We may recall here the words of that Divine before mentioned There is no state but would perish and be undone if publique businesse should be lead after the pace of particular affections Our relation I mean our callings wherein we are placed should be a great meanes to sodder us together and to make us look as the Cherubins l Exod 25. 20. with our faces one towards another for the good each of other for we are members one of another m Eph. 4. 25. a feeling expression there is much in that nay all to make us seek the peace and well-fare each of other We are all born to be fellow-workers and fellow-helpers as the feet hands and the eye-lids as the rowes of the upper and under-teeth saith the Philosopher n M. Aut. medit B. 1. sec 15. pag. 14. Societas nostra apidum fornici siâ—ilima Sen. epist And to the same purpose saith another Humane societies makes us like Arch-buildings wherein one stone holding up another makes the whole frame to stand fast and steddy But there is no such feeling consideration as this That we are members one of another and so placed in the body politique The same Philosopher could make a true and sound use thereof for thus he said As severall members in one body united so are reasonable creatures in a body divided and dispersed all made and prepared for one common operation And this thou shalt apprehend the better if thou shalt use thy self often to say to thy self I am a member of the masse and body of reasonable substances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not a part for then thou doest not yet love men from thy heart and thou doest exercise thy bountie or talent upon this ground barely that it is a thing convenient and fitting but when thou doest exercise it as thou art a member then thou doest it as one doing good to thy self when thou doest good to others So much of callings and how in the proper use and exercise of them they help to sodder and cement men together Now because there are callings miscalled callings but are not so serving only in the nature thereof and not by accident to enlarge the bounds of Satans kingdome because I say such callings there are falsely so called I will adde a word touching the choice of callings and make some enquiry touching the lawfulnesse of the same and how we know them so to be for the lawfulnesse of a calling gives the minde a settlednesse and sure ground for comfort First then I would not choose such a calling which hath more dependance upon the humours of men then upon their necessities which is taken up or laid down according as fancy leadeth not as right reason guideth such callings there are I may not say unlawfull but I would not choose such a calling so I say Nor such a calling would I choose which without more speciall care and fore-sight will be quickly perverted from its own primitive nature and first institution to supply the instruments of luxury excesse pride vanitie such callings there are also and very lawfull they are and some there have been and now are who use them lawfully And they who do contrary do not therefore make the callings unlawfull But yet I only say I would not choose such a calling for my childe considering the ready bent of our natures how hardly we stand firme on firme ground What danger then of falling where by occasion of our callings we stand surrounded with snares and as it were on a precipice such a calling I would not make choice of Now touching the lawfulnesse of a Calling and how we may know it so to be it will be of use first to recall what was spoken before and thence then to consider what influence my calling hath into the good of the universe and how farre as a member I promote thereby the good and welfare of the body for this saying of the Philosopher in this case is of universall truth and use That which is not good for the Bee-hive or whole swarm cannot be good for the Bee o M. Aurel Auâ— Medit. â— 6 sect 49. p 94. But this is too generall 2. We may give more then a conjecture what calling is lawfull what unlawfull by that which was anciently spoken by a man of a very base life and calling I am said he by profession such an one p Boni viri me pauperanâ— mali ditanâ— Plaut whom good men would crush quite starve and shrink up but wicked men put life in me they countenance and keep me in heart Hereby we may take a certain scale what callings will hold weight and what are to be disallowed and to be cast out as refuse 3. We may suspect that for no calling which cannot shew its descent or pedigree in a straight line from the first man downwards on whom was laid and so upon all our flesh This burden In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread That is in the travel and labour of thy body or minde And here the idle Gentle-man with his attendants are discarded as those who live in no calling he and his man are lesse serviceable to the place where they live then is old lumber in an house as was said q Book pag. 44. Greatnesse in place or estate gives no warrant for idlenesse though it doth give allowance for such an attendance or retinue as is sutable to both but yet so as every one must have his office and do his work belonging thereunto If it was the praise of the vertuous woman That she did not eat the bread of idlenesse Prov. 31.
27. It must follow that it is a dishonour to the man so to do And if she must look to the wayes of her houshold then so must he also else he walks inordinately and without his rule Every one that is grown-up to fitting yeares he that is not his calling is to fit himself for his calling must work the thing which is good with his hands and with his minde else he is like a member in the body out of its place and doing no service thereunto but a disservice rather causing a disgrace like some exuberance in the body 4. Lastly we may suspect that calling that hath not its allowance and legitimation in Gods word Not that every lawfull calling is named there for we cannot quickly give a name to every lawfull calling But that it hath its deduction and originall grant from thence If then I finde no warrant there for the lawfulnesse of my calling I am sure to fall short of comfort in it I may encrease my meanes by it but certainly I shall not encrease my joy So much to instruct us touching the lawfulnesse of a calling and how to judge there of now a few words 1. touching our orderly walking 2. our abiding therein To the former I would give two rules in way of caution 1. That supposing our callings lawfull and us lawfully called thereunto then That we must give all diligence in discharge thereof I mention this because I observe the most men working hard and very diligent in their way but not from a true rise of duty They do it because otherwise they could not live if there were a means of livelihood if men or children could live without a calling we would care little for callings and take as little pains about them for we observe the calling is left so soon as we have gotten a support by it and can live without it which assureth us That the belly f Magister Aâ—â—is ingenâ—que largiâ—â—â—venter Peâ—sprol constrains men to work not conscience sense of hunger not sense of duty to live according to Gods ordinance Note we our Great-Grand-Father had means of livelihood enough and of lands good store yet had he his employment designed unto him there No man hath a license to idle away his time Slothfull and Gentile may stand together for a time but wicked and slothfull so we must reade it Matth. 25. 36 for they are unseparable God hath joyned wickednesse and slothfulnesse and we may be sure they can never be parted A slothfull servant is a wicked servant though he may passe for a Master in the world But he may defend his sloth thus so I finde it in Chrysostome In Ephes cap. 4. Hom. 16. Though I stand idle in the Market of the world and sleep in the harvest of the yeare yet I neither pick nor steal I neither curse nor strike my fellow servants and then I have done no hurt I am sure So the slothfull servant may say for himself he hath done no hurt Yes if thou doest no good thou doest hurt if thou art slothfull thou art wicked The husbandman hath done thee much hurt if he sate still in the Spring-time and slept in thy harvest though yet he was not drunk all that time nor did he strike nor abuse his fellow servants The mouth and the hand will do the body much hurt if they neglected those offices proper to those ends wherefore they are placed in the body though yet the one did not bite nor did the other smote or scratch the body In omitting our duty of doing good we commit much ill for Truth hath sealed hereunto That the slothfull servant is a wicked servant And so much to perswade to duty for conscience sake 2. That doing our duties to man we neglect not our duty to God That while we answer our relation we stand in as members of the body we forget not that strict bond and relation we stand unto our head This is a main point and I touch upon it here because many there are who serving their particular callings and doing their duties there think that this will hold them excused for their neglect in their generall calling as they are Christians I heare the same pleading which was of old why we cannot do this or that though of infinite concernement to our souls both yet we cannot because our callings will not admit so much vacancy or leisure what not to serve God! what leisure to serve our selves and the world and can finde none to serve Him who gave us being and a place with all conveniences in the world no leisure to serve Him These things ought we to have done in their place order and subordination to an higher thing but the other thing that one thing we should not have neglected Certainly it will be a most astonishing excuse no excuse indeed but such as will leave us speechlesse To plead the ordinance of God for our neglect in the service of God He hath designed us our severall callings that there we might the better serve and glorifie Him And if from thence we shall plead our omissions therein our excuse will be no better then if a drunkard should pleade thus for his abuse of the good Creatures If thou Lord haddest not given me my drink I had not so dishonoured thee and my self Vain man the Lord gave thee drink to refresh thee therewith and being refreshed that thou shouldest return praise to the Giver It is thy sinne and thy great condemnation that thou hast turned a blessing into a curse overcharged thy self and by thy exceeding that way hast pressed thy bountifull Lord as a cart is pressed with sheaves And let this bid us beware of our old-Fathers sinne for it was Adams the woman that thou gavest me he pleaded the ordinance of God for his walking inordinately Beware I say and let it command our watchfulnesse too for particular sinnes do adhere and stick to particular callings as close as the ivie to the wall as the stone to the timber But yet our callings shall give us no excuse for committing those sinnes or for omitting the contrary duties It is certain we shall have no excuse therefrom none at all but what will leave us speechlesse This by the way but not from my scope So much to engage our faithfulnesse in our callings and our heart still to God A word now touching our abiding in that Nè quis temerè sâ—os fines transiliret ejusmodi vivendi genera vocationes appellavit suum â—rgò singulis vivendi genus est quasi statio c. Cal. Inst. lib. 3. cap. 10 sect 6. station or calling whereunto God hath called us Certain it is the Analogie or resemblance holds well and teacheth very much between the body naturall and the body politick Thus in the body naturall it is bloud and câ—oler contain themselves within their own proper vessels if bloud be out of the veins it causeth an Apostume if choler out of
personall and particular respects so I must be understood whom I more honour then your selves or who have more deserved honour in your private and particular waies then your selves have from all that know you And this I speake clearely without the least shew of flatterie which I hate as I doe that my stomack most loatheth Besides all this there are vertues pointed at here which claime acquaintance with you and say ye have an interest in them for they are yours When I come to the Middle-Age you shall finde the Parent Advising about A match for the Childe and so on where ye shall reade these particulars pointed at for though I am verie long in the whole I am short in the parts pointing at things in passage briefly So giving the Reader an hint for further inlargement pointed at I say a discreet Parent a vertuous Wife a grave Matron an honourable Age. And in the shutting up of the book a closing of the â—ie yeelding up all into the hands of Death which yet is to such as Iosephs wagons serving onely to convey those who are such To the place of rest where they would be And such ye are I think and an interest ye have in those vertues before mentioned ye may lay claime to them and call them yours else I know not where to finde a vertuous woman a True wife a grave Matron an honourable Age. Therefore I conclude such ye are And that your departure out of this life will be joyfull for ye go to the God whose ye are and whom you serve c Acts 27. 23. the strongest ground for comfort that ye can stand on And now that I have concluded so I have excluded none from partaking with you in the same vertues and reward and wish that all were even so and more abundant So it puts you on to strive to improve to grow to increase It is the Apostles inocuragement often none more often and to those who had gone verie farre even to perfection where note our perfection here is our strife after perfection And after this ye strive too as the Apostles wish was even your perfection d 2 Cor. 13. 9. O how good and blessed a thing it is to stirre up to encourage one the other the husband the wife the wife the husband the Parent the Childe the Childe the Parent c. Let us go on to perfection Heb. 6. 1. ye doe I doubt not but ye doe strive after this ye doe labour it is a grave word but it f 2 Cor. 5. 9. looseth of its weight in our Language for it implieth such paines as a man will take to climbe up to the pinnacle of honour g See the Book page 9. lesse labour will not serve for we intend an higher place so ye strive That ye may be accepted of the Lord that ye may live for ever with Him Oh it is good to strive here and not to faint It is for eternitie and for a crowne lasting so long and unlike other crownes still flourishing even to everlasting Gird up your loines That is put to all your strength and the Lord strengthen your hands to lay hold hereon and strengthen you the more the more feeble Age hath made you and the nearer you are to the putting it on Be as ye have been and be more abundant Eies h Job 29. 13â— to the blinde feete to the lame that the blessing of them that are ready to perish may come down upon you as the Dew upon the grasse and your praiers may ascend as Incense coming up in remembrance before the Lord. But above all look to the root of all Faith Gods great work i John 6. 29. and gift restore that renew that the fruit k See the Book pag. 46 47. will be and be alwaies greene like a Watered garden which doth not fear the yeer of drought l Jer. 17. 8. Quicken the Mother-grace it will quicken you and every grace that ye cannot be unfruitfull ye cannot but adde one grace to another so building upwards stil towards heaven where we hope to see our Parents againe our yoak-fellows againe our children againe c. This is somewhat quickning but where we shall see our Lord Christ againe even as He is m John 3. 2. Lord what a joyfull vision will this be Thou knowest we know not nor know how to expresse it for it passeth all understanding Be abundant therefore in the work of the Lord in the labour of love work of faith patience of hope none of this can be in vaine in the Lord. In vaine more is understood then spoken An Abundant recompense there shall be pressing down running over For Temporalls eternalls for a sprinkling of mercy a weight of Glory for respecting His Christs here ye shall be ever with Christ and with His Christs hereafter where there shall be All peace and peace is all passing understanding where ye shall see the glory of His Inheritance and partake with the felicitie of His Chosen When all the Crannies of your right precious soules shall be filled with joy unspeakably glorious Our thoughts are too short to reach here much more short are our words Their scope is to set your hope before you and to make it precious in your eies that in this earthly Tabernacle ye may have your conversation in the highest heaven from thence looking for a Saviour Who shall change this corruptible body to make it like to His glorious body in that blessed Time which shall scatter away all afflictions and seale within you the happy assurance of immortalitie therewith cloathing a weake body and recompensing a few sorrowfull daies with everlasting peace In which hope say now and alwaies Lord encrease in us our faith and hope that in assurance of Gods love our consciences may be at peace and in the revelation of Gods glory our hearts may be filled with joy in the Lord. Yee see now the full scope of my words even to leade you to hopes on high for they will send your thoughts on high they will purge quicken stirre up they will elevate and advance the soule to a wonderfull height And now that my words have attained this end as I hope they have even to set your affections hearts heads hands all a work ye labour to be accepted of the Lord my words shall here end also so soone as I have onely mentioned the Apostles fare-well I commend you to God and the word of his Grace n and have subscribed my selfe Your worships in a double obligation EZEKIAS WOODVVARD THE PREFACE PREPARING THE EARE OF him or her who is a Childe in understanding My deare Childe HItherto thou hast been an hearer onely growing up as my papers fill'd and as an accession of yeers through Gods goodnesse gave some addition to thy growth and capacitie so did I to the strength weight of my Instructions I suppose thee now growne up and thy knowledge answerable to thy
Sacrament we must look over what was said touching our inward frame of spirit Where we behold from what a dignitie we are falne into what a depth of miserie That the Scripture speaks not in vain The o Jâ—r 17. 9. heart is desperately wicked It is for hardnesse like the nether mil-stone the Rocke the Adamant It is in point of conversion or turning unto God as dead as a doore-naile as unchangeable as the spots of a Leopard It is in point of that poyson malignity and rage that is in it a Lyon a Dogge an Adder a Dragon an Aspe a Viper in point of uncleannesse like a Leper from head to the foot polluted All this and much more That we may remember and be confounded and never open our mouth any more b Ezek. 16. â— but in acknowledging our selves unclean vile lothsome and in magnifying the abundant treasures of grace and riches of mercies in and through Christ freely offered and secured unto us in Baptisme which now comes to be treated of c. CHAP. III. Baptisme the outward the inward the secret and mysterious working thereof BAptisme wherein sacramently is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretium Redemptionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavacrum bloud to justifie and water to sanctifie even all Christ in that signe of water to quicken to renew to sanctifie He bids us in this Sacrament wash and be clean as in the other eat and live There we put off the old man with his lusts and we put on the new man with his righteousnesse here we are made one with Christ as a branch with the vine as a member with the body we are Christs and Christ is ours we are as truly united unto Him as is my hand to my arme my arme to my shoulder both to my head as truly I say but more strongly and firmly for these may be parted though my outward sense gives me not a feeling of it but such a neere union there is and it is sealed unto us in Baptisme I meane not that as was said of circumcision outward in the flesh made with the Hand sprinkling the face which doth but tye us to the body in an outward profession as a graft to the stocke from whence it hath neither life nor nourishment it doth not put us into Christ nor will it in the day of visitation and separation difference us from the Heathen b Jer. 7. 19. but exposeth us rather to more wrath And this outward Baptisme which without an inward work cleanseth not is as much as the Baptist that is deputed by the Church can administer Iohn who was the greatest that was born of women c Matth. 11. 11. could reach his hand no further then to the outward water and dipping therewith It is the Baptisme made by fire and the holy Ghost which reacheth to the heart which cleanseth and purgeth indeed He or she who have received this washing who are purged from their old sinnes may glory in their fountain opened for sinne and for uncleannesse d Zech. 31. 1. and in their priviledges worthy to be gloried in as we read a great Emperour did more then in his Imperiall Crown Aust de Civit. Dei l. 5. c. 26. for what greater glory is there then to be of the off-spring of God to receive the adoption of sonnes and daughters and to have that worthy name to be called upon us and such honour have all thy Saints And now we are come to a great secret The way how the Lord works and upon whom He works is more secret then is the winde which bloweth where it listeth c. and as indiscernable to sense as is the knitting of the bones in the wombe and covering of them with flesh What we cannot conceive pray that we may admore what we cannot understand pray we that we may experimentally finde and feel that though we cannot comprehend we may be comprehended The Lord knoweth who are his and it is a great secret yet His secret is with them that fear Him I mean not alwaies and with all that fear Him they know that they are His though yet all know it not nor some at all times and this they know as not by extraordinarie revelation so nor by prying into his secret Decree how there He hath disposed of them This will as by fixing our weake eye upon a strong object blinde us with light It is a ventrous and a bold coming unto God and most dangerous also for if we climbe up unto His Decree we shall fall into the gulfe of despair because we come unto Him without a Mediatour f Hic sine m dâ—ctore â—es agitur disputatur de Dei benâ—pâ—icito ac voluntale in quam sese Christus resert Luther Psal 22. In doubts of Predestination begin from the wounds of Christ p. 337. that is from the sense of Gods love in Christ we should rise to the grace of election in Him before the world was It was Luthers counsell and he found it of force against the devises of Satan g De praedestinatione diâ—putaturus incipe à Christi vulnâ—ribus statim Diabolus cum suis tentationibus recedet Mel. Ad. in Staupicii vita p. 20. The way to melt our hearts into a kinde repentance for sinne is to begin from the love of righteousnesse and of God all figured out in Baptisme as well as in the Supper And this also was Staupitius counsell to Luther whereby he made the practise of repentance ever sweet to him whereas before nothing in all the Scripture seemed so bitter h Vera est ea poenitentia quae ab amore justitiae Dei incipit dixit Staupitius Quae vox ita aliè in animo Luthâ—i insedit ut nihil dulcitos facrit deinceps ei poenitentia cum aâ—tea eidem in totâ Scripturâ nihil esset amarius Mel. Ad. ibid. vita Staup. But now suppose our case to be this and it is most likely to be so that we finde no work of the Spirit upon us no change wrought by His renewing grace we are as we were not cleansed from our old sinnes we have passed over this Iordan we have gone into this water and we are come out as unclean as before our hearts are not sprinkled We see a price paid for us and no lesse then the price of the blood of God yet we have not consecrated our selves to Him who hath so dearly bought us yet we have not accepted Him for our Lord though we are His purchase i Rom. 14. 9. and for this end He died and rose again but other Lords rule over us And though we be called by His name yet we walk in our own wayes serving divers lusts as if we were our own and not peculiarly His who bought us with a price If I say this be our case then Luthers counsell is observeable which is this To enter into our closet there to spread our selves
before the Lord in humble confessions as followeth k Oportet nos esse tales scilicet verè poenitentes non possumus esse tales Quid hic faciemus Oportet ut cognito te tali non neges te talem sed in angulum vadas juxta consilium Christi in abscondito ores patrem tuum in coelis dicens sine fictione ecce optime Deus poe â—itendum mihi praecipis sed talis sum ego miser quod sentio me nolle neque posse quare â—â—is prostratus pedibus c. Concione de poenitentiâ An. 1518. Lord thou hast set a fountain open but to us it is sealed Thou hast bid us wash and be cleane we cannot we are no more able to wash our selves then we can take out the seeming spots in the Moon Thou hast said When will it be c. we say it will never be no not when the Rocks flie in pieces and the earth shall be no more but then it shall be when thou giving that thou commandest art pleased to make us as thou wilt the heavens and the earth all new Thou hast commanded us to come unto Christ that we might live we cannot come no more then Lazarus could by his own power cast off his grave-clothes and turn up the mould from over his head and stand up from the dead We are bound up in unbelief as within gates of brasse and barres of iron Thou hast said Turn ye every one from his evill way we say we cannot turn r Lay down thy heart under the Word yeeld it to the Spirit who is as it were the Artificer can frame it to a vessell of honour Mr. Reynolds on Psal 110. pa. 42. no more then we can turn that glorious creature which like a Gyant runnes his course so gyant-like we are and so furiously marehing on in our own wayes of sinne and death This is but part of our confession 2. We must acknowledge also that righteous is the Lord in commanding what is impossible for man to do Because the Lord did not make things so at first He gave us a great stock to deale and trade with but like unfaithfull stewards we have wasted the same and so have disinabled our selves Our inability was not primitive and created but consequent and contracted our strength was not taken from us but thrown from us This is the principall point of confession our inabilitie comes out of our own will Å¿ Read and observe with all diligence Mr. Dearings words on the third Chapter to the Hebrews ve 8. Lect. 15. Sentio me nolle neque posse I finde that I neither will nor can before D'S S. p. 215. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To be feverish is not voluntary but my intemperance which causeth a fever is voluntary and for that I am deservedly blamed pained No man chuseth evill as evill Transl out of Clem. Alex. Stro. l. 1. p. 228. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin is my voluntary act Loco laâ—d l. 2. p. 294. Cesset voluntas propria non erit infanus originally we will not be cleansed as Thâ—â— * Joh. 20. 25. so say we in effect not we cannot but we will not we 〈◊〉 deny the Lord that bought us we will not come unto 〈◊〉 that we may live so stiffe are our necks and so hard our hearts that we will not turn for though out of the very principles of Nature we cannot but desire happinesse and abhorre miserie yet such a deordination and disorder lieth upon our Nature that we are in love with eternall miserie in the causes and abhorre happinesse in the wayes that lead unto it our will is the next immediate cause of sinne it puts it self voluntarily into the fetters thereof Necessity is no plea when the will is the immediate cause of any action Mens hearts tell them they might rule their desires if they would For tell a man of any dish which he liketh that there is poyson in it and he will not meddle with it So tell him that death is in that sinne which he is about to commit and he will abstain if he beleeve it to be so if he beleeve it not it is his voluntary unbelief and Atheisme If there were no will there would be no hell as one saith And this is the confession which goes to the core of sinne and it must not be in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth for it is the truth And if we can thus spread our selves before the Lord if we can willingly and uprightly t Read our second Reinolds on Rom. 7. p. 262. own damnation as our proper inheritance to that the heart must be brought and it is the Lord that meekneth it so farre if we can willingly resigne our selves for nothing is left to man but duty and resignation of himself it is not u Oportet pium animum velle nescire Dei secre tum superse c. Impossible est cum periro qui Deo gloriam tribuit eum justificat in omni opere voluntate suâ Lut. Psalm 22. Christus faciet poenitentes quos jubet poenitere supplebit de suo quod dâ—est de nostro Lut. de Poenitent 1. Pet. 1 8. possible then that we should perish He will make supply of His strength what is wanting in ours He will give what he commands He will give clean waters He wil create peace He wil strengthen our hand to lay hold on rich and precious promises And then we cannot possibly be barren or unfruitfull in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ we cannot but gird up the loins of our minde giving all diligence x 1. Pet. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Shew me a man that ever learnt an ordinary Trade or lived upon it with ordinary diligence point me to a man that was bad yet laboured to be good or who was good yet took no pains to be better Chrysost in 1. Ep. Ad Tim. cap. 1. Hom. 1. About ordinary things very easie matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we take extraordinarie paines but great and extraordinary things we think we may attain sleeping Chrysost 4. Tom. de Vita Monast cap. 7. ordinarie diligence will not get ordinary preferment much lesse will it a Crown The Scripture saith Giving all diligence waiting the sealing and testimony of the Spirit and walking in all the wayes of righteousnesse whereto the Apostle presseth at the end of everie Epistle for whom the Lord justifieth He sanctifieth and if we finde no fruits y For the certaintie of faith search your hearts if you have it praise the Lord. But if you feele not this faith then know that Predestination is too high a matter for you to be disputers of untill you have been better schollers in the School-house of Repentance and Justification I wade in Predestination in such sort as God hath opened it Though in God it be first yet to us it is last
mantle will cover many defects And we are the more likely to do it the more we see how false our hearts are how ready to breake all bands and to cast away all cords for this our impotencie truely apprehended will make us feare alwayes and cleave the faster to Him in whom our strength is keeping our selves as the Apostle counselleth in the e Jude 20. love of God building up our selves in our most holy faith praying in the Holy-Ghost Such a prayer will as the Horsleech sucks out corrupt f Prâ—ces pâ—râ—inacissima curarum hirudo M l. vit Lâ—th p. 139. c. bloud it is Luthers comparison consume our cares our feares our sorrows oâ—r sins This by the way My chiefe scope is here to put to our consideration what a straight and binding cord Religion is and better we cannot see it then in Baptisme wherein we are wholly consecrated g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Proâ—rept pag. 30. to the Lord that bought us 1. There we professe our selves made the members of Christ How can the thoughts thereof but stirre us up to give our members weapons of righteousnesse unto holinesse shall we take the member of Christ and give it to our lust There is great weight in those words And if members of Christ then members one of another h Eph. 4. 25. And then we suffer as members when we suffer not in our own bodies we suffer in compassion as others in their passions such a sympathy and fellow-feeling there is In Saint Pauls i Heb. 10 13. Heb. 13 3. Lege Chrysost in 1 Cor. c 8. â— in ep Ad Câ—los cap. 4. Hom. 12. remember my bonds Verse 18. Perniciocissimâ— labâ—ntur quòd fratrum insâ—â—mitatem nullius peâ—si habent Caâ— Iâ—st lib 3. c. 1â— sect 10. construction it is ever thus If this brothers back be pinched it is my back I am pinched too If his eye be offended it is as the apple in mine I am offended too If his heart is sadded it is my heart I am sadded too ye are members one of another and then ye are pitifull and mercifull As we have received so we must return according to our measure mercy for mercy blessing for blessing nay blessing for cursing knowing that we are thereunto called that we should inherit a bâ—â—ssing k 1 Pet. 3. 9. I know said Luther l Ignâ—râ—ntâ—am meam facilè feret ignoscet mihi Ecclesia Dâ—i Regina illa misericordiae cujus viscera sunt merae remissiones peccatorum Luth. Praefatio in postillas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—â— Act. Apâ—st ca. 21. Hom. 44. â— my ignorance the Church will beare with and my faults she will pardon being the Queen of mercy and nothing â—lse but bowels and forgivenesse of sins so like the Body is unto her Head for she hath the Spirit of Christ And so we know the true distinguishing property of the true Church In this are the children of God known They love the Brotherhood They shew bowels of mercy towards all 2. In Baptisme we are made the sonnes and daughters of God and inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven Behold saith the Apostle what manner of love m 1 Joh. 3. 1. here is our thoughts are too short We are now the sonnes of God and it doth not appeare what we shall be but when He shall appeare we shall be like Him our thoughts cannot reach to this brightnesse our eyes are dazled with the very conceit of this glory so exceeding it is But this is clearly evident He that hath this high prerogative here to be called the sonne of God that hath this hope to be changed hereafter as from glory to glory and to inherit a Kingdome which shall never have end the glory whereof as much exceeds the glory of all other kingdomes as doth the light of the Sunne exceed the light of the smallest rush-candle He I say that hath this hope purgeth himselfe even as He is pure n Verse 3. He cannot think of such a Kingdome but he must have strong motions thither ward and after holinesse for nothing uncleane can enter there Hopes on high will raise the thoughts on high 3. We solemnly promised in Baptisme and received that Sacrament as our presse-money binding us to performe even presently to begin so soone as we could discerne of good and evill to serve the Lord in all well-pleasing who chose us to be souldiers against His and our enemies the Divell and our Lusts which all fight against our soules And through faith in His name that great engine which spoyleth principalities and powers we should do valiantly as good souldiers of Iesus Christ o 2 Tim. 2. 3. But here we take a scale of our misery and looke how low we are falne and what darknesse lyeth over our hearts when the most of us take part even with the adversary that hateth us delighting in nothing more then in the shame and paine of the creature We feare him not he that feares he feares to sinne who made no scruple to tempt our Saviour Christ whom himselfe called the Sonne of God And cannot be terrified though he be in chains therefore restrained else hee would deale with the world as with Iobs house and with us and ours as with Iobs goods children and body from doing ill and all that is contrary to God and Goodnesse no not by the fearfull word of the Almighty How great then is our folly and madnesse who hold communion and faire quarter with such an enemy who delights in proud wrath yet such is our darkenesse so we do It is a paradoxe indeed clean crossing conceit and reason That we should feare a Beare and p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Ad Gentes 21. a Lion yet not feare the Divell for then we should feare to sinne q Hist of the world first B. c. 11. sect 8 â— That we should be better and unplacable enemies to our enemies and yet hold a league with Satan yea and account him a familiar so some do who yet is the grand enemy of mankinde r Ibid. sect 6. And now what shall we say to those unworthy wretches who are in a league with this unclean spirit and do thinke they can impale him in a circle a circle which cannot keep out a mouse so insconce themselves against this great monster and think they can terrifie him also whereas in very truth the obedience which the Divell seemes to use is but thereby to possesse himself of the bodies and soules of them who hold such familiaritie with him such it is and so willing a subjection and vassallage it is as if the Lord of the creatures counted it his glory to be in slavery and bondage to proud wrath Å¿ Prov. 21. 24. I cannot but remember here how sadly and feelingly Saint Basil t Tom. 2. p. 418. Regulae fusius disput â—nter 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 complains at this point Thus he speaks Horrour and amazement takes hold of me when I consider how good a Lord and Master we have how great and magnificent a benefactour yet notwithstanding how little He is feared how poorely served how unwillingly if at all obeyed On the contrary how cruell and devouring an adversary the Prince of darknesse is yet how much feared how cheerefully served how willingly o-obeyed We are broken away from our just and righteous Master who created who redeemed us and have sold our selves to a proud Lord whose lusts we do though he doth all against us to the extent of his chaine all the hurt he can all our dayes by all means And which aggravates our defection and base servitude for what a poore reward have we done this For a poore bait of profit or pleasure which is taken with delight but presently will be gravell in the teeth rottennesse in the bowels bitternesse in the latter end For so poore a thing such a scrap as this we are revolted and gone And this is the great condemnation yea more It will be the great reproach scorne and taunt which in that great day the Divell will cast even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Christ Himselfe and upon man thus beguiled and revolted for this will be the scorne and taunt Here is the man created in Thy Image bought with Thy bloud fed by Thee preserved by Thee all His dayes This reasonable man have I Thine and his professed enemy gained from Thee not with strong wrestlings neither but as easily as one can win a childe with an apple I offered him some profit a poore and shrunken commodity he eagerly ran after it I presented him pleasure but masked and under a vaile he embraced it he greedily swallowed that bait and Hell with it sinne is but Hell disguised as pleasure is but paine unmasked and so was content to be my slave for ever my slave who never wrought him any good or willed him any but all the ill and hurt I could For the love of such a Master was this man content to have his eare boared that he might not depart from me for ever Thus Saint Basil complained and this he adds more which is more then all the rest That the consideration of this reproach and taunt which the Divell will cast upon Christ and the man of His right hand was more astonishing to him then thoughts of Hell it selfe For the thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what a good Lord we neglected and how cruell a Lord we served and what wages we had for our worke will be more tormenting to the damned in hell then will be the paines therein But to return and to say as they doe who have better learned Christ We must know 1. That Satan is a devouring enemy still watching our destruction 2 As his name is such is he he will accuse us for those very sins he now tempteth us unto and will â—pbraid them to us unto the confusion of our faces 3 That we have no means to avoid his baits but by flying from them nor have we any other means to impale and insconce our selves against this Monster but in the Name of the Sonne of God the onely Name that terrifies him indeed being call'd upon and beleeved on in Truth And then by flying from and avoiding his baits those great Enchanters whereby he bewitcheth us beguiles and overcomes so many And here it is not impertinent to remember an usefull answer to a grave and weightie question proposed to an honest and learned v Isid Pelus lib. 2. ep 164. friend by way of wonder The question is this How it comes to passe That the divell now wounded in his head and spoyled by our great Captain and Prince of Salvation should yet prevaile so mightily in the world and carry so many captive as he doth and this daily which is not usuall with a spoyled enemy to do This is the question and the wonder His good friend answers And do you wonder at this saith he Truly I wonder not at all for what wonder is it that an ever diligent and watchfull enemy who neglects no time nor occasion should spoile a negligent people secure in their victory and now as souldiers drunke with prosperity snorting in their tents What wonder to sâ—e souldiers who can endure no x 2 Tim. 2. 3 4. hardnesse who will intangle themselves with affairs of this life who will sleepe in their trenches though the enemy be at their backs who neglect all necessary succours what wonder I say to see such fall even before a wounded enemy The Lion is strong the Serpent subtill and yet if the Lion be a sleep and the serpent chil'd with cold they may be overcome as easily as the weakest and simplest creatures It is an easier matter to encounter with twentie ships lying in harbour whose Mariners are a sleepe in their Cabbins or drinking in Taverns then with five prepared for the fight This was the observation of a great Commander y Hist of the World book 3. chap 11. sect 9. p. 117. and of great use here and no wonder in all this Nay rather this were to be wondred at and it were strange indeed if we doing none of those things which becommeth souldiers and conquerours they stand upon their guard and keepe watch still knowing that a wounded enemy biteth deadly and rageth furiously should be able to maintaine and make use of our victory against a mightie and now raging enemy who moveth every stone and imployeth all his Methods or Stratagems against us This were strange indeed Thus the Author answereth the question and takes of the wonder Now heare his counsell If you demand then what is to be done by us in this case I make further answer Because our adversary though he is falne and broke yet boasteth great things and is bold in his confidence and takes all his advantage from our neglects and carelesnesse a Nostris peccatis Barba iÌ„ fortâ—s sunt Nostris vitiis superamur Hier lib 2 ep â— We must keepe our watch b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. we must labour we must endure hardnesse we must implore Gods help we must do whatsoever is to be done we must flye from the divell and unto that Name that strong-hold whereto the righteous flye and they are safe If thus we do not we betray our succours and the victory our Lord hath purchased we forfeit our own peace and our soules into the enemies hands And then we have nothing whereof to complain of the enemies strength but much whereof to accuse our own extreame folly and supine negligence This is his counsell and because it is very good we will heare the like from a latter divine a very devout Spaniard c Avâ—la's Spirit epist pag. 30. Be not negligent and secure having so watchfull and diligent an adversary for if thou be thou art instantly undone If
〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 6. Religi 601. â— Mirantur quenquam esse quem exiguaegemmulae aut lapilli dubius oblectet fulgor cui quidem stellam aliquam atque ipsum denique solem liceaâ— intueri Ibid. â— Prov. 18. 11. there so the same Author would let out that wind also †3. Is it the portion a man hath in the world above his brethren which bloweth up the bubble What is all that more then in conceit neither a strong citie nor an high wall they cannot deliver in the day of trouble It is but a meere conceit we thinke they can And what is a fat and ful possession of these outward transitory things if there be leannesse in the soule if that be blown up with these vanities As certainly it must be so and can be no otherwise when these outward things have stuffed and cram'd our hearts so that they are made fat and blown up with them An heart filled with this winde o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 ep 18. 52. pag. 781. You may better trust the wind or letters written in water then mans prosperitie And so uncertain it is that we may 〈◊〉 a speedâ—â—r course hasten to God where is certaintie and no shadow of change is as barren of true grace pride and grace are incompatible as the surface of that earth is where these treasures are which is as barren say the naturalists as the parched places of the desart They are great snares and intanglements and impossible they should be otherwise without a great measure of grace from God with whom all things are possible and watchfulnesse over our selves which consideration should rather humble us Better they cannot make a man therefore the Heathen would not have them called Good Things But worse ordinarily they make him more proud against God more insolent and oppressing over those that are below and inferiour unto him And very unsatisfiable they are and therefore disquieting also like thorns to the head we may as well undertake to fill a bag with wisdome a cheft with vertue as our hearts with gold silver riches high room with any earthly things no reason those things should puff us up or if there be reason in it it is from our wisdome which must be ceased from p Pro. 2â— â— 5. for why should we let our eyes fly upon that which is not so uncertain and fleeting it is and being grasped after and enjoyed doth presse us below our selves even lower then the place whence it was digged †4. Is it an hairy bush of vanitie let out to spread beyond its reasonable and due proportion that would blow me up That were a monstrous conceit How can that adorne me which hath proved an halter or how can that commend me which the Spirit hath concluded to be my q 1 Cor. 11. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 26. shame A point of great impudency it is to fight with or go against and contrary not onely to our selves but to nature also saith Chrysostome upon those words Is it my pleated curled or cut haire that makes me think of my self above what is meet That is a very affrighting conceit for the Lord can make our head of haire to take the form sometimes of a great Snake sometimes of many little Serpents as some in Poland and Germanie have found and felt witnesse the bloudy drops their haire yeelded being pricked and the losse of their eyes if they cut it saith the learned professour of physick in Padua And methinks saith r Mr Bolton's foure last things p. 40. Mr Bolton from his hand I have it our monstrous fashionists both male and female the one for nourishing their horrid bushes of vanitie the other for their most unnaturall and cursed cutting their hair should every houre fear and tremble lest they should bring that same noisome horrible disease in the haire called the plica upon their own heads and amongst us in this kingdome †5 Is it the putting off the hat at a distance which lifts a man Å¿ Sic leve sic paâ—vum est animum quod 〈◊〉 avarum subruit aut resicit Hor. lib. 2. epist up or the vain applause of the ignorant multitude He must thank his money for that t O nummi vobis â—i dantur honores Juven It is ordinary with some to gaze upon a gilded post It was manners make a Man but now according to the old complaint Money u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Pâ—ndâ—r â—â—th â—â—e 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—rip orest 30. A rich man shall have many heralds †6. Is it knowledge that would puffe us up This were an empty conceit We know that as in vessels the more the liquour or matter of substance and worth comes in the more the Aire goes out it is the empty vessel that makes the noise so the more we truly and indeed know the more we are humbled in that we know All my knowledge and that all is but a little to that I know not All separated from Christ which the more it is the more it humbleth will not advance me above the devil nay in respect of my knowledge I am if a creature could be infinitely below him I hold no proportion with him none at all but in my pride that gives me some equalitie with that proud Lucifer and makes me like him In knowledge I am much inferiour The Devil knows more then all the knowing Men in the world and hath the experience of so many thousand yeares to help his knowledge and yet it helps him not but aggravates his judgement And indeed how can a man reasonable think but that that same gift suppose it knowledge separated from that which St. Paul did onely desire to know But that the same gift I say will prove unto him like Absaloms haire it will be his ruine which he hath used abused rather against God the Giver of the same so fighting against Him with his own weapons †7. Is it eminency of gifts or place that would make me think my self some body This were but an empty conceit neither For the higher any one is in place the lower he must be in point of office and service towards those that are under him At the best we are but Stewards and the more betrusted we are the greater will our account be and the more expected what we have gained And can it be reasonably supposed but that That mans reckoning will be very heavy who the more power was in his hand the more he put it forth in the oppressing the meek of the earth making them to groane under him which is but an exorbitancy of power or at the best but to exercise it as a jaylour t Vâ—um aliquem 〈◊〉 ac delicits 〈◊〉 gementibus undique aclamentantibus alâ—s hoc non est 〈◊〉 sed carâ—â—râ—â— eâ—â— custodem Vtop Tho. More turning the edge of it against the Lord and His servants And the higher God raised
Maâ— lib. 1. â—â— 37. So strong a naturall affection hath been and so able to endure wrongs and to right them with good which is our rule and contrary to former customes l Isid Pâ—lus lib. 3. epist 126. 1 Cor 4. 12. 13. â—â—ge Chrys ad Pop. Ant. 〈◊〉 Hom. 9. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pluâ— de Frat. Am. wins the Crown or garland Grace is stronger then Nature it rivets and joynes men together like twin members eyes hands and feet or like twigs on the same root or stalke which stick alwayes together But especially if we suppose two persons communicating together at the Table of the Lord we must needs grant that in this Communion they see that which will reconcile implacablenesse it self for there they see a free offer of grace and peace not onely to an enemie once but to exmitie it self an infinite debt cancell'd a transgressour from the wombe an infinite transgressour since yet accepted to mercy This will beget again a love to God and to the most implacable enemy for Gods sake thoughts of this will swallow up the greatest injuries If our thoughts be upon the Ten thousand talents we cannot possibly think of requiring the hundred pence this Chrysostome m Vol. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lege Chrysost in cap. 8. ad Rom. Hom. 14. p. 206 presseth very fully and usefully in his first sermon upon that parable or debtor We must remember alwayes that much love will follow as an effect from the cause where many sinnes are forgiven n Luke 7. 47. Matth. â—8 33 We cannot but think on the equitie of this speech and how inexcusable it must leave an implacable man I forgave thee all thy debt shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servants The summe is and our rule I must love my friend in Christ and my enemie for Christ Catechismes are large here and helps many and it is hard to meet with new meditations on so old a subject handled so fully and usefully by many but His good spirit leade thee by the hand who leades unto all truth It remains onely that I give some satisfaction to a question or two these they are But how if I finde not these graces Repentance faith charitie to be in me how then May I go to this Table or go I as a worthy Communicant A weighty Question this of high and universall concernment For he or she that eats and drinks unworthily are guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord o 1. Cor. 11. 27. The guilt of bloud lieth upon them Now the Lord ever puts a price upon bloud even upon the bloud of beasts upon the bloud of man much more upoÌ„ that bloud that was shed for man how great a price being the bloud of God and the price of souls So then we must be well advised what we do For if we spill mans bloud as God forbid we should for bloud cries yet if we would we have another bloud to cry unto which cries for mercy but if we spill this Bloud and tread it under foot what then whither then shall we flie for mercy when with our own hands we have plucked down our Sanctuary We spill we cast away our right pretious medicine We must then be well advised what we do and be humbled very low for what we have done even to girding with sackcloth and wallowing in dust p Jer. 6. 26. For who is he that may not say even in this case Deliver me from bloud guiltinesse O Lord the God of my salvation q And blessed be God even the God of our salvation that we can in His Name go to bloud for pardon of this crimson sinne even the spilling of His Bloud for so three thousand did before us r Acts 2. And written it is for our example For when the stain of This Bloud was fresh on their hands and hearts too yet being pricked at their hearts for it even for the shedding of that Bloud they cryed to that Bloud and were pardoned And so having premised this I come to the question which hath two branches and so shall have a double answer briefly first to the first branch Quest 1 If these graces be wanting may I go Answ It is not safe If thy case be so wanting upon the ballance thou mayest more safely go to other ordinances for supply others there are appointed by God to cast down the loose and presumptuous as this serves to raise up the humble to nourish the faithfull Soul For tell me what communion hath a proud haughty person with an humbled Lord What hath an unbroken heart to do with a broken Christ What relish can a dead man take in the sweetest dainties What pardon can an implacable man expect from the Lord who paid our debt to the utmost farthing What comfort can that soul fetch from seeing bloud poured out for him who cannot at least poure out his soul in confessions before Him Answer thy self at this point for if I answer I must needs say though to the confusion of my own face that certainly there is required of every communicant that there be some Analogie proportion conformitie or agreement betwixt our hearts the frame of them and the great duty or imployment we are upon I mean thus That we bring mortified lusts before a crucified Lord a bruised spirit before a broken Body a soul fitly addressed to such a feast Some drops of mercy in a free and full forgivenesse of trespasses against us before such an Ocean of mercy swallowing up the guilt of so many trespasses against Him And surely though I define nothing at this point yet truth there is in what I say For I remember Chrysostome saith Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Disciplâ—â— onely are to come to this holy Table such who are taught from Christs mouth and live according to what they are taught And the danger of not being such an one and yet coming to this feast is certainly very great too for the Father addes in that same place t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he would rather suffer his own heart bloud to be spilt then that he would give the bloud of Christ to a man of unclean hands of an impure life and known so to be to an unworthy Communicant and discovered to come unnworthily u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the danger be such in giving then much more is the danger great in Receiving though indeed an impenitent person cannot be said properly to receive Christ but rather to reject Him But yet in proprietie of our speech we say he receives whereas so none can do truly and properly but a Disciple Therefore the Father resumes it again saying he must be a Disciple that comes to this feaâ—t If not I give and he receives but it is a sharp sword in stead of bread x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mâ—tt 26. Hom 83. â—â— Quest 2. Answ So
I leave it upon examination and passe to the second branch Thy worthinesse Do I come as a worthy guest No sure But this is the great enquiry what worthinesse If I had such a degree of sorrow such a measure of faith such a length of charitie then I should think I had some worthinesse in me then I could approach with some comfort This is the conceit and deceit too Indeed we must know there is a worthinesse in acceptation But we will make no mention thereof at this time none at all but for thy better instruction of His worthinesse onely for whose sake our unworthinesse is not imputed unto us For suppose thou haddest all Grace Repentance first Thou couldest gird thy self with sackcloth and as the Lord commands wallow in dust so loathing thy self and haddest all faith too even like pretious faith and all charitie which thou canst extend like the heavens as the Father expresseth and I cannot mention it too often suppose all this couldest thou then think thy self a worthy Communicant I trow not If thou wert worthy what shouldest thou do there It is a feast designed for the halt the lame the blinde for the faint for those that have no strength no worthinesse in themselves none at all If thou haddest not wants very many why shouldest thou come thither where is such a fulnesse Thou comest thither as to a well of salvation which never drains it self but into emptyvessels mark that And therefore the more thou art wanting the more likely nay out of all doubt thou shalt be filled He filleth the hungry the empty soul but the rich He sendeth empty away Therefore open not thy mouth mention not thy worthinesse but the worthinesse of the Lord Iesus Christ for He onely was found Worthy I remember Luthers words upon this point of Catechisme they are to this purpose This thought I am not prepared for this Supper I am an unworthy guest for this Table will make a man sit down astonished and keep him off for ever from approaching thereunto When we consider our worthinesse and the excellency of that Good which is offered there at that Table and then compare them together our wrothinesse is like a dark lanthorne compared to the cleare Sun Therefore let this be thy tryall here saith he Thou wantest a broken contrite heart but doest thou not in thy prayer pray * that is pray earnestly y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 6. de oratione a man may but James 5. 17. speak or prate in prayer as was said and so speak he may that he heares not himself and expects he that God should heare him saith Chrysostome doest thou not I say pray earnestly that the Lord would bruise it give thee a tender spirit sensible of all appearances of evill of all that may offend Thou feelest thy heart dedolent and hard the greatest of all evills but is it not thy burden and thy greatest sorrow that oppresseth thee that such a heart thou hast Doth not thy stone in thy heart It is in every ones heart more or lesse lye as a burdensome stone upon thee Thou wantest faith but doest thou not cry out Lord work it Lord encrease it in me Thou wantest love But doest thou not pray Lord spread abroad that Grace in my heart that it may abound and overcome all wrath iâ— placablenesse self-seeking self-pleasing all in me while I am my self being by nature the childe of wrath Hast thou wants I know thou hast and more then thou knowest of but come to Him who promiseth to supply all wants y Phil. 4. 19. No matter how many wants there be so thou art pressed and loaden with them so thou hast a true sense and feeling of them Bring all thy wants hither where is a fulnesse a full Treasury and that ordained I say again for supply of all wants Thou art unworthy thou knowest thou art yes and more unworthy then thou canst think thy self but art thou sensible thereof very sensible Blesse God that thou art so and now come come z Revel 22. 17. The Spirit and the Bride say Come And let him that heareth say come And let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Come then and feare not Come and welcome for though thou art no worthy guest yet thou art an invited guest why I will tell thee in Luthers words And for this very reason because thou art unworthy a Pâ—â—â—sus propâ—â—â—a quia indignus There is a great disproportion a wide difference betwixt Gods thoughts and mans thoughts Man may have high and glorious thoughts of himself and yet be nothing nay an abomination in Gods esteeme b Rev. 3. 17. So may he be low and vile in his own sight even to loathing and be high in Gods account even to a gracious acceptation c Rev. 29. Only then begge entreat cry for the spirit of the penitent who can gird themselves with sackcloth and wallow in dust and finde sweetnesse there even by putting their mouthes into the dust even thence fetching hope d â— am 3. 29. 1 Sam. 14. 4. In lifting up the eye to Christ there is hope none at all in looking downward Breath after Him cleave unto Him Breake through all difficulties as Ionathan did and make way to the rock if it be possible to perish at the fountain of Salvation or to thirst at the head-spring of Life there thirst there die But set thy face stedfastly looking to Christ through all through flesh and grace for grace is but a creature through all and thy salvation is sure This in way of answer which we may finde more at large in Luthers short Catechisme So much for thy provision and to stirre up thy preparation against thy approach to the Lords Table I conclude this as I finde a chapter concluded touching this very subject where I finde a short rule or consideration but of large use to direct us both before and after we have presented our selves at this Table Mr Reynolds Medit. on the Lords Supper Chap. 12 â— How pure ought we to preserve those doores of the soul from filthinesse and intemperance at which so often the Prince of glory Himself will enter in The thought hereof is of high and soveraigne use before we come to this Table and it is of no lesse use after we have been there Certainly we will strive to preserve the doores of the soul those eyes and eares that mouth and that heart also pure from filthinesse and intemperance through which and into which we professe that the Prince of Glory Himself is entred in CHAP. VI. Of Wedlock how sacred that band how fundamentall to comfort I. Our well and orderly entrance into that honourable estate II. Our well ordering our selves therein according to the dignitie and honour thereof IT follows now that we make some provision also against the other solemne Ordinance wherein two are
themselves with haste and proved like proffered wares of the least esteem quite disregarded They must wait on God here in whose hand leadeth into every good way and gives a blessing in it And they must wait His time also which is a chief point of their duty 3. The younger folk must leave this weighty businesse in their hands who are deputed under God to take the cure over them and the care thereof And this if the single parties shall do they have then discharged their double duty before mentioned which consisted first in the well ordering themselves and so discharging their single cure And then in leaving the rest for the changing of their condition wholly in their hands whose charge it is and whose duty also it is faithfully to discharge the same and now followeth for it is necessary I should adde something thereof I mean touching the overseers duty They that are overseers of the childe Parents or deputed so to be must be earnest with the Lord at this point for it is a main duty house and riches are the inheritance of Fathers and a prudent wife is from the Lord p Prov. 19. 14. Parents may give a good portion but a good wife is Gods gift a great mercy and greatly to be desired This is their first duty The next is 2. They must choose the man we regard not sexes I say a man not a boy not a girle before the face can discern the sex parents must avoid the inconveniency of haste in so important a businesse which helps to fill the world with beggery and impotency q See Censure of Travell sect 7. And they must choose the man I say the man not his money It is well where both meet and then they may choose and wink but that is not very ordinary and therefore they must be the the more watchfull so where there is a flush of money an high-tide of prosperitie there is commonly a low ebbe of better matters which indeed denominates a man prosperitie is a great snare the greater when the young heire begins at the top first at the same peg or height where the Father ended and it is many times accompanied with some idlenesse of brain * Ad omne voâ—um fâ—â—ente â—ortuna 〈◊〉 ocium Quint. Dec. 3. p. 32. I need not feare this but yet I say in way of caution choose the man and then the money when I say a man I mean such an one who can finde meat in a wildernesse who carries his riches about him * Cic. Parad. Sen. ep 9. when he is stript of his money who hath his chief comelinesse within and yet not uncomely without such a man they should choose If this man be wanting the childe shall not set her eyes upon him the parent must not If some money be wanting no great want it is easily supplied it is certain if other things answer some want that way I mean in money is not of sufficient value to hold off or make a breach As it was said of the talents The Lord is able to give much more then this r 2 Chron. 25. 9. But if goodnesse be wanting it is a greater want then is in a light piece of gold which in a great paiment will passe not withstanding as many great wants passe currant where there is a great portion Parents must shew their wisdome here else they fail in a prime duty They must choose goodnesse and not account it an accessary Better want the money then the man Å¿ See Chrysost of the choice of a wife Ser. 28. Tom. 5. Non sum ex insano amatorum genere qui vitia etiam exosculantur ubi semel formâ capti sunt Haec sola est quae me delectat pulchritudo c. calv ep 16. Religion t Mâ— Bolton direct p. 236. and the feare of God as it it is generally the foundation of all humane felicitie so must it in speciall be accounted the ground of all comfort and blisse which man and wife desire to finde in the enjoying each of other There was never any gold or great friends any beauty or outward bravery which tied truly fast and comfortably any marriage knot It is onely the golden link and noble tie of Christianitie and grace which hath the power and priviledge to make so deare a bond lovely and everlasting Mendax est omnis secularis amicitia quae divini timoris vinculo non est ligata Chrys Hom. 24. in Matth. â—atin tantum which can season and strengthen that nearest inseparable societie with true sweetnesse and immortalitie So farre Mr Bolton and so much touching the Over-seers duty in making the choice 3. There is another main point That they give the childe leave to approve of the choice As the Childe offers the greatest affront to Parents in giving her consent without their leave and privitie so shall Parents offer the greatest wrong to the childe that can be thought of in concluding a match without or against the childes allowance we have an old example hereof and a standing rule We will call c Gen. 24. 57. 58. To use constraint and force here is the greatest piece of injurie that is done in the world yet so injurious have some Parents been and so they have compassed their end some estate for their childe but quite forfeited the comfort of estate and childe both The parents care was for that the childe least cares for and neglected the main the childes liking of the choice This is most injurious dealing nay more not unlike his and that was most inhumane who joyned the living to the dead y Vâ—g AEâ— 7. Smithfield and other places have told us the sad sequells of such matches So then this is the next thing belonging to the Parents charge They will not proceed without the childes consent But it will be said as many times it falls out The Parents have made a fit choice and have asked the childes consent but cannot have it nor any reason except a womans reason why it refuseth And indeed so it may well be for the elder sort cannot alwayes give reason of what they like or dislike and when they can their reason is unreasonable in such cases no better then folly See first part chap. 4. 13. 4. P. 55. much lesse sometimes can the younger And if so then the childe must be drawn on by all faire meanes and the plainest Arguments such as true wisdome and discretion can suggest whereby to win upon it and sweetly to incline the will And if after some time of tryall they cannot by such faire means prevail then the worl is wide enough they must make another choice they must not use force oh by no means I think now of the sad and heavy consequences herefrom So long as my childe hath a principle of life to carry her to Church let her not be borne thither as upon others shoulders for she matches for her self principally
Chton 16. 9. But though all things are bare and naked before the Lord even the hidden works of darknesse yet we must note that the Lord beholdeth us more narrowly and taketh a more strict observation of our way in those places where mans eye cannot look in upon us There is the very tryall of our sinceritie and uprightnesse and thither the Lords eyes come And withall as I may say for the Scripture intimates so much with a light or torch in His hand we cannot be hid Therefore look we must to our selves more especially in the dark because there we are most observed This is a point of speciall consideration and concernment to make this estate comfortable unto us and as it is usually called honourable To teach us well to order our affections and to carry the streame thereof in a right channell But more specially the words of Chrysostome may teach very much these they are He loved his people committed unto him as the Bridegroome the Bride and thus he bespeaks them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In Act. Apost ap 21. Hom. c 45. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I love you said he and ye love me so we do well but we do not enough nor orderly neither unlesse we fulfill the first commandement first Let us all love Christ with all our might with an exceeding love who hath done all for us and hath exceeded to us ward let us exceed if there can be an exceedng that way Then our love will run in a right channell from Him to Him This concerns you and me very much let us put to all our might here let us love Him with fervency of spirit for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitie it is that so sweet an affection should be spent and lost upon the Creatures that 's the conclusion 2. It will conduce much to our after content and quiet if we at the first count our cost and fore-cast discontent I mean if we expect troubles and keep a room for them as was said for come they will being the proper badge of a Christian and the very accessaries of a married estate n 1. Cor. 7. 28. Some mens thoughts are so youthfull that they can think of no change but that it will be May-tide all the yeare they think of nothing but the present and that as it is at present it will be alwayes though that present time passeth as quick as the thought and troubles follow as the night the day but this they think not of We know whose conceit it was that every quarter of the yeare would mend and prove better and more easie to him but it proved otherwise for it was the vain and simple conceit of such a simple creature whose nature is inferiour to a fool The morall is ours and teacheth that every quarter of life the Conjugall state more specially hath some proper and peculiar troubles attending on it and the more we account of them the better we shall bear them Things may go crosse for want of care so may they notwithstanding all our care It is a true saying we know not the faults of our yoke-fellows before we are married nor quickly then there is enough reason and cunning also to hide them before And now that we know them we might have known before that two Angells are not met together but two frail creatures whereof the best is full enough of infirmities And this true wisdome counts of before hand and that is to count the cost then nothing can come which was not expected We must expect to enjoy blessings with afflictions M Dearings letter 12. a miâ—gling our joy with sorrow our wealth with some woe a tempering heaven with earth and this is a happy tempering that we should neither love nor rest in this earth above that which is meet but acknowledge all is but vanitie and so we should love it as transitory things and have our great delight in the Lord alone And if this be our wisdome in this particular and more speciall businesse then if matters be not well we make them well and if not our yoke fellows yet our selves the better We must note a second thing also for it is of great use for the keeping the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace that in marriage there are two things essentiall to it and seem contrary but indeed are not An honourable equalitie and an inequalitie A superioritie and an inferioritie both founded in nature upon the strength and sufficiency of one sex and weaknesse and insufficiencie of the other The equalitie consisteth in this that man and wife should count nothing their own p Reade Chrys in Ephâ—s cap. 5. Hom. 20. â— mine and thine two words that make so much difference and division in the world must not be heard in the house between man and wife no never heard in that communitie All things are in common betwixt them souls bodies goods friends acquaintance one the others all common The inequalitie or superioritie consisteth in the husbands headship and power over the wife he is supreme as the head Now here is a point of high wisdome sith a conjugall estate is a drawing together in one yoke and the yoke seem unequall yet to draw strait and even and in a right path This I say is a point of high wisdome for it is taught from above q There is but one will in an house when the will of the wife to her husband and her husbands is subject to God And where this wisdome is not there these two things which seem contrary but are not will be contrary indeed and that which is indeed the foundation of all order which proceedeth from unitie as the head will cause great disorder But where this wisdome is this teaching from above it will be thus discerned and exercised The husband superiour to himself and his own will sweetly commands himself looking carefully there that is the Apostles rule and method to all that have oversight and authoritie over others as well as pastours our selves first then others r Acts 20. 28. 1. Tim. 4. 16. And so commands his wife And she again as sweetly and willingly obeys him The husband lives with his wife and rules as a man of understanding and the wife submits as a woman that hath knowledge The husband counts it his greatest dignitie to govern in the feare of God And the wife her greatest honour to submit thereunto It is not basenesse but a point of a noble minde to know ones self inferiour and to demeane ones-self accordingly saith Chrysostome A wife by taking that to her self which belongs to her husband as Chrysost on Eph. 6. Hom. 22. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry Cor Hom. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c m Mâ—â— â— his proper right and charter doth not in so doing take the honour of the man but looseth the ornament of the woman saith the same Father in another place
discipline revive again All these examples charge the man still and good reason that he should be accountable being principall and the head of the family the chiefest pillar in it that holds up all And though the wife be as she should be more faithfull in her place then Bibulus in his office yet the husband carryeth the chiefe name of all being the more worthy person and Lord in the house And the wife is well content with it she counted the husbands honour here and so it is And being alwayes as the Moon is sometimes with the Sun in a full aspect with her husband then she casteth the greatest lustre then she is most bright Similies must not be strained Angâ—riari Parabolam too farre Wives must not shine then the brightest when the husband is farthest off though then also though not her clothes yet her vertues may shine the clearer for then her wisdome in governing and commanding doth fully appeare when the husband is farre off And her husband is knowne thereby Hee sitteth among the Elders and her owne workes shall praise her in the gates A good wife is still in full aspect with her husband Certainly it is the comeliest sight in the world To see man and wife going in all things as Peter and Iohn went to the Temple together d Act 3 1. it was spoken of before e Epist to the first part where there are cloven hearts and divided tongues there is no edifying in that house but a Babell of confusion rather But now suppose the case as it is too ordinary that the man is the weaker vessell the head goeth the contrary way it is so surcharged or the heart is so like a stone suppose the case so that the head is so distempered and Nabal-like that it cannot leade the way how then This is a crosse in the way and a great one but it must be taken up and borne and the wife must as was said f Pag. 104. speake good of it we must not chuse every day If the choice is made and the two are yoaked they must draw as well as they can and be content They must use all the skill they have to fit the yoak to their Neck else it will prove an yron-yoake Before I have chosen I may fit my choice to my mind when I have chosen I must fit my mind to my choice before things might have beene otherwise now they cannot I must not now goe Crosse to my Crosse for that is to make it a double Crosse Patience and meeknesse in bearing and forbearing g Prov. 25. 12. and 15. very notable wins much upon a contrary disposition and at length may overcome it but if not and the labour be lost yet as saith the h Chrysost Tom. 5. de Lazcon 1. Greeke Father applying it to Ministers waiting when God will give repentance the reward will not be lost no nor the labour neither for if the wife cannot better her husband yet she will make her selfe the better as the old saying is i Mariti â—â—tâ—um aut tollendum aut fâ—renduâ— quae tollit maritum commodorem praestat quae seâ—t sâ—se meliovem facit Aul. Gell. lib. chap. 17. and it concernes the wife as well as the husband But how bad soever the husband be his badnesse shall not beare her out nor have her excused for the neglect of her proper duties and walking with God in his wayes nothing shall plead her excuse for any neglect therein We are apt to quarrell with our blessings much more with our crosses and with that calling that God hath set us in and allotted us unto But assuredly that excuse shall leave us speechlesse though we thinke every thing will be of weight sufficient to have us excused yet we shall find it but a meere conceit nothing is of weight sufficient to excuse from the doing of duty k First part p. 174. it shall not be an excuse for the man to say Lord I had done my duty as thou commandest but that Thou gavest me a scoffing Michal nor shall it serve the wife to say Lord I had done my part had I not been yoaked to a Nabal The man failing in his dutie shall not hold the wife excused for her failing in hers If the man leades ill the woman must not follow ill it was a good answer to an abusing and an over-bearing commander Doe you what you will I will doe what I ought l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The headhath an head All things shall be done as you will have it but you must command as God will have it The wife looseth her fathers name and must forget her fathers house but she must not forget her Lords charge nor her vow in Baptisme nor the name was called upon her then Her head hath an Head and therefore she must say to her husband as Ignatius to the Priest All things shall be done as you will have it but then you must command as God will have it m Ignatius to a Priest Chrys Tom. 6. in vet â— Princip p. 10. Chariuâ— The husband must command in the Lord and so must be obeyed if otherwise yet he must not put out the eyes of his wife she hath a light to guide her besides her husbands false rule The husbands exorbitancy from his rule will be a crosse and no small one a block in the wives way and a very clog hindering that she cannot walke on with speed alacrity and comfort but is so farre from warranting the wives aberration from the way God commands to walke in that it the more binds and engageth her unto it her bond is rather the straighter as her praise will be the more And this we must still note Not to obey as we should is more dangerous to society then not to command as we should though they shall not be unpunished that are carelesse in either being both the fountaine of all humaine society If the wife must stand alone so farre from an helper that her husband is an hinderer then she stands single and charged but with her single duty I and my maidens saith a woman a Queene that had attendants answerable to her state yet she would seeke God in His owne way so should her maydens too Esther 4. 16. indeed she lived apart and therefore might much better maintaine her authority It is not easie to maintaine it there either over maidens or children where the husband in presence will foolishly and unworthily contradict or slight the same But however the wife must doe her duty I and my children I and my maidens Ester is a cleare patterne who lived apart from her Lord. And if that comes not so home Aâ—igals carriage is exemplary who was very unequally yoaked But now for I cannot passe over this point lightly that the husband and the wife may draw even though the yoake seeme to be or indeed is uneven let them consider the husband first
strong windy night kept from being extinct when as we often see in many that a little cold comes but in at a little cranney and blowes their Candle out as Iob speakes Thus hath God kept thee and as it were in His hand carryed thee And in thy way how hath He crowned thee with His goodnesse and filled thy yeares with comforts so as they are more innumerable then are the Minutes of thy life Only thus thou must summe them up in the grosse That whatever comfort thou hast had in thy life time from Him thou receivedst it who puts in all the Sugar and delight we finde in or from the Creature as Ayre lights not without the Sunne nor wood heats without fire so neither can any condition comfort without God and with Him every condition is comfortable though seemingly never so discomfortable for He moderateth the discomfort it is like thou hast found it so so as we are not swallowed up of sorrow and He fashioneth the heart to that disconsolate condition and that condition to the heart so much it is very likly thou hast found also and it requires thy sad and serious consideration But more especially this thou must consider what have been the effects and fruits of all this goodnesse What thou hast returned to the Lord for all these All these what are these Nay it is not possible to reckon them up They that keepe a Register of Gods mercies some doe cannot set downe all the Receits of one Day much lesse of all their dayes so great is the summe of every particular day that we cannot reckon up the specialties thereof and call them by their names as God doth the Starres But put it to the Question and let thy heart make answer before him who tryeth the heart and searcheth the reines and will bring every secret thing to judgment The Oyle and radicall Balsome of thy life we spake of hath it been fuell to thy Thankfulnesse or hath it increased the fire of thy lusts Thou hast been preserved and delivered so long and so miraculously as thou hast heard and seene How hath Gods patience and longsuffering wrought upon thee Hath it brought thee nearer to repentance and so nearer to God Or hath thine heart been hardned thereby because sentence against an evill worke is not presently Eccles 8. 11. executed So as with that stubborne people whose sonnes and daughters naturally we are thou mayst say I have been delivered to doe more abominations Ierem. 7. 10. Thou hast had mercies upon mercies they have been new unto thee every morning and for thy Sorrowes they have been mitigated too and so mixed that there was much mercy in them many ingredients of comfort to take of the sharpnesse and allay the bitter relish thereof What strong workings hast thou found herefrom How hast thou been inclined to love the Lord for His goodnesse to feare Him for His Mercies How hast thou been melted thereby to obedience and engaged upon his Service Aske thy selfe againe for in that Method we went Thou hast two hands another hath but one or perhaps none what more worke hast thou done Thou hast a Tongue and the use of the same there is another thou knowest who hath a Tonguâ— but speakes not wherein hast thou glorified thy Maker more then the other hath done Thou hast two eyes thy Neighbour is darke Aske the same question over againe For as it was said of him who was borne blind So it was that the workes of God Iohn 3. 9. should be made manifest in him So we may say we have our eyes eares tongues hands which others have not That we might the more ptaise the Lord for His goodnesse and declare His workes toward the children of men These are the questions but upon the point it is but this single question and the very same and to the same purpose which the King makes to that I doe allude touching Mordecay What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecay Esther 6. 3. for this So let this be the question What honour what service hath been done to the Lord He hath so honoured thee he hath so served thee he hath so and so preserved thee from the Paw of the Lyon and jaw of the beare so delivered thee Through his strength thou didst leap over such a wall He brought thee out of such a strait He supported thee in such weaknesses He supplyed thee in such a Wildernesse He gave successe to thee in such businesses What shall I say for we are confounded here He is the God not of some but of all consolations the Father of mercies And we can no more number them then we can the drops of the raine or of the dew or the Treasures of the snow and haile but we know who is the Father of them and out of whose Bowels these mercies come whereby thou hast been fed all thy life long and redeemed from evill we know the price of them too the very least of them is the price of bloud What honour hath been done for all this What peculiar Service that 's the single question If now thy heart make answer as we read in the foregoing place There is nothing done no peculiar service at all instead of being the Temple of His praise thou hast been the grave of His mercies They have been buried in thee they have brought forth no fruits if this be the answer of thy heart and so it condemne thee the Lord is greater then our hearts He will condemn much more And therefore it is high time to look into the Register of Gods mercies into the books of record And if these mercies have laine as things cast aside and of no account as dead things out of minde if so long and to this day forgot then now it is high time that thy rest should be troubled and sleep should not come into thy eye till thou hast looked over this Register and recorded the mercies of the Lord and so pressed them on thy conscience That it may answer out of a pure heart that something at the length is done some sacrifice of praise and thanks is returned to the Lord for all this This is the first thing to be done now and it is high time to do it Considering the season It is supposed that gray haires are upon thee here and there they are sugared now and like the hoary frost The Almond tree flourisheth thou art in the winter of thine age It is high time now to look about thee and to consider That is the first ground of consideration 2. That time is hasting whose portion and burden from the Lord is but labour and sorrow And then though we have time for our day lasteth while life lasteth yet no time to do any thing in it to purpose for then the Grasse hopper is a burden So I make two periods of this age And each a ground to presse on unto a timely consideration The one I call
more elevated To have one foot in the grave and the other tending to the place of utter darknesse To have the outward man quite decayed and the inward dead or fainting To be hasting toward the pit and to have the heart within like a stone A dying spirit in a dying body what a woefull conjunction is this I consider thy sex childe and thy charge but whatever it be thou wast never so fit as now thou shouldest be to serve it Now admonition correction instruction counsell all are in season before they might be suspected Now thou hast the advantage of all thy former past dayes and every following day is the disciple of the preceeding day a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—â—d ol od 1 Here is Master after Master and lesson upon lesson thou art a very bad proficient if thou art not now an old Disciple b Acts 21. 16. I shall never examine thee upon this point but be assâ—red He that numbers out thy yeares unto thee will take an account of thee how thou hast spent them what provision thou hast laid up for their coming what store thou hast treasured up against a deare yeare against a time of spending Old-age is like our winter a time of expence we must get and lay up in youth what we must use and lay out in age c Juveni parandum Seni utendum Senec. And here we must use the more diligence because it is not with man in his winter as with the earth the trees and fruits thereon in theirs If they look dead and saplesse in their winter the Sunne will return unto them and renew their face they will spring out again but man decayeth and reneweth not he must not look in a naturall way to renew his youth like an eagle If the Lord hath lengthned out thy span and thread of life unto old-age thou must needs say the Lord hath been gracious and full of patience to thee ward and then thy heart must needs answer Render again praise and obedience to Him that is so good unto thee So thou wouldest expect from thy childe from thy servant so a Prince from his Subject Great favours are great engagements between man and man betwixt God and man much more for He is the fountain and well-head of mercies The mercie which man sheweth is but as a drop derived to us from that fountain Gods mercies are all strong cords to binde unto obedience which ever is the fruit of true thankfulnesse David said very much in a few words against Nabals churlishnesse Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow had in the wildernesse d 1. Sam. 25. 21 So David argued or rather reproved Nabals churlishnesse And had not Abigail seasonably stopped David in his way Nabal had heard more touching his churlish dealing and answer This instructs us to sobrietie and watchfulnesse that the Lord may not have the same controversie against us when we come to our declining age Surely in vain have I kept this man this woman and all that they have so as nothing is missing of all that pertained unto them In vain have I lengthened out their dayes in vain have I fed them all their life and redeemed them from evill in vain have I preserved their inward and outward faculties both of soul and body all sound and entire for all this have they so and so churlishly requited me for all they have returned evill for good This is a reproof the hearing whereof we cannot endure And such a like reproof must he or she heare even such an one as will make their hearts like a stone within them if being preserved so and so long they have so unkindely requited the Lord if having so long a time of gathering and of exercising their talent they have gained nothing if having passed over so many yeares they have carelesly passed over also the observations which so many yeares would have yeelded very many For this we must still remember That the unthankfull man the better he is the worse he is That is the more good the Lord hath been to him the heavier his account will be and then the worse it will be with him Better the Lord had been a wildernesse unto him then that he should be a wildernesse to the Lord who had so watered him that he might be fruitfull That we may escape this great condemnation labour we to acquaint our selves betime with the Lord and to grow up more and more in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and the power of his grace for according to our increase and growth herein will our strength be for in Christ Iesus the decayes of age are repaired so as there shall be no more an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes as Mr Calvine expoundeth the place e Esay 65. 20. Let us heare now how sadly Clemens of Alexandria complaineth at this point we will heare his counsell also for that is of use indeed but his complaint first which is this Ye have been infants then children then grown-men after grave-men but yet good men never Now reverence your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ad gentes pag. 50. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Châ—ysost Tom. 6. in vet Test pag. 543. old-age this is the counsell give this honour unto it of being wise of doing vertuously give it as you would have others give you honour and due reverence You are hastening now towards your grave set your face the more stedfastly towards your countrey which is above Your feet are almost stumbling upon the dark mountains pluck them up now as a Traveller that hath slept out his time and yet hath farre to go and walk on the faster in the wayes of peace so redeeming the time Put that crown upon your gray head upon your declining age the Sun of the day is neare the setting that now at length now you are dying you may begin to live A man cannot be said to live truly till he lives godlily holily till then he is dead though he lives that the end of your life may be the beginning of your happinesse Oh! farre be it that ye should be delivered and delivered again and yet again that you should be spared and spared and yet to commit more abominations Jer. 7. 10. far be it that ye should be i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioâ—d pag. 40. Alex. as some have been by so much the more wicked the more kinde and gracious the Lord hath been You pity blinde men k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ibid. pag. 49. and deaf men because they cannot see the works of God which ye see nor heare the works of God which ye heare O pitie your selves for ye are both both blinde and deaf Ye have seen much ye have observed little ye have heard many things and those great things
sooner or later it is then safe dying when we can yeeld up our spirits as David did and with the same confidence Into thine Hand I commit my Spirit p Psal 31 5. Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth It is safe casting a mans selfe upon God when he can say as Paul did whose I am and whom I serve q Acts 27. 23. We may then wish for Death when with old Simeon we can with the Armes of faith claspe and embrace Christ the fountaine of life Now lettest Thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy Salvation Then there is a peaceable departure when the soule hath such a vision And therefore pray thou and pray againe that the Lord would spare thee yet and yet longer till by a conscionable improvement of life health strength peace ordinances corrections also c. Thou hast got some good assurance certaine and stable That do depart henee is much better for thou shalt be ever with the Lord whose Thou art and whom Thou servest And which is the second lesson do not trifle away time nor delay here in a matter of so great consequence Let me remember here for we cannot think of any thing more to our purpose how the learned Knight complaineth of and convinceth the true unhappinesse of our condition and the dark ignorance which covereth the eyes of our understanding we onely saith he prize pamper and exalt Hist of the World 1 Book chap. 2. sect 3. p. 24. See preface pag. 19. this vassall and slave of Death and forget altogether the imprisoned immortall soul till the soul be going from out of one prison into another for when is it that we seriously think of death when examine we the great account which then we are to give up Never while we have one vanitie left us to spend we plead for titles till our breath fail us digge for riches whiles our strength enableth us exercise malice while we can revenge and then when time hath beaten from us both youth pleasure and health and that Nature it self hateth the house of old age we remember with Iob that we must go the Job 10. 21. and 17. 13. way from whence we shall not return and that our bed is made ready for us in the dark and then I say looking over late into the bottom of our conscience which pleasure and ambition had locked up from us all our lives wee behold therein the fearfull images of our actions past and withall this terrible inscription That God will bring every Eccles 12. 14. work into judgement that man hath done under the Sun But what examples have ever moved us what perswasions reformed us or what threatnings made us afraid we behold other mens Tragedies plaid before us we heare what is promised and threatned but the worlds bright glory hath put out the eyes of our mindes and those betrying lights with which we onely see do neither look up towards termlesse joyes nor down towards endlesse sorrows till we neither know nor can look for any thing else at the worlds hands But let us not flatter our immortall souls herein For to neglect God all our lives and know that we neglect Him to offend God voluntarily and know that we offend Him casting our hopes on the peace which we trust to make at parting is no other then a rebellious presumption and that which is the worst of all even a contemptuous laughing to scorn and deriding of God His laws and precepts * Frustrà speranâ— qui sic de misâ—ricordia Dei sibi blandiuâ—tur They hope in vain faith Bernard which in this sort flatter themselves with Gods mercy Excellent instruction this if we could heare it If mans voice were strong enough it would rouze us out of our Lethargie and make us take time while we have it and prize a treasure that is an opportunitie when it is in our hands and put both hand and heart unto it It is a point of wisdome Prov. 17. 16. to cast up our reckonings by day-light I mean while the light of our life remaineth before it be like a candle burnt to the socket and going out in a snuff O that we should suffer the lamp of our life to blaze out to no purpose The living the living he shall praise thee it is part of his Esay 38. 19. verse 9. writing who had been sick and was recovered of his sicknesse The living the living shall praise thee The good King knew by experience that pining sicknesse was not fit for that great work of praise which breaks the bones like a Lion makes a man chatter like a Crane or Swallow and the eyes fail with looking upward there is no strength now in this case for this work The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day said that good King Assuredly what ever use we make of our stock of time and parts which are given us for this chief end That we may traffick for our souls and sell the dearest affections of our heart to buy the pearl how much or how little we prize our health and improve the same yet it is the sound and healthy man that properly and in a naturall course may be called the living man He lives the sick man who is pining away cannot be said to live but more properly to languish he spends and wasteth and is oppressed with pain in this part and in that and so he spends his time in wearisome tossings in silence perhaps such his patience may be perhaps in sad complaints Many I have known whose oppression hath been such at such a time that they have not been able scarce to swallow their spittle as Iob complained not able to take leave of wife and children and yet have languished many dayes We should make account that our sick-bed will be as a crosse-way where friends must part and if any thing remaineth now not agreed upon before in the way it must cease for ever For pains and tâ—ssings so it must be expected will take up that time on the sick bed And if there be no provision stored up against this sad dry spending time if there be no succours so I may say warned to come in and make their appearance at this supposed time for the clearing and comforting the prisoner that lyeth fast bound upon his bed with paine and sorrow If he have not before in his health when he was a living man made out towards that strong tower whereto the righteous flye and they are safe And now can being wearied with tossing and pining sicknesse turn himself toward the same and finde refreshment therefrom and quiet repose if not so I cannot see how this person should be a prisoner of hope d Zech. 9. 12. I know he may have many sweet expressions as was said before there may be a lifting up and raising the voice on high but there is no more hold to be
taken of a mans words that is drunk with sorrow then is of the words of him that is drunk with wine when he is awakened he forgets what he said or of the catches of a drowning man who will catch at a sword or a knife or a razour any thing to keep up from drowning The words of a dying man are nothing and of no regard further then they receive weight and strength from the actions of an healthy and sound man the living man Therefore it matters not what a sick man can say for the future but what he saith for the former time for from thence he must fetch his comfort as we heard I have walked I have done I have fought I have kept Comfort in death must be distilled as I may say out of all our gatherings in our life time As our thoughts discourses actions have been answerable will our comforts be if we can finde no comfort by looking back recalling the time past I cannot see what comfort there can be in looking forwards toward eternitie If our consciences do condemne us as a learned Spaniard phraseth it that we have made time of eternitie and eternitie of time that is as he expounds it We have despised that eternall blisse as if it were but temporall and we have lodged all our love upon this transitory world as if this had been the thing which is eternall And if so we have done we can have no comfort then when our transitories are leaving us in looâ—ing forwards towards eternitie We may send our sighs and groans after it but in vain Our hearts may beat strongly towards heaven but all that may be much suspected also It is of doubtfull construction from what spirit our groanes do proceed If it was thus once when the foundation of the Temple was a laying That the people could not discerne the Noise of the shout of joy from the noise of weeping Ezra 3. 13. Then a harder matter it is to discern betwixt groane and groane sighes and sighes I meane betwixt the sighes and groans which the spirit puts up and those which an heart pained full of anguish and drunk with sorrow sends forth Very hard it is to discern here and to make a difference nay impossible for the groans from pain sorrow and the sighes of the spirit are both scarce utterable and theyare both put up in much bitternesse and both call out of sin as the cause of All which makes the discerning the more difficult This then is the conclusion Obedience forced is slavish but that is sweet obedience which comes forth as the first honey drops from the full combe a Mel quod per se flâ—it maximâ— laudabile Plin. lib. 11. cap. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixiâ— Constantius Tripart Hist Prefal readily willingly freely As the Emperour said of money It will prove but copper if it be pressed out from the teares of the people The same may be said of our offerings They are counterfeit for the most part and profit not if they be squeezed forth by some pressuâ—es upon the spirit It is a free-will-offering that finds acceptance with the Lord. And this I added for three mightie Reasons 1. That we may not make Time of Eternitie and Eternitie of Time as was said before and explained 2. To awaken and quicken up our carelesse and dilatory spirits well to husband our opportunities while our Bow abides in strength and our Armes are strong before old age hath degraded us of our former vigour and activitie so as our outward and inward faculties are bound up as in chaines of Iron and brasse I mean before the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men bow themselves and those that looke out of windows are darkned and the Grashopper is a burthen 3. That we may not make as the most do an Idoll of that last prayer which we think to put up when we are at point of dissolution and parting away hence for that hope to be heard then is the Sanctuary and Place of refuge which the most thinke to flie unto as Ioab to the hornes of the Altar in hope to finde safety But their hope is like to deceive them as it did Ioab f 1 King 2. 28 29. and as it hath deceived others Who cryed but there was none to save even unto the Lord but He answered them not then did I beat them small as the Dust before the Winde I did cast them out as the dust in the streets g Psal 18. 41. These words shew us clearely what will be the issue of this last prayer and call upon the Lord which is the great Idoll of the world what I say will be the issue thereof to all those who turne unto Him at their Death even confusion of face for evermore a Treading downe and a casting out aâ— the durt in the streets This is of great and universall use and instructs us to encline the eare while we can heare to apply the eye while we can see to frequent the Assemblies of the Saints while we have strength and can goe and to take the occasion the smallest point of time while we may for it is soone passed and then we may send our sighes and groanes after it but cannot recall what we carelessely slighted In a word It teacheth to seeke to knock while there is Time for many shall seeke and not finde and knock and it shall not be opened shall strive and shall not be able And all this because they discerned not their season they knew not the Day of their Visitation h Quod primum est dicendum postremum soleo cogitare de Orat. Lib. 2 Pag. 131. Fol. Exvâ—sâ—eribus Causae I remember a pretty inversion of order used by Cicero in point of Oratory An allusion unto it may instruct us in a speciall point of wisdome We begin first and then wee end But he made an end first and then he began I use saith He to his Oratour to make my beginning the Latine calls it an Exordium When I have ended my oration for I must fetch that out of the Bowels of the other Parts The true Christian makes an inverson of order also and upon the same ground Death is the last great work which we are to doe and the true Christian thinks of that first First I say so soone as he is able to think any thing and to purpose And he so disposeth his life as one that knowes that his life must yeeld him marrow and fatnesse when he lyeth upon his death Bed in a time of drought We commonly live first and then we dye A true Christian dyes first and then lives He is borne and he goes on in the great work of Mortification and so dyes daily And then when he must yeeld up the spirit how willing how ready how prepared is he He is dead already to the World to the flesh Hee is crucified to both and both crucified to him An
our life time we cared not to be made conformable to Christ in His Death We cannot thinke to Raigne with Christ who when we were living men did not Crucifie one Lust for His sake We cannot think to Rest with Him for ever in Glory who never sanctifyed one Sabbath to Him on Earth We cannot think to shine after Death as the Sunne in his strength yea to be like Him who never tooke paines to purifie our hearts nor to rub off the fully and filth of a vaine Conversation We cannot look for pleasures at Gods Right Hand forevermore who in our life and strength preferred a vaine perishing and now a tormenting pleasure before them But great peace have they that keep thy Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 119. verse 165. Great peace have they in death who painfully served God in life Their hope shall not make them ashamed for they commit their spirit into His hand Who hath redeemed them the Lord God of Truth they go to Him whose salvation their eyes have seen and whose they are and whom they served What can dismay them now can death can the grave No they are both swallowed up in victory They put death on the one side and immortalitie on the other worms on the one side and Angells on the other rottennesse on the one side and Christ Iesus on the other and now they are bold and love rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with the Lord Christ with Him together with the Father and the Holy Ghost to have continuall fellowship and everlasting communion Such honour have all the Saints Death is no other thing to them now then as the flame to the Angell Å¿ Judges 13. 20. for thereby though clean contrary to the nature thereof they ascend to their everlasting mansions there to see the good of His chosen to rejoyce in the gladnesse of His Nation and glory in His inheritance There to take possâ—ssion of that crown of Righteousnesse which the Lord the Righteous Iudge shall give them at that day when with all the Patriarchs t Patriarcharâ—m consortium Propheâ—â—rum societatem Apostolorum germanitatem Martyrum dignitatem c. Calv. Ad eccles cath lib. 2. p. 398. Prophets Apostles all the Antipasses those faithfull witnesses not yet made perfect u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost in ep ad Heb. cap. 11. hom 28. â— 1. Pet. 1. 13. they shall be made perfect There to make up that tribute of praise wherein while they lived on earth they were wanting bearing part for ever in that heavenly quire saying Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Revel 7. 12. Thus my deare Children I thought it meet while I was in this tabernacle to stirre up your mindes by putting you in remembrance knowing that I and you must put off this walking tabernacle we must lay down this piece of breathing clay I know my self must before long and we all know not how soon and the good Lord grant that ye may be able after my departure to have these things alwayes in remembrance It is my charge unto you my last will look unto it and be acquainted with it for it is agreeable to Gods will My hearts desire concerning you is that ye would acquaint your selves with God for that is the way to be at peace y Job 22. 2. and good shall come unto you Friends though they live yet can do you no good without God but He can do you good without them acquaint your selves with Him and be at peace and good shall come unto you All that is written is as y Deut. 4. 40. Deut. 6. 24. chap. 10. 13. Esay 48. 18. the Lord presseth the observance of His own law for your good Therefore feare God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man so shall your peace be as the river still flowing your righteousnes as the waves of the sea everlasting for in the keeping of them is a sure reward as in the casting of them behinde the back a certain recompence of wrath If at this point we turn to God the back and not the face then in the day when we shall call upon Him to make haste for our help He will turn to us also the back and not the face for so saith the Lord. And indeed how reasonable is it that so it should be For into what reasonable minde can it sink that I should serve one man and demand my pay of another That a man for having obeyed the orders of the great Turk should ask a reward of the Christian Emperour with what colour can I who have offended a man ask him a reward They who think to comply with their own proper affections and with the love also of the Lord are mightily deceived The pearl must be bought with the selling the dearest affections of our hearts and let this be the conclusion That Heaven did never cost deare No man can finde friendship with that soveraigne King but onely such a man as will confesse that heaven is had very cheap though it should hap to cost him his life Scatter not then your hearts upon varietie of things but recollect them to the unitie of one desire and of one love Seek God but not in an ordinary manner but like them who seek a Treasure which alone is sufficient It will be highly enough to possesse God And let us not loose time for it was not given us to be lost but let us live to the end we may live ever This is my Conclusion and my counsell and you have heard all But God forbid I should cease to pray for you it being my duty also while I am in this tabernacle to bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Of Ephes 3. 16. whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named That He would grant you according to the riches of His glorie to be strengthened by His Might in the Inner-man That Christ may dwell in your hearts by saith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all the fullnesse of God c. Amen Amen FINIS Insert this page 48. last line but one The season fits very well For I suppose thee grown up and in the strength and vigourof thy Age a slippery Vicina lapsibus adolescentia season subject to falling therefore never more need of the greatest circumspection and watchfulnesse Weeds through corruption of nature spring-up apace while we are children and if we suffer them now to gather strength and to take yet deeper root they will domineere Infelix lolium steriles dominantur avenae over the good seed that is sowen in us and choake