then sufficeth the contrary Chrysost ad Heb. cap. 12. Hom. 29. temperate use of the creatures so as they may refresh Chap. 4 § 15 not oppresse this will be their care And they will looke to it also that the broken meat be taken up that the least crum which can be saved be not lost no not a crum § 15. We that are by nature children of wrath have in our nature so much fiercenesse as that we cannot credit nor beleeve it though another should shed teares over x 2 King 8. 11. Virtutes vitia non sunt priusquam lacessantur it untill the foundations of our natures are discovered The occasion offered and the restraint taken off A swine will keep clean in a meadow Lime will not smoake till you put water to it A Lion sleeps waking with his eyes open and wakes sleeping with his eyes shut To look to he is as gentle as a Lambe but if you pluck him by the eare he will pluck you by the arme though he seemes to wink stirre him or let him loose then you shall know what he is y Solve Leonem senties I meane by all this That we know not our natures how fierce they are till we are tempted by the occasion and so tried Therefore we should looke to it betimes and be jealous over our own hearts and restraine in children whatsoever leads that way I meane to crueltie and fiercenesse And then we shall not suffer children to delight themselves as commonly they do in the vexation and paine of the creature which the more it is in their power the more children will vexe the creature to shew their power in the torture and paine thereof witnesse that rude custome on Shrove-tuesday witnesse also our flyes birds Cats and Dogs tossed up in blankets or set on furiously to encounter mangle and enter-teare each other Children consider not by how weake supports mans life is upheld nor how serviceable the flesh of some of them is the blood of othersome and the excrements of a third the most approved remedy for a sore throat This children consider not nor can they think what ill blood such bloody exercises do breed They consider not that such sports leade to crueltie whereby we come neerest to the Divell who delights in the paine of the creature It is a knowne story and to be observed That a very proud King delighted much in his childe hood to put out the eyes of Quailes This King carryed himselfe afterwards with such pride and insolency that he had his denomination from it and delighted himselfe so much in crueltie and bloud that the people expelled him out of their Citie and Countrey with protestation never to receive any King againe so they changed the name of their Government An Emperour after him delighted as much to see the entralls of flies he killed as many as he could catch and tooke his times for it So the proverb was The z Ne musca quidem Suet. Dom. Emperour had not so much as a flye neere him This man or rather beast in shape of a man delighted as much in the shedding of Christians blood and as cruelly abused Gods Image which he had shamefully cast off Indeed there are some men who are cruell to Christians and kinde to Beasts But they have but the shape of men they are a Lege Dialog de bello sacro p. 339. Beasts indeed and therefore do they esteeme more of Beasts then of Christians It is b Lo. Ver. Essay 13. p. 67. reported that a Christian Boy in Constantinople Had like to have been stoned for gagging in a waggishnesse a long billed fowle b I would perswade but this from hence That children be not suffered to bathe their recreations in bloud as Mr. Bolton phraseth it Not to refresh their tyred mindes with spectacles of crueltie nor inured to behold rufull objects without horrour No beast they say takes content in the hurting of any other except in the case of hunger or anger They satisfie their appetite and rage sometimes with crueltie and bloud but their eyes and 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 fecit nisi tu 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 e Ad Dâ—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ω. Isocrates concludes his oration so full of instructions With all our
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. VVEeat bread at Noon What that implieth how fraile our bodies what our use therefrom pag. 78. Our right to the Creatures how lost how regained pag. 79. In eating we must use abstinence Intemperance how provoking to God how hurtfull to man and unbeseeming the Lord of the Creatures to pag. 81. When the fittest season to teach and learn abstinence how necessary a grace specially in these times when so much wrath is threatned What use a Parent must make hereof to Children Their lesson before and at the table to pag. 85. When we have eaten we must remember to return Thanks The threefold voice of the Creatures what the Taxation or Impost set upon every Creature If we withhold that homage we forfeit the blessing The memorable words of Clemens Alexandrinus A strange punishment upon one who seldome or never returned thanks so concluded pag. 90. CHAP. VII THe Method in reading the Book of the Creatures Foure Objections with their Answers out of the Lord Verulam to pag. 93. How to reade the Book of the Creatures Extreames corrected and accorded Two primitive Trades An Apocrypha Scripture opened and made usefull to pag. 97 How to teach the Childe to spell the Book of Nature What is the compendious way of Teaching to pag 100. Essayes or Lectures upon the creatures beginning at the Foot-stool Three enquiries touching the earth 1. What form or figure 2. Whence its dependance 3. What its magnitude Instructions therefrom very grave and usefull all from pag. 100 to pag. 107. A view of the Creatures In their variety delightfull and usefull Two Creatures onely instanced in From a little Creature a great instruction What a mercy to be at peace with the stones and creeping things From pag. 107. to pag. 114. The Waters their Surface barres or bound Their weight The Creatures therein the ship thereupon Great lessons from all from pag. 114. to pag. 122. repeated and mans ingratitude convinced 123. The Aire The wayes and operations thereof admirable Whence changed and altered for mans use sometimes for his punishment The windes Their circuit Their wombe to pag. 125. The winged Creatures Their provision and dependance greatly instructing man and reproving his distrust to pag. 126. The Clouds the ballancing of them The binding the waters within them The making a course for the Rain out of them All these three the works of Him that is wonderfull in working to pag. 127. Of Lightning But the Thunder of His power who can understand Job â—6 14. The Snow and the Haile and where their Treasure to pag. 128. The wonderfull height of the starrie Heaven Of the Firmament Why so called and why the Firmament of His Psal 150. power The eye a curious Fabrick of admirable quicknesse How excellent the eye of the soul when cleared with the True eye-salve The heavens outside sheweth what glory is within Chrysostomes use thereof and complaint thereupon to pag. 134. Of the Sunne Why I descend again to that Creature Three things in that great Light require our Mark. Grave and weighty lessons from all three Concluded in Mr Dearings and Basils words to pag. 144. CHAP. VIII THE Day and Night have their course here But after this life ended it will be alwayes Day or alwayes Night A great Instruction herefrom to pag. 147. Our senses are soon cloyed We are pleased with changes What Darknesse is The use thereof A little candle supplies the want of the Sun How that instructeth How we are engaged to lie down with thoughts of God to pag. 153. CHAP. IX A Great neglect in point of education Mr Galvines Mr Aschams Mr Perkins and Charrons complaint thereof The ground of that neglect to pag. 156. The Parent must fix upon two conclusions Of the School Whether the Childe be taught best abroad or at home 157. The choice of the Master Parents neglect therein The Masters charge 159. His work His worth if answerable to his charge to pag. 160. The Method or way the Master must take How preposterous ours Who have appeared in that way to pag. 164. The School must perform its work througly The childes seed-time must be improved to the utmost before he be promoted to an higher place The danger of sending Children abroad too soon When Parent and Master have promoted the Childe to the utmost then may the Parent dispose of the Childe for afterwards to pag. 165. CHAP. X. OF Callings Some more honourable as are the head or eye in the body But not of more honour then burden and service Elegantly pressed by a Spanish Divine and in Sarpedons words to Glaucus to pag. 169. The end and use of all Callings pag. 171. Touching the choice of Callings How to judge of their lawfulnesse To engage our faithfulnesse No excuse therefrom for the neglect of that one thing necessary Our abiding in our Callings and doing the works thereof How Nature teacheth therein The designing a Childe to a Calling Parents too early and preposterous therein 177. Parents may aime at the best and most honourable calling The Ministerie a ponderous work 178 But he must pitch upon the fittest In the choice thereof the Parent must follow Nature and look-up to God THE PREFACE SHEVVING the necessitie and worth of a vertuous education and may serve as an introduction to Dutie OUr great Advancer of Learning noteth an opinion of Aristotle which is this a Lib. 7. p. 375. In English Book 2. p. 263. That of those things which consist by nature nothing can be changed by custome using for example That if a stone be thrown up tenne thousand-times it will not learne to ascend and that by often seeing and hearing we doe not see or heare the better That Noble Scholler noted this for a negligent opinion so he cals it I know not why because the Philosopher doth instance in Peremptory nature and he took pains to informe us touching the same It is true saith he In things wherein nature is Peremptory Man cannot make massie bodies to hang in the Aire like Meteors he cannot make an Oxe to flye That which is crooked saith the wise man b Eccles 1. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man cannot make straight There is a Peremptory bent of nature which man cannot turne no more then he can turne back a Spring-tide or a Rushing winde
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. stro 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 u Natura ubi peccat in uno periclitatur in alâ—â—ro 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 miaimis 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. defrater 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 Rogetur laudetur saepius vincere se putet Quint. 1. 1. him too in such things whereof perhaps the
this point is to take a right Scale and measure of his Childes parts and so answerably to fit it with a fit Calling The Parent must labour by all means to hide Pride from the Child I meane The Parent must beat it off from vaine-glory and selfe-conceit young folke have the best opinion of themselves because they discerne themselves worst and to shake it off from sloth that Moth and Canker of our Parts The one Pride will make the man and Childe both to lay open their weaknesses The other Sloth will make them not to know Qui se nescit uli se nescit their strength or not to put it forth And let the Parent having done his endeavour comfort himselfe with this That how weake or unserviceable soever his Childe seemes to be if not doubly deformed in respect of his parts yet there is no member but it is fitted with some abilities to do some service in the body and by good nurture and manurance may grow up to a greater measure And let him consider this with it That as in the body naturall the most exalted part the Head hath need of the lowest the foote so there is not the greatest person but may have use both of the parts and graces of the meanest in the Church I say more though I may not say The head more needs the foote then the foote the head nor will I say though so it is concluded f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 1 Cor. 13. Hom. 34. Aristop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. â— Sc. 5. That the poore man who is as the foot doth not so much need the Rich who is as the head as the rich man needs the poore man for who needs more or who lesse that is not the point but one needs the other that is certaine Nay one cannot be without the other And this that the poore man may not be too much cast downe nor the rich overmuch exalted but that the one and the other may glorysie Him that hath so disposed them so as in the body there should be no lack But now in the last place for maintenance for the Childe how he shall live hereafter The thoughts whereof so take up and tyre out the Parents thoughts so stuffs his heart and disquiets his Rest and peace For this is the great enquiry who will shew us any good Where is this preferment to be had How shall I make my Childe rich and high in the World Where shall I finde a place where he may have great wages and little work This is the great enquiry All the Parents Travels hither and thither is but to make discovery of this point where this fortunate Iland is where is gold and there he would land his Childe and no other reason can he give of all his dangerous adventures but this and this carryeth him and dasheth him upon rocks also because the gold of that Land is good This is the sore Travell and one of the great evils under the Sunne And a folly it is exceeding that of the simplest Idiot in the World for it is as if the Parent should lay out all his whole stock of wealth and wit to purchase and furnish a Chamber for his Childe in a Through fare and provide it no house in the City where it is forever to dwell I cannot take off this vaile of false g What madnesse is it to spend all our labour to possesse our selves of the Cislerne when the fountaine is offered unto us S. C. p. 642. opinion But assuredly if we would follow the counsell of the wise we might shorten our sore Travell at this point and make our way to Comfort more compendious The Counsell is this Our g S. C. p. 249. care must be to know our work touching our selves touching ours and then to doe it and so to doe it as unto God with conscience of moderate diligence for over-doing and overworking any thing comes either from oftentation or distruct in God And negligence is so S. Con. â—49 farre from getting any blessing that it brings us under a curse That which belongs to us in our calling is care of discharging our duty That which God takes upon him is Assistance and good successe in it Let us look to our worke and leave God to doe His owne Diligence and Trust in Him is onely ours the rest of the burthen is His h Let us make good our ends and the meanes we use and God wil make good the issue and turne all to the best Dr. Feat p. 103. We must part our care so as to take upon us onely this care of Duty and leave the rest 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
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 A CHILDES PATRIMONY Laid out upon the good Culture or tilling over his whole man CHAP. I. Wherein the Parents dutie doth consist and when it begins Of Infancy A Parents dutie begins where the childe had its beginning at the wombe There the Parents shall finde that which must busie their thoughts about it before they can imploy their hands And this work lyeth specially in considering Gods worke upon the childe and how their sinne hath defaced the same First they consider Gods worke and the operation of His hands how wonderfull it is and how curiously wrought in the secret parts of the earth so the Prophet calls the Wombe because Psal 137. curious pieces are first wrought privately then being perfected are exposed to open view It was He that made the bones to grow we know not how then clothed them with flesh He that in the appointed time brought it to Chap. 1 sect 2 the wombe and gave strength to bring forth Here they acknowledge an omnipotent hand full of power towards them and as full of grace and they doe returne glory and praise both But here it ceaseth not Now they have their burden in their armes they see further matter of praise yet in that they see the childe in its right frame and feature not deformed or maimed Some have seene their childe so that they had little joy to looke upon it but through Gods gracious dispensation it is not so and for this they are thankfull And upon this consideration they will never mocke or disdaine nor suffer any they have in charge so to do a thing too many do any poore deformed creature in whom God hath doubly impaired His Image This they dare not do for it might have been their case as it was their desert Deformitie where ever we see it admits of nothing 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. 34. 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. the childe of wrath Except it be borne againe of water and of the spirit it cannot enter into the kingdome of God Joh. 3. 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 Ezek. 16. 6. a Rausome 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 the 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 fancie Act. 25. 23. that the heart is not right nor is that vaine pompe 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 quickning 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 Ch. 1. sect 3. 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 tendernesle 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 Ch. 1. sect 4 5. 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 jurat cumrepit quid noâ— adultus faciet Quin. Aug. Confess 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 Chap. 1 sect 5 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 greater wisedome said that great Scholler then well to Lord Verul Essayes 21. 125. 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
heart nor to fetch out a lye though in these cases a Parent must be very active and if he spares his childe he kills it It is a great fault in parents saith one for fear of taking down of the childs spirits not to take down its pride and get victory over its affections whereas a proud unbroken heart raiseth us more trouble then all the world beside And if it be not taken down betimes it will be broken to pieces by great troubles in age I shall consider this evill and some others in fit place now in this place I am removing that which hindreth The parent is bound to teach the childe how to bear the yoke from its youth This duty the parent is engaged upon Lam. 3. 27. But the parent must use a great deale of discretion in the putting on this yoke The parent must not stand in a menacing posture before the childe as ready to strike as to speak and giving discouraging words too When we would back our Colt or break a skittish Heifer to the yoke the comparison holds well we do not hold the yoke in one hand and a whip in the other but we do before them as we know the manner is else there would be much ado in putting on the yoke and in breaking or backing the Colt they would be both more wilde and lesse serviceable It is much so with children if our carriage be not ordered with discretion before them we may make them like those beasts more unruly and perhaps all alike or if they learn any thing by such froward handling it will be frowardnesse When we would work upon a childe our carriage before it should be quiet and as still as might be just in the same posture that a man stands in before the live mark which he would hit he doth not hoot and hollow when he takes his ayme for then he would fright away the game by his rudenesse but so he stands as we well know the manner like one who means to hit the mark Our ayme is the good of the childe we must look well to our deportment before it else we may fright away our game There are some natures saith Clem. Alex. like yron hardly flexible but by the fire hammer and anvill that is as he expounds it by reproofs Paed. li. 2. c. 10. pag. 97. threats blows and all this may be done and must if done well intermes of mildnesse and pleasing accent with force of reason rather then hardnesse of blows and if it might be in the spirit of meeknesse remembring still Mr. Tindals Letter Martyr pa. 987. words As lowlinesse of heart shall make you high with God even so meeknesse of words shall make you sink into the hearts of men I have observed a childe more insolent and stout under a rigorous and rough hand but calmed after the heat was over on both sides with a milde gentle perswasion that workt force and violence hardens when as a loving and gentle perswasion wins upon the heart thaws and melts the same Harshnesse loseth the heart and alienates the affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 26. in 1. Cor. 11. but mildnesse gaineth all Proud flesh as experience tells us is taken down by lenitives the most gentle and soft applications So the pride and roughnesse of our nature is subdued by lenitives and not by another roughnesse as the Father speaketh elegantly We may note too the more rigour the childe apprehends and the more the rod is threatned which is the onely thing a childe feares the more the childe will hide it self like that unwise man who standing at the entry of an unlawfull but too much frequented place and finding himself eyed by a friend whom he would not should see him there shrunk in his head and in he went If a man had no more wit what expect we from a childe He was ashamed a Non sum adeo aetatum imprudens ut instandum teneris protinus acerbè pâ—tem c. Quint. Instit l 1. cap 1. 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 worla 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 entrace 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
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 doctrine 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 thoughts very seasonably when the darknesse of the night is past and the comfort of the day is come And it may set an edge upon our desires after the principall thing o Eccles 2. 13. knowledge wisdome understanding For wisdome excelleth folly as light excelleth darknesse And the wise-mans eyes are in his head but the fool walketh in darknesse Knowledge in the minde is as the eye in our little world or as the Sun in the great Thus much by way of Analogie or agreement betwixt the eye or great light of the world and the true light Note we now wherein they disagree and their operation is contrary for it yeelds a great lesson The great eye of the world doth lighten those who have eyes and by a naturall power can apprehend that light They whose eyes are dark have no benefit by it But the true Light lightneth them p Lege Cal. Inst 2. 2. 25. who have no principle of light within them them and them onely who are all darknesse and know themselves so to be and for such who think themselves lightsome and seeing men they are left to the vanitie of their own thoughts If q John 9. 41. ye were blinde ye should have no sinne but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remaineth It is of high g use and specially requires our consideration 2. The day is come and the sunne appeareth so the Creatour thereof hath appointed that it should know its rising and thereby to renew and and refresh the face of things The instruction is touching the might of His power and the riches of His grace creating light in the Soul who at the first brought it out of the wombe of darknesse and causing the light of comfort to arise unto His servants in the darkest night of affliction for it is He also that curneth the shadow of Death into the Morning r Amos 5. 8. And this affordeth a righteous people an hint for a glorious dependance they know that as sure as the morning follows the night so the Sun of righteousnesse will appeare with healing under his wings for if the Sun know his appointed time much more the Lord knoweth His and the Sun of righteousnesse His season when and how to comfort those that wait for Him as they that wait for the morning 3. The appearance of the Sun instructs us touching the glory of His appearance and the exceeding joy the righteous shall be filled with all at that Day For if it be so comfortable to see the light how comfortable will it be to see Him that is the Light of that light If this elementary Sun be so glorious and full of light what then is the Sun of Righteousnesse And if it be so comfortable to see this light how ravishing Å¿ Lege Basil Hex Hom. 6. will that joy be
3. shew to the house of Saul 8. We cannot command h Joh. 38. 12. the morning nor stay the out-goings of the same The morning commeth and also the night i Esay 22. 12. they know their appointed time And it teacheth us to know ours which is our season the smallest k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—p praecep pag. 273. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. Pyth. ode 4. point of time now it is and now it is not The Time past is gone that to come is uncertaine Time present is mine and the Time acceptable the Day of Salvation when is that Samuel tells us as he doth Saul Now was the Time l 1 Sam. 13. 13. The Apostle answers also Behold now is the day of salvation m 2 Cor. 6. 2. which should stirre us up so to husband the present Time that it may appeare we had Time and Grace to use it both together Opportunitie is a great favour even to have it a greater to discerne it the best grace of all to discerne and take it It is as the joynt in the member hit it and the labour will be nothing but there is all the cunning n Vigilantis est occasionem observare properantem Itaque hanc circumspice hanc si videris prende toto impetu hoc age Sen. ep 22. to hit upon this Article or little joynt of Time the tempestivitie thereof Now if there be a tempestivitie a set convenient o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 24. 25. season which Felix had but discerned it not for the convenient time was then when Paul was speaking and himself trembling if I say such a Time there be then is the morning the tempestivitie thereof That is the convenient set time when God is orderly sought and found early will I seeke Thee p Psal 63. 1. before the morning watch c. And they that seeke me earely shall finde me q Prov. 8. 17. saith Wisdome earely in the morning of their life offering up their strength the first fruits unto God earely in the morning of the day too that is a convenient Time the set Time that is certaine The morning is the very marrow r Mr. Bolt Direct p. 205. and fat of time as one saith the flower and first fruits of the day and they were to be given unto God The night is for sleepe which must serve as other creatures to strengthen and refresh our bodies not to satisfie ease sloth and a sluggish humour Å¿ Plus vigilare plus vivere est Indalgendum somno est ut corpus reparet non resolvat vires revocet non enervet Chrysol de servo vigili Ser. 24. we must beware least that great Devourer t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Paed. 2. cap. 9. and waster of time sleepe rob and bereave us of those precious and golden houres in the morning when we are freshest and fittest for imployment we should often remember saith the same Divine u Indecens est Christiano si radius solis eum inveniat in lecto posset enim dicere Sol si potestatem loquendi haberet An plius laboravi heri quam tu tamen cum jam surrexerim tu adhuc dormis when we see the Sunne up before us that saying of Austin It is an uncomely thing for a Christian to have the Sun-beames finde him a bed And if the Sunne could speake saith he it might say I have laboured more then thou yesterday and yet I am risen and thou art still at rest And yet as good rest as to move and to no purpose We must not so much as eat in the morning certainly it doth concerne not those of the higher sort onely which we read x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iliad 2. A governour ought not to sleep all night long And it is a forerunner of a woe when Princes eate in a * Eccles 10. 16. morning It cannot be conceived that the meaner sort have more priviledge then their betters to eate unseasonably or intemperately so Tremellius expounds that place These precious houres of the morning are for precious 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 call 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 Atloanasius Cent. 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 Charron 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
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 inure 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. Kings 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
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¿ See Plia Nat. Hist l. 8 cap. 12. â— Ver. Hist vitae mortis pag. 72. Alâ—â—ed Phys â—ars 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 â—im 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 cheefe 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 he that writeth of husbandry x Populatque ingentem farris acervum curculio Virg. a great heap of grain Hence the instruction y Maxima è minimis suspendens Adv. p. 112. l. 2. Hist of the World A. 2 vers 13. 4. chap. 16. 2. 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 Netherland 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 flesh 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 muribus genus omne occidiâ—ur atque arroditur frugum Arnob. lib. 1. p. 3. in fol. vide 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 Chap 7 § 3.2 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 â—rains 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 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 boundâ— 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 unlesse he be stirred or e Multi nonnullam mansuetudinem prae se ferunt quamdiu blanda omnia amabilia experiuntur at verò qui eundem sâ—rvat modestiae tenorem ubi pungitur irritatur quotusquisque Cal. Iust lib. 3. cap. 7. § 4. moved Vnlesse he â—e 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 mounts 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 Her 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 put the minde upon the rack and the person now suffer no wrack in the storm of his passion he is a man of a sound constitution we cannot doubt of it For our h Poeta 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 hereof 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 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
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 cuncta ad certas causas reducere manifestas irrident salutare Asylum illud occulâ—â—â—râ—priâ—tatis Scalig. exercit 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. Plin. 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 Anchoie which we use Apâ—â— abuse rather to provoke appetite as He is wonderfull in the greatest Crocodile the greatest if we observe his originall from so low a bottom as is the quantitie of a Goose-egge reaching at length unto sixteene cubits k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diod. sic lib. â— 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 shâ—p-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 soul 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 knees 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 Chap. 7 § 3.3 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. Chrys 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 emptie place which we see above us and also filleth those crannies in the
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 therefrom follow CHAP. VIII Chap 8 § 4 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 tabernacle 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. 10. 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 Râ—spice 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 it will away too we shall quickly be past it for our course is speedy whether we wake or sleep as men a ship board we saile onward to the port Pleasant and delectable things will away our pains and griefs are of no long continuance neither though they should abide by us all our life long for our life speedeth like a post or ship on the Ocean thus while we walk like pilgrims here But a time is coming after the full period whereof e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Pop. Ant. Hom. 23. p. 268. there follows a day which shall never have a night and a night which shall never have a morning I mean a time in the closing-up whereof there shall not be this vicissitude and intercourse of day and night but either all day and no night or all night and no day The Fathers words will declare these f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Ibid. Hom. ult 77. ω. p. 817. Here saith he good things and evill things have their course and turn as the day and the night now good then evill now evill then good And as here they have their changes so here they have their end I speak of things of the earth It will be said of all our earthly contentments as Abraham said to Dives we had them we were clad and we were fed gorgeously deliciously but now it is night with those contentments and with us we had them but we shall have them no more So likewise of our grievances we felt them this sorrow and that burden this pain and that losse but we shall feel them no more in this kinde For death cures all diseases and pains here But in the next world good things and evil things are everlasting There Lazarus is comforted and he shall be comforted it shall be ever light with him in the other place Dives is tormented and he shall be tormented how long The answer to that breaks the spirit and causeth the greatest torment it shall be ever night with him for ever and ever the thought hereof swallows the soul up in sorrow our very thoughts cannot reach unto the length of this night we have not a thought to measure it g Drexclius 4. 2. though we know the place of this darknesse for it is utter darknesse and the furthest from light and we know the paths that leade thereunto yet we can never know the bound thereof h Job 38. 20. How can we measure Aeternitie Think we then saith the Father i Chrys Ibid. how unsufferable a burning-fever is and that thou canst not endure an hot bath for one houre
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 scarce 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. ω. 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 again 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 example if in all mildnesse he be taught how the example containes the rule and concludes it then by saying the rule twentie times over The rule is too generall But the eye can fix upon the example and so fixeth the understanding and then the understanding is a leading-hand to memory now the childe goes on with ease and delight It is an old saying but the truth thereof is more ancient That by precepts the way is long but by examples we make a short cut and very compendious This is the principall thing to be noted and practised in the promoting the childe provided still we do not cast-off the dull Boy for he may prove a solid and understanding Man The childe seemes the duller the quicker the Master is and because he leades on the childe in a dull way Our proceeding at this point is very preposterous and indeed Lilly hath led the way and we follow him hood-winkt as if we would not see more low statured-men though we are then he did an hundred yeares ago and more and standing ever since as it were upon his and others shoulders He begins with composition first whereas he should have begun with simple tearmes as all know who are acquainted with Art or reason Your Master-builder from whose Art we borrow our word of Art knows that very well for he fits his Stone and Timber first then raiseth the building and when the first work is done he counts all is done Nature proceeds orderly without skipping or leaping t Naturanon sacit saltum so must Art too and so must we also For if we would build like good work-men we must fit our materialls first simple words I mean before we joyn them And when we have done so according to the rule of Grammar and Art for it takes all along with it The childe is as fit for Aesop Cicero or Ovid as for the Childish book Yet Pueril such our customes are and so we fit our books this part of Ovid for this form that part for another Virgil to the fourth and Horace to the fifth so making the formes more and our labours too but the benefit the lesse All books are alike to the English and Latine Scholler when once the grounds are well laid in letters and syllables for the English tongue and in declension and verb for the Latine though yet there must be great choice of the matter such ever as is best sutable which will be ever that which is most sensuall But the main thing is and which gives strength to the building what
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. ω. Reade Ascham schol 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. Chap. 10 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. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost Ibid. Hom. 32. juxta cap. α. 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 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 qualâ—a fuerint non constat 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 indeed 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 μ. 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 Judaizabanâ— Galat. 2. 14. Bez. if well they follow well Being like sheep a wandring cattle which will drive well in a flock but not single and alone i Advance B. â— 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 Asâ—h Fox p. 62. 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. 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. â— sec 15. pag. 14. Societas nostra lapidum fornici similima 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
servant though he may passe for a Master in the world But he may defend his sloth thus so I finde it in Chrysostome u 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 smite 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 * station or x Nè quis temerè suos fines transiliret ejusmodi vivendi genera vocationes appellavit suum ergò singulis vivendi genus est quasi statio c. Cal. Inst. lib. 3. cap. 10. sect 6. 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 châ—ler contain themselves within their own proper vessels if bloud be out of the veins it causeth an Apostume if choler out of the gall it makes a jaundise all over the body So with our members if any one be out of place or doth not its proper office in its place then every one is out of quiet For the good and peace of the whole it is that every member keeps its proper place and doth the proper office belonging to that place Thus should every one do in that place where God hath appointed him in the body politick He must do those peculiar acts which are peculiar to his place from which his calling hath its denomination and is so called He that teacheth on teaching is the Apostles rule and extends it self unto all callings as an universall rule and of universall use Therefore to instance in that one calling for all which is the highest of all but gives the same rule for the lowest The office of a Pastour Bishop or Minister is to feed his flock to look to the state thereof to prepare the way of the people a Esay 62. 10. c. for that Scripture is fully and usefully explained by Tremellius This the office of Pastour or overseer to seek not yours but you to feed not themselves but their flock b See Hist of the councel of Trent 〈◊〉 2. p. 252. See pag 216. Noâ— magis de posâ—endo grege cogitan quam sutor de aâ—ando Cal Inst 4. cap. 5. sect 12 13. Those overseers then were truly taxed and charged of old that they did walk as men and did no way answer the office whereto they were called when as they saw nothing in their cures nor knew nothing of them but their rents This had been proper to him who was in office to be the Kings Rent gatherer but very impertinent to him or them whose office it was to prepare the way of the people or to prepare a people for the Lord. The conclusion is peremptory he that teacheth on teaching So likewise as we are called and as every man hath received the gift so must we minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold graces of God that He in all things may be glorified c 1. Pet 4. 10. As he hath received the gift I resume it again because we must well note it my gift fits me for my calling my calling for my work If I have not the gift I must not affect nor enter the calling If no calling I must not venture upon the work without a gift all will be done unskilfully without a calling disorderly without work
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 e 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. 1◠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 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 yeers for though a Childe is made a patterne yet we must not be like it in understanding When we were Children we did and we spake as children and all was comely but when we out-grew Childe-hood we out-grew Childishnesse a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Strom. p. 51. We had need of Milke and not of Strong Meate for we were as Babes unskilfull in the Word of Righteousnesse but now our stature is increased it were a shame that we should be Dwarfes in the Inward man the man indeed They can have no Apologie or excuse for themselves who are growne up to full yeers yet have a Childes understanding b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry sost Tom. 4. quod nemo laedit c. I suppose thee then of full Age even such an one as I would have thee who by reason of use hast thy Senses exercised to discerne both good and evill c Heb. 5. 13. 14. Childehood and youth are the Parents seed-time when they must look to their dutie The after-Age is the season of fruit when Parents expect an harvest of their paines Children then must look to their dutie that Parent and Childe may rejoyce together But alas how many Parents are deceived here even they who have not neglected their seede-time They think upon the Instructions they have given the Intreaties they have used what my son and the sonne of my wombe and what the sonne of my vowes d Prov. 31. 2. These they think on but how many are quite lost how few or none take what may make for ease and delight that Children learne quickly so will the Horse the Mule the Asse and the Oxe put any of these to the Wheele they will quickly finde out the number of their Rounds and never after can be deceived in their Account e Charron of wisdome This is nature still and her field is fruitfull But no Earth there is that requires more labour and is longer before it yeelds fruit then Mans nature so decaied and wilde it is growne and so rightly compared to the Sluggards field as the person is to a Colt an Asse-Colt a wilde Asse-Colt The Philosopher reasons this case very pithily f Plut. de amore prolis pag. 157. He that plants a Vineyard quickly eates the Grape So in other graines some few Moneths bring them to our hands againe and the fruite of our labours to our Eie and Taste Oxen Horses Sheepe c. they quickly serve for our use and much service they doe in Lieu and recompense for a little cost But Mans education is full of labour and cost The increase is slow the fruite and comfort farre off not within Eieshot perhaps the Parent may kenne this comfort perhaps he may live to see it and to rejoyce perhaps also he may discerne little hope he may live to heare of the miscarriage of his Childe and see that which like a back winde will put him onwards towards the pit hastening him with sorrow to the grave But In hope the Parent must doe his dutie herein also like the husbandman whose worke is never ended something he findes still that requires his eie and must command his hand or like the Painter who cannot withdraw the hand from the table before he sees his work fully perfected But herein the Parent and the Painter are very like In all his pictures saith Pliny more is to be understood then is expressed although the skill be great yet there is alwaies more in the minde g In omnibus ejus operibus intelligitur plus semper quà m pingitur cum Ars summa sit Ingenium tamen ultra Artem est Pliny l. 35. 10. of the Workman then the pensill could expresse to the eie of the beholder His Ingeny or Idea the proportion he hath framed in his mind is beyond his Art It is so with a Parent his care may be great and his skill somewhat and the Childe may observe both and much of both But the Childe must understand more then it can see and yet understand it cannot the yearning of the Spirit the turnings of the bowels the desire of the heart towards
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 mâ—diatorâ—â—es agitur disputatur de Dei beneplacito ac voluntale in quam sese Christus resert Luther Psal 22. P. 337. In doubts of Predestination begin from the wounds of Christ 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 disputaturus incipe à Christi vulneribus 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 Lutheri insedit ut nihil dulcius suerit deinceps eâ— poenitentia cum aâ—tea eidem in totâ Scripturâ nihil â—sset 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 Iordaâ— 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 poenitâ—ntes 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 poenitendum mihi praecipis sed talâ—s sum ego miser quod sentio me nolle neque posse quaâ—â— tuis 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 marching 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. â—28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin is my voluntary act Loco laâ—d l. 2 p. 294. Câ—sset volunâ—â—s propria non erit infâ—â—nus originally we will not be cleansed as Tho * Joh. 20. 25. so say we in effect not we cannot but we will not we will deny the Lord that bought us we will not come unto Him 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
we may walk worthy of His calling us and the equity hereof that we should glorifie Him whose purchase we are How should we live in sinne that lay so heavie upon the soul of Christ and could not be purged but by the bloud of God And how should we not be wholly consecrated to that Lord who so dearl bought us in whose Name we were all baptized and that is to consecrate our selves up as not our own but anothers and whose Name is called upon us It is b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 500 a worthy and honourable Name indeed and it must be honourably answered It was a sad and wise reproofe which the Father gives to one who walked not decently nor in order Why doest thou defile that good and honourable name of Christianisme c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I must not insist upon this though nothing except Him who leads into all truth can be more flexanimous more perswading then is this worthy Name which is call'd upon us we who carry Gods Name how exactly should we carry our selves what manner of persons ought such to be choice persons for we have a choice Name There is not a more naturall request then what we would be such to be what we would be in Name such in deed that is that having obtained so excellent a Name we would be even what our Name importeth even such That the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in us and we in Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—r. lb. 6 p. 485. 2. Thes 1. 12. This is our engagement and by the solemnest vow that ever was taken And therefore it is called The answer of a good Conscience towards God for then we entred into covenant as God with us of grace and salvation so we with Him of faith and repentance as He to be our God all-sufficient so we to walke before Him and be perfect We have by Christ a right to an interest in a much better covenant and now we must looke to ours we cannot thinke that God is bound and we loose Religion is nothing else according to the denotation and meaning of the word but a gathering-up and binding of us fast to God If we look that God should stand fast to us we must cleave to Him If we breake our bands and cast away our cords we must look to be broken There was never any covenant more solemnly made and ratified then this in Baptisme nor in breaking whereof there is more danger And yet an oath despised and a covenant broken with man hath been severely punished as we reade Ezek. 17. 15 16. And as the whole Christian world feeleth at this day for it smarteth yet for that breach of league long since made with the Turke whereby they both lost the day and their honour in both an irrecoverable losse And can we think to prosper or escape that do such things or shall we breake the covenant of our God and be deliver'd keep we covenant here through Christ we can and if we do it in sinceritie that 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 Preces perâ—inacissima curaâ—um birudo M l. vit Luth. p. 139. c. bloud it is Luthers comparison consume our cares our feares our sorrows our 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. Prâ—â—râ—pâ— 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. ω. in ep Ad Colos cap. 4. Hom. 12. remember my bonds Verse 18. Perniciocissime la buntur quòd fratrum infirmitatem nullius pensi habent Cal. Inst lib. 3. c. 19. sect 10. construction it is ever thus If â—his brothers back be pinched it is my back I am piâ—châ—d 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 bleâ—â—â—ng for blessing nay blessing for cursing knowing that we are thereunto called that we should inherit a blessing k 1 Pet. 3. 9. I know said Luther l Ignorantiam meam facilè feret ignoscet mihi Ecclesia Dei Regina illa misericordiae cujus viscera sunt merae remissiones peccatorum Luth. Prae fatio in postilla◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—n Act Apost ca. 21. Hom. 44. ω. my ignorance the Church will beare with and my faults she will pardon being the Queen of mercy and nothing else 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 thitherward 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 fiâ—st B. c. 11. sect 8 ω. 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 Inter. 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 Cbrist 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 upbraid 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 u 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
lesse noise it makes Hence it is That the rich mans wealth is his g Prov. 18. 11. Strong Citie and as an high wall for all this is but in his own conceit Hence it is That men in eminency of gifts and place are so taken up with the person for a time put upon them That they both in look and speech and gesture shew that they forget their naturall condition That they must lay aside their persons and dye like men and give account as stewards what they have gained Lastly hence it is That our owne Righteousnesse seemes so lovely in our eyes when as it is but like filthy rags and dung such things we may not otherwise name so filthy they are And were it considered it would help much to cast a spewing upon our glory h Hab. 2. 16. 1. Act. 8. 9. Thus we have seene what it is and whence it is that blows up the vaine heart of man making it think of it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above what is meet i And thence we may fetch helps and remedies against its pride for if it is but a vaine opinion a flattering conceit a false valuation of things that doth deceave us we must labour to rectifie our judgements and to understand the truth and realitie of things that we may not be deceived Secondly if it be the want of the right knowledge and true understanding of our selves that makes us over-value our selves we must learn to understand and read our selves a great and an hard lesson k An hard thing to know ourselves Not only the eye of the body but of the minde too wants this noble facultie of looking inward c. Translated out of St. Basi Hex Hom. 9. p. 103 and our own principles so as we may know our selves to be but men poore weake men deceitfull upon the ballance and very wanting The summe is we must study how to rectifie reason and to take a true scale and a right estimate of our selves and things not as they seeme and appeare to bee but as they are indeed at first †1. Is it my apparell that would puffe me up because my cloth is of a finer threed then some others is This is a false valuation for the sheepe had it on its backe before my selfe yet was it but a sheep then and the same now so Sr. Thomas More would prick the bladder and let out that windy conceit l Hanc ovis olim gestavit nec aliud tamen interim quà m ovis suit Vtop lib. 2. pag. 166. †2. Is it the gorgiousnesse of my apparell the pompe of the same which would puffe me up That were but a m Act. 25. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 6. Religi 601. α. Mirantur quenquam esse quem exiguaegemmulae aut lapilli dubius oblectet fulgor cui quidem stellam aliquam atque ipsum denique solem liceat intueri Ibid. fancy and a windy conceit also A poore ornament it is which is put on and off And a windy conceit it is and most unworthy of a man to be taken with the shining or glittering of some Gold-lace or Iewell who can point to the earth below him to the Lilly there And to the heaven above him to the Sun and Starres n 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. Nazianz 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 with a speedier 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 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 chest 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. 23. 4 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. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 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
base unto it the soul cannot unite with them nor be servant unto them use them she may but she enjoyes God her union there parts unrivets and divorceth her from base unions and fellowships with things below And so much to the second Grace required in the Receiver 3. The third is Love Love to God who loved us first and gave His Sonne that we might not perish Love to to Christ who so dearely bought us a Love as strong as Death which stirres up all the powers of the Body and Soul to love Him again so as we can thinke nothing too much or too hard to do or suffer for Him who hath so abounded towards us The History of His passion is more largely set down then is the History of His Nativitie Resurrection or Ascension and for this reason it is That all the circumstances thereof are so largely set down That our hearts should be enlarged after Christ That we should have largenesse of affection to Him and these steeped as it were in His bloud and crucified to His crosse and buried in His grave And as Love to Him so love to our Brother for His sake * Amicum in Christo inimicum propter Christum It cannot be doubted of in Him that tastes of this Love Feast he partakes of that there which is the cement that sodders and joynes us together e Sanguis Christi coagâ—lum Christianorum as the graines in one Loafe or as the stones in an Arch one staying up another or to speake in the Scriptures expression as members of one Body nay which is yet neerer as members one of another we partake in one house at one table of one bread here is a neere Communion and that calls for as neere an union so the Apostle reasons 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. One God one Christ See Chrysost on the 1 Cor. Hom. 1. one Spirit one Baptisme one Supper one Faith And all this to make us one That we may keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace f Eph. 4 3. But above all The Sacrament of the Supper is ordained for Love But our love to our enemies our shewing the kindnesse of the Lord g 2 Sam. 9. 3. first part p. 71. that is returning good for evill This blessing them who curse us this is all the difficultie and the doubt And hard it is to corrupt nature I remember Salvian saith He that thinks he prayeth for his enemy may be much mistaken he speaks he doth not pray h Si pro adversario orare se cogit loquitur non precatur lib. 2. pag. 70. And yet it is much to consider how farre a common and naturall light hath lead some here in this straight way of forgiving an enemy He was an implacable brother who said let me not live if I be not revenged of my brother The other brother answered And let not me live if I be not reconciled to my brother i Plut. de Fralorno amore And they were brothers too betwixt whom we read never any other contention was but who should dye for the other k Mart. lib. 1. ep 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 Pelus lib. 3. epist 126. 1 Cor 4. 12. 13. Lege Chrys ad Pop. Ant. tract Hom. 9. ω. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plus 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 enmitie 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. 18. 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 Psal 51. 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 If these graces be wanting may I go Quest 1 It is not safe If thy case be so wanting upon the ballance Answ 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 Discipleâ— 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 he a Disciple that comes to this feast If not I give and he receives but it is a sharp sword in stead of bread x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 26. Hom. 83. ω. 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 Quest 2 I had such a degree of sorrow such a measure of faith such a Answ 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 empty vessels 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
government set up there sin breaks out and Satan breaks in without controule This is a sacred Truth not to be doubted of Beleeve me now in what follows I have known many but more there have been whom I have not known who neglecting this single charge and casting off the government of themselves have poysoned all their springs of comfort at the very head o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Her Fur. p. 46. and blasted their hopes in the very blossome and blocked up their own way to the comfort they greedily catched at but in a very shadow Nay which is more I have known them who have kindled a fire in their youth that hath consumed them in their age and some remaining coales have singed the childe not then born Know it a truth not to be doubted and so plain that it needs not explication therefore what is possible keep thy heart as a chaste Virgin unto Christ even to thy marriage day and ever Thy posteritie and the blessing upon them depends upon it And so much touching this so necessary a charge this so prime a duty The looking well to our selves our single charge Which cannot be to purpose unlesse these single persons look up constantly to God who is the chiefest Overseer Parents and others are but deputies under Him who leades us on and holds us in every good way and hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Five negatives surely I will not verily verily I will not Heb. 13. 5. And this so great a businesse they must commend unto Him for it is a chief point of their charge with the same earnestnesse as they desire to succeed and prosper in it Our Lord Christ spent that whole night in prayer before He chose His disciples Thereby teaching us weak and frail creatures who have no subsistance of or in our selves but all from and in God what we ought to do at all times but more especially then when matters of importance are in hand It is of great importance how and in what manner matters of importance are entred upon and begun where we may note that nothing shall prove a blessing to me which I have not commended to the Lord and gained it from Him by prayer so then the young persons must look up to that hand that disposeth all things and to that hand they must submit They must leave God to His own time they must not tie Him to theirs He is wise and wonderfull and accordingly doth He work for those whose hearts are stayed upon Him I have observed those who have waited Gods time which is ever best He doth all things well and in their season so preferred in their match at the last that it hath quite exceeded their own expectation and the expectation of their friends and this at such a time when they least expected and had the least hope I have certainly observed it so They that wait on the Lord shall once say they are remembred and in a fit season But they who like an unserviceable piece of Ordinance flie off before they are discharged they who will put out themselves before their time have broken themselves with haste and proved like proffered wares of the least esteem quite disregarded They must wait on God herein 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 votum fluente fortuna lascivit 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. 2 Chron. 25. 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 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 â—iam exosculantur ubi semel formâ capti sunt Haec sola est quae me delectat pulchritudo c. Calv. ep 16.
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 Ephes cap. 5. Hom. 20. ω. miae 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 nobleminde 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 Å¿ Chrysost on Eph. 6. Hom. 22. α. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry. Cor Hom. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c in Med μ. 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 Indeed there is not a more unseemely and unworthy sight then to see a wife usurp the authoritie over the man It is like a body I have sometime seen whose head was bowed down so close to the breast that behind you could scarce discern any thing but the shoulders Certainly it is a seemely sight To see t There is much in the example of a good master to make all follow his sleps though he say nothing yet children and servants may see enough whereby they may be taught Chrysost in cap. 17. Gen. hom 40. ω the head stand out in sight and the contrary as unseemely And as unseemely every whit if the man demean himself unworthy of his place if he be not answerable to his honour and headship it will but disgrace him the more being like a pearle set in lead or a jewell in a swines snout a skull without braines or an head without wit It is not to be doubted but the prime dutie and the very weight of the burden lyeth upon the man It is much how he leadeth the way and draweth here for the head is the Glory and Crown of the Body and to be an Head imports a preheminence and soveraigntie it implyes also a derivation of the spirits thence to the members which being intercepted the body would quickly fall into a dead palsie t Vt in corporibus sic in imperio gravissimus est morbus qui à capite diffunditur Plin. l. 4. ep 22. ω Morbido Capite nil sanum est neque ullum omnino membrum efficio suo sungitur ubi quod est principale non constat de Salv. de Guber l. 7. pag. 234. All which strongly argueth the mans principall charge and duty to whom belongs the headship and therefore is the principall and leading example The man by his example must lead on the wife to faith else what is one in the flesh will be two in the spirit that is divided saith Chrysologus u Vir conjugem dedicat ad fidâ—m ne quodunum est in carne spiritu sit dâ—vâ—sâ—m Ser. 10. As it is in printing when on Sheet is set a thousand are easily pressed after it so when the master hath a good impression upon him his family is easily stampt to piety If Grace that pretious oyntment be plentifully in the head and heart of the Master it will quickly distill to his skirts children and servants The man is in his place though of the lowest ranke yet in his place as the great parsons in their great seas as the Adâ—irall ship that beares the Lanthorne all steare after it And indeed this man though in a low Chap. 6 § 2 estate of life yet being out of order can blow as big and raise as great stormes proportionably in his little pond as the other doe in their great seas so Lipsius phraseth it x De Const lib. 2. chap 25. see part first p. 93. â— The lightnesse of my family shall be said to my charge so my conâ—cience makes me feare for lacke of more earnest and deligent instruction which should have beene done Bishop Ridly to Master west martyr p. 1569. Therefore whether the man be in high place or low it is very much how he leadeth the way for he is as one that carryeth the Lanthorne If the husband hath received the stampe of holinesse as was said y Epistle to the first part he will quickly presse his houshold with the same impression if Grace that pretious oyntment be in the head of the head in an house it will quickly destill to his skirts Children and servants A husband should know that he is not more above his wife in
place then in example Therefore what is done a misse in thehouse will returne upon the man as most blame-worthy My conscience makes me feare that the lightnesse of my family shall be laid upon my charge for lacke of more earnest and diligent instruction which should have been done said Bishop Ridly to Master West Woe and woe againe if we by our examples should make others to stumble at the Truth So Iohn Bradford to Iohn Carelesse z Martyr pag. 1569. Pag. 1494. It is a tradition that Matthias the Apostle was used to say If a goodmans neighbour did fall into any great sinne the goodman was to be blamed for if that goodmans life had been sutable to his Rule the Word of God then had his example according to rule so awed that neighbor that he had not so falne said Clemens of Alexandria a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strom. l. 7. pag. 541. Much more may the same be said touching the husband and the wife the father and the child the master and the servant if any thing be amisse if things goe not straight in the family it is very likely the husband the father the master walke not according to rule but some crosse or crooked way for he is the head the leading hand The starres are eclipsed oftner then the greater lights but their eclipse we observe not but if the Sunne or Moone are eclipsed our eyes are upon them for the one rules the day the other the night Inferiors faile often in their duty but the observation is what their Superiours what their Governours doe They are in their little house as the Sunne and Moone are in the great world The little great Rulers therein Therefore it requires our Marke That it was the Man for whose faithfulnesse the Lord did undertake I know that Abraham will command his children and his household c. b Gen. 18. 19. Command marke that Command not so much by his Word though that was a command too but by example That hath more force in it more of that we call compulson Abraham will command And it was the Man that promised for himself I and my house will serve the Lord Ioshua last 15. It was the man and a man after Gods own heart that said I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Psal 101. And much reformation must follow for the removing of the wicked from his seat and sight and for the encouragement of the godly as it is plain in that place And which is more this was a great house a kingdome It was a man and one under authoritie though he had souldiers under him and they are none of the tamest creatures who did say to this man go and he went and to another come and he came and to his servant do this and he did it And to put the lowest last for indeed he was much below a Christian but quite shames him it was an old man and a darkman That had foure sonnes stout young men five daughters many servants a great retinue over all this man carried himself with such authoritie with such a Lord like command but so well tempered as his servants feared him his children reverenced him all honoured and loved him In the house you might see saith the author c Cic. de Senec. the old paternall authoritie and 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 too farre Wives must not shine then the brightest when Angariari Parabolam 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 Laz con 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 vitium aut tollendum aut serendum quae tollit maritum commodâ—orem praestat quae fert sâ—se meliorem sacit 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
time And though this recording of Mercies be proper to every person that is growne up to the yeares of understanding and not to every Age only but to every yeare and month and weeke and day therein yet this is a duty which seemes more to presse upon us the more and the faster yeares doe presse on And therefore though it doth concerne All in generall and every age and person in speciall yet being specially intended because that which is spoken to all is counted as spoken to none I shall bend my words to Thee whom I must suppose now stricken in yeares the Sun of thy day farre passed the Meridian and its shaddow gone downe many degrees towards the place where anon it must set Thou must then consider how wonderfully the Lord hath maintained thy life and preserved the same ever since thy comming into the world and that this consideration may presse the more thou must consider what this life is and that of so small a bottome the Lord should spinne out solong a thred Had he not drawne it out of his owne power as the Spider doth her web out of her owne bowels it had been at an end the second minute The maintaining the Radicall Moysture that Oyle which feeds the Lampe and light of thy life is as great a miracle as was the maintaining the Oyle in the Cruse of the poore widow But He did not maintaine this life only and at His owne proper cost But defended and protected thee also tooke thee under His Wings as the hen doth her chickens to shelter thee from those many dangers thy life hath been exposed to We cannot tell how many but this thou must know that there are principalities and Powers both in the plurall number to shew they are Legions and in the Abstract to shew they are armed with power as they are swelled with malice And to this their malice and power thou wast liable every moment of thy life and thou hadst felt both their malice and their power as quick and fierce against thee as Iob and others have done if the Lord had not charged them concerning thee Touch her not and how canst thou be sufficiently thankfull for this Againe consider how many dangers and casualties thou hast scaped from the Earth the severall creatures on it from the Water from the Fire from the Aire also how often have the Arrowes of Death come whisking by thee Tooke away those next thee and yet have missed thee perhaps thou hast seene some Deare yeares of time as thy forefathers have done When a thousand have falne at thy right hand and ten thousand at thy left When Gods Arrests have seized upon some walking talking and yet have spared thee And if not so yet consider thine owne body and the humours thereof They had every day overflowne and drowned thee as the waters the earth if God had not said unto them stay your proud Waves In a word if thou consider what thy life is and the dangers thou art subject to thou must acknowledge that the preservation thereof is as great a wonder as to see a sparke maintained alive amidst the waters So Chrysostome speakes of Noah t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 5. ser 6. As great a wonder as to see a glasse that hath been in continuall use gone through many hands and hath had many knocks and fals to be kept for forty fifty sixty yeeres whole and unbroken As great a wonder as to see a Candle in a paper lanthorne in a 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 â—ob 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 what ever 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 n 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 Tongue 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 x 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 be 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 baile 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 declining age when we have lived almost to threescore yeares The other when we are drawing onward to fourescore c. extreame old age of both in their order 1. Both the one as well as the other is an age not more desired then complained of They knew best why that feele the burden of it I have not lived unto it It is likely that person complained not without cause who being willed to hasten her pace told them who were so quick with her That so she could not do for she carryed a great burden on her back And whereas no burden at all appeared to the eye she replyed again that threescore years were passed over her head and that was the burden Plaut And so it may well be with those whose spirits are much spent and strength wasted even at those yeares And then age it self alone is a burden I can speake little here out of experience But this I can say If God be pleased to stretch out my day so long I shall know no cause to complain of the length for that is a blessing Length of dayes is from the right hand Prov. 3. 16. Riches and honour from the left Only we must note here That if the Lord be pleased to shorten the day of this life to any person as sometimes He doth to His dearest and most obedient children their dayes are not long upon earth why yet if He eek out this short day here with an eternitie of dayes and pleasures at His right hand when they are taken hence if so that partie shall have no cause to complaine of a short day on earth so abundantly recompensed in heaven This is a note by the way If I say God be pleased to stretch forth my dayes so long I know no cause why I should complaine of a blessing I may complaine and just cause why I should and that bitterly but not for the accession of yeares If any thing sower them it is of mine owne Leaven and of my owne putting in Complaine of my selfe I may of them I may not Old age is a calme quiet and easie time if youth have done it no disservice in filling its bones before hand Nor no intemperance hath weakned its head or feete If so Old age hath just cause to complaine of the Man not the man of Old Age. There is no Guest in the world that is more desired and expected and yet when it comes worse welcomed and entertained then Old Age is still with sighes and complaints which we know argues bad welcome I would have my Child make good provision for it against it come and when it is come to give it good welcome Welcome I say I doe not say ease Good welcome doth consist we say in shewing a good and chearefull countenance to our guest not in giving him too much ease or feeding him too daintily Let it appeare thou hast laid up store against thy yeares come and now they are come thou canst welcome them and art glad they are come but doe not make too-much of them in giving them too much ease I may warne thee of it againe for Old Age is very craving very importunate that way though they may be importunate If thou yeeldest to a lithernesse and a listnesses whereto Old Age inclineth us very much and so to spare thy body thy activenesse will decay more in one moneth then otherwise it would in twelve It s observable what the Heathen
y Nos sumus qui nullis annis vacationem damus canitiem galea premimus c. Senec. de otio sapientis cap. 29. said and it may instruct Christians We allow no vacation to our long tearme of yeares we can put an head-piece upon our hoary-scalp We will rest when we are dead life is for action Keep then thy body in breath and in ure with exercise else it will quickly grow unprofitable and a Burden Vse strength and have it it is a sure proverbe and if ever we will use expedition it is then seasonable when gray haires are upon us It is dangerous to burne the Day-light and to trifle out this pretious time The putting off this day and the next and halfe a day cost the poore Levite and his Concubine very deare as we may read Iudges 19. The evening hasteth on a pace and the Sun is neare the setting now put on the more earnestly because night is comming and thou must to Bed in the darke now gather twice as much I meane now pray heare read twice as much For the great Sabbath is comming when thou lookest for ever to Rest for ever to be with the Lord. This Sabbath Day is comming which shall never have night Now gather spirituall Manna thy Homer full twice as much as formerly If in thy youth thou didst by hearing reading conference c. gaine thirty-fold now gaine sixty Now bestirre thy selfe and put to all thy strength for the laying in store of provision in this thy day that thou mayst rejoyce in that great Day the Day of the Lord or the particular Day of thy Death Let it appeare thou art going out by the clearnesse of thy light and that the night is comming by the hasting of thy pace It is strange to consider what old men have done and how fit they have been for the best actions I meane of the minde I know outwards must decay because they kept their minde like a bow so they said alwayes bent I forbeare to put them down here The holy Scripture Heathen Authors our own observation doth reckon up not a few But remember still that there are none recorded in the sacred Register after the terme of life was shortened for old men but their old age was a crown unto them being found in the way of righteousnes z Senibus vita productior à deo tributa est in eum finem ut insiginum aliquorum operum in Ecclesiaesuae emolumentum organa essent Mardochaeus ad liberaudam Ecclesiam sub Artaxerxe vixit annos 198. Jehoshua ut pâ—pulum è Babylone cum Esdra Zorobabele reduceret vixit annos 130. Philo Ammiâ—nus in breviario temporum Tobit senior ut populi calamitas sub Salmanasare levaret vixit annos 158. Eâ ipsâ causa Tobit junior vixit annos 127. Judith ad liberandum patrium sub Holoferne vixit annos 105. Sixâ—us Senensis Bibliothec. lib. 8. They that are planted in Gods house bring forth much fruit in their age He that is fruitlesse in his latter yeares may be much suspected how he spent the former But I am sure there can be little comfort in it It is a sad thing to be an old man in yeares and a childe in understanding To grow like a Leeke greene fresh and lively towards the earth flag and saplesse upwards towards heaven To have the eye of the body dim and the eye of the soule as dim To have the body bending towards its earth and the spirit no 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. 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 assured 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 h Jer. 7. 10. far be it that ye should be i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioid. 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 but ye understand not what ye heard Now heare and hearken now see and perceive now while it is called to day and know that there is a great deale of mercy l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p. Ibid. 41. that yet the day is and is yet continued still every day to this present repeated a great mercy this provoke the Lord no longer grieve His good spirit no more lest He swear in His wrath as He will do if we continue to turn grace into wantonnesse m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ibid. While it is yet to day heare His voice and turn unto Him This is the counsell I will adde but this to it That He and He onely turns the heart who opened the eyes of Him that was born blinde and made a man every whit whole therefore the Church saith convert me and I shall be converted c. It is He who gives a seeing eye and an hearing eare even both these is a speciall mercy from the Lord and greatly to be begged for This then we must note for close hereof that as there may be a childe in n Noli annorum nos aest mare numero nec sapientiam canos reputes sed canos sapientiam Hier. ad Paul 14. p. 180. yeares and a man in understanding so also may there be an old man in yeares and a childe in understanding For understanding comes not by yeares but by meditation in Gods law o Psal 119. 99. 100. Noli fidem pensare temporibus Ibid. I have more understanding then my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more then the Ancients because I keep thy precepts A man may run out many yeares and more houres and yet be never the wiser by all that time because he hath not learnt from whom every good and perfect gift commeth even from the Father of lights He that worketh all our worke in us and for us before whom the Elders fell down and worshipped casting their crowns before His Throne acknowledging themselves to be in point of grace but Almes-men p Exuentes omne propriam benignitatem se benefictarios ejus agnoscunt ante cujus thronum coronas abjiciunt Brightman Rev. 4. 10. or sitting at the receit of a free mercy He it is that giveth wisdome not length of yeares nor number of dayes out of His mouth cometh knowledge q Prov. 2. 6. and understanding God iustructs unto discretion r Esay 28. 18. The Husbandman can neither sow nor reap c. without assistance and instruction from God much lesse can he sow righteousnesse and reap the same without speciall instruction from His mouth Who knoweth the heart therefore it is said Who teacheth like Him Å¿ Job 38. 22. And he that is old and stricken in yeares yet hath learnt so much as hath been said That the Lord giveth wisdome that His word or law instructs to discretion This mans case is not to be despaired of though it be towards the last houre for while breath is within the nostrils for ought we know there is a doore of grace and mercy open But yet this is a very sad and lamentable case For the longer a man walks on in the wayes of ignorance the more unwilling and unable he will be to return and be reformed custome in sinning exercising still more and more tyranny his understanding will be more darkned his judgement more perverted his will more stubborn
some who send their prayers and their praises after Soules departed But all helpes no more then doth the crying after a Bowle rub or runne now throwne out of the hand The hand sets the Bias and gives the bowle an impression and where the strength of that impression ceaseth there the Bowle lyeth all our running and calling and crying helpes nothing at all but to evidence clearely as the Anticke and ridiculous trickes of the Bowler so the vanity and unprofitablenesse of our after labours now that the soule is departed For then it is night with the Soule in respecâ— of any further worke the pit is open where there is no praise Then it either rests from his labour or is restlesse in paine There teares are wiped of or else they begin never to have end Weeping for evermore And this I note in passage that when we speake of Death we may be serious It was well answered by a Father to his Sonne who being Crossed in his humor wished hee were dead learne first what it is to live he that so lightly wisheth to dye is as he that flyeth from an yron weapon and a bow of steele striketh him through as Iob speaketh l Job 20. 24. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you m Amos 5. 18. Jer. 48 48. 43. 44. The day of the Lord is darknesse and not light as if a man did flee from a Lyon and a Beare meet him c. So the Prophet reprooved those who were dispisers of Gods Words and Workes and scoffed at His judgements It may instruct us to sobriety that we doe not for the avoyding of an inconvenience runne into a mischiefe It is dangerous to live in discontent to dye in it or to wish so to do is much more dangerous We ought to wish rather we may live and to count it a great mercy that we are spared till we can give a better account of our Time and are better fitted to dye Death indeed is the Churches portion and part of her joynture All are yours n Cor. 3. 21. 22 23. and amongst those severall parcels Death is yours and therefore it may be wished for and desired as lawfully as a Childe may desire to goe to bed or to his Father For the nature of Death is changed to the godly It is harmelesse now and hath lost its venome It is a passage to a better place a gate to Glory It is the accomplishment of Mortification and the end of labour Thus death is but not in its owne nature so it is a destroying hostile thing and so to our nature the most terrible of all Terribles And therefore not to be desired till we are assured that both the nature thereof and our nature also is changed And then also our desires must not be immoderate we must not long for it nor rejoyce exceedingly when we can finde the grave o Job 3. 21 22. This argueth too much shortnesse of spirit and some impatience under Gods Hand and more unwillingnesse then becometh to waite upon Him any longer we must patiently waite Gods Time remembring Eternity is a space long enough for God to shew mercy unto His when their faces shall waxe pale no more they shall rest for ever And therefore no matter if yet longer they waite His Time and abide His pleasure though with some griefe and paine to the flesh pleasures at His right Hand for evermore will abundantly recompense what ever pressures are from below But whether we dye 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 hence 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 we be-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 these betraying 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
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 as 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 solco 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 easie matter now and a matter of the greatest comfort to depart hence now now that His eyes can behold His Salvation Now He chooseth Death rather then life for to Him the nature thereof is changed He hath so walked all His life so contended for and kept the Truth so clinged to Christ in obedience and Faith Who tasted Death for him i Heb. 2. 9. that now He shall neither see Death nor taste Death He shall not see Death He shall see the face of Death changed lovely and pleasant now as Esau's face to Iacob He shall see through the vaile and shadow of Death through the darke Grave and behold Him who hath swallowed up Death and the Grave in victory He shall not Taste Death The sharp and bitter relish of Death is quite allayed and taken off to Him now He tasteth nothing but sweetnesse in Death but joy and peace in Death a peace passing understanding He is swallowed up now not of Death but of very Rivers and Flouds the Brookes of Honey and Butter k Iob 20. 17. He doth not see Death nor doth He taste thereof such are the expressions l John 8. 51 52. and they are to the heart of the Beleever in Death now He seeth life accompanied with an eternall waight of Glory He lookes upon Death now as Iacob upon Iosephs wagon m Gen. 4. 5. which shall convey Him to a place where He shall have Enough so as He regards not the stuffe and baggage of the world for the good I say not of all Verse 20. the land of Egypt is His but Heaven is His and all the good that Christ hath purchased is His. And now at this Brunt much like the straight that David was in but a little before the putting on of His Crowne at this brunt I say now that Death seemes to make His Conquest it doth this Servant of the Lord the best good service for it shall open Him the way to the Crowne it shall set free the prisoner of Hope it shall be as a Waggon to convey Him unto the possession of All good even to Christ Himselfe and now I have said All. And all this this Servant of the Lord seeth in Death and then how can this person Taste of Death since it must needs be that He can have no other relish in His heart now but of honey and butter of Pleasures of Gods right Hand for evermore Thus it is with that person who doth that work first who in mortifying the deeds of the flesh doth Dye Daily When Death commeth he seeth it not he tasteth not of it But for the wicked it is not so with them They see death They taste of death They see death and the horrour of it they see it over-powring them and getting now a full conquest over them they see it rouling great stones upon the mouth of their Cave as Ioshua upon the five Kings n Jos 10. 18. there reserving them as Prisoners of no hope till the day of their doome when they shall receive that dreadfull but just sentence under execution whereof they shall lye eternally being sent to their own place where like slaves Death shall keep them under perpetuall bondage And there they must taste of it also even such bitternesse as shall be to them as the gall of Aspes within their bowells and the poyson of Vipers Thus they taste it
way to be at peace y Job 12. 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 it Thinke now on the evill dayes that are coming the winter of thy life let the Ant instruct thee Prov. 6. 6. What thou sowest now thou shalt reape in Age. If thou layest in good provision now for now is the Time to store up and furnish thy inward house such will be the benefit and comfort of it hereafter Now study this Art of improving time meanes graces Thou canst not imagine how rich it will make thee how the increase will come in upon thee as one saith A plea for age use upon use in this only lawfull kinde of usury Profusissimi in eo cujus unius honesta avaritia Sen. de brevit vitae cap. 3. Now put forth thy strength and pluck up thy feet and run the race that is set before thee with all thy might And the Lord put forth His Arme even His mightie Arme and carry thee in His right hand even His strong and high hand Psal 89. 13. that thou mayest have power against thy enemies in thy way for they are mightie and without divine assistance will over-power thee for they are the enemies of thy own house What they are how mighty how ensnaring I shall now shew unto thee and treate of them in thy eares as followes An insertion to the second part pag. 188. line 16. To put a full period hereunto it will be necessary to take of an unjust imputation cast upon Old-Age by pleading her cause and informing against her informers These are the precedent Ages for thus they accuse and deride this withered and decayed Age telling us It is like a weather-beaten house dropping down wherein none would dwell under such Ruins True it is such a kinde of thing Old-Age may seeme to be but she retorts the blame and cause thereof upon her predecessors it is they who have thrust her into such a decayed house and now they aggravate their fault very much in that they blame the old-building which themselves have made so ruinous They have been as violent winds and stormes often beating upon this house of clay and so have brought it out of reparations Youth will please his appetite that he will come what will come he will satisfie his youthfull desires though in so doing he doth exhaust Nature and spends upon the principall stock of life which yet he thinks not of for youth can beare it out but it will fall to the Lot of the old man to want and smart for this profuse Erigere durum est qui cadit juvenis senem A hard thing it is to make him stand firme in old age that fell in youth Quis ullam spem habebit in co cujus primum tempus aetatis fuerit ad omnes libidines divulgatum who can have hope of any good in him whose first yeers have been spent in all manner of lusts and luxury Cic. ad senatum post reditum spending The Man Nusquam pejus quà min sano corpore aeger animus habitat A corrupt heart dwelleth no where worse or more dangerously then in an healthy Body him I mean who is in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vigour and May-tide of his life this man is as profuse and lavish of his spirits as the youth was as if there would be no need of them hereafter he puts forth his strength and doth evill things as he can Jer. 3. 5. and when he doth so then he rejoyceth Ita
and with better grace but there must be a time to learn the well managing of both And a little time will not serve to learn this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. l. 8. p. 613. Hom. Il. a De Cyri. Instit l. 1. α. shepheard how to feed and govern men that wilde cattell the hardest to govern of any saith Zenophon too I remember here what is reported of that Valiant and right noble King of Sweden of fresh and bleeding memory He was trained up for Government being imployed by his Father as a Secretary to the State and a Commander in the Wars when he was but 18. But I recall my self to that I was speaking Letters or a needle to children are stranger things then a Shepheards hook in a Princes hand they wonder what they are and what they must do with them play with them they think and so they may and learn too an easie way of learning but very expedite It is a rule of one and that was an Irritande ad discendum infantiae gratia eburneas literarum formas in lusuâ— offerre c. Quint. l. 1. c. 1. Fiant literae vel buxea vel eburneae c. ludat in eis ut lusus ipse eâ—uditiâ— sit â— Hiâ—r ad Lâ—tâ—m l. 2. ancient Teacher Give children the letters of the Alphabet fairly drawn or carved in Ivory or any other solid or delectable matter to play withall that by their sports those forms might be imprinted in their memories whereby we expresse all the notions of our minde in writing And so Hier. counselleth also What ever our customes are this way they are none of the best this we are taught by it That we must make things as familiar to children as may be and that we must draw them on with all pleasingnesse I mean in point of instruction In learning any thing they seem to pull as it were at a dead thing It is a great point of wisedome in the Teacher to put some life into it that the childe may see it stirre and coming onward else the work may seeme so hard to them that they can better beare the smart of the Rod then the labour of the work a See Aug. de Civit. l. 21. c. 14 Id inprimis cavere oportebit ne studia amare nondum potest oderit Quint. 11. then discouragements follow such as make them hate the book before they know it A parent must be very gentle and patient specially when he is upon the beginnings of things for they are hardest it is the first consideration 2. He must consider that now the childe is entred it must be taught the same thing again and again and yet again for yet it is not learnt The first impressions are weak b Quicquid incipit rude est Nemo non errat nisi qui saepissimè non erravit Rumpat saepe stamina â—t aliquando non rumpat Hier. ad Gaud. dâ— Pacat. ep 16. lib. 2. the lesson is not firm nor will it be kept without continuall repetition and yet the parent must have patience a necessary virtue and well becoming the Teacher and as much promoting the learner whereunto this I conceive would be very conducible 3. Let a Teacher consider how unapt he findes himself to that Science he is newly entred upon if a Teacher would learn something he knows not whilest he is teaching the childe what himself knows he would see his own unaptnesse and pardon the childes As put case while I teach the childe Greek I my self learnt Hebrew Whilest the mother Chap. 4 sect 1 teacheth her daughter her needle she puts her hand to the Distaffe which she never did before though Ladies have and it hath become them The essentials of huswifery do well but to the purpose A man would hardly think how this would calme a Teacher We forget quite what we did and how 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 Tom. 6. ser 1. 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 Judg. 9. 34. that men say not A woman slew him Observe saith Chrysostome a 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 their 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 hom 41. in 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 Eutrapolus cuicunque nocere volebat vestimenta dabat pretiosa 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 a Reade Chrysost upon Gen. 3. 1 vers 2◠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 in true judgement With the lowly is wisedome and the eye of the Lord is towards him for good More fully this in the second part But here let the childe have some old lessons with his new cloathes for that is all besides his sports he takes delight in It may be told That as the man must honour the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys ad pop Ant Hom. 19. VVe commend not an horse for his trappings nor must we a man for his clothes what availeth a body well clad and a soul naked 1 Pet 3. 3. Aug. confess lib. 1. cap. 7. house not the house the man so the person must put a grace upon his apparell not the apparell upon the person It is a poore ornament and not worth the looking on which is put-on and off with the cloathes The inward ornament is the grace indeed And if the Parent shall intend principally the beautifying of the inward man his own and his childes he shall reap the comfort of both And so much to the first which sheweth my scope to propose a way onely not to determinate the same 2. There is a spice of this pride which shews it selfe in children before their teeth in a froward stubborn carriage The Parent must be as speedy in observing what signes the childe gives hereof either in words or gesture thereby it is declared very much And he must leave nothing remaining so farre as he can help of this yron sinew out with it and spare him not The childes future good and the Parents comfort depend upon it Let him see and feele that it is very unprofitable and bootlesse to be sullen froward obstinate leave him not till he be as soft as a pumpion that is the counsell and the way to prevent this evill which will make him as unfit to rule hereafter as he is to obey now The Parent must be very watchfull and active here but now remembring he looks upon his owne picture as was said his own Image right Now heart answers heart as face to face in water or in Chrystall And therefore we shall the lesse feare the fathers passion All compassion will be used which is necessary and required And so the stubborn spirit which worketh all our woe as was said may be taken down through Gods blessing who is lookt up unto for that which is crooked no man can make straight And the contrary grace may be instilled and inforced I meane gentlenesse of Vt ameris ama Mar. carriage meeknesse of behaviour oh how winning how commendable it is Love is the whet-stone of Love an attractive thereof a Ego tibi monstrabo amatorium sine medicamento c. Si vis amari ama Senec. epist. 9. If we would be beleeved we must live honestly If we would be beloved we must love heartily Isid Pelusit lib. 2. epist 148. I will tell thee said one how thou maist make another love thee without a love-potion Be pleasing and loving to others and thou shalt have love againe A meeke and loving
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 u 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 * Chaâ—ron 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 sinde 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 ponderant 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 is 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 z Volupâ—aâ—e â—ruâ— maxima voluptas 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 a 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. Nâ—tura vexaâ—â— prodiâ— seipsam 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 moxima 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 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 Jussisâ—â— domine sic est ut omnis inord natus affâ—ctus 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
though they are clouded to me yet are they righteous and the equity thereof will shine more cleare then doth the Sun-beam What though darknesse is about Him and my darknesse comprehends Him not Yet will I ascribe righteousnesse unto my Maker t Job 36. 3. What though I cannot finde Him out nor is it possible I should no more then I can draine the great Ocean with a mans scull yet He is excellent in power and in judgement and in plenty of justice u Job 37. 23. What though a thick cloud is spread about His Throne I cannot pry into it yet Righteousnesse dwells there that 's certain Clouds and darknesse are round about Him Righteousnesse Psal 97. 2. and judgement are the habitation of His Throne * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here we must stop our reasonings for this is the resolution to an high and mysterious question And so I have checked my sad and proud thoughts that what ever covering for sin and destruction the proud heart may suggest for it findes out many inventions what ever plea or excuse the heart may have why yet when the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all nations shall be quite destroyed which will be at the last Day fully then shall the justice of God appeare so cleare and conspicuous as that all mouthes though now full of contradictions shall be stopped and all knees shall bowe before the Iudge of all the world Then all men shall see the justice of God in those His most secret and hidden judgements Those judgements of God which S. Austin termeth secretly just and justly secret x Occultè justa justè occulta So they are now but at the Day of judgement they shall be manifestly just and justly manifest Then it shall appeare not onely that the most secret judgements of God are just but also that there was just cause that they should be secret or kept hidden to that Day But in the mean time which is our Day we may learn a fit instruction from the Sun also That as it is safest to look upon the Sun-shine in the aire not in the beam or body of the same they put out the eyes the other comfort it so is it safest to deale with the linckes of the Golden chain which God hath let down unto us and not with those which God hath reserved to Himselfe To obserue by some reflexion of grace within our own souls whether Gods countenance shine upon us and not to pry into that light which no mortall eye can attaine unto lest searching into His Majestie we are consumed by His glory His will must content us which He hath revealed without any reason which He hath not revealed The brightnesse of His excellency cannot be gazed upon nor must the height of His power be disputed To keep Gods commandments is our duty to pry into His counsels is curiositie which will be surely punished Labour we to understand things that are safe and venture not in things that be too high So much the brightnesse of the Sun which will not be gazed upon teacheth us And so I have ended this large discourse touching the works of God with the consideration of that creature which is fullest in our eye I conclude this walk and the instructions there-from as I began in Mr Dearings words which he still weighed at the Sanctuary there is not one too light We must consider the works of God and in them His greatnesse His power His goodnesse and thereby learn with all our hearts to serve Him to glorifie Him as our onely God But if we be unprofitable creatures in the world if we have eyes and see not and eares and heare not and the sight and use of so excellent works can stirre us up neither to love nor feare nor once to know so excellent a workman we are holden in the bondage of a spirituall Aegypt wander in strange and unknown wayes of a spirituall wildernesse where we have neither water of life nor any secret Manna to satiate and and fill our faint and hungry souls We walk in the world as subjects of the world and dwell on the earth as servants of the earth The oxe and the horse do as we do they eat and drink and see the Sun and use at their 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 α. 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