into their hearts by the preaching of thy Word Let not Christians spill the potion or throw away the plaister that should heal and cure their sin-diseased Sin-wounded Souls by neglecting or despising this Soul-converting and this Christ-conveying Ordinance But grant that we may both love prize and hunger after this Heavenly Manna thy word preached that so our souls may not be famished but fed and nourished unto eternall Life Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Evangelii praedicatio eternae est vitae promulgatio Pietatis semen virtutis pabulum consolationis vehiculum Cordis fulcrum Imber gratiae pharmacon Animae Mortuis tuba caecis Lux Dux errantibus Titubantibus baculus esurientibus cibuâ— ignorantibus fons Scientiae Oceanus gaudii parens Fidei XX. Of godly learned and of ungodly unlearned Ministers PIous Ministers they are the brightest stars in the firmament of the Church a Tully Diis proximi sunt Deorum sacerdotes They are the pillars on which it standeth The Spokesmen that wooe the soul with heavenly Rhetorique that court it with Divine Oratory to love Christ and the paranymphs that lead it to marry him They are Celestiall Ambassadors sent by the Lord Jesus to treat with sinners and to conclude an everlasting peace betwixt him and them They are the chariots horsemen watchmen and as Saint Ambrose was said to be of Millaine et ornamenta munimenta urbis ecclesiae The beauty safety blessing honour and bulwarks both of the Nation Cities Towns and places where thâ—y live b Dr. Arrowsmith Tact. Sa. Nequit Hippo devastari ante obitum Augustini nec ante obitum Parei Heidelberga c Dr. Stoughton Like the heavens they enlighten comfort fructifie that Microcosme Man with their heat light influence with the light of saving knowledge the heat of well grounded well guided zeal and the influence of an exemplary pious conversation without which Ministers are like those Physitians that give an Antidote with one hand to their patients their people and poyson with the other And at best they are but like that * Act. 27. 22. Ship wherein St. Paul was that perished it self though it saved others * Such Ministers are like Cooks that labor and sweat to dress meat for others but eate none of it themselves Or those carpenters that built the Ark wherein Noah his family were preserved and yet themselves were drowned in the deluge When they are wicked that may be said of them which was objected by Cato unto Tiberius concerning the Dalmatian commotions scl d Camden Annal. of Q. Elizabeth That their flocks are committed not to shepherds but Wolves e Such Ministers are praedatores non praedicatores seductores non doctores peculatores non speculatores raptores non pastores For such men do not watch but worrey they do not teach but tear they do not feed but kill and flay their sheep Ah Lord how black and terrible will that Bil of inditement appear which wil be both preferred found at that great assize the day of Judgment against such Ministers as do either poyson or pine their flocks That either kill them as Henry the first King of France is said to be murdered with consecrated wine with the deadly flesh-pleasing muskadine of erroneous or Heretical doctrins principles or famish them for want of the sincere milk of the word through their ignorance or idleness or lead them out of the narrow way of life and not only incourage and perswade them to but harden them in sin by their profaneness worldliness * Si quid injungere inferiorive lis id prius in te ac tu os si ipse stotueris facilius omnes obedientes habebis Liu. l. 26. vitious lives scandalous examples Certainly all such blind seducing dumb ungodly Ministers will inevitably irrecoverably without repentance and reformation sink under the insupportable weight of the bloud ruine and destruction of their wandering miscarrying and everlastingly undone people to the very bottome of Hell O Lord let them fear it here that they may not feel it hereafter There was as I have read a Woman in England who believed there was no God A Minister came to her to convince her and demanding of her how she became an Atheist she answered That the very first thing which caused her to question the Deity was the seeing of himself to live so wickedly for saies she I know you to be a Learned man and a good Preacher and the beholding you to live so impiously to be a Swearer a Lyar a Drunkard and a Profaner of the Sabbath this made me to question whether there was a God in Heaven or no seeing he did let you run on in your wickednesse still unpunished Methinks this sad story should make the hearts eyes and and ears of all scandalous ungodly Ministers to bleed weep and tingle that either do or shall know read or hear of and I heartily beseech the Lord it may But this is not all For besides the danger and misery to which they render their own souls obnoxious by their wickednesse they do also both bring a great * Thou therefore that teachest another teachest not thou thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal 1 Rom 2. 21. 22 24. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum scandall upon the Gospell and give their people just cause to complain of them for being a heavy burden and a grievous scourge unto them and most deservedly to account them the unworthiest men in the world That saying of Seneca is most true here Nullos pejus mereri de omnibus mortalibus quam qui aliter vivunt quam vivendum praecipiunt They are also wens and spots upon the fair face and beautifull body of the Ministery and which is yet more ignorant profane bad pastors are the very worst of men f Dr. Arrowsmith Tact. Sa. Perussima creaturarum visibilium est homo degener pessimus hominum pseudo-Christianus Christianorum vero pessimus nequam verbi Minister They live without Love honour and doing good and they dye without comfort g Gospell Ministers should resolve to do like him who said Ita literarum illud Nectar hauriam ita auditores mâ—os instruam tanquam parum victurus ita vivam tanquam semper docturus Pâ—tean Orat. He alone said that Tyrant Phalaris may be called happy of whom it may be truly said he gave good Doctrines to live and left a good example to dye Facile est monere said Thales that 's but the body pie vivere that's very difficult but it 's the soul of a true Gospell Minister Because the way for Ministers to do good is to be good Nisi praestes quod praedicas mendacium non evangelium videbitur It 's no peculiar conceit but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose
his people yet he hath declared * Esay 55. 7. promised * Ezechiel 33. 11. yea sworn that if by true repentance sound humiliation and a through reformation of their hearts and lives they will mourn for and turn from their sins enter into a Covenant to walk holily closely uprightly before him keep it and by servent prayer beg for mercy and forgivenesse heartily * Prov. 28. 13. acknowledge their crimes that then he will pardon them be reconciled unto them and not destroy them d Don Anthony de Guavara Diall of Princes Fol. 200. Darius to mock Alexander the great sent to him to know where his treasures were for such great Armies Alexander answered Tell Darius he keeps his treasures in his coffers and that I have no other treasures but the hearts of my friends He that hath God for his friend shall be sure to be rich he shall want no good thing the Lord will give him both grace and glory he will make him both holy and happy And he that makes God his Treasure esteeming loving seeking his favour a sweet holy Communion with him and a stock a hoard of vertue and all heavenly graces above all earthly enjoyments shall be sure to find all precious substance here and to be crowned with eternal felicity hereafter e Rainold Oâ—as p 484. When Caesar had commanded Pompeys Statua's to be erected M. Cicero said thus to him Statuas Pompeii statuisti stabilisti tuas He that sincerely indeavours to honour God shall certainly by it but not for it because all yea more then we can either do or pay is both debt and duty to him * honour himselfe Non reputes magnum quod Deo servis sed maximum reputa quod ipse dignetur te in servum assumere sibi f 1 Sam. 2. 30. Julian commanded by an Edict all the Christians in his Army to sacrifice to his Gods g Spee Chroâ—â—â— p. 171. 173. or else they should lose their places and Honours whereupon Flavius Valentinianus chose rather to forsake the Camp then Christ his Conscience and his Religion but God did eminently abundantly reward him for afterwards he became Emperour of Rome Amongst the Ancestors of the Rhodians it was a Law that if a Father had many Children the most virtuous should inherit and if he had but one virtuous child that then he should be the sole heir of his goods and Estate Only they who art obedient pious gracious men and women shall be Heirs of glory and enjoy the inheâ—itance of the Saints in light It is therefore our wisdome duty interest and will be our comfort peace happinesse to get cleare evidences that this God is our God for unlesse we have a propriety in him and can truly beleevingly experimentally say with Thomas My Lord and my God although he be aboundlesse bottomlesse Ocean of mercy not so much as one drop thereof will ever flow out from him to refresh our souls It s no advantage or comfort to an Esau that the Lord loves a Jacob. Quid mihi profuerit Deus alienus Vae illi qui non habet Deum de proprio The Ark preserved none but only those who were in it from perishing Let us therefore do to God as i Senec. de Benef. lib. 1. Cap. p. 385. Aeschines did to Socrates his Master resigne and give up our souls and selves freely sincerely intirely to him saying with him Nihil dignum te inveni quod dare tibi pâ—ssim hoc modo pauperem me esse sentio Itaque dono tibi quod unum habeo Me ipsum Such is O Lord my poverty that I have nothing worthy of thy acceptance or answerable to my desires to present unto thee and therefore I doe cordially give thee my selfe and then the Lord will answer us as Socrates did him Accipio sed ea lege ut te tibi meliorem reddam quam recepi I do not only accept thee but I will also make and return thee to thy self better richer holier happier then I received thee For if we will be his people then the Lord will be our God and in and with him we shall enjoy all good things but without him nothing Because Quicquid praeter te est Domine non reficit non sufficit si ad Corpus sufficit non tamen perpetuo satiat quum adhuc amplius quaeratur qui autem te habet satiatus est finem suum habet non habet ultra quod quaeratur quia tu es supra omne visible audibile adorabile gustabile tangibile sensibile In a word what King Henry the 5th promised to his Souldiers when he said to them h Speed Chroâ— p. 796. Whosoever desires Riches Honor and Rewards here he shal find them Ni mirum haec medio posuit Deus omnia campo the Lord of hosts makes good to his people who are sure to find life in his favour to receive grace with every good thing here and eternal glory hereafter This is the portion pay and promotion of all that faithfully serve that truly love God The Prayer MOST High most holy most gracious and most glorious God since thou art both the Lord of Hosts and the King of Saints the Father of Mercy and the fountain or rather the inexhaustible never-failing every fully sweetly and freely satisfying Ocean of all true felicity heavenly Joyes heart-reviving supporting Graces and thirsty soules Let all those I beseech thee that know and professe thy name fear love trust obey thee and delight in thee Let them know thee savingly fear thee filially love thee cordially obey thee sincerely and delight in thee chiefly yea infinitely more then in Corn Wine Oyle pleasure profit honour and all sublunary enjoyments Let oh Lord nothing please quiet or content them till they have gotten comfortable evidences of thy special Love and untill they enjoy an humble holy sweet communion with thee Let them not account the choysest rarest most endearing things in the whole world worth either desiring seeking or possessing without thee since they all are if they do not flow from thy Love in Christ as well as come or streame from thy common thy general providence but shels without kernels Bones without marrow Combes without honey and Huskes without fruit to those that receive them that so being sensible and perswaded of their Creators All-sufficiency the Creatures emptinesse deceitfulnesse insufficiency their own nothingnesse unworthinesse wretchednesse loathsomnesse and spiritual misery by reason of their Originall pollution actual Rebellions and crying abominations committed against thee they may beg earnestly heartily constantly to thee who alone canst and wilt hear help heal them for spiritual Mercy for hearts to abhor sin humiliation for sin pardon of it strength against it and victory over all sinne for mindes to know thee holinesse to be like thee sincerity to please grace to glorifie thee and for thy Favour which is at once like a Cabinet of Pearl full of most precious unvaluable
gemms Joy Peace Honour Riches Comfort Light Life and Blisse O let us all-blessed God make thee our end our Center and Rest our Portion Our Treasure and our All and let us never be quiet till we know and experience thee to be a reconciled God and our merciful Father in and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ that so we may both enjoy thy Love O God which is better then life whilst we sojourne upon earth and live Crowned with the God of Love in glory when these Mud-wall'd Cottages of our fraile Bodies shall be crumbled and resolved into Dust by Death Grant this O God for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Sine Deo nec Gratia Gaudium Bonum nec Coelum II. Of Jesus Christ and A Christians Duty unto Christ HEE is truly really both God and man God that he might satisfie the Lords justice appease his wrath justifie and acquit guilty condemned man * Propter hominem homo Deus factus est man that he might die for sin purchase life for those who were spiritually dead and redeem them both from their woful slavery and from eternall misery He put off those Royall robes of Majesty and Glory and put on in his Incarnation the course rotten Garments or rather rags of flesh and frailty and so became like us in all things sin only excepted Behold here infinite astonishing miraculous debasement Compassion Condescension The Creator of the world became a mortall man the King of Kings a subject Man sins and his God willingly dies to expiate his Crimes The Actions and passion of this blessed Jesus are a continued series of miracles a golden chain let down from heaven to earth all whose links are love mercy goodnesse pity wonder a Dio Cassius Trajanum ferunt suorum vulneribus medicam manum adhibuisse cum fasciae dificerent nec fuaelquidem vesti pepercisse sed eam totam in ligamenta fomenta discidisse But this and ten thousand times more Compassion affection charity is not so much as a drop to the Ocean a beam of light to the Sun or a dust in the ballance to the whole earth compared with the love of Christ to undone man For never did the most tender hearted Soveraign do that for a wounded Souldier nor yet the most faithful lover for his dearest friend which Jesus Christ did for his deadlyest enemies What Prince did ever give his Throne Kingdome to his chiefest Rebells What Physitian did ever let the bloud out of his own heart to cure a most malitious unthankfull Patient What Judge did ever freely sacrifice his own life to save a condemned malefactor who did not only desire and resolve but indeavour to murther him upon the Bench What Generall or Commander did ever suffer willingly himself to be mortally wounded to cure the hurts or save the lives of those Souldiers who conspired to betray him Yet Jesus Christ did all this and infinitely more for he left heaven descended out of the Chariot and came down from the Throne of his Glory to sit upon his foot-stool the earth He willingly indured a close imprisonment in that dark Dungeon the womb of his both Mother and Creature for a time and afterwards he removed himself into that greater Gaole the world into which he was no sooner entred by his birth but disregard dishonor contempt dangers attended on him saluted him and was the best entertainment the chief Rent and Homage which his Tenants Subjects Creatures afforded presented paid unto him their Lord King Creator Immediately yea constantly after this cold uncivil unkind ingrateful usage till his death bloudy enemies hunted this Royal Lion of the Tribe of Juda to destroy him cruell Eagles pursued this harmlesse galless Dove to prey upon him Malitious cunning Foxes attempted to catch this innocent meek Lamb of God whom they should have worshipped to worrey him some openly persecuted others secretly combined against him some impudently affronted others subtilly by questions varnished with Religion and gilded with pretence of conscience laboured to insnare him some scorned and derided others blasphemed him This golden Ball was continually bandied and tossed up and down in the Tennis Court of this world by wicked men with the Rackets of Implacable malice inraged ignorance blind ambition and barbarous persecution till he was stricken into the hazzard of his Grave by the hand of death And yet all this was kindnesse Comdie to those injuries to that Tragedie which he received and soone after acted for they consulted apprehended accused buffeted derided reviled undervalued insulted slandered crowned with thornes at once to mock and wound him arraigned condemned and then crucifi'd him And yet all this too was love ease pleasure mercy to that ineffable yea unconceivable misery which their own and the sins of the whole world burthened and afflicted him withall in that bloudy violent terrible conflict of his upon the cross with sin Satan and the wrath of God the dreadfulnesse weight horror and fiercenesse whereof was such that it amazed affrighted nature and almost unhinged the whole Creation * Matth. 27. For the sun of heaven whilest the son of God was suffering upon earth hid his resplendent face under a pitchy cloud at once blushing grieving and fearing to behold so sad a spectacle The heavens put themselves into mourning wore a sable garment and gave a black livery to the world when that prodigious fact was committed that so they might both weare an habite sutable to the crime and apparell heaven aâ—d earth in a dresse fit to attend their maker withal to his grave expressing their sorrows in showers of tears The very Rocks to upbraid his more then flinty hearted Enemies to teach them and us compassion when others especially those who are innocent do suffer and compunction when we by sinning do crucifie our Saviour did relent yea break and because man was dumbâ— or rather silent and would not they clave themselves into mouths and tongues to proclaim and preach his Majesty mercy Divinity torments funerall The senselesse earth seemed to apprehend grew aguish and falling into a cold fit she did quake and tremble as if shee had both understood and been terrified with those wofull dismall dreadful calamities plagues and judgments with her equally stupid cruell and rebellious Children were then with both hands deliberately diligently certainly pulling downe upon their own wicked heads and by that fearfull bloudy prevailing Imprecation * Matth. 6 25. his bloud be upon us and our Children importuning an omnipotent just and highly offended God to intail upon their unborne posterity The vail of the Temple rent from the top to the bottome in twain and by that Sympathizing mysterious Act did declare assure and publish both to them and all the world 1. That the vail of ignorance and superstition which had so long covered and blinded the minds of men should be immediately taken way and torne in pieces by the promulgation of the glorious precious comfortable Gospell
which so hurt his face that he bled again he left his singing and clapt both his hands on his face but afterwards he put his hands abroad and sung again m Idem vol. 3. p. 537. And when George Roper came to the stake where he was to be burned he leaped at it for joy Some have blessed God for setting the Crowne of Martyrdome upon their heads n Idem vol. 3. p. 850. When Alice Driver who was burned at â—pswich had the Iron chain put about her Neck O said she here is a goodly Neckerchief blessed be God for it Id. vol. 3. p. 888. Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this said John Noye when he came to the stake to be burned Others have both fervently desired to glorifie God in those fires and grieved that God would not suffer them to be made a burnt sacrifice as that precious Jewel our Bishop Jewel did Thus we see the pious gracious faithful Servants Subjects and Souldiers of Jesus Christ are not only desirous to raign with him but they are also ready to suffer for him And for such Lambs and such only as do copy out the holy Life of Jesus Christ and write it in their owne in those golden characters of sanctity constancy humility meeknesse patience charity prayer obedience c. did this Lambe of God Jesus Christ die Redemptor noster pro bonis misericorditer incarnatus est Nihil igitur haec Margarita ad porcos canes The Prayer MOST deare and yet most dreadful Jesus who art a God of might and Majesty as well as mercy of justice as we as pity a Lyon as well as a Lamb a Saviour and a Soveraign and at once the Creator Husband Brother and Redeemer of thine Elect Be pleased blessed Jesus to grant that those who own thine own name wear thy Livery and have Covenanted with thee to be thy Servants may be careful watchful zealous conscientious and willing to honour their Master thy sacred and most excellent Majesty to obey thy commands to imitate thy holy Life and to accept thee on thine own terms joyfully thankfully heartily even as a Lord King Prophet to govern command teach them as well as a Priest and Saviour to sacrifice and die for them Let them consider what it will cost them to buy this precious field this inestimable jewel what they must do to be real Christians and to get a saving Interest in Jesus Christ That they must sell all that they have part readily and resolvedly with the World with their sins their Isaacs Idols yea their Lands Liberties and Lives also if he who is the Lord and giver of them require us to surrender them to and for his own use and glory That they must take Christ as in a matrimonial Covenant and be not only chast obedient pleasing faithful constant to him but also that they must honour and esteem him above all other things admit no corrival into their affection with him rejoyce in his presence mourn for his absence grieve when he 's offended by them and angry with them forsake all for him cleave stedfastly to him and neither for either love of life or fear of death leave dishonour or deny him That they must be mortify'd Self-denying sincere Christians That they must not expect to be carryed on Beds of Down or to have their way green smooth easy soft or strawed with flowers to Heaven That they must run without fainting loytering or tyring to the end of the Race if they would obtain the prize That they must cheerfully couragiously bear Christs crosse or else they shall never triumphantly wear a Crown That they must not only sweep sweeten cleanse and open the dusty dirty-filthy sin-lockt houses of their hearts with the beesome of repentance and the hands of Faith and Love to entertaine him but they must also welcome him set him at the upper end of the Table in the highest seat esteem affect him above and beyond all other persons or things whilest they live on earth or else when they die he will never open the narrow Gate of Life to let them into Heaven That if they be not good and holy in the Kingdome of Grace they shall never be great or happy in the Kingdome of Glory That if their sins and lusts which Lord it over them revel in them captivate them and are dear and sweet unto them be not hated crucified and forsaken by them the Lord Jesus Christ though he was crucified for sinners and died to purchase Life for transgressors who were spiritually dead will never save them That therefore we may resolve and labour to get into that Arke Jesus Christ where safety and salvation only are to be found make us I beseech thee speedingly really savingly sensible of the want the worth the excellency All-sufficiency and the necessity of a Jesus that so we may court seek and value thee in and from whom alone is all fulnesse sweetnesse happinesse above all things And let O most gracious God all our sins be laid upon the Head set upon the Account of that Scape-goat Jesus Christ that so they may be carried into the Wildernesse of forgetfulnesse Take away O Lord our filthy Garments from us and clothe us with change of Raiment impute the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to us that so being found in the Garments of our elder Brother we may receive from our heavenly Father the Blessing of Grace here and that wherewith thou crownest thy own freely given and yet by Christ dearly purchased Grace eternal Glory hereafter Grant this O Lord for his sake who died to satisfie thy dreadfull Justice who shed his heart-bloud to quench the fire of thy flaming consuming wrath to pay our debts to purchase our pardon to redeem us from eternall slavery and misery and to save our undone Souls Amen In Christo per Christum solum modo Vita Libertas Foelicitas et beata Aeternitas III. Of the Holy Ghost THE Holy Ghost is the third Person in the glorious blessed a Deus est indivise â—â—us in Triniâ—e et inconfuse trinus in unitate undivided b Sacramentum hoc venerandum non scrutandum quemodo pluralitas sit in unitate unitas it plura litate Scâ—utaâ—i hoc temeritas est credere pietas nosse verò vìta aeterna Incomprehensible Trinity proceeding from both the Father and the Son and yet Coessentiall Coeternall and Coequal with them The opera officia the works and Offices of the Holy Ghost are these 1. It illuminates our blind understandings and teacheth us to know what we are by nature together with the necessity and felicity of being born again It teacheth us also to know the danger deformity and misery of sin the infinite and undeserved love of God and Christ to undone man and the means both to escape eternal death and to obtain immortal glory 2. It regenerates us making us that were profane holy barren fruitfull rebellious
Claudius was murdered by Agrippina his wife with that meat mixed by her with poison which he most and best loved So those sins wherein the wicked do most delight and please themselves will certainly if they do not get their pardon in this life both poyson and kill their souls T is a truth equally sad apparent and prodigious that there is no Creature in the world so mercilesse or mischievous to its self as a wicked man is For it is an e Bed Axiom ex Arist lib. 2. phys Axiome in Philosophy Idem non agit corruptionem sui ipsius nisi per accidens Every thing naturally either desireth or tends to its own preservation perfection and felicity But an impious profane Man yea every impenitent sinner doth deliberately contrive cunningly plot diligently seek industriously pursue and most laboriously yea indefatigably indeavour to ruine both his body and soul for ever He is a Wolf a Devill to himself for he is his own adversary his own tempter as well as to others Since he spends much time useth many means spares for no cost and takes very great pains to go to Hell So that f Camerar Hist medit lib. 1. p. 29. what the Common Souldier said unto Marius who was in his youth a Cutler but afterwards an Emperour when he slew him This is with the sword which thy self hast made God men Conscience and Satan may yea will one day say to every impenitent sinner This sin of thine thy pride hypocrisie drunkenness thy profaneness uncleaness worldlyness c. which thou hast in thy youth and life committed is the sharp glittering sword with which the Lord of Hosts doth now pierce thy hardened heart through with sorrow and kill thy sinfull soul T is the sole object of Gods eternall hatred Deo nihil est invisum odiosum execrabile nisi malum It 's a spiritual Gangraena which if it be not cured by hearty repentance will provoke the Lord to cut the soul off with the sharp Revenging axe of Justice and the two-edged sword of wrath from the body of Jesus Christ What the Jews said of the golden Calf g Godw. Jew Antiq. lib. 4. p. 175. No punishment befalleth thee Israel in which there is not an Ounce of this Calf is most true of sin it being certain that both temporall punishments spiritual judgments and eternall torments are procured by it and that they have been are and will be inflicted by the Lord upon those that are wicked as the just reward and deserved wages of iniquitie because sin like Goliah comes alwaies with an Army of Philistines with woes miseries curses and troubles in the rear of it And if men will suffer or rather combine with and help Satan to pinion themselves with the Cords of iniquitie God will also in his owne time bind them with the fetters of afflictions and hang them up as Spectacles of his just fury in the Chains of Damnation The counsell therefore of Otho 2. ought to be our practise Pacem inquit cum omnibus habe bellum cum vitiis because we cannot make our peace with God nor injoy that peace of God which passeth all understanding unlesse we wage war and maintain a couragious constant fight till death against sin Satan and our selves If we would have the Lord our friend and love us we must be enemies to and hate implacably every wicked way and every evill thing * Matth. 5 7. If we mourn for sin here we shall rejoyce hereafter but if we rejoyce in sin here * Job 20. 5. we shall †grieve hereafter because the short empty deceitful pleasures of sin which are but like the colours in the Rainbow pleasures in appearance only not in truth or reality in the end will sting and fill the heart with unspeakable yea unconceivable horror and sorrow for sin is neither h Socrates Epist 7. a gainful nor an honorable nor a pleasant thing but the greatest calamitie in the world Although then the distempered palat's of wicked men may at their first drinking a sugared draught of sinful delights tast some * Sin is like the River Atheneus whose upper waters were sweet grateful both towards the bottome brackish pleasantnesse and honey therein yet they will be sure to relish and find bitternesse yea gall and wormwood at the bottome of the Cup. Besides they cannot satisfie but they will satiate them and as at the first they will be sick of Love so ere long they will be sick of loathing like * 2 Sam. 13. 15. 27. Amnon even those dearest fairest Tamars on which but even now they so passionately doted For like the bloudy Sword of cruel war it will be bitrernesse in the end The Devill like a cunning cruell Master at first useth his Servants with seeming kindnesse and bids them welcome he will not crosse displease or deny them any thing nor in any thing but when he hath once got them into his workhouse and ingaged them in his service then the condition of an Isralite in Aegypt or a Galley slave in Turkey or of a Christian in the Inquisition is infinitely more desirable and comfortable then theirs When Satan first tempts men and women to drudge for him to sin he perswades them that the evill which he would have them act is so little veniall inconsiderable that it hath no danger in it and that they shall not fail to find and receive either delight advantage or advancement or all for he hides his deadly hook with such baits as he by his long experience finds are the likelyest to be swallowed by those he desires to catch and resolves to kill by the committing of it and by this pulley he drawes them with this screw he turns and winds them up to presume In this hood put over the eies of their mind he leads them blindfold quietly easily and securely to the very brink of the bottomlesse pit for they go with him as that more then foolish young wanton did with his unchast minion †Prov 7. 22. Even as a Beast goeth to the slaughter or as a foole to the correction of the stocks But when this bloudy Gaoler hath hung and lockt so many Irons upon his jocund fearlesse muffled miserable Captives that he is confident they cannot break Prison nor make an escape then he awakens them with thunder and represents their wofull condition in the most grisly terrible dreadfull form which he with all his skil and spite is able unto them suggesting and telling them That their sins are got above Gods mercy being too great to be pardoned that since they have chosen him for their master damnation must be their wages that since they have given him the flowr of their youth God will never accept the bran of their age that the day of Grace is ended and the door of mercy shut therefore it is in vain either to work or knock that their sins have made them like
them with their Bloud not only under the ten Roman most barbarous persecutions by those Heathenish Monsters when so many of them were slaughtered that there were for every day in the year saith St. Jerom 5000 Martyrs But this was also the judgment and practise of our English Martyrs in Queen Macies dâ—ies The fire of Loyalty burned in their hearts and flamed out at their mouths in Christian exhortations and perswasions of the Spectators to Allegiance and obedience unto the King and Queen when they were unjustly by their Authority Command or permission condemned sentenced to be burned and when that cruell Sentence was ready to be executed by remorsless men or rather Tygers upon them b Fox Book of Martyrs vol. 3 p. 665. Bishop Cranmer a little before his Martyrdome in his last words to the people said thus I exhort you that next under God you obey your King and Queen viz. Philip and Mary willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging not for fear of them only but much more for the fear of God Knowing that they be Gods Ministers appointed by God to rule and govern you and therefore whosoever resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God Authority is Gods creature Monarchy is a divine Institution not the work or Child of men Loyalty therefore is our duty and at once the comfort and the character of Christians and reall piety The spirit of truth hath joined Fear God and honâ—ur the King together true Christians therefore dare not attempt eiâ—her to divide or divorce them And as they have no warrant for it but a plain a peremptory Commâ—nd against it so neither is thâ—re any either wisdome or safety in doing of it For Loyalty is not only the Mother but the Nurse of Peace And peace is the Magazine the Mine Root and Spring of plenty safety prosperity and all temporall felicity Rebellion is the source of desolation Succâ—sâ—full Traitors are usually most cruell Tyranâ—s * Nemo unquâ—m imperium malâ—â— artibus quaesitum bene exercuit Tacit. Vsurpâ—rs are commonly Oppressors Their victories make them bloudy and miserable Captives to their brutish lusts and passions which overcome and enslave them Ira Superbia Crudelitas Furor Rabies sunt victoriae Comites victorum hosteâ— a quibus saepâ— Clarissimi victores turpissime victi sunt saith Petrarch and we can sadly say we have found his words most true Can we expâ—ct or hope that those Wolves which worrey the Shepherd will love spare or defend the Sheep That such as thirst for bloud struggle for Thrones and court the possessions of others will desire peace execute Justice or delight in mercy If conscience then do not prudence should perswade us not only to hate Treason but also to decline yea to detest all Communion Concurrence and correspondency with Traytors By wofull experience we now know though the widest broadest words and the highest the most eloquent language are too narrow low and flat fully to expresse it how great how grievous a Judgment Calamitie it is to have no King in Israel Have we not seen since the Crown did fall from our head because we had sinned against the Lord such things acted amongst us as we cannot but tremble to hear and abhor to think of Have we not had such Nero's as did with delight inhumanity and impiety rip up the Bowels of their Mother murder their gracious Father and endeavour with cunning cruelty and indefatigableness to ruine at once both the Church and State So that we may say of some of their Fathers as the Romanes did of him when he commanded a Boy to be so cut as to make him an artificial Woman Would Nero's Father had had such a Wife Since c Speed Chron. p. 103. what was said of Lucius the King of Britain may be too truly affirmed of them namely That they had been happy if they had not left a Son behind them because their Children as Lampridius said of Commodus hâ—ve livâ—d for the Subjects mâ—schiâ—f and their own shame We have been taught but we have paid exceeding dear for our Learning the difference betwixt being governed by Lâ—mbs and Lions Let us therefore prize Gods mercies whilest we enjoy them lest our sufferings and sorrows show ns the hainousnesse of our Sinne in sâ—ighting and rejecting of them And let us not only professe Loyalty with our lips but let us carefully really constantly express it in our Lives to our Sacred Soveraign it being both pleasing to God and profitable to our selves to be obedient faithfull Subjects For Allegiance is the faithfull Liâ—e-â—uard the invincible Râ—mpart both of King and people 'T is that sweet smell * 'T is said â—hat swâ—et smels wil kâ—l Vultures and revive Dâ—ves Aâ—ms are the defence of Tyrants and therefore â—he unsavory 〈◊〉 of Gunpowder is delightful but the odoâ—iâ—erous savour of peâ—ce is distastâ—ul yea deadly to them which kills Vultures I mean forraign and Domestick Enemies 'T is that Hoop that Ring which keeps Cormorants Avaritious Ambitious men fâ—om devouring of us 'T is that Muzzle tâ—at Chain which ties up and hinders those cruell wilde Beasts Factious Aspiâ—ing Traitâ—rous Incendiaries from tearing in peeces preying on and kindling amongst us the consuming fearful fire of Civil Warre which e like the Trojan horse hath ever an Army of Plagues Miseries and Calamities in the Belly of it 'T is that musick which drives away the evill spirit of Division from us The King is the Head Husband Father Lord of his people 'T is therefore against Piety Nature Law Reason Gratitude for those that are his Members Wife Children Subjects Servants to injure resist or Rebell against him 'T is an odious infamous damnable Crime to conspire against him that protects us to endeavour his Ruine that is exposed to daily yea hourly cares dangers troubles to screen shield preserve us and wickedly to violate those Sacred Oaths which we have solemnly taken to expresse our Aâ—legiance by a Christian sincere obedience unto him Tbough he be a bad King that rules us yet we ought to be good dutiful loyal Subjects For whether he be Merciful or Cruell Righteous or Impious Just or Tyrannical God doth †Rom 13. 1. ordain send set up and * Dan. 4. 32. give him his Kingdome He that gave Soveraignty to Augustus gave it also to Nero. He that gave it to the Vespasions Father and Son sweetest Emperors gave it also to Domitian that bloudy Monster In a word he that gave it to Christian Constantine gave it also to Juâ—ian the Apostate saith St. Augustine We are therefore strongly obliged He being Gods Vice-gerent on earth whether he be good or evill to reverence not resist him to * 1 Tim. 2. 1. pray for him not to plot against him to fear not to fight him Yea so tender jealous and careful is the Lord of Kings that in his holy Word he doth not only forbid us †Exod. 22 28. to speak evill of our
hands of Violence and Treason yet they will most certainly be rescued set at Liberty and preserved to the disappointment terror unpitied destruction and the joyfull execution of the enemies of God and the King For whose happy Restauration without swimming through a Sea of Christian bloud to his Throne and his preservation from barbarous bloudy men when he is safely arrived and restored let us all frequently heartily cry unto the Lord. The Prayer ANd be thou pleased most gracious God I humbly beseech theeto protect his Royall person from open violence and secret Conspiracies Let no weapon formed against him prosper and let every arm stretched out against him wither Make him O Lord good and great holy and happy Establish his Throne in peace upon the sure foundations of Truth and Righteousnesse Crown him with the chiefest and choycest of all thy blessings Be O Lord a shield and a Sun unto him fasten him as a Nail in a sure place and make him a gracious ancient glorious Father in Israel Shour down the Mercies and Comforts of the upper and nether springs upon the Heads and Hearts of him and the rest of that Royall Family Cause dear God Wars to cease Religion to flourish and Love to abound in this Kingdome Let not our sins provoke thee to turn our Goshen into an Aceldama any more Make O Lord our Soveraign happy in his People make his People happy in Him their rightful King and make us all happy in the enjoyment of thy love protection and favour for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Per obedientiam pax prosperitas libertas per Rebellionem Inf elieitas poena paupertas infamia desolatio damnatio VII Of Riches Riches are a golden hook wherewith Satan catches and destroys the greedy Sons of Mammon They are without Grace the rust canker poyson that eat consume and kill the very sinews heart and vitals of honestie contentment piety They are nothing without Christ but silver letters glorious burdens guilded miseries glittering troubles shining vexations painted Cares afflicting friends miserable Comforters Aegyptian reeds broken Cisterns birds on wing a squalid Gloworm They are the Mother of Pride fewell of contention pandars to vice Divitiae sunt alimenta vitiorum voluptatum organa Clavis aurea scelerum They make men the prey of Enemies spunges of Tyranny and the Butâ— of envy And therefore when the a Aemy Probus in vita Thrasibuli p. 28. Mitylenians had given to Pittcus one of the seven wisemen many thousand acres of Land he refused their gift saying Nolite rogo vos mihi dare quod multi invideant plures etiam concupiscant Do not I pray you said he bestow that on me which many will envy and more will covet Riches they breed a Dropfie in the mind which makes it thirst insatiably They make that Heart which immoderately loves them like the ground wherein the Mines are found so barren that no good thing grows in it They are that fair inticing apple for which men lose Paradise * Prov. 11. 4. false friends in distresse a shadow which vanisheth when the clouds of sicknesse trouble of mind * If every feather in that fetherbed whereon I lye were a piece of Gold it would now doe me no good if I had not made my peace with god said that sincerely gracious eminently religious and most heavenly Servant of Jesus Christ Ms. Sarah Sharp of Filby in Leicestershire upon her death-bed who put off her rotten Rags of flesh and frailty to be clothed with the white precious and shining Robes of Immortality Felicity glory March the 14. 1658. or death hang over our heads being no more able in such a condition to quiet content or satisfie the mind with reall Comforts then vertue is to fill a pot or the sight of Gold an hungry stomack As that rich-poor man found who being very sick and full of grief called for a bag of Gold and laid it at his heart in hope thereby to find help and ease but presently after he called to them that stood by to take it away saying O it will not do it will not doe Riches they glue and nail the heart of a Worldling to the earth so that what Valerius saith of Ptolomaeus King of Cyprus he was in title King of that Island but in his heart a miserable drudge of money may in truth be affirmed of most very wealthy men They are called Impedimenta the b Bacon Essaâ— 33 p. 205. Baggage of vertue that hinders men in their march towards Heaven They are compared to long garments which hinder men from running the Race of Piety Gold and Silver are too heavy metals for him to carry that seeks Heaven They are the roots of care and the seeds of Trouble Divitias invenisti requiem perdidisti King Eutrapeus used to heap most riches on them whom he most hated saying that together with their Riches he should crush and oppresse them with aâ— heavy burden of cares And Bishop Latimer said in a Sermon Believe me auditors if I had an enemie to whom I might lawfully wish any evill I would desire chiefly that he might be very rich because I am certain that when once he enjoys abundance of wealth he will alwaies want rest and quiet Riches they dead our affections to heavenly things and make us prefer gain before Godlinesse Silver before Sanctitie Plentie before Pietie and cosfers full of Gold before a gracious Christ If I were not Alexander the great I would be Diogenes the Philosopher said Alexander If I were not great I would be good sayes a rich man 'T is almost impossible saies one 't is a miracle of grace sayes another for a rich man to be righteous And yet if Riches be sanctified Prov. 10. 12. they are great * blessings and singular advantages to honour God and to do good withall to others if not curses being like poison if corrected physick if not death and like muck if not spread abroad good for nothing Wealth consists not in having but in desiring Vis fieri dives nil cupias Wouldest thou have enough desire nothing A contented mind is Lord of both the Indies c Plut. Apophthegm The Samnites after M. Curius had overcome them in battaile sent unto him for a present a good Sum of Gold the Embassadors came found him sitting by the fire side tending the Pot wherein he boiled certain Râ—pe Roots and tendring the present to him he gave them this answer d Plurimum habet qui desiderat minimum habet autem quantum vult qui vult minimum Putean Orat. 1. That he who could content himself with such a supper had no need at all of gold Would ye be rich be vertuous and righteous Be vertuous because they only saith an Heathen Qui virtute sunt praediti divites sunt soli enim possident res et fructuosas sempiternas solique quod proprium est divitiarum contenti sunt rebus suis c. Be
spiders web which either the hands of enemies or the Bâ—esome of destruction or the wind of Gods displeasure can and will both easily and certainly break sweep down and blow away That deny and deprive themselves of all Comforts to make both themselves and their posterities miserable That acknowledge as it were a statute of that morgage nay sell their souls for a little wealth that so they may buy a corruptible fading inheritance for their Children although to purchase that they are sure to forfeit and lose both Heaven happinesse and their own souls That both lay and give * Esay 9. 18. fire to a train to blow up and consume those †I do earnestly desire all covetous irreligious Parents seriously to consider of and tremble at these few amongst many places of scripture Exod 34. 7. Job 18. 19. Job 19. 10 11 â—5 22. 23. 28. houses and lands which they have built upon and bought with the ruines of others That feed their Children with poysoned dainties That * Prov. 3. 33. sow their Lands with Sinne for their off-spring while they live which will bring forth no better fruits nor yeild any other harvest but infamy beggery curses and misery unto them and intail together with their inheritance the wrath of God upon them Certainly those that do thus are equally mad and miserable for as that Blessed and Pious Martyr Bishop Hooper said the gains of the World with the losse of Gods favour is beggery and wretchednesse And all they are such and so doe who preferre Earth before Heaven plenty before piety for they will one-day to their grief shame and astonishment find that their greenest hopes will be blasted their Aegyptian reeds broken their strongest holds demolished that their honey will be turned into †Prov. 20. 17. gall and gravell and that their wealth will end in wants and endlesse misery Alexander the great going upon a hopefull expedition gave away his Gold and being asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of better and greater things But these infatuated Mammonists give away their hopes of the most choice and precious things Christ Heaven Pardon a good Conscience Salvation c. and reserve nothing but their Gold and the guilt both of over-loving and sinfully getting it And although they may or doe expect a plentifull harvest after so laborious and troublesome a seed-time yet they will find that they have only plowed upon a Rock laboured in the fire sown the wind and therefore that they shall reap nothing but the whirl-wind for †Prov. 10. 2. Riches profit not in the day of wrath sayes Solomon And a greater then Solomon God himself saith * Ezech. 7. 19. their silver and their Gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath they shall not satisfie their souls neitheir fill their Bowells Let us then as we desire not to be spirituall beggers and everlastingly undone with an holy greedinesse covet the best gifts and strive to be vertuous and pious since f Plato Omne super terram et sub terra Aurum non est ex ulla parte cum virtute comparandum Let us with an indefatigable diligence labour to be rich in faith and good works And let us with an holy scorne trample upon shining dirt and that thick clay wherewith whereby and wherein so many are both soiled and suffocated defiled and destroyed remembring alwaies that man is de terra ex terra sed non ad terram nec propter terram And also seriously considering that Avarice is one of the Divells strongest toiles wherein he takes a Drag-net wherewith he catches and a pioner whereby he both undermines and kills the soul Superbia clausit Diabolo coelum Gula primo parenti abstulit par adifum Avaritia diviti aperuit infernum All covetous persons are spiritual Idolaters i Heylyn Geog p. 790. so that what the people of Brasile said to the Spaniards holding up a wedge of Gold g viz. Behold the God of the Christians may truly and sadly be objected to and charged upon all avaritious men and women for they make goods their God account gain godliness and so do treasure up wrath instead of Wealth * Prov. 3 33. Curses instead of Riches to themselves and their posterities Having thus presented to your view though very unskilfully an Anatomy of that loathsome meagre unsavory unprofitable carcasse worldly mindednesse together with a true though unlively picture of the folly indigency slavery and misery of all covetous persons I shal now commend to your consideration a duty which Christ commands †Matth. 6. 20. But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven c. Beg earnestly cry mightily to God for his favour and carefully endeavour to keep your selves in his Love labour for a justifying faith for purity humility and sincerity of heart for holinesse and all heavenly Graces c. For these are such Treasures to which all the Indian Mines are but dust heaps empty Exchequers or Gravel-pits and in comparison whereof the rarest the most precious Jewels in the World are but Glasse and flints As so many spurrs therefore to quicken or Arguments to perswade you to expresse your Loyalty to the King of Righteousnesse your Soveraign by your obedience and conformity to his will and Commands and also to prevail with you even for your own sakes and the eternal good of your Souls Conscientiously and carefully to put this duty the pious performance whereof you will find to be equally necessary profitable and comfortable unto you in practise consider First That these Celestiall treasures are not only permanent but they are also reall Riches such as will make you truely everlastingly great honourable wealthy happy Secondly Consider that these and only such treasures are suitable to the nature and necessities of the soul Gold they say is good Conira palpitationem cordis against that trouble called the palpitation or trembling of the heart but it cannot cure a wounded spirit nor so much as ease a heart that 's burdened with the sense and fear of Gods dreadfull wrath for sin The Soul is a spirituall substance and therefore it cannot be fed contented maintained or preserved with mundane mercies or carnal comforts though shel was Emperesse of the universe No nothing but a saving interest in Christ peace of Conscience a sweet communion with God victory over all her spirituall enemies assurance of Gods mercy in the full and free remission of all her Iniquities c. can quiet or satisfie her And therefore she cries out in her pangs wants and serious reflexions upon her self when she is either scorched with Gods hot displeasure and fiery indignation or warmed with the Beams of Love and Mercy darting from the Sun of righteousnesse and shining upon her as that Martyr John Lambert did in the fire h Fex B. of Martyrs vol. 2. p. 427. col 2. None
but Christ None but Christ He alone being able to quench her thirst to satisfie her hunger to grant her desires to supply her wants to cure her maladies to support her under pressures to ease her of her burdens to vanquish her enemies to resolve all her doubts to revive her in her swounings to strengthen her in her languishings to give her cordials in her faintings to secure her from her fears to comfort her in her sorrows to calm her in to sanctyfie unto her and to free her from all her troubles by confirming her faith increasing her graces multiplying her Joyes and establishing her peace in the firm assurance and cleer Evidence by his holy Spirit of his free infinite eternall unchangeable love unto her the full satisfaction given by him to the Justice of God for her and his free miraculous redemption of her from her spirituall thraldome from the curse and rigour of the Law from the raigning condemning power of sin and from Satan wrath eternal Death and Hell Thirdly Consider that these divine Treasures will afford you reall comforts in the dark cloudy showry daies of adversity yea in the saddest condition whereas all those sublâ—nary injoyments comforts and contentments which the worldly minded in their prosperity do so much admire delight and so eagerly pursue if you seek to them when you are afflicted tempted or dejected for relief deliverance or consolation will answer you as the * 2 Kings 26. 27. King of Israel did that distressed woman in the Famine of Samaria when she cryed to him as he passed by Help my Lord O King If the Lord do not help thee said he whence shall I help thee Riches will answer it is not in me to succour solace or save you Honour power pleasure c. will answer too nor in us For all we cannot make or give you an healing plaister for your hurt We cannot cure the wound which the fiery Serpent of sin hath made in your Consciences nor take out its painfull deadly sting We can neither make your peace with the Lord shield you from his mortall arrows interest you in his tender mercies procure the yearning bowels nor purchase the precious bloud of Jesus Christ to sanctifie or save to cure or comfort you Thus and no otherwise will they answer own befriend and bestead all those in the day of their visitation that have made earth their Heaven Honour their Idoll Opulency their Deity the World their God and Greatness their Happiness Fourthly Consider that you may have a Confluence of all temporall blessings and yet be both hated and Cursed of God You may have all the good things of this Life and yet be bad men You may enjoy the world and yet want Christ and so be truely eternally wretched undone ruined for all that Quid enim prodest si omnia habes eum tamen qui omnia dedit non habere 'T is not lucre but losse 't is not wealth but wants yea beggerie to have all the world from God if that God who made the World and gives us all things be not our God But if you have these spirituall treasures then you will enjoy Christ and with him all things * Rom. 8. 32. Will he who hath freely given us gold denie us clay Will he who hath bestowed pearls upon us refuse to grant pebbles to us Will he who hath cloathed us with Robes denie us Raggs will he who hath given us Diamonds denie us dust or dirt No * 1 Cor. 21. 22. 33. no do but read that great Charter of all true Christians which like the Laws of the Medes and Persians will never be altered nor repealed and there in Golden Letters you may run and read the portion priviledges and inheritance of every true beleever All is yours saith that great Apostle whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that every heavenly minded Christian as well as a holy Corinthian having a deed of Gift made to him by God written with Christs bloud sealed by his holy Spirit and witnessed by his faithful Servant pious and blessed St. Paul of such precious inestimable Riches may truly contemningly say to the World when she Courts him to imbrace covet love Idolize her and saies as the Divell did to Christ when he tempted him to worship him All these things will I give thee sugred pleasures gaudie riches glittering pomp swelling studied titles downâ—e ease rosie delights dazling Majestâ—e c. as * Dan. 5. 17. Daniel did to Belshazzer when he promised him Riches honour and promotion to interpret his Dreams Let thy gifts be to thy self and give thy Rewards to another And as †Genes 33. 9. Esau did to his Brother Jacob when he tendred his present to him I have enough keep that thou hast thy self For how can they want any thing whose Husband is not only kind loving and faithful but also both the Lord and Heir of all things and whose Father the God of truth hath promised to give to his Sons Wife every sincere Christian for a Dower or Jointure both * Psalm 84. 11 Grace Glorie and every good thing Lastly Consider that an holy greecinesse and covetousnesse after these ever enduring treasures these best gifts an indefatigable diligence to attain them a restlesse care for them and the setting of your hearts the fixing of your affections intirely upon them is both the best and surest way to provide not only for your selves but for your posteritie also For if God be your Father he will be your Childrens Guardian he will take the charge of them and care for them so that they shall neither * Psalm 37 25 want nor be wronged since the Lord is not only able but willing to protect and supply them And it 's a truth equally bright and comfortable that the Children of religious Parents who have had no other inheritance portions or legacies but their faithful prayers holy Counsells and pious Examples to settle upon them or be queath unto them to live upon and to set up withall in the World have yet prospered come to honour and been blest with both plentie and felicitie whereas the off-spring of the wicked who have been left heirs to very vast summs of money and great estates have come to a morsell of Bread by reason of Gods either secret or visible but alwaies most just curse upon what they enjoy for either their own or the sins of their fore-fathers in wickedly getting unlawfully keeping or sinfully abusing and mispending of them Male parta male et cito dilabuntur Besides Injusta lucra breves habent voluptates longos autem dolores The momentanie pleasures of unjust Gaine will be imbittered and punished with eternall pains and sorrows The Prayer O LORD so desirous art thou to save and so unwilling to destroy the miserable undone because
ditch to her lovers For although they doe preferre Dalilahs lap before Abrahams bosome yet they will one day most certainly find that all those fleshly vain and sinfull pleasures whereon they have doted and wherein they have lived will be Serpents and stones instead of fish and bread and but Thornes Thistles Briers instead of Grapes Figgs and Flowers Pleasure t is like an g Heylyn Geog ex Ovidio p. 726. Aethiopian Lake at which whosoever drinks it makes him they say either mad or drowsie T is like small beere or water in a fever which doth not quench but increase the thirst and though at first it may be pleasant yet afterwards it is alwaies dangerous and often deadly T is that Green fruit which breeds the worm of an evill Conscience in their souls that feed too greedily too long and too much upon it The Prayer O LORD thou knowest that the Devill that equally cunning cruell and implacable enemy of Mankind doth both long and labor to take possess and command that Royall Fort the heart In Order whereunto he uses both Fraud and Force Arms and art that so if he cannot conquer it by Battery he may yet gain it by Treachery or flattery and if he cannot by affrighting that then he may by alluring have it yielded up unto him Now to the effecting of this bloudy design upon too many he knows that an inordinate excessive Love of sensual pleasure is very useful and contributory prevalent and successful voluptuous persons being never vigilant and very seldome valiant resolved and constant opposers of his Assaults suggestions and sugred insinuations Self-denyal Mortification Precisenesse and Holinesse being too rough too sharp too hard too uneven and too troublesome a way for their delicate their tender Feet to tread upon and to walk in Be pleased therefore most blessed God who art the only overflowing ever-flowing Ocean of all true Joy really-sweet pleasures and refined delights to grant that all the streams of Christians affections may runne down right pure and holy Channels into thee That they may relish that incomparable pleasantnesse which is to be found in thee thy Word Worship waies and love that so all carnall pleasures may be sowr bitter and unsavory unto them Let not O Lord Satan poyson them with candled delights or sugred sensuality Let him not convey their death in Honey nor drown them in Rose-water But antidote them I beseech thee and preserve them against his mortal potions and his murdering Stratagems by convincing of them that Satan though he may seem a Friend will be sound a Fiend and that although pleasure may by his jugling and through the bemisted eyes and deluded sight appear a seemingly innocent Dove unto them yet if it be immoderately prized and pursued by them that it will certainly be found a fiery deadly Serpent which will sting them with immortal incurable intolerable sorrow terrors torments Amen Voluptas obcaecat titillat pascit placet perdit X. Of Health 'T Is a Jewell not valued because common 'T is the solace of life without which all other outward mercies are both unsavory and dead this being the soul that both animates them and the ingredient that gives a delightful relish to them 'T is a Venice Glasse easily quickly irreparably and very often unexpectedly crack't and broken a Pliny Nat. Hist 'T is a Bird or flower but of one day's life and continuance a guest or friend that doth but call or visit not stay with us It naturally kills fear breeds security feeds to wantonnesse excites to pleasure spurs on to vice inables to sin and without Grace it 's both the souls sicknesse and death The want of it makes men impatient discontented unserviceable the fruition profane If God deny this mercy to a man although there be a confluence of all other creature-comforts yet he is but like one clothed with Gold Silk or Tissue adorned with Jewels crowned with Honours feasted with dainties cheered with the rarest musick comforted with Cordials surrounded with a faithfull wife and with dutiful hopeful Children attended with reall friends skilfull Physitians obedient servants and laid upon a bed of Ivory in a chamber richly furnished with all his bones out of Joynt and broken 'T is usual for the sun of health to arise cleer to shine bright in the morning and to set in a cloud of sicknesse at night How easily quickly will a fiery fever devour and consume it An Aery colick rack yea ruine it A watery dropsie float and drown it or an aguish earthquake shake and swallow it up The elements are all up in arms and at civill warrs within the body naturall as heretofore the Saxons in the time of the Heptarchy was in the body politick of this Nation each of them contending for victory and aspiring to a Monarchy over that Microcosme Man non enim datur temperamentum ad pondus and when any of them prevails and triumpheth over the other Competitors Health is then both wounded vanquished captivated and commmitted either a close Prisoner to a dark room and a weary languishing restlesse bed by sicknesse or else it 's condemned and executed by death A thousand enemies combine assault beleaguer it and either by the furious storme of a suddain violent unexpected distemper they force and surprize it or els by a lingring lasting siege of pain and weaknesse as by consumptions c. they famish and conquer it Health 't is a Bibulus triumphing in a Chariot 'i th morning and lying in the afternoon in a Coffin A Caâ—sar now very well on the top of the hill of honour and power and anon expiring with wounds in the Senate A Quintus Scapula while supping and feasting himself turned into and served up for a Banquet to the worms An Aufejus while dining dying A Valla who as he was drinking Honey-wine had the gall of death put into his cup by the hand of providence and so departed out of the vale of the dying into the vale of the dead T is both a Conqueror and a Captive in a day hour moment 'T is a Cyrus strong secure prosperous in the morning and before night slain by Tomiris Death The Prayer O Most Mercifull and most Bountiful Lord God thou hast not not only given unto man a being but a well being also upon Earth Nor hast thou only built him a stately Palace this World to dwell in and furnished every Room every part thereof with necessaries for his entertainment to make his abode therein desirable but thou hast also deck't and adorn'd it with infinitely various and admirably curious delightfull things to make his life pleasant And as the top-stone the choycest of all outward Favours hast given him health without which he could not comfortably survey use or enjoy them O let good God thy Munificence and Mercy be so sanctified unto us that the sense of thy goodnesse and bounty may humble us that professe our selves to be Christians for our undervaluing and abusing
Melch. Adam in vit Luth. Luther Mallem ego cum Christo ruere quam cum Caesare stare For Christ is the loadstone to which the needle of his heart doth willingly constantly restlesly though tremblingly turn Nothing can keep disswade or withhold him from him neither enemies troubles dangers nor devills for his love is strong as death and love alone over-powers all powers * Genes 8. 9. Christ alone is the Ark wherein his soul like †Noahs Dove in the Deluge can find rest Faith and love are to the soul of a gracious praying Christian wherein Amalek and Israel the flesh and Spirit are up in Arms and will continue fighting all the day during the time of this natural life as * Exod. 17. 11 12 13. Aaron and Hur were to Moses the Servant of the Lord. For although Amalek may yea doth sometimes prevail against Israel Corruption against Grace And although as Moses hands were heavy a Christians Spirit may be faint or weary with so long so sharpe a conflict yet he like Moses being set upon a stone resting trusting and relying upon that chief corner-stone that precious stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands Jesus Christ and being also like Moses hands steady fixt and constant being upheld by faith and love as Moses hands were by Aaron and Hur in crying to and begging of the Lord both strength assistance and victory untill the going down of the Sun till death he obtains under the great Captain of mans Salvation through whom Christians are more then conquerors Jesus Christ a comfortable happy glorious Victory over Amalek and his people Satan temptations sin corruptions and all its deadliest enemies The Prayer MOST Holy Lord God thou hast not only given unto Christians a glimpse of the Felicity and Glory of Heaven by revealing to them what it is so far as they are capable to apprehend it for they can never comprehend it till they enjoy it and are crowned with it But thou hast also chalked them out the way that leads to it offered them an infallible guide to conduct them in it and promised yea assured them if they will accept thy gracious offer to give them both Leggs and strength to carry them unto it Thou O Lord art truth it self inable us stedfastly to believe thee Thou art Goodnesse it self grant that we may ardently intirely love thee And since without these graces in reality we can neither please nor enjoy thee Crown us with them I beseech thee for these are such sweet Flowers as did never grow since Adam by his fatall fall sowed it all over with venemous Weeds in the Garden of Nature that so being regenerated quickened inflamed and inabled by thee we may come boldly unto thee rely confidently upon thee set our Affections sincerely on thee delight chiefly in thee and rest eternally blessed with thee Grant this for his sake in whom thou canst deny thy people nothing Jesus Christ the Sonne of thy Love Amen Per fidem in Christo corona in Caelo XII Of Repentance 'T Is the Souls return from travailing in the foraign Countrey of sin 'T is a Vagabond prodigall * Luke 15. 17. First come to his right mind being before no better then a mad-man out of his wits and then coming home to his Heavenly Father upon the feet of †Idem v. 21. confession and sorrow for it 's not only far more infamous to commit sin then to confesse it because nihil pudori esse debet poenitenti nisi non faterl true penitents should blush at nothing but at the concealing of their crimes but it 's also very dangerous not to acknowledge or to excuse our offences Quicunque enim sibi se excusat accusat deo because either to extenuate our faults or to plead our own innocency will both aggravate our sins and provoke the Lord to punish us for our wickednesse Since the surest way for transgressors to be found guilty and to be condemned * Prov. 28. 13. is to †hide their sins and to justifie themselves for wounds that bleed inward and poyson that is not vomited up are most deadly Repentance is an Augustins a Christians retractation It makes the soul a Solomon wise and happy living as well as speaking or writing an Ecclesiastes 'T is an * 1 Kin. 20. 32. 34. Aramite with importunity submission and supplication begging the Life of Benhadad the soul of the mercifull King of Israel God Almighty An humble hearty particular ingenuous * Prov. 28. 13. confession of all sin a sound humiliation and godly sorrow for all sin a reall detestation of and an irreconcilable hatred to all sin a resolute resistance and constant opposition against all sin an holy jealousie and Christian vigilancie at all times in all places in all company and in all our callings and imployments over our consciences affections hearts tongues lives souls and bodies to fly and decline all occasions of all temptations unto sin a pious care when through frailty temptation corruption or securitie our souls are become black â—oul and deformed by sin to a Gods children fal but it 's the property of the Devils child to lye stil Mr. Philpot. Humanum est cadere â—ace rebelluinum resurgere Christianum perseverare in peecato diabolicum August bath them in and to wash them with tears of godly sorrow til they be white and clean to be afraid of fullying of defiling them again Inanis enim est ista poenitentia quam sequens culpa coinquinat A conscientious care to do no wrong to our neighbors or if we have willingly knowingly injurd any man to give him ful satisfaction for non tollitur peceatum nisi restituatur ablatum b I have read of one Pyâ—rhus that when he perswaded the Sultan Selimus to give the wealth and treasure which he had taken from the Peâ—sian Merchan S unto an Hospital for the maintainance of the poor Nay rather said Selimus let it be restored to the right owners and accordingly restitution was made thereof unto them It would certainly be very much for the glory of God the honour of the Gospel the comfort of those that profess themselves to be Christians and the good of their posterity if they would write after and copy out the honest example of this Turk herein but if this be called or esteemed foul because a Mahomitan set it I shall present them with one equally fair and necessary written by a good Christian I mean pious and conscientious Zaccheus Luke 19. 8. And also with one Royal precedent one noble pattern of our own viz. King Henry 7th who in his last Will and Testament willed that Restitution should be made of all such Moneys as had unjustly been levied by his Officers Speed Chron. p. 993. Go thou then and do like these who ever thou art that art grown rich or great by unjust gain and means and then the Lord wil pardâ—n honor bless thee But if
where you will meet with aboundant satisfaction in this particular In short therefore for it 's not my design to be Polemicall herein to me it seems to be a very safe and good rule which g Arist Ethic. lib. 10. c. 3. That rule also of St. Augustine is very sate and good viz. Quod universa tenet ecclesia nec conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissime creditur Aug. Baptis contr Donatist lib. 2. c. 7. Aristotle layes down sc That whatsoever hath been affirmed by almost all should not hastily be denyed by any because h Vincent â—yrinensis Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus tenetur Ecclestis id demum Catholicum 'T is a Merldian shining truth that all new waies are false waies and therefore they must be carefully declined by all those that really desire to walk in that good old way of life that leads to blisse and glory And 't is as true that they must needs wander stumble and fall that resolve to walk in crooked uneven blind and slippery foot-paths of their own making The Prayer O LORD it is no less then a signall a singular and a very great Mercy to thy Church and Children that thou hast provided and given them a remedy for Infants against the danger the poyson and the pollution of Originall Sinne wherein they are born and thereby come into the world both defiled and spiritually deformed In that thou hast set open the door of Baptisme for them at which they enter and are admitted to come within the pale of thy visible Church Lord still continue this great Priviledge nnto them And as then and there they are listed under and Covenant with the great the glorious the victorious and invincible Captain of our Salvation to fight under him against the implacable Enemies of their gracious both Saviour and Soveraign and their own immortall Souls the World the Devill and the flesh O let them be conscientiously carefull to pay their Vows to discharge their solemn ingagements and to expresse their fidelity piety and loyalty by continuing Christs faithfull Souldiers and Servants unto death Amen Baptismus janua est Vitae Christianitatis Ostium Regenerationis Sacramentum XVIII Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper T Is the Souls Banqnet 'T is one of those * Certainly then those Ministers are very not only unkind but cruel and injurious to their flocks and people that either cut off this breast by absolutely â—â—susing or dry it up by deferring and neglecting to administer this necessity food this holy and comfortable Sacrament unto them Breasts wherewith our Mother the Church nurseth and nourisheth the Children of Christ 'T is both the food and fewell of Grace Jesus Christ is in this necessary Holy Sacrament a Pelican in deed and reality for he feeds his faithfull ones with his own Bloud 'T is a lively representation of Christ crucified to the eye of faith 'T is spirituall glue which joynes and cements Christians one to another in Love and Unity 'T is a Christians commemoration-day of his best and greatest Benefactor 'T is the last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ whereby he bequeathed the precious ineftimiable everlasting Treasures comforts and blessing of his Death and passion to all worthy Receivers I acknowledg the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ administred according to Christs institution to be one of the greatest treasures and comforts that he left us upon the earth a Fox B of Marty 5 vol. 3. p. 556. col 1. Those Ministers then do rob defraud wrong their people that either take away or keep from them this precious treasure faith Mr. Philpot. 'T is a deed of Guift A Conveyance from Jesus Christ of himself and all his merits both sealed and delivered with livery and seisin to all true Beleevers whereby they have a just right an unquestionable title unto and a saving interest in the Lord Jesus and all the sweet blessed and glorious benefits of his death resurrection and intercession b Camerar lib. 1. p. 64. Darius King of Persia had in his Bedchamber a vine all of Gold which was inriched with precious stones and did bear grapes made of pearl of an inestimable value And yet this Vine was but a barren figstree and its orient Gemms but dry and withered leaves compared with that * Joâ—n 15. 1. true vine Jesus Christ and the most precious fruit thereof For if all the Gold Jewells rarities and wealth of the whole world were put into one scale of the ballance and but one drop of that invaluable bloud which flowed from this vine when it was cut when Christ was crucified upon the cross in the other Scale all those would be but feathers chaffe or mosse light vain and worthlesse things in respect of the excellency and necessity of this Since 't is only the bloud of Christ that cleanses us from fin and makes the soul beautifull in the eyes of God and redeemeth it from eternall damnation For it is not in the power either of all the glorious Angels and blessed Saints in Heaven or of all the Christians upon earth to satisfie the Justice of God for one Soul much lesse then can stones or clay reconcile an angry God and free a sinner from everlasting misery To neglect this holy Sacrament then wherein this precious bloud of Christ is freely offered to us to purge and save us is both dangerous and sinfull to contemne it without repentance damnable Si qui Sacramentorum usum ac si opus iis non 〈◊〉 erent aspernarentur non modo arrogantiae summae sed etiam impietatis in Deum merito damnari debent quum non suae tantum infiâ—mitatis subsidia sed et Deum ipsorum authorem contemnant ipsius gratiam respuant et spiritum quantum in ipsis est extinguant saith one c â—â—akwel Apolog p. 417. Aesops Son at a Feast which he made dissolved Pearls in Vinegar and gave to each guest one to drink And yet his bounty was but parsimony his pearls below pebbles compared with the love and excellency of this true Magarite this pearl of infinite price and value the Lord Jesus Christ which every rightly qualified and prepared communicant both drinks and eateth also at this Supper of the Lamb. And Cleopatras draught when she swallowed an Exchequer and drunk an Indies was but puddle muddy water to those pure refreshing life-preserving streams which flow into the Soul from that Rock of living-water Jesus Christ through the golden conduit-pipe of this blessed Sacrament â—on Anthory de Guevara Dial of Princ. Fol. 417. d When the feast of the God Janus was celebrated in Rome none were suffered to go into his Temple but those that had new apparell That day also the Emperor put on his imperiall Robes and all the Captives who could with their hand touch them were delivered prisoners for debt were discharged
very strangely if not irecoverably distempered and sick Heu quam periculâ—sus est iste morbus quum et infirmitates suas amat medicos suos odio habet aegrotus Certainly that malady is mortall which makes the patient love his disease and hate his Doctor And thus to disesteem oppose and hate the faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ is a sin in the highest form of those crying crimes which wil shorten the life of our peace cloud if it do not totally eclipse the glorious sun of the Gospell amongst us †2 Chron 36. 16. and * provoke the Lord to consume and destroy the Land with the Inhabitants thereof Let us then if we will not love them nor be liberall to them and thankfull for them for Gods their own nor our souls sake yet be just to them and pay them their dues for very shame †Levit. 72 30. 1 Cor. 9. tithes are the Lords He hath reserved them to himself and therefore man cannot either lawfully or safely alienate them Nor did ever any man yet that purchased a Lordship or Lands except the Estate he bought were impropriate the rise and age whereof I mean of Impropriations is known almost to every man claime or pretend any right or title to the tenth part of what he bought And yet further Tithes have been setled upon the Ministers of England and confirmed unto them by sixty Acts of Parliament saies Mr. Prynne and which is yet more they were confirmed and payd unto them before the Conquest by the Saxons and all along since the Conquest down to these times wherein the malice and power of Satan the avarice of some self-seeking Christians and the both envy and subtilty of Jesuits those implacable enemies to and restlesse underminers of the Gospel and Ministers of Jesus Christ have stirred up some seduced people to declaime against them as a burden and grievance and to petition the Magistrates to take them away notwithstanding their undoubted right unto them See for your fuller and better satisfaction herein the 8th Chapter of Mr. Seldens History of Tithes p. 195. And yet further Tithes were instituted and payd both before the Law under the Law and under the Gospell too See D. George Carletons Tithes proved to be due by a Divine Right D. Will. Sclater his Ministers Portion Mr. Prynns Gospell plea c. since the Labourer is worthy of his wages Since Tithes is their unquestionable right both by the Lawes of * I know it is either hellish malice or pernicious basenesse or ignorance of the work and burden of Ministers that makes their maintenance so generally incompetent and their very livelyhood subsistence so envyed and grudged at M. Baxter Saints everlasting rest p. 91. God and men and since riches gotten by sacriledge are alwaies put into a bag with holes And therefore it was a saying among the Jews Decima ut dives fias Let then all such as have or do so defraud their pastors alwaies remember and seriously consider That it 's unpardonable Felony to rob Embassadors And let them frequently and impartially view and weigh what God himself sayes in * Malach. 3. 8. Malachi the last of the Prophets who is therefore elegantly styled Fibula legis Evangelii the button or claspe of the Law and Gospell ye have robbed me saith the Lord wherein say they that were guilty of Sacriledge have we robbed thee God himself is pleased to answer and resolve them thus In Tithes and offerings And if the conscience of their duty cannot perswade them to hate this crimson crime yet let the fear of Gods fierce wrath and heavy curse dissiwade and deterre them from being guilty of it Since it 's most certain that God will both apprehend and arraign all such Sacrilegious theeves and also that without true repentance they are then sure to be cast to be denyed the benefit of their clergy and to be condemned without mercy Lastly let such cankers and caterpillars of the Ministry consider that that dangerous odious felony will not inrich them nor will that unjust gain be enjoyed by them for others will be as ready and resolved to require yea to compell the payment of their Tithes to them as they are willing and desirous not to pay them to their Ministers whose just dues and rights they are o August Sermo 219. de tempore If thou wilt not give thy Tithes Dabis impio militi quod non vis dare Deo Sacerdoti Hoc tollit Piscus quod non accepit Christus saith St. Augustine Thou shalt be sure to give that to an impious Souldier which thou wilt not give to God and a religious Minister The Exchequer takes that away which Christ hath not received And what greater folly or madnesse can there be in the world then for men to sin ruine and wilfully to pull down Gods anger judgments and curses upon themselves to please or profit others The Prayer O LORD it is thy sweet gracious and precious promise that thou wilt be with thy Ministers to the end of the World Be pleased therefore I most humbly earnestly and heartily beseech thee to own honour blesse multiply protect and continue them in spite of all opposition both from earth and Hell And as thou hast assured us that the gates of Hell shall never prevaile against thy Church So neither suffer O Lord the Agents Factors and Emissaries of Satan the implacable enemies of truth holinesse reformation ordinances and righteousnesse to ruine or root â—ut thy Ministers lest thy Church lie buryed under the rubbish filth and straw of Atheisme idolatry heresie ignorance and profanenesse Preserve and shield them good God from contempt opposition and persecution Let their feet be beautiful in our eyes their voice melodious to our Ears and their message most welcome pleasant acceptable to our hearts that bring publish and preach the glad tidings of Salvation unto us Bring not a fatall dreadfull eclipse upon us by causing the Sun to go down upon our Prophots Let not O Lord those stars fall out of thy right hand but let them be as the Signet upon thy finger and as the Apple of thine eye near and dear unto thee And since in the darker times of the Law thou didst require and command that thy Priests should be holy and without blemish O grant that in these brightest days of the glorious Gospell thy Ministers may be holy heavenly harmlesse and blamelesse Make them O Lord carefull to feed their stocks both with holy doctrines and with religious examples that so they may be not only preachers but patterns too of vertue and piety to their people Grant this inward purity and outward Beauty to our Pastors O Lord for his sake who is the greatâ— Shepherd both of their and our Souls Jesus Christ Amen Sacerdotes pii sunt dotes preciosissimae XXI Self-calling Of Self-making preachers or rather Praters and Seducers THey are bloudy Empericks whose Medicines murder whose potions poyson
true Beleever is afraid of that which with zeal courage sincerity and constancy he is resolved to do to serve God He delighteth in it yet is grieved that he can perform duty no better He seeketh diligently for that which he knows he shall not find and beggeth that importunately which he is assured will be both denyed and granted in this world unto him He is what he seems to be yet is not what he seems being like Solomons Tents black without but adorned with precious things within He is both black and white weak and strong contemptible and Honourable sick and well at Liberty and in Prison a Sinner and a Saint fearfull and yet bold as a Lyon 19. He leaves the dirty broad way of the World and by crossing that he goeth on directly in the right way toward Heaven Though he be far from home and from his friends in a strange Countrey yea in the darkest night yet he can go to his Father almost in a moment without wandring Though all the men in the World should lye armed in Ambush to surprize him yet he can passe either safely by them or victoriously through them For although he may be taken or killed yet he cannot be kept or overcome 20. A true Beleever loveth Gods Words and Ordinances as dearly as his Life Because by them he was wounded to his healing humbled to his raising inlightened to the beholding of his Blindnesse emptinesse nakednesse nothingnesse filthinesse and because without them though he had been the sole Monarch of the whole world he had been everlastingly undone and a very begger He trembles at the good the holy Word of God yet both rejoyceth in it and findeth transcendent sweetnesse spiritual yea soul-ravishing joy and gladnesse by it 21. He honoureth highly loveth dearly and obeyeth willingly his naturall Parents yet prizeth and affects his spirituall Father a Godly Minister above and beyond all men though he be not at all akin to him Because he knoweth that it 's better never to be then to be everlastingly miserable and never to be Borne then not to be Borne again 22. He will not he dare not spare his own Flock and take anothers only Lamb. He therefore dedicates and consecrates the sabbath-Sabbath-day which is none of his own wholly cheerfully joyfully thankfully heartily and religiously to the Lord. And by so doing he getteth six for one to himself together with a promise of Gods guidance favour protection and blessing upon him his and his Labours in his calling in them And so by serving God he serves himself too and by giving God his due he both keep 's his own and getteth more then he had 23. A true Beleever increaseth his estate by giving it away gathereth by scattering By clothing others he adorns himself with Robes by relieving others he supplies his owne wants and by sowing Charity he reapâ—s Mercy 24. He saveth his Life by confessing his guiltinesse whereas others condemn themselves by concealing their crimes He 's the only happy man for nothing can make him miserable Because he is comforted when afflicted he is at Liberty in Bondage at home when Banished sed when famished full though empty satisfied when hungry advanced though degraded safe when most cruelly persecuted and when killed crowned 25. He is naturally heavy and droffy yet ascends and the nearer his body comes to its Center the earth and its long home the Grave by age and sicknesse the faster and the higher his Soul mounts towards Heaven And at length his Soul is divorced from his Body both with joy and griefe exultation and mourning 26. A true Beleever is never satisfied yet alwaies contented He feareth continually yet seldome wants Hope He doubts yet stedfastly beleeveth he is not worldly minded and yet he is so covetous that he never thinks he hath enough He is most temperate and sober yet is alwaies thirsty He is a modest Suiter yet is resolved to take no denyal He knoweth and confesseth himself to be unfit to ask and unworthy to receive either a gracious answer or any mercy and yet he will not cease begging till his prayers be heard and his petitions granted 27. He never sits stands nor lies but is alwaies walking His motion is neither retrograde nor circular but progressive yet the longer faster and further he travails the stronger and fresher he is All things â—re become new in him yet the old man is not destroyed He is very pitifull and tender hearted yet so mercilesse and implacable an enemy to sin that he is never quiet or pleased till it be mortified crucified and dead in him He is both in the world and out of it at the same time He is willing yea desirous to keep his estate yet freely parteth with it if God will have it and accounts the losse of all for Christ the greatest the truest gain 28. He injoies that which he doubts he wants loves unfainedly that which he feare he doth not care for prizeth above all things that which others trample under their feet He is assured of his Salvation and that he is an Heir of Glory yet questions his evidences and by * Nulla sunt sirmiora quam quae ex dubiis facta sunt certa doubting makes them firm and good 29. A true Beleever matters not his life nay he desires to dye yet strives more then any man to save himself He is terribly afraid of Hell and Damnation yet would not knowingly and with delight and perseverance commit or live in any one sin to obtain Heaven 30. He is diligent in his calling yet doth not mind earthly things He alone hath a true comfortable and religious right to the Creature yet accounts himself an Usurper till his Title be confirmed by his interest in Christ Though he hold his Land in free Soccage yet he acknowledgeth 't is but in Capite Though his Tenure be in Fee-simple yet he confesseth himself to be but a Tenant at Will Though his goods be his own yet he knows and beleeves himself bound freely and liberally if he be able to distâ—â—bute and communicate them unto others He beâ—eeveth all things without Christ are nothing but vaâ—ity and â—â—â—â—tion of Spirit and that Christ alone is all things without any thing else 31. That which others fear flie and abhorre he courts desires and welcomes That which is their Funerall is his Nuptials For death doth not kill but translate him it doth not execute but remove him He dies daily and so doth not die at all but deparâ— His sleep is a short death and his dissolution is but a long sleep Death which is a destructive deluge to the wicked is only an Ark to him preserving and carrying him safe to Mount Ararat Heaven and there it both lands and leaves him 32 A true Beleever anticipates the last day He accuseth arraigneth and condemneth himself and so is both acquitted and discharged by God at his death He is no Incendiaâ—y yet desires nothing so