modii but lux mundi that light of the World in whom there is not so much as the least shadow of darknesse Small buddings of Grace in the Soul an argument of greater growth VVHen we behold Prime-Roses and Violets fairly to flourish we conclude the dead of the Winter is past though as yet no Roses or Iuly-flowers do appear which long after lye hid in their leaves or lurk in their roots but in due time will discover themselves Thus if some small buddings of Grace do but appear in the Soul it is an argument of far greater growth if some signs be but above-ground in sight others are under-ground in the heart and though the former started first the other will follow in order It being plain that such a Man is passed from death unto life by this hopeful and happy spring of some signs in the heart Magistrates Rulers c. the great comfort of good ones THe People of Rome were very jocund when they had made Galba their Emperour but he had not been long in till they began to change their note For they found by woful experience that they had met with a carelesse and cruel Goverâ—our A sad thing when it is either with Magistrates or Ministers as Pope Urban writ to a Prelate in his time very scoffingly Monacho fervido Abbatic calido Episcopo verò tepido et Archiepiscopo â—rigido still the higher in means the worse in manners But there is then good hope when Men in power and authority can say Non nobis sed populo that they aym at the publique good And happy is that People that place that Common-wealth whose Rulers think no time too long no pains too great nor no patience too much whereby they may glorifie God and seek the publique good in the appointed places of their dignity Godly Company the benefit thereof IT is observable of many houses in the City of London that they have so weak walls and are of so slender and slight building that were they set alone in the Fields probably they would not stand one hour which now ranged into streets receive support in themselves and mutually return it to others Such is the danger of solitarinesse and the great benefit of association with good and godly Company Such as want skill or boldnesse to begin or set a Psalm may competently follow tune in consort with others and such are the blessed fruits of good Society that a Man may not onely be reserved from much mischief but also be strengthened and confirmed in many godly Exercises which he could not perform of himself alone The excellency of Sonday or Lords day above other dayes WHat the Fire is amongst the Elements the Eagle among the Fowls the Whale among the Fishes the Lyon amongst the beasts Gold among the other mettals and Wheat amongst other grain the same is the Lords day above other dayes of the week differing as much from the rest as doth that wax to which a Kings great seal is put from ordinary wax Or that silver upon which the King's Arms and Image are stamped from Silver unrefined or in bullion It is a day the most holy Festival in relation to the Initiation of the World and Mans Regeneration the Queen and Princesse of dayes a Royall day a day that shines amongst other dayes as doth the Dominical letter clad in scarlet among the other letters in the Calender or as the Sun imparts light to all the other Stars so doth this day bearing the name of Sonday afford both light and life to all other dayes of the week Men to be as well industrious in their Callings as zealous in their devotions THe Inhabitants of the Bishoprick of Durham pleaded a Priviledg That King Edward the first had no power although on necessary occasion to presse them to go out of their Country because forsooth they termed themselves Haly-work-folk onely to be used in defending the holy shrine of S. Cuthbert Thus it is that many in the World are much mistaken thinking that if they be but once entred into the trade of Godlinesse they may cancell all Indentures of service and have a full dispensation to be idle in their Callings whereas the best way to make the service of God comfortable within their own Souls is to take pains without in their lawful Vocations there being ever some secret good accrewing to such who are diligent therein Variety of gifts in the Ordinance of Preaching IT is a received Aphorism amongst Physitians that the Constitutions of all Mens bodies are of a mixt nature hot dry cold and moyst and yet the Wisdom of God hath so diversly tempered these that scarce in the World are two Men to be found in every point of like temper The face of a Man is not above a span over yet let ten thousand Men be together and their countenances shall all differ So in the Church as to the variety of gifts in the matter of Preaching let divers Men take one and the same Text yet scarce two of a hundred though all soundly and to the Point are to be found that have in all things the like gift either for matter or utterance some having five talents some but two some but one some have a more excellent gift of Conference some of Prayer some of Exhortation some in opening of a Text some in application c. every one though not all alike some one way or other profitable unto Gods people to help onward the building up of the body of the Lord Iesus in the edification of those that are committed to their charge To be more strict in the holy observation of the Sabbath then heretofore and why so SOme Popish People make a superstitious Almanack of the Sonday by the fairnesse or foulnesse thereof guessing of the weather all the week after according to that old Monkish rime If it rains on Sonday before Messe It will rain all week more or lesse However it may be boldly affirmed That from our well or ill spending of the Lord day a probable conjecture may be made how the following week will be employed yea it is to be conceived that we are bound as matters now stand in England to a stricter observation of the Lords day then ever before That a time was due to Gods service no Christian in this Nation ever did deny That the same was weekly dispersed into the Lords day Holy-dayes Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays some have earnestly maintained seeing therefore all the last are generally neglected the former must be more strictly observed It being otherwise impious that our devotion having a narrower channel should also carry a narrower stream along with it Gods gracious return of his Peoples Prayers in the time of their distresse IT is said of Martin Luther that perceiving the cause of the Gospel to be brought into a great strait he flyes unto God layes hold on him by Faith and
the matter of Society laid open 337. The sincere upright man described 604. The scarciâ—y of such 612. How to deal with sin being once committed 603. Wherein the poysonfull nature of Sin consisteth 608. Sins lethargy 629. Sin to be removed as the cause of all sorrow 636. Sinne the godly Man's hatred thereof 642. The woful gradation of Sin 659. The best of Men not free from sin in this life 470. 548. Sin of the meanest Man in a Nation may be the destruction of it 509. The extream folly of Sin 510. Sin may be excused here in this World but not hereafter 514. Insensibility of Sin the sadnesse thereof 521. Sin in its original easie to be found 582. How sins may be said to ouâ—-live the Sinner 585. Sin the strange nature thereof 596. All Sinne mâ—st be hated and why so 598. God not the author of Sin 599. How it is that the singling out of one beloved Sin makes way to a full sight of all sin 351. Sin committed with deliberation premeditation c. greatly provoketh the Holy Spirit of God 353. To take heed of smaller sins as bringing on greater 354. 649. Men covering their Sins with specious pretences reproved 361. To beware of masked specious sins 368. Beloved Sins hardly parted withall 376. When it is that a Man is said throughly to forsake his Sin 391. Men deluded by Satan in not taking the right notion of Sin 395. Every Man to confesse that his own Sin is the cause though not always the occasion of punishment 421. New inventions of Sin condemned 453. The great danger of living in any one known sin 456. Sin unrepented of heavy upon the Soul at the time of death 456. Consideration of our secret sins a motive to compassionate others 457. No Man able to free himself from Sin 240. The great danger of sleighting the least Sin 256. 597. Sin not consented unto excusable before God 271. Sins of infirmity how to be known from other sins 273. Great Sins attended by great Judgments 286. Sin of a destructive Nature 288. 531. 607. To be affected with the falling of others into Sin 296. The great danger of Sin unrepented of 298. How it is that every Man hath one darling sin or other 327. The distemper of Sin not easily cured 332. Godly and wicked Men their difference in the haâ—red of Sin 350. The more a Man is now troubled for Sin the lesse shall he be troubled hereafter and why so 350. The sad condition of adding Sinne to sinne 237. The least of Sinnes to be prevented 46. 593. Sin to be renounced as the cause of Christ's death 59. 649. Sin onely is the godly Mans terrour 132. Sins of Infirmity in the best of Gods Children 143. Sin overthrowes all 1â—7 The retaining of one Sin spoyleth a greaâ— deal of good in the Soul 149. One Sin never goes alone 172. Strange Sinnes strange punishments 183. Not to be in love with sin 199. One foul sin spoyleth a great deal of Grace 203. When sins are at the height they come to destruction 205. The great danger of little sinnes 218. 367. 659. The sense of sinne is from God onely 221. Sinne of a dangerous spreading nature 415. How it is that one Man may be said to be punished for another Maâ—â— sin 419. Sin to be looked on as the cause of all sorrow 464. The slavery of Sinne to be avoided 499. 625. Sin to be looked on as it is fierce and cruell 535. Sin and the Sinner very hardly parted 536. Some one sinfull quality or other predominant 548. The great danger and guilt of lying under the guilt of any one eminent sinne 600. The sinsulnesse of sin 601. As to beware of all sins so of beloved sins 602. The growth of Sin to be prevented 10. How Sin is made the prevention of Sinne 39. Sin trampleth on Christ 50. Little Sins if not prevented bring on greatâ—r to the ruine of the Soul 56. Sense of Sin is an entrance to the sâ—ate of Grace 56. Impossible for a Man to know all his sins 57. The difference of Sins as they are Men regenerate and unregenerate 60. The weight of Sin to be seriously peysed 77. Remembrance of sins past the onely way to prevent sins to come 83. Relapses into sin dangerous 89. Every impenitent Sinner is his own tormentor 50. A sinful Man is a senselesse Man 80. The Sinners estate miserable 89. A gracelesse Sinner will continue to be a sinner still 92. The wrath oâ— God best appeased when the Sinner appearâ—th with Christ in his arms 99. The Devils charge and the Sinners disâ—harge 131. The Sinner's Memeâ—to 204. Desperate madnesse 639. The Sinner's security 216. God's acceptance of Sinners through Christ 217. The incorrigible Sinner's stupidity 264. His desperate condition 590. The secure carelâ—sse Sinner 509. Sinners crucifying the Lord of life daily 537. The Devil 's hard dealing with the ensnared Sinner 594. How the wounded Sinner is to be cured 595. An ungrations Son not worthy to be his Fathers heir 40. The excellency of Sonday or Lords Day above other dayes 539. To be more strict in the holy observation of Sonday or Sabbath then heretofâ—re And why so 540. Sorrowes of this life not comparable to the joyes of another 162. The best improvement of Worldly sorrow 185. Sorrow that is true is for the most part silent 293. The excellency of godly sorrow for Sinne 362. For a Man to be sorry that he cannot be sorry for sin is a part of godly Sorrow for sin 519. The least proportion of godly sorrow for sin accepted by God 520. Sorrow for sinne must be in particulars 559. Must be proportionable 560. Other mens sins are the good mans sorrow 581. A meer Souldier an enemy to peace 107. The truly noble Souldier 336. The Soulâ—ier's Calling honourable 415. Whereiâ— the true valour of a Captain or Souldier in War consisteth 544. The devout Soul will admit of none but Christ 10. More care for the body then the Soul condemned 11. No quietnesse in the Soul till it come to Christ 19. If the Soul be safe all 's safe 42. The Souls comfortable Union with Christ 44. How the Soul lives in Christ onely 44. The Souls sleighting of Christ offering mercies condemned 37. The winning of a Soul unto God very acceptable unto God 153. The health of the Soul is the true health of the body 162. To be careful for the Souls good 182. To take especial care for the Souls safety 348. 458. Men living as though they had not Souls to save reproved 368. How it is that Soul and body come to be both punished together 377. 675. The captivated Soul restless till it be in Christ Jesus 415 420. The Souls comfortable enjoyment of Christ 419. The Soul of Man pretious in the sight of God 462. Excellency of the Soul of Man 502. A foul polluted Soul the object of Gods hatred 503. The high price of the Soul 503. The folly of Men in parting with their
yea though the Temple in his time were become a den of thieves yet then and there sent he up devout and holy prayers to Heaven Get but God and get all AS Noah when the Deluge of waters had defaced the Earth and blotted the great book of Nature had a copy of every kinde of Creature in that â—amous Library of the Ark out of which all were reprinted to the World So he that hath God hath the originall copy of all blessings out of which if all were perished all might easily be renewed Let friends and goods and life and all forsake us yet let but the light of God's countenance shine upon us and that shall be life and friends and goods and all unto us Afflictions the ready way to Heaven A Man taking his journey into a far Country and enquiring for the way is told that there are many plain waies but the streight and right way is by woods and hills and mountains and great dangers that there are many Bears and Lions in the way much difficulty is upon the road thither Now when he is traâ—ailing and finds such and such things in the way such mountains and hills of opposition such flats and vallies of danger he concludeth that he is in the right way thither And so the child of God that is going to the kingdom of Heaven though there be many waies to walk in yet he knowes that there is but one rigâ—t way which is very strait and narrow full of trouble full of sorrow and Persecution full of all manner of crosses and afflictions and when in this life he is persecuted for God and a good cause whether in body or in mind it argueth plainly that he is in the right way to salvation To be provident for daies of triall MEn in policy prepare cloaks for the wet provision for winter a staffe for old age a scrip for the journey they 'l be sure to lay up something for a rainy day or a bank of mony to flie to when occasion serveth Thus it should be with all true Christians they should be alwaies striving for the more and more assurance of God's favour to be sure of a stock going in the Lord's affection to get some perswasion of God's love whereby they may be able to stand in the evill day in the saddest of times in the hour of death and in the day of judgment A good Man is the prop and stay of his Country IT was the Poet's vain and groundlesse conceit of Hector that so long as he lived Troy could not be destroyed terming him the immovable and inexpugnable pillar of Troy But well may it be said of a faithfull man that he is a mighty stay and strength a main defender and upholder of the place where he liveth for whose sake for whose presence and prayers out of the Lord 's abundant kindnesse to all His even the wicked are often within the shadow of God's protection and spared It is Peace that sets up Religion ANtigonus told the Sophister he came out of season when he presented a treatise of Iustice to him that was at that very time besieging a City he could not hear the voice of the Lawes for the noise of Drums And so the Lawes of God the comfortable voice of the Gospell cannot be heard in times of war and hostility Religio doâ—enda non coercenda Fire and faggot are but sad Reformers It is Peace that is the good Ioseph the best Nurse to Religion When the Church had peace and rest then and not till then it multiplied Children to be brought up in the fear of God PArents are very carefull to prefer their children to great places and Noblemen's houses and to that end they give them gentile breeding which is welldon of them But if they would indeed be good parents to their children they should first endeavour to get roomes for them in the kingdom of Heaven But how shall this preferment be had God hath an upper and a lower house His Church and the â—ingdom of Heaven the Church is his house of grace Heaven is his house of glory Now if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glory then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace bringing him up so in the fear of God that both in life and conversation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church and then assure thy selfe that after this life he shall be removed to the second House which is the house of glory and there for ever be a freeman in the kingdom of Heaven In thus doing thou shalt not leave him an Orphan when thou diest for he shall have God for his Father Christ for his Brother and the Holy Ghost his Comforter to all eternity Heavenly Principles tend Heaven-ward FIre which here we kindle and is engendered on the earth it being no earthly but an heavenly body hath ab origine an aptnâ—sse and inclination carrying it towards the sphear of Fire which is the proper place thereof So from what time a man by God's calling is begotten to be an heavenly creature here on the earth he hath produced in him an inclination which doth make him move God-ward being heavenly principled he tends Heaven-ward Never did poor exile so much long to smel the smoak of his native Country as he breathes and pants after the Kingdome of Heaven Sathan suiting himself to all humours IT is observable that a Huntsman or Forrester goeth usually in green suitable to the leaves of the Trees and the grasse of the Forrest so that by this means the most observant in all the Heard never so much as distrusteth him till the Arrow stick in his sides And thus the Devill shapes himself to the fashions of all men if he meet with a proud man or a prodigal man then he makes himselfe a flatterer if a covetous man then he comes with a reward in his hand He hath an apple for Eve a grape for Noah a change of raiment for Gehezi a bag for Iudas He can dish out his meat for all palats he hath a laste to fit every shoo he hath something to please all conditions to suit with all dispositions whatsoever Love the bond of all perfection AS the Pâ—imum mobile in the Heavens sets all the other Sphears a going which move and make musiâ—k as the Pythagoreans thought in the god's bosome As Ens in Logick communicates his beeing to the ten Preâ—icaments So is Love to the ten Commandements in which they live and move and have their being Love is the end the scope at which they all aime the perfection in which they rest the tribute which they exact it is the bond of perfection or perfection of bonds the most perfect bond that ties all graces to us Forgivenesse of others an argument of God's forgivenesse of us TAke a
yet Thus it is betwixt Christ and the damned soul Christ is a most just Judge no Tyrant no Tiberius and yet if one of the damned after a thousand years burning in hell should beg and entreat for a speedy death he would answer after the same manner Nondum tecum in grattam redii you and I are not yet friends if after thousands and millions of years the request should be renewed the answer would continue still the same Stay you and I are not yet friends So just and right a thing it is that he that would not by Repentance accept of mercy when it was offered should by punishment be tormâ—nted and have justice without mercy for ever God and his Attributes are answerable IT is well known that the title of Augustus hath been given to such Caesars as did not enlarge but diminish the Empire of Pater patriae to those that were so far from being Fathers that they were plain Tyrants of Pontifex maximus given to them which were so far from serving the Gods that they did sacrilegiously Canonize themselves for Gods and yet propter spem the Senate gave them these titles and by flattery they did amplifie in the rest He that had but a small conquest encreased his style as if he had conquered a whole Kingdome as appears in the titles of Germanicus Illyricus Britannicus c. nay the Eastern Monarchs were very fond this way claiming kindred of the Gods of the Stars and what not which might amplifie their Majesty In a word hope and flattery are the best ground whereupon all worldly mens titles are built especially great mens and Kings most of all But it is not so with the King of Heaven the truths in him are answerable to the titles that are given him the Attributes proportionable they are not given him propter spem but rem He is that which he is called neither is there in them any flattery yea his titles do come short of they do not exceed those perfections that are in him So that we may not measure the style of God as we do the stylâ—s of mortal Kings but conceive rather more then less when we hear them Prosperity of the wicked is destructive I Have seen the wicked saith David in great power and spreading himself like a green Bay-tree And why like a green Bay-tree because in the Winter when all other Trees as the Vine-tree Fig-tree Apple-tree c. which are more profitable Trees are withered and naked yet the Bay continueth as green in the Winter as the Summer So fareth it with wicked Men when the children of God in the storms of persecutions and afflictions and miseries seem withered and as it were dead yet the wicked all that time flourish and do appear green in the eyes of the World they wallow in worldly wealth but it is for their destruction they wax fat but it is for the day of slaughter It was the case of Hophni and Phinees the Lord gave them enough and suffered them to gâ— on and prosper in their wickednesse but what was the reason because he would destroy them Justifying faith accompanied with good works IT is evident to all except others be made keepers of their Reason as now they are of their Liberties that the eye alone seeth in the body yet the eye which seeâ—h is not alone without the other senses that the Fore-finger alone pointeth yet that finger is not alone on the hand that the Hammer alone striketh on the Bell yet the hammer that striketh is not alone in the Clock that the heat alone in the fire burneth yet that heat is not alone without light that the Helm alone guideth the Ship and not the Tackling yet the helm is not alone nor without the â—ackling In a compound Electuary Rubarb onely purgeth choler yet the Rubarb is not alone there without other Ingredients Thus we are to conceive that though faith alone doth justifie yet that faith which justifieth is not alone but joyned with charity and good works St. Bernard's distinction of Via regni and Causa regnandi cleareth the truth in this point Though good works are not the cause why God crowneth us yet we must take them in our way to Heaven or else we shall never come there It is as impious to deny the necessity as to maintain the merit of good works Talkers and not doers of Religion are to be condemned IT is a custom in Germany that in the evening when a candle is first lighted or brought into a Room they say Deus det vobis lucem aeternam God grant light eternal And it is usual in many parts of this Kingdom to say God grant us the light of Heaven The custom is good and the words warrantable but were the light of Heaven more in our hearts and less in our tongues there woâ—â—d be fewer works of darkness in our lives and conversations We speak of the light of Heaven and wish for the light of Heaven and we talk of new lights to heaven but all this is like that silly Actor in the Comedy that cryed out with his finger pointed to the Earth and his eye to Heaâ—en Encoelum ôterra Heaven is in our mouth but Earth in our hearts We are Heteroclitâ—s in Religion not reas but nominals in profession The endeavours of Christ are for peace IT is too usual with men the wiser they are the more to be turbuleâ—t and disquieters of the State and the more power they have the more to tyrannize and lord it over their fellow Subjects For such men do seldom suffer themselves to be guided or governed by the Counsels and dictates of others and run head-long of themselves swayed by a kind of impulsive providence and so care not but to please their own fancy no matter whom they displease besides But it is not so with Christ he that is Wisdome it self that is wonderful for Counsel mighty for Power bends both his wisdom and his power and his counsel to work peace that peace which is the portion of his people the inheritance of his Church which none can partake of but those that are true members thereof Study of the Tongues to be encouraged DAvid made a Statute in Israel that they who tarryed by the stuffe should part alike with those who went to battel The Professors of the Tongues are they who keep the stuffe and they should be as well rewarded as they who go into the field and fight in the Ministery The anger or wrath of God best appeased when the sinner appeareth with Christ in his armes THemistocles understanding that King Admetus was highly displeased with him took up his young son into his armes and treated with the Father holding that his darling in his bosom and thereby appeased the King's wrath God is at this time offended with us and hath a controversie with us there is no
the King having gotten a wound by a poysoned Dagger she sets her mouth to the wound to such out the poyson venturing her own life to preserve her Husbands Such is the strength of a true Christians love to Christ that were it to suck poyson out of Christs wounds it would be contented so to do as when Christ his Church his cause his people are smitten and wounded by the poysonous tongues of blasphemers the rayling tongues of licentious libertines the hellish fiery tongues of a rebellious generation and a good Christian is willing to draw it all upon himselfe to take it off from Christ and that Christ may have the glory he careth not what he undergoeth Self-tryall smoothes the way to all other tryals BIlney a Martyr in Q. Maries dayes tryed his finger by himselfe in the Candle before he tried his whole body in the fire at the stake If thou hast run with the footman faith God by the mouth of the Propheâ— and they have wearied thee then how canst thou match thy self with Horses Jer. 12. 5 How shall our faith abide the â—iery triall by others if it have never been put to the fiery trial by our selves How shall that faith try a match with horsemen smile at torments stare a disguised death in the face that never yet tried a match with footmen that never tried it selfe in private that never strugled with naturall corruptions Surely selfe tryal will pave the way smooth to all other tryals And that man will never abide to be tryed at a bar or stake that is loath to be tryed in his Closet or his Chamber Adversity seeks God IT is reported that when on a time the City of Constantinople was shaken with a terrible Earthquake many Houses were overthrown and with the fall many people perished The whole City is hereupon so amazed and every one so remembred to think on God that they fall to their publique devotions the Churches were thwack'd full with people all men for a while were much amended Justice commutative and distributive both advanced the poor relieved Justice exalted Lawes executed no fraud in bargaining it was become a very holy place but when God held his hand from punishing they held their hearts from praying when his wrath ceased their Religion ceased also And was it not alike in the civill Wars of France after the putting forth of that Act or Edict Ianuary 1561. and in the second and third years of those Wars such as were of the Religion then groaning under the heavy cross of poverty oppression and war how devout were they towards God very carefull in their waies glad to hear any preach the Word and glad to receive the Sacrament any way but when the third peace was concluded which seemed a very sound peace and the Rod was now thought to be removed afar off such carelesnâ—sse and security overgrew the hearts of all and in the Protestants there was so cold a zeal Tanta erat Religiosorum taediosa curiositas c. and that within less then two years that a Sermon plainly made with good grounds of Divinity was not thought to be worth the hearing unlesse it were spiced with Eloquence or flourished over with courtly expressions Nomine mutato dâ— nobis fabula The case is ours witnesse that Marian persecution when so many of the dear children of God mounted like Elias to heaven in fiery Chariots What prayers were made within the Land and without and what coldnesse benummed some hot ones of that time not long after Call to mind that miraculous year of 88. How did the piety of our Land exceed at that time young and old then came together into the Courts of the Lord Sabbaths were then sanctified week-dayes well spent How did the people flock to Church It might have been written in golden letters over every Church-door in the Land Cor unum via una such was the unity such was the uniformity of their devotions at that time but with the cold of the winter their devotion grew cold too and many moneths had not passed but as in few things some were the better so in many things a great deal worse To come yet downwards Anno 1625. to omit others The chief City of our Kingdom being struck with the plague of Pestilence seemed no other then a dreadful dungeon to her own a very Golgotha to others What then The King commands a Nineveh-like humiliation with what eagerness were those fasts devoured What loud cryes did beat on all sides of the Gates of Heaven and with what inexpectable unconceivable mercies were they answered Suddainly those many thousands were brought down to one poor unite not a number then was all the fasting and mourning turnd into joy and laughter To come yet lower to this very year this very day How hath the Sword devoured and whilst it did so how did the people unite and associate but when it seemed to be but a little sheath'd what remisness what divisions were found amongst us It is so and it is not well that it is so It is a reproach to some No Penny no Pater-noster it is a shame to us No Plague no Pater-noster no punishment no prayer Carnall and spirituall men their difference in doing good AN Organ or any other wind-instrument maketh no Musick til there be breath put into it but a stringed Instrument as the Lute or Viol yeeldeth a pleasant sound even with the rouch of a finger And thus a carnal man that is dead in sins and trespasses must have a new life breathed into him by the blessed spirit of God before he be able to set forth the praises of his Maker whereas one that is spiritualized one that is furnished with the graces of the spirit doth good and receiveth good upon the least touch of the spirit is a Trumpet of Gods glory upon the least occasion that can possibly be offered Faith makes us partakers of every good thing in Gods Ordinances LOok but on a Conduit that is full of water now a man that would fill his vessel must bring it to the Conduit set it near the Cock but yet that is not enough if that be all and he do no more he may go home again with an empty vessel and therefore he that would fill his vessell when he hath brought it to the Conduit and set it under the Cock he must also turn the Cock and then the water runs forth and fills his vessel So Christ is the Conduit of all grace and goodnesse the Fountain of living waters he that would be spiritually filled must come to him his Ordinances the Word and Sacraments are the Cocks of this Conduit so that a man that would be filled must not onely go to Christ but to Christ in his Ordinances and that is not enough neither when he is come to them he must turn them But how must that be done the Well is deep and I
to the eye diversity of objects If thou go to it in decent and seemly apparel shalt thou not see the like figure if dejected and in coorse Rayment will it not offer to thy view the same equal proportion Do but stretch thy self bend thy brow and run against it will it not resemble the like person and actions Where now is the change shall we conclude in the glass No for it is neither altered from the place nor in the nature Thus the change of love and affection is not in God but in respect of the object about which it is exercised if one day God seem to love us another day to hate us there is alteration within us first not any in the Lord we shall be sure to find a change but it must be when we do change our wayes but God never changeth such as we are to our selves such will he be to us if we run stubbornly against him he will walk stubbornly against us vvith the froward he will be froward but with the meek he will shew himselfe meekly yet one and the same God still in vvhom there is not the least shadow of change imaginable Adversity rather then Prosperity is the preserver of Piety PLutarch in his Book of Conjugal Precepts maketh use of that knovvn Parable hovv the Sun and the Wind vvere at variance whether of them should put a man beside the Cloak vvhich he had upon his back vvhile the wind blevv he held it the harder but the Sun with the strength of his beams made him throw it away from him And Ice we know that hangeth down from the eves of the House in frosty weather is able to endure the stormy blasts of the sharpest Nothern wind but when the Sun breaks our it melts and falls away Thus it is that Adversity and Necessity are rather preservers of Piety then plenty and prosperity Prosperity makes many men lay aside that clean vesture of purity and innocency which they buckled hard to them while they were trained up in the School of Affliction prosperity melts them down into vanity whilst adversity lifts them up into glory The thought of Gods omnipresence a great comfort in affliction THere is mention made of a company of poor Christians that were banished into some remote parts and one standing by seeing them passe along said That it was a very sad condition those poor people were in to be thus hurried from the society of men and to be made companions wth the beasts of the field True said another it were a sad condition indeed if they were carried to a place where they should not find their God but let them be of good chear God goes along with them and will exhibite the comforts of his presence whithersoever they go he is an infinite God and filleth all places Thus as every attribute of God is a breast of comfort not to be drawn dry so this of his omnipresence is none of the least that he is both where we are and where we are not he is in the midst of our enemies we think that they will even swallow us up alive but God our best friend is with them to confound all their devices and insatuate their Counsells our friends our relations of Wife and Children if they be taken hence God is with them and God is with us too on all occasions in all conditions he is ordering all things for his Childrens good The downfall of Piety and Learning to be deplored BOys Sisi the French Leiger in England enquiring what Books Dr. Whitguift then Archbishop of Canterbury had published was answered that he had onely set forth certain Books in defence of the Ecclesiastical Government and it was incidently told him beside That he had founded an Hospital and a School at Croydon in Surry uttered these words Profectò Hospitale ad sublevandam paupertatem erudiendam juâ—entutem sunt optimi libri quos Archiepiscopus scribere potuit Truly an Hospital to sustain the poor and a School to train up youth are the worthiest Books that an Archbishop could possibly set forth And certainly such was the piety such the charity of former times that in this Kingdom of ours a man might have run and read in many such Books the Founders bounty and Munificence witnesse those Ramahs those Schools for the Prophets those Colledges in both the Universities so well filled so orderly governed and so richly endowed But of late how faintly did those streams run which were wont to make glad the City of our God How were those breasts dryed up that once nurst up so many Kiriath-Sepher made Kiriath-Havala a Kingdom of learning fairly onwards on the way to be made a Kingdom of ignorance and Seminaries of sound learning and saving knowledge likely to be Seedâ—plots of barbarous ignorance and intolerable presumption The exceeding bounty of God WE read of a Duke of Millain that marrying his daughter to a son of England he made a dinner of thirty courses and at every course gave so many gifts to every guest at the Table as there were dishes in the course This you 'l say was rich and Royal entertainment great bounty yet God gives much more largely Earthly Princes are fain to measure out their gifts why because their stock is like themselves finite but the Treasury of God's bounty is puteus inexhaustibilis never to be drawn dry It is he that gives the King his Royalty the Nobleâ—man his Honour the Captain his strength the Rich man his wealth c. And as Nathan said to David If all this were too little he would give yet much more To wait with Patience God's leisure DAvid being assured that he should see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living did not faint but expect with patience the time appointed Psal. 27. 13. The Husbandman patiently expecteth the time of Harvest The Mariner waits with content for wind and tide and the VVatch-man for the dawning of the day So must the faithful learn patience in all their troubles not to make haste or mourn as men without hope but tarry the Lords leisure and he in the fittest season will comfort their drooping souls He that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 〈◊〉 To be mindful of the day of Death IT is written of the Philosophers called Brachmanni that they were so much given to think of their latter end that they had their graves alwayes open before their gates that both going out and coming in they might be mindful of their death And it is reported of the women in the Isle of Man that the first Web they make is their winding sheet wherewith at their going abroad they usually guird themselves to shew that they are mindful of their Mortality And thus though we have not our graves digged before our eyes nor carry about us the ugly gastly picture of death yet let us carry
in our hearts the true picture of our death a sense of our mortality a consideration of Eternity and in all our doings to remember our latter end and then we shall never do amiss Eccles. 7. 36. The ruine of the Churches enemies to be desired THe Landgrave of Hesse a mild and gratious Prince but whose clemency was much abused being cast by adventure on a Smiths forge over-heard what the Smith said all the while he was striking his Iron Duresce inquam duresce utinam Landgravius durescat And truly the presumption of some amongst us is such in corrupting the truth with their books and opposing it with their heresies that all true-hearted Protestants are generally of the Smiths mind to wish those sons of Belial that flie-blow Religion and blast the Laws of the Kingdom with their stinking breath placing their greatest piety in the greatest mischiefs they can bring to Church and Common-wealth may feel the mettal harder that by a just law is tempered for such kind of spirits as they are of The necessity of Catechising BEda maketh mention of one returning out of England to Aidanus a Religious Bishop in Scotland complaining that the people little profited by his preaching to whom Aidanus answered that it was perhaps because he did not after the manner of the Apostles give them milk first i. e. principle them well in the foundation of Christian Religion And it is most true that super structures must needs down where the ground-sills are not well laid that the onely way to encrease knowledge is by knowledge of the Principles of Religion being thus grounded there will be an ability to judge of truth and false doctrine so that men will not so easily be carryed about with every wind of doctrine as the prophane and ignorant multitude be such as are tiling the house when they should be laying fast the foundation such as think they move in a circle of all divine knowledge when God knows they know little or nothing at all Time well spent THere is a story of a certain holy Man who at first had led a dissolute life and chancing on a time into the company of a godly honest man was so wrought on by his holy perswasion such is the force of good Society that he utterly renounced his former course of life and gave himself to a more private austere moderate and secluse kind of living the cause whereof being demanded by one of his old consorts who would have drawn him such is the nature of evil company to his usuall riot and excess he made this answer I am busie meditating and reaâ—ing in a little look which haâ—h but three leaves in it so that I have no leisure so much as to think of any other business And being asked a long time after whetâ—er he had read over the book replied This small book hath but three leaves and they are of three several colours red white and black which contain so many mysteries that the more I meditate thereon the more sweetness I find so that I have devoted my self to read thereon all the days of my life In the first leaf which is red I meditate on the passion of my Lord and Saviour Christ Iesus and of his pretious blood shed for a ransom of my sins and the sins of all his Elect without which we had been bondslaves of Sathan and fewell for hell-fire In the white leafe I cheer up my spirits with the comfortable consideration of the unspeakable joys of the heavenly Kingdom purchased by the blood of Christ my Saviour In the third leafe which is black I think upon the horrible and perpetual torments of Hell provided and kept in store foâ— the wicked and ungodly Here 's a good man a good book and a good example well met together Would but the men of this world carry this book of three leaves in their hearts and meditate often thereon it would restrain their thoughts bridle their affections and center all their words and actions within the limits and boundaries of the fear of God but alas men like Nabal are so busied about white Earth red Earth and black Earth in gathering and scraping of transitory trash or have so prostituted their affections unto carnal pleasures and delights that they spend their time like Domitian in catching of flyes or like little children in running after butter-flyes so that they have little or no leisure to think either of God or any goodness and so on a sudden the Sun of their pleasure setteth the day of their life endeth the night of their death cometh and like a man walking in the snow not seeing his way they chop into their graves before they be aware A child of God is best known by his affections to God A Father lying on his death-bed called three children to him which he kept and told them that one onely of them was his natural son and that the rest were onely brought up by him therefore unto him onely he gave all his goods but which of those three was his own son he would not in any wise declare VVhen he was dead every one pleaded his birth-right and the matter brought to tryall the judge for the making if possible a true discovery took his course He caused the dead corps of the Father to be set up against a Tree and commanded the three sons to take bows and arrows to shoot against their Father to see who could come neerest to his heart The first and second did shoot and hit him but the third was angry with them both and through natural affection of a child to a Father threw away his bow and would not shoot at all This done the Judge gave sentence that the two first were no sons but the third onely and that he should have the goods The like tryall may be made of God's children Can the drunkard be God's child that gives him vineger and gall to drink No he is a child of the Devil Can the blasphemous swearer that rends God in peices and shâ—ots him through with his dart as it is said of the Egyptian when he blasphemed that he smote or pierced through God's name Levit. 24. 11. No he is a Devill incarnate whereas a child of God is discovered by his affections to his God he makes conscience of an Oath his tongue is the trumpet of God's glory he possesseth his vessel in holiness and if at any time he sin against God as who is it that doth not If he chance to shoot at God a bitter word and unclean thought a sinful act it is as Jonathan did at David either short or over seldom or never home In a word such is his care his zeal his love to his God that if he sin by infirmity he returns by Repentance immediately Iudges and Magistrates are to be the Patrons of Justice IT is reported of a Lord Maior of London that giving order to an
all worldly cares and employments and bid them wholly stand aside and not suffer them not onely to go to the Mount with us but not to go into our Closets and secret Chambers with us but shut them out to dores make them dance attendance there that we may perform the duty with more comfort and freedome Gods care of his Children notwithstanding their severall aberrations TRees if the root run too deep into the Earth they must be cut shorter if the branches spread too far they must be lopped and if the Canker or Caterpiller once infect and cleave to them then they must be blased and smoaked Thus the children of God when they be too much rooted by their affections in the things of this world and with their great and large boughs of their ability wrong and impoverish their poor neighbour or let their coin like the Canker eat into their souls God will give them many a cutting lopping and smoaking And as they cannot but naturally do the one so God intending to heal them spiritually will do the other his care will be still for them notwithstanding their several failings The wicked worker hateth the light THe Quail rageth at the rising of the Sun And Pliny saith of the Athlantes a people in Aethiopia that they curse the Sun both at his rising and setting with a thousand curses because it pâ—rcheth their ground and burns up their grass And those that fish for whales curse the day Iob 9. And he that is asleep is offended when the light awakeneth him Qui malè agit odit lucem Thus many are offended that the glorious light of Iesus Christ should discover their sins many shut their eyes and will not see It is one of the saddest things in the world and much to be deplored that light being come into the world men love darkness better then light but there 's reason for it though not a good one because their deeds are evil The word Brother how far extended AS the Circles made by a stone cast into the water not onely multiply but much enlarge themselves The first is a narrow Circle about the stone the next fetcheth a bigger compass the third a greater and more capacious then that the fourth so large that it toucheth the banks of the River In like manner the first of brethren in Scripture is confined to one house and bed one womb as Iacob and Esau were natural brethren the second extendeth it self to all of one family or lineage thus Christ and Iames were brethren and kinsmen the third to the whole Nation or Country thus Peter and the Iews were brethren and Countrymen the fourth and last to all the utmost bounds of the Earth whether spiritually as all Christians or carnally all Men. Salvation is the Lord's PLutarch writeth that the Amphictiones in Greece a famous Council of twelve sundry people wrote upon the Temple of Apollo Pythius instead of the Iliads of Homer or songs of Pindarus large and trying discourses short sentences and Memoratives as know thy self use moderation beware of suretiship and the like Thus doubtless though every Creature in the world whereof we have use be a Treatise and narration unto us of the goodness of our God and we might weary our flesh and spend our dayes in writing books of the inexplicable subject yet that one short â—independent Apothegm of Ionah comprehendeth all the rest Salvation is the Lord's Not King nor Parliament not Army or any assistance abroad nor any help at home whatsoever not any of these nor all of these together can put an end to our unnatural divisions Salvation is the Lord's One sin never goes alone IEroboam being in the head of ten Rebellious Tribes thinks it not safe that they should go up to Ierusalem to worship his suspitious heart no doubt told him that Religion is a friend to Loyalty and if they continued still to worship the true God they would ere long have embraced their right King What then Rebellion against the King must be attended with defection from God his politick brain finds out two neerer and as he pretonds fitter places within their own Territories Dan and Bethel there he sets up golden Calves for them makes wodden Priests and invites the people to worship them Thus one sin ushers in another one lesser draws on a greater Cain's anger is seconded with murther Ahab's covetoufness attended with cruelty Peters denial backt with an Oath And Ieroboam's rebellion with Idolatry The great power of Envy AS an Earthquake ariseth from a tumultuous vapour shut up in the Cavâ—â—â—s and bowels of the earth where it tosseth and tumbleth until it break out and overturn all that standeth in the way of it So envy is a pestilent vapour which lyeth in the bowels of a man where it boyleth and fretteth until it find occasion to vent it self and then it tumbleth and throweth down all that standeth in the malttious eye of it Houses and Trees stand firm against a Tempest of lightning or a floud of rain and men stand out against the cruelty of 〈◊〉 â—ath and rage of a mans lasting anger but what house or Tree standeth against the force of an Earthquake and who is able to stand before the force of Envy Prov. 27. 4. Listning after vanity reproved THere is a story of Demosthenes who speaking to the Athenians in a very serious matter and finding them â—ot to regard his words interrupted himself and told them that he had some special thing to relate to which he would have them fain to attend whereupon silence being made that which he told them was this Two men saith he having bargained for the hire of an Ass were travelling from Athens to Megara in a very hot day and both striving to enjoy the shadow of the ass the one said that he hired the ass and the shadow too the other said that he did but hire the ass and not the shadow Thus leaving them as strife Demosthenes went away But the Athenians calling him with great eagerness to come back and to end the tale Upon his return that which he said was this Oye Athenians will ye attend unto me speaking of a â—hadow and an ass and will ye not attend unto me speaking of most important things and affairs Now how justly may this be the reproof of many in our dayes such as tythe mint annise and cummin and let pass the more substantial points of the Law such as have an ear for vanity but not for Truth that attend to things of folly but not to the words of Wisdom hence it is that Wisdom cryes out in the streets and few regard it but if folly once appear there will be many auditors Knowledge and Practice must go together THe Samaritan woman did not fill her pitcher at the Well to spill it by the way but to carry it home full of water and there to
manner 1. An labor an requies 2. Sic transit gloria mundi 3. Praeterit iste dies 4. Nescitur origo secundi Which may be thus Englished Whether we rest or labour work or play The world and glory of it passe away This day is past or near its period grown The next succeeding is to us unknown And most sure it is whether we sleep or wake the Ship of our life goes on whether we do well or ill live frugally or prodigally our time with the whole World and glory of it is transitory and continually wheeling about like the minutes to the hour or the hours to the time of the day in the Clock so that time past is irrecoverable time to come uncertain and all the time we can reckon of is the present time this moment of time whereupon dependeth Eternity Mortalitie's Memorandum THe noble Lord Chancellor Egerton comming down the stairs at York-house to go to Westminster-hall in the Term-time observed to be written upon the wall belike by some one or other that feared oppression by some mignty adversary these three words Tanquam non reversurus as though he should never return again hinting thereby unto his Lordship to do justice And it may serve for a good memorandum to all good Christians to make them the more wary and watchfull of their actions when they go abroad out of their houses chambers or lodgings even for this reason because they may happen not to return again there would be condiscension in the Plantiff's heart reconciliation in the Defendant truth in the Lawyer conscience in the Judge plain dealing in the Tradesman in every man and womans heart an avoiding of evill doing Did they but think on these few words Tanquam non reversurus and consider whether they would speak or do thus and thus if they were presently to die or whether thus and thus behave themselves abroad if they were not to return again to their homes Worldly men are easily taken off from the service of God THere is a pretty story of a company of People that met at the market together amongst whom there was one that played excellently upon the Harp so that all crouded to hear him as being ravished with the musick But no sooner did the market-bell ring but they were all gone onely one stayed behinde that was thick of hearing to whom the Harper was much beholding and told him that he much honoured his musick by staying to hear it when the rest were gon at the ringing of the market-bell VVhat the market-bell hath that rang said the deaf man Nay then farewell I must be gon too Thus it is with too too many of us If the Exchange-bell or the Market-bell ring but once yet at the sound of them what running is there happy is he that can get thither first but for the Church-bell that may ring again and again yet nondum venit tempus much ado there is to get men and women to Church and when their bodies are wrung in thither it is a thousand to one but their minds are roving abroad in the world Let the Charmer charm never so sweetly the Preacher instruct never so comfortably their ears the spirituall ears of their souls are like the deaf Adder so stopped that they will not listen at all to his Doctrine though never so sound and Orthodoxall The reverence of Man more than God a true signe of a decaying State or Kingdom AMyris being sent by the Sybarites to the Oracle of Delphos to consult how long their Common-wealth should stand it was answered That it should continue ever untill they reverenced man more than the gods He seeing one day a slave beaten by his Master and flying to the Alâ—ar of Refuge yet his Master spared him not there then the slave fled to the Tomb of his Masters father and then his Master spared him Which when Amyris perceived presently he went and sold all that he had and went to dwell at Peloponesus For now I see said he that men are more reverenced than the gods But certainly if that the reverence of Man more than God be a true signe of a decaying State or Kingdom then this of ours must needs be in a sinking condition What crying up is there of the Acts and Ordinances of men and in the mean time what sleignting and contempt of Gods VVord and Commandements What mean those base complyances with men when God is set by as not worthy of our notice What but to bring down heavy judgments upon such a People or Nation The honour and dignity of the Ministry and why so THere is a story how the Castle of Truth being by the King of Ierusalem left to the guard and keeping of his best servant Zeal The King of Arabia with an infinite Hoast came against it begirt it round with an unresistible siege cuts off all passages all reliefs all hopes of friends meat or ammunition Which Zeal perceiving and seeing how extremity had brought him almost to shake hands with Dispair he calls his Councill of War about him and discovers the sadnesse of his condition the strength of his enemy the violence of the sâ—ege and the impossibility of conveying either messages or letters to the great King his Master from whom they might receive new strength and encouragement Whereupon the necessity of the occasion being so great they all conclude there was no way but to deliver the Castle though upon very hard terms into the hands of the Enemy But Zeal staggers at the resolution and being loth to lose Hope as long as Hope had any thread or hair to hold by he told them he had one friend or companion in the Castle who was so wise so valiant and so fortunate that to him and to his exploits alone he would deliver the management of their safety This was Prayer the Chaplain to the great King and the Priest to that Colony Hence Prayer was called for and all proceedings debated He presently arms himself with Humility Clemency Sincerity and Fervency and in despight of the enemy makes his way through came to the King his Master and with such moving passions enters his ears that presently forces are levied which returning under the conduct of Prayer raise the siege overthrow the King of Arabia make spoile of his Camp and give to the Castle of Truth her first noble liberty Which performed Zeal crowns Prayer with wreaths of Olive Oak and Lawrell sets him on his right hand and saies for his sake Divinity shall ever march in the first rank of honour And certainly Ministers of Gods VVord such as apply their spirits most to the glory of God and the publick good especially such Divines as are Timothies in their Houses Chrysostoms in their Pulpits and Augustins in Disputations such as are just in their words wise in their counsells such as are vigilanâ— diligent and faithfull in the execution of their
Grace Iudas carried the bag he was good for nothing else and a rich Man laden with thick clay having outward things in abundance is good for no body but himself so true it is that as Greatness and Goodness so Gold and Grace â—eldom meet together To beware of erronious Doctrine IT is recorded by Theodoret that when Lucius an Arrian Bishop came and preached amongst the Aâ—tiochians broaching his damnable errours the People forsook the Congregation at least for the present having indeed been soundly taught before by worthy Athanasius Thus it were to be wished that the People of this age had their wits thus exercised to distinguish betwixt truth and falshood then false doctrines would not thrive as they do now amongst us and Errours though never so closly masked with a pretence of zeal would not so readily be received for Truths as now they are by the Multitude nor so much countenanced by those that make profession of better things Atheism punished IT was somewhat a strange punishment which the Romans inflicted upon Parricides they sewed them up in a mail of leather and threw them into the Sea yet so that neither the water of the Sea could soak through nor any other Element of Nature earth air or fire approach unto them And certainly every Creature is too good for him that denyes the Creator nor can they be further separated from Heaven or pitched deeper into Hell than they deserve that will believe neither The God they deny shall condemn them and those Malignant spiritâ— whom they never feared shall torment them and that for ever Truth beloved in the generall but not in the particular AS the Fryer wittily told the People that the Truth he then preached unto them seemed to be like Holy-water which every one called for a pace yet when it came to be cast upon them they turned aside their face as though they did not like it Just so it is that almost every Man calls fast for Truth commends Truth nothing will down but Truth yet they cannot endure to have it cast in their faces They love Truth in universali when it onely pleads it selfe and shewes it self but they cannot abide it in particulari when it presses upon them and shewes them themselves they love it lucentem but hate it redarguentem they would have it shine out unto all the world in its glory but by no means so much as peep out to reprove their own errors The confident Christian. THe Merchant adventurer puts to Sea rides out many a bitter storm runs many a desperate hazard upon the bare hope of a gainful return The valiant Souldier takes his life into his hands runs upon the very mouth of the Cannon dares the Lion in his Den meerly upon the hope of Victory Every Man hazards one way or other in his Calling yet are but uncertain venturers ignorant of the issue But so it often falls out that the greedy Adventurer seeking to encrease his stock loseth many times both it and himself The covetous Souldier gaping after spoil and Victory findeth himselfe at last spoiled captivated But the confident Christian the true child of God runs at no such uncertainty he is sure of the Goal when he first sets out certain of the day before he enter the field sounds the Trumpet before victory and when he puts on his harnesse dares boast as he that puts it off witnesse Davids encounter with Goliah Gedeons march against the Midianites and the christian resolution of those three Worthies Dan. 3. 17. To take Time while time serves IT was a curious observation of Cardinal Bellarmine when he had the full prospect of the Sun going down to try a conclusion of the quicknesse of its motion took a Psalter into his hand And before saith he I had twice read the 51 Psalm the whole body of the Sun was set whereby he did â—onclude that the Earth being twenty thousand thousand miles in compasse the Sun must needs run in half a quarter of an hour seven thouâ—and miles and in the revolution of twenty four hours six hundred seventy two thousand miles a large progresse in so short a time And herein though the Cardinal's compute as well as his doctrin in debates Polemicall doth very much fall short of truth yet his experience in this gives some proof of the extraordinary swiftnesse of the Suns motion Is then the course of the Sun so swift is time so passant then let time be as pretious lay hold upon all opportunity of doing good labour while it is day for night will come and time will be no more The Sun was down before the Cardinal could twice read the Psalm Miserere mei Deus and the light of thy life such is the velocity thereof may be put out before thou canst say once Lord be mercifull to me a sinner The workings of God and Man very different THe first and highest Heaven drawes by its motion the rest of the Planets and that not by a crooked but by a right motion yet the Orbs of the planets so moved move of themselves obliquely If you enquire whence is the obliquity of this motion in the Planets Certainly not from the first mover but from the nature of the Planets Thus in one and the same manner Man aimes at one end God at another the same that man worketh sinfully God worketh most holily and therefore they work idem but not ad idem The motion of our wills do exceedingly vary from Gods will and seem to drive a contrary end than that which God aimeth at yet are they so over-ruled by his power that at last they meet together and bend that way where he intendeth A wicked life hath usually a wicked end THere is a story of one that being often reproved for his ungodly and vitious life and exhorted to repentance would still answer That it was but saying three words at his death and he was sure to be saved perhaps the three words he meant were Miserere meî Deus Lord have mercy upon me But one day riding over a bridge his horse stumbled and both were falling into the River and in the article of that precipitation he onely cryed Capiat omnia diabolus Horse and man and all to the devill Three words he had but not such as he should have had he had been so familiar with the devill all his life that he thinks of none else at his death Thus it is that usually a wicked life hath a wicked end He that travells the way of hell all his life-time it is impossible in the end of his journey he should arrive at heaven A worldly man dies rather thinking of his gold than his God some die jeering some raging some in one distemper some in another Why They lived so and so they die But the godly man is full of comfort in his death because he was full of heaven
what is not yet effected wary before they be wounded and prudent in seeing a danger a far off and shunning it Prov. 22. 3. The folly of late Repentance THat Carryer must needs be taken for a fool who being to go a farre and foul journey will lay the heaviest pack upon the weakest horse So that Christian cannot be held any of the wisest that layes the great load of Repentance upon his faint and feeble dotage whereas in the chiefest strength of his youth he cannot lift it easily but is ready to stagger under it Watchfulnesse of life rewarded THat famous Apollonius held in his time for an Oracle of the World coming very early in the morning to Vespasians Gate and finding him awake conjectured thereupon that he was worthy to command an Empire and said to his Companion that went along with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undoubtedly this Man will be Emperour because he is so watchfull Thus whosoever thou art that with David dost seek God early and with those three women that looked after Christ very early in the morning thou that remembrest thy Creator in the days of thy youth that art circumspect in walking careful of thy life and conversation diligent in thy way be assured that thou shalt stand before Princes that thou hast not laboured in vain nor spent thy strength for nought for thy judgement is with the Lord and thy work with thy God who will fully reward thee How to behave our selves in the hearing of Gods word IT were a great unmannerliness for a Man that is invited at a solemn feast to rise before the Table is taken away unless in case of sickness weakness or some important affair And it were an high contempt even to the most inferiour Iudicature that a man being lawfully summoned thither would depart without licence till the Court were risen And shall Men dare to sneak out of the Church before the Sermon be ended or make haste away after the Sermon be ended rushing out like Prisoners or School-boys when the doors are open without craving a blessing of God or attending the blessing from God by the mouth of his Minister If this be not a contempt of Gods word and Commandements let any man judge Learning and Honesty to go together FRanciscus Petrarcha that Scholarium Tetrarcha a Man famous in his time was put upon the scrutiny of Mens judgements Four Men undertook the task One had no Learning the other had a little a third not much the fourth somewhat but intricate and perplexed Good Man he was not tryed by his Peers All their opinions were sum'd up in this sentence Petrarcha sine literis vir bonus Petrarch an illiterate good Man The King stormed at this sentence the Nobles fretted his friends were vexed and almost all Men threatned revenge upon such sawcy Judges But Petrarch himselfe applauded their judgement saying O utinam non vere dixerunt c. The end of all my study was to be a good Man if Learning came in upon the by I did not refuse it but now seeing by their sentence I may without Learning have goodnesse what a comfort is this to me and thousands more of no better knowledge And most true it is that of two unhappy dis-junctions it were better to see an honest Man without Learning then a Learned Man without honesty but quam benâ— conveniunt when Learning and honesty meet together Where Learning is as the sowing of the ground and vertuous and holy life is as the Harvest Where knowledge is but for breed but being marryed to Grace brings forth a glorious issue a race of Heavenly fruits a posterity of good Works Carnall Security reproved IT is observable of the Smiths dogge that neither the noyse of hammers by him nor the sparks of fire flying about him nor some that light upon him do any whit awaken him but he snorts and sleeps on securely Saint Paul speakes of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are past all â—eeling And Solomon brings in one so insensible that if he were striken he was not sick if beaten he felt it not Another going like a fool to the stocks not knowing of the danger that he was running into Such are they that dally and fool with dangers even spirituall dangers the harlotry of sin so that whether it be that they are besotted with carnall security or engrossed with covetous secularity or deafed with the durdam of wordly vanity Nescio quid teneros fascinat one thing or other so stupifying and deadning the faculties of their souls that they are as it were benum'd with carelesse security that they have little or no sense of any spirituall hazard at all The time of our Youth to be given up to God ALmighty God ever required in his service the first fruits Exod. 3. 19. and the first born Exod. 13. 2. The firstlings are his darlings Gen. 4. 4. the faâ—ttest lambs are fittest for his facrifice If the King of Babel would have young men well favoured without blemish and such as had great ability to stand before him Dan. 1. 4. shall the God of Israel even the King of Glory have none to stand in his Courts but the halt lame and blind such as the soul of David hated 2 Sam. 5. 18. Ye shall not see my face saith Ioseph to his brethren except you bring your younger brother with you Gen. 43. 3. And how shall we behold the face of our blessed Iesus if we do not remember him in the daies of our youth if we dedicate to the devill our lovly young years and offer unto him nothing else but the dregs of our loathed old age Time the least moment thereof cannot be assured ALexander being much taken with the witty answers of Diogenes bad him ask what he would and he should have it The Philosopher demandeth the least proportion of Immortality That 's not in my gift saies Alexander No quoth Diogenes then why doth Alexander take such pains to conquer the World when he cannot assure himself of one moment to enjoy it What the Cynick said to this great Conquerour may very well be retorted upon many in our age How do many men turmoil themselves in the pursuit after riches honours and preferments per fas nefas no matter how they come by them yet when all 's done they cannot add one cubâ—te to their stature not one minute to their live wherein he may take comfort in them Lawfull Recreation the benefit thereof THe strings of a Lute let down and remitted do sound sweeter when they are raised again to their full pitch And fields being every year sowed become at length very barren but being sometime laid fallow repay the Husbandmans patience with double encrease So our bodies and minds if they have no remission from labours will make but dull musick and if we do not sometimes let them lie
another IT is reported of Harts that being to travail far by heards on the land or else to passe over some great water then they go behind one another and when the foremost is weary then he resteth his weary head upon the hindmost and so mutually bearing one anothers burden they come happily to the place where they would be Thus as the souls of holy men long and thirst after God with whom is the well of life like as the Harts desire the water-brooks let them as Deer support the sick head and heavy hart of one another bear up a Brother which is falling rear up a Brother which is fallen strengthning one another in the way of this earthly pilgrimage untill they all rest upon Gods holy mountain where they shall be satisfied with the pleasures of his house drinking out of the comforts thereof as out of a River Graces to stock them up against a day of trouble ST Chrysostom suffering under the Empresse Eudoxia tells his friend Cyriacus how he armed himself before hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I thought Will she banish me The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Take away my goods Naked came I into the world and naked must I return Will she stone me I remembered Stephen Behead me Iohn Baptist came into my mind c. Thus it should be with every one that intends to live and die comfortably they must as we say lay up something for a rainy day they must stock themselves with graces store up promises and furnish themselves with experiences of Gods loving kindnesse to others and themselves too that so when the evill day comes they may have much good comming thereby Man since the fall of Adam subject to the Creatures ACteon in the Fable goes abroad a hunting but unhappily lights upon Diana in the midst of his game as she was naked bathing her selfe in a fountain The Goddess is angry and transforms him into the shape of a Hart the dogs not knowing their Master being thus changed hunt him down tear him all in pieces Thus Man before his fall was Gods Vicegerent over all his Creatures they did homage and fealty unto him as their leige Lord and Soveraign but since Satan hath obliterated the Image of God wherein he was first created and drawn his own in the room the Creatures seeing him thus altered one snaps another snarls at him nay the weakest of all the Creatures are able to undoe him as the spider to poyson him and the 〈◊〉 to choak him But for our comfort we may recover our selves by the second Adam Christ Jesus get but an interest in him and then that Lion which tore the Prophet in pieces shall do us no more hurt than he did Daniel when he had him in his Den and those Dogs which eat up Iesabell shall lick up our sores as they did those of Lazarus no Creature shall have power to hurt us without Gods especiall dispensation To trust in God onely THe Forresters knowing that the Elephant useth to sleep leaning against some Tree are wont to cut the likeliest Tree with a Saw so deep that the unsuspecting beast thinking to rest upon it falls down with it and so is surprised by them Thus they that put their trust in Man or in any other Creature shall soon find him hewen down by Death and then there lyes all their hope in the dust It is ill sticking to any thing but God all other props will fail us we are sheep apt to wander we shall not if we keep to our shepheard There 's no trust but in God onely Psalm 33. 18. Insensibility of Death reproved IN a good Pasture where many good Oxen are the Butcher comes and fetcheth away one and kills it next day he fetcheth away another and kills that too Now those which he leaves behind feed and fat themselves till they are driven to the slaughter not considering what is become of their fellows or what shall become of themselves So when Death coming amongst a multitude of Men here taking one and there another we pamper up our selves till he overtake us also We live as though like Adam Abel we never saw a Man dye before us whereas every Church-yard every age every sickness should be a Preacher of Mortality unto us Men to bear with one anothers Infirmities A Blind Man and a lame Man as it is in the Fable meeting upon the way the lame Man said If thou wilt be feet unto me then I will be eyes unto thee so the blind Man carrying the lame and the lame guiding the bind both arrived at their journies end in a good hour Thus it is that Men especially Christian men must bear with one another yea bear and forbear If a brother in his unadvised anger use thee roughly rudely bear with him thou bearest his burthen If thou be too silent in thy conversation and thy brother on the contrary too full of prattle bear thou with his loquacity that he may bear thy pertinacy A Magistrate in the Common-wealth and a Master in his Family must have patience to see many things and not to see them hence is that Motto of Frederick the first Qui nescit dissimulare nescit imperare may be digested easily with a little salt For when small faults are winked at in time and place wisely Soveraign and Subject Master and Man one and another according to that Apostolical injunction may be very well said to bear one anothers burthen Gal. 6. 2. The great danger of sleighting the least Sinne. GEnerall Norris one of the Ancients of that Noble Family having as he thought received a sleight wound in the Wars of Ireland neglected the same presuming belike that the balsome of his own body without calling in for those other Auxiliaries of Art would have wrought the cure but so it was that his arm gangrened and both arm and life were lost together Thus it was with him in the body natural and thus it will be too in the body spirituall the least of Sin therefore is to be avoyded the least growth of sinne to be prevented the Cockatrice must be crushed in the egge else it will soon become a Serpent the very thought of sinne if not thought on will break out into Action Action into custom custome into habit and then actum est de Corpore Anima both body and soul are â—recoverably lâ—st to all Eternity Marriage to be sought of God by Prayer IT came so to pass when Men began to multiply upon the face of the Earth and daughters were born unto them That the Sons of God Men well qualified saw the daughters of men very lewd ones that they were fair that 's all they aimed at and therefore they took them wives hand-over head of all which they chose but being not of Gods providing they had better
serve God for nought chap. â— 9. Doth any so much as shut the door or kindle a fire upon his Altar unrewarded They do not God is a liberall pay-master and all his reâ—â—ibâ—â—ions are more then bountifull even for the least of service that can be done unto him God accepts the meanest of Graces ABel offers unto God the firstlings of his flock and God had respect unto Abel and his offering though the earth was but newly curfed for the sin of man yet God accepts the first fruits thereof well knowing they were no such things as were in the offerers power to perform but that which he had commanded the earth to yield So shall those mean graces that are in us be accepted of God though too too much they savour of the â—aughtinesse of our nature And why so but because they proceed from his speciall blessing and are the work of his Spirit A great comfort for such as feel in themselves reluctancies and spirituall assaults by reason of the corruptions and imperfections that â—leave unto the best things they do The Name of God to be had in reverence JEHOVAH is a Name of great power and efficacy a Name that hath in it five vowells without which no language can be exprest A Name that hath in it also three syllables to signifie the Trinity of Persons the Eternity of God One in Three and three in One A Name of such dread and reverence amongst the Iews that they tremble to 〈◊〉 it and therefoâ—e they used the name Adonâ—i Lord in all their devotions And thus ought every one to stand in â—we and sin not by taking the Name of God in vain but to sing praises and honour to remember to declare to exalt to praise and blesse It for holy and reverend onely worthy and excellent is his Name Slanderers discovered IT is Aelians observation how that men being in danger to be stung by Scorpions use to place their beds in water yet the politick Serpents have a device to reach them they get up to the top of the house where one takes hold the next hangs at the end of him a third upon the second a fourth upon the third and so making a kind of Serpentine rope they at the last wound the man And thus it is that amongst scandalizers and slanderers one begins to whisper another makes it a report a third enlargeth it to a dangerous calumny a fourth divulgeth it for a truth So the innocent mans good name which like a Merchants wealth got in many years and lost in an houre is maimed and so secretly traduced that it is somewhat hard to find out the villain that did it God onely to be eyed in the midst of Afflictions JAcob when he saw the Angells ascending and descending enquired who stood at the top of the ladder and sent them David though he knew the second cause of the famin that fell out in his daies to be the drought yet he enquired of the Lord what should be the cause of that judgment And Iob could discern Gods arrowes in Sathans hand and Gods hand on the arms of the Sabaean robbers chap. 1. So should we do in like case see God in all our afflictions In the visible means see by faith the invisible Author and not look so much upon the malice of men or rage of devills as if either of them were unlimited not upon chance as if that idoll were any thing in the world or that things casuall unto us were not fore-appointed by God even to the least circumstance of the greatest or least affliction to the falling of a hair off from our heads Matth. 5. 37. Great sins attended by great judgments WHen Calice was taken from England by the French in the time of Charles the fifth one asked the English by way of scorn and derision When they would win Calice again A wise Captain hearing it made this answer Cum vestra peccata erunt nostris majora When your sins shall be greater than ours then there will be large hopes of gaining Calice again And what then can we expect in this sinfull Land of ours Were but our fore-fathers alive they would blâ—sh to see such a degenerate posterity their sins were ignorance ours presumption their 's omission ours commission they were righteous in respect of us their hospitality is now converted into riot and luxury their frugality into pride and prodigality their simplicity into subtlety their sincerity into hypocrisie their charity into cruelty their chastity into chambering their modesty into wantonnesse their sobriety into drunkennesse their Church-building into Church-robbing their plain-dealing into dissembling their works of compassion into works of oppression It is almost if not altogether out of fashion to be an honest man Such and so great so transcendent so superlative so ripe are the sins of this Nation that it is high time for the Angel to put in his sickle and reap for God to pour down the heaviest of his judgments upâ—n us The mystery of the blessed Trinity unconceivable IT is though somewhat fabulously recorded that when St. Augustine was writing of the blessed Trinity walking by the Sea-side he saw a little child digging a hole in the ground and taking water with a spoon out of the Sea powred it into the hole S. Augustine demanded of the Childe why he did so and he answered that he would lade the whole Sea into it The Sea said he is too great and the hole the spoon and the 〈◊〉 too little To whom the Childe replyed thus Iust so art thou to write of the holy Trinity and so vanished Thus Whosoever thou art Canst thou empty the Ocean of this great mystery into thy Oyster-shell Canst thou define how the Begetter should not be before the Begotten Canst thou dream how Generation and Proceeding differ How there should be a Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity Three in One and One in Three This is a mystery of mysteries not farre to be dived into It is impossible to sound the bottomlesse depth of such divine mysteries with the plummeâ— of our short lived and short lyâ—'d Reason or think to pierce the Marble hardnesse of Gods secrets with the leaden point of our dull apprehension yet so farre as the Scriptures have revealed necessarily to be understood we may look into it And to be sure He that hath two or three walks a day upon Mount Taboâ— and with holy Moses converseth with God in three Persons on the Horeb of both â—estaments shall find the peace of God the Father the love of God the Sonne and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost to his eternall comfort A Man to be wise for himselfe as well as for others VVHen an Orator with great store of Wisdom had bitterly declaimed against folly and somewhat abused his Auditors it was afterwards replyed upon him by one of them Sir your discourse of folly may
Berengarius So may we say of the Publicans prayer much more of the Lords prayer set in flat opposition to the Heathenish Battologyes and vain repetitions of some that would be held good Christians It is not the length but the strength of Prayer that is required not the labour of the lip but the travell of the heart that prevails with God The Baalites prayer was not more tedious then Eliah's short yet more pitthy then short Let thy words then be few saith Solomon but full to the purpose Take unto you words saies the Prophet neither over-curious nor over-carelesse but such as are humble earnest direct to the point avoiding vain â—ablings needlesse and endlesse repetitions heartlesse digressions tedious prolixities wild and idle impertinencies such extemporary petitioners as not disposing their matter in due order by premeditation and withall being word-bound are forced to go forward and backward just like hounds at a losse and having hastily begun they know not how handsomly to make an end Division the great danger thereof IF two ships at sea being of one and the same squadron shall be scattered by storm from each other how shall they come in to the relief of each other If again they clash together and fall foul how shall the one endanger the other and her self too It was of old the Dutch device of two earthen Pots swimming upon the water with this Motto Praâ—gimur si collidimur If we knock together we sink together And most true it is that if spleen or discontent set us too far one from another or choller and anger bring us too near it cannot be but that intendment or designe whatsoever it be like Ionah's gourd shall perish in a moment especially if the viperous and hatefull worm of dissention do but smite it Desperation the Complement of all sins THere is mention made in Daniel's prophecy chap. 7. of four beasts the first a Lion the second a Bear the third a Leopard but the fourth without distinction of either kind or sex or name is said to be very fearfull and terrible and strong and had great iron teeth destroyed and brake in pieces and stamped under his feet and had horns c. Such a thing is desperation others sins are fearfull and terrible enough and have as it were the rage of Lions and Bears and Leopards to spoil and make desolate the soul of man but desperation hath horns too horns to push at God with blasphemy at his brethren with injury and at his own soul with distrust of mercy Desperation is a complicated sin the complement of all sins The greatest sins are said to be those which are opposed to the three Theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charity infidelity to faith desperation to hope hatred to charity amongst which infidelity and hatred the one not believing the other hating God are in themselves worse but in regard of him that sinneth desperation exceedeth them both in the danger that is annexed unto it for Quid miserius misero non miseranti seipsum What can be more miserable what more full then for a poor miserable wretch not to take pitty of his own soul. A covetous man never satisfied IT is said of Catiline that he was ever alieni appetens sui profusus not more prodigall of his own as desirous of other mens estates A ship may be over-laden with silver even unto sinking and yet compasse and bulk enough to hold ten times more So a covetous wretch though he have enough to sink him yet never hath he enough to satisfie him like that miserable Cariff mentioned by Theocritus first wishing Mille me is errent in montibus agni That he had a thousand sheep in his stock and then when he has them Pauperis est numerare pecus He would have cattle without number Thus a circle cannot fill a triangle so neither can the whole world if it were to be compassed the heart of man a man may as easily fill a chest with grace as the heart with gold Non plus 〈◊〉 cor aâ—ro quam â—orpus aura The air fills not the body neither doth mony the coâ—â—â—tous mind of man A true child of God half in Heaven whils the is on Earth TEnorius Arch-Bishop of Toledâ— making question whether Solomon were saved or damned caused his picture to be drawn in his Chappell half in Heaven and half in Hell Now what was painted of Solomon imaginarily may be said of Gods children truly though they dwell upon Earth yet their Burgesship is in Heaven Earth is patria loci but Heaven patria juris just like Irishmen that are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England half in Heaven and half on Earth in Heaven by their godly life and conversation in Heaven by reason of their assurance of glory and salvation But on Earth by reason of that body of sin and death which they carry about them having the flesh pressing with continuall fight and oppressing with often conquest Hope in God the best hold-fast FAmous is that history of Cynegirus a valiant and thrice renowned Athenian who being in a great sea-sight against the Medes spying a ship of the Enemies well man'd and fitted for service when no other means would serve he grasped it with his hands to maintain the fight and when his right hand was cut off he held close with his left but both hands being taken off he held it fast with his teeth till he lost his life Such is the hold-fast of him that hopes in God dum spirat sperat as long as there is any breath he hopes The voice of hope is according to her nature Spes mea Christus God is my hope In the winter and deadest time of calamity Hope springeth and cannot die nay she crieth within her self Whether I live or die though I walk into the chambers of death and the doors be shut upon me I will not loose my hope for I shall see the day when the Lord shall know me by my name again righten my wrongs finish my sorrowes wipe the tears from my cheeks tread down my enemies fulfill my desires and bring me to his glory Whereas the nature of all earthly hope is like a sick mans pulse full of intermission there being rarely seen sperate miseri on the inscription but it is subscribed Cavete foelices An account of Gods knowledge not to he made out by the wisest of men THere is a place in Wiltshire called Stonage for divers great stones lying and standing there together Of which stones it is said That though a man number them one by one never so carefully yet that he cannot find the true number of them but finds a different number from that he found before This may serve to shew very well the crring of mans labour in seeking to give an account of divine wisdom and knowledge for all his Arrowes
and in the end uncomfortable singularities To take heed of strife vain-glory and pride in their own conceits to have such humble judgments as that they can be willing to learn any though unwelcome Truth to unlearn any though darling Error have such humble lives and purposes as that they can resolve to obey with duty whatsoever they are not able with reason to gainsay And thus it is that War may be in the Church but not Contention and jarring Difference of Judgment hath and ever will be in the Minds of Men And why so THere was never any Instrument so perfectly in tune in which the next hand that â—ouched it did not amend some thing Nor is there any Iudgment so strong and perspicatious from which another will not in somethings find ground of Variance See we not in the ancient Churches those great lights in their severall Ages at variance amongst themselves Ireneus with Victor Cyprian with Stephen Ierome with Austin Basil with Damasus Chrysostome with Epiphanius Cyril with Theodoret. Desired it may be Desired it may be but hoped it cannot That in the Church of God there would be no noyse of Axes and Hammers no diâ—â—erence in judgments and conceits For while there is corruption in our Nature narrownesse in our Faculties sleepinesse in our Eyes difâ—iculty in our Profession cunning in our Enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard things in the Scripture and an envious Man to superseminate there will still be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that will be differently minded In this hard necessity therefore when the first evil cannot be easily avoided our Wisdome must be to prevent the second that where there is not Perfection yet there may be Peace that dissentions of Iudgments break not forth into dis-union of hearts but that amidst the variety of our several conceits we preserve still the Unity of Faith and Love by which onely we are known to be Christ's Disciples Men not to be Censurers of one another IT was an old trick of the Gentiles as Gregory Nazianzen Arnobius and Minutius tell us to object illiteratenenesse unto the Christians But a very unfit way certainly it is for Christian Men amongst themselves to refute adverse opinions or to insinuate their own by their mutual undervalewing of each others parts and persons to censure every one for dull and bruitish who in judgment Varieth from their own conceits If then they must needs be censuring let them look to what is wanting in themselves and to what is usefull in their brethren The one will make them humble the other charitable and both peaceable The joyful coming of Christ Jesus in the Flesh. WHen Solomon was made King they did eat and drink with great gladâ—â—â—â— before the Lord 1 Chron. 29. 42. And at the solemn Inaugurations of such Kings and Princes the Trumpets sound the People shout the Conduits run wiâ—e Honours are dispensed gifts distributed prisons opened Offenders pardoned Acts of Grace published nothing suffered to eclipse the beauty of such a Festivity Thus it was at the coming of Christ Iesus in the Flesh Wisemen of the East brought Presents unto him rejoycing with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10 11. The glory of God shines on that day and an Heavenly hoast proclaim that joy Luke 2. 9 14. Iohn the Baptist leapeth in the Womb Mary rejoyceth in God her Saviour Zachary glorifieth God for the Horn of salvation in tâ—e house of David Simeon and Hanna blesse the Lord for the glory of Israel And after when he came to Ierusalem the whole Multitude spread garments strewed branches cryed before him and behind him Hosanna to the Son of David Hosanna in the highest Matth. 21. 9. And the Psalmist Prophesying long before of it said This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Psal. 118. 24. Hard to be drawn from Custome in Sin WAter may be easily dam'd up but no art or industry can make it run backward in its own channel It was by a Miracle that the River Iordan was driven back And it is very near if not altogether a Miracle that a Man accustomed to do evil should learn to do well That the Tyde of Sin which before did run so strong should be so easily turned That the Sinner which before was sailing Hell-ward and wanted neither wind nor tide to carry him should now alter his course and tack about for Heaven Hic labor hoc opus est this is a work indeed and that a hard one too To see the Earthly Man become Heavenly to see a Sinner move contrary to himself in the wayes of Christ and Holinesse is as strange as to see the Earth fly upward or the bowl run contrary to its own byass The commodity and discommodity of Learning AS the juice of the same Earth is sweet in the grape but bitter in the Wormwood Or as the same odour is a refreshment to the Dove but a poyson to the Scarabaeus So the same Learning qualified with Charity piety and meeknesse may be admirably usefull to edifie the Church which with Pride contempt and corrupt judgment may be used unto harmfull purposes as the Philosopher speaks Nothing is more dangerous then Wickednesse in armour Hence is it that Satan hath usually set on work the greatest Witts in sowing Errors in the Church as Agrippina gave Claudius poyson in his delicatest meat Or as Thieves use to pursue their prey with the swiâ—test horses so the Devill made choyce of Licentius a Man of rare parts but a corrupt mind Wherein Satan would fail of his end if Men would make no other use of their Gifts and Learning then to make them as engines and Instruments for the more happy promoting of Piety and pure Religion Holinesse an excellent thing ALexander coming with his Army against Ierusalem Jaddus the high Priest went out of the City to meet him adorned with his Priestly robes an upper garment of Purple embroydered with gold and a golden Plate on the fore-side wherein the Name of God was written The sight was so grave and solemn that the Emperour fell to the ground as reverencing the Name that was thereon inscribed Thus it is that in Holinesse there is such a sparkling luster that whosoever behold it must needs be astonished at it Nay even those that oppose it cannot but admire it Holinesse is an excellent thing a beautiful thing it carries a gracefull Majesty along with it wheresoever or in whomsoever it is truly and sincerely professed The least Man in the Ministery not to be contemned AS in a building some bring stones some timber others morter and some perhaps bring onely nails yet these are usefull these serve to fasten the work in the building Thus the Church of God is a spiritual building some Ministers bring stones are more eminent and useful others Timber others lesse they have but
they serve them to little other purpose then as Salt to keep their bodies from stinking Honour and Greatnesse the Vanity of them IT was foretold to Agrippina Neroe's Mother that her Son should be Emperour and that he should afterward kill his own Mother to which Agrippina replyed Occdat modò imperet Let my Son be so and then let him kill me and spare not So thirsty was she of Honour Alas what are swelling Titles but as so many rattles to still Mens ambitions And what is Honour and Greatnesse in the World Honour is like the Meteor which lives in the Ayre so doth this in the breath of other Men It 's like a gale of Wind which carries the Ship sometimes this Wind is down a Man hath lost his Honour and lives to see himself intombed sometimes this Wind is too high How many have been blown to Hell while they have been sailing with the Wind of popular applause So that Honour is but magnum nihil a glorious fancy Acts 25. 23. It doth not make a Man really the better but often the worse For a Man swel'd with Honour wanting Grace is like a Man in a dropsy whose bignesse is his disease Present Time to be well husbanded AS it is observed of the Philosopher that fore-seeing a plentifull year of Olives he rented many Olive-yards and by that demonstrated that a learned Man If he would aim at worldly gain could easily be a rich Man too It is noted as an excellent part of Wisedome to know and manage time to husband time and opportunity For as the Rabbi said Nemo est cui non sit hora sua Every Man hath his hour and he who overslips that season may never meet with the like again The Scripture insists much upon a day of Grace 2 Cor. 6. 2. Heb. 13. 15. The Lord reckons the times which passe over us and puts them upon our account Luk. 13. 7. Rev. 2. 21 22. Let us therefore improve them and with the impotent persons at the pool of Bethesda to step in when the Angel stirs the water Now the Church is afflicted it is a season of prayer and learning Mic. 6. 9. Esay 26. 8 9. Now the Church is inlarged it is a season of praise Psalm 118. 24. I am now at a Sermon I will hear what God will say now in the company of a learned and wise Man I will draw some knowledg and counsell from him I am under a Temptation now is a fit time to lean on the name of the Lord Esay 50. 10. I am in place of dignity and power Let me consider what it is that God requireth of me in such a time as this is Esth. 4. 14. And thus as the Tree of life bringeth fruit every Moneth Rev. 22. 2. so a wise Christian as a wife husbandman hath his distinct employments for every Month bringeth forth his fruit in its season Psalm 1. 3. Frequent Meditation of Death the great benefit thereof IT is said of Telephus that he had his Impostume opened by the dart of an Enemy which intended his hurt Roses they say are sweetest which grow near unto Garlick so the nearnesse of an Enemy makes a good Man the better And therefore the wise Roman when Carthage the Emulous City of Rome was destroyed said Now our affairs are in more danger and hazard then ever before When Saul Davids Enemy eyed and persecuted him this made him walk more circumspectly pray more trust in God more He kept his mouth with a bridle while the wicked were before him Psalm 39. 1. An hard knot in the Wood drives a Man to the use of his Wedges A malitious Enemy that watcheth for our halting will make us look the better to our wayes And so it is that Death by the nearnesse thereof and by the frequent meditation thereupon makes us more carefull of our great accompt more sollicitous to make our peace with God to wean our hearts from Worldly and perishing comforts to lay up a good Foundation for the time to come that we may obtain eternal life to get a City which hath Foundations whose builder and maker is God The great difference betwixt life naturall and life Spirituall THe ordinary Manna which Israel gathered for their daily use did presently corrupt and breed worms but that which was laid up before the Lord the hidden Manna in the Tabernacle did keep without putrefaction So our life which we have here in the Wilderness of this World doth presently vanish and corrupt but our life which is kept in the Tabernacle our life which is hid with Christ in God that never runs into Death Naturall life is like the River Iordan empties it self into the dead Sea but spirituall life is like the waters of the Sanctuary which being shallow at the first grow deeper and deeper into a River which cannot be passed thorow Water continually springing and running forward into eternall life So that the life which we leave is mortall and perishing and that which we go unto is durable and abounding Joh. 10. 10. Men not to hasten their own Deaths but submit to the Will of God And why so IT is observeable that when of late years Men grew weary of the long and tedious compasse in their Voyages to the East-Indies and would needs try a more compendious way by the North-West passage it ever proved unsuccessefull Thus it is that we must not use any compendious way we may not neglect our body nor shipwrack our health nor any thing to hasten Death because we shall gain by it He that maketh hast even this way to be rich shall not be innocent Prov. 28. 20. For our times are in Gods hands and therefore to his holy providence we must leave them We have a great deal of work to do and must not therefore be so greedy of our Sabbath day our rest as not to be contented with our working day our labour Hence is it that a composed frame of Heart like that of the Apostles Phil. 1. 21. wherein either to stay and work or to go and rest is the best temper of all Assurance of Gods Love the onely Comfort IT is commonly known that those who live on London Bridge sleep as soundly as they who live at White-Hall or Cheapside well knowing that the Waves which roar under them cannot hurt them This was Davids case when he sang so merrily in the Cave of Adullam My heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psalm 57. 7. And what was it that made him so merry in so sad a place He will tell you vers 1. where you have him nestling himself under the shadow of Gods loving wings of Protection and now well may he sing care and fear away Thus it is that a Man perswaded and assured of Gods love unto him sings as merrily as the Nightingale with
their suffering adde hereunto our own experience of Gods gracious dealing with us in the day of our trouble this is somewhat more But lastly to rise somewhat higher when we shall consider that it is Gods own case so that our Reproaches and Sufferings are his Reproaches and Sufferings as Luther writing to Melancthon at that time much distracted with fears conâ—erning the Churche's good Si nos ruimus ruit et Christus If we fall Christ falls with us this may fully assure us in the chearful bearing of them because he is chiefly concerned in them The true Love of God will cause familiarity with God WHere there is Love free from jealousie betwixt Man and Wife they are as it were incorporated they think themselves never better then when they are in one anothers Company talking and discoursing together laying open each others griefs and making one another partaker of each others comforts So we must have such interest in God if we love him we must in an humble distanced manner be familiar with him Let never a day passe over our heads wherein we have not fetched a walk or two in the gallery of our heâ—rts with him and there â—aid open our selves before him both concerning our miseries and our Sins saying after this or the like manner Thou â—eest O Lord what sorrowes I endure within and without I beâ—eech thee give me grace so to carry myself as that thou mayest have the glory of thy own work And thou knowest O my God that I have this infirmity or that weaknesse and that were it not for thee I should fall into fearfull breaches of thy Law but Lord help me against this or that sin us against Pride deceit vain-glory and the like that I may in a more settled and constant course honour thee my God to whom I am so infinitely bound c. No Man too good to learn ST Augustine writing to Auxilius his fellow Bishop about the matter of Excommunication in all humility saith Senex à juvene co-episcopo et Episcopus tot annorum à Collega nec dum aâ—niculo paratus sum doceri Though I be an old Man and a Bishop of so many years standing yet I am ready to be taught of a young Man my Companion scarce of one years growth Thus dimly in their own conceits have those great lights from time to time shined out in the Firmament of the Church having been ever glad of any auxiliary to adde unto their lustre Then if the greatest Clerks have need to be instructed What shall we think of the meanest How much knowledge do they want that know almost nothing when they that think they know so much do notwithstanding want so much as that they may be taught something by the meanest No age superannuated no condition of Man so exalted but may in one thing of other in ordine ad Deum learn of the youngest and the meanest either by bringing to their mind what hath been forgotten confirming in what they have already learnt or instructing in what for all their parts they never as yet heard of Consideration of the Name of Christ to be a motive from Sin SUppose one were set upon going to do mischief and his Father and Mother should throw themselves down in the path that if he goes on he must tread upon them and they should say thus You shall tread upon the bowels out of which you came upon the loyns that begat you this would certainly be a great stop And thus when we find our hearts begin to stirre and corruption boyl the Name of Christ calls Stay and sayes If you go to sin you shall tread upon me trample upon me and my bloud and bring reproach upon me this must needs be a great stop in the wayes to sin In all the Word of God there is scarce a stronger argument to keep Man from sinning then the consideration of Christs Name lying prostrate before us that the Name of Christ shall suffer by it For the People of God to suffer by our sins is an evil thing For a Man to have his kindred ashamed of him is a sad thing But for a Man to be a Reproach to Iesus Christ to be a grievance to the blessed Spirit of God this if he have any ingenuity any spark of Grace left in him any love of Christ remaining in him will take him quite off from the wayes of sin and wickednesse How to be truly thankfull unto God PEr brachium â—it judicium de corde is the Physitian 's Aphorism And therefore when they passe their judgments of Mens hearts they do it by the pulse beating in their arms and not by the words that proceed from their mouthes So wise Meâ— will look more to doing then to saying though both are good and both must be done remembring that Iesus did and said And then it is that men are truly thankfull unto God when they act what they say as Noah is no sooner out of the Ark but he builds an Altar for the Lord before he provides an house for himself he talks not of it but does it For to thank God with our tongues and not to live answerably thereunto is no better then to say All hail King of the Iews and to spit upon him Hosanna with one breath and Crucifie him with another to have Iacobs smooth tongue and Esau's rough hands a great deal of formal hypocrisie hanged out at the sign of the lips and no reality at all in the heart and hand where it should be A Man to be clear of that fault he reproves in another IT was Plutarch's shame when his Servant could thus upbraid him Non est ita ut Plutarchus dicit It is not as my Master saith his opinion is that it is a shame for a Philosopher to be angry and he hath often reasoned of the mischiefs that come thereby and hath written a book of not being angry et ipse mihi irascitur yet he is angry with me A great fault it was in Plutarch then and it is no lesse in those that are guilty of the same sin they reprove in others now and little good will come thereby For the eye which is filled with dust can never see clearly the spot that is in anothers face nor that hand which is besmear'd with mire wash any other member clean nor that Man which is corrupted with Sin do any good when he reproveth his own Sin in another As when one Thief reproves another one Drunkard condemns another they may shame one another but seldome mend one another Mundus à vitiis esse debet qui aliena corrigere curat He must needs be clean himself that goes about to cleanse another Reproaches and Sufferings for the Name of Christ marks of Salvation THere is mention made of one Eschylus who being condemned to be stoned to death and all the People being ready to do Execution upon him
neither or some kind of Monster betwixt both new devices for gain new wayes of cheating new wayes of breaking So that without all doubt God is devising some new manner of Iudgment as was said of Korah and his complices Numb 16. 29. To blesse God for all THere is a kind of Dialogue betwixt one Doctor Thaulerus and a poor Man that lay begging by the high-way side Good morrow poor Man 〈◊〉 the Doctor I never had any bad morrow said the beggar No sayes the Doctor Thou art a miserable poor Man thou art as good as naked without any cloaths on thy back no Friends nor any one to relieve thee How can it then be true that thou sayest thou never hadst any bad morrow I 'le tell you sayes the beggar Whether I am sick or in health whether it be warm or cold weather whether I be cloathed or naked rich or poor I blesse God for all O but Friend said the Doctor What if Christ should cast thee into Hell If he should sayes he I would be contented but I have two arms the one of Faith the other of Love wherewith I would lay such fast hold on him that I would have him along with me and then I am sure that Hell would be Heaven if he were there And thus it is that we should blesse God at all times in all places upon all occasions and in all conditions as well for years of Dearth as years of Plenty times of Warre as well as times of Peace for Adversity as well as Pâ—osperity in sicknesse and in health in weal and in woe in liberty and restraint whether it be that the Lord giveth or whether he taketh away still to blesse the Name of the Lord. Godlinesse a great mystery and why so THe World hath her mysteries in all Arts and Trades yea Mechanical appertaining to this life which are imparted to none but filiis scientiae Apprentices to them These have their mysteries have them nay are nothing but mysteries So they delight to stile themselves by such and such a Mystery such and such a Craft c. Now if Godlinesse be great gain and profitable unto all things a Trade of good return and in request with all good Men then to be allow'd her Mysteries At least such as all other trades have And the rather for that that there is Mysterium iniquitatis a Mystery of iniquity so that it would be somewhat hard if there were not Mysterium pietatis a Myâ—â—ery of Godlinesse to encounter it That Babylon should be allowed the name of a Mystery and Sion not that there should be profunda Satanae deep things of Satans and there should not be deep and profound things of God and Godlinesse for the Spirit to search out and dive into Apoc. 2. 24. How a Man should demean himself being fallen into bad Company IT is said of Antigonus that being invited to a great Feast where a notable Harlot was to be present he asked Counsel of Menedemus a disâ—reet Man What he should do and how he should behave himself in such Company Who bade him onely to remember this that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of a King So good Men may be invited where none of the best may â—eet Many an honest Man may fall into a Knaves company the best counsel is Keep ever in mind that they are Kings Sons Gods Children and therefore it were a base thing for them to be allured by the Wicked to do things unseemly and that they should much degenerate if they should make any sinfull compliance with such as are notoriously wicked The desperate Sinner's madnesse ST Ambrose reports of one Theotymus that being troubled with a sore disease upon his body when the Physitian told him that exâ—ept he did abstain from intemperance as drunkennesse and excesle he was like to lose his eyes his heart was so desperately set upon his sin that he said Vale lumen amicum Farewell sweet light then I must have my pleasure in that Sin I must drink though I drink out my eyes thea farewell eyes and farewell light and all O desperate madnesse for Men to venture upon Sin to the losse not onely of the light of the eye but the light of Gods loving Countenance for evermore It is to be supposed that no Man will be so far owned by his words as to say Farewell God and Christ and eternal life and all I must have my Sin yet though directly they say not so they do in effect say it They know that the Scripture saith that no Drunkard Whoremonger nor Covetous nor unclean person shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven then whosoever that knowing this goeth for all that in such a way doth as it were say Farewell God and Heaven and farewell all that God hath purchased by his bloud rather then I will lose my Sin I will lose all Christ-masse day to be held in remembrance AS Kings keep the day of their Inauguration As Cities have their Palilia when the trench is first cast up And Churche's their Encaenia's when they are first dedicate As Men their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they first came into the World So all good Christians celebrate the day of Christ's Nativity a day of Joy both in Heaven and on Earth In Heaven for a day of glory unto God on high On Earth for a day of Peace here below and good-will towards Men A day of joy to all People past present and to come such a day as wherein after long expectation the best return was made that ever came to the poor Sons of Men such a day as the Lord himself made let us therefore rejoyce therein How to Feast comfortably JOseph had his Tomb in his Garden to season his delight with Meditations of his death The Egyptians had a Skeleton or carcasse brought into their Feasts for the same purpose At Prester-Iohn's Table a Deaths-head is the first thing set on And Philip had not onely a Boy every Morning but a Dead-Man's skull on his Table every meal to put him in mind of his Mortality And thus ought we all to do mingle our Feasting with the meditation of our Farewell out of this wretched life when we sit at dinner to think of our dissolution and ever â—o set our own carcasse before the eyes of our mind saying within our selves Alas this feeding and Feasting is but a little repairing and propping up of a poor ruinous house that ere long will fall down to the ground and come to nothing Heaven not to be found upon Earth IT is storied of a King of Persia that he must have an imaginary Heaven and thereupon he is at the charge of a stately brave Pallace where in the top he caused the Heavens to be artificially moulded and the Sun Moon and Stars to be painted and under them the clowds that by art moved up and down distilled
Solomon's induction like so many Edomites they will make songs of you all and every of these are but a May-game and a mocking-stock unto them Graces of the Spirit to be held fast in the midst of temporall losses AS it is with a Man in a wrack at Sea when all is cast over-boord the Victuals that feed him the cloaths that should keep him warm yet he swims to the shoare with his life in his hand Or as it is with a valiant Standard-bearer that carries the banner in the time of battel if he sees all lost he wraps the banner about his body and chooseth rather to dye in that as his winding-sheet then let any man take it from him or spoyl him of it he will hold that fast though he lose his life with it Thus Iob in all his troubles is said to hold fast his Integrity Chap. 2. vers 4. And so must all of us do hold our spirituals whatsoever becomes of temporals When Wife and Children and Friends and liberty and life and all 's going say unto peace of Conscience to Innocency and Integrity as Iacob said to the Angel whether they be those Summer-graces of Prosperity as Joy and Thanksgiving or the Winter-graces of Adversity as Patience and Perseverance or the grace of Humility that is alwaies in season We will not let ye go For indeed there is no blessing without them There 's not a Man upon the face of the Earth but if he be of an Heavenly temper and spiritual resolution will in the greatest storm in the hottest assault wrap himself round about with his Integrity and will not let it go till he go along with it Children not to marry without their Parents consent CYrus an Heathenish King having conquered Babylon and returning home in Triumph was offered by his Uncle Cyaxares to have his daughter in Marriage but he thanked his Uncle prais'd the Maid liked well of the Portion as for consent to the Match he returned this answer Uncle I commend the Stock and the Maid and the Portion Howbeit saith he by the Counsel of my Father and my Mother I will assent unto you As if he had said Without their advice I can do nothing And thus all dutiful Children are content to submit to their Parents directions and to be ordered by them especially in the matter of so high concernment as Marriage thus did Iacob and Sampson not as it is the manner of Children now adayes who consult with their Parents last of all nay regard not their Parents consent at all but make their choyce after the lust of their eyes and delight of their own deceitful hearts making up a Match in great haste and repenting at leisure How it is that Wicked drunken Men think well of themselves THere is a Story of a French-man that lodging one night in a Curtizan's house at Rome when in the Morning he took his gold Chain he found it would go but thrice about his neck whereas it was formerly wont to go four times And thereupon he guessed that the Curtizan had as she had indeed taken away some of the links but she cunningly dissembling to excuse her fault would needs make the French-man believe that his head was much swollen that night and to confirm her words she caused him to view himself in a false glasse which made all things seem a great deal bigger then indeed they were And so not knowing how to help himself he was fain to perswade himself that all the fault was in the growth of his head To this chain may be likened the Soul of Man which being sober perceives that by Intemperance the Memory and Understanding which are two main links of it are taken away but the Devill like a cunning Curtezan as it were by a false glasse makes Men believe it is nothing so but on the contrary that all things are greater then they were their Memory greater their understanding greater their strength greater their wits riper whereas it is nothing so their Understanding is infatuated their Will perverted their Memory enfeebled their Comelinesse deformed all out of order The evil of Division THe Rabbines have a conceit why after the work of the second day was finished God beholding what he had done did not adde any approbation to it When he made the Light which was the first dayes work he approves it God saw the Light and said It was good but to the work of the second day God subjoyned no approbation by saying It was good The reason which they give of it is this because then was the first dis-union that made the first second that ever was All before was one sub unissimo Deo under the One-most God But to leave this fancy to the Iewish Doctors amongst many others of the like Nature there is somewhat in the notion it self namely that Division and Disunion are the evils of the Creature all natural dis-unions are the Afflictions of natural things And so Civil dis-unions and Civill dissentions are much more the affliction of People and Nations Christ assures us that the strongest Kingdome divided cannot stand Whereas contrarily Weak things are strong by union and that not onely by union with the strong but by union amongst themselves And things obscure united are Honourable especially when united to things that are Honourable The persons of Poor Men not to be sleighted IT is reported of Master Fox the Martyrologist when it was told him that a certain Man of none of the highest or greatest calling who had received much comfort from him in the dayes of his trouble was desirous to acknowledge his thankfulnesse towards him and asked him Whether he remembred such a one He answered I remember him well I tell you I forget Lords and Ladies to remember such as he is But now it is otherwise in the World Many there are that look so high that they cannot discern their lower brother whom notwithstanding God loveth for whom Christ dyed and to whom the Word of Salvation is preached Nay so supercilious and lofty are most Men that they look upon a lower a poorer Man no otherwise then if God had made them so on purpose to be laughed at but let all such know for a certain that they are the same with them and though they have not vestem communem the same coat yet they have cutem communem the same skin and that He that mocketh the poor reproacheth him that made him To be carefull of extraordinary drinking CYrus the Persian Monarch being demanded of his Grandfather Astyages Why he would drink no Wine answered For fear lest they give me poyson For quoth he I noted yesterday when you celebrated your Nativity that some body had poysoned all the Wine they drank because at the taking away of the Cloath not one of all those that were present at the Feast arose in his right mind Let all
may come it may be presented pure and spotlesse to him whom he intendeth it now unto Progresse in Piety to be endeavoured PRogresse in Piety and Religion is not unfitly compared to a building to a Race to the Morning light and to the Moon that waxeth Houses are raised from the Foundation to the walls from the walls to the roof In a Race Men run on to the goal The Morning light is brighter and brighter till the Noon day And the Moon encreaseth more and more till it come to the Full Habent et omnes virtutes suas conceptiones nativitates incunabula c. And all virtues have their conceptions births infancies and encreas So must every good Christian have he must not stand still in Religion like the Sun in Gibeon or go back like that on Ahaz's dyall but as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber that rejoyceth as a strong Man to run a Race he must go forward make still some progresse in Piety It is not enough that he receive a Talent but he must employ it and gain by it like good ground that giveth not the bare seed-corn back again but fructifieth in abundance He must encrease more and more as S. Paul exhorted the Jews of Thessalonica and to grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Resurrection of the dead asserted OUt of the Earth comes the bread that we eat that bread after it passeth several concoctions is alter'd and changed into bloud then conveyed throughout the parts of the body and at last attains to be even of the very same substance and Nature with the body Thus that which was Earth and sprung out of the Earth becomes Flesh in substance which before it was not In the Numerical Resurrection that which was Flesh and after turn'd into Earth becomes Flesh again in the same Nature which before it was If that were not daily and ordinary the difficulty would appear no greater in the one then in the other Again We daily see a tall fair spread losty Tree to have risen out of a little seed If you demand saith Gregory the Great Ubi latet fortitudo ligni asperitas corticis c. Whence was derived the solidity of the Wood the superficial hardnesse of the bark the flourishing greennesse of the leaves Experience testifies it proceeded from the spreading virtue which lay treasured up in the seed What marvel then if he that out of a small seed daily extracts the Wood Fruit and leaves in the trunk and branches of a Tree doth likewise reduce bones veins and hair out of the least remainder of our dust And having grafted them into the former stock of the same Flesh commands again breath and warmth into that Flesh bloud into those veins strength into those bones and beautifies those hairs with a fresher hew The Souldiers calling Honourable HE â—hat in these dayes of the Gospel styleth himself Deus pacis the God of Peace did in the dayes of old under the Law call himself Deus exercituum the Lord of Hoasts The Scriptures make Christ The Captain of the Lords Army the Angels Souldiers The Church a Squadron of armed Men every Bishop or Superintendent of the Church a Souldier and the Church upon good grounds hath listed every Child in Baptisme as a Souldier of Christ Iesus Eques that formerly signified an ordinary Trooper is now our Knight Miles that was wont to be a private Souldier is now our Esquire or Gentleman such and so Honourable is the Condition and Calling of a Souldier that though the Poets have inveighed against it yet they must so far yield that whatsoever of rubbish and dirt is thrown upon it it is vitium personae non rei the fault of the Persons not of the Profession since God himself hath graced it our Saviour hath approved it the Apostles have commended it the Saints have practised it and our Ancestors gloried in it Women Reformers intolerable IT was a witty answer that St. Bernard gave to the Image of the blessed Virgin at the great Church of Spire in Germany Bernard was no sooner come into the Church but the Image straight saluted him and bad him Good morrow Bernard Whereat Bernard well knowing the jugling of the Fryers made answer again out of St. Paul O saith he your Ladiship hath forgotten your self It is not lawfull for Women to speak in the Church Thus it is commendable in a Woman when she is able by her wisdome to instruct her Children and to give at opportunities good Counsell to her Husband but when she-Apostles Women shall take upon them as many have done to hold out the Word in publique and to chalk out Discipline for the Church this is neither commendable nor tolerable for her hands should handle the spindle or the Cradle but neither the Altar nor the Church the commendations that St. Iohn's elect Lady had was not so much for her talking as her walking in the Commandements of God 2 Joh. v. 5 6. When it may be said to be the best time for Prayer SUiters at Court observe mollissima fandi tempora their times of begging when they have the King in a good moode which they will be sure to take the advantage of but especially if they should find that the King himself should begin of himself to speak of the businesse which they would have of him then they take that very nick of time and seldome or never come off but with good successe Thus when God speaks secretly to the heart to pray fashioneth and composeth it into a praying frame and disposition observe such a time and neglect it not strike whilst the Iron is hot lay hold upon such a blessed opportunity such a one as thou maist never have the like againe for it is a great signe that he intends to heare thee and answer thee gratiously when he himself shall thus prepare and indite the Petition and frame the Requests that thou shalt put up unto him This must needs be the best time of Prayer Magistrates and men in Authority to be Exemplary to all others IT is observable in the very course of Nature That the highest Spheres are alwayes the swiftest in their motion and carry about with them the inferior Orbes by their â—elerity The biggest Stars in the Firmament are evermore the brightest and give lustre unto those of a lesser magnitude Thus Men that bear Authority that are eminent in power and dignity that excell in Riches and command are placed in the highest sphere of humane Society to this end that like sons of God they might shine brightly unto their Inferiors by their godly life and Example Ministers to be acquainted with the state of Mens Souls MEn are careful that the Physitian should be well and throughly acquainted with the Constitution of their bodies before he administer any Physick unto them And
Non-resident sloathfull Minister worthily discouraged THere was a certain idle Monk in Winchester who complaining to King Henry the second that the Bishop had taken away three of their dishes and left them but ten the King replyed That the Bishop should do well to take away the ten and leave them the three And iâ— is just with all Men especially Ministers of Gods Word and Sacraments that if they have crimen immane and nomen inane that they should have mercedem â—enuem a slender recompence if inertes then justly inopes especially cum valuerint et non voluerint praedicare when they are able and are not willing to Preach then let double honour which is countenance and maintenance be kept from them The true comfort of Election A Man may have his name set down in the Chronicles yet lost wrought in durable Marble yet perish set upon a Monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious inscribed on the Hospital gates yet go to Hell written in the front of his own house yet another come to possesse it All these are but writings in the dust or upon the waters where the characters perish so soon as they are made they no more prove a Man happy then the Fool could prove Pontius Pilate because his name was written in the Creed But the true comfort is this when a Man by assurance can conclude with his own Soul that his name is written in those eternal leaves of Heaven in the book of Gods Election which shall never be wrapped up in the cloudy sheets of darknesse but remain legible to all Eternity How to be assured of our Election A Senator relating to his Son the great honours decreed to a number of Souldiers whose names were written in a book the Son was importunate to see that book The Father shews him the outside it seemed so glorious that he desired him to open it No by no means it was sealed by the Councell Then sayes the Son tell me if my name be there The Father replied the names are secretted to the Senate The Son studying how he might get some satisfaction desired him to deliver the merits of those inscribed Souldiers The Father relates to him their noble atchievements and worthy acts of Valour wherewith they had eternized their names Such are written said he and none but such must be written in this book The Son consulting with his own Heart that he had no such Trophyes to shew but had spent his time in courting Ladies rather then encountring Knights that he was better for a dance then a March that he knew no drum but the Tabret no courage but to be drunk Hereupon he presently retired himself repented entered into a combat with his own affections subdued them became tempâ—rate continent valiant vertuous When the Souldiers came to receive their wreaths he steps in to challenge one for himself being asked upon what title he answered If honours be given to Conquerours I have gotten the noble conquest of all Wherein These have subdued strange Foes but I have conquered my self Now whosover thou art that desirest to know whose names are written in Heaven who is elected to life eternal it shall not be told thee This or that undividuall person but generally thus Men so qualified faithfull in Christ and to Christ obedient to the truth and for the truth that have subjected their owne affections and resigned themselves to the guidance of the Heavenly will These men have made noble conquests and shall have Princely Crowns Find but in thy self this Sanctimony and thou art sure of thy Election In Rome the Patres conscripti were distinguished by their Robes as the Liveries of London from the rest of the Company so thy name is enrolled in the Legend of Gods Saints if thy Livery witnesse it that thy conversation is in Heaven 1 Joh. 3. 16. No time to be mis-spent THere were three speciall faults whereof Cato professed himself to have seriously repented One was passing by water when he might have gon by land another was trusting a secret in a Womans bosome but the main one was spending an hour unprofitably But how many hours not onely on common dayes but upon the Lords day that concerns the businesse of our Souls have and do we still unprofitably lavish Let us then embrace the counsell which Ierome gave to Rusticus Be ever doing Ut quando Diabolus veniat occupatum inveniat that when the Devill comes with â—is businesse he may find us at our businesse It is the sitting bird that is so easily shot so long as she is flying in the Ayre the murthering piece is not leveld at her and let us be going on in good employment and then we shall not be so fair a maâ—k for the Devill to aym at The happinesse of good Government IT was a smart invention of him that having placed the Emperour and the Pope reconciled in their Majestick thrones he brought in the several states and conditions of the World before them First came a Counsellour of State with this Motto I advise you two then a Courtier I flatter you three then a Husbandman I feed you four then a Merchant I cozen you five then a Lawyer I rob you six Then a Souldier I fight for you seaven Then a Physitian I kill you eight Lastly a Priest I absolve you nine This was his Satyre but happy is both that Church and Common-weal where legall Authority doth govern in truth and peace Tâ—e Counsellour advise the Judge censure the Husbandman labour Merchant traffique â—he Lawyer plead the Souldier bear Arms the Divine preach all bring forth the fruits of Righteousnesse so that they become an exemplary encouragement to their Neighbours children may be blessed after them Enâ—mies convinced Aliens coâ—verted Sathan confounded the Gospell adorned and their Souls eternally saved The Laity abused by the Roman Clergy in the matter of Confession IT is mentioned in a Fable how the Woolf the Fox and the Ass went to shrift together to do penance The Woolf confesseth himself to the Fox who easily absolveth him The Fox doth the like to the Woolf and receiveth the like favour After this the Ass comes to Confession and his fault was that being hungry he had taken one straw from the sheaf of a Pilgrim travailing to Rome whereof he was heartily penitent but that would not serve the law was executed severely upon him he was slain and devoured By the Woolf is meant the Pope by the Fox his Cardinals Iesuites and Priests these quickly absolve one another how hainous soever their offences are but when the poor Ass that 's the Romish ridden Laity come to shrift though his offence be not the weight and worth of a straw yet on his back shall the rigour of the Law be laid he shall be sure to pay for all The want of Hospitality reproved A great Man of the new modell had curiously engraven