there is not a well grounded hope to be blessed S alvation in repentance is Gods end let not him lose his hope and wee shall not lose ours Y f a man will be noble let him be humble for the humble shall bee exalted O ur honours are the fruits of birth of wisdome of valour of riches of place and authority or of royall favour but it is never of the fruit of grace nor the blessing of God without humility U nlesse we honour Christ otherwise then the world doth we have no more grace then the worldling hath W ee have not the signe of a star in our foreheads but the signe of the crosse still humility is the way to glory this way went all the Saints this way went even the God of Saints E arthly inheritances are oftentimes divided with much inequality and the priviledge of primogeniture stretcheth far but in the new heaven it is not so R iches gotten and forgotten must be accounted for before God the divine Justice Gehezaes talent of gold could not buy off his sores nor hide his shame E ven the poorest amongst us may give praises unto God and the more he spares us in our bloods and estates the more we are obliged to him in thankfulnesse H olinesse is not tyed to literature Doctor and Saint are not convertible for then he that knowes his Masters will could not chuse but doe it A man may be sooner acquainted with the nine Muses then with the three Graces Learning Discretion and Honesty L et others be full of the politicks it is good for us to be well habited in the morrals one thing is necessary integrity of heart F lattery and treachery are but two names of one vice 〈…〉 dry suits of mischiefe E very man that defends not Gods Church glorifies him not for he means small honour to the head that does not his best to save the body F aithfull service is most accepted where it is least expected some would doe much for Christs glory and cannot thousands of us can doe much for his glory and will not I t is better for a man to want some truth then want peace for a man that never studied controversies may without controversie be saved L et every soule humbly cast himselfe downe at the foet of Christ and bee beholding to him only for his salvation for our best workes are but blankes E very wise man will be easily requested to doe himselfe good when God sues to us to save us we are sullen to hinder our own preferment S alvation comes from God yet he will be found a God of judgement they that have denyed it their mortall flesh shall acknowledge it in immortall fire T here be two things torment a man sinne and a bad conscience grace delivers from sinne and peace quiets the conscience O ld men covetous young men voluptuous Nobles ambitious common persons ceremonious or whosoever is led away with any kinde of wantonnesse is brought within the Devills lure T here is fearfull combustion all over the world wars at home wars abroad if therefore we love peace every man pray for peace H ee that desires to be found in peace let peace be found in him peace or nothing peace and every thing E very whispering and murmuring is like a vapour rising out of the earth multiplying into stormes of sedition sedition grows into mutinies and mutinies into confusion R emember David that holy King would admit no States-min as far as he could discerne but such as were after his owne heart I t s a true protraitor of the Churches condition that as Israel hath beene temporally wasted so the Church of God is now spiritually assaulted G od would have us read our sinnes in our judgements that we may both repent of our sinnes and give glory to his justice H ee that cannot keep himselfe from death while he lives will more impossioly restore and revive himselfe to life againe being dead T hy Prince hath honour thy father reverence thy master service thy wife love all these are due to God in a more transcendent manner H ee that sincerely loves God and detests sinne desires dissolution for no other end but to be freed from temptation A s no wise man leaves his he house for some flyes but rather drives them out so no good forsakes his holinesse for temptations N either the gifts of grace nor the seales of grace can free us from assaults we may have force to repell bad suggestions we have not to prevent them D eclare thy grievance by prayer it shall bring downe heavenly graces God knows thy wants aske he hath promised to heare D eath to the godly is good in the cessation of paines better in the renovation of all things best in the immutability of all happinesse O ur talke is of vanity and vanity is with us but if Christ could be kept in our mouthes we should alwayes have him in our hearts U nbeleefe is the bane of constancie and perseverance of constancie in the purpose of our mindes of perseverance in the tenor of our lives B arrennesse is a privation of fruit shame privation of innocency and death a privation of life for these privations men sell themselves L ike horses whether put into perfumed Coaches or noysome carts they will draw so our affections will be doing set them on what worke you will E arth will to earth an earthly desire to an earthly center so man lives till earth be turned into earth so he dyes till earth be turned out of earth their earthly soules into hellish torments such a life is base and brutish Y f there be ignominy in thraldome there must be glory in freedome Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherein Christ hath set you O nce turning from God we continue nought nought till we returne by repentance U nholy Machiavels admired for policie commonly falls under Jehoakims curse to be buried with the buriall of an Asse they live fooles but dye Asses R ighteous men shall live for ever for their reward is with the Lord hee hath a care of them F aith and repentance were two short lessons yet Israel was forty yeares before they could learne them R emember your sinnes to repent of them forget to practise them that God may forget them in judgement and remember us in mercy O ld sinnes must be lookt backe into because the vanitie of youth proves the vexation of age N one can be too yong to amend that is old enough to dye for man is apt to sin before he be able T o give over sinne when we can no longer commit it is no repentance A good Christian will be good and devout like good Daniel though alone S ome trust in horses some in their swords some in their lands some in their wits some their friends and some in their monies but let every good Christian trust in the Lord. Y f we must converse with evill men let it be in
truth which we have rejected with tongue and hand justifying and defending mischievous opinions against the Gospell of Christ is a deniall of Christ in judgement R eligion in an unstable man lyes alwaies in wait for the inclination of his Prince as a Spaniell hunts according to the face of his Master F easting sinners doe little know how neare jollitie is to perdition judgement is often at the threshold when drunkennesse is at the table I n vaine doe they flye whom God pursues for there is no mountaine so high but God can reach it no depth so low but his eye sees it and power reaches it L ying and false teachers are amongst us by Gods permission that the true only might more painfully and patiently exercise their knowledge E very one that desires to be true to himselfe and free from all errors let him be sure to be true to Christ S uperstition first loves and then beleeves but true Religion first beleeves and then loves S inne at first was the cause of ignorance now ignorance is the cause of sinne as long as we thinke we see we continue blinde when we perceive our blindnesse then we begin to see T he first punishment of sinne is blindnesse of minde and that blindnesse is the cause of future sin A lewd man is a pernitious creature that the damnes his owne soule is the part of his mischiefe for he commonly draws vengeance upon a thousand either by desert of his sin or by the infection of it N ever was any man so desperately wicked but he had some followers Lucifer fell not alone from heaven D estruction should teach us to thinke of our sins doe we marvell at this distracted age every man look to his own sins and cease marvelling R ankmirth with full bellies with gaming and wine hath laid us all open to the Divell I t is just that they who have made themselves partners in sinning should not be separated in suffering G od is not just without mercy nor mercifull without justice slow to anger yet he will not acquit the wicked H ee that will not take Gods word for good shall feele his sword for evill so near is unbeleef to Atheisme as the word of God is to the noblenesse of his Majesty T he Almighty hates to be disturbed and accounts infidelity so much a greater sin then another I t is ridiculous for a man to professe he is going to heaven when his whole life is forwarding him to hell N o man can charge God with over hastinesse for if he should be angry as often as we sin and strike as often as he is angry what man could escape Y f the summons of vengeance should awake us to repentance we shall no sooner change our mindes but God will change his sentence O pennesse of sinne hath saved justice a labour of inquisition there needs no hue and crie after the thiefe that presents himselfe V engeance is alwaies Gods owne weapon so appropriated to his hand that no creature can meddle with it R oot out all corruption out of thy heart or else it will root thee out of the land for concupiscence is to a man as Peter to the Maid that made him deny his Master R ighteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgements no man can confesse this but such as live uprightly and truly as he hath commanded A ll complaine yet every man addes to the heap of sin redresse stands not in words but each man amend one and we may all live N ever did God so irrevocably threaten judgement for sin but the penitent confession of the sinner cancels and avoids the sentence K nowing the sweetnesse and excellencie of Christ we cannot but love him and if we love him it must needs be grievous to us to lose him S inners may so weary the invincible patience of God that he may say of them as he did to Ephraim Ephraim is joyned to Idolls let him alone T he Divell is let loose for a season to try the patience of Gods Church yet let falsity vomit her poyson for a while we shall finde saving health in Christ O ur enemies O Lord are near us to hurt us but thou art near to helpe us thou art Judge of the whole World therefore deliver thy people T he sword never prevailed but sin set an edge upon it God indeed is judge of all but sin is the cause of all H asten from the company of the wicked that there may be no stay in your passage to heaven for feare judgement overtake you E ven as our teares must slacken Gods bow so our prayers must get out his arrows when they sticke fast in our sides R ipenesse of sinne makes ready Gods wrath so that neither greatnesse nor strength can protect us I t is a grievous judgement upon a Nation when teachers sent for mans salvation shall become meanes of their confusion G od is angry against all sinne but his wrath is most hot against universall sinne thousands or a whole Army falls then in one day H umble confession and devout penance cannot alwayes avert temporall judgements David spent three daies in sad contrition yet in that short time Gods Angell destroyed 70000. T he desolating actions of Gods justice is not to destroy and deprive of being but to further the growth of his Church as men root weeds out of a garden that the hearbs may grow the better H oly men out of their acquaintance with their Master foresee punishment but fooles run on and are punished A sinfull Commonwealth cannot live unlesse it bleed in the common vein neither is there a better sacrifice to God then the blood of malefactors N o target no corslet nor armour of proofe nor banks nor fortifications can withstand the hand of the Almighty D readfull blasphemy desperate sacriledge apostacie covetousnes drunkennesse luxurie prophanenesse and excessive pride has provoked Gods wrath therefore mourne for them that will not mourne for themselves A ll Gods blessings all his judgements all his creatures are as so many Sermons and Trumpets to bring man to repentance S hall a land mourne for the inhabitants and not the inhabitants for the sinnes of that land God forbid Y f we doe not perish every mothers son and daughter by the sword as the old world did by the deluge it is not because we are lesse wicked but because God is more mercifull O England the Gospell of Christ is fittest to lead our times and as that is either distressed or prosperous so let us frame our mirth or mourning U ngodly policies may bring a Kingdome to desolation because they are contrary to repentance W ee have suffered the mischiefe of a long peace and our estates are not the better but through security much worse and for our sinnes God hath sent his bloody arrow amongst us E very man is a limbe of the Community and must be affected with the estate of the whole body whether
healthfull or languishing R epentance neglected is the despising of Gods goodnesse and will cause war to fill our streets and fields with blood E ven Gods long-suffering is an affoordment of time to repent and is a favour not mans but Gods not a common grace but a speciall fruit of his goodnesse T here is great need of mourning where sin is great for heavy judgements will not be turned away without deep sorrows O ur sinnes deserve destruction our repentance is no satisfaction it is only Gods mercy in Christ that gives absolution T he greater the corruption the vaster the destruction but if we be found in the faith there is no end of blessednesse H ee that lookes outward upon some eminent and notorious sinner concluding he is in the plague of our Nation is a vaine man looke inward there is an Achan in thine owne bosome E very sin is mighty therefore our repentance must be more hearty or else expect not the removing of calamity L ittle pleasure doth the Father of all mercies take in the death of a sinner ere David could see the Angell he had restrained him E very man censures none amends nay all grow worse therefore vain man apprehend condemne and execute thine owne sin F east drinke carouse and play when so many hearts are bleeding is the signe of a desperate soule that can rejoyce and be merry when God shews himselfe angry T he content hath corrupted the continent mens sinnes have infected the whole world as the plague in persons infect thâ—â—ery walls of a house H ee that wounds the truth by his sinnes which God hath sent to save his soule no wonder if he perish by her forsaking kim that hath lost himself by forsaking her A s no importunity can delay Gods judgements no secresie avoid it no policie corrupt it so nothing but sanctification can give us comfort in it N oah preached much the World was warned so patient is God that if sin were not desperate it should not smart D educt our owne evills from the evills of these dayes and then God the land and our owne consciences shall finde the lesse A s Gods mercy hath her day in giving time of repentance so justice shall have her day of retribution S atan would have all perish the infinite goodnesse of God would have all blessed their names will fit in our language good and God evill and Devill Y f a whole Nation apostate to lewdnesse and there be none to stop the course how should it stand an houre O h England prepare to meet thy God for although he be offended with the whole Land yet there be some that he will owne U niversall judgements call for universall repentance our Land mournes yet some feel not the sharp wound of that hungry sword W hen man turnes himselfe out of Gods service all the creatures serving him are as it were turned out of his service E very man pray heartily that the Lord destroy us not let our sins be lesse and our prayers more that we may sinde mercy R un not on in sin till thou meet with unexpected mercy for thou maiest as well spur thy beast till he speake because Balaam did so E xcept we love our owne lusts and vanities more then the wellfare of a whole Land let us confesse and redresse our sins T he wrath of a King is a fright we feare an ague wonder at a comet and tremble at thunder but fear not the Commander of all these O ur fathers were more devout then we for they did but what they heard though it were but the devices of men we heare and doe not though it be the Word of God T hat heart is hard frozen that nothing but hell fire can thaw beware of such a heart H ee that laughs at the memoriall of his sins shall weep tears of bloud for those sins E liphants will be ruled and led about by little dwarfs but man is an indomable creature aâ—â— forsees not the judgements of God R eligion made a staâ—king horse for policie is odious and of all men the religious dissembler shall be sure of plagues I n vaine doe men speake well of us when no man knowes good by us G od is just he hath many wayes to punish us we have none to escape him H ee loves not the Lord that will not suffer for him be patient therefore unto his comming T he glosse of profession will off in a storme and unlesse we be dyed in graine we never hold grace H ee will hardly brooke wounds that cannot endure wounds for the cause of our Saviour A true Christian may live without doing wrong but not without receiving wrong N o walking to heaven upon roses God put his children into the way of discipline by the fire of correction to eat out the rust of our corruption D eceits are most abominable when we shrowd them under the name of Religion nor is there any such Devill as he that lookes like an Angell A true Christian is like Jacobs ladder while his body the lower part stands on the ground the top his higher part is in heaven B ee not devout in a storme and stormy in a calme like Mariners on land who imitate the rage of the Seas and roar here as fast as they doe there O ur faire shewes are a just argument of our unsoundnesse no naturall face hath so faire a white and cleare a red as that which is painted V aine glory swells men with rank opinions of their owne worth mighty are their words as if they shooke mountaines and spake thunderclaps T he tongue that yeelds not defence when Gods glory is in question is tyed by the Devill and not loosed by God A wise man wil not be scoffed out of his mony nor a just man out of his faith S ome men may be stored with some acts of patience but what are they amongst so many troubles yet if patience be with us we are all safe Y f we had before we went about our warlike affaires penitently cleansed our hearts we might have expected better successe O ne lust fights against another both against the soule they made one soul against another and many soules fight against God U nnaturall coldnesse in some and preternatuall heat in others hath set us together by the eares about trifles while the common enemy breaks in W oolfe and woolfe can agree lambe and lambe fall not out but who can reconcile the woolfe to the lambe but Christ Jesus E very day it is the Devills policie to assault the best the multitude hee knows will follow after for the unstable vulgâ—â— are soon carried away with the religion of authority R ooms Schoolmen have invented a doctrine of fables cunningly devised and the Friers had crotchets enough but the Jesuit put downe all E very bad King hurts much by his unjust commands but more by their examples for the Common wealth like a fish rots first at
no evill matters O nce God spake it another time performed it a third time redouled it therefore none can plead ignorance that they want instruction U ngodly men may taste of the waters of life by chance as a dog laps at Nilus but his voyage is bound for mischiefe W hile the Devill can busie men with ceremony and circumstance he hopes well and will let them alone about faith and manners E xternall prosperity is no good marke of our election the fairest beasts are kept for slaughter R emember alwayes the house of mourning is not for mirth Christ turned the Musitians out of doores E very judgement we see should make us wiser in the feare of God every mercy we feele wiser in the love of God H ee that thinks to asswage the anguish of one sin by doing another preseribes to himselfe a remedy far worse then the disease A faire carriage keeps temptation out at staves end but lightnesse of presence lets it into the graple and gives encouragement to lewd desires L ove is commended like water it neither makes a man in debt nor in drinke so love is neither hard to get nor costly to keep F alling from Christ can be incident to none but Christians for they that were never up can never be said to fall F or knowne diseases there be knowne medicines but hypocrisie prevents all wayes of remedy I t is better with Philosophers to have honesty without Religion then with wicked Christians to have Religion without honesty L et men turne from wickednesse to piety and God will turne judgement to mercy Solomon and Idolater Zacheus an extortioner Noah drunke yet all these went to heaven E xpectation is sometimes of feare so the timer ous traveller looks for the theef and so the conscious malefactor looks for the comming of the Judge Saul is tempted sinneth and sleepeth his last David is tempted sinneth and sleepeth not his last T he lesse space a man hath allowed for his businesse the more he should ply it the fewer dayes the fruitfuller lessons O h that my people would have heard these are royall and sweet speeches but to the wicked God changeth his speech into sharpnesse T he more a man fears God the lesse he fears any thing else for all the fear of Satan ariseth from the want of the due feare of God H ee that loves God only for temporall blessings and faile him when those blessing faile is like mutinous souldiers no longer pay no longer fight E ndeavour to keep thy shield of faith and thou shalt victoriously march with the Saints on earth and triumphantly with Angels in heaven L et Princes boast of their delicacies Christ liveth in me this be the food of our soules E ndeavour that your faith be encreased and grow still from faith to faith F aith is a fundamentall grace and should overcome the World yet it will prove a coward without servencie T here is no poverty of estate or consumption of body to a leane starved soule which neither knowes nor cares to know Christ H ee that loves God for himselfe and goodnesse because it is goodnesse can God A s God will crowne the faithfull above their deserts with glory so hee will load the wicked according to their deserts with eternall torments N ot to have no spots here but to have no spots imputed to us hereafter is the happinesse of Christian D arknesse of nature must have its due course by creation yet no darknesse shall afflict thy body while there is saving light in thy soule D esire more grace seeke more never thinke you have enough be still poore that you may be rich rich that you may be full full that you may be glorious O h that men could see how much better it is to be poore then evill and that there is no comparison between want and sin U se the world but enjoy the Lord be thankfull for outward blessings but rest thy heart on Jesus Christ B etter are the troubles and differences of righteousnesse then the peace of wickednesse L et nothing pierce your hearts deep either in griefe or feare but sin and unbeleefe E nvy not the gifts of God in any neither thinke hardly of their infirmities nor fret at the prosperity of the wicked Y f we be departed from Babylon let not a rag or relike of superstition abide with us for it is proore comfort to escape in Sodome and perish in the Playnes O ur conversation to God must be with a whole heart without exception without hypocrisie without delay without apostacie and without despaire U nstable men are in a wretched estate their Religion is yet to chuse they know they shall dye but know not what faith to dye in R ight holinesse is true nobility for without goodnesse there can be no true glory F aith working by love performes all duties to God and man but false faith is like sandy earth which never brings forth fruit R eligion and true Piety is the readiest way to the highest advancement therefore above all treasure set your hearts thereon O ne sparke of true Religion is far beyond a whole flame of secular wisdome N eeds must that vertue be fruitfull that is stirring and needs must that be stirring that is living and needs must that be living that is quickned by Jesus Christ T he neglect of resolution to enter the way of righteousnesse is the forlorne state of a sinner for what hopes can be had of him that hath not so much as a purpose to be holy A good man lives after death but the name of the wicked is rotten before their carcaste is cold S inne like a viper may hang upon Pauls hand and not poyson it it may bring a potentiall guilt not an actuall Y f mans heart be divided if sinks to confusion but keep it whole to the way of truth and it shall be saved O ur eyes be good we know our hands be good God grant our hearts be good that we may defend Christs cause U ntill a man seele his owne want and that feeling breed sorrow that sorrow desire that desire prayer that prayer increase of faith that prayer of his shall never bring downe Gods mercy W retched are they that flatter themselves but blessed are they that can prove themselves to be out of the ranke of the ungodly E xamine thy selfe whether thou hast suffered an heavenly holy violence or whether grace hath wrought upon thee if not thou livest the life of nature R emember to walk in a measure of holinesse answerable to Gods mercy for if we turne his grace into wantonnesse he will turne his mercy into judgement E very argument is shut up with an ergo and is the knowne note of a conclusion thus may the syllogisme be framed but whosoever would escape destruction must adhere to the truth T he greatest shew of sanctity that error puts on the more fuller of suspition therefore beware of the