thy Face Aquinas Set Death into your Minds and it will put Life into your Actions St. Austin saith There 's nothing more abateth Sin than the frequent Meditation of Death He cannot Die Ill that Lived Well and seldom doth he Die Well that Lived Ill. Ambrose saith Death is the Burial of all Vices To be willing to Die consider the harmlesness of Death to the People of God tho' it keeps its Dart yet it hath lost its Sting Thy Heart may be kept from shrinking back in time of Sickness by considering the necessity of Death in order to the Fruition of God 2 Cor. 5.6 Whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. Another Argument to this unwillingness to Die is The immediate Succession of a more excellent and a more glorious Life it is but Wink and you shall see God Rom. 8.10 11. At Death you will be freed from Trouble here and have Communion with God and Communion of Saints Flavel Cardinal Richleu being Tempted to doubt and disbelieve a God another World and the Immortality of the Soul and by that Distrust to relieve his aking Heart but in vain So strong he said was the Notion of God on his Soul so clear the Impression of him upon the frame of the World so unanimous the Consent of Mankind so powerful the Conviction of his own Conscience that he could not but taste of the Powers of the World to come and so Live as one that must Die and so Die as one that must Live Eternally And being asked one day Why he was so sad he answered Monsieur Monsieur the Soul is a serious thing It must be either Sad here for a moment or Sad hereafter for ever Cardinal Mazarine when he came to Die said O my poor Soul Whither wilt thou go saying one Day to the Queen Mother Madam your Favors have undone me and were I to Live again I would rather be a Capuchine than a Courtier Sir Francis Walsingham towards the latter end of his Life grew very Melancholy and Writ to the Lord Burleigh to this purpose We have lived long enough to our Country to our Fortunes and to our Soveraign It is high time to live to our Selves and to our God. In the multitude of Affairs that pass through our Hands there must be some Miscarriages for which a whole Kingdom cannot make our Peace Whereupon some Court Humorist being sent to Divert Sir Francis Ah! said he whil'st we Laugh all things are serious round about us God is serious when he Preserveth us and hath Patience towards us Christ is serious when he Dieth for us the Holy Ghost is serious when he striveth with us the Holy Scripture is serious when it is Read to us the Sacraments are serious when they are Administred unto us the whole Creation is serious in serving God and us they are serious in Heaven and Hell and shall a Man that hath one Foot in the Grave Jest and Laugh Dr. Dunn a Man of as great Parts and Spirit as any in this Nation being on his Death-Bed taking his solemn leave of all his most considerable Friends left this with them I Repent of all my Life but that part of it I spent in Communion with God and doing Good. That Person in a Dying hour shall wish himself not a Man that hath not been a good Christian When Queen Mary Died Mr. Fox that Writ the Book of Martyrs was Preaching Comfort to the English Exiles in Geneva at which time he did tell them That now was the time come for their return into England and that he brought them that News from God for which Words many of the Grave Divines Rebuked him greatly for the present but afterwards excused him by the Event for it appeared that Queen Mary Died but the Day before he so spake to them Judge Nichols used to say That he knew not what they called Puritan Preaching but he said that Preaching which went next his Heart and spake as Attorney General Noy used to say of Doctor Preston as if they knew the Mind of God. Mr. Selden that Universal Scholar being suspected by many to have too little Affection to Religion a little before he Died sent for the Bishop of Armagh and Dr. Langbane and told them to this effect That he had Surveyed most part of the Learning that was amongst the Sons of Men And that he had his Study full of Books and Papers of most Subjects in the World yet at that time could he not recollect any Passage out of those many Books and Manuscripts he was Master of whereon he could rest his Soul save of the Holy Scriptures wherein the most remarkable Passage that lay upon his Spirit was Titus the 2. ver 11 12 13 14 15. Grotius one of the greatest of Scholars concluded his Life with this Protestation That he would give all his Honor and Learning for the plain Integrity and harmless Innocency of Jean Urick who was a Devout Poor Man who spent Eight hours of his Time in Prayer Eight in Labor and but Eight in Sleep and other Necessaries And with this Complaint to another who admired his Astonishing Learning and Industry Ah Vitam perdedi opero se nihil Agendo And this Direction to a Third that desired in his great Learning and Wisdom in brief to shew him what to do who bade him Be Serious Count Gundomer was as great a Wit and Statesman as ever Europe knew and took as much Liberty in point of Religion till drawing towards his latter end he would say as they say of Ansalem I fear nothing more in the World than Sin often professing That if he saw Corporally the Horror of Sin on the one hand and the Pains of Hell on the other and must necessarily be plunged into the One he would choose Hell rather than Sin yea that what liberty soever he had taken he had rather be torn in pieces with Wild Horses than wittingly or willingly run into any Sin. Above all says Sir Philip Sidney at the time of his Death govern your Will and Affections by the Word and Will of your Creator and in me behold the end of this World. Damnation PEter Lumbard says GOD Condemns none before he Sins nor Crowns any before he Overcomes Disrespect IF any despise thee do not bear a grudge against him for it And be not offended with any meerly because they do not Honor thee If any neglect or slight thee care not for it yet observe it Distrust IT is Distrust of God to be troubled about that which is to come Impatience against God to be troubled for what is present and Anger at him to be troubled at what is past Vid. Afflictions and Sufferings Doubting ONe cause of uncomfortable Living is That Christians look more at their present Cause of Comfort or Discomfort than they do at their future Happiness and the way to attain it Another cause of Doubting is The weakness and small measure of your Graces
somewhat more from you to Comfort my Stomach for unless the Lord assist me in his Service I shall play the White-liver'd Knight but he can make a Coward in his Cause to Fight like a Man. Jerom of Prague being ready to be Burned these were his last words This Soul of mine in Flames of Fire O Christ I offer unto thee Sir Thomas More said We go to Hell with more pain than we may go to Heaven with Honor. IT is Machiavils Rule That they that rise very high should descend timely to quit the Envy lest they lose the Honor of their Greatness Queen Elizabeth asked Sir Nicholas Bacon Why his House was so little he answered My House is not too little for me but you have made me too big for my House Heavenly Country HOw Worthy yea how necessary a thing it were that they that is the Lord Burleigh and Sir Francis Walsingham should at length bid farewel to the Snares one of a Secretery and the other of an Ambassador and should both of them set their Minds upon their Heavenly Country and by Repentance ask Mercy of GOD. Human Affairs Human Affairs are so uncertain that he seemeth the Wisest Man not who hath a Spirit to go on but he that hath a Wariness to come off And that seems the best Course that hath most Passages out of it Hatred THe World perhaps doth not Love us have we not reason to thank it if it make us place our Affections on Heaven Epiphanius used to say That he never let his Adversary Sleep not that he disturbed him in his Sleep but because he agreed with him presently and would not let the Sun go down upon his Wrath. Prosper saith Thou shalt neither Hate the Man for his Vice nor Love the Vice for the Mans sake Heart and Tongue CYprian saith Two things never wax Old in Man the Heart ever imagining new Cogitations and the Congue uttering vain Corruptions of the Heart Hearing the Word Cyril saith Some came to Church to see Fashions others to meet their Friends yet it is better come so than not at all In the mean time the Net is laid and they that intend nothing less are drawn into Christ who catches them not to destroy them but that being Dead he may bring them to Life Eternal St. Bernard when he came to the Church Door used to say this to himself Stay here all my Worldly Thoughts and Vanity that I may entertain Heavenly Meditations Hereticks IRaeneus was wont to compare the Hereticks and Schismaticks of his Time to Esop's Dogg that lost the Substance of Religion whil'st they gaped too earnestly after the Shaddow It was St. Hierom's saying Dead Flesh is to be cut off for fear of Gangrene Arias at first was but a Spark but being not suppressed betimes proved the Incendary of the whole Church Holiness ISodore faith Knowledge and a Good Life are both very profitable yet if both cannot be attained a Good Life is rather to be sought than much Knowledge Hope WE will never part comfortably with our Enjoyments on Earth till we have comfortable Thoughts of better in Heaven That Hope of Salvation that is not accompanied with Heart Purification is vain Hope Humility IT is a lowly frame and habit of Spirit arising from a due sence of the glorious Excellency of Almighty God and our own Frailties and Infirmities and upon our Infinite dependance on his Bounty Goodness and Mercy whereby we are under a constant firm and sound Conviction that all that is in us or that is Injoyed or can be expected by us is from the free and undeserved Liberality of that glorious GOD. An Humble Man says Alexander of Hales is like a good Tree the more fuller of Fruit the Branches are the lower they bend themselves It is the empty Soul I mean one empty of Pride Self-conceit and Vain-Glory that is capable of Satisfaction with the Divine Goodness If an Humble Man doth any Good Noble or becoming Action he checks the first motions of Pride and Ostentations in himself and receives not the Applause of others but directs all to the Praise and Glory of it to that God that hath done it for him and by him Not unto us but unto thy Name give the Glory C. J. Hales 141. And Justice Hales said I can call my own Experience to witness that even in the external Actions Occurrences and Incidencies of my whole Life I was never disappointed of the best Guidance and Direction when in Humility and the sence of my own deficiency and diffidence of my own Ability to direct my self or grapple with the difficulties of my Life I have with Humility and Sincerity employed the secret Directions and Guidance of the Divine Providence and I dare therein appeal to the vigilant and strict Observance of any Man's Experience whether he hath not found the same Experience in relation to himself and his own Actions and Successes whether those Counsels and Purposes which have been taken up after an humble Invocation of the Divine Direction have not always been most successful in the end 146 and 130. Hypocrisie Hypocrisie is to do the outward Acts without the inward Sincerity now to do them without Sincerity is to do them without Love for to do a thing in Love is to do it in Sincerity that is the best way to know it by A man that doth much to God but not out of Love all that he doth is out of Hypocrisie Doctor Preston The Hypocrite hath a Profession that he may not seem Wicked but it is but a Profession and therein he is Wicked He that pretends to Godliness by a specious Profession and yet doth not practise Godliness by an holy Conversation he hath a Form but doth deny the Power Mead. It is seriousness and earnestness about fleshly Vanity and want of seriousness about things Spiritual and Eternal which is the temper and Character of the Hypocrite Jests ARche made King James sensible of the danger the Prince was in in Spain by telling him he would change Caps with him Why said the King because thou hast sent the Prince into Spain from whence he is never likely to return But said the King What wilt thou say if thou see him return back again Marry said he I will take off the Fools Cap which I now put on thy head for sending him thither and put it on the King of Spains for letting him return Secretary Baurus's Son kept a Gentlemans Wife in Shropshire and when he was weary of her caused her Husband to be dealt with to take her home again assuring him of 500 l. for Reparation The Gentleman went to Sir Henry Sidney to take his Advice telling him That his Wife promised him to live a new Life and to say the truth 500 l. would be very seasonable at that time By my troth said Sir Henry take her home and the Money with her and then whereas other Cuckholds wear their Hornes plain you may wear yours Guilt
a little Faith and Love in and to Christ is next to none at all and therefore not easily diserned as they will be when they are strong labor therefore by Prayer for more What thou Doubtest do not Duties INternal Acts of Duty put a Goodness into Externals It is our Faith Fear and Love of God that makes our Duties good The Almost-Christian can Pray but cannot Love God can Teach or Hear but he cannot take delight in God Job 17.10 for Delight arises from a suitableness between the Faculty and the Object Now none more unsuitable than God and a Carnal Heart Also Delight arises from having what we desire and from enjoying what we have How then can he delight in God that neither enjoyeth nor hath nor desireth Good. Delight in God is one of the highest Exercises of Grace and therefore how can he delight in God that hath no Grace Would you be a Christian indeed then be much in the use and exercises of Religious Ordinances but much more on Faith and dependance on Christ and his Righteousness The Profeffor rests in Duties and so is but almost a Christian but ye must be sure to rest upon the Lord Christ This is the way to be altogether a Christian if you believe that you are Abraham's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise Let me Pray now as if I should never have Time to Pray more Hear now as if this were the last opportunity to of Hearing Leave nothing to do till to Morrow that may possibly be done to Day What true Christians should we be if we did not reckon of a Morrow but see what a grand Deceit lies here by putting it off till to Morrow we gratifie our Conscience in this That we intend to do it hereafter but most of all please Corruptions in this That we do it not to day If thou would'st keep thy Heart from vain Excursions realize to thy self by Faith the Holy and Awful Presence of God in Duties Flavel Delays THe Ripeness of the Occasion must ever be well weighed there is surely no greater Wisdom than well to Time the first onset of things If a Man watch too long for Dangers it is ods but he will fall asleep On the other hand to be deceived with too large Shaddow as some have been when the Moon was low and shone on their Enemies Back and so to shoot before the time To teach Dangers to come on by too early buckling to them as another extream Bacon's Essays 195. Disparagement CErtainly he that Disparages another by a Satyrical Wit as he makes others afraid of his Wit so he hath need to be afraid of others Memories Ibid. Dissimulation THe best Disposition and Temper is to have openess in Fame and Opinion secresie in Habit Dissimulation in seasonable use and a Power to feign if there be no Remedy Ibid. 31. Doctrine CHRIST came down from Heaven for this very end namely To teach us the way to Eternal Life and therefore saith of himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life I come to Teach all these things unto you and all the World. B. of Hereford Dignities SOme that lived commendably before they attained to Dignity being set on the Candlestick of the Church turn their Light into Darkness It had been better for such Lights still to have been under a Bushel Drunkenness AS the Clouds darken Heaven so Intemperate Banqueting the Mind As the Violence of Winds and Waves sinks a Ship so Drunkenness and Gluttony sinks our Souls and Bodies into Hell. Chrisologus Qui peccat ebrius luat sobrias If thou Offend when thou art Drunk thou must be Punished when thou art Sober Delights THeodoret says The Delights of the Soul are to know her Maker and to know her own State. Devils Power THe Devils without Christ's leave had no Power over the Gaderan's Swine much less have they Power over GOD's Sheep Tertullian Equity EQUITY without Goodness is Severity and Justice without Piety Cruelty Earthly Things COnsidering the Vanity of Earthly Things Iraeneus saith What is that Honor that is so short lived as that perhaps it was not of Yesterday neither will be to Morrow And such Men that labor so much for it are but like Froth which tho' it be uppermost yet is unprofitable Evidences WHen thou hast Evidences of thy Sincerity which cannot in reason be gain-said hold to them and take Comfort in them yet still endeavor by reviews and diligent searchings to clear it more and more We keep our Evidences by keeping our Graces in lively Exercise Election GOD by his Word calleth all but his Secret Election appointeth who shall hear with Fruit. GOD hath according to the Tenor of his Covenant procured Salvation for all if they will Believe but he hath procured for his Chosen even this condition of Believing Envy OF all other Affections it is most Importune and continual for of all other Affections there is an occasion given but now and then but Envy is ever working on some or other And it is also noted that Love and Envy make a Man Pine which other Affections do not because they are so continual It is also the vilest Affection and most depraved for which cause it is the proper Attribute of the Devil who is called the Envious Man that soweth Tares among the Wheat by Night as it always cometh to pass that Envy worketh Subtilty and in the Dark and to the prejudice of good things such as Wheat Bacon's Essays 49. Prosper saith The Envious Man hath so many Tortures as the Envied hath Praises It is the Justice of Envy to Torment and Kill the Envious Examination THe end of Examination is to bring a Man to such a sight of his Sins as might truly humble him and make him sensible of his own danger that hath provoked so great a Majesty who is able so sadly to revenge himself upon him and that will surely even to the most Carnal Heart appear a most reasonable ground of Sorrow But that is not all It must likewise bring him to a sence and Abhorrency of his Baseness and Ingratitude that hath thus offended so good and Gracious a God that hath made such unkind and unworthy Returns to those tender Mercies of his Whole Duty of Man. Vide herein Humility It 's said of Sir Thomas More That the Government of his Family was exact enjoyning all his Children to take Vertue for their Meat and Play for their Sawce Encouragement ONe Writ to the Duke of Buckingham That Disincouragements would deter Men of Parts whom Encouragements might make Servicable Elegancy SIR Francis Bacon's Axiom was Words should wait on Things and not Things on Words And his Resolution was That all affected Elegance was below the Gravity and Majesty of a publick Discourse FAITH I Have One Definition of Faith which is the best Faith saith Lord Chief Justice Hales is a firm assent to the Sacred Truths whether the Truths relate to things past as that God made the
Moment unto me for that it hath as great an Influence on my Spirit as any inward thing hath and I believe God will provide for me herein or otherwise supply the want of it My earnest request therefore to God is That my outward Condition may be so stated by his wise and gracious Providence as may be least exposed to Temptations and best disposed and furthered as to Duty Mr. Corbet Truth DIonisius Areopagitus said That he desired Two Things of God 1st That he might know the Truth himself 2d That he might Preach it as he ought to others Help me O Lord that I may examine my Self in the Evening how I have born the Troubles and Crosses of the Day Did I not Murmur Vex and Sink Did I not Entertain hard Thoughts nor utter hard Words against God One being designed an Agent waited on the knowing Lord Wentworth for some Directions for his Conduct and Carriage who delivered himself thus To secure your self and serve your Country you must at all Times and upon all Occasions speak Truth and by this means Truth will secure your self if you be questioned and those you deal with who will still run counter to a loss in all your Disquisitions and Undertakings Theodosius Junior said That Emperors of all other Men were most Miserable because commonly the Truth of Business was concealed from them Vntowardliness SIR Edward Fox in his First years none more untowardly in his last none more staid The untoward Youth makest the ablest Man he that hath Mettle to be Extravagant when he cannot govern himself hath a Spirit to be eminent when he can Vsurpation THE Earl of Strafford used this Maxime That there is no danger small but what is thought so This was his great Principle Usurped Royalty was never laid down by Perswasion from Royal Clemency for with Tirants Omne Jus Regni Vain-Glory I Have an Inclination to seek Self particularly in vain Applause and that in Religious Services and herein I have been highly Guilty but I shame my Self for it before God and am willing to be satisfied with the Praise that comes from Him alone I trust through his Grace that I my self in matter of Reputation seek to do his Will. Corbet's Enquiry Victory THere is a compleat Victory and an incompleat over the World 1 John 1.3 If we say we have no Sin we deceive our Selves and the Truth is not in us The compleat Victory our Saviour only performed John 14.30 The Prince of this World hath nothing in me which cannot be so with us until our Change come for until then we carry about with us Lusts Passions and Corruptions which without Vigilancy kept under and daily impaired in their Power and Malignity will hold Corespondency with the Prince thereof and be ready to betray and deceive us tho never to regain their Empire and So veraignty and the Reason is significantly given by the Apostle 1 John 3.9 For his Seed abideth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God Indeed he may and shall have Sin as he hath Flesh about him 1 John 1.3 If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us for tho we have Sin still abiding in us and like the Byas of a Bowl warping us to the World yet that Vital Seminal Principle of the Grace of God in Christ always keeps its Ground its Life its Tendency towards Heaven and wears out and gradually subdues the contrary Tendency of Sin and Corruption Hales 101. Vertues TO set out Vertues and by Words to destroy the same are nothing worth All the Vertues are so linked together that he that hath one hath all and he that wants one wants all Vertues separated are annihillated Chrysologus Heavenly Sayings SEneca a man of great Parts Prudence and Experience after a serious Study of almost all the Philosophy then in the World was almost a Christian in his severe Reproofs of Vice and Excellent Discourses of Vertue and Jerom reckoning him for his supposed Epistle to St. Paul and St. Paul's to him being read by them that study saith Mr. Gattater Divinity as they that study other Learning came to that Excellent Temper by the Consideration of his reduced years which is to be seen in his Excellent Preface to his Natural Questions What a pitiful Thing is Man were it not that his Soul soared above these Earthly Things yea and was somewhat dubious as to the future Condition of the Soul Yet he could tell his dear Friend Lucilius With what Pleasure he could think of it and at last he was settled in his Opinion of an everlasting State with thought That the Soul had the mark of Divinity in it That it was most pleased with Divine Speculations and conversed with them as matter that did not merely concern it and when it had once viewed the Dimensions of the Heavens it was asham'd of the Cottage it dwelt in Nay were it not for these Contemplations it had not been worth the while for the Soul to have been in the Body as he goes on Whence come such amazing Fears such dreadful Apprehensions such startling Thoughts of their Future Condition in Mind that would fain ease themselves believing that Death would put an end or period to Soul and Body When on the other side come such encouraging Hopes such confident Expectations comfortable Preposessions of their future State in the Souls of Men when their Bodies are nearest the Grave and whilst the Soul is kept in its Cage it is coutinually fluttering up and down and delights to look out now at this part and then at the other to take a view by Degrees of the whole Universe To these Notions of the future State it was that Caesar owed that Opinion of Death That it was better to die once than to lose his Life in continual Expectations of Death being troubled with that Unhappiness of Men mentioned in Atheneus That he had done his Work as if it had been his Play and his Play as if it had been his Work. Daniel Hensive Historiographer at Leyden Secretary and Bibliotheatory of that Famous University appointed Notary of the Synod at Dort said at last Ah as to Humane Learning I may use Solomon's Expression That which is crooked cannot be made streight Methinks saith the same Hensive and Mr. Baxter out of him I can bid the World farewel Immure my self among my Books and look forth no more were it a Lawful Course but shut the Door upon me as in the lapse of Eternity and among those Divine Sages employ my self with Content and pitty the Rich and Great Ones that know not this Happiness Surely then it is true Delight indeed which in the true Lap of Eternity is enjoyed Francis Junius a Gentile and Ingenious Person who hath written his own Life as he was reading Tully de Legibus fell into a Perswasion Nihil curare Deum nec sui nec alieni till in a Tumult at Lyons the Lord