sure it is within these thirty yeers these things were not known nor heard of And what say you then to painting of faces laying open of naked brests dying of hair wearing of periwigs and other hair coronets and top-gallants And what say you to our artificiall women which will be better than God hath made them They like not his handy-work they will mend it and have other complexions other faces other hair other bones other brests and other bellies then God made them Theol. This I say that you and I and all the Lords people have great and just cause of mourning weeping and lamentation because such abomination is committed in Israel Davids eyes gushed out with rivers of teares 〈◊〉 9 because men kept not Gods lawes and an horrible feare came upon him because men forsook the law of God 〈◊〉 5 1. J remie did sigh in secret wishing that his head were full of water and his eyes a fountain of teares because of the sinnes of the people Nehemiah mourned for the transgression of Gods people Nâ—hem 1â— Lots just soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites and sâ—â—ll wee moâ—rne nothing at all for tâ—â—se things shall wee be no whit grieved for the pride of our land shall wee shed no teares for such horrible and intolerable abominations They are odious in the sâ—ght of God and men the aire stinketh of them It is Gods marvellous patience that the Dwell doth not carry them away quick and rid the earth of them or that fire and brimstone doth not come downe from heaven and consume them Antil You are too hot in these matters of attire you make more of them then there is cause Asun I con him thank Gods blessing on his heart I shall love him the better while I know him because he is so earnest against such shamefull and detestable pride Is it not a shame that women professing true religion should make themselves such pictures puppets and peacocks as they doe And yet I hear few Preachers in the pulpit speak against it Antil I marvell you should be so earnest in matters of apparell You know well enough that apparell is an indifferent thing and that religion and the kingdome of God doth not consist in these things Theol. I know right well that apparell in its own nature is a thing indifferent but lewd wanton immodest and offensive apparell is not indifferent For all such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them and maketh them sinfull and evill by câ—rcumstance For otherwise why should the Lord threaten by his Prophet that he would visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as were cloathed with strange apparell that is the fashions of other countries Zephan 1.8 Againe why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and mincing minions of Jerusalem for their pride and vanity in attire if there were no evill iâ— such kind of abuse The Lord saith thus in the third of Esay against those brave and gallant dames Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walk with stretched-out necks and with wandring eyes walking and mincing as they goe and make a tinkling with their feet therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Sion bald and the Lord shall discover their secret parts In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calls and the round tires the sweet balls and the bracelets and the bonnets the tires of the head and the slops the head-bands and the tablets the earings the rings and the mufflers the costly apparell and the veiles and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoods and the lawns And in stead of sweet savour there shall be stink and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing of the haire baldnesse and in stead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning in stead of beauty Then shall her gates mourn and lament and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground Thus we see how terribly the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of Jerusalem for their excessive and abominable pride And this may well be a mirrour for the proud minious of our age which assuredly may well fear the Lord will bring some such judgement upon them as he did upon the daughters of Jerusalem For their sin is as great in this kind as was the daughters of Sion and God is the same God now that he was then to punish it Antil Tush never speak so much of these matters of apparell for we must do as others do and follow the fashion or else we shall not be esteemed Theol. If you follow them not you shall be more esteemed of God of his Angels Saints and all good men As for all others if you esteem them more then these you shew what you are Antil Well for all that say you what you will pride is in the heart and not in the apparell For one may be proud of plain apparell as well as of costly And some are as proud of their falling bands and little sets as others are of their great ruffes Theol. You speak foolishly for how know you that Can you judge mens hearts and inward affections Can you say when mens and womens apparell is sober modest and Christian like that they have proud hearts and are proud of that attire You goe very farr indeed to judge the heart You ought to judge charitably of such as goe soverly and modestly attired even that their heart is according to their attire And for you wee may rather think your heart is vain light and foolish because your attire doth strongly argue it And as the Prophet saith The triall of your countenance testifieth against you you declare your sinnes as Sodom and hide them not Esay 3.9 Phil. I pray you then set downe some rules for apparell out of the Scriptures Theol. I may well set down what I will but surely most men and women will doe what they list For verily it may be thought that many of this age have forsworne God and his word and all goodnesse For they are come to this point let God say what he will they will doe what they list For as the Prophet saith They have made a covenant with hell and with death and are grown to an agreement Esay 28.15 And I doe verily think if God himselfe should come downe from heaven in his own person and disswade men and women from this vanity of apparell yet would they still use it as it were in despight of God and as it were to anger him the more For they are so extraordinarily enamoured and so immoderately delighted with it and doe so continually and altogether dote on it and are so wood-mad of it that they will have it though men and Angels and all the world say nay nay which is more though they should goe to the Divell quicke with it And therefore it is but
I finde saith hee more bitter then death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares and her hands as bands Hee that is good before God shall bee delivered from her but the sinner shall be taken by her Wee doe therefore plainly see in what a labyrinth and dangerous case they be that are left of God and given over to whoredome and harlots and therefore it is said Prov. 6.5 Desire not her beauty in thine heart neither let her eye-lids catch thee for by a whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread and the adulteresse hunteth for life which is precious Pro. 5.3 4. Againe hee saith Albeit the lips of an harlot drop as an honey-comb and the roofe of her mouth is softer then oyle yet her latter end is bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a two-edged sword All these prudent speeches of the holy Ghost doe most evidently shew unto us what a fearfull thing it is to commit whoredome and so to fall into the hands of whores and harlots Therefore Job saith of the wicked Job 36.14 Their soul dieth in youth and their life among the whoremongers Phil. You have very well shewed out of Gods book the great danger of whoredome and adultery And it is greatly to bee lamented that men in this age make so light of it as they do and that it is so common a vice nay that some alas with griefe I speak it do professe it live by it and prostitute themselves wholly unto it Theol. Such men and women may justly fear the plaguing hand of God for the Lord saith by his Prophet Though I fed them to the full Ier. 5.7 yet they committed adultery and assembled themselves by companies in harlots houses They rose up in the morning like fed horses for every man neighed after his neighbours wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation Phil. Me thinks if men were not altogether hardened in this sinne and even past feeling and past grace this threatning and thundering of God himselfe from heaven should terrifie them Theol. A man would think so indeed but now we may take up the old complaint of the Prophâ—t Ieâ— 8.6 I hearkened and heard and loe no man spake aright no man repented him of his evill saying What have I done Every one turneth to their race as the horse rusheth into the battell Antil Tush whoredom is but a trick of youth and we see all men have their in perfections Theol. You speake profanely and wickedly For shall wee count that but a tricke of youth 1 Cor. 1â— 8 for the which the Lord smote three and twenty thousand of his owne people in one day Shall wee count that but a tricke of youth for the which the Lord threatned David his owne servant 2 Sam. 12.10 that the sword should never depart from his house Shall wee count that but a tricke of youth for the which Hamor and Sechem the father and the sonne Gen. 34.25 and many other both men women and children were cruelly murdered by Simeon and Levi the sonnes of Jacob Shall wee count that but a trick of youth for the which the Lord slew Hophni and Phineas 1 Sam. 4.11 the two sonnes of Eli the Priest in the battell of the Philistines Shall we thus set all at six and seven and make light of such horrible villanies Doth not the severity of the punishment shew the greatnesse of the sinne Doth not the Apostle say 1 Cor. 10.11 These things came unto them for our examples upon whom the ends of the world are come And yet you passe it over with a tush and a trick of youth as if God were to be dallied with No no be not deceived God is not mocked They which will not bee moved now in hearing shall one day bee crushed in pieces in feeling And they which now call whoredome a tricke of youth shall one day howle and cry yell and yelp for such tricks with woe and alas that ever they were born Antil Oh Sir you must beare with youth youth you know is fraile and youth will bee youthfull when you have said all that you can Theol. Yea but God doth allow no more liberty unto youth then unto age but bindeth all upon paine of death to the obedience of his commandements Titus 2.6 The Apostle saith Let yong men be sober minded David saith Wherewith shall a young man cl anse his way Psal 119.9 In taking heed thereto according to thy word The wise man saith Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 And further addeth that if they will needs follow their lusts their pleasures and their own swinge yet in the end hee will bring them to judgement arraigne them condemn them and tame them in hell fire well enough Phil. Yet wee see men are so violently carryed after their lusts and so desperately bent that they will have the present sweet and pleasure of sin come of it what will Come sicknesse come death come hell come damnation they are at a point they will pay the highest price for their lust They will purchase their plâ—asures with the losse of their soules O wofull purchase O damnable pleasures Thâ—ol Sweete meate will have sowre sauce and a dram of pleasure a pound of sorrow Such cursed câ—itifes shall at last pay a deare shot for their pleasures Such desperate wretches shall one day know to their everlasting woe what it is to provoke God and to sin with so high an hand against him They shall well know in spight of their hearts that vengeance is prepared for the wicked and that there is a God that judgeth the earth Heb. 1â— 4 Let all men therefore take heed in time for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge And the Apostle saith flatly That whorâ—mongâ—rs and adulterers shall not inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Heb. 12. Let therefore no fornicator or unclean person be found among us as was Esau but let us abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soul 1 Pet. 1.2 And let every one know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God 1 Thes 4.5 Herein let us consider the wise speech of an ancient Father Sinne Chrysost in Matth. while it is in doing ministreth some pleasure but when it is committed the short pleâ—sure thereof vanisheth away and long sorrow cometh in stead of it Neither let us here reject the saying of a wise Heathen Isocrat ad Demon. Shun pleasure for fear of smart Sowr things follow sweet and joy heavinesse Antil Yet for all this you shall not make mee beleeve that whoredome is so hainous a matter You make more of it then it is Theol. True indeed for you and such as you are will beleeve nothing against your
be without them they are very good for them For when Gods children are chastised it is as it should be For to them the crosse is mercy and losse is gain Afflictions are their schooling and their adversitie their best Vniversity It is good for mee saith the holy man of God that I have been afflicted Psal 118. that I might learn thy statutes By his afflictions therefore hee learned much and became a good schollar in Gods booke and well seen in his statutes and lawes Hee grew to great wisedome and judgement by his chastisements All things turned about in Gods mercifull providence to his everlasting comfort For I say againe and againe That all things tend to the good of Gods chosen people And therefore that estate which God will have his children to be in is alwayes best for them because he who can best discern what is best seeth it to bee best for them whether it bee sicknesse or health poverty or plenty prison or liberty prosperity or adversity For sometimes sicknesse is better for us then health and poverty then plenty Are therefore the children of God sick It is best for them Are they poore It is best for them Are they in any trouble It is best for them because their good Father will turne it to the best Hee will oftentimes cut us short of our lusts and desires because hee seeth we will bane our selves with them Hee in fatherly care will take the knife from us because hee seeth wee will hurt our selves with it Hee will keep us short of health and wealth because hee knoweth wee will bee the worse for them Hee will not give us too much ease and prosperity in this world for hee knoweth it will poyson us Hee will not allow us continuall rest like standing ponds for then hee knoweth wee will gather scum and filth Hee dealeth fatherly and mercifully with us in all things even then seeking our greatest good when wee thinke hee doth us most harme And to speak all in a word he bringeth us into troubles and straits to this end especially that hee may hear of us For he right wel knoweth our nature he is well acquainted with our disposition hee knoweth we will not come at him but when wee stand in need of him we care not for him so long as all goeth well with us But if wee come into distresse or want any thing that we faine would have then hee is sure to heare of us as he saith by the Prophet Hos 3.15 In their affliction they will seek me early And another Prophet saith Lord Isa 26.26 in trouble have they visited thee They poured out a prayer when thy chastisement was upon them So then now I hope you do plainly see the cause why the Lord bringeth his children into so many troubles and necessities Phil. I do see it indeed and am very well satisfied in it But yet let mee aske you one thing further Are Gods children alwaies sure to be delivered out of their troubles Theol. Yes verily and out of doubt so farre forth as God seeth good for them For it is written Great are the troubles of the righteous Psal 34.19 but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Saint Peter saith â— Pâ—â—â— 1 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation As if hee should say Hee is well beaten to it and well seen and experienced in it so as hee can doe it easily and without any trouble at all It is said of Joseph being in prison That when his appointed time was come Phil. 105 1◠〈◊〉 and the counsell of the Lord had tryed him the King sent and loosed him the Ruler of the people delivered him And againe the Scripture saith Psal 34. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles The Angell of the Lord tarrieth round about them that feare him and delivereth them And in another place the Lord himselfe saith concerning the righteous man Psal 91.17 Because he hath loved me therefore I will deliver him I will exalt him because hee hath knowne my name He shall call upon me in trouble and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him Job 5. So also saith Eliphas the Temanite Hee shall deliver thee in six troubles and in the seventh the evill shall not touch thee Come my people saith the Lord Isa 25.22 enter thou into my Chambers and shut the doores after thee hide thy selfe for a very little while untill the indignation passe over And the Prophet saith Obad. 27. â—â— Upon Mount Sion shall be deliverance and it shall be holy and the house of Jacob shall possesse their hereditarie possessions Almost innumerable places of the Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but these may suffice Therefore let us know for a certainty that so sure as trouble and affliction are to the children of God so sure also is deliverance out of the same As we may write of the one and make reckoning of it as sure as the coat on our backe so may wee also in Gods good time write of the other and make full account of it as sure as the Lord is true Abraham was in trouble but delivered Job in trouble but delivered David in great trouble but delivered The three children in the furnace but delivered Daniel in the Lions den but delivered Jonas in the Whales belly but delivered Paul in innumerable troubles but yet delivered out of all Phil. All this being true that you say it followeth that Gods children are chastised only for their good and evermore sure of deliverance in his appointed time Which thing being so mee thinks there is no cause at all why they should bee over-heavie or too much cast down in their afflictions Theol. Assuredly there is no cause at all but rather cause why they should rejoyce clap their hands and sing Care away For can a father forsake his children a King his subjects a master his servant or a shepherd his sheep Doth not Jehovah say I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. Doth not our heavenly Father know wee have need of these things Hath not God given us his word that we shall not want outward things Hath hee not said they shall bee cast upon us Why then should wee bee dismayed Why should wee hang down our heads Why doe wee not plucke up good hearts and be of good cheere God is our dear Father hee is our best friend hee is our daily Benefactor or hee keepeth us at his own cost and charges he grudgeth us nothing he thinketh nothing too much for us hee loveth us most deadly hee is most charie and tender over us hee cannot endure the winde should blow upon us hee will have us want nothing that is good for us If we will out gold wee shall have it He hath given us his faithfull
and deceits that are in it and of it I pray you let us now proceed and first of all tell mee by what means the new birth is wrought Theol By the preaching of the word as the outward meanes 1 Pet. 1 2.3 John 1â— 3 Acts 10.44 Ephes 4.3 and the secret worke of the spirit as the inward means Phil. Many hear the word preached and are nothing the better but rather the worse what I pray you is the cause of that Theol. Mens own incredulity and hardnesse of heart because God in his wrath leaveth them to themselves and depriveth them of his spirit without the which all preaching is in vain For except the spirit doe follow the word into our hearts Act. 16.14 wee can finde no joy taste nor comfort therein Phil. Cannot a man attain unto regeneration and the new birth without the word and the spirit Theol. No verily For they are the instruments and means whereby God doth work it Antil Why may not a man have as good a faith to God-ward that heareth no Sermons as hee that heareth all the Sermons in the world Theol. Why may not he which eateth no meat be as fat and as well liking as hee that eateth all the meat in the world For is not the preaching of the word the food of our souls Antil I like not so much hearing of Sermons and reading of the Scriptures except men could keep them better Theol. Faithfull and honest hearers do therefore hear that they may be more able to observe and do For a man cannot do the will of God before he know it and hee cannot know it without hearing and reading Antil I marvell what good men doe get by gadding to Sermons and poring so much in the Scripture or what are they better then others There are none more full of envie and malice then they They will doe their neighbour a shrewd turn as soon as any body and therefore in mine opinion they be but a company of hypocrites and precise fools Theol. You judge uncharitably Full little doe you know what they feel or what good Gods people get by hearing of the word For the work of the spirit in the hearts of the elect is very secret and altogether hid from the world John â— 8 as it is written The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whither it goeth or whence it cometh so is every man that is born of the spirit And againe The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Amil. Tush tush what needs all this adoâ— If a man say his Lords prayer his ten Commandements and his Beleefe keep them and say no body harme not doe no body harm and doe as hee would be done to have a good faith to God-ward and be a man of Gods beliefe no doubt hee shall be saved without all this running to Sermons and pratling of the Scripture Theol. Now you powr it out indeed you thinke you have spoken wise y. But alas you have bewrayed your great ignorance For you imagine a man may bee saved without the word which is a grosse errour Antil It is no matter say you what you will and all the Preachers in the world besides as long as I serve God and say my prayers duly and truely morning and evening and have a good faith in God and put my whole trust in him and doe my true intent and have a good mind to God-ward and a good meaning although I am not learned yet I hope it will serve the turn for my soules health For that God which made mee must save me It is not you that can save me for all your learning and all your Scriptures Theol. You may very fitly be compared to a sick man who having his brain distempered with heat raveth and speaketh idly he cannot tell what For the holy Ghost saith Pâ—o. 18.9 Hee that turneth away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abominable And again Prov. 13.15 He that destroyeth the word shall be destroyed So long therefore as you despise Gods word and turn away your ear from hearing his Gospel preached all your prayers your fantasticall serving of God your good meanings and your good intents are to no purpose but most odious and loathsome in the sight of God as it is written My soule hateth your new moons Esa 1.14 and your appointed feasts they are a burthen unto mee I am weary to beare them When you stretch out your hands I will hide mine eye from you and though you make many prayers I will not hear For your hands are full of bloud And again the Lord saith by the same Prophet He that killeth a bullock Esa 66.3 is as if he slâ—w a man hee that sacrificeth a sheep as if hee cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud hee that remembreth incense as if hee blessed an idol Where you see the Lord telleth you his mind touching thâ—se matters to wit that all your prayers services good meanings c. are abominable unto him so long as you walk in ignorance profanenesse disobedience and contempt of the Gospel For hee saith in the words immediately going before To him will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Asun I grant indeed for them that are idle and have little to do it is not amisse now and then to hear a Sermon and read the Scriptures but wee have no leasure we must follow our businesse we cannot live by the Scriptures they are not for plain folk they are too high for us wee will not meddle with them They belong to Preachers and Ministers Theol Jâ—â—â— 10. Christ saith My sheep heare my voice and I give unto them eternall life If therefore you refuse to heare the voice of Christ you are none of his sheep neither can you have eternall life And in another place our Lord Iesus saith John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word Ye therefore hear it not because ye are not of God Saint Paul writing to all sorts of men both rich and poore high and low men and women Colos 3.1 young and old exhorteth that the word of Christ may dwell plenteously in them all in all wisdom You see therefore that the Apostle would have all sorts of people that have souls to save to bee well acquainted with the Scriptures Therefore you may as well say you will not meddle with God with Christ nor with everlasting life as to say you will not meddle with the Scriptures Asun Well I cannot read and therefore I cannot tell what Christ or what Saint Paul may say but this I am sure of that God is a good man worshipped might he be hee is mercifull and that we must be saved by our good prayers and good serving of God Theol. You speak foolishly and
lusts and fleshly delights and that is the cause why you are deafe on this care I will therefore adde a word or two more out of the Oracles of God to that which hath beene spoken Pro. 6.31 〈◊〉 The wise King saith Hee that committeth adultery with women destroyeth his owne soule and so is accessâ—ry to his owne death which is no small matter For we use to say if a man hang himselfe drowne himselfe or any manner of way make away himselfe that he was cursed of God that Gods hand was heavie against him that the Divell ought him a shame and now he hath paid it him And all the countrey rings of such a strange accident when and where it falleth out and the Crowner of the countrey doth sit upon it How much more may all the world wonder at this that a man should destroy his owne soule and wittingly and willingly cast away himselfe for ever Now the holy Ghost saith The adulterer doth such an act giveth such a venture and willingly murthereth himselfe Oh therefore woe unto him that ever hee was borne for sure it is that the great Crowner of heaven that crowns whom hee will crowne shall one day sit upon it and give judgement Moreover as the adulterer sinneth against his soule so also hee sinneth against his bodie after a speciall manner 1 Cor 6.13 as witnesseth the Apostle Also hee sinneth against his goods and outward estate as the holy man Job testifieth saying Job 5â— 12 Adulterie is a fire that devoureth to destruction and it will root out all our increase Furthermore hee sinneth against his name Prov. 6.33 For the Adulterer shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproach shall never be put away Item hee sinneth against his wife who is his companion Mâ—â—â— 14 15. and the wife of his covenant And God saith in the same place Let none trespasse against the wife of his youth keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not Last of all hee sinneth against his children and posterity as the Lord said to David Because thou hast despised mee 2 Sâ—â— 12 1â— and done this therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house Behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine owne house Now therefore to conclude this point wee may see how many deadly wounds men make themselves by committing of adulterie They wound themselves in their soules they wound themselves in their bodies they wound themselves in their goods they wound themselves in their names they wound themselves in their wives and in their children What man except hee were stark mad would thrust in himselfe in so many places at once The Adulterer with his one sinne of adultery maketh all these deadly wounds in himselfe and it is an hundred to one hee will never get them cured but will die and bleed to death of them Lo thus you see the dangerous quality and condition of this sin Shall wee now therefore make light of it Shall wee say It is but a trick of youth Shall wee smooth over the matter with sweet words when the holy Ghost maketh it so hainous and capitall Shall wee make nothing of that which draweth downe Gods wrath upon the soule body goods name wife and children That were an intolerable blindnesse and most extreme hardnesse of heart An ancient Writer hath long agoe passed sentence upon us Basil in Epist who make so light of this sinne for saith hee Adultery is the very hook of the Divell whereby hee draweth us to destruction And another godly Father saith Gregor that adultery is like a furnace whose mouth is gluttony the flame pride the sparkles filthy words the smoak an ill name the ashes poverty and the end shame And so wee plainly see that howsoever wee regard not this sinne but flatter our selves in it yet those whose eyes the Lord hath opened have in all ages condemned it as most flagitious and horrible yea the very Heathen wil rise up in judgment against us who have spoken and written many things against this filthy and beastly vice Phil. Now indeed you have sufficiently branded the vice of adultery and laid out the uglinesse thereof that all men may behold it stark naked and abhorre it If any man notwithstanding all this will venture upon it hee may be said to be a most desperate monster For what doth hee else but as it were put his finger into the Lions mouth and as it were take the Beare by the tooth and they may well know what will follow and what they may look for Let all men therefore in time take heed to themselves and to their own soules as they will answer it at their uttermost perill at the dreadfull day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed But now one thing resteth to wit that you should shew us the speciall roots and causes of adultery Theol. There be five speciall causes of it The first is our naturall corruption for the very spawne and seed of all sinne is our corrupt nature and this of all other is a most inherent sinne as witnesseth the Apostle James saying James 1.15 When lust hath concâ—ived it bringeth forth sinne and sin when it is perfected bringeth forth death The second is gluttony and fulnesse of bread for when men have filled their bellies and crammed their paunches as full of good cheere wine and strong drinke as their skinnes can hold what are they meete for or what minde they else but adultery and uncleannesse And therefore well saith one Great nourishment and grosse food is the shop of lust The Heathen Poet could skill to say Sine Cerere Baccho sâ—igeâ— Venus without meat and drinke lust waxeth cold And to this effect the wise King saith Prov 23 â— 35 that their eyes shall behold strange women whose hearts are set upon wine and belly cheere And therefore he adviseth all men not to looke upon the wine when it appeareth red when it sheweth his colour in the cup or stirreth very kindly and that for feare of this after-clap An ancient writer saith to the same purpose Gregoriâ—s Nâ—â—â—anâ— Hee that delicately pampereth his belly and yet would overcome the spirit of fornication is like to him that will quench a flame of fire with oyle Therefore to close up this point sure it is though men pray heare and read much and be otherwise well disposed yet except they be abstemious in diet they will bee much troubled with lust The third cause of adultery is Idlenesse for when men are lazie luskish and idle having nothing to doe they lye wide open to adultery and lust creepeth into them Some Historiographers write the Crab-fish is very desirous to eate Oysters but because shee cannot perforce open them shee watcheth her time when they open themselves unto the sun after the tide and then shee putreth in her claw and pulleth out the Oyster Even so Satan watcheth
it For God is true and all men lyars Hee is faithfull that hath promised His word is more then the faith of a Prince more then ten thousand obligations Why then doe wee not rest upon it why goe wee any further why doe we not take his word why doe wee not depend wholly upon him why are wee still covetous why are we still distrustfull why doe we dissemble and deceive Oh wee of little faith Our Lord Iesus knowing right well the distrustfulnesse of our nature and the deep root it hath in us is not only content to make these great and royall promises unto us which were enough but also strengtheneth and backeth us with many strong reasons to support our weaknesse in this behalfe He therefore bringeth us back to a due consideration of things Consider saith hee the Ravens Luke 12. consider the fowles of the heavens for they neither sow not reap nor carry into barnes and yet God feedeth them they want nothing Consider the lillies how they grow they neither labour nor spinne yet Solomon in all his royalty was not clothed like one of these Oh therefore that wee would consider these Considers Oh that wee would consider that our life is more worth then meat and our bodies then raiment Oh that wee would consider that with all our carking and caring wee can doe no good at all no not so much as add one cubite to our stature Truely truely if wee would deeply ponder these reasons of our Saviour and apply them to our selves they might serve for a bulwark and sure defence against covetousnesse If men would consider how that great King of heaven who hath his way in the whirle-wind Nahum 1.3 and the clouds are the dust of his feet careth for the little Wren and silly Sparrow how hee looketh to them how he tendreth them how hee provideth for them every day both break-fast dinner and supper it might serve to correct our distrustfulnesse For who ever saw these or any other fowle starve for hunger so good a Father and so good a Nurse have they And are not wee much better then they Hath not God more care of us then of them Yes verily a thousand times For he loveth them but for our sakes how much more then doth he love our selves Therefore I say again and againe If wee would consider these things and lay them to heart they would nip covetousnesse on the head and drive it quite out of our hearts Let us consider therefore that God provided for man before man was then how much more will hee provide for man now that hee is Is hee our Father and will hee not provide for us Is he our King and will he not regard us Is hee our shepherd and will hee not look to us Hath hee provided heaven for us and will hee not give us earth Hath hee given us his Sonne Christ and shall hee not with him give us all things Doth hee provide for his enemies and will hee not provide for his friends Doth hee provide for whoremongers and will hee neglect his chosen Doth hee send his rain and cause the sunne to shine upon the unjust and shall hee not upon the just Doth he provide for them which are not of the family and will hee not provide for his owne family Will a man feed his hogges and not care for his servants Or will hee care for his servants and not regard his own children Oh then let us consider these reasons let us remember that our heavenly Father hath as great care for the preservation of his creatures as once hee had for their creation Let us therefore remember that he which giveth the day will provide for us the things of the day Let us remember that God alwayes giveth for sustentation though not for satiety Let us remember Pâ—â—v 10.28 that God will not famish the souls of the righteous Let us remember how God never faileth his For who ever trusted in the Lord and was confounded Phil. What then is the cause that many do want these outward things Theol. The cause is in themselves because they want faith For if wee had faith wee could want nothing For faith feareth no famine as saith an ancient Father Hieron ad Heliodorum Cypr. in oratione Dominica Another saith Forasmuch as all things are Gods hee that hath God can want nothing if himselfe bee not wanting unto God Therefore to have God is to have all things for if we have him our friend wee have enough we need goe no further For hee will make men our friends yea hee will make Angels and all creatures to bee serviceable unto us hee will give them speciall charge to looke to us to guard us and to doe continuall homage unto us Therefore let us make God our friend and then have we done all at once that may concerne our good both for this life and a better But if hee stand not our friend if wee have not him on our side if hee back us not then all other things whatsoever can doe us no good All is not worth a button For August Quid prodest si omnia habes cum tamen qui omnia dedit non habeas What is a man the better though hee have all things and bee without him which is the author of all things Phil. Herein you speak very truly no doubt For we see many have great plenty of outward things but because they have not God they can have no true comfort in them or blessing with them Theol. True indeed For Matth. 4. Man liveth not by bread only saith our Lord Iesus but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And again heâ— saith Lâ—ke 12. Though a man have abundance yet his life consisteth not in the things that hee hath For without Gods blessing there can bee no sound comfort in any thing Wee see by daily expeâ—ience how the Lord curseth the wicked though they have abundance For some having abundance yet are visited with continuall sicknesses Some having abundance pine away with consumptions Others having abundance dye of surfeiting Others are snatched away by untimely death in the midst of all their jollity Others are visited with great losse both by sea and by land Others are vexed with curst wives and disobedient children Some againe commit murthers and treasons and so lose all at once Others are wasted and consumed by the secret curse of God no man knoweth how Some having great riches are given over to the murtherer some to the thiefe some to the poysoner Therefore the wise King saith There is an evill sicknesse under the sun riches reserved to the owners thereof for their evill Eccl. 5.12 Zophar also the Naamathite saith When the wicked shall have sufficient and enough Job 20.23 hee shall be brought into straits The hand of every troublesome man shall be upon him When hee shall fill his belly God will send upon him his fierce wrath
promise that as long as wee live we shall never want Let us therefore rejoyce and be merry For heaven is ours earth is ours God is ours Christ is ours All is ours As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.21 All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The world clap their hands and crow long before it be day saying All is theirs but the children of God may say and say truly All is ours For they have a true title and proper interest through Christ in all the creatures Many are their priviledges great are their prerogatives They are free of heaven and free of earth They are the onely free Denizens of the world Christ hath purchased them their freedome Christ hath made them free and therefore they are free indeed They are free from sinne free from hell free from damnation They are at peace with God Men and Angels They are at peace with themselves They are at peace with all creatures They are young Princes Angels fellowes descended of the highest house of the bloud royall of Heaven States of Paradise and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them being such young Princes as they are yea hee hath given a very strait charge to all his creatures to looke to them to see to them that they want nothing that they take no hurt so jealous so chary so tender is he of them Gen. 3.2 Jonah 2. 1 King 17. Jos 10. The Angels must comfort Jacob The Whale must rescue Jonas The Raven must feed Elias The Sun and Moone must stay for Joshua Exod. 14. The Sea must divide it selfe that Moses and his people may passe thorow The fire must not burne the three Children The Lions may not devoure Daniel Dan. 3. 6. All the creatures must change their nature rather then Gods children should not be holpen and delivered Oh therefore how great is the happinesse of Gods chosen Who can expresse it who can utter it They know not their owne happinesse it is hid from them Afflictions doe cloud it troubles doe over-shadow it crosses doe dim it and there is an interposition of the earth betwixt their sight and it But this is most certaine and sure that the best is behind with the children of God all the sweet is to come Their happinesse doth not appeare in this world 1 John â— 2â— Their life is hid with Christ in God When Christ shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glory It doth not yet appeare what they shall be but when he cometh they shall be made like unto him Col. 3.3 4. Their names are already taken and entred into the booke of life and one day they shall be crowned One day it shall be said unto them Come yee blessed c. One day they shall enjoy his presence where is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore Therefore let all Gods secret ones rejoyce sing and be merry For howsoever in this world they be contemned troden under the foot made no-bodies walk as shadowes being counted as the very rags of the earth and the objects of the world yet the time will come when their happinesse and felicity shall be such as never entred into the heart of man it is endlesse unspeakable and unconceivable Phil. I doe now plainly see that there is no cause why Gods people should be too heavie and dumpish in their afflictions I see that though they be not free from all afflictions yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions For no rod no crosse no chastisement is hurtfull unto them but all in the conclusion cometh to a blessed issue Theol. You have uttered a great and a most certain truth For there is no affection or triall which God imposeth upon his children but if they endure it quietly trust in his mercy firmly and tarry his good pleasure obediently it hath a blessed and a comfortable end Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the midst of their sorrowes They may with patience and comfort submit themselves to their Fathers corrections taking them patiently and even kissing his holy rod and saying in themselves Sith my Father will have it so I am content seeing it is his mind I am willing withall As old Eli said It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 let him do what he will And as David in like submission said in a certaine case Behold here am I let him doe to mee as it seemeth good in his owne eyes 2 Sam. 15.16 And againe hee saith I was dumb Psal 29. and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hast done it Behold here then the patience of Gods Saints and their humble submission unto his most holy will They know all shall end well and that maketh them glad to thinke of it I conclude then that the children of God are happie in what state soever they are happie in trouble Deut. 28. happie out of trouble happie in poverty happie in plenty blessed in sicknesse blessed in health blessed at home likewise and abroad and every way blessed But on the contrary the wicked are cursed in what state soever they are cursed in sicknesse cursed in health cursed in plenty cursed in poverty cursed in prosperity cursed in adversity cursed in honour cursed in dishonour For all things work together for their destruction Nothing doth them any good They are not any thing the better either for Gods mercies or judgements All weathers are alike unto them They are alwayes the same in prosperity and adversity they are no changelings And as we say A good yeer doth not mend them nor an ill yeer pair them Phil. You have long insisted upon this point Now proceed to the fourth sign of a mans damnation which is the contempt of the Gospel and lay open both the greatnesse of the sin and the danger of it Theol. This sinne is of another nature then the former It is a sinne against the first Table It toucheth the person of God himselfe For to contemne the Gospel it is to contemne God himselfe whose Gospel it is If to contemne the Ministers of the Gospel hee to condemne God and Christ as our Lord Iesus avoucheth how much more then Luke 10.10 to contemne the Gospel it selfe Therefore it is dangerous meddling with this sinne It is to meddle with edged tooles to meddle with Princes matters to touch the Ark to come neer the holy Mountaine which all were things full of great perill and danger Yea it is to spill the Sacrament It is Noli me tangere It is to raile at a King It is to spet God in the face It is high treason against the King of glory Therefore this sinne of all other can never be endured and may at no hand be borne withall For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes Can he put up the contempt of his
all these abominations Is this house become a denne of theeves whereupon my name is called Where wee see how the Lord doth chide his people and sharply reprove them for abusing of his temple worship and sacrifices making them a cloake for their sinnes and making his house a denne of theeves which should be an assembly of Saints Now all this is a lively description of our time wherein many use the exercises of the word prayer and sacraments not to kill and mortifie sinne but to nourish and shelter their sins For they blindly imagine that if they come to the Church and pray and hear the Sermon they are discharged of their sins though they leave them not They imagine they have given God his full due and that therefore they may be the more bold to sin afterward These kind of hypocrites are like rogues which use medicines not to cure sores but to make sores These are like the Papists which thinke if they heare Masse in the morning they may doe what the list all the day after Theol. I see now you have very well profited in the knowledge of God and true Religion You have spoken soundly and like a man of knowledge in Gods matters For the common sort of people thinke indeed that all Religion consisteth in the outward service of God though their hearts be farre from him To whom God may justly say Mat. 15.8 This people draweth neere mee with their lips but their hearts are farre from mee Of whom also God may justly take up all his just complaints of his people Israel and Judah which are so frequent in all the Prophets to wit That hee did abhorre their sacrifices loath their oblations Isa 66.3 detest their incense despise their new moones disdaine their rains lambs and goats accounting them all but as mans bloud dogs bloud swines bloud and all because their hands were full of bloud because they executed not justice and judgement in the gate because they were not obedient to his will because their hearts were not with him because they used or rather abused all these things as shelters for their sins Phil. The great contempt of the Ministers of the Gospel in this age doth strongly argue the contempt of the Gospel it selfe For a man cannot love the Gospel and hate the faithfull Ministers thereof But wee see by lamentable experience that the most grave godly and learned Ministers are had in derision of very base and vile persons And as Job saith They whose fathers I have refused to set with the dogs of my flocks they were the children of fooles and the children of villaines which were more vile then the earth For now every rascall dares scoffe and scorne at the most grave and ancient Fathers and Pastours of the Church dares flout them as they walk in the streets and as they ride by the high-wayes And though the holy Ghost giveth them glorious and lofty titles as the Stewards of Gods owne house disposers of his secrets Tit. 1.7 1 Cor. 4.1 Mat. 16.19 2 Cor. 5.20 Rev. 3.7.24 2. Cor. 8.2 disbursers of his treasure keepers of the broad seal keepers of the keyes of heaven Gods Secretaries Gods Ambassadors Angels yea the very glory of Christ and all this to expresse the excellency of their calling yet these vile varlets and venemous vermine of the earth dare call them proud Prelats pild Parsons pelting Priests O monstrous and intolerable impietie Now it is come to passe that this most sacred function which is glorious in the sight of God and his Angels and in it selfe most honourable is had in greatest contempt of all callings For now the earth is full of rank Atheists and mock-Gods which scoffe at the Gospel and bleat out their tongues at all religion These kinde of fellowes never dissemble for the matter they make no shew at all they are no hypocrites they hide not their sins but declare them openly like Sodom They care not if they never come to the Church they are too full of it They live like brute beasts They think the Scriptures are but fables They rail at the Ministers and Preachers they make flat opposition against them and are notorious mockers and past-graces Theol. Of such the Apostle Saint Peter foretold that in the last daies should come mockers and such as would live after their owne lusts c. Of such a godly Writer saith Verbum Dei securè contemnitur promissiones inanes esse creduntur minae pro fabulis habentur That is The word of God is carelesly contemned his promises are counted vaine and his threatnings fables Of such the Poet saith Heu vivunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Aut velut infernus fabula vana foret Alas men live as they should never die Or as though speech of hell were a stark lie Now is also the time wherein the world swarmeth with Papists and Atheists and most men live as if there were no God For now Religion is hated true godlinesse despised zeale abhorred sincerity scoffed at uprightnesse loathed Preachers contemned Professors disdained and almost all good men had in derision For now we may justly complaine with the Prophet Isa 39 1â— Judgement is turned backward and justice standeth a farre off Truth is falen in the streets and equity cannot enter Yea truth faileth and he that refraineth from evill maketh himselfe a prey The Prophet Micah bewaileth the times saying Mic. 7 2. The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men They all lye in waite for bloud every man hunteth his neighbour with a net The Prophet Jeremy complaineth of the same evill in his time namely that the people were come to be past shame in sâ—nning 〈◊〉 â—8 12 Were they ashamed saith he when they had committed abomination Nay they were not ashamed neither could they have any shame This is a lively picture and a very counterpane of our time for now we have put on a brow of brasse wee are become iâ—pudent in sinne We cannot blush wee cannot be ashamed We are almost past shame and past grace O Lord what will this geer grow to in the end Phil. Wee may justly fear some great judgement of God to bee neere unto us yea even to hang over our heads For the Lord will never leave the contempt of his Gospel and his Ministry unpunished Theol. You have spoken a truth And wee have heard before how the old world was plagued for it And wee read how grievously the Iewes were afflicted by the Romans for this sinne as our Lord Iesus did plainly foretell We read also that after the Lord had preached the Gospel himselfe and spread it abroad by his Apostles conquering the world thereby which things was signified by the white horse Reâ— 6. â— his rider his bow and his crowne end yet shortly after saw that the same began to be contemned in the world and made light of then hee did in most
God letteth them alone a while and deferreth their punishment For the longer God deferreth the more terrible will his strokes bee when they come The longer an arrow is held in the bow the stronger will be the shot when it cometh forth Though God have leaden feet and cometh slowly to execute wrath yet hath hee an iron hand and will strike deadly when hee cometh Though God giveth the wicked security for a time saith Job yet his eyes are fixed upon all their waies Job 24.23 And in another place hee saith Job 21.30 The wicked are reserved unto the day of destruction and they shall bee brought forth unto the day of wrath So then the holy man Job plainely affirmeth that the state and condition of all the rich and wealthy worldlings is as the condition of an Oxe that is fatted up against the day of slaughter Job 21.13 For hee saith They spend their dayes in wealth and suddenly goe downe to hell But now I pray you nominate the oathes which are so rife and common amongst us Theol. There bee six oathes which are of all other most rife and common in every mans month and they be these By my faith Six common oaths By my troth By our Lady By S. Mary By God As God shall judge me For you cannot lightly talke with a man but he will flash out some one of these in his ordinary speech Asun Do you count it so great a matter for a man to swear by his faith or his troth Theol. Yes indeed do I. For our faith and our troth are the most precious Iewels wee have Shall wee then lay them to gage for every word we speake it sheweth we are of small credit nay very bankrupts For who but a bankrupt will lay the best Iewell in his house to pledge for every smal trifle Asun I know a man that will never swear but by Cock or Py or Mouse-foot I hope you will not say these be oathes For he is as honest a man as ever brake bread You shall not hear an oath come out of his mouth Theol. I do not thinke hee is so honest a man as you make him For it is no small sinne to sweare by creatures The Lord saith by the Prophet Jeremy They have forsaken mee Jer. 5.7 and sworne by them that are no gods So then to sweare by creatures is to forsake God and I trow you will not say he is an honest man which forsaketh God Asun I do not beleeve that to swear by small things is a forsaking of God Theol. You and such as you are will beleeve no more of the Word of God than will stand with your fantasie But whatsoever you beleeve or beleeve not the Word of God standeth sure and no jot of it shall ever bee proved false But this I wiâ—l say unto you because you think it so small a matter to sweare by Creatures That the more vile and base the thing is which you sweare by the greater is the oath bicause you ascribe that unto a base creature which is onely proper to God namely to know our hearts and bee a discerner of secret things For whatsoever a man sweareth by hee calleth it as a witnesse unto his conscience that he speaketh the truth and lyeth not which thing onely belongeth unto God And therefore in swearing by creatures we do robbe God of his honour Therefore to sweare by the crosse of the money or by bread or by mouse foote or the fire which they call Gods Angel or any such like is a robbing of God of his honour and an ascribing of that to the creature which is proper only to the Creator Asun What say you then to them that sweare by the Masse and by the Rood Theol. Their sinne is as great as the other For it is an hainous thing to sweare by Idols as St. Mary our Lady by the Masse by the Rood c. The Prophet Amos saith Amos â—8 4 They that sweare by the sinne of Samaria and that say Thy God O Dan liveth even they shall fall and never rise up againe To sweare by the sinne of Samaria is to sweare by Idols for Samaria was full of Idols Moreover the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Zephanie Zeph. 1.5 That he will cut off them that sweare by the Lord and by Malcham or by their King For the Idolaters called their Idoll Molech their King Asun Seeing you condemne both swearing by creatures and swearing by Idols what then must we sweare by You would have us sweare by nothing belike Theol. In our ordinary communication wee must not sweare at all either by one thing or another but as our Lord teacheth us our communication must be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more than these Mat. 5.37 commeth of evill And S. James saith James 5.22 Before all things my brethren sweare not neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest you fall into condemnation Antil It seemeth you are an Anabaptist You condemne all swearing you will have no swearing at all Theol. Not so for though I condemne swearing by creatures swearing by Idols and vaine swearing yet I do allow of swearing before a Magistrate and privately also in matters of weight and importance for the further bolting out of the truth This is warranted from Gods own mouth where he saith Thou shalt swear The Lord liveth in truth Jer. 2. in judgement and in righteousnesse And in these cases onely the name of God is to bee sworn by as it is written Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God Deuâ—â—â— 20 and thou shalt serve him and shalt cleave unto him and shalt swear by his Name Asun May wee not sweare by God in our common talke Theol. At no hand For that is to take the name of God in vaine which you know is forbidden And one of the wise heathen could say thus When an oath is laid upon thee Isocr ad Dem. undertake it for two causes either to deliver thy selfe from some grievous crime and accusation or else to preserve thy friends from danger So then that Heathen man in common talke will not allow any oath much lesse to sweare by God Phocilid Another saith Avoid an oath though thou sweare truly So then we see vain swearing condemned even by Heathens Asun Yea but for all that wee must swear men will not beleeve us else Theol. Neither yet will they beleeve you any whit the more for your swearing For it doth manifestly appeare that thousands make no conscience at all of it They make no more conscience of it than of cracking of nuts and therefore what wise man will beleeve them though they sweare never so much But if you would make conscience alwayes to speak the truth from your heart without any oathes at all you shall be better beleeved of all honest and wise men than
not trouble any widow or fatherlesse child If thou vex or trouble such and so hee call and cry unto mee I will surely heare his câ—ie Then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shall be widowâ—s Deut. 12. and your children fatherlesse Againe he saith Thou shalt not oppresse an hired servant that is needy and poore but thou shalt give him his hire for his day neither shall the Sunne goe downe upon it for hee is poore and therewith sustaineth his life lâ—st hee cry against thee unto the Lord and it be sinne unto thee Exod. 22. Moreover the Lord saith Thou shalt doe no injury to a stranger for yee were strangers in the and of Egypt Mal. 3. And God himselfe threatneth that hee will be a swift wi nesse against those which keep backe the hirelings wages and vex the widow and the fathe lesse 1 Thes 4.6 The Apostle saith Let no man oppâ—esse or defraud his brother in any matter For the Lord is an avenger of all such things Eccl. 5.6 Solomon also saith It in a countrie thou seest the oppression of the pooâ—e and the defrauding of justice and judgement be not astonied at the matter for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they All these holy Statutes and Lawes enacted and provided against oppressors doe plainly shew what care the Lord hath for his poore distressed no desolate people Phil. But these oppressing hell-hounds are such as care for nothing No law of the Almighty can bridle them nothing can feare them nothing can restraine them they have made a covenant with hell and death They are frozen in their dregs they are past feeling And as Job saith Job 24.14 These are they that abhorre the light they know not the waies thereof neither continue in the paths thereof Their hearts are as hard as the Adamant Nothing can move thâ—m nothing can worke upon them There is great crying out every where of the stone in the reines which indâ—ed is a great torment to the bodie buâ— th re is no complaining of the stone in the heart I meane a stony heart which is the sorest disease that possibly can fall into the soule of a man and yet in thâ—se times it groweth very rife For mens hearts are as hard as brasse and as the neather Mill-stone as the Scripture speaketh For many especially of these unmercifull and oppressing tyrants s y in their hearts God will doe neither good nor evâ—ll Zeph. 1.23 Therefore they put the evill day far from them and approach to the seat of iniquity They are at â—ase in Sion they lye upon beds of I vorie and stretch themselves on their beds and eat the Lambs of the flocke and the calves out of the stall They sing to the sound of the Viol Amoâ— 6.3 9. they invent instruments of musick like David they drink wine in bowles and no man is sorry for the affliction of Joseph that is the troubles of Gods people The Prophet Esay also complaines of these kinde of men Isa 5.12 saying They regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the worke of his hands And another Prophet saith Psal 10.11 They say in their hearts God hath forgot he hides away his face and will never see They are so proud that they seek not for God They thinke alwayes there is no God his Judgements are farre out of their sight their wayes alway prosper and therefore they say in their hearts Tush wee shall never bee moved nor come in danger Theol. You have spoken very well touching the steelinesse and hardnesse of these mens hearts who are so unmercifull to their poore neighbours that almost none can live by them They doe so disturbe and disquiet all things that poore men can dwell in no rest by them Therefore truly saith the wise King A mighty man molesteth all both hireth the foole hires those that passe by but the poore man speaketh with prayers That is by the way of entreaty and supplications For the poore are affraid â—im they quake when they see them as the beasts quake at the roaring of a Lion Many poore Farmers poore Husbandmen poore Herds poore Labourers poore Widowes and Hirelings doeâ— quake and tremble when these greedy Wolves come abroad And as Job saith The poore of the earth hide themselves together For alas Job 24.4 in their hearts they cannot abide the sight of them they had as leeve meet the Divell as meet them for feare of one displeasure or another For either they feare that they will warne them out of their houses or parley about more Rent and straiter covenants or beg away their best kine or borrow their horses or command their carts or require a weeks work of them and never pay them for it or a twelve-months pasture for a couple of Geldings or that they 'le make one quarrell or another unto them one mischiefe or another So that these poore soules cannot tell what to doe or which way to turne them for feare of these cruell Termagants They are even weary of their lives For they have no remedy for these things but even to beare it off with head and shoulders Therefore they often wish they were out of the world and that they were buried quicke They say it any will knock them on the head they will forgive him O most piteous case O lamentable hearing These poore silly creatures are faine to drudge and moile all the yeare long in Winter and Summer in frost and snow in heat and cold to provide their Rents that they may be able to pay their cruell Land-lord at h s day For else how shall they be able to looâ—e him in the face Yet their Rent is so rack't that all they can doe is little enough to pay it and when that is paid alas the poore man and his wife and children have little left to take to or to maintaine themselves withall they are faine to gnaw of a crust to fare hardly and goe tâ—inly clad Sometimes they have victuals and sometimes none The poore children cry for bread Poore widowes also and poore fatherlesse children are found weeping and mourning in their housâ—s and in their streets So that now we may with Solomon Eccl. 4.1 Turne and consider all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sunne We may behold the teares of the oppressed and none comforteth them For the mighty ones doe wrong the weaker even as the stronger beasts doe push and harme the feebler These giuing oppressors doe pinch the poore even to the quicke They pluck away from the fatherlesse widowes that little which they have If there be but a cow or a few sheep left they will have them If there be a little commodity of house or land oh what devices they have to win iâ— in and to wring it away Those tyrants will goe as nigh as the
bed they lye upon They know well enough the poore men are not able to wage law with them and therefore they may doe what wrong they will and shâ—w what cruelty they list Hence come the teares of the oppressed henâ—e câ—mmeth the weeping and wailing of the poore But alas poore soules they may well weep to ease their hearts a little but there is none to comfort them remedy they can have none But yet assuredly the everlasting God doth looke upon them and will be revenged For the cries of the poore the fatherlesse and the widowes have entred into the cares of the Lord of Hosts who is an avenger of all such things yea a strong revenger as Solomon saith Pro 23.14 Enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for their revenger is strong hee himselfâ— will plead their cause against thee And againe he saith Rob not the poore Pro. 22.6 because hee is poore neither tread downe the afflâ—cted in the gate for the Lord pleadeth their cause and will spoile their soule that spoile them We see then that the most just God will â—e revenged of these unmerciful tyrants He will not alwayes put up these wrongs and injuries done to the poore In the eighth Chapter of the Prophet Amos he sweares by the excellencie of Jacob that he will never forget any of their works And againe he saith by his Prophet Jeremy Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this Surely he will set his face against them to root them out of the earth For indeed they are not worthy to crawle upon the face of the earth or to draw breath among the sons of men It is written in the booke of Psalmes that God will set these fellowes opposite against him as a But to shoot at Psal 21.12 that hee will put them apart and the strings of his bow shall hee make ready against their faces Be astonished at this O ye heavens and tremble O thou earth Heare this O ye cruell Land-lords unmercifull oppressors and bloud-suckers of the earth You may well be called bloud-suckers for you sucke the bloud of many poore men women and children you eat it you drink it you have it served in at your sumptuous tables every day Job 24.5 you swallow it up and live by it And as Job saith The wildernesse gives you and your children food that is you live by robbing and murdering But woe woe unto you that ever you were borne For the bloud of the oppressed which ye have eaten and drunken shall one day cry for speedy vengeance against you as the bloud of Abel cryed against Cain Their bloud shall witnesse against you in the day of judgement and the teares of many poore starved children orphans and widowes shall cry out against you 1 Kin. 21. Was the Lord revenged of Ahab for his cruell and unjust dealing with poore Naboth and shall hee not be revenged of you Did the Dogs lap the bloud of Ahab and shall you escape No no you shall not escape The Lord will be a swift witnesse against you as he saith in Malachie Mal. 3. Was the Lord angry with the rich of the people for oppressing the poore so as the cry of the people and of their wives Neh. 5. against their oppressours was heard of the Almighty and do you thinke you shall escape scot-free Doth not the like cause bring forth the like effect the like sin the like punishment Know therefore for certainty that the Lord hath costers full of vengeance against you and one day he will unlocke them and bring them forth into the sight of all men Know also that the timber of your houses and the stones of your walls which you have built by oppression and bloud shall cry against you in the day of the Lords wrath as the Prophet Habakkuk telleth you Hab. 2. The stone saith hee shall cry out of the wall and the bâ—ame out of the timber shall answer it Where the Prophet telleth you that the walls of your houses built in bloud shall cry out loud and shrill and play the Choristers in that behalfe so as they shall answer one another on either side The one side singeth Behold bloud the other Behoâ—d murder The one side Behold deceit the other Behold cruelty The one Behold pilling and polling the other Behold covetousnesse The one Behold robbery the other Behold perjury And thus you see how the stones and timber of your houses shall descant upon you And howsoever you put on your brâ—zen browes and harden your hearts against these threatnings of the most terrible God and Lord of Hosts yet one day you shall spice of your hearts will ye nill yee be brought forthâ—nes judgement you shall once come to your reckoning you shall at last be apprehended convented and arraigned at the barre of Gods Tribunall seat before the great Iudge of all the world Then sentence shall passe against you even that most dreadfull sentence Goe yee cursed into hell fire Mat. 25. there to be tormented with the Divell and his Angels for ever O then woe woe unto you Mat. 16. For what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule saith our Lord Iesus Surely even as much as it one should winne a farthing and lose an hundred thousand pound For if he shall be cast into hell fire which hath not given of his owne goods righteously gotten as our Saviour avoucheth where then shall he be cast that hath stollen other mens goods And if hee shall be damned that hath not clothed the naked what shall become of him that hath made naked them that were clothed Oh therefore repent in time O yee cruell oppressors seeke the Lord while hee may be found call upon him while hee is neere lay aside your savage cruelty visit the fatherlesse and widow in their distresse deaâ—e your bread to the hungry help them to their right which suffer wrong deale mercifully with your Tenants Rack not your rents any more pinch not the poore soules for whom Christ di d pity them I say but pinch them not deale kindly and friendly with them remember your great acâ—oâ—nâ—s consider the shortnesse of your dayes and the vanity of your life rent your hearts and not your clothes Turne unto the Lord with all your heart with weeping fasting and mourning prevent Gods wrath with a sacrifice of teares pacifie his anger with the calves of your lips and with a contrite spirit be grieved for that which is past and amend that which is to come stand it out no more at the swords point against God for it will not boot you to strive he is too strong for you Your onely wisedome is to come-in Come-in therefore come-in yee rebellious generation submit your selves to the great King humble your selves under his mighty hand cast downe your swords and targets yeeld unto our God So shall you escape the vengeance to come so shall God
accept you have mercy upon you receive you to favour grant you a generall pardon for all your rebellions and admit you into the number of his faithfull and loyall subjects Phil. I conceive by divers speeches which you have alledged that goods got by oppression and cruelty will never prosper long For oppressors coine their money upon their neighbours skins How then can it be blessed Theol. You have spoken a truth For as it hath been shewed before that those goods which are got by swearing and lying are cursed so all these that are got by oppression and violence are more cursed Therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy As the Partridge gathers the young which she hath not brought forth Jer. 17.11 so hee that gathers riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a foole and his name shall be written in the earth Phil. Would to God our Magistrates and Governours would take speedy order for the remedying of these things and for the redressing of such grievous enormities as are among us or that they themselves would step in and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressour Theol. Job was an excellent man for such matters For it is said of him Job 29.27 that He brake the jawes of the unrighteous man and pluck't the prey out of his teeth Where we see how Job was a meanes to deliver the innocent and to pull the Lambe out of the Lions clawes Moreover Job 29.25 it is written of him in the same Chapter that the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him and that hee caused the widowes heart to rejoyce that he was the eye to the blind the feet to the lame and the father to the poore and when he knew not the cause he sought it out diligently O what a notable man was this O that we had many Jobs in these daies Wise Solomon doth most gravely advise us all to follow Jobs example in this behalfe Pro. â—4 12 Deliver saith he them that are oppressed and drawne to death for shouldest thou withdraw thy selfe from them which goe downe to the slaughter Would to God this counsell were well weighed and practised amongst us Phil. I marvell much with what face these cruell oppressors can come before God in his holy Temple to pray and offer up their sacrifices unto him For we see many of them though they have such fowle hands and fowle hearts as wee have heard yet for all that will most impudently presume to come to the Church and pray or at least when they are laid in their beds at nights and halfe sleep then will they mumble over their praiers or be pattering some Pater-nosters Theol. Alas alas poore soules all that they do in matters of Gods worship is but hypocrisie and dissimulation For in truth they are not for God they love him but from the teeth outward their mouths are with him but their heart goes after covetousnesse and their hands are full of bloud And therefore God doth both abhorre them and their prayers For saith he Isa 1.15 Though they stretch out their hands yet will I hide mine eyes from them and though they make many praiers yet will I not heare them For their hands are full of bloud Moreover the holy Ghost saith Pro. 28.9 He that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his praier is abominable Psal 66.18 David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not heare my praier Our Lord Iesus also affirmeth Joh. 9.31 that God heares not sinners that is stubborne and carelesse sinners So then we may cleerly sâ—e by all these testimonies of holy Writ what â—ccount God makes of the praiers of oppressors and all other profane and ungodly men namely that he doth hate them and abhorre them as loathsome and odious in his sight Phil. Now in conclusion shew us the causes of oppression Theol. The causes are these Causes of oppresâ—ion Cruelty Covetousnesse Hard heartednesse An evill conscience The Divell Phil. Let us heare also the remedies Theol. The remedies be these Remedies of oppression Pity Contentation Tender affections A good conscience Much prayer Phil. Now Sir you have at large uttered your mind concerning these grosse corruptions of the world and have plainly and evidently proved them to be the deadly poyson of the soule so also I pray you satisfie us in this whether they be not hurtfull also to the body goods and name Theol. I have dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them and therefore they can never be enough spoken against For the whole world lyeth in them 1 John 5. as Saint John testifieth If men therefore could be recovered of these diseases no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace and wee should have a most flourishing Church and Common-wealth but as long as these doe lye in the way there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be poured upon us or that ever we shall come to have an inward conversation with God For these vices blind our eyes burthen our hearts Jer. 5. â—5 and as the Prophet Jeremy saith hinder good things from us But touching your petition I must needs grant that as these vices are the very bane of the soule and most certaine signes of condemnation so are they very dangerous to the body goods and name yea and to the whole land both Church and Common-wealth Phil. Shew us out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body Theol. The Lord our God saith that if wee will not obey him nor keep his commandements but break his covenant hee will appoint over us hastie plagues consumptions Levi. 26.16 and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heavie So also hee saith that if wee will not obey his voice to observe all his commandements and ordinances that then hee will make the pestilence cleave unto us Levit. 28.21 untill hee have consumed us that hee will smite us with the Feaver with the botch of Egypt with the Emrods with the Scab and with the Itch that also hee will smite us with madnesse and with blindnesse and with astonishment of heart So then you see what great evills the Lord threatens to inflict upon our bodies in this life for these and such like sinnes But on the contrary the holy Ghost saith Pro. 5 7. Feare God and depart from evill so health shall be to thy navell and moisture to thy bones Phil. What evill do these forenamed sins bring upon us in our goods and outward estate Theol. They cause God to curse us in all that wee set hand unto as plentifully appeareth in the forenamed chapter where the Lord saith thus If thou wilt not obey the commandements of the Lord
is added because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing lying killing stealing and whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud Therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off Here then wee see what it is that will incense God against us and cause us all to mourne So likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Amos that for the cruelty and oppression of the poore he would plague the whole Land Amos 3.8 Shall not the Land tremble for this saith the Lord and every one mourne that dwells therein Againe the Lord saith by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 7.19 1. Doe they provoke mee to anger and not themselves to the confusion of their owne faces Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold mine anâ—â—r and my wrath shall be poured upon this place upon man and beast upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground and it shall burne and not be quenched Jer. 2â— 5 Againe the Lord saith If yee will not heare these words I sweare by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste and I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar-trees and cast them into the fire Likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 5.7 saying Because you have not walked in my Statutes nor kept my Judgements therefore behold I even I come against thee and will execute judgement in the midst of thee even in the sight of the Nations and I will doe in thee that I never did before neither will I doe any more the like because of all thine abominations For in the midst of thee the fathers shall eat their sons and the sons shall eat their fathers Againe by the same Prophet the Lord saith Ezek. 7.23 27. The Land is full of the Judgement of bloud and the Citie full of crueltie Wherefore I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the pompe of the mighty to cease and the holy places shall be defiled When destruction cometh they shall seeke peace and not have it Calamity shall come upon calamity and rumour upon rumour Then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the Ancient The King shall mourne and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the Land shall be troubled I will do unto them according unto their waies and according unto their judgement I will judge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Last of all the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy Heare O earth Behold Jer. 4.19 I will cause a plague to come upon this people even the fruit of their owne imaginations because they have not taken heed to my words and to my Law but cast it off Almost innumerable places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the Prophets but theâ— may suffice to prove the maine point to wit that the just God doth punish whole nations and kingdomes for the sins and rebellions thereof Phil. Sith all these sins for the which the Lord did execute such universall punishments upon his owne people doe abound and over-flow in the Land may wee not justly feare some great plague to fall upon us And the rather because our transgressions doe increase daily and grow to a full height and ripenesse so as it seems the harvest of Gods vengeance draweth neere and approacheth Theol. We may indeed justly feare and tremble For if God spared not the Angels that sinned how shall hee spare us If he spared not his owne people what can we looke for If he spared not the naturall branches how shall hee spare us that are wilde by nature Are we better then they Can we looke to be spared when they are punished Are not our sinnes as many and as great as theirs Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect Is the Arme of the Lord shortned Or is not God the same just God to punish sin now that hee was then Yes yes assuredly And therefore we have great cause to mourne and lament to quake and tremble because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging over our heads Thus did Jeremy Jer. 4.19 Amos 5.6 Hab. 3.16 thus did Amos thus did Habakkuk when they plainly saw the imminent wrath of God approaching upon the people of Israel and Judah Phil. I thinke wee may the rather doubt and feare because the punishment of these fore-named vices is neglected by the Magistrate For commonly when they that beare the sword of Justice doe not draw it out to punish notorious offendors and malefactors the Lord himselfe will take the matter into his owne hands and be revenged in his owne person which is most dreadfull and dangerous For Hâ—b 10 3â— it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Theol. You have spoken a truth For if those which are Gods Deputies and Vicegerents in the earth doe their duties faithfully in punishing vice and maintaining vertue in smiting the wicked and favouring the godly then assuredly evill shall be taken out of Israel Gods wrath prevented and his judgements intercepted as it is written Psal 109.32 Phineas stood up and executed judgement and the plague was stayed But if they for feare favour affection gaine flatterie bribery or any other sinister respect will be too sparing and remisse in punishing of grosse offenders and be rather ready to smite the righteous then doe they exceedingly provoke Gods wrath against the Land and against themselves Phil. One thing I do greatly lament that there be either none at all or very slender censures either by the Civill or Ecclesiasticall authority for divers of these fore-named vices as pride covetousnesse oppression lying idlenesse swearing c. Theol. It is a thing to be lamented indeed For where doe we see a proud man punished a covetous man punished an oppressor punished a swearer punished a lyer punished an idle person punished Now because they know they cannot or shall not be punished therefore they are altogether hardened and imboldened in their sins as the Wise man saith Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evill Phil. One thing I doe much muse at wherein also I desire to be further satisfied viz. what is the cause that under so godly a Prince so many good lawes and so much good preaching and teaching there should notwithstanding be such an excesse and over-flowing of sin in all estates Theol. The causes hereof are divers and manifold But I will nominate foure especiall ones in my judgement The first is mans naturall corruption which is so strong as almost nothing can bridle it The second is ill presidents and
where the Lord saith thus Run to and fro by the streets of Jerusalem behold and enquire in the open places thereof if yee can find a man or if there be any that executeth Judgement and seeketh the truth and I will spare it Oh then marke and consider what a man may doe yea what one man may doe what an Abraham may doe what a Moses may doe what an Eliah may doe what a Daniel what a Samuel what a Job what a Noah may do Some one man by reason of his high favour with the Eternall is able sometimes to doe more for a Land by his prayers and teares then many prudent men by their counsell or valiant men by their swords Yea it doth evidently appeare in the sacred Volumne of the holy Ghost that some one poore Preacher being full of the Spirit and Power of Eliah doth more in his Study either for offence or defence either for the turning away of wrath or the procuring of mercy then a camp royall even forty thousand strong yea as the Spirit speaketh Though they all have their swords girded to their thighs Cant. 3.7 and bee of the most valiant men in Israel And this is cleerly proved in one verse of the booke of Psalmes where the Prophet having reckoned up the sinnes of the people addeth Psal 106.23 Therefore the Lord minded to destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach to turne away his wrath lest hee should destroy them See therefore what one man may doe with God Some one man doth so bind the hands of God that when he would strike he hath no power to doe it as it is said of Lot Gen. 29.30 I can doe nothing till thou be come out See how the Lord saith hee can doe nothing because hee will doe nothing Hee doth wittingly and willingly suffer his hands to be manacled and bound behind him for some fewes sake which he doth make more account of then all the world besides so precious and deare are they in his sight Likewise it is written that the Lord was exceedingly incensed against the Israelites for their Idolatrous Calfe which they made in Horch yet hee could doe nothing because Moses would not let him And therefore he falleth to entreating of Moses that Moses would let him alone and entreat no more for them Oh saith the Lord to Moses let mee alone Exod. 32 1â— that my wrath may wax hot against this people and that I may consume them Thus we see that except Loâ— goe out of the City and Moses let him alone he can doe nothing O the profoundnesse and altitude of Gods mercy toward mankind O the height and depth length and breadth of his love toward some O that the most glorious and invisible God should so greatly respect the sons of men For what is man that he should be mindfull of him or the son of man that he should regard him Let us therefore that are the Lords Remembrancers give him no rest nor let him alone untill we have some security and good assurance from him that he will turne away from us the wrath which we most justly have deserved that he will spare us and be mercifull unto us Yea as the Prophet saith Isa 62.7 Let us never leave him nor give him over till hee repaire and sâ—t up Jerusalem the praise of the world lest for default hereof that be charged upon us which was charged upon the head of some of the Prophets in Israel that they were like the foxes in the waste places that they had not risen up in the gaps neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel Ezâ—k 13.4 5 For now adaies alas wee have many hedge-breakers few hedge-makers many openers of gaps few stoppers many makers of breaches to let in the flouds of Gods wrath upon us but very few that by true repentance go about to make up the breach and to let downe the sluces that the gushing streames of Gods vengeance may be slopt and stayed Phil. I do now plainly see that there be some in high favour with God and as wee say greatly in his books â—â—th his love is so great unto them that for their sake he spareth thousands Theol. It is written in the Proverbs of Solomon that the righteous in a land are the establishment of the Kings throne and the wicked the overthrowing of the same The words are these Pro. 25.4 Take away the drosse from the silver and there will proceed a vessell for the finer Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Likewise in another place the wiseman affirmeth that the righteous are the strength and bulwarks of Cittes Townes and Corporations but the wicked are the weakening and undoing of all Pro. 27.8 Scornfull men saith he set a City on fire but the wise turne away wrath To this purpose most excellent is that saying of Eliphas in Job Job 21.30 The innocent shall deliver the Iland and it shall be preserved by the purenesse of their hands 2 Chro. 11.14 16 17. Wee read in the booke of the Chronicles that when the Levites and the Priests were cast out by Jeroboam they came to Jerusalem and all such as set their hearts to seeke the Lord God of Israel came with them And then afterward it is said they strengthened the Kingdome of Juda and made Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon mighty By all these testimonies it is evident that Princes Kingdomes Cities Towns and Villages are fortified by the righteous therein and for their sakes also great plagues are kept back Which thing one of the Heathen did well see into as appeareth by his words which are these When God meaneth well to a City and will doe it good then hee raiseth up good men but when hee meaneth to punish a City or a Country and do ill unto it then he taketh away the good men from it Phil. It is very manifest by all that you have alledged that the wicked fare the better every day in the yeare for the righteous that dwell amongst them Theol. All experience doth teach it and the Scriptures do plentifully avouch it Geâ— 30 2â— For did not churlish Laban fare the better for Jacob his kinsman Doth hee not acknowledge that the Lord had blessed him for his sake Did not Potiphar fare the better for godly Joseph Gen. 39.5 Doth not the Scripture say that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph his sake and thee the Lord made all that hee did to prosper in his hand 2 Sam. 6.1 Did not Obed-Edom fare the better for the Arke Act. 27.24 Did not the seventy and sixe soules that were in the ship with Paul speed all the better for his sake Did not the Angell of God tell him in the night that God had given unto him all that sailed with him for otherwise a thousand to one they had beene all drowned
Therefore the children of God may very fitly bee compared to a great piece of corke which though it be cast into the sea having many nailes fastned in it yet it beareth them all up from sinking which otherwise would sink of themselves What shall we say then or what shall wee conclude but that the ungodly are more beholden to the righteous than they are aware of Phil. I do thinke if it were not for Gods children it would goe hard with the wicked For if they were sorted and shoaled out from amongst them and placed by themselves what could they looke for but wrath upon wrath and plague upon plague till the Lord had made a finall consumption and swept them like dung from the face of the caâ—â—â— Theol. Sure it is all creatures would frowne upon them The Sun would unwillingly shine upon them or the Moone give them any light The starres would not be seene of them and the Planets would hide themselves The beasts would devoure them The fowles would pick out their eyes The fishes would make warre against them and all creatures in heaven and earth would rise up in armes against them Yea the Lord himselfe from heaven would raine downe fire and brimstone upon them Phil. Yet for all this it is a wonder to consider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous and almost in every thing oppose themselves against them and that in most vivulent and spitefull manner They ruile and slander seoffe and scorne mock and mow at them as though they were not worthy to live upon the earth They esteeme every pelting rascall and preferre every vile varlet before them And though they have their lives and liberty their breath and safety and all that they have else by them yet for all that they could be content to eat their heart with garlick so great so fiery so burning and hissing hot is their fury and malice against them Theol. They may very fitly be compared to a Moth that fretteth in pieces the same cloth wherein she is bred or to a certaine worme or canker that corrodeth and eateth thorow the heart of the tree that nourisheth her or unto a man that standeth upon a bough in the top of a tree where there is no more and yet with an axe choppeth to off and therewithall falleth down with it and breaketh his neck Even so the fooles of this world doe what they can to chop asunder the bough that upholds them but they may know easily what will follow Phil. I see plainly they be much their owne foes and stand in their owne light and indeed know not what they doe For the benefit which they receive by such is exceeding great and therefore by their maligning of them they doe but hold the stirrup to their owne destruction Theol. Now to apply these things to our selves and to returne to the first question of this argument may we not marvell that our Nation is so long spared considering that the sins thereof are so horrible and outrageous as they be Phil. We may justly marvell at the wonderfull patience of God and wee may well thinke that there be some in the land which stand in the breach being in no small favour with his Highnesse sith they doe much prevaile Theol. The mercifull preservation of our most gratious King who is the breath of our nostrils the long continuance of our peace and of the Gospell the keeping back of the sword out of the land which our sins pull upon us the frustrating of many plots and subtill devices which have beene often invented against our State yea and the life of his Majesties most royall person make me to thinke that there be some strong pleaders with God for the publike good of us all Phil. You may well thinke so indeed for by our sins wee have forfeited and daily doe forfeit into Gods hands both our King our Country our Peace our Gospell our lives our goods our lands our livings our wives our children and all that we have but only the righteous which are so neere about the King and in so high favour doe step in and earnestly intreat for us that the forfeitures may be released and that we may have lease in parley of them all againe or at least a grant of further time But I pray you Sir are not wee to attribute something concerning our good estate to the policie of the Land the Lawes established and the wisdome and counsell of our prudent Governours Theol. Yes assuredly very much as the ordinary and outward meanes which God useth for our safety For though the Apostle Paul had a grant from God for the safety of his owne life and all that were with him in the ship yet he said Acts 28.31 Except the Mariners abide in the ship wee cannot be safe Shewing thereby that unto faith and prayers the best and wisest meanes must be joyned We are therefore upon our knees every day to give thankes unto God for such good meanes of our safety as hee hath given us Phil. Well then as the prayers of the righteous have been hitherto great meanes both for the hindering and turning away of wrath and the continuance of favour so shew I pray you what is the best course to be taken and what in sound wisdome is to be done both to prevent future dangers and to continue Gods favours and mercies still upon us Theol. The best and surest course that I can consider or conceive of is to repent heartily for sins past and to reforme our lives in time to come to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is neer to forsake our owne wayes and our owne imaginations and to turn unto him with all our hearts with weeping with fasting and with mourning as the Prophet Joel chap. â— adviseth For our God is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill All the Prophets doe counsell us to follow this course and doe plainly teach that if we all from the highest to the lowest doe meet the Lord with unfeigned repentance and offer him the sacrifice of a contrite spirit undoubtedly hee will be pacified towards us and be mercifull to our transgressions This is most plainly set downe in the seventh Chapter of Jeremy where the Lord saith thus to his people â—er 7. If you amend and redresse your wayes and your workes If you execute judgement betwixt a man and his neighbour and oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow and shed no innocent bloud in this place neither walke after other gods to your destruction then will I let you dwell in this place even in the Land which I gave unto your fathers for ever and ever So likewise he saith by the same Prophet Jer. 22.5 Execute yee judgement and righteousnesse and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor and vexe not the fatherlesse the widow or the strangers doe
your humour You will forsooth be all pure But by God there be a company of pure knaves of you Theol. Now you do manifestly shew of what spirit you are For you both sweare and raile with one breath Antil God forgive mee Why did hee anger mee then There be a company of such controllers as he in the world that no body can be quiet for them Theol. I perceive a little thing will anger you sith you will be angry with him for speaking the truth Antil What hath he to doe with mee He is more busie then needs Why doth hee say I am in a bad case I will not come to him to learne my duty If I have faults he shall not answer for them I shall answer for mine owne faults and every Fat shall stand on his owne bottome Let him meddle with that hee hath to do withall Theol. You are too impatient you take matters at the worst We ought friendly and in love to admonish one another for we must have a care one of anothers salvation I dare say for him that he speakes both out of love and compassion towards you Antil I care not for such love Let him keep it to himselfe What doth he thinke of mee doth hee suppose that I have not a soule to save as well as hee or that I have no care of my salvation I would hee should know that I have as great care of my salvation as hee though I make not such outward shewes For all is not gold that glisters I have as good a meaning as hee though I cannot utter it Theol. These words might well be spared I hope you will be pacified and amend your life and draw neere to God hereafter Antil Truly Sir you may thinke of mee what you please but I assure you I have more care that way then all the world wonders at I thanke God for it I say my prayers every night when I am in my bed And if good prayers will doe us no good God help us I have alwaies served God duly and truly and had him in my mind I doe as I would be done to I keepe my Church and tend my prayers while I am there and I hope I am not so bad as this fellow would make mee I am sure if I be bad I am not the worst in the world there be as bad as I. If I goe to hell I shall have fellowes and make as good shift as others Theol. You think you have spoken wisely but I like not your answer For your words smell strongly both of ignorance pride and unbeliefe For first you justifie your selfe in your faithlesse and ignorant worship of God And secondly you justifie your selfe by comparison with others because others are as had as you and you are not the worst in the world Antil Now I know you speake of ill will for you never had a good opinion of mee Theol. I would I could have as good an opinion of you as I doe desire and that I might see that wrought in you which might draw my love and liking towards you And as for ill will the Lord knoweth I beare you none I desire your conversion and salvation with my whole heart and I would thinke my selfe happy if I might save your soule with the losse of my right arme Antil I hope I may repent For the Scripture saith At what time s eâ—er a sinner doth repent God will have mercy on him Therefore if I may have space and grace and time to repent before death and aske God forgivenesse and say my prayers and cry God mercy I hope I shall do well enough Theol. You speake as though repentance were in your power and at your commandement and that you can put it into your owne heart when you list and that makes you and many others presume of it three houres before death But you must know that repentance is the rare gift of God and it is given but to a few For God will know him well that hee bestoweth repentance upon sith it is proper onely to the Elect. It is no worldly matter It is not attained without many and frequent prayers and much hearing reading and meditating in the word of God It is not so easie a matter to come by as the world judgeth It is not found but of of them that seeke it diligently and beg it earnestly It is no ordinary three houres matter Cry God mercy a little for fashion will not do it Cursory saying of a few prayers a little before death availeth not For though true repentance be never too late yet late repentance is seldome true Hereâ—n delayes are dangerous for the longer wit deferre it the worse is our case The farther a naile is driven in with a hammer the harder it is to get out againe The longer a disease is let run the harder it is to cure The deeper a tree is rooted the harder it is to plucke up againe The longer wee deferre the time of our repentance the harder it will be to repent And therefore it is dangerous driving it off to the last cast For an ancient Father saith Augustine Wee reade but of one that repented at the last that no man should presume and yet of one that none might despaire Well then to conclude this point I would have you to know that the present time is alwaies the time of repentance For time past cannot be recovered and time to come is uncertaine Antil Sir in mine opinion you have â—ttered some very dangerous things and such as were enough to drive a man to despaire Theol. What be they I pray you Antil There be diverse things But one thing doth most of all sticke in my stomack and that is the small number that shall be saved as you say But I can hardly be perswaded that God made so many thousands to cast them away when hee had done Doe you thinke that God hath made us to condemne us Will you make him to be the Author of condemnation Theol. Nothing lesse For God is not the cause of 〈◊〉 condemnation but themselves For every mans destruction cometh of himselfe as it is written Hoâ—â—â—3 â— O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe As for God he doth in great mercy use all possible meanes to save soules as hee â—ith by the Prophet What could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done unto it Esay 5.4 But to come neere to your question I deny that God hath created the most part of men onely and solely unto pardition as the proper end which he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 them but hee hath created all things for the praise of his glory as it is written Hee hath created all things for himselfe Prov. 1â— 4 and the wicked also for the evill day Then it followeth that the cause and end why the wicked were created neither was nor is the onely destruction of his creature but his owne praise and glory that
with faith in those that heard it And again Heb. â— 1â— They could not enter in because of unbeliefe Here we sâ—e that unbeliefe did bar out the old people from entring into the Land of Promise which was a figure of Gods eternall Kingdome And sure it is that the same unbeliefe doth barre out thousands of us For many will beleeve nothing but their owne fantasies They will not beleeve the Word of God especially when it is contrary to their lusts and likings profits and pleasures Though things be manifestly proved to their faces and both the Chapter and the Verse shewed them yet will they not beleeve or though they say they beleeve yet will they never goe about the practice of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will say another when God saith yee they will say nay and so give God the lye Some againe will say If all be true that the Preachers say then God help us Thus you see how infidelity doth bar men out of Heaven and cast them into Hell Phil. Let us heare of the second gate which is Presumption of Gods mercy Theol. This is set downe in the 29. Chapter of Deuteronomie where the Lord saith thus When a man heareth the words of this curse and yet flattereth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkenness to thirst that is one sinne to anotâ—er the Lord will not be mercifull unto him but the wrath of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him and the Lord shall put out his name from under Heaven Here we see how the mighty God doth thunder downe upon such as goe-on in their sins presuming of his mercie and saying in their hearts If I may have but a Lord have mercy upon mee three houres before death I care not But it is just with God when these three houres come to shut them up in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart as a just plagne for their presumption Therefore the Prophet David seeing the grievousnesse of this sinne prayeth to be delivered from it Psal 19. Keep me O Lord saith he from presumptuous sins let them not reigne over mee Let all men therefore take hood of presumptuous sins For though God be full of mercy yet will hee shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy But they shall once know to their cost that justice goeth from him as well as mercy Phil. Let us come to the third gate which is the Example of the multitude Theol. This is proved in the 23. of Exodus verse 22. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evill In another place the Lord saith Levit. 18.3 After the doing of the Land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not doe and after the manner of the Land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall ye not doe neither walke in their ordinances Against this Law did the children of Israel offend when they said in the stubbornnesse of their heart to the Prophet Jeremie The word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord wee will not heare but we will do whatsoever goeth out of our mouth and we will do as we have done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem Jer. 44.16 Note here how they doe altogether refuse the Word of the Lord and how they follow the example of the multitude Wee see in these our dayes by lamentable experience how thousands are violently carried downe the stream and for defence of it some will say Do as the most men do and the fewest will speak ill of you Which is a very wicked speech For if we will follow the course of the most we shall have the reward of the most which is eternall perdition Let us therefore take heed of bending with the sway for the sway of the world doth weigh down all things that can be spoken out of the Word of God and openeth a very wide passage into hell Phil. Proceed to the fourth gate into hell which is the Long custome of sinne Theol. This is noted by the Prophet Jeremy to be a very dangerous thing For hee saith Jer. 13.23 Can the Black moore change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may yee also doe good which are accustomed to doe evill Noting thereby that it is as hard a matter to leave an old custome of sinne as to wash a Black-moore white or to change the spots of a Leopard which because they are naturall is most impossible So when men through custome have made swearing lying adultery and drunkennesse as it were naturall unto them oh how hard it is to leave them For custome maketh another nature and taketh away all sense and feeling of sin Phil. Let us heare of the fifth gate which is the Long escaping of punishment Theol. This is avouched by the Wise man in these words Ecclâ—s 8.11 Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe evill Where hee sheweth that one cause why men are so hardened in their sinnes is because God winketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediatly after they have sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raine fire and brimstone upon another and cause the earth to swallow up a third then men would feare indeed But it hath beene shewed before that God taketh not that course but though he meet with some in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall never come to their answer even as an old theefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwaies so escape and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts But let men take heed For as the Proverb saith Though the Pitcher goeth long to the Well yet at last it cometh broken home So though men escape long yet they shall not escape alwaies for there will come a day of reckoning a day that will pay it home for all Thus you see how impunity leadeth numbers to destruction that is when men are let alone and neither smitten by the hand of God nor punished by the Law of the Magistrate Phil. Let us come to the sixth gate which is the Hope of long life Theol. This is affirmed by our Lord Iesus concerning that rich worldling who when hee felt the world come in upon him with full streame said he would pull dâ—wne his barnes and build greater and say to his soule Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many yeares Luke 12.19 live at ease eat drinke and take thy pastime But our Saviour calleth him
but returne not thou unto them Vndoubtedly hee is an odde man that is not made worse with ill company For can a man touch pitch and not be defiled therewith Can a man carrie coales in his bosome and not be burnt Daily and lamentable experience sheweth that many of them which thinke themselves strong are this way most grievously smutted Let a man thinke therefore hee never abandoneth evill till hee abandon ill company For no good is concluded in this Parliament For ill company is the suburbs of hell Furthermore it is to be observed that some upon admonitions and some inward compunctions of their owne conscience do leave their sinnes untill they have new provocations and untill they come amongst their old copesmates and sin-companions and then are they carried backe againe to their old byas and returne to their folly as a dog returneth to his vomit For we see some which otherwise are of good natures and dispositions most pitifully and violently carried away with ill company Pro. 26.11 For even as gréen wood of it selfe is unapt to burne yet being laid on the fire with a great deale of seare wood it burneth as fast as the rest So many toward youths which of themselves are not so prone unto evill as others yet with this violent streame and blustering tempest of ill company are carried away Phil. Let us come to the last gate which is the Evill examples of Ministers Theol. It grieveth me and I am almost asham'd to speak of this point for is it not a wofull and lamentable thing that any such should be found amongst the sons of Levi Is it not a curse that the Ministers of Christ should be of a scandalous conversation For if the eye be darke how great is the darknesse If they be examples of all evill to the flocke which should be patternes lights and examples of all goodnesse must it not needs strengthen the hands of the wicked so as they cannot returne from their wickednesse But this is an old disease and evill sicknesse which hath alwayes been in the Church The Prophet Jeremy doth most grievously complaine of it in his time Jer. 23.24 and saith That from the Prophets of Jerusalem is wickednesse gone forth into all the Land For both the Prophet and the Priest doe wickedly I have seen saith he in the Prophets of Jerusalem filthinesse They commit adultery and walke in lies they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse they are all unto mee as Sodome and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah And in the ninth verse of the same Chapter he sheweth that it was no pleasure or joy unto him so publikely to reprove them but that he did it with exceeding griefe as being forced thereunto both in regard of Gods glory and the good of the Church His words are these Mine heart breaketh within mee because of the Prophets and all my bones shake Moreover in the same Chapter is set downe how the Lord would feed them with wormwood and make them drinke the water of gall and sundry other wayes plague them for their flatteries seducements corrupt doctrine and evill example of life Phil. Most certaine it is that the evill example of Ministers and especially of Preachers is very dangerous and offensive for thereby thousands are hardened in their sinnes For men will say Such a Minister and such a Preacher doth thus and thus and therefore why may not we doe so too They are learned and know the Word of God therefore if it were evill I hope they would not doe it for they should be lights unto us and give us good examples Therefore sith they doe such things wee cannot tell what to thinke or what to say to the matter they bring such simple folke as wee are into a mammering Theol. Oh that I could with the Prophet Jeremy quake and shake to thinke of these matters Oh that I could mourn as a Dove in penning of it Oh that I had in the wildernesse a cottage and could with Job be a brother to the Dragons and a companion to the Ostriches whilest I have any thoughts of these things Oh that I could weep and mourne without sin before I yeeld you an answer For weep indeed I may but answer I cannot Alas with much griefe I speake it all is too true that you say and herein the people have a vantage against us if I may call it a vantage But let this be my answer If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch Mat. 13.14 Blind guides and blind people shall perish together If because we are wicked they will be more wicked then both they and we shall burne in hell fire together Then let them reckon their gaines and see what they have got They have small cause to triumph over us for thereby their market is never a whit amended Let them take this for answer And let us that are the Ministers of Christ and Preachers of the Gospel looke narrowly to our selves and make straight steps to our feet for if we tread never so little awry we may see how many eyes are upon us Let us therefore with David pray continually Order my goings O Lord that my foot-steps slip not for when my foot slipped they rejoyced against mee And as for the people let them follow the examples of those which walke unblameably as God be thanked some such there be and let them flye the examples of such as are offensive So shall God have more glory and they more peace in their owne hearts Thus have we heard what a wide gate is opened into Hell by the evill example of Ministers and especially of Preachers Phil. Well sith there be so many bars out of Heaven and so many gates into Hell it is a very hard matter to break thorow all these bars and to enter into life and as hard a matter to misse all these gates and to escape Hell He quits him well that can doe it Theol. True indeed And as hard a thing as that is so hard a thing is it for flesh and bloud to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven And yet most men make light of it and thinke it is the easiest matter of an hundred Asun As hard as it is yet I hope by the grace of God I shall be one of them that shall enter in For so long as I doe as I would be done to and say no body no harme nor do no body no harme God will have mercy on my soule And I doubt not but my good deeds shal weigh against my evill deeds and that I shall make even with God at my later end For I thank God for it I have alwaies lived in hâ—s feare and served him with a true intent Therefore I know that so long as I keep his commandements live as my neighbours doe and as a Christian man ought to do he will not damn my soule Theol. Can you then keep
Gods Commandements Asun As neere as God will give mee grace Theol. Nay but I aske you whether you keep them or no Asun I doe assay to keep them as neere as I can I doe my true intent Though I keep them not all yet I am sure I keep some of them Theol. Because you say you keep some of them I pray you let me be so bold with you as to examine you in the particulars You know the first Commandement is this Thou shalt have none other Gods in my sight How say you doe you keep this Asun I am out of all feare of it For I never worshipped any God but one I am fully perswaded there is but one God Theol. What say you to the second Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven image c. Asun I never worshipped any images in my life I defie them I know they cannot help me for they be but stocks and stones Theol. What say you to the third Commandement which is this Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Asun Nay certainly I was never counted a swearer in my life but I have served God alwaies of a child and have had a good faith in him ever since I could remember I would be sorry else Theol. What say you then to the fourth Commandement Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day c. Asun Nay for that matter I keep my Church as well as any man in the parish where I dwell and mind my prayers as well when I am there I thanke God for it though I say it my selfe I have beene alway well given and have loved Gods word with all my heart and it doth mee good to heare the Epistles and Gospels read every Sunday by our Vicar Theol. Tell me what say you to the fift Commandement which is Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. Doe you keepe this Asun I have alwayes loved and obeyed my father and mother from my heart I hope there is no body can accuse me for that and I am sure if I keepe any commandement it is this For when I was a boy every body said that I was well given and a toward child Therefore if I should not keep this Commandement it would be a great griefe to mee and goe as neere my heart as any thing that came to mee this seven yeeres Theol. What say you to the sixt Commandement Thou shalt not kill Asun It were strange if I should not keep that Theol. What say you to the seventh Thou shalt not commit adultery Asun I thank God for it I was never given to women God hath alwaies kept mee from that and I hope will so still Theol. What say you to the eighth Thou shâ—â—t not steale Asun I am neither whore-master nor thiefe Theol. What say you to the ninth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse c. Asun I defie all false witnesse bearing from my heart Theol. What say you to the last Thou shalt not covet Asun I thank God for it I never coveted any mans goods but mine owne Theol. Now I perceive you are a wonderfull man you can keep all the Commandements You are like the blind Ruler which said unto Christ All these things have I kept from my youth Mat. 19.20 I perceive now indeed that it is no marvell though you make so light of Preaching for you have no need of it You are whole you need not the Physician you feele no misery and therefore you care not for mercy For where misery is not felt there mercy is not regarded but I see you need no Saviour Asun You â—â—y not well in that I need a Saviour and iâ— is my Lord Jesus that must save me 〈◊〉 he made me Theol. What need you a Saviour sith you are no sinner Asun Yes beleeve mee I am a sinner We are all sinners there is no man but hee sinneth Theol. How can you be a sinner sith you keepe all the Commandements Asun Yes I am a sinner for all that Theol. Can you both be a sinner and be without sinne too for hee that keepeth the Commandements is without sinne which thing you say you doe But I see how the case standeth that a great number of such ignorant and sottish men as you are will in generall say you are sinners because your conscience telleth you so but when it cometh to particulars you know not how you sinne nor wherein I pray you therefore let mee lead you thorow the Commandements againe and deale with you in particulars that I may bring you to the sight of your sinnes How say you therefore doe you upon your knees every morning and evening give God thankes for his particular mercies and manifold favours towards you And doe you call much upon him privately and much also with your family Answer me plainly and simply Asun I cannot say so Theol. Then you have broken the first Commandement which chargeth us to give God his due worship whereof prayer and thanksgiving are a part So then here at the very entrance you are found guilty Further I demand of you whether you never had any by-thoughts in your prayers and your heart hath not beene upon other matters even then while you were in prayer Asun I cannot deny that For it is a very hard matter to pray without by-thoughts Theol. Then by your owne confession you have broken the second Commandement which doth command the right manner of Gods worship that is that as wee must worship God so wee must doe it in faith love zeale and pure affections So that here you are guilty also because when you pray your minde is of other matters and you doe it not in sincerity and truth Further I demand of you whether you did never sweare by your faith or troth or by our Lady St. Mary and such other oathes Asun Yes by S. Mary have I I must needs confesse it Theol. Wee need no further witnesse your very answer proveth it for your answer is an oath therefore here also are you guilty because you sweare by idols Further I demand of you whether you did never travell to Faires on the Sabbath day or make bargaines on that day or take journies or talke of worldly matters neglecting holy duties Asun Yes God forgive me I have Theol. Then are you guilty of the breach of the fourth Commandement which chargeth us on paine of death to spend the Sabbath day in holy and religious duties both publikely and privately Further I demand whether you instruct your wife children and servants in the true knowledge of God and pray with them or no Asun I am sure you would have mee speak the truth I must needs confesse I do not neither am I able to do it Theol. Then are you guilty of the breach of the fifth Commandement which commandeth all duties of superiours towards their inferiours and of inferiours towards their superiours
whereof prayers and instructions are a part Moreover I demand whether you were ever angry or no Asun Yes an hundred times in my dayes and I thinke there is no body but will be angry at one time or other especially when they have cause Theol. Then you have broken the sixth Commandement which chargeth us to avoid wrath anger malice desire of revenge and all such like forerunners unto murder Furthermore I aske you whether you did never look upon a woman with a lust in your heart Asun Yes for I thinke there is no man free from thoughts that way I had thought thoughts had beene free Theol. No thoughts are not free before God for God knoweth our thoughts and will punish us arraign us and condemne us for thoughts Men know not thoughts and therefore can make not Lawes against thoughts but because God is privie to all our most secret thoughts therefore hee hath made Lawes against them and will condemne them Therefore I conclude that if you have nourished adulterous thoughts in your heart you are guilty of the breach of the seventh commandement which forbiddeth all secret thoughts and provocations whatsoever to adultery But further I demand whether you did never pilfer purloine and steale some small things from your neighbour as pasture poultry conies apples and such like Asun I cannot cleere my selfe in these things for I had thought they had been no sinne Theol. Then have you broken the eight Commandement and stand guilty of eternall death For God in this Commandement chargeth us to have as great care of our neighbours goods as of our owne and not to injure him any manner of way 〈◊〉 thought word or deed Therefore all deceit pilfring oppressing and all unjust dealing with our neighbours goods is here condemned Moreover let me ask you whether you did never lie or dissemble Asun Yes assuredly Theol. Then have you broken the ninth Commandement wherein God chargeth us both in witnesse bearing and all other matters to speake the plaine truth from our heart without lying or dissembling Last of all I demand whether you did never in your heart desire something that was not your owne as your neighbours house or ground kine or sheepe c. therein bewraying the discontentment of your heart Asun I am as guilty in this as in any thing For God forgive me I have often desired and lusted after this and that which was none of mine owne and so have bewrayed my discontentment Theol. Then I perceive by your owne confession that you are guilty of the breach of all the Commandements Asun I must needs confesse it for I see now more into that matter then ever I did I never heard so much before in my life nor was ever asked any such questions as you aske mee I had thought many of those things which you asked mee had been no sinnes at all Theol. I could have convicted you in a thousand other particulars wherein you doe daily and hourely breake the Law of God But my purpose was onely to give you a taste of some particular transgressions and therewithall some little light by the way into the meaning of the Law that thereby you might be brought to some better sight of your selfe and might a little perceive in what case you stand before God and by that little conceive a great deal more Asun Well now I do plainly see that I have been deceived and am not in so good estate before God as I thought I had been Moreover I see that thousands are out of the way which thinke they are in a good case before God whereas indeed they are in blindnesse and in their sinnes But Lord have mercie upon us I doe now plainly see that I am farre from keeping the Commandements and I thinke no man doth keep them Theol. You may sweare it I warrant you For neither Saint Paul David or the Virgin Mary could ever keep any one of the Commandements I am glad you begin to see into the Law of God and to have some taste that way For as a mans knowledge and in-sight is into the Law so is hiâ— knowledge and in-sight into himselfe Hee that hath a deep in-sight into the Law of GOD hath also a deep in-sight into himselfe Hee that hath no in-sight into the Law can have no in-sight into himselfe For the Law is that glasse wherein we doe behold the face of our soules before GOD. The Apostle saith By the Law cometh the knowledge of sinne Therefore those which are altogether ignorant of the Law and never behold themselves in this glasse doe commit an hundred sinnes a day which they know not of and therefore are not grieved for them For how can a man be grieved for that which hee knoweth not But now further I pray you to give mee leave to aske you some moe questions of the principleâ— of Religion to the end that you knowing and feeling your ignorance may be humbled therewith bewaile iâ— in time and seek after the true knowledge of God But yet by the way I will aske Antilâ—gon a question or two because I desire to understand what knowledge hee hath in the grounds of Religion Tell me therefore Antilegon what was the reason why Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost Antil I could answer you but I will not What authority have you to examine me Shew your commission When I see your warrant I will answer you in the meane time you have nothing to doe to examine mee Meddle with that you have to do withall Theol. I perceive you are not onely ignorant but wilfull and obstinate and refuse all instructions Therefore I will leave you to God and to your galled conscience But I pray you Asunetus answer this question What thinke you what was the reason that Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost Asun Belâ—eve me Sir that is an hard question You may aske a wise man that question For I cannot answer it Theol. What say you then to this Who was Christs mother Asun Marry Sir that was our blessed Lady Theol. What was Pontius Pilate Asun I am somewhat ignorant I am not book-learned but if you will have my simple opinion I thinke it was the Divell For none but the Divell would put our sweet Saviour to death Theol. What is the holy Catholike Church which you do beleeve Asun The communion of Saints the forgivenesse of sins Theol. What do you pray for when you say Thy Kingdome come Asun I do pray that God would send us all of his grace that wee may serve him and doe as wee ought to doe and keep us in a good minde to God-ward and to have him much in our minde For some God blesse us have nothing but the Divell in their minde they doe nothing a Gods name Theol. What is the Sacrament Asun The Lords Supper Theol. How many Sacraments be there Asun Two Theol. Which 〈◊〉 they Asun Bread an 〈◊〉 Theol. What is the principall end
of your coming to receive the Sacrament Asun To receive my Maker Theol. What is the principall use of a Sacrament Asun The body and bloud of Christ Theol. What profit and comfort have you by a Sacrament Asun In token that Christ died for us Theol. I can but pitty you for your ignorance for it is exceeding grosse and palpable Your answers are to no purpose and bewray a wonderfull blindenesse and senselesnesse in matters of Religion I am sorry that now I have not time and leisure to let you see your folly and extreme ignorance as also to lay open unto you the sense and meaning of the Articles of the Faith the Lords prayer and the Sacraments and all other the grounds of Christian Religion Asun What course would you wish me to take that I may come out of ignorance and attaine unto the true knowledge of God Theol. Surely I would wish you to be diligent in hearing of Sermons and reading the Scriptures with prayer and humility Also that you would peruse Catechismes and other good bookes and especially Virels grounds of Religion and the workes of the two worthy servants of God Master Giffard and Master Perkins and other mens that have done great service to the Church and for whom thousands are bound to give God thankes If you take this course you shall by Gods grace within a short time grow to some good measure of knowledge in all the main grounds of Christian Religion Phil. I had not thought any man had beene so ignorant as I now perceive this man is Theol. Yes verily there be thousands in his case And I doe know by experience that many will use the very same answers or at least very little differing Phil. I warrant you if you had questioned with him of kine or sheepe purchasing of land taking of leases or any other matters under the Sun you should have found him very ripe and ready in his answers Theol. I am so perswaded too For let a man talke with worldly men of worldly matters and their answer is never to seeke They will talke very freshly with you of such matters if it be all the day long For they have a deep in-sight into earthly things doe wholly delight to talk of them being never weary For it is their joy their meat and their drink But come once to talk with them of Gods matters as of faith repentance regeneration c. you shall find them the veriest dullards and dunces in the world For when speech is had of these things they are so bâ—fogged that they cannot tell where they are nor what they say Phil. In my judgement such mens case is very pitifull and dangerous and so is this mans case also if God doe not very speedily pull him out of it Theol. Questionlesse For God saith 〈…〉 My people perish for want of knowledge Our Lord Iesus saith that ignorance is the cause of all errours Mat. â—2 15. Ye erre saith he not knowing the Scriptures The Apostle saith that ignorance doth alienate us from the life of God Epâ—â—â— 4 â—8 For saith he the Gentiles were darkened in their cogitation being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them So then it is cleere that ignorance is not the Mother of devotion as the Papists doe avouch but it is the Mother of errour death and destruction as the Scripture affirmeth Our Lord foreseeing the great danger of ignorance how thereby thousands are carried headlong into hell doth admonish all men to search the Scriptures which doe testifie of him that so they might get out of the most dangerous gulfe of ignorance wherein multitudes are implunged Therefore the Noble men of Berea are commended by the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 17.11 because they received the Word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Oh therefore that men would earnestly seeke after the knowledge of God in time and as the Prophet saith seeke the Lord whilest he may be found call upon him whilest hee is neere Esay 55.6 Phil. I doe see that all ignorance in matters of faith is dangerous but I thinke wilfull ignorance is of all other most dangerous Theol. Wilfull ignorance no doubt is a plaine prognostication and demonstrative argument of eternall death for it is a most horrible and fearfull thing for men to refuse instruction despise counsell harden their hearts stop their eares and close up their eyes against God This is the very upshot of our decay Phil. I pray you what call you hardnesse of heart Theol. An hard heart is that which is neither moved with Gods mercies nor scared with his judgements neither feareth the Law nor regardeth the Gospel neither is holpen by threatnings nor softened by chastenings whis is unthankfull for Gods benefits and disobedient to his counsels made cruell by his rods and dissolute by his favours unshamefac't to filthinesse and fearlesse to perils uncourteous to men and wretchlesse to God forgetfull of things past negligent in things present and improvident in things to come Phil. Lay forth yet more plainely the state of ignorant and hard-hearted men and shew how lamentable it is Theol. If a man bee outwardly blind wee do pitty him and say There goes a poore blind man but if hee be both blind and deafe doe we not more pity him and say Oh in how miserable a case is that man but if hee be both blind deaf and dumb do we not most of all pity him and say Oh that man is in a most wofull taking and in a most pitifull plight How much more then are they to be pitied which as concerning their souls are both blind deafe and dumb For the diseases of the soule are farre more dangerous and more to be pitied then those of the body Would it not pity a mans heart to see a poore sheepe in a Lions mouth whilest hee teareth him rendeth him and puls out his guts Even such is the case of ignorant men in the clawes of the Divell For the Divell hath them under him rideth them at his pleasure and teareth their soules in pieces Oh that wee had eyes to see these things hearts to feele them and affections to be throughly moved with them even unto mourning and teares Phil. Few doe thinke that ignorant men are in so wofull a case as you speake of for they thinke ignorance will excuse them And some will say they are glad they have so little knowledge For if they should have much knowledge of their Masters will and do it not they should be beaten with many stripes but now being ignorant they thinke all is safe Theol. God willed his people to offer sacrifice for their sinnes of ignorance therefore ignorance is a sin and excuseth no man And as for the state of their soules before God it is most miserable if wee could see into their soules as w e see their bodies For assuredly there be multitudes which ruffle it
have the reward of Gods children This is most 〈◊〉 case but they will not doe the workes of Gods children They would have the sweete but they will none of the sowre They would have the Crowns but they will sight never a stroke They would faine come to Canaan but they are loth to travell that long and dangerous way which leadeth unto it Therefore those men being the sons of idlenesse will step short in the end of that they looke for Prov. 1â— 4 For the Spirit saith The sluggard lusts but his soule hath nought Wee must therefore leave bare words and come to deeds For our Lord Iesus saith Mat. 7. â—1 Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Where wee see Christ in plaine termes excludes out of his kingdome all those whose Religion consisteth only in good words and smooth speeches but make no conscience to practise the Commandements of God David having made some good preparation for the building of the Temple and perceiving his son Solomon to have stuffe provision enough to perfect and finish it doth most wisely encourage him to the worâ— in these words 1 Câ—â— 12.16 Up and be doing and the Lord shall be with thee Oh that men would follow this counsell of David that they would up and be doing and not fit still and doe nothing that they would leave words and countenances and set upon the practice of Gods Law and study with all care and conscience to be obedient to his will Then assuredly God would be with them and blesse them and much good would come of it For the Scripture saith Prov. 14.32 In all labour there is profit or increase but the talke of the lips onely bringeth want Phil. Most mens minds are so wholly drowned in the love of this world that they havâ— no heart to obey God nor any delight in his commandements Theol. The greatest part of men are like to the Gadarens which esteemed their Swine more than Christ As wee see in these our daies how many make more account of their kine and sheepe than of the most glorious Gospel of Christ They highly esteeme dung and contemne pearle They are carefull for trifles and regard not the things of greatest moment and therefore may very fitly be compared to a man who having his wife and children very sicke doth utterly neglect them and is altogether carefull for the curing of his hogs eares Phil. Wee are somewhat digressed from the matter wee had in hand I pray you therefore if you have any more matter of good counsell to give to Asunctus that you would presently deliver it Theol. I have little more to say save onely I would advise him often to remember and much to muse on these things The evill he hath committed Nine things much to be thought of The good he hath omitted The time he hath mispent The shortnesse of this life The vanity of this world The excellencie of the world to come Death then the which nothing is more terrible The day of judgement then the which nothing is more fearfull Hell fire then the which nothing is more intolerable Phil. This is short and sweet indeed You have touched some of these points before in this our conference But I am very desirous to heare somewhat more of the two last which yet have not been spoken of Theol. Sith you are desirous I will briefly deliver unto you that which I have received from the Lord. First concerning the day of judgement I finde in the volume of Gods booke that it shall be very terrible and breadfull For the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven Mat. 24 3â— with power and great glory St. Peter saith 2 Pet. 2.10 The day of the Lord shall come as a theefe in the night in the which the heavens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt up The Apostle tells us that at Christs coming the whole world shall be of a light â—â—re and that all castles towers goodly buildings gold silver velvets silkes and all the glittering hue glory and beauty of this world shall be consumed to powder and ashes 2 Pet. 3 7. For hee saith plainly The heavens and the earth which are now are reserved to fire against the day of Judgement and of the destruction of ungodly men Moreover hee strongly proves that as the world was once destroyed by water so the second time in the end thereof it shall be destroyed with fire The Apostle S. Paul witnesseth the same things for he saith 2 Thes â— 1 Christ shall come from Heaven with all his mighty Angâ—â—s in naming fire And in another place he notes the terrour of his coming to Iudgement saying 1 Thes 4.10 Hee shall come with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trumpet of God We see by experience that the coming of mortall Princes to any place is with great pomp and glory They have great traines and troups behind them and before them They are accompanied with many Nobles goodly Lords and gallant Ladies doe attend upon them The Sword-bearer Trumpetters and Harbengers goe before many slaunting and stately Personages follow after Now then if the coming of mortall Princes be so pompous and glorious how much more glorious shall the coming of the Sonne of man be in whose sight all mortall Princes are but dust The Scriptures doe affirme that his second coming unto judgement shall be with such resplendent and unspeakable glory that even the most excellent creatures shall blush at it For the Sunne shall â—e darkned 〈◊〉 24.29 the Moone shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven Meaning thereby that the most glorious and bright-shining Creatures shall be clouded and obscured by the unconceiveable brightnesse of Christs coming Moreover the 〈…〉 Christs coming is noted unto us in this that immediately before it the very Sea shall quake and tremble and in his kinde crie out For it is said that the Sea shall roare and make a noise in most dolefull and lugubrious manner and mens hearts shall faile them for feare Luk. 21.25 and for looking after those things which shall come on the world for the powers of heaven shall be shaken O what shall become of swearers drunkards whoremongers and such like in that day They shall seeke to creepe into an anger-hole to hide their heads They shal then cry Woe and alas that ever they were borne They shall wish that they had never been borne or that their mothers had borne them toads And as it is in the Apocalyps They shall say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on us and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of
for his son or the mother for the daughter yet can none of these be heard they must all have the repuise For the sentence of Christ cannot be reversed his decree is unrepealeable The due consideration of these things may make all hearts to quake and all knees to tremble In the troubles and afflictions of this life though a man come in never so great danger yet hee may wind out againe by one meanes or another by mony or friendship or rewards or such like meanes but in Hell-fire this is it that gripes and maketh the heart despaire that there is no remedy at all to be used If wee should aske of a damned soule or an afflicted conscience what they would give for the ease and redemption of their soules they would answer the whole world howsoever secure worldlings and wicked Atheists which see nothing or feele nothing make nothing of it Here by the way let us consider the greatnesse of the losse of a mans soule which we shall the better perceive and see into if we can aright value and prize the soule If therefore it be demanded what is the price of the soule or what is it worth Our Lord Iesus answereth that it is more worth then all the world For saith hee Mat. 1â— What shall it profit a man â—o win all the world and lose his soule Therefore the soule of the poorest beggar is more worth then all the world Then I reason thus If the soule be more worth then all the world then the losse of it is greater then the losse of the whole world For indeed it is a losse of all losses an unrecoverable losse If a man should have his house burnt over his head and all that hee hath consumed in one night it were a great losse If a Merchant-venturer should lose twenty thousand pounds in one venture in one ship or as they say in one bottome it were a very great losse If a King should lose his Crowne and Kingdome it were an exceeding great losse But the losse of the soule is a thousand times more then all these it is a matter of infinite importance If a Tenant be cast out of the favour of his Land-lord it is a matter of griefe If a Noblemans Secretary be cast out of favour with his Lord so that he taketh a pritch against him it is a matter of great sorrow If a Nobleman himselfe be discountenanced and cast out of all favour with his Prince that was in great favour it is a corsie a heart-smart and a matter of exceeding grievance But to be eternally separated from God to be shut out of his favour and to be cast away from his presence and the presence of his Angels is a matter of infinite more dolour and torment Marke then and behold what a thing it is for a man to lose his soule Oh therefore that men would be wise in Gods feare that they would looke out in time and make provision for their soules Now then to close up this whole point the summe of all that hath been said is this That the torments of Hell are endlesse easelesse and remedilesse Asun The laying open of these doctrines of Hell fire and the judgement to come makes me quake and tremble I am much thereby perplexed I feele great terrour in my conscience I am affraid I shall be damned Antil Damned man What speake you of damning I am ashamed to heare you say so For it is well knowne that you are an honest man a quiet liver a good neighbour and as good a townes-man as any in the Parish where you dwell and you have been alwayes so reputed and taken If you should be damned I know not who shall be saved Asun I regard not your flatteries I beleeve God I beleeve his Word I beleeve those things which Master Theologus hath alledged out of the holy Scriptures pointing mee both to the Chapter and the Verse and whether it be more meet that I should beleeve the Scriptures or your soothings judge you No no now I doe cleerly see by the glasse of Gods Law that my state is wretched and miserable For I have lived in sinne and ignorance all the dayes of my life being utterly void of all Religion and true knowledge of God I am not the man indeed that you and others take mee for For though outwardly I have lived honestly to the world-ward yet inwardly I have not lived religiously to God-ward Antil Tush tush now I see you are in a melancholy humour If you will goe home with mee I can give you a speedy remedy for I have many pleasant and merry bookes which if you should heare them read would soone remedy you of this melancholy passion I have the Court of Venus The Palace of Pleasure Bevis of South-hampton Ellen of Rummin The merry jest of the Friar and the Boy The pleasant Story of Clem of the Clough Adam Bell and William of Cloudesly The odde tale of William Richard and Humfrey The pretty conceit of John Splinters last Will and Testament which all are excellent and singular bookes against heart-qualmes and to remove such dumpishnesse as I see you are now fallen into Asun Your vaine and frivolous bookes of tales jests and lies would more increase my griefe and strike the print of sorrow deeper into my heart Antil Nay if you be of that mind I have done with you Phil. I pray you if a man may be so bold with you how came you by all these good books I should have said so much trash and rubbish Antil What mattereth it to you What have you to doe to enquire But I pray you Sir what doe you meane to call them trash and rubbish Phil. Because they be no better They be goodly geere trim stuffe They are good to kindle a fire or to scoure a hot oven withall And shall I tell you my opinion of them I doe thus thinke That they were devised by the Divell seene and allowed by the Pope printed in Hell bound up by Hobgoblin and first published and dispersed in Rome Italy and Spaine and all to this end that thereby men might be kept from the reading of the Scriptures For even as a Lapwing with her busie crie draweth men away from her nest so the Popish generation by these fabulous devices draw men from the Scriptures Antil Ah Sir I see now a fooles bolt is soon shot You are more precise then wise The Vicar of Saint Fooles shall be your ghostly father What tell you mee of your opinion I would you should wel know I neither regard you nor your opinion There be wiser men then you who both reade allow and take pleasure in these bookes Theol. Let him alone good Philagathus for you see what he is there is no end of his crossing and cavilling But he that is ignorant let him be ignorant and he that is filthy let him be more filthy Let us now turne our speech to Asunetus for I see
the true Sanctuary but is entred into the very Heaven Heb. 9. to appeare now in the sight of God for you The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for you that knew no sinne that you might be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him Gal 3.13 Christ was made a curse for you that he might redeeme you from the curse of the Law Oh therefore how happy art thou that hast such a Mediatour and high Priest Rest therefore wholly upon him and upon that perfect eternall and propitiatory Sacrifice which he hath once offered Apply Christ apply his merits apply the promises to your selfe and to your owne conscience so shall they doe you good and bring great comfort to your soule For put case you had a most excellent and soveraigne salve which would cure any wound if it were laid to yet if you should locke it up in your chest and never apply it to your wound what good could it doe you Even so the righteousnesse and merits of Christ are a spirituall salve which will cure any wound of the soule but if wee doe not apply them to our soules by faith they can doe us no good You must therefore apply Christ and all the promises of the Gospel to your selfe by faith and stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for you particularly For what is justifying faith but a full perswasion of Gods particular love to us in Christ The generall and confused knowledge of Christ and his Gospel availes not to eternall life Labour therefore to have the true use of all these great and precious promises and sticke fast to Christ for through him onely wee have remission of sins and eternall life Acts 10.45 To him all the Prophets give witnesse saith Saint Peter that through his Name all that beleeve shall receive remission of their sins Where the Apostle tells us that if a great Iury of Prophets were pannelled to testifie of the way and meanes to eternall life they would all with one consent bring in a verdict that remission of sins and eternall life are onely in Christ Let us heare the Fore-man speake and one or two of the rest for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand The Prophet Esay saith Esay 54.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed This great Prophet we see plainly affirmes that Christ suffered for our sins and by his suffering we are saved The Prophet Jeremy testifies the same thing Jer. 23 5. saying Behold the day is come saith the Lord that I will raise to David a righteous branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse This Prophet jumps with the other For he saith that Christ is the righteous branch and that he is our righteousnesse which is all one as if hee had said our sinnes are pardoned onely through him and through him we are made righteous Moreover hee affirmes that Juda and Israel that is the Church shall be saved by him The Prophet Zachary that I may speake it with reverence telleth the same tale word for word He avoucheth the same thing with the other two Prophets for hee saith In that day a fountaine shall be opened to the house of David Zach. 13.1 and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse The meaning of the Prophet is that in the dayes of Christs Kingdome the fountaine of Gods mercy in Christ should be opened and let-out to wash away the sinnes and uncleannesse of the Church So then we see that these three great witnesses doe all agree in this that through Christ onely we are washed from our sinnes and through him onely wee are made righteous Seeing then that eternall life is onely in the Sonne therefore he that hath the Sonne hath life Be of good courage therefore O Asunetus for no doubt you have the Sonne and therefore eternall life Feare not your sinnes for they cannot hurt you for as all the righteousnesse of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the most righteous men that ever lived on the face of the earth if it were yours could doe you no good without Christ so all the sinne in the world can doe you no hurt being in Christ Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Plucke up a good heart therefore be no more heavie and sad for if you be found in Christ clothed with his perfect righteousnesse being made yours through faith what can the Divell say to you what can the Law doe They may well hisse at you but they cannot sting you they may grin at you but they cannot hurt you For who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies Rom. â— 33 who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen againe who also sitteth at the right hand of God and makes request for us Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord therefore againe I say Rejoice for greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world Our Lord Iesus is stronger then all None can pluck you out of his hands hee is a strong Mediator hee hath conquered all our spirituall enemies hee hath overcome hell death and damnation hee hath led captivity captive Col. 1.15 hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and hath made an open shew of them and triumphed over them on his crosse Hee hath most triumphantly said O death Hos 13.14 I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 O hell where is thy victory Seeing then you have such a Mediator and high Priest as hath conquered the hellish army and subdued all infernall power what need you to doubt what need you to feare any more Moreover you are to understand and to be perswaded that Gods mercy is exceeding great towards penitent sinners and all such as mourne for their transgressions according as hee saith At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart hee will put them all out of his remembrance The Prophet David doth most lively and fully describe unto us the mercifull nature of God in the 103. Psalme where hee saith The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse hee will not alwaies chide neither keepeth his anger for ever hee hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us according to our iniquities For as high as the heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy towards those that feare him