silent and can rejoyce in his portion pressing down running over His heart is fixed now his heart is fixed now his eare is prepared let me say and his back too In patience he can possesse his soule Now he can say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Nay Smite Lord for thy servant beareth He is fitted now to doe the whole pleasure of the Lord and to suffer the same too His Fathers will is his will Speak Lord smite Lord doe what thou wilt thou dost all things well he can now heare he can now beare all things readily patiently silently nay and rejoyce in all for he sees love in all and eternall love he sees pleasures at the foot of the account and all shall further the giving up his account with joy In the meane time though the Sea of his conflicts rise high and the flouds of great waters make a noyse yet is hee quiet secure at peace round about how so God is friends with him and then all is peace he hath spoken supplications to his God his God in Christ hath spoken peace to his soule He hath commanded him to come under the shadow of his wing where he is secure and at peace he can mock a Job 39. 22. Job 5. 22. Childs Portion p. 171. Prov. 31. 17. explained at danger and laugh at famine and the sword for God is his rock the mighty God of Jacob is his defence he will not be afraid not he though the flouds rise yet there will be a standard set up against them Nay though his God strikes him it is but to correct him to sweeten his after-comforts he knowes his God will doe him no hurt a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys in cap. 18. Matth. for the Father will not hurt his childe we are sure of that These are mighty words I know it well yet no other but what a mighty servant of the Lord Luther said long since for the comfort of all those whose God is the Lord who can stay themselves upon God Almighty Strike Lord where Thou wilt when Thou wilt how Thou wilt it will be a mercifull stroak and I beare it I beare any thing now my sins are pardoned b Mel. Ad. vit Luth. p. 168. w. c Spiritus Domini gubernet te totum rapiat ex Tuis in Sua ex buman is in Divinâ— Nostra snnt caro foenum et stipu'a Dei omnia sunt verbum veritus et viâ—a quite custodiat et gubernet Mel. Ad. I said I would break of And yet we will reade a short prayer first it is the same in effect which one c M. Merlinus put up for his friend O siander Now the Spirit of the Lord fall down upon thee make a seizure on thy whole man be Lord and King there ruling thee wholly The Lord pluck thee from under the power of thy selfe from out that rubbish and bring thee to Himself to behold His beauty strength glory there for all is there Alas what we call ours wee must call nothing yea worse then nothing an abomination Cease not then to cry mightily till God shall answer He is thine for then all things are yours And then thou art fitted to doe and to suffer to teach and to be taught The Lord keep thy soule as under watch and ward guide thee by His counsell afterwards bring thee into His Kingdome Amen And so much to the whole Compositum the body and the soule put together The excellency of the one and of the other but lost in both How repaired The exceeding mercy in that work of mercy The Conclusions there-from CHAP. VI All Creatures serve man Mighty Conclusions there-from Art as well as Nature serves man hee sets all trades a work which concludes hee must have â— Trade also What that must be How he may prosper in it VVEE have viewed Natures great work rather the work of God actuating Nature Now we must take a view also of some inferiour works of Nature and Art both employed all about mans body Take good notice then run over the body again and not with a carelesse eye observe well every thing about thee from that which honours thy head to that which covers thy heele Thou wilt consider then what creatures and how many have and do continually contribute towards thy accommodation That is the first Consideration 2. Then again How many like thy selfe but perhaps much better have been and are employed dayly about the adorning thy poore carcasse Thus observe the workes of Art about thee A child cannot consider this yet wee must informe him what we can Where is the man who thinkes hereof as hee should considerately yet doe these things require our serious thoughts and we shall very much gaine upon a childs understanding hereby First what a retinue how great a company hath this poore man alwaies ready pressed to doe him service The Sun the common servant of the world see with what speed he comes observing his appointed time that hee may not faile man of a minute This is confiderable and demonstrable too I have been curious said a great Scholar Bellar. de asc mentis p 111. in his time too great to thinke himselfe nothing in searching into this secret how many miles the Suns race is in a minute and thus I found it demonstrable I observed the first pearing of the Sunne to my eye in its rising then presently I began to reade the 37. Psalme before I had read the Psalme the second time the Sun was up so quick and speedy is the morion of that mighty body and so for mans service altogether which reads him a great lecture but of that anon Come we lower The Moone doth him service too who knowes how much every man knowes a great deale Lower yet The Winds and the raine fulfilling His word hearing the earth that the earth may heare man The Birds of the ayre they are at mans service The Beasts of the earth they groane under the hard usage of their Lord. Some sweat and toyle at his worke other yeild him cloth and meate both The wide Sea also the Creatures there they are not behind to doe him homage what a thing is Man All above below and about him all to doe him service What an honour is this how great an engagement too that must be considered also And who is so weake that cannot reason thus If all these be for my service how reasonable is it that I should serve my Creator Him only and according to his rule with reverence and godly feare But a soft pace goes far wee are too quick for the Child if wee are so curt and short wee shall doe him little service I will then briefly cleare the first proposition That all Creatures have and doe continually contribute towards mans accommodation then I will helpe him to make Conclusions thence serving much for our use First the Sun-beame is not more cleare upon the wall then That all
understands homogeneum for that is Greeke he can tell the whole Apple is Apple and so is every part as are Earth Water Aire Fire Silver Gold c. The Child reads a Colos 1. 23. The Gospell was preached to every Creature that 's too generall sure for Beasts could not heare it it is more specially meant then so He daylie asketh his daylie bread our desire here must be moderate yet not confined to our loafe only a word wee find in our English but in no other tongue wee meane thereby as wee have good warrant our meat too our cloathing also all necessaries little doth a child think what a blessing he hath in his hand when Bread is there For as the word meaneth and our Lord also having Bread he hath All. Thus the Child hath this necessary additament to Grammar for hee can make no way without it And in all this we have not out-compassed his understanding nor burthened it at all For our precognitions have prepared way thereunto and prevented the labour For that was our promise still and we are sure we have kept our word But I shall transgresse presently if I doe not take leave as all along I have done to goe out of the Common-rode way for there lyeth Prosodia next straight on in the rode at the very bottome of the way And there wee have Tone a very acute and witty word Spirit as sublime Time long and short a great part of a mans understanding to observe it and yet for his Turne the child shall doe it nay can do it well enough But what shall wee doe with those things here Certainly they stand out of place I said well a little before This part of Grammar lyeth at the very bottome It doth indeed even there therefore I tooke it in when I was upon my bottome worke the Declensions and Verbes for they are the foundation of all And wee carried it along with us as the Master-builder doth his measuring line through the whole structure up to the very top and this is the naturall order Nor doe we goe alone here at this point There is one who sheweth his Judgement here as H. Hayne in his Grammar lately printed he hath his judgement and learning both in higher points For he makes it no distinct part of Grammar but as that which hath its use every where and so it spreadeth it selfe through all whereby it comes to passe that the Child well perceives its use in every word hee speaks attaines to a more perfect understanding thereof in one weeke then by a verball repetition of it he can attaine unto in a whole yeare And so for the whole Grammar though haply he cannot give you six lines in ryme which will never be required by any understanding man yet for every line and word hee can give you good reason and that we hope one day will satisfie a reasonable man And now our practise is gone as far as we can perhaps farther then needed wee will set downe also the Reasons of our practise which may serve as rules for our after proceeding CHAP. IX Rules of practise amongst which the Method of our proceeding is cleared to be according to Nature and right Reason 1. HEre I must resume againe what was said in the beginning of the fourth Chapter and inlarge it a little for thereon depends very much It was this That Grammar learning as it is taught is a matter of greater difficulty then any study that a man afterwards undertakes For here can be no such preparatory to the understanding as the Philosopher requireth in all studies Here examples and precepts are alike difficult either being as strange and as unknowne as the other and therefore like to yeild a poore illustration where their proceeding is ab ignoto ad ignotum Whereas in other Studies if the precepts bee difficult yet such examples may bee had for explication of them as are obvious to every mans experience Hence it must needs follow that seeing for the study of Latine and of other Languages there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Nature there is Reason good enough to leave the ordinary course and to make a preparation unto rule by experience which may serve in stead of Nature But this way of experience which is nothing else but the very method of Invention being in it selfe considered and without the other must needs be very confused as being exercised in singulars which as the Philosophers say are infinite and mutable and therefore not scientificall Besides it can give but little satisfaction as proposing only the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and leaving the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the labour of the learner Nor can it but be long before it attaines the end which is the making Analogie knowne For if the rules of Grammar being already framed by men of Heroick wits that were the first inventors of them have yet suffered so many alterations of after Ages before they could bee brought to their true Generalities and so many supplements of other rules deseried by them afar off and more clearely seene and found out of others by occasion of their former labours together with their owne endeavours before the discipline could be suckt to a perfect and proportionable body How long may we thinke it will bee before Children who are led more by the sense then by the understanding and therefore can hardly use abstraction will bee able to frame unto themselves generall rules by induction out of particular examples On the other side The Method of Doctrine must needs bee too subtile for Children as taking his beginning from Vniversals and so necessarily requiring substraction which is not to bee expected from that age Besides it cannot but be dry tedious and livelesse in this case as being without all Principles So then there is a mid way to be taken a Method mixt of both these beginning in experience as the way to rule preventing the difficulties of generalities and ending in rule as the perfection of experience taking away the tediousnesse of Induction And this is the most Cardinall rule the very hinge whereon the whole frame doth hang and turne it selfe The most naturall method setting use aside whereby wee gaine the Language which reduceth all Grammars to one and teacheth them all alike for the manner Thus. 2. The Child must observe what eye-service he can do himselfe when he is upon Declension there he begins for by one example there he sooner learnes what part of speech number case and gender then by saying the rules thereto belonging ten times over Declension and Verbe and the service is this he observes that there are letters which stand in the one and other as substantially fixed and unchangeable as a roote the same still in every Case Tense and Person therein Some letters againe are very accidentall and moveable of a servile condition serving onely their turne Time and Place and then away giving place to some other This must
this here It is the readiest way in the world to nuzzle up the childe or the man for hee is a childe in knowledge in ignorance if we keep him in his rode and content our selves that he saith perfectly by rote This comes to nothing we must parcell forth his lesson into questions whereto in his rode way it is not possible he should frame an answer And thus if we doe we shall make Grammars all alike to the child let me say and Catechismes also And now I have spoken that which is of infinite use and mighty concernment to the Catechist whether he teacheth men or boyes There is an Objection That the old method produced as good scholars anciently as any new can doe now I verily beleeve it and better scholars too but no thanks to the method I shall give a full reason for that in a few words but I referre it to the last both Part and Chapter I proceed now onward in my rules directing our practice 5. We observe the universall use of all in Analysis commonly called construing and parsing and in Genesis termed Making Latine In construing the first principall care is to finde out the Nominative Case by the rule of Logick that Case must be sought first being the theame or subject of the Axiom but the child will sooner finde out the Verb and let him take his way the Verb next this is the argument or predicat both together make the Axiome Where also we note by the way that the second Concord is taught presently after the Declension and indeed it is the first in nature being most simple and having a Topicall disposition without affirmation or negation whereas the disposition of the other is axiomaticall but no need of this to the childe It is enough he can finde out the Verb and his Nominative Case for that is easiest and knowes the rest are additaments depending upon one of the two 6. The phrases are to be construed first rendringword for word for the learners understanding then rendring phrase for phrase for his use in translation that he may understand that all languages have their severall properties which are by no meanes to be violated nor the composition of the Authour neither wherein Caesar is most exact as he is the best History in the world saith a great Scholar expressed in the greatest propriety of words and perspicuity of Narration that ever was 7. His Authours must be such as are most sensuall I meane such as doe best instruct his understanding and life together whether Fables Colloquies Comedies or Epistles familiar Histories Poets also of the very best for though versifying supposeth plenty of words and freedome of speech yet if a childe stay til then for ought I know I know what their slacknesse is he will never reade a Poet in the Schoole And then no small want though I know prose should be well perfected first But if to a verse then why not to Homer Virgil Ovid and Horace we all are sure they are the best and a childe must be acquainted with more kinde of verses then one But there the childe may find the worst too and so he may also even in those Poets which we account and indeed are most Christian We never knew any garden weeded so cleane but something there was which might offend there our instruction was long since wee know no better now Wee must imitate the Bee and then we shall finde honey or make it so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Isoc ad Dem. w. 8. Concerning Translation and Imitation c. what can be said after M. Ascham M. Horn and many others So also touching aydes or helps to speech and invention Such are Apologues Proverbs Emblems Histories Causes Effects Topicks the heads or places which assist us therein So much hath been said in all this as I know not what can be added Besides it is beyond my scope in this place which is no more then to shew the way how the childe must be taught his Grammar where all along the way the Teacher must observe this and it is the chiefe of his duty at this part he shall heare more at the conclusion of the next but this now 9. Now the Master must consider all along that the first impressions in children are weak and waterish no sooner made but gone like lightning at once begun and ended The first and second time their lesson is rather looked on then learned and the Master must have patience for all that he must compose himselfe to goe as slowly as the childs conceit requires if the Master be quick when the child is slow then there is much matter offered unto passion but then passion goes on and the child back The Masters wisedome is to stoop to the childe to see where he sticks His pen is but a dead thing the Master must put life unto it he must so speak that the childe must see him speak he must as some have done b Childs Patrimony Preface p. 19. heare with the eye and learne to speak by his fingers and this will not be with some children till the Master puts his words upon his fingers ends a thing very possible to be done nay it must be done I may not forget the counsell that Nazianzen gives to his fellow Pastors and Overseers or rather what such should be Not their words onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nazianz. Orat. 6. but their apparell their going their sitting their whole carriage and deportment must have a tongue speak forth Holinesse to the Lord every thing about them must be so regulated so expresse agreeing to rule so lively a copy as that it bid the lookers on and they are many every ones eye is upon the light and a City set upon an hill a Mat. 5. 14. look on us and as you see us doe so doe yee And this is of singular use for them who teach youth also But that I specially noted for our purpose now when I reade that Oration it is his sixt was this expression I have said he set out before you a Pictured speech b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is that I will expresse it as well as I can for that is to our purpose I have made my words so plain and visible that your eyes may look upon them as you may the picture which the cunning workman hath set out So plaine have I spoken And so may yee all speake and alwaies speake ye servants of the Lord for this is to speake with tongues indeed when every thing about a Minister speakes And this is to speake in the language of the most sacred Scripture also and in the Dialect of the people too they understand it full well But I seeme to teach my Teachers no I doe but recite the counsell of an ancient father unto them that they may learne how to speake with tongues and to the peoples understanding They cannot be put in
wood I am at an indifferency what wilt thou make of me a bench to sit upon or a God to look Hor. 1. Ser. 8. upon I am at thy service consider the matter and resolve The Carver bethought himselfe so it came in his cap to shew his skill and I little thank him a God he made me Now see how I am abused The dust covers mee I cannot wipe it off from mine eies The worm consumes me The mice and the rats defile me and I stand the while stock still not able so much as to hold my nose What think we is not this a notable jeere cast upon the Image-maker He was served well enough he conceived that hee could a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Esay 2. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chr. Tom. 1. Hom. 37. make his God b and frame a work more noble then the work-man who is more precious then the whole worldd. What a foole is that how like the stock he made or that he sits upon Hee shall heare one jeere more though wee hate the practise and the Heathen shall cast it into What Religion is that which cannot mention without suspicion ofscoffing Bâ—luel Apo Art 7. p. 375. his teeth because hee hath wrought such a silly sorry worke and yet accounts it something for thus the Heathen man jeeres at the stock The Carver hath made a God of thee thou art a great one thou must doe a great deale of service and look thou dost it see well to thy charge else I promise thee thou shalt to thine own place the fire where if thou canst doe nothing else thou shalt warme my shins for though thou art carved and cost is put upon thee above thy worth yet thou art but wood and to Lignumes c. Mart. 8. 40 the fire thou shalt goe Let the man think of this as he pleaseth I am sure it is to the childs understanding and may make him both think and practise like a man if adding thereto we remember him of this which follows They who made a god like a four-footed beast God gave up to a sin which did abase them into a worse condition then of beasts And so it is at this day such and so just the judgement upon them amongst whom these pictures are in such request as saith Sr. Ed. Sands and a great deale more What I make my Idol will be my shame my torment also Little children think on this and keep your selves from dumb Idols Amen CHAP. III. To converse in Generalities is to keepe a childe upon the Pinnacle the word is familiar what it teacheth what also the descent there-from so leading to singulars and the chiefest of them the Man THus wee learne to stoop what wee may to the low capacity of children by making singulars what we can plain and visible before them To verse them in Generalities is to carry them in a cloud or to keep them upon the pinnacle yet because so high we are and it is a word we reade much of we will get some informations from it and some instructions also by the descent there-from which may lead us to singulars and to the chiefe amongst them which is man the Compendium or Abridgement of the great world we shall teach the child to reade that book first I mean himself there we will begin but in order we suppose we are upon the pinnacle yet and our hope is to gaine something there 1. What a prospect have we here yet not enough no not enough to satisfie the eye much lesse the soule so capacious that nothing but heaven can fill it the good things there Iacobs enough onely fills the soule as was said the foure quarters of the world the regions of the Aire too cannot affoord us enough to fill up the eye and eare notwithstanding all there would be a desire after and a capacity of more Alas what a poore thin is all this which we can reach with our eye much like the point where the compasse stands where with you draw the circumference and that is but an atome like a mote in the Sun or a grain of mustard-seed such a thing is earth and Sea too in reference to heaven Lord give us to see into and through these things and then the vanity of them all will appeare And wee shall know where rest is to bee found and enough that we may say Soule enter into thy rest for thou hast enough laid up for many yeares even to all eternity for God is yours and Christ yours and then all yours that was Iacobs enough to satisfie even in Gen. 33. 11 as before famine in the greatest wordly wants or straights enough 2. What beauty doe wee observe here All this did the Lord bring out of confusion as He did light out of the womb of darknesse and with no labour by His word onely When the Lord is the doer when He worketh all wonder ceaseth Wee are perswaded now nothing is hard to the Lord Hee can make it dark at noone and midnight as mid-day If that Spirit will dead bones shall live A full Sea shall bee as dry land Prisoners shall goe forth They who are in darknesse shall shew themselves The Captives of the mighty shall bee taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee Esay 49. Amos 5. delivered for this is He that brought this beauty out of confusion and by His Word He spake and it was done 3. See how insnaring this glory is The tempter thought he could have taken his Lord with it But blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Hee hath overcome this Tempter and broke this snare to His children They can see through this beacuty and account the glory and pompe thereof to be no better then a phansie a Acts 25. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And indeed the wonder is That so many should still be taken with this glory sith it is the confession of all persons in all ages downeward to this day who greedily pursued and hunted after that we call the Glory of the world That the same thought deceived them they wearied themselves catching at they thought a substance but when they came better to see into it it was but a shadow like some Apples wee read of which seeme faire to the the eye the least touch turnes them into smoke or ashes into which the Cities were turned whereabouts they grow A wonderfull deceit this is That a reasonable creature should stretch out it selfe to catch a shadow and open the mouth so wide to let in the East wind or to feed upon ashes 4. We observe this place exposed to all the injuries of Heaven O the pinnacle of honour how slippery how troublesome that standing how open to all winds and weather pray for him who hath his Seate there Let all the Censers of the Saints and the odors there have an influence upon his precious soule hold him fast Lord by thy own
Creatures are for mans use All serve him So God their great Lord hath appointed I cannot expresse it more fully and briefly then in the Fathers words O man what hath God given unto Chrys Tom. 1. Hom. 57. thee nay rather say what hath He not given thee Hee hath given the Sunne the Moone all the Quire of Stars Hee hath diffused the Ayre which encompasseth thee He hath stretched the earth under us the heaven above us the Sea about us Hee hath given Mountaines Hils Valleys Rivers fruitfull lands fruitfull seasons All greene things all good things In a word All wee behold with the eye all we reach unto with the hand all wee tread on with the foot We have all so bountifull a Lord have wee It is cleared to our sense that wee live upon mercy doles of mercy every moment of time now the Conclusions will be as cleare And first though it is no good order but fittest for the Child let us give the Creatures their due then their Creator Wee have them to use wee must take heed we abuse them not if so wee doe they will abuse us they will Lord it over their Lords and make their Lords slaves so revenging theit Creators quarrell This appeares in the abuse of meat and drinke which being surfeited upon will cast their Lord sometimes into the water sometimes into the fire And to passe over greater a Holy war B. 3. c. 16. p. 135. mischiefes which our eye have seene and our eare have heard sometimes layes him along in the streets to bee gazed upon as a base slave to that Creature over which a little before he was Lord. If wee thinke hereon wee have enough to conclude therefrom the sober use of the Creatures That we use them as not abusing the same And now wee are upon a great and nice point but I must breake from it yet not so abruptly I say it is a nice and ticklish point to know the just bounds and limits how far we may goe in the use of lawfull a Childs Patrim p. 80. things for there is all the danger b In liciâ— is perimus omnes More dye of Surfets the of poyson I remember Hierome c Ciborum largitatc ebriae 1. 2. ep 17. saith the most temperate man that ever I read off You shal have some sober at their wine yet he would have young folke drink none at all and old folke to use it as a Cordiall but drunk with good cheere And Augustine tels us it was an abominatioÌ„ to him to be drunk God for bid saith he d Ebrietas longe est a me crapula oute subrepit nonnunquam c. CoÌ„fes 1. 10. Hee must be very wakefull that will keepe his heart from being overcharged with meat and drinke yet that is our charge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 21. 34. It is very hard to stand firme upon the â—idge of our liberty that swinish sin should be objected to me that I should swallow Wine till I have swallowed my reason and given my selfe up into the power of the Creature God for bid But Lord Intemperance steales upon me my meat and drinke not withstanding all my watchfulnesse is my snare I eate and I drinke sometimes so as I feele I have strengthened my enemy and weakened my best friend Lord forgive mee Lord fortifie mee at this point I said it is a great point and a ticklish one An easie passage it is from the use to the abuse of a thing there is but a step nay scarce an inch betweeene and hence it is that we fall foule by companies I cannot say a little to it I will onely put a period to Augustins prayer for it should be ours when the meat is before us and knise in our hand the same in the use of all lawfull things Lord make us watchfull now that we use the Creatures to repaire not to pamper Nature that wee use them not abusing the same Amen 2. We must use the Creatures mercifully They are commanded to serve us wee must not make them serve in rigour we must use them as Men that have bowels wee must shew pity to our beast There is no doubt of this Wee are by speciall indulgence Lords over the Creatures a great honour we must not bee Tyrants over them an high point of injustice and sometime sevenged by the Creature it selfe wee have heard and knowne when a man hath beate his horse so long till the horse beate out his Masters braines Then learne wee to use the poore beast mercifully for if we doe not make him wild a Child may lead him 3. And use it reverently too even the least bit of bread or drop of drink what use a bit of bread reverently A Papist I beleeve No I doe not meane you should adore a bit of bread I hold it the greatest presumption in the World and so our Juel said before mee to adore that which Longs wife can make I said we must use the bread reverently and so I say againe and it is concluded by the strongest reason that can be for it comes out of Gods hand into mine and it is mine by free gift and made a staffe of bread to me by a free mercy but that is not all The bread I include all there is not mine for I am not mine owne I am bought with a price I must glorifie God with ail and in all then whether I eate or drinke so I must glorifie God but so I doe not unlesse I use the Creatures reverently But the chiese reason is this These Creatures are a purchase too nay the purchase of blood wee had had no comfortable right to them but in and through Christ Wee were lost and we lost the Creature too Hee redeemed us and gave us Title and claim unto them and all by blood What a purchase and a purchase of blood then we must use them reverently sure enough we are in the strongest bonds that can be imagined 4. And man must endeavour to be very good so we have concluded too All is good about him very good surely he doth not give the Creatures their right unlesse he strives to be good very good even better then they for man is the very best the most excellent of all He must strive to be excellent For all his servants are good round about him What a shame what indignity this that their Lord should bee naught amidst all good things 5. Nor ought man to diminish any thing from the works of God the creatures I meane those that we think the least of all are very good all they may differ in bulke and quantity not in this prime quality Wee must not speake meanely and below the dignity which belongs to the works of Gods hands for this were to derogate from God Himselfe I think of Melancton now his sayings and doings both were very exemplary Hee bade one that sate next him to taste the wine as himself had done and tell
thither so the beast doth too present our selves there see all these things done upon our souls and be at no cost A bewitching a befooling thought this Certain it is we must remember the Sabbath we must prepare for it as the ancient and laudable custome amongst us did teach we must retire our selves the night before and they with us under our charge we must sanctifie our selves this night using the meanes the Lord hath appointed and sanctified we must take paines with our heart so aukward and untoward this is to be at cost if we look to see such great things on the morrow We must never forget what Joshuah spake we will fixe upon that Text a little the Lord fixe it upon our hearts for ever it will cleare unto us that to morrow if we doe any good at the Temple we must be at some cost to day we must not I say forget what Joshuah said we reade the context first The Lord was about to doe great things before their eyes His mighty Arme would make the waters of Jordan stand upon heaps the Priests to stand in the midst thereof upon firme ground as dry as the stone in the street and some good while they should stand while the people passed over apace with a wall of waters at their back like valiant men this great work the people should see the very next day but yet see they might and not see see and not perceive see and yet not lay it to heart unlesse they would be at cost with themselves in all the meanes and wayes of grace and sanctification Therefore Joshuah said unto the people Sanctifie your selves for to morrow the Lord will doe wonders among you This is the Text so notable And the Lord write it in the tables of our hearts and keep it as a sure word there for ever That we may ever remember it and do according when we expect the Lord shall doe great things in us for us before us as the turning Iordan back The turning our hearts to Him which is in its own way like Iordan when the banks were full The making our feet Josh 3. 5. stand firme in the Covenant when the waters of affliction are at the back and threaten they will run over all yet to stand like men of warre yet to stand fast not yeelding an inch When wee expect these great cures these wonderfull deliverances these mighty works these unspeakable mercies call them what we will so we have them wrought for or upon our soules in expectation thereof we should come to Church which are the opening our eyes The turning us from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God The rolling away the reproach of Aegypt from off us when I say we expect all this wee must remember Ioshuahs Counsell and practise thereafter Sanctifie your selves for to morrow the Lord will doe wonders among you This concernes us as much as it did the people of old if wee are not sanctified for the worke it is extraordinary if wee receive good from the worke certainly wee must be at cost with our selves as the Scripture counts cost wee must take paines with our hearts so plowing up our fallow ground else to goe to Church is not worth our labour for the seed there will fall amongst thornes There was an old Ceremonie in use amongst us I will not compare it with the new but I will say it was as harmlesse as that we call most harmelesse The Ceremony was To salt the Child at the Church doore I hope I shall never dare to add or take away to or from Gods Will or Word so much as one jot But let me say the Morall is good and concernes all together Every one shall be salted with fire and every Sacrifice shall be salted with salt Have salt in your selves a Marke 9 49 50. What is the meaning of this For surely we cannot salt with fire The Child can tell us in a word It is no more but this burne out your corruptions purge out your blood cleanse your selves from your silth else your persons will be no fit Sacrifice not your prayers nor your praises Your speech must be seasoned with salt then so all your services sure enough The summe is we must Purge cleanse sanctifie our selves It Obj. will be said wee sanctifie our selves It is impossible It is God that sanctifies Hee purgeth He doth all it will never be done else That 's true God Answ doth all He doth circumcise He washeth He cleanseth and it is His promise so to doe But now when Hee graciously affordeth us the meanes then He doth in effect bid us as wee reade often Circumcise your hearts sanctifie your selves purge cleanse here are the meanes sanctified for this high service use them and looke up to Mee this is to circumcise our hearts to sanctifie our selves as when wee have salt Metaphots teach Children very much wee must rub it into our meat And now my fingers are upon a great sore a Plague-sore I will lay it open that we may see the blood but all the salt in the parish will not cleanse it out but had we salt in our selves that would doe it The Reader may wonder now what I meane a little patience he shall know presently and the wonder will cease I shall tell him no more but what he knows and every one will grant I shall set downe the common observation the same which he hath made and which I have made ever since I was able to looke abroad and make any observation which I could doe 34. yeares agoe I say I will set downe the observation of every man who hath his eyes in his head and can observe to purpose Then wee shall heare some complaints which the Reader shall beleeve too if he will beleeve his owne eares When this is done the foundations of all our woe and misery will be discerned in point of manners then let them come in for helpe that will and can The observation is That at your great Assemblies where the people meet to serve their God and expect to see those great wonders we speak of wrought there the Servingmen for the most part those wicked and slothfull servants do not pardon me I offend not nor have I a low esteem of the meanest officer in a house no I honour him if hee bee faithfull these Servingmen fruitlesse Creatures very Cretians come not to Church or if they come they stay not They come many of them as Whifflers to make roome for their Lords and their Ladies when that is done their worke is done out they goe you may take them napping on their Coachboxe or sitting close in a warmer place with their cup at their nose This observation is common is it not thus even thus Now wee must heare the complaint there is no remedy The Lord and Lady both tell us their Coach-man is a drunken that is their English hee brought them to their great friends
right hand establish him Let him a Deut. 33. feel underneath the Everlasting Armes inspire him also be with his Spirit put holy desires into his heart then give him his hearts desire 5. There is no building Tabernacles here a cloud would quickly overshadow all Though the beauty may please us yet hath it no continuance it passeth away as doth a fancy The Stayres are before us a sure way downe by them and no other It were a madness to cast a mans selfe downe when hee may goe downe so every one will judge yet so the proud spirit tempted his Lord to doe Cast thy selfe downe the Angels shall beare thee up The disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord if the Prince of darknesse tempted the Master of the house how much more them of his household Mat. 10. 24 25. The great Tempters Satan and our owne hearts prevaile mightily by very temptation in a figure thus they tempt Cast implunge your selves into sin the mercy of God shall beare you up poyson your soules with sin there is a Counter-poyson wound your soules deepe enough the plaister is wide enough surfet upon pleasures it is but speaking a word the Physitian is at hand This is the deceit nay while we are looking upon the Staires wee cannot thinke it lesse then madnesse yet thus it is every day 1. In good things wee separate the meanes from the end wee may have glory there is no doubt of that what ever becomes of grace which is but the beginning or first fruits thereof Salvation is sure enough though the meanes of reconciliation be neglected despised altogether We are sure of Heaven though on earth wee walke most contrary thereunto 2. In evill things we separate the end fro the meanes we may walk in our own way the way of death and yet have life at the last no question of al this but this is neglect neglect the Stairs 6. Wee goe downe them now for easie the descent is So is the way of sin to old nature And so is the way of Omne in praecipiti vitiuÌ„ stetit Gods Commandements to nature renewed as naturall as for fire to burne for sparks those light things to flye up My yoâ—ke is easie my burden light my Commandements not grievous Truth hath said so New nature will seale unto it 2. Wee goe gently downe the Staires and very circumspectly a slip is dangerous So wee must use the meanes carefully and this must ever be remembred his way is safest which is least secure Tutissimum illâ—us iter quod suspectissimuÌ„ suit Sen. Ep. 59 3. Wee step in to view the Bell that artificiall thing Its sound is yet more admirable it may bee heard downe the water 20. miles and more Indeed sound is the wonder in Nature put the hand upon it it checks the sound every soft substance will doe it if it receive a cracke it will never sound cleare againe till it be new cast Such a thing is man made of such very mettle he hath some flawes in him ever since his fall and will never be perfect till the day of his resurrection He that expects a Man should walke like an Angell is much mistaken you must weigh him as you doe gold give him his allowance And if he be yet too light hee may suspect he will bee found wanting at the Sanctuary to which ballance hee must come Certaine it is I speake it because we are apt to take too much allowance here Hee that walkes by the leading of the good Spirit which wee should all doe walketh little short of an Angel for his way is above on high so he escapes many snares below 4. We should passe by nothing of use and then if we step aside to some old corner of the wall we might haply find halfe a bushell of Flies there for so I am sure some have done I doe not thinke that Flies are more about the Temple now though so anciently when beasts were slaine there and thence the name Beelzebub then in some old unfrequented corner or cranie in the house or wall But no matter where they bee this is the little wonder that they should revive againe yet so experience tels us they doe nor they onely but Spiders Frogs Swallowes c. The wonder is yet a little more how the spirits of these Creatures should be maintained It is somewhat stranger then that Beares should live all the winter yet lye as dead for their spirits may bee maintained upon the old stock of Grease but that these poore thin Creatures should so live and be revived is still some kinde of wonder to mee though we know very well Flies choaked in water will revive againe being put into hot ashes I will relate stranger things then these it is a very ready way to make the Child learne as was said a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a very good hand but the Author doth not desire we should beleeve all we read b CoÌ„ Phys A boy was starved with cold not found till foure daies after yet by the hottest applications was revived In Swounds and Traunces some have beene taken for dead laid out for the grave nay brought thither and there revived it was high time to awake this truth many will seale unto That which is not so credible is this In the remotest parts of Muscovy where it is extreme cold the men lye frozen all the winter and then as the Sun beats towards them revive againe like the Tortoise who goes to his bed about the 16. of September and comes out of his mouldy Cabbin the very same day of April following We need not beleeve all this But this is certaine That the spirits are wonderfull tenacious we cannot drive them from the body neither with heate not could As it is said of water the Wiseman notes a foole thereby beate it in a Mortar it will bee water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. de Sexti still So these spirits doe what you will they will not away as wee see in the Limbeck-distillations c. This animall Spirit rather then it will forsake its matter though putrified and rotting away it will goe and forme Other little Creatures of another kind as experience shews us in all Corruption We intend the use in all this else it had beene vaine Doth God take care for Oxen shall the poore flye bee remembred in the appointed time or is this for our sakes altogether for our sakes no doubt this is written That when we must to our earth whence we were taken we may goe downe to that Chamber of death and make our beds there in hope that dead bones shall live they that sleepe in the dust shall awake for they are not dead there but sleeping We cannot but remember a short controversie marvellously carried in a full contrariety of words but meering in a Point of an eternall Truth the controversie was concerning the Rulers Daughter
The Lord Christ said of her She is not dead a Mat. 9. 24. The standers by laughed him to scorne the words of Christ are to the wisest of the World still foolishnesse and they knew what they did well enough for saith Saint Luke b Luk. 8. 53. They knew she was dead What dead and not dead Yes and yet a truth in both She was dead to Nature and Nature was Judge now they knew it to be so being naturall men altogether they said true enough though they should not have laughed him to scorne Our Lords words are true also nay Truth it selfe and Spirit too She is not dead not dead to Christ who is the resurrection and the life the body is not dead to Him When He shall say to the Prisoners Goe forth to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves then presently shall the prey bee taken from the mighty and the lawfull Captive delivered from the King of Terrours It is no labour to Christ if He speaks only the Land and the Sea shall give up their dead Death shall be swallowed up in victory It shall bee then when the Lord Christ shall speake as wee know and it is worth our knowledge once it was And the Lord spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land We will take these sacted Scriptures along with us and the sent of them which is wonderfull reviving Now we may suppose we are going by these dark Chambers where our beds are also and wee may bee laid thereon wee know not how soone Wee must not forget any of this And so we are come to our home where we should be most versed I meane that great singular before spoke of over that I shall by Gods grace reade the next Lecture CHAP. IV. Mans body a curious Fabrick but fallen much into decay and by ill usage more decayes every day yet as now it is venerable In what considerations to bee cherished and had in honour In what cases to be neglected and despised THere is an itching humour in many to gad rome abroad like the Pilgrim in other Countries In the meane time they care not though known to be stark blinde in their own Thus it is also nearer home we are most strangers there though the best lesson in the world is for a man well to reade himselfe That is an excellent book and much variety therein I shall but dip my pen in it here and there so as I may not doe what is already done a Childs Portion Chap. 1. I remember some have likened the great men of the world to the first letter of a Patent or limmed book which though it hath large flourishings yet it is but a letter That is true and hath its use But we think we may say That man even at the lowest is more then a letter though we may suppose it to be of the most spreading and largest size hee is indeed a whole volume and so many letters so many lessons I had almost said wonders for so have some said before me who have glossed upon them and running over the whole Table have left us many good instructions which at leasure wee may gleane up by the way g Zanch. de hom creat 1. 2. p. 680. D. Bartas p. 158. Caussin p. 504. Cic. denat Deil. 2. P. 101. Lact. de Opif. ca. 7. c. Fab. Thet. P. 216. Naz. Orat 34. Amb. Heic 1. 6. cap. 8. For thy present use look childe upon thy selfe from the top to the bottome look inward too if thou canst the Anatomist will teach thee spell every letter and then put all together and thou must needs say All is wonderfull how curiously framed am I And then so low a thought as this cannot finde place in thee That so Lord-like a creature such a curious piece of workmanship should be framed for low and base work the service of ones selfe of men b 1 Ccr. 7. 23. of the world the lusts of these or any of these no ever the more noble the thing is the more excellent its imployment whereto it is designed if the sunffers be of gold it doth imply some honourable service It is good in some cases that man should know his dignity his house his pedegree being the off-spring of God that his deportment may be answerable with honour and majesty The Father hath a full Bonum habes piâ—â—orem noâ—i depâ—e picturam Ambr. speech we will give the full purpose of it Thou hast O man a perfect Artist He hath curiously framed or limmed thee excellently ingraven thee Hee hath made thee the very Image picture of Himself He hath drawne thee according to that pattern as near as could be Now learn thy duty deale reverently with thy picture doe not defile it nor debase it but looking upon the Ingravery workmanship the superscription thereon give unto God that which is Gods answerably honouring thy body as the work of His hands who is wonderfull in working How reasonable a request is this How many creatures they say so many tongues in in the world all setting forth the praise of the Creator so it should be in the great world and in the little world too so many members so many tongues all to joyne in that great service of praise which is the uncessant work of the spirits of just men glorified In every creature the Lord doth sparkle out unto us love said a great Divine b Ochinus So hath He done in every member of the body love bounty mercy and upon all the superscription is Holinesse to the Lord. We have a world of matter here for it is a little world wee are upon but thus I have abridged it He that would heare a full Lecture upon this subject let him reade our second Reinolds c Chap. 35. Had I been Scholasticall at this point and shewed a little of a little Learning I mean I had shewed my selfe altogether and neglected the childe But my scope is his information and to make my words so many hints thereby to gain upon his understanding which is indeed perfected by the worthiest contemplations but enabled thereto by the lowest enquiry In this method we passe on a little further Thou hast child heard the best touching thy body what it was once what it should be now in its proper use and after its primitive Dedication The worst is in sight wee cannot be mistaken for we can see and feele both how weak and fraile the body is so sensible are we Nay thou canst see that little infant before thee what a body is there how underlayed and underpropt what cares about it how necessary all if not inordinate for how infirme and helplesse is that little thing a Quint. Caducum circa initia animal homus c. Declam 306. But he will outgrow his infirmity No never no more then Mephibosheth did his lamenesse which he caught by a fall in the cradle of his