they hear them and not take in one Sermon before the other be well concocted they would soon find another manner of benefit by Sermons than the ordinary sort of many forward Christians do Outward formality onely in the service of God condemned MEn put on clean linnen their best cloths and how often do they look in a glasse to see that all be handsome before they show themselves in the Church to their neighbours and it is hoped that they which will not come slovenly before their neighbours will not appear sordidly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth and withall remember that that God that approveth this outward decency requireth the inward much more He will have us lift up to him not onely clean but pure hands also A neat outside and a slovenly inside is like a painted Sepulchre full of dead mens bones And it is to be feared that most of our Churches in the time of Gods service are full of such Tombs There are a generation that are clean in their own eyes but are not washed from their filthinesse Conversion of a sinner wrought by degrees LIttle children of whom â— travail again in birth c. saith the Apostle Gal. 4. 19. untill Christ be formed in you So that conversion is not wrougâ—t simul semel but by little and little in processe of time In the generation of Infants first the brain heart and liver are framed then the bones veins arteries nerves and sinews and after this flesh is added and the Infant first begins to live the life of a plant by growing and nourishing then it lives the life of a beast by sense and motion and thirdly the life of a man by the use of reason Even so God outwardly prevents us with his Word and inwardly he puts into us the knowledge of his will with the beginnings or seeds of faith and repentance as it were a brain and a heart from these beginnings of faith and repentance arise heavenly desires from these desires follow asking seeking knocking And thus the beginnings of faith are encreased and men go on from grace to grace from one degree of virtue unto another till they be tall men in Christ Iesus Not to be ashamed of the profession of Christ. ST Augustine in his Confessions relates an excellent story of one Victorinus a great man at Rome that had many great friends that were Heathens but it pleased God to convert him to the Christian religion and he came to one Simplicianus and tells him secretly that he was a Christian. Simplicianus answers Non credam nec deputabo te inter Christianos c. I will not believe thee to be a Christian till I see thee openly professe it in the Church At first Victorinus derided his answer and said Ergone parietes faciunt Christianum What! do the church-walls make a christian But after wards remembring that of our Saviour He that is ashamed of me before men c. Mar. 8. 38. he returns to Simplicianus and professeth himself openly to be a christian And let this Text of Christ alwaies sound in our ears also and that of the Revelation where the fearsul such as Nicodemus nocturni adoratores such night-walkers in religion such as are faint-hearted in the profession of Christ are put in the fore-front of those that shall go to hell before murtherers whore-mongers adulterers c. Man to be Sociable IT is to be observed that the farthest Islands in the world are so seated that there is none so remote but that from some shore of it another Island or continent may be discovered as if herein Nature invited Countries to a mutuall converse one with another Why then should any man court and hug solitarinesse why should any man affect to environ himself with so deep and great reservednesse as not to communicate with the society of others Good company is one of the greatest pleasures of the nature of Man for the beams of joy are made hotter by reflection when related to another Were it otherwise gladnesse it self must grieve for want of one to expresse it self to Ministers to live according to that Doctrine which they teach others THere was a ridiculous Actour in the city of Smyrna which pronouncing Oâ— Coelum O Heaven pointed with his finger towards the ground which when Polemo the chiefest man in the place saw he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a great chafe saying This fool â—ath made a solectsm with his hand he hath spoken fals Latin with his finger And such are they who teach well and do ill that however they have Heaven at their tongues end yet the Earth is at their fingers end such as do not onely speak fals Latine with their tongue but false Divinity with their hands such as live not according to their preaching But He that sits in the Heavens will laugh them to scorn and hisse them off the stage if they do not mend their action Englands Ingratitude to God SCipio Affricanus the elder had made the city of Rome being at that time exanguem moriturum in a deep consumption and ready to give up the ghost Lady of Affrick At length being banished into a base country-town his will was that his Tomb should have this Inscription on it Ingrata patria ne ossa mea quidem habes Unthankfull country thou hast not so much as my bones Thus many and mighty deliverances have risen from the Lord to this land of ours to make provocation of our thankfulnesse yet Ingrata Anglia ne ossa mea quidem habes may the Lord say Ingratefull England thou hast not so much as the bones of thy Patron and Deliverer thou hast exited him from thy thoughts burried him in oblivion there is scarcely a footstep of gratitude to witnesse to the World that thou hast been protected The Papists blind Zeal discovered RHenanus reporteth that he saw at Mentz in Germany two Cranes standing in silver upon the Altar into the bellies whereof the Priests by a device put fire and frankincense so artificially that all the smoak and sweet perfume came out of the Cranes heaks A perfect emblem of the Peoples devotion in the Romish Church the Priests put a little fire into them they have little warmth of themselves or sense of true zeal and as those Cranes sent out sweet perfumes at their beaks having no smelling at all thereof in themselves so these breathe out the sweet perfumed incense of prayer and zealous devotion whereof they have no sense or understanding at all because they pray in an unknown tongue Saints in glory what they hear and see ST Auguctine was wont to wish three things First that he might have seen Christ in the flesh Secondly that he might have heard St. Paul preach Thirdly that he might have seen Rome in its glory Alas these are small matters to that which Austin and all
the Farms the pleasures the profits and preferments that men are so fast glued unto that they have hardly leisure to entertain a thought of any goodness Goodness and Greatness seldom meet together IN our natural bodies the more fat there is the lesser blood in the veins and consequently the fewer spirits and so in our fields aboundance of wet breeds aboundance of tares and consequently great scarcity of Corn And is it not so with our souls The more of God's blessing and wealth the more weeds of carnality and vanity and the more rich to the world the less righteous to God commonly What meant Apuleius to say that Ubi uber ibi tuber but to signifie that pride and arrogance are companions to plenty And what made Solomon to pray against fulness Prov. 30. but to shew that as they must have good brains that will carry much drink so they must have extraordinary souls that will not be overcome with the world Goodness and greatness do seldom meet together as Asdrubal Haedeus said in Livy Rarò simul hominibus bona fortuna bonaque mens datur Who is the man except it be one of a thousand Cui praesens faelicitas si arrisit non irrisit but if the world ran in upon him he would soon out-run it Perseverance is the Crown of all good actions WHatsoever is before the end it is a step whereby we climb to the top of salvation but it is not the uppermost griece whereby the highest part of the top may be taken hold of A man may be tumbled down from the ladder as well when he is within a round or two of the top as when he is in the midst or below the miâ—st And a man may make Shipwrack when he is within ken of land as when he is a thousand miles off What had it profited Peter to have escaped the first and second Watch if he had stuck at the iron gate and had not passed through that also VVho maketh account of land-oats that shead before the Harvest or of fruit that falls from the tree before it be ripe It is not to begin in the spirit and end in the slesh not a putting of the hand to the Plow and looking back but a constant perseverance to the end that shall be crowned Prayers of the godly the unanimity of them WE read of Ptolomeus Philadelphus King of Egypt that he caused the Bible to be translated by seventy Interpreters which seventy were severally disposed of in seventy several cells unknown each to other and yet they did so well agree in their several translations that there was no considerable difference betwixt them in rendring the Text an argument that they were acted by one and the same spirit Surely then it must needs be a great comfort to all good Christians when they shall call to mind what seventy nay seventy times seventy yea seventy hundreth yea seventy thousand which are peaceable in Israel which on the bended knees of their souls pray daily unto God for peace And though they know not the faces no not the names of one another have neither seen nor shall see one another till they meet together in Heaven yet they unite their votes and center their suffrages in the same thing that God would restore peace and order both in Church and State and to every particular member therein that we may yet live to have comfort one of another who no doubt shall have a comfortable return of their prayers in Gods due time The powerful effects of Rhetorical Elocution THe breath of a man hath more force in a Trunk and the wind a louder and sweeter sound in the Organ-pipe then in the open air So the matter of our speech and theam of our discourse which is conveyed through figures and forms of Art both sound sweeter to the ear and pierce deeper into the heart there is in them plus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more evidence and more efficacy they make a fuller expression and deeper impression then any plain rough-hewen long-cart-rope speeches or language whatsoever can do A Caveat for unworthy Communicants MR. Greenham in one of his Sermons speaking of Non-residents wisheth that this Inscription or Motto might be written on their study-doors without and walls within on all their books they look in beds they lie on tables they sit at c. The price of blood The price of blood The like were to be wished for to all that have been bad Communicants that in great letters it were written on their shop doors without walls within on all their doors on their day-books and debt-books and whatsoever objects are before their eyes The guilt of blood the guilt of blood even the guilt of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ who dyed for them Every good Minister to speak a word in season opportunely EVery Husbandman as he hath so he observeth the seasons to sow his seed and his ground to cast his corn into some he soweth in the Autumn fall of the leaf some in the Spring and renewing of the year some in a dry season some in a wet some in a moist clay some in a sandy dry ground as the Holy Ghost speaketh He soweth the Fitches and the Cummin and casteth in Wheat by measure Esay 28. 25. Thus the spiritual Husbandman dealeth with the husbandry of his God he hath his seed for all seasons and for all grounds and all hearts some for the time of judgement some for the time of mercy some for the season of mirth and mourning as wet and dry seasons some for the birth and burial as for the Spring and Fall some for them who sorrow in Sion and some for them that rejoyce in Jerusalem Esay 6. 2. Pardon of sins the onely comfort A Traitor that is condemned to death may have the liberty of the Tower to walk in and provisions of meat and drink appointed at the States charges yet he takes little comfort in either because his Treason is not pardoned and he expects daily to be drawn to execution Thus a man that hath the advantage of all these outward things if he want assurance of the pardon of his sins and of Gods love in Christ Jesus to his soul they will be but as miserable comforters to him and he cannot take any true delight in them The difference betwixt Sermons preached and Sermons printed SErmons preached are for the most part as showres of rain that water for the instant such as may tickle the ear and warm the affections and put the soul into a posture of obedience hence it is that men are oft-times Sermon-sick as some are Sea-sick very ill much troubled for the present but by and by all is well again as they were But printed sermons or other discourses are as snow that lies longer on the Earth
him Thus what Nature taught the Creature Experience hath taught Man To strike the Enemy where he may with most hurt and leave things impossible unattempted for Prudence is of force where Force prevailes not Policy goes beyond strength and contrivance before action Hence is it that direction is left to the Commander Execution to the Souldier who is not to aske Why but to do What he is commanded The state of a kingdomc or Common-wealth known best by the administration of Iustice. THe Constitution of a Man's body is best known by his pulâ—e if it stirre not at all then we know he is dead if it stirre violently then wee know him to be in a Fever if it keep an equall stroake then we know he is sound and whole In like manner we may judge of the state of a Kingdom or Common-weale by the manner of execution of Iustice therein for Iustice is the pulse of a Kingdom If Iustice be violent then the kingdome is in a Fever in a bad estate if it stirre not at all then the Kingdom is dead but if it have an equall stroake the just and ordinary course then the Kingdom is in a good condition it is sound and whole without the least corruption imaginable The prevalency of fervent Prayer SOcrates telleth that when a terrible fire in Constantinople had fastned on a great part of the City and tooke hold of the Church the Bishop thereof went to the Altar and falling downe upon his knees would not rise from thence till the fire blazing in the Windowes and flashing at every doore was vanquished and the Church preserved so that with the flouds of his devotion he slaked the fury of that raging Element And the same shall be the force of Englands prayers for Englands peace and welfare if wee be fervent therein Hereticks and Schismaticks may range Enemies conspire and the People rise up in tumults but let us trust in him that never forsaketh them that faithfully call upon his holy name God onely to be seen in Christ Iesus A Man cannot behold the Sun in the Eclipse it so dazeleth his eyes What doth he then He sets down a basin of water and seeth the image of the Sun shadowed in the Water So seeing we cannot behold the infinite God nor comprehend him we must then cast the eyes of our Faith upon his image Christ Iesus When we look into a cleare glasse it casteth no shadow to us but put steele upon the back then it casteth a reflex and sheweth the face in the glasse So when we cannot see God himselfe we must put the Manhood of our Lord Iesus Christ as it were a back to his Godhead and then we shall have a comfortable reflex of his glory Riches availe not in the day of Wrath. IT is sayd that there stands a Globe of the World at one end of the Library in Dublin and a Skeleton of a Man at the other there it is that one need not study long for a good lesson And what lesson is that Though a Man were Lord of all that he sees in the Map of the world yet he must dye and become himselfe a Map of Mortality And therefore if the Devill tempt him with a View of the glory of the World Omnia haec tibi dabo he may resist him with the words of our Saviour Sed quid proderit homini c What will it profit a Man to win the whole world and to lose his owne soul Affliction from God is for his Children's good A Tender hearted Father walking with his little Son suppose in the City when he perceives him gaze up and down and wander from him withdraws himselfe behind some pillar or hides himselfe in some corner of the street not that he means to lose him but to make him cry and seek after him and keep closer to him afterwards So doth our heavenly Father with us he correcteth every son whom he loveth he hides himselfe and as it were pulls in the beams of his Gracious favour for a time when wee are rambling about in our thoughts and 〈◊〉 in our imaginations but it is to make us cry after him the louder and to keep closer to him for the time to come and to walke more circumspectly than ever wee did before The peaceable Man's comfort IF a Man stain were found in the field and it not known who slew him God provided That the Elders of the next City should wash their hands in the blood of an Heyâ—er and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it be mercifull O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy People of Israel's charge and the blood shall be forgiven them So this one day will be a comfort to the Consciences of all well minded men that they may appeal to the great God of heaven that they have prayed heartily for peace have Petitioned humbly for peace have been contented to pay dearly for peace and to their powers have endeavoured to refraine from sins the only breakers of Peace and therefore trust that the Christian English Protestant blood which hath already been and hereafter may be shed shall never be visited on their score or layd to their charge Knowledge very useful in the matter of Reformation DAngerous was the mistake committed by Sir Francis Drake in 88. when neglecting to carry the Lanthorn as he was commanded in the dark he chased five hulks of the Dutch Merchants supposing them to have been of his Enemies the Spaniards such and worse Errors may be committed in the Reforming of a Church or Commonwealth good mistaken for bad and bad mistaken for good where the light of knowledge is wanting for direction How to know whether a Man belong to Heaven or not IT was wont to be a Tryall whether land belonged to England or Ireland by putting in Toads or Snakes or any other venemous Creature into it and if they lived there it was concluded that the land belonged to England if they died to Ireland So if venemous Lusts live in us if sin reign in our mortall bodies we belong to Hell but if they dy by Mortification if there be no life in them then shall we be sure to set up our eternall rest in Heaven and be made heires of Heaven and have full possession of those Mansions which Christ our elder brother hath prepared for us God's way the safe way to walk in IF a Man travelling in the King's highway be robbed between Sun and Sun satisfaction is recoverable upon the County where the robbery was made but if he takes his journey in the night being an unseasonable time then it is his own perill he must take what falls So if a man keep in God's wayes he shall be sure of God's
of Greece Viso Solone vidistiomnia In seeing Solon thou seest all even Athens it self and the wholy glory of the Greeks Tell me Christian Hast thou faith and assured trust in the Lord then thou hast more then all the wonders of Greece upon the point all the wonderful gifts of grace for faith is a mother vertue from which all others spring and without faith all the best of our actions are no better then sin Hypocrites in their saying well but doing ill reproved â—Ulius Caesar in his Commentaries writeth of the French Souldiers that in the beginning of the battel at the first onset they were more then Men but at the second or before the end less then Women They would talk bravely and come on couragiously but at length give off cowardly Such are the hypocritical Hotspurs of our times who have Gods word swiming in their heads but not shining in their lives such as set up the Temple with one hand and pull it down with the other like scribling School-boyes that what they write with the fore-finger they blur with the hinde-finger who if words may be received their pay is gallant but if deeds be required their money is not currant who in professing and protesting are more then Protestants but in practising and performing and persevering less then Papists Zeal in God's service made the worlds derision DOgs seldom bark at a Man that ambles a softly fair pace but if he once set spurs to his horse and fall a galloping though his errand be of importance and to the Court perhaps then they bark and flie at him and thus they do at the Moon not so much because she shines for that they alwayes see but because by reason of the clouds hurried under by the windes she seems to run faster then ordinary And thus if any Man do but pluck up his spirits in Gods service and run the wayes of his commandments it is Iehu's furious March presently and he shall meet with many a scoffe by the way that runneth with more speed then ordinary The great danger of Sacriledge IT is no Christian but a right Heathenish trick to demolish holy places or through sloth and covetousnes to suffer them to fall Nay the very Heathens would never do that to the Temples of their false Gods that we Christians do to the house of the true God for they hated and fled from all sacrilegious persons Were the Church leprous we could do no more then pluck out the stones as they did in the old Law in a leprous house nay they would not even in such a house pluck out all the stones as they do in Churches but onely such as were leprous Well let such know that next to the injury done against the Temple of mans body there can be no greater injury then that which is done against the body of the Temple and one day all such sacrilegious irreligious prophane persons may chance to feel that whip upon their conscience which sometime Celsus felt who after the robbing and prophaning of many Churches hearing one day that place of Esay read Woe unto them that join house to house that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth cryed out immediately Vae mihi filiis meâ—s Wo then be to me and my children for ever The Hypocrites inconstancy IT is reported of the Shee-wolfe that she hath an yearly defect in procreation for at the first she beareth five young ones the second time but four the third time but three the fourth time but two the fifth time but one and then afterwards remaineth barren Thus Hypocrites forgetting the solemn vow they made to God in Baptism as also those principles of Religion wherein they seemed expert to their Catechizers as they grow upward in age they grow downward in Grace with Demes embracing this present World and with Hymeneus and Alexander making shipwrack of a good conscience verifying the by-word young Saints old Devils The laughtâ—r of the wicked is but from the teeth outwards IT is said of Paulus Emilius that having put away his wife Papinia without any cause as it seemed to others stretched forth his foot and said You see a new and neat shooe but where this shooe wringeth me not you but I alone know meaning that there were many secret jars happening between the marryed which others could not possibly perceive And certainly the most wicked men the greatest enemies to God and his Gospel the most traiterous and rebellious of a People or Nation may be so jocund and merry and shew such magnanimity in their faces that none can imagine by any outward circumstance but that they are truly cheerful and couragious in their hearts and yet in the midst of all their mirth and greatest delights even in the very ruffe of all their bravery they have secret heart-burnings and grievous vexations what God and themselves only know The Lord hath spoken it tâ—ice and therefore it must needs be plain and peremptory That there is no Peace to the wicked Their looks may be sometimes lively but their hearts are alwayes heavy Gods omnipotency AMongst all the gods of the Heathens Iupiter was in the greatest esteem as the Father and King of gods and was called lupiter quasi juvans Pater a helping Father yet as the Poets feign he wept when he could not set Sarpedon at liberty such was the imbecillity and impotency of this Master-god of the Heathen But the hand of our God is never shortned that it cannot help he is ever able to relieve us alwayes ready to deliver us Amongst all the gods there is none like unto him none can do like unto his works he is God omnipotent Prayers and tears are the Weapons of the Church THe Romans in a great distress were put so hard to it that they were fain to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods to fight with them and so they overcame And this ought to be the course of every good Christian intimes of publique distress to flie to the weapons of the Church Prayers and Tears The Spartans walls were their spears the Christians walls are his prayers his help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made both Heaven and Earth The gradation of Faith THe heart of every believer is like a vessel with a narrow neck which being cast into the Sea is not filled at the firstâ—asily â—asily but by reason of the strait passage receiveth water drop by drop Thus God giveth unto us even a Sea of mercy but the same on our part is apprehended and received by little and little we go from strength to strength from grace to grace and from one degree of vertue to another praying alwayes as the blessed Apostles O Lord encrease our faith that from weakness of faith and
that remembereth the Lord as the Lord hath remembered him that nameth his blessings by their names as God the stars and calleth them to mind in that number and order that God hath bestowed them upon him if not to remember them in particular which are more then the hairs of his head yet to take their view in grosse and to fold them up in a generall sum with David What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits Though he forget his own and his father's house though the wife of his bosom and the fruit of his loyns yea though his memory be so treacherous unto him that be forget to eat his bread it is no matter he remembereth all in all and his memory hath done him service enough in reaching this object God the Lord. Carelesse Churchmen condemned TUlly charged some dissolute people for being such sluggards that they never saw the Sun rising or setting as being alwaies up after the one and a-bed before the other So some negligent people never hear prayers in the Church begun or Sermon ended the Confession being past before they come and the Blessing not come before they are passed away The pretious life of Man to be preserved THere arose a sedition at Antioch for that Thedosius the Emperour exacted a new kind of tribute upon the People In that commotion the People brake down the Image of the Empress Placilla who was lately dead The Emperour in a great rage sent his Forces against the City to sack it When the Herald declared so much to the Citizens one Macedonius a Monk endued with heavenly knowledge and wisdome plaid a prudentiall part sending unto the Herald an answer to this effect Tell the Emperour these words That he is not onely an Emperour but a man also and therefore let him not look onely upon his Empire but upon himself also for he being a man commands those also who are men Let him not then use men so barbarously who are made to the image of God He is angry aud that justly that the brazen image of his wife was thus contumeliously used and shall not the King of Heaven be angry to see his glorious Image in cruelty handled Oh what a difference is there betwixt the reasonable soul and the brazen image We for this Image are able to set up an hundred but he is not able for all his power to set up one hair of these men if he kill them These words being told the Emperour he suppressed his anger and drew off his Forces This Monk like another Moses stood in the gap and preserved the People Happy had this angry age been if it had had such another Had but the generation of men formerly sprung up with serious consideration laid their hands more upon their hearts and lesse upon their swords they would not have been so ready to break down the Image of God in Man nor sheathe their swords in each others bowels as they have done The Churches complaint for want of Maintenance AS the old Patriark Iacob said of his children when Benjamin was sent for by Ioseph into Aegypt Ye have bereaved me of my children Joseph is not and simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin also all these things are against me So may the poor Church of England complain and say Ye have taken away my Tithe and my Glebe and many other profits are not and now ye will take away the rest of my revenue all these things may the poor despised Church of England say are against me unlesse putting up that prayer of the Patâ—iark she prevail in it with God Now God almighty give me favour in the eyes of the men that they may send back that that is taken away already and let that alone that yet remaineth Ministers and Magistrates to be diligent in their places THomas Becket sometimes Archbishop of Canterbury an evill man and in an evill cause but with words not impertinent to his place had he well applyed them answered one who advised him to deal more moderately with the King Clavum teneo ad somnum me vocas Sit I at the stren and would you have me to sleep Thus it must be wâ—th Ministers and Magistrates the one is not to keep silence but to lift up his voice like a Trumpet the other is not to bear the sword in vain And why because the one steereth the Rudder of the Church the other sitteth at the Helm of State both of them jure divinâ— having their warrants immediately from God so to do To blesse God for our Memories STaupitius Tutor to Martin Luther and a godly man in a vain ostentation of his memory repeated Christ's Genealogy by heart in his Sermon but being about the captivity of Babylon I see saith he God resisteth the proud and so betook himself to his Book again Let no man therefore abuse his memory to be sin's register nor make advantage thereof for wickedness but be thankfull to God for the continuance of their memories whereas some proud people have been viâ—ited with such oblivion that they have forgotten their own names Christ is the true Christians All in All. DO you ask me where be my Jewells My Jewells are my Husband and his triumphs said Phocion's Wife Do you ask me where be my Ornaments My Ornaments are my two Sons brought up in vertue and learning said the Mother of the Gracchi Do you ask me where be my Treasures My Treasures are my Friends said Constantius the father of Constantine But ask a child of God where be his jewells his treasures his ornaments his comfort his delight and the joy of his soul he will answer with that Martyr None but Christ none but Christ Christ is all in all unto me Blessings turn'd into Curses WHat Tully reporteth amongst his wonders in Nature that in one Country In agro Narniensi siccitate lutum fieri imbre pulverem Drought causeth durt and rain raiseth dust may be truly applyed unto us that abundance of grace hath brought forth in us abundance of sin and as sin took occasion by the Law to wax more sinfull so iniquity hath never been more rife amongst us but through the rifenesse of the Gospell So far is it that we are become true Israelites with Nathanael or but half nay almost Christians with Agrippa that we are rather down-right Atheists no Christians at all Young Ministers to be well principled THe Naturall history marketh that the Whelps of the Lions who have the sharpest pawes do so prick the matrix of the dam that they are whelped the sooner and so never come to a full strength and vigour So fareth it with young men who in confidence of their parts hasten out of the Universities before they be furnished with any gifts or abilities at all Therefore as Christ bad his Disciples stay at Ierusalem till the holy Ghost came down so
colours so amaze them that they have no power to pass away till she have stung them So doth the counterfeit beauty and bravery of the world inveigle and bewitch those who behold it with over-partial eyes that they stand astonished till it have stung them with carnal concupiscence and doting love so as they have neither Will nor power to set one foot towards their heavenly Country The Excellency of the Scripture in its fulness MEn talk much of the Philosophers-stone that it turns copper into gold of Cornucopia that it had all things necessary for food in it of Panaces the hearb that it was good for all diseases of Catholicon the drugge that it is instead of all purges of Vulcans armour that it was full proof against all thrusts and blows c. â—Well that which they did attribute vainly to these things for boâ—ily good we may with full measure attribute justly to the Scripture in a spiritual manner It is not an hearb but a Tree or rather a compleat Paradise of Trees of life which bring forth fruit every moneth and the fruit thereof is for meat and the leaves for Medicine In a word it is a Panacy of wholesome food against fenowed Traditions A Phisitians shop of Preservatives against poysoned heresies a Pandect of profitable laws against Rebellious spirits a Treasury of most costly Iewels against beggarly rudiments The fulness of God LAnd-flouds make a great noise swell high but are suddenly in again whereas the Spring or vvell-head continueth full without augmentation or diminution such are the things of the world such are all Creature-helps how do they flourish for a while but are soon gone But God he is the Well-head puteus inexhaustibilis never to be drawn dry the eternal Spring that feeds all other streams in him and in him onely are the Rivers of pleasures for evermore The blessing of God is to be eyed more then our own endeavours IT is Seneca's observation that the Husbandmen in Egypt never look up to Heaven for rain in the time of drought but look after the over-flowing of the banks of Nilus to be the onely cause of their plenty And such are they that sacrifice to their own nets and yarn that look upon their own endeavours attribute all success to their own projects and in the mean time never so much as cast up an eye unto God the Author of all in whom they live by whom they move and from whom they have their being Sacriledge condemned by the example of Cyrus Cyrus having relieved the Jews from their captivity in Babylon doth not dismiss them with an empty grace but with a Royal bounty What a mountain of Plate was then removed from Babylon to Jerusalem No fewer then five thousand and four hundred vessels of gold and silver Certainly this great Monarch wanted not wit to think It is a rich booty that I find in the Temples of Babylon having vanquished their Gods I may well challenge their spoil How seasonably doth it now fall into my hands to reward my Souldiers How pat doth it come to settle my new Empire What if this treasure came from Jerusalem the property is altered the very place according to the conceit of the Jews hath prophaned it The true God I have heard is curious neither will abide those vessels which have been polluted with idolatrous uses It shall be enough if I loose the bonds of this miserable people if I give liberty let the next give wealth they will think themselves happy with bare walls in their native Country To what purpose should I pamper their penury with a suddain store But the princely heart of Cyrus though an heathen would admit of no such base sacrilegious thoughts those vessells that he found stamp'd with God's mark he will return to the owner neither his own occasions nor their abuse shall be any colour of their detention O Cyrus Cyrus how many close-handed griple-minded Christians shall once be choked in judgment with the example of thy just munificence Thou restoredst that which is now ordinarily purloâ—ned the lands the treasures the utensills of the Chruch are now rifled and devoured but there is a woe to those houses that are stored with the spoiles of Gods Temple and a woe to those fingers that are tainted with holy treasures The Minister's Blessing after Sermon to be attended IT is reported of Dr. Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells that whether it were so that himself preached or not after the Sermon done and the Psalm sung as the manner is standing up in his Episcopall seat he gave the Benediction to the People after the example of the High Priest Numb 6. 23. which thing as he Performed like himselfe i. e. in a most grave and father-like manner so any man that had but seen with what attentive and devout gestures all the People received it what apparent comfort they took in it and how carefull every particular man was not to depart the Church without it could not but conclude that there was quaedam vis efficacia a secret vertue in the prayers and blessings as of the naturall so of spirituall parents which as they are never he worse for giving so those that have relation to them are much the better for receiving And it is not for naught that the Apostle saith The lesser useth to be blessed of the greater Much then are they to be blamed that rush out of the Church leaving such a blessing behind them they think all is done when the Sermon is done nor is the Sermon done till they have practised what they have heard and the onely way so to do is to attend the blessing of the Minister as a good preparative thereunto which no doubt will procure God's blessing thereupon and then all is compleated Again if Grace after meat be required surely Grace after the Word heard is much more necessary And if Much good do it you be good manners after a dinner surely much good do it us Much good do it my soul is more than a complement after a Sermon A rich Fool described A Great man lying on his death-bed sent first for his Physitian to advise with him about the recovery of his health no means was left untryed but all in vain the Physician gave him up for a dead man Then he sends for his Lawyer much time was spent with him in making his Will there he settles his Estate on friends and kindred strives to make the Inheritance of his Land sure to his Heir and in the interim neglects his own in heaven Yet however if it be but for formalities-sake he will not seem to be utterly carelâ—sse in that point and therefore in the last place he sends for the Physitianâ— of his soul to consult about his spirituall estate even then when he was hardly capable of any advice at all His Fool standing by and having observed all
are many People that find out more mysteries in their sleep than they can well expound waking The Abbot of Glassenbury when Ethelâ—â—ld was Monk there dreamt of a Tree whose branches were all covered with Moâ—ks cowles and on the highest branch one cowle that out-toâ—t all the rest which must be expounded the greatnesse of this Ethelwold If they dream of a green Garden then they shall hear of a dead corps if they dream that they shake a dead man by the hand then there 's no way but death All this is a kind of superstitious folly to repose any such confidence in Dreams but if any man desire to make a right use of dreams let it be this Let him consider himself in his dreaming to what inclination he is mostly carried and so by his thoughts in the night he shall learn to know himselfe in the day Be his dreams lustfull let him examâ—â—e himself whether the addictions of his heart run not after the byas of Concâ—piscence Is he turbulent in his Dreams let him consider his own contentious disposition be his dreams revengefull they point out his malice Run they upon gold and silver they argue his covetousnesse Thus may any Man know what he is by his sleep for lightly Men answer temptations actually waking as their thoughts do sleeping Consultation with flesh and bloud in the waies of Heaven is very dangerous LOok upon a Man somewhat thick-â—ighted when he is to passe over a narrow bridge how he puts on his spectacles to make it seem broader but so his eyes beguile his feet that he falls into the brook And thus it is that many are droâ—â—ed in the whirle-pool of sin by viewing the passage to Heaven onely with the spectacles of 〈◊〉 and blood they think the bridgeâ— broad which indeed is narrow the Gate to be wide which indeed is straight and so ruinâ— themselves for ever The sad condition of adding sin to sin Mr. Fox in his Martyrology hath a story of the Men of Cockâ—am in Lancashire by a threatning command from Bonner they were charged to set up a Rood in their Church accordingly they compounded with a Carver to make it being made and erected it seemed it was not so beautiful as they desired it but with the hard visage thereof scared their Children Hereupon they refused to pay the Carver The Carver complained to the Iustice the Iustice well examining and understanding the matter answers the Townsmen Go to pay the Workman pay him get you home and mark you Rood better if it be not well-favoured to make a God it is but clapping a pair of horns on 't and it will â—erve to make an excellent Devill Thus when any man adds one sin to another when they add superstitious dotage covetous oppression and racking extortion to their worldly desires whereby they gore poor Mens sides and let out their very heart-bloods they shall find no peace of God to comfort but Devil enough to confound them Preaching and Prayer to go together IT is observed by those that go down into the deep and occupy their business in great waters that when they see the Constellation of Castor and Pollux appeare both together then it is the happy omen of a successfull voyage but if either of them appear single actum est de expeditione there 's small hope of thriving Thus it is that when Preaching and Prayer do meet together and like Hippocrates's two twins live arm in arm together not all praying and little or no preaching as some would have it nor all preaching and little or no praying as others would have it then is offered up that Sacrifice which unto God is made acceptable For praying and no preaching would not so well edifie his Church because where Visions fail the People perish and preaching without prâ—yer would not well beseem his Church which is called an house of prayer but both together will do exceeding well the one to teach us how to pray the other to fit us how to hear Man losing himselfe in the pursuit after knowledge Extraordinary HOunds that are over-fleet often out-run the prey in the pursuit or else tyred and hungry fall upon some dead piece of carrion in the way and omit the game Thus Man who onely hath that essentiall consequence of his Reason Capacity of Learning though all his time he be brought up in a School of Knowledge yet too too often lets the glass of his dayes be run out before he know the Author he should study hence it is that the greatest Epicures of Knowledge as Children new set to School turn from their lessons to look upon Pictures in their Books gaze upon some hard trifle some unnecessary subtilty and forget so much as to spell God How great a part of this span-length of his dayes doth the Grammaticall Critick spend in finding out the Construction of some obsolete word or the principal verb in a worn-out Epitaph still ready to set out a new book upon an old Criticisme How doth the Antiquary search whole Libraries to light upon some auncient Monument whilst the Chronicles of the Lord who is the Ancient of dayes are seldom looked into all of them so wearying the faculties of their understandings before hand by over-practising that when they come at the race indeed where their knowledge should so run that it might attain it gives over the course as out of breath before it have begun Slanders of wicked men not to be regarded LIvia wrote to Augustus Caesar concerning some ill words that had passed of them both whereof she was over-sensible but Caesar comforted her Let it never trouble you that Men speak ill of us for we have enough that they cannot do ill to us And to say truth above Hell there is not a greater punishment then to become a Sannio a subject of scorn and derision Ill tongues will be walking neither need we repine at their violence we may well suffer their words while God doth deliver us out of their hands Let it never trouble us that Men speak evill of us for we have enough that they can do no evill to us And withall whilst that the Derider dasheth in a puddle the dirt flyes about his own ears but lights short of Innocence the Mocker that casts aspersions on his brother over night shall find them all on his own cloaths next morning How to be truly Humble EPaminondas that Heathen Captain finding himself lifted up in the day of his publique triumph the next day went drooping and hanging down the head but being aked What was the reason of that â—is so great dejection made answer Yesterday I felt my selfe transported with vain glory therefore I chastise my selfe for it to day thus did Hezekiah thus David thus Peter and many others And so must it be with every truly humbled Man If he have not the
they serve them to little other purpose then as Salt to keep their bodies from stinking Honour and Greatnesse the Vanity of them IT was foretold to Agrippina Neroe's Mother that her Son should be Emperour and that he should afterward kill his own Mother to which Agrippina replyed Occdat modò imperet Let my Son be so and then let him kill me and spare not So thirsty was she of Honour Alas what are swelling Titles but as so many rattles to still Mens ambitions And what is Honour and Greatnesse in the World Honour is like the Meteor which lives in the Ayre so doth this in the breath of other Men It 's like a gale of Wind which carries the Ship sometimes this Wind is down a Man hath lost his Honour and lives to see himself intombed sometimes this Wind is too high How many have been blown to Hell while they have been sailing with the Wind of popular applause So that Honour is but magnum nihil a glorious fancy Acts 25. 23. It doth not make a Man really the better but often the worse For a Man swel'd with Honour wanting Grace is like a Man in a dropsy whose bignesse is his disease Present Time to be well husbanded AS it is observed of the Philosopher that fore-seeing a plentifull year of Olives he rented many Olive-yards and by that demonstrated that a learned Man If he would aim at worldly gain could easily be a rich Man too It is noted as an excellent part of Wisedome to know and manage time to husband time and opportunity For as the Rabbi said Nemo est cui non sit hora sua Every Man hath his hour and he who overslips that season may never meet with the like again The Scripture insists much upon a day of Grace 2 Cor. 6. 2. Heb. 13. 15. The Lord reckons the times which passe over us and puts them upon our account Luk. 13. 7. Rev. 2. 21 22. Let us therefore improve them and with the impotent persons at the pool of Bethesda to step in when the Angel stirs the water Now the Church is afflicted it is a season of prayer and learning Mic. 6. 9. Esay 26. 8 9. Now the Church is inlarged it is a season of praise Psalm 118. 24. I am now at a Sermon I will hear what God will say now in the company of a learned and wise Man I will draw some knowledg and counsell from him I am under a Temptation now is a fit time to lean on the name of the Lord Esay 50. 10. I am in place of dignity and power Let me consider what it is that God requireth of me in such a time as this is Esth. 4. 14. And thus as the Tree of life bringeth fruit every Moneth Rev. 22. 2. so a wise Christian as a wife husbandman hath his distinct employments for every Month bringeth forth his fruit in its season Psalm 1. 3. Frequent Meditation of Death the great benefit thereof IT is said of Telephus that he had his Impostume opened by the dart of an Enemy which intended his hurt Roses they say are sweetest which grow near unto Garlick so the nearnesse of an Enemy makes a good Man the better And therefore the wise Roman when Carthage the Emulous City of Rome was destroyed said Now our affairs are in more danger and hazard then ever before When Saul Davids Enemy eyed and persecuted him this made him walk more circumspectly pray more trust in God more He kept his mouth with a bridle while the wicked were before him Psalm 39. 1. An hard knot in the Wood drives a Man to the use of his Wedges A malitious Enemy that watcheth for our halting will make us look the better to our wayes And so it is that Death by the nearnesse thereof and by the frequent meditation thereupon makes us more carefull of our great accompt more sollicitous to make our peace with God to wean our hearts from Worldly and perishing comforts to lay up a good Foundation for the time to come that we may obtain eternal life to get a City which hath Foundations whose builder and maker is God The great difference betwixt life naturall and life Spirituall THe ordinary Manna which Israel gathered for their daily use did presently corrupt and breed worms but that which was laid up before the Lord the hidden Manna in the Tabernacle did keep without putrefaction So our life which we have here in the Wilderness of this World doth presently vanish and corrupt but our life which is kept in the Tabernacle our life which is hid with Christ in God that never runs into Death Naturall life is like the River Iordan empties it self into the dead Sea but spirituall life is like the waters of the Sanctuary which being shallow at the first grow deeper and deeper into a River which cannot be passed thorow Water continually springing and running forward into eternall life So that the life which we leave is mortall and perishing and that which we go unto is durable and abounding Joh. 10. 10. Men not to hasten their own Deaths but submit to the Will of God And why so IT is observeable that when of late years Men grew weary of the long and tedious compasse in their Voyages to the East-Indies and would needs try a more compendious way by the North-West passage it ever proved unsuccessefull Thus it is that we must not use any compendious way we may not neglect our body nor shipwrack our health nor any thing to hasten Death because we shall gain by it He that maketh hast even this way to be rich shall not be innocent Prov. 28. 20. For our times are in Gods hands and therefore to his holy providence we must leave them We have a great deal of work to do and must not therefore be so greedy of our Sabbath day our rest as not to be contented with our working day our labour Hence is it that a composed frame of Heart like that of the Apostles Phil. 1. 21. wherein either to stay and work or to go and rest is the best temper of all Assurance of Gods Love the onely Comfort IT is commonly known that those who live on London Bridge sleep as soundly as they who live at White-Hall or Cheapside well knowing that the Waves which roar under them cannot hurt them This was Davids case when he sang so merrily in the Cave of Adullam My heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psalm 57. 7. And what was it that made him so merry in so sad a place He will tell you vers 1. where you have him nestling himself under the shadow of Gods loving wings of Protection and now well may he sing care and fear away Thus it is that a Man perswaded and assured of Gods love unto him sings as merrily as the Nightingale with
we sing Laudate Dominum omnes gentes Praise the Lord all ye Nations Then the Name of Christ was an oyntment kept close in a box but now it is an oyntment poured out And lastly then the Church was a Garden enclosed a Fountain sealed up but now it is a springing Well that overflowes the World to renew it as Noah's floud did to destroy it The Company of Wicked Men to be avoided IT was once the Prayer of a good Gentlewoman when she was to die being in much trouble of Conscience O Lord let me not go to Hell where the Wicked are For Lord thou knowest I never loved their Company here the same in effect though not in the same words was that of holy David Lord gather not my Soul with Sinners Thus if Men would not have their Souls gathered with Wicked Men hereafter they must take heed of joyning with them here Can God take it well at any Mans hands to go and shake hands with his Enemies God himself will not so much as reach out his hand to the Wicked Why then should any of us do so Can we be in any place where we see God dishonoured and sit still as though not concerned therein Certainly the sight of Sin wheresoever or by whomsoever it is committed should cause horror in the Soul it should make us forbear coming into such wretched Company Time mis-spent to be carefully redeemed IT is observable that when Men have mis-spent their youth in Riotous living neglected all means of thriving and prodigally wasted their Estates but coming to riper years and being beaten with the rod of their own experience in the sight of their folly do not onely desist from their former lewd courses but are sorry and ashamed of them and set themselves with so much the more care and diligence to recover and repair their decay'd estates and with the greater earnestnesse use all good means of thriving And he that being to travell about important businesse nearly concerning his life and estate if he have over-slept himself in the Morning or trifled out his time about things of no worth when he sees his error and folly he makes the more haste all the day following that he may not be benighted and so coming short of his journey be frustrate of his hopes And thus must every good Christian do labouring with so much the more earnestnesse after the spiritual riches of Grace and assurance of his Heavenly hope by how much the longer he hath neglected the spiritual thriâ—t And traâ—elling so much the more speedily in the wayes of God by how much the longer he hath deferred his journey and loytered by the way fearing as the Apostle speaketh lest a promise being left of entring into Gods rest he come short of it Heb. 4. 1. Sacriledg the heavy Iudgments of God depending thereon POmpey the Great who is noted by Titus Livius and Cicero to be one of the most fortunate Souldiers in the World yet after he had abused and robbed the Temple of Ierusalem he never prospered but velut unda sâ—pervenit undam as one wave followeth another so ill successes succeeded to him one on the neck of another till at last he made an end of an unhappy life by a miserable death Many more Examples of the like nature are recorded to posterity To what purpose To forewarn them of the heavy Iudgments that depend upon all Sacrilegers that as the Aâ—k of God could find no resting place amongst the Philistines but was removed from Asdod to Gath from Gath to Ekron and so from place to place till it came to it 's own proper place so shall it be with the goods of Gods Church of what nature soever being wrung out of the Churche's hands by violence Quae malignè contraxit Pater pejori fluxu refundet haeres That which the Father hath so wickedly scraped together the Sonne shall more wickedly scatter abroad and so it shall passe and repasse from one to another untill it be far enough from him and his for whom it was collected so tâ—at the out-side of all his goodly purchase will be the Iudgment of God against himself and the curse of God to remain upon his Posterity Nothing but Eternity will satisfie the gratious Soul WHen there were severall attempts made upon Luther to draw him back again to the Romish side one proposed a summe of Money to be offered unto him No that will not do sayes another Illa bestia Germanica non curat argentum c. That German beast cares not for money nor any temporal thing whatsoever and so they ceased any further tampering that way Such was the Christian resolution of those Fourâ—y Martyrs under the persecution of Liciâ—ius the Emperor Anno 300. that when Agricolaus his chief Governour and one of the Devil 's prime Agents set upon them by severall wayes to renounce Christ and at last tempted them with money and preferments they all cryed out with one consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O Eternity Eternity Give money that may last â—or 〈◊〉 and glory that may never fade away Nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified will serve S. Paul's turn And thus it is that nothing but Eternity will satisfie the gratious Soul Let all the World the things of Heaven and Earth present themselves to the Soul by way of satisfaction it will say What are ye Temporal or Eternal If temporal away with them but if they bring Eternity along with them if the Inscription of Eternity be set on them then it closes with them and is satisfied in the sweet enjoyment of them The Ranters Religion IT is reported of the Lindians a People in the Isle of Rhodes who using to offer their Sacrifices with curses and execrable Maledictions thought their unholy holy-Rites were prophaned if that in all the time of the solemnity vel imprudenti alicui exciderit verbum bonum any one of them at unawares should have cast out or let fall one good word Such is the irreligious Religion and desperate carriage of a wretched crew called Ranters whose mouthes are fill'd with cursing and blasphemous speeches and that in such an â—orrid and confused manner as if Pythagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to be credited a Man would think Rabshekah's Soul had been transported into their bodies their Dialect being alike Divellish their language semblable Flatterers to be avoided WHen Xerxes with his multitudinous Army marched towards Greece and asked of his Friends What they feared most and one said That when the Greeks heard of his coming they would fly away before he could come near them another said He feared the ayr had not room enough for the arrowes of his Army another feared All Greece was not sufficient to quarter his Souldiers in And then Damascerus the Philosopher said He feared that all those Parasites would deceive him And no
O how shall I be able suffciciently to describe the happy state of that Couple whom the Church hath joyned Prayer and thanksgiving have confirmed Angels in Heaven proclaimed and the Parents on Earth approved Such were those of Rebecca and the Woman of Timnah the one for Isaac the other for Sampson though both appointed by God yet consented thereunto by Parents on all sides But on the other side O how miserable is the state of that pair which by contemning the advice and consent of their Parents do so highly offend God that they can expect no blessing from God till with weeping tears they have sued unto God for pardon and by all possible means of submission and humiliation which is the bâ—st plank after Shipwrack sought to be reconciled to their Parents and labour in what they can to make a compensation for their former disobedience with a care of Conscionable walking before them Afflictions of this life the comfortable use that is to be made of them A Ship after a long Voyage being come into Harbour springs a leak the Master is somewhat troubled at it and is never at quiet till it be stopped so that it is an evill to him yet he comforts himself in this that it did not happen unto him when he was out at Sea that had been a great deal worse and might have proved the ruine of them all And thus it is for troubles and sorrows there is a comfortable use to be made of them so long as they happen to us in this life We may say They are upon us but blessed be God they are upon us here in this World so that by a sanctified use to be made of them they shall never be eternally upon us in the World to come Hence is that prayer of S. Augustine and of all good Men in his words Domine hic ure hicfeca ut in aeternum parcas Here Lord do what thou wilt with me but spare me hereafter and that of Fulgentius Di Domine patientiam hic c. Give patience here Lord and pardon hereafter Whatsoever my grievances are here upon Earth let me rejoyce with thee in Heaven Constancy of holy Duties makes the performance of them easie IT is easie to keep that Armour bright which is daily used but hanging by the Walls till it be rusty it will ask some time and pains to furbish it over again If an Instrument be daily plaid upon it is easily kept in tune but let it be but a while neglected and cast in a corner the strings and frets break the bridge flies off and no small labour is required to bring it into order again And thus also it is in things spiritual in the performance of holy Duties if we contiue them with a settled constancy they will be easie familiar and delightful to us but if once broken off and intermitted it is a new work to begin again and will not be reduced to the former estate but with much endeavour and great difficulty Men to be Provident Christians IT is said that in the dayes of Solomon Iudah and Israel dwelt safely every Man under his Vine and under his Figtree from Dan even to Bersheba i. e. from one end of the Country to the other But then at the very next verse following it is said And Solomon had fourty thousand stalls of Horses for his Chariots and twelve thousand Horsemen What! Peace and plenty Horses and Horsemen Quam male conveniunt How can they stand together Very well No doubt but this was one of the greatest points of Solomon's wisedome to foresee à danger and shun it in times of Peace to provide for Warre And thus it must be the care of all good Christians to be provident Christians with Ioseph in times of Plenty to lay up for times of Dearth now in the strength of Youth to provide for the weaknesse of Age now in the time of Gospel-light and knowledge to be stocked and stored with Graces and Gospel-promises to live upon in worser times Hell-torments the Eternity of them to be considered IT is reported of a Voluptuous young Man that could not endure to be craossed in his wayes and of all things he could not bear it to be kept awake in the dark but it so happened that being sick he was kept awake in the night and could not sleep at all Whereupon he had these thoughts What is it so tedious then to be kept from 〈…〉 and to lye a few hours in the 〈◊〉 Oh what is it then to be in torments and everlasting darknesse I am here in my own house upon a soâ—t bed in the dark kept from 〈◊〉 but one night but to lie in flames and endlesse misery How dreadfull must that needs be These and such like Meditations were the happy means of that young Mans Conversion and by the blâ—ssing of God may be the like unto divers others when they shall consider the Eternity of Hell-torments that they are everlasting for ever and ever a fatall Soul-wounding expression when there shall be a suffering of as many years as there be sands on the Sea shore and Stars in the Firmament for their number yet no comfort at all Oh this Eternity of torments is the Hell of Hell In the curse of Adam there was a donec reverteris In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread untill thou return c. there 's no donec no time limited no bounds set to the Torments of the damned in Hell they are for evermore Christian perfection to be attained by degrees MEteors soon after their first appearing make the greatest shew A Fire of thorns as soon as it is kindled gives the fairest blaze and makes the most noise and crackling and both of them decrease by little and little till they disappear whereas the Morning light shineth more and more unto the perfect day Mushromes come to their perfection in one nights growth but trees of Righteousnesse of Gods right planting are still in growth and bring forth most fruit in old age Psal. 92. 14. Summer-fruits are soon ripe and soon rotten but Winter-fruits last longer Infants in the Womb that make more haste then good speed prove abortive whereas those that stay their time come to their growth by degrees And thus it is that we must think to aspire unto Perfection but in a graduall way not imagine that we can the first day in the beginning of our first conversion attain unto it For as Nemo repentè fit pessimus No Man is made the worst at the first so Nemo repentè fit optimus No Man is made the best all at once which made a good old Christian cry out Nolo repentè fieri summus c. I would not upon the suddain attain to my highest pitch but grow towards it by little and little Nondum apprehendi I have not yet attained sayes the blessed Doctor of
a sting from a Bâ—e constrainedly Mercy floweth from him as honey from a Bee most willingly Mercy is as â—sâ—entiall to him as light is to the Sun or as heat is to the Fire He delights in Mercy as the senses and faculties of the Soul do in their several actions Patience and Clemency and Mercy and compassion and peace are tâ—e Fruits of his bowells the Off-spring which the Divine nature doth produce Fury and rage and anger and impatience VVar and fire and sword are forced into him by the provoking exorbitances of the VVorld Faith not alwaies sensible IT is said of Euâ—ychus that falling down out of a VVindow was taken up dead his Friends were much troubled at the sodainnesse of the accident but Saint Paul being then preaching in an upper chamber went down and fell upon him and embracing him said Trouble not your selves for his liâ—e is in him though he seemed dead yet he was alive And as substance may be said to be in an Elm or an Oak tree when they have cast their leaves and there is VVine to be found in an unlikely cluster and one saith Destroy it not For there is a blessing in it Such are the beatings of the pulse the trances and the swoonings of Faith beating many times so slowly and drawing the breath of life so inwardly to it self that no man can perceive any life at all so that unlesse the goodnesse of God should embrace it as Saint Paul did Eutychus it would never recover strength again such was the trance of Adultery in David of Idolatry in his son Solomon of Apostacy in Peter of Recusancy in Ionah c. Minding of good things a notable way to encrease Grace DOmitian perceiving many of his Predecessours in the Empire to be so hated of the People asked How he might so rule as to be beloved and waâ— answered Tu fac contrà Mind and examine what they did and do thou the contrary Thus if Men would but truly mind the Law and the Prophets they would find themselves miserable For totus homo est inversus Decalogus that they stood in a full contrariety to all the Law and that is the very definition of Man Now this minding will work a Godly sorrow will make Men like those that after Baptist's Sermon was ended came with materiall Quaere's What shall we do and to make the conclusion up in their own hearts Is it comfort that we hear of Repent and it 's ours Is it Iudgment Repent and it is none of ours if any Vertue be commended we shall fall to practise it if any Vice be condemned we shall labour to avoid it if any Consolation be insinuated to appropriate it any good Example be propounded to follow it Where good things are minded Graces will be encreased The Mercies of God to be recorded to all posterity SAint Augustine relateth of a certain Platonist that should say as Simplicianus his good friend told him that those words of Saint Iohns Gospell In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the begining with God were fit to be written in letters of Gold and to be set up to be read in the highest places of all Churches his reason was because 't is such a strong Text to confirm the Divinity of Christ For as Saint Ambrose saith Erat erat c. Saint Iohn saith four times Erat in principio And where doth Arrius find that it was not in the begining And thus verily that Scripture where God proclaims his Nature by Adjectives ought to be recorded to all Posterity l The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands â—orgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin c. Now What is meant by all these Synonomaes and Equivocall expressions but that as an Act of Oblivion and pardon of Grace the abundant Mercies of God might be set out to the comfort of all Repentant Sinners The Providence of God not secondary causes to be rested on SAint Ambrose speaking of great drought in his time when the People talked much of rain he sometimes comforted himself with this hope Neomenia dabit pluvias the new Moon will bring us rain yet saith he though all of us desired to see some showers yet I wished such hopes might fail and was glad that no rayn fell donec precibus Ecclesiae data esset c. untill it came as a Return upon the Churches prayers not upon the influence of the Moon but upon the provident Mercy of the Creator Such was the Religious care of that good Saint then and the like wâ—re to be wished for now that Men would be exhorted not to be so much taken as they are with the Vanity of Astrologicall predictions to read the Stars lesse and the Scriptures more to eye God in his Providence not the Moon so much in it's influence still looking up unto him as the primus motâ—r and upon all other Creatures whatsoever as subordinate Hell broke loose by the swarms of Sectaries Ranters c. IN a City of Spain a Jesuite in the midst of his Sermon fell into a Trance if we had but faith enough to believe him and starting up he told his Auditory that he had been in a dream and the Scene lay in Hell There he saw many Souls of all conditions naming them whom he thought fit to traduce from Coblers to Kings Amongst the rest he pretended to see abundance of Franciscans whereat he stood amazed that Men so holy and strict of life should come thither This dream of his stuck in the Franciscans stomachs till they could requite him with another Therefore on the next occasion in the same Pulpit a Franciscan preaching fell into the like trance and waking told them that he had also been in Hell and could not deny but some sprinkling of Franciscans and other Orders were there But his wonder was that in all Hell he saw never a Iesuite at which Belzebub laughing told him his errour That the number of Jesuites in Hell did exceed all other Societies put them all together Where are they replies the Franciscan Alas saies the Devil they are in a room below the Common Jayl is too good for them they are safe bound in the Dungeon stowed in the hold under hatches For if they were suffered to come to the upper decks they would set all Hell in an uproar It was well it was but a dâ—eam for their sakes and not so well that it is not a Truth for the Church and Common-Weal's sake Many dreamers there are that say The Spirit of God is come down amongst us in these latter times but by the lives and practices of leud and Wicked Men it may be concluded that Hell is rather broke loose and the Devill let out for a season Else what mean those swarms of
may come it may be presented pure and spotlesse to him whom he intendeth it now unto Progresse in Piety to be endeavoured PRogresse in Piety and Religion is not unfitly compared to a building to a Race to the Morning light and to the Moon that waxeth Houses are raised from the Foundation to the walls from the walls to the roof In a Race Men run on to the goal The Morning light is brighter and brighter till the Noon day And the Moon encreaseth more and more till it come to the Full Habent et omnes virtutes suas conceptiones nativitates incunabula c. And all virtues have their conceptions births infancies and encreas So must every good Christian have he must not stand still in Religion like the Sun in Gibeon or go back like that on Ahaz's dyall but as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber that rejoyceth as a strong Man to run a Race he must go forward make still some progresse in Piety It is not enough that he receive a Talent but he must employ it and gain by it like good ground that giveth not the bare seed-corn back again but fructifieth in abundance He must encrease more and more as S. Paul exhorted the Jews of Thessalonica and to grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Resurrection of the dead asserted OUt of the Earth comes the bread that we eat that bread after it passeth several concoctions is alter'd and changed into bloud then conveyed throughout the parts of the body and at last attains to be even of the very same substance and Nature with the body Thus that which was Earth and sprung out of the Earth becomes Flesh in substance which before it was not In the Numerical Resurrection that which was Flesh and after turn'd into Earth becomes Flesh again in the same Nature which before it was If that were not daily and ordinary the difficulty would appear no greater in the one then in the other Again We daily see a tall fair spread losty Tree to have risen out of a little seed If you demand saith Gregory the Great Ubi latet fortitudo ligni asperitas corticis c. Whence was derived the solidity of the Wood the superficial hardnesse of the bark the flourishing greennesse of the leaves Experience testifies it proceeded from the spreading virtue which lay treasured up in the seed What marvel then if he that out of a small seed daily extracts the Wood Fruit and leaves in the trunk and branches of a Tree doth likewise reduce bones veins and hair out of the least remainder of our dust And having grafted them into the former stock of the same Flesh commands again breath and warmth into that Flesh bloud into those veins strength into those bones and beautifies those hairs with a fresher hew The Souldiers calling Honourable HE â—hat in these dayes of the Gospel styleth himself Deus pacis the God of Peace did in the dayes of old under the Law call himself Deus exercituum the Lord of Hoasts The Scriptures make Christ The Captain of the Lords Army the Angels Souldiers The Church a Squadron of armed Men every Bishop or Superintendent of the Church a Souldier and the Church upon good grounds hath listed every Child in Baptisme as a Souldier of Christ Iesus Eques that formerly signified an ordinary Trooper is now our Knight Miles that was wont to be a private Souldier is now our Esquire or Gentleman such and so Honourable is the Condition and Calling of a Souldier that though the Poets have inveighed against it yet they must so far yield that whatsoever of rubbish and dirt is thrown upon it it is vitium personae non rei the fault of the Persons not of the Profession since God himself hath graced it our Saviour hath approved it the Apostles have commended it the Saints have practised it and our Ancestors gloried in it Women Reformers intolerable IT was a witty answer that St. Bernard gave to the Image of the blessed Virgin at the great Church of Spire in Germany Bernard was no sooner come into the Church but the Image straight saluted him and bad him Good morrow Bernard Whereat Bernard well knowing the jugling of the Fryers made answer again out of St. Paul O saith he your Ladiship hath forgotten your self It is not lawfull for Women to speak in the Church Thus it is commendable in a Woman when she is able by her wisdome to instruct her Children and to give at opportunities good Counsell to her Husband but when she-Apostles Women shall take upon them as many have done to hold out the Word in publique and to chalk out Discipline for the Church this is neither commendable nor tolerable for her hands should handle the spindle or the Cradle but neither the Altar nor the Church the commendations that St. Iohn's elect Lady had was not so much for her talking as her walking in the Commandements of God 2 Joh. v. 5 6. When it may be said to be the best time for Prayer SUiters at Court observe mollissima fandi tempora their times of begging when they have the King in a good moode which they will be sure to take the advantage of but especially if they should find that the King himself should begin of himself to speak of the businesse which they would have of him then they take that very nick of time and seldome or never come off but with good successe Thus when God speaks secretly to the heart to pray fashioneth and composeth it into a praying frame and disposition observe such a time and neglect it not strike whilst the Iron is hot lay hold upon such a blessed opportunity such a one as thou maist never have the like againe for it is a great signe that he intends to heare thee and answer thee gratiously when he himself shall thus prepare and indite the Petition and frame the Requests that thou shalt put up unto him This must needs be the best time of Prayer Magistrates and men in Authority to be Exemplary to all others IT is observable in the very course of Nature That the highest Spheres are alwayes the swiftest in their motion and carry about with them the inferior Orbes by their â—elerity The biggest Stars in the Firmament are evermore the brightest and give lustre unto those of a lesser magnitude Thus Men that bear Authority that are eminent in power and dignity that excell in Riches and command are placed in the highest sphere of humane Society to this end that like sons of God they might shine brightly unto their Inferiors by their godly life and Example Ministers to be acquainted with the state of Mens Souls MEn are careful that the Physitian should be well and throughly acquainted with the Constitution of their bodies before he administer any Physick unto them And
Children Friends and all must be laid aside when the Cause of God suffers when Religion lyes at the stake bleeding even to death And certainly that estate is well weakened that strengthens the power of Religion and that life well lost that helps to save the life of Truth and yet a life so lost is not lost at all but saved Mark 8. 35. The Churche's Fall the Churche's Rise Suppose a stranger one that never heard of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea should come to some Navigable River as to the Thames side at an high water and should there observe how much it fell in six or seven hours Would he not conclude That after that rate the River would run it self dry in a short time Whereas they that are acquainted with the Tides know for certain that when the Ebbe is at the lowest the tide of a rising Water is upon the return Thus it is with the Church of God it may seem to be at a dead low water and in a sinking condition but even then its lowest estate is an immediate Fore-runner of its raising again As for instance the most raging and violent of those Ten bloudy Persecutions was that of Dioclesian but by the great mercy of God attended by the mild and peaceable times of Constantius the Father and Constantine the Son All Ages from time to time making this out for a Truth that the darkest and saddest night of sorrow that ever befell the Church of God hath been followed with a gladsome and comfortable morning of joy that its worst condition was but as a leading card to bring in dayes of more rejoycing Prayer a spirituall prevailing sword IT is said of Constantine the Great That after God had blessed and honoured him with many Victories whereas the Effigies of other Emperours were engraven upon their loynes in a triumphant manner he would be set in a posture of Prayer kneeling to manifest unto the World that he attributed all his Victories more to his Prayers then his Sword And surely Prayer is a prevailing sword it can give Victory in doubtful battels it can raise the most confident and desperate Siege What was said of the Wicked their tongue is a sharp sword swords are in their lips may be truly said of the tongues and lips of Gods people in Prayer they are as two-edged swords in their hands to execute Vengeance And without all doubt Gods enemies have often found the power of this sword of Prayer and those which are the Lords people may say of this as David once said of that which was Goliah's There is none like that give it me 1 Sam. 21. 9. The losse of good Men not laid to heart condemned AS you may see a silly Hen go clocking and scraping in the midst of her chickens then comes the Kite and snatcheth away first one then another after that a third till all are gone And the Hen brustles and flutters a little when any of them is so snatched away but returns instantly to her scraping and picking as if she had lost nothing Even so do the most of Men God hath in these later times made many great and lamentable breaches amongst us top'd the greatest Cedars in this our Lebanon depriv'd us of many excellent Men both in Church and State and we it may be for a moment bewail their losse in some such like passionate expression There is a brave Man lost I am sorry such a Man is dead c. and then every one goeth on again in his own way presently forgetting the losse but no Man sitteth alone by himself to enquire What God hath done and What he meaneth to do with us or What we have done to provoke him thus far against us We thrust such thoughts far away from us passing by on the other side as the Priest and Levite did by the wounded Man as if it nothing at all concerned us The woful gradation of Sin AS Marriners setting sayl first lose sight of the shore then of the houses then of the steeples and then of Mountains and Land And as those that are way-laid by a Consumption first lose vigour then stomach and then colour Thus it is that Sin hath its wofull gradations None declines to the worst at first Lust having conceived brings forth Sin and so proceeds to finishing as thus Sin hath its conception that 's delight and its formation that 's design and its birth that 's the acting and Custome is the education of the brat then followes a reprobate sense and the next step is Hell to all eternity The great danger of admitting the least Sin As when Pompey could not prevail with a City to billet his Army with them he yet perswaded them to admit of a few weak maimed Souldiers but those soon recovered their strength and opened the gates to the whole Army And thus it is that the Devill courts us onely to lodge some small sins a sin of infirmity or two which being admitted they soon gather strength and sinews and so subaue us How many have set up a trade of swearing with common interlocutory oaths as Faith and Truth How many have begun thieving with pins and pence How many drunkennesse with one cup more then enough How many Lust with a glance of the eye and yet none of them ever dreamt they should be prostituted to those prodigious extremities they afterwards found themeselves almost irrecoverably ingulfed in Destruction is from our selves AS Noah was drunk with his own Wine Goliah beheaded by his own swords The Rose destroyed by the canker bred in it self the breast by a self-bred wolf the apple by the worm the dams belly eaten through by the young Vipers Agrippina kill'd by Nero to whom the gave breath So we are undone by our selves our destruction is of ourselves The cup of the bitter waters of Marah and Meribah that we have and do drink so deep of is of our own mingling and embittering the rods that scourge us are of our own making Sin like a Fryer whips its self Punishment is connate innate to Sin Fools because cause of their Iniquities are afflicted saith David We may thank our own Folly for our own bane Man not to be trusted unto IT is reported of Caesar Borgis one of Pope Alexander's ungodly bastards that having built infinite projects upon his interest in so holy a Father when news was brought him of his sodain death cryed out This I never thought upon now my designs are all lost which fell out accordingly Thus for a certain Whoever it be that looks for much from Men how great how potent how excellent soever will prove like those who go to Lotteries with their heads full of hopes and return with their hearts full of blanks and be forced to lay his hand upon his mouth and say What a Fool was I to expect any great
be carefull in the censure of others 232. Men not to be censurers one of another 365. To be favourable in the censure of others 477. The danger of introducing uselesse Ceremonies in the Church 168. Ceremonials and circumstantials in Religion not to be much contended for 93. Why God delivered the Law with such Majestick Ceremonies 93. The Romanists errour in the point of antiquity of Ceremonies 151. Ceremonies in the Church not to be cause of separation 440. It is Man not God that changeth 117. Charity to the poor to be reall not verball 8. The Charity of former times abused by these times 198. Charity mistaken 239. To be well ordered 561. 674. To be Charitable Christians and why so 262. To be charitable to the poor and needy 300. Why it is that we must be charitable to all Men 342. Charity rewarded to the full 373. Men to be carefull of what they promise unto God in matter of Charity 494. Charity attended by the certainty of reward 529. Children of God must have Gods qualities 9. Why God suffereth the dearest of his children to want these outward things 301. A true child of God half in Heaven whilest he is upon Earth 317. Being delivered out of the bondage of Satan made more careful for the future 318. Children to be brought up in the fear of God 48. 461. 481. To be well principled 57. To be begged of God by prayer 289. Childrens Christian instruction the great benefit thereof 312. How it is that Children are very hardly drawn from their naturall inclinations 336. Children to be ready to relieve their Parents necessities 460. To have Children Male and Female Gods great blessing 467. Children to submit to their Parents correction 481. Children to set their hands to all honest employments 482. To be fruitfull in children a great blessing of God 496. Wicked children a great grief to their Parents 576. Not to repine at a great charge of Children 592. Christ voluntarily engaging himself to take away the sins of the World 569. Men to be ready to dye for Christ 578. The comfortable sight of Christ Iesus crucified to the poor Repentant sinner 634. The excellency of Christ Iesus 640. Christ the Saints wonder and admiration 663. Christs watchfulnesse over his people for good 664. Christ a â—ure pay-master 666. Christ fully revealed in the New Testament 6. Christs Victory over Sathan 24. Christ and the good Christian are companions inseparable 18. Christ is the true Christians All in all 63. How Christs sufferings are made ours 69. Wisdome of Christ above all other wisdome even to admiration 102. Christ in all his excellencies to be the Christians object 142. S. Augustines Judgment of the time of Christs birth 157. Christ compared to an Eagle 174. All have not the same measure of Christ 175. The excellencies of Christ are theirs that are in him 185. Nothing but Christ to be esteemed as of any worth 195. Christ is the proper food of the Soul To make Christ our Lord and Master 224. Christ the onely object of the devout Soul 273. Christ nothing but love all over 299. Christ the eternall Son of God properly and significantly called The Word Ioh. 1. 1. 326. Christ making himself and all that he hath over to the good of his Church and People 327. The great love of Christ to be at an high esteem and why so 344. Christ the true light 538. The joyfull coming of Christ Iesus in the flesh 365. The all-sufficient goodnesse of Christ Jesus 385. The inestimable value of Christ Iesus 407. Consideration of the Name of Christ to be a motive from sin 448. The necessity of being found with Christ's righteousnesse 472. Christ's wounds the onely hiding place of a Christian 490. Christ Iesus the good man's chief portion 505. The excellency of Christ's intercession 518. Christ freely discovering himself to all that truly seek him 535. Christ's humanity asserted 537. A true Christian to be a true picture of Christ 92. The worth of a true Christian 123. The best Christian is the best Artist 137. True Christians are fruitful Christians 326. As we are called Christians to bear up our selves like Christians 348. The weaknesse of a Christian without Christ 393. The good Christians Library 417. The Christians claim to Heaven what it is Christianity the best Nobility 592. Every one to strive for eminency in Christianity 664. The Churches distresse and comfort 582. Gods readinesse to maintain the cause of his Church 621. The bare enjoyment of Church-priviledges doth not make up a true Christian 639. God ordering all things for the good of his Church 641. The Churches fall the Churches rise 658. Christ ready to revenge himself upon the Enemies of his Church 663. Ruine of the Churches enemies to be desired 119. The fiery tryall on the Church of God 130. The Churche's enemies become the Churche's good 131. Spoylers of Church and State condemned 209. Men not repairing to the Church of God reproved 245. The sad condition of Church and State not to be sleighted 270. 424. Reverend and devout behaviour to be used in the Church of God 320. God looking upon his Church with a more especiall eye of Providence 328. Gods ends and Mans ends as to the persecution of his Church the vast difference betwixt them 345. The not laying of the Churches troubles to heart condemned 346. How it is tha War there may and must be in the Church of God but not contention 364. The Church of the Gospel its amplitude above that under the Law 437. The good Christians comfort in time of the Churches trouble 310. Church of God still on the decaying hand 6. The Churches Enemies in Gods hands 13. The Church robbed of her maintenance upon pretence of Reformation 17. Peace of the Chruch precious 32. Prayers and tears are the Weapons of the Church 52. The Churches complaint for want of maintenance 63. Order both in Church and State commanded and commended 101. Carelesse Church-men to be condemned 62. The Churche's conditions under the two Testaments 174. Church-spoylers condemned 201. God seeketh for his own People more especially in his own house the Church 227. The great danger of slighting Church-Assemblies 304. True comfort in God onely 647. A Caveat for unworthy Communicants 109. The danger of unworthy Communicating 111. Unworthy Communicants condemned 142. 151. 156. 164. A good Man tedious to bad Company 564. Godly Company the benefit thereof 539. How a Man should demean himself in bad Company 454. Ill Company to be avoided 45. 187. 437. A godly Man is bettered in evill Company 106. Man to be of Company or sociable 188. How to come off well in ill Company 190. Evil Company a great hindrance in the wayes of God 362. The confident Christian 243. Confesâ—ion of sins irksome to the Devil 676. The Laity abused by the Roman Clergy in Confession 587. Men by naâ—ure hardly brought to Confession of sin 661. Contemplaâ—ion and action requisite for every good Christian 18. Gods
to the honour of God 468. Not to prejudice the truth of a good Conscience 469. Not to be in any thing prejudiciall to commutative Justice 470. Policy above strength 3. Prudence and Worldly Policy uncertain 154. The Pope's policy to advance his Holinesse 177. A prudential piece of State policy for the continuance of Peace 330. Satan's policy in keeping Men off from timely Repentance 392. Honesty the best policy 679. Polititians spoyled in the height of wicked designs 380. The wicked Polititian discovered 583. The State Polititian's Religion 616. The State Polititian siding with all parties 616. Charity to the Poor to be reall not verball 8. A poor child of God comforted with the hopes of Heaven 13. Alms given to the poor are the givers gain 31. Christ the poor Mans object as well as the Rich mans 253. The persons of poor men not to be sleighted 474. The poors relief Heavens treasure 495. Rulers Magistrates c. to stand up for the cause of the poor and needy 667. Popery a meer heap of confusion 441. Popular Government popular confusion 49. Great Men not to depend upon popularity 50. The vast difference betwixt Gods and Mans power 619. How it is that God is more powerfull then all the Creatures 623. The benefit of spiritual poverty 503. How a Man may be said to pray continually 25. When it may be said to be the best time to pray 516. Men to pray for others as well as for themselves 541. Prayer and endeavour to be joyned together 578. Prayer the onely means to supply all defects 272. The danger of distracted prayer 275. God onely heareth and answereth the prayers of his people 303. Prayer turning Earth into Heaven 309. Not the length but the fervency of Prayer required 316. Sinful prayers not heard by God 322. Rash inconsiderate Prayers reproved 521. Prayer a special prevailing sword 638. Worldly thoughts in time of prayer condemned 2. Prevalency of servent prayer 3. The difference betwixt carnal and spirituall prayer 5. The blessed Trinity co-operating in the Righteous mans prayer 30. Prayers and tears are the weapons of the Church 52. Immediate-addresses unto God by prayer find acceptance 60. Prayers to be made for all Men 86. Prayers of a Sin-regarding sinner not heard of God 86. Prayers of the godly the unanimity of them 109. Prayers not prevailing at present with God how to be regulated 116. The certain prevalency of prayer 143. The great return of a faithfull prayer 178. The sloathful contractednesse of our prayers unto God reproved 184. Gods moderate answer to the prayers of his people 186. Neglect of prayer unto God condemned 202. Prayers for the dead unavailable 213. Prayers of the Wicked ineffectual 218. The great power of fervent prayer 219. The Devill most busie in time of prayer 221. Drowsinesse in prayer to be avoided 230. Preaching and prayer to go together 238. To be fervent in prayer 252. Prayers to be made unto God in Christ's Name 265. To be deliberate in our prayers to God 269. No comfortable return of prayer till sin be removed 411. How to think of God in prayer 487. Fervency in prayer the prevalency thereof 533. Gods gracious return to his Peoples prayers in time of their distresse 540. Prayers for others in the same condition with our selves prevalent with God 542. All things come from God and therefore to be praised 181. Ministers to be advised in the profitable method of Preaching 381. Men through spirituall pride preferring one Preacher before another reproved 393. Preaching and Prayer to go together 238. The sincere Preacher's courage 228. The sincere Preacher's comfort 227. Conscientious Preachers not to be sleighted 207. Rash inconsiderate Preaching condemned 117. Plain preaching is profitable 73. Preaching Tradesmen preaching-Souldiers not sent of God 77. The powerfull effect to Gods Word preached 152. 178. The great danger of not listning to the Word preached 153. The painful Preacher's poverty the idle Impropriators plenty 297. How to make a right use of the doctrine of Predestination 603. God predestinateth to the means as well as the end 627. Magistrates and Ministers not to be forward for temporal Preferment dignity c. 88. 654. Men seeking preferment not fit to be entertained therein 578. Preparation to Religious duties must be free from Worldly distractions 74. Uâ—preparednesse for death very dangerous 102. Preparation necessary before Prayer 132. Publique worship of God not to be entered upon without due Preparation 314. The difference of good and bad men in preparation for death 463. Pride the complement of all sins 107. The vanity thereof 427. 565. The folly thereof 572. A main engine of the Devill 566. The vast difference betwixt Pride and humility 567. Pride in Riches honours c. the vanity thereof 570 621. In apparrel condemned 572. The printing of Learned Mens Works instrumental to Gods glory 450. Men to be carefull of their Principles in Religion 495. Heavenly Principles tend Heavenward 48. The benefit of keeping close to good Principles 203. A Man not well principled in Religion is unstable in all his wayes 250. Profit is the Great god of this World 198. Prosperity attended by cares and fears 672. Prosperity of the Wicked destructive 31. 98. 191. 217. Prosperity divides affliction unites the hearts of Christians 81. Prosperity of the wicked a stumbling-block to the Godly 161. Unhappy prosperity of the wicked 301. Uncertain prosperity of the Wicked 302. 419. Men apt to be unthankfull in time of prosperity 323. Prosperity will discover what a Man is 345. Not to be troubled at the prosperity of the Wicked and why so 349. 428. 532. Prosperity for the most part draws envy to it 504. To promise much and perform little reproveable 240. No promise to be made but with reference to Gods will c. 320. How to make a right use fo God's promises 327. Promises of God the excellencies and comforts that are to be found in them 329. Are for the most part conditional 491. To be careful of our Vows and promises made in extremity 491. The non-performance of vows and promises c. condemned 615. Promises without ability of performance not to be regarded 468. The great danger of not standing fast in the profession of Religion 657. Worldly professors of the Gospel reproved 652. The carnal Professor described 583. Men not to be ashamed of their godly profession though the wicked speak evill of them 641. Profession without practice not acceptable 36. 194. 284. Not to be ashamed of the profession of Christ 188. Profession to be joyned with practice 270. Men easily taken off from their holy profession upon removall of Judgment condemned 386. How it is that there are so many Professors of Religion and so few practisers of Religion 397. The tryall of true and false Professors 472. Propriety in God the onely comfort 24. The onely comfort of a Christian is his propriety in God 72. Men to be provident Christians 442. To be provident in the dayes of
2. The policy of Tyrants in doing many good things for the publique 233. V. VAin-glory remedy against it 314. The Uncertainty of temporall Victories and successe 489. The convenience of Virginity 142. Prayers of the godly the Unanimity of them 109. Unanimity the excellency thereof 402. The Uncharitable Christian described 600. The Devils endeavour to darken the Understanding 131. Not to be children in Understanding 165. The Souls comfortable Union with Christ 44. The great mystery of the Hypostatical Union in Christ shadowed out c. 333. The Union and Fellowship of Gods Children c. 499. Religion and Unity the onely supporters of Church and State 16. The excellency of Unity in Church and Common-wealth 401. Unlawfull things not to be asked of God in prayer 561. God's goodnesse Man's Unthankfullnesse 596. Christians not to upbraid and revile one another 445. The great danger of use and custome in jesting at Religion and Piety 378. The biting Usurer described 682. The griping Usurer and his Broker characterised 329. The griping Usurer and the Devil compared together 580. The fad condition of borrowing upon Usury 598. W. THe sword of War impartial 452. The compleatest armed Man of War naked without God c. 305. The direful effects of War 81. The event of War uncertain 166. The rage of War in the richest Countries 647. Watchfulnesse of life rewarded 249. Christian watchfulnesse enjoyned 530. God gives warning before he smites 192. How to prevent wavering-mindednesse 179. Gods Way the safe Way to walk in 5. The Way to God crosse-way to the World 100. The difference betwixt a spiritual worldly Man in the wayes of God and goodnesse 362. Non-proficiency in the wayes of God and Religion condemned 560. Though a weak Christian yet a true Christian 42. Straâ—ge Women Harlots c. the Devil's night-net to ensnare Men 208. Laughter of the Wicked is but from the teeth outward 52. God suffers wicked Men to torment his People 161. The Wicked-worker hatâ—th the light 172. Wicked Men instrumental for the good of Gods children 201. A wicked life hath usually a wicked end 244. Wicked Men made by God instrumentall for the good of his People 418. Every wicked Man a curse to the place he lives in 42â— The implacable malice of wicked Men against profâ—ssors of the Gospel 426. Cruelty of the wicked no prejudice to the godly 524. How it is that wicked Men are said to be none of Gods Children 561. Wicked Men see the miseries but not the joyes of Gods people 631. Tâ—e Magistrate and Ministers duty in suppressing Wickednesse and Vice 614. A Wife and no Wife 606. To be careful in the choyce of a Wife 18. The Wiâ—e to be subject to her husband 130 480. Every Man to think the best of his own Wife 427. A Wife to be an House-wife 432. Folly to repent the choyce of Wife marriage being past 529. Wives to love their husbands cordially 479. God onely able to work Man to will and to do 569. To rest contented with Gods good Will and pleasure 422. 584. To regulate our Wills by Gods Will 342. Submission to the â—ill of God in all things eâ—joyned 323. The way to have our Will is to be subjâ—ct to Gods Will 65. God accepts the Will for the deed 81. To submit to Gods Will in all things 152. 665. God wills not the death of a Sinner 203. How God may be said to will and nill the death of a Sinner 291. Wit how to make a right use thereof 579. Wisdome of Christ above all other Wisdome even to admiration 102. Wisdome of the World proves solly 163. A Man to be wise for himself as well as for others 287. Every Man to be wise for himself as well as others 388. Wisdome how to be regulated 591. Good Works are not the cause but the way to true happinesse 78. Not to talk of our good Works or deeds 233. Works of Mercy very rare to be found amongst us 306. Men of few and men of many words their differâ—nce 522. The vanity of using many words 521. To depend upon Gods bare Word 407. Swelling big words of wicked Men not to be regarded 278. Riches cannot follow us out of this World 6. Gods favour above the Worlds conâ—â—ntments to a godly Man 7. The things of this World a great stop in the way to Heaven 11. The true Christian takes no comfort in this World 19. The World like a Fisher-mans net 22. The works of God in the Creation of the World are to and beyond all admiration 53. The Worlds dangerous allurements 70. In getting the things of this World Gods way the best way 124. How to use the things of this World 134. 500. The Worlds opposition no obstacle to a child of God 164. Gods people meet with many discouragements in the world 191. Love of the World enmity to God 223. A Child of God preserved by God though never so much sleighted by the World 259. The World to be contemned in regard of Heaven 296. Why God suffereth the dearest of this Children to want the outward things of this World 301. How it is that at the second coming of Christ to Judgment the frame of the World shall not be consumed but repaired new 338. Not to grieve or be troubled at the Worlds discourtesies and why so 342. The things of this World vain and uncertain 358 459. The Worlds deceitfulnesse 477. Not to be trusted unto 544. Things of the World not to be so highly prised 494. How the Devil makes use of the World to destroy Man 592. Men not easily brought to believe the Worlds vanity 664. A Worldly-minded Man speaketh of nothing but worldly things 69. Submission to the wisdome of God as concerning Worldly outward things required 87. Worldly things dispensed by God in Wisdom 89. Worldly Men look after Worldly things 108. The danger of VVorldly-mindednesse 155. The competency of Worldly things the best estate 165. A Worldly-minded Man no publique-spirited Man 210. Worldly-Men easily taken off from the service of God 211. A Worldly-minded Man no Heavenly-minded Man 218. The secure Worldlings suddain ruine 259. Worldly things cannot really help us 267. Worldly things their suddain downfall 268. The sad condition of Worldly-minded Men at the time of death 314. Worldly-mindednesse a great hindrance to the comfortable enjoyment of spirituall graces 351. Worldly-crosses turn'd into spiritual advantages 357. All Worldly things transitory 357. The inconstancy of them 497. The Worldling's inordinate desires and why so 367. The emptinesse of all Worldly delights without Christ 387. Men seeking after the vanity of Worldly things reproved 393. The vanity of Worldly temporal things compared with those eternal 439. The wicked Man's folly in his Worldly choyce 479. The Worldling's woe and the Just Man's joy at the time of death 517. No true joy in Worldly things 518. The uncertainty of VVordly things 529. How the vanity of Worldly things may be easily discerned 530. The moderate use of VVorldly
wonder For many Men have been eaten up and cheated out of their whole estates by such dissembling and devouring Caterpillars adulationis unctio est domorum emunctio the oyl of Flattery hath soaked up many a good Family Plus nocet lingua adulatoris quà ◠gladius persecutoris saith another A Flatterers tongue doth more mischief then a Persecutors sword so that better it were for Men to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst Ravens then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst Flatterers For Ravens feâ—d onely upon dead carcasses and Flatterâ—rs feast upon living Men they are therefore to be banished from our ears or at the least no wayes trusted and by no means countenanced which if they be it is to be feared they will not onely deceive us but also destroy us Prov. 26. 28. and mislead from the wayes of goodnesse The Vanity of temporal things compared with those Eternall A Bulensis setting out the Vanity of all Worldly excellency observes That those who have been the most glorious in what Man accounts excellent have had inglorious ends whereby their splendor hath been much eclipsed As in Sampson for strength and what a contemptible end had he Absolon for beauty Achitophel for Policy Azahel for swiftnesse Alexander the great for Conquests yet poysoned in the end And he instanceth also in Kingdoms as that of the Assyrian the Chaldean Persian Graecian and Roman How soon were they gone He might have added Common-wealths For be they never so well settled they must have their ending too Crowns have their periods length of dayes their date Triumphs their tombs Felicity it's Fate SUch then is the Vanity of all temporal things compared with those Eternal The beauty of all Wordly things being but as a fair picture drawn upon the 〈◊〉 that melts away with it The fashion of this World passeth away And dâ—d but Worldly Men consider what is become of all those that have had as great dealings and as many merry-meetings as they and have indulged the Flesh as much as they that they are gone rotten in their graves and their Souls it may be crying under the wrath of an infinite God and all their bravery and delights at an end they would then leave doating on the World and fix their hearts upon things that shall make for their Eternal and everlasting good Ceremonies of the Church not to be any cause of Separation PLiny in his natural history reporteth of Hedg-hogs that having been abroad to provide their store and returning home laden with nuts and fruit if the least Filbert fall but off they will in a pettish humour fling down all the rest and beat the ground for very anger with their bristles And such is the peevish fancy of many strait-laced Christians amongst us such as in themselves are bells of passing good Mettall and tuneable enough though by the artifice of some miserably rung out of tune that will leave our Church and remain obstinate for trifles and accidents Ceremonies things in themselves adiaphorous indifferent and harmlesse that Fire hath tryed them to be but stubble and straw-controversies easie to be moderated if Malice and Prejudice make not men irreconcileable The Tongue for the most part a mischievous member AESop being sent by his Master to buy all the best meat he could get in the Market bought all Tongues And being sent again to buy all the worst he bought all Tongues again being demanded Why he did so answered That no flesh was better then a good Tongue nor any worse then a bad Tongue And most true it is as Bias told Amasis King of Egypt The Tongue is the best and worst member of the body for the most part an unruly michievous member lambit et laedit a killing and destroying Member a dangerous weapon and the worst of all other weapons the stroke of a sword may be born off the shot of an arrow may be shunn'd or if not the wounds may be healed but there is no way to escape a poysoned Tongue no salve to cure it hence it is well observed that a Word and a Pest grow upon the same root in Hebrew signifying that the Plague and an 〈◊〉 Tongue go together In the midst of Worldly enjoyments to mind Eternity THere is a notable Story of one Theodorus a Christian young Man in Egypt who when there was a great deal of Feasting with Musiâ—k in his Fathers house withdrew himself from all the Company and being got alone thus thought with himself Here is content and delight enough for the Flesh I may have what I desire but how long will this last this will not hold out long then falling upon his knees to God in prayer O Lord sayes he my heart is open unto thee I indeed know not what to ask but onely this Lord let me not dye Eternally O Lord thou knowest I love thee O let me live Eternally to praeise thee And then when his Mother came to him and would have had him come in to the rest of the Company he made an excuse and would not onely upon this Meditation because he saw this could not hold out long And thus it is heartily to be wished that the Sons of Men when they find their hearts beginning to be let out upon any temporal good when they are in the midst of all their Worldly delights and pleasures would think upon Eternity and reason with themselves thus I am now in the midst of all temporal enjoyments but will they hold out I was made to abide for ever I was made for that God that must abide for ever What are a sew hours here if years they were nothing to Eternity Those that abide longest in the fruition of health and prosperity their time is but a bubble they are gone and the memory of them is perished Xenophilus in Pliny lived an hundred and five years without any sicknesse but what is that to Eternity Popery a meer heap of Confusion IT is said of the Nabis a beast in Egypt so called that it hath the shape of severall beasts and of Hanniball's Army that it consisted ex colluvie omnium Gentium of the very scum of all Nations Thus the whole body of Popery is nought else but a very amassed lump of Pagan Rites and old Heretical dregs as in their Purgatory Idolatry Sacrifice for the dead holy Water Free-will challenge of the Church merit of Works renouncing of Scriptures c. so that as Iosephus said of Apion's writings that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer dunghill of shamelesse untruths rather then Orthodox verities a meer heap of trash and trumpery Children to have a care how they marry without consent of Parents TErtullian the African Father writing to his Wife concerning Marriage closeth all with a piece of admiration Uâ—de sufficiam ad eâ—arrandam foelicitatem ejus Matrimonii quod Ecclesia conciliat confirmat oblatio c.