seasonably found out for it was about the time the company brake up he had perished I was then at the house an eye-witnesse of that deliverance Another example I shall give you of a Man A certain English Captain in the Wars of France under Henry the fourth whom Queen Elizabeth assisted against his own subjects being quartered in a Town lately taken from the enemy carryed himself with that civility toward his Landlord as became an ingenuous Gentleman and yet with that fidelity too as suited with the honor of his command in chief that he won very much respect from the Master of the family Insomuch that some time after the enemy having taken the Towne again beaten the Kings party slain many and wounded more even unto death at the end of the day when the Armyes were retired the Townsmen came out to cut throats and to take the pillage By providence this Landlord before mentioned came to this Gentleman sorely wounded and ready to dye whom he bestrides and drawing his sword protests he would there dye rather then his friend should suffer any further harm And so by the help of others he brought him home to his own house where by chirurgery and good diet with all carefull attendance he recovered This story I heard the Gentleman relate to me and others Thus God creates deliverances and indeed preservation from danger is nothing else but a continued creation There is scarce any thing in the wayes of God more remarkable then Deliverances And indeed it is necessary that God should take the charge of us at all times for our dangers are so many and great that none are wise enough or strong enough to deliver us but the Lord. 4. All the instruments all the men and means that God hath in providence at any time used for our good must not be forgotten As 1. What Parents we have had how godly they were and how religiously tender they were of our eternall welfare what care they took of us what cost they bestowed upon us what prayers they made for us what pains they took with us in correcting in instructing us for our temporall and eternall good 〈◊〉 is a very rich priviledge to come of godly and religious parents to be heirs of so many promises which they daily laid up for us and so many prayers that they continually made in our behalf is a very rich portion The Jews would often boast that Abraham was their Father and Moses chose rather to owne him yea though he suffered with his posterity then to be called the Son in law to Pharaob's daughter and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Solomon keeps an account of this mercy I was my Fathers Son that is I was his darling his beloved Son and I was tender and dear in the sight of my Mother And thus he taught me and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words c. The like honorable mention he makes of his Mother The words of King Lemuel the prophesie that his Mother gave him Lemuel is a name given to Solomon as Mercer observes upon the place He is called also Jedidiah because the Lord loved him and here Lemuel by his Mother because she had dedicated him to the Lord. 2. Remember what Schoolmasters we have had Dr. Andrews Bishop of Winchester was so thankfully affected with the care that Mr. Mulcaster had of him whilest he was his Scholar that when he came to great preferment in the Church he placed his picture over his study dore Mr. Calvin did so far acknowledge the love and care of Miturinus Corderâ—â—s his Schoolmaster that he dedicated his Commentary upon the first Epistle to the Thessalonians to him And Persius had so honorable an esteem of his Master Cornutus that he writes his fifth Satyr to him and expresseth his thankfulnesse to him in very high language Hinc ego centenas ausim deposcere voces Vt quantum mihi te sinuoso in pectore fixi Voâ—e traham pura c. 3. What noble Mecaenâ—s what bountiful Benefactor we have had by whose cost and kindnesse our good education hath been furthered and our comfortable maintenance enlarged St. Augustine thankfully acknowledged that by the liberall contribution of Romenian a noble Gentleman his studies in the Liberall Arts were much cherished and advanced 4. To conclude It will be of singular use to put into our Diary what Times we have lived in what Ministers we have lived under what Callings we were of what Wealth was bestowed on us what places of Authority and Command were committed to us Plato when he was ready to dye gave God thanks for three things 1. That he was made a Man 2. That he was born in Greece 3. That he lived in the time of Socrates Blesse we God that such a Kinsman brought us up in our younger yeers that such a Scholar was our Tutor in the University such an one relieved us such a friend preferr'd us The Lord give mercy to Onesiphorus saith Paul to Timothy for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain When he was at Rome he sought me out diligently The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy from the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministred unto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well Yea let not the meanestor lowest instrument of our good under God be forgotten Who hath despised the day of small things Even a Raven may sometimes bring bread and meat to a poor Prophet and a poor Widow sustain a Messenger of God A wicked Physitian or a drunken Chirurgeon may instrumentally under God save our lives Even a cypher as very a nothing as it is if joyned to 10 make it 100 if added to 100 makes it 1000. Poor despised David that stood but as a cypher in Kings Saul's account his Brothers judgement in the name of the Lord slays Goliah and wrought a great salvation for Israel The Lord Cromwell K Henry the Eights favourite did not onely remember Friscobald the rich Florentine that was so bountiful to him in his travel but he considered a very poor man and gave him maintenance to his dyiug day whose Father had given him many a meals meat 5. And finally mark what returnâ— what answers God gives to your prayers and set them down with a Selah as most remarkable pledges of his love Moses did so who having fasted and prayed for the people who had made them a Moltencalfe and he received a gracious answer writes that down the Lord heard me at that time also It seems Moses took speciall notice of such answers to prayer for he records a like passage when God separated the Tribe of Levi for his service he prayed and the Lord saith he heard me at that time also Hannah did so she told Eli that she had received a man-childe from the Lord by prayer for this childe I prayed saith she and the Lord hath given me the
petition I asked of him All a Christians happinesse is laid up in promises and all those promises hang upon the pin of prayer The prayer of faith is the great engine of the people of God by which promises are made out into evidences and such returns of prayer should be recorded What grace Jesus Christ had either to do or suffer the will of God he had by promise as you may see Isa 11. 2 3 4. 42. 1 2 3 4. 61. 1 2 3 4. and the good of all those promises he fetcht out by prayer He had a word of command as well as we Ask of me and he had a word of promise and I will give thee c. And he prayed very much he spent whole nights in prayer and was heard in what he prayed and he takes speciall notice of it I knew that thou hearest me alwayes saith he to his Father when he raised Lazarus In the dayes of his flesh saith the Apostle when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him front death and he was heard in the thing he feared and this is recorded Now this God is our God he will hear us and deliver us as he hath said Undoubtedly if he give us an heart to pray he will encline an ear to hear who delights as much to grant his peoples petitions as they can to receive his grants As King James said once to a great Courtier to whom he gave a great summe of money I am better pleased that I can give then you are satisfied that you may receive Tiberius was so in love with Sejanus his favourite that he never denyed him any thing that he asked he often prevented his asking by his bounty But our God is so willing to grant our desires that he doth not onely give us what we ask but more then we ask nay more then we should ask more then we can ask or think and that exceeding abundantly Give us this day our daily bread is the rule by which we are directed to ask for necessary and convenient comforts and certainly what we may not labour for we may not pray for but we must not labour to be rich Now though Nature is content with little Grace with lesse yet God is so bountifull as to afford us exceedings be will fill our hearts with food and gladnesse He will give us not onely a house to dwell in but a stately one not onely a coat to cover us but a costly one not onely a table to fit at but a table well spread and a cup running over and that in the sight of our enemies which is more then we should ask for So high was Roger Bishop of Salisbury in favour with King Stephen that he would say of him Let that man beg of me what he will I will grant him though it be half of the Kingdome and sooner shal he be weary of asking then I shall be of giving God will give in mercy as long as we ask in saith When Sir Walter Raleigh asked a favour of Q Elizabeth she said to him Raleigh when will you leave your begging he answered When your Majesty leaves giving God is much more bountifull who did not give over granting Abraham his requests for Sodome till he left asking and who can tell but that if he had gone on and prayed that if five persons that were righteous had been found in Sodome the City might have been spared for their sakes according to his request Gâ—n we think that God will hear â—e young Ravens when they cry and negct the Doves that mourn in the valleys hat he will hear the young Lions when â—ey roar and forget the Lambs that bleat â—ter the Sheep That he will hear Hagar â—d her Ismael varlets and vile ones that â—y unto him in their extremities and will â—e turn his back upon the tears or stop his â—r to the prayers of his owne children that â—y unto him daily in the name of Jesus â—hrist Undoubtedly he cannot St. Amâ—ose was wont to say the better to comfort â—onica St. Austin's Mother who prayed often â—r him even with tears Impossibile est ut filius â—â—arum lachrymarum periret It is impossible â—at a Son of so many tears should perish As â—ng therefore as God gives us an heart to â—ay for any mercy let us not be out of â—eart And why so Because then we beg â—o more but what God hath commanded us â—o ask and we ask no more then what he ath promised to give and he hath promiâ—d no more but what he is able to perform â—d he shall perform no more but what he â—all have glory for and we know his glory dear to him Let me therefore advise every believing â—ul to be much in prayer and with the salmist to hearken what the Lord will â—eak for he will speak peace unto his people â—nd what returns of those prayers they â—eet with If they can say for this Wife I rayed for this Childe this deliverance this successe I prayed and the Lord 〈◊〉 granted me the request I put up unto hiâ— Let such experiments be put upon this 〈◊〉 count with a Selah CHAP. IV. The manner how a Journall or Diary is 〈◊〉 be used and first what is to be done 〈◊〉 way of observation THus far of the materials whereof Journall may be compounded Noâ— in the next place I shall speak of the mannâ—â— how such a Journall is to be used And heâ—â— in two things would be commended to thâ— Christian Reader 1. Rules of Observation And 2. Rules of Practice For observation take notice of these threâ— Rules 1. Labour by faith to see and observâ— God in all things that are bestowed on you continued to you say as Elisha Here is tâ—â— mantle but where is the God of Elijah Heâ—â— is health and peace and liberty but wherâ— is the God of these comforts The Naâ—â— of God that is the wisdome of God thâ— power and faithfulnesse of God is writtâ—â— upon every spire of grasse upon every drop 〈◊〉 rain in such great letters that he that â—ns may read Let the same minde be in us â—at was in Jacob the Israel of God who when 〈◊〉 told his Wives his resolution to leave his â—ncle Laban useth this language God hath â—â—ken away your Fathers cattle and given them to â—e And when he met with his Brother â—sau who asked him of the children whose â—ey were he answered they are the children â—hich God of his grace hath given me At the â—me time urging his Brother to accept the â—esssing that he had sent him he useth this â—rgument I have seen thy face as though I â—nd seen the face of God And again Take â—hat is brought thee because God hath deâ—â—â—acâ—ously with me He that cannot see God â—n a judgement will never be truely humâ—le and he that cannot see God
things and keep that which is good Unity is the highest mystery in heaven and would be the greatest happinesse on earth could we enjoy it Union is from God division from the Devil who where he comes with his cloven feet separates chief friends and surely such are factors for hell that cause divisions that observe Machidvel's rule they divide that they may rule but surely the end of such wayes will be their owne confusion The champion Mile when he thrust his hands into the clefts of an Oak thinking thereby to make the breach the wider was caught and there held till he was devoured by wilde beasts God grant that such envyous persons that do sow the tares of division may reap the fruit of such labours even confusion He graciously fulfill his promise and give us one heart and one way He hear the prayers of his dear Son and grant that we may be one He turn our heart-burnings into heart-breakings and unite us fast together in the unity of the spirit with the bond of peace This I contesse is one of the sicknesses of these times which alone is enough to make a gracious heart weary of his life and long to be at home in heaven out of the reach of â—o mischievous an evil Melanchthon when he lay on his death-bed discovered not only much willingnesse to dye but much joy â—t the thoughts of his approaching end and being asked by one the reason of it answered that it was because he should then see Christ and his Church above where he was sure there was no such contentions amongst brethren as was here which he often â—amented with tears This I say is our sicknesse but yet my finger is not upon the plague-sore 2. Some peradventure will think Hypocrisie to be that sin and indeed much profession of Religion without the power of godlinesse is common in these dayes wherein men have learned the art of looking one way and rowing another pretending one thing and doing the quite contrary These are like not onely Apothecaries boxes that have golden titles and nothing in them but like painted sepulchres full of rottenâ—esse and noysome filthinesse There are seven abominations in such mens hearts These men are like curious pictures of men and women drawn to life but if you look behinde them you may see store of dust and cobwebs Or they are like to some of our Innes in Market-towns where you may see a Crown for the Signe and a Begger for the Host an Angel at the dore and a Devil for the Hostess who under the glorious profession of sanctity dare act the greatest villany Jehu his pretence is zeal for the Lord of Hosts but his plot is the Kingdome Ahab and Jezabel proclaim a Fast pretending the punishment of blasphemy but they intend thereby to take away Naboth's both life and vineyard And though all hypocrites have not attained to this height of hellish iniquity yet they are like some children that are sick of a disease they call the Rickets who have great heads and big bellies but shrimpled hands and weak knees They are men of great parts but no gifts not one of many are given to good works whileft they live and when they dye something is given to the poor by their Testament but not by their Will It is said that Isaac digged more Wells and found more water then Abraham and questionlesse the knowledge of most men is this latter age of the world exceeds that of former times The earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that cover the earth Nay mens knowledge is profound like waters that came out of the Sanctuary it is grown deeper from the ankles to the loyns but it is to be feared the waterâ— of the Sanctuary have put out the fire that should burn in the Sanctuary and that our great knowledge hath quite drowned our zeal so that all those mens religion is run out of the heart into the head The world is full of such who are like the heads that Jehu caused to be laid at the gate of Jezreel a great many heads but never an heart amongst them all The Toad some say hath a pearl in the head I am sure it hath poyson in the belly These speak like Cato but live like Lucullus Leah had bad eyes but she was fruitfull Rachel had a better sight but she was barren Our Fathers saw lesse but did more these men professe they know God but in works â—deny him being abominable and unto every good work reprobate such knowledge will end in â—utter darknesse and this tree of knowledge rob them of the tree of life Quis non iraseatur saith St. Aug. videns homines ore Deum confitentes negantes moribus Quis non iraseatur videns homines secuio verbis non factis renunciantes Who can choose but be angry that shall see men that confesse God with their lips and deny him in their lives that shal see men renounce the world and the lusts thereof in words but not in deeds Such men are like rogues that use to lye in the Church porch whilest others make it but the way to their attendance upon divine ordinances and religious duties These men rest in an outward profession of religion and a very form of godlinesse and go no further I wish some men were called as these be Hypocrites or be as they are called solid and judicious Christians But questionlesse many such are miscalled they have a name to live but are dead Like many of the Popes of Rome if the man were a Coward they called him Leo if a Clown Vrbanus if a Tyrant Clemens Such hypocrisie is hated of all The Cardinal of Lorreign a bitter enemy to Geneva and the reformed Churches when Bernardinus Ochinus offered him his service in writing against the Protestants slighted him with the greatest scorn because he knew he had dissembled and played the hypocrite And Trajan that wise and worthy Emperor professed that he had reason to hold himself discharged of all debts to those that offended more by prevarication then they ever deserved by industry But yet this is not the sin 3. There are others that will say that Apostasie is the sin of this age and certainly there may be some reason for it for we are a people given to backsliding and how hath the secret hypocrisie of many broken out into open apostasie in these times These are like gallant ships with glorious titles as the Bonaventure the Triumph c. but in a storm are ventorum ludibrium if the temptation come from the fears or flatteries of the Times they are taken with many foolish lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition and so they make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience There are three sorts of persons that are most dangerous I wish all to take great heed of them First such as might have been good but are not as the children
mighty Gâ—ant But if Goliah will go out against Dâ—vid with a sword and a spear trusting onelâ— to his own strength he shall fall Moses hâ— a great charge to go to Pharaoh and to brinâ— the people of Israel out of the Land of Aegâ— and how oft doth he through unbelief cavâ— at that call as unfit for that service sevâ— or eight times he replyes upon God as unwilling because unfit to go But througâ— Gods most gracious assistance he finished thâ— work to the glory of God the comfort 〈◊〉 his people and the shame of that proâ— enemy aad this is recorded I have fougâ— the fight saith St. Paul I have finished 〈◊〉 course I have kept the faith and this is wriâ—ten down in a book Secondly assistance in withstanding viâ—lent temptations in undergoing heavy buâ— thens and conflicting with sundry evilâ— should not be forgotten There is a timâ— when Kings go not forth to War but no â—ime wherein Christians have not some comâ—ate with temptations but God either preâ—ants them or assists us in them and makes â—s victors over them and gainers by them It is written of St. Augustine that after his conversion to the Faith he was much vexed with inward conflicts and after long strugâ—ing with them in the use of means and not prevailing as he desired he heard a voyce saying to him In te stas non stas whereby apprehending that the way to fall was to stand in his owne strength by faith in prayer he did fly unto God in Christ and his tree grace and so obtained victory At my first answer saith St. Paul no man stood by me all forsook me I pray God it be not laid to their charge But God stood by me and strengthned me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion And indeed at such a time a gracious heart can better bear Gods stroke then endure his absence St. Paul makes speciall mention of this Faith is the gift of God and amongst many singular benefits that we have by that grace this is not the least It hath a singular dexterity in helping the heart at a sudden pinch in mustering up spirituall and those present forces against an unexpected temptation A lively faith is the best leaver at a dead lift See it in the case of Joseph fiercely and unexpectedly assaulted by his beastly Mistris Many arguments are brought in of a sudden by which he is fenced so impregnably against her sollicitations that he comes off more then a conqueror 1. It is a sin saith he against the great â—rust my Master hath in me He hath committed all into my hand c. 2. It is a sin against my place and dignity There is none greater in the house then I. 3. It is a sin against my Masters interest You are his wife 4. It is a wickednesse a great wickednesse against God The like you shall read of David who when he was reviled by Shimei with those words Come out thou bloody man thou man of Belial c. which so far provoked Abisha and edged his spirit against him that he could hardly hold his hands yet bare all patiently being armed against such an assault Three arguments are suddenly mustred up by Faith by which he comes off with victory 1. My Son rebels and he is more violent against me My Servant takes away my good name my Son would not only take the crown from my head but my head from my shoulders 2. The Lord hath bidden him curse me and therefore let him alone 3. The Lord will look on me and not onely do me good by this but for this affliction It is good to set down every affliction we have met with in our time and to observe Gods carriage towards us in them with the benefit we receive from them 3. Remember and for that end put into your Journal all deliverances from dangers vouchsafed to you or yours And indeed what is our whole life but a continued deliverance We are daily delivered either from the violence of the creature or the rage of men or the treachery of our own hearts either our houses are freed from firing or goods from plundering or our bodies from danger or our names from reproaches or our souls from snares This being the difference betwixt a gracious and a gracelesse heart a godly man is delivered a wicked man is but reserved God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished Jacob is delivered from the treachery of his Uncle Laban at one time and from the fury of his Brother at another both are remembred David is delivered from the paw of the Bear and the mouth of a Lion both of them are mentioned before Saul Jeremiah cannot forget the dungeon out of which he was saved nor Daniel the Lions den out of which he escaped nor Jonah the Whales belly out of which he was delivered Read their Prophesies and you shal finde the stories Mr. Beza in his last Will bequeaths thanks unto God that being infected with the plague at Lusanna and aspersed by his enemies with grievous calumnies God delivered him from both 2. That being tossed up and down in the first Civill wars of France for many moneths God had preserved him from six hundred dangers Our deliverances are more then we can number greater then we can value Who so is wise and will observe them even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Every night God setteth his watch about us and every day he commands his Angels to pitch their tents for our safeguard And alas what is all our care and prudence without his watchful eye of providence over us Except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain When Noah and all his train went into the Ark it is said the Lord shut him in It is good to open the dore in the morning and to shut the dore in the evening by prayer pray when we open them that God would dwel with us and when we lock up our dores that God would shut us in otherwise we cannot be safe Take but a little notice of the preservation of our children nay but of one childe and you will say that all our care is nothing without his watchfull eye I will give you a memorable instance of a Childes deliverance who whilest divers in the family with many other friends were met together to fast and pray went out to a pond very much frozen for it was in an hard cold Winter either to slide or to whip his top I remember not which where two holes were made in the ice for the safety of the fish and the taking up of water into one of these he fell up to the arm-holes the childe was soon mist and search being made he was found there Had the hole been wider or he not spread out his arms or he not
they say and a book of remembrance shal be written of it before the Lord. Cornelius was a most devout benefactor and the Angel tell him that his prayers and alms were come up in remembrance before God It is a mercy that God will remember us though it be with a rod to correct us but it is a rich favour indeed if he remember us with a staffe to support and comfort us As our remembrance of God or men is the summe of all we do for them Remember me saith Joseph to Phaaroh's Butler that is speak a good word for me do me the favour as work out my deliverance But the chief Butler did not remember Joseph but forgat him that is he did nothing for him Even so Gods remembrance is the summa totalis of his goodnesse to us He remembers us indeed for he pities us and spares us and pardons us supplyes us in all our necessities and supports us in all our extremities he will not leave us in our straights nor leave us in our sins and if we do or suffer any thing for him he hath a book of remembrance and it shall be written down At the last day it is said the books shall be opened and is not this one of those books and the dead shall be judged out of those things which were written in those books according to their works Jesus Christ will read to all the world the good works of his people out of that book I was anhungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in â—â—ked and ye clothed me You never did anything for God but he hath put it down in his book it is very just and equall then that what he hath done for you should be written down in your book Thirdly it is very necessary you should keep such a Journall and that in three regards 1. In regard of the badnesse of your memory Memoriaprimùm senescit say Physicians The memory decayes first old men and dying men will tell you so but the memory of a benefit sooner the memory of divine favours soonest of all Some things we can hardly forget as our sorrows and our pleasures It was about 20 yeers ere Esau could forget the sorrow he conceived for the losse of the blessing and the injury Jacob did him in getting it away from him And he was so mindfull of his pleasures that he forgat his bread And there be some things we can hardly remember â—as our faults and our friends It was two full years saith the story ere Pharaoh's Butler could remember Joseph or call his faults to minde for which he suffered imprisonment Many O Lord my God saith David are thy wonderfull works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to 〈◊〉 ward they cannot be reckoned up in order to thee if I should declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred Then certainly many of these mercies that God hath vouchsafed to us would quite be forgotten did we not keep such a Diary by us 2. It is necessary that thereby we prevent the great fin of forgetfulnesse To forget God is a mother fin a root-fin What will not that man be what will not he doe that forgets God He is a very wicked man The wicked shall be turned into hell saith the Psalmist and all the nations that forget God He is a proud man and I am sure a proud man is a wicked man Through the pride of his countenance he will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts his thoughts are not of him or his thoughts are not of him or his thoughts are that there is no God He that forgets God forgets that God is He that forgets God is an hypocrite and an hypocrite is a very wicked man Consider this ye that forget God But who were they Such as took Gods name into their mouths and yet hated instruction and cast Gods words behinde them He that forgets God is a most unthankfull person and an unthankfull man is a most wicked man Dixeris ingratum dixeâ—is omnia Call a man an unthankfull man and call him any thing There was a little City saith Solomon besieged by a great King and a poor wise man delivered that City by his wisdome yet no man remembred that poor wise man It was a wicked part to forget that man but most wicked it is to forget God When Tamerlane that victorious Emperor had beaten Bajazet in battle and taken him prisoner he sent for him and amongst other questions asked him Whether ever he were thankfull to God for making him so great a King he answered that he never so much as thought of him which was a most wicked speech of a wicked man 3. It is necessary to prevent the great danger of forgetting God To forget God is a provoking sin He that forgets God sins not at an ordinary rate and therefore shal be punished not after an ordinary manner Consider this ye that forget God saith the Lord lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Eli forgat God and so did Saul and Jeroboam they forgat the great things God had done for them and did not God plague them and their posterity Forgetfulnesse of God makes him rage not onely against the work of his hands but the sheep of his pasture David forgat God and so did Solomon and how severely were they punished The one by his Son who rebelled against him the other by his Servant that pluckt the greatest part of the Kingdome from his posterity A Souldier of Philip King of Macedonia having begg'd the lands of one that had entertained him kindly was branded with Ingratus hospes on the forehead to his perpetual shame It is reported of Caesar and Alexander two of the most valiant Souldiers that ever the world had that the one would never give to and the other forgive an unthankful man Because saith the Lord Pharaoh King of Aegypt saith the river that is Nilus is mine owne I have made it for my self therefore will I dry up the river and cause the fish to stink What became of Herod the proud who after his oration and the peoples acclamation The voyce of a god and not of a man gave not the glory to God the Angel of the Lord â—mote him and he was eaten of worms and gave up the Ghost He that forgets God is unthankful to God and he that is unthankful forfeits all mercies as the not paying of Custome forfeits all a Merchants goods It is written of one Timotheus the Son of Conon a noble Citizen of Athens that after he had proudly said in a great assembly Haec ego feci non fortuna These things I have done and not Fortune which that people adored as God he never prospered but lost all the glory he had gotten A poor
a most excellent duty and practised by many whose example we may follow As 1. It hath been the practice even of the very Heathens even from a principle of common reason who made use of white and black stones for these two ends One was They gave them to persons at their arraignment before the Judges If any were condemned to death they gave him a black stone but if absolved and set free a white stone To which custome the holy Ghost seems to allude in that Epistle to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus in these words To him that overcometh wil I give a white stone c. A second use of those was That by them they might keep an account of all the good dayes or evill they had met withall in their lives Hence Persius advised his friend Macrinus to remember a good day so Hunc Macrine diem numer a meliore lapillo Count this day Macrine with a better stone 2. Persons of good quality have a long time practised this duty How many noble Theophilus's and Elect Ladies have such Diaries by them But if any men of worth be imployed in the service of the State either by Sea or Land it is their common practise They that go to Sea will tell you of their Journall book that on such a day they went aboard the Bonaventure and on such a day they weighed anchor and fell downe to Gravesend on such a day they met with the whole Fleet on another day they had stormy weather or fought with the enemy c. How exactly doth S. Luke set down S. Paul's shipping towards Rome how a perfect a Journall of that dangerous voyage even day by day If they be employed by Land and do either besiege a Town or are besieged not a a sally undertaken not a mine sprung not a breach made not a man of note slain not a tyre of Ordnance discharged but is is every day recorded as you may see in that famous siege of Ostende But in the 3. place God himself seems to keep a Journall by him of all the care he hath of us the cost he bestows upon us and the good things he gives to us He hath a book of remembrance of every passage of providence that concerns us And indeed the Scripture for a great part is little else but a history of his goodnesse to his people And that you may see that God is very punctuall in keeping accompt of his mercies bestowed on us you shall find that in the Gospel of St. John when Christ turned the water into wine it is said This is the beginning of miracles that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory And when he healed the noble mans Son This is again the second miracle that Jesus did when he came out of Judea into Galilee Thus God doth keep an account of his mercies bestowed on us This is the first Magistrate and this is the second Minister and this is the third affliction and that is the fourth deliverance you have had And if we remember them not to Gods glory he will remember them to our shame as he did to Eli I did plainly appear unto the house of thy Father when they were in Aegypt in Pharaohs house and I did choose him out of all the Tribes of Israel to be my Priest to offer upon mine Altar and to burn incense c. The like he said to Saul by Samuel When theu wast little in thine owne fight wast thou not made head of the Tribes of Israel and the Lord anointed thee King over Israel And how doth God reckon up the many 〈◊〉 fâ—vors vouchsafed to David especially in that great advancement of him to the throne and delivering him from the hand of Saul All these things are repeated to Eli Saul David for the greater aggravation of their sins nay Gods very judgements executed are particularly recorded by him as you may see in divers places especially that of Amos ch 4. â— 6. to the end of that ch his several judgements and their incorrigiblenesse Doth God keep a book of Remembrance and shall we â—e without our Journall God forbid Secondly it is very just and equall that we should thus remember God who remembers us daily and that not only for the supplying our wants or delivering us in our extremity but also in the accepting of our persons and our sincere performances 1. For the first God remembred Noah when he was in the Ark and sent him forth God remembred Abraham in that great overthrow of the Cities in the Plain and sent Lot to him to warn him to comfort him God remembred Rachel and gave her a Joseph God remembred Hannah and made her fruitfull God remembers our wants and supplyes them our friends and requites them our enemies and plagues them nay our very cattle and preserves them God did not only remember Noah in the Ark but he remembred every living thing and all the cattle God chides Jonah for being angry for the losse of his gourd upon this account Thou hadst pity on the gourd c. and should not I spare Nineveâ— that great City wherein there are so many children and also much cattle Doth God remember and take care for oxen and will he not much more remember his people No saith the Lord I cannot Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the Son of her wombe Yea they may forget Yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord of his people A Mother may break the bonds of Nature but I cannot break the bonds of my Covenant Why so Because I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands I may as soon forget my self as forget thee thy walls are ever before me Now that which is continually before us we well remember Will not God forget us And shall not we use all means that we may remember him Rather then fail chalk up his loving kindnesses 2. We never shewed any love to God in our lives but he remembers it I remember saith God to Israel the kindnesse of thy youth the love of thine espousals Sarah spake but one good word in that foolish fit of her unbelief when she laught and slighted the promise of a Son she call'd her Husband Lord After I am waxen old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also This one good word is not forgotten but set down in a book by the hand of Peter Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. Not a prayer made nor a tear shed but he hath a book for the one and a bottle for the other rather then they should be lost Put thou my tears into thy bottle O Lord saith the Psalmist are they not in thy book If Gods people meet together and pray and speak often one to another he hearkens and hears that is he doth most diligently attend to all