you vow Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy spirit be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccl. 5.2 Be very sparing and slow in making but sure and timely in paying vows Psal. 67.11 Eccl. 5.4 Let your vowes promise some warrantable service as Iacob Gen. 28.21 22. General vowes made in Baptism pay daily Psal. 61.8 particular seasonably Deut. 23.21 Let your vowes be ever conditional if God will help and assist you then looking to his gracious promises beg strength and stirr up your selves to a diligent and cheerful performance Pay them not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver 2 Cor. 9.7 Frequently thus meditate Great Fount of light whose overflowing streams Lend stars their dimmer â—parks Suns brighter beams Thy mouth spoke light thy hands at first did shed it Along the skie and through the ayer did spred it So shadedst earth with curtains of the night And drewst those curtains to give days their light Then gathering all that scattered light compactedâ—t In one vast burning Lamp and strait enactedst That all less lights should beg their borrowed beams And from that â—ountain fill their narrow streams So that more spiritual and sacred ray Which riâ—ing from thy mouth gave spirits day In those first ages had no certain sphere But breath'd by thee shin'd forth from mouth to ear Aâ— length collected by thy gracious Spirit Fills all the world with light with life and spirit There I behold thy self thy Lamb and Dove Shining in grace burning in heavenly love There I my death and thine thy power my duty See and by seeing change into thy beautie Lord let thy light draw off my wandring eyes From empâ—y forms and lying vanities Oh fix them on thy self and make me see My Light in all things nothing all in thee Thou boughtâ—t me all oh make me all thine own Be all in me I all in thee alone CAP. XX. Man as man is not man but Vanitie THere is but one end to which all men aym all their thoughts desires and actions even Blessedness and but one way leading to this end knowledg but this way hath two periods 1. The knowledg of our selves 2. Of our God a truth so palpable that even heathens in their midnight without eyes could feel something of it and not only find it themselves but commend and prove it to others The whole scripture was penn'd by the Holy Ghost to this very end to be our light and guide in this way yet as far as I conceive no where so briefly and cleerly doth this Guide point out this way unto us as in that short but full sentence Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in sins he hath quicken'd us together with Christ. Look as it is with some double-faced pictures if ye view them on the one â—ide you shall see a beautiful pourtrait of some lovely virgin or such like if ye change your place and look on the other side ye see an Owl Ape or some deformed creature so hath Gods blessed Spirit as in Tableture drawn the picture of man If you behold him in himself in his own and old nature he is but a body oâ— death if you look on him in his new nature and in the second Adam full of glorious life One side no better than a Divel if not worse the other no worse than an Angel if not better In the first he is dead dead in sin the death of hell In the second he is alive quickned with Christ in the life of God Let this piece therefore be the last Legacie which in the conclusion of this Testament I bequeath to every one of you that you may hang it up in the best room of your heart where you may have it ever in your eye and there behold your selves 1. In your tombs dead in sins and buried in the graves of lust 2. In your resurrection quickned in and with the Lord Iesus Christ. Death consists 1. In the privation of life when life is not or is now nothing 2. In the consequents of this privation corruption putrefaction stench loathsomness Consider then the picture of your old man 1. In the rude draught the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. In the full pourtrait when all the colours and complements are added In the former Man in the first Adam howsoever magnified by himself or others considered not physically or civilly but spiritually is a base abject creature hardly to be called a creature a very privative and therefore nothing He is as we say a may be possibly he may be some thing but as yet in this estate a sheer vanitie and a meer nothing He is but Somnium hominis a dream and so are all his actions Though he mount up in exâ—ellencie unto the Heavens and his head reach unto the clouds he shall fly away as a dream and not be found chased away as a vision in the night Joh. 20.6 8. As when an hungry man dreams and behold he eats but he awakes and his soul is empty and a thirsty man dreams and behold he drinks but he awakes and behold he is faint and his soul hath appeâ—ite Isa. 29.7 8. voluptuous men in their feasts and riots do but dream that they eat drink and are merry worldlings do but dream that they find treasures and very joyful they are in gathering pocketing and chesting it but they awake and in their hand is nothing Eccl. 5.14 As a dream when one awaketh so oh Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their glory Psal. 73.20 Mâ—n is like to vanitie Psal. 144.4 A very small but very like and lively picture so like that as it is spoken of the blind man Ioh. 9. we may say this is he others he is very like him but himself when he hath his eyes will fully confess I am he I am a meer dream and a sheer vanitie Attentively observe that fuller picture Psal. 39.5 Mine age is as nothing before thee and verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Where this emptiness of man is excellently set out in divers propositions 1. Man is vanitie You may say perhaps some men the poor are despised nay 2. Every man Indeed take him at his worst in sickness trouble c. nay 3. In his best estate In some respects it may be as subject to losses crosses death c. nay 4. In all respects Altogether vanitie But is not this an hyperbole more spoken than intended No it is an infallible truth which the Spirit of truth hath bound with an asseveration Verily Verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Nay the Lord proceeds yet further and to convince our self-conceit and fond pride assures us that as men of low degree are vanitie so men of high degree are worse a lie so that high and low weighed in a true ballance are lighter than vanitie it self Psal. 62.9 A lie what great men glittering in their pomp admired by some feared by others are
whatsoever God bestows on us is in Christ and we receive it in him and whatsoever he requireth of us Christ doth it in us and we perform it in him so he all in all Col. 3.11 Hence he is often called our Covenant Isa. 42.6 49.8 Observe it in some particulars 1. He promiseth to save us from all our enemies Luk. 1.74 and gives Christ to be our Salvation Act. 13.47 He Covenants to make us blessed and gives him to be what he promiseth to give Gen. 22.18 2. He sees that we are filthy Psal. 14.3 and therefore demands of us that we wash Ier. 4.14 and be pure as he is pure Levit. 11.45 He knows how unable we are to do it For though we wash us with nitre and take much sope yet our iniquity is marked before him Jer. 2.22 As well can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Jer. 13.23 Himself therefore undertakes it and covenants to wash and cleanse us from all our filthiness Ezek. 36.25 Hence he openeth a â—ountain to us even in the side of the Lord Iesus for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13.1 gives us Christ and Christ washes us in his blood Rev. 1.5 3. He knows our foolishness My people are foolish sottish children Jer. 4.22 Tit. 3.3 that we are beasts and bruitish in our knowledge Jer. 10.14 And his infinite Wisdom can take no pleasure in fools Eccles. 5.4 commands us therefore to be wise Psal. 2.10 and often exhorts us to it Oâ— that they were wise Deut. 32.29 Again Ye fools when will ye be wise Psal. 94.10 but knows it is out of our reach Wisdom is too high for a fool Prov. 24.7 Himself therefore gives it liberally and upbraids not Jam. 1.5 gives Christ his wisdom 1 Cor. 1.24 to be our Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 4. The Lord knows we are Captives of Satan taken by him at his will 2 Tim. â— 26 servants or slaves to divers lustâ— Tit. 3.3 commands us to loose our â—elves from our bonds Isa. 52.2 to deliver our selves Zech. 2.7 knows we can never be free till the Son makes us free Joh. 8.36 Himself therefore proffers to be our Redeemer Isa. 41.14 and gives the Lord Iesus to be our Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 In a word we are dead and he our life we hunger-starved and he our food Joh. 6.35 we naked and poor he our cloathing and riches Rev. 3.17 18. Gal. 3.27 we blind and even darkness Eph. 5.8 he our light Joh. 8.12 we excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven he the Door to enter us Ioh. 10.9 we straying lost sheep â— he our way Joh. 14.6 and Shepherd to conduct us 1 Pet. 2.25 we dull he the Quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 we weak and can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 he our strength through whom we can do all things â— Phil. 4.13 we altogether empty no good thing in our flesh Rom. 7.18 he our fountain and fulness of grace Joh. 1.16 Quest. 5. What special benefit do we receive by him being now made the Head and matter of our Covenant Answ. Infinite and specially that fulness even now in him which we cannot yet have in our selves and that perfection whereby our weak persons and failing actions are accepted in himâ— Thus the righteousness of the Law is fulfilleâ— in us though not yet by us Rom. 8.3 4â— for he is the end or perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the law for righteousness unto every believer Rom. 10.4 we are in him unblameable in him accepted Ephes. 1.4 6. To which end he is made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Secondly we receive in him a sure and immoveable estate a Kingdom which cannot be moved Heb. 12.28 a life that cannot dye for being grafted in him we cannot â—ut live because he lives we shall live also Joh. 14.19 He dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the same manner are we dead unto sin but alive â—nto God in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.9 11. And as grafts which are implanted â—n any stock receive continual sap from â—he root and by it live and grow and as â—hey increase in bulk increase also in the nourishment which is supplyed continually unto them through their stock till they come to their fulness so the branches of this â—rue Vine make increase Ephes. 4.16 havâ—ng nourishment ministred they increase with â—he increasing of God Col. 2.19 till we â—ome to a perfect man to the measure of the â—ulness of the stature of Christ Eph. 4.13 This is that great Prerogative of the second Covenant made with the second Adam in which the Saints rejoice triumph and sing Who shall separate c. Rom. 8.35 It was granted to Adam saith August de Correp grat c. 11. that he might persevere if he would but not that he would what he might but to us who are grafted into Christ both thaâ— we may and will persevere And in the next Chapter There is now given to the Saints not only such help as was given unto Adam but such as that perseverance it self is given them not only that without this gift they could not persevere but also that by this gift they cannot but persevere This is that unspeakable comfort to our drooping souls and so strong a prop to our weak faith that being grounded on this Rock we cannot be overthrown Therefore that holy Father writing upon those words of the 88 Psalm I will build up thy Throne to all Generations sets up this Trophy and breaks out into this Triumph Christ saith he sitteth in us reigneth in us and shall reign eternally in his Saints This hath God promised if that be not sufficient this hath God sworn Because therefore the promise iâ— sure not according to our merits but hiâ— mercies we must not Preach that with fear which we must not think of with doubt What an Heaven of joy and consolatioâ— floweth from this blessed estate we indeed in nature are bent to back-sliding Hos. 11.7 and therefore he undertakes to heal our back-slidings Jer. 3.22 Hos. 14.4 In us there is an evil heart of unbelief ready to depart from the living God Heb. 3.12 therefore he Covenants to hold our hearts by his fear that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 we are gadding and changing our wayes Jer. 2.36 but he changeth not and therefore we are not consumed Mal. 3.6 It is a special part of his Royal stile Keeping Covenant Neh. 1.5 Dan. 9.4 Psal. 111.5 The Covenant consists of Promises and Duties but those duties promised for whatsoever Duty God demands of us he promiseth to give and whatsoever he promiseth he â—urely and fully performeth and exhibiteth in Christ so worketh all in us and for us Isa. 26.12 much more perfectly and acceptably than we can Object But if Christ be given us as our Fountain and we replenished from his fulness how then are
and thou the Prince of peace The world is Israâ—ls type who blinded see Freedom in bonds and bonds in libertie Thee they proclaym an hard man hard to pleaseâ— Thy easy easing Yoke lades with disease But murthering Satan lust the soul oppressing The cheating world by pleasing most distressing These are their gentle Lords their cursed Yokes â—heiâ— blessingâ— III. Poor souls have you no eyes your eyes no light These old eyes nothing seeâ— see nothing true Get Perspectives oh help your feeble â—ight Blind eyes make night as day and day as night Turn to the light and your old eyes renew Shake off hells spectacles and better vieu Your Lords and service had you light and eyes How could you hate the truth and love these lies Despise what you admire admire what you despise IV. Their Kings are servants but his servants Kings Their rest an Iron Yoke his Yoke your rest His wounds are salves their salves are wounding stings His death brings life their liâ—e death surely brings Their â—east a pining â—ast his â—ast a feast His servants blest when curst theirs curst when bleâ—â— Poor souls be wise but if ye fools disdein To serve this Lord in rest serve those in payn Serve them in Hell who scorn with him in Heaven to reign CAP. XVI What kind of service it is which his Spouse gives unto Christ. THe hand is the bodies Steward and Faith the souls hand Both have a double office either to take in or give out to receive or distribute what God offers faith takes and gives what he demands There is a bargain driven betwixt God and man when God himself and his Kingdom is assured upon man and man and all his is passed and made over to God by way of exchange or sale Our Lord hath not only laid down a price for us even himself Tit. 3.14 and bought us as we say out and out 1 Cor. 6.20 but hath also set a price upon himself and we must come up to his full price or never have him We must buy that milk hony and feast of fat things the sure mercies of David Isa. 55.1 c. That gold tried by the fire whereby we are made rich that white raiment that eyâ— salve the riches of the Gentils the robe of righteousness the light of the world the Lord Iesus must be bought Rom. 3.18 We must buy the truth Prov. 23.23 The treasure in the field is bought and that Merchant sells all that he hath to buy the goodly pearl Matth. 13.44 46. Hence there is a mutual vouching The Lord openly voucheth us for his people and we vouch him for our Lord Deut. 26.17 18. And to make the bargain sure and infallible large and precious Earnest is given even that blessed and Holy Spirit 2 Cor. 1.22 Eph. 1.14 which binds both seller and buyer to stand to the bargain But what is the price at which God rates himself to us 1. He challengeth the soul. All souls are his Ezek. 18.4 he must have the heart Prov. 23.26 all the soul all the heart all the might Deut. 6.5 The whole body must be presented to him as a living sacrifice Rom. 12.1 He hath payd for all and so now we are no more our own 1 Cor. 6.19 20. If he call for health wealth life all must be given him Luk. 14.26 else we as that Ruler Mar. 10 goe away empty sad and hopeless But this seems to imply a contradiction for to sell for a price and to give freely are contraries Now Christ is given us Ioh. 3.16 eternal life is the gift of grace Rom. 6.23 Salvation is by gift and grace Eph. 2.8 We are freely loved Hos. 14.4 freely justified Rom. 3.23 Certain is it and cannot be denied that never any thing was more freely or bountifully given We were poor Rev. 3.17 able to give nothing unable to pay due debts and our debts infinite Math. 18.24 25. The Lord Iesus our Surety hath purchased this whole possession for us and us for God but he also most freely given us and all things with him Rom. 8.32 Nay even that which hereafter God demands of us of which only here we speak our trust in him love to him fear of him working for him all these his most free gifts He works all in us and for us Isa. 26.12 Will and deed Phil. 2.13 That therefore which we give him is his own and we cannot but confess with that holy Prophet All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chro. 29.14 Indeed he commands us to buy yet asks he neither mony nor mony-worth Isa. 55.1 Our righteousness bringeth him neither profit nor pleasure Iob 22.2 3. and 35.7 No good we can do reacheth to him Psal. 16.2 when we give our selves what give we but vanitie Psal. 39.5 and nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 The truth is God receives no benefit from us neither are they if we speak properly gifts to him from us but rather from him to us not only because we first receive what after we give but specially because it is a great grace and next to himself the greatest gift he can bestow on us that he will receive us or any thing from us It is our infinite blessedness and his infinite goodness that he is ours and how much less is it certainly next to that that we are his Cant. 2.16 He calls for our bodies and spirits and are they out filthy polluted abominable how unworthy of him But he calls for them to wash and cleanse them from all filthiness Ezek. 36.26 they are dead in sins he would have them to quicken them to put his Spirit into them Ezek. 36.27 they are old corrupt in lusts Eph. 4.22 he would have them to renew them Ezek. 36.26 where can they be safe but under his wings and how secure under his protection How miserable and wretched when banished from his sight but in his house how infinitely blessed Psal. 65.4 How empty in his absence but in his presence is fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 And yet God calls it buying as well because he is pleased not only to demand it but accept it as our reasonable service and testimonie of our thankfulness As great persons lease out to some special servant or favorite a fair land for the annual payment of a pepper-corn so deals our most gracious God with us gives us Heaven and Earth and himself the Lord of both because we have found favour in his eyes and desires no other rent but our poor selves and service whose only riches it is to be his inheritance and servants Thus the same hand of faith receives from our Lord himself and his grace and gives to him our selves and service takes from him what he graciously offers and works for him by love what he justly commands Now our work and service to our Lord is by himself sometime contracted into one head or body sometime parted into three members That which in one word comprizes
seen they hate Ioh. 15.24 and all that he loves or love him all his members Mar. 13.13 though they be their own flesh and that even to death Lukâ— 21.16 17. Excellently is this condition expressed in that metaphor wherein carnal men are called spots and blemishes 2 Pet. 2.13 A wicked Father or Childe a wicked Husband or wife a wicked Master or Servant is a spot in a familie a wicked Governour or Subject a spot in the Common wealth a wicked Minister or Professour a spot and blemish in the Church And as a spot or blemish is nothing but filthiness or a filthy nothing so is every man in his corrupted nature 2. Man in the first Adam is a child of the Divel Ioh. 8.44 and a very Divel in flesh Ioh. 6.70 Satan a filthy spirit but he filthy in flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 he a captive of the Divel 2 Tim. 2.26 a servant to sin which is the very dung of Satan Rom. 6.17 fetter'd in the very bond of it Act. 8.23 servant to corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 and to divers lusts Tit. 3.3 the hand serves one the eye another the ear a third the heart a thousand He is even cut out and mangled into a base and cursed slaverie Now the servant is more base than the Master Take good notice therefore of this estate of man Lust is the servant of Satan man the servant of lust the Divels servants servant Sin the corruption and dung of Satan man the servant of sin and corruption In a word a carnal man is the prey of Satan devoured by that roaring Lion who hath digested him into filthiness of flesh and spirit and hell the draught into which he is purged Thus then think in your hearts I. Ayeâ— oâ— her selâ— is dark and hath no light But what Heaven lends her and when angry skies Call in their debt she sinks in dungeon night Nay while she borrowes light oâ—t foggâ— arise Or storms and filch by stealth or rob by might Her lone her day in youth or childhood dies But while the present Suns with conquering ray Dispel the shades and their strong beams display She sparkles all with light and broider'd gold-array II. Such now is Man inform void empty dark A Chaos dungeon grave a starless night Rake all his ashes up ther 's not a spark To tine quencht life or kindle buried light And what he steals from others empty shark Hell with his mists depraves so robbs him quite But when his Life and Light shines in his eyes In him he lives as he and never dies Glittring in light divine he heaven stars Sun out-vies III. For as in earthly sight the bodies eye To the object bent is like the object â—orm'd So when the soul turn'd to the Deitiâ— Receives hiâ— likâ—ness it is soon tranâ—form'd To what it sees death hell and darkness â—â—y And all the spirit to Light and Liâ—â— conform'd Soul of my soul draw my souls eyes to thee Set them upon thy face make me to be By seeing Life and Light the Light and Liâ—e I see You have seen what you are in the first Adam look now on the other side of this picture and see what you may be in the second CAP. XXI Man in Christ is above other men and all creatures next the Creatour IN our selves we are 1. Dead a meer privative a nothing 2. Dead in sin meer corruption corruption of Hell what we are or may be in Christ now consider We are quickned together with Christ. Christ is that overflowing Fountain by whose fulness of grace our empty chanels are not only 1. Scoured from that choking mire which stops all passages but 2. Stored with the water of life with the fulness of God see Hab. 2.14 Eph. 3.19 But how are we quicken'd with Christ raised and sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Not only virtually as the fruit lies in the seed or root but in some kind actually As in the first fruits the whole field and in the Cake of the first dough the whole lump was sanctified and an actual blessing conveyed in it so Christ being raâ—sed is the first frâ—its of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 the first Cake of the new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 and in him even actually in a kind are they quickened who are yet unborn As a wife or child takes possession of that land in the husband or Father which he hath purchased in their name Hence we evidently see first that the only life of man by which he is a Câ—ristian a blessed creature nay indeed by which he is a right man is not that natural and fading but this spiritual and eternal life which we have in Christ hence called the life of God Eph. 4.18 begotten by God Jam. 1.18 the life of Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 he our life Col. 3.4 and liveth in us Gal. 2.20 and the life of the Spirit he gives it 2 Cor. 3.6 And as the vegetative life of plants the sensitive life of beasts the rational life of man is nothing elss but the Act of such a soul giving the creature such a being and enabling it unto such actions so the divine and spiritual life is nothing else but that Aâ—â— of Gods Spirit dwelling in man and giving him a spiritual being a divine nature and enabling to spiritual and Godly actions or to use the Scripture phrase to live and walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 whereby we live in God and to God see Rom. 8.9 10. Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 5.11 12. For without question the true life of man differs from all other life in inferiour or contrary creatures but in this natural life the faculties and actions of it man differs not from plants in growth from beasts in sense from wicked spirits in reason That form then which gave man his difference doubtless was that Image of God in which he was created perfect by the loss of which he lost the perâ—ection and truth of humane nature He therefore that hath no other but this natural life is but an half-man hath little or nothing of a man but is partly a beast in respect of sense partly a Divel in regard of his perverted and distorâ—ed reason 2. Secondly here we may easily observe that howsoever a carnal man glisters in carnal eyes honoured admired yet is he a very Abject and the skumm of the creatures so a spiritual man contrary though he seem a base thing in the eye of the world and more base in his own a reproch of men and scorn of the people Psal. 22.6 yet is he indeed the most noble and excellent creature in the world and next the great Creatour Hence the Saints in terms are called the Excellent Psal. 16.3 preferred in their excellencie before others whatsoever are their earthly advancements The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12.26 28.6 This is Heavens this is Gods Heraldry Now are they Sons of God and Heirs apparent 1 Joh. 3.1 But because their
glittering As our houses some â—â—e dawbed with plain lome others plaistered â—ith lime and washed over Now as in our houses we look first to the materials secondly to the form the one giving strength the other beauty to our buildings so in the Body strength and beauty are the special endowments of it Beauty is but the flower of grass 1 Pet. 1.24 not all out so fair full out as fading blasted with the wind seared with the Sun smitten with every worm and if it had no outward enemy rotting in the ripening and ever slubbered in the using Sickness turnâ— it into dust death into dung the one makeâ— it untoothsome the other loathsome Favour therefore is deceitful and beauty vaiâ— Prov. 31.30 nay often dangerous Aâ— it hath cords to draw a lusting affection sâ— hath it snares to intangle us in these cords It is a fire that may scorch others and consume our selves How then should Beautâ— make happy when many thousands aâ— Absolom and his Sister Tamar might havâ— been much more happy if they had beeâ— much less beautiful 2. Secondly What is there in bodilâ— strength were it equal to Sampsons in thâ— latitude and in the longitude to Calebs Josâ—â— 14.10 11. what can the fullest dimensioâ— of strength bring with them to make 〈◊〉 happy By strength shall no man prevaiâ— 1 Sam. 2.9 The battel is not to the stronâ— Eccles. 9.11 It is not worth a smile Ier. 9.23 An Ague unbends and Age bends the strongest back It fills us with vain confidence drives us to rash attempts fails us in the execution and betrayes us to destruction Nay if we travel further into this lesser world of man and search into the bowels of it we shall find nothing in the Head or Heart City which will help to build up our happiness True indeed it is Wisdom excelleth folly as far as light darkness yet though the wise mans eyes be in his head he cannot keep off the event of fools what happens to the fool happens to the wise Eccles. 2.13 14 15. If it dwell with poverty it is followed with scorn Eccles. 9.16 It is ever married to pain and sorrow the issue of the match and grows up with it Eccles. 1.18 Some foolishness is wiser than it and utterly out-wits it 1 Cor. 1.25 And as our natural wisdom most oâ—ten perverts us Isa. 47.10 bladders and swells us oft to bursting Isa. 10.13 1 Cor. 8.1 so when it grows up in a carnal mind it turns foolishness 1 Cor. 3.19 enmity to God Rom. 8.7 and devilish Iam. 3.15 We see it ordinarily that those subtile heads which are â—utored in that Florentines universiâ—y soon commence Batcheler Machiavils and Master Devils And truly I think no wise man can discern how that can merit the name of wisdome which must necessarily first proceed fool before it can have the grace to go out wise 1 Cor. 3.18 But to help it a little joyn with this natural wisdome moral honesty and stretch them both to the uttermost extent yet will they still fall short and never reach to happiness They are like that Scribe who answered discreetly he was not far from the Kingdom of God Mark 12.34 but stopping there was never in it Morality in those ethick Sages is like the rings and jewels of running cheaters brass but fairly gilded fair stones but counterfeit They oft deceive never enrich the Owner precious to the view but bring them to the Touch of no value And as some Phidian statue exquisitely formed may seem to live breath c. yet is but a stone so lifeless is all their morality for he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 If some old Image gnawn with Rats be trickt up again with a new dress and garnished with choice colours yet are colours indeed dead as the rotten stock Such were those old heathen Philosophers Images of Virtue or rather as the Apostle speaks of Sacrifices shadows of good things Heb. 10.1 They were as all other in nature dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.5 And how shall the hand be living when the heart is dead the fruit good when the Tree is evil The best of them professing themselves wise became fools Rom. 1.22 Neither the wisdom of Socrates the justice of Aristides could in this life secure them from earthly calamities death banishment c. How should it help them in that other with that Judge where the Saints and their righteousness not washed in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 are all as an unclean thing and as filtâ—y raggs Isa. 64.6 As one speaks all their fair shews were splendida peccata glistering â—ins And truly sin glistering is no less filthy but more dangerous brass as all other but better polished All the former discourse let me shut up with another Poem of that Platonick Philosopâ—er Boâ—tius Libr. 3. Metr 8. When Ignorance leads fools both blind they stray How should they hitt or miss their â—nd or way We seek not grapes on thornsâ— on thistles figgs Who gathers pearls â—rom Vines or gold from twiggsâ— He that would feast his guests with Lenten dishes Draggs not dry Mountains nor thin Ayeâ— fishes He that with Ven'son would his palate please Swims not his Hounds in Brooks or hunts the Seaâ— Tethis black Closets hid with dark deep floods Men search know rifle ransack all her goods Where brightest Pearls she hoords in Oyster cells Where Coral grafts where stores her purple shells They know her Markets Fairs where when to buy Each kind of Fish where Crabs where Lobsters lye But where that good which makes man blessed lyes They have no ears to hear to see no eyes On earth â—ools hunt which far transcends the poles They tear dig delve oh are they men or moles What curse deserve such Bedlams blindâ—old wretches Tir'd let them still pursue their honours riches And prest with fâ—lse goods give them eyes to view The dross of false the glory oâ— the true If then in none of these CAP. VII Where lies the Portion of Man THE Portion or Inheritance of man which makes him blessed lies not so low as the highest creature His Treasure is not buried in earth but bagg'd up in Heaven Luk. 12.33 Heaven indeed is his Store-house but not his Portion He that is infinitely higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 he whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain 2 Chron. 6.18 he and he alone is mans Inheritance Man is the great Favourite of Heaven and of the King of Heaven and though he were made a little lower than the Angels yet his Lord most highly advanced him set the Crown upon his head crowned him with glory and honour Psal. 8.5 6. and gave him dominion over the works of his hands The gift was very great but not proportionable to the love or person of the Giver Therefore our gracious Lord after he had bestowed all his creatures upon us to be our servants gave us himself to
glittering of rotten wood in the night hold when the Creatour is in the other scale The third Stale is Pleasure a wanton petulant luxurious pack which in respect of your youth if God keep you not will easily draw away your hearts from the love of Christ. She hath all the properties of an Harlot By means of a whorish woman shall a man be brought to a piece of bread Prov. 6.26 and he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man Prov. 21.27 they that live in pleasure are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 stinking coarses buried in living bodiesâ— Oh take heed of this perfumed piece of Carrion Perhaps she will send in her Brokers voluptuous vain persons nay perhaps shâ— will have your own hearts to plead for heâ— What should you bury the April of youâ— years in a Winter of sullen melancholyâ— May you not specially in youth enjoâ— some pleasure and refresh your selves witâ— the delights of the Sons of men Truly oâ—â— gracious Lord is far from interdicting us anâ— lawful or true pleasure To wallow as Swine in the mire to pollute our souls which he hath washed in that precious fountain opened in the side of Christ for sin and for uncleanness as a Dog to lick up our vomit as that Demoniack to dwell among the Tombs Mar. 5.3 and converse with the dead in their graves this if this be pleasure our Lord hath prohibited But surely whosoever account these things delightful must needs also rank themselves with hoggs doggs and demoniacks Your Father alloweth you a sober and wholsome use of all his creatures for your comfort and refeshing and lest this should be too little gives himself to be your Pleasure and joy bidds you â—o rejoice in him and again to rejoice Phil. â—4 4 he allows and gives you joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 provides for you fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 He will be to you a fountain â—f life and will make you to drink and abunâ—antly satisfie you with rivers of his pleasures Psal. 36.8 9. The Lord of glory offers himself and his â—onjugal love unto you to endow you with â—ll his goods with himself the supream the â—nfinite Good Are there no pleasures in his â—mbraces If you sit down under his shadow â—ou will find great delight and his fruit will 〈◊〉 most sweet unto your taste Cant. 2.3 If a man who hath married some fair lovely and loving Spouse should yet doat upon a stinking but perfumed and painted Harlot who scorns not his folly who detests not his perfidious and perjurious wickedness who looks on him but as a man impotioned and with strong sorceries bewitched God proffers himself to you as a Father offers the Son and Heir of his glory into your bosome and shall we leave this glorious Spouse to follow those dirty Prostitutes sinks of all uncleanness and filthiness The good Lord keep our hearts from such a witchery Now therefore fence your hearts from such inchantments with these thoughts No other passage what no way but this Can bring my Pilgrim soul to rest and bliss Proud Seas in Gyant waves 'gainst Heaven riâ—e And casting mounts fight with loudâ—thundring Skies Skies charge their double Cannons and let fly Their fires and bullets waters hizz and fry How shall my tir'd Bark climb those mounts how shâ—â— It fall and not than hell much deeper fâ—ll How shall a Potsheard stand one Volly how Shall glass cut through such storms with brittle prow Were sails as wings to mount me o're those hills Who could secure me in those lesser rills Where Sirens fill the ear and eye with wonder I more fear calm than storms more songs than thunder Lend to the Latine Siren eyes and ears Her face will seem an Angel voice the Spheres The Belgian melts the soul with sugred strains Drops Wine and loosness into swilling veins A third Gold Plenty Wealth abundance sings And binds the captive car with â—ilver strings A fourth guilds all her notes with Thrones and Crownâ—â— So Heav'n in earth glory in honour drowns The last powrs honey from her pleasant Hive So stings and kills and buries men alive Lord steer my Bark draw thou mine eye and ear From those vain frights thy Word and thee to fear Lord tune my heart to hear in Saintly throngs More musick in thy thunders than their songs Make me to think in all these storms and charms In Sirens notes and thundring Worlds alarms Thy presence is my guard my Port thy Bed and armsâ— But is such a match feasable CAP. XIII There is no impossibility or very much difficulty to attain it TRue it is that Satan as an old and expert Pandar with exquisite art and cunning labours both to obscure the radiant beams of that Sun of Righteousness lest that great Light the Image of God and Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 should shine forth unto us 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and in dark shadows to kindle those rotten sticks of superstition errour profit pleasure preferment so with these glistering shews of false light to draw away our eyes and hearts from our Lord and true Spouse to the adulterous love of these painted Sâ—rumpets And truly it is with us as with some silly children we are more taken with the glaring dust of rotten wood than with those glittering beams of that great Light of Heaven yet were not these eyes and heart as wicked and as if not more deceitfuâ— as he deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 he could not sâ— â—asily bewitch us with those false blazings of plaistered and painted beauties But when he without and our hearts within are cunning to deceive hence it comes that these loathsome Harlots seem altogether lovely which indeed are sheer vanity and he who in truth is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 hath his visage so marred more than any man and his form more than the Sons of men that he hath in our eyes no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty why we should desire him Isa. 52.14 53.2 I have therefore before as I could weakly endeavoured to uncover as well the loathsome deformity of those hellish Stales as also the glorious beauties of our gracious Lord. But who is suâ—â—icient 2 Cor. 2.16 and who less sufficient than am I Blessed be the Father of lights who hath in any measure purged and cleered our dimm and abused eyes to discern the abhorred filthiness of the one and the excelling excellency of the other Now if our poor souls enamoured on his perfections should say Blessed indeed is the hand that weds and the heart that beds him But I am a worm and no man what hope to match with so greaâ— a Lord I am a dead Coarse dead in sins and trespasses a painted Sepulchre a grave full of dead Corpses what possibility for such a wretch to rise up to so high an advancement How should such a Body of death be espoused and match with the
these made artificial apples and the natural Pictures may be fairer than the substance but they want the life and use of the substance I have seen a crab more pleasant to the eye than the apple which sprung from a noble graft planted on the same stock but to the tast how hateful the crab the apple how delightful Till we are cut off from the first Adam and grafted into the Second all our fruits are as the apples of Sodom abominable and loathsome 2. Secondly whereas our Lord hath bestowed all his creatures upon us the act and exercise of Temperance is so to moderate our minds in receiving our affections in desiring and our actions in using them that we abuse them not 1 Cor. 7.31 Let me more cleer it by instancing in some particulars 1. A special inward gift to man is knowledg which is as the object more excellent in things spiritual Here Sobrietie will bridle and rein in the understanding when it is spurred on by Curiosity to pry into the Ark and not suffer it to break through to the Lord lest we perish Exo. 19.21 There are things secret and revealed Deut. 29.29 as therefore it will not palliate defects but put us on diligently to search the scripturâ— and to find out the things which belong to us so in the excesse it will stop us when our itching eyes and ears would carry us beyond those bounds Exo. 19.12 which our Lord hath set us It will curb the thoughts and hold them in that they shall not think more highly than they ought but think soberly Rom. 12.3 2. Whereas every member hath his place and proportion in the body of Christ and several duties allotted them every one in his calling Sobrietie will so temper our spirits that it will keep us in our rank and not suffer us either to boast of a false gift lest we prove as those spots in love-feasts clouds without rain See Prov. 25.14 Iude 12. nor yet under a mask of voluntary humilitie to intrude our selves in things which we have not seen vainly puft up in our fleshly mind Col. 2.18 Thus it moderated that great Apostle and kept him as we say in his tedder that he should not exceed the compass of his own measure 2 Cor. 10.13 14 15. And for want of this virtue many in these times which bear a great hulk and seem great ones in the eyes of deluded and bewitched professours ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth breaking out of their rank are neither sheep nor dogs of the flock but wolves deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 But much more apparent is the exercise of this grace in things without As. 1. It empales a man in his proper calling and perswades him with quietness to work and eat his own bread and suffers him not to live idly or disorderly as a busy-body 2 Thes. 3. vers 11 12. and yet keeps off the shackles of earthly cares it empales but imprisons not in his calling nor so enslaves him to worldly affairs but that he may have all requisite libertie and enlargement to the heavenly He serves not his calling but God in it Secondly in his estate it settles the heart in a quiet contentation Emptiness shall not breed greediness nor fulness pride It teacheth him to want without grudging and to abound without swelling Phil. 4.12 3. In recreations it keeps a middle way equally distant from sullenness and mad mirth It will suffer the heart sometime to be drenched in sorrow never drowned to swim sometime never to sink in pleasure It will instruct the spirit to be sometime thoughtful sometime joyful never cheerful Lastly for things indifferent it moderates our desires and practice to use them with comfort without sin In food it teacheth us timâ— and measure to eat in season to refreshing and not to surfeting Eccl. 10.17 to quicken not damp our spirits to whet not dull them for our work It apparrels us neither garishly nor gaudily not slovenly nor curiously but fitts the matter and manner to the person sex and calling In marriage it teaches them that have wives to be as if they had â—one 1 Cor. 7.29 to rejoice with the wife of his youth not ravished with a stranger to be satisfied not consumed with her love Provâ— 5.19 20. In sleep it allowes renewing not slugging recovering of strength not mispending time It is the special direction of Gods Spirit to keep in the middle way and not to turn to the right hand or to the left Deut. 5.32 This is that middle path the strait way to felicitie studie to find it and strive to walk in it There are two by-paths which Temperance above the rest loudly warns you to decline They are very broad much beaten strongly alluring in which many thousands every day perish The first is Rioting and drunkenness the second Chambering and wantonness Rom. 13.13 Of the former we may now complain as did once that holy Bishop August epist. 48. Vincentio This pestilence of drunkenness farr and neer so wasts mens souls and with so much Licentiousness reigns and tyrannises that I should much marvel if it did not infect your little flock How fiâ—ly doth he call it a Pestilence Never was any plague so infectious spreading and dangerous hardly and seldom cured deadly destroying soul and body We hear God damming it 1 Cor. 6.9 Gal. 5.21 heathens branding it all even drunkards deriding it none but ashamed to own it and yet see the most most shamefully practising it Look on it in the fruits Prov. 23.29 to the end Woe sorrow strife babbling causless wounds sore eyes poyson death lust perverse speaking security hardness and lastly an incurable habit of swilling and following wicked company consequently beggery ver 21. and sudden perdition Luk. 21.34 There was never such a monster bred in Africk as the Drunkard makes himself He hath a Crabbs foot that cannot sett one step forward a Swines belly swell'd with swill a very hog-trough the heart of Leviathan hard as the neither milstone Job 4.24 a Goats eye fired with lust and a Divels mouth flaming in hellish blasphemie His flesh is nothing but a Qâ—agmire and the whole lump a breathing swiltub and as one fitly speaks a walking and steaming dunghill But sottish men will ordinarily by way of excusing further accuse and indict themselves Oh say they it is not so much the drink I respect as good company Good company how much better might'st thou find in a Pest-house and what worse in hell It is the company of which we are specially warned Be not among wine-bibbers Prov. 23.20 To be drunken and to sit and drink with the drunken is the same in the holy Ghosts expression Compare Matth. 24.49 with Luk. 12.45 The good Lord keep you out of this quick-sand For it is with drunkards as with drunken sands It swallowes up irrecoverably and drinks down into the belly of hell whoâ—soever strikes upon it Neither is uncleanness
these a lie How can it be The reason because nothing more deceives Greatness makes great promises but performs nothing Let the Apostle expound it If any man seen to be some thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being indeed nothing he deceives himself Gal. 6.3 He is a lie to his own soul hence that great Apostle confesses that himself is nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 And as man himself so all that belongs to him is meer vanitie made for him and suited to him For when man had transformed himself into vanitie the Lord fitts the creatures to him which were made for him and subjects them unto vanitie Rom. 8.20 His life vain Eccl. 6.12 His age nothing Psal. 39.5 His beautie vanitie Prov. 31.30 His riches Prov. 23.6 His mirth Eccl. 2.2 All his works all his delights meer vanitie Eccl. 2.11 Object But men do not think so Answ. So much the more are they so For while they think better of themselves than they are they do but deceive themselves and are a lie 2. Though in their words they deny it yet in their works they loudly speak it and evidently discover that they do thus think For we will sell nothing under the price we value it but men sell themselves for vanitie for very nothing They sell themselves foâ— trash they lay out their mony for that which is not bread and their labour for that which satisfies not Isa. 55.2 Object But yet they are men and therefore something Answ. We speak not of man in natural respects as he consists of soul and body or in Civil as he is a Father Goâ—ernour c. but in spiritual in which regard he rather seems than is man rather a worm Psal. 22.6 as other Brutes flesh also Gen. 6.3 and that flesh but grass Isa. 40.6 the very spirit fleshly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude 9. animals not having a spirit when in Ierusalem there was none that sought the truth there was no man among them Ier. 5.1 Observe how evidently and fully Gods Spirit concludes this argument I beheld and â—here was no man even among them no Counsellor that when I asked could answer a word They are all vanitie and their works nothing â—sa 41.28 29. He is dead and therefore not â—ruly but falsly and in appearance called â— man Man if we look upon him in his Creatiâ—n is a creature not only composed of soul and body which both are but the matter of which he is framed but made after Gods imâ—ge which is his form and differs him from other creatures Now as it ceaseth to be an â—ouse when the materials stone timâ—er c. are all safe but the form destroyâ—d so though body and soul in the matter â—f them remain intire yet when that speciâ—â—cal difference and form of man Gods image 〈◊〉 defaced he ceases to be what first he was now not man but the ruines and carkass of man In a word look as it is with childrens Babies they have a gorgeous appearance in their eyes but all is copper cast clouts torn raggs and a painted rotten stick so is it with us Our bodies and souls have some raggs and old clouts of our creation and drest with beautie learning c. are no small babes in a simple mans eye but all this shew is nothing what it shews but a very mock-man a meer vanitie and sheer nothing 2. Secondly seeing man is not only dead but dead in sin as a dead man shut up and closed in a loathsome grave we are plainly taught by God that man is not only nothing but a miserable abominable nothing He is miserable wretched poor blind and naked Rev. 3.17 supposing himself full but only swell'd with wind and indeed wholly empty conceiting himself well adorned and set out with goodly endowments but shameful in nakedness dreaming of an Eagle sight and sharpness of wit but not a blink of an eye in him a meer flash and in and with all these wants when he is most bladder'd up with a dream of happiness extremely miserable and wretched In all his pomp anâ— glory he is but as his own dung Iob 20.6 7. stinking Psal. 14.3 not the baseness buâ— excellence not of heathens but of Iacob not despised only but abhorred Amos 6.8 And lest we might think it an hyperbolical speech the Lord takes a solemn oath and swears by himself that he abhors the excellencie of Iacob Hence is it that God culls out the most loathsome creatures to be as parallels to us that in them as in a glass we might see our filth and abhor our selves we are resembled to hoggs doggs serpents to dead carkasses to sâ—pulchres full of rotten carkasses Matth. 23.27 so abominable that we infect all the creatures with which we deal all the actions that proceed from us The creature is not only subject to vanitie but to a curse for our sakes Gen. 3.17 our very blessings cursed Mal. 2.2 not our want but store not our barreness but fruit accursed Deut. 28. vers 17 18. Our days not only few but evil Gen. 47.9 our very life not only grievous but hateful Eccl. 2.17 nay our prayers our service abomination Prov. 15.8 28.9 Object If the estate of men were so loathsome it is strange that they should not see nor feel it Answ. They who have sense know and acknowledg it They loath themselves Ezech. 20.43 they abhor themselves Job 42.6 they lament themselves Rom. 7.24 But such as are blind and sensless how should they discern it And this the depth of their miserie which makes it incurable yet some glimps they have of this truth for in that they sell themselves to work wickedness and abomination 1 King 21.25 Rom. 7.14 sell themselves for oaths so vain a filthiness for drunkenness so filthy vanitie they openly testifie at what rate they prize themselves This our dead vain loathsome condition will more cleerly be manifested unto us if 1. We consider our contrarietie to God who is both the supreme Being the most pure Essence and the only Life So adverse is the corrupt nature of man to God that he hates him all that belongs to him all that he loves and all that love him Hence called enemies Rom. 5.10 haters of God Rom. 1.30 they hate his wisdom and counsel Prov. 1.29 his power Rev. 16.9 his truth Isa. 30.11 his word Jer. 6.10 his light Joh. 3.19 And as the holiness of God is his pureness glory beautie excellencie which passeth through all and to us is above all his Attributes so above all they hate this his holiness wheresoever they see any stamp or print of it His holy word his holy days his holy children As the Panther so hates man that wheresoever he sees his picture he flies upon it and with his teeth and nayls rents and tears it so these wild creatures wheresoever they see any spark of Gods image shine in man tear and devour Psal. 7.2 35.15 That Eternal wisdom Power Love Life their Saviour after they have