indignity can it bee to men to honour their Politicall Mother Hee that honours an absolute Potentate aright whether King or Queene honours the power and authority which is Diuine and not Humane and honours the person for the Power not the Power for the person Bee the person good or bad the Power is good it is of GOD And it may fall out that an euill man may bee a good Monarch But whatsoeuer the Monarch is the Monarchy the Monarches power is euer good and neuer bad For there is no power but of GOD and the powers that be are ordained of GOD Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the ordinance of GOD. And they that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation Let euery soule therefore bee subiect vnto the higher Powers and not because of wrath onely but euen for conscience sake Of Death DEATH is not euill but to an euill man for to the godly death is good to the wicked death is euill to him it is the dore of life to this it is the entrance into hell The sting of death is sinne pull out this sting repent of sinne and death can do hurt but good Flye from sinne and death cannot be fearefull The sooner the Saint dies the sooner hee comes to his Crowne The longer a man liues the more time he spends vpon the Seas the sooner a man dies that dies well the sooner he comes into the hauen Hee dies well that liues well a bad death cannot follow a good life He liues and dies well that liues and dies in the faith and feare of IESVS CHRIST who is Rest to him that trauels Health to him that is sicke Refreshment to him that is weary and Life to him that dyeth eitheir for Him or in Him Death is not euill but an euill death This euill death no man dyeth which dyeth either In or For the seruice of CHRIST IESVS Of the Immortality of the Soule THE soule saith Austen is a created Substance Inuisible incorporeall Immortall being like to GOD that made it It is possible that the sould should be destroyed as it was for the Sunne to stand still for the sea to stand diuided for the fire not to burne the three children but this is not by the nature thereof but in regard of the power of GOD who is able if Hee pleased to turne the whole world into nothing as Hee once made it of nothing But indeed the soule of a man shall neuer die shall neuer bee dissolued as is the body but continueth whole and firme for euer For the proofe hereof I suppose it the surest way for euery man to fortifie himselfe with the vndoubted testimonies of holy Writ The Spirit saith Ecclesiastes returnes to GOD that gaue it The soule of the poore beggar was in ioy but the soule of the rich Epicure was in torment after their bodily death CHRIST said to the Thiefe now a dying This day shalt thou bee with Mee in Paradise And to His FATHER Into Thine hands I commend my Spirit Steuen being now ready to depart prayed LORD IESVS receiue my spirit Saint Paul saith Wee loue rather to remoue out of the body and to dwell with the LORD And againe I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with CHRIST By which it is most certaine that the soule doth liue after the body is dead But what though the soule shall liue for euer if it liue in paine as the soules of the damned do Surely it were better not to be then to be tormented and out of ease Therefore let vs die before wee die and leaue our sinnes before wee leaue the world If our soules do die to sinne in this life they shall not die by sinne in the life to come If they liue to GOD by grace in this world they shall liue with GOD in glory in the world to come The world is mortall but the soule of man is immortall Why should that that is immortall bee pind on that that is mortall Why should the soule that cannot die be buried in the loue of those things that cannot but die and come to nothing The body is mortall the soule is immortall why should wee make more account of That then This Why should we desire a good body and care not though wee haue a naughty soule If we neglect our soule we shall not saue our body if we forget out soules we forget our selues The soule was not made for the body but the body for the soule The soule therefore shoule be preferred to the body but he which neglects the chiefest and sets most by the meanest corrupteth both and condemnes himselfe But he that looketh well to his soule though hee be more carelesse of the body yet he shall not proue vnlucky for in tendring the safety of his soule hee shall saue his body also Of the Resurrection of the Body THERE is a resurrection of the iust and iniust the iust shall rise to iudge the iniust to be iudged the iust shall be absolued the iniust shall be condemned Euen that body that fell the selfe-same shall rise againe by GODs Omnipotency For euen they that sleepe in the dust shall rise that must rise againe that fell this mortall must put on Immortality I shall see GOD in my flesh saith Iob mine eyes shall behold Him and none other for mee If there were no resurrection then is not CHRIST risen againe for in Him we all dyed in Him we are all raised vp from death and this we haue in Soe the day shall come when we shall haue it in Re. Neither is there any reason that another body and not the same which serued CHRIST and suffered iniuries for Him should be giuen vnto a man but it is host iust that the same body which was burnt or butchered for CHRIST should be glorified of CHRIST and that a man should receiue his reward and rest in that body in which he performed his seruice The body restored shall be a true body and not a Spirit For Gloria non tollit naturam sed extollit Glory doth not destroy but perfite Nature All defects deformities weakenesses and imperfections shall be remoued and all fulnesse feature fauour strength and perfections shall be giuen it And whereas many fall in their infancy children of a spanne long yet it is not to be imagined that they shall be raised vp of such a stature but in the stature of a man and yet the same body euen as the body of an old man for substance is the same it was in his youth or child-hood though enlarged and otherwise disposed And al-be-it it shall rise a spirituall body yet it followeth not that it shall be a Spirit no more then it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a soule when it fell because it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an animall or soule-body naturall body but it is a naturall body now because it is nourished and preserued by naturall meanes as food rayment sleepe physicke recreation labour A
are the diuels harbingers for hee lodges not but where they haue taken vp his lodging for him There are some vse to minish their sinnes either they are not great or they are not many Sure it is that the smallest sinne that can bee beeing the offence of the greatest Maiesty deserueth death and therefore is great enough to destroy the soule and though there were but one yet that were one too many For one foote of a bird taken or one wing belimmed may cost her her life One hole in a Ship may sinke her One bullet may kill as well as twenty The smallest sin is in it nature mortall yea the omission of the smallest duety which the Law of GOD requireth deserueth eternall death For cursed is euery one which continueth not in All Things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them If the smallest curse of GOD bee too great to suffer then the smallest sinne against GOD is too great to doe As I therefore desire to escape all curses so will I by the grace of GOD bee carefull to auoide all causes and will neuer count that little which might make mee sustaine so great a losse as is the forfeite of my soule Of the Gospell THE Gospell is good newes from heauen of remission of sins reconciliation to GOD redemption from hell death and condemnation and of resurrection to life and glory by the merites of our LORD and SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST O happy newes O ioyfull tydings What newes more welcome to prisoners then of a Goale-deliuery What more pleasing to malefactours then to heare of their Princes pardon What would a blind man more willingly heare of then that his eie-sight shall bee restored to him Or what better tydings can bee brought to a man sea-beaten and spent with labour then that hee shall most certainely obtaine an hauen where hee shall most safely rest free from the malice of Pirates and fury of all foule weather Yet for all this the Gospell with many findes but poore acceptance It is because men haue no thorough feeling of their miseries they feele no misery and therefore affect no change What cares a clunch for learning or good manners that blesseth himselfe in his rudenesse and inciuility What cares a man for meate that feeles no hunger What doe you talke to him of cloathes that feeles no cold nor nakednesse The lacke of things causeth estimation the sense of lacke When men haue beene worne with warres how pleasing is the newes of a true and constant peace When a man feeles his disease and sees death staring in his eyes O how welcome is the Physition How welcome should hee bee that would bring him newes of a medicine which hee might easily haue that would cure him and set him vp againe When Sea-men haue beene long at Sea and spent their victuals and water euen a pound of bread would bee worth a pound in siluer and a little fresh water how welcome would it bee vnto them And if men would but duely consider of their captiuity slauery miseries and necessities into which they are driuen by sinne and wherein they are inwrapped they would bee glad to heare of deliuerance And beautifull should be the feete of those which shall bring vnto them glad tydings of peace I will therefore examine my selfe by the Law that I may bee brought to esteeme of the Gospell I will mediate of my slauery which I am brought to by transgressing the Law that I may duely respect the liberty which is Preached in the Gospell Mine owne bitternesse shall make mee delight in this Sweetnesse and mine owne vngraciousnesse in this so great a Grace Of the Law and the Gospell THE Law saith doe this and thou shalt liue The Gospell saith Beleeue in the Lord IESVS and thou shalt be saued In the Law there is seuerity but in the Gospell mercy In the Law there is reserued no repentance but by the sentence thereof hee that sins must die But the Gospell admits repentance and promiseth life to him that turneth vnto GOD. The Law terrifies but the Gospell pacifies The Law discouers sin but the Gospell couers it The Law requires a mans owne iustice but the Gospell Preacheth pardon in the iustice of another to wit of CHRIST The Law is written after a sort in the hearts of all men Pagans and Christians but the Gospell is not so generally knowne to all And the Gospell was not first and then the Law But the Law was first and then the Gospell To finde out my sinnes I will veiw the Law but to reade my saluation I will looke into the Gospell To despaire of my selfe I will weigh the Law but to hope in CHRIST I will receiue the Gospell If I were disposed to stand vpon my good deeds I would sticke to the Law but being desirous of mercy I will flye to the Gospell If I would stand vpon my iustice I wold plead the Law but crauing Grace I go to the Gospell Yet this will I doe because the Law is the rule of good workes I will endeuour to keepe it with care and conscience Yet euery day will I pray and say GOD bee mercifull to mee a sinner Of Good and Euill GOOD is more ancient then euill Sanctity is elder then sinne vice is yonger then Vertue There was first an Angell then a diuell First a Man then a sinner First a True-man then a thiefe In good no man can bee too much in euill no man can bee too little Hee that would encrease in good let him thinke hee hath yet too little Hee that would decrease in euill let him remember still hee hath too much The way to learne vertue is to vnlearne vice Hee taketh the ready course to become good which repenteth of his euils And Hee onely will proue a Saint which feelingly confesses himselfe to bee a sinner Of the Church Vniuersall THE Holy Catholique Church is the Corporation or Communion of Saints Triumphant in Heauen and Militant on earth This is the Mysticall Body of CHRIST who is the onely Head thereof by whose SPIRIT euery Member thereof is animated as euery part of the naturall body is animated of the soule And from which Head euery true mysticall Member deriueth all Spirituall life sense and motion And as the Moone receiueth her light from the Sunne so doth the Church receiue all her brightnesse both of grace and glory from IESVS CHRIST This Church is the Vine of GODS delight the Spouse of CHRIST His Faire One His Wel-Beloued GODS House and Citty the LORD and Keeper whereof is GOD the Wall His omnipotent Grace and gracious Omnipotency the Watch-towers are His Prouidence and Omniscience Her Ensignes or Armes are Faith Righteousnesse Peace Charity and ioy in the Holy GHOST Her foundation is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Her Gate is CHRIST Her Religion is the seruice of the blessed TRINITY Her Citizens are all poenitent and true Beleeuers and all the Saints of GOD. This is the
in Thee in Thee alone in nothing else I doe long and looke to see the face of GOD in the Land of the Liuing But it is because Thou art mine and I am Thine and Thine I desire to be and none but Thine for euer and euer For this hope is not a mans but a Christians Thou art the author of it not Alam It is of Faith not from the flesh Wee haue it not by generation but by Regeneration Neither can any man be possessour of it longer then hee continueth Thine euen Thine and none but Thine ruled of thy Spirit and not ouer-ruled of his flesh Of holy Charity LOVE is an vniting affection by which the heart is knit vnto the thing beloued and by which the knot is continued knit and not dissolued For as hatred looseth so loue bindeth that diuideth but this vniteth that causeth abhomnation but this delectation that contempt but this contentment Loue that is good hath for his obiect good As euill either true or seeming is the obiect of hatred so a true or seeming good is the obiect of loue A true loue is fixed on a thing that is truely good This is a rare and excellent vertue that which appeaseth GOD to man and reconcileth man to GOD that which made the Sonne of GOD come downe to men and the sonnes of men go vp to GOD that which ties GOD to vs and our hearts to Him Knowledge is in the soule as a Candle in a darke roome yet without Charity the greatest Clearke is but an empty bladder or like a vaste house full of light but voide of treasure hee may haue Learning but hee wanteth Grace This holy affection makes the poore man very rich and the want thereof makes a rich man very poore With it a man is as an Angell Without it hee is euen as bad or little better then a diuell This is the soule of all learning the condiment of all vertues the roote of all good actions the ornament of all Christians the keeper of true peace the mother of true obedience and that without the which a man hath nothing is nothing A man may haue wealth as Nabal wit as Achitophel beauty as Absolom honour as Haman strength as Goliah the Sacraments as Iudas and yet be wicked and cast away for euer But a man cannot but be good whose loue is sincere and good And as soone shall the diuell bee saued as a charitable man condemned But who is this charitable man indeed Euen hee that loueth GOD in CHRIST and euery good Christian for CHRIST His sake Many will boast of loue as many brauadoes will bragge of wealth they haue not If to for sweare and sweare idly if to profane the Saboath and to contemne sacred Persons Places Offices Acts and Exercises If to be stout and sturdy to superious If to brow-beate stabbe quarrell raile threaten and reuenge If to paint the face and die the haire to weare a long locke or to abuse our neighbours wife daughter or seruant if to robbe purloine embezle or beguile If to oppresse and grinde the faces of poore people If to bee idle and vnprofitable If glutting glouring pranking lying slandering flattering and euill speaking If these bee charity the world is full of charity and such charitable persons are rife as the frogs of Aegypt which would venture into the Kings Court But if these bee not as indeed they are not then may wee iustly complaine and say There is men enough but few louers much enormity but little Charity Some commend Charity but shew none and thinke they haue it when no fruite thereof appeareth Charity needs none of their prayses but they stand in neede to bee praysed by Charity which loues onely to be commended of her children It is true Charity it selfe is not seene but it is manifested by her operations as the heart by panting as the winde by blowing as the Aire by drying or as the spirit and iuice of a tree by the apple And it is as impossible for Charity to bee in the soule without signes and friuts as for fire to bee without heate or for water not to wet them that touch it or for the soule to bee in the body and yet to shew no vertue or comfort thereof vnto the body Of Gods Loue to Man THERE is no man liuing which as a creature is not loued of GOD the great Creator which appeareth in that Hee is said to be the SAVIOVR of All and to cause the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall euen on the wicked Hee loueth Humanity but hateth impiety the Man-head is beloued but malice in it is detested Hee likes well of the Nature but dislikes the sinne That which is His Hee loues but that which marres His Hee hates His owne Image Hee loues but the deformities therof made by man are altogether displeasing in his sight Now when all men had transgressed and by transgression had made themselues the children of death it pleased Him to passe by fome being tyed to none and some others to chuse in loue vnto Eternall Life But what loued Hee now The men and not their manners their nature now vnder great corruption but not corruption it selfe Their persons not their preuarications And why loued Hee them What moued Him to make that difference Surely nothing but His owne good Will Meēre mercy in Him no merite at all in them His free Dignation and no dignity or deserts of theirs His free fauour to them and no fore-seene faith in them But GOD that had nothing to loue in a sinner but his Humanity in a true Saint hath also Christianity then Nature but now Nature and Grace too In Generation the Humane Nature in Regeneration a certaine Diuine Nature If the diuell hate all men but especially all Saints then wee may be sure that GOD loues all men but especially all holy men And if the diuell hate and pine at the graces of GOD in men then questionlesse GOD loues all His graces in whomsoeuer Hee findes them O the riches of the loue of GOD vnto His chosen O inexplicable kindnesse O irrecompenfable fauour What is man that Thou shouldst regard him or the son of man a worme a wretch the childe of death that Thou shouldest cast thine eies vpon Him When all were fallen and had deserued nothing but wrath but woe but death eternall wrath eternall woe eternall death Thy mercy Thy mercy not at all deserued pittyed some but diddest passe by others as amiable and as miserable as the other O how vnspeakeable is Thy loue to Thine How admirable art Thou in all Thy waies Euen Thine enemies hast Thou receiued vnto mercy Thou hast punished their sinnes in the Flesh of Thine owne Sonne and in Whom Thou dost Crowne them with grace and glory O GOD Thy Loue brought the Israelites out of Aegypt ouerwelmed their persecutors guided them in the wildernesse trod downe the Nations for them and brought them into the land of Canaan Euen so ô
raise vp stormes to drowne his enemies but at last was drowned himselfe Picus Mirandula saith there was a coniurer in his time who as hee had the society of the diuell so hee was carryed cleane away with the diuell and neuer heard of after Pliny writeth how Cornelius Gallus dyed in the very act of filthinesse Anacreon a drunken Poet was choked with the huske of a grape Popiel a Polonian King and an Vncle-murtherer vsed ordinarily amongst his other othes and cursings this also If it bee not true would rats might deuoure mee and was accordingly set vpon with an Army of rats which fallyed forth of the dead bodies of his Vncles and afterwards deuoured him to the bones notwithstanding any meanes vsed to the contrary So those three that had bound their lying accusation of Narcissus with a curse were met within the like One said if I lye I pray GOD I may perish by fire and his house being set on fire extraordinarily hee and his perished in the flames The second sayd if I speake any thing but truth I pray GOD I may bee consumed with some filthy disease and so hee was The third seeing GODS iudgements vpon his companions confest their wickednesse and lamented with such a floud of teares that hee wept out both his eyes But among all iudgements those are most fearefull when GOD punisheth one sinne with another one wicked act or habite with an other and wicked acts with wicked habites and contrariwise See how Hee punisht Adams pride with his eating of the fruite forbidden Dauids adultery with murder Achitophels treason with selfe-murther Iudas couetousnesse with treachery and that with desperation The heathen because they turned the truth of GOD vnto a lye and serued the creature forsaking the Creator therefore GOD gaue them vp vnto vile affections And the Apostle prophecying of the followers of that man of sinne saith that because they receiued not the loue of the truth GOD shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies All which doth shew how loathsome sinne and sinners are in the sight of GOD and should stirre vs vp to vomite it vp as poyson and to flye from it as from a Serpent Of Repentance TRVE and sound repentance is a turning from vice to vertue from euill to Good from the diuell to GOD. Repentance is the change of the whole man and not of halfe The iudgement sanctified by the SPIRIT must condemne the euill the eyes of the vnderstanding being opened to discerne it and approue the contrary good the will must will the good and nill the euill The affections must hate feare and abhorre the euill and loue like and delight in good and the conuersation must not bee an exercise of euill but an open forsaking of it and a practise of the contrary good First therefore a true Repenter must see and vnderstand his sinnes by considering himselfe and his wayes by the Law of GOD which shewes both good and euill For if a man see not his faults how shall hee condemne confesse and flye them Or if hee view not himselfe in a true glasse how shall hee see his true complexion And if hee try not his actions and cogitations by a true Rule or Touchstone how can hee truely discerne their irrectitude and hypocrisies Yet because after our examination sinne may lie hid vnseene in one corner or other therefore to shew our hatred of sinne and that wee thinke not wee haue all light in these toodarke houses of mortality it behoues vs to pray that GOD would forgiue vs our secret sins Hee wants light that thinkes hee hath all light and is in darknesse that thinkes no darkenesse is in him and no man further from perfection then hee that thinkes hee sees all his imperfections Secondly when a man sees his sinne to bee sinne hee must yeeld it is sinne hee must acknowledge it and not deny lessen nor defend it Sinne defended is encreased The defense of sinne seene is euen death to the sinner that defends it And how doth a man repent of that which hee labours to maintaine Si homo peccatum non agnoscit Deus non ignoscit If a man when hee sees his sinne prohibited yet will not acknowledge and yeeld it is sinne but wil plead for it excuse and colour it questionlesse hee will not leaue it neither will GOD leaue him vnpunisht Thirdly when a man discernes his sinne and acknowledges the vilenesse of it let him enter into iudgement with it and condemne it For except hee doe condemne it GOD will not pardon it If hee condemne not it it shall condemne him Vnlesse hee adiudge it vnto hell it will debarre him of entrance into heauen Fourthly let a man finding himselfe guilty of sinne arrest arraigne accuse and condemne himselfe confessing his sinne freely vnto GOD and exclaiming against himselfe vnto GOD saying I haue sinned I haue sinned grieuously against thee I deserue nothing but confusion I am vnworthy of thy fauour I am vnworthy to bee counted or called thy Sonne Thy Seruant Except a man will arraigne indite and condemne himselfe hee shall not bee able to stand vnconfounded before his Iudge either hee must condemne himselfe or hee shall bee condemned of GOD. Neither is a man in deed fit to desire absolution that findes not himselfe worthy of condemnation Neither is hee prepared to sue for grace till hee haue condemned himselfe as a gracelesse wretch Fiftly let him nill it hate it loath it bee afrayd of it and bee sorry for committing it euen because it is an offence of GOD his gracious and louing Maister For a man doth not indeed repent except his sinnes which before were sweete vnto him as hony bee now in his taste as bitter as gall except hee loath them as before hee loued them except they bee now painefull as before they were pleasing and affect him now as well with dolour as they tickled him before with delight Finally let a man craue pardon of it of GOD and forsake it in his practise and addict himselfe to those good duties that GOD requires of him For GOD grants his pardon to them that begge it And though many men will scornefully put off a beggar yet GOD giues his almes to none but beggars But with what face dare a man begge pardon of a sinne hee meanes not to forsake Therefore if hee will haue GOD forgiue it hee must forsake it Except hee let it goe GOD will let him go but let him giue sinne his dismission and GOD will grant him his remission spare not thy selfe and GOD will spare thee Cease from thy sinne and doâ— that that is pleasing in the sight of GOD and GOD will bee thy GOD thy sauing GOD for euermore O repentance what shall I speake of thee By thee sicke men are cured wounded men are healed dead men are raised health is increased Grace is preserued the legs are strengthened the eyes are restored sinne is abandoned vertues embraced the minde illumined the
murdered but for a man to be deceiued in what hee is forbidden is a sinne it were better to bee murdered then so to bee deceiued For there the body is but killed but here the soule her selfe is endangered Now how vnhappy is the danger how grieuous is the sin when a man is meerely of himselfe indangered It is a misery of miseries for a man to bee slaine with his owne sword with his owne hand and long of his owne will Besides this painting is very scandalous and of ill report for any man therefore to vse it is to thwart the precept of the Holy GHOST in Saint Paul who saith vnto the Phillippians in this wise Whatsoeuer things are true but a painted face is a false face Whatsoeuer things are venerable but who esteemes a painted face venerable which is venereous rather then venerable Whatsoeuer things are iust but will any man of iudgement say that to paint the face is a point of iustice Who dare say it is according to the will of GOD which is the rule of iustice Doth the Law of GOD command it Doth true reason teach it Doth Lawes of men eioyne it Whatsoeuer things are chaste and pure but is painting of the face a point of chastity which is so commonly vsed amongst impure whoores and curtezans Is that pure that proceeds out of the impurity of the soule and which is of deceipt and tends vnto deceipt It that chaste which is vsed to wooe mens eyes vnto it Whatsoeuer things are louely but will any man out of a well informed iudgement say that this kinde of painting is worthy loue or that a painted face is worthy to be fansied Whatsoeuer things are of good report If there bee any vertue if there bee any praise think on these things But I hope to paint the face to weare an artificiall colour or complexion is no vertue neither is it of good report amongst the vertuous I read that Iezabel did practise it but I find not that any holy Matrone or religious Virgine euer vsed it And it may perhaps of some be praised but doubtlesse not of such as are iudicious but of them rather hated and discommended A painted face is the deuils Looking-glasse there hee stands peering and toying as an Ape in a looking-glasse ioying to behold himselfe therein for in it he may reade pride vanity and vaine-glory Painting is an enemy to blushing which is vertues colour And indeed how vnworthy are they to bee credited in things of moment that are so false in their haire or colour ouer which age and sicknesse and many accidents doe tyrannize yea and where their deceipt is easily discerned And whereas the passions and conditions of a man and his age is some thing discouered by the face this painting hindereth a mans iudgment herein so that if they were as well able to colour the eyes as they are their haire and faces a man could discerne little or nothing in such kind of people In briefe these painters are sometimes iniurious to those that are naturally faire and louely and no painters partly in that these are thought sometimes to bee painted because of the common vse of painting and partly in that these artificial creatures steal away the praise from the naturall beauty by reason of their Art when it is not espyed whereas were it not for their cunning they would not bee deemed equall to the other It is great pitty that this outlandish vanity is in so much request and practise with vs as it is Of Prayer PRAYING is the begging of things needfull as the remouing of some euill and the conferring of some good When we heare GOD speakes to vs When we pray we speak to GOD. Some wish for this and some for that But I wish for my selfe For if I haue my selfe I lacke nothing but if I lacke my selfe I haue nothing Some say Who will shew vs any good But I say with Dauid LORD lift thou vp the light of Thy Conntenane vpon mee cast mee not away from Thy presence and take not Thine Holy SPIRIT from mee For where His SPIRIT is there is Life but where it is not there is nothing but death And he that hath His Grace hath all but he that hath it not wants all How euer people thinke of themselues I for my part will thinke my selfe to bee the greatest sinner for I know more sinnes and imperfections in my selfe then in any man else and therefore I will not boast with the Pharisee but beate my breast and say with the Publican GOD be merciful to me a sinner Amongst beggars not the neediest or honestest but sometimes the strongest and loudest runnes away with all the almes But GOD sees the secrets and knowes the necessities of all His Suppliants and bestowes His fauours on them that are most humble and poorest in spirit not respecting strength of sides loudnesse of voyce or shew of violence and importunity but intention of Spirit deuotion of affection the loud cries of the heart and inward vehemency inward and substantiall violence and importunity Some pray they may keep their goods some their credite others their friends or children I will pray that I may keepe my selfe for if I keepe my selfe I haue something but if I loose my selfe I am nothing yes some thing worse then nothing Some say they are turmoyled with their sins which they cannot be rid of but still they come againe like the fits of an ague Their course is to pray with feruency and continuance When Moyses prayed the Israelites preuailed When Christians pray their flesh is foyled It is good for them to resolue resolutely to decree the leauing extinguishing of thē and further to auoide occasions which are as matches to giue fire to them or as bellowes to blow them vp Thirdly duely and daily to weigh the danger and vilenesse of them fourthly to meditate well of the excellency and cōmodity of those vertues that are contrary finally in no wise to forget but to remēber to pray earnestly for GODS assistance It is more easy to driue the deuill out of the body then to coniure his messenger the flesh or any fleshly lust out of the scule when it hath once taken possession of it Onely GOD can take the strong man binde him and cast him out and GOD will not do it except Hee be entreated It is strange to see how earnestly men will begge for mony meate drinke cloathes of men but yet forget to begge spirituall Graces of GOD. It appeares they begge them not because they are for the most part rude sensuall impious idle and very enormious Now if they did as feelingly and as instantly begge grace of GOD as they do outward things of men certainely GOD who is farre more mercifull and open-handed then the kindest men would not could notedeny them but would heare their cries Men being sicke pray earnestly for health being ready to bee vndone pray heartily to bee deliuered but are not so earnest
such a punishment as neuer beast did doth shall or can endure Man was created to be a friend to man but now excepting deuils men are the greatest enemies that men can haue There are some serpents beasts and fishes which will not sticke to make their prey on man But all these doe not deuoure so many men as men do As for GOD Hee is enemy to none that truely loues himselfe in Him It is true Hee is an enemy to the wicked but it is for their wickednesse let them cease from their wickednesse bee friendly to themselues and Hee will not be their enemy but their truest Friend GOD made euery sencible creature with some defence Hee gaue some Wings to some Talants to some Tushes to some Clawes to other Hornes but Hee hath made man Armelesse to teach him to bee harmelesse He gaue him witin steed of weapons that cōsidering his owne weaknes he might still craue aide of GOD whom hee ought to make his Castle Comfort and Defence GOD made the world for man and man for himselfe therefore the world should serue man and not man the world Hee should possesse and maister it and not it him And because GOD made both it and him it for him and both it and him for Himselfe there is great reason that a man should behaue himselfe and vse it so as that GOD may bee glorified by him But of all the honours wherewith GOD did honour man this was the greatest that His Eternall and true Naturall SON assumed the Humane Nature and wedded it to the Diuine in one and the same Person and in that Nature performed and suffered euen vnto death whatsoeuer was needfull for mans eternall Redemption and Saluation His Name be praised throughout all Generations and for euer Amen Of Adam ADAM was the first of mankind made of the earth by GODS owne Finger indued with a reasonable soule voide of sinne and furnished with Wisedome Iustice Holinesse and all perfections fit for that kind of Creature yet so as that hee might both loose himselfe and them if it were his pleasure Adam was the roote of all man-kind for all hee receiued for all hee lost for for all hee stood If hee had continued fast wee had not beene vndone for our mothers fault Because not shee but hee sustained all out persons The Scripture saith in Adam all doe die and by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Adam in many things differs from all his children For hee was made but they all except the Virgins SONNE are begotten Hee had GOD for his Maker they haue Men for their fathers Hee had no mother but they haue euen hee that had no Father yet had a Mother Hee was of clay they are of bloud Hee was a created a compleate and perfect man in one day at one time they are a growing many yeares Hee had such a body giuen him for quantity qualities and colour till hee spoyled it by sinne as none of his posterity except our LORD euer did enioy Hee had that authority in his countenance and that great and absolute command ouer all earthly creatures which neuer any of his guilty children euer had haue or shall haue vnto the end of the world And finally whereas wee are all borne sinners and are made Saints by our new-birth Hee was not borne but made a Saint and when hee had fallen like a deuill hee was raised vp againe to be like an Angell and was made a Saint againe surer then euer hee was before For Adam created had a power not to sinne but Adam regenerated cannot loose the grace of Regeneration Adam now glorified can not hath no power to sinne Adam was the type of CHRIST For as Adam was made of the earth by GOD without a Mother so CHRIST was made by GOD of the Virgin Mary without the seed of a man Adam was the father of all the liuing according to the flesh so CHRIST is the Father of all as touching the faith Adam slept that Eue might bee made so CHRIST slept on the Crosse that the Church might bee made Whiles Adam slept Eue was made of his rib taken out of his side so whiles CHRIST was a sleepe His Side was pierced and Water and Bloud issued by which the Church is cleansed Vpon a Friday wee were all created in Adam vpon a Friday wee were all Redeemed in CHRIST By the disohedience of Adam all the children of Adam were made sinners by the Obedience of CHRIST all His Members are Iustifyed In Adam all that are truely men dyed In CHRIST all true Christians are made aliue and saued Adam was the father of naturall life and withall the Prince of Discord CHRIST is the author of a Spirituall and Celestiall Life and the Prince of Peace Of the Uirgine Mary MARY the Mother of our LORD daughter of Eli and wise of Ioseph was a Virgin neuer knowing man before shee had brought forth the SAVIOVR of the world into the world and continued a Virgin euer after For though IESVS be called her First-borne yet it is not as if shee had any other after but because shee had no childe before Him And al-be-it Iames bee called the brother of our LORD yet it is not meant that hee was of the same Wombe but of one Bloud for indeed they were sisters children which Scriptures sometimes call brethren as was the Hebrew custome And though Saint Matthew say that her Husband knew her not till shee had brought forth her First-borne Son yet it followes not that hee knew her after but puts it out of doubt that hee knew her not before So it is said that Michol had no children till her deaths day This Virgine questionlesse was indued with excellent vertues and was no doubt in godlinesse and other Virgine-qualities inferiour to none no not to the purest chastest holiest iustest and modestest that euer liued of that Sexe Shee was most blessed yet her happinesse consisteth in her Regeneration rather then in her Generation and in being the Member of CHRIST rather then His Mother and in that shee bare Him in her heart as well as in her Wombe The WORD was not onely made Flesh in her but shee also was made Flesh of His Flesh and Bone of his Bone and was animated by His SPIRIT She did not only bring forth that man that was Essentially GOD but she also beleeued in that God that is substantially Man And wheras other womē either bring forth nothing as Virgins or sinners as all mothers this Virgin-mother brought forth a Saint a SAVIOVR by whom both shee and all that loue Him truely are saued and redeemed I enuy not her praises but I would not that the mother should bee so aduanced as that the Son thereby should be dishonoured nor that whiles the creature is exalted her Creator should bee depressed For euen her owne Son was her Father Hee made her that was made of her Shee that gaue Him Flesh receiued both Flesh and Faith