and preseruatiue of many graces a bond of her owne and others peace a setler of the comfort of her life an ornament of her head and of her house which once let her be disrobed of she may bid farwell to her families welfare for let any vile affection beare sway but for a little while as of anger impatience excessiue griefe intemperance or any such how is the whole house in a kind of tumult which as a Common wealth in the commotion and rising of some one rebel cannot be composed and setled till the rebel be subdued which they finde too true who in their match were left vnto thēselues to make choise of such as wanted then and yet haue not attained with the feare of God the practise of this vertue Now then seeing this vertue is so necessarie for all parts of life that it ought neuer to be wanting many womē who want not many good parts of nature and grace may yet see hence their error who conceiue that if they be generally well reputed of both for their religious and honest course and can in good manner please their husbands in the administring of the family that then they may be dispensed with in some predominant indiscreete and intemperate affecton especially if it be more priuate as now and then in extraordinarie vnquietnesse and bitternes not seldome in some bitter roote of couetousnesse drawing on iniustice towards their husbands perhaps to breake out into some prodigall and idle expense another way in lashing out libertie of speech against some that cannot answer for themselues in becomming for some dayes the greatest strangers at home c. all this while thinking that these things if seldom will stand well enough with religion but they are to knowe that all Salomons wisedom could not reconcile two things so abhorring together the giuing of the heart vnto wine or any one lust and the leading of it in wisedome and it will prooue starke vanitie to make triall of it after him neither can it be other then the shuffling out of a religious course for man or woman to giue way to any one inordinate lust More of this vertue see in the places forenoted Chast or pure The Apostle by permitting the three former vertues hath made way vnto this fourth which is a fruit of them issuing from the loue of their husband and children and from tending and watching against inordinate affections And this puritie or chastitie is not that of the virgin or single estate but it is a marriage vertue the keeper of the mariage faith and may thus be described It is a puritie both of soule and bodie in regard of vnchast lusts abandoning all vnlawfull and strange pleasures which description is wholly couched and abridged in 1. Cor. 7.34 where the Apostle calleth it the holynesse of bodie and spirit of spirit when it is either not tempted to vncleannes or beeing tempted yeeldeth not or yeelding is recouered by repentance of body also when it neither exciteth nor beeing incited executeth not vncleannes Now how equall and reasonable is it that women especially such as haue the remedie of marriage against impuritie in whome the want of it is more sinnefull and dangerous should be prouoked to the preseruing of such a sweet grace as this is First if we consider how the Lord approoueth and vrgeth it 1. By his commandement 1. Thess. 4.3 this is the will of God that ye should abstaine from fornication and euerie one possesse his vessell that is his body which is the instrument of the soule and containing it as in a vessell in holynesse and honour 2. In that the Lord here interposeth himselfe and though many husbands and wiues thinke of nothing but a mutuall stipulation betweene themselues yet the Lord challengeth the couenant to be made to himselfe as it proceeded first from himselfe so as she that forsaketh the guide of her youth forgetteth the couenant of her God that is of marriage of which God is the author and whose name was or ought to haue beene invocated in the match making 3. In that the Lord professeth that he narrowly watcheth and clearely seeth when this couenant is broken that although the fact be done in the darke and neuer so charily and cautelously yet day and darkenesse are alike vnto him If the husband see it not nor any eie of flesh yet the Lords eie findeth it out and will set it in the cleare light before men and angels This is made a reason of the precept Prou. 5.15.17.20.21 for the wayes of man are before the eies of the Lord. Ioseph might haue sinned secretly enough but that his eie was happily lifted vp toward this pure eie of God which cannot abide to behold such iniquitie 4. In that he declareth that he watcheth the sinner of this kinde to bring destruction vpon his bodie and soule to shut him out of heauen and to roote him as a loathsome weede out of the earth The former appeareth Prou. 5.22 the sinner of this suite destroyeth his owne soule 1. Cor. 6. no fornicator shall inherit the kingdome of heauen Reuel 21. no vncleane thing shall enter within the gates of the citie but shall bee kept without with dogges enchanters and lyers The latter seeing the law of God is that the adulterer and adultresse should die both because he would not haue the land defiled nor the guiltie person to liue as an eyesore vnto the innocent nay more if a man were deceiued in the qualitie of the person he hath taken to wife thinking to find her a maid but he findeth her virginitie bruised and another man hath humbled her it is lawfull for him to put her away and the Magistrate to put her to death as an adultresse Further how strictly the Lord watched ouer this sinne appeareth by that law Numb 5.21 If the husband were but ielous whether iustly or iniustly himselfe was accounted guiltie if he did not bring her to triall and this triall was not to be made by man but was Gods owne triall by the bitter cursed water by which himselfe from heauen would reuenge so greiuous a sinne against so holy an institution as marriage is And in comparison the word of God accounteth this sinne farre more wicked then some of those which mens lawes punish with death we thinke theft a great sinne because it bringeth malefactors to the gallowes and so it is but not comparable to this for Salomon himselfe by comparing these two sinnes putteth them almost out of comparison a theefe steales for hunger to saue his life but he that committeth adulterie sinneth against his owne life the former is not alwaies to be despised but this is neuer to be spared the former may make satisfaction by restitution of the thing and fowre fold for the sinne the latter can make no restitution at all the satisfaction of the theefe may be accepted of the owner or if he cannot satisfie with all the substance of his
head thy sword shall pearce thine owne heart Goliahs owne sword shall sunder his head and bodie Haman shall hansell his owne gallowes the Madianites that little feared to be slaine by the Israelites shall be slaine one by another For it is iust with God saith Paul to render tribulation to those that afflict his Saints that as they secretly hatch mischeife against the godly so the Lord should secretly deuise and prepare righteous iudgement against themselues And surely many a man there is that carrieth secret plagues about him some in his inward estate some in his outward some in his bodie some in his soule some in himselfe some in his with which he strugleth and toyleth and turneth himselfe to many causes and meanes of his harmes and it may be to some sinnes as causes but neuer espie this curse passed from the mouth of God against his mallice toward good men and so toyleth himselfe altogether in vaine Were these things written in the hearts of men how could it be but they should stand in awe and dread with wicked Balaam who otherwise was willing inough to curse where God hath blessed 3. Let vs learne to see our inbred hatred of good men at least our want of loue vnto them and seeing it bewaile it and bewayling it reforme it Let our louing affection cause vs to ioyne our selues to their societie among whom good is to be gotten Obiect Oh but this is a toyle indeed if we goe amongst them they are so precise we may not take the least libertie we must speak of nothing but Scripture matters Ans. If thou hadst the life of Christ working in thee and that delight in God which beseemeth a sonne or daughter of God it would be thy meate and drinke to meditate speake and spend thy thoughts and time in holy things and thinke such times happily gained from thy vanitie yea from thy lawfull calling or if thou didst fauour the things of the spirit as thou doest the things of the flesh that which is indeed the freedome of a Christian would not be such a yoke and burthen the spirit of Christ would make thee willing thus to spend thy time and become in no company neither idle nor vnprofitable and much lesse vaine or licentious and take this withall that gracious words are neuer vnwelcome but to a gracelesse heart Obiect But I see no such good in their meetings Ans. Thou maist want wisedome to draw it out of them or else thou seest it not because thou wantest eyes as the soudiers sought Christ euen in speaking vnto him or else they seeme simple and weake men as the Church is blacke but comely the sunne lookes vpon them and their infirmities falls and afflictions make them outwardly appeare as the tents of Kedar and vpon these thine eyes gaze altogether yet as the Church is glorious within so are the members in respect of sanctitie and ornaments of the soule which weighed in thy ballance are found very light I exhort therefore all those that would encrease in grace that they linke their soules to such as feare God so Dauid made himselfe a companion of all them that feared the Lord and the next words seeme to include the reason and which keepe thy statutes the statutes of the Lord are in their hearts in their mouthes before their eyes and in their hands This will keepe them from entring into the way of the wicked and from beeing so easily plucked away with the error of the wicked But to such as would faine be acquainted with an hellish life before hand let them frequent other companies then this where God is not present nor his spirit nor his loue but the spirit of mischiefe of swearing swilling vncleannes and all hostillitie against God where in stead of men are Deuills incarnate in whose minds aâ— in a shop Satan is euer framing and forging vnholy and vncleane thoughts and desires and according to the abundance of their hearts their mouthes speake lewd things and their hands act all manner of wickednesse hardly canst thou come neere them but they will infect thee but keepe with them and thou wilt be like them thy bodie is not fitter to receiue the infection of the plague from a person that hath a plague sore running vpon him then thy soule to be deadly poysoned and infected by such societie Wise The Papists out of their vulgar translation abuse this word to improoue the marriage of Ministers and most improperly turne and translate it chast or continent whereas the word properly signifyeth a man of a sound minde that is prudent circumspect one that carrieth a continuall consultation within himselfe for the guiding of his whole course in such moderation as wisedome may appeare in his speeches gestures countenance and whole life Besides that the Apostle requireth the selfe same vertue of married wiues 1. Tim. 3.11 and of all young men of what profession soeuer whom I hope they meane not to debarre of marriage How wise and circumspect a man the Minister need to be will appeare if we consider either the workes of his calling or his person and place it selfe For the former what wisedome is required of him who is to vtter the word of wisedome whereby both himselfe and his people should be made wise to saluation and so to speake this word as becometh him to speake that in nothing he may be blamed what a wise steward must he be that must giue euery seruant within the house of God his owne portion and that in due season how experienced had that man need to be who is as Gods owne mouth to separate betweene the pretious and the vile how circumspect and warie least his people beeing as lambs among wolues should fall into the aduersaries hands and beeing be guiled by words of humane wisedome so peruerted And for the latter their verie persons and places require euen the wisedome of serpents to walke circumspectly as persons watching vnto euery step where they meane to set their foote 1. Because they are lights set vpon hills the eies of the world are vpon them euery thing in them is marked as they are eyes to espie other mens manners so are other mens eies much more vpon them either for imitation or calumniation 2. A sober and circumspect carriage not onely shutteth the mouth of the enemie who seeketh occasion to blaspheme the glorious Gospel and through the sides of the Minister to smite Christ himselfe but remooueth a iust scandale whereby many are contented to abide without the Church namely the dissolute and disordered course of the teachers of religon which maketh euen the religion taught by such stinke and become loathsome to numbers who gladly lay hold of such occasions to be of no religion at all and therefore if women must so walke as that by their honest conuersation others may be wonne ought not men much more and yet most of all Ministers 3. Such a wise and graue carriage getteth reuerence
be glorified by vs hath he called vs out of the world which lieth in wickednes vnto holinesse and so fitteth vs to euery good word and worke oh what a thing were it for vs to walke in such waies as are distastfull and dishonourable to God and no whit distinguish vs from the profane and vngodly of the Lord needed the Lord haue bin at halfe the cost and labour with vs for such fruits as these or is this that returne which he expecteth of all his paines Vse Would any know whether he be a good tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord set into Christ and liuing and thriuing in him let him looke to his fruits which be they neuer so good cannot make a tree good but can declare it so to be Examine then thy selfe whether thou art a new creature whether old things be passed away and all is become new whether thou findest the effect of the blood of Christ purging thy conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God whether thou walkest in the light as he is in the light hence it will appeare that this blood is still distilling vpon thy soule to cleanse thee from all sinne there is no more conspicuous note or euidence that a man hath escaped condemnation and is in the state of grace then that which is giuen by the Apostle as a touchstone Rom. 8.1 Which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit But what haue they to do with Christ who hate the light in whom sinne ruleth to destruction who walke in the waies of the world and in the lusts of their owne hearts and eyes who are led by the spirit that beareth rule in the sonnes of disobedience who in stead of shewing out the vertues of God beare vpon them the brand and expresse image of their father the Deuil some in mallice and enuie against God and good men as he was a manslayer from the beginning some in vncleannes and filthines as he is called an vncleane spirit others in rayling swearing and cursing who haue their tongues set on fire from hell others in vnrighteous words and deeds as he is a lyar from the beginning some in tempting and seducing others to their owne lure enticing to companionship drinking gaming c. as he compasseth the earth to doe mischeefe of all these we may say as Christ to the Iewes Ye are the children of your father the Deuil for his workes yee doe And others also in whose liues such open vnrighteousnes breaketh not out yet because they cannot shew the fruits of righteousnes we may cōclude against them that they were neuer washed by Christ. The adopted sonnes of God imitate the naturall Sonne who when the Iewes said Tell vs art thou that Christ that we may doubt no longer he presently sendeth them to his workes If I doe not the workes of my Father beleeue mee not so art thou a Christian and the child of God as thou professest and beleeuest I say if thou dost not the workes of God thou art not to be beleeued Now the workes of God are 1. to beleeue in his Sonne 2. to endeauour to keep all his commandements 3. to practise the duties of repentance and invocation and that daily 4. to call others especially those that belong vnto thee vnto the knowledge and seruice of the true God that thou with thy house maist serue the Lord 5. to make thy calling and euery dutie to man branches of obedience vnto God These would make thee diligent in the Ministrie for faith must be maintained neither canst thou obey all vnlesse thou knowest all the third would cause thee to watch against sinne in thy self the fourth to banish it from thy family the last would make thee beneficiall to all men hurtfull to none and by all shalt thou adorne thy holy profession These works of thy father cheerefully and constantly performe and we will beleeue that thou art the child of God Thirdly note that the thing that God requireth in a professor is zeale forwardnes and earnestnes in well doing and that his whole course should be a studious prosecuting of good workes The same word is vsed in 1. Cor. 14.1 Couet spirituall gifts but the word is be zealous after or zealously addicted vnto them and cap. 12.31 Be zealous after the best gifts the same teacheth the same Apostle Gal. 4.17 It is a good thing euer to be zealous in a good thing and is a vertue euery where called for in the scriptures yea such a one as without which good things cannot be done well or in good manner Now because euery forwardnes and earnestnesse euen in good things is not commendable zeale for Peter euen in Christs defence may hastily draw his sword and rashly lay about him therefore to the right ordering of it there must alwaies goe with it these three things First the light of knowledge that it may both beginne and end with the word Paul reprooueth the Iewes who had zeale and that for the law of God because it was not according vnto knowledge yea he condemneth that hote zeale wherewith himselfe was enraged in the time of his ignorance because it had turned almost to the wasting of the whole Church To this head are to be referred those blind deuotions of the Papists at this day who are much in zeale whereby they are in continuall tumults as the Ephesians for their Diana but ignorance must be the mother of these deuotions Secondly it must be guided by good discretion it must be wise as well as warme in greater matters greater and lesser in lesser A wise man will not powre out all his indignation against euery trifling displeasure nor set his whole strength to that which he can wipe away with a finger There must alwaies be a fire of zeale kept burning in the soule as the fire on the Altar neuer went out but it must be a iust zeale proportioned according to the occasion euen as we keepe the fire on our hearths all day long but enlarge or lesson it according to the occasions of the house If some great good be in thine eye tending to the great glorie of God and great good of his Church stirre vp and adde to thy zeale till it become a great flame but in smaller and minutiall matters to carrie an vnbounded and vnbridled zeale were to call for a sword to kill a flie or an hatchet to breake an egge and yet zeale must euer fence the heart from affecting committing or communicating the least euill in the world Thirdly it must carrie with it sincere affection abandoning all by-respects besides the glorie of God desire of mens good and conscience of the good dutie it selfe In doing any good thing the close corners of the heart must be well searched seeing much deceit and guile lurketh in them and if with the Papist we doe any thing neuer so good for the matter and neuer so zealously for the manner to merit at the