proclaimed a War enmity and strife between the wicked and the godly Did you never read that Scripture Gen. 3.15 where God himself saith to the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed he or it shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel Where by the serpentts seed are meant the whole generation of wicked men and by the womans seed Christ and all his members as all Interpreters conclude and other Scriptures make cleer where wicked men are called serpents a generation of vipers and children of the Devil Matth. 23.33 John 8.44 1 John 3.10 And as this war was proclaimed in Paradise even in the beginning of time original sin being the original of this discord so it shall continue to the end of all time When time saith One began this malice first began nor will it end but with the latest man It 〈◊〉 everlasting Act of Parliament like a Statute in Magna Charta Which 〈…〉 thing I would commend to your serious consideration And that you may be the better confirmed therein see how according to the Lords prediction or proclamation there hath been a perpetual war enmity and strife in all ages past is now and ever shall be between Satan and Christ and their Regiments the wicked and the godly For proof whereof I could produce testimonies and examples innumerable there being scarce a page in the Bible which doth not express or imply somewhat touching this enmity But that I may be brief and because examples give a quicker impression then arguments I will onely give you an instance in every Age. As First to begin with the first Age viz. the old World before the flood We read of this mortal enmity and strife between Cain and Abel 1 John 3.12 Secondly after the Flood before the Law between Esau and Iacob first in the womb the more plainly to shadow out this enmity Gen. 25.22 23. and after they were born Gen. 27.41 Thirdly After the Law before Christ between Doeg and the 85. Priests which he slew with the edge of the sword 1 Sam. 22.18 19. Fourthly Since the Gospel in the time of Christ and his Apostles this enmity so manifested it self not only in the Gentiles but in the Iews Gods own people who first raised those persecutions against Christ and his members that having beheaded Iohn Baptist his harbinger and crucified himself the Lord of life We read that of all the twelve none died a natural death save only S. Iohn and he also was banished by Domitian to Patmos and at another time thrust into a Tun of seething oyl at Rome as Tertullian and S. Hierome do report See Acts 7.51 to 60. and 12. 1. to 5. Rom. 8.36 Iohn 21.18 19. Fifthly After the Apostles if we consider the residue of the ten Persecutions raised by the Romans against the Christians which was for three hundred years till the coming of godly Constantine we finde that under Dioclesian seventeen thousand Christians were slain in one moneth amongst whom was Serena the Empress also Yea under him and nine other Empereâ—s there was such an innumerable company of innocent Christians put to death and tormonted that S. Hierom in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith There is no one day in the year unto the number of five thousand Martyrs might not be ascribed except only the first day of Ianuary Yea there was two thousand suffered in the same place and at the same time with Nicanor Acts and Monuments page 32. who were put to the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of men or devils could invent to inflict upon them and all for professing the faith of Christ and being holy which makes S. Paul cry out I think that God hath set forth us the last Apostles as men appointed to death 1 Cor. 4.9 CHAP. VI. SIxthly From the Primitive times and infancy of the Church hitheâ—to 〈◊〉 Turk and the Pope have acted their parts in shedding the blood of 〈◊〉 Saints as well as the Iewes and Roman Emperours touching which I will ofer you to the Book of Acts and Monuments and Revel 17. The Babylon was drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the 〈…〉 Iesus ver 6. Which in part was fulfilled in England under the reign of 〈…〉 Mary and in France where before many late bloody 〈…〉 more then two hundred thousand who suffered Martyrdom about Transubstantiation See Ecclesiastical History lib. 6. cap. 4 5 16. But Seventhâ—y To come to these present times wherein we live Is it possible for a man to live a conscionable and unreproveable life abstain from drunkennesse swearing prophaning the Lords day separate himself from evill company be zealous for the glory of God admonish others that do amisse c. without being traduced calumniated hated slandered and persecuted for the same no it is not possible for if our righteousnesse doe but exceed the righteousness of a swearer or a drunkard we are sure to be persecuted for our righteousness as Abel was persecuted of Cain because his Sacrifice was better then his If a man walke according to the rule of Gods Word he is too precise if he will be more then almost a Christian he is curious phantastical factious and shall be mocked with the Spirit as if the Spirit of God were a Spirit of dishonour and shame Yea in these times not to be an Atheist or Papist is to be a Fanatick as how common a thing is it to wound all holiness under the name of Fanatick a name so full of the Serpents enmity as the egge of a Cockatrice is full of poison What should I say the World is grown so much knave that 't is now a vice to be honest O the deplorable condition of these times Even the Devil himself durst not have been so impudent as to have scoft at holiness in those ancient and purer times but now I could even sink down with shame to see Christianity every where so discountenanced Our very names come into few mouths out of which they return but with reproaches Amongst the rest of our sins O God be merciciful to the contempt of thy Servants Eightly For the time to come It is like not only to continue but the last remnants of time are sure to have the most of it because as in them love shall wax cold Matth. 24.12 so as love groweth cold contention groweth hot More expresly the Holy Ghost foretells that in the last dayes the times shall be perâ—lous and that toward the end of the world there shall be scoffers false accusers cursed speakers fierce despisers of them that are good and being steshly not having the spirit thâ—y shall speak evill of the things which they understand not and that many shall follow their damnable ways whereby the way of truth shall be evill spoken of And that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so these also shall resist the truth being
even the sins of our youth There needs no â—ther art of memory for sin but misery Satans malice not seldome proves the occasion of true repentance and so the Devil is overshot in his own Bowe wounded with his own weapon I doubt whether that Syrophenician had ever enquired after Christ if her daughter had not been vexed with an unclean spirit yea whether the Devil had been so effectually cast out if he had with less violence entred into her Mark 7. Our afflictions are as Benhadads best Counsellours that sent him with a cord about his neck to the merciful King of Israel The Church of God under the Cross is brought to a serious consideration of her estate and saith Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord Lam. 3.40 Manasses also the King of Iudah that horrible sinner never repented of his Idolatry Murther Witchcraft c. till he was carried away captive to Babel and there put in chains by the King of Ashur But then saith the Text he humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33.11 12. Yea read his confession for he speaks most feelingly and you shall see that the prison was a means of his spiritual enlargement Even Vipers being lasht cast up all their poison The body that is surfetted with repletion of pleasant meats must be purged with bitter pils and when all outward comforts fail us we are willing to befriend our selves with the comfort of a good conscience the best of blessings Affliction is the Hammer which breaks our rockie hearts Adversity hath whipt many a soul to Heaven which otherwise prosperity had coached to Hell was not the Prodigall riding post thither till he was soundly lasht home again to his Fathers house by those hard-hearted and pittiless Nabals which refused to fill his belly with the husks of the swine And indeed seldome is any man throughly awakened from the sleep of sin but by affliction but God by it as it were by a strong purge empties and evacuates those supeâ—fluities of malice envie pride security c. wherewith we were before surcharged For as Alloes kils worms in the stomack or as frost and cold destroyes Vermine so doth bitter afflictions crawling lusts in the heart The Serpents enmity may be compared to the Circumcision-knife which was made of stone unto Rubarb which is full of Choler yet doth mightily purge Choler or to the sting of a Scorpion which though it be arrant poison yet proveth an excellent remedy against poison For this or any other affliction when we are in our full career of wordly pomp and jollity pulleth us by the ear and maketh us know our selves My wants saith one kill my wantonness my poverty checks my pride my being slighted quels my ambition and vain glory And as for sickness it cuts the throat of vices Many saith Saint Augustine have been wickedly well that have been innocently and piously sick Yea I may call it the summe of Divinity as Pliny calls it the summe of Philosophie for what distressed or sick man was ever lascivious covetous or ambitious He envies no man admires no man flatters no man dissembles with no man despiseth no man c. That which Governours or friends can by no means effect touching our amendments a liltle sickness or trouble from enemies will as Saint Chrysostome observes Yea how many will confess that one affliction hath done more good upon them then many Sermons That they have learned more good in one dayes or weeks misery than many years prosperiâ— could teach them Untouched estates and touched consciences seldom dwell together and it is usuall for them that know no sorrows to know no God repentance seldom meets a man in jollity but in affliction the heart is made pliable and ready for all good impressions True if gentleness would serve we should not smart for God like a good Chyrurâ—ion first strokes the arm before he opens the vein he sends for us by his Ambassadours of the Ministery yet we come not Let him fiâ—e our field as Absalom did by Ioab we come presently Or perhaps he afflicts another to fright us as great mens children are corrected by seeing others whipt or as Apolonias would tame Lions by beating Dogs before them For as God preacheth to us no less in his judgements than his Word so when he strikes offendors he would warn the standers by and a wise man sees himself faln or beaten in his neighbour Yea generous and ingenuous spirits desire to be taught abide not to be forced It is for Tyrants to compel for Asses to be compelled saith Erasmus A good natur'd Horse saith Seneca will be governed even by the shadow of the wand whereas a resty jade will not be ordered by the spur But if his Word will not rule us as many till God come with a strong hand will hold their corruptions as fast as Pharaoh the Israelites his Rod shall or if his Rod will not yet serve his sword shall be drencht in our gall and bathed in our blood Deut. 32.41.42 Or if we scape for a time yet our preservation from one judgement is but our reservation to seven more Levit. 26. Yea he will send a succession of crosses seven more and seven more and seven to that to the conversion of his own and the confusion of his enemies Vers. 14 to 39. when singing will not still the Child the Rod must Hard knots must have hard wedges strong affections strong afflictions great corruptions great calamities to cure them So that God through thy stubbornness is forced to let loose Satan and wicked men upon thee lest thou shouldest sleep in security till thou didst sleep in death eternally even for thy good And affliction is but the shepherds Dog as Chrysostome speaks to fetch us into Christs fold perhaps by barking onely and then we are more scar'd than hurt perhaps in his mouth and then the poor sheep thinks he will surely worry it but he is taught to fetch onely and therefore gripes not but onely carries and delivers it to his Master When children have done a fault Mothers use to fright them with Bull-beggers the childe thinks surely they will have him but the Mother hath a double policy viz. to make them hate the fault and love them the better for they run to the laâ— to hide them and then will she make her own conditions And so the very end which God aimes at in setting those Adders upon thee is that thou shouldest turn thine Eyes inward that thou mayest see for what thou sufferest pry narrowly into thine own forepast actions which if thou dost an hundred to one thou wilt finde sin it may be this very sin the cause of thy present affliction and until thou doest sift and try thine own heart for this Achan and finde out which is thy Isaac thy beloved sinne look for no release but rather that thy sorrowes should be multiplied as God threatened Eve Wherefore liest
as may appear in that Women are sooner angry then men the sick sooner then the healthy and old men sooner then young Again it 's nothing to endure a small trial or affliction every Cock-boat can swim in a River every Sculler sail in a calm every man can hold up his head in ordinary gusts but when a black storm arises a tenth wave flows deep calls unto deep Nature yields Spirit faints Heart fails Whereas grace is never quite out of heart yea is confident when hopes are adjourn'd and expectation is delay'd 7 Again seventhly How excellently was Iobs sincerity made known by Satans malice when he brought forth those Angelical words What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil Job 2.10 When he stood like a Centre unmoved while the circumference of his estate was drawn above beneath about him when in prosperity he could say If my mouth hath kist my hand and in adversity The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh blessed be the Name of the Lord he was not so like the wicked as they are like Dogs that follow the meat not the man 8 Again eighthly God suffers us to suffer much more especially to cry our perseverance which is a grace so good and acceptable that without it there is nothing good nor acceptable The Spaniel which fawneth when he is beaten will never forsake his Master and Trees well rooted will bear all storms The three Children walked up and down in the fiery flames praysing God And a Blade well tried deserves a triple price How did the Church of Pergamus approve her self Yea how was she approved of God which hath the sword with two edges when she held out in her works even where Satan dwelt and kept his Throne I know thy works saith God and that thou keepest my Name and hast not denied my faith even in those dayes when Antipas my faithful Martyr was slain among you where Satan dwelleth yea where his Throne is and where some maintain the Doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans and teach that men ought to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication c. Revel 2.13 14. But how can I lay down my life for Chriss when I cannot for his sake quietly disgest a few reproachful speeches he will scarce hear blows for him that will now quietly put up and digest ill words Finally Affliction and Persecution is both a Whet-stone and a Touch-stone to each particular grace It humbleth the spirits of the repentant trieth the faith and patience of the sincere Christian but hardeneth the hearts of the ungodly for wicked men grow worse after affliction as water grows more cold after an heat yea like some Beasts they grow mad with baiting if crosses or losses rush in upon them they fall to the language of Iobs wife Curse God and die or to that of the King of Israels messenger Why should I serve God any longer 2 Kings 6.33 CHAP. 10. That it prevents greater evils of sin and punishment to come 7 SEventhly the Lord by this evil of Chastisement for sins past preventeth the evils of sin and greater punishments for the time to come The Lord saith Elihu correcteth man that he might turn away from his enterprize and that he might keep back his soul from the pit and that his life should not perish by the sword Job 33.17 18. This salt doth not only preserve from corruption but also eat out corruption We are chastened of the Lord saith the Holy Ghost that we might not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 If we be not chastened here we shall be condemned hereafter Erring souls be corrected that they may be converted not confounded If Paul had not been buffetted by Satan and wicked men he had been exalted out of measure 2 Cor. 12.7 Pride is so dangerous a Poison that of another poison there was confected a counterpoison to preserve him from it God would rather suffer this chosen Vessel to fall into some infirmity thâ—n to be proud of his singular priviledges Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelations there was the poison of Pride insinuating it self I had a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me There was the counterpoison or antidote which did at once make him both sick and whole And this is no unusual thing with God who in mercy doth so use the matter that he cures one sin by another how many proud men have been healed by the shame of their uncleanness how many furious men by a rash bloodshed and so in many other cases one Devil being used for the ejection of another Yea we gain strength by every new fall for hence issues deeper humility stronger hatred of sin fresh indignation against our selves more experience of the deceitfulness of our hearts renued resolutions until sin be brought under c. 2 Cor. 7.11 The Lord sets some messenger of Satan and our lusts together by the ears as the Egyptians against the Egyptians that while two poisons wrestle we may live But my purpose is to speak of affliction not sin Bodily sickness saith Saint Gregory cleanseth away sins committed and curbeth and hindreth those that in health might have been committed The flesh indeed is nourished by softness but the spirit by hardness that is fed by delights and pleasures this groweth by bitterness And hereupon when a Religious man as Ruffinus relates prayed Iohn the Anchorite to free him of a certaine Ague he answered him truly thou desirest to have a very necessary companion cast out of doors for saith he as cloaths are washed with sope so is the minde purified by diseases And the same may be averred of all kindes of crosses For is it not commonly seen that the pleasures of the body are the poisons of the soul heap riches and honours upon an evil man you do but minister wine to him that hath a Feaver saith Aristotle Honey to one oppressed with choler and meat to one troubled with morbus Cephaliacus which increaseth the disease saith Plutarch For as Noah was drunk with his own wine so the cup of prosperity hath intoxicated many a soul and God hath no worse servants in our Land then they that can live of their Lands and care for nothing else Commonly where is no want is much wantonness And as we grow rich in temporals we grow poor in spirituals Nabal cannot abound but he must surfet Tertullus cannot be eloquent but he must turn the edge of his wit against the Gospel Many cannot have beauty but they must love their faces more then their souls We use Gods blssings as Iehu did Iehorams messengers David Goliahs sword We turn them against their owner and giver and fight against Heaven with that health wealth wit those friends means mercies that we received thence abusing peace to security plenty to ease promises to presumption gifts to pride for commonly so much the more proud idle secure wanton
scornful impenitent by how much the more we are enriched advanced and blessed And it is just with God to make us know what we had by what we want But I proceed The enjoyment of the Worlds peace might add to my content but it will endanger my soul how oft doth the recovery of the body state or minde occasion a Relapse in the soul Turn but the Candle and that which keeps me in puts me out The younger brother shal not have all his portion lest he run Riot All the life of Solomon was full of prosperity therefore we finde that Solomon did much forget God but the whole life of David had many enemies much adversity and therefore we see by his penitential Psalms and others that David did much remember God And indeed if God did not often visit us we should serve him as the women of Tartary do their husbands who marry if they be absent but twenty dayes But the fire of correction eats out the rust of corruption And as Vineger with its sharpness keeps flowers from corrupting so their malice keeps our souls from festering Bees are drowned in Honey but live in Vineger Now if sweet meats breed surfets it is gâ—od sometimes to taste of bitter it is good somwhat to unlade when the Ship is in danger by too liberal a ballast I will tell you a Paradox I call it so because few will believe it but it is true many are able to say they have learned to stand by falling got strength by weakness Tho burnt Childe dreads the fire and a broken bone well set is faster ever after Like Trees we take deeper root by shaking And like Torches we flame the brighter for bruizing and knocking God suffered Satan to spoil Job of his substance â—ob him of his Children punish him in his body Yet mark but the sequel well and you shall finde that he was crost with a blessing As the Physician in making of Treacle or Mithridate for his Patient useth Serpents Adders and such like poison that he may drive out one poison with another Even so our spiritual Physician is pleased to use the malice of Satan and wicked men when he tempereth us the cup of affliction that hereby he may expel one evil with another Yea two evils with one namely the evil of sin and the evil of punishment and that both temporal and eternal Perhaps this byting plaister burneth thee but it healeth thee He suffers us to be afflicted because he will not suffer us to be damned such is the goodness of our heavenly Father to us that even his anger proceeds from mercy he scourgeth the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of Iesus Christ 1 Corinthians 5.5 Yea Ioseph was therefore abased in the dungeon that his advancement might be the greater It is true in our thoughts we often speak for the flesh as Abraham did for Ishmael O that Ishmael might live in thy sight No God takes away Ishmael and gives Isaac he withdraws the pleasure of the flesh gives delight to the soul crossing us in our wils that he may advance our benefit As it fared with Manasses whose Chain was more profitable to him then his Crown The man sick of a burning Feaver cries to his Physician for drink he pities him but does not satisfie him he gives him proper Physick but not drink A man is sick of a Pleurisie the Physician lets him blood he is content with it the arm shall smart to ease the heart The covâ—tous man hath a pleurisie of riches God lets him blood by poverty let him be patient it is a course to save his soul. But we are so sensual that no reason can prevail We are sorry to lose the proper cause of our sorrow we are like whining children that will not stay until their Milk be cold but must have it though they be scalded with it Yea it fares with many as with the Mother of Nero let them be damn'd so they may be dubb'd But our Heavenly Father will do us good though we desire the contrary Wherefore if he scourge us any way so we bleed not on till we bleed so we faint not or till we even faint so we perish not let us be comforted for if the Lord prune his Vine he means not to root it up if he ministers Physick to our souls it is because he would not have us die in our sins all is for salvation What if Noah were pent up in the Ark sith he was safe in it what if it were his Prison sith it was his Fort against the waters I might illustrate the point and make it plain by sundry and divers comparisons We know one nail drives out another one heat another one cold another yea out of admirable experience I can witnesse it that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy for a cold in the head or extream tendernesse as a frequent bathing it especially the temples with cold water I can justly say I am twenty years the younger for it Yea one sorrow drives out another one passion another one rumour is expelled by another and though for the most part contraries are cured by contraries yet not seldome will Physicians stop a lask with a purge they will bleed a patient in the Arme to stop a worse bleeding at Nose Again in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague that they may cure them of a more dangerous disease Even so deals God with us he often punisheth the worser part of man saith Saint Hierome That is the body state or name that the better part to wit the soul may be saved in the day of judgement Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soul then medicines are for the body many a man had been undone by prosperity if they had not been undone by adversity they had perished in their souls if they had not perished in their bodies estates or good names It is probable Naamans soul had never been cleansed if his body had not been leprous but his leprous flesh brought him to a white and clean spirit and though affliction be hard of digestion to the natural man yet the sheep of Christ know that to feed upon this salt Marsh is the only preservative against the Rot the experienced Christian knowes that it is good for the soul that the body is sometimes sick and therefore to have his inward man cured he is content his outward man should be diseased and cares not so the sins of his soul may be lessened though the soares of his flesh be increased It is better saith Saint Hierome to have a sick stomack then a grieved minde Yea he desires with Saint Austine that God will send him any plague rather then the plague of the heart And why is it not so with thee I hope thou desirest thy souls safety above all and thou knowest the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment that
the corrupt heart and festered conscience can endure nothing even a word if it be pleasing puffs him up with pride if not it swels him with passion A guilty conscience like Glasse will sweat with the least breath and like a windy iustrument be put out of tune with the very distemper of the aire but when the soul is steeled with goodnesse no assaults of evil can daunt it I more fear what is within me sayes Luther then what comes from without The storms and wind without do never move the Earth only Vapours within cause Earthquakes Jam. 4.1 No greater sign of innocency when we are accused than mildnesse as we see in Ioseph who being both accused and committed for forcing his Mistresse answered just nothing that we can read of Gen. 39.17 18. And Susanna who being accused by the two Elders of an haynous crime which they alone were guilty of never contended by laying the fault upon them but appeals unto God whether she were innocent or no. The History of Susanna Vers. 42.43 And Hannah whose reply to Ely when he falsly accused her of druukennesse was no other but Nay my Lord count not thine Handmaid for a wicked woman 1 Sam. 1.15 16. Neither is there a greater Symptome of guiltinesse than our breaking into choler and being exasperated when we have any thing laid to our charge witnesse Cain Gen. 4 9. That Hebrew which struck his fellow Exod. 2.13 14. Saul 1 Sam. 20.32 33. Abner 2 Sam. 3.8 Ioroboam 1 King 13 4. Ahab 1 King 22.27 Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.16 Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.19 Herod the Tetrarch Luk 3.19 20. The men of Nazareth Luk. 4.28 29. The Pharisees Joh. 8.47 48. And the High Priests and Scribes Luk. 20.19 20. Sinne and falshood are like an impudent strumpet but innocency and truth will veil themselves like a modest Virgin 2 Pet. 2.18 The more false the matter the greater noise to uphold it Paul is nothing so loud as Tertullus The weakest cause will be sure to forelay the shrewdest counsell or the lowdest Advocates Errour hath alwayes most words like a rotten house that needs most props and crutches to uphold it Simple truth evermore requires least cost like a beautifull face that needs no painting or a comely body which any decent apparrell becomes We plaister over rotten posts and ragged walls substantiall buildings are able to grace themselves So that as sparks flying up shew the house to be on fire and as corrupt spittle shewes exulcerate lungs so a passionate answer argues a guilty conscience Why doth the Hare use so many doublings but to frustrate the sent of the Hounds And this is one reason why the former are compared to Sheep and Lambes Emblems of innocency which being harmed will not once bleat and the latter unto Swine which will roar and cry if they be but toucht But to leave these Swine and return to the men we were speaking of A good Conscience is not put out of countenance with the false accusations of slanderous tongues it throweth them off as St Paul did the Viper unhurt Iunocence and patience are two Bucklers sufficient to repulse and abate the violence of any such charge the Brestplate of Righteousnesse the brazen wall of a good conscience feareth no such Canons The Conscionable being railed upon and reviled by a foul mouth may reply as once a Steward did to his passionate Lord when he called him Knave c. Your Honour may speak as you please but I beleeve not a word that you say for I know my self an honest man Yea suppose we are circled round with reproaches our conscience knowing us innocent like a constant friend takes us by the hand and cheers us against all our miseries A good spirit will be as Simon to Christ its Crosse-bearer A just man saith Chrysostome is impregnable and cannot be overcome take away his wealth his good parts cannot be taken from him and his treasure is above cast him into prison and bonds he doth the more freely enjoy the presence of his God banish him his Countrey he hath his conversation in Heaven kill his body it shall rise again so he fights with a shadow that contends with an upright man Wherefore let all who suffer in their good Names if conscious and guilty of an enemies imputations repent and amend if otherwise contemn them own them not so much as once to take notice thereof A wicked heart is as a barrtll of powder to temptation let thine be as a River of water Yea seeing God esteems men as they are and not as they have been although formerly thou hast been culpable yet now thou mayest answer for thy self as Paul did for Onesimus Though in times past I was unprofitable yet now I am profitable and oppose to them that sweet and divine sentence of sweet and holy Bernard Tell me not Satan what I have been but what I am and will be Or that of Beza in the like case Whatsoever I was I am now in Christ a New Creature and that is it which troubles thee I might have so continued long enough ere thou wouldest have vexed at it but now I see thou dost envy me the grace of my Saviour Or that Apothegme of Diogenes to a base fellow that told him he had once been a forger of money whose answer was 'T is true such as thou art now I was once but such as I am now thou wilt never be Yea thou mayest say by how much more I have formerly sinned by so much more is Gods power and goodnesse now magnified As St Augustine hearing the Donatists revile him for the former wickednesse of his youth answered The more desperate my disease was so much the more I admire the Physician Yea thou mayest yet strain it a peg higher and say the greater my sinnes were the greater is my honour as the Devils which Mary Magdalen once had are mentioned for her glory Thus if we cannot avoid ill tongues let our care be not to deserve them and 't is all one as if we avoided them For how little is that man hurt whom malice condemns on earth and God commends in Heaven Let the World accuse me so long as God acquits me I care not CHAP. XVIII That it is more laudable to forgive than revenge 2. BEcause it is more generous and laudable to forgive than revenge Certainly in taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy but in passing it over he is superiour to him for it is a Princes part to pardon yea quoth Alexander there can be nothing more noble than to do well to those that deserve ill And St Gregory It is more honor to suffer injuries by silence than to overcome them by answering again Princes use not to chide when Embassadours have offered them undecencies but deny them audience as if silence were the way royall to correct a wrong And certainly he enjoyes a brave composednesse that seats himself above the flight of the injurious claw Like
constaâ—â—y say our ears be beaten yet our hearts shall be free And this heroical resolution had St Paul that chosen vessell I passe very little to be judged of you meaning blind sensualists or of mans judgement he that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4.3 4. and indeed an ounce of credit with God is more worth than a talent of mens praises I regard not quoth Plato what every one saith but what he saith that seeth all things he knew well enough that the fame which is derived from fools and knaves is infamy Cato was much ashamed if at any time he had committed any thing dishonest but else what was reproved by opinion only never troubled him Yea when a fool struck him in the Bath and after being sorry for it cried him mercy he would not come so neer revenge as to acknowledge he had been wronged Light injuries are made none by a not regarding The ignorant multitude among the Iews said that St Iohn had a Devill and that Christ was a Glutton and a Wine-bibber But what saith he by way of answer Wisedom is justified of her children Matth. 11.18 19. Let none object the Scribes and Pharisees joyning with them who were great Scholers for no man knows so much but it is through ignorance that he doth so ill Neither doth our Saviour enquire what the Pharisees or Priests reputed him but whom say men meaning those who minded his Doctrine that I the sonne of man am Mat. 16.13 But this point I have handled at large in another place therefore to avoid a coincidence of discourse I passe it If men shall hate and revile thee for thy goodnesse it must needs follow that they are as foolish as they be ungodly Now ye suffer fools and Idiots to jest and play upon you yea you take pleasure in it so should ye suffer these fools gladly because ye are wise as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 11.19 And certainly if the whole world do contemn a generous Christian he will even contemn that contempt and not think it worthy a room in his very thoughts that common receptacle or place of entertainment Much more if a single person none of the wisest will he hear with patience and say with Tacitus You are able to curse and I to contemn Tu linguae ego aurium sum Dominus you are master of your tongue and I of mine ears What saith one advisedly When we are provoked to fight with women the best way is to run away And indeed he that le ts loose his anger upon every occasion is like him that lets go his Hawk upon every bayt True our Gallants that have more heart than brain and more pride than either think they play the men when they dare one another to fight like boyes who shall go farthest into the durt or vie to see who can drop most Oathes whereof the deepest is a winning Card in this their game of glory But what saith Salomon If a wise man contend with a foolish man whether he be angry or laugh there is no rest Prov. 29.9 Besides we may apprehend it a wroâ—g when it is none if we take not heed for those things passe many times for wroâ—gs in our thoughts which were never meant so by the heart of him that speaketh Words do sometimes fly from the tongue that tho heart did never hatch nor harbour wherefore unlesse we have proofs that carry weight and conviction with them let not our apprehension grow into a suspicion of evil else while we think to revenge an injury we may begin one and after that repent our misconceptions And it is alwayes seen that a good mans constructions are ever full of charity and favour either this wrong was not done or not with intent of wrong or if that upon misinformation or if none of these rashnesse the fault or ignorance shall serve for an excuse Whence those Noblt Emperours Theodosius and Honorius would not have any punished that spake evil of them for said they if it comes from lightnesse of spirit it is to be contemned if from madnesse it is worthy of pity if from intended injury it is to be pardoned for wrongs are to be forgiven And indeed in things that may have a double sense it is good to think the better was intended for so shall we both keep our friends and quietnesse CHAP. XXIV Because they are rather to be pitied than maligned or reckoâ—ed of 2. BEcause their adversaries are rather to be contemptuously pitied than maligned or reckoned of and that whether we regard their present or future estate Concerning the present If a man distracted and so are wicked men touching spirituall things do rail on us we are more sorry for him than for our selves Yea who will take in evil part the reproaches and revilings of a man in his feaver or who will be angry with a Dogge for barking and such an one hath but the minde of a beast in the form of a man Let us then do the like in a case not unlike and not resemble Ctâ—sipho the wrastler who would not put up a blow at the heels of an Asse but like an Asse kickt her again When Iulian in a mock asked Maurice Bishop of Chalcedon why his Galilean God could not help him to his sight he replied I am contentedly blinde that I may not see such a Tyrant as thou art Anger alone were it alone in them is certainly a kind of basenesse and infirmity as well appears in the weaknesse of those Subjects in whom it raigneth as Children Women Old folkes Sick folkes yea a sore disease of the minde Socrates bidding good speed to a dogged fellow who in requitall of his kinde salutation returned him a base answer the rest of the Company rayling on the fellow were reprehended by Socrates in this manner If any one quoth he should passe by us diseased in his body or distracted in his minde should we therefore be angry or had we not more cause to be filled with joy and thankefullnesse that we our selves are in better case What need we return rayling for rayling All the harm that a common slanderer can do us with his foul mouth is to shame himself For his words are like dust that men throw against the winde which flyes back into the throwers face and makes him blinde for as the blasphemer wounds himself by wounding Christ so the rayler shames himself when he thinks to shame another Neither have they power to hurt us strong malice in a weak breast is but like a heavy house built upon slender crutches True they conceit of their slanders as the Pope of his consures who if he put a Traytor into the Rabricke he is presently a Saint in Heaven if he curse or excommunicate a Christian he must needs be inrolled in hell but we know their words meer Idols which as the Apostle witnesseth are nothing in the world and therefore trouble not thy self about them What need had David to load
is like the setting of a mans own house on fire through carelesnesse in which case he not only bears the losse and scorches himself in it but must give five pounds to the Sheriff also if it be in London So that the best answer is either silence or laughter or if neither of these will do a cudgell The best answer to words of scorn and petulancy saith learned Hooker is Isaacs Apologie to his brother Ishmael the Apologie which patience and silence make no Apologie and we have our Saviours president for it for when false witnesses rose up and accused him fasly before the Priests Scribes and Elders it is said that Iesus held his peace that infinitewisdome knew well how little satisfaction there would be in answers where the Sentence was determined where the Asker is unworthy the Question captious words bootlesse the best answer is silence Let our Answer then to their Reasons be No to their scoffs nothing And yet when the slanders which light on our persons rebound to the discredit of our profession it behoveth us not to be silent in answering truly whenas our adversaries are eloquent in objecting falsly An indignity which only toucheth our private persons may be dissembled as Augustin replied to Petillian Pâ—ssumus esse in his copiosi pariter sed nolumus esse pariter vani But in the other case the retorting of a poysoned weapon into the adversaries own breast is laudable It is the weaknesse of some good natures the more is the pitty to grieve and to be angry at wrongs received and thereby to give advantage to an enemy But what would malice rather have than the vexation of them whom it persecutes We cannot better please an adversary than by hurting our selves and this is no other than to humour envy to serve the turn of those that maligne us and draw on that malice whereof we are already weary whereas carelesnesse puts ill will out of countenance and makes it withdraw it self in a rage as that which doth but shame the Author without hurt of the Patient In a causelesse wrong the best remedy is contempt of the Author CHAP. XXVI Because it is for our credit to be evill spoken of by them and would be a disparagement to have their good word 3. Reasons joyntly respecting our selves and our enemies are two 1 Because it Were a disparagement to have their good word 2 Because it Is the greatest praise to be dispraised of them THese two Reasons being neer of kin in speaking of them I will cast both into the similitude of a Y which is joyned together at one end brancht in the middle And first to joyn them both together The condemnation and approbation of wicked men is equally profitable and acceptable to good men for every word they speak of the conscionable is a slander whether it be good or evill whether in praise or dispraise his very Name is defiled by coming into their mouthes or if this do not hold in all cases yet as a Reverend Divine saith it is a praise to the godly to be dispraised of the wicked and a dispraise to be praised of them their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour so that when deboished persons speak ill of a man especially their Minister the worse the better for to be well spoken of by the vicious and evill by the vertuous to have the praise of the good and the dispraise of the bad is all one in effect as Salomon sheweth They that forsake the Law saith he praise the wicked but they that keep the Law set themselves against them Prov. 28.4 Thus much of both Reasons joyntly now of each severally and first That it is a disparagement to a godly man to be well spoken of by the wicked When it was told Antisthenes that such an one who was a vicious person spake good words of him he answered What evill have I done that this man speaks well of mee To be praised of evill men saith Bion the Philosopher is as evill as to be praised for evill doing For such like Garlick suck only the ill vapours from all they come neer Out of which consideration our Saviour Christ rejected the evill spirits testimony which though it were truth yet he would not suffer the Devill to say Thou art the Christ the Sonne of God or that holy One but rebuked him sharply and enjoyned him to hold his peace Luk. 4.35 No he would not suffer the Devils at another time to say That they knew him Vers. 41. And good reason for he knew that the Devils commendations would prove the greatest slander of all Neither would St Paul suffer that maid which had a spirit of Divination to say he was the servant of the most high God which shewed them the way of Salvation Acts 16.17 18. well knowing that Satan did it to this end that by his testimony and approbation he might cause them which formerly beleeved his doctrine to suspect him for an Imposter and deceiver and that he did his miracles by the help of some Familiar spirit And indeed if the good report of wicked men who are set on work by Satan did not derogate from the godly or from the glory of God Satan should be divided against himself and if Satan be divided against himself saith our Saviour how shall his Kingdom stand Now we know he seeketh to advance his Kingdom by all possible means and consequently in this Wherefore if we enjoy any wicked mans love and have his good word we may justly suspect our selves are faulty in one kinde or other for it 's sure he could not do so except he saw something in us like himself If every thing were unlike him how is it possible he should love us Difference breeds disunion and sweet congruity is the Mother of love This made Aristotle when a Rakeshame told him he would rather be hanged by the neck than be so hated of all men as he was reply And I would be hanged by the neck ere I would be beloved of all as thou art And Phocion to ask when the people praised him What evill have I done It was a just doubt in him and not an unjust in any that are vertuous like him which occasioned Luther to say I would not have the glory and fame of Erasmus my greatest fear is the praises of men Yea their reproaches and evill speeches are to me matter of great joy And another Their hatred I fear not neither do I regard their good will Secondly A wicked mans tongue is so farre from being a slander that it makes for our credit to be evill spoken of by them To be evill spoken of by wicked men saith Terence is a glorious and laudable thing And another It is no small credit with the vile to have a vile estimation As a wicked mans glory is in his shame so the godly mans shame for doing good is his glory and to be evill spoken of for well-doing is peculiar
if thou wilt give him the like time will cleer thy innocency and cost thee nothing When we have suffered some evill the flesh our own wisedom like the King of Israel 2 King 6.21 will bid us return evill to the doer but the Spirit or wisdome of God like Elisha opposeth and bids us return him good notwithstanding his evill But the flesh will reply he is not worthy to be forgiven I but saith the Spirit Christ is worthy to be obeyed who hath commanded thee to forgive him Now whethers counsell wilt thou follow It is not alwayes good to take our own counsell our own wit often hunts us into the snares that above all we would shun We oft use means of preservation and they prove destroying ones Again we take courses to ruin us and they prove means of safety How many flying from danger have met with death and on the other side found protection even in the very jawes of mischief that God alone may have the glory It fell out to be part of Mithridates misery that he had made himself unpoysonable All humane wisedom is defective nor doth the Fools bolt ever misse whatsoever man thinketh to do in contrariety is by God turned to be an help of hastning the end he hath appointed him We are governed by a power that we cannot but obey our mindes are wrought against our mindes to alter us In brief man is oft his own Traytor and maddeth to undo himself Wherefore take the Spirits and the Words direction Render good for evill and not like for like though it be with an unwilling willingnesse as the Merchant casteth his goods over-board and the Patient suffers his arm or leg to be cut off and say with thy Saviour Neverthelesse not my will but thy will be done But yet more to induce thee hereunto consider in the last place That to avenge thy self is both to lose Gods protection and to incur his condemnation We may be said to be out of his protection when we are out of our way which he hath set us he hath promised to give his Angels charge over us to keep us in all our wayes Psal. 91.11 that is in the wayes of obedience or the wayes of his Commandements But this is one of the Devils ways a way of sinne and disobedience and therefore hath no promise or assurance of protection we may trust God we may not tempt him if we do what seconds soever we get Christ will not be our second Where is no commandement there is no promise if we want his word in vain we look for his ayd When we have means to keep our selves Gods omnipotency is for the present discharged If Eutychus had fallen down out of a saucy malipertâ—â—â—â—â— I doubt whether he had been restored by St Paul Acts 20.9 Wafts and strayes are properly due to the Lord of the soyl and you know what the Devill said to our Saviour Luk. 4.6 which in a restrained sense is true And therefore when one in Gods stead rebuked Satan touching a Virgin whom he possest at a Theatre saying How durst thou be so bold as to enter into my house Satan answers Because I found her in my house as Chrysostom delivers it I am sure Dinah fell into soul hands when her Fathers house could not hold her and Sampson the like when he went to Dalilah and Ionah when he went to Tarshish and the seduced Prophet when he went beyond his Commission set him by God and many the like who left the path of Gods protection where the Angels guard and watch to walk in the Devils by-way of sinne and disobedience The Chickins are safe under the wings of their mother and we under the providence of our Father so long as we hold the tenure of obedience we are the Lords Subjects and if we serve him he will preserve us A Priest might enter into a Leprous house without danger because he had a calling from God so to do and we may follow God dry-shod through the Red-Sea Neither need we vex our selves with cares as if we lived at our own cost or trusted to our own strength but when a man is fallen to the state of an Out-Law or Rebell the Law dispenseth with them that kill him because the Prince hath excluded him from his Protection Now this being our case say there shall happen any thing amisse through thy taking revenge what mayest thou not expect to suffer and in thy suffering what comfort canst thou have Whereas if God bring us into crosses he will be with us in those crosses and at length bring us out of them more refined You may observe there is no such coward none so valiant as the beleever without Gods warrant he dares do nothing with it any thing Nothing without it Those saith Basil to a great man that perswaded him to yeeld who are trained up in the Scriptures will rather die in an holy quarrell than abate one syllable of divine truth Nor would any solicite them to do ill did they rightly know them for what Cicero speaks of Cato viz. O gentle Cato how happy art thou to have been such an one that never man durst yet presume to solicite thee in any dishonest cause or contrary to duty may be applied to every Beleever rightly so stiled When the Tormentors of Marcus Areihusius who laid to his charge the pulling down of an idolatrous Temple offered him his pardon in case he would give so much as would build it up again he refused it and being further urged to give but half he refused it at last being told that if he would give but a little towards it they would release him he refused to give them so much as an half penny saying No not an half penny for it is as great wickednesse said he to confer one half penny in case of impiety as if a man should bestow the whole A good conscience being in the greatest torture will not give one half penny to be released with hurt to his conscience he scans not the weâ—ght of the thing but the authority of the Commander and such have no good consciences that dare gratifie Satan in committing the least sinne oâ— neglect God in the smallest precept The conscionable Nazarite Numb 6. did not only make scruple of guzling and quaffing whole Flagons of wine but of eating only an husk or a kernell of the grape knowing the one was as well forbidden as the other Will any man eat poyson because there is but a little of it A small bullet may kill a man as well as a great one Goliah was as much hurt by Davids little stone as Sampson by the weight of a whole house And Ely died as well by falling back in his chair as Iezabel by being thrown down from an high window And what saith our Saviour to the unjust Steward He that is faithfull in that which is least is faithfull also in much and he that is unjust iâ— the least is unjust
confirmed and the other reclaimed ☞ These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that we have used all our wisedom to commit the foolishness of sin our whole conversation hath been to serv Satan and fulfill the lusts of the flesh Wee even suck in iniquity like water and draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes Neither is there any part power function or faculty either of our souls or bodies which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour thee for as our heart is a root of all corruption a seed-plot of all sin so our eyes are eyes of vanitie our ears ears of folly our mouthes mouthes of deceit our hands hands of iniquity and every part doth dishonour thee which yet would be glorified of thee The understanding which was given us to learn virtue is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin the will which was given us to affect righteousness is apt now to love nothing but wickedness the memory which was given us to remember good things is apt now to keep nothing but evill things for sin like a spreading leprosie is so grown over us that from the crown of our heads to the soal of our â—eet there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption Yea our souls and bodies are even a very sink of sin for like the common shoar we have not refused to welcome any the most loathsome pollutions that either the world our own corruption or the Devill at any time hath offered unto us Or admit we are exempt from som evills wee may thank thee and not our selves for it for wee are ready without thy restraining grace to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever we are swift to all evill but to 〈◊〉 good immoveable when we do evill we do it chearfully and quickly and easily but if we do any good wee do it faintly and rawly and slackly When did we talk without vanity when did we give without hypocrisie when did wee bargain without deceit when did we reprove without anger or envy when did we hear without wearysomness when did wee pray without tediousness such is our corruption as if we were made to sin in deed in word or in thought O the pride passion lust envy ignorance awkwardnesse hypocrisie infidelity vain thoughts unprofitableness and the like which cleaves to our very best actions and how full of infirmity are our primest performances for we have not done any one action legally justifyable all our dayes neither can ought we do abide the examinatirn of thy strict justice untill it he covered with thy Sons righteousness and the corruption thereof washed away in his most pretious blood Yea if thou shouldest behold these our praiers as they bee in themselves without having respect unto us in Christ Iesus they would appear no better in thy sight then a menstruous cloth Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Yâ—a let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts that neither Satan that forrain enemy and roaring Lyon which seeketh to devour us may invade us nor our own concupiscence that home-bred traytor may by conspiring with the world work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits our affections which are altogether carnall may be wholâ—y framed according to thy holy heavenly will and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill and do the good let thy Word as a light discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and thy Cross like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the
bloody to him to his and thine own soul none that have eyes in their heads and open can be so sottish But Sin is like the juice of poppie called Opium which if the quantity exceed bringeth the patient into a deep sleep that he never awaketh Sinners dream they are awake but indeed they are fast asleep yea with Sardis they are dead while they think they are alive And indeed this misprision or mistake this very opinion of being in ease good enough keeps a man out of all possibility of being bettered for what we presume to have attained we seek not after Yea this conceited righteousnesse is the onely cause of all unrighteousnesse and many a man had been good if he had not at present so thought himself Until Paul was humbled to the very ground trembling and astonished he never asked Iesus what wilt thou have me to do And the like of those Converts that were prickt in their hearts at Peters searching Sermon upon their being convinced that they were the murtherers of the Lord of Life Acts 2.36.37 38. Sect. XXVI In the last place touching their Election this is an infallible truth Whomsoever God hath appointed to salvation to them he hath appointed the means also which is holiness Indeed a man may be so bold of his Predestination as to forget his conversation so he may dream himselfe in Heaven and waken from that dream in Hell Gods purpose touching the end includes the means Though God had promised Paul that his company should not be drowned yet he told the Mariners that unless they kept in the ship they should be drowned Acts 27.22 23 31. as if their safety should not be without means Rebekah had Gods Oracle for Iacobs life yet she sent him away out of Esaus reach It was impossible for Herod to hurt the child Iesus yet he must flie into Egypt And so I have shown in the last place what are the conditions of the new Covenant and to whom the promises belong which is all that I undertook Now if men will yet goe on and perish in their impenitency their blood be on their own heads and not on mine I have discharged my duty Nevertheless least the single evidence that I bring from the Word of Truth should not prove sufficient to gain your credence to what hath been spoken And because examples give a quicker impression then arguments I have one thing more to crave of thee which is that thou wilt also hear the confession of two parties in the ensuing or second part of this Discourse that were lately in thy very condition though now by the Infinite goodness of God they have their eyes opened and their hearts changed to see and know both what it is to be in the state of nature and what to be brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God that so by a three fold cord you may be drawn to accept of salvation upon Gods own terms whereas otherwise you can no way escape his eternal wrath The ensuing or second part which I would request you to read and minde is A happy Conference between a Formalist converted and a loose Libertine intituled An experimental Index of the Heart And so much of the first Part the second followeth FINIS Sold onely by Iames Crump in Little Bartholomews VVell-yard and by Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley At the same places there are also to be sold five and thirty other Pieces of Practical Divinity composed by the same Author 1660. This sheet and half with â—ower other sheets of as considerable matter are all to be had for a Penny at the Black Swan by Moorâ— gaâ—e AN Experimental INDEX of the HEART OR SELF-KNOWLEDGE In which As in a Looking-glasse the civillest of men may see what need they have of a Redeemer and that it most deeply concerns them with all speed to sue out their pardon in Christ and to rely wholly and only upon Free-grace for pardon and Salvation except they prefer an everlasting furnace of fire and brimstone in Hell before an eternal weight of superabundant glory in Heaven as all most sottishly do that by sinne and Satan are bewitched Drawn up and published for the good of all By R. Younge of Roxwell in Essex Florilegus Add this as a Third Part to the Trial of true Wisdom and those Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion Intituled A short and sure Way to Grace and Salvation Sect. XXVII A Loose Libertine meeting with his Friend that had lately been a Formal Christian he greets him as followeth SIR methinks I have observed in you a strange alteration since our last meeting at Middleburrough not only in your behaviour company and converse but even in your countenance What is the matter if I may be so bold Convert Truly Sir you are not at all mistaken nor am I unwilling to acquaint you with the cause if you can affoard to hear it Soon after my return into England I was carried by a Friend to hear a Sermon where the Minister so represented the very thoughts secrets and deceitfulnesse of my heart unto my conscience that I could not but say of him as the woman of Samaria once spake of our Saviour He hath told me all things that ever I did Which made me conclude with that Vnbeliever 1 Cor. 14 24 25. That God was in him of a truth nor could he ever have so done if he were not of God As the young man in the Gospel reasoned with the Pharisees touching Iesus when he had opened his eyes that had been blind from his birth Joh. 9.32 33. Whereupon I could have no peace nor râ—st untill I had further communed with him about my estate for I found my self in a lost condition touching Eternity It faring with me as it did wiâ—h those Iews Act. 2. when Peter by his searching Sermon had convinced them that Christ whom they had by wicked hands crucified and slain was the only Son of God and Lord of glory ver 36 37. And having had the happinesse to enjoy the benefit of his sage advice as I stood in need thereof God having given him the tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to them that are weary Isa 50.4 I blesse God his Word and Spirit hath wrought in me such a change and strange alteration that it hath opened mine eyes that were blind before inclined my will to obedience which before was rebellious softened my heart sanctified and quite changed my affections so that I now love that good which before I hated and hate that evil which before I loved and am delighted with those holy exercises which heretofore did most displease me and am displeased with those vain pleasures and filthy sins which in times past did most delight me Which is such a mercy that no tongue is able to expresse For till that hour I went on in the broad way and worlds road to destruction without any mistrust whereas now God hath been pleased to
sensible how evil and wicked it is that so thou maist have a more humble conceit of thy self lay to heart these three particulars 1 The corruption of our nature by reason of Original Sin 2. Our manifold breach of Gods righteous Law by actual sin 3. The guilt and punishment due to us for them both This being done thou wilt see and find thy necessity of a Redeemer And it is thirst only that makes us relish our drink hunger our meat The full stomach of a Pharisee surcharged with the superfluities of his own merits will loath the honey-comb of Christs righteousnesse This was it which made the young Prodigal to relish even servants fare though before wanton when full fed at home No more relish feels the Pharisaical heart in Christs blood than in a chip But O how acceptable is the fountain of living waters to the chased hart panting and braying The blood of Christ to the weary and tyred soul to the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath he that presents him with it how welcome is he even as a special choice man one of a thousand And the deeper the sense of misery is the sweeter the sense of mercy is Sect. XXXVIII Then if you would be satisfied for time to come whether your Repentance and conversion be true and sound these particulars will infallibly inform you If you shall persevere when this trouble for sin is over in doing that which now you purpose it is an infallible sign your repentance is sound otherwise not If thou dost call to mind the Vow which thou madst in Baptism and dost thy endeavour to perform that which then thou didst promise If thou dost square thy life according to the rule of Gods Word and not after the rudiments of the world If thou art willing to forsake all sin without reserving one for otherwise that one sin may prove the bane of all thy graces even as Gideon had seventy Sons and but one Bastard and yet that Bastard destroyed all the rest that were Legitimate Judg 9.5 Sin is like the Ivy in the wall cut off bough branch body stump yet some strings or other will sprout out again Till the root be pluck't up or the wall be pulled down and ruined it will never utterly die Regeneration or new birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature only evil disposed Gods children are known by this mark they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 If Christ have called you to his service your life will appear more spiritual and excellent than others As for your fails 't is a sign that sin hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your soul when you cry out to God If the ravished Virgin under the Law cried out she was pronounced guiltlesse A sheep may fall into the mire but a swine delights to wallow in the mire Great difference between a woman that is forced though she cries out and strives and an alluring Adulteresse Again The thoughts of the godly are godly of the wicked worldly and by these good and evil men are best and truliest differenced one from another Would we know our own hearts and whether they be changed by a new birth Examine we our thoughts words actions passions especially our thoughts will inform us for these cannot be subject to hypoâ—â—risie as words and deeds are Sect. XXXIX Then by way of caution know that a child may as soon create it self a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself We cannot act in the leasâ— unlesse God bestows upon us daily privative grace to defend us from evil and daily positive grace inabling us to do good And those that are of Christ teaching know both from the word and by experience that of themselve they are not only weak but even dead to what is good moving no morâ— than they are moved that their best works are faulty all their sins deadâ—ly all their natures corrupted originally You hath he quickned that werâ— dead in trespasses and sins Ephes. 2.1 Yea we are altogether so dead in sinâ— that we cannot stir the least joynt no not so much as feel our own deadness nor desire life except God be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custom to the life of grace Apt we arâ— to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodness yeaâ— to all the meanes thereof My powers are all corrupt corrupt my will Marble to good but wax to what is ill Insomuch that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse 〈◊〉 speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3.5 Joh. 15.4 5. I we have power to choose or refuse the object to do these well we have no power We have ability we have will enough to undo our selves scopâ— enough hell-ward but neither motion nor will to do good that must bâ— put into us by him that gives both power and will and power to will Finally Each sanctified heart feels this but no words are able sufficiently to expresse what impotent wretches we are when we are not sustainâ—ed So that we have no merit but the mercy of God to save us nothinâ— but the blood of Christ and his mediation to cleanse and redeem us nothinâ— but his obedience to inrich us As for our good works we are altogether beâ— holding to God for them not God to us nor we to our selves becausâ— they are only his works in us Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee whatever thoâ— hast thou owest to him that Redeemed thee Therefore if we do any thinâ— amisse let us accuse our selves if any thing well let us give all the praise 〈◊〉 God And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion that which teacheth us to exalt God most and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth most prank up our selves and detract from God is thâ— false As Bonaventure well notes Sect. XL. Now to wind up with a word of exhortation if thou beest convinced are resolvest upon a new course let thy resolution be peremptory anâ— constant and take heed you harden not again as Pharaoh the Philistinâ— the young man in the Gospel Pilate and Iudas did resemble not the iroâ— which is no longer soft than it is in the fire for that good saith Gregâ—â—ry will do us no good which is not made good by perseverance If wiâ—â— these premonitions the Spirit hath vouchsafed to stir up in thine heart anâ— good motions and holy purposes to obey God in letting thy sins go quench not grieve not the Spirit 1 Thes. 5.19 Return not with the Dog to thy vomit lest thy latter end prove seven-fold worse than thy beginning Matth. 12.43 45. O it is a fearfull thing to receive the grace of God in vain and a desperate thing being warned of a rock willfully to cast our selves
blessing upon them and instead thereof blast his blessings with a curse and give them their riches in wrath so that they had better be without them If we put our trust and confidence in God he hath promised 〈◊〉 to fail nor forsake us Heb. 13 5. But this is the man that took not God for his strength but trusted unto the multitude of his riches and put his strength in his malice Psal. 52.7 Yea he saith in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will never see Psal. 10.11 He puts his certain trust in uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 And not for want of ignorance for to trust to God and not to any creature or carnal policy is the greatest safty A lesson yet to be learned of many that do in a good measure trust in God which this muckworme not so much as minds But shall we trust God with our jewels our souls and not with the box Mat. 6.30 Take we heed lest whiles he doth grant us that wherein we do not trust him worldly riches he take away that wherein we do trust him everlasting joy and happiness Fiftly and lastly let a graceless and ingrateful cormorant an unmerciful miser have never so much he neither intends to glorifie God nor do good to others with his riches he will not change a peece without profit scarse let another light a torch at his candle He will not lose a groa◠to gain a mans life nor speak a sillable for God were it to save a soul And God cares for none that care for none but themselves making themselves the center of all their actions and aimes Whereas he is abundantly bountiful to publike spirits that aime at his glory and others good And so ye have the Reasons the Uses for the present and in this place shall be onely CHAP. XV. Three 1. Of Information 2. Of Exhortation 3. Of Consolation ANd of these but a word First for Information let the premisses teach us this lesson That whatsoever is given to any one if Christ and a sanctified use thereof be not given withall it can be no good thing to him Did the stalled Ox know that his Master fatted him for the slaughter he would not think his great plenty an argument of his masters greater love to him The Physician letteth that sick person have what he will of whose recovery he despaireth but he restraineth him of many things of whom he hath hope We use to clip and cut shorter the feathers of Birds or other fowle when they begin to flye too high or too far So does God diminish the riches and honors of his children and makes our condition so various that we may not pass our bounds or glory too much in these transitory things As if we well observe it First some have the world and not God as Nabal who possessed a world of wealth not a dram of grace or comfort Secondly some have God and not the world as Lazarus his heart was full of grace and divine comfort whiles his body lacked crumbes Thirdly some have neither God nor the world nothing but misery here nothing but torment hereafter for the poorest are not seldom the wickedest Fourthly some have both God and the world as Abraham who was rich while he lived on earth and dying was glorious in Heaven Yea oftentimes they that are deerest to God do with great difficulty work out those blessings which even fall into the mouthes of the careless That wise disposer of all things knows it fit many times to hold us short of those favors which we sue for and would not benefit but hurt us Unlovely features have more libertty to be good because freer from Solicitors and though it be not a curse yet t is many times an unhappiness to be fair aswell as to be strong and witty Helena daughter to Iupiter and Leda for her excellent beauty was ravished at the age of nine yeers by Theseus and once again by Paris which caused the wars and utter ruine of Troy Plutarch observes that Lisander did more hurt the Lacedemonians in sending them store of riches and precious movables then Sylla did the Romans in consuming the reveneues of their treasure And as Sylvius relates the liberallity of Princes and especially of Metilda a Dutches of Italy who at her death made the Pope her heir begat ambition in the Bishops of Rome and ambition destroyed Religion These things are such as the possessors minde Good if well us'd if ill them ill we finde For even evil things work together for the good of the good and even good things work together to the evil of the evil Lucian seigneth that riches being sent by Iupiter from heaven come softly and slowly but from the infernal god comes flying apace And the other Poets feign Pluto to be the god of riches and of hell as if hell and riches had both one master And indeed he that resolves to be evil making no conscience how he comes by it may soon be rich but the blessings of God in our ill getting or unworthy carriage in their use prove but the aggravations of sin and additions to judgement And let this serve for the first use Secondly Let what hath been delivered touching the miseries of an unmerciful miserly muckworme serve to make us take heed and beware of all sin but especially of the sin of covetousness yea◠let us look to it lest while we hunt after the worlds venison with Esau we lose our Fathers blessing Can we not warm us at the Sun but we must make an Idoll of it to worship must we needs either hide our faces or bow our knees either renounce all profits and pleasures or be their slaves This is a second use Thirdly this if we seriously consider it may serve for a use of great comfort to the godly and conscientious For if worldlings are so many wayes perplexed and distracted with cares and fears about getting and keeping and lofing their riches and grace estates how happy are the servants of God that are not acquainted with any of them No man sayes the Apostle that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier 2 Tim. 2.4 They cast their care upon God and he careth for them who will see that they shall never want what is good and fit for them Mat. 6.25 30. But in the transgression of an evil man is his snare sayes wise Solomon Prov. 29 6. But of this by the way onely for there are other plagues yet behinde which God usually inflicts upon the merciless miser nor would one of them be left unconsidered CHAP. XVI THe eighth is the loss of his credit and good name which he seldom or never scapes which is not a light punishment however he esteems it The memorial of the just shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot sayes Solomon Prov. 10.7 Yea the cruel and
hands c. Again when they sought Gods glory and were thankful mark the difference even from this very day will I bless you saith God Hag. 1.4 to 12 2 18 19. He that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another Holy David was a man after Gods own heart and therefore he ever mixeth with his prayers praises Bless the Lord ô my soul sayes he and forget not all his benefits Psal. 103.2 And being of a public spirit he discovers the secrets of this skill as when he saith Let the people praise thee ô God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God even our God shall give us his blessing Psal. 67.5 6 7. Wherefore be not like the Swine that feeds upon the Acorns without ever looking to the Oake from whence they fall Or the Horse that drinks of the Brook and never thinks of the Spring Yea since God is the fountain from which all our enjoyments flow let this be our continual determination He hath given us all the grace good and happiness we have and we will give him all the possible thanks and honour we can Yea teach us ô Lord to receive the benefit of thy merciful favour and to return thee the thanks and the glory And the like of Humility Blessed are the meek saith our Saviour for they shall inherit the earth Matth. 5.5 The reward of humility and the fear of God is riches and honour and life Prov. 22 4. If there be a hollow in a valley lower then another thither the waters gather And the more lowly we are in our own eyes the more lovely we are in Gods the more despicable in our selves the more acceptable in him as is seen in the example of the Publican Luke 18.13 14. And the Prodigal Luke 15.18 19 c. Nor can any thing make us more acceptable to God then the conscience of our own unworthiness when with Iacob we can say O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant For with my staff I passed over this Iordane and now I am become two bands Gen. 32.10 When with the Publican we can confesse I am not worthy to lift up mine eyes to heaven Luke 18.13 14. And with the Prodigal I am not worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. And with the Centurion I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof Luke 7.6 And with Iohn Baptist and Saint Paul the like I am not worthy I am not worthy This is the way to obtein what we would have at the hands of God who resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam 4.6 10. Prov. 29.23 15.33 18.12 unto him will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my words Isaiah 57.15 He hath filled the hungry with good things but the rich he hath sent empty away Luke 1.52 53. So that if thou expectest to have God bless and prosper thee then beware thou forgettest not at whose cost thou livest Beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is increased and all that thou hast is inlarged thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God and thou say in thine heart My power and the might of mine hand hath got me this wealth but on the contrary Remember that it is the Lord thy God that hath given thee power to get wealth and that it is only his blessing that makes rich This is Gods own counsel set home with a very strict charge to all that have not a minde to perish Deut. 28.10 to 20. Many are the examples I might give you of such as have been undone by their pride While Saul was little in his own eyes God made him head over the twelve Tribes of Israel and gave him abundance but when out of his greatness be abused his place and gifts God took them all away again And so it had like to have fared with Hezekiah when he but began to be puffed up with the wealth and precious things that God had given him 2 Kings 20.12 to 19. But most remarkable is the example of Nebuchadnezzar who when he ascribed all to himself saying Is not this great Babel which I have built with the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty was presently deprived of his Kingdom and all that he had and sent to graze with the beasts but when he was humbled to the very ground acknowledged the Author and ascribed all to the God of heaven he had his Kingdom and all else restored unto him Dan. 4. The way to obtein any benefit is to acknowledge the Authour and devote it in our hearts to the glory of that God of whom we receive all For by this means shall God both pleasure his servants and honour himself And indeed that he may be honoured by our wisdom riches graces is the only end for which he gives us to be wise rich gracious And who hath more interest in the grape then he that planted the Vine Who more right to the crop then he that oweth the ground and soweth the seed Therefore Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches Jer. 9.23 For we have not only received our talents from God but the improvement also is his meer bounty Of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.35 36. And so much of the fourth means to grow rich CHAP. XXXII FIfthly the next means which God in his Word hath appointed to this end is labour and industry in some lawful calling for it is the beating of the brain or the sweating of the brow not the bare talk of the lips or desire of the heart that makes rich according to the common Proverb Wishers and woulders are seldom or never good housholders The idle person sayes Solomon shall be clothed with rag◠and the sluggards poverty cometh upon him as an armed man but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10.4 12 27. The Greeks have a saying That plentifulness follows painfulness and that all things are made servants to care and industry Caius Furius by his painful dexterity and unwearied labour got more means out of one small field then his neigbours out of many great ones whereupon he was accused to the Magistrate as if by witchcraft he had conveyed the corn of other mens ground into his own but he came with all his goodly rustical instruments with his strong and lusty daughter and his well fed Oxen and spake thus to the Iudges See my Lords these be my witchcrafts and sorceries but I cannot shew you my watchings and sweatings
advanced to a vast estate and as one vexed with an evil spirit or troubled with a tormenting conscience to such a blessed peace as the world can neither give nor take away John 14.27 As thus Would you quiet your clamorous conscience that will not be friends with you unlesse you be friends with God The ayer is not so cleer when the clowde is dissolved by rain as the mind is when the clowdes of our iniquities are dissolved by the rain or tears of true repentance These waters are the red sea wherein the whole Arm of our sinnes is drowned As O the calm spirit of a godly man his very dreams are divine When Ptolomy King of Aegypt had posed the Seaventy Interpreters in order and asked the nineteenth man what would make one sleep quietly in the night he told him the best way was to have divine and celestial Meditations and to use honest actions and recreations in the day time The godly man enjoyes Heaven upon earth peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes. 1.6 Nor is joy lesse when it is least expressed as it fares with grief but as the windowes of the Temple were narrow without but broad within so is the joy of our hearts greater than it does outwardly appear to the world Again It is as false a slander as common that when once a man imbraceth Religion farewell all joy and delight For virtue hath neither so crabbed a face nor so stern a look as men make her Pleasure is not gone when sinne is gone It is not Isaac that is sacrificed that is our laughter and mirth but the Ramme that is the bruitishnesse of it The soul of joy lies in the souls joy What saies holy David Be glad ye righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and be joyfull all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 32.11 It was not the Eunuchs riches nor honours but his faith which set him on his way rejoycing Act. 8.39 In this rejoyce not saith our Saviour that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Yea there is even joy in grief where the sorrow is for sinne Besides how can men partake of that fountain of joy and rejoyce not He is no good Christian that is not taken with the glory he shall have and rejoyce that his name is written in the Book of life The worldly man hath joy in prosperity the Child of God in adversity The believing Hebrews suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Yea let the worst that can come they are still merry and joyfull as hath been observed in sundry of the Martyrs who clapt their hands for joy even in the midst of the flames And reason good when all things shall work to their good that are good and when the very draught and abridgment of Heaven is in every sanctified heart upon earth Then live religiously and thou shalt both live and die comfortably For live in grace and die in peace is a rule that never fails Only this hinders our joy our love to spiritual things is too defective of worldly things too excessive Earthly goods are earnestly and eagerly sought after Heavenly not once thought upon Much travell taken for the body little or no care used for the soul. It would be otherwise if with Paul at his conversion they had those scales taken away from their eyes by some godly Ananias some faithfull Minister of the Gospel which during their natural condition covers their eyes from seeing things spiritual It is a sad thing to see what fools men are that walk according to the flesh and how they are gulled by the God of this world and their own deceitfull hearts The covetous man is like a mad man that loves and is unmeasurably delighted with the sight and gingling of those chains wherewith he is fettered and tormented He hugs them I mean his money and adores them and even makes them his god that occasion him all his grief But had he once tasted how good and bountifull the Lord is to those that set their delight on him 1 Pet. 2.3 If he did grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 If the Lord would once incline his heart unto his testimonies and not to covetousnesse Psal. 119.36 he should soon know and find that things themselves are in the invisible world in the world visible but their shaddows only That wicked men injoy whatsoever they have viz. wealth honour wisdome pleasure c. but as it were in a dream They dream they are rich wise happy and the like as a begger may dream he is a King Or one that is ready to starve that he is richly furnished with all manner of meats and drinkes but when once he is awake he findes himself grossely mistaken All worldly happinesse hath its being only by opinion whence St Luke calls all Agrippa's pomp but a fancy Act. 25.23 a meer conceit or supposition The sweetnesse of sinne is but as the sweetnesse of poyson sweet only in the mouth in the belly bitter and deadly Stolen bread is sweet sweet in the obtaining bitter in the account and reckoning Yea this last dish will spoyl all the feast and make it but like a drop of pleasure before a river of sorrow and displeasure Whereas whatsoever the godly feel is but as a drop of misery before a river of mercy and glory CHAP. XI The way of Wisdome and Holinnsse is the way of Pleasure Prov. 3.17 As O that all covetous miserly muckworms did but know what pleasure is in the peace of conscience which passeth all understanding and the joy of the Holy Ghost what a sollace it is to be the Sonne of God an Inhabitant of Heaven to live by faith amp c. Then would they think it more worth than all the worlds wealth honour and pleasure multiplyed as many times as there be stars in the firmament that any thing that every thing were too small a price for it Then would they change these broken wormeaten and poysonfull pleasures of sinne for the pleasures of Gods House of Gods Spirit and those other pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 God made the world of â—aught because men should set it at naught as did the Apostle the better to prevail with others who after he had been wrapt up into the third Heaven reckoned of all earthly things riches honours pleasures but as drosse and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified And what saith holy David a man of a most brave and divine Spirit I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches They are more to be desired than gold yea than fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb Psal. 19.10 And again How sweet are thy words unto my mouth
Psal. 119.103 This likewise was Ioâ—s judgment who affirmeth That wisdome cannot be valued with the gold of Ophire the precious Onyx or the Saphire That the gold and the chrystal cannot equal it and that the exchange thereof shall not be for jewels of fine gold That no mention shall be made of corral and pearles for the price of wisdome is above Rubies that the Topaas of Aethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold Job 28.12 to 20. Neither was this the case only of Paul and David and Iob and such like Champions in grace but every Believer findes the same in some measure They can truly say unto God with the Prophet Ieremy Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Jer. 15.16 They meet with Christ himself in his Word and Ordinances where is also the water of Regeneration the wine both of consolation and compunction the bread of life the oyl of gladnesse the honey-comb of grace the milke of the Gospel c. But how unlike to these are natural men Natural fools indeed who esteem not at all of Heavenly treasures spiritual enjoyments or riches of the mind There is a mighty difference between Davids or Pauls spirit and the spirit of these Salvage Swine whose only delight is to root in the earth Who are only pleased and taken with the musick of their money in that they are altogether unacquainted with soul-comforts and heavenly enjoyments As acorns were thought very good untill wheat was found out and bread before Manna came But had they tryed both estates as Believers have done they would find that content the poor mans riches were far sweeter than desire the rich mans poverty and that the ones wisdome and spiritual treasure will bring them to those joyes that neither eye hath seen nor ear heard neither hath ever entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 while the wisdom and wealth of these stupified worldlings if they take not heed will bring them to those endlesse miseries that cannot be exprest nor conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea And yet these forsooth repute themselves and are reputed the wisest of men But pittifully do they erre in every thing that are not instructed by the Word and Spirit The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foollishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2.14 15. which is a text or lesson worthy to be learned of all that are in their natural estate O that they would but seriously ponder the words For then they would see that simple or shallow honesty will prove more profitable in the end than the profound quick-sands of craft and policy Then their neglect would not be most in that wherein their care should be the greatest But the world hath alwaies had a mean and base esteem of Christ himself and therefore no marvell if they esteem so little of his grace and Spirit The Gadarens preferred their Swine before him the Iews Barrabas Iudas thirty pieces of silver whereas St Paul wanted words to expresse how he valued him and therefore breaks off with O the depth Rom. 11.33 Neither can Christ or indeed the meanest saving grace that he bestowes upon his be valued with ten thousand worlds But hear another reason why miserable muckworms are so transported with earthly trash which the godly so little regard A main cause is this Men of the world as they know not what the riches of the mind means so they have no hope of a better life after this This is all their Heaven and here they have all their portion they are like to have Psal. 73.12 Deliver my soul from the wicked saith David from men of the world who have their portion in this life whose bellyes thou fillest with thy hid treasure their children have enough and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal. 17.14 But my teeth shall not water after their dainties Wo be to you that are rich saith our Saviour for ye have received your consolation Luke 6.24 All here none hereafter and hereupon they covet riches and honours and pleasures so excessively and insatiably Nor can it be otherwise in reason for nothing but the assurance of heavenly things makes us willing to part with earthly things Neither can he contemn this life that knows not the other But this is the priviledge of Piety The rich man hath not so much advantage of the poor in injoying as the religious poor hath of the rich in leaving Neither is the poor man so many pounds behind the rich for this world as he may be talents before him for the world to come So that there is no learning this art without being religious For you will be covetous untill you be gracious And during the time of your greedinesse you shall never be satisfied because happinesse is tied to goodnesse by the chain of Providence CHAP. XII Now if thou wouldest become godly in good earnest if thou wouldst have this change wrought in thee and have thy affections so altered as to find more sweetnesse in spiritual things than ever thou hast done in thy worldly enjoyments be sure to begin at the spring head I mean thy heart This is Gods own counsel to the men of Ierusalem Ier. 4. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saved How long shall thy wicked thoughts remain with thee vers 14. It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Had Elisha cast the salt into the brooks and ditches the remedy must have striven against the stream to reach up to the springs Now it was but one labour in curing the fountain Our heart is a well of bitter venomous water our actions are the streams in vain shall we cleanse our hands while our hearts are evil Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Ephes. 4.23 24 28. But alas how many are there that set the cart before the horse and begin to change their lives before their hearts but if we shall be advised so to do it is not advisedly It is most ridiculous to apply remedyes to the 〈…〉 skilfull Physician that when the head-ach is caused by the distemperature of the stomach would apply outward remedies to the head before he had purged the stomach where lies the matter that feeds the disease To what purpose is it to crop the top of the weeds or lop off the boughes of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth Cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop off the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the root then and not till then it will
grow no more Great Cities once expunged the Dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves Wherefore as the King of Syria said unto his Captains Fight neither against great nor small but against the King of Israel 1 Kings 22.31 So especially we must set our selves against our mother and Master sinne the King being caught the rest will never stand out The heart is originally evil that is the treasure and storehouse of wickednesse As in generation so in regeneration Cor primum vivit life begins at the heart Yea the heart is the first in our Creation which is formed the first by reason of our fall by sinne which is deformed and the first in our regeneration that is reformed And whensoever God does savingly shine upon the understanding he giveth a soft and pliable heart For without a work upon the heart by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shal say to the contrary That must first be reformed which was first deformed Out of the abundance of the heart saith our Saviour the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 Yea out of the abundance of the heart the head deviseth the eye seeth the ear heareth the hand worketh the foot walketh A man may apply his ears and his eyes as many blockheads do to his Book and yet never prove Scholar but from that day which a man begins to apply his heart unto wisdome he learneth more in a moment after than he did in a year before nay than ever he did in all his life As you see the wicked because they apply their hearts to wickednesse how fast they proceed how easily and how quickly they become perfect Swearers perfect Drunkards cunning Deceivers c. The heart is like the fire which kindleth the sacrifice 1 Kings 18.38 And indeed if the tongue or the hand or the ear think to serve God without the heart it is the irksomest occupation in the world But as the Sunne riseth first and then the beasts arise from their dens the fowles from their nests and men from their beds so when the heart sets forward to serve God all the members will follow after it the tongue will praise him the foot will follow him the ear will attend him the eye will watch him the hand will serve him nothing will stay after the heart but every one goes like Handmaids after their Mistresse Such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things Matth. 12.25 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean Matth 35.25 26. So see your hearts be sincere and single and then all your actions will be holy to the Lord. If we would be rid of noysome fowles the only way is to destroy their nests in every place A vain and lost labour it is to stop the current of a stream if you go not to the fountain Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 As though he would teach us the pleasantest and easiest way to serve him without any grudging or toyl or wearisomenesse As let but the heart be changed and we shall attend the Ordinances and perform all duties with delight cheerfulnesse and alacrity Whereas to a carnal heart holy duties as fasting praying hearing is so tedious and irksome that it thinks one Sabboth or Fast-day more tedious and burdensome than ten holy daies as their consciences will bear me witnesse Whereas the gracious soul is more delighted therewith than his body with a well relished meal Touch but the first linke of a chain and all the rest will follow so set but the heart a going and it is like the poyse of a clock which turns all the wheels one way such an oyl is upon the heart that it makes all nimble and current about it but without the heart all is mute and dumb As the tongue will not praise because the heart doth not love the ear doth not hear because the heart does not mind the hand does not give because the heart does not pitty the foot will not go because the heart hath no affection All stay upon the heart like the Captain that should give the onset Nor is any service we can do accepted without the heart and affections flowing thence Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal. 51.10 The Scribes and Pharisees did fast and watch and pray and hear and read and give and do all that we can do and yet Christ rewarded all their works with a wo because they wanted a good heart and true affections flowing thence They honoured God with their lips but their hearts were far away from him Whence he also calls them hypocrites Mark 7.6 The Disciple that betrayed Christ heard as much as the Disciples that loved him CHAP. XIII But here least I should be mistaken let me joyn to what hath been said and what shall be further said by way of caution Expect not that this should be done by any power of thine own for except God give thee repentance and removes all impediments that may hinder thou canst no more turn thy self than thou couldst at first make thy self We are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3.5 We are swift to all evil but to any good immoveable We can lend no more active power to our conversion than Adam did to his creation than the Child doth to his conception than the dead man to his raising from the grave 〈…〉 16.14 the ears of the Prophet to hear well Isa. 50.4 the eyes of Elishaes servant to see well 2 Kings 6.17 and the lips of David to speak well Bid a man by his own strength do the least good or bear the least trouble you may with as good successe stand in the street and bid a chained prisoner come out of his dungeon St Paul before his conversion could do as much as the best accomplished moralist of them all his words are If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh much more I Phil. 3.4 Yet when he speaks of his doing or suffering he sheweth that it was because the love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost which was given him Rom. 5.5 Of himself he could do nothing though he were able to do all things through Christ and by the Spirits assistance who strengthened him Phil. 4.13 Man is like an Organ-pipe that speakes no longer then wind is blown into it Wherefore as when David came to fight with Goliah he cast away Sauls armour so let us in this case cast away all trust and confidence in our selves and only set forward in the Name of the Lord God of Israel If we trust to our own resistance we cannot stand
he should have held Mordecai's stirr up much lesse have changed preferment with him That Mordecai should be lifted up into Hamans favour at Court and Haman should be exalted to that fifty cubits eminency above ground in Mordecais room But go we on Love will cause us to open our hands unto such as are in want and lend or give them sufficient for their need as God commands Deut. 15. 8. It will make us of Iobs spirit who would not eate his morsells alone but invited the fatherlesse to eate with him Job 31.17 It will make a man love his enemies and do good for them that do hurt to him Luke 6. 35. Yea if need so require as in a famine or common persecution it will make us sell our possessions and goods and distribute them to all as every one hath need as did the Christians in the Primitive Church Acts 2.44 45. And lastly which is above all It will make a man to lay downe his life for the brethren 1 John 3.16 Whereas he that hath not this Christian grace feels and is sensible of common calamities just so much as appertains to his own private estate interest and no more It is the want of compassion that takes no compassion of others wants Yea this is an argument that the love of God is not in us 1 John 3.17 Whatsoever we thinke or say it is not at all in us Iohn 3.14 15.17 CHAP. XVIII Again It 's impossible that he who hath love should be ungratefull Mary Magdalen had received much and this made her love much and loving much she thought nothing too much to bestow even upon the most remote members of Christ to expresse her thankfulnesse Luke 7.38 And the like of Naaman when Elisha had done that great cure upon him whose hands were no lesse â—ull of thankes then his mouth Dry and barren profession of our obligation where is power to requite are unfit for noble and ingenuous spirits And so of Iacob If saith he I come again unto my fathers house in safety then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that he shall give me I will give the tenth unto him again Gen. 28.21 22. And Hannah who vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thine hand-maid and remember me and not forget thine hand-maid but give unto thine hand-maid a man Childe then I will give him unto the Lord all the dayes of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head and she did it accordingly 1 Sam. 1.11.27 28. An ingenuous disposition cannot receive favours without thoughts of return Behold thou hast been carefull for us sayes Elisha to the Shunamite with all this care what is to be done for thee wouldst thou be spoken for to the King or to the Captain of the Host what is there to be done for thee And when he understood that a sonne was the onely thing she wanted and desired her husband being old he obtained of the Lord to fulfill her desire 2 Kings 4.13 to 17. Both Christ and the Angels the Prophets and Apostles were wont to be very beneficial guests to their hostes and hostesses and ever payd a blessâ—ng for their entertainment Elias requited his hostesse with a supernatnrall provision He gave also her owne and her sons life to her for his board Yea in that wofull famine 1 King â—7 He gave her and her sonne their board for his house-room Yea it is storied of Pyrrhus an Heathen that he did exceedingly grieve for that a friend of his hapned to dye before he had required his many favours Those hearts that are truly thankâ—ull delight no lesse in the repayment of a good turn then in the receit and do as much study how to shew their fervent affections for what they have received as how to compasse favours when they want them Their debt is their burthen which when they have discharged they are at ease and not before Resembling Homer who never forgot to requite a benefit received nor could be at rest untill he had done it CHAP. XIX Nor can there be a better signe of true love and â—ound amendment then that we can be content to be loosers by our repentance Many formall penitents have yielded to part with so much of their sinne as may abate nothing of their profit It is an easie matter to say yea and think what they say to be true that they love God and Christ. There is no Dives among us but he thinks scorne to be charged with the want of love What not love God But aske his conscience the next question What good hast thou done for his sake No he can remember none of that no goodnesse no workes of mercy or charity hath come from him all his life long But know this thou wretched rich miserly muckworme that thoâ— artbound to performe these works of mercy to the poore both ouâ— of duty and thankefulnesse to him who hath given thee thy selfe and all that thou hast Yea if thou beest not a meere beast or blocke When thou beholdest them the poor I meane behold how thou art beholding to Him that suffered thee not to be like them Hath God given thee all things and dost thou then thinke it a great matter to give him back something especially seeing thou givest him but of his owne as David gladly acknowledged 1 Chr. 29.14 For shame consider of it and let thy conscience make answer to what I shall aske thee what can be more equall and just then to give a little unto him who hath given all unto us especially seeing he hath granted unto us the use onely of what we possesse reserving still the chief propriety unto himselfe and to spare something unto the poor out of our abundance at his request who hath not spared to give unto us his onely begotten and dearly beloved sonne that by a shamefull death he might free us from everlasting death and condemnation and purchase for us eternall happiness Yea in truth what madnesse is it to deny being requested to give at his appointment some small portion of our goods who by his owne right and authority may take all And what senselesse folly were it to turne away our face from him when he asketh in the behalfe of the poor some earthly and momentaâ—y trifles from whom we expect as his free gift Heavens felicity and everlasting glory CHAP. XX. But to drive home this duty to mens consciences see further what cause we have to extend our liberality to the relief of Christs poore members For here I shall take occasion to slide into a discourse which in the Title page 1 durst not once mention as well knowing how averse most men are and how desperately most rich mens hearts are hardned against the poore whereof I le onely give you an instance Some six years since having taken no small paynes
cito facere It is the property of him that giveth willingly to give speedily Being of Boaz his spirit of whom Naomy could say out of a common fame That he would not be in rest untill he had finished the good which was propounded to him Ruth â— 18 And as speed in bestowing graceth the gift yea doubles it in respect of the giver so it doubleth the benefit to him that receiveth it Nam his dat qui cito dat he gives twice that giveth quickly and the swifter that a benefit cometh the sweeter it tasteth Present relief to present want makes a bounty weightier And he cannot but esteem the benefit that unexpectedly receives help in his deepest distresse Whereas a benefit deferred loses the thanks many times proves unprofitable to him that expects it Ioshuah marches all night and fightâ— all day for the Gibeonites else he had as good have saved his labour And possibly through these delays thy almes may â—ome too late like a good gale of winde after shipwracke When his health is lost for want of relief or state ruâ—ned for want of seasonable helpe and so thy late and untimely almes will do him little good For it fareth with men in their strength and state as with a leake in a ship or a breach of waters which may be eâ—sily stopped and stayed at the first appearing but if lâ—t alone will within a while grow remedilesse There must then be no stay in these actions of beneficence but onely that which is caused through the receivers shamefastnesse But specially we must avoyd delays in giving after we have granted for there is nothing more bitter then to be forced to make a new suite for that which hath already been obtained and to finde more difficulty in the delivery then in the grant CHAP. XXXVIII Another thing required in doing good works is constancy and assiduity the which is also implyed in the Metaphor of sowing seed for the Husbandman contenteth not himselfe to have sowed his seed in former years but he continueth to sow it still to the end of his life and though the Crop be sometimes so small that the seed it selfe is scarce returned yet he will not be discouraged but will again cast it into the ground in hope of better successe And this must we do in sowing the â—eeds of our beneficence casting them daily into the ground which we finde fitted and prepared and not thinke it enough to adorne our selves with them as with our best apparell which we onely put on in high and Festival dayes We must make it our daily exercise benefacta benefactis pertegentes as one saith making one good deed an introduction unto another and never leaving to do good so long as there is any power in our hands to do it And unto this the Apostle exhorteth 2 Thess. 3.13 Brethren be not weary of well doing And 1 Thess. 5.15 Ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men And in this we shall imitate our heavenly Father and approve our selves to be his children who reneweth his mercies unto us every morning and multiplyeth his blessings upon us every day with a new supply and so we shall be sure to receive a rich reward For if we be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in these good works of the Lord we may be assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as it is promised 1 Cor. 15.58 Many other places there are that require us to give constantly to seven and also to eight as Solomon phraseth it even so often as the necessities of the Saints require For thus the Apostle saith Distributing to the necessities of the Saints He doth not say distribute but distributing using the participle which noteth a continued act of distributing So saith St. Paul of the Philippians You sent once and again to my necessity A Well-head or a Spring runs with a constant streame and will not be dry so should mercifull deeds flow from us The liberall man will devise of liberall things and continue his liberality Isa. 32.8 And such an one was Boaz of whom Naomi could say out of a common same Blessed be he of he Lord for he ceaseth not to do good to the living to the dead Ruth 2.20 Again we must increase in doing good our care must be as to grow in grace so to bring forth new fruits of good works imitating herein the Church of Thyatira whose last works excelled the first Rev. â—â—9 Seeing we cannot otherwise be sure to be constant in them For they who go not forward but stand at a stay will not long stay in their standinâ— And in this the beneficence of a godly man differeth from that which is in worldlings who do some good works of mercy by fits but aâ—e not constant in well doing and also in that which is in Hypocrites who do some good deeds for praise or profit but yet deâ—ist when their turne is served The flame of their charity lasting no longer than the fuell doth wherewith it is nourished but these have onely a green blade of an outward profession and never come to the bearing of ripe fruits They run well for a time but get not the garland because they do not hold out to the end of the race They are not true Christians but onely dead images of Christianity like that which Nebuchadnezar saw in a Dreame which had an head of gold the middle parts of silver his â—hiâ—â—eâ— of brasse his legs of iron and his feat part of iron and part of clay for so the head and first beginnings of their workes are golden and glorious but the last and latter ends base and of no worth Thus we ought not onely to performe this duty presently and constantly but we should increase in the doing of it CHAP. XXXIX But alaâ— the rich worldling takes a quite contrary course for either he never does any good at all or if he do it is at his death The miserly Muckworms manner is never to be liberall till he dies never to forsake or leave his goods untill his goods leave and forsake him Being like the Muckhill that never does good till carried out or the fat hoâ—â— that is good for nothing till he comes to the knife or the poor mans boxe that yeelds no money till broken up Like a tree that lets fall none of his fruit till he be forc'd by death or violently shaken by sicknesse And then perhaps he may thinke upon the poore and parâ— with something to relieve them As sometimes after he hath instead of feeding the bellies of the poor grownd their faces by usury extorting wracking inclosing and halfe undoing whole Villages he liberally relieves some few at his death and befriends them with the plaisters of his bounty which is no other then to steale a Goose and sticke down a feather rob a thousand to relieve ten Or rather as the Iewes bought a burying place for strangers with
indeed if the very worst of men did but know and consider how they should pleasure themselves in being humble and thankful they would use all their possible endeavours to that end As most pleasant it is to God and most profitable to us both for the procuring the good we want and for the continuance of the good we have CHAP. XLVI INto the humble and thankful soul that giveth him abundance of glory his Spirit enters with abundance of Grace sowing there and there only plenty of Grace where he is assured to reap plenty of glory But who will sow those barren Sands where they are not only without all hope of a good Harvest but are sure to loose their Seed and Labour And in common Equity he that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another Holy David was a man according to Gods own heart and therefore he continually miâ—â—eth with his Prayers Praises and being of a publike spirit he discovereth the secrets of this skill As when he saith Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth bring forth her encrease and God even our God shall give us his blessing Psal. 67.5 6 7. When Heaven and Earth are friends then Summer and Winter Seed-time and Harvest run on their race When God was displeased what was the effect Ye have sown much and have reaped little Again when God was pleased mark the very day For from that very day I will bless you Hag. 2.15 to 20 Whensoever glory is given to God on high peace good will shall be bestowed on men below Luk. 2.14 Psal. 84.11 12. Noah gave a Sacrifice of Praise for his deliverance from the Flood And God being praised for that one deliverance he perpetuateth his blessing and promiseth an everlasting deliverance to the World from any more Floods Again it is the only way to procure Gods Blessing upon our endeavours It happened that Bernard one day made a curious and learned Sermon for which he expected great applause but received none The next time he made a plain wholsom Sermon and it was wonderfully affected liked and commended A friend of his noting it askt him what might be the reason Who answered In the one I preached Bernard in the other Christ in the one I sought to win glory and praise to my self in the other the glory of God and the salvation of souls which received blessing from above and that made the difference yea were there nothing good else in it yet this were the way to gain true honor We cannot so much honour our selves as by seeking to honour God To seek a mans own glory says Solomon is not glory Prov. 25.25.27 but to seek Gods glory is the greatest honour a man can do himself For as Cicero said of Iulius Caesar That in extolling of dead Pompey and erecting his Statues he set up his own So who are more venerably esteemed and spoken of then such as are most tender of Gods glory and least seeke their own They are the Lord 's own words to Saul They that honour me I will honour but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 The way for a man to be esteemed the greatest is to esteem himself the least It is humility that makes us accepted both of God Man whereas the contrary makes us hated and abhorred of both The Centurion did many excellent things but he never did a Work so acceptable in the sight of Christ as was his disclaiming his own Works While Saul vvas little in his ovvn eyes God made him Head over the twelve Tribes of Israel and gave him his Spirit but when out of his Greatness he abused his Place and Gifts God took both from him and gave them to David whom Saul least respected of all his Subjects 1 Sam. 15.17.28 16.14 Other proofs of such as he will honor for honoring him you have Gen. 39.21 Zeph. 3 19 20. Dan. 2.19 to 50. as when Nebuchadnezzar sought his own honor honor departed from him and he was made like a Beast but when he sought God's honor honor came to him again and he was made a King Dan. 4.34 to the end Before honour goeth humility Prov. 15.33 But when pride cometh then cometh shame Prov. 11.2 And commonly great Works undertaken for ostentation miss of their end and turn to the Author's shame nor have any less praise then they that most hunt after it It 's true the Lord sometimes gives wicked men even what in their thoughts they ask as some desire riches onely and God gives it them with a curse some honor and dignity and they have it that their fall may be the greater others fame and reputation as loving the praise of men more then the praise of God and these have many times what they aim at they are extolled to the skies and that shall be the reward of all the good that ever they do Lastly God's people make spiritual and eternal things Grace and Glory and God's favour their onely option and they have their desire yea not seldom are riches and reputation super-added though they seek them not they seek onely God's glory on Earth as for their own glory they let that alone till they come to Heaven knowing that he onely is happily famous who is known and recorded there True he lives so well that the praise of men especially good men will follow but as I said before so say I again he wil not follow it least to gain the shadow he should lose the substance as Absolom in seeking a Kingdom lost himself CHAP. XLVII IT is a sad thing to consider how many formal Christians gulâ— themselves in thinking that Christ will reward them when they have done him no service As for example we find the Iews in the 58. of Esay urging God with their fasting as those Reprobates Luke 13. alledge unto him their preaching in Christs Name casting out Devils We have fasted say they and thou seest it not we have afflicted our selves and thou takest no notice thereof they expect some great reward but the Lord answers Have ye fasted to me No such matter and therefore sends them away empty ver 25. to 29. And so will he say unto these that perhaps do many good works for the matter of them Have ye done these and these things in love obedience and thankfulness unto me and that in Christs Name that my Name may be magnified and my People won and edified No but in love to your own credit profit and such like carnal respects and therefore look to it as you love your own souls for if in doing good and discharging our places we have served our selves and sought our selves rather then God when we come for his reward as Esau when he had brought the Venison came for the blessing making himself as sure of it as if he had had it