be saved And they said Acts. 16.41 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 17 18. for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith But the just shall live by his faith Habakkuk 2.4 Hebrews 10.38 Gal. 3.11 Now the just shall live by faith But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3 22 23. that the promise by faith of Christ Iesus might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed By the deeds of the law Rom. 3.20 21 22. there shall no flesh be justified in his fight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law and the prophets Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe For all have sinned Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus To him that worketh nor Rom. 4.5 but beliveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 2. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rem 8.1 2. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the lâ—w of sin and death For Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness to every one that believeth The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 9 10 11. that is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.33 It pleased God 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 not by sight I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me They which be of faith are blessed Gal. 3.9 26. with faithfull Abraham For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Iesus In whom also Ephes 1.13 14. after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance For by Grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 and not of your selves it is the gift of God For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Above all things take the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked Ephes 1.16 17. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong And to whom swore he Heb. 3.18 19 that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us draw near with a true heart Heb. 10.22.23 in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 the evidence of things not seen But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 for he that commeth to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The whole Chapter being special instances of Faith Of the great Power of faith in the true Servants of God who shewed the powerfullnesse of Faith in general and of their Faith in particular Looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and finisher of our Faith Receiving the end of your Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 20. even the salvation of your Souls Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee the Crown of life Hence is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14.12 here are they that keep that Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Seventhly Again Christus in veteri Testamaento est velatus Sed in novo Testamento Christus est nobis revelatus Christ in the Old Testament was hid and covered as it were under a veil and was only shadowed out unto us But in the New Testament Christ is there manisestly revealed unto us and the veil of the old Testament by him taken away 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ But even to this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their hearts Nevertheless where they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away And without controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1.1 2 14. and the Word was with God And the same was in the beginning with God 1 Iohn
promise Life I am the life which I lay down for the life of the World And again Clamat errantibus ego sum via S. Bernard Clamat dubitantibus ego sum veritas Clamat Lacescentibus ego sum vita Christ is the way for us to walk Truth us to direct And Life us to refresh And again St. Ambrose upon this place saith Ambulare vis ego sum via Falli non vis ego sum veritas Mori non vis ego sum vita Non est qua eas Nisi per me S. Ambro Non est quo eas Nisi ad me Surge igitur O homo quiae Via vita veritas veniunt at te Wilt thou walk then I am the way Wilt thou not be deceived then I am the Truth Wilt thou not die then I am the life There is no way in which thou canst walk but by me only There is no way whither thou canst go but only to me Arise therefore O man and that speedily because The way the life and the truth do come unto thee And again St. Bernard upon these words of the Evangelist Iohn 14.6 Christus est via S. Bernard Io. 14.6 veritas vita Christ is the way the truth and the life Christus est via sine errore Veritas sine falsitate Vita sine morte And again S. Bernard Christus est Via in exemple Ut homo Veritas in promisis Vita in remnneratione ut Deus Christ is the way without error The truth without falshood The life without death Again Christ is The way in his example as he was man The truth in his promises And the life in his free bestowing thereof on us as he is God And again St. Augustin upon these words saith Errare non vis ego sum via St. August Decipi non vis ego sum seritas Mori non vis ego sum vita Wilt thou not erre then I am the way Wilt thou not be deceived then I am the truth Wilt thou not die then I am the life From hence St. St. Bernard Bernards fourfold Venite is very observable Shewing us the difference between the call of the Devil and his Instruments inviting us to follow them and what reward they promise their followers for so doing And the call of Christ our Saviour and his invitation of us to follow him and what he promiseth us for our so doing Dicit mundus venite S. Bernard et ego Inficiam Dicit caro venite et ego Illiciam Dicit daemon venite et ego interficiam Dicit Christus ventte et ego reficiam The World saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will infect you The flesh saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will intice and allure you to ill The Devil saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will destroy you both body and soul in hel But Christ saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will new make you and supply all your defects whatsoever Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 29 30. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my Yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls For my yoke is easie and my burden is light For this is the love of God 1 Io. 5.3 that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous And we know Rom. 8.28 that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow Rom. 8.29 30. he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Ephes 1.3 4 5 7 9. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him In whom also we have obtained an inheritance Ephes 1.11 12 13 14. being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the Counsell of his own will That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory According to his mercy Tit. 3.5 6.7 he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us aboundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justiffed by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life So then Rom. 9.16 it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy From these before-ment oned places of Scripture it doth appear unto us for our comfort that God doth hereby manifest unto us his free grace and bounty in the means of our salvation and that for the better grounding of our faith herein he observeth this course as namely First Noseligere ordinare praedestinare ad salvationem in praescientia sua divina aeterna To choose ordain and predestinate us unto salvation in his divine and eternall foreknowledge Secondly Nos inspirare renovare illuminare per Spiritum suum sacrosanctum To inspire to renew and to illuminate us by the heavenly operation of his holy Spirit in us Thirdly Nos ligare trahere dirigere stabilire adificare per verbum suum divenum per sacramenta sua sacra To biud draw direct establish and build us up in the heavenly building and knowledge of Christ by his divine and holy Word and by his holy and blessed Sacraments St. Augustines observation is this St. Augustin That God doth Inspirare per verbum God doth inspire us by his Word The due and serious consideration of all this ought not onely to raise
uncircumcised Jeremiah chap. 6. ver 10. and they cannot hearken It is well observed by one That First It is God and he alone that fitteth and prepareth the eares of all to hear aright his word preached unto them He openeth the eares of men Job chap. 33. ver 16. and sealeth their instructions Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire Psalm 40. ver 6. mine eares hast thou opened Secondly It is God and he alone that openeth the heart as he did the heart of Lydia and doth as it were dig delve and prepare the same to receive the word preached as seed sown in good ground that so it may take deep root downwards and bring forth good fruit upwards for the amendment of our lives and salvation of our souls And a certain woman named Lydia Acts chap. 16. ver 14. a seller of purple of the City of Thyatyra which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul But that Luke chap 8. ver 15. on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Thirdly It is God and he alone that doth blesse our memories with a retentive faculty to keep and retain the word which we hear preached unto us Fourthly It is God and he alone that enlightens and illuminates our understandings and sanctifieth our affections by the powerfull operation of his holy Spirit in us thereby enabling us to put in practice in our lives and conversations that which we have heard preached unto us And all this thus wrought in us for the comfort and salvation of our soules in and through Christ Jesus our blessed Lord and Saviour We must likewise take heed what we hear and how we hear Thirdly The powerfulnesse of Gods word and the benefits we have thereby We are both in our reading and hearing of the word of God and in our meditations thereon to take into our serious consideration the powerfulnesse of the word of God and the great and unspeakable benefits we receive thereby divers wayes manifested unto us by these ensueing places of Scripture In sacra scriptura quicquid docetur Hugo libro 3. de anima veritas quicquid praecipitur bonitas quicquid promittitnr faelicitas est Nam Deus veritas est sine fallacia bonitas sine malitia faelicitas sine miseria ut Hugo libro 3. de anima In the holy Scripture Hugo whatsoever is taught is truth whatsoever is commanded is goodnesse and whatsoever is promised is happinesse For God is truth without falshood goodnesse without malice and happinesse without misery as Hugo well observeth in his third book of the soul Sacra Scriptura S. Gregory in moral tanto plus diligitur quanto amplius meditatur ut inquit St. Gregory in moral The holy Scripture is so much the more loved of us by how much the more we do meditate therein S. Gregory as St. Gregory observeth Doctrina scripturae perfecta est Piscator fol. 22. cap. 14. omnia scilicet tradens qua ad verum Dei cultum ad aeternam nostram salutem sunt necessaria ut Piscator fol. 22. cap. 14. The doctrine of the scripture is perfect Piscator that is to say shewing unto us all things necessary both to the due worship of God and our own eternall salvation Finis seu scopus Dei in scriptura Piscator fol. 22. cap. 13. est crudire populum suum de recto cultu sui vera hominis faelicitate perfecta est tradens omnia quae sunt ad istum scopum assequendū necessaria ut Piscat fol. 22. cap. 13. The end and purpose of God in the scriptures is to instruct his people and children in the true Piscator and right worship of him as also in the happinesse of man and the same is likewise perfect teaching us all things which are necessary to the attaining unto of that end Doctrina scripturae certo vera est Piscator quippe ab instinctu Spiritus sancti profectus erroneum igitur necesse est quicquid cum eo pugnat ut Piscator fol. 22. cap. 18. The doctrine of the Scripture is certainly true because it proceedeth from the instinct and inspiration of the holy Spirit of God and therefore it falleth out that whatsoever is repugnant thereunto must needs be erroneous A good encouragement for all to read the scriptures An excouragement to read the Scriptures In scripturis abundat quod robustus comedat quod parvulus sugat In the scriptures there is such abundance Fulgentius as that strong men may there find meat to eat and the weak young suckling may there also find fitting food for him to suck on as Fulgentius observeth Divinus sermo sicut mysteriis prudentes exercet sic plerunque superficie simplices refovet Habet in publice unde parvulos nutriat servat in secreto Gregory Epist ad Leande unde mentes sublimium admiratione suspendat ut Gregory Epist ad Leandr The word of God as in mysteries doth exercise the wise so in a superficiall way of knowledge it doth comfort and refresh the weak and simple It hath in common whereby it may nourish the young ones and it keeps in secret that whereby it may hold in suspence with admiration the mindes of the sublimate and learned as Gregory observeth in his epistle to Leander And again as the same Authour observeth Gregory Epist ad Leande It is a deep and yet a shallow foord Ubi agnus ambulat ubi clephas natat where the Lambe may wade and where the greatest Elephant may swimme Or where the weakest in knowledge and understanding may find much comfort and where the greatest and most profound scholar may find matter enough to work upon For since I spake Jeremiah cha 20. ver 8.9 I cried out I cried violence and spoil because the word of the Lord was made a reproch unto me and a derision daily Then I said I will not make mention of him any more nor speak any more in his name But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Is not my word like as fire Jeremiah cha 23. ver 29. saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word Hear the word of the Lord Isaiah cha 66. ver 2.5 ye that tremble at his word My word shall not return unto me void Isaiah cha 55. ver 11. but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it The word of God called a sword Revelation chap. 19. ver 21. which sword proceeded out of his
good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose Bonis bona malis mala Good things to good men and ill things to ill men as one observeth Tametsi non bonum tamen in bonum ut St. Augustin Nay St. Augustin though the things be not good yet they work for the good of the godly And as St. Bernard observeth Afflictions do make a man to be more humble wary S. Bernard and cautious in his wayes Afflictions and crosses though harmfull to others yet prove helpfull to the godly Yet even their sins though not not good yet they turn to their good as a means to make them more lowly more wary Yea death it self though in it self it be evil and the punishment of sin yet it is a means to free them both from sin and from all the fruits and effects of it and to restore them to that life again which by sin once they lost But now Rom. 6.22 23. being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 18.27 but wilt bring down high looks For he hath not despised Psal 22.24 nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cried unto him he heard him Afflictions do make us fit vessels for Gods choice I have chosen thee Isaiah 48.10 in the furnace of affliction Whatsoever is brought upon thee Ecclus 2.4 5 6 take cheerfully and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate For gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the surnace of adversity Believe in him and he will help thee order thy way aright and trust in him As gold in the furnace hath he tried them Wisd 3.6 and 4.5 and received them as a burnt-offering For though they be punished in the sight of men yet is their hope full of immortality And having been a little chastised they shall be greatly rewarded for God proved them and found them worthy for himself For we know 2 Cor. 5.1 2. that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved We have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea Isaiah 26.9 with my spirit within me will I seek thee early in the morning for when thy Judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Meaning Exposition That by afflictions men will learn to fear God as the exposition is Afflictions are chastisements for our sins Jesus said unto him John 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Thereby shewing that the afflictions which we endure The marginall note and observation Nehem. 9.38 are chastisements for our sins as the marginall note and observation is Now because of all this we make a sure covenant and write it and our Princes and our Levites and our priests seal unto it Thus by affliction they promise to keep Gods commandements The marginall note and observation whereunto they would not be brought by Gods great benefits as the marginall note and observation is Wo unto him that striveth with his maker Isaiah 45.9 the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Hereby he bridleth their impatiency Exposition which in adversity and trouble murmure against God and will not tarry his pleasure willing that man should march with his like and not contend against God as the Exposition is But Hezekiah the king 2 Chro. 32.20 and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed against this or for this cause and cried to heaven This sheweth what is the best refuge in all troubles and dangers Exposition as the Exposition is After troubles and afflictions God comforteth his afflicted children with his blessings God useth to comfort his children and servants which do cry unto him with his blessings powred down upon them And many brought offerings unto the Lord to Ierusalem 2 Chro. 32.23 and presents to Hezekiah king of Iudah so that he was magnified in the sight of all Nations from thenceforth Thus after trouble Exposition God sendeth comfort to all them that patiently wait on him and constantly put their trust in his mercies as the exposition is Misery and afflictions are of this good use as that they do excite Afflâ—ctions work in a man repentance and humiliation and stirr up a man to repentance as a Father observeth and that punishments with afflictions will open the eyes of a mans understanding and draw him to God by repentance and humiliation when nothing else will And when he was in tribulation 2 Chron. 33.12 13. he prayed unto the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers And prayed unto him and God was entreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him again to Ierusalem into his kingdome Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God Thus Affliction giveth understanding Exposition for he that hated God in his prosperity now in his misery he seeketh unto him as the exposition is The due consideration hereof will be a continuall comfort unto us and as our souls cordiall in all times of affliction and even then most of all when all other comforts fail us CHAP. VI. A Meditation upon Life and Death and how we are at all times and upon all occasions to fit and prepare our selves for death that so it seize not upon us at unawares FIrst of our life First Of our life here and the due consideration thereof Our life here is a sea-fare a way-fare and a warr-fare First Our life is a sea-fare They that go down to the sea Our life here is a sea-fare Psal 107.23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31. in ships that do businesse in great waters These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresse He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them to their desired haven Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men Secondly Our life here is a way-fare full of troubles Our life here
is a way-fare Eccles 40.1 2 3 4 5 6. calamities dangers Great travell is created for every man and an heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam from the day that they go out of their mothers wombe till the day that they return to the mother of all things Their imagination of things to come and the day of death trouble their thoughts and cause fear of heart From him that sitteth on a throne of glory unto him that is humbled in earth and ashes From him that weareth purple and a crown unto him that is clothed with a linen frock Wrath and envy trouble and unquietnesse fear of death and anger and strife and in the time of rest upon his bed his nights sleep do change his knowledge A little or nothing is his rest and afterwards he is in his sleep as in a day of keeping watch troubled in the vision of his heart as if he were escaped out of a battel Such things happen unto all flesh Eccles 40.8 9.10 both man and beast and that is seven fold more upon sinners Death and bloudshed strife and sword calamities famine tribulation and the scourge These things are created for the wicked and for their sakes came the floud All his wayes are plain unto the holy Eccles 39.24 so are they stumbling-blocks unto the wicked Who is wise Hosea 14.9 and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressours shall fall therein For the good are good things created from the beginning so evil things for sinners And as this our life is a way wherein we are continually walking and travelling as way-faring men unto another Countrey So Our life here is also as a race Our life here is as a race wherein we must he continually running and not to stand still at a stay Know ye not 1 Cor. 9.24 that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that ye may obtain And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things 2 Cor. 9.25 26. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible I therefore so run not as uncerteinly so fight I not as one that beateth the air Let us lay aside every weight Hebr. 12.1 2. and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Looking unto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith Thirdly Our life is a warr-fare This our life is also a warr-fare and in this our fight our weapons are to be spirituall Finally Eph. 6.10 11. my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For though we walk in the flesh 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. we do not war after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities Ephes 6.12 to 18. against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual wickednesse in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your Loins girt about with Truth and having on the Breast-plate of righteousness And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked And take the helmet of Salvation and the word of the Spirit which is the Word of God Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints But let us who are of the day 1 Thes 5 8 9 10. be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ who died for us that whether we walk or sleep we should live together with him I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing It is observed by one Of Man that there is in Man First Lacrimabilis inceptio He enters into the World crying 2. Brevis dimensio He is here but of short continuance 3. Tristis afflictio Sorrowfull affliction ever attending on him And in all this there is in him 4. Labilis conditio A falling and backsliding condition And in all nothing but vanity Infoelicitat is fabula homo Man is the very fable or story of Infelicity as one well observeth It is observed by one that in the crying of the Child ah this signifies what miserie he takes from Adam And in crying oh what misery he takes from Eve They suck misery and crosses even from their Nurses teats As Tiberius Tiberius of whom it is written that he was a Drunkard because his Nurse was given to that vice And of Caligula Caligula that he was bloudy because his Nurse was so Homo Infoelicitatis exemplum Forturae Lusus Inconstantiae imago Injuriae et calamitatis trutina Man is the very Pattern and example of Infelicity the very sport and pastime of Fortune to play upon and the ballance of Injury and calamity as a Father observeth Quid est homo Seneca morbidum putridum cassum a fletu vitam auspicatum What is man but even a rotten and a corrupt thing good for nothing and beginning of his Life with crying as Seneca observeth Nascitur Augustine et statim plorat qui et ridere poterat futurae Calamitatis propheta Man is born and presently cries who might have laughed being as a Prophet foretelling of his future calamity as St. Augustine observeth A Father describing the misery of Man saith as followeth Cujus conceptio culpa Nasci poena labor vita et necesse mori Whose Conception is faulty his Birth a punishment his Life a labour and a Necessity in him to die Affliction commeth not forth of the Dust Iob 5.6 7. neither doth trouble spring out of the Ground Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards Nemo tam dives Habuit faventes Crastinum ut possit Sibi polliceri Seneca Seneca No man can
any wayes assure himself of living till to morrow Tota vita dies unus as a Father observeth that is Our whole life here is but as one day Non potest praesentem diem recte vivere is qui se non eum quasi ultimum victurum esse cogitat ut Pater No man can live well and as he ought to do unlesse he think and account of every day to be as it were his very last day Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendes Et pubesceutes juncta senecta premit Nequities vitae non sinit esse senem Being born we dye and our end hangs upon our beginning And as we grow up in yeares old age presseth upon us And the evils of our life will not permit and suffer us to grow old Optima aliorum sententia quippe homini aiuut non nasci esse bonum aut natum cito morte perire ut Pater It was the opinion of some others for man not to be born was good or else being born then soon to dye Many there are Plin. Qui non nasci optimum censerent aut quam ocyssime emori Which have thought it the best not to be born or being born then suddenly to end his dayes as Plinie observeth Non nasci Cicero longe optimnm proximum quam primum mori This the very heathens thought That not to be born was farr the best the next very soon to dye as Cicero observeth Primum bonum non nasci secundum citius mori The first good is not to be born the second soon to die as a Father observeth Directory rules how we are to live Rules how to live Qualis vita finis ita that is as the life is so shall the end be In the place where the tree falleth Eccles 11.3 there it shall be Heu vivunt hamines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Aut tanquam infernum fabula vana foret Alas men do now live as if that no death were to follow And as if Hell were but a fable O quam contempta res est homo nisi supra numana se erexerit O how contemptible a thing is man if he do not erect his thoughts to a higher pitch than to that which is onely humane as a Father observeth Praestat homini nunquam nasci quam non renasci nunquam generari quam non regenerari ut Pater It had been farr better for a man never to have been born than not to be born again and never to have been begotten than not to be regenerated And Iesus answered John 3.3 5 6 7. and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God Iesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit Marvell not that I said unto you Ye must be born again Melior est non esse quam esse fine Jesu melior est non vivere quam vivere sine vita ut St. Bernard It is farr better for a man not to be at all S. Bernard than to be without Iesus Christ and better it were for a man not to live at all than to live here without enjoying the happinesse of life eternall hereafter as St. Bernard observeth And this it was which made that good Father St. S. Bernard Bernard to cry out and say Domine Jesu esto mihi Jesus O sweet Lord Iesus be thou unto me and unto my soul a Iesus a Saviour This likewise made another Father to say after this manner Non est vita nisi vera vita non est vera vita nisi aeterna vita There is no life here unlesse the same be a true life and there can be no true life here without the enjoying of life eternall hereafter as a Father observeth And this our life eternal proceedeth from our Iustification and Sanctification here the fruit and effect of our Glorification hereafter Knowing Gal. 2.16 17 19 20. that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law For by the works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves are found Sinners is therefoae Christ the Minister of sin God forbid For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Vita vitae mortalis est vita vitae immortalitatis The life of our mortall life here is the life of our immortal life hereafter as a Father well observeth Viam vita dicitur per quam quilibet natus properat ad finem Our life here S. Basil is the way by which every one that is born doth hasten unto his end as St. Basil observeth Ut hora Sic fugit vita Sic in non homini vertitur omnis homo ut Poeta As the Hour so our life passeth away and so every Man is suddenly turned and changed and become no man We must therefore be carefull how we live And herein Boetius giveth us this good rule for Directions in our Life Boetius Incumbit nobis necessitas recte vivendi cum omnia quae facimus facta sunt coram oculis Judicis cuncta videntis Boetius Necessity lieth upon us to live well in this regard That all things which we do they are all of them acted and done before the eyes of that great Iudge of Heaven and Earth which seeth all things Intrasti ut exires as one saith Thou camest into the world that thou mightest go out of the world again And as an other well observeth Nostrum vivere è vita transire All our life here ought to be a preparation for death Considering this which one observeth as namely Non est vitae momentum sine motu ad mortem huc tendimus omnes huc primus huc ultimus ordo There is Not a moment in our Life without some Motion towards our Death and this is the true state and condition of all Mankind here And therefore one giveth us this good Rule to be observed by us in the whole course of our life Proximus esto bonis si non potes optimus esse Follow then the good example of good men and come as near to them as thou canst do if so be thou canst not be the best of all It is well observed by one Quam turpe est in eo statu vivere in in