vale of miserie neuer longing or looking after the heauenly mansions prepared by our Sauiour Ioh. 14.2.3 let â—hem know that one day they must leaue all and not haue so much as the benefite of one of the walkes of their gardens or galleries but in stead thereof shall bee shut vp in that lothsome place of darknesse which yeeldeth nothing but wailing weeping and gnashing of teeth SECT 7. Of a great familie and many attendants IF sumptuous buildings remaine like a cottage in a vineyard Esa 1.8 and like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers as the Prophet speakes of Ierusalem they become the passengers wonderment and display the owners vanitie but when they are fraught and furnished with great families then doe men as well commend them as admire them yet is all this but vanitie Vide. Sect. 12. 13. For if those Oeconomicall leagues and linkes which are most neare and naturall be vaine as it is euident they are then can it not be otherwise in that which is more remote and seruile Many there are who are exceeding proud of their great traines and their many seruants but as iustly as a ruinous house may be proud of many proppes or a prisoner of his many keepers The blessed Angels go about the world neither hauing nor needing any seruants what shall we repute them inferiour to vs silly men that both haue and need them nay rather in their power let vs view our owne weaknesse and be humbled Seruants should indeed be props and pillars to their maisters but they oftimes become chinks and pillers being neither silent in their secrets nor faithfull in their affaires fulfilling our Sauiours saying A mans enemies shall be they of his owne houshold Mat. 10.3 Mich. 7.6 Psal 101. Dauid was as industrious as might be to free his house from badde seruants yet had he a leude Achitophel who gaue vngracious counsell to his rebellious sonne 2. Sam. 6. Our blessed Sauiour had but twelue disciples that were continually conuersant with him yet one of them yea he whom he trusted with his treasure proued a traitour And doe not our owne stories make mention of diuers great meÌ„ The Dukes of Buâ—kingham and Suffolke and others Hollinsh which haue bene vtterly vndone by the treacherie of their vntrustie seruants Is it not an ordinarie thing for men to haue such seruants as will kindle and nourish the coales of contention and incense and stir vp their maisters to vnlawfull actions and attempts Such were the seruants of Abraham and Lot Gen. 13. who iangled among themselues eueÌ„ to the separation of their maisters though kinsmen and deare friends such were the seruants of Abimelech Gen. 21. who vnknowne to the king their maister offered Abraham iniurie in his welles of water yea the seruants of another Abimelech wronged Isaac likewise Gen. 26. euen contrary to the expresse commaundement of the king It is no maruell that Saul had a Doeg to feed his malitious humour 1. Sam. 22. in accusing Dauid and Abim lech when as Dauid had followers that perswaded him to a wicked reuenge 1. Sam. 24. euen to lay hands vpon the Lords annointed But what are all seruants such God forbid yea I know there are some that doe feare God vnfainedly serue their maisters faithfully yet I feare that summe is small We reade not of one seruant that went with Noah into the arke not one that departed with Lot out of Sodome yet is it not lâ—ke that either of theÌ„ was without seruants Besides this if a man do seriously consider his dutie as well as his dignitie he shall finde that his superioritie and attendance is rather a matter of burthen then of honour Oneris quaÌ„ honoris for behold how many seruants hee hath so many soules hee hath to answer for The maister is charged with the seruants sanctifying of the sabboth Exo. 20 10. and Abraham is commaunded to circumcise euery man-child Gen. 17.12 both him that is borne in his house and him that is bought with money yea the commaundement is doubled and vehemently vrged Ver. 13. He that is borne in the house and he that is bought with money must needes be circumcised And this is Abrahams praise pronounced by the Lords owne mouth that he will teach not onely his sonnes but his houshold also to keepe the way of the Lord Gen. 18 19 to doe righteousnesse and iudgement The strictnesse of this dutie hath caused the Spirite of God in the sacred Scriptures 1. Kin 5.15 to coÌ„found the names of father and maister Mat. 8.6 sonne and seruant to teach vs that as the obedience of seruants to their maisters should be filiall so the care of maisters ouer their seruants should be parentall Here then those that haue great families euen troupes of seruants and followers may rather learn to be humbled then exalted vpon the conceit of their great trains A maister is not seene in the possession Arist Pol. lib. 1 cap. 4. but in the vse of his seruants To possesse many seruants is a meere vanitie but not to vse them is a dangerous iniquitie To prescribe Oeconomicall precepts it is not my purpose in this place onely one rule I would perswade euery maister of a familie to learne of ingenious Seneca Sen. Ep. 47. Not to esteeme of a seruant by his mysteries but by his manners and of vertuous Dauid Psal 15. To make much of such as feare the Lord for there is little hope that he shall be a good seruant to his maister that hath no care to serue the Lord. SECT 8. Of Honour fame and glorie IT is a straunge thing and worthie of admiration that men should be proud in the schoole of humilitie and vaineglorious in the place of shame and reproch where all the creatures of God betweene heauen and earth being subiect to vanitie for mans fall and fault are badges and ensignes of his dishonour Againe what madnesse is this when men haue a theater in heauen to desire earthly spectators to seeke to conquer in one place Chrys hom 17. in Rom. and to be crowned in another Yet behold this folly and madnesse possesseth the minds of most men who being employed in the heauenly warfare of Christianitie doe seeke to be crowned with the vanishing shadow of earthly honour and estimation What is the â—onour glorie and credite of the world but a certaine vulgar applause not the reward of resplendent vertue but the popular guerdon of vanitie and many times the recompence of apparant iniquitie He is a foole that will commit his glorie to the chest of another mans lips Bern. super Cant. Serm. 13. medio it is a wiser course to keepe it thy selfe but the safest of all to commit it to the custodie of him 2. Tim. 1.12 Cautus in â—ustodiendo fidelis in re â—ituendo Bâ—rn ibid. who is able to keepe that which thou hast
of disobedience When the Apostle exhorts thee to finish thy saluation with feare and trembling he inferreth this as a reason to enforce his exhortation which some fondly account a reason of libertie for it is God that worketh both the will and the deede Phil. 2.12.13 So that Gods worke must not hinder but further thy indeuors Christ lookes that those which are ingrafted into him shold bring forth much fruite Ioh. 15.5 The Lord cannot abide to sustaine losse in anie of his gifts especially if they be spirituall Whosoeuer therefore hideth his talents of grace Mat. 25.30 shall surely be punished When the Lord had bene verie gracious to Iuda his vineyard Esa 5. he expected from it the good fruites of godlinesse but wheÌ„ it brings foorth the sowre grapes of iniquitie he expostulateth with them on this manner What could I haue done more to my vineyard and leaues them to their owne censure Iudge ô ye men of Iuda and ye inhabitants of Ierusalem betweene me my vineyard Consider then did not the Lord create thee after his owne image and behold thou hast defaced it by sin Hath he in mercie restored thee and like a kinde father set thee vp againe being a banckrupt in grace What could he doe more for thee Iudge betweene the Lord and thine owne soule and grieue not that holy Spirit which hath changed thy heart and sealed thee vp to the day of thy redemption SECTION 3. Of the Memorie OVr Sauiours saying most needs be true The seruant is not greater then his master Ioh. 13.16 Now the Memorie is but the Vnderstandings seruant and hath in charge the keeping of her conceits so that if the vnderstanding be vaine the memorie cannot be exempted from vanitie And this is one vaine dependance of the memorie that it must be preserued and tilled with perpetuall toyle or care or else it becomes barren if it be not often whetted it waxeth rustie and is like the leaues of bookes which being seldome vsed do cleaue together Now besides that the vnderstanding must be a perpetuall drudge for the preseruing of the memorie the memorie requiteth her ill like a faithlesse seruant retaining those things shee should reiect and reiecting those things she should retaine like the sieue which holds fast the course brans but lets the fine flower fall away Cic. de fin bon lib. 2. so that euery one may say with Themistocles to Simonides offering to teach him the art of Memorie I had rather learne the art of Obliuion for I remember what I would forget and forget what I would remember Wrongs reuenges Manâ—t altamente repostuÌ„ iudictuÌ„ Paridis Virg Aen. lib. 1. and euery discontent the cogitation whereof bringeth anguish and indignation to the soule the Memorie can easily and ordinarily register Cains enuie to Abel and Esaws malice to Iacob is verie soundly setled and not easily remooued but good memorable things are quickly forgotten When people come to heare the word of God they commonly bring chinkie and leaking soules and therefore the Apostle biddeth vs take heed that we runne not out Heb. 2.1 The Sabbath containing the memoriall of our redemption and a day to be employed in the word of God and the workes of our saluation is litle thought on when mens birth dayes faires festiuities and dayes dedicated to vanities and follies are well remembred And therefore is the Lord faine to giue a watchword Remember the Sabbath day Exod. 20. When men do fauours and kindnesses to men they thinke that they should be had in euerlasting remembrance but the inestimable benefites and blessings of Almightie God bestowed vpon men are quickly forgotten Let those that wold not deceiue themselues looke vpon their memories in the Israelites and there shall they behold as in a glasse that which may make them blush and be ashamed Remember the day sayeth Moses in the which ye came our of Aegypt What Exod. 13.3 is it possible to forget that day which should be celebrated for a perpetuall memoriall of their wonderfull deliuerance Exod. 12.14 Yes surely for we find that they remembred not the Lords hand Psal 78.42 nor the day when he deliuered them Nehem. 4. â—4 Nehemiah bids the Iewes remember the great Lord and fearfull a man would thinke that a needlesse exhortation for how can they but remember that God which had kept them as the apple of his eye led them graciously through the wildernesse subdued their many and mightie enemies and giuen them possession of an excellent inheritance But wee see that they forgot God their Sauiour Psa 106.21 who had done great things for them for they did not fruitfully remember him How oft doth Moses exhort them not to forget the law What forget the law which was deliuered in that wonderfull manner vpon mount Sinay by almightie God himselfe in flaming fire with sound of a trumpet and in the middest of glorious Angels Yes they did forget the law Hos 4.6 as the Prophet complaineth of the best of them And that this forgetfulnesse was not peculiar to them let experience speake and it shall witnesse with mee Though the Lord hath drawne his commandemeÌ„ts into so short a summe euen ten words Deut. 4.13 as they are called yet how many thousand Christians are there at this day who are not able to repeate them much lesse to vnderstand them albeit they can remember other things very readily Do but soundly and seriously examine thy selfe my Christian brother and thou shalt finde iust cause to say concerning thy forgetfulnesse both of heauenly blessings and diuine instructions Gen. 41 9. with Pharaohs butler I call to mind my fault this day For thou shalt be enforced to confesse that thou hast let many a good lesson slippe foorth of thy mind and receiued many a blessing for which thou hast not bene thankfull Well sithence the memorie is so defectiue and faultie it is thy part to seeke the strengthening of it that what is wanting by nature may bee supplied by industrie and grace for diligence is the mother and the nurse of memorie To be briefe seeing the walles and foundations of holinesse are thus battered and defaced in the forts and faculties of thy soule pray with the Prophet Psal 51.12.14 Create in me a new heart ô God and renew a right spirit within me and establish me with thy free spirit Labor with thy selfe by thine industrie and with God by heartie prayer that thou mayest by the assistance of his holy spirit the enlightener of the vnderstanding Ioh. 14.26 the guide of the will and the reuiuer of the memorie be enabled to conceiue affect and retaine those good things which in this life may be for thy comfort and thy euerlasting saluation in the life to come SECTION 4. Of Sciences Arts and Trades THe fountaine being stopped the streames do soone drie vp the tree being plucked vp the leaues and fruit do
wake with the little tender babe And as children grow in age and stature so doth the cost and care of parents grow and increase The health the honestie the credite and good estate of the children is the continuall meditation of the parents and if they prooue towardly impes yet is the future hope conceiued of theÌ„ very doubtfull and the comfort variable but the care most certaine and infallible Children should be like the oliue plants Psal 128.3 yeelding the oyle of gladnesse chearefulnesse vnto their parents faces but many by their vngracious behauiours doe make their faces shine with teares and doe couer them with shame They should be as arrowes of protection in the hands of the strong Psal 127.4 but they become swords and darts of sorrow and anguish to pierce their pareÌ„ts hearts What a heart-breake was that vnto Adam Gen. 4.8 that hauing but two sonnes the one of them should murther his owne and onely brother And what a thing was it that when as Isaac had but two children the one of them married with wiues that were a griefe of mind to his mother Gen. 26.35.27.46 and made her wearie of her life But thus doe parents often hatch such filthie egges as proue vgly serpents Sometime it happeneth that contrarie to the course of nature the parents performe the funerall rites to their children and the fame is exceeding grieuous to them 2. King 4. How is the Shunamite distracted for the death of her sonne and how doth Dauid fast and lye on the ground 2. Sam. 12. vpon the sicknesse of his child and if that nature be not extreame in this respect they haply liue to their farther discomfort He that hath married his daughter saith a wise man hath performed a waightie worke Eccles 7.25 but I may say truly howsoeuer passion may crosse reason that he which hath buried his child in the feare of God hath perfourmed a waightier worke For much care and feare is thereby escaped I am not ignorant that the death of Children hath brought the graye heads of some parents with sorrow to the graue but who knoweth not which is worse that the life of children doth often bring their gray heads with sorrow and â—hame to their sepulchers In such a case there is iust cause of wering a mourning weede The most sort of parents I confesse through their folly do turne this temporall blessing into a curse and this comfort into a corrasiue and make it both vanitie and vexation of spirit Such are they that bring vp their children too nicely tenderly or else doe vtterly neglect their education to their owne discomfort and their childrens ouerthrow This was the fault of Dauid who loued his sonne Absolon too tenderly 2. Sam. 14. and would neuer displease Adoniah froÌ„ his childhood 1. Râ—g 1.6 The fruite of which indulgence appeared afterwards when the one attempted to depose his father the other sought to disinherite his brother But the iudgement of God was very grieuous vpon old Eli 1. Sa. 2.24 4. cap. a remisse man who when his sonnes deserued seuere chastisements for their notorious wickednesse onely rebuked them with a verbal reproofe Most parents are very prouident for their childrens profits and those things that belong to their bodies but few haue care of the things that appertain to their soules they decke them in braue apparell build them faire houses and purchase theÌ„ goodly lands but do litle regard their vertuous and godly education Thus as if it were enough for the husbandman to sow his corne but neuer weede it and the gardener to plant a tree and neuer prune it so they thinke it enough to haue children though they neuer haue care of their good bringing vp whereby they peruert the principall ends of marriage and procreation For whereas they should haue endeuoured to haue had of so many childreÌ„ so many heires of the kingdome of heauen they haue alas for pitie prepared so many firebrands for hell This may be a warning to al parents who doe fondly dote vpon their children and a reason to moderate their affections that their hearts be no more set vpon them then is expedient that the current of their loue runne the right way that they doe not cocker and nuzle them vp in vanity and vice but breede them vp in the instruction and information of the Lord. Eph. 6.4 That howsoeuer they prouide for their outward estate they indeuour to make them rich in faith and gracious in their conuersation for this shall tend to the fathers credite the childrens comfort and Gods glorie Psal 127.5 Happie is that man that hath his quiuer full of such arrowes he shall not be ashamed when he speaketh with his enemie in the gates SECT 14. Of Recreations THe estate and conditioÌ„ of mankinde is such both in respect of his bodie and his minde that neither the one nor the other is able substantially to performe prosecute those offices that belong vnto them if they shall be conuersant in continuall agitatioÌ„ and motion The reason hereof is because the vitall and animall spirits are to the bodie and the minde like the oyle to the lampe which if it be not sometimes repaired will be quickly extinguished Now as nature challengeth some intermission for her better refreshing so hath Almightie God herein condescended to mans necessitie permitting to him some libertie for the relaxation both of minde and bodie by Recreations consonant to them both and not dissonant froÌ„ that holy profession which becommeth a Christian For the bodie 2. Sa. 1.18 such exercises as shooting and slinging which were practised for recreations in peace and were necessarie also for defence in the time of warre and the praises of men exquisite in that skill are mentioned in the booke of Iudges Jud. 20.16 as the seuen hundred Beniamites that could sling at a haires breadth meaning by an extensiue kind of speech very neare For the mind some such as ingenious sober riddles are as that of Sampsons Iud. 14.14 Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse And such no doubt were diuerse of the Queene of Shebaes questions 1. Kin. 10.3 wherewith she prooued Salomon To this purpose serueth Musicke 2. Chro. 9.1 by meanes whereof Dauid that excellent Musitian did calme and pacifie the minde of Saul 1. Sam. 16.24 vexed and disquieted with a melancholicke humour stirred vp by an euill spirit Yet are these and the like recreations and exercises nothing else but meere vanities Amongst all the recreations that haue bene deuised there is in my conceit none comparable to that heaueÌ„ly science of Musicke which causeth Salomon to single it out from the rest Eccles 2.8 Yet behold his censure of it When he had prouided him men-singers and women-singers the delights of the sonnes of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Tremel in hunc locuÌ„ harmonie and harmonies that
Citizens of heauen meaning indeede that as we are infranchised and incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem our coÌ„uersation should bee correspondent to this dignitie And of this priuiledge doth he speak very comfortably Ephes 2.6 saying that God hath raised vs vp together made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus So that Gods Saints on earth though they be poore and base in regard of their outward estate yet being faithfull they are heires of grace and haue seates of honour in heauen together with the thrones and dominations and are therefore no more strangers and forrainers Eph. 2.19 but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of faith True it is that as yet the childreÌ„ of God on earth do not actually but potentially and mystically enioy these priuiledges yet because of the present comfort and future certainetie thereof they are actually ascribed to them as alreadie obtained When our Sauior meanes to comfort his seruants to banish distrust of Gods prouidence he saith Feare not little flocke Luk. 12. for it is yours Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Loe this kingdome the Lord doth assure to his children in this life by giuing them the earnest of his spirit for the assurance of the same Howbeit 2. Cor. 5.5 as Dauid was annoynted by Samuel a great while before he obtained the Crowne so doth the Lord annoint his children in this life with the oyle of gladnesse but sets not the crowne of glory vpon their heades 2. Tim. 4.8 till the triumphant appearing of Christ Iesus 1. Joh 3.2 Dearely beloued euen now are we the sons of God saith Saint Iohn so that being adopted in Christ Rom. 8.17 and heires annexed with him we haue assurance of that heauenly dignitie which is prepared in the heauenly places for the sons of God Thus the godly in respect of the remission of their sinnes the sanctificatioÌ„ of lâ—fe their vnioÌ„ with God their ingrafting into Christ their Communion with the Saints and other priuiledges of grace and happinesse whereof they are possessed may very well bee said to haue made an entrance and set foot into the kingdome of heauen and to haue a glimpse of that glory which shall shine most resplendently at the great day of reward These things being wisely weighed in the ballance of a sanctified soule yeeld sundrie profitable vses 1. Hereby a man may haue triall of his future estate by duly considering his present condition Is thy hart profane thy faith dead and thy conuersation wicked then may I say to thee as Iehu said to IehoraÌ„ 2. King 9. What hast thou to do with peace what hast thou to do with the kingdome of heauen which belongeth onely to the righteous and hath no roome for the vnrighteous 1. Cor. 6.9 Reu. 21.27 nor entertaineth any vncleane thing But canst thou discerne in thy selfe a sound faith though it be like smoking flâ—xe and an vpright conuersation albeit not free from all infirmitie then may I say to thee as our Sauiour said to Zachaeus Luk. 19.9 This day is saluation come to thy house thou hast set one foote into heauen 2 This may be a motiue to holinesse of life and conuersation Some in the weakenesse or profanenesse of their hearts will bee readie to demaund Mal. 3 14. What profite is it to keepe Gods commandements to walk humbly before the Lord of hostes and behold such a one may here receiue an answer for we see that the godly are in this life interessed in many heauenly priuiledges and shall assuredly in the life to come be partakers of euerlasting happinesse Therfore Saint Peter hauing exhorted men to linke a iustifying faith with sanctified vertues in a golden chaine concludes his exhortation with this reason 2. Pet. 1.5.11 For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ making the kingdom of Grace the portall to the kingdome of Glorie 3 To a faithfull and a godly man this meditation may minister much cause of true comfort Luk. 10. Reioyce in this saith our Sauiour that your names are written in heauen so let this bee thy comfort my Christian brother that the Almightie hath enrolled thee amongst the holy companie of heauen And herein blesse God for his mercie with the blessed Apostle who considering the greatnesse of his fauour vouchsafed to the Colossians rendreth hearty thanks to God for deliuering them out of the power of darknesse Col. 1.13 and translating them into the kingdome of his deare sonne A man that stands vpon a high and sure rocke laughes to scorne the rough surges of the raging seas and so may a Christian that hath laide this good foundation of a sound faith and a sanctified life safely reioyce against all the surges of troubles and temptations whatsoeuer For though the raine fall Mat. 7.25 and the flouds come and the windes blow and beat vpon this building it shall not fall because it is builded vpon a rocke yea the gates of hell shall not be able to preuaile against it SECT 2. The second steppe to heauen before the day of iudgement namely Peace of conscience AS sorrow of heart and horror of conscience are the vsuall fruites of sinne and iniquitie so is ioy of heart and peace of conscience an ordinarie companion of godlinesse and honestie Gen. 3.8 Adam hauing transgressed and defiled himselfe with sinne when God cals for him doth hide himselfe Abraham a man of a sound faith prompt obedience Gen. 22.1 when the Lord speakes to him answereth chearefully Here am I. Thus we see both parts of the Prouerbe fulfilled Prou. 28.1 The wicked flyeth when none pursueth him but the righteous is bold as a lyon When the heauens are clogged with foggie mists it causeth a sudden darkenesse vpon the face of the earth and when the bodie is oppressed with pale melancholie humors the heart is heauie and the countenance cast downe but the mistes being expelled by the brightnesse of the Sunne all the Horizon laughes for ioy and the pale humors being purged the heart is ioyfull and makes the countenance chearfull So do the mistes and humors of sinne clogge and molest the heart of man but the same being expelled and purged by the bright Sun-shine of righteousnesse the heart is enlarged and reioyceth yea daunceth with ioy as Dauid speaketh Psal 13.5 and the heart being ioyfull maketh a chearefull coâ—ntenance Pro. 15.13 so that the voyce of ioy and gladnesse is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous Psa 118.15 And this ioyfulnesse of hart chearefulnesse of face and gladnesse of tongue do testifie Rom. 14.7 that the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Of this fruite doth Salomon speake where he saith Pro. 15.15 That a good conscience is a continuall feast setting it foorth with the same