will certainly for he is the God of truth attend to the cries and grant the requests of his own people when they begge such things as tend to his glory and the good of their own souls But yet no heat no hearing because cold prayers are but carcasses and carnall sinful services which the Lord detests and will never accept 3. * Psalm 118. 1. We must love God 1. Amoreamicitiae because he is most excellent and lovely 2. Amore desiderii because he is the Ocean of our Joy comforts and happinesse 3. Amore complacentiae with a love of Joy delight 4. Amore benevolentiae with a sincere endeavour to honour serve and praise him Love Favours are both the seeds fewell and Bonds of Friendship Compassion is the Spring of affection Mercy is the Mother of Amity Magnes amoris amor Love is loves loadstone A saving sense and a right apprehension of Gods infinite immutable undeserved love to us will inkindle the fire of love in us And if we once truly love God we shall then be alwaies careful to please fearfull to offend and grieved if we do displease him †Minus te amat domine qui tecum aliquid a mat Aug. in soliloq we shall delight and rejoyce in him above all things We shall desire to be more intimately acquainted with him we shall esteem his favour and prize his presence more then the honours treasures and smiles of all the world we shall never willingly do any thing that may cloud his face or cause a distance between us And then but never before may or can we impart our sorrows or discover our wants straights wounds and miseries by prayer to our reconciled God with boldnesse assurance and a well grounded hope to be comforted inlarged supplyed cured delivered For God will not hear those that hate but * Prov 8. 17. those that love him 4. Constancy constancie in duty is the top-stone of duty If we would be heard we must persevere and continue * Rom. 12. 12. Eph s 6. 18. instant in prayer no constancie no crown T is so necessary and so profitable for us to call upon God that we are commanded to * 1 Thes 5. 17. pray without ceasing we daily commit iniquities receive mercies escape punishments and therefore we ought daily yea hourly not only to beseech the Lord to pardon us but also to praise and magnifie him for blessing and protecting of us Prayer 't is both a duty and a priviledge a work and a reward a service and a comfort T is an approved experimented infallible means to procure and obtain a blessing upon our blessings a glorious victory over the world the flesh and the Devill assurance of Gods speciall love deliverance in support under and protection from so far as it 's good for Gods children troubles afflictions desertions peace of conscience pardon of sin sanctification of the crosse Joy in the Holy Ghost a supply of our wants a holy contentation of mind in every condition and whatsoever is good either for soul or body here or hereafter Oratio est oranti subsidium Deo sacrificium Diaholo flagellum The Trophees Successe Triumphs of Prayer are eminent glorious infinite both in all ages and places T is Murus animae munimentum inconcussum armatur a inexpugnabilis T is a cordiall to the heart an acceptable sacrifice to God a scourge to Satan a brasse wall to the soul I shall therefore conclude with the same exhortation to all Christians that some of the blessed b Laurence Saunders George Marsh John Careless Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 138. Col. 1. vol. 3 p. 235. col 2. Idem p. 721. col 1. Martyrs did their pious confirming consolatory Letters to their friends and Relations Pray Pray Pray for the fervent effectual prayers of the righteous like * 2 Sam. 1. 22. the Sword of Saul do never return empty and like Jonathans Bow they neither turn back nor return without successe and victory The Prayer O LORD thou hast commanded all men to call upon thee promised that they that ask shall receive and yet that we may strive and resolve to be humble fervent upright pure and holy hast assured us that if we regard iniquity in our hearts thou wilt not hear us though we beg weep houl and cry unto thee O inable us to pray unto thee most holy God with Hearts stedfastly resolved not to provoke thee by sinâ—ing wilfully and delightfully against thee Because it 's not only a vain and a very dangerous attempt but also an intolerable dishonour to thee and a most horrible a most abominable crime committed against thee with our Tongues to professe piety and to beg for mercy when our hearts are deeply and resolvedly in Love with hatefull iniquity That therefore we may pray acceptably prevailingly give us Grace and hearts to hate all sin perfectly implacably and let thine own Spirit of prayer O Lord inable us powerfully and assist us effectually to call upon thee that so thou mayest both hear and grant the prayers of thine own Spirit Grant this O thou that didst never say to the house of Jacob seek ye my face in vain for his sake who sits at thy right hand to make intercession for us Amen Preces prosunt obtinent praeliant vincunt triumphant XIV Of Sincerity and Hypocrisie Together with some Characters of both sincere and hypocriticall Christians and Professors SIncerity 't is the salt that both seasons and purifies that muddy stinking spring the heart 'T is the Gardener that keeps though it cannot utterly extirpate nor kill the noysome rank poysonfull weeds of sin from over-growing and smothering the herbs of Grace in the garden of the Soul 'T is the touch-stone of vertue the marrow heart spirits life of piety 'T is a Simeon with Christ in its Armes Like the Emperesse Mammea's Guard appointed by her to watch at the door and commanded to keep out all vitious infamous persons from going in to her Son Alexander lest they should corrupt debauch him It stands Centinell at the gate of the heart that so no sin may enter into it to pollute or poyson it An upright man is like a Pliny Nat. Hist that Assyria malus quae venenis medetur et omnibus Anni temporibus edit fructus pomis aliis maturescentibus allis subnascentibus He is homo quadratus like a dye which cast high or low by the hand of providence still falls upon a square and stands firm as well when an Ace or when a Cize or Cinque He both really desires and carefully indeavours for he dares not divide or put asunder what God hath joyned together I mean the means and the end love and labour prayer and pardon hearing doing professing and practising holinesse happinesse Grace and Glory and therefore he hath Oculus ad Coelum manus ad clavem well knowing that bene cogitare est bene somniare good wishing is but good dreaming if
Loyall and impenitent truly sorrowfull for all our transgressions 3. It quickens and breatheth Life into us that were by nature dead and buried in trespasses and sins 4. It both inspires and stirreth up good motions in our soules 5. It helps our infirmities makes c Rom. 8. 26. intercession for us indites our prayers inables us to pray fervently faithfully prevailingly to God for Grace pardon and salvation 6. It comforts quiets and supports mourning doubting drooping hearts 7. It leads and keepeth Christians into and in the way of holinesse till they come to heaven and enjoy eternall happinesse 8. It sanctifieth and maketh Gods ordinances effectuall for the conviction and conversion of sinners Lastly to name no more it dwelleth and abideth in all those that truly repent believe love obey fear and serve God The Holy Ghost is compared and resembled in Scripture to divers things First it 's compared to d Jere. 23 29. Acts 2. 3. fire and that in these respects Fire first heats 2. shines 3. ascends 4. softens and 5. refines drossy and hard things so the Holy Ghost 1. inflames our frozen hearts with love to God and zeale for God 2 It makes Christians shine in works of piety justice charity mercy and in holinesse of life 3. It raiseth their naturally low-flying or rather crawling affections from earthly things and maketh them to mount and fix them upon God Christ and heavenly things 4. It turneth a heart of Adamant into a soft and tender heart of flesh 5. It purgeth away a Christians drosse it purifies him from his corruptions and filth Secondly the Holy Ghost is compared to e Ezech. 36. 25. water for as water 1. refreshes 2. quenches 3 cleanses 4. fructifies So the Spirit of God comforts cheares and reviveth troubled weary languishing hearts 2. It quencheth Gods fiery wrath kindled and flaming out against transgressors in their terrors spiritual desertion trouble anguish of soul and conscience for their sins 3 It cleanseth them from all filthiness both of flesh spirit 4. It makes them fruitful in every good work Thirdly the Holy Ghost is compared to a * John 3. 32. Dove As Doves are 1. meek for they have no gall 2. innocent and harmlesse creatures 3. Lovers of and delighted with white houses to sit and roost in Amant alba tecta Columbae So those Christians that have the spirit of God are 1. free from malice hatred sinfull anger envy or however they mourn and are exceedingly displeased with themselves for being otherwise 2. The Holy Ghost makes them not only carefull to do no hurt or wrong to any but also willing and desirous to do good unto others especially spiritually that is to their soules 3. It makes their hearts pure and white by sprinkling the bloud of Christ upon them and working godly sorrow in them without which it will neither delight nor dwell in them because sin unrepented of makes the soul black ugly and filthy Fourthly the holy Ghost is compared to * Acts 2. 3. cloven fiery tonguâ—s to teach us that our tongues must be cloven with Charity and fervency in our prayers for 1. we must not only beg earnestly for mercy but we must also praise the Lord most heartily for his mercies petition and thanksgiving must cleave them 2. We must pray for both spirituall and temporall mercies these must again divide our tongues 3. We must pray and â—ry mightily not only for pardon of sin for the removal or sanctification of afflictions for grace and prosperity to and for our selves but for all others also 4. We must pray not only that God would give us and others glory hereafter but also that we and they may honour and glorifie God here And certainly all those that have this glorious Spirit have also not only their tongues but their hearts too thus cloven with zeal I mean for God and love to their own and others souls Fifthly the Holy Ghost is compared to a * Ephes 1. 13. Seal because as Deeds and Conveyances are unable and ineffectual to settle and assure those things conteined in them being null and voyd in Law till they be fealed So we can have no sound good or clear Evidences that our sins are forgiven us that God is reconciled to us that the Lord Jesus is our Jesus and that our souls shall be saved till we be sealed by the Spirit of God Sixthly the Holy Ghost is compared to * 2 Cor. 1 22 and ch 4. v. 5. Earnest for as Earnest is an argument and proof of an agreement betwixt man and man for something to be delivered and given by one to another and also an assurance that some other and greater thing shall be made good and received when that is given and taken So by having the Earnest of the Spirit Christians are assured that now the Lord and they are agreed and reconciled that they shall undoubtedly have his favour blessing grace here and that they shall hereafter injoy eternall joy and blisse with him for ever Seventhly the Holy Ghost is compared to †John 16. 13. a Guide because as Guides do 1. Comfort 2. direct 3 defend 4. keep those they travail with from wandring 5. accompany them and bring them to their Journeys end So the spirit of God doth 1. wonderfully solace and rejoyce the hearts of tru Christians in their pilgrimage on earth 2. It directs and sheweth them which is the sure good and best way for them to go in 3. It secures and delivers them from those enemies and dangers that lye in Ambush to surprize them and are ready to seize upon them 4. It keeps them from erring and straying in the broad dangerous yea deadly ways of sin and leads them forward in the narrow but safe and happy path of life And lastly the Holy Ghost never leaves them finally but conducts them with safety joy and comfort to their earnestly longed for and desired home Heaven These and such like are the bright beautiful and refreshing Beams that ray from his glorious Sun and dart consolation exultation peace and felicity into the hearts of Gods people These are the pure reviving and pleasant streams that flow from this Fountain or rather Ocean into the fouls of true Christians These are the radiant rich yea precious and inestimable Jewels that embellish and adorn the Holy Spirits Mansion a truely Gracious heart Let us then sincerely desire fervently beg highly prize this Holy Spirit and when ever it knocks at the door of our hearts by any holy motions say as †Genes 24. 31. Laban did to Abrahams Servant Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without for I have prepared a room for thee The Prayer O Eternall infinite and incomprehensible Lord God who art Three in One and One in Three most glorious Persons distinguished but not divided grant I humbly beseech thee that the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Light Truth and Life may illuminate all
and carryed to the Court to be honoured advanced so highly by the King as not only to become his Favourite but his Son and Heir also But it 's the greatest wonder of all and the highest phrensy for men to wound and poyson themselves because they may be cured to break their bones because they may chance to get them well set again to run into the fire because it 's possible their Father will pull them out and not suffer them to be burned and to love act live and persevere both in theft murder and rebellion in hope of being not only pardoned but promoted when they come to be executed And certainly it 's no lesse then the greatest folly yea madnesse and cruelty to our own Souls that we are capable either to invent act or expresse to presume and expect to obtain mercy favor and pardon from God at our death when we have knowingly wilfully and impenitently continued both robbers of God and traytors to God by sinning against him all our life For it 's most just and equall that the Lord should abhorre reject and burn the bone when the Devill hath had all the marrow The Prayer O LORD under the Law those sacrifices that were acceptable to thy Majesty were offered up with Fire but under the Gospell those Oblations those duties and services are most pleasing to thee which are presented and tendered with Water with penitentiall tears flowing from the bitter-sweet springs of a saving sight of sin and godly Sorrow for sin Grant O Lord that we may both love thee and grieve that by our Iniquities we have offended thee Let us serve thee with gladnesse of heart and yet be in bitternesse of Soul for our dishonouring of thee O give us Holy God to worship serve and pray unto thee not only with the fire of Love and zeal burning upon the altars of our inflamed hearts but also with the waters of contrition and remorse streaming out of broken Spirits Let us not seek thee and sin wilfully against thee Let us not professe repentance and practise rebellion Let us not O Lord forsake Egypt and long to enjoy it again But grant that we may never any more attempt or presume to repeat or act our former old or any new crimes And since most Holy God every known sin even the very least is a great a grievous a deep and a desperate wound to the Soul so soon as it is acted that festers in it by continuance gangrenes by delight and kills the Soul by impenitency O let all transgressing Christians speedily search their Souls and sores with the Probe of serious consideration let them behold them with the eyes of grief and humiliation let them bath and wash them with Tears of sorrow and contrition inable them by a justifying Faith to receive and apply unto them that Soveraign all-healing plaister made of that most precious Balm the bloud of Jesus Christ let them bind up their wounded spirits with the hands of compunction and self-abhorrency and grant that they may keep on their plaister both by a through reformation and a constant conscientious care willingly deliberately knowingly to sinne no more that so they may recover be healed and live Grant this great mercy O thou God of mercy unto us for the merits of Jesus Christ Amen Poenitere est vere sapere valere vivere XIII Of Prayer 'T Is that safe carefull nimble spirituall messenger and post that carries and brings letters of intelligence and love-tokens to and from Christ 'T is the language of Canaan A Christians Shiboleth 'T is the souls both Orator and Sollicitor in that great Court of Requests Heaven 'T is a Jacob wrastling with God and prevailing A Jonah though buried alive in a swimming Sepulchre though shipt in a living Vessel and carried down under Deck to the confines of Hell crying for and obtaining a safe landing on the shoar of Life 'T is a Moses begging and receiving cure of the souls Physitian of Almighty God for Miriam a leprous sinful person 'T is a Christians Forces wherewith he besieges Heaven and takes it by storm by violence 'T is the souls industrious faithfull factor in Heaven from whence it brings the precious everlasting riches and Jewell of grace forgivenesse comfort to the heart T is the key that opens and shuts Heaven Oratio justi clavis est coeli ascendit precatio et descendit Dei miseratio licet alta sit terra altum coelum audit tamen Deus hominis linguam si mundam habet conscientiam Prayer like a Hackw Apolog p. 295. histor of Flanders .. Dousa's Doves when Leyden was besieged it brings certain intelligence of relief supplies assistance coming from the Lord of Hosts to strengthen succour and deliver the soul when it 's beleaguered indangered or assaulted by sin Satan or the world What was said of Luther is true of prayer It may have almost what it will of Christ There is a kind of omnipotency in it whereby it holds hinders and with an humble holy reverence be it spoken binds the arm of Almighty God that he cannot strike Let me alone saith the Lord to Moses and get thee out of Sodome said the * Genes 19. 22. Angell to Lot for thy supplication is her preservation thy prayers and presence are her protection thy company is her security thy residence her reprieve I cannot do any thing I cannot rain down Hell out of Heaven in a fiery showre to consume her till thou beest out of her and got to Zoar. As Faith is the Emperesse of Graces so prayer is the Queene of duties The Elements of effectuall Prayer are First Faith Vt oremus credamus ut ipsa non deficiat fides qua oramus * James 5 16. Hebr. 11. 5. Oremus Fides fundit orationem fusa oratio fi dei impetrat firmitatem Faith and prayer are like the fire and fewel fire makes the fewell burn and flame and fewell feeds the fire and keeps it burning and flaming Faithlesse prayers are fruitlesse prayers or rather such supplications are provocations for God is so far from smelling a sweet savour in the sacrifices of unbelievers that he loaths them they stink in his nostrils and therefore he will cast their duties like dung into their faces 2. * James 5. 16. Fervency Qui frigide rogat negare docet prevalency is the child of importunity An * Luke 18 4 5. Atheisticall unjust judge that neither fears God nor cares for man will grant the earnest suit of a poor Widow though a stranger to him How much more then will the great judg of Heaven and earth who is not only a just but also a most gracious compassionate God and Father both hear and grant the ardent humble and hearty petitions of his own Children He that did never say to the house of Iacob seek ye my face in vain He that commands us to aske and seek and hath promised that we shall receive and find
intreat them to joine science and conscience together to live up to their knowledge and duty by burning inwardly with a well-grounded well-guided zeal for God and by shining outwardly towards men with sobriety innocency sanctity Since great gifts parts and abilities without honesty and grace are great snares temptations mischiefs and plagues both to themselves and others And since without a holy diligent careful improvement of them both to Gods glory and the good of others all those whom God hath honoured and enriched with them will by him be greatly and grievously punished for abusing or not using and imploying of them And as for those who are yet in the petty school and lower forms that have not overgrown nor travailed beyond their A. B. C. in understanding and religion nor as yet rightly learned to know themselves sin the world or their Christs crosse that great work duty and comfort of true Christians there are lessens offered and set by me very necessary for them to be acquainted with instructed in imminded of and seasoned withall 5. Lastly because I know that although many instead of accepting my poor indeavours and receiving the truth in the love of it will not only reject and disregard it but also censure yea bite and revile the Author with their invenomed teeth and frothy filthy tongues yet my labour will not shall not be in vain because it 's in the Lord and for the Lord. In his name and fear this plain not mosaick or carved work was undertaken to his glory it was and is intended directed and by his assistance it is finished I do not I dare not say perfected His blessing his powerful gracious fruitful influence I do therefore most humbly beg upon it And do only desire these few very reasonable things and favours of my Readers First that they would instead of carping snarling or barking at my book which I confesse hath too much Alloy and drosse but no poison in it communicate their own more pure and better refined labours to the world It will be I assure them my joy and contentment not envy or sorrow to see and their own not only honour but comfort to build marble and magnificent fabricks where such low mudwalâ—'d Cottages as mine is are erected 2. Secondly that they would prize welcome and imbrace truth though it curb crosse or kill their carnall Joies profane waies and worldly interests 3. Thirdly That they would seriously consider that Jewels are both as precious and resplendent in a woodden box or in an earthen pot as in a cabinet of Pearl That there may be usefull wholesome and savoury herbs in that Garden which wants the bravery beauty glories and the gaudey embroidery of curious flowers And that sweet meats may do well for sauce or to taste of but are not fit or safe to be made our daily bread 4 Fourthly that they would not be their own murderers and Executioners by loving vice and hating vertue by adoring earth and trampling Heaven under their feet by forsaking Christ to follow the world by poisoning their souls to please their senses by deferring their repentance and an holy Life till death or by leaving the safe and pleasant ways of truth and righteousnesse to walk in the dangerous destructive paths of error heresies and wickednesse 5. Lastly I do earnestly intreat them to read what I have written without partiality passion prejudice and prepossession that Maxim being most true here Intus existens prohibet altenum For vessels top full of earth cannot receive without being emptied either gold or gemms And the most precious cordial the most soveraign Julep must needs be lost and spilt if it be put into a dish that is brim-ful of dung or muck-hill-pit water Read them then once more I do importunately pray and request you with hearts willing desirous and resolved to be informed imminded convinced reformed confirmed and if you receive any good by my weak labours remember to give God the glory of his own work and mercy and instead of your praises Crown me with your prayers But if you do not profit by them consider That bad disaffected and distempered stomacks do turn the best meats into ill humours and into dangerous if not mortall diseases That none are more either sure to languish or likely to die then those that refuse loath and cast away the Physick that should cure them That those who hate the light shall one day when 't is too late clearly see their folly sin and misery in outerdarknesse That glorified Saints would be Gaolers Angels tormentors and heaven it self an hell to those that are unholy unheavenly unregenerated on earth That they who have forgotten forsaken left and lost God and Jesus Christ shall never without humbling their souls mourning for their sins and returning to the Lord find or feel any true comfort peace or happinesse either in life or death That they who do not with the spiritual eye of a justifying faith stedfastly behold the sun of righteousnesse Jesus Christ as 't is said the eagle can with her natural eyes the sun of heaven will and do like the kite with the eyes of sense corrupt reason look earnestly yea longingly at stâ—op eagerly unto and feed greedily upon the carrion and garbage of creature-comforts which do only fit and fat the wicked as the richest soil doth beasts for the day of slaughter vengeance and damnation That they who do not impâ— the wings of their knowledge and reason with the golden feathers of vertue and piety will never be able to soar above the World or to mount up to Heaven a Solus vir bonus est revera prudens Arist Ethic. 6. Contrae inquit alius stolidi et imprudentes sunt mali Keck syst Ethic. lib. 1. c. 3. p. 148. That they only are really wise and good who are sincerely religious because discoursing learnedly is but the bark the shell of knowledge and because professing zealously is but the husk the leaf of sanctity for only honesty and piety are the kernell fruit head heart bloud spirits light heat soul and body of true wisdome and saving grace That therefore Christians ought to conform their practise to their principles their works to their words and their Lives to their light That they whose actions are eccentrick to Gods honour word and will will never without repentance and reformation be found weight in the ballance of the sanctuary That it 's infinitely more both honour and happiness to be a truly holy Christian than it is to be a victorious Caesar a famous Scipio a renowned Castriot or an invincible Alexander That it 's transcendently unspeakably yea unconceiveably more both glory comfort and felicity to and for Christians to morâ—ifie their sins lusts and passions then to overcome own or command the whole world Praeclarum quidem est inquit b Xevoph in Orat. de Agâ—filio Agesilaus inexpugnabiles hostium muros superare multo verum praeclarius animum parare suum
be merciful to sin is to be cruel to our selves since he that loves and spares it doth not only lash and wound but * O Israel thou hast distroyed thy self Hâ—sea 13. 9. murder himself Because as holiness is both a work an incomparable felicity and a reward So sin is both a Crime a punishment and an Executioner to all unconverted offenders Pharoah's sins as well as the Sea drowned him * Numb 16. 32. And Corah's swallowing down sin without repentance was the cause that the earth swallowed up him without example for never did so many of her ungracious children as he his wicked companions were who was therefore most justly by God made wofully miserable in that dreadful destruction because they was all wilfully guilty of that damnable Rebellion fall down into her gaping inlarged new made mouth slide or rather tumble head-long into her empty greedy stomack entrails or lye down alive in her cold and mercilesse bosome before O the misery and madnesse of a gracelesse Sinner How can he expect or hope to escape the dreadful vengeance of God that by his unkindnesse unthankfulnesse and undutifulnesse to his heavenly Father hath most justly provoked the God of mercy to become his everlasting enemy What the people of Rome said when they lamented the death of Octavius Augustus he will most certainly when 't is too late have cause in another sense to say Vtinam aut non l Aurel. Vict. nasceretur aut non mor eretur would he had never been born or never dyed The Prayer O LORD thou art a God infinite in all Divine perfections Thou hast all things and art all things eternally from within and unto thy most glorious self Thou dost therefore want neither the praises nor the Services of either the most gracious Christians or the most glorious Cherubims The holinesse praiers and duties of Saints or Angels can add nothing to thy most transcendently divine Excellencies Nor can the vices vilenesse crimes and Sinnes of men lessen stain or eclipse thy Glory Yet such O Lord is thy miraculous condescensiâ—n thy wonderful thy undeserved Compassion to the Bankrupted posterity of Adam that thou art pleased not only to acquaint but also to assure all those who walk humbly conscientiously holily before thee and sincerely endeavour to praise thy great and glorious name that though they be but dust ashes and worms yet they do honour and glorifie thy ever blessed Majesty And although sin be so contrary to thy holy nature opposite to thy righteous Laws and Will and loathsome in thy pure eye that even the least sin is a great yea an infinite offence injury and contempt done unto thee and doth at once vex load and grieve thee Yet such O Lord is thy never enough to be admired acknowledged or magnified mercy and patience to rebellious self-polluting poysoning self-ruining Man that thou dâ—st not only forbear to punish plague and damne him but thou art also pleased though he daily offend thee and persist in his provocations of thee and reject thy gracious tenders of peace pardon and salvation to seek unto him to intreat yea by thy Ministers to importune and beseech him that he would be reconciled to thee love accept imbrace thee and thy offered mercy that so tbou mayest forgive own delight in him deliver and save him both from Wrath and Death O Lord let the riches of thy unparallel'd goodnesse long-sufferance and forbearance lâ—â—d us unto speedy unfeigned hearty Repentance Let the serious consideration of the cursed defiling deforming damnable nature of sin the guilt whereof could not be expiated nor the filth thereof purged away with any Sacrifice but the bloud and death of the only Sonne of God Jesus Christ both God and Man make us not only fear but tremble to commit the least evill O let it pierce and break our hearts with Grief and Remorse to consider how we have pierced our Saviours very heart and broken his most just and holy Commandements by our wilfully transgressing against him Let O Lord our spirits melt mourn and bleed within us for our shedding and trampling under our profane feet without pity or sorrow that precious bloud of our dearest Saviour which alone can cleanse and cure our defiled wounded Souls Whensoever we are tempted to commit any sinne let us O Lord not only meditate and remember what it cost Christ to make our peace with a displeased God to pay our debts and to ransome our inthralled Souls but let us also set before our eyes and look upon Jesus Christ who never committed any sin sweating suffering grâ—aning wounded bleeding and lying for our Sins that so we may in his unexampled and unexpressible miseries with the eyes of detestation and lamentation behold the danger and desert of our own Iniquities Let not sin most holy God be sweet dear or delightfull to us which was Gall and Vinegar bitter painful and deadly to Jesus Christ O let the knowledge of thy power and purity awe and deterre us from evill but chiefly let our frequent serious admiring and thankfull reflexions upon the bounty mercy and long-suffering of our gracious God and the free the infinite Love of Jesus Christ prevail with us and make us both watchful and carefull to detest decline loath leave confesse forsake and crucifie all our lusts and transgressions and to love honour please praise and glorifie our God And let us not imbrace entertain or welcome sinne into our hearts and crucifie our blessed Saviour any more lest our bloudy cruelty both to him and our own souls deprive us for ever of Christ Comfort Grace and Glory Amen Peccatum lethale est Venenum Quod delectat necat V. Of the World and the brightest Jewell in its Crowne Soveraignty 'T is a fools Idol a wise mans Inne 't is a storehouse of vanities a shop full of gaudy but empty pots a fair house haunted with evil Spirits it 's a maze a desert a disguised mockery an Ocean of troubles a pitfal to the rich a burden to the poor a traducer of the good a deceiver of all that love and trust it 'T is a Garden enamelled with beautiful flowers under which lurk deadly Serpents a green soft pleasant walk covered and bespread with nets and snares a Speed Chron p. 118. a path like that of a Heliogabalus strawed with the powder and dust of Gold and silver but leading to a Gibbet A sweet spring set round with lime-twigs a stately wealthy Citie infected with the plague 'T is the body's Paradise but a Purgatory to the soul 'T is a painted treacherous Harlot which allures invites but destroys her Lovers a tender Nurse to vice dandling it upon her knees of Pleasure and Profit but a step-mother which hates and strangles vertue 'T is a dâ—ie pit a broken Cistern in a drought an empty cloud a Feast in a dream and without Christ as one said of her dead husband a cold armful And as for Soveraignty though
righteous because fidelibus totus mundus divitiarum est saith a Christian the Saints have all the world for their possession And if you would increase your riches the surest way is * Prov. 11 24. 1 Tim. 6. 19. Charitably to scatter them e Reinold Orat p. 397. Divitiae quo aliis jurandis profunduntur magis eo magis nobis ipsis amplificantur servando minuuntur minuendo crescunt acquiruntur largiendo congeruntur dissipando cetinentur impertiends Si parcas perdis amittis si recondas si distribuas custodis non erunt diu tuae si sint solius tuae nunquam erunt magis tuae quam si cunctis communes facias Qui ditissimus esse volet profusissimus sit oportet qui parcissimus esse studet egentissimus sit necesse est sayes the Orator elegantly Riches the more bountifully we distribute them the more abundantly we encrease them They are lessened by keeping and multiplied by lessening of them they are gotten by giving them away heaped together by dispersing and retained by bestowing of them If we spare them we consume them if we hide them we lose them but if we releive others with them we save them They will not stay long with us if we keep them only to our selves they will never be more truly ours then when we freely communicate them to others If then we would be wealthy we must be liberall since the way to be beggerly is to be niggardly and to be poor to be parsimonious The safest place to keep our Riches in is Christs treasury the poor When Alexander the Great had given away his Treasure and they asked him where it was he pointed to the poor and said in Scriniis in my Chests And the only way to take our wealth with us to Heaven or to find it there is to send it before on poor mens backs thither Money is a good Maid but a bad Mistress If we over love Riches they will destroy us If we trust in them they will deceive us They will serve a wordly wicked man when he puts off from the shoar of life by sicknesse and launches into the Ocean of eternity by death as Pharaohs Chariot wheeles did him and the Aegyptians in the midst of the red Sea they will fall off and fail him in his greatest extremity And as the f Mr. Weever Funer Acts Monuments Courtiers Counsellers Friends and Servants did that renowned King of England Edward the 3d. upon his death-bed they will forsake him and neither stay nor so much as appear to administer any either temporall or spirituall Comfort unto him g Rainold Oratus p. 290. What Hannibal said of Antiochus his Souldiers Auro fulgebant satis ad Pompam armis ad pugnam nihil valebant 't is most true of them They may yea can indeed make us shine and glitter with bravery but they cannot fit arm inable or spirit us to fight against our spirituall Enemies with Courage nor the wrath of God with victory And therefore Beatus ille qui non post illa abiit quae possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant A man may be very poor with abundance of Wealth yea when he hath the highest Tide of plenty and a man may be really h Mens bona possidet Regnum Nerva Imperator rich in the midst of wants yea in the lowest Ebbe of Poverty for pauper esse non potest qui apud Deum dives est 't is not goods but goodnesse not earthly wealth but Heavenly Wisdome not a great Estate in the World but a saving interest in Christ not gold * Prov. 8. 21. but grace that makes us truly rich Isse ad deum copiosus * Judges 4. 18 19-21 ille opulentus advenit cui adstabunt continentia misericordia potentia fides charitas God is not alwaies pleased with those he prospers in the World for he gives wicked men riches as †Jael gave Sisera milk and lodging * Judges 3. 17-21 As Ehud gave Eglon a to their destructions * 1 Sam. 18 21. And †as Saul gave Michal to David to be a snare unto them Riches are but the blessings of Gods left hand the comforts of the lower springs and therefore Goats profane men and women that shall be eternally damned may drink freely fill themselves at those wells and have abundance of them The Indians who never heard of Christ were owners of the Gold and Silver Mines when Christians had but quarries of stone But God deals with his Children as * Genes 24. 6. Abraham did to Isaac he gives them all that he hath grace mercy peace here and glory hereafter And as * 2 Cron. 21. 3. Jehoshaphat did with his Sons he gives the eldest those that are regenerate that are adopted and have the Spirit whereby they can truly comfortably cry Abba Father a Kingdome but unto all the rest to all those that are unconverted unholy he gives only gifts of silver and Gold and of precious things for the wicked have nothing but outward Mercies for their Portion The Prayer O LORD thou alone dost both blesse the substance and curse the blessings of Men. Thy dispensations holy God are various perplexing wonderfull For thou makest some persons that are poor oppressed distressed imprisoned banished and very indigent rich in Faith and dost assure them that they are heirs of an heavenly great glorious ever-enduring Inheritance whilst others that are great full opulent free from troubles and prosperous in the World are both exceeding miserable and very Beggers And yet thou art most just equall righteous in all thy doings wayes and dealings with men Thy mercy O Lord is plenty with Poverty Thy blessing is pure reall refined Riches having no mixture of sorrow care or fear in it Thou O God fillest the empty thou satisfiest the hungry and thirsty with good things when the wickedly wealthy are empty both of Grace comfort peace and contentment though they be brimful yea though they runne over with Abundance Let not Christians therefore O Lord fix their eyes or set their hearts upon earth or earthly things only as if there was no Heaven for them to look upon or no Celestiall riches for them to desire and seek But let them account all sublunary enjoyments but fair and fading Flowers which thine Anger can and will both blast and wither in a moment Let them not prefer a muck-hill before a Mine by esteeming gain more then Godlinesse Let them not strangle their souls with a silver Snare nor suffer themselves to be catched in a Net of Gold by either an inordinate Love of or an over-eager and sinful guest and pursuit after Riches while they live lest when they dye their Iniquity and Calamities teach them their folly upbraid them with their phrensy and sting them for ever with unexpressible misery Grant this O thou who art rich in Mercy for his sake in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdome reall
spiders web which either the hands of enemies or the Bâ—esome of destruction or the wind of Gods displeasure can and will both easily and certainly break sweep down and blow away That deny and deprive themselves of all Comforts to make both themselves and their posterities miserable That acknowledge as it were a statute of that morgage nay sell their souls for a little wealth that so they may buy a corruptible fading inheritance for their Children although to purchase that they are sure to forfeit and lose both Heaven happinesse and their own souls That both lay and give * Esay 9. 18. fire to a train to blow up and consume those †I do earnestly desire all covetous irreligious Parents seriously to consider of and tremble at these few amongst many places of scripture Exod 34. 7. Job 18. 19. Job 19. 10 11 â—5 22. 23. 28. houses and lands which they have built upon and bought with the ruines of others That feed their Children with poysoned dainties That * Prov. 3. 33. sow their Lands with Sinne for their off-spring while they live which will bring forth no better fruits nor yeild any other harvest but infamy beggery curses and misery unto them and intail together with their inheritance the wrath of God upon them Certainly those that do thus are equally mad and miserable for as that Blessed and Pious Martyr Bishop Hooper said the gains of the World with the losse of Gods favour is beggery and wretchednesse And all they are such and so doe who preferre Earth before Heaven plenty before piety for they will one-day to their grief shame and astonishment find that their greenest hopes will be blasted their Aegyptian reeds broken their strongest holds demolished that their honey will be turned into †Prov. 20. 17. gall and gravell and that their wealth will end in wants and endlesse misery Alexander the great going upon a hopefull expedition gave away his Gold and being asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of better and greater things But these infatuated Mammonists give away their hopes of the most choice and precious things Christ Heaven Pardon a good Conscience Salvation c. and reserve nothing but their Gold and the guilt both of over-loving and sinfully getting it And although they may or doe expect a plentifull harvest after so laborious and troublesome a seed-time yet they will find that they have only plowed upon a Rock laboured in the fire sown the wind and therefore that they shall reap nothing but the whirl-wind for †Prov. 10. 2. Riches profit not in the day of wrath sayes Solomon And a greater then Solomon God himself saith * Ezech. 7. 19. their silver and their Gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath they shall not satisfie their souls neitheir fill their Bowells Let us then as we desire not to be spirituall beggers and everlastingly undone with an holy greedinesse covet the best gifts and strive to be vertuous and pious since f Plato Omne super terram et sub terra Aurum non est ex ulla parte cum virtute comparandum Let us with an indefatigable diligence labour to be rich in faith and good works And let us with an holy scorne trample upon shining dirt and that thick clay wherewith whereby and wherein so many are both soiled and suffocated defiled and destroyed remembring alwaies that man is de terra ex terra sed non ad terram nec propter terram And also seriously considering that Avarice is one of the Divells strongest toiles wherein he takes a Drag-net wherewith he catches and a pioner whereby he both undermines and kills the soul Superbia clausit Diabolo coelum Gula primo parenti abstulit par adifum Avaritia diviti aperuit infernum All covetous persons are spiritual Idolaters i Heylyn Geog p. 790. so that what the people of Brasile said to the Spaniards holding up a wedge of Gold g viz. Behold the God of the Christians may truly and sadly be objected to and charged upon all avaritious men and women for they make goods their God account gain godliness and so do treasure up wrath instead of Wealth * Prov. 3 33. Curses instead of Riches to themselves and their posterities Having thus presented to your view though very unskilfully an Anatomy of that loathsome meagre unsavory unprofitable carcasse worldly mindednesse together with a true though unlively picture of the folly indigency slavery and misery of all covetous persons I shal now commend to your consideration a duty which Christ commands †Matth. 6. 20. But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven c. Beg earnestly cry mightily to God for his favour and carefully endeavour to keep your selves in his Love labour for a justifying faith for purity humility and sincerity of heart for holinesse and all heavenly Graces c. For these are such Treasures to which all the Indian Mines are but dust heaps empty Exchequers or Gravel-pits and in comparison whereof the rarest the most precious Jewels in the World are but Glasse and flints As so many spurrs therefore to quicken or Arguments to perswade you to expresse your Loyalty to the King of Righteousnesse your Soveraign by your obedience and conformity to his will and Commands and also to prevail with you even for your own sakes and the eternal good of your Souls Conscientiously and carefully to put this duty the pious performance whereof you will find to be equally necessary profitable and comfortable unto you in practise consider First That these Celestiall treasures are not only permanent but they are also reall Riches such as will make you truely everlastingly great honourable wealthy happy Secondly Consider that these and only such treasures are suitable to the nature and necessities of the soul Gold they say is good Conira palpitationem cordis against that trouble called the palpitation or trembling of the heart but it cannot cure a wounded spirit nor so much as ease a heart that 's burdened with the sense and fear of Gods dreadfull wrath for sin The Soul is a spirituall substance and therefore it cannot be fed contented maintained or preserved with mundane mercies or carnal comforts though shel was Emperesse of the universe No nothing but a saving interest in Christ peace of Conscience a sweet communion with God victory over all her spirituall enemies assurance of Gods mercy in the full and free remission of all her Iniquities c. can quiet or satisfie her And therefore she cries out in her pangs wants and serious reflexions upon her self when she is either scorched with Gods hot displeasure and fiery indignation or warmed with the Beams of Love and Mercy darting from the Sun of righteousnesse and shining upon her as that Martyr John Lambert did in the fire h Fex B. of Martyrs vol. 2. p. 427. col 2. None
wicked and rebellious Children of Adam whose Life on Earth is both a Warfare and a wayfare a Fight and a voyage that thou hast both provided them a Magazine and set them up great yea glorious Land-marks The Holy Scriptures to furnish them with Weapons to subdue all their Enenemies And also to afford them Light and to give them Direction whereby they may safely saile by those Shelves and Quick-sands that threaten to ruine and swallow up their Souls in their passage to eternity And further as one of the greatest and most mischievous of them all hast in love to their Souls acquainted them with the danger mischief and misery of Avarice that so they may both fear avoid decline and escape that Soul-wracking Soul-ruining Rock Blessed God add one Link more I beseech thee to the long the precious Chain of thy free Love and rich immerited Mercy Give Christians hearts I pray thee to hate Covetousnesse Let not their Affections O Lord be riveted to earthly things Let them not set up Gold or goods in their minds above their good God Let them not sinfully love or seek that here which will either leave or betray them when they come to lye under black and sad Providences under the burden anguish trouble and terrours of a wakened Conscience and the affrighting confounding Arrest of Death Give them Grace O Lord to covet the best Gifts and then the best of Gifts Jesus Christ that reall Indie wherein all the most precious I never-failing Mines of Saving Grace heavenly Blessings spiritual Joyes and Comforts everlasting Treasures purest sweetest pleasures highest Honoures and eternal Felicity are to be found and gotten will be given unto them Let them O Lord make Christ their All and then they will be sure to want nothing Let all their fresh springs be in thee and then dry and broken Cisterns Creature-comforts will neither deceive nor destroy them And let all O Lord that enjoy the Gospel of Jesus Christ both remember and consider with timely Care and Fear that covetous Persons are not written in the Book of Life and enrolled in Heaven but that they are Registred Listed and put by the Lord into that black Catalogue and Muster-roll of hainous Sinners and odious Idolaters whose souls shall never enter into Gods rest Kingdome and Glory Amen Avaritia Averni est porta pietatis Gangraena Honestatis Tinea Mors Animae IX Of Pleasure IT s an Itch that overspreads all the senses till it grow an incurable disease A hand which tickles us like Trouts to our ruine A Tarantula that stings men so as to make them die laughing It deprives us of our Palats so that we cannot tast any sweetnesse in the duties of holinesse and service of God It 's pleasing but dangerous Opium to the soul and hath a Sirent tongue wherewith it sings such Melodious Lullabies unto it that at length the heart is laid down by it so fast asleep in the Cradle of security that nothing but either the thunder of threatning or the lightning of flaming wrath and scorching anger or the fire of Hell flashing in the very face of Conscience can awaken it * All sublunary delights pleasures and contentments Gustata magis quam potata delectant Cicer. Tusc lib. 2. The top of the cup is honey but the bottome Gall. It at our first acquaintance with us smiles upon us and bids us welcome but afterwards it scourges us with Scorpions By it men and women a Hackwel Apolog p. 458. like the Jesters of Heliogabalus are smothered with violets and buried under Roses a bitter sweet death Voluptuous persons like the b Sr. Anthony Shirlies relation Kings of Persia doe Hauke at Butterflies with Sparrows their lusts make them pursue vanities They are like the c Howel in the Life of Lewis 3. French of whom one saith in regard of their Inconsideratenesse that they are Animalta sine praeterito futuro Creatures that have no respect either to time past or time to come When they have tired glutted and turned the edge of their lusts by a full and free injoyment of their darling lushious delights and their foolish filthy pleasures they say of such a day or time as the d Burton melancholy Barbarous Prince did of that when he saw Julius Caesar and his gallant Romane Army that he had now seen the Gods and that it was the happiest day that ever he had in his life And as the Glutton did at a great feast sure there is no other Heaven but this They are like that Cardinal who said he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise The Alpha of pleasures is mirth but the Omega mourning It 's a false fire an Ignis fatuus that lights leads and betraies those who follow it to danger dishonour destruction It 's a soft sweet pleasant Gale that fills the sails of mens corrupt affections and wasts them delightfully down the calm streams of carnall Joy and sensuall pleasures into the Mare mortuum of everlasting lamentation It 's like the Apples of Sodome very beautifull without when within there 's nothing but dust and rottennesse Like some pictures exceeding fair and amiable if look't upon one way but most ugly and deformed if beheld another way It hath a weight of lead on the one hand as well as a wing on the other a sting as well as a speckled skin And when best or sweetest it 's but honey and Aloes wine and water mixed together nay many times it stings the heart so painfully that even while smiles sit upon the * Prov. 14. 13. face sighs and sorrowes fill and pearch upon the spirit That very day saith Marcus Aurelius when I triumphed in Rome openly for my Victories my heart wept secretly Pleasure it strangles the soul with silken halters smothers it in a bed of down throws it from a Tower of Pearl stabs it with a Golden dagger kils it with a delicious banquet and drowns it in a Sea of Wine The infatuated Lovers of it are like e Speed Cro. p. 85. Domitian whose delight was to catch and kill flies Like f Hackwel Apolog p. 463. Nero who used to fish with golden hooks and nets drawn with purple coloured Lines for Gudgeons T is like Diogenes his laqueus melleus delightful but deadly A voluptuous person is an Aetna alwaies burning within with foolish and filthy desires and often flaming out in Acts of impurity beastialitie impiety Hee 's an Israelite dying with Quailes in his mouth Pleasure it 's like a Favourite both a summe and a cypher in a very little time all and nothing she serves and deludes her Lovers as t is said the Devill hath done some witches glving them shining leaves instead of reall Gold and proves an empty cloud instead of a Juno to those that embrace her She decoys men into snares and dangers and instead of a pleasant walk she proves at last a deep pit and a narrow
this eminent sweet excellent blessing by luxury by idlenesse ' gluttony drunkennesse and wantonnesse Ingage and indear our hearts by thy Love to thee make us carefull to imploy and improve all our Talents to thy Glory and grant that we may both fear scorn and hate to consume our precious time to spend our marrow to waste our strength and to destroy our health in drudging for Satan and in pleasing fewelling feeding our vain vile carnal and cursed Lusts Let our hearts be sound in thy Statutes that thou moist not punish us with rottennesse in our Bones Make us O Lord sick of sinne that sicknesse which is the fruit and punishment of sin may either be withheld or removed from us or however sanctified unto us And be thou blessed to heal our diseased souls and make us holy for otherwise healthfulnesse of Body will not be a Comfort or Mercy but a Crosse and Judgment to us Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Salus et Sal Sol est humanae vitae XI Of saving Faith and Sincere Love FAith t is a Diamond set in the Ring of the soul by the spirit of God other graces and vertues enamell beautifie it this gives worth and value to it 'T is the uppermost link in the Golden chain of Grace joyning uniting espousing a true believer to Jesus Christ 'T is the hand whereby he takes the long white Rayment of Christs Righteousnesse out of the glorious wardrobe of his infinite merits to cloath his soul withall which is stript stark naked by Adams fall and become both ugly and filthy through actual sins that so God may not behold the spots and deformity thereof to loath and abhorre it And 't is the hand also which not only receives but applies that Soveraign Plaister made of Christs precious heart-bloud to the soul for ease cure comfort 'T is the mouth that sucks the full and sweet Breasts of Divine promises to refresh feed nourish and strengthen the inward man a One saith of humane learning that if the faceâ— thereof could be seen it is fairer then the morning and evening star Aeneas Silvius in an Epistle to Sigismond Duke of Austria How infinitely more amiable delightful and beautiful then will the sight of Jesus Christ who is white ruddy yea altogether lovely Cantic 5. 10-16 by Faith here and for ever in glory hereafter be to a believing glorified Soul And saith Aug. Habet fides Oculos suos quibus quodammodo videt verum esse quod nondum videt Aug. Epi. 222. 'T is the eye by which a true beleever sees God through the thickest cloud of sin in the blackest mid-night of affliction yea in the darkest dungeon of tentation or desertion smiling upon him in the most amiable face of Jesus Christ 'T is the wing that carries Prayer to the Throne of grace and the usher that leads the soul home to Heaven and there leaves it 'T is a Peter catching hold of Christ when ready to sink in a Sea of perplexitie It 's a Sun that may be misted with fears and darkned with doubtings but can never be totally or finally eclipsed by despair for a Christian may lose his feeling but it 's impossible for him to lose his * Josuah 1. 5. compared with Hebr. 13. 15. union He may indeed want for a time the lustre but he cannot for ever be deprived of the light of Gods countenance Like a tree in winter he may seem to others yea and to himself too to be dead yet even then his root is full of sap and alive his heart hath saving grace in it for his life is hid in Christ he hath an immortall seed in him which cannot perish though like fire under ashes it may be couered and for a time not discerned either to grow or burn and therefore he will certainly like * Psalm 1. Davids tree be both green well liking and fruitful again These being truths to me like the Sun-beams when most radiant equally clear and comfortable 1. That where true and saving grace is once wrought in the heart by the spirit of God it may indeed decay but is cannot die For this Lamp will alwaies be fed with that Oyl from Heaven it may be hidden but it shal not be lost it may be wounded but it cannot be killed For though sin may blurre and fully a Christians evidences yet it cannot cancell them nor shall it ever pull off that seal which the holy Spirit hath set unto them and stampt upon them 2. That those whom God once loves with his peculiar his speciall love shal never become the eternal objects of his hatred and wrath Because whom God once loves loves he * John 13. 1. saith Saint John to the end that is for ever 3. And that none of those who by a justifying faith are espoused to Jesus Christ though they may provoke him to frown chide threaten yea punish them shall ever have a Bill of divorce given unto them by him Because all such though they be not so sanctifyed as to have no roots that bear Gall and the bitter fruits of sin in them nor so washed as to have no filth stains or soil adhere in this world unto them are fully acquitted of and discharged from that infinite debt they owed unto God by their Al-sufficient surety Jesus Christ who paid it for them so that it will never be required of them And although they be not perfectly yet they are sincerely pure and holy here and therefore shal most certainly be saved hereafter Saving faith 't is the only Receipt to cure the dead palsy of Atheisme in heart and life the Apoplexy of security and the best Aqua Coelestis the best cordial water to revive and cheer up a Soul that droops or faints under the sad apprehensions of Gods displeasure and for want of a Comfortable assurance of his Love It 's Alcinous his tree in realitie for it bears precious fruit continually 'T is like a Rod of Myrtle which saith Pliny will keep a travailer while he holds it in his hand from being faint or weary 'T is alwaies attended with her cheerful Sister and most faithful Companion Hope These two are to the Soul what Maroellus and Fabius Maximus was said to be unto Rome The Sword and the Buckler thereof b They are called uniones because they alwaies grow together by couples Heylyn Goerg p. 805. And like those Gemms called Vniones they alwaies grow together in it Faith and Hope are as it were the Breasts that nourish comfort and support the Soul affording it et tutamen et solamen as that Masculine Martyr Agatha said to Quintianus by whose barbarous command her Breasts were cut off both safety and solace in the midst of all dangers and miseries A true beleever is that beautiful * Esther 8. 4. Esther to whom Ahasuerus the great King of Saints God Almighty holds out the Golden Scepter of Mercy that he may come
into his presence injoy his Favor and live for the just shall live by his faith him God doth love and will honour but all Vashti's * Esther 1. 11. all unbelievers shall be rejected divorced from Christ though Hypocrisie Morality wealth or greatnesse may make them like her very fair to look on who is the head and Husband of his Church and people for ever Faith 't is a tree that bears those golden Apples those rare sweet pleasant precious fruits love to God and his Saints purity and humility of heart and affections peace of conscience victory over the world charity joy in the Holy Ghost courage and constancy in the confession and profession of the truth c. These are the Daughters that rise up and call their Mother blessed These are the Jewels that adorn and the Royall train which attends the Kings Daughter who is all glorious within yea and makes that Palace that heart where she resides and keeps Court all glorious too for the God of glory the Lord of glory and the Spirit of glory do all take up their abode in a beleeving Soul Faith 't is a Stephen beholding a living Christ in heaven through a thick and violent shower of stones when the body is dying upon earth 'T is a brasse wall a * Ephes 6. 16. shield wherewith a beleever both repelleth and quenches all the fiery darts of the Devill Hostem visibilem feriendo invisibilem vincis credendo Our visible enemies may be subdued by striking and fighting but our invisible Adversary the Devill cannot be conquered but by beleeving 'T is that heavenly David which overcomes that spirituall Goliah Satan and all those uncircumcised Philistins sin the world temptations our carnal hearts corrupt affections filthy lusts and our disorderly unruly passions those wild horses which carry us headlong into sin and run away with the soul towards Hell 'T is a divine Apelles that draws the Image of God defaced by sin to the life again upon the Soul 'T is the salt which maketh all our Sacrifices both savory and acceptable because * Heb. 11. 6. without faith it 's impossible to please God Justifying faith works by love and lover runs down the several Chanels †We must love God above all things Apprenativè 2 Intensivâ— 3. Adâ—quatè First of Love to God Amat enim non immerito qui amatus est sine merito Amat sine fine qui sine principio se cognovit amatum And his love to God he demonstrates by yielding a willing sincere constant and universall obedience to all his Commandements For Quicquid propter deum fit aequaliter fit True obedience doth neither deny nor dispute Gods commands but obeyeth them all both equally and cheerfully 2. Of charity to the poor because he that 's freely through grace made a member of Christ cannot but both pity and relieve Christs members The sense of Gods undeserved mercy and bounty to himself will melt his heart into Compassion and open his hand to distribute unto those that are in want 3. Of praying and sorrowing for those that are profane The wicked like those who are infected with the plague desire and delight to corrupt and destroy others incourage them to sin and accompany them in sin But those that love God do so love their Brethren in the flesh also that they both mourn for their iniquities and earnestly heartily cry to the Lord to convince convert pardon and save them 4. Of forgiving enemies freely cordially fully since no man was ever either so malitious against or injurious to another as man was to his maker and Saviour yet Christ did not only forgive him but dyed also to make an atonement for him and to reconcile God and him and therefore for Christs sake in obedience to his command and to expresse his conformity to his Redeemer he will pardon his worst greatest and most implacable adversaries yea and love even those that hate him 5. Lastly of sympathizing with afflicted Christians If one string on a musicall instrument be but touched all the rest will expresse their fellow-feeling thereof in a sound If the head ake the tongue will complain if a finger be burnt the eye will weep And all those whom God hath comforted in their own sorrows will mourn for others calamities and grieve for the afflictions of Joseph Certainly then those are but dead and rotten members which are not sensible of nor affected with the maladies and miseries of their brethren Love 't is the weight which moves all the wheeles of the soul in duty Amor meus pondus meum Eo feror quocunqne feror said holy Augustine 'T is the spring of all wel-pleasing services to God e Curtius Alexander the great had two Friends Hephestâ—onâ— and Parmento Hephesten loved Alexander Parmenio the King God hath two sorts of Friends good men and bad men A worldly wicked man loves God as a King able to protect promote honour provide for him Nam amici ficti fortunae sunt amici non sui But a true believer loves Christ as a Lord Husband Prophet with a heart not only willing but resolved to be guided commanded instructed by him and to be loyal dutifull obedient chast faithfull unto him The one follows Christ for loaves forbâ—y base low carnal ends aimes designs the other to honour serve please praise him The one because he 's great and bountifull the other because he 's good and holy the one withers shrinks repines forsakes God when he is nipt with the frost of adversitie or threatned with the storms of persecution being like a tree that seeds and loses both its fruit and leaves in the cold sharp winter of tryals dangers and like a Mushroome without root But the other like a Palm-tree is not only green in the winter of Affliction but he will also rather then he will want deny or dishonour Christ goe through flames and flouds to serve obey meet injoy him Faith and Love are like a pair of compasses whilst saith stands firmly fixed with the center which is God nam Circumferentia fidei est verbum dei Centrum fidei deus verbum Love walks the round and puts a girdle of Mercy about the loins There may be a shew of charity without faith but there can be no shew of Faith without Charitie d Rainold Orat p. 320. Cato Vticensis being asked by one Quem maxime amaret Respondit fratrem my Brother Being asked the same question a second and a third time still answered Fratrem my Brother and nothing else Aske a true Believer whom he most really intirely loves both his tongue heart and life will answer My elder Brother Jesus Christ Socrates said often he had rather have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kings favour then the Kings gold or silver A true beleever had rather injoy the love of God the light of his countenance and a sweet Communion with Christ then ten thousand worlds and saies with e
thâ—u resolvest wickedly to keep what thou hast sinfully gotten thy sins wil most certainly find thee out the wrath of God will pursue thee his judgments will overtake thee and his dreadful vengeance will both fall and rest upon thy soul estate name and posterity Prov. 11 7. 18. 10. 7. Prov. 3. 33 16. 8. 28. 8. Ezek. 33. 15. no restitution no remissiâ—n by consequence no salvation now by the way if this rule of St. Augustine which hath been judged esteemed Orthodox canonicall so many ages should be precisely observed and exactly conformed unto then certainly what one said of the Romane Senators viz. That if they should restore to others what they had unjustly gotten taken from them they must go to their ploughs and cottages again might truly be affirmed of and would be the condition of many thousands yea millions of great and rich men in the world And lastly a reall grieving for our sins more then for our sufferings and that we have provoked dishonoured God more then that we are punished by God are the marks the Principia constitutiva of true repentance Repentance 't is a setting of the soul again it being double dyed and twice dead in Originall and in actuall sin and pluckt up by the roots through delight and continuance therein in the rich soil of Grace and a watering of it with tears of contrition and the bloud of Jesus Christ as Hortensius did his Plane trees with wine if I may so speak without a Solecisme applyed by a justifying faith to Revivification and fruitfulnesse 'T is the condition of that Obligation without the performance whereof the Soul cannot be discharged from the debt of sin but remains lyable every moment to be arrested without all possibility of either flying hiding or defending it self by that irresistable inexorable Serjeant Death to be tryed and cast upon that Bond in the high Court of Gods Justice and after a verdict given up by Gods Law and its own Conscience against it to have judgment and execution served upon it and then to be thrown into the Prison of Hell there to lye without baile or Mainprize for ever 'T is a well of everlasting life Springing up in the heart without which there is no possibility of being holy no promise of being happy 'T is a soul in travaile of those spirituall Twinns Pardon Peace pain'd and tortured with many grievous heart-rending pangs for Gods Children have alwaies their hardest labours of their choycest sweetest greatest mercies but at length by an Almighty wonderâ—working hand and power safely seasonably joyfully delivered 'T is the plank on which the soul gets when dasht or wrackt upon the rocks of sin by the tempests of temptations and corruptions and so escapes perishing in the sea of despair distraction damnation 'T is that Aqua fortis which both eats through the very heart of sin and wherewith the characters of honesty vertue piety are engraven upon the inward man 'T is the water which both quenches the burning wrath of God cleanseth a polluted conscience and moistens the soul till it become an Eden 'T is the day-break of saving mercy with a cloudy wet morning but a bright fair pleasant afternoon and a glorious Sun-set follows it 'T is one of a Christians main deeds and best evidences for his right and title to an heavenly inheritance The Motto of a true penitent may well be like that French Ladies a watering pot dropping with this inscription Nil mihi praeterea praeterea mihi nihil He 's happier weeping then the wicked are when rejoycing for there is more true delight and joy of heart in the sorrow of Saints then in the mirth and laughter of the world Verus poenitens de peccatis dolet de dolore gaudet A true penitent grieves for his sins and rejoyceth in that grief it being his exceeding great delight and pleasure to consider that God hath given him a heart to mourn and sorrow for them The Athenians never went to conclude a peace but in mourning habits we can never make our peace with God unless we go to him with mourning hearts True repentance doth work wonders It will turn a Wolf into a Lamb an Eagle into a Dove a Thorn into an Olive a Rock into a fountain a Serpent into a Sheep a Tyrant into a Martyr a stone into a Son of Abraham a Saul into a Paul a persecutor into a worshipper of and a sufferer for Christ a cruell Jaylor into a sorrowful Confessor and a dry stick like Aarons rod into a fruitful tree Alexander the great being asked Quomodo potitus esset Graecia respondebat Nihil procrastinans Speedy hearty repentance is a sure infallible means for us to obtain more then Greece even grace pardon Heaven Optima poenitentia est nova vita saith Luther He that hath new and holy principles the new wine of Grace wrought and put into the Bottle of his renewed heart by the spirit of God will neither walk in his old wayes continue in a profane course nor hanker after nor long for the flesh-pots of Egypt again Ista est vera poenitentia quando quis sic poenitet ut non repetat A righteous Lot will run to Zoar but he will not return any more to Sodom Noah was drunk but once David was but once an Adulterer When a grievouâ— grosse sinner becomes a gracious Saint he gives this Motto Ego non sum ego and he carefully prints it in his life and actions well knowing that they only are sincere Christians do truly repent â—hat carefully resolutely constantly forsake loath and abhorre all their sins It is then our wisdome and wil be our happinesse to write with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond upon the stonie tables of our obdurate hearts that Golden saying viz. It is every mans duty to repent one day before he dies for we are not sure to live to morrow no nor til to morrow but we are sure if wedie before we repent to be damned And if we neglect deferre or think it too soon to repent to day it may be too late to morrow for God hath * Micah 3. 4. Jerem. 14 12. and Psalm 32. 6. threatned that he will turn a deaf ear to such desperate carelesse transgressors although they cry shed many tears and make many praiers for audience mercy and acceptance Besides how justly do they deserve to perish that will neither seek nor labour to obtain a pardon when they are reprieved that do not value it till they be going to the Gallowes to their graves And although poenitentia vera est nunquam sera tamen poenitentia sera est earo vera Though true repentance be never late yet late repentance is seldome true 'T is very rare to see a Felon though he professe and seem to be very sorry for his fact pardoned and unpinioned upon the Ladder more strange to see a condemned Traitor fetcht away from the scaffold
weep and gnash his teeth without all possibility of ease or end An Hypocrite then is both a self-destroyer and a self-deceiver Patroclus exultabat Armis Achillis sensit Hector nihil aliud esse quam Patroclum For although with his glittering shewes of piety like a Jugler he may delude the eyes of men yet he cannot cast a mist before * Jerem. 17. 10. nor draw a curtain betwixt the the All-seeing eye of God and his soul because the Lord both searches tries knows and weighs the heart and spirit and the darkest angles together with those darling corruptions that lurk the closest in them What was said of Cicero Linguam omnes fere mirantur pectus non ita is true of an Hypocrite most men may admire his tongue even whilest God abhorreth his heart that may be most eloquent and pious while this is most unclean impious n Speed He is like Tiberius aliud ore aliud mente omnia dissimulans And like o Guicciardine Pope Alexander the 6th who was so cunning a dissembler that he never spoke as he meant And therefore he is abominable to God who loves and requires truth in the inward parts being non corticis sed cordis Deus the God of the heart and not of the bark An Hypocrite deals with Christ as * Ruth 1. 14. 17. Orpah did with Naomi he kisses and leaves professes and forsakes him And therefore God will both reject him eclipse or rather kill his Joyes in * Job 20. 5. a moment * Matth. 22. 13 14 15 16. and inflict eternall woes †upon him But a sincere Christian carries himself towards his Saviour as Ruth did to Naomi he forsakes all for him cleaves stedfastly to him and resolves nothing shall part divide or divorce him from him and therefore God will both own honour and crown him with felicity and glory to all eternity For that with Galba the Emperour of Rome once said to his Souldiers may both most comfortably and truly be affirmed of Christ and all true Nathaniels Zachary's and Elizabeths I mean all sincere Christians viz. ego vestor vos mei Jesus Christ is and * Hosea 2. 19. will be theirs faithfully yea everlastingly and they are his most intirely cordially constantly My beloved is mine and I am his saith the spouse of Christ her Husband The Prayer O LORD since thou hast acquainted those that enjoy thy Gospell wherein thy will and their own duties comforts priviledges and happinesse are revealed to them that a double heart is an evil heart Let us not I beseech thee be contented much lesse well-pleased or resolved like Solomons Harlot to have that Child divided betwixt thee and our Lusts Vnder the Law thou didst command that the Altar upon which thy people sacrificed unto thee should be made of whole Stones But under the Gospell thou requirest that the Spirits of those who serve and seek thee be contrite fleshie tender yet intirely devoted to thee O Let not blessed God our hearts who sit under the droopings of the Sanctuary be stonehard barren sensless dead hearts but take them into thine own hands O Lord and mould fashion form and frame them so that they may be soft broken and yet wholly only and sincerely thine And that so thou mayst delight in them take possession of them set up thy glorious Throne and dwell in them O let us remember that sincerity will be our Comfort in the midst of our sorrows and a welspring of Joy peace gladnesse hope and happinesse to us hath in life and death whereas Hypocrisie will both bring us unto and leave us in eternal woes and horrour Let us also consider that the paint of Hypocrisie and the varnish of formality will not cannot either hide our loathsome deformity from the 〈◊〉 pure All-seeing eye or abide and stick on when we shall appear before our God by death and judgment who is a consuming 〈…〉 us not therefore O thou that requirest truth in the inward parts to content our selves with shewes of goodnesse and a form of Godlinesse but grant that we may labour to get the life and power of Religion into our hearts to depart from all iniquity to walk in all the Commandements of our God without reproof and cordially to serve the Lord that so living here without Guile we may dye in the Lord and after death riegn with the God of truth in Glory Amen Sinceritas pietatis est medulla anima Gratiae Antidotum contra desperationem XV. Of Afflictions T Is the * Esay 48. 10. Ier. 9. 7. Furnace into which God casts his people to refine them his enemies to consume them It 's a comfortable pillar of fire to lead his Israel towards Canaan but a fearfull flame like that from Heaven upon Nadab and Abihu to destroy the wicked 'T is a Scullion a file to make Christians bright and clean 'T is the gall and Wormwood that God layeth upon those breasts of the world power pleasure honour profit to wean his children from it 'T is the hand the friend that pulleth them out and will not suffer them to dabble soile drown themselves in the puddles sinks or streams of earthly vanities carnall pleasures or creature comforts 'T is the Kings professor of Divinity in the Academy of the World 'T is the a Scholacrucis â—ehola lucis Calamitas virtutis est occasio Seneca dedivin provident School of Christ where a Christian learns to take out lessons of patience humility submission to Gods will contempt of the World Repentance and dependence upon God It gives a tongue to the heart and as the extream danger Croesus was in by Cyrus and his enemies in the battle made his till then dumb Son cry out b Rex est caeve ne â—ccidas Heyl. Geogr. p. 528. O do not kill King Croesus maketh men and women both to break open and knock off all the doores locks barres and obstructions of speech and also to * Hosea 5. 15. cry out for mercy acceptance forgivenesse deliverance safety and salvation although they had never before spoken one word to God by prayer for the lives of their indangered wounded dying souls What the barren women of Rome did foolishly conceive of and vainly expect from the Priests of Mars when they danced stark naked up and down the streets with whips in their hands to keep off Doggs from biting them namely that if they were lashed by them it would make them fruitfull Christians find it experimentally to be most true of the Rod of God for it makes them * Psal 119 67â— 71. bring forth fruit meet for repentance Affliction like Aloes is bitter in tast but sweet in operation for it kills sin that Cancer that cruell deadly worm which doth so dangerously wound so grievously pain and so intolerably torment the Soul 'T is to an Israelite a Jordan but a Red sea to an Egyptian A child of God may say of Troubles as
penitent And let O Lord all thy chastisements be so sanctified unto us that our understandings may be enlightened our judgements rectified our souls humbled our corruptions mortified our consciences purified our lives reformed that thy dreadful wrath may be appeased thy unsupportable judgements removed thy tender mercies evidenced and thy loving kindnesse which is better then life vouchsafed and continued unto us Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Afflictio illuminat decet purgat eurat XVI Of Patience PAtience 't is a * Job 1. 21. Job blessing God for the losse of blessings an * 1 Sam. 3. 18. Eli kissing the Rod that drew bloud from him with that sharp lash that heavy stroke the threatned ruine of his house and posterity with the mouth of submission saying It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good a Cedrenus in vit Mauritii Camerar It 's a holy good Mauritius who when he was not only deposed from his Empire and succeeded by one of the worst yea basest of all his subjects Phocas but also compelled to be a sad and mournfull Spectator of the bloudy butchery of all his five sweet innocent Children he meekly and joyfully kissed the hand that beat him saying Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments 'T is a Lamb that will be both shorn and killed without crying It 's a grace that keeps the soul in a calm holy contented frame in every condition 'T is an Isaac bound and ready to be sacrificed without murmuring A stone-wall that both blunts and repels the piled arrows of the sharpest sufferings 'T is a fountain without mud and clear though stirred or troubled with the hand and rod of affliction A face without a srown and peevish tear in the greatest pain disappointment grief torment 'T is a writ of restitution when distrust frowardnesse discontentment or rash anger have ejected a man out of his right mind and Christian behaviour whereby he is again peaceably and quietly restored unto himself In your patience possesse your Souls 'T is a stream that keeps within the banks of †Psalm 39. 9. silence with David and * Philip. 4. 11. 12. an holy contentation of mind with Paul when the stormy impetuous winds of affliction poverty sicknesse or persecution doe blow upon it 'T is cooling Physick that preserves the soul from falling into the dangerous fever of an angry murmuring against Gods crossing providences 'T is one like the Camell kneeling down to take up his burden It makes a man like wheat fall down in a silent submission and a willing resignation of himself to the will and pleasure of God when he 's winnowed with the fan of adversity 'T is a clear Skie in the worst weather An Anvile unbroken with the hardest strokes of injury calamity or Tyranny b Et non sentire mala sua non est hominis et non ferre non est vir Seneca 'T is the golden meane betwixt the extreams of stupidity and repining 'T is Jonah in a Whales belly without fretting 'T is the Cradle wherein passion is rockt asleep 'T is the earnest the bond of a liberall remuneration c Hug. Grocius of the Law of War and peace ex Terâ—ul For so bounteous a rewarder of patience is God that if you commit your injury to him he is a revenger if you grief an healer if your death a reviver How great is the power of patience to have God himself a debtor to it Patience 't is a Joseph relieving maintaining providing for the soul in the Egypt of this world when afflicted with the forest famine 'T is a childe descended of a Royall family being the Daughter of that Queen mother Meeknesse 'T is an Abraham prepared resolved contented to forsake and want all countrey friends land if God will have it so 'T is a Dove without Gall A tree without knots A spirit even and planed A fresh spring and sweet water in the saltest sea of tribulation A But that receives all darts without pain hurt and death A bush burning yet not consumed Patience 't will make a man like * Esay 39. 8. Hezekiah willingly consent and as it were set his hand to Gods Deed of gift of all his yea and his posterities temporal mercies to enemies and aliens with a Good is the word and righteous is the work of the Lord. 'T is a Christians Sandale and shooe wherewith he both can and doth tread upon the nettles and bryers of injuries and reproaches without either smart or hurt and also wherewith he walks upon Gravel and thistles indureth crosses losses and troubles without fainting * Prov. 3. 15. fretting or †tyring The Prayer O LORD if thou wert as prone to revenge as we are to rebell Or if thou shouldest be as ready to destroy us as we are forward to displease and dishonour thee showers of Fire and Fury instead of dews of Grace and Mercy would daily yea hourly fall from Heaven upon our heads But such O thou God of Patience though thou art angry with the wicked every day is thy wonderfull Long-suffering towards us though we daily vex and grieve thee that thou art graciously pleased to warn us to wait on us to wooe us to strive with us and to offer both favour and forgivenesse to us O let us resolve and indeavour to learn of Christ to imitate him and to transcribe into our own actions and behaviour that Golden Copy which our blessed Saviour hath set us by being like him meek and lowly in heart And since thy holy Word assures us that a froward mouth and heart are hatefull and abominable unto thee O let us never give thee any rest till thou hast adorned us with the precious the glorious Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit That so we may lie silently under thine angry hand when corrected bear injuries affronts revilings petiently and Christianly when they are done or offered unto us wait without fretting contentedly the Lords own time and leisure for comfort and deliverance when we are afflicted distressed oppressed And though we should be wrongfully or suddainly deprived either of all our sublunary mercies or of those which we most value affect and desire that so we may possesse our souls in patience and not be angry or froward at Gods sharpest dealings with us because how great or many soever our miseries are or may be they are lesse and fewer then our iniquities deserve Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Patientia tacet adjuvat exonerat XVII Of Baptism 'T Is a Moses leading and carrying Infants out of Egypt into the Canaan of Gods true Church It 's the hand that ingrafts them into the true Vine Jesus Christ that so they may become living and fruitfull Branches and escape everlasting burning 'T is their Matriculation in the Acadamy of Christianity The Oath of Allegiance which they take to be loyall Subjects to the King of peace and righteousnesse
all transgressions pardoned and exiled persons were recalled Whoever cometh to this holy Sacrament clothed with the new and rich apparell of Christs righteousnesse and can with the hand of a justifying faith touch Jesus Christ shall be sure to find and receive comfort favor acceptance a discharge from the debt of sin liberty and inlargement from the slavery of his own Lusts and from the captivity of Satan communion with Christ here and admission into the Kingdome of Heaven out of which man was justly excluded exiled for sin and Rebellion hereafter For when by death a true Christian doth put off the Rags of his mortality God will invest him with the Robes of Glory to all Eternity The Prayer EVer blessed God such are thy tender mercies unspeakeable Love and matchlesse Bounty to thy Children upon earth that as thou hast prepared and provided for them both Mansions and a feast a Supper of Glory with the Lamb in the Kingdome of Heaven so hast thou also provided a spirituall Banquet and furnished thy Table with most exquisite curious precious and delicious dainties to refresh nourish comfort strengthen and unite them in their journey and whilest they are upon their way thither this Blessed Sacrament O Lord let not I beseech thee this Soul-feeding heart-chearing Grace-strengthening and increasing communion and Supper be neglected undervalued contemned or denyed through the corruptions contentions differences carelesnesse or ungrounded scrupulousnesse of Men. â—ut let Ministers O Lord carefully obey thy command and conscientiously discharge their own Duty in rightly and frequently administring of it to their people that thy bitter thy bloudy Death O Blessed Saviour may be constantly and thankfully remembred thy wonderful unparalleled undeserved love pity goodnesse acknowledged and thy great Name praised and glorified And let Christians O Lord come to this Holy Sacrament so qualified and prepared that their Graces may be strengthened their Souls as with marrow and fatnesse satisfied their interest in Christ cleared and confirmed their joyes and comforts multiplied their Affections inseparably united and their mutuall love to one another mightily increased Grant this O Lord for his sake who is both the maker of the Feast and the Feast himself Jesus Christ Amen Coena Domini cibus est Animae alimentum Gratiae Nutrix pietatis solaminis canalis pignus amoris condonationis sigillum et corroborationis Sacramentum XIX Of Preaching THE sacred word of God purely rightly and powerfully preached is that Bethesday wherein Mephibosheths souls lamed in their feet their affections by the fall which they had out of the arms of Adam and Eve are cured and thereby inabled to run the ways of Gods commandements 'T is the * Cantic 4. 16. and 7. 5. Garden the Gallery where Christ meeteth speaks to and walks with his people 'T is the mount of blessings conduit of faith Golden Scepter of mercy and the spirituall seed of Grace and Life 'T is the Chariot in which Christ rideth triumphantly into the Soul 'T is the hammer that breaks open the iron door of the heart the key that unlocks it T is the fire that consumeth all Satans strong holds in the spirit 'T is spirituall eye-salve that gives a blind Bartimeus his sight And 't is the voice that awakens the most drouzy deaf secure sinner a Rainold Orat. 1. p. 41. What the Orator saith de Oratione is true de praedicatione Morbis inquit animi medicinam facere debet praedicatio facit comprimendo quae tument roborando quae languent quae inflammant leniendo coercendo quae diffluunt expurgando quae redundant 'T is an Ark alwaies bringing blessings with it Nathan which wil rouse convince and humble Davids relapsing Saints T is a Peter pricking the hearts of great and grosse sinners to their conversion sanctification Salvation 'T is a messenger sent from God and bringing with it those three wonderfull glorious instimable Jewels and blessings to the soul sense of sin assurance of pardon and a through reformation both of the Heart and life It s the means which God hath promised commanded owned blessed and sanctyfied by the inward powerfull and effectual operation of his holy Spirit speaking home to the conscience stirring those healing waters of the sanctuary and accompanying the outward administration of the word most ordinarily and efficaciously to instruct the ignorant confirm the weak to warm the cold mollifie the hard melt the frozen comfort them that mourn to awaken those that are drowsie resolve those who doubt incourage and quiet such as fear guide them that erre bind up the broken hearted and to quicken those that are dead in trespasses and sins T is a Cornâ—copia of all those excellent spirituall mercies and comforts 'T is the granary of celestial food and Manna the silver trumpet of peace and the white flag of mercy to a people It 's a Nilus that softens refresheth and fructifieth barren hard and languishing hearts T is a Mary with Christ in the womb of it an Angell instructing a Philip a light in the thickest saddest darknesse and a comfortable seasonable rain in a drought 'T is both meat to the hungry water to the thirsty physick to the diseased milk to the weak a Lamp to them that wander and wine to the sorrowfull In Asia it was a custome that the Child which was not nursed by his mother should not have the goods of his Mother Those who are not nursed by that Mother the true Church of Christ with the breasts of Gods word and ordinances faithfully and duly administred are never like to have God for their Father nor to be heires of the Churches estate I mean the love promises protection grace and blessing of the Lord nor to enjoy the glorious inheritance of her Children eternall felicity hereafter The Prayer O LORD thou art so farre from desiring or delighting in the eternall Damnation of the vilest greatest grossest sinners that thou hast commanded the Gospell of Salvation to be preached to every creature both to Jews and Gentiles Yet since even this word of Life is both a dead and a killing Letter without the quickening sanctifying influence and efficacy of thy holy Spirit Grant blessed God that the Holy Ghost may both teach and speak effectually convincingly convertingly savingly to the ears and hearts of unregenerated Sinners that so the dead may both hear and feel the voice and power of the Son of God and live And be thou pleased most merciful God so to own blesse and prosper thine own Labourers in thy vine-yard that the Consciences of those who are enemies to thine own ordinances and Ministers may be convinced their spirits grieved and humbled their mouths stopped their sin and errours discovered to them hated by them and forsaken of them And that the understandings of those who hear and enjoy them may be savingly enlightened their hearts graciously changed their Lives throughly reformed and their souls everlastingly saved Let him who is the Word Jesus Christ be ushered
against her or any part of her be cast over-boord by her vigilant and valiant Pilots pious orthodoxe and zealous Magistrates * O quâ—m beati erunt in illo die judcii Magistratus illi qui subditos non modo honestis legibus judiciis disciplinâ— rexerunt sed etiam omnium maxime in hoc studium incubucrunt ut incorrupta Religio apud suos exculta sit doctrina coelestis per fidos eruditos et constantes Ministros sit tradita ingens hominum multitudo per spiritum et verbum renata in conspectum Christi prodeat quae tali Magistratui aeternas gra ias agat E contra quam infelices qui c. Religionem per varâ—as corruptelas passi sunt adulterare sayes one And an Heathen could say In nauâ—ragio Rector laudandus quem obruit more clavum tenentem Senec. ad Petil. c. 6. and Ministers that Pirates strangers and enemies the profest cruel subtle and secret adversaries opposers and underminers of thy Glory Gospel ordinances and Ministers may neither be inriched by her woful wrack nor pleased with the birth and sight of those grievous miseries and overwhelming calamities which too often proceed from her contentious and disagreeing Children but let the desires and designs O Lord of Sions enemies be blasted and frustrated And let blessed God all those spiritual Merchants those heavenly Mariners thy Saints thy faithful Souldiers and Servants that are resolved or shal resolve to venture all their treasures their souls lives and worldly interests in that Arke thy Church and to imbarque themselves in her for a voyage to the Holy Land to that new and glorious Jerusalem which is above Let them dear God I once more humbly beseech thee be crowned with a calm with quietnesse serenity and safety in their passage over the brackish boysterous dangerous Ocean of life and when they shall put into and cast Anchor in the port of Death then let them find that they are safely arrived at the Isles of Paradise the Kingdome of Heaven Glory and Felicity Amen Qui pugnat sine mandato poenam accipit non mercedem Qui praedicat sine vocatione peccat non prodest XXII Of a good and a bad Conscience A Good Conscence 't is the suburbs of Heaven 'T is the Sanctuary of the Soul when it 's pursued by sin Satan fear or temptation 'T is Heaven in hell riches in poverty honour in disgrace health in sicknesse in bonds liberty and light in darknesse 'T is Balm that healeth all woundâ— A medicine infinitely more precious then all the Benedicta Medicamenta of Physitians for it cures all spirituall maladies and antidotes the mind against all temporall miseries T is the best Mithridate to expell all troubles from the heart T is Gods temple Christs Bed-chamber and the Spirits Mansion for the highest Heavens and the humblest purest holiest heart are the two places of Gods most glorious * Esay 57. 15. Residence 'T is the souls soft Bed whereon it resteth quietly and sweetly with a pillow of Gospel promises and the left hand of Christ under its head his right hand also imbracing it when it 's either troubled dejected or distressed T is an admirable Soveraign Balsome against the stinging perplexing fears and all the dreadfull dismaying apprehensions of sin Gods wrath Satan Death judgment and Hell 'T is an Ark that keepeth the Soul safe and preserves it from sinking under the heaviest burden of sin or sorrow in the greatest deluge of inward or outward troubles 'T is a ship with Christ in it Heaven in a little volume 'T is divine love and speciall mercy printed usually upon the soul by the Spirit of God in the presse either of Gods ordinances or afflictions in great and golden characters with notes of choicest favour tenderest mercies and free grace upon it T is a Kingdome of fortified rich safe and happy 't is the daughter of faith and repentance and the Mother of all reall ineffable endlesse Joy comforts pleasures 'T is a serene skie with the Sun and Moon of Faith and repentance fixed and shining in the â—irmament of the Soul together with the brightest sparkling stars of all other saving graces which beautifie bespangle it and make a glorious constellation therein 'T is a feast in a famine an haven in a storm life in death 'T is an invincible fort in a Leaguer when the outworks City and Castle of health riches liberty are taken 'T is a Paradise with a tree of Life in it 'T is the Vialactea in a Laetitia bonae conscientiae paradisus est â—nimarum gaudium angelorum hortus deliciarum ager benedictionis templam Sclomonis aula Dei habâ—tac ulum spiritus heavenly heart The vena porta of * 2 Corinth 1. 12. gladnesse joy and a consolation to the spirit here and the beginning of that matchlesse felicity which will out-live time and run parallel with the longest line of eternity 'T is a Dove that brings an Olive branch of peace to a Noah a righteous person in the greatest inundation of perplexity and sorrow of heart 'T is the way to a life without fear or trouble 'T is a John lying in the bosome of Jesus 'T is a transcript a true copy of eternall felicity 'T is a consolatory epistle written with the bloud of Jesus Christ by the finger of the Holy Ghost sent by love and read by faith to a languishing mourning drooping bleeding Soul 'T is ipsum coelum saith Augustine a continuall feast saith Solomon Yea it is a Goshen in Aegypt an Angell in a Dungeon an harbour in a Tempest an Heaven upon earth and the day-star of Glory 'T is an immarcescible Crown A treasure which once got can never be lost for what that b Cicere parâ—dâ—x ad sinem Prince of Orators saith of vertue is most true of a good conscience Nec eripi nec surripi potest â—nquam Neque naufragio neque incendio amittitur nâ—â— tempestatum nec temporum permutatione mutatur But a bad conscience it 's the souls inquisition and strappado It 's the epitome or abridgment of eternall torments 'T is the gloomâ—e evening to the black day of Damnation 'T is the terrible Harbinger of that dreadfull furious cruell train and troop of dismall intolerable unconceiveable woes and plagues which are marching â—ay at the door to take up their everlasting Quarters and abode in the miserable Soul 'T is secretum ftagellum an hell in the soul before the Soul be in Hell 'T is the lightening of those horrors which the thunder of that confounding â—â—ntence Goye cursed into Hel-fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels c. will suddainly inflict upon the for ever undone impenitent sinners Perillus his brasen Bull when hottest was a Down-bed warmed to the scorching anguish of an evill Conscience Nam urit caedit lancinat et eo gravius quia sine morte The stinging of the most venemous Serpent is pleasure and delight to the agonies
before all time and created the world was yet born in the fulnesse of time and became man in the world That he who fils both Heaven and earth and can neither be included nor excluded any where was shut up and confined within the narrow womb of a Virgin That he who is the Omnipotent and can do whatever pleaseth him could neither go nor stand That he who is Wisdome it self could not understand That he who is the Word could not speak That Christ was killed before he was alive and slain before he was born That he who is Almighty was held in the Arms and bound in the hands of a weak Woman That the Mother of Christ was both his Daughter Creature Spouse and a pure Virgin even after her Son was born And that if Jesus had not been slain for her from the beginning of the World Mary had not lived 3. A true beleever is both a Pebble and a Diamond a Pillar and a Troubler of the World He is both the honour and scorn the love envy and hatred of men In the Arithmetique of the wicked he standeth but for a Cypher but in the account of an holy God he is a Summe In the scales of the World he is drosse but in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Gold 4. A true Beleever is a merry mourner one cheerfully sorrowfull And as sometimes the clouds and Sun do rain and shine together So while Rivers of penitent griefe and tears spring up in his heart and run out at the floud-gates of his eyes celestiall beams of unknown joy comfort gladnesse dart upon irradiate and revive his dark troubled drooping Spirit 5. He riseth by falling Humiliation is his exaltation He goeth to Heaven by Hell And is never so high and precious in Gods eyes as when he is vilest and lowest in his own 6. A true Beleever is cured by sicknesse being never so well as when he fainteth is even ready to die of love for Christ Affliction is his physick Julip happinesse He is saved by ship-wrack landed by stormes and deeply rooted by winds and shakings 7. He beeleveth God to be most just and yet that the Lord from all eternity decreed that the innocent should be condemned and suffer to acquit the guilty And also that the greatest sinners should be saved by one should dye for sin and yet never committed any sin He beleeveth himself to be freely pardoned and yet knows that a price was paid for his redemption worth more then ten thousand Worlds He beleeves God to be most mercifull most loving and yet knows that God delivered up his own his only Son and suffered him to suffer not only the most bitter painfull and cruell but also the most shamefull Death And likewise that the Lord poured out upon him the fullest vials of his fiercest wrath and that all this was done endured and suffered for those who were both Enemies and Traytors to God and his Son 8. A true Beleever hateth all the World yet is no mans Enemy He is implacable yet without malice inexorable yet easy to be perswaded He prayeth for and heartily forgiveth his very Murderers His worst enemies are friends to him and do him good He sinneth least when he is most angry Taketh revenge on no body but himself And never pleaseth God more then when he is most offended and displeased with himself 9. A true Beleever is the most ambitious man in the World For nothing can satisfie or bound his aspiring mind but a Kingdome and Crown yet he is the most Loyall Subject and the greatest contemner of all sublunary things He wageth and maintaineth with courage resolution delight and constancy perpetuall Warrs and yet he is the greatest lover of peace lives in peace is the most quiet man and dies in peace He is victorious yea invincible yet fights without men against both men and Devills And though he be plundered beggered and lose all yet he groweth rich and great by wars without pay or pillage 10. He is born both alive and dead He dies twice and lives a threefold life of Nature Grace Glory He hath one resurrection before another after he is dead 11. He studieth with delight and diligence to know that which he is assured will both grieve and trouble him being known He is never so wise as when he knoweth himself to be a Fool. He is never so likely to get safe to shore as when he is most fearful of being cast away He is never beautifull untill he see and acknowledge himself to be ugly and deformed and the more he loaths himself the more God loves him 12. He is born of mean and base Parents and yet he is the only truly noble Man For he hath the Royallest bloud greatest alliances and relations highest titles choycest honours honourablest Attendants and the best estate of any man For God is his Father Christ is his Husband Heaven is his mansion Saints are his Brethren Angells are his Servants and Glory is his inheritance 13. A true Beleever is born both a Begger and an Heir He often lives poor yet is alwaies Rich and dies wealthy though without Lands money goods He keepeth his estate by sending it away and increaseth it by spending of it when others not only lessen but lose theirs by sparing and saving it And he taketh his treasure with him to his Grave and beyond it 14. He is never whole till he hath been broken He is never rightly throughly cured until he hath been deeply wounded He is never on earth more really happy then when he seemeth to be truly miserable Injuries are favours to him losses gain calamities mercies afflictions consolations The breaking of his bones setteth them and makes them both straight and strong 15. A true Beleever liveth in Heaven whilest he sojourns upon Earth he speaketh in company without being heard receives answers which no man can either intercept demurre or perceive enjoyes the best company though alone He walks while he lies still and is not there where men behold him 16. He hath a continuall feast without flesh and eating A Banquet without sweet meats melody without musick and Joy in the middest of sorrow He is dear beloved owned when he thinks himself despised rejected hated He beleeves he shall find pleasure in pain honey in gal life in death and doth so 17. He hath all things in the midst of his extreamest wants yet is beholding to the World for nothing for he fetcheth his meat drink clothes mercies comforts and whatever he possesseth from Heaven He sends by faithful frequent fervent prayers to Christ for them bids patience wait and appoints hope to bring him an answer which believing he shall receive it cometh indeed either according to his desires and expectation or beyond them He alwaies speeds and obtains even when his suit is denyed He hath what he will because he will have but what he may and therefore he sits down both contented and thankfull though he be crossed 18. A
rejects both the offers and the offerers of peace 81. He is an intollerable Traitor in and to a Common-wealth that hates and persecutes the Children of God For as it is Treason by the Laws of men not only to murder a Prince but also to stab or malitiously to deface his picture So it is spirituall Rebellion too not only to fight against God himself but also wilfully to wound and to destroy those that bear his Image his holy Servants 82. He that would have his shamefull sins for ever hidden must not be ashamed but resolved to lay them open and fully to discover them For concealing reveales but confessing covers them And he that desires never to be accused arraigned or condemned for his guilt must freely acknowledge himself to be guilty and most worthy to be eternally condemned An open bosome an unbared breast is a sure shield and Armour of proof against the deadly Arrowes of the Lords most dreadful wrath 83. He that will lose his Soul to preserve his Life shall save neither But he that is willing to perish to save his Soul shall save his Soul from perishing 84. He that is undone for Christ is truly rich and happy But he that is rich and prosperous without Christ is really undone poor and miserable 85. He that doth not in the time of this Life make Gods glory and the enjoyment of Heaven his chiefest ends shall neither enjoy the God of Glory nor the joyes of Heaven at his end 86. He that would never want must be poor in Spirit And he that would alwaies rejoice must mourn daily for he that did never grieve shall ever lament 87. He that is rotten at core that hath an unsound aâ— unsincere heart will like an Apple be speck'd without For a Leprous Soul will have some spot or other upon the Face of the Life And an Hypocritical Spirit will have foul hands which at one time or other will work Wickednesse â—lain its seeming purity and discover its artificial its borrowed paint and its real deformity 88. He that desires never to leave God nor to be left and finally forsaken of God must not only resolve but seriously endeavour both to depart from evil and to do good For sincerity is the root of couragious constancy but Hypocrisie is the true Mother of timerous Apostasie And it 's most certain that he who will not leave his Rimmon or Mammon his sweet sinne and his secret Lust to please Christ will never lose or lay down his Relations Lands Liberty or Life to enjoy and glorifie Christ 89. He that opens the door of his heart to let in sin or Satan shuts it and turns the key against his Saviour and Soveraign whose power made it whose Love prevailed with him to let his own heart be pierced on the Crosse to unlock it If then a Sinner will not suffer the hand of mercy to unbolt it the arme of wrath will most certainly break it to pieces If the fire of infinite unexpressible Love cannot melt it the flames of endlesse intolerable Anger will burn it If the precious bloud of Christ do not soften this Adamant it will sink it to the bottome of Hell For those whom goodnesse doth not win vengeance will destroy 90. The Life of a Saint is a publique Mercy his Death a common Calamity The end of his dayes is the Autumn of all his misery and the Spring of his endlesse Glory and felicity So that what Suetonius saith of Titus Vespasiaâ— may more yea most truly be said of him when he is cut down with the Sythe of death viz. That he was taken away to the greater losse of Mankinde then of himself Optima Eloquentia est bona vita He is most eloquent whose Life is most Holy and Innocent FINIS Soli Dea Gloria The Table 1 Of God pag 1. 2 Of Jesus Christ and a Christians Duty unto Christ 7. 3 Of the Holy Ghost 19. 4 Of Sin and sinners 23. 5 Of the World and the brightest Jewel in it's Crown Soveraignty 24. 6 Of Loyalty and Rebellion 42. 7 Of Riches 46. 8 Of covetousnesse and covetous persons 51. 9 Of Pleasure 61. 10 Of Health 65. 11 Of saving faith and sincere Love 67. 12 Of Repentance 74. 13 Of Prayer 80. 14 Of sincerity and hypocrisie together with some Characters of both sincere and Hypocriticall Christians 84. 15 Of Affliction 92. 16 Of Patience 102. 17 Of Baptisme 105. 18 Of the Sacrament of the Lords supper 109. 19 Of preaching 113. 20 Of Godly learned and of ungodly unlearned Ministers 116. 21 Of self-calling self-making preachers or rather Anabaptistical praters and seducers 124. 22 Of a good and a bad Conscience 132. 23 Of Life 137. 24 Of Death 144. FINIS A little dark PICTURE of the Great Glorious Unparallel'd Loyalty Piety and Policy of the Renowned Restorer of Monarchy Liberty Tranquillity and Prosperity to ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND The Lord Generall MONK THe World hath bred brave Hero's whose bright Name Darkens the Sun and fils the Trump of Fame Whose fragrant memory is still i'â—h Bloom And n'er shall wither till the day of Doom Whose acts at once astonish fire indear All noble souls that them do know or hear Those are the root and sourse whence that Renown Did grow and flow which justly doth them Crown With honour love and praise whereby they all Survive with glory their own Funeral Such vertuous great Worthies there have been But they dy'd childlesse sure for we have seen Nothing but dwarfs in this base Iron age Except in Treason Avarice and Rage Wherein such horrid Monsters have been known As n'er before in all the world were shown Until our true Saint GEORGE did rise and kill That hideous viprous brood who plotted still In their inchanted Castle to enslave Torment and keep us till we found our grave A dismall darknesse hath this sinful Land Ore spread e're since by a curâ—â— cruel hands That glorious * King Charles the first Light was quencht whose happy rayes While we enjoy'd him turn'd our nights to dayes That orifice at which we all have bled Almost to death our martyr'd Soveraigns head MONK now hath stopped by his pious Art And healed with his faithful Loyal Heart Twelve years we 've had nor day peace Law nor Spring He gives us all by bringing home our King The City gates he broke and threw aside T'unhinge Rebellion that great CHARLES might ride With Love and Safety there from whence did spring His hurt his help losse gain joy suffering Our bane is now our balm Such is his skill We 're now preserv'd by that which did us kill The bloudy Sword by his just loyal vote Hath made rank poyson our best antidote Some say there is a Phoenix but we see A Fable is become a truth in thee Thou art the healer honour Atlas love Of three expiring Kingdomes As above A Crown of blisse attends thee so below Prayers praises thanks which really we owe Thy