Schools of learning and good literature especially the Universities Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted whether in body or in mind of in both whether in conscience groaning under sin or for a good conscience because they will not sin and as thou makest them examples to us so teach us to take example by them and learn wisdome by thy hand upon them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as our first Parents left us a large stock of sinne so we have improved the same beyond measure O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which wee have received from thee But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion we suddenly lost it We were created indeed by thee after thine own image in righteousness holiness in knowledg of the Truth But alas now our understandings are so darkned and dulled our judgmeÌ„ts so blinded our wils so perverted our affections so corrupted our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised our desires so entrapped and all the faculties and sunctions of our souls so disordered that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do ought that is good And yet usually like Bladders we are not more empty of grace than we are blown up with pride whereby with Laodicea we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakednesse but think we are rich and good enough as wanting nothing when as scarce any spark of grace yet appears in us Yea so far have we been from loving and serving thee that we have hated those that do it and that for their so doing And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ in our Baptism when we took his presse-mony to be his Souldiers and serve him in the field of this world against his and our enemies that we have renounced our vow made to him and fled from his standard yea fought for Satan and the World seeking to win all we could from Christ by tempting to sin and by persecuting such as were better then our selves so that all our recompence of thy love unto us hath been to do that which thou hatest and to hate those whom thou lovest Yea we cannot deny but we have persecuted thee with Paul denied thee with Peter betraied thee with Iudas and crucified thee with those cruel Jews Now Lord it being thus with us how can we expect that thou shouldest hear our praiers grant our requests yea how can wee look for other at thine hands then great and grievous yea then double damnation as most justly we have deserved Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And likewise knowing that mercie pleaseath thee and that the sole perfection of a Christian is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not-imputation of his own unrighteousnesse We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning will increase it and that by procrastinating we shall but heap unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath Good Lord suffer us not we beseech thee to defer our repentance lest the custome of evill makes it altogether unalterable in us or lest we dye before we begin to live or lest thou refusest to hear us another day calling upon thee for mercy because we refuse to hear thee now calling to us for repentance Wherefore if we be not yet converted let this be the happy hour of our conversion that as our bodies are risen by thy power and providence from sleep so our soules may daily bee raised from the sleep of sin and the darknesse of this world that so we may enjoy that everlasting light which thou hast prepared for thine and purchased with the bloud of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Give unto us we beseech thee a true lively and justifying faith whereby we may lay hold upon those gracious promises which thou hast made unto us in him and wherewith we may vanquish all our spirituall adversaries Seal up unto us the assurance of our salvation by the teâ—stimony of thy blessed Spirit Give to us thy servants that wisdome which descendeth from above that we may be wise unto our eternall salvation so shall our hearts instead of a Commentary help us to understand the Scriptures and our lives be an Exposition of the inward man Give us grace to account all things in this world even as drosse and dung that we may win Christ Jesus and Heaven and happinesse by means of him Give us single hearts and spirits without guile that wee may love goodnesse for it self and more seek the power of godlinesse then the shew of it and love the godly for thy sake and because they are godly Grant that in the whole course of our lives we may doe unto all others as we would that they should doe unto us considering that whether we do good or evill unto any one of thy members thou takest it as done unto thy self Discover unto us all our
we cannot miscarry if we trust to his Yet this is to be considered that God does not work upon us as upon blocks and stones in all and every respect passive but converts our wils to will our own conversion He that made thee without thy self will not justifie nor save thee without thy self Without thy merit indeed not without thine endeavour When those deadly waters were healed by the Prophet the outward act must be his the power Gods he cast the salt into the spring and said Yhus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death or barrennesse Elisha was the Instrument but far was he from challenging ought to himself Wherefore be sure to use that power which Christ shall give thee and then my soul for thine he will not be wanting on his part And amongst other thine endeavour exercise Prayer Omit not to beg of God for the grace thou wantest and praise him for what thou obtainest Abhor to attribute or ascribe ought to thy doing trust only to Christs obedience in whom only what we do is accepted and for whom only it is rewarded Now you are to know that as no Sacrifice was without Incense so must no service be performed without Prayer And Prayer is like the Merchants Ship to fetch in heavenly commodities It is the Key of Heaven as St Austin terms it and the Hand of a Christian which is able to reach from earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of the Lords Treasury Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name saies Christ believing he will give it you John 16.23 Matth. 21.22 Unto fervent Prayer God will deny nothing It is like Sauls Sword and Ionathans bow that never returned empty Like Ahimaaz that alwaies brought good tydings It is worth the obseâ—ving how Cornelius his serious exercise of this duty of Prayer brought unto him first an Angel then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himself Hast thou then a desire after that happinesse before spoken of seek first to have the asistance of Gods Spirit and his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost Wouldst thou have the love of God and the asistance of his Spirit ask it of him by Prayer who saith If any of you lack in this kind let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him James 1.5 Wouldst thou pray that thou maist be heard Ask in faith and waver not for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea tost of the wind and carried away Vers. 6. Wouldst thou have faith be diligent to hear the Word preached which is the sword of the Spirit that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable Cannon-shot that battereth and beateth down all the strong holds of sinne and Satan Rom. 10.17 Unto him therefore that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think I commend thee CHAP. XIV Lastly For conclusion of this point Wouldst thou be a contented and Happy man then strive to be a Thankefull man and when God hath the fruit of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much Wouldest thou become thankefull then bethink thy self what cause thou hast by calling to mind and considering what God and Christ hath done for thee As first That he is the Authour of thy natural life For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 Secondly Of thy spiritual life Thus I live saies Paul yet not I now but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Thirdly Of thy eternal life 1 Joh. 1. He is the way the truth and the life John 14.6 The resurrection and the life John 11.25 Or more particularly thus In the first place He gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledge of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse But this was nothing in comparison For when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this and our selves when by sinne we had turned that Image of God into the Image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not only without asking but even against our wils so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal 4.7 Here was a fathomlesse depth a wonder beyond all wonders 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse did not only find out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Sonne his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Crosse to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 The very thought of which death before he come to it together with the weight and burthen of our sinnes put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sonnes of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore O wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesus Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God! who can sufficiently expresse thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world than to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six daies to finish it the Redemption of man cost him
as he came could receive no other answer then that he for his own part found himselfe very well at ease and they that were not had reason to seek out another seat that might like them better It is but a fable yet the moral is true perspicuous profitable Many shall one day repent that they were happy too soon Many a man cries out Oh that I were so rich so healthful so quiet so happy c. Alas though thou hadst thy wish for the present thou shouldst perhaps be a loser in the sequel The Physician doth not hear his Patient in what he would yet heareth him in taking occasion to do another thing more conducible to his health God loves to give us cools and heats in our desires and will so allay our joyes that their fruition hurt us not he knows that as it is with the body touching meats the greater plenty the less dainty and too long forbearance causeth a Surfet when we come to full food So it fares with the minde touching worldly contentments therefore he feeds us not with the dish but with the spoon and will have us neither cloyed nor famished In this life mercy and misery grief and grace good and bad are blended one with the other because if we should have nothing but comfort Earth would be thought Heaven besides if Christ-tide lasted all the year what would become of Lenâ— If every day were Good-Friday the World would be weary of Fasting Secundus calls death a sleep eternal the wicked mans fear the godly mans wish Where the conscience is clear death is looked for without fear yea desired with delight accepted with devotion why it is but the cessation of trouble the extinction of sin the deliverance from enemies a rescue from Satan the quiet rest of the body and infranchizement of the soul. The Woman great with childe is ever musing upon the time of her delivery and hath not he the like cause when Death is his bridge from wo to glory Though it be the wicked mans ship-wrack 't is the good mans putting into harbour And hereupon finding himself hated persecuted afflicted and tormented by enemies of all sorts he can as willingly leave the World as others can forgo the Court yea as willingly die as dine yea no woman with childe did ever more exactly count her time No Iew did ever more earnestly wish for the Iubile No servant so desires the end of his years No stranger so longs to be at home as he expects the promise of Christs coming It is the strength of his hope the sweet object of his faith in the midst of all sorrows the comfort of his heart the heart of all his comforts the incouragement of his wearied spirits the common clausule the continual period and shutting up of his Prayers Come Lord Iesus come quickly Whereas the Worlds Favourites go as unwillingly from hence as boyes from the midst of a game Neither hath the Rich man so much advantage of the poor in enjoying as the poor hath of the Rich in leaving True Rich men may also learn this slight for the way to grieve less is to love less And indeed what shouldest thou do in case thou seest that the World runs not on thy side but give over the World and be on Gods side Let us care little for the World that cares so little for us Let us cross sail and turn another way let us go forth therefore out of the Camp bearing his reproach for we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Heb. 13.13 14. CHAP. 8. That it keeps them alwayes prepared to the spiritual combate 5 FIfthly the Lord permitteth them often to afflict and assail us to the end we may be alwayes prepared for tribulation as wise Mariners in a calm make all their tackling sure and strong that they may be provided against the next storm which they cannot look to be long without Or as experienced Souldiers in time of peace prepare against the day of battel and so much the rather when they look every day for the approach of the enemy They saith Socrates that set sail into a calme Sea in a fair quiet weather have notwithstanding all instruments and materials ready which may be of use in a tempest so he that enjoyes a prosperous and happy estate if wise doth even in that time prepare for the harder and more cross occurrents and so much the rather because a great calme presageth a sudden storme The people of Laish being rich and wanting nothing grew careless and secure and being secure and mistrusting nothing they were smote with the edge of the sword and had their Citie burnt Iudg. 18. The way to be safe is never to be secure The wals of a City that are not repaired in peace will hardly be mended in a siege Alexander having set his Army in battel-array and finding a Souldier then mending his Armes cashiered him saying That was a time of dealing blows not of preparing weapons We are oft-times set upon to the end that we may continually buckle unto us the whole Armour of God prescribed by Paul Ephes. 6.13 to 19. That we may be alwayes ready for the battel by walking circumspectly not as fools but as wise Ephes. 5.15 Therefore redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Vers. 16. For as those that have no enemies to encounter them cast their armour aside and let it rust because they are secure from danger but when their enemies are at hand and sound the Alarum they both wake and sleep in their armour because they would be ready for the assault So if we were not often in skirmish with our enemies we should lay aside our spiritual armour but when wee have continual use of it we still keep it fast buckled unto us that being armed at all points we may be able to make resistance that we be not surpriz'd at unawars Neither would it be good for us at present if we had not these enemies to stand in awe and fear of but much more inconvenient in divers respects as wise Scipio that mirrour of wisdome told some who with no small joy avouched that the Common-wealth of Rome was now in safe estate seeing they had vanquished the Carthaginians and conquered the inhabitants of Pontus Neither would he for that only reason have Carthage destroy'd because it should hinder Rome from sleeping Yea God himself would have the Hitlites Gargesites Amorites Canaanites Peresites Hivites and Iebusites strong and warlike Nations to be in the midst of Israel lest Israel should sleep in sin and want matter for exercise fight and conquest Here may be felicity with security never with safety The time when the envious man did sowe his seed was whilest men were in bed No servants more orderly use their masters talent then those that ever fear their Masters sudden return No Houshoulder more safe than he who at every watch suspects the Thieves entring Sampson could not be bound till he
Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Habbak 3.17 18. Thou wouldest 〈◊〉 that thy name is written in the book of life as our Saviour injoines Luk. 10.20 though thou hâ—dst nothing else to rejoice in But it is nothing to be blessed untill we understand our selvs to be so wherefore Thirdly wait Gods leisure with patience and hold fast to him in all pressures Time saith Seneca is the best Physick for most diseases for the body and so likewise for the soul if it bee an afflicted conscience waiting Gods leisure for the assurance of his love is the best remedy and so in all other cases Section 10. Ob. Buâ— when will there bee an end of this long disease this tedious affliction this heavie yoake of bondage c. Answ. It is a signe of cold love scarce to have begun to suffer for Christ and presently to gape for an end It was a far better speech of one Lord give mee what thou wâ—lt as much as thou wilt when thou wilt Thou arâ— Gods Patient prescribe not thy Physiâ—ian It is the Gold-Smiths skill to know how long his gold must bee in the Crusible neither takes hee it out of that hot bath till it bee sufficiently purified What if the Lord for a time forbear coming as Samuel did to Saul that hee may try what is in thee and what thou wilt do or suffer for him that hath done and suffered so much for thee as why did God set Noah about building the Ark an hundred and twenty years when a small time might have finished it It was for the triall of his patience Thus hee led the Israelites in the desarts of Arabia forty years whereas a man may travell from Ramesis in Egypt to any part of Canaan in forty days this God did to prove them that hee might know what was in their hearts Deu. 8.2 Hee promised Abraham a son in whom hee should bee blessed this hee performed not in tâ—irty years after Hee gave David the Kingdom and anointed him by Samuel yet was hee not possessed of it in many years 〈◊〉 so much that hee said Mine eyes fail for thy Word Psal. 119.123 Ioseph hath a promise that the Sun and Moon should do him reverence but first hee must bee bound in the Dungeon This God doth to try us for in these exigents we shew oâ—r selvs and our dispositions What saith God to his people in their misery Psal. 75. When I see convenient time I will execute judgment ver 2. hee doth not say when you think the time convenient Let us tarry a little the Lords leisure diliverance will come peace will come joy will com in mean while to 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ient in misery makes misery no misery Again secondly hee may delay his coming for other ends of greater consequence Martha and Mary send to Christ as desiring him to come and resâ—â—re Lazarus their sick brother to health Ioh. 11.3 expecting him without delay now hee loved both Martha and her Sister and Lazarus 〈◊〉 5. yet hee neglects coming for many days lets him die bee put in the grave untill hee stank but what of all this he that would not restâ—re 〈◊〉 Lazarus to health restored dead Lazarus to life which was a greaâ—eâ—â—â—â—â—cy than they either did or durst ask Neither did this onely increase 〈◊〉 joy and thankfulness give them occasion ever after to believe and 〈◊〉 above and against all hope but it made many of the Iews believe in him which before did noâ— ver 45. Thirdly and lastly hee delaies thee the longer that when hee coms he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bring with him the greater recompence of reward for hee will comfort us according to the days wee have been afflicted and according to the years that we have seen evill Psal. 90.15 Neither will hee stay over-long for behold saith he I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his works shall bee Rev. 22.12 and suffering is accounted none of the meanest works So that the harder the conflict the more glorious the conquest Wherefore hold out yet a little and help shall not bee wanting to the combatants nor a crown to the conquerours Yea fight to the last minute for the eye of thy Saviour is upon the if thou faint to cheer thee if thou stand to it to second thee if thou conquer to crown thee whereas no combate no conquest no conquest no triumph Object But my sufferings are so great that if they continue I shall never bee able â—o hold out Answ. True if thou trustest to thine own strength for perseverance is the gift of God yea it is hee that worketh in us both to will and to do at his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 For first mans will is a fugitive Onesimus and God must call home that runagate subdue that rebell before wee can chuse that which is good Neither when wee have begun can we continue perficit qui efficat Hee that begun a good work in us will perform it Phil. 1.6 Jesus is the founder and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 Neither can wee of our selvs suffer for him Datur pati it is given to us to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 Without mee yee can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 not parum but nihil But in him and through him all things I can do all things through him that strengthens mee Phil. 4.13 In our selvs wee are weak Captives in him wee are more than Conquerours Rom. 8.37 Whence it is many sick men undergo patiently such pressureâ—â— as when they were in health they would not have beleeved they could have born The truth of grace bee the measure never so small â—s always blest with perseverance because that little is â—ed with an everlasting spring Yea if grace but conquer us first wee by 〈◊〉 shall conquer all things else whether it bee corruptions within us or temtations without us for as the fire which came down from heaven in Elias time licked upâ— all the water to shew that it came from God so will this fire spend all our corruptions No affliction without or corruption within shall quench it Wherefore do but thy endeavour to hold out I mean with patience 〈◊〉 that Spirit which came in the likeness of a Dove will not com but 〈◊〉 Dove and pray for divine assistance this sadness shall end in gladneâ—â— this sorrow in singing But above all pray unto God for Praier is the key of heaven as 〈◊〉 Austin tearms it and the hand of a Christian which is able to reach from Earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of 〈◊〉 Lords Treasury Did not Elias by turning this Kâ—y one way lock up the whole Heaven from raining for three years and six months and another while by turning the same Key of prayer as much another way in the turning of a hand unlock all the doors and windows of heaven and set them wide open that it rained and the earth brought
own sins that wee may not be so forward to censure others as wee have been heretofore Give us patience to beare thy Fatherly chastisements which through thy grace sanctifying them to us become both Medicines to cure us and Antidotes to preserve us from the sicknesse of sin considering that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy those joyes which shall be revealed unto us And as we are suiters unto thy Majesty for these thy blessings spirituall so likewise we humbly beg at thy mercifull hands all necessaries appertaining to our temporall welfare beseeching thee to blesse us in our persons with health strength and liberty in our estates with sufficiency and the right use of it considering that if wee spend what wee have upon our own lusts we may ask but wee shall not receive in our good names with an unreproveable report and so blesse and sanctifie unto us all the things of this life that they may be furtherances of us in the way to a better And seeing that it is in vain for us to labour except thy blessing go along with it neither can our endeavours succeed well except thou prosper them bless every one of us in our several places and callings and so direct us in all we shall take in hand that whatsoever wee do may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of our own soules when wee shall come to make our finall account unto thee for them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence Thy blessings are without number yet our sins strive with them which shall be more if we could count the numberless number of thy Creatures they would not be answerable to the number of thy gifts yet the number of our offences which we return in lieu of them are not much inferiour thereunto Well may we confesse with Iudas we have sinned and there stop but we cannot reckon their number nor set forth their nature We are bound to praise thee above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light or so many blessings as we above any Creaâ—uâ—e for all the Creatures were ordained for our sakes and yet Heaven Earth and Sea all the Elements all thy Creatures obey thy Word and serve thee as they did at first yea call upon us to serve thee onely men for whom they were all made ingratefully rebell against thee Thou might'st have said before we were formed let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggers Cripples or Bondslaves so long as they live and after that Cast-awaies for ever and ever but thou hast made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and onely Inheritance even to remain in blisse with thee for ever so that thousands would think themselvs happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse Why shouldest thou give us thy Son for a ransome thy holy Spirit for a pledge thy Word for a guide thy Angels for our guard and reserve a Kingdom for our perpetual inheritance Why shouldest thou bestow health wealth rest liberty limbs senses food raiment friends and the means of salvation upon us more then upon others whom thou hast denied these things unto We can give no reason for it but that thou art merciful and if thou shouldest draw all back again we had nothing to say but that thou wert just which being considered why should any serve thee more then we who want nothing but thankfulnesse Why should we not hate the Way to Hell as much as Hell it self and why should we not make every cogitation speech and action of ours as so many steps to Heaven yet if thou shouldst now ask us what lust is asswaged what affection qualified what passion expelled what sin reâ—pented of what good performed since we began to receive thy blessings to this day we must needs confesse against our selvs that all our thoughts words and works have been the service of the World the Flesh and the Divel yea it hath been the course of ouâ— whole life to leave that which thou commandest and to do that which thou forbiddest yet miserable wretches that we are if we could give thee our bodies and souls they should bee saved by it but thou wert never the richer for them Thus while we look upon our selvs we are ashamed to liâ—t up our eâ—es unto thee yea we are ready to despair with Cain yet when we think upon thy Son and the rich promises of the Gospel our fear is in some measure turned into joy while we consider that his righteousnesse for us is more then our wickednesse against our selvs onely give us faith we beseech thee and setâ—le it in thy beloved that we may draw virtue from his death and resurrection whereby we may be enabled â—o die unto sin and live unto righteousnesse and it sufficeth for all our iniquities necessities and infirmites It is true O Lord as wee were made after thine own Image so by sin we have turned that Image of thine into the Image of Satan but turn thou us again and we shall bee turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Son And what though our sins be great yet thy mercie is far greater then our sins either are or can be we cannot be so bad as thou art good nor so infinite in sinning as thou art in pardoning if we repent O that we could repent O that thou wouldest give us repentance for we are weak O Lord and can no more turn our selvs then we could at first make our selvs yea we are altogether dead in sin so that we cannot stir the least joint no not so much as feel our deadnesse
nor desire life except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custome to the life of grace Apt wee are to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodnesse yea to all the means thereof Wee are altogether of our selvs unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries but do thou fâ—ee our wills and set to thy helping hand in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections and we shall henceforth as much honor thee as by your wickednesse we have formerly dishonored thee Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls Reform and change our minds wills and affections which we have corrupted remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thee and direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to thy glory as thou hast directed our eternal salvation thereunto Let not Satan any longer prevail in causing us to defer our repentance since we know that late repentance is seldom sincere and that sicknesse is no fit time for so great a work as many have found that are now in Hell Neither is it reasonable thou shouldest accept of our feeble and decrepit old age when we have spent all the flower and strength of our youth in serving of Satan not once minding to leave sin until sin left us Yea O Lord give us firmly to resolve speedily to begin and continually to persevere in doing and suffering thine holy will Inform and reform us so that we may neither mis-believe not misâ—live subdue our lusts to our wills submit our wills to reason our reason to faith our faith our reason our wills our selvs to thy blessed Word and Will Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sins which corrupt our souls and darken our understandings separate them from us which would separate us from thee Yea remove them out of thy sight also we most humbly beseech thee as far as the East is from the West and in the merits of thy Son pardon and forgive us all those evils which either in thought word or deed we have this day or any time heretoâ—ore committed against thee whether they be the sins of our youth or of our age of omission or commission whether committed of â—gnorance of knowledge or against conscience and the many checks and motions of thy holy â—pirit And now O Lord seeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest and because wee can neither wake nor sleep without thee who hast made the day and night and rulest both therefore into thy hands we commend our souls and bodies beseeching thee to watch over us this night and preserve us from all our spiritual and bodily enemies from thievs fire and from all other dangers ☞ These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence We no sooner lived then we deâ—served to die neither need we any more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us but thou hast spared us to this hour to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance as our first Parents and wee have turned from thee by sin yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain and thy long-suffering to no end For whereas many have been won by thy Word wee would not suffer it to change us many have been reformed by the Crosse but we would not suffer it to purge us many have been moved by thy benefits but we would not suffer them to perswade us yea as if we had contracted with the Divel that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come â—hy blessings make us proud thy riches covetous thy peace wanton thy meats intemperate thy mercy secure and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebell against thee We have prophaned thy daies contemned thy ordinances resisted thy Word grieved thy Spirit misused thy Messengers hated our Reprovers slandered and persecuted thy people seduced our friends given ill example to our Neighbours opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named and the truth we professe whereas meaner mercies and far weaker means have provoked others no lesse to honour thee and the Gospel who may justly rise up in judgment against us Besides which makes ouâ— case far more miserable we can scarce resolve to amend or if we do we put off our conversion to hereafter when we were children we deferred to repent till we were men now we are men we defer untill we be old men and when we be old men we shall defer it until death if thou prevent us not and yet we look for as much at thine hands as they which serve thee all their lives Perhaps we have a form of godlinesse but thou who search stâ—â—he heart and triest the reins knowest that too often we deny the power of it and that ouâ— Religion is much of it hypocrisie our zeal envie our wisedom policie our peace security our life rebellion our devotion deadnesse and that we live so securely as if we had no souls to save Indeed thy Word and Spirit
confirmed and the other reclaimed ☞ These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that we have used all our wisedom to commit the foolishness of sin our whole conversation hath been to serv Satan and fulfill the lusts of the flesh Wee even suck in iniquity like water and draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes Neither is there any part power function or faculty either of our souls or bodies which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour thee for as our heart is a root of all corruption a seed-plot of all sin so our eyes are eyes of vanitie our ears ears of folly our mouthes mouthes of deceit our hands hands of iniquity and every part doth dishonour thee which yet would be glorified of thee The understanding which was given us to learn virtue is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin the will which was given us to affect righteousness is apt now to love nothing but wickedness the memory which was given us to remember good things is apt now to keep nothing but evill things for sin like a spreading leprosie is so grown over us that from the crown of our heads to the soal of our â—eet there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption Yea our souls and bodies are even a very sink of sin for like the common shoar we have not refused to welcome any the most loathsome pollutions that either the world our own corruption or the Devill at any time hath offered unto us Or admit we are exempt from som evills wee may thank thee and not our selves for it for wee are ready without thy restraining grace to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever we are swift to all evill but to 〈◊〉 good immoveable when we do evill we do it chearfully and quickly and easily but if we do any good wee do it faintly and rawly and slackly When did we talk without vanity when did we give without hypocrisie when did wee bargain without deceit when did we reprove without anger or envy when did we hear without wearysomness when did wee pray without tediousness such is our corruption as if we were made to sin in deed in word or in thought O the pride passion lust envy ignorance awkwardnesse hypocrisie infidelity vain thoughts unprofitableness and the like which cleaves to our very best actions and how full of infirmity are our primest performances for we have not done any one action legally justifyable all our dayes neither can ought we do abide the examinatirn of thy strict justice untill it he covered with thy Sons righteousness and the corruption thereof washed away in his most pretious blood Yea if thou shouldest behold these our praiers as they bee in themselves without having respect unto us in Christ Iesus they would appear no better in thy sight then a menstruous cloth Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Yâ—a let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts that neither Satan that forrain enemy and roaring Lyon which seeketh to devour us may invade us nor our own concupiscence that home-bred traytor may by conspiring with the world work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits our affections which are altogether carnall may be wholâ—y framed according to thy holy heavenly will and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill and do the good let thy Word as a light discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and thy Cross like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the
as his arms be from compassing it Heaven shall receive us we cannot conceive Heaven Do you ask what Heaven is saith one when I meet you there I will tell you for could this ear hear it or this tongue utter it or this heart conceive it it must needs follow that they were translated already thither Now if this be so how acceptable should death be when in dying we sleep and in sleeping we rest from all the travels of a toylsome life to live in joy and rest for evermore Let us then make that voluntary which is necessary and yeeld it to God as a gift which we stand bound to pay as a due debt saith Chrysostom Yea how should we not with a great deal of comfort and security passe through a Sea of troubles that we may come to that haven of eternall rest How should we not cheer up one another as the mother of Melitho did her sonne when she saw his leggs broken and his body bruised being ready to yeeld up his spirit in martyrdome saying O my sonne hold on yet but a little and behold Christ standeth by ready to bring help to thee in thy torments and a large reward for thy sufferings Or as Iewell did his friends in banishment saying This world will not last ever And indeed we do but stay the tyde as a fish left upon the sands Ob. I but in the mean time my sufferings are intollerable saith the fainting soul Sol. It is no victory to conquer an easie and weak crosse these main evils have crowns answerable to their difficulty Rev. 7.14 No low attempt a star-like glory brings but so long as the hardnesse of the victory shall increase the glory of the tryumph indure it patiently cheerfully 2. Secondly As patience in suffering brings an eternall reward with it in Heaven so it procureth a reward here also Suffer him to curse saith David touching Shemei here was patience for a King to suffer his impotent subject even in the heat of blood and midst of warre to speak swords and cast stones at his Soveraign and that with a purpose to encrease the rebellion and strengthen the adverse part but mark his reason It may be the Lord will look upon mine affliction and do me good Why even for his cursing this day 2 Sam. 16.12 And well might he expect it for he knew this was Gods manner of dealing as when he turned Balaams curse into a blessing upon the children of Israel Numb 23. And their malice who sold Ioseph to his great advantage Indeed these Shemois and Balaams whose hearts and tongues are so ready to curse and rail upon the people of God are not seldom the very means to procure a contrary blessing unto them so that if there were no offence to God in it nor hurt to themselves we might wish and call for their contempt cruelty and curses for so many curses so many blessings I could add many examples to the former as how the malice of Haman turned to the good of the Iews the malice of Achitophel to the good of David when his counsell was turned by God into foolishnesse the malice of the Pharisees to him that was born blinde when Christ upon their casting him out of the Synagogue admitted him into the Communion of Saints Joh. 9.34 The malice of Herod to the Babes whom he could never have pleasured so much with his kindnesse as he did with his cruelty for where his impiery did abound there Christs pitty did super-abound translating them from their earthly mothers arms in this valley of tears unto their heavenly Fathers bosome in his Kingdom of glory But more pertinent to the matter in hand is that of Aaron and Miriam to Moses when they murmured against him Numb 12. where it is evident that God had never so much magnified him to them but for their envy And that of the Arians to Paphnuâ—ius when they put out one of his eyes for withstanding their Heresie whom Constantine the Emperour even for that very cause had in such reverence and estimation that he would often send for him to his Court lovingly imbracing him and greedily kissing the eye which had lost his own light for maintaining that of the Catholike Doctrine so that we cannot devise to pleasure Gods servants so much as by despiting them And thus you see how patient suffering is rewarded both here and hereafter that we lose what ever we do lose by our enemies no otherwise than the husbandman loseth his seed for whatever we part withall is but as seed cast into the ground which shall even in this life according to our Saviours promise return unto us the increase of an hundred fold and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10.29 30. But admit patience should neither be rewarded here not hereafter yet it is a sufficient reward to it self for hope and patience are two soveraign and universall remedies for all diseases Patience is a counterpoyson or antipoyson for all grief It is like the Tree which Moses cast into the waters Exod. 15.25 for as that Tree made the waters sweet so Patience sweetens affliction It is as Larde to the lean meat of adversity It makes the poor beggar rich teacheth the bondman in a narrow prison to enjoy all liberty and society for the patient beleever though he be alone yet he never wants company though his diet be penury his sawce is content all his miseries cannot make him sick because they are digested by patience And indeed It is not so much the greatnesse of their pain as the smalnesse of their patience that makes many miserable whence some have and not unfitly resembled our fancies to those multiplying glasses made at Venice which being put to the eye make twenty men in Arms shew like a terrible Army And every man is truly calamitous that supposeth himself so as oftentimes we die in conceit before we be truly sick we give the battell for lost when as yet we see not the enemy Now crosses are either ponderous or light as the Disciples or Scholers esteem them every man is so wretched as he beleeveth himself to be The tast of goods or evils doth greatly depend on the opinion we have of them and contentation like an old mans spectacles make those Characters easie and familiar that otherwise would puzzle him shrewdly Afflictions are as we use them there is nothing grievous if the thought make it not so even pain it self saith the Philosopher is in our power if not to be disanulled yet at least to be diminished through patience very Gally slaves setting light by their captivity finde freedom in bondage Patience is like a golden shield in the hand to break the stroak of every crosse and save the heart though the body suffer A sound spirit saith Salomon will hear his infirmity Prov. 18.14 Patience to the soul is as the lid to the eye for as the lid being shut when occasion requires saves it exceedingly so Patience
speak thou Musick to the wounded conscience Thunder to the feared that thy justice may reclaim the one thy mercy relieve the other and thy favour comfort us all with peace and salvation in Iesus Christ. Section 8. But secondly if this will not satisfie call to thy remembrance the time past and how it hath been with thee formerly as David did in thy very case Psalm 77.2 to 12. And likewise Iob Chapter 13. for as still waters represent any object in their bottome clearly so those that are troubled or agitated do it but dimly and imperfectly But if ever thou hadst true faith begotten in thy heart Ioh. 1.13 by the ministry of the Word Romans 10.17 Iam. 1.18.21 and the Spirits powerfull working with it Ioh. 3.3 5 8. whereby thine heart was drawn to take Christ and apply him a Saviour to thine own soul so that thou werâ— forced to go out of my self and rely wholly and onely on his merits and that it further manifested it self by working a hatred of sin and an apparent change in thy whole life by dying unto sin and living unto righteousness and that thou hast not since returned to thine old sins like the Dog to his vomit if it hath somtime brought forth in thee the sweet fruit of heavenly and spirituall joy if it hath purified thine heart in some measure from noysome lusts and affections as secret pride self-love hypoâ—risie carnall confidence wrath malice and the like so that the spirit within thee sighteth against the flesh If thou canst now say I love the godly because they are godly 1 Ioh. 3.14 and hast an hungring after Christ and after a greater measure of heavenly and spirituall graces and more lively tokens of his love and favour communicated unto thee My soul for thine thou hast given false evidence against thy self for as in a gloomy day there is so much light whereby wee may know it to bee day and not night so there is something in a Christian under a cloud whereby hee may bee discerned to bee a true beleever and not an hypocrite But to make it manifest to thy self that thou art so Know first that where there is any one grace in truth there is every one in their measure If thou art sure thou hast love I am sure thou hast faith for they are as inseparable as fire and heat life and motion the root and the sap the Sun and its light and so of other graces Or dost thou feel that Christ is thy greatest joy sin â—hy greatest sorrow that when thou canst not feel the presence of the spirit in thy heart thou goest moâ—rning notwithstanding all other comforts Assuredly as that holy Martyr said if thou wert not a wedding Child thou couldest never so heartily mourn for the absence of the Bridegroom Thus I might go on but a few Grapes will shew that the Plant is a Vine and not a Thorn Take but notice of this and severall graces will one strengthen another as stones in an Arch. As for example Master Peacock Fellow of a House being afflicted in conscience as thou art and at the point of despair when some Ministers ask'd whether they should pray for him answered By no means do no so dishonour God as to pray for such a Reprobate as I am but his young Pupill standing by said with tears in his eyes Certainly a Reprobate could never bee so tender of Gods dishonour which hee well considering was thereby comforted and restored when neither hee with his learning nor any other Ministers with their sage advice could do any good Again secondly if ever thou hadst true faith wrought in thy heart bee not discouraged for as the former graces shew that thou hast with Mary made choice of that better part which shall never bee taken from thee So this grace of faith is Christ's wedding Ring and to whomsoever hee gives it hee gives himselfe with it wee may lose the sence but never the essence of it It may bee eclipsed not extinguished Fides concussa non excussa The gifts and calling of God are without repentance as it is Rom. 11.29 Friends are unconstant riches honours pleasures are unconstant the world is unconstant and life it self is unconstant but I the Lord change not Malachi 3.6 In a swound the soul doth not excercise her functions a man neither hears nor sees nor feels yet shee is still in the body The Frantick man in his mad fits doth not exercise reason yet hee hath it he loseth the use for a time not the habit Yea a sober man hath not alwayâ—â—he use of his sences reason and understanding as in his sâ—eep shal we therefore conclude that this man is senceless unreasonable and without understanding it were most absurd for if we have 〈◊〉 but a while our argument will appear manifestly â—alsâ— Trees and so wee are fitly called bee not deâ—d in Winter which resembles the tune of adversity because the sap is shut up in the root and confined thither by the cold frosts that they cannot shew themselvâ— in the production of leavs and fruits for by experience wee know that for the present they live and secretly suck nourishment out of the earth which maketh them spring and revive again when Summer coms Yea eveâ— whiles they are grievously shaken with the winds and nipped with cold frosts they are not hurt thereby but contrarily they take deeper root have their worms and cankers kill'd by it and so are prepared made fit to bring forth more fruit when the comfortable Spring approaches and the sweet showres and warm Sun-beams fall and descended upon them Elementary bodies lighten and darken cool and warm die and revive as the Sun presents or absents it self from them And is not Christ to our souls the onely Sun of reghteousness and fountain of all comfort so that if hee withdraw himself but a little wee become like plants in the Winter quite witheredâ— yea in appearance stark dead or like Trees void both of leavs and fruit though even then there remains faith in the heart as sap in the root or as fire raked up in the ashes Which faith though it bee not the like strong yet it is the like precious faith to that of Abrahams whereby to lay hold and put on the perfect righteousness of Christ. The Woman that was diseased with an issue did but touch and with a trembling hand and but the hem of his garment and yet went away both healed and comforted Well might I doubt of my salvation says Bradford feeling the weakness of my faith love hope c. if these were the causes of my salvation but there is no other cause of it or of his mercy but his mercy Wherefore hast thou but a touch of sorrow for sin a spark of hope a grain of faith in thy heart thou art safe enough The Anchor lyeth deep and is not seen yet is the stay of all The Bladder blown may float upon the â—â—ood But cannot sink nor
words or rather no words but a few poor thoughts conceived aright pass all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullus and all the Orators that ever were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit A Father delights more in the stammering of his little Child than in the eloquence of the best Orator Neither is hearty prayer in our own power but it is the gift of God which at somtimes in plentifull measure hee bestoweth upon his children and at other times again hee pulleth back his liberall hand that by the want thereof wee may leern to ascribe the glory and praise of this grace to the giver who worketh in us the will and the deed which praise otherwise in pride of heart wee would arrogate unto our selvs as beeing in our own power Also that wee may more highly esteem it and with more joy and diligence use it when we have it bestowed on us If it bee asked why God reckons so highly of a few sighs and groans and why the prayers of the faithfull are so powerfull it is because they bee not ours but the intercession of Gods own Spirit in us powred out in the name of Christ his own Son in whom hee is ever well 〈◊〉 for as for us wee know not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it self maketh request for us with sighs which cannot bee expressed Rom. 8.26 It is the Spirit whereby wee cry Abba Father ver 15. Gal. 4.6 Now if thou wouldest have the Spirits assistance and bee heard of God when thou makest supplication to him do not as too many do fall into prayer without preparation and utter a number of words without devotion or affection for no marvell if we ask and miss when we thus ask amiss Iâ—â— 4.3 Neither do as Children which never look after their Arrow but like Daniel Dan. 9. take notice of thine inlargements in prayer and of thy success after Nor onely pray and no more for to pray and to do nothing else is in effect to do nothing less But let your Prayers be ushered in by Meditation and 〈◊〉 by zealous devotion and then beleeving that you shall receive whatsoever you ask in Christs name and according to his will 1 John 5. â—â— John â—6 23 God will bee 〈◊〉 to give you that you desire 1 John 5.14.15 Mark 11.23.24 or that which is better for you 〈…〉 And suppose thou art not presently heard yet continue asking stil as Peter continued knocking till the door was opened for afâ—er an ill harvest wee must sow and after denials wee must woo God Yea if it bee possible with the Woman of Canaan let delays and seeming denialls encrease the strength of thy cries And commonly they bee earnest suits which issue from a troubled soul like strong streams in narrow straights which bear down all that stands in their way Nothing so strong as the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah for it overcame the roaring Lyon yet the Praier of Faith from the knees of humility and a broken heart will conquer even that Conquerour Matth. 15.28 And thus you see that nothing can befall us without the sorciall appointment of our good God who not only takes notice of our sufferings but sweetneth them with his presence takes our part stints our enemies and so ordereth the whole that our grief is either short or tolerable and that though hee is oftentimes harsh in the beginning and progress and late in coming yet hee coms on the sudden and is always comfortable in the conclusion And lastly that if hee defer his help it is on purpose that our trialls may bee perfect our deliverance welcome our recompence glorious And may not this comfort thee CHAP. 37. That stripes from the Almighty are speciall tokens and pledges of his adoption and love 3 WEe shall bear the Cross with more patience and comfort if wee consider that stripes from the Almighty are so far from arguing his displeasure that contrarily there are no better tokens and pledges of the Adoption and love As many saith God as I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. â— 19 My Son saith the Author to the Hebrews out of Solomons Proverbs Despise not the chastening of the Lord neither saint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and hee scourgeth every son whom hee receiveth If you endure chastening God offereth himself unto you as unto sons for what son is it whom the Father chastenâ—th not If therefore yee bee without correction whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sons Heb. 11.5 to 13. Prov. 3.11.12 Hee is a Thistle and not good Corn that cometh not under the flail Yea what use of the grain it self if it pass not the edg of the sickle the stroak of the flail the wind of the Fan the weight of the milstone the heat of the oven Many a mans fellicity driveth him from God and where happiness domineereth virtue is commonly banished And doth not experience shew that fear and joy sweet and sowr sharp and flat one with another do better than either alone for if you bee too â—aâ—sh you make the 〈◊〉 a fool if â—oo fondâ— a wanton The bridlâ—â— governs the horse the 〈…〉 hiâ— the weight upon 〈…〉 Iack â—o the 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 The sayls give the speed the 〈…〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 upon God 〈…〉 to us our favours and crosses in an equall ballance and so tempers out sorrows that they may not oppress and our joys that they may not transport us Each one hath some matter of envie to others and of grief to himself Thou dealest mercifully with us lest wee should fall from thee and despair thou beatest us lest wee should forget thee and so perish saith Saint Austin Hee that knows our frame knows wee are best when wee are worst and live holiest when wee are miserablest wherefore by affliction hee separates the sin that hee hates from the sinner whom hee loves and wee are by much the better for this scouring It is the wont of Fathers to hold in their Children when they suffer the children of bond-men to go at large and do as they list yea when diverse children are playing the wantons if wee see a man take one from the rest and whip him soundly we conclude that alone to be his Child Yea wise and discreet Fathers will force their Children earnestly to apply themselvs to their study or labour and will not let them bee idle although it bee holy-day yea constrain them to sweat and oftentimes to weep when their Mothers would set them on their laps and keep them at home all day in the shadow for burning their white Iacob is bound Apprentice while prophane Esau rides a hunting of Elkanah his two wives Hanna was in more esteem with God yet barren and Peninnah less yet shee was fruitfull 1 Sam. 1. They were all gross
thou hast added mercy to mercy For we have been no lesse rebellious unto thee then thou hast been beneficiall unto us We do daily and hourely break all thy commandements adding unto that our originall corruption which we were conceived and borne in all manner of actuall transgressions by sins of Omission sins of Commission sinnes of Ignorance sinnes of Knowledg sinnes against conscience yea sinnes of Presumption and Willfulness and that in thought word and deed We have sinned against thy Law and against thy Gospel against thy mercies and against thy judgments against the many warnings and the abundance of meanes afforded by thee to reclaime us against the spirit of grace cotinually knocking at the doors of our hearts with infinite checks and holy motions Our eares have been alwaies open to the Tempter shut unto thee we have abused our eyes to wantonnesse our mouthes to filthynesse and our feet have been swift to all evill slow to ought that is good And as wee have committed one sinne on the neck of another so we have multiplyed and many times repeated them by filling often into the same wickednesse whereby our sinnes are become for number as the sands of the Sea and as the Stars of Heaven Yet 〈…〉 Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And seeing thou hast appointed Praier as one special means for the obtaining of thy grace unto which thou hast annexed this comfortable promise that where two or three be gathered together in thy Name thou wilt be in the midst of them and grant their requests and since our Redeemer hath assured us that whatsoever we shall ask thee in his name thou wilt give it us We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight Yea give us repentance never to be repented of and possess our souls with such a dreadfull awe of thy Majesty that we may fear as well to commit small sins as great ones considering that the least sin is mortall without our repentance thy mercy as wel fear to sin-in secret as openly since thereis nothing hid from thee as well condemne our selves for evill thoughts as evill deeds considering that the Law is spirituall binding the heart no lesse then the hands as well abstain from the occasions of sin as sin it self and consider that it is not enough to abstain from evill unlesse wee hate it also and do the contrary good And now O Lord since thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day we beseech the to defend and dierct us in the same and as thou hast blest us in our lying down and in our rising up so protect prosper us in our going forth in our coming home shield and deliver us from the snares of the Hunter who lieth in waite for our souls and is continually labouring our everlasting destruction And no lesse arm us against the allurements of the world wherein we shall meet with many provocations and temptations and that we may not lead our selvs nor be led into temtation give us wisdome to beware of men even of associating our selves with the vitious like Ioseph lest otherwise with David we be drawn to dissemble or with Peter to deny thee for sin is of a catching and infectious quality and our corrupt hearts are like tinder which will kindle with the least spark especially O Lord keep us from yeelding to their solicitations or following their customs of drinkâ—ing swearing slandering and making the worst construction of things of mocking and scoffing at religion or the religious let not custome and example any whit prevail with us without or against thy written Word lest we misse of the narrow way which alone leadeth unto life onely give us wisedome and grace to look upon thy Sons whole life see how he would speak and do before we speak or do anything then having thy word for our warrant and thy glory for our aime let no censures nor flowts of any discourage us Finally good Father we beseech thee inable us so to walk in thy fear that in mirth we be not vain in knowledg we be not proud in zeal we be not bitter instruct us by thy Word direct us by thy Spirit mollifie us by thy grace humble us by thy corrections win us by thy benefits reconcile our nature to thy wil teach us so to make profit of everything that we may see thee in al things al things in thee And in these our prayers wee are not mindfull of our selves alone but forasmuch as thou hast commanded us to pray one for another as being the members of one and the same mysticall body wee beseech thee to blesse thy whole Church Universall wheresoever dispersed and howsoever distressed or despised far and wide over the face of the whole earth and vouchsafe unto thy Gospell such a free and effectuall passage that it may sound throughout all Nations Yea wee humbly pray thee let it convert and reclaim the Turks Jews Infidels Indians Atheists Epicures Hereticks and Schismaticks Prevent all plots and projects against the Kingdome of thy Christ let thy Word and Spirit alone bear rule in all places Extend thy tender mercy O Lord to all Protestants beyond the Seas to all Christians under the Turks or other Infidels strengthen all such as suffer for thy cause and let thy presence with them counterpoyse whatsoever is laid upon them and inable them to continue constant in thy faith and truth to the end More particularly be good unto that part of thy Church planted here amongst us in this sinfull Land and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us be propitious to the Nobility Gentry and Communalty Blesse the Tribe of Levi all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments let their lips O God preserve knolewdg and their lives righteousnesse and for ever blesse thou their labours increase the number of those that are faithfull and painfull and reform or remove such as are either scandalous or idle and for a constant and continuall supply of their mortality blesse all
may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience but we are constant in nothing but in perpetual offending onely therein we cease not for when we are waking our flesh tempts us to wickednesse if wee are sleeping it sollicites us to filthinesse or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day at night we pray unto thee but what is the issue of our praying First we sin and then we pray thee to forgive it and then return to our sins again as if we came to thee for no other end but to crave leave to offend thee Or of thy granting our requests we even dishonor thee and blaspheme thy name while thou do'st support and relieve us run from thee while thou do'st call us and forget thee while thou art feeding us so thou sparest us we sleep and to morrow we sin again O how justly mightest thou forsake us as we forsake thee and condemne uâ— whose consciences cannot but condemne our selvs But who can measure thy goodnesse who givest all and forgivest all Though we be sinful yet thou lovest us though we be miserably ingrateful yet thou most plentifully blessest us What should we have if we did serve thee who hast done all these things for thine enemies O that thou who hast so indeared us to serve thee wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls And because infidelitie is the bitter root of all wickednesse and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse nor are wee Christians indeed except we imitate Christ and square our lives according to the rule of thy Word Give us that faith which manifesteth it self by a godly life which purifieth the heart worketh by love and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Yea since if our faith be true and saâ—ing it can no more be severed from unfained repentance and sanctification then life can be without motion or the sun without light give us spiritual wisdom to try and examine our selvs whether we be in the faith or not that so we may not be deluded with opinion onely as thousands are Discover unto us the emptinesse vanity and insufficiencie of the things here below to do our poor souls the least good that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls considering that if we have him wee want nothing if we want him wee have nothing Finally O Lord give unto us and increase in us all spiritual graces inlighten our minds with the knowledge of thy truth and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good that we may esteem it our meat and drink to do thy blessed will Give us religious thoughts godly desires zealous affections holy endeavours assured perswasions of faith stedfast waiting through hope constancy in suffering through patience and hearty rejoicing from love regenerate our minds purifie our natures turn all our joies into the joy of the Holy Ghost and all our peace into the peace of conscience and all our fears into the fear of sin that we may love righteousnesse with as great good will as ever we loved wickednesse and go before others in thankfulnesse towards thee as far as thou goest in mercy towards us before them Give us victory in temptation patience in sicknesse contentment in poverty joy in distresse hope in troubles confidence in the hour of death give us alwaies to think and meditate of the hour of death the day of judgment the joies of heaven and the pains of hell together with the ransome which thy Son paid to redeem us from the one and to purchase for us the other so shall neither thy benefits nor thy chastisements nor thy Word return ineffectual but accomplish that for which they were sent until we be wholly renewed to the image of thy Son These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that of our selvs we are not worthy to list up our eyes to heaven much less to present our selves before thy Majesty with the least confidence that thou shouldest hear our praiers or accept of our services but rather that thou shouldest take these our confessions and accordingly condemne us to the lowest place in Hell for our continually abusing thy mercy and those many means of grace which in thy long suffering thou hast affoarded for our reclaiming Wee are the cursed seed of rebellious Parents wee were conceived in sin and born the children of wrath And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us so soon as thou gavest us being and so prevented our further dishonouring thee wee have instead of humbling our selves before thee our God and seeking reconciliation with thy Majestie done nothing from our infancy but added sin unto sin in breaking every one of thine holy Laws which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walk by and to keep us from sinning Yea there is not one of thy righteous precepts which we have not broken more times and ways then we can express so far have wee been from a privative holiness in reforming that which is evill and a positive holiness in performing that which is good which thou maist justly require of us being wee had once ability so to do if wee had not wilfully lost it for thou did'st form us righteous and holy had not wee deform'd our selves whereas now like Satan wee can do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who would not so sin but for us for we have an army of unclean desires that perpetually sight against our souls
whereby wee are continually tempted drawn away and enticed through our own concupiscence Yea thou knowest that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things and that the imaginations thereof are onely and continually evill O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark Labyrinâ—hs of mans heart who finds not in himself an indisposition of mind to all good and an inclination to all evill And according to this our inclination hath been our practice wee have yielded our hearts as cages to entertain all manner of unclean spirits when on the contrary wee have refused to yield them as Temples for thine holy Spirit to dwell in Yet miserable wretches as wee are wee like our own condition so well that wee are not willing to go out of our selves unto thee who wouldest new make us according to the Image of thy Son for by long custom wee have so turned delight into necessity that we can as willingly leave to live as leave our lusts yea wee love our sins so well and so much above our souls that except thou change our hearts wee shall chuse to go to Hell rather then part with them Thou hast used all manner of means to reclaim us but nothing will serve neither the menaces and terrours of thy Law nor the precepts and sweet promises of thy Gospell can do it Wee are neither softned with benefits nor broken with punishments thy severity will not terriâ—ie us nor thy kindness mollifie us No shouldest thou send an Angell from the dead to warn us all perswasions would be in vain since we hear Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles daily and are never the better True O Lord there is a main reason of it which we cannot now help for naturally we have eyes and see not ears and hear not hearts and understand not Yea wee are quite dead in sin untill thou doest boar our ears soâ—ten our hearts and break in upon our consciences by the irresistible power of thy Spirit and by going along with thy Word shall quicken our souls and regenerate the whole man anew In the mean time wee are ready to receive all and return nothing but sin and disobedience wherein wee more then abound for wee have done more against thee this week then wee have done â—or thee ever since we were born And whereas the least of thy mercies is greater then all the curtesies of men wee are not so thankfull to thee for them all as wee are to a friend for some one good turn Neither do wee alone lay the fault upon our inability or want of supply from thee but upon our own perversnesse and want of endeavour and putting forth that strength and ability which thou hast given us for how long hast thou O most gracious God stood at the doors of our hearts and how often hast thou knock'd when we have refused to open and let thee in And if at any time we have been over-ruled by the good motions of thy holy Spirit yet have wee still returned with the Dog to our vomit and with the Sow refused the clear streams of thy Commandements to wallow in the myre of our filthy sins whereby we have justly deserved that thou shouldest have called us to an account in the dead of our sleep and have judged us to eternall destruction and never have suffered us again to have seen the light of the Sun the remembrance of which together with our other rebellions when we rightly consider them makes us even speechless like him in the Gospell as neither expecting mercy nor daring to ask it Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Be favourable to thy people every where look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church and every severall member thereof blesse it in all places 〈◊〉 peace and truth hedge it about with thy providence defend it from the miscâ—ievous designs and attempts of â—â—ine and her malitious enemie let thy Gospell go on and conâ—ueâ— maugre all opposition that Religion and uprightness of heart may bee highly set by with all and all prophaneness may be trod under foot More particularly be mercifull to this sinfull Land the civill â—agistrates the painful Ministers the two Universities those people that sit yet in darkness all the afflicted members of thy Son Lord comfort the comfortless strengthen the weak bind up the broken hearted make the bed of the sick be a father to the fatherless and an husband to the widdow cloath the naked feed the hungry visit the prisoners relieve the oppressed sanctifie unto them all their afflictions and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee Prosper the Armies that fight thy battells and shew a difference between thy servants and thine enemies as thou did'st between the Israelites and the Egyptians that the one may bee
sensible how evil and wicked it is that so thou maist have a more humble conceit of thy self lay to heart these three particulars 1 The corruption of our nature by reason of Original Sin 2. Our manifold breach of Gods righteous Law by actual sin 3. The guilt and punishment due to us for them both This being done thou wilt see and find thy necessity of a Redeemer And it is thirst only that makes us relish our drink hunger our meat The full stomach of a Pharisee surcharged with the superfluities of his own merits will loath the honey-comb of Christs righteousnesse This was it which made the young Prodigal to relish even servants fare though before wanton when full fed at home No more relish feels the Pharisaical heart in Christs blood than in a chip But O how acceptable is the fountain of living waters to the chased hart panting and braying The blood of Christ to the weary and tyred soul to the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath he that presents him with it how welcome is he even as a special choice man one of a thousand And the deeper the sense of misery is the sweeter the sense of mercy is Sect. XXXVIII Then if you would be satisfied for time to come whether your Repentance and conversion be true and sound these particulars will infallibly inform you If you shall persevere when this trouble for sin is over in doing that which now you purpose it is an infallible sign your repentance is sound otherwise not If thou dost call to mind the Vow which thou madst in Baptism and dost thy endeavour to perform that which then thou didst promise If thou dost square thy life according to the rule of Gods Word and not after the rudiments of the world If thou art willing to forsake all sin without reserving one for otherwise that one sin may prove the bane of all thy graces even as Gideon had seventy Sons and but one Bastard and yet that Bastard destroyed all the rest that were Legitimate Judg 9.5 Sin is like the Ivy in the wall cut off bough branch body stump yet some strings or other will sprout out again Till the root be pluck't up or the wall be pulled down and ruined it will never utterly die Regeneration or new birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature only evil disposed Gods children are known by this mark they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 If Christ have called you to his service your life will appear more spiritual and excellent than others As for your fails 't is a sign that sin hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your soul when you cry out to God If the ravished Virgin under the Law cried out she was pronounced guiltlesse A sheep may fall into the mire but a swine delights to wallow in the mire Great difference between a woman that is forced though she cries out and strives and an alluring Adulteresse Again The thoughts of the godly are godly of the wicked worldly and by these good and evil men are best and truliest differenced one from another Would we know our own hearts and whether they be changed by a new birth Examine we our thoughts words actions passions especially our thoughts will inform us for these cannot be subject to hypoâ—â—risie as words and deeds are Sect. XXXIX Then by way of caution know that a child may as soon create it self a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself We cannot act in the leasâ— unlesse God bestows upon us daily privative grace to defend us from evil and daily positive grace inabling us to do good And those that are of Christ teaching know both from the word and by experience that of themselve they are not only weak but even dead to what is good moving no morâ— than they are moved that their best works are faulty all their sins deadâ—ly all their natures corrupted originally You hath he quickned that werâ— dead in trespasses and sins Ephes. 2.1 Yea we are altogether so dead in sinâ— that we cannot stir the least joynt no not so much as feel our own deadness nor desire life except God be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custom to the life of grace Apt we arâ— to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodness yeaâ— to all the meanes thereof My powers are all corrupt corrupt my will Marble to good but wax to what is ill Insomuch that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse 〈◊〉 speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3.5 Joh. 15.4 5. I we have power to choose or refuse the object to do these well we have no power We have ability we have will enough to undo our selves scopâ— enough hell-ward but neither motion nor will to do good that must bâ— put into us by him that gives both power and will and power to will Finally Each sanctified heart feels this but no words are able sufficiently to expresse what impotent wretches we are when we are not sustainâ—ed So that we have no merit but the mercy of God to save us nothinâ— but the blood of Christ and his mediation to cleanse and redeem us nothinâ— but his obedience to inrich us As for our good works we are altogether beâ— holding to God for them not God to us nor we to our selves becausâ— they are only his works in us Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee whatever thoâ— hast thou owest to him that Redeemed thee Therefore if we do any thinâ— amisse let us accuse our selves if any thing well let us give all the praise 〈◊〉 God And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion that which teacheth us to exalt God most and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth most prank up our selves and detract from God is thâ— false As Bonaventure well notes Sect. XL. Now to wind up with a word of exhortation if thou beest convinced are resolvest upon a new course let thy resolution be peremptory anâ— constant and take heed you harden not again as Pharaoh the Philistinâ— the young man in the Gospel Pilate and Iudas did resemble not the iroâ— which is no longer soft than it is in the fire for that good saith Gregâ—â—ry will do us no good which is not made good by perseverance If wiâ—â— these premonitions the Spirit hath vouchsafed to stir up in thine heart anâ— good motions and holy purposes to obey God in letting thy sins go quench not grieve not the Spirit 1 Thes. 5.19 Return not with the Dog to thy vomit lest thy latter end prove seven-fold worse than thy beginning Matth. 12.43 45. O it is a fearfull thing to receive the grace of God in vain and a desperate thing being warned of a rock willfully to cast our selves
upon it Neither let Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an hour lest your resolution proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing Besides death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill you and give you no leasure to be sick Thirdly If thou wilt be safe from evil works avoid the occasions have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity neither fear their scoffs for this be sure of if your person and waies please God the world will be displeased with both If God be your friend men will be your enemies if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy But take heed of losing Gods favour to keep theirs Beda tels of a great man that was admonished by his friends in his sicknesse to repent who answered He would not yet for that if he should recover his friends and companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker they again prest him but then his answer was that it was now too late for I am judged and condemned already A man cannot be a Nathaniel in whose heart there is no guile but the world counts him a fool But Christ saies Verily except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 Again Satan and your deceitfull heart will suggest unto you that a Religious life is a dumpish and melancholy life but holy David will tell you that light is sown to the righteous and joy to the upright Psal. 97.11 Isa. 65.14 And experience tells that earthly and bodily joys are but the body or rather the dregs of that joy which Gods people feel and are ravished with As O the calm and quietnesse of a good conscience the assurance of the pardon of sin and joy of the Holy Ghost the honesty of a virtuous and holy life how sweet they are Yea even Plato an Heathen could say That if wisdom and virtue could but represent it self to the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And the like of a sinners sadnesse as hear what Seneca saies if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the uglinesse and filthinesse of sin and the guilâ— and sadnesse of his conscience But experience is the best informer wherefore take the counsell of holy David Psalm 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him To which accordeth that of holy Bernard Good art thou O Lord to the soul that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee As I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted of the powers of the world to come to him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost whether his whole life be not a perpetual halellujah in comparison of his natural condition Whence they are able to sleight all such objections as he did you tell me that scrupling of small matters is but stumbling at straws that they be but trifles When I know your tongue can tell nothing but truth I will believe you Fifthly Beg of God that he will give you a new heart and when the heart is changed all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sun when it ariseth But without a work upon the heart wrought by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shall say to the contrary That must be first reformed which was first deformed It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.23 24. Yea it is Gods own counsell to the men of Ierusalem Jer. 4. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved ver 14. It is most ridiculous to apply remedies to the outward parts when the distemper lies in the stomach To what purpose is it to crop off the top of weeds or lop off the boughs of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth as cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop of the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the roots then and not till then it will grow no more Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Great Cities once expunged the dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves the heart is the treasury and store-house of wickedness Mat. 12.34 such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which proceed from it Mat. 12.35 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean otherwise not Mat. 23.26 Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Psal. 51.10 do thou the like importune him for grace that you may firmly resolve speedily begin and continually persevere in doing and suffering his holy will desire him to inform and reform you so that you may neither misbelieve nor mislive to change and purifie your naure subdue your reason rectifie your judgment reform and strengthen your will renew your affections and beat down in you whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Iesus Christ. Sixthly and lastly If you receive any power against you former corruptions forget not to be thankefull yea study all possible thankfulness For that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed that we have the offer of grace here and glory hereafter it is his unspeakable goodness And there is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have than thankfulness He will sow there and there onely plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sow those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to loose both their seed and labour Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so much for the Second Part. An Appendix followes wherein you have instances of all sorts how sin besots men THE TRYALL OF TRUE WISDOM WITH How to become Wise indeed OR A Choice and Cheap Gift for a Friend both to please and pleasure him Be he inferior or superior sinful or faithful ignorant or intelligent By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Floreligus Add this as an Apendix or Third Part to The Hearts Index And A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation Section 41. LUcian tells of an Egyptian King
incline to the pole-star How the heat of the stomach and the strength of the nether chap should be so great Why a flash of lightening should melt the sword without making any impression in the scabbard Kill the Child in the womb and never hurt the Mother How the waters should stand upon a heap and yet not over-flow the earth Why the clouds above being heavie with water should not fall to the earth suddenly seeing every beavy thing descendeth Except the reason which God giveth Gen. 1.6 Job 38 8.10 12. 26.8 Psal. 104.9 But we know the mystery of the Gospel and what it is to be born a new and can give a sollid reason of our faith we know that God is reconciled to us the Law satisfied for us our sins pardoned our souls acquitted and that we are in favour with God which many of these with their great learning do not know And thus the godly are proved wiser than the wisest humanist that wants grace You have likewise the reasons why these great knowers know nothing yet as they might and ought to know that is to say First Because they are mistaken in the thing they take speculative knowledg for soul wisdom soul saving wisdom to be foolishness madness Now if a man take his aim amiss he may shoot long enough ere he hit the white and these men are as one that is gone a good part of his journey but must come back again because he hath mistaken his way Secondly Because they are Unregenerate and want the Eye of Faith Thirdly For that they seek not to God for it who is the giver thereof and without whose spirit there is no attaining it Fourthly Because they are proud and so seek not after it as supposing they have it already Fiftly Because if they had never so much knowledge they would be never the holier or the better for it but rather the worse nor would they imploy it to the honour of God or the good of others Sixtly Because they either do or would do mischief insteed of good with their knowledge Seventhly Because they will not consult with the word about it nor advise with others that have already attained to it Or thus They read and hear the Scriptures and mind not I mean the spirituallity of the word or mind and understand not or understand and remember not or remember and practice not No this they intend not of all the rest and they that are unwilling to obey God thinks unvvorthy to know When the Serpent taught knowledge he said If ye eare the forbidden fruit your eyes shal be opened and you shal know good and evil But God teacheth another lesson and saith If ye will not eate the forbidden fruit your eyes shall be opened and you shall know good and evil Rom. 12.2 See Psa. 111.10 119.97 98 99 100. Or if you do eat it you shall be like images that have ears and cannot hear Rom. 11.8 Isa. 6.10 Matth. 13.14 Psal. 115.6 From all which Reasons we may collect That there are but a few amongst us that are wise indeed and to purpose For these Seven Hinderances are applyable to seventy seven parts of men in the Nation Besides if these great knowers know so little how ignorant are the rude rabble that despise all knowledge Nor can it be denied but all impenitent persons all unbelievers who prefer their profits and pleasures before pleasing of God as Herodias prefered John Baptists head before the one half of Herods kingdom are arrant fools yea fools in folio For if they were wise sayes Bernard they would foresee the torments of Hell and prevent them And so wise are the godly for they prefer grace and glory and Gods savour before ten thousand worlds Sect. 50. OBject But here thou wilt say or at least thou hast reason to say if there be so few that are soul wise I have all the reason in the world to mistrust my self wherefore good Sir tell me how I shall be able to get â—his spiritual and experimental knowledg this divine and supernatural wisdom Answ. By observing these Five Rules First Let such a willing and ingenuous soul resolve to practise what he does already know or shall hereafter be acquainted with from the word of God and Christs faithful Messengers For he that will do my Fathers will sayes our Saviour shall know the doctrine whether it be of God or no Joh. 7.17 A good understanding have all they that keep the commandments sayes holy David Psal. 111.10 and proves it true by his own example and experience I understood sayes he more than the Antient and became wiser than my teachers because I kept thy precepts Psal. 119.97 98 99 100. To a man that is good in his sight God giveth knowledg and wisdom Eccles. 2.26 The spiritual man understandeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 VVicked men understand not judgment but they that seek the Lord understand all things Prov. 28.5 Admirable incouragements for men to become godly and consciencious I mean practical Christians Secondly If thou wouldest get this precious grace of saving knowledge the way is to be frequeut in hearing the word preached and to become studious in the Scriptures for they and they alone make wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Ye err saith our Saviour not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22.29 Mark 12.24 We must not in the search of heavenly matters either do as we see others do neither must we follow the blind guide carnal reason or the deceitful guide our corrupt hearts but the undeceivable and infallable guide of Gods word which is truth it self and great need there is for as we cannot perceive the foulness of our faces unless it be told us or we take a glass and look our selves therein so neither can we see the blemishes of our Souls which is a notable degree of spiritual Wisdom but either God must make it known to us by his spirit or we must collect the same out of the Scriptures that coelestial glass though this also must be done by the spirits help Therefore Thirdly If thou wilt be Soul-wise and truly profit by studying the Scriptures be frequent and fervent in Prayer to God who is the only giver of it for the direction of his holy spirit For first humble and faithful Prayer ushered in by meditation is the cure of al obscurity Especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency as you may see Matth. 21.22 If any lack wisdom saith St. James let him ask of God who giveth to al men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shal be given him Jam. 1.5 Mark the words it is said if any wherefore let no man deny his soul this comfort Again ask and have It cannot come upon easier terms Yea God seems to like this sure so well in Solomon as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing well to it self And in vain do we expect that alms of grace for which we do not so much as beg
and contempt of God which is most fearfull and as a man would think should make it unpardonable I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such if they would take notice of it Let them be confounded that transgress without a cause Psal. 25.3 Wherefore no longer continue it but repent of it and forsake it lest the Lord should deal by you as he hath threatned Deut. 28.58 59. That if we do not fear and dread his glorious and fearfull Name the Lord our God he will make our plagues wonderfull and of long continuance and the plagues of our posterity Besides how frequently doest thou pollute and prophane Gods Name and thy Saviours The Jews grievously sinned in crucifying the Lord of Life but once and that of ignorance but the times are innumerable that thou doest it every day in the year every hour in the day although thy Conscience and the Holy Spirit of Grace hath checkt thee for it a thousand and a thousand times Doest thou expect to have Christ thy Redeemer and Advocate when thy Conscience tells thee that thou hast seldome remembred Him but to blaspheme Him and more often named Him in thy Oaths and Curses than in thy Prayers True thou takest so little notice of the number of thy Oaths and Curses that thou wilt not acknowledge thou didst Swear or Curse at all Yea though thou beest taken in the manner and told of it thou wilt not believe it But all that are present can witness the same and Satan also as also the searcher of hearts who himself will one day be a swift witness against swearers Mal. 3.5 For of all other sinners the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain as the third Commandement tells you Exod. 20.7 But wo is me it fares with common Swearers as with persons desperately diseased whose excrements and filth comes from them at unawares For as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senslesness to overspread the heart memory and conscience that the Swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworn hath no remembrance of his Oath much less repentance for his sin Wherefore I beseech you by the mercies of God who hath removed so many evils and conferred so many good things upon you that they are beyond thought or imagination to leave it especially after this warning which in case you do not will be a sore witness and rise up in judgement against you another day Or if you regard not your self nor your own souls good yet for the Nations good leave your Swearing and Banning For the Lord hath a great controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because of swearing Hos. 4 1 2. Yea because of Oaths the whole Land even the three Nations now mourneth as you may see Ier. 23.10 But thou who art a little civilized wilt alledge That if â—hou doest swear it is but Faith and Troth by our Lâ—â—y the Light or the 〈…〉 Answer True blind sensualists that have no other guide but the flesh may deem or dream it a mite a moate a matter of nothing But hadst thou the least knowledg of the Law of God or sâ—ill in Scripture thou wouldest know that God expresly forbids it and that upon pain of damnation Iames 12 5. And that Christ commands us not to swear at all in our ordinary communication saying That whatsoever is more than Yea Yea Nay Nay cometh of evil Matth. 5.34 35 36 37. If the matter be light and vain we must not swear at all if so weighty that we may lawfully swear as before a Magistrate being called to it then we must onely use the glorious Name of our God in a holy and religious manner as you may see Deut. 6.13 Isa. 45.23 65.16 Iosh. 23.7 Exod. 23.13 Ier. 5.7 And the reasons of it are weighty if we look into them for in swearing by Faith Our Lady The Light or any other creature you ascribe that unto the said creature which is onely proper to God namely to know your heart and to be a discerner of secret things Why else should you call that Creature as a witness unto your conscience that you speak the truth and lye not which onely belongeth to God And therefore the Lord calls it a forsaking of him as mark well what he saith Ier. 5.7 How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods And do you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the creature Will you believe the Prophet Amos If you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria That they shall fall and never rise again Amos 8.14 A terrible place to vain Swearers Yea in swearing by any Creature whatsoever we do invocate that Creature and ascribe to it divine worship a lawfull Oath being a kind of Invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever we swear by that we invocate both as our witness surety and Judg Heb. 6.16 and by consqeuence deifie it by ascribing and communicating unto it Gods incommunicable Attributes as his Omnipresence and Omnisciency of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an Omnipotency as being Almighty in Patronizing Protecting Defending and Rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speak falsly all which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swearing by any of these things thou committest an high degree of gross Idolatry thou spoilest and robbest God of his glory the most impious kind of these and in a manner dethronest Him and placest an Idol in his room Neither are we to joyn any other with God in our Oaths for in so doing we make base Idols and filthy Creatures Corrivals in honour and Competitors in the Throne of Justice with the Lord who is the Creator of Heaven and earth and the supream Judg and solo Monarch of all the world 〈…〉 Lord and by Malcham which Malcham was their King or as some think their Idol Zeph. 1.4 5. But as if swearing alone would not press thee deep enough into Hell thou addest Cursing to it a sin of an higher nature which nâ—ne use frequently but such as are desperately wicked it being their peculiar brand in Scripture as how doth the Holy Ghost stigmaâ—ize such an one His mouth is full of Cursing Psal. 10.7 Rom. 3.14 or he loveth Cursing Psal. 109.17 And indeed whom can you observe to love this sins or to have their mouthes â—ull of Cursing But Ruffians and sons of Belial such as have shaken out of their hearts the fear of God the shame of men the love of Heaven the dread of Hell not once caring what is thought or spoken of them here or what becomes of them hereafter yea observe them well and you
then their flesh and brains be worth That more is thrown out of one swines nose and mouth and guts then would maintein five sufficient families 2. Br. That it is not to be imagined what all the Drunkards in one shire or County do devour worse then throw away in one yeare when it hath been known if we may give credit to Authors and the oaths of others that two and thirtie in one cluster have made themselves drunk that six and thirty have drank themselves dead in the place with carowsing of healths that at one supper one and fourtie have killed themselves with striving for the conquest that two have drank each of them a peck at a draught that four men have drank four gallons of wine at a sitting that one man hath drank two gallons of wine and two more three gallons of wine a piece at a time that one Drunkard in a few hours drank four gallons of wine that four ancient men 〈…〉 all three hundred cups of wine amongst four men and lastly that three women came into a Tavern in Fleetstreet when I was a boy take it upon Claptons Oath and credit who drew the Wine and drank fourtie nine quarts of Sack two of them sixteen a piece and the third to get the victorie seventeen quarts of Sack Which being so what may the many millions of these ding-thristy dearth-makers coâ—sume in a year in all the three Nations Nor need it seem incredible that common drunkards should drink thus for they can disgorge themselves at pleasure by onely putting their finger to their throat And they will vomit as if they were so many live Whales spuing up the Ocean which done they can drink afresh Or if not so yet custome hath made it to passe through them as through a tunnel or streiner whereby it comes out again as sheer wine as it went in as hath been observed Nor hath the richest Sherrie or old Canarie any more operation with them then a cup of six hath with me And no marvel for if physick be taken too oft it will not work like physick but nature entertains it as a friend not as a Physitian yea poison by a familiar use becomes natural food As Aristotle in an example of a Maid who used to pick spiders off the walls and eat them makes plain 3. Br. That as Drunkards have lost the prerogative of their creation and are changed with Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4.16 from men into beasts so they turn the sanctuarie of life into the shambles of death yea thousands when they have made up the measure of their wickednesse are taken away in God's just wrath in their drink as it were with the weapon in their bellies it faring with them as it did with that Pope whom the Divel is said to have slain in the very instant of his Adulterie and carrie him quick to hell being suddenly struck with death as if the execution were no lesse intended to the soul then to the bodie That by the Law of God in both Testaments He that will not labour should not eat Gen. 3.19 Prov. 20.4 2 Thes. 3.10 because he robs the Common-wealth of that which is altogether as profitable as land or treasure But Drunkards are not onely lazie get-nothings but they are also riotous spend-alls and yet these drunken drones these gut-mongers these Quagmirists like vagrants and vermine do nothing all their life-long that may tend to any good as is storied of Margites and yet devour more of the fat of the Land then would plentifully maintein those millions of poor in the Nation that are ready to famish A thing not fit to be suffered in any Christian Common-wealth yea far fitter they were stoned to death as by the Law of God they ought Deut. 21.20 21. since this might bring them to repentance whereas now they spend their daies in mirth and suddenly they go down into hell Iob 21.13 Drunkards being those swine whom the legion carries headlong into the Sea or pit of perdition 4. Br. That every hour seems a day and every day a month to a drunkard that is not spent in a Tap-house yea they seem to have nailed their ears to the door of some Taverne or Tap-hous and to have agreed with Satan Master it is good being here That where ever the Drunkards house is his dwelling is at the Aâ—e-house except all his money be spent and then if his wife will fetch him home with a lanthorne and his men with a barrow he comes with 〈…〉 That the pot is no sooner from their lips but they are melancholy and their hearts as heavie as if a milstone lay upon it Or rather they are vexed like Saul with an evil-evil-spirit which nothing will drive away but drink and Tobacco They so wound their consciences with all kinde of prodigious wickednesse and so exceedingly provoke God that they are rackt in conscience and tortured with the very flashes of hell-fire That they drink to the end onely that they may forget God his threats and judgments that they may drown conscience and put off all thoughts of death hell and to hearten and harden themselves against all the messages of God and threats of the Law which is no other in mitigating the pangs of conscience then as a saddle of gold to a galled-horse or a draught of poison to quench a man's thirst That if they might have their wills none should refuse to be drunk unpunished or be drunk unrewarded at the common charge As how will they boast what they drank and how many they conquer'd at such a meeting making it their onely glory That the utmost of a Drunkards honestie is good-fellowship that temperance and sobrietie with them is nothing but humour and singularitie and that they drink not for strength or need but for lust and pride to shew how full of Satan they are and how near to swine That though these swinish swill-bouls make their gullet their god and sacrifice more to their god-bellie then those Babylonians did to their god Bell Bell the Dragon ver 3. yet they will say yea swear that they drink not for love of drink though they love it above health wealth credit childe wief life heaven salvation all They no more care for wine then Esau did for his pottage for which he sold his birth-right Isa. 56.12 5. Br. That Drunkards are the Divels captives at his command and ready to do his will and that he rules over and workes in them his pleasure 2 Tim. 2.26 Eph. 2.2 that he enters into them and puts it into their hearts what he will have them to do Iohn 13.2 Acts 5.3 1 Chron. 21.1 opens their mouths speaks in and by them Gen. 3.1 to 6. stretcheth out their hands and they act as he will have them Acts 12 1 2. Rev. 2.10 he being their father Gen. 3.15 Iohn 8.44 their king Iohn 12.31 14.30 and their god 2 Cor 4.4 Eph. 2.2 And which is worst of all that drunkennesse
in under Sin Satan and Hell I know you think your selves wise men and Christians good enough yea what but your high thoughts and good opinion of your selves hath brought you to become scorners of your Teachers and Instructors and more of their godly instruction As proud men are wont to admire their own actions but to abate the value and derogate from the esteem of others every whit as basely to vilifie other mens doings as they over-highly prise their own as Iulian observes Bnt consider it rightly and this alone could you be taxed with nothing but this not onely shews you to be foolish and frantick but so ingrateful and wicked withal as if your wickedness and unthankfulness did strive with Gods goodness for the victory as Absalom strove with David whether the Father should be more kinde to the son or the soâ—â— more unkinde to the Father As what can you alleadge for your selves or against your Pastors Are they any other to you then those three Messengers were to Lot that came to fetch him out of Sodom that he might not feel the fire and brimstone which followed Gen. 19. Or then the Angel was to Peter that opened the iron-gates loosed his bands brought him out of prison and delivered him from the thraldom of his enemies Acts 12. 3 ¶ What wrong do they do you They beg and dig they dig and beg as that good Vine-dresser did whose Mattock kept off the Masters Ax Luke â— 8 9. They beat their brains they spend their spirits pour out their prayers plot and contrive all they can to save your precious souls were you but willing to be saved They bring you the glad tidings of salvation would furnish and endow you with the spiritual invaluable and lasting riches of grace and glory They are content to waste themselves like a candle that they may give light unto and bring others to Heaven 1 Cor. 9.19 2 Cor. 12.15 And do you instead of honoring respecting and rewarding them hate traduce and persecute them This is not for want of ignorance For you shew just as much reason in it as if those blinde deaf diseased possessed distracted or dead persons spoken of in the Gospel should have railed upon our Saviour for offering to cure restore dispossess recover and raise them again And had not they great reason so to do For shame think upon it For did you know and rightly consider that you cannot be nourished unto eternal life but by the milk of the Word you would rather wish your bodies might be without souls then your Churches without Preachers You would not like so many Mules suck their milk and then kick them with your heels But this most plainly shews that you are so far from knowing the necessity and worth of the Word of life that you do not know you have souls which makes you as little care for them as you know them Otherwise how could you make such a mighty difference between your bodies and souls As had any of you but a leg or an arm putrified and corrupt you would even give money and think your selves beholding too to have them cut off Because it is the onely way and means to preserve the whole body And if so what love and thanks can be too much that is exprest to them who would would we give them leave pluck our Souls out of Satans clutches and bring us to eternal life Nor can he ever be thankfull to God who is not thankfull to the instrument or means by whom God does or would do him good Yea more That man I dare boldly affirm cannot possibly have any interest is Christs blood who is not forced with Admiration to say How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace bring glad tidings of good things and publish salvation Rom. 10.15 Isa. 52.7 But to prove and cleer this see both Examples and Testimonies 4 ¶ First Examples The Galatians are said to have received them as Angels of God yea even as Christ Iesus and that to pleasure them they would if it had been possible have pluck'd out their own eyes and have given the same unto them Gal. 1.14 15. and thought it their duty to communicate unto them in all their goods Gal. 6.6 And likewise the Romans Rom. 15.27 Yea by the Apostles testimony we that are converted do owe even our own selves unto our spiritual Pastors Phil. 1.9 and the like of other Churches Insomuch that Luther speaking of the Primitive times and of Christians in general says that so soon as the Gospel took root in mens hearts the glad tidings of salvation by Christ was so sweet to them that in comparison hereof riches had 〈◊〉 relish And Acts. 〈…〉 and â— 34 35 〈…〉 same And indeed who ever knew what Conversion and Regeneration was who hath tasted of the powers of the world to come and enjoyed the joy of the Holy Ghost and that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding but would rather have their bodies want food and the Firmament want light then that their souls should want that light and spiritual food of the Gospel by which they are nourished and do live For far better be unborn then untaught as Alexander a meer Heathen could say That this is the one onely thing necessary and which Believers prize above all you may see by what holy David says of it Ps. 27.4 84.1 to 11. 119.103 One thing have I desired c. Oh how sweet is thy word unto me c. As turn but to the places and see how he expresseth himself for I may but touch upon things And the like of wise Solomon Pro. 8.10 True to you that are strangers to and utterly unacquainted with these soul-ravishing enjoyments these things will appear impossible as the like did to Nicodemus touching Regeneration Ioh. 3.4 and to that multitude of Iews touching Stephens vision when he told them how he saw the heavens opened and Iesus standing at the right hand of God in glory Which they were so far from believing that it made their hearts brast for madness to gnash their teeth stop their ears cast him out of the city and stone him to death Acts 7.54 to 60. They could not possibly believe that he should see what was hid to every one of them But this I can assure you even you my friends beyond all exceptions That if ever the mask of prejudice be taken from before your sight or if your eyes shall be opened before you drop into Hell you will have other thoughts of these things and so of the Publishers of them and be clean of another minde yea you will loath what you now love and love what you now loath Yea I dare refer my self in this case to the very damned in hell For what else made Dives being in those torments desire Abraham that one might be sent unto his brethren from the dead to give them warning and to acquaint them with his success but
terrifying it or will in your soul by everlastingly damning it if you repent not Wherefore take â—eed what 〈…〉 〈…〉 our smart hath a great controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because of swearing Hos. 4.1 2. Yea because of oaths the whole land even the three Nations now mourneth as you may see Ier. 23.10 Neither object that ye are so accustomed to swearing that you cannot leave it for this defence is worse then the offence as take an instance Shall a Thief or Murtherer at the Bar alledge for his defence that it hath been his use and custom of a long time to rob and kill and therefore he must continue it or if he do will not the Judge so much the rather send him to the Gallows Wherefore I beseech you by the mercies of God who hath removed so many evils and conferred so many good things upon you that they are beyond thought or imagination to leave it especially after this warning which in case you doe not will be a sore witnesse and rise up in judgment against you another day MEMB. 2. Swearer Did I swear or curse 1. § Messenger Very often as all here present can witnesse and Satan also who stands by to take notice reckon up and set on your score every Oath you utter keeping them upon Record against the great day of Assises at which time every Oath will prove as a daggers point stabbing your soul to the heart or as so many weights pressing you down to Hell Rev. 20.13 and 22 12. As also the searcher of hearts who himself will one day be a swift witnesse against Swearers Mal. 3.5 For of all other sinners the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vain as the third Commandement tels you Exod. â—0 7 2. § But wo is â—he it fares with common Swearers as with persons desperately diseased whose excrements and filth comes from them at unawares for as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senslessenesse to overspread the heart memorie and conscience that the swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworne hath no remembrance of his Oath much lesse repentance for his Sin Swearer Alas though I did swear yet I thought no harm 3. § Messenger O fool What Prince hearing himself abused to his face by the reproachfull words of his base and impotent Subject would admit of such an excuse that whatsoever he spake with his mouth yet he thought no ill in his heart And shall God take this for a good answer having told us before hand Deut. 28.58 59. That if we do not fear dread his glorious and fearful Name the Lord our God he wil make our plagues wonderful and of long continuance and the plagues of our posterity Besides how frequently doest thou pollute and prophane Gods Name and thy Saviours The Iews grievously sinned in crucifying the Lord of life but once and that of ignorance but the times are innumerable that thou doest it every day in the year every hour in the day although thy conscience and the holy Spirit of 〈…〉 thee that thou hast seldome remembred him but to blaspheme him and more often named him in thy Oaths and Curses then in thy prayers Swearer Surely If I did swear it was but Faith and Troth by our Lady the Masse the Rood the Light this Bread by the Crosse of the silver or the like which is no great matter I hope so long as I swore not by God nor by my Savior 4. § Messenger That is your grosse ignorance of the Scriptures for God expresly forbids it and that upon pain of damnation Iam. 5.12 First our Saviour Christ in his own person forbids it Mat. 5 34 35 36 37. I say unto you Swear not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his footstool nor by Ierusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thine head because thou canst not make one hair white oâ— black but let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evill And then by his Apostle Above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest you fall into condemnation James 5 1â— where mark the Emphasis in the first words Above all things swear not and the great danger of it in the last word condemnation 5. § If the matter be light and vain we must not swear at all if so weighty that we may lawfully swear as before a Magistrate being called to it then we must only use the glorious Name of our God in a holy and religious manner as you may see Deut. 6.13 Esay 45.23 65.16 Iosh. 23.7 Ier 5.7 Exod. 23.13 And the reasons of it are weighty if we look into them for in swearing by any creature whatsoever we do invocate that creature and ascribe to it divine worship a lawfull oath being a kind of Invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever we swear by that we invocate both as our witnesse surety and judge Heb. 6.16 and by consequence deifie it by ascribing and communicating unto it Gods incommunicable Attributes as his Omnipresence and Omniscience of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an Omnipotencie as being Almighty in patronising protecting defending and rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speak falsly all which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swearing by any of those things thou committest an high degree of grosse Idolatry thou spoilest and robbest God of his Glory the most impious kind of theft and in a manner dithronest him and placest an Idol in his room 6. § And as to swear by the creature makes the sin far more heinous so the more mean and vile the thing is which you swear by be it by my fay by cock and pie hares foot by this cheese and such like childish oaths which are so much in use with the ignorant and superstitious swarm the greater is your sin in swearing such an Oath because you ascribe that unto these basest of creatures which is only proper to God namely to know your heart and to be a discerner of secret things why else should you call that â—â—eature 〈…〉 of him as mark well what he saith Ier. 5.7 How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods And do you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the creature Will you believe the Prophet Amos if you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria that they shall fall and never rise again Amos 8.14 a terrible place
as safe as if they were in Abrahams bosom Their Adamantine hearts will neither yield to the fire nor to the hammer admit of no impression yea let them hear of never so many judgments they tremble and relent no more then the seats they sit on or the stones they tread on Even the declaration of sins denunciation of judgements description of torments and the like no more stir them then a tale moves one in a dream their supine stupidity is no more capable of excitation then the Sea Rocks are of motion or the Billowes of compassion which would make one even tremble to think of it CHAP. II. § 1. BUt what is the reason why men make no more use of these Predictions of this warning but that as neer as can be computed one of two are lascivious or voluptuous two of three drunkards â—n Gods account nine of ten cruel unjust persons nineteen of twenty swearers twenty nine of thirty Athiests thirty nine of forty ignorant wretches forty nine of fifty covetous ninety nine of an hundred open or secret enemies to the power of Religion and contemners of holinesse For certainly what God in these three particulars hath revealed in his Word cannot be unknown to any among us that hate not the light for every house almost hath a Bible and Christ hath continued his Gospel amongst us now neer upon an hundred years with such supply of able Ministers that no Nation under Heaven may compare with us § 2. I might give you many reasons of this as that they were born stark dead in sin and they thank God they are no changelings that they are as good as their Fore-fathers or those among whom they live and they neither desire to be better nor wiser yea it were a ridiculous singularity so to be That the custome of sin hath brawned their hearts and blinded their minds That they do as Satan their God 2 Cor. 4.4 and Father Ioh. â— 44 and King or Prince Eph. 2.2 would have them to do That they will either not hear the Word for I think I may say that one half of the men and women in the Kingdome come not once a year within the Church-doors I mean the poorer sort that do not know they have soules It were good they were compelled to hear the Word preached for the wicked like sullen children would not forsake their play for their meat but for the Rod of Correction And many Saints in heaven might now confess that they had not known God but for the Laws First compulsory means brought them to the feast whereof once tasting they would never leave it Compel them to come in c. Luk 14.23 Or if they do hear the Word and understand it in some measure they will not apply it to themselves That they will not receive the truth in love that they might be saved are therefore given over to strong delusions to believe lies That they will not by any means that Christ can use understand be converted and saved therefore they shall not understand nor be converted nor saved Isai. 6.9 10. Matth. 13.15 That they harden their own hearts whereupon their hearts are more hardned That because they will not regard nor retein God in their thoughts God gives them over to a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 That because they will not take the Spirits counsel the Spirit gives them up to walk in their own counsels Ier. 9.14 That they wil believe Satan rather then God therefore God delivers them up to Satan so to be deluded that the light of the glorious Gospel shall not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Eph. 2.2 2 Thes. 2.9 10. 1 Tim. 4.7 That they are not as they ought and as it was in the Primitive times cast out of the Church and all Christian society by excommunication as dirt into the street 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 1 Tim. 1.20 Rom. 16.17 18. 2 Thes. 3.6 1 Tim. 6.5 2 Tim. 3.5 That they do as their flattering False Prophets teach them That they think they have as good hearts as the best and therefore follow that deceitful guide That they are not verâ—t in the Scriptures at least they understand not the spirituality of the Word nor have they the Spirit to convince them of sin But I have largely handled these â—pon other occasions wherefore I will passe them and onely give you this one and I pray minde it § 3. Wicked men and such are all natural and unregenerate persons whether loose Libertines or rich worldlings or civil Iusticiaries or formal hypocrites or profound humanists or cunning Politicians are so blockish and void of spiritual understanding that they will not believe what is written till they feel what is written nothing will fully confute them but fire brimstone Sin shuts their eyes and only punishment can open them Nor will they once think of Heaven till with that rich man they are tormented in the flames of hell but even that rich man that had so little care of his own soul during life when he was in hell-torments took care for his Brethrens not out of charity but because as he had by his perswasion ill example bin the occasion of their greater sin so they by continuing in those sins should be the occasion of his more grievous torment But had he bin so wise as to have believed Moses the Prophets report of hell he needed never to have come into it The common case of all that come there They will not believe what Moses the Prophets Christ and his Apostles tell them touching the truth justice and severity of God in punishing sin with eternal destruction of body and soul and the necessity of obeying his Precepts until they shall hear Christ say unto them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 § 4. And indeed for want of this fore-wit the wisest worldlings as Balaam and Iudas and the rich man in the Gospel and the Scribes and Pharisees and all Atheists are in Scripture-language stiled fools and the wisdome of the world called foolishnesse twelve times in one Chapter Read 1 Cor. 1. and Chap. 2. Nor can there be so sure a signe to distinguish between a wise man and a fool A wise man saith Bernard fore-sees the torments of hell and avoideth them but a fool goeth on merrily until he feeleth them and then sayes I had not thought True many wicked men are taken to be wise and in some sense are so they have enlightened heads and fluent tongues as had Balaam Iudas and Paul before his conversion and the Scribes and Pharisees but their hearts remain dark and foolish as is plain by Rom. 1.21 22. Ioh. 3.10 Whence even the wisest of them are called by our Saviour fools and blinde Matth. 23.16 17 19 24 26. and 27.3 4 5. 2 Pet. 2.16 And indeed what is that wisdome worth which nothing profits the owner of it either touching vertue or
not be King if Christ should reign And the Pharisees knew that they should be deâ—â—ised if Christ were regarded And this makes them watch for our halting and withall as sharp sighted as Eagles to spy faults in us Briefly They put their own faults in that part of the Wallet which is behinde them but ours in the other part or end which is before them Indeed self-examination would make their judgements more charitable Fifthly They delight in censuring and slandering us because Satan who in their God 2 Cor. 4.4 and their Prâ—nce Ioh. 14.30 and works in them hiâ— pleasure Eph. 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 is ever prompting them thereunto Acts 5.3 Rev. 12.10 For it is Satan that speaks in and by them as once he did by the Serpent It is his minde in their mouth his heart in their lips Mat. 16.23 And they being his Sons Servants and Subjects thirst to do him what honour and service they can Nor can they pleasure him more it being the hopefullest way to discourage men in the way to heaven quench the good motions of Gods spirit kill the buds and beginnings of grace draw them back to the world and so by consequence damn their souls that can be to see that whatsoever they do or speak base constructions are made thereof Hereupon that subtil Serpent does like Maximinus who set on work certain vile persons to accuse the Christians of hainous crimes that so he might persecute them with the more shew of reason True they poor souls do not know that Satan speaks in and by them As those four hundred of Ahalâ— Prophets in whom this evil spirit spake did not know that Satan spake by them 1 King 22.22 Neither did Iudas know when he eat the sop that Satan entred into him and put it into his heart to betray Christ Iohn 13.20 Neither do Magistrates when they cast the servants of God into prison once imagine that the devill makes them his jaylors but he doth so 〈◊〉 whence that Phrase of the Holy Ghost The Devil shall cast some of you into prison Rev. 2.10 They are his instruments but he is the princâ—pal Author Neither did Ananias and Saphira once think that Satan had filled their heartâ—â— or put that lye into their mouths which they were strook dead for Acts yeâ— the Holy Ghost tells us plainly that he did so ver 3. No Eve in Paradise 〈◊〉 not the least suspition that it was Satan that spake to her by the Serpent nor Adam that it was the Devils minde in her mouth when 〈◊〉 to eat the forbidden fruit Nor did David once dream that it was Satan which moved him to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 Much lesse 〈…〉 who so dearly loved Christ imagine that he was set on by Satan to 〈◊〉 his own Lord and Master with those affectionate words 〈…〉 self for if Christ had pitied himself Peter and all the world had 〈…〉 yet he was so which occasioned Christ to answer him Get 〈…〉 Satan Matth. 16.22 23. Whence we may argue That if Satan can 〈…〉 the best and wisest of Gods servants do him such service 〈…〉 besides their intention how much more can he make 〈…〉 dren and servants who are kept by him in 〈…〉 at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 and whom he altogether ruleth and worketh his pleasure in Ephes. 2.2 3. as I might give you instances of all sorts Our Saviour tells us that they shall think they do God service in persecuting 〈◊〉 servants as the Jews formerly did in putting his Prophets to death John 16 â—â— and experience shows that thousands in these dayes do so and why diâ— Soul make havock of the Church but in zeal to the traditions of his Fathers Gal. 1.14 There was a Monk poysoned Henry the seventh Emperour of Germany with the Sacramental Bread and thought he did God good service in so doing So did the Powder Traitors when they intended to blow up the whole State Maximinian thought the blood of Christians would be an acceptable sacrifice to his gods So Francis the second of France and Philip the second of Spain thought of the Lutherans blood in their Dominions In the sixth Council of Toledo It was enacted That the King of Spain should suffer none to live in his Dominions that professed not the Roman Catholick Religion Whereupon King Philip having hardly escaped shipwrack as he returned from the Low Countries said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranism which he presently began to do professing that he had rather have no Subjects then such And how could this be if Satan did not hold the Stern * One that formerly held it not enough to be bad himself except he railed at and persecuted the good hath now given ten thousand of these Books to clear the sight of others who look upon Religion and holiness with Satans Spectacles Wherefore such as will need but call at James Crumps in Little Bartholomews in Well-yard and have them grâ—tis so long as they last and afterwards at Mr. Cripps his Shop 〈◊〉 Popes Hâ—â—d Alley also for pence 〈…〉 * It is the usuall lot of the godly to suffer for speaking of truth but the Divels servants prevail most by telling of lies as when the Jews accused Paul to Agrippa they charged him with many things but proved nothing neither could they well undoe us if first they did not falsly accuse us as it fared with Iezabel touching Naboth and the wife of Potiphar touching Iosâ—ph We read that the Chief Priests Elders and all the counsel sought false Witnesses to accuse Christ of hainous evils that so they might crucifie him by a Law Matth. 26.59 〈◊〉 innocency is no shelter against persecution Again Why do all the Serpents seed censure and in censuring stan 〈…〉 but that they may incite and stir up others to do the like Re 〈…〉 those ancient enemies of the Gospel who clad the Martyrs in the 〈…〉 wilde Beasts to animate the Dogs to tear them Nor will the 〈…〉 multitude be wanting what lyes in them for they like so ma 〈…〉 have not heads sufficient to direct them and therefore do only 〈◊〉 they see others do They are a generation that for matter of Religi 〈…〉 discern between their right hand and their left as 〈◊〉 committing of evill with ignorant persons who are Cisterns to sin 〈◊〉 to grace As in the Sodomites Gen. 19.4 to 12. In Koraâ— and his â—â—0 followers In Demetrius and his fellows Acts 19. c. And the like in our times as how many thousands do censure and blaspheme the godly because they hear others do so for other reason they can give none Thus I might go on in giving you other reasons of their censuring and slandering us as one in regard of Satan who loseth so many of his Subjects or Captives as turn beleevers for every repentant sinner is as a prisoner broke loose from his chains of darknesse And another in regard of the World which loseth a limb
unto which Christ giveth up those that shake off his own What his government is you may partly guess at by the servile slaveries he puts his subjects upon As O the many hard services which Satan puts his servants upon and what a bad Master is he when we read that Origen at his onely appointment made himself an Eunuch Democritus put out his own eyes Crates cast his money into the Sea Thracius cut down all the Vines whereas David did none of these Ahaz made his son to pass through the fire Jephta sacrificed his onely daughter as the text seems to import Wicked men think they do God good service in putting his children to death but where do we finde any Religious Israelite or servant of God at such cost or when did God require this of his servants The Prophets and Apostles never whipt nor lanced themselves but Baals Priests did this and more And so of the Papists those hypocrites of late yeers and the Pharisees of old How many sleepless nights and restless dayes and wretched shifts treacherous and bloody plots and practises does covetousness and ambition cost men which the humble and contented Christian is unacquainted with How does the covetous mans heart droop wish his Mammon How does he turmoile and vex his spirit torment his conscience and make himself a very map of misery and a sink of calamity it is nothing so with Christs servants CHAP. XIII I Have much more to enlarge of the miseries of unmerciful and ingratefull Misers but before I speak of them I will give you the reasons and uses of these already dispatcht wherein I will be as brief as may be You see that God may give men riches in wrath and so as they shall be never the better for them but the worse Now that you may not think it any strange thing observe the reasons why and how justly they are so served The first Reason is the unmerciful Misers monstrous unthankfulness for those millions of mercies he hath received from God of which I shall give you an account in the second part this causes God either not at all to give him or in giving him riches to add this you have heard as a curse withall He is unthankful for what he hath therefore have he never so much it shall not be worth thanks He is cruel to the poor therefore he shall be as cruel to himself The poor shall have no comfort of what he hath therefore himself shall have as little The covetous are cozen Germans to the nine leapers thankless persons They are so much for receiving that they never mind what they have received He deals with God as a dog doth with his master who as Austine observes devoureth by and by whatever he can catch and gapeth continually for more Nor hath covetousness any thing so proper to it as to be ingrateful A greedy man is never but shamefully unthankful for unless he have all he hath nothing He must have his will or God shall not have a good look from him yea as the Mill if it go empty makes an unpleasant and odious noise so the covetous man if the Lord does not satisfie his desires in every thing he will most wickedly murmur and blaspheme his providence and if ever he sustaines losse he will never forget it He writes benefits received in water but what he accounts injuries in marble And for this his great ingratitude God gives him riches but withdraws his blessing For as Iacob gave Ruben a blessing but added thou shalt not be excellent Gen. 49.4 so God gives the worldling riches but sayes thou shalt not be satisfied He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver Eccl. 5.10 Yea no man more unsatisfied for let him have what his heart can wish he is not yet pleased like the Israelites who murmurod asmuch when they had Mannah as when they had none Secondly the merciless Miser never sued or sought to God for his riches neither does he acknowledge them as sent of God but ascribes the increase of his means to his wit and industry Nay he dares not pray the Lords prayer forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors lest he call for a curse upon himself Nay if he be as probably he is an Vsuerer then in respect of other men he hath no need to pray at all for as one observes Each man to heaven his hands for blessing reares Onely the Vs'rer needs not say his prayers Blow the winde East or West plenty or dearth Sickness or health sit on the face of earth He cares not time will bring his money in Each day augments his treasure and his sin Or admit he ever calls upon God his prayer is that some one may dye that he may have his office or break his day that the beloved forfeiture may be obtained His morning exercise being onely to peruse his bonds look over his baggs and to worship them as Marcus Cato worshipped his grounds desiring them to bring forth in abundance and to keep his Cattel safe And as touching hereafter if he shall finde in his heart to pray God will not hear him Prov. 1. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 21.27 What hope hath the hypocrite saith Job when he hath heaped up riches will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him Job 27.8 9. When you shall stretch out your hands saith God to such I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers I will not hear Isa. 1.15 God will turn him off to his gold and silver for help as he did Iehoram to the Prophets of his Father and the Prophets of his Mother 2 Kings 3.13 And it is but just and equal that those which we have made the comfort and stay of our peace should be the relief and comfort of our extremity If our prosperity hath made the world our God how worthily shall our death-bed be choaked with such an exprobration If God do answer such an ones prayers it is as Archelaus answered the request of a covetous Courtier who being importuned by him for a cup of gold wherein he drank gave it unto Euripides that stood by saying Thou art worthy to ask and be denied but Euripides is worthy of gifts although he ask not And indeed good men many times receive gifts from God that they never dreamt oâ— nor durst presume to begg which others extreamly strive after and go without As it is feigned of Pan that it was his good hap to finde out Ceres as he was hunting little thinking of it which none of the other gods could do though they did nothing else but seek her and that most industriously Now if he neither prayes to God for what he would have nor gives him thanks for what he gives nor desires a blessing upon what he receives viz. that he may be content and satisfied therewith How should God bestow this great blessing of contentation upon him
hands c. Again when they sought Gods glory and were thankful mark the difference even from this very day will I bless you saith God Hag. 1.4 to 12 2 18 19. He that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another Holy David was a man after Gods own heart and therefore he ever mixeth with his prayers praises Bless the Lord ô my soul sayes he and forget not all his benefits Psal. 103.2 And being of a public spirit he discovers the secrets of this skill as when he saith Let the people praise thee ô God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God even our God shall give us his blessing Psal. 67.5 6 7. Wherefore be not like the Swine that feeds upon the Acorns without ever looking to the Oake from whence they fall Or the Horse that drinks of the Brook and never thinks of the Spring Yea since God is the fountain from which all our enjoyments flow let this be our continual determination He hath given us all the grace good and happiness we have and we will give him all the possible thanks and honour we can Yea teach us ô Lord to receive the benefit of thy merciful favour and to return thee the thanks and the glory And the like of Humility Blessed are the meek saith our Saviour for they shall inherit the earth Matth. 5.5 The reward of humility and the fear of God is riches and honour and life Prov. 22 4. If there be a hollow in a valley lower then another thither the waters gather And the more lowly we are in our own eyes the more lovely we are in Gods the more despicable in our selves the more acceptable in him as is seen in the example of the Publican Luke 18.13 14. And the Prodigal Luke 15.18 19 c. Nor can any thing make us more acceptable to God then the conscience of our own unworthiness when with Iacob we can say O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant For with my staff I passed over this Iordane and now I am become two bands Gen. 32.10 When with the Publican we can confesse I am not worthy to lift up mine eyes to heaven Luke 18.13 14. And with the Prodigal I am not worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. And with the Centurion I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof Luke 7.6 And with Iohn Baptist and Saint Paul the like I am not worthy I am not worthy This is the way to obtein what we would have at the hands of God who resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam 4.6 10. Prov. 29.23 15.33 18.12 unto him will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my words Isaiah 57.15 He hath filled the hungry with good things but the rich he hath sent empty away Luke 1.52 53. So that if thou expectest to have God bless and prosper thee then beware thou forgettest not at whose cost thou livest Beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is increased and all that thou hast is inlarged thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God and thou say in thine heart My power and the might of mine hand hath got me this wealth but on the contrary Remember that it is the Lord thy God that hath given thee power to get wealth and that it is only his blessing that makes rich This is Gods own counsel set home with a very strict charge to all that have not a minde to perish Deut. 28.10 to 20. Many are the examples I might give you of such as have been undone by their pride While Saul was little in his own eyes God made him head over the twelve Tribes of Israel and gave him abundance but when out of his greatness be abused his place and gifts God took them all away again And so it had like to have fared with Hezekiah when he but began to be puffed up with the wealth and precious things that God had given him 2 Kings 20.12 to 19. But most remarkable is the example of Nebuchadnezzar who when he ascribed all to himself saying Is not this great Babel which I have built with the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty was presently deprived of his Kingdom and all that he had and sent to graze with the beasts but when he was humbled to the very ground acknowledged the Author and ascribed all to the God of heaven he had his Kingdom and all else restored unto him Dan. 4. The way to obtein any benefit is to acknowledge the Authour and devote it in our hearts to the glory of that God of whom we receive all For by this means shall God both pleasure his servants and honour himself And indeed that he may be honoured by our wisdom riches graces is the only end for which he gives us to be wise rich gracious And who hath more interest in the grape then he that planted the Vine Who more right to the crop then he that oweth the ground and soweth the seed Therefore Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches Jer. 9.23 For we have not only received our talents from God but the improvement also is his meer bounty Of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.35 36. And so much of the fourth means to grow rich CHAP. XXXII FIfthly the next means which God in his Word hath appointed to this end is labour and industry in some lawful calling for it is the beating of the brain or the sweating of the brow not the bare talk of the lips or desire of the heart that makes rich according to the common Proverb Wishers and woulders are seldom or never good housholders The idle person sayes Solomon shall be clothed with rag◠and the sluggards poverty cometh upon him as an armed man but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10.4 12 27. The Greeks have a saying That plentifulness follows painfulness and that all things are made servants to care and industry Caius Furius by his painful dexterity and unwearied labour got more means out of one small field then his neigbours out of many great ones whereupon he was accused to the Magistrate as if by witchcraft he had conveyed the corn of other mens ground into his own but he came with all his goodly rustical instruments with his strong and lusty daughter and his well fed Oxen and spake thus to the Iudges See my Lords these be my witchcrafts and sorceries but I cannot shew you my watchings and sweatings
general may be applyed to many wholsome truths in particular the same disâ—ourse may make the indifferent good the good better and the bad worse Again Some and not a few are like the Gadarens Mark 5.17 who ere Christ entered their City besought him to depart their Coasts Nor is it amisse to leave such as these to themselves untill time and experience or their own Rod hath made them wiser More especially was it composed and published for their sakes who know the worth and sweetnesse of these flowers that prize these Pearles as having still sound when I have finished what I intended their entertainment to be such as at first I expected For these Posies may be resembled to a Plume of Feathers â—r some soveraine Balsome for which some will give much others little or nothing Whence according to my accustomed manner I have out of divers fleeces wove one piece of cloath and brought home to them many famous Authours though like Mummers in a mask I conceale their Names as thinking it sufficient if I deliver profitable matter after a profitable manner and guessing it the greatest point of Learning and Oratoury to distinguish aptly that which is confused and to illustrate plainly that which is obscure Nor do I at all like those raw fruits of Poetry Pamphlets and â—aybooks which take so with our youth and Gentry that weaken the stomack of the soul and fill it full of crudities which will not be digested into any good blood either of knowledge or vertue And happy it were if all proud and unsanctified wits had but the wit to know how Satan guls them with chaff instead of wheat with copper instead of gold with glasse in liew of Pearl Which is the earnest desire of him who would gladly bâ— A furtherer of their Wealth and Happinesse that have a mind to it 〈…〉 How to become Rich and Happy The Second Part. CHAP. I. THe Chirurgeons of Greece like our English Mountebanks were wont to shew the operations of their Skill upon Scaffolds in view of all passengers thereby to assure men what they could do as well us to get more practice and custom if they were deserving The Merchant thinks it a good course first to try with a little how vendible his commodity will be and after he replenisheth the Market according to the esteem it findes with the Inhabitants Nor is he held wise that will venter all his estate in one bottom Such were my thoughts in publishing the first part of this Tracte intending like Phidias touching his portrayture that if it were liked did abide the touch passe the standard of the judicious Readers approbation I would publish the residue otherwise not resolving whether allowed of they should incourage me or disliked they should amend me And now having found that acceptance which in modesty I could not expect I have sent abroad the second Part. In the former Part of this Discourse I have declared what it is and what it is not to be Rich and withall chalked out the way in six Particulars how men that are poor may become Rich and rid of poverty In this which follows I shall declare how they may become Happy and rid of discontent or Melancholy Now for the effecting of this there needs no more be done than to cure men of their covetousnesse for if that be once done all is done otherwise nothing or nothing to purpose For let a covetous man become never so rich he is never the happier his care misery and melancholy still remaines but let his covetousnesse cease and then comes peace and joy and content have he never so little as I shall shew when I come unto it Yea let men but leave or be willing to leave this one sinne and they shall depart from this discourse like Naaman out of Iordan as if they had been washt and all their sinnes taken away like the scales from Pauls eyes Act. 9.18 For what hath brought Vsury and Simony and non-residency and bribery and perjury and felony and cruelty and hypocrisie and subtilty and envy and strife and debate into the City and Nation and made every house an Inne and every shopa Market of oathes and lyes and equivocations and fraude and indeed of what not but the superfluous and excessive love of money What is the cause of all the murmurings mutinies jarres contentions grudgings repinings fretting chafing weeping vexing complaining and discontent in every Family but the great controversie of mine and thine Name but covetousnesse and you have named the Mother of all sinnes that can be named which makes 〈…〉 principal endeavour shall be to prescribe some remedyes against this cursed sinne O that I could with little David cull out of the Scriptures that spiritual and celestial Brook the stone or Pible that would kill this Goliah then would I stick it into his temples with all my might For I thirst to pleasure these unworthy men with that which is more worth beyond compare than all their wealth multiplyed as many times as there are sands on the sea-shore For let me tell you you worshippers of the golden Calf that the cure which Erasistratus did upon Antiochus for which he had fourteen thousand three hundred and seventy five pounds was nothing to this cure of covetousnesse in him that is therewith infected or thereto inslaved as you will confesse if you but consider what the difficulty of this cure is of which I have largely spoken in Chapter 19 to Chapter 23. of the fore-going part CHAP. II. Now there is no way to remove this let or to rescue them from this Remora except I can insure them that they shall be gainers by the bargain and receive by way of exchange that which shall more than countervail what they part withall which I doubt not by the blessing of God to do if they will but vouchsafe or be willing to hear either reason or Divine Authority And 1. I will prescribe or give them some rare Receits acquaint them with some soveraign Remedies against this desperate evil and therein shew them how they shall or may of the most miserable men alive become the most Blessed and Happy And who knows whether God hath not put me upon this work and will accordingly blesse the meanes that shall be used though by a most unworthy and insufficient Instrument Neither is the strength or weaknesse of meanes either spur or bridle to Gods choice who sometimes does greatest acts by weakest Agents and gives the greater successe to the weaker meanes However an Emperick or Quacksalver hath now and then had the hap to cure a Patient whom a learned Artist could not do Wherefore be at leasure you lovers of money to hearken to what I shall produce from the word to your ears and God shall speak to your hearts by his spirit touching your temporal civil spiritual and eternal state Now if you would relinquish this sinne and so be everlastingly happy If you prefer true content and the
happy for him to be a King in his own house as a door-keeper in Gods house That Solomon preferred the title of Ecclesiastes before the title of the King of Ierusalem That Theodosius the Emperour preferred the title of Membrum Ecclesiae before that of Caput Imperii professing that he had rather be a Saint and no King than a King and no Saint And that godly Constantine rejoyced more in being the Servant of Christ than in being Emperour of the whole world And indeed Gods servants are the only worthies of the world for Christ hath made them spiritual Kings Rev. 1.6 So happy are they as to have this high honour and dignity given them Yea so soon as regenerate we are made Sons to a King 2 Cor. 6.18 Brothers to a King Heb. 2.11 Heires to a King Rom. 8 17. Even to the King of glory Joh. 17.22 Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 Nor are we his Sons only but he accounts us his precious Iewels Mala. 3.17 And reputes us his intimate Friends Joh. 15.14 15. Our Friend Lazarus saith Christ Joh. 11.11 O what an high and happy condition is this for mortal men to aspire unto that the God of Heaven should not be ashamed to own them for friends that before were his cursed and mortal enemies By nature we are like Nebuchadnezer no better than beasts grazing in the forrest but when grace once comes we are like him restored to his reason and high dignities Dan. 4.29 to the end Or like Manasses brought out of a loathsome Prison to be King of Ierusalem 2 Chron. 33.11 12 13. Thirdly Does any man glory in riches Christ is an unexhoustable treasure never failing and of his fulness have all we received Joh. 1.16 Nor are these transitory riches though these we have also when God sees them good for us For riches and treasures shall be in the house of the righteous Psal. 112.3 but we have heavenly and spiritual riches that true Treasure that is infinitely better than silver or gold and more precious than Rubies Pearles or any the most precious stones Yea it surpasseth all pleasure and prosperity strength honour or felicity It is more sweet than the Honey and the Honey-comb yea all the things thou canst else desire are not to be compared to it Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left riches and honour Her waies are waies of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her as Iob David and Solomon will insure you Iob. 28.13 to 20. Psal. 19.10 119.103 Prov. 3.14 to 19. 8.10 11. Eccles. 9.16 Yea lastly Heaven it self is made sure to every gracious soul for her Patrimony Mat. 5.3 to 12. Now consider before we go any further how poor a clod of earth a Mannour is how poor an inch a Shire how poor a span a Kingdom how poor a pace or Acre the whole earth And yet how many have sold their bodies and souls and consciences and Heaven and eternity for a few grains of this dust Only with Believers it is otherwise they consider that commodities are but as they are commonly valued And because transitory things in the next life bare no value at all and because there is notâ—ing firm under the firmament They hold it very good coveting what they may have and cannot leave behind them And though others most love what they must leave and think that money will buy any thing like foolish Magus Act 8.18 Or the Devil who presumed that this bait would even catch the Son of God Yet the wise and religious can see no reason why it should be so doted upon as it is But Fourthly Does any one desire or glory in Liberty Christ hath delivered us out of the hands of all our adversaries and enemies Luk. 1.71 74. As namely from the Law Gal. 5.18 Rom. 6.44 From sinne 1 Joh. 2.1 2. From death Joh. 8.51 5.24 And from the Devil with all the powers of darknesse Heb. 2.14 Rom. 8.35 to the end Or Fifthly Is it safety from fear and danger that a man wishes for or desires Let him become one of those little ones that believe in Christ then may he trust to a guard of Angels Mat. 18.10 and be assured of Gods protection without which a worm or fly may kill a man with it no Potentate on earth can do it As for Instance When Valens the persecuting Emperour should have subscribed an order for St Bazils banishment such a suddain trembling took his right hand that he could write never a good letter whereupon he tore the order for anger and there was an end of the businesse Laremouth Chaplain to the Lady Anne of Cleave a Scotchman being in Prison in Queen-Marieâ— daies it was said as he thought once twice thrice Arise and go thy waies whereupon he arising from prayer a piece of the prison wall fell down and he escaped beyond the Seas CHAP. VIII Sixthly Wouldest thou have God to prosper all that thou hast or doest then get grace to serve him so shalt thou be blessed in all places and delivered from all temporal evils as it is Deut. 28. Nor can it be other in reason For if when the Ark of the Covenant which was a sign of Gods presence was in the house of Obed Edom then the Lord blessed him and all his house how much more shall that man be blessed in whose heart even God himself by his Spirit dwels and by his grace which is a more sure and infallible sign of his presence then was the Ark. So that if thou beest wise thou wilt more esteem of grace and Gods blessing accompanying it than thou wouldest of Iasons Golden Fleece or the great Chams Tree-full of Pearles hanging by clusters Seventhly Wouldest thou with all these have all peace and joy than get Grace and Holinesse For as the Vnicornes horn dipped in the fountain makes the waters which before were corrupt and noysome clear and wholesome upon the suddain so whatsoever estate grace and godlinesse comes unto it saith like the Apostles Peace be to this house peace and happinesse be to this heart to this man c. That Regeneration is the only best Physick for melancholy I can sufficiently evidence out of fifty years experience I most gladly acknowledge that when I was in my natural condition without the pardon of sin and some assurance of Gods favour I seldome wakened in a morning but my heart was as heavy as lead as fearing an hell after that purgatory which since my heart was changed I have not I blesse God been acquainted with An old Disciple of Christ being asked the cause why he was ever such a merry man answered when I was a young man I studied how to live well and when I became an old man I studied how to dye well and so desiring to seek God in this his Kingdom of grace and hoping to see him in
his Kingdom of glory one day to me was better than a thousand unto those who weary themselves in the waies of wickednesse and destruction Now if grace and Gods favour brings such peace and joy what fools are sinners to deprive themselves of it What mad men are Misers As how do their hearts droop with their mammon How do they weary and turmoyl themselves vex their spirits torment their consciences making themselves a very map of misery and a sinke of calamity Whereas it is nothing so with the servants of Christ. Perhaps at their first conversion they are much troubled in mind though it fares not so with all and conscience for their long and grievous offending so good a God but that sorrow is soon turned into joy and abundantly recompenced When the Angel had troubled the waters in the Fool of Bethesda then stept in those that were diseased and infirm and were healed It is Christs manner to trouble our souls first and then to come with healing in his wings Yea the very teares of repentance are sweet whereas the covetous mans heart even in laughing is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heaviness Prov. 14.13 An evil life sales Seneca causeth an unquiet mind for as the least moat in the eye hinders the ease and sight of it or as the least gravell in the shooe hinders the traveller in his comfortable going or as the least bone in the throat hinders our eating and threatens to choake us So the least sinne in the soul unrepented of hinders the peace and joy and hope thereof But least which is not likely I should glut you with joy observe with me In the eighth place That there is nothing can be wanting to a man but grace and Gods favour will more than supply it When reverend Calvin was upbraided by the Papists with the want of Children in marriage he could answer That is nothing for God hath instead of such children given me many thousand children of far more excellent kind and of nobler breed through the whole world And surely a man shall see the Noblest works and Foundations have proceeded from childlesse men which have sought to expresse the Images of their minds where those of their bodies have failed CHAP. IX Ninthly Godlinesse hath the Promises not only of this life but also of that which is to come The quintessence whereof consists in these two things freedom from all pain fruition of all pleasure which is the purchase of Christ for his followers For when he sits upon his Throne he shall say unto them and only to them Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. And are there any pleasures like those at the right hand of God for evermore Whereas to those that have not had the grace nor the wit to serve him he shall say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And is there any pain like the separation from Christ into everlasting and ever-flaming fire Mat. 25.41 Think of this you that prefer the service of sinne and Satan before that of our Saviours Heaven you will confesse to be best of all yet for Heaven you will use labour least of all For I may boldly affirm it your covetous man takes more paines to goe to hell than do the godly to get to Heaven he riseth early and resteth late and eates the course bread of sorrow and after a great deal of tedious and odious misery goes to the Devil for his labour But look to it this will one day cost men dear For it will be the very hell of hell when they shall call to mind that they have loved their sinnes more than their Saviour or their own souls When they shall remember what love and mercy hath been almost enforced upon them and yet they would by all meanes and that of free choice perish Now I might go on to other Particulars yea I might almost be infinite in these things but having said enough to be thought too much I will mention no more only let me a little apply it Wee see that the shadow does not more inseparably follow the body than all blessings follow grace Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse it profitable unto all things 1 Tim. 4.8 as having the Promises of the life present and of that which is to come Men talk much of the Philosophers stone that it turneth copper into gold of Cornucopia that it had all things necessary for food in it of the Herb Panace that it is instead of all purges and cureth all diseases of the Herb Nepenthes that it procureth all delights of Vulcans Armour that it was of proof against all thrusts and blows Yea Pliny speaks of no lesse than three hundred and sixty benefits that may be made of the Palme tree if we will believe him But whether these things be so or not it much matters not this I am sure of that what they did vainly attribute to these rarities for bodily and transitory good we may with full measure and without any hyperbole justly ascribe to grace and Gods favour for spiritual So that Religion Piety and Holinesse are Mistresses worthy your service Yea all other Arâ—es in the world are but drudges to these Fools may contemn them who cannot judge of true intellectual beauty but if they had our eyes they culd not but be ravished with admiration of the same And men truly wise have learned to contemn their contempt and to pity their injurious ignorance All which being so apparant and undeniable mens wisest and surest way were as one would think to become the Servants of God and be as industrious after grace as they have been after gold For in common reason who would eat huskes with the Prodigal when if he will but return home he shall be honourably entertained by his heavenly Father have so good cheer and banqueting hear so great melody joy and triumph Generally men are very eager and industrious to get worldly wealth yea no pains is thought too much for it but where shall we finde men thus eager after spiritual wealth which alone can make them happy CHAP. X. Objection But will some say How shall we obtain this happy condition It is not so easie a matter to become gracious and to gain the favour of God as you seem to make it I Answer Yes this may easily be helped if thou hast a mind to it For as when a man would have those things to be on his right hand which are now on his left it is but turning himself and the work is done so do but turn your affections from earthly things to things celestial and heavenly the case will be so altered that you will think your self as a blind man restored to sight a mad man to his senses a prisoner set at liberty a begger
advanced to a vast estate and as one vexed with an evil spirit or troubled with a tormenting conscience to such a blessed peace as the world can neither give nor take away John 14.27 As thus Would you quiet your clamorous conscience that will not be friends with you unlesse you be friends with God The ayer is not so cleer when the clowde is dissolved by rain as the mind is when the clowdes of our iniquities are dissolved by the rain or tears of true repentance These waters are the red sea wherein the whole Arm of our sinnes is drowned As O the calm spirit of a godly man his very dreams are divine When Ptolomy King of Aegypt had posed the Seaventy Interpreters in order and asked the nineteenth man what would make one sleep quietly in the night he told him the best way was to have divine and celestial Meditations and to use honest actions and recreations in the day time The godly man enjoyes Heaven upon earth peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes. 1.6 Nor is joy lesse when it is least expressed as it fares with grief but as the windowes of the Temple were narrow without but broad within so is the joy of our hearts greater than it does outwardly appear to the world Again It is as false a slander as common that when once a man imbraceth Religion farewell all joy and delight For virtue hath neither so crabbed a face nor so stern a look as men make her Pleasure is not gone when sinne is gone It is not Isaac that is sacrificed that is our laughter and mirth but the Ramme that is the bruitishnesse of it The soul of joy lies in the souls joy What saies holy David Be glad ye righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and be joyfull all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 32.11 It was not the Eunuchs riches nor honours but his faith which set him on his way rejoycing Act. 8.39 In this rejoyce not saith our Saviour that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Yea there is even joy in grief where the sorrow is for sinne Besides how can men partake of that fountain of joy and rejoyce not He is no good Christian that is not taken with the glory he shall have and rejoyce that his name is written in the Book of life The worldly man hath joy in prosperity the Child of God in adversity The believing Hebrews suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Yea let the worst that can come they are still merry and joyfull as hath been observed in sundry of the Martyrs who clapt their hands for joy even in the midst of the flames And reason good when all things shall work to their good that are good and when the very draught and abridgment of Heaven is in every sanctified heart upon earth Then live religiously and thou shalt both live and die comfortably For live in grace and die in peace is a rule that never fails Only this hinders our joy our love to spiritual things is too defective of worldly things too excessive Earthly goods are earnestly and eagerly sought after Heavenly not once thought upon Much travell taken for the body little or no care used for the soul. It would be otherwise if with Paul at his conversion they had those scales taken away from their eyes by some godly Ananias some faithfull Minister of the Gospel which during their natural condition covers their eyes from seeing things spiritual It is a sad thing to see what fools men are that walk according to the flesh and how they are gulled by the God of this world and their own deceitfull hearts The covetous man is like a mad man that loves and is unmeasurably delighted with the sight and gingling of those chains wherewith he is fettered and tormented He hugs them I mean his money and adores them and even makes them his god that occasion him all his grief But had he once tasted how good and bountifull the Lord is to those that set their delight on him 1 Pet. 2.3 If he did grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 If the Lord would once incline his heart unto his testimonies and not to covetousnesse Psal. 119.36 he should soon know and find that things themselves are in the invisible world in the world visible but their shaddows only That wicked men injoy whatsoever they have viz. wealth honour wisdome pleasure c. but as it were in a dream They dream they are rich wise happy and the like as a begger may dream he is a King Or one that is ready to starve that he is richly furnished with all manner of meats and drinkes but when once he is awake he findes himself grossely mistaken All worldly happinesse hath its being only by opinion whence St Luke calls all Agrippa's pomp but a fancy Act. 25.23 a meer conceit or supposition The sweetnesse of sinne is but as the sweetnesse of poyson sweet only in the mouth in the belly bitter and deadly Stolen bread is sweet sweet in the obtaining bitter in the account and reckoning Yea this last dish will spoyl all the feast and make it but like a drop of pleasure before a river of sorrow and displeasure Whereas whatsoever the godly feel is but as a drop of misery before a river of mercy and glory CHAP. XI The way of Wisdome and Holinnsse is the way of Pleasure Prov. 3.17 As O that all covetous miserly muckworms did but know what pleasure is in the peace of conscience which passeth all understanding and the joy of the Holy Ghost what a sollace it is to be the Sonne of God an Inhabitant of Heaven to live by faith amp c. Then would they think it more worth than all the worlds wealth honour and pleasure multiplyed as many times as there be stars in the firmament that any thing that every thing were too small a price for it Then would they change these broken wormeaten and poysonfull pleasures of sinne for the pleasures of Gods House of Gods Spirit and those other pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 God made the world of â—aught because men should set it at naught as did the Apostle the better to prevail with others who after he had been wrapt up into the third Heaven reckoned of all earthly things riches honours pleasures but as drosse and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified And what saith holy David a man of a most brave and divine Spirit I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches They are more to be desired than gold yea than fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb Psal. 19.10 And again How sweet are thy words unto my mouth
Psal. 119.103 This likewise was Ioâ—s judgment who affirmeth That wisdome cannot be valued with the gold of Ophire the precious Onyx or the Saphire That the gold and the chrystal cannot equal it and that the exchange thereof shall not be for jewels of fine gold That no mention shall be made of corral and pearles for the price of wisdome is above Rubies that the Topaas of Aethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold Job 28.12 to 20. Neither was this the case only of Paul and David and Iob and such like Champions in grace but every Believer findes the same in some measure They can truly say unto God with the Prophet Ieremy Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Jer. 15.16 They meet with Christ himself in his Word and Ordinances where is also the water of Regeneration the wine both of consolation and compunction the bread of life the oyl of gladnesse the honey-comb of grace the milke of the Gospel c. But how unlike to these are natural men Natural fools indeed who esteem not at all of Heavenly treasures spiritual enjoyments or riches of the mind There is a mighty difference between Davids or Pauls spirit and the spirit of these Salvage Swine whose only delight is to root in the earth Who are only pleased and taken with the musick of their money in that they are altogether unacquainted with soul-comforts and heavenly enjoyments As acorns were thought very good untill wheat was found out and bread before Manna came But had they tryed both estates as Believers have done they would find that content the poor mans riches were far sweeter than desire the rich mans poverty and that the ones wisdome and spiritual treasure will bring them to those joyes that neither eye hath seen nor ear heard neither hath ever entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 while the wisdom and wealth of these stupified worldlings if they take not heed will bring them to those endlesse miseries that cannot be exprest nor conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea And yet these forsooth repute themselves and are reputed the wisest of men But pittifully do they erre in every thing that are not instructed by the Word and Spirit The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foollishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2.14 15. which is a text or lesson worthy to be learned of all that are in their natural estate O that they would but seriously ponder the words For then they would see that simple or shallow honesty will prove more profitable in the end than the profound quick-sands of craft and policy Then their neglect would not be most in that wherein their care should be the greatest But the world hath alwaies had a mean and base esteem of Christ himself and therefore no marvell if they esteem so little of his grace and Spirit The Gadarens preferred their Swine before him the Iews Barrabas Iudas thirty pieces of silver whereas St Paul wanted words to expresse how he valued him and therefore breaks off with O the depth Rom. 11.33 Neither can Christ or indeed the meanest saving grace that he bestowes upon his be valued with ten thousand worlds But hear another reason why miserable muckworms are so transported with earthly trash which the godly so little regard A main cause is this Men of the world as they know not what the riches of the mind means so they have no hope of a better life after this This is all their Heaven and here they have all their portion they are like to have Psal. 73.12 Deliver my soul from the wicked saith David from men of the world who have their portion in this life whose bellyes thou fillest with thy hid treasure their children have enough and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal. 17.14 But my teeth shall not water after their dainties Wo be to you that are rich saith our Saviour for ye have received your consolation Luke 6.24 All here none hereafter and hereupon they covet riches and honours and pleasures so excessively and insatiably Nor can it be otherwise in reason for nothing but the assurance of heavenly things makes us willing to part with earthly things Neither can he contemn this life that knows not the other But this is the priviledge of Piety The rich man hath not so much advantage of the poor in injoying as the religious poor hath of the rich in leaving Neither is the poor man so many pounds behind the rich for this world as he may be talents before him for the world to come So that there is no learning this art without being religious For you will be covetous untill you be gracious And during the time of your greedinesse you shall never be satisfied because happinesse is tied to goodnesse by the chain of Providence CHAP. XII Now if thou wouldest become godly in good earnest if thou wouldst have this change wrought in thee and have thy affections so altered as to find more sweetnesse in spiritual things than ever thou hast done in thy worldly enjoyments be sure to begin at the spring head I mean thy heart This is Gods own counsel to the men of Ierusalem Ier. 4. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saved How long shall thy wicked thoughts remain with thee vers 14. It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Had Elisha cast the salt into the brooks and ditches the remedy must have striven against the stream to reach up to the springs Now it was but one labour in curing the fountain Our heart is a well of bitter venomous water our actions are the streams in vain shall we cleanse our hands while our hearts are evil Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Ephes. 4.23 24 28. But alas how many are there that set the cart before the horse and begin to change their lives before their hearts but if we shall be advised so to do it is not advisedly It is most ridiculous to apply remedyes to the 〈…〉 skilfull Physician that when the head-ach is caused by the distemperature of the stomach would apply outward remedies to the head before he had purged the stomach where lies the matter that feeds the disease To what purpose is it to crop the top of the weeds or lop off the boughes of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth Cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop off the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the root then and not till then it will
grow no more Great Cities once expunged the Dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves Wherefore as the King of Syria said unto his Captains Fight neither against great nor small but against the King of Israel 1 Kings 22.31 So especially we must set our selves against our mother and Master sinne the King being caught the rest will never stand out The heart is originally evil that is the treasure and storehouse of wickednesse As in generation so in regeneration Cor primum vivit life begins at the heart Yea the heart is the first in our Creation which is formed the first by reason of our fall by sinne which is deformed and the first in our regeneration that is reformed And whensoever God does savingly shine upon the understanding he giveth a soft and pliable heart For without a work upon the heart by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shal say to the contrary That must first be reformed which was first deformed Out of the abundance of the heart saith our Saviour the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 Yea out of the abundance of the heart the head deviseth the eye seeth the ear heareth the hand worketh the foot walketh A man may apply his ears and his eyes as many blockheads do to his Book and yet never prove Scholar but from that day which a man begins to apply his heart unto wisdome he learneth more in a moment after than he did in a year before nay than ever he did in all his life As you see the wicked because they apply their hearts to wickednesse how fast they proceed how easily and how quickly they become perfect Swearers perfect Drunkards cunning Deceivers c. The heart is like the fire which kindleth the sacrifice 1 Kings 18.38 And indeed if the tongue or the hand or the ear think to serve God without the heart it is the irksomest occupation in the world But as the Sunne riseth first and then the beasts arise from their dens the fowles from their nests and men from their beds so when the heart sets forward to serve God all the members will follow after it the tongue will praise him the foot will follow him the ear will attend him the eye will watch him the hand will serve him nothing will stay after the heart but every one goes like Handmaids after their Mistresse Such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things Matth. 12.25 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean Matth 35.25 26. So see your hearts be sincere and single and then all your actions will be holy to the Lord. If we would be rid of noysome fowles the only way is to destroy their nests in every place A vain and lost labour it is to stop the current of a stream if you go not to the fountain Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 As though he would teach us the pleasantest and easiest way to serve him without any grudging or toyl or wearisomenesse As let but the heart be changed and we shall attend the Ordinances and perform all duties with delight cheerfulnesse and alacrity Whereas to a carnal heart holy duties as fasting praying hearing is so tedious and irksome that it thinks one Sabboth or Fast-day more tedious and burdensome than ten holy daies as their consciences will bear me witnesse Whereas the gracious soul is more delighted therewith than his body with a well relished meal Touch but the first linke of a chain and all the rest will follow so set but the heart a going and it is like the poyse of a clock which turns all the wheels one way such an oyl is upon the heart that it makes all nimble and current about it but without the heart all is mute and dumb As the tongue will not praise because the heart doth not love the ear doth not hear because the heart does not mind the hand does not give because the heart does not pitty the foot will not go because the heart hath no affection All stay upon the heart like the Captain that should give the onset Nor is any service we can do accepted without the heart and affections flowing thence Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal. 51.10 The Scribes and Pharisees did fast and watch and pray and hear and read and give and do all that we can do and yet Christ rewarded all their works with a wo because they wanted a good heart and true affections flowing thence They honoured God with their lips but their hearts were far away from him Whence he also calls them hypocrites Mark 7.6 The Disciple that betrayed Christ heard as much as the Disciples that loved him CHAP. XIII But here least I should be mistaken let me joyn to what hath been said and what shall be further said by way of caution Expect not that this should be done by any power of thine own for except God give thee repentance and removes all impediments that may hinder thou canst no more turn thy self than thou couldst at first make thy self We are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3.5 We are swift to all evil but to any good immoveable We can lend no more active power to our conversion than Adam did to his creation than the Child doth to his conception than the dead man to his raising from the grave 〈…〉 16.14 the ears of the Prophet to hear well Isa. 50.4 the eyes of Elishaes servant to see well 2 Kings 6.17 and the lips of David to speak well Bid a man by his own strength do the least good or bear the least trouble you may with as good successe stand in the street and bid a chained prisoner come out of his dungeon St Paul before his conversion could do as much as the best accomplished moralist of them all his words are If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh much more I Phil. 3.4 Yet when he speaks of his doing or suffering he sheweth that it was because the love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost which was given him Rom. 5.5 Of himself he could do nothing though he were able to do all things through Christ and by the Spirits assistance who strengthened him Phil. 4.13 Man is like an Organ-pipe that speakes no longer then wind is blown into it Wherefore as when David came to fight with Goliah he cast away Sauls armour so let us in this case cast away all trust and confidence in our selves and only set forward in the Name of the Lord God of Israel If we trust to our own resistance we cannot stand
indeed if the very worst of men did but know and consider how they should pleasure themselves in being humble and thankful they would use all their possible endeavours to that end As most pleasant it is to God and most profitable to us both for the procuring the good we want and for the continuance of the good we have CHAP. XLVI INto the humble and thankful soul that giveth him abundance of glory his Spirit enters with abundance of Grace sowing there and there only plenty of Grace where he is assured to reap plenty of glory But who will sow those barren Sands where they are not only without all hope of a good Harvest but are sure to loose their Seed and Labour And in common Equity he that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another Holy David was a man according to Gods own heart and therefore he continually miâ—â—eth with his Prayers Praises and being of a publike spirit he discovereth the secrets of this skill As when he saith Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth bring forth her encrease and God even our God shall give us his blessing Psal. 67.5 6 7. When Heaven and Earth are friends then Summer and Winter Seed-time and Harvest run on their race When God was displeased what was the effect Ye have sown much and have reaped little Again when God was pleased mark the very day For from that very day I will bless you Hag. 2.15 to 20 Whensoever glory is given to God on high peace good will shall be bestowed on men below Luk. 2.14 Psal. 84.11 12. Noah gave a Sacrifice of Praise for his deliverance from the Flood And God being praised for that one deliverance he perpetuateth his blessing and promiseth an everlasting deliverance to the World from any more Floods Again it is the only way to procure Gods Blessing upon our endeavours It happened that Bernard one day made a curious and learned Sermon for which he expected great applause but received none The next time he made a plain wholsom Sermon and it was wonderfully affected liked and commended A friend of his noting it askt him what might be the reason Who answered In the one I preached Bernard in the other Christ in the one I sought to win glory and praise to my self in the other the glory of God and the salvation of souls which received blessing from above and that made the difference yea were there nothing good else in it yet this were the way to gain true honor We cannot so much honour our selves as by seeking to honour God To seek a mans own glory says Solomon is not glory Prov. 25.25.27 but to seek Gods glory is the greatest honour a man can do himself For as Cicero said of Iulius Caesar That in extolling of dead Pompey and erecting his Statues he set up his own So who are more venerably esteemed and spoken of then such as are most tender of Gods glory and least seeke their own They are the Lord 's own words to Saul They that honour me I will honour but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 The way for a man to be esteemed the greatest is to esteem himself the least It is humility that makes us accepted both of God Man whereas the contrary makes us hated and abhorred of both The Centurion did many excellent things but he never did a Work so acceptable in the sight of Christ as was his disclaiming his own Works While Saul vvas little in his ovvn eyes God made him Head over the twelve Tribes of Israel and gave him his Spirit but when out of his Greatness he abused his Place and Gifts God took both from him and gave them to David whom Saul least respected of all his Subjects 1 Sam. 15.17.28 16.14 Other proofs of such as he will honor for honoring him you have Gen. 39.21 Zeph. 3 19 20. Dan. 2.19 to 50. as when Nebuchadnezzar sought his own honor honor departed from him and he was made like a Beast but when he sought God's honor honor came to him again and he was made a King Dan. 4.34 to the end Before honour goeth humility Prov. 15.33 But when pride cometh then cometh shame Prov. 11.2 And commonly great Works undertaken for ostentation miss of their end and turn to the Author's shame nor have any less praise then they that most hunt after it It 's true the Lord sometimes gives wicked men even what in their thoughts they ask as some desire riches onely and God gives it them with a curse some honor and dignity and they have it that their fall may be the greater others fame and reputation as loving the praise of men more then the praise of God and these have many times what they aim at they are extolled to the skies and that shall be the reward of all the good that ever they do Lastly God's people make spiritual and eternal things Grace and Glory and God's favour their onely option and they have their desire yea not seldom are riches and reputation super-added though they seek them not they seek onely God's glory on Earth as for their own glory they let that alone till they come to Heaven knowing that he onely is happily famous who is known and recorded there True he lives so well that the praise of men especially good men will follow but as I said before so say I again he wil not follow it least to gain the shadow he should lose the substance as Absolom in seeking a Kingdom lost himself CHAP. XLVII IT is a sad thing to consider how many formal Christians gulâ— themselves in thinking that Christ will reward them when they have done him no service As for example we find the Iews in the 58. of Esay urging God with their fasting as those Reprobates Luke 13. alledge unto him their preaching in Christs Name casting out Devils We have fasted say they and thou seest it not we have afflicted our selves and thou takest no notice thereof they expect some great reward but the Lord answers Have ye fasted to me No such matter and therefore sends them away empty ver 25. to 29. And so will he say unto these that perhaps do many good works for the matter of them Have ye done these and these things in love obedience and thankfulness unto me and that in Christs Name that my Name may be magnified and my People won and edified No but in love to your own credit profit and such like carnal respects and therefore look to it as you love your own souls for if in doing good and discharging our places we have served our selves and sought our selves rather then God when we come for his reward as Esau when he had brought the Venison came for the blessing making himself as sure of it as if he had had it
this to all our other gifts that we give the glory of them to God As what else should men propose for their end then that glory which shal have no end Yea let us with one unanimous voice say He hath given us all the Grace and Happiness we have and we wil give him all the possible thanks and honor we can let it be our main request and daily prayer Teach us O Lord to receive the benefit of thy merciful favours and to return thee the thanks and the glory and that for ever and ever And so much of the Ends which we are to propound to our selves in our beneficence the lets and impediments follow CHAP. XLIX I Might mention many great lets and impediments as Ignorance Infidelity Pride Intemperance self-love hard heartedness and other the like do much hinder mens bounty and liberality to the poor as may partly appear by what I have already delivered but nothing like Covetousness yea name but Covetousnese and that includes all the rest Covetousness is the Grave of all good it makes the heart barren of all good inclinations and it is a bad ground where no flower will grow It cannot be denyed but enough hath been said in this and the Poors Advocate to perswade any rational man not onely that there is a necessity of this duty but sufficient to enflame him with a desire of performing it according to the utmost of his ability But so it is that the Covetous Miser is so far from being prevailed withall that he will not come so near the same as to give it the hearing Or suppose such an one should be so ingenuous as to hear it there is no hope of prevailing with him As what think you when that rich man Mark 10 17. c. who ran after Christ kneeled down to him and was so inquisitive to know how he might attain eternal life yea who had from his youth squared his life according to Gods Law insomuch that Christ loved him Yet when he was admonished by our Saviour to sell all and give to the poor and he should have Treasure in Heaven he turned his back upon Christ and went away very sorrowful because he was marvellous rich He had a good mind to Heaven in reversion but for all that he would not part with his Heaven whereof he had present possession Whence our Saviour so bewails the miserable condition and difficulty of such mens being saved v. 17. to 26. And the Apostle the like Eph. 5.5 1 Cor. 6.9 10. For if he that had so good affections made conscience of all his wayes was so desirous to be saved that Christ was taken with him What hope of this Wretch that hath a blockish seared and senseless Conscience that is past feeling and never made scruple of any thing from his infancy No these solid Arguments and strong inducements from Gods Word wil be so far from prevailing with him that it is rare if he do not slight and scorn what hath been spoken The covetous man knows no other God then his belly and desires no other Heaven then his Coffers full of Angels Thirdly and lastly admit the best that can be expected viz. that he shall not only lend a listening ear to all that hath been said but that it does also convince and almost perswade him to become liberal As I dare appeal to their own consciences that have hitherto heard what hath been alledged out of God's Word whether it hath not made their hearts burn within them whether they have not been convinced and with Agrippa almost perswaded to become merciful Acts 26.28 Whether with Pharoah their spirits have not began to thaw a little Go do sacrifice to your God in this Land yea in their judgements yeilded to all that hath been demanded them and been ready to pray some Moses to pray for them And yet harden and knit again whereby all labour like Moses Message or the sweet words of Paul it utterly lost The covetous man though he be convinced in his conscience and doth resolve to be bountiful yet no hope of his doing it for his goodness is as a morning Cloud and as a morning dew it goeth away as the Lord once spake to Ephraim and Iudah Hos 6.4 Good thoughts to carnal covetous hearts are only as Passengers not Inhabitants they may make it a thorough-fare but they can never settle or remain there If at any time they melt with Pharoah they suddenly knit again Nor is there any heart made of flesh that wil not at some time or other relent Even Flint and Marble wil in some weather stand in drops It is not onely recorded of Pharoah that he did thus melt and of Agrippa that he was almost perswaded to become good but the holy Ghost further testifies that Esau wept Ahab put on Sackcloth that Iudas repented and restored that Foelix trembled that Pilate took Christs part and washt his hands in witness that he was free from the blood of that just man that Balaam wisht to dye the death of the righteous that Herod delighted in Iohns Ministry And yet we see that all came to nothing CHAP. L. GOod deeds flow from good men such as know themselves deputed Stewards not Independent Lords of their wealth as naturally as springs out of Rocks But with the covetous Cormorant it is far otherwise as good perswade a Caniball as the covetous to shew mercy To wrest any good deeds out of the Dives's of these dayes though there be millions in the case of Lazarus is far more hard then to wring Verjuice out of a Crab yea you may as wel press water out of a stone We read 1 Sam. 25. that churlish Laban Nabal I should say though the difference bee so smal that these two infamous Churls spel each other's Name backwards when distressed David askt him victuals he reviled him when he should have relieved him Nothing more cheape then good Words these he might have given and been never the poorer but his foul mouth doth not onely deny and give him nothing but that which was worse then nothing bad Language So fares it with these Churls when any David is driven to ask them Bread they give him stones instead thereof let them be moved by some one to give an Alms or do some charitable deed they cannot hear on that ear Or if this Wretch for his credit sake does speak fair all his good deeds be onely good words and he may be answered as that Beggar did the Bishop when instead of an Alms he gave him his blessing That if his blessing had been worth a penny he would not have been so bountiful So that if every house were of his profession Charities Hand would no longer hold up Poverties head Words from a dead man and deeds of Charity from a covetous man are both alike rare and hard to come by The Mountains are not more barren of fruit then he of goodness The Rocks are not so hard as his
of the same precious promises And by vertue of this Calling we serve one and the same God are of one Church and family and have one Religion one faith one baptisme are invited guests to the same Table and Supper of our Lord are all Heirs and Co-heires of the same heavenly kingdome and therein annexed also with Christ our elder brother Finally we are brethren of the same Father the onely Spouse of the same heavenly Bridegroom and members of the same mystical body whereof Iesus Christ is the head so that the neerest and strongest communion that can be imagined is between Christians one with another and all of them with their head Iesus Christ And should not all this move us to relieve them Yea more then all this If we do good to our fellow-members the benefit will râ—dound unto our selves who are of the same body even â—s the hand giving nourishment to the mouth and the mouth preparing it for the stomacke do in nourishing it provide nourishment for themselves also Yea more then all this there is such a neare and strong union and communion with the poor together with us and with our head Christ our Saviour That he esteemeth that as doâ—â— to himselfe which is done unto them even as the head acknowledgeth the benefit done unto it which the meanest member of the body receiveth Yea in truth that is much more acceptable which we do for his poor members then if we should do it to his owne person as being a signe of greater love For it is but an ordinary kindnesse to confer benefits upon our dearest friends but to extend our bounty to the poorest and meanest that belong unto them is a signe of much greater love For if for their sakes onely we do good unto these how much more would we be ready to do it unto themselves if they had occasion to crave our help And as in this regard he much esteemeth this Christian bounty so he will richly reward it also at the day of Iudgemeut For then these mercifull men who have relieved the poor for Christs sake shall with ravishing joy heare that sentence Come ye blessed of my Father because the works of mercy which they have done to the poor Christ will acknowledge as done unto himselfe And this will more rejoyce thy soule hereafter then it doth now refresh the others body when Christ shall say unto thee Come thou blessed and inherit the Kingdome Nor will it then repent thee that thou hast parted with a small part of what God hath given thee to the poor CHAP. XXXVI And indeed what can be a more forcible reason to make our hearts relent though they be never so stony and our bowels to yearn with pity and compassion towards the poor though they were of brasse and iron Then to consider that our dear Lord and Saviour in them doth crave reliefe for who is so more then brutishly ungratefull that can turne him away empty handed Who being infinitely rich in all glory and happinesse was contented for our sakes to become poore that by his poverty he might communicate unto us his heavenly riches Who would not give Christ lodging Yea even if need should require the use of his own bed if hee remember that Christ was content so far to abase himselfe for our sakes as to make a stable his chamber and a manger his lodging that we might be admitted into his heavenly and everlasting mansions Who would deny to cloath him being naked who hath câ—â—â—hed our nakedness and covered our filthinesse with the precious robe of his righteousnesse in which we stand accepted before God and receive the blessing of eternall happinesse Who would not spare food out of his owne belly to relieve poore Christ who hath given unto us his blessed body to be our meat and his precious blood to be our drinke whereby our soules and bodies are nourished unto everlasting life Who would not leave all pleasure and profit to go and visit him in his sicknesse and imprisonment that left heaven and his Fathers bosome that he might come to visit and redeem us with the inestimable price of himselfe Yea if wise we will count it an honour whereof we are very unworthy As most unworthy we are of such an honour as to relieve hungry thirsty and naked Christ in his poor members whence the Macedonians counted and called it a favour that they might have their hand in so good a worke 2 Cor. 8.1 2 3 4. And that David thanks God that of his owne he would take an offering 1 Chron. 29.9 And this is another reason to convince men that it is most just and equall they should be liberall to the poor members of Iesus Christ. And so much touching the reasons and motives to this Christian duty Then which there cannot be either more or clearer or stâ—onger or weightier inducements to perswade to any one thing in the world then there is to this if men have either hearts or braines CHAP. XXXVII The next to be considered is The time when we are to give and that is two-fold First when an opportunity of doing good offers it seâ—fe do it speedily without delay readily entertain the first â—oâ— on with-hold not good from thy Neighbour when it is in thy power to do it Say not to him that is in present need goe and â—ome again and to morrow I will give thee when thou hast it by thee Prov. 3.27 28. When Lazarus is in need of refreshment let him not wait or lye long at thy door Luke 16.20.21 22. For nothing is more tedious then to hang long in suspence and we endure with more patience to have our hopes beheaded and quickly dispatcht then to be racked and tortured with long delayes according to that Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sicke but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life For as one saith Beneficentia oft virtus que moram non patitur Beneficence is a vertue which disliketh all delayes And as Seneca telleth us Omnis benignitas properat All goodnesse is quick of hand and swift of â—oot and hateth aswell the paralyticall shaking and staggering of those who doubt whether to give or no as the gouty lamenesse of such as after they are resolved to give make but slow hast The greater speed the greater love for love can abide no lingring Then does a benefit loose his grace when it sticks in his fingers who is about to bestow it as though it were not given but pluckt from him and so the receiver praiseth nor his Benefactors bounty but his owne importunity because he doth not seem to have given but to have held too weakely against his violenâ—â— These delayes shew unwillingnesse Et qui moratur neganti proximus est He that delayes a benefit is the next door to him that denyeth it Even as on the other side a quick haâ—d is an evident signe of a free heart For proximum est libenter facientis
cito facere It is the property of him that giveth willingly to give speedily Being of Boaz his spirit of whom Naomy could say out of a common fame That he would not be in rest untill he had finished the good which was propounded to him Ruth â— 18 And as speed in bestowing graceth the gift yea doubles it in respect of the giver so it doubleth the benefit to him that receiveth it Nam his dat qui cito dat he gives twice that giveth quickly and the swifter that a benefit cometh the sweeter it tasteth Present relief to present want makes a bounty weightier And he cannot but esteem the benefit that unexpectedly receives help in his deepest distresse Whereas a benefit deferred loses the thanks many times proves unprofitable to him that expects it Ioshuah marches all night and fightâ— all day for the Gibeonites else he had as good have saved his labour And possibly through these delays thy almes may â—ome too late like a good gale of winde after shipwracke When his health is lost for want of relief or state ruâ—ned for want of seasonable helpe and so thy late and untimely almes will do him little good For it fareth with men in their strength and state as with a leake in a ship or a breach of waters which may be eâ—sily stopped and stayed at the first appearing but if lâ—t alone will within a while grow remedilesse There must then be no stay in these actions of beneficence but onely that which is caused through the receivers shamefastnesse But specially we must avoyd delays in giving after we have granted for there is nothing more bitter then to be forced to make a new suite for that which hath already been obtained and to finde more difficulty in the delivery then in the grant CHAP. XXXVIII Another thing required in doing good works is constancy and assiduity the which is also implyed in the Metaphor of sowing seed for the Husbandman contenteth not himselfe to have sowed his seed in former years but he continueth to sow it still to the end of his life and though the Crop be sometimes so small that the seed it selfe is scarce returned yet he will not be discouraged but will again cast it into the ground in hope of better successe And this must we do in sowing the â—eeds of our beneficence casting them daily into the ground which we finde fitted and prepared and not thinke it enough to adorne our selves with them as with our best apparell which we onely put on in high and Festival dayes We must make it our daily exercise benefacta benefactis pertegentes as one saith making one good deed an introduction unto another and never leaving to do good so long as there is any power in our hands to do it And unto this the Apostle exhorteth 2 Thess. 3.13 Brethren be not weary of well doing And 1 Thess. 5.15 Ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men And in this we shall imitate our heavenly Father and approve our selves to be his children who reneweth his mercies unto us every morning and multiplyeth his blessings upon us every day with a new supply and so we shall be sure to receive a rich reward For if we be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in these good works of the Lord we may be assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as it is promised 1 Cor. 15.58 Many other places there are that require us to give constantly to seven and also to eight as Solomon phraseth it even so often as the necessities of the Saints require For thus the Apostle saith Distributing to the necessities of the Saints He doth not say distribute but distributing using the participle which noteth a continued act of distributing So saith St. Paul of the Philippians You sent once and again to my necessity A Well-head or a Spring runs with a constant streame and will not be dry so should mercifull deeds flow from us The liberall man will devise of liberall things and continue his liberality Isa. 32.8 And such an one was Boaz of whom Naomi could say out of a common same Blessed be he of he Lord for he ceaseth not to do good to the living to the dead Ruth 2.20 Again we must increase in doing good our care must be as to grow in grace so to bring forth new fruits of good works imitating herein the Church of Thyatira whose last works excelled the first Rev. â—â—9 Seeing we cannot otherwise be sure to be constant in them For they who go not forward but stand at a stay will not long stay in their standinâ— And in this the beneficence of a godly man differeth from that which is in worldlings who do some good works of mercy by fits but aâ—e not constant in well doing and also in that which is in Hypocrites who do some good deeds for praise or profit but yet deâ—ist when their turne is served The flame of their charity lasting no longer than the fuell doth wherewith it is nourished but these have onely a green blade of an outward profession and never come to the bearing of ripe fruits They run well for a time but get not the garland because they do not hold out to the end of the race They are not true Christians but onely dead images of Christianity like that which Nebuchadnezar saw in a Dreame which had an head of gold the middle parts of silver his â—hiâ—â—eâ— of brasse his legs of iron and his feat part of iron and part of clay for so the head and first beginnings of their workes are golden and glorious but the last and latter ends base and of no worth Thus we ought not onely to performe this duty presently and constantly but we should increase in the doing of it CHAP. XXXIX But alaâ— the rich worldling takes a quite contrary course for either he never does any good at all or if he do it is at his death The miserly Muckworms manner is never to be liberall till he dies never to forsake or leave his goods untill his goods leave and forsake him Being like the Muckhill that never does good till carried out or the fat hoâ—â— that is good for nothing till he comes to the knife or the poor mans boxe that yeelds no money till broken up Like a tree that lets fall none of his fruit till he be forc'd by death or violently shaken by sicknesse And then perhaps he may thinke upon the poore and parâ— with something to relieve them As sometimes after he hath instead of feeding the bellies of the poor grownd their faces by usury extorting wracking inclosing and halfe undoing whole Villages he liberally relieves some few at his death and befriends them with the plaisters of his bounty which is no other then to steale a Goose and sticke down a feather rob a thousand to relieve ten Or rather as the Iewes bought a burying place for strangers with