and deceits that are in it and of it I pray you let us now proceed and first of all tell mee by what means the new birth is wrought Theol By the preaching of the word as the outward meanes 1 Pet. 1 2.3 John 1â— 3 Acts 10.44 Ephes 4.3 and the secret worke of the spirit as the inward means Phil. Many hear the word preached and are nothing the better but rather the worse what I pray you is the cause of that Theol. Mens own incredulity and hardnesse of heart because God in his wrath leaveth them to themselves and depriveth them of his spirit without the which all preaching is in vain For except the spirit doe follow the word into our hearts Act. 16.14 wee can finde no joy taste nor comfort therein Phil. Cannot a man attain unto regeneration and the new birth without the word and the spirit Theol. No verily For they are the instruments and means whereby God doth work it Antil Why may not a man have as good a faith to God-ward that heareth no Sermons as hee that heareth all the Sermons in the world Theol. Why may not he which eateth no meat be as fat and as well liking as hee that eateth all the meat in the world For is not the preaching of the word the food of our souls Antil I like not so much hearing of Sermons and reading of the Scriptures except men could keep them better Theol. Faithfull and honest hearers do therefore hear that they may be more able to observe and do For a man cannot do the will of God before he know it and hee cannot know it without hearing and reading Antil I marvell what good men doe get by gadding to Sermons and poring so much in the Scripture or what are they better then others There are none more full of envie and malice then they They will doe their neighbour a shrewd turn as soon as any body and therefore in mine opinion they be but a company of hypocrites and precise fools Theol. You judge uncharitably Full little doe you know what they feel or what good Gods people get by hearing of the word For the work of the spirit in the hearts of the elect is very secret and altogether hid from the world John â— 8 as it is written The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whither it goeth or whence it cometh so is every man that is born of the spirit And againe The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Amil. Tush tush what needs all this adoâ— If a man say his Lords prayer his ten Commandements and his Beleefe keep them and say no body harme not doe no body harm and doe as hee would be done to have a good faith to God-ward and be a man of Gods beliefe no doubt hee shall be saved without all this running to Sermons and pratling of the Scripture Theol. Now you powr it out indeed you thinke you have spoken wise y. But alas you have bewrayed your great ignorance For you imagine a man may bee saved without the word which is a grosse errour Antil It is no matter say you what you will and all the Preachers in the world besides as long as I serve God and say my prayers duly and truely morning and evening and have a good faith in God and put my whole trust in him and doe my true intent and have a good mind to God-ward and a good meaning although I am not learned yet I hope it will serve the turn for my soules health For that God which made mee must save me It is not you that can save me for all your learning and all your Scriptures Theol. You may very fitly be compared to a sick man who having his brain distempered with heat raveth and speaketh idly he cannot tell what For the holy Ghost saith Pâ—o. 18.9 Hee that turneth away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abominable And again Prov. 13.15 He that destroyeth the word shall be destroyed So long therefore as you despise Gods word and turn away your ear from hearing his Gospel preached all your prayers your fantasticall serving of God your good meanings and your good intents are to no purpose but most odious and loathsome in the sight of God as it is written My soule hateth your new moons Esa 1.14 and your appointed feasts they are a burthen unto mee I am weary to beare them When you stretch out your hands I will hide mine eye from you and though you make many prayers I will not hear For your hands are full of bloud And again the Lord saith by the same Prophet He that killeth a bullock Esa 66.3 is as if he slâ—w a man hee that sacrificeth a sheep as if hee cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud hee that remembreth incense as if hee blessed an idol Where you see the Lord telleth you his mind touching thâ—se matters to wit that all your prayers services good meanings c. are abominable unto him so long as you walk in ignorance profanenesse disobedience and contempt of the Gospel For hee saith in the words immediately going before To him will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Asun I grant indeed for them that are idle and have little to do it is not amisse now and then to hear a Sermon and read the Scriptures but wee have no leasure we must follow our businesse we cannot live by the Scriptures they are not for plain folk they are too high for us wee will not meddle with them They belong to Preachers and Ministers Theol Jâ—â—â— 10. Christ saith My sheep heare my voice and I give unto them eternall life If therefore you refuse to heare the voice of Christ you are none of his sheep neither can you have eternall life And in another place our Lord Iesus saith John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word Ye therefore hear it not because ye are not of God Saint Paul writing to all sorts of men both rich and poore high and low men and women Colos 3.1 young and old exhorteth that the word of Christ may dwell plenteously in them all in all wisdom You see therefore that the Apostle would have all sorts of people that have souls to save to bee well acquainted with the Scriptures Therefore you may as well say you will not meddle with God with Christ nor with everlasting life as to say you will not meddle with the Scriptures Asun Well I cannot read and therefore I cannot tell what Christ or what Saint Paul may say but this I am sure of that God is a good man worshipped might he be hee is mercifull and that we must be saved by our good prayers and good serving of God Theol. You speak foolishly and
that they may draw it out to punish the wicked and to defend the godly and that they may with all good care and conscience discharge the duties of their places Increase the number of faithfull and zealous Ministers in this Church Send thy Gospel to those places where it is not and blesse it where it is Remember them in thy mercy O Lord that are under any crosse or affliction whatsoever be comfortable unto them heale up their wounds bind up their sores put all their teares into 〈◊〉 bottle and make their bed in all their sorrowes and put such a good end to all their troubles that they may redound to thy glory and the furtherance of their owne salvation In the meane time give them patience and constancie to beare whatsoever it shall please thy mercifull hand to lay upon them Last of all in a word wee pray theâ— blesse the Magistracie Ministry and Commonalty Blesse all the people doe good to all that are true and upright in their hearts And so deare Father we do commit and command our selves our soules and bodies into thy hands for this day and the rest of our life praying thee to take care and charge of us Keep us from all evill watch over us for our good let thine Angels encamp about us let thy holy hand be over us and keep us in all our waies that we may live to thy praise and glory here on earth keeping faith and a good conscience in all our actions that after this life wee may be crowned of thee for ever in thy Kingdome Grant these things good Father to us here present and to all thine absent praying thee in speciall favour to remember an our friends and kinsfolkes in the flesh all our good neighbours and well-willers and all those for whom wee are bound to pray by nature by deserts or any duty whatsoever for Jesus Christs sake our onely Mediatour to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be given all praise and glory both now and for evermore Amen An Evening Prayer to be used in private Families O Eternall God and our most loving and deare Father wee thy unworthy children do here fall down at the foot of thy great Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are altogether unworthy to come neere thee or to look towards thee because thou art a God of infinite glory and wee are most vile abominable sinners such as were conceived and borne in sin and corruption and such as have inherited our Fathers corruptions and also have actually transgressed all thy holy Statutes and Lawes both in thoughts words and deeds before wee knew thee and since secretly and openly with our selves and with others our particular sins are moe then can be numbred for who knoweth how often hee offendeth but this wee must needs confesse against our selves that our hearts are full of pride covetousnesse and the love of this world full of wrath anger and impatience full of lying dissembling and deceiving full of vanity hardnesse and profanenesse full of infidelity distrust and selfe-love full of lust uncleannesse and all abominable desires yea our hearts are the very sinkes of sinne and dunghils of all filthinesse And besides all this we doe omit the good things we should doe for there are in us great wants of faith of love of zeale of patience of contentment and of every good grace so as thou hast just cause to proceed to sentence of judgment against us as most damnable transgressours of all thy holy commandements yea such as are sunk in our rebellions and have many times and often committed high treason against thy Majestie and therefore thou maist justly cast us all downe into Hell fire there to be tormented with Sathan and his Angels for ever And wee have nothing to except against thy Majesty for so doing sith therin thou shouldest deale with us but according to equity and our just deserts Wherefore deare Father wee doe appeale from thy justice to thy mercy most humbly intreating thee to have mercy upon us and freely to forgive us all our sinnes past whatsoever both new and old secret and open knowne and unknowne and that for Jesus Christs sake our onely Mediatour And wee pray thee touch our hearts with true griefe and unfeigned repentance for them that they may be a matter of continuall sorrow and heart-smart unto us so as nothing may grieve us more then this that wee have offended thee beâ—ng our speciall friend and Father Give us therefore deare Father every day more and more sight and feeling of our sinnes with true humiliation under the same Give us also that true and lively faith whereby we may lay sure hold on thy Son Christ and all his merits applying the same to our owne soules so as we may stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for us particularly as well as for others Give us faith good Father constantly to beleeve all the sweet promises of the Gospel touching remission of sin and eternall life made in thy Sonne Christ O Lord increase our faith that wee may altogether rest upon thy promises which are all Yea and Amen Yea that wee may settle our selves and all that wee have wholly upon them both our soules bodies goods names wives children and our whole estate knowing that all things depend upon thy promises power and providence and that thy Word doth support and beare up the whole order of nature Moreover we entreat thee O Lord to strengthen us from above to walke in every good way and to bring forth the fruits of true faith in all our particular actions studying to please thee in all things and to be fruitfull in good workes that wee may shew forth unto all men by our good conversation whose children we are and that we may adorne and beautifie our most holy profession by walking in a Christian course and in all the sound fruits and practice of godlinesse and true religion To this end we pray thee sanctifie our hearts by thy Spirit yet more and more sanctifie our soules and bodies and all our corrupt naturall faculties as reason understanding will and affections so as they may be fitted for thy worship and service taking a delight and pleasure therein Stirre us up to use prayer watchfulnesse reading meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may profit in grace and goodnesse from day to day Blesse us in the use of the meanes that we may daily dye to sinne and live to righteousnesse draw us yet neerer unto thee helpe us against our manifold wants Amend our great imperfections renew us inwardly more and more repaire the ruines of our hearts aide us against the remnants of sin Enlarge our hearts to run the way of thy Commandements direct all our steps in thy Word let none iniquity have dominion over us Assist us against our speciall infirmities and master-sins that we may get the victory over them all to thy
understand aright or to will and doe aright as it is written 2 Col. 5.3 Wee are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God And again 〈◊〉 2.3 It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deed even of his good pleasure And as concerning the other point Jam. 3.9 St. James saith That all men are made after the similitude of God meaning thereby that there remain some reliques and parts of Gods image even in the most wicked men as reason understanding c. so that our nature was not wholly destroyed Phil. Then you thinke there be some sparkes and remnants left in us still of that excellent image of God which was in our first creation Theol. I thinke so indeed and it may plainly appeare unto us in the wise speeches and writings of heathen Poets and Philosophers in all which we may as by certaine ruines perceive what was the excellent frame and building of mans creation Phil. Can a man please God in any thing which he doth so long as he continueth in the state of nature Theol. No not in any thing for till wee be in the state of grace even our best actions are sinfull as preaching prayer almes-deeds c. as it is written Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean Job 14.4 The Apostle also saith They that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 that is such as are still in their naturall corruption And our Lord Iesus himself saith Doe men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Matth. 7.16 meaning thereby that meer naturall men can bring forth no fruits acceptable to God Phil. This is a very harsh and hard saying I pray you for my further instruction make it more plaine Theol. Men in the state of nature may doe those things which of themselves are good but they do utterly fail in the manner of doing them they doe them not as they should be done that is in faith love zeal conscience of obedience c neither yet with any cheerfulnesse delight or feeling but then as it were forcing themselves to doe the outward actions Thus did Cain sacrifice the Pâ—â—risces pray Ananias and Sapphira give alms and the Iewes offer up their oblations and burnt-offerings Phil. Have men any true sight or lively and sound feeling of this misery and wofull estate so long as they bee meerly naturall Theol. No surely but are altogether blinded and hardened in it being nothing desirous to come out of it but doe greatly please themselves in it and can hardly be perswaded that they are in any such wofull case as appeareth plainly in the example of that Ruler who being commanded or rather required of our Saviour Christ to keep the commandements answered All these have I kept from my youth Luke 18.21 And againe although the Church of Laodicca was wretched miserable poor blinde and naked yet she thought her selfe rich increased with goods and wanting nothing It followeth then that so long as men are in the state of natâ—â—e they have no true sight and feeling of their miseries Phil. Doe you not think that all men being meerly naturall are under the câ—rse of the Law Theol. Yes certainly and not only so but also under the verâ—â—â—â—onny and dominion of Sathan though they know it not feel it not see it not or perceive it not for all that are not in Christ are under the curse of the Law and the power of darknesse and the Divell as appeareth Ephes 2.2 where the Divell is called the Prince that ruleth in the aire even the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience In another place hee is called the god of this world 2 Cor. 4 4. who blindeth the eyes of all unbeleevers And againe it is said 2 Tim. 2.26 that all men naturally are in his snare being taken captive of him at his will Phil. Few will be perswaded of that they will say They defie the divell and thank God they were never troubled with him Theol. Their hot words doe nothing amend the matter for the divell is no more driven away with words then with holy water but he sitteth in the tongues and mouthes nay possesseth the very hearts and intrals of thousands which say They defie him and are not troubled with him as appeareth manifestly by their particular actions and the whole course of their life Phil. Me thinks if the divell do so inwardly possesse the hearts and consciences of men they should have some sight and feeling of it Theol. The working of the divell in mens soules being an invisible spirit is with such unconceivable sleight and crafty conveyance that men in the state of nature cannot possibly feele it or perceive it for how can a blind man see or a dead man feel Phil. Shew this more plainly Theol. Even as a crafty Iuggler doth so prestigiate and blind mens outward senses by the delusions of Sathan that they think they see that which they see not and feele that which they feel not even so the divell doth so delude and bewitch our inward senses and the naturall faculties of our souls that wee having a mist cast before our eyes think wee are that which wee are not see that which wee see not and feel that which wee feele not For the deep cunning of Sathan lieth in this that hee can give us our deaths wound and wee shall never know who hurt us Phil. Few will beleeve this to bee true Theol. True indeed for few will beleeve the Scriptures few will beleeve this because few feel it Where it is not felt it can hardly be beleeved Onely the elect doe feel it and therefore onely the elect doe beleeve it As for all others they are the very prentises and bond-slaves of the divell which is a thousand times worse then to be a galley-slave Phil. How long doe men continue in this wofull state of nature being under the curse of the Law and the very slavery of Satan and sin Theol. Till they bee regenerate and born againe and so brought into the state of grace as our Lord Iesus saith John 3 3. Except a man be born againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God Phil. Do not many die and depart this life before they be born again and consequently before they be brought into the state of grace Theol. Yes no doubt thousands for many live forty or threescore yeers in this world and in the end die and goe out of this life before they know wherefore they came into it as it is written Hoâ— 4.6 My people perish for want of knowledge Phil. What may we think of such Theol. I quake to speak what I think for surely I doe not see how such can be saved I speak not now of infants and children whereof some no doubt are saved by vertue of the promise and covenant through the election of grace Phil. It seemeth then
that you think none can be saved but those onely which are born again Theol. I think so indeed Phil. I pray you tell mee what the same regeneration and new birth is whereof you speak Theol. It is a renewing and repairing of the corrupted and decaied estate of our souls as it is written Be yee changed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12. And againe Be renewed in the spirit of your mind Eph. 4.23 Phil. Explain this more fully Theol. Even as the wild olive retaineth his old nature till it be graffed into the sweet olive but afterward is partaker of a new nature so wee till wee be graffed into Christ retain our old nature but afterward are turned into a new creature as it is written If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Phil. I understand not what you say Theol. You must know this that as there is a naturall birth of the whole man so there is also a spirituall birth of the whole man Phil. How is that Theol. When as the naturall faculties of the soule as reason understanding will and affections and the members of the body also are so sanctified purged and rectified by grace that we understand will and desire that which is good Phil. Cannot a man will and desire that which is good before hee be born again Theol. No more then a dead man can desire the good things of this life For mans will is not tree to consent unto good till it be enlarged by grace and an unregenerate man doth sin necessarily though not by constraint For mans will is free from constraint for it sinneth of it self but not from thraldome unto sin Phil. You speak as if a man could do no other thing but sin till the new work be wrought in him Theol. That is mine opinion indeed For a man and his flesh are all one till hee be regenerate they agree together like man and wife they join together in all evill they live and die together for when the flesh perisheth the man perisheth Phil. Is not this regeneration a changing or rather destroying of humane nature Theol. Nothing lesse it is neither an abolishing nor changing of the substance of body or soul or any of the faculties thereof but only a rectifying and repairing of them by removing the corruption Phil. Is then our naturall corruption so purged and quite removed by the power of grace as that it remaineth not at all in us but that wee are wholly freed of it Theol. Not so For the reliques and remnants of our old nature which the Scripture calleth the old man do hang about us and dwell in us even untill our dying day as it is plainly proved in the ten last verses of the seventh to the Romans Phil. Then you affirme that this new man or new work of grace and regeneration is unperfect in this life Theol. Yea for the new creature or new work of grace can never be fully fashioned in this life but is alwayes in fashioning And as our faith knowledge in this life are unperfect so is our regeneration and sanctification Phil. You said before that the regeneration or new birth is of the whole man which speech seemeth to imply that the new wo k of grace is entire and perfect Theol. You mistake the matter For although the new birth is universall and of the whole man yet it is not entire perfect pure and without mixture or corruption for it is written The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The Apostle also prayeth that the Thessalonians may be sanctified throughout in spirit soule and body Phil. This seemeth very obscure I pray you make it more plain Theol. You must note this that the new work and the old flesh and spirit grace and corruption are so intermingledly joyned together in all the faculties of the soul and body as that the one doth ever fight against the other Phil. But tell me I pray you how you understand this intermingling of grace and corruption in the soul Do you mean that grace is placed in one part of the soul and corruption in another so as they be sundred in place Theol. No that is not my meaning but this that they be joyned mingled together as I said in and throughout the whole man For the mind or understanding part is not one part flesh and another part spirit but the whole mind is flesh and the whole mind is spirit partly one and partly another The same is to be said of wil and affections Ph. I pray you express it more plainly Theol. Even as the air in the dawning of the day is not wholly light or wholly dark as at mid-night or at noon-day neither is it in one part light and in another part dark but the whole aire is partly light and partly dark thorowout and as in a vessell of luke-warm water the water it self is not only hot nor only cold but heat and cold are mixed together in every part of the water so is the flesh and the spirit mingled together in the soule of man And this is the cause why these two contrary qualities fight together Phil. Out of doubt this doctrine of regeneration is a very great mystery Theol. Yes certainly it is a secret of secrets which the wise of this world cannot comprehend Phil. Some think that courtesie kindnesse good nurture good nature and good education are regeneration and that courteous and good natured men must needs be saved Theol. They are generally deceived for these things doe not necessarily accompany salvation but are to be found in such as are altogether profane and irreligious yet wee are to love such good outward qualities and the men in whom we find them Phil. What say you then to learning wit and policie are not these things of the essence of religion and prove a regeneration Theol. No no for they be externall gifts which may be in the most wicked men as in Papists heathen Poets and Philosophers yet we are greatly to reverence learned and wise men although the new and inward work be not as yet wrought for that is onely of God that is from above Phil. The common people doe attribute much to learning and policie for they will say Such a man is learned and wise and knoweth the Scripture as well as any of them and yet hee doth not thus and thus Theol. It is one thing to know the history and letter of the Scriptures and another thing to beleeve and feel the power therof in the heart which is only from the sanctifying spirit which none of the wise of this world can have Phil. It is a common opinion that if a man hold the truth in judgment be no Papist or Heretick but leadeth an honest civill life then hee must of necessity be saved Theol. That followeth not for many come so far which yet notwithstanding have not the inward touch Phil. That seemeth strange For
lost labour to speake against it preach against it or write against it It is but even to plough the sea or knock at a deafe mans door for there is no hope of any reformation Onely this we gaine that the world is reproved and convicted of sin And these things shall stand in a record against them in the last day so that they may say they had a fair warning and that there was a Prophet among them Phil. Yet for all this I pray you set us down some directions and rules out of Gods holy Book concerning attire For albeit some be very bad and outragious in these things yet there be some others which are well disposed and will no doubt make some conscience to frame themselves according to the rules of Gods word Theol. Well then for their sakes which are well disposed I will set downe some few directions Saint Paul in 1 Tim. 2.9 willeth that women should array themselves in comely apparell with shamefastnesse and modesty as becometh women that professe the feare of God and not with broydered haire or gold or pearls or castly apparell The Apostle Saint Peter giveth like rules also 1 Pet. 3.3 for he saith speaking of Christian matrons and professours of holy religion That their apparell must not bee outward that is not consist so much in outward bravery as broidered hair gold put about c. as it must be inward that the hid man of the heart may be clothed with a meek and quiet spirit which is a thing before God much set by For after this manner saith hee in times past the holy women which trusted in God did attire themselves as Sarah Rebeica Rachel and such like ancient and grave matrons Phil. Wherein doth this inward clothing specially consist Theol. In four things which are set down in the fore-named places to wit shamefacednesse modesty a quiet spirit and a meek spirit Phil. These be sine suits of apparell indeed I would all women would put them on and never put them off but wear them continually for they are the better for wearing though all other apparell be the worse Theol. If women would deck themselves inwardly with these aforesaid vertues they would be unto them as ornaments of gold and jewels of pearl For the woman that feareth the Lord shall be praised Prov. 30.1 Phil. But now I pray you Sir set downe your judgement for outward attire Theol. This is all that I can say touching that point That it must be as the Apostle saith comely decent handsome neat and seemly not light not wanton not lascivious not immodest not offensive Phil. But who shall judge what is comely sober handsome modest c. For every man and woman will say their apparell is decent and cleanly how gallant brave and flanting soever they be Theol. Herein the examples of the most godly wise grave and modest men and women are to be followed for who can better judge what is comely sober and modest then they Phil. But wee see some even of the better sort in this matter are a little infected run out and goe beyond their bounds Theol. The more is the pity But alas wee see the sway of the time and rage of the stream is so violent that it carrieth before it whatsoever is not setled and very deep rooted And some godly and well disposed persons whose hearts are not with these things but with God are notwithstanding perforce carried away with the violence of the winde and tide whose case though it cannot well bee defended or excused yet it is much to be pitied and lamented Phil. Have you any further directions touching this point Theol. There is one thing yet more to be added to wit that attire be according to mens places callings and degrees For that is not seemly for one that is seemly for another that becomes not one mans place that becometh anothers For that is not meet for poor men which is meet for rich men nor that meet for mean men which is meet for men of note and great place Phil. Then you think it is lawfull for Kings Princes and great Personages to wear pearl gold silver and velvet c. Theol. Questionlesse it is lawfull for such in sober manner and measure to weare the most costly and precious things which the earth can afford and that to set out the magnificence pomp and glory of their places and therefore such things are in them most comely and decent Phil. But now-adayes few will keep within compasse few will know their places But the most part run beyond their bounds and leap quite out of their sockets Theol. True indeed For nowadayes mean Gentlewemen yea some Gentlewomen of their owne making will ruifle it and brave it out in their attire like Countesses and Ladies of honour Plain folk also in the countrey will flaunt it like Courtiers and like good Gentlemen and Gentlewomen and they seem to say in their hearts Fie of this plainnesse we will no more of it we will not take it as we have done So that now the old proverb is verified Every Jack will be a Gentleman and Joan is as good as my Lady For now we cannot by their apparell discerne the maid from the mistresse nor the waiting Gentle-woman from her Lady And thus we see in this matter of apparell how all is out of joint Phil. Is there any more to be said in this case 14. Theol. There is yet another thing to bee respected in this matter of attire Phil. What is that Theol. That it bee according to mens abilities For it is lamentable to consider how poore men and women poore hired servants milke-maides and such like goe quite beyond their ability And more lamentable to see what wretched and ill-favoured shifts they make to compasse these things so sharpe and so eagerly are they set upon them Phil. Well Sir now you have sufficiently rolled the stone and at large satisfied us touching the matter of pride which is the first signe of condemnation Now proceed to the second which is whoredome and unfold unto us out of the Scriptures the danger thereof Theol. Solomon in his Proverbs saith Pro. 32.14 That the mouth of a strange woman or an harlot is as a deep pit hee that is a detestation to the Lord shall fall therein Wherein he plainly sheweth that these whom God detesteth and is exceeding angry with are given over to this vice And in another place hee saith 13.17 A whore is as a deep ditch and as a narrow pit Noting thereby that if a man be once fallen in with an harlot hee shall as hardly get out again as a man that is plunged into a very deep and narrow pit where hee can scant stirre himselfe The same Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes yeelds us the reason hereof namely because shee is as nets snares and bands wherein if a man be once taken hee is fast enough for getting out Eccl. â— 28
all mirth and jollity bearing it out as wee say at the breast yet inwardly are they pinched with terrours and most horrible convulsions of conscience Antil You have spoken many things very sharply against covetousnesse but in my mind so long as a man covets nothing but his own hee cannot be said to be covetous Theol. Yes that he may For not onely is hee covetous which greedily desireth other mens goods but even hee also which over-niggardly and pinchingly holdeth fast his owne and is such a miser that hee will part with nothing Wee see the world is full of such pinch-pennies that will let nothing goe except it be wrung from them perforce as a key out of Hercules hand The gripple muck-rabers had as leeve part with their bloud as their goods They will pinch their owne backs and bellies to get their god into their chests And when they have once got him there will they easily part with him trow yee No no a man will part with his god for no mans pleasure Hee will eat peasebread and drinke small drink rather then he will diminish his god Therefore the Scripture saith Prov. 31. â— Eat not the meat of him that hath an evill eye and desire not his dainty dishes For as hee grudgeth his owne soule so will hee say unto thee Eat and drink when his heart is not with thee Thou shalt vomit thy morsels which thou hast eaten and lose thy pleasant speeches The old saying is The covetous man wanteth as well that which he hath as that which he hath not because he hath no use of that which hee hath So then you see there is a great strength of covetousnesse in the niggardly keeping of our own Antil Yet for all this men must follow their worldy businesse and lay up to live For it is an hard world and goods are not easie to come by Therefore men must ply their businesse or else they may go beg and starve Theol. I deny not but that you may follow the works of your calling diligently so it be in the fear of God and with a good conscience as I told you before but this greedinesse and gripplenesse God doth condemne and also this excessive love of money Antil Beleeve mee I know no body that hates it I cannot see but that all men love gold and silver Theol. It is one thing to use these things and another thing to love them and set our hearts upon thens For the Scripture saith 1 John 2. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them Saint John also saith Love not this world nor the things that are in this world Hee saith not Use not this world but Love not this world For use it wee may love it wee may not 1 Cor. 7. Therefore the Apostle saith that They which use this world should bee as though they used it not Where hee alloweth a sober and moderate use of the things of this life in the fear of God Wee must use this world for necessities sake as wee use meat and drink taking no more of this world then needs must for fear of surfeiting The holy Ghost saith Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with things present Happy is that man therefore that is well content with his present estate whatsoever and carrieth himselfe moderately and comfortably therein For the Spirit saith Eccl. 2.24 There is no profit to a man under the Sun but that he eat and drink and delight his soul with the profit of his labours I saw also this that this is the hand of God In which words the prudent King saith thus much in effect That this is all the good wee can attain unto in this world even to take a sober and comfortable â—sâ— of the things of this life which God bestoweth upon us And further hee avoucheth Eccl. 18.19 That thus to use them aright and with sound comfort is a very rare gift of God For as one saith Greg. N 1. He is a wise man that is not grieved for the things which hee hath not but doth rejoyce in the things that hee hath using them to Gods glory and his owne comfort So then I conclude this point and return to you an answer thus That wee may in sober and godly manner use gold silver and the things of this life but at no hand to over-love them or give our hearts unto them Antil Well Yet for all this I cannot see but that these Preachers and Professors these learned men and precise fellowes are even as eager of the world and as covetous as any other Theol. Now you shew your venemous spirit against better men then your selfe And I have a foure-fold answer for you First I answer that although godly men may be somewhat overtaken this way and over-spirt a little yet they break not out so grossely as others Secondly if God leave them sometimes to be overcome of the world yet hee in his great wisedome and mercy turneth it to their good For thereby hee first humbleth them and afterwards raiseth them up againe Rom. 8. And so all things work together for good to them that love God Thirdly I answer wee must live by rules and not by examples For even the best of Gods people have had their wants and weaknesses Therefore wee may not frame rules to live by out of the infirmi ies of the most excellent servants of God Wicked therefore and impious is their allegation who alledge Davids adultery Lots drunkennesse Peters fall Abrahams slips Solomons weaknesse c. for a shelter and defence of themselves in the like sins Lastly I answer that you greatly wound your self in your own speech so far off are you from mending your market any whit thereby For if Preachers and other godly men after many prayers teares and much meanes used cannot escape scot-free but sometimes are wounded and almost overthrowne by the world and the Divell what then shall become of you which use no meanes at all nor any gain-striving but willingly give place to the Divell If the Divell did over-master David Lot Samson Solomon and other such excellent worthies alas what shall become of meer worldlings and Atheists If the most valiant men and chiefe Captaines in a battell goe downe what shall become of the faint-hearted souldiers And as S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarce be saved where shall the wicked and ungodly appeare So then I take you at the rebound and returne your owne weapon upon your selfe That sith godly men cannot escape through this world without blowes what shall become of them that know not what godlinesse meaneth Antil Yet I say once again that men must live men must lay up for this world we cannot live by the Scriptures And as for that which you call covetousnesse it is but good husbandry Theol. I thought wee should have it at last Now you have paid it home you are come to
bed they lye upon They know well enough the poore men are not able to wage law with them and therefore they may doe what wrong they will and shâ—w what cruelty they list Hence come the teares of the oppressed henâ—e câ—mmeth the weeping and wailing of the poore But alas poore soules they may well weep to ease their hearts a little but there is none to comfort them remedy they can have none But yet assuredly the everlasting God doth looke upon them and will be revenged For the cries of the poore the fatherlesse and the widowes have entred into the cares of the Lord of Hosts who is an avenger of all such things yea a strong revenger as Solomon saith Pro 23.14 Enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for their revenger is strong hee himselfâ— will plead their cause against thee And againe he saith Rob not the poore Pro. 22.6 because hee is poore neither tread downe the afflâ—cted in the gate for the Lord pleadeth their cause and will spoile their soule that spoile them We see then that the most just God will â—e revenged of these unmerciful tyrants He will not alwayes put up these wrongs and injuries done to the poore In the eighth Chapter of the Prophet Amos he sweares by the excellencie of Jacob that he will never forget any of their works And againe he saith by his Prophet Jeremy Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this Surely he will set his face against them to root them out of the earth For indeed they are not worthy to crawle upon the face of the earth or to draw breath among the sons of men It is written in the booke of Psalmes that God will set these fellowes opposite against him as a But to shoot at Psal 21.12 that hee will put them apart and the strings of his bow shall hee make ready against their faces Be astonished at this O ye heavens and tremble O thou earth Heare this O ye cruell Land-lords unmercifull oppressors and bloud-suckers of the earth You may well be called bloud-suckers for you sucke the bloud of many poore men women and children you eat it you drink it you have it served in at your sumptuous tables every day Job 24.5 you swallow it up and live by it And as Job saith The wildernesse gives you and your children food that is you live by robbing and murdering But woe woe unto you that ever you were borne For the bloud of the oppressed which ye have eaten and drunken shall one day cry for speedy vengeance against you as the bloud of Abel cryed against Cain Their bloud shall witnesse against you in the day of judgement and the teares of many poore starved children orphans and widowes shall cry out against you 1 Kin. 21. Was the Lord revenged of Ahab for his cruell and unjust dealing with poore Naboth and shall hee not be revenged of you Did the Dogs lap the bloud of Ahab and shall you escape No no you shall not escape The Lord will be a swift witnesse against you as he saith in Malachie Mal. 3. Was the Lord angry with the rich of the people for oppressing the poore so as the cry of the people and of their wives Neh. 5. against their oppressours was heard of the Almighty and do you thinke you shall escape scot-free Doth not the like cause bring forth the like effect the like sin the like punishment Know therefore for certainty that the Lord hath costers full of vengeance against you and one day he will unlocke them and bring them forth into the sight of all men Know also that the timber of your houses and the stones of your walls which you have built by oppression and bloud shall cry against you in the day of the Lords wrath as the Prophet Habakkuk telleth you Hab. 2. The stone saith hee shall cry out of the wall and the bâ—ame out of the timber shall answer it Where the Prophet telleth you that the walls of your houses built in bloud shall cry out loud and shrill and play the Choristers in that behalfe so as they shall answer one another on either side The one side singeth Behold bloud the other Behoâ—d murder The one side Behold deceit the other Behold cruelty The one Behold pilling and polling the other Behold covetousnesse The one Behold robbery the other Behold perjury And thus you see how the stones and timber of your houses shall descant upon you And howsoever you put on your brâ—zen browes and harden your hearts against these threatnings of the most terrible God and Lord of Hosts yet one day you shall spice of your hearts will ye nill yee be brought forthâ—nes judgement you shall once come to your reckoning you shall at last be apprehended convented and arraigned at the barre of Gods Tribunall seat before the great Iudge of all the world Then sentence shall passe against you even that most dreadfull sentence Goe yee cursed into hell fire Mat. 25. there to be tormented with the Divell and his Angels for ever O then woe woe unto you Mat. 16. For what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule saith our Lord Iesus Surely even as much as it one should winne a farthing and lose an hundred thousand pound For if he shall be cast into hell fire which hath not given of his owne goods righteously gotten as our Saviour avoucheth where then shall he be cast that hath stollen other mens goods And if hee shall be damned that hath not clothed the naked what shall become of him that hath made naked them that were clothed Oh therefore repent in time O yee cruell oppressors seeke the Lord while hee may be found call upon him while hee is neere lay aside your savage cruelty visit the fatherlesse and widow in their distresse deaâ—e your bread to the hungry help them to their right which suffer wrong deale mercifully with your Tenants Rack not your rents any more pinch not the poore soules for whom Christ di d pity them I say but pinch them not deale kindly and friendly with them remember your great acâ—oâ—nâ—s consider the shortnesse of your dayes and the vanity of your life rent your hearts and not your clothes Turne unto the Lord with all your heart with weeping fasting and mourning prevent Gods wrath with a sacrifice of teares pacifie his anger with the calves of your lips and with a contrite spirit be grieved for that which is past and amend that which is to come stand it out no more at the swords point against God for it will not boot you to strive he is too strong for you Your onely wisedome is to come-in Come-in therefore come-in yee rebellious generation submit your selves to the great King humble your selves under his mighty hand cast downe your swords and targets yeeld unto our God So shall you escape the vengeance to come so shall God
peace and publike good Theol. These few then briefly I take to be the things which belong to our peace Ten things concerning our peace Let Solomon execute Joab and Shimei Let Achab and Eliah stay the Priests and Prophets of Baal Let Aaron and Eleazer minister before the Lord faithfully Let Jonas be cast out of the ship Let Moses stood fast in the gap and not let downe his hand Let Josuah succeed him Let Cornelius feare God with all his houshold Let Tabitha be full of good works and almesdeeds Let Deborah judge long in Israel prosper and be victorious Let us pray that the light of Israel may not be quenched And this I take to be the summe of all that belongs to our peace Phil. The summe of all our conference hitherto as I remember may be reduced unto these few heads First mans naturall corruption hath beene laid open Secondly the horrible fruits thereof Thirdly their evill effects and workings both against our soules and bodies goods name and the whole Land Lastly the remedies of all Now therefore I would grow to some conclusion of that which you touched by the way and made some mention of namely the signes of salvation and damnation and declare unto us plainely whether the state of a mans soule before God may not by certaine signes and tokens be certainly discerned in this life Theol. Besides those which beforâ— have beene mentioned wee may odde these nine following Nine signes of a sound soule Reverence of Gods Name Keeping of his Sabbaths Truth Sobriety Industry Compassion Humility Chastity Contentation Phil. These indeed I grant are very good signes but yet all of them are not certaine for some of them may be in the reprobates Theol. What say you then to Saint Peters signes set downe in the first chapter of his second Epistle which are these eight Saint Peters eight signes of salvation 2 Pet. 1.8 Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse Love Saint Peter saith If these be in us and abound they will make us neither idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Which is as much as if hee had said They will make us sound and sincore Professors of the Gospel Phil. All these I grant are exceeding good signes and evidences of a mans salvation but yet some of them may deceive and a hole may be picked in some of these Evidences I would therefore heare of some such demonstrative and infallible Evidences as no Lawyer can finde fault with For I hold that good Divines can as perfectly judge of the assurances and evidences of mans salvation as the best Lawyer can judge of the assurances and evidences whereby men hold their lands and livings Theol. You have spoken truly in that And would to God all the Lords people would bring forth the Evidences of their salvation that wee might discerne of them Phil. Set down then which be the most certaine and infallible Evidences of a mans salvation against which no exception can be taken Theol. I judge these to be most sound and infallible Assured faith in the promises Seven infallible signes of salvation Act. 16.31 Pro. 1.20 Job 1.41 Rom. 8.14 Job 4. â— 1 Thes 4.5 Rom. 5.1 Col. 1. â—3 Mat. 24.13 Sincerity of heart The Spirit of adoption Sound Regeneration and Sanctification Inward peace Groundednesse in the truth Continuance to the end Phil. Now you come neere the quick indeed For in my judgement none of these can be found truly in any reprobate Therefore I thinke no Divine can take exception against any of these Theol. No I assure you no more then a Lawyer can finde fault with the Tenure of mens lands and fee-simples when as both the title is good and strong by law and the evidences thereof are sealed subscribed delivered conveyed and sufficient witnesse upon the same and all other signes and ceremonies in the delivering and taking possession thereof according to strict law observed For if a man have these forenamed evidences of his salvation sure it is his title and interest to heaven is good by the Law of Moses and the Prophets I meane the word of God God himselfe subscribeth to them Iesus Christ delivereth them as his owne deed the holy Ghost sealeth unto them yea the three great witnesses which beare record in the earth that is water bloud and the spirit do all witnesse the same Phil. Now you have very fully satisfied mee touching this point And one thing more I doe gather out of all your speech to wit that you doe thinke a man may be assured of his salvation even in this life Theol. I doe thinke so indeed For hee that knoweth not in this life that he shall be saved shall never be saved after this life For St. John saith 1 John 3.2 Now we are made the sons of God Phil. But because many doubt of this and the Papists do altogether deny it therefore I pray you confirm it unto us out of the Scriptures Theol. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.2 Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed wee have a building given us of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heavens Marke that hee saith both hee and the rest of Gods people did certainly know that Heaven was provided for them Rom. 8.15 16. For the spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God And againe the same Apostle saith from henceforth is laid up for mee the crown of righteousnesse â— Tim. 4.8 which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that love his appearing Here wee see that he knew there was a crowne prepared for him and for the Elect. And the same Spirit which did assure it unto Paul doth assure it also to all the children of God For they have all the same Spirit though not in the same measure Saint John saith also Herein wee are sure wee know him 1 John 2.3 if we keep his commandements In which words St. Iohn telleth us thâ—â— much thâ—â— if wee do unfainedly endeavour to obey God there is in us the true knowledge and feare of God and consequently we are sure we shall be saved Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.10 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Wherefore should the Apostle exhort us to make our election sure if none could be sure of it In the second of the Ephesians the Apostle saith flatly that in Christ Jesus wee doe already sit together in heavenly places His meaning is not that wee are there already in possession but wee are as sure of it as if wee were there already The reasons hereof are these Christ our head is in possession Therefore he will draw all his members unto him as he himselfe saith John 12.22 John 24.13 Secondly wee are as sure of the thing which wee
hope for as of that which wee have but wee are sure of that which wee have which is the 〈◊〉 of grace therefore wee are sure 〈◊〉 wee looke for which is the crowne of glory Many other places of the holy Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but I suppose these may suffice Phil. As you have shewed this by the Scriptures so also shew it more planly by evident reason out of the same Theol. How can a man in truth call God his Father when hee saith Our Father which art in heaven and yet doubt whether hee is his Father or no For if GOD indeed be our Father and we his children how can we perish how can we be damned Will a Father condemne his owne children shall the children of GOD be condemned No no Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Againe Rom. 8.33 â—4 Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who can condemne It is therefore most certaine and sure that all such as doe in truth call God their Father and have God for their Father shall be saved Againe how can a man say in truth and feeling that he beleeves the forgivenesse of sinnes and yet doubt whether he shall be saved For if he be fully perswaded that his sinnes be forgiven what letteth why he should not be saved Moreover as certainly as we know we are called justified and sanctified so certainly we know we shall be glorified But we know the one certainly and therefore the other Asun I will never beleeve that any man can certainly know in this world whether hee shall be saved or damned but all men must hope well and be of a good beliefe Theol. Nay we must goe further then hope-well We may not venture our salvation upon uncertaine hopes As if a man should hope it would be a faire day to morrow but hee cannot certainly tell No no wee must in this case being of such infinite importance as it is grow to some certainty and full resolution Wee see worldly men will be loth to hold their lands and leases uncertainely having nothing to shew for them They will not stand to the curtesie of their land-lords nor rest upon their good wils They will not stay upon uncertaine hopes No they are wiser then so For the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Luke 16. They will be sure to have something to shew They will have it under seale They will not slay upon the words and promises of the most honest men and best land-lords They cannot be quiet till they have it in white and black with sound counsell upon their Title and every way made as sure unto them as any Law of the land can make it Are then the children of this world so wise in these inferiour things and shall not wee be as wise in matters of ten thousand times more importance Are they so wise for earth and shall not wee be as wise for heaven Are they so wise for their bodies and shall not wee be as wise for our soules Shall we hold the state of our immortall inheritance by hope-well and have no writings or evidences no seale no witnesses nor any thing to shew for it Alas this is a weake Tenure a broken Title a simple hold indeed Asun Yet for all that a man cannot be certaine Theol. Yes Saint John telleth us we may be certaine For hee saith Hereby we know we dwell in him 1 Joh. 4.13 and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit He saith not we hope but we know certainly For he that hath the Spirit of God knoweth certainly he hath it and he that hath faith knoweth that he hath faith and he that shall be saved knoweth he shall be saved For God doth not worke so darkly in mens hearts by his Spirit but that they may easily know whether it be of him or no if they would make a due tryall Againe the same Apostle saith 1 Joh. 5. â—6 He that beleeveth in the Son of God hath the witnesse in himselfe That is he hath certaine testimonies in his owne conscience that he shall be saved For we must fetch the warrant of our salvation from within our selves even from the worke of GOD within us For looke how much a man feeleth in himselfe the increase of knowledge obedience and godlinesse so much the more sure he is that he shall be saved A mans owne conscience is of great force this way and will not lye or deceive For so saith the wise man Pro. 27.19 As water sheweth face to face so doth the heart man unto man That is the mind and conscience of every man telleth him justly though not perfectly what he is For the conscience will not lye but accuse or excuse a man being in stead of a thousand witnesses 1 Cor 2.11 The Apostle saith No man knowes the things of man but the spirit of man that is in him And againe the Scripture saith Pro. 2â— 29 Mans soule is as it were the candle of the Lord whereby he searcheth all the bowels of the belly So then it is a cleere case that a man must have recourse to the worke of Gods grace within him even in his owne soule and thereby he shall be certainly resolved one way or other For even as Rebecca knew certainly by the striving and stirring of the twins in her wombe that she was conceived and quick of childe so Gods children know certainly by the motions and stirring of the holy Ghost within them that they have conceived Christ and shall undoubtedly be saved Phil. I pray you let us come to the ground-worke of this certainty of salvation and speak somewhat of that Theol. The ground-worke of our salvation is laid in Gods eternall election and in respect thereof it standeth fast and unmoveable as it is written 2 Tim. 2.16 1 Thes 5.24 The foundation of God standeth fast And againe Hee is faithfull that hath promised 2 Tim. 2.13 Though wee cannot beleeve yet hee abides faithfull So then as we know it certainly in our selves by the consequence of election so it standeth most firme in respect of God and his eternall and immutable decree And a thousand infirmities nay all the sinnes of the world nor all the Divels in hell cannot overthrow Gods election For our Lord Iesus saith John 6.34 All that the Father hath given mee shall come unto mee And againe John 6.39 This is the Fathers will that hath sent mee that of all which hee hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day And in another place our Saviour Christ saith John 10.17 My sheep heare my voice and I know them and they follow mee and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand
Booke of life For whom hee hath predestinate them hee hath called Rom. 8.30 and whom hee hath called them hee hath justified and whom he hath justified them he hath glorified Now therefore till wee feele these markes of election wrought in us we can be at no certainty in this point neither are wee to take any notice of it or meddle in it but we must strive according to that power and faculty wee have to live honestly and civilly waiting when God will have mercy on us and give us the true touch As for them that are carelesse and dissolute letting all at six and seven there is small hope that they are elected or ever shall be called Antil I thinke the preaching and publishing of this doctrine of predestination hath done much hurt and it had been good it had never been knowne to the people but utterly concealed For some it driveth to despaire and others it maketh more secure and carelesse Theol. You are in a great errour for this doctrine is part of Gods revealed Truth which hee would have knowne to his people And in good sooth it is of very great and comfortable use to the Children of God against all the assaults of the Divell and temptations of desperation whatsoever For when a man hath once in truth felt by the effects that God hath chosen him to life then though the Divell lye sore at him and the conscience of sinne and his owne frailties doe vehemently assault him yet he knoweth certainly that the eternall purpose and counsell of God is immutable and that because his salvation is not grounded upon himselfe or his owne strength but upon the unchangeable decree of GOD which is a foundation immoveable and alwayes standing sure and firme therefore doe the Divell and sin what they can yet he shall be upheld in righteousnesse and truth and even as it were borne up in the armes of God even to the end For whom God loveth to the end he loveth them Moreover when once the Lords people perceive by their sanctification and new birth both that the Lord hath rejected and reprobated so many thousand thousands and made choice of them to be heires of his most glorious Kingdome being in themselves of the same mould and making that others are and that he hath done all this of his free grace and undeserved mercy towards them oh how doth it ravish their hearts with the love of him Againe how frankly and cheerfully doe they serve him how willingly and faithfully doe they obey him Yea how are they wholly rapt and inflamed with the desire of him For it is the perswasion and feeling of Gods love towards us that draweth up our love to him againe as St. John saith 1. John 4. We love him because he hath love us first Moreover it is said of Mary Magdalen Luke 7. that she loved much because much was forgiven For after shee felt her many great sins freely pardoned her affections were kindled with the love and obedience of Christ So likewise the Church in the Canticles Cant. â— 5 after shee had beene in the banquetting house of all spirituall grace and felt the banner of Christs love displayed upon her forthwith shee was rape therewith and cryed out as it were in a swoun that shee was sicke of love So againe Cant. 5.5 when Christ put in his hand by the hole of the doore that is touched the very inward parts of her heart by his spirit then her heart yearned and her bowels were affectioned towards him This is it which St. Paul prayeth for upon his knees Eph. 18 19 that it may be granted to the Ephesians that they may bee able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth and length height and depth of Gods love towards us and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and to be filled with all fulnesse of God Thus then you see the great and comfortable use of this doctrine of election both in that it ministreth strength comfort against all temptations as also because it constraineth us to love God and of very love to feare him and obey him Phil. Well Sir I think now you have spent time enough in answering the objections and cavils of Antilegon In all which I doe observe one thing that there is no end of cavilling and objecting against the truth and that a man may object more in an houre then a learned man can well answer in a day Theol. You say truth And the reason hereof is because men have sin in them out of measure and the Spirit of God but in measure Therefore they can by the one object and conceive more against the truth then by the other they shall be able to answer and say for it Phil. It appeareth indeed that errours be infinite and objections innumerable and that there is no end of mens cavilling against Gods sacred truth It is good for us therefore to be thorowly settled in the truth that we be not entangled or snared with any cavils or sophistications whatsoever And I doe verily thinke notwithstanding all his objections and exceptions that he doth in his conscience desire with Balaam to dye the death of the righteous and to be as one of them whom he seemeth to despise Theol. I am so perswaded too For this is the triumph that vertue hath over vice that where she is most hated there she is often desired and wished for And this is the great punishment that God bringeth upon the wicked Virtutem ut videant intabescantque relicta as saith the Poet That they shall see vertue and pine away having no power to follow it Phil. But now let us returne to the point wee were in hand with before wee fell into these objections and cavils which was concerning the small number of them which shall be saved and as you have shewed us many reasons thereof so proceed to speak yet more unto that point Theol. As I have shewed you of sundry lets both within us and without us which doe keep us backe from God and hold us fast in our sinnes so now unto all that hath been said before I will adde nine great hinderances unto eternall life which may not unfitly be termed nine bars out of Heaven and nine gates into Hell Phil. Which be they Theol. They be these Infidelity Nine gates into Hell Presumption of Gods mercy Examples of the multitude Long custome of sin Long escaping of punishment Hope of long life Conceitednesse Ill company Evill examples of Ministers Phil. These indeed be strong bars out of heaven and wide gates into hell I pray you therefore prove them of the Scriptures and lay them forth somewhat more largely Theol. The first which is Infidelity is proved out of the fourth chapter to the Hebrewes verse 2. where it is written Unto us was the Gospel preached as unto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed
Gospel and strengthen us from above to walk and abound in all the true and sound fruits of faith Let us walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Let us feele the power of thy Sonnes death killing sin in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raising us up to newnesse of life Let us grow daily in the sanctification of the Spirit and the mortification of the flesh Let us live holily justly and soberly in this present evill world shewing forth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions that wee may adorne our most holy profession and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and froward generation amongst whom wee live being gainfull to all by our lives and conversation and offensive to none To this end wee pray thee fill us with thy Spirit and all spirituall graces as love wisdome patience contentment meeknesse humility temperance chastitie kindnesse and affability and stirre us up to use prayer and watchfulnesse reading and meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heavenly vertues Blesse us in the use of the meanes from day to day make us such as thou wouldest have us to be and such as wee desire to be worke in us both will and deed purpose and power For thou O Lord art all in all thou wilt have mercie upon whom thou wilt have mercie and whom thou wilt thou hardenest Have mercy upon us therefore deare Father and never leave us to our selves nor to our owne wills lusts and desires but assist us with thy good Spirit that we may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length wee may be received into glory and be partakers of that immortall Crowne which thou hast laid up for all that love thee and truly call upon thee Further wee intreat thee O heavenly Father to give us all things necessary for this life as food raiment health peace liberty and such freedome from those manifold miseries which we lie open unto every day as thou seest meet Blesse unto us all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our flocke and store corne and cattell trades and occupations and all workes of our hands for thy blessing onely makes rich and it bringeth no sorrowes with it Give us therefore such a competencie and sufficiencie of these outward blessings as thou in thy heavenly wisdome seest most needfull for us Moreover wee humbly beseech thee most loving Father in great mercie looke downe from Heaven upon thy whole Church and every member of it Be favourable unto Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Behold with the eye of pitie the great ruines and desolation of thy Church Heale up the wounds and make up the breaches thereof in all Nations Regard it as thine own flocke tender it as thine own family dresse it as thine owne Vineyard love it as thine owne Spouse Thinke thoughts of peace to it and alwayes looke upon it in deep compassion Blesse it with thy grace guide it with thy Spirit and defend it still with thy mighty power scatter the devices consound the counsels and overthrow the forces of all that fight against it Specially wee intreat thee deare Father to set thy selfe against that Antichrist of Rome that man of perdition which setteth himselfe against thee and against all thy people In thine appointed time wee pray thee give him a deadly downfall Beat downe all his power and authority daily more and more give free passage to thy Gospel in all Kingdomes that Babylon may fall and never rise up againe The more the favourites and adherents of Rome labour to uphold their Idolatrous Kingdome the more let it fall downe even as Dagon before the presence of thine Arke Poure downe the Vials of the fulnesse of thy wrath upon the Kingdomes of the Beast and let their riches wealth credit and authority dry up every day more and more as the river Euphrates Let it pitie thee O Father to see thine owne Spouse sit as a deformed and forlorne woman here below weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke having lost all her beauty and comelinesse Cheere her up deare Father glad her with the joy of thy countenance and so decke her and trim her up that thou maist delight in her as a Bridegroome in his Bride Specially wee intreat thee have mercie upon thy Church in this Land intend good unto us and not evill Give us not over into the hands of our cruell enemies as our sinnes have deserved Scatter we pray thee O Lord the devices and breake the plots of all such as have plotted the overthrow and utter subversion of this Church and Common-wealth Blesse this Church more and more with the continuance of true Religion amongst us for thy great Names sake and infinite mercies sake deale graciously and favourably with us and our posterity Turne from us that vengeance which is due unto us for our sinnes For thou seest how iniquity prevaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale Atheisme over-spreadeth every where and Popery seemeth to get a head againe Now therefore deare Father we most humbly beseech thee to take order speedily for the remedying and repressing of these manifold disorders and grievous enormities that are amongst us Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this English Nation Heare the cries of thine Elect heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the sins of the Land and be reconciled unto us in the multitude of thy compassions that so thou maist still continue a most mercifull protectour of this thine English Vineyard Wee pray thee good Father shew speciall mercy to our most Noble and gracious King Charles thine anointed Servant blesse him and keep him in all his wayes blesse his government unto us Let thine Angels encamp about him and let thy holy hand be alwayes over him keep him from treasons and deliver him from the treacheries of his enemies give him to see what belongs to his peace and give 〈◊〉 a heart earnestly bent to set upon the practice of the same give him all graces necessary for his place and necessary for his salvation continue his government peaceable and prosperous amongst us and as thou hast made him the breath of our nostrils and a gracious instrument for the saving of many thousand soules so let his owne soule be saved in the day of thy Sonne Christ Blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellours and give such good successe unto all their counsels and policies in matters of State that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Blesse all the Nobility worke in them a care to glorifie thy Name in their places make them faithfull to thee and faithfull to the Land Direct with thy good Spirit all such as beare the sword of Justice
many will say As long as they be neither whore nor thiefe nor spotted with such like grosse sinnes they trust in God they shall be saved Theol. They erre not knowing the Scriptures For many thousands are in great danger of losing their souls for ever which are free from such notorious and horrible vices nay many which in the world are counted good honest men good true dealers good neighbours and good towns-men Asun I pray you Sir give mee leave a little I have heard all your speech hitherto and I like reasonable well of it but now I can forbear no longer my conscience urgeth mee to speak For mee thinks you goe too far you goo beyond your learning in this that you condemn good neighbours and good towns-men You say many such men are in danger of losing their souls but I will never beleeve it while I live For if such men be not saved I cannot tell who shall Theol. But you must learn to know out of the Scriptures that all outward honesty and righteousnesse without the true knowledge and inward feeling of God availeth not to eternall life As our Saviour Christ saith Matth. 12. Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven It is also written that when Paul preached at 〈◊〉 Acts 17.18 many honest men and women did beleeve that iâ— such no were outwardly honest or honest to the word only for they could not be truly and inwardly honest before they did beleeve Therefore you see that this outward honesty câ—vility without the inward regeneration of the spirit avaâ—seth not to eternall life and then consequently all your honest worldly men are in great danger of losing their souls for ever Asun What sound reason can you yeeld why such honest men should be condemned Theol. Because many such are utterly void of all true knowledge of God and his word Nay which is more many of them despise the word of God and hate all the zealous professors of it They esteem Preachers but as pratlers and Sermons as good tales they esteem a Preacher no more then a shoemaker they regard the Scriptures no more then their old shooes What hope is there then I pray you that such men should be saved Doth not the holy Ghost say Hoâ— 2.5 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Asun You go too far you judge too hardly of them Theol. Not a whit For all experience sheweth that they mind dream dote of nothing else day and night but this world this world lands leases grounds and livings kine sheep and how to wax rich All their thoughts words and works are of these such like things And their actions do most manifestly declare that they are of the earth and speak of the earth and there is nothing in them but earth earth As for Sermons they care not how few they hear And for the scriptures they regard them not they read them not they esteem them not worth the while there is nothing more irksome unto them they had rather pill strawes or doe any thing then hear read or conferre of the Scriptures And as the Prophet saith 〈◊〉 8.1 â— The word of the Lord is as a reproach unto them they have no delight in it Phil. I marvell much that such men should live so honestly to the worldward Theol. No marvell at all for many bad men whose hearts are worm-eaten within yet for some outward and carnall respects doe abstaine from the grosse act of sin as some for credit some for shame some for fear of law some for fear of punishment but none for love of God for zeal of conscience or of obedience For it is a sure thing that the wicked may have that spirit which doth represse but not that which doth renew Phil. It seemeth then by your speeches that some which are not regenerate do in some things excell the children of God Theol. Most certain it is that some of them in outward gifts and the outward carriage of themselves doe goe beyond some of the elect Phil. Shew me I pray you in what gifts Theol. In learning discretion justice temperance prudence patience liberality assability kindnesse courtesie good nature c. Phil. Me thinks it should not be possible Theol. Yes truly for some of Gods dear children in whom no doubt the inward work is truely and soundly wrought yet are so troubled and incumbred with a crabbed crooked nature and so clogged with some master sin as some with anger some with pride some with covetousnesse some with lusts some one way and some another all which breaking out in them do so blemish them and their profession that they cannot so shine forth unto men as otherwise no doubt they would and this is their wound their griefe and their heart-smart and that which costeth them many a tear and many a prayer and yet can they not get the fu l victory over them but still they are less in them as a prick in the flesh to humble them Ph. Yet love should cover a multitude of such infirmities in Gods children Theol. It should do so indeed but there is great want of love even in the best and the worst sort espying these infirmities in the godly runne upon them with open mouth and take upon them to condemne them utterly and to judge their hearts saying They be hypocrites dissemblers and there is none worse then they Phil. But do you not think that there be some counterfeits even amongst the greatest professors Theol. Yes no doubt there be alwayes have been some very hypocrites in the Church but we most take heed of judging condemning all for some For it were very much to condemne Christ and his eleven disciples because of one Judas or the whole Primitive Church for one Ananias and Sapphira Phil. But I hope you are of this mind that some regenerate men even in outward gifts and their outward carriage are comparable with many others Theol. Questionlesse very many For they being guided by Gods spirit and upheld by his grace doe walk very uprightly and unblamably towards men Phil. Yet there resteth one scruple for it seemeth very strange unto me that men of so discreet carriage as you speak of and of so many good parts should not be saved It is great pity such men should be damned Theol. It seemeth so unto us indeed but God is only wise And you must note that as there be some infirmities in Gods children which hee correcteth with temporall chastisements and yet rewardeth their faith love and inward service and obedience with eternal life so there be some good things in the wicked and them that are without Christ which God rewardeth with temporall blessings and yet punisheth them eternally for their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart Phil. Now you have reasonably well satisfied mee touching the doctrine of regeneration and the manifold errours
of their beards end where they began end with nothing as they began with nothing end with a winding sheet as they began with swadling clouts For what is become of the greatest Monarthes Kings Princes Potentates and Magnificoes that ever the World had Where is Cyrus Darius Xerxes Alexander Caesar Pompey Scipio and Hannibal Where are the valiant Henries and noble Edwards of England Are they not all gone downe to the house of oblivion Are they not all returned to their dust and their thoughts perish Though they were as gods yet have they dyed as men and are fallen like others Who now careth for them who talketh of them who feareth them who regardeth them do not beggers tread upon them Yet while they lived they were the lords of the world they were as terrible as lions fearefull to all men full of pomp and glory dignity and majesty They ploughed up all things they bare all before them and who but they But now they have given up the ghost Job 30.23 and are as Job saith gone down to the house appointed for all the living Their pomp is descended with them and all their glory is buried in the ashes They are now covered under a clod cast out into a vault made companions to toads and the worms do eat them and what is become of their souls is most of all to be feared Thus wee see how all flesh doth but make a vaine shew for a while upon this Theatre of misery fetcheth a compasse about and is presently gone For as the Poet saith Seriùs aut citiùs sedem properamus ad unam First or last wee must all to the grave As You have made a very good speech it doth me good to hear it I wonder all these things considered that men should be so wholly given to this world as they are I think the Divell hath bewitched them for they shall carry nothing with them when they die but their good deeds and their ill Theol. The drudges and snudges of this world may very fitly be compared to a Kings Sumpter-horse which goeth loaden all the day long with as much gold and treasure as he can bear but at night his treasure is taken from him hee is turned into a sorty dirty stable and hath nothing left him but his galled backe Even so the rich Cormorants and Caterpillers of the earth which here have treasured and hoorded up great heaps of gold and silver with the which they travell loaden thorow this world shall in the end be stript out of all let downe into their grave and have nothing left them but their galled consciences with the which they shall be tumbled down into the dungeon of eternall darknesse Phil. Wherein doth the sting and strength of this world especially consist Theol. Even as the great strength of Samson lay in his haire so the great strength of the world lyeth in her two breastes the one of pleasure the other of profit For shee like a notable strumpet by laying out of these her breasts doth bewitch the sons of men and allureth thousands to her lust For if shee cannot win them with the one breast yet shee gaineth them with the other if not with pleasure then with profit if not with profit then with pleasure Hee is an odde man of a thousand that sucketh not of the one breast or the other But sure it is which soever hee sucketh hee shall bee poysoned For shee giveth none other milke but ranke poyson The world therefore is like to an alluring Jael Judg. 4. â—1 which sitteth at her doore to entice us to come in and eat of the milke of her pleasures but when shee hath once got us in shee is ready even while wee are eating with her hammer and her naile to pierce thorow our braines Phil. I see plainely this world is a very strumpet a strong baite and a snaring net wherein thousands are taken It is very bird-lime which doth so belime our affections that they cannot ascend upward It is like the weights of a clocke hanged upon our soules which draw them downe to the earth it naileth us fast downe to the ground it mortereth us into clay it maketh us abominable unto God For I remember God made a law That whosoever goeth with his breast upon the ground Levit. 11. should be abominable unto us How much more these carnall worldlings which are fast sodred to the earth Theol. The Apostle Saint James seeing into the deep wickednesse of this world and knowing right well how odious it maketh us in the sight of God cryeth out against it terming it adultery and all worldings adulterers because they forsake Christ their true husband and whorishly give their hearts to this world James 4. O yee adulterers and adulteresses saith hee know ye not that the amity of this world is the enmity of God whosoever therefore will be made a friend to this world makes himselfe the enemy of God And who dare stand forth and say I will bee the enemy of God who therefore dares be a worldling for every worldling is the enemy of God what then will become of you O yee wicked worldlings Phil. It appeareth then plainely by the Scriptures that the excessive love of this world and unsatiable desire of having is a most dangerous thing and men doe they know not what in seeking so greedily after it Theol. The Heathen man will â—ise up in judgement against us for hee saith Sophocles Unsatiablenesse is the foulest evill among mortall men But many of our sea-gulfes and whirl-pools make no conscience of it They think it is no sinne they devour and swallow up all and yet are never satisfied They will have all and more then a l and the Divell and all The whole world cannot satisfie their mind but God must create new worlds to content them These men are sick of the golden dropsie the more they have the more they desire The love of money increaseth as money it selfe increaseth But the Scripture saith Hee that loveth silver shall not bee satisfied with silver Eccles 5.9 Oh therefore that wee would strive earnestly to get out of this gulfe of hell Apoc. 12.2 and tread the Moon that is all worldly things under our feet as it is spoken of the Church and that wee would set our affections on the things that are above and not on the things that are beneath that wee would flie an high pitch and soare alâ—ft as the Eagles looking downe at this world and all things in it as at our feet contemning it and treading the very glory of it under our feet that it may never have more power over us Phil. O happy and twice happy are they that can do so and I beseech the Almighty God to give us his holy Spirit whereby wee may be carried above this world into the mountaines of spices For how happy a thing is it to have our conversation in heaven that is to have an
inward conversation with God by much prayer reading meditation and heavenly affections This indeed is to climbe up above the world and to converse in the chambers of peace O therefore that wee would seriously and throughly conceive and consider of this world as it is that wee would well weigh the vanity of it and the excellency of that which is to comâ— that so wee might loath the one and love the other despise the one and imbrace the other love God more then ever wee did and this world lesse For what is this world but vanity of vanities Antil You do exceedingly abase that which some make their god You speak contemptuously of that which most men have in greatest price and admiration You disgrace that which multitudes would grace You make light of that which numbers make greatest account of Let us therefore heare your reasons Shew us more fully what it is describe it unto us Theol. The world is a sea of glasse a pageant of fond delights a theatre of vanity a labyrinth of errour a gulfe of griefe a stye of filthinesse a vale of misery a spectacle of woe a river of teares a stage of deceit a cage full of Owles a den of Scorpions a wildernesse of Wolves a cabbin of Bears a whirle-winde of passions a fained Comedy a delectable phrensie where is false delight assured griefe certain sorrow uncertaine pleasure lasting woe fickle wealth long heavinesse short joy Phil. Now you have indeed described it to the full and layed it out as it were in orient colours And a man would think he were bewitched or stark mad which hereafter should set his minde on it But yet I am desirous to heare a little more of that which I asked you before wherein the strength and poyson of the world doth especially consist Theol. In this lyeth a great strength of the world that it draweth down the stars of heaven and maketh them fall to the earth as it is said of the Dragons taile Rev. 12. which is ambition covetousnesse and the love of this world For wee may wonder and lament to see how the love of these things hath wounded and over-borne many excellent servants of God both Preachers and Professours of the Gospel which thing doth plainely argue the strength of it For it is the strongest and the very last engine that Sathan useth to impugne us withall when none other will prevaile For when no temptation could fasten upon Christ hee bringeth forth this last weapon which never faileth Matth. 4. All these things will I give thee shewing him the glory of the whole world So then hee having experience of this that it never faileth thought to have overcome Christ himselfe with it Here therefore lyeth the very sting and strength of the world and the Divell For whom hath hee not taken with All these things will I give thee whom hath hee not wounded whom hath hee not deceived whom hath hee not overthrowne With this hee enticed Balaam with this he beguiled Achan with this hee overthrew Judas with this hee bewitched Demas with this in these our dayes hee deceiveth many of excellent gifts For assuredly hee is a Phoenix amongst men which is not overcome with this He is a wonderment of the world that is not moved with money Phil. I am now fully satisfied for this matter But one thing cometh often into my mind to wit that these miserable worldlings can have no sound comfort in their pleasures and profits because they have no comfort in God nor peace in their own consciences Theol. You say very true It is impossible that men loving this world should have any sound comfort in God For no man can serve two masters both God and riches Their case therefore is very dangerous and fearfull though they never see it nor feele it as I will shew you by a plaine example Put case one of these great rich worldlings should bee cloathed in velvet and cloth of gold in most stately manner and also should bee set at his table furnished with all the dainties of the world should bee attended and waited upon by many in most lordly and poâ—pous manner should sit in his goodly dining chamber all glittering like gold should have his first second and third service served in with minstrels and instruments of musick in most royall sort hee sitting in his chaire like a King in his throne yet for all this if a dagger should bee held to his heart all this while ready to stab him what pleasure what joy what comfort could he have in all the rest Even so whatsoever pomp and pleasures wicked worldlings have here below yet their guilty and hellish conscience is as it were a dagger held alwayes hard to their heart so as they can have no found comfort in any thing Or let mee give it you thus Put case a man hath committed high treason and were therefore apprehended arraigned and condemned to be hanged drawne and quartered what then can comfort a man in this case can mirth can musick can gold can silver can lands can livings No no none of all these can help him or give him any comfort For the continuall thoughts of death doe so gripe him at the heart that none of all these can doe him any good or any whit mitigate his griefe What then is the thing that can comfort him in this case Only a pardon sealed with the Kings broad seale and subscribed with his owne hand For assoone as hee hath got this his heavie heart reviveth and leaâ—eth for joy This then assuredly is the very case of all profane Atheists and worldlings who are not assured of the King of heaven his pardon for their sinne and then what joy can they have either in their meat drink goods cattell wives children lands revenues or any thing whatsoever For the dreadfull thoughts of hell doe estsoones crosse them inwardly and quite damp and dash all their mirth Their owne consciences will not bee stilled but in most terrible manner rise up and give evidence against them telling them flatly they shall bee damned how merry and jocond soever they seeme to bee in this world setting a good face on the matter For sure it is that inwardly they have many a cold pull and many heart-gripes And all their mirth and jollity is but a giggling from the teeth outward they can have no sound comforâ— within And therefore the wiâ—e King saith Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull Prov. 14.12 and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Job 27.20 Likewise saith the holy man Job Terrours of conscience come upon the wicked man like waters in the night a whirle-wind carrieth him away secretly Eliphas the Temanite avouched the same point Job 15.20 saying The wicked man is continually as one that travelleth of childe a sound of fear is in his ears c. Thus then we see that howsoever many carnall Atheists and ungodly persons seem outwardly to float aloft in