now a way into the world by the providence of God and by the benigne aspect and influence of that happy constellation wherein your selfe shine as a starre in much glory And the subject of it being of that neere affinity and sympathy with the soveraigne piece of that great worke you have in hand the rescue and advancement of the Gospell I should I conceive have turn'd my backe upon that providence which look't mee in the face if I should not have presented it to some of those Worthies whom God hath anointed with wisdome grace and power as for the bringing of many greater and weightier things to passe so the event bearing witnesse for the helping forth of it also into the world In which great and honourable assembly I knew not one whom rather to cast mine eye for this dedication than on your selfe who as you are knowne to the whole Nation by your worth and zeale for the things both of God and Men so have you beene knowne to my selfe heretofore by some more particular acquaintance the discontinuance and decrease whereof I impute onely to mine owne unworthinesse and negligence in addressing my selfe unto you I doe not in these meditations put you upon any thing in the maine but wherein you have prevented my motion and are already home-engaged I know you are in for the Gospell with all your heart and with all your soule and if with all these with all whatsoever besides So that you might in that respect expostulate with mee the impertinencie of this my addresse unto you in those or such like termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What neede you quicken him that maketh haste Yet make I no question but that of your selfe you know how fairly to salve the seasonablenesse and usefulnesse here of notwithstanding In which regard an apologie would prove the impertinency not the Dedication I verilly beleeve that Pâ—â—â— never met with Christians so abundant in the worke of the Lord but still hee exhorted them to a bound yee more Besides though I cannot say with the confidence of an intuitive knowledge that you meete with any secret feares discouragements conflicts of doubtfull thoughts and reasonings with your selfe in the way of that contention for the truth which now you sustaine yet can I hardly beleeve but that sometimes you feele the activenesse of the powers of darkenesse against you and finde some insinuations and grudgings if not stronger and sharper fits of feares touching the successe and issue of your great undertakings In which respect I conceive it should not be unseasonable altogether to administer unto you of those excellent comfortations and strengthenings of heaven which the Holy Ghost hath treasured up in the Scriptures for such times and occasions especially as these The Lord Iesus Christ himselfe being in deepe conflict was refreshed by the presence of an Angell from Heaven comforting him Luk. 23. 43. The consolations of the spirit in the Word of God administred by a hand consecrated thereunto have sometimes beene little inferiour in the glory of their effects to those of Angelicall dispensation I dare not undertake for any sapientiall advantage you are like to gaine for the Faith by the perusall of these few pages I know if there bee any to be gotten you will not overlooke it Yet give mee leave to say this that the best and wisest mens thoughts apprehensions purposes ends intentions in their best actions will never lye right and straight in their bowels nor with that ease and intimate satisfaction to their owne spirits except they be marshalled ranged and composed by the hand of the spirit of God stretched out from the Scriptures The God of grace and glory who in your selfe together with that worthy Senate of joynt consultations with you hath opened a doore of hope to a Land and People brought very low and hath begun by your mouthes to breath upon the dry bones so that there is some noyse and shaking heard already bring them together bone to his bone and flesh upon them also in due time and cover them with a skin and put a spirit of life into them that they may live and recompence abundantly into their bosome the labours and travells and faithfulnesse of those whose hearts and hands have beene and still are lifted up to the worke that tasting the presence and mightie hand of God with them they may rejoyce as strong men to runne the remainder of their race and not faint or waxe wearie till the great breach bee repaired till the throne and kingdome of Iesus Christ bee lifted up on high above the rage power and contradictions of those that seeke to lay the glory of it in the dust till judgement runne downe like water and righteousnesse as a mightie streame to wash and carry away all the filth and noysomenesse of the Land till the hearts and mouthes of all those who love the peace and prosperitie of the Nation bee filled with joy and gladnesse and the faces of all that are enemies unto it with shame and confusion And for your selfe your personall honour peace and safety you have an interrest in your selfe which sleepeth not in the prayers of Coleman-streete Decemb. the 4. 1640. Your Worships home-devoted in the things of Iesus Christ L. G. TO THE READER GOod Reader it was a saying of Erasmus concerning Luther that poore Luther made many rich His meaning seemes to have beene that many were raised to great places of promotion and dignity in the Church and otherwise highly rewarded for standing up in the Popes cause and quarrell against him The saying is capable of another interpretation also somewhat more spirituall and remote and may have this importance that many taking part with that poore servant of God who was fiercely assaulted on every side and presented againe and againe to death and hell by the sworne sides men of the Pope by this service commended themselves with termes of highest acceptation unto God and so were enriched with abundance of his grace and favour The Gospel which in this respect may bee called poore likewise but the truth glory and power of it are still suppressed and trampled on by that great and strong party the Divell hath in the world may in both senses be said to make many rich but in the latter would make many more rich then it doth if their hearts would serve them to be engaged in so honourable a service as to consecrate themselves and rise up in the defence of it The great men of the earth who desire to ride on the world as on a horse as God is said to ride upon the Heavens and to rule though not with God but by themselves yet with an opinion of ruling with God seldome or never shew themselves more magnificent and bountifull in rewarding never give grater wages to any workmen they imploy then unto those that are zealous active and dextrous to accommodate the Gospel unto them and to slay the hatred and enmity that burnes betweene
condition in the world yet were they a joy and rejoycing of heart unto her As on the other hand no earthly priviledge no greatnesse in the world no accomplishments of nature could make an attonement with her for light and loose and unsavouble spirits to cause her to take pleasure or contentment in them The remembrance of that houre which hath now passed over her when shee should be called out of the world wrought mightily in her and gave her little liberty to minde other things it cooled and quenched the inordinate heate of affection whereunto shee was by nature as incident as others to the things of this world She would oft say it was no light matter for men to appeare before God to give an account of their lives Her manner was day by day to give the first of her strength every morning unto God in lifting up her soule in prayer unto him upon her awaking she was still present with him as David speaketh yea when her strength beganne to be but labour and sorrow by reason of her sicknesse yet did she not take an occasion hereby to intermit her daily sacrifice or to behave her selfe frowardly in this Covenant of her God As long as she had any being though it were never so weake and feeble her resolutions remained as strong as ever to praise the Lord. The very night before her death she presented this sacrifice of prayer unto her God upon her knees Another dayly exercise and breathing of her soule likewise was to converse with the minde and thoughts of God in the Scriptures Her manner indeed was not to reade much at a time but hereof she gave this conscientious reason that shee desired to make that her owne which she read So that it seemes still as shee read shee writ it out in the Tables of her heart And so by the blessing of God upon her diligent and constant labours this way she had attained before her death a marveilous readinesse in the Scriptures and was able ordinarily to supply the defect of a Concordance and to assigne any clause or passage of Scripture mentioned to her to their proper place both for Booke and Chapter The house of God and a golden showre from heaven in the Ministery of the Gospell were the strength of her life and the great consolation of her pilgrimage her attention to the words of eternall life in the mouthes of Gods messengers was constantly so reverent serious and undistracted that it was the observation together with the rejoycing of some that had communion with her in that ordinance these spirituall clouds could never drop fatnesse but she was still ready if shee knew when the time of their dropping was with the vessell of her soule to receive it The Lords day was a day of much observation unto her she remembred to â—eepe it holy and called it her delight That which remained of it from publike duties shee converted with as little losse or waste as might be into opportunities for private Her spirit was full of a sweete and gratious humility it was no way grievous unto her to make her selfe equall to those of the lower sort A free and familiar companion shee was for all those that feared God and that were partakers of like pretious faith with her Abundant shee was in workes of mercy and lent much unto the Lord shee understood what silver gold were good for and gave them freely unto the owners A woman she was of very tender bowels and of overflowing compassions to those that were in misery In this course of life she was perfectly engaged before that remembrancer of her mortality that lingring sicknesse that came to live and die with her was sent unto her God doubtlesse putting it into her heart to prepare and strengthen the inner man the time drawing neere wherein her outer man was to decay and perish During the time of her sicknesse which continued some moneths upon her her carriage under the hand of God was humble and gratious and with much submission Shee was in travell with the great birth of immortality from the very entrance of her infirmity upon her and I make no question but after all here other weakenesse God gave her strength to bring forth that She was much in prayer unto God by her selfe in private yet desirous also of the assistance of others when opportunity served Her conference still was upon that subject or theme wherof our Saviour spake so much to his Disciples immediately before his ascending up into heaven viz. of the Kingdome of God and cared indeed little to speake of any thing besides There were now and then some buddings of hope of amendment recovery which were soone nipp'd and blasted againe But these hopes were no snares unto her she went on with her preparations for Heaven and that with a high hand until the God of her salvatioÌ„ said It is enough To relate all particulars would be as needlesse as endlesse I have detained you too long already I have no more to say A sweete loving and vertuous young woman shee was meete for a patterne to her sexe and yeares of piety holinesse and the feare of the Lord. Maries good part was her choice and a joyfull resurrection doubtlesse will be her reward where they to whom shee was deare in her life walking in her steps may expect the seeing of her the second time in communion and fellowship of the same glory with her Decemb. 8. 1640. Imprimatur T. Wykes FINIS Ephes 2. 8 Phil. 1. 27. Gal. 1. 22. Num. 13. 30. Iudg. 16. 28. Psal 74 6 Ps 73. 15. Deut. 32. 28. 29. Luke 12. Heb. II. 24. 25. 26. 1. Sam. 12. 21. 1. Sam. 19 11. Ps 16. 4.
TO THE WORSHIPFVLL AND MUCH HONOURED JOHN PYMME Esquire SIR IT is no part of my designe in this Dedication by the reflexion of smooth language to shew you yourselfe in your glory or to take the worke of admiring your worth out of the hands of all the world who are now very intent and busie at it If honour and approbation will pay debts the Nation I conceive is not much behinde with you for all the service you have done it for as farre as I understand you have scarce enemies enough to deliver you out of the hand of that curse of our Saviour Wo be to you when all men speake well of you Luk. 6. 26. I have no authority to question the singlenesse and uprightnesse of your heart in those notable and noble engagements that are upon you yet if you will plead your selfe to doe it the security attending thereon will beare the charges When credit and conscience are yoked and draw the Chariot together Conscience oft-times proves dull and heavie in the worke and if not sometimes remembred with the goade and put on will suffer credit to draw all on the one side and so lay her fellow on the wheele It argues an high and excellent frame of spirit where a man can follow with intensnesse of minde things that be of good report and yet not be over-acted with the goodnesse of the report but fetch the strength of that inspiration by which hee is carried on in his motion from the goodnesse of him that hath commanded it The more God is interessed in our intentions the more he is like to interest himselfe in our executions If wee make him a stranger in the proposition of our ends hee takes no pleasure to make himselfe knowne unto us in our prosecutions except it be by way of opposition and rising up against us The royall method in great actions to breake all difficulties and barre off discouragements in sunder as with a rod of iron is to digge out of our selves as much of our earth that is as much of our selves as wee can come at and fill up the pit or empty place with God and zeale for his glorie The consecration of an enterprise is soveraigne against abortion whereas to worke for a mans selfe alone is little lesse being interpreted than to betray his action and to give security to his enemies that God shall not build with him nor prosper him in his way and consequently that his labour in building shall be in vaine The least offensive I am sure and yet withall with serious and inside men as weightie a testimony as I conceive as can be given to your wisdome is to speake thus in the plaine dialect of the ancient simplicity unto you and not to spare you as farre as the truth may doe you good Neither doe I conceive wherein any mans worth or wisdome can do him better service than by strengthening others to lay on himselfe to beare greater weights of this treasure than men of an under-sufficiencie are able to stand under The Disciples themselves were great loosers for the time by their weaknesse in this kinde they wanted the sweete company and converse of many high and important apprehensions which doubtlesse had bin equall too if not much better then the society of so many Angels because in respect of the present infirmity of their spirits they were as unable to beare the strength of their influence and working as the frailty of the flesh and blood is to abide the glory and presence of those Embassadours of heaven Their gratious and great Lord and Master himselfe plainely professed this unto them I have many things saith he to say unto you but you cannot beare them now Joh. 16. 12. And had they not out growne this weakenesse afterwards by meanes of that golden showre from heaven wherein they were rained upon with the Holy Ghost and with power they had beene kept fasting from the feast of those fat things whatsoever they were all the dayes of their lives The reason why the world so generally drinkes old wine in our Saviours Metaphor which is of a lower and flatter taste is because their vessels are not new and strong and therefore not fit to have new wine which is of a stronger and more lively of a more stirring working and provoking spirit put into them for feare of breaking Wee have but the light of the Moone instead of the light of the Sunne or at most but the light of the Sun instead of the sevenfold light of seven dayes promised Esa 30. 26. shining to us because wee are tender eyed and inconsiderately afrayd lest an excellency of knowledge should undoe us Not to wrong in the least measure the rights of Heaven in point of thankfulnesse due from us nor to quench the least sparke of the joy of our congratulations for the blessing of knowledge powred out unto us so abundantly above the line and measure of former ages certaine it is that truthes of highest importance and which should joyne Heaven and Earth neerer together and heale a great part of that deplorable distance which yet lyeth betweene men and Angels and so advance and quicken the spirituall entercourse and commerce betweene the two worlds are little stirring in the world One maine reason whereof is because as the Disciples of Christ when they saw their dearest Lord Master comming towards them upon the water were sore afraid and cryed out supposing he had beene a spirit that had appeared as an executioner of present death upon them who yet was the glory and crowne of their security so many in the world no worse affected neither to the truth in generall than they were to Christ crie out as men out of measure troubled at the first glimmering and appearing of some truthes unto them as if they were the spirits of Devills comming upon the world for the spoile and ruine of the pretious soules of men whereas were they capable of their inspiration and either did or were but inwardly willing to know of what spirit they were they could not but acknowledge and confesse that they were of the dearest and deepest and sweetest confederacie with Heaven It was Austines complaint long since Nonnulli intelligentes citius volunt exagitare quod non intelligunt quam quaerere ut intelligant non fiunt humiles inquisitores sed superbi calumniatores Aug. de Temp. Serm. 72. I forbeare to make English of this Latine because the party chiefly interessed are for the most part men of the language But Sir I consider the weight and importunitie of your present imployments I know you are with your worthy Assistants about a great and laborious cure the Lord prosper it under your hands and farre be it from mee to desire that this should suffer in the least through any occasion of mine I had not presumed thus farre but that this little piece had stucke in the birth some yeares together and was well neere stifled found
occasion to use the helpe or furtherance of an errour in as much as the truth it selfe is abundantly serviceable and sufficient to justifie maintaine and beare him out in all his ends and purposes whereas men that have sinister and unsanctified ends in their eye wanting support and strength erre from the truth in the native puritie and simplicitie of it have a strong temptation and engagement upon them Acheronta movere to seeke shelter and sanctuary under the wing of errour and so to pervert and accommodate the truth as Ahabs servants would have done by the Prophet Michaiah 1. King 22. 13. that so it may go along with them in the way of their desires and not prophecie evill against them §. 10. 10. Besides this it appeareth from the Scriptures that such men as wee now speake of men that are most sincere and uncorrupt in their ends have a speciall prerogative this way given them by God viz. of seeing God in his word and truth with more fulnesse and cleerenesse of manifestation then other men Matthew 5. 8. Psal 119. 125. Thus much by way of direction and advice to know when there is speciall occasion to looke about and consider whether the truth bee not in danger and stands in need of our helpe to defend it CAP. VIII A briefe confutation of that opinion which teacheth that God may bee truely served and men saved in any Religion §. 1. TO come to Application the use of the point is foure fould First for confutation if this be the dutie of all Christians to stand out to contend so zealously so earnestly for their Faith and truth of the Gospel and not to suffer it to bee taken from them then doubtlesse this treads downe the strength and cuts the sinewes of that opinion which some have maintained that God may be truely served and men saved in any Religion whatsoever maintained or professed in all the world such mens charity is as irreligious and unsavorie as was that of Corah Dathan and Abiram that challenged Moses and Aaron for taking too much upon them seeing all the congregation was holy even every one of them and the Lord among them so say these all the world is holy even every Nation and every Religion professed in it let me say this one thing that this spirit of confusion that labours to shuffle all things together and to destroy the excellencie of things that differ is that spirit which the God of judgement most hateth and abhorreth §. 2. 2. What necessity can be imagined why there should bee such striving such wrastling such contending such laying hold such ingaging mens selves for one kinde of Faith if all the Faith 's the world over will serve mens truns as well Men doe not use to trouble themselves or put themselves to straights and difficulties for obtaining any thing when they may have their turnes served with ease This was the argumēt that Phaaroh used to Iosephs family that they should not trouble or cumber themselves in their remove with their stuffe because all the good of the Land of Aegypt was before them and was theirs that so they might bee sufficiently provided for there without further charge or trouble so who needs trouble himselfe or indanger himself or to contend for one Religion if all the world before him or any Religion hee can fall upon in it had the like certaine safetie This is the argument which Paul likewise useth to disswade Christians from eating that which was sacrificed to Idols in case of offence or likelihood of offence because saith he the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it as if hee should say the Lord hath meate enough for them besides all the world over that would nourish and preserve their naturall lives and healths as well as that which was sacrificed to Idols and therefore there was no necessitie to presse upon the eating of that it had beene more tolerable if the Lords provision for his family had beene all spent beside so say I to set up any such opinion in the Church that there may be safetie and salvation as well in any other as in the Religion of Jesus Christ is to destroy the necessitie of this dutie of contending for this Faith And on the contrary to presse the necessity of this dutie is the throwing downe of every such imaginations whether men of this opinion by running or contending with God have wrested from him any more names whereby to bee saved so it is sure we are that there is given none other name under heaven whereby to bee saved but onely the name of Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. There have beene and still are many names given by Sathan for men to perish by eternally but to bee saved by there is onely one given and that by God as Peter affirmeth CAP. IX The resolutions and practises of Martyrs and Confessors both ancient and moderne justified in an use of instruction from the Doctrine §. 1. SEcondly for instruction if it bee a dutie required of all Christians to contend thus earnestly for their Faith then from hence we may receive full satisfaction concerning the counsels and resolutions of Martyrs and Confessors both of ancient and later times in suffering things grievous to be borne in all kindes losse of goods friends credit libertie life and all in the cause and service of this their Faith many may please themselves with conceits of folly and unadvisednesse in such men as it was a speech full of unsavorie prophanesse that the Martyrs who suffered in the dayes of Queene Mary dyed like fooles whereas indeed it is a point of the greatest wisdome in the world to doe what God hath commanded and the harder any commandement is and the more contrariety it hath to flesh and bloud so much the greater wisedome it is to obey §. 2. It is not any distemper in the judgement or spirit of a man to savour the things that be of God and not of men Bee faithfull to the death saith our Saviour to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. 10. and I will give thee a crowne of life Certainely our Saviour promiseth wages in full proportion to the worke yea good measure heaped up pressed downe and running over therefore there can bee no follie in accepting his conditions but an excellencie and depth of wisedome To part with mens lives for nothing to make no friend with them when they goe to dye cowards this in Scripture language is to dye like fooles as in that of David concerning Abner 2. Sam. 3. 33. dyed Abner as a foole dyeth that is basely and cowardly and to this purpose is that of our Saviour in the Gospel hee that will save his life shall lose it hee that will save it that is hee that will set it downe with himselfe that he will not part with it as long as hee can keepe it let the occasions of heaven and the Gospel stand in never so much need of it and call never so
others except such as are willing to bee destroyed and as Salomon saith love death Prov. 8. and this destroying which Sathan feares from the Gospel is the true fountaine of that implacable enmitie he beares against it he knowes except hee can some wayes destroy it it will destroy him §. 3. 3. It is said Heb. 2. 14. That Christ suffered death that by such suffering he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill It is a new or further destruction to the Devill to bee throwne out of mens hearts and lose his interest in the precious soules of men this is his tumbling downe from heaven like lightning Luke 10. This was a secōd heavē to him after he was throwne downe from the third heaven and the best hee was now capable of to bee honoured and served like the most Highest in the hearts of sinfull blind and miserable man Now as it was the power of God to throw him down from the third heaven so it was the weakenesse of God the death of God being made man that fetched him downe from the second heaven out of the hearts of men And it is as much against his nature and inclination as tormenting a destruction to him to lose this second heaven as it was his first and therefore he is said to fall from this heaven like lightning That is fully against his nature and inclination with the greatest reluctancie and torture of spirit as it is the greatest naturall torment as wee may say to fire whose naturall inclination and motion is constantly upwards towards the circumference to bee compelled and forced downewards towards the center and the more pure the fire is as lightning is of the purest kinde it includs still the greater repugnancie to the nature of it to be forced downewards §. 4. 4. Now if it bee the death of Christ indeed that fetcheth Sathan downe like lightning from this heaven off his power and throne that hee hath gotten in the world yet doth it not this immediately without some other advantage as it is not a bullet or powder that batters the walles of the Citie or Castle at such a distance or cuts off the lives of so many men but by the advanrage of the enemie or Cannon so is it this same Gospel of truth that utters as it were and vents the death of Christ up and downe the world in that effectuall and saving manner according to which it worketh this is as the Hysope that sprinkles that bloud upon the consciences of men §. 5. 5. So that Sathans aimand project is to disable the Gospel from the performance of such a service to make it wholly unusefull for the dispencing of the death of Christ unto men in a saving way This hee knowes well enough will be done by corrupting the truth of it if the straight wayes and paths of it bee much perverted and made crooked the holy spirit will bee grieved and take offence at it and being a spirit of truth will refuse to goe forth with a lie or to worke by it as the Lord told the people by Ezekiel 28. 18. They had defiled their Sanctuary by the multitude of their iniquities defiled it that is made it unfit for an habitation for him so great and holy a God and therefore hee would prophane it too as hee saith in another place that is hee would dwell no more there nor delight to manifest his presence any more to them there then in any other prophane and common place in all the world so if the Gospel bee defiled with mixture of errours and tenets and opinions of men the holy Ghost will loath and abhorre it and prophane it also and doe no more towards the salvation of men by the Gospel so corrupted then by any other prophane learning and writing whatsoever Sathan I say knowes this better then men doe or indeed care to doe and therefore hee is still busie to wring and wrest Gospel truths and because Sathan is still the Author of this worke the primus motor when any thing is stirr'd or shaken of the simplicitie and truth of the Gospel though the immediate actors above ground bee men hence it was that Paul with that severity Acts 13. 10. Set a black brand upon Elymas the Sorcerer calling him the child of the Devill because he still perverted the right wayes of the Lord those in the Scripture are called the children of the Divell that resemble him in his disposition and worke as all confesse therefore it is the indeavour and worke of Sathan to oppose the truth §. 6. 6. A second sort of enemies to the Faith in this sense given that is the truth of the Gospel are all wicked men in generall without exception That of our Saviour is not onely true here and there but it is a universall truth and layes hold upon the foure corners of the world hee that doth evill hateth the light Iohn 3. one said well that verbum Dei was lucerna ad quam fur deprehenditur the word of God was a light or candle by which the thiefe was taken no thiefe that meanes to steale but hates the light that should discover him true this evill affection against the truth doth not breake out in all some mens hearts are not so full as others It doth not ruine over our of every vessell neither hath it alwayes that malignancie in it to breake out at the lips and hands of men nay it is not at all to bee doubted but many evill men may and doe support it for carnall ends CAP. 3. A further discovery of the enemies of the truth §. 1. But there are some sorts of wicked men that are more dangerous enemies to the truth in this sense then others and from whom the ruine and subversion of it is more to bee feared men that have ends of their owne and not simply so for all carnall men have these but further are much intent and zealous in the advancement of such ends men whose motions eccentricall to the course and motions of the Gospel and yet are active and vigorous in their motion These are men who threaten great danger to the truth of God §. 2. 2. The reason is cleere because the bent and inclination and levell of the Gospel is in the straightest line that can be imagined to bee laid for the advancement of God and his glory and his Christ and not at all for the carnall ends and purposes of men It was never framed to serve turns The high-way of the Gospel lyeth through the midst of mens fruitfull and pleasant fields through their Gardens and Orchards and Vineyards yea many times through the middest of their palaces and stately houses through the middest of mens honours and preferments estates pleasures reputations c. and so if it bee sufferd to goe forth in its owne spirit and take the way it selfe desireth and chuseth it will make great spoyle of mens carnall advantages It will tread and