and sauing for it is not 1. A meere morall change from notoriousnesse to ciuility and no further 2. Nor a formall change only which addes to morall honesty outward profession and outside conformity to the ordinances holy exercises most duties of Religion no more 3. Nor meerely mentall I meane it thus for I know true repentance is called change of minde in another sence When the vnderstanding onely is illightened with diuine knowledge guilded ouer as it were with the dazeling splendor of generall graces not without some speculatiue flashes of fleeting ioy swimming in the brayne indeede but not rooted in the heart 4. Not temporary only such as that Matth. 12. 43. 2. Pet. 2. 20 22. when a man discontinues and surceases from the outward practise perhaps of all grosse sinnes for a time out of terrour suddaine fright from some Sonne of thunder or vpon triall whether by his owne strength hee be able to endure and digest a diuorce from his darling pleasure and the holy wayes of those who walk towards heauen without too much discontentment for without too sore a crush to his carnall heart hee could be content to looke after a crowne of life and I wite him not Or for some other by-end But because his heart was not honest and good neither did the Word take an humble roote in it nor himselfe resolue vpon a sincere generall and constant selfe-deniall at first hee falls againe vpon his former vomit and againe wallowes in the myre of his sensuall pleasures with more rage and resolution then before 5. Nor partiall where there may bee an outward reformation in the most things but yet there is still retained a secret resolued reseruation of an impenitent intire enioyment of all the delights and full sweetnesse of the bosome sinne which is vtterly incompatible and cannot possibly consist with a truly religious and regenerate state I say my change I onely and infinitely magnifie admire and adore the free grace and loue of my most holy and euer blessed God for it was not onely morall formall mentall temporary or partiall in the sence I haue said but vniuersall both in respect of the subiect and obiect as they say without all reseruations exceptions sensuall distinctions Pharisaicall imposture partialities hypocrisies selfe-delusion For my teachers haue told me by the touchstone of his pure and holy truth That euery true change is of the whole man from the whole seruice of Satan to the liuing God in sincere obedience to his whole Law in the whole course of our liues That it is discernable and differenced from all partiall insufficient hollow halfe-conuersions By 1. Integrity of change I meane in all parts and powers of spirit soule and body in the vnderstanding iudgement memory conscience in the will affections desires thoughts in the eyes eares tongue hands feet for euen as they were members of the body before imployed wholly for Satan and sensualitie so now are they also become instruments of righteousnesse vnto God God begets no monsters as they say a child new-borne hath all the parts of a man though not the perfection of his growth So a new-borne babe in Christ is throughly and vniuersally changed though not yet a perfect man in Christ. 2. Sinceritie of change as well in heart and inwards parts as in life and outward carriage O Ierusalem saith the Prophet wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saued how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee No externall priuiledges of Religion though neuer so glorious no exactnesse of the worke wrought no Pharisaicall formes of deuotion no outward behauiour be it neuer so blamelesse no cost or contributions in the seruice of God will serue the turne without sincerity of heart Though a man should come before the Lord with thousands of Rammes or tenne thousands of riuers of oyle should be giue his first-borne for his transgression the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule should he bestow all his goods to feede the poore and giue his body to be burned were he able to comprehend within his braine the whole Booke of God and with the largenesse of his vnderstanding deuoure all that holy sence should hee eate and drinke vp at the Lords Table all the sanctified Bread and Wine were hee plunged ouer head and eares in the Water of Baptisme nay if it were possible washed outwardly from top to toe in the precious blood of Christ yet all this were more then all in vaine and vtterly vnauaileable without vprightnesse of the heart and puritie in the inward parts 3. Spirituall growth Vnregenerate men at the best grow but in the generalities flourishes deuout representations and temporary forwardnesse of formal Christianity Which is like the growth of corne on the house top or the seed springing out of the stony ground but the honest and good heart bringeth forth fruit with patience Spirituall stuntings there may bee and standings at a stay for a time But as good corne in a good soyle being refreshed after a binding drought with a groūd-showre springs vp faster and more freshly so it is with the sound-hearted Christian after a dampe in grace to which he may sometimes be subiect For being rowzed and awaked out of such a state by the quickening voice of a piercing ministery the cutting sting of an heauy crosse or some other speciall hand of God he layes hold vpon the Kingdome of Christ with more holy violence then before and labours afterward by the helpe of God to repaire his former spirituall decay with double diligence in watchfulnesse zeale and heauenly-mindednesse Progresse in Christianitie is resembled to the thriuing of a Child which may fall into sicknesse but it many times prooues a growing ague To a man in a race who may stumble and fall but after his rising takes surer footing and runnes faster To the ascending of the Sunne towards midday which may be ouercast with a cloud but after hee hath recouered a cleare sky shines more brightly and sweetely 4. Selfe-deniall Of which see something before page 52. Hee that would soundly comfort his conscience with the true testimony of a true Conuert must at the first giuing his name vnto Christ and vpon his proclaiming Warre and entering the lists against Satan sound with a sincere heart the depth of that fundamentall principle of Christianitie and Christs own holy rule If any man shall come after me let him deny himselfe c. Assoone as hee resignes vp himselfe to this Royall seruice vnder the colours of the Lord Iesus he must presently in our Sauiours sence make ouer all his interest in liberty life liuelihood all earthly pleasures and treasures without any reseruation or he will certainely faint and fall off in the day of battaile The necessitie of this rule and resolution is intimated vnto vs in two Parables Luk. 14. 28 31. A man that will build must count the cost beforehand and make sure of meanes to
constant onely in an heartlesse plodding course and coldnesse and many times at length when the motiue of their religious representations and shewes is remooued and the end compassed for which they counterfeited they put off their vizours and appeare againe plaine carnall men and downe-right good-fellowes as they were before The Play being done they are Rogues againe 5. Some there may be who out of a greedy pursuite of a generall applause from all sorts of men and ambitious hunting after a promi◅uous reputation and equall acceptance both with Professours of Religion and men of this world put on a show of religious deportment at least in the company of such as are ready and forward to commend their cōformitie and forwardnesse that way and by relation abroad to enrole their names amongst the number of those who are noted to be on the best side In a word such fellowes as these out of a base and vnblessed ambition to be well spoken of by all though a woe waites vpon such Luke 6. 26. furnish themselues both with a forme of profession to content Christians and flourishes of good-fellowship to please the prophane 6. Others there are who may gloriously pretend and protest with great brauery and confidence their assent and assistance to the best and holiest courses put on a temporary counterfeite profession and fashionable conformity to the communion of Saints that thereby they may passe more fairely and plausibly out of one calling into another from a baser lower more neglected and toilesome Trade into some other of more liberty acceptation and ease or else breake out of all Callings and so by the vnhallowed mystery of a sacred coozening if I may so call it liue vpon their profession and by amusing the tender consciences of weake Christians with the controuling and countermanding tyrannies as it were of an affected furious zeale sucke out of them no small aduantage and prey too plentifully vpon the people of God Such as these are ready to pretend and intimate that such base earthly and worldly imployment and spending of their time is disgracefull and derogatory to the prouidence of God and their Christian liberty that with vnworthy detainments and auocations it interrupts them in the pursuite of their generall Calling disables and hinders them in the discharge of holy duties But let them know that Christianity if sound and true doth not nullifie but sanctifie our particular Callings Thou oughtest to continue with conscionablenesse and constancy in that personall Calling wherein thy calling to grace did finde the◅ if it be warrantable and lawfull See 1. Cor. 7. 20. No comfortable change of a Calling but in case of 1. priuate necessity or 2. common Good and that truly so not hypocritically pretended or for by-respects If any man then vpon giuing his name to Religion shall grow into neglect distaste or dereliction of his honest particular Calling wee may euer strongly suspect him of hollownesse and hypocrisie It is the confident conclusion of a very learned and holy Diuine Though a man bee indued with excellent gifts and bee able to speake well conceiue Prayer and with some reuerence to heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments yet if hee practise not the duties of godlinesse within his owne Calling all is but hypocrisie 1. What sonne or daughter of Adam can challenge and plead exemption from that common charge laid vpon them by the Lord of Heauen In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne vnto the ground Either by trauaile of body or toyle of minde or both 2. Diligence in a ciuill Calling is necessary for a comfortable prouision of earthly necessaries 3. Hee is a cursed Drone a child of idlenesse and sloth the very Tennis-ball of temptation most vnworthy the blessings and benefits of humane societie who doeth not one way or other cooperate as it were and contribute to the common Good with his best endeauours in some honest particular Calling 4. A seasonable imployment in a ciuill Calling is a Soueraigne preseruatiue and curbe for preuention of infinite swarmes of idle melancholike and exorbitant thoughts and for restraint from many wicked and vnwarrantable medlings and miscarriages 5. An honest Calling is a Schoole of Christianitie In which a man performing duties for the Lords sake may daily profit in the practise and increase of many heauenly graces Faith Obedience Patience Meekenesse Constancie Truth Fidelitie Inuocation Thanksgiuing experience of Gods prouidence c. A true Conuert therefore is so farre from casting off his personall Calling that after his calling to Christianitie he is woont to discharge the duties thereof with farre more care and conscience though with a better minde more moderate affections and for a blesseder end 7. Some there may bee who seeing the iniquity of these last and worst times lying in weight for the surprize and suppression of forwardnesse and zeale and that they may gaine or grow into credit with the world by some speciall seruice against the forwarder sort serue themselues in the meane time plausiblenesse of profession taking away the sense of their intrusion into the company and communion of the most noted religious people that at length they may doe them the more mischiefe and driue to the head the bitternesse of their lurking malice with a more desperate and deadly sting These are men of great imposture and cunning in their carriage They informe themselues thorowly and exactly in the wayes and zealous behauiour of Profession and so with great satisfaction and contentment apply and accommodate themselues for a time to their desires and deuotions But if once they pry into a point of seeming aduantage which by their wresting outfacing may create matter of molestation and spy their supposed season to winne by betraying they turne Turkes and traitors to those which are true of heart to serue their owne turnes 8. Many there are who out of a fond and groundlesse conceit that onely an outward conformitie to the Word Sacraments and other religious exercises will serue their turne for saluation giue their names to profession and so walke on plodding in the comfortlesse vnzealous formes of a frozen outside Christianity many times euen vnto their dying day These men marre and vnsanctifie themselues by making moderation in Religion a Saint and vndoe their soules by adoring discretion as an Idoll Moderation and discretion truly so called and rightly defined by the rules of God are blessed and beautifying ornaments to the best and most zealous Christians but being tempered with their coldnesse and edged with their eagernesse against forwardnesse and ferue◅cy in spirit which the Apostle enioynes Rom. 12. 11. become the very desperate cut-throates to the power of godlinesse and pestilent consumption of the spirits heart and life of true zeale These fellowes are most insolent and confident in their Pharisaicall brags spirituall security and hopes for Heauen They admire and applaude with much selfe-estimation of ther singular skill
and rare felicitie in pitching iust vpon the golden meane as they conceiue betweene prophanenesse and precisenesse infamous notoriousnesse and persecuted strictnesse But that Prouerbe in the meane time falls pat vpon their pates There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse And at length most certainely the iust execution of that terrible commination Reuel 3. 16. will crush their hearts with euerlasting horrour confusion and woe But I should be endlesse in the discouery of this hidden and hellish gulph of hypocrisie wherein thousands are swallowed vp euen in this glorious Mid-day of the Gospell For a man may assoone find out the way of an Eagle in the Ayre the way of a Serpent vpon a Rocke the way of a Ship in the midst of the Sea and the way of a man with a maid as to tracke the cunning and crooked footsteps of this foule fiend in the false hearts of Satans followers Only take notice that thou canst neuer possibly delight in God or euer comfortably come neere him if thou giue any entertainment vnto it in what forme soeuer it represent it selfe or whatsoeuer vizor it offers vnto thee though neuer so fairely varnished and guilded ouer with the Deuils angelicall glory III. Build and erect all thy resolutions and conclusions for Heauen and Gods seruice vpon that strong and purest pillar that maine and most precious Principle of Christianitie Selfe-deniall No walking with God no sweete communion and sound peace at his Mercy-Seate except for his sake and keeping a good conscience thou be content to denie thy selfe thy worldly wisdome naturall wit carnall reason acceptation with the world excellencie of learning fauour of great Ones credit and applause with the most thy passions profit pleasures preferment neerest friends ease libertie life euery thing any thing And feare no losse for all things else are nothing to the least comfortable glimpse of Gods pleased face From this Principle sprung all those noble resolutions and replies of Gods worthiest Saints and Souldiers That of Hester for the preseruation of the people of God Well saith she I wil goe in vnto the King which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish That of Micaiah sollicited strongly by the messenger to temporize in managing his Ministery with sutablenesse and conformity to the Kings pleasure and plausiblenesse of the false prophets As the Lord liueth what the Lord saith vnto mee that will I speake That of Nehemiah Should such a man as I flee As if he should haue said Tell not mee of fleeing my resolution was pitcht long agoe if need require to lay downe my life and lose my blood in the Lords battels That of Paul when his friends were weeping and wailing about him What meane you to weepe said hee and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus That of Ierome If my father stood weeping on his knees before mee and my mother hanging on my necke behind me and all my brethren sisters children kinsfolke howling on euery side to retaine me in sinfull life with them I would fling my mother to the ground despise all my kinred run ouer my father and tread him vnder my feet thereby to run to Christ when hee calleth me That of Luther dealt with earnestly and eagerly not to venture himselfe amongst a number of perfidious and blood-thirstie Papists As touching me saith he since I am sent for I am resolued and certainely determined to enter Wormes in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ yea although I knew there were so many Deuils to resist me as there are tiles to couer the houses in Wormes That of a most renowned Italian Marquesse Galeacius Carracciolus tempted by a Iesuite with a great sum of money to returne from Gods Blessing at Geneua to the warme Sunne in Italy Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the Gold in the world worth one dayes societie with Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit That of George Carpenter Martyr My wife and my children are so dearely beloued vnto me that they cannot bee bought from mee for all the riches and possessions of the Duke of Bauaria but for the loue of my Lord God I will willingly forsake them That of Kilian a Dutch Schoole-master to such as asked him if he loued not his wife and children Yes said he If the world were Gold and were mine to dispose of I would giue it to liue with them though it were but in prison yet my soule and Christ are dearer to me then all IV. Exercise thy selfe continually and bee excellent in that onely Heauen vpon Earth and sweetest Sanctuarie to an hunted soule the Life of faith Which to liue in some good measure is the duty and property of euery liuing member of Christ Iesus Loue therefore and labour to liue by the power of faith the life of saluation sanctification preseruation 1. Of saluation thus Let thy truely-humbled soule grieued and groaning vnder the burden of sinne throw it self into the meritorious and merciful armes of Iesus Christ wounded broken and bleeding vpon the Crosse and there let it hold and hide it selfe for euer in full assurance of eternall life by vertue of that promise Ioh. 3. 36. Hee that beleeueth on the Son hath euerlasting life For hauing thus laid hold vpon him He by his Spirit doth communicate first himselfe vnto thee then both the merit of his death for remission of thy sinnes and of his actiue obedience for thy right to saluation and happinesse and withall the power of his Spirit to quicken thee to the life of grace in this World and to raise vp thy body to the life of glory at the last day 2. Of sanctification If thou keepe thy faith the fountaine roote and heart as it were from which all thine other graces spring in life and vigour thou shalt pray more comfortably bee more couragiously patient heare the Word more fruitfully receiue the Sacraments more ioyfully passe the Sabbaths more delightfully conferre more cheerefully meditate more heauenly walke in all the wayes of new obedience with more strength and conquest ouer corruptions For ordinarily euery Christian shall finde the exercise of other graces to bee comfortable or cold according to the liuelinesse or languishing of his faith 3. Of preseruation both temporall and spirituall In crosses afflictions and all Gods outward angry visitations by the power of such promises as those Psal. 89. 33. and 50. 15. Heb. 12. 7 8 11. 1. Thes. 3. 3. Act. 14. 22. Luke 9. 23. Isai. 63. 9. In the course and carriage of thy particular Calling the duties and workes whereof if thou discharge with conscience diligence and prayer thou mayest goe on with comfort contentment and freedome from that torturing and racking thoughtfulnesse from those restlesse and cursed carkings of carnal worldlings
brests of euerlasting consolations And sith hee is incorporated into Iesus Christ and vpon all assayes hath the wings of faith in a readinesse to outsoare the height of all humane miseries let him for euer stand like Mount Zion inexpugnable and vnshaken with the most furious incursions of the floods and tempests of all worldly troubles pressures and persecutions Let all those monstrous and most abhorred iniections filthy temptations and fiery darts pointed with the very malice of hell ordinarily offered to the imagination of the best bee resolutely repelled by the shield of faith and retorted as dung vpon the Tempters face Let all vngodly oppositions from man or deuill or fearefull distrust be but as so many proud and swelling waues dashing against a mighty Rocke which the more boisterously they beate vpon it the more are they broken and turned into a vaine foame and froth But to descend with thee more punctually to some particulars Tell mee truly thou which hast giuen thy name to Christ in truth what it is that troubles thee what is it that still detaines thine heauy heart in the chaines and fetters of horrour and sadnesse and lockes it vp so long from the entrance and entertainement of spirituall lightsomenesse and ioy And if I bee not able to confront and confound it by some well-grounded counter-comfort and Antidote out of the Oracle of truth if I be not able to discouer it to bee a selfe-created crosse and to dissolue it into an imaginary and groundlesse fancie by the light of the Word then walke heauily still Onely beleeue the Prophets and thou shalt prosper Thou must then bee contented to be counselled by the faithfull Physicions of thy soule who can shew vnto man his vprightnesse and are instructed vnto the kingdome of heauen especially fetching all their prescriptions receits and counterpoysons out of the rich Treasurie of the Booke of Life Thou must learne 1. To put a difference betweene nullity of grace and imperfection of grace Many good soules desire sincerely that their hearts were broken in pieces and bled at the root for their many and hainous sinnes grieuing much that they can grieue no more They hunger and thirst for Christs righteousnesse more then for the wealth of the whole world They groane mightily in spirit for Gods fauour pardon of sinne power ouer their corruptions ability to pray better c. But yet because they feele not that measure of sensible smart and anguish of heart in lamenting their former life as they desire because they haue not their wished ioy and peace in beleeuing because they cannot now pray as feruently and feelingly as they perhaps were formerly woont not with that freedome and heartinesse as they would in a word because they are yet but smoaking flaxe and bruised reedes not full shining lampes and strong Pillars in the House of God they will needs haue all to be nought Whereby they I will not say belie the Spirit but most vnworthily deny and in their conceites nullifie his already wonderfull glorious worke vpon their soules to their I know not how great spirituall hurt and hinderance For such intolerable vnthankefulnesse may bee iustly punished and paide home with longer detainement vpon the Racke of distrustfull slauish feare and vnder the bondage of Legall terrours It is a speciall point then of spirituall wisedome and of singular consequence for the soules quiet and welfare to discerne weakenesse of grace from want of grace Christ Iesus declaring in his heauenly Sermon who are blessed doth not instance in the perfections excellencies and heights of Christianity though all that are true of heart sincerely pray for and presse after them but in the least and lowest degrees lest the smoking flaxe should bee quenched and bruised reedes bee broken He doeth not say Blessed are the stong in Faith the full assured Blessed are those that take on for their sinnes as for their onely sonne and for their first borne but Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Blessed are the poore in spirit c. 2. Not alwayes to make sence and feeling the Touchstone for the truth of thy spirituall state A man in a swoone or a sleepe feeles not his life and yet is a liuing man It is one thing to haue grace another to feele grace One thing the life of faith another the life of sence 3. Not to disgrace thy owne graces by casting thine eye too deiectedly vpon other Christians perfections and precedencies Let it not fare with thee in this case as it doth with one gazing too much vpon the Sunne who looking downewards againe can see iust nothing whereas before he cleerely discerned all colours about him Looke vpon them for imitation and quickning not for slauish deiection and selfe-blinding 4. To acknowledge and expect that heauenly graces as Faith c. while they inhabite these earthly houses ebbe and flow waxe and wane faint and flourish by reason of the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit So that if a man should tell mee that he hath euer prayed alike without temptation or dampes without any sence at any time of deadnesse or spirituall distempers that he hath euer beleeued alike without those doubts and scruples that faintnesse and feare of which most Christians so much complaine I durst confidently reply that then he neuer either prayed acceptably or beleeued sauingly The Fathers fitly resemble the state of the Church to the variable condition of the Moone which sometimes shines more gloriously sometimes not so It is so also with euery true member thereof in respect of the exercise of grace comfort in holy duties sence of Gods fauour spirituall feeling 5. To beleeue the Spirit of Truth the Word of God and voice of Christ before the father of lies dictates of naturall distrust and suggestions of flesh and blood To which methinks thou shouldest be easily perswaded and then all the mists of thy spirituall miseries would be quickly dispersed It is a mighty worke if not a great miracle to get any softnesse at all or true remorse for sinne into the heart of a man it is naturally so stony and impatient of griefe and the deuill such a stirrer against it so that the most are meere strangers vnto it yet for all that when this penitent sorrow is once sincerely on foote in an afflicted soule so endlessely and on euery side are wee prest with the policies of Hell it is too often too forward to feede vpon teares still and still too wilfull in refusing to bee comforted Satan then will bee ready to say Thou seest now thy conscience being illightened thy sinnes are so horrible and haiâ—…ous that they are too heauy a burden for thee to beare there is no way with thee but to sinke into horrour and despaire But what saith Christ Nay now is the season Come vnto me thus weary and heauy laden with thy sinne and I will refresh thee Here now if thou wilt beleeue the
contempt all the vile raylings and contradictions of Satans Reuellers and Popish insolencie For vainely to affect the acclamations and applause of worthlesse men or to bee deiected vnmanlily with their vniust accusations and anger are both equally ignoble and most vnworthy a man of Honour and vertuous resolution Yours shall bee the Crowne and comfort when all Popery and prophanenesse shall lye buried in the dust and dungeon of Hell In a word the thirstie longing of my heart and heartiest prayer shall euer be That you may shine euery day more and more gloriously in all personall sanctitie plantation of godlinesse in your owne Family and where you haue any thing to doe and in an holy zeale for setting forward the affaires of God when and wheresoeuer you haue any power or Calling That when the last period of your mortall abode in this Vale of teares which drawes on apace shall present it selfe You may looke death in the face without dread the graue without feare the Lord Iesus with comfort and Iehouah blessed for euer with euerlasting Ioy. Thus let all the sauing blessings of our most bountifull heauenly Father through Iesus Christ by the Holy Ghost be plentifully and for euer vpon your Honourable Selfe and all your sweet and Noble Children Your Honours most truely in all seruices for the saluation of your Soule ROBERT BOLTON A Table of the generall heads as they lye in order in the Booke SEruants of God singular from others in Sanctitie Puritie c. pag. 2 Gods free grace the 〈◊〉 of all our good p. 9 His wonderfull mercies to vs our horrible ingratitude p. 12 Personall goodnesse brings comfort and blessings vpon posteritie p. 18 True sauing grace neuer lost p. 22 Câ—…tions and meanes of perseuerance 25. 27 Gods seruants must noâ—… sâ—…ue the times p. 28 Euery Christians duty to walke with God p. 29. The reasons 30 To the performing of this there are 1. Generall preparatiues 1. Abandon resoluedly thy beloued sinne See 1. What it is 35 2. What thine is 36 3. Thine owne imposture in exchanging it 38 2. Hatâ—… Hypocrisie 43. Many here guilty meere pretenders to Religion ibid. Particular calling not to be left 48 3. Build thy resolutions on that maiâ—… principle Selfe-dâ—…iall 51 4. Liue the life of faith 〈◊〉 in all 〈◊〉 53 5. Settle in thine heart a right conceit of the substance power and materials of Christianitie 157 6. Fortifie thy Spirit against the canker of worldly-mindednesse 60 7. Be infinitely rauisht with the loue of God The motiues 61 8. Prize inualuably the fruition of Gods pleased face 62 9. Watch ouer thy heart and keepe it in a spirituall temper 63 10. Meditate on thy future blisse 64 1. Obserâ—…e 〈◊〉 duties and our Carriage after them 69 3. Vse well thy solitariâ—… seasons of Meditation 71 4. And thy company 73. Here Danger of propâ—… company 74 How to conuerse with friends vnconuerted 86 5. Continually ply thy heart by 1. Captiuating it to grace 88 2. Watchfull guard ouer it 9â—… 3 〈◊〉 it toward Heauen 9â—… 6. Labour to represse thy raging passions as Anger the 〈◊〉 Morall 95 Religious 100 feare the Vanity tyraâ—…y of it 104 〈◊〉 10â—… 7. Order religiously thy tongue by Christian reproofe A duty 112 Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 114. who dogs 〈◊〉 115 Directioâ—… iâ—… it 118 Extremes fainthearted silence 119 〈◊〉 Zeale 119 Reasons eâ—…orcing it 120 Holding silence 1. From vncharitable 〈◊〉 differenced from the censures of holy men 130 2. Sâ—…dering false accusing 137 3. Vnsauourie communication Hereof Heaâ—…enly discourse 146 8. Manage conscâ—…bly eâ—…ry action thou vndertakest Circumstances requisite iâ—… a comfortable action â—…b particularly 149 1. Thy Recreations See they be not Costly 154 Cruell 155 Wasting of time most precious 157 Incrâ—…aching vpon heauenly comforts 168 Differences betweene ioy spirituall and carnall 170 2. Visitations of great Ones vnsanctified Dangerous 181 Herein cautions 185 3. Naturall actions thus against Gluttony 195 Drunkennesse 200 Excessiue sleepe 205 4. Ciuill affaires Generall Here Doe as thou wouldest be done by 207 Abhorre wrongfull and vnconscionable dealing 210 Desire not delight not immoderately in any earthly thing For This is thy bosome sinnes parent 225 Thou wilt finde thy selfe insatiable vnsatisfiable 219 Particular for Marriage 1. Enter vpon it conueniently 234 2. Vse it comfortably here are duties Common to both 237 Peculiar to the Husband 244 Wife 250 5. Workes of mercy as well Spirituall as 257 Corporall Motiues to almes-deeds 261 Gods children often falsly charged with coâ—…etousnesse worldlinesse occasions of this imputation 276 Earthly mindednesse infinitely vnbecomming an heire of heauen 289 6. Spirituallestate where carefully auoide two extreames 1. Self-admiration proud oâ—…er-prizing of our owne graces 294 Here 1. The mysterie of selfe-deceit opened 299 2. Worke of Grace in the true Conuert 308 3. Sanctified men may be assured of their spirituall safety 317. and how 4. Sound perswasion distinguished from delusion 329 5. Preseruatiues against ouerweening 341 2. Deiected distrustfull vndervaluing of Gods mercies our graces the promises of life Here Against the heauy sad pensiue walking of some Saints 354 Reall causes and motiues of their ioy 359 Conceits and occasions of discomforts remoued 380 FINIS SOME GENERALL DIRECTIONS FOR A COMFORTABLE WALking with God GEN. 6. 8 9. 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9. These are the generations of Noah Noah was a iust man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God IN this dreadfull and dismall story of the old Worlds degeneration and destruction falling away and final ruine here stands in my Text a right orient and illustrious Starre shining full faire with singularitie of heauenly light spiritual goodnes and Gods sincerer seruice in the darkest midnight of Satans vniuersall raigne and amidst the horriblest hell of the strangest confusions idolatrous corruptions cruelties oppressions and lust that euer the earth bore Noah I meane a very precious Man and Preacher of Righteousnesse to whose Family alone the true worship of God was confinde when all the world besides lay drowned in Idolatrie and Paganisme ready to bee swallowed vp into an vniuersall graue of Waters which was already fashioned in the clouds by the angry vnresistable hand of the all-powerfull God who was now so implacably but most iustly prouoked by those rebellious and cruell generations that Hee would not suffer His Spirit to striue any more with them but inexorably resolued to open the windowes or floudgates of heauen giuing extraordinarie strength of influence to the Stars abundance to the Fountaines of the great deepe commanding them to cast out the whole treasure and heape of their waters taking away the retentiue power from the clouds that they might powre downe immeasurably for the burying of all liuing creatures which breathed in the ayre Noah and his family excepted From whence by the way before I breake into my text take this Note Doctr. The seruants of God are men of
right hand Which may for euer with sweetest peace and freedome from slauish trembling assure vs of our rootednesse in Christ constancie in grace and euerlasting abode with him in the other World Hee that will rent vs from Christs mysticall Body being once implanted into Him by a liuely fruitfull Faith and blessedly knit vnto Him by His Spirit as fast as the sinewes of His precious Body are knit vnto His bones His flesh to his sinewes and his skinne to His flesh must pull Him out of heauen and remoue Him from the right hand of His Father What so furious or infernall power can or dare lay a finger on vs in this kinde Hee hath taken the poisoning power out of euery thing that should hurt vs or hale vs backe to hell He hath conquered captiuated carried in triumph and chained vp for euer all the enemies of our soules and enuiers of our saluation They may exercise vs in the meane time for our good but they shall neuer be able to execute their malicious wils or any mortall hurt vpon vs either heere or in the next life 3. The irreuocable obsignation of the blessed Spirit Eph. 1. 13 14. 4. 30. And who or what can or dare reuerse the Deede or breake vp the Seale of the holy Ghost Heere then as you see the blessed Trinity is the vnmooueable ground of our going on in grace 4. The lasting and immortall power of the Word once rooted in a good and honest heart Luke 8. 15. 1. Pet. 1. â—…3 5. The certainety and sweetnesse of promises to this purpose Ier. 32. 39 40. Zech. 10. 12. Ioh. 8. 12. 2. Sam. 7. 14 15. Psal. 89. 31 c. 6. The force and might of Faith 1. Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. 7. The efficacie of Christs Prayer Luk. 22. 32. Ioh. 17. 15 20. Rom. 8. 34. 8. The durable vigour of sauing graces Ioh. 4. 14. Rom. 11. 29. 9. The inabilitie nay impossibilitie of all causes or creatures to plucke out of Gods hand Ioh. 10. 29. or to draw any of His to a totall or finall falling away 1. It is not the Diuell himselfe can doe it 1. Iohn 5. 18. 2. It is not the world 1. Ioh. 5. 4. Ioh. 16. 33. 3. It is not the concurrent fury and vnited forces of all the powers of darknesse Math. 16. 18. 4. It is not sinne 2. Sam. 7. 14 15. Psal. 89. 31 c. 5. It is not weakenesse of Faith and other graces Mat. 12. 20. Esa. 42. 3. 6. It is not the imposture of false prophets Matth. 24. 24. 7. It is no creature or created power Rom. 8. 38 39. Vses 1. This Point thus confirmed doth confound that forlorne Tenent of the Popish Doctors which tels vs that a iustified and sanctified Man may fall finally and totally from grace In which I haue heretofore vpon other occasion in your-hearing punctually refuted those which I conceiued Bellarmines best Arguments I wil not then trouble you now with his Sophistry againe 2. This sweet and precious Truth may crowne the hearts of all those that are truly Christs with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Let new Conuerts and Babes in Christ who are woont to bee very fearefull and much troubled lest they should not hold out because vpon their first entrance into the wayes of Christianitie they are cunningly and concurrently encountred with so many oppositions From the Deuill which then rageth extraordinarily From the World which then tendereth moe and more alluring baites From the Flesh which naturally is very impatient of any spirituall snaffle From carnall Friends who cannot endure their forwardnesse From their old Companions who cry out They are turning Puritanes From the Times which lowre and looke fowre vpon their zeale Sometimes from the Father which begat them from the Mother which gaue them suck from the Wife which lies in their bosome from a world of enemies to grace I say in such a case let them graspe in the armes of their Faith the proofes and promises in the present Point and ride on because of the Word of Truth Let them sweetly with full assurance and vnconquerable resolution repose vpon that euerlasting encouragement for the finishing of their spirituall building which Zerubbabel receiued from the mouth of God Himselfe for successe of the materiall a Type of this Not by might and power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Who art thou O great mountaine before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine and hee shall bring foorth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace grace vnto it And that they may more comfortably and constantly go on let them cast their eyes betime vpon these and the like cautions at their very first giuing their names vnto Christ. 1. Propose such interrogatories as these to thine owne heart Art thou content to abandon thy bosome sinne the sensuall froth of former pleasures hereafter to delight in God as thy chiefest ioy Canst thou take vp thy crosse and follow Christ His Truth and holy tracke amidst the many by-paths that leade to hell and different opinions of multitudes of men Art thou willing to suffer aduersitie disgrace and discountenance with the righteous and contemned godly Ones Canst thou endure to haue things laid vnto thy charge thou neuer didst thoughtst or dreamdst on To become the Drunkards song a By-word to those that are vilâ—…r then the earth musicke at the feasts of those that sit in the gate c In a word for Christs sake to deny thy selfe thy worldly wisdome naturall wit carnall friends old companions pleasures profits preferments ease excellency of learning acceptation with the world outward state liberty life or what else thou canst name dearest vnto flesh and blood If thine heart answere not affirmatiuely I meane out of the resolution of a well-aduised regenerate iudgement for I know the flesh will grumble and reclaime thou wilt certainly fâ—…ll away or end in formality 2. Looke to thy repentance that it be sincere vniuersall constant from the heart-roote for all knowne sinnes to thy dying day 1. If some worldly crosse be the continued principall motiue 2. Or the humour of melancholy 3. If it bee confusedly onely for sinne and in generall 4. Or for some one speciall notorious sinne onely 5. Or for some lesser sinnes with neglect of greater as for tything Mint c. 6. If it be onely legall 7. But for some sinnes of what kinde soeuer leauing but so much as one knowne sinne not taken to heart 8. Or but for a time All will come to naught A foundation of godly sorrow leasurely aduisedly and sincerely laid at first will be for euer after a comfortable encouragement to Faith spirituall ioy well-doing and walking with God 3. Take the touch-stone of fruitfull powerfull and speciall markes to discerne and difference iustifying sauing Faith from all false and insufficient faiths For a temporarie may goe farre 4. Let knowledge and affection like two indiuiduall twins grow vp together in thee and mutually
transfuse spirituall vigour into each other Presume not vpon any knowledge without an humble inflamed affection neither build too much vpon the heate of zeale without the light of knowledge Either of these may be single in some and that in singularitie who after may fall away shamefully 5. Aboue all looke vnto thy heart If thy change were Angelicall in words actions and all outward carriage and yet thy thoughts still the same and reserued thou art but a guilded Tombe and cannot bee saued Let a man take a Wolfe beate him blacke and blue breake his bones knocke out his teeth cut away his clawes put vpon him a Sheepes skinne yet still hee retaines his Woluish nature Let a man become neuer so harmelesse outwardly yet without a new heart all is naught 6. Incorporate thy selfe into the company of Gods people by all engagements and obligations of a profitable intimate and comfortable fellowship in the Gospell There is a secret tie vnto constancie in the communion of Saints Hee is not like to walke long that walketh alone especially if he might enioy good company Shunning society with the godly is too shrowde a signe of a temporarie 7. Consider well for the contrary is a notable discouerie of counterfeits that thy calling to grace must settle thee more surely in thine honest particular calling and make thee therein more faithfull conscionable and painefull Let Christians also of longer standing and more strength in their assaults about perseuerance haue recourse vnto this Tower of Truth and labour to preuent that which they feare 1. By constancie in a carefull vse of all the meanes the Word Prayer Conference Meditation Sacraments c. To which let them preserue appetite and practise that they heare without omission or delay Hee that giues way to a heartlesse neglect or customarie hardnesse of heart in the vse of the Ordinances may iustly suspect his neerenesse to some fearefull sinne or fierce temptation to some heauy iudgement or dangerous Apostacie 2. Assoone as they discouer any spirituall weakenesse or decay assault or temptation let them complaine betime vnto the Throne of Grace and mightily oppose with the feruentest prayers of extraordinarie priuate humiliation 3. Let them keepe perfection still in their eye and aime and towards the attainment thereof acquire and acquaint themselues with Rules of holy life daily directions courses of most mortified men c. 4. Let them watchfully decline all occasions of falling backe Spirituall pride knowne Hypocrisie desire to bee rich vnder-valuing declining the most searching meanes forme and perfunctorinesse in religious duties discontinuance of intimatenesse with the godly neglect of distractions vpon the Lords Day c. 5. Let them consider that all is lost which is past if they fall off 2. Ioh. 8. This former Point of constancie in grace did arise from consideration of blessed Noahs continuance in goodnesse through so many ages Now in that hee did not conforme to the iniquities of the times but did stand vnstained amidst the wickedst generations that euer dwelt vpon earth I collect the necessitie of another constancie and that is in respect of opposition to the corruptions of times Doct. The seruant of God must not serue the times Or thus The true Christian ought to stand at staues end with the corruptions of the time Reason Hee is bound vnto it by his Baptisme Of such as prophaned themselues being Christians with irreligious delight in the Ensignes of Idolatry heathenish spectacles showes and stage-playes Tertullian to strike them the more deepe claimeth the promise which they made in Baptisme Hee is not of the world Ioh. 15. 19. His life is hid with Christ in God Colos. 3. 3. There is a secret heauenly vigour infused into euery gracious Soule by the sanctifying Spirit which deads it to the world and makes it delight in God He ought to shine in the world as a light in the midst of a crooked and peruerse nation Phil. 2. 15. Light and darknesse cannot endure one another neither the power of Grace those workes of darknesse in which the world lyes drowned Hee is by no meanes to bee conformed to this world Rom. 12. 2. nor to runne with the wicked to the same excesse of riot 1. Pet. 4. 4. He is now new-borne and become a Child of Eternity whereby his heart is falâ—…e in loue with new and euerlasting delights and the eye of his soule turned from the dung of this world towards the glory of the second Life As the worldling cannot rellish the sweet ioyes of gracious exercises so neither can the Christian the frothy pleasures of good-fellowship You can as hardly draw the sound Professor to a Conuenticle of swaggering companions as a good-fellow to a day of humiliation Vses 1. Howsoeuer then thou mayst seeme to stand on Gods side by an artificiall acting of some affected formes in Religion by countenancing the Ministerie if thou beest a great Man and outwardly conforming to the Ordinances yet if in thy practise thou beest plunged into the corruptions of the present and thine heart hanker still and hunt in secret after youthfull delights the lusts of men most applauded fashions of the greater part thou art not a Christian in truth but a true counterfeite Assure thy selfe if thou swim downe the current and saile with the tide of the time thou mayest iustly looke euery moment to fall vpon the sudden perhaps in the height of thy temporall happinesse and hottest gleame of thy worldly glory into the irrecouerable and euerlasting Lake of brimstone and fire c. 2. Let euery one who hath giuen his name vnto Christ euer hold it his Crowne and comfort to hold a strong and vnconquerable counter-motion to the courses of the world Let him still discouer the true noblenesse of his Christian spirit and of a mind spiritually generous by gathering vigour and growing inuincible from the very oppositions of the wicked and villanies of the time See Psal. 119. 126 127. 1. King 19. 14. 1. Thes. 2. 2. It was the saying of a morall Heathen That to doe well where was no danger was a common thing but to doe well where was both perill and opposition was the peculiar office of a man of vertue much more say I of a man of God And Noah walked with God Walking with God is the top and flower of all Noahs excellencies and spirituall felicities vpon earth Whence note Doct. That walking with God is the Crowne of the Christians character It is the dutie and propertie of euery true Christian to walke with his God By walking with God I meane a sincere endeauour punctually and percisely to manage conduct and dispose all our affaires thoughts words and deeds all our behauiours courses carriage and whole conuersation in reuerence and feare with humilitie and singlenesse of heart as in the sight of an inuisible God vnder the perpetuall presence of his All-seeing glorious pure eye and by a comfortable consequent to enioy by the
wherein they basely languish and lose their soules and leaue the successe issue and euent of all thy labours and vndertakings vnto the Lord whatsoeuer it may bee resting sweetly and euer relying vpon that gracious promise Heb. 13. 5. I will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee In ordering and guiding the affaires of thy family depend by faith vpon Gods blessing the strength and sinew of all sound comfort and true contentation that way See Psal. 127. In the losse of outward things for thy loue and seruice vnto God by beleeuing that Man of God 2. Chron. 25. 9. The Lord is able to giue thee much more then this Nay in the losse of all earthly things in euery kind see Habac. 3. 17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Oliue shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalles yet I will reioyce in the Lord I will ioy in the God of my saluation Consider also for this purpose Iobs patient blessing of God vpon the surprize and concurrence of an vniuersall misery Iob 1. 21. In pangs of the New-birth spirituall infancy weakenesses of faith prayer godly sorrow and other graces by those cordiall refreshing promises Reu. 21. 6. Math. 5. 6. Isa. 42. 3. and 40. 11. and 57. 15. In oppositions against the raising or restauration of spirituall buildings by the Ministery of the Word or in temptations against a mans personall progresse and holding out against Gods waies vnto the end by renouncing our owne strength disclaiming the arme of flesh and crying in euery encounter Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hoasts What art thou O great mountaine c In languishings and tremblings after relapse into some old or fall into some new sinne by such precious places as these 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Luk. 17. 4. 1. Sam. 12. 20. 1. Iohn 1. 9. From this last place a reuerend Diuine collects this comfort If we see our vnworthinesse and with broken hearts acknowledge it God is faithfull and iust to forgiue it bee it neuer so great But this is a iewell fit onely for the eare of a sincere Christian when out of the fearefulnesse of his distrustfull spirit he puts off all comfort though truely humbled after ensnarement in some more speciall affrighting sinne Let no swine trample vpon it In all kindes of temptations by the power of that promise 1. Cor. 10. 13. Nay euen amidst varietie of them by obeying that precept Iam. 1. 2. My brethren count it all ioy when you fall into diuers temptations In spirituall desertion by refreshing and resting thy sinking soule in the meane time vntill the Lord returne vpon that surest Rocke Isa. 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him Most blessed deare and sweetest Sanctuary If the Christian die in that waiting state he shall be certainely saued For the holy Ghost pronounceth him blessed In the deepe and almost despairing apprehensions of thine extreme vilenesse and as it were nothingnesse in grace by apprehending that most mercifull promise from Gods owne mouth Isa. 43. 25. In thy perplexed and troubled thoughts about returne after backsliding by those comfortable encouragements Ier. 3. 1 12 13 14 22. Hos. 14. 1 2 4. In doubts of losing the loue of God and life of Grace by consideration of those passages in Gods Booke where it appeares that the loue of God vnto his child in respect of tendernesse and constancy is infinitely dearer then that of a most louing mother to her little one Isai. 49. 15. stronger then the stony Mountaines and Rocks of flint Isa. 54. 10. as constant as the courses of the Sunne and of the Moone and of the Starres and of the day and of the night Ier. 31. 36. and 33. 20. nay as sure as God himselfe Psal. 89. 33 34 35. In the Haile stormes of slanderous arrowes and empoysoned darts of disgrace by cleauing to most glorious promises 1. Pet. 4. 14. Mat. 5. 11. In the valley of the shadow of death by an assurance of Gods mercifull omnipotent presence Psal. 23. 4. In the extremitie depth of such desperate distresses and perplexities wherein in thy present feeling thou canst see and find no possibilitie of helpe from Heauen or Earth God or Man but art both helpelesse and hopelesse as the Church complaines Lam. 3. 18. by such like places as those Isai. 33. 9 10. 2. Chron. 20. 12. Gen. 22. 14. Exod. 14. 13. Psal. 78. 65. In euery thing or any thing that shall or can possibly befall thee prosperitie or pouertie crosse or comfort calmnesse of conscience or tempests of terror life or death c. by extracting abundance of vnconquerable patience and peace of soule from those three heauenly golden conduits of sweetest comfort Rom. 8. ver 18 28 32. Thus in any trouble of soule body good name outward state present or to come thou mayest by the soueraigne power of faith working vpon the Word not onely draw out the sting and expell the poison of it but also create a great deale of comfort to thy truly-humbled soule and maintaine it in despite of all mortall or infernall opposition in a constant spirituall gladnesse For all those promises whereupon thy heauy heart in such cases may repose and refresh it selfe haue their being from the blessed name Iehoua see Exo. 6. 3. and therefore are as sure as God himselfe they are sealed with the bloody sufferings of his onely Sonne and therefore as true as truth it selfe and if thou be in Christ are all as certainely thine as the heart in thy body or blood that runnes in thy veines Nay and a little more for thy comfort the glory of Gods truth is mightily aduanced and himselfe extraordinarily pleased by thy more resolute stedfast and triumphant cleauing vnto them What a blessed sweete and heauenly life then is the life of faith V. Apprehend in thy minde and settle in thine heart a true estimate and right conceit of the substance and power marrow and materials of Christianitie Which doth not consist as too many suppose In outward shewes profession talking in holding strict points defending precise opinions contesting against the corruptions of the times in the worke wrought externall formes of religious exercises set-taskes of hearing reading conference and the like in some solemne outward extraordinarie abstinences and forbearances censuring others c. But in righteousnesse peace ioy in the holy Ghost in meekenesse tender-heartednesse loue in patience humilitie contentednesse in mortification of sinne moderation of passion holy guidance of the tongue in workes of mercy iustice and truth in fidelitie painfulnesse in our Callings conscionable conuersing with men in reuerence vnto superiours loue of our enemies an open-hearted reall fruitfull affectionatenesse and bounty to Gods people in heauenly-mindednesse selfe-deniall the life of faith in dis-esteeme of earthly things
sinne thorowout though there may bee difference of heate and crying vnto God according to the necessitie and neerenesse of the passage in the prayer to our particular or the more vniuersall good desire Prayer is the creature of the holy Ghost euery part whereof we should heartily wish and earnestly wrastle that He would proportionably animate as it were and thorowly enlyue euen as the soule doth the body For the third with all intention and watchfulnesse pursue and presse after the things prayed for by a timely apprehension fruitfull exercise and vtmost improuement of all occasions ordinances helpes and heauenly offers which may any wayes concurre to the compassing of them For instance Thou prayest for knowledge walke then when thou hast done with a constant indeauour in the strength of this prayer thorow all the meanes reading hearing conferring practising for euen that also is a meanes to increase knowledge Ioh. 7. 17. especially experimentall catechizing c. for the storing of thy vnderstanding with all sacred illuminations and holy sences of Gods sauing Word Let no opportunitie passe be violent in catching all occasions for the enriching thy braine with such heauenly stuffe and hoarding vp in thine heart such hidden treasures If thou cryest after knowledge saith Salomon and liftest vp thy voyce for vnderstanding Chap. 2. 3. there is the prayer If thou seekest her as siluer and searchest for her as for hidden treasures vers 4. there is the endeauour Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God vers 5. there is the blessing see Psal. 27. 4. Againe thou prayest to be preserued out of ill company thou doest well but when thou hast done doest thou make conscience of that counsell of Salomon Prou. 4. 14 15. and by the power and impression thereof confront and oppose the cunning inticements cursed importunities of thine old companions and brethren in iniquitie Enter not saith Salomon into the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of wicked men Auoide it passe not by it turne from it and passe away c. He that makes Prayer the end of Prayer prayes only to pray and rests in his prayer thinking when that holy duty is done that there is no more to bee done prayes to no purpose There must be good doings as well as good duties He that doth not earnestly and in good sadnesse afterwards set himselfe against sinnes deprecated and pursue with zeale and conscience the graces and good things petitioned his prayer is not worth a button II. Decline idlenesse the very rust and canker of the soule the Deuils cushion pillow chiefe reposall his very tide-time of temptation as it were wherein hee carries with much ease and without all contradiction the currnet of our corrupt affections to any cursed sinne And be diligent with conscience and faithfulnesse in some lawfull honest particular Calling a good testimony if other sauing markes concurre of truth and true heartednesse in thy generall Calling of Christianitie not so much to gather gold and engrosse wealth as for necessary and moderate prouision for family and posteritie and in conscience and obedience to that common charge laid vpon all the sonnes and daughters of Adam to the Worlds end In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne vnto the ground 1. But euer goe about the affaires of thy Calling with a heauenly mind seasoned and sanctified with habituall prayer eiaculatory eleuations willingnesse if God so please to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ pregnant with heauenly matter and meditation pickt out of the passages of thy present businesse For instance Let the Husbandman in Seed-time collect this sacred Soliloquie and heauenly thought If I now take not the season I shall haue no haruest but starue in winter So proportionably if I gather not Grace in this Sun-shine of the Gospell and day of my visitation I shall find nothing but horror vpon my bed of death and burne in Hell for euer hereafter c. 2. In all the ciuill businesses of thy personall Calling let thy eye and aime be vpon Gods glory as the prime and principall end of all thy actions 1. Cor. 10. 31. and in them seeke and serue that glorious end of Gods honour not so much in procuring thine owne as the good of Church Common-wealth Neighbours and Family c. 3. By earthly imployments do not become an earth-worme In vsing the world grow not a worldling and such an one as findes more sweetnesse and pleasure in worldly dealings and the comming in of thy Profits then in thy heauenly traffick and treasures through the practise and trade of Christianitie III. In thy solitarie seasons 1. Single out some speciall profitable choyce matter to meditate on all the while thereby both to preuent the ordinary intrusion of many vaine foolish noy some thoughts impertinent wandrings and wofull trifling out thy precious time and also to keepe thy spirits and the powers of thy soule aworke lest as milstones wanting grist grate and grind one another they waste themselues in a fruitlesse barren melancholy When canst thou bee alone and not haue iust cause either to busie thy mind about some lawfull affaires of thy Calling or wrestle with some corruption which troubles the peace of thy conscience or breake out into the praises of God or some other holy passages of heauenly meditation whereof there is so great varietie and store 2. Watch and withstand with all godly iealosie and care two dangerous euils 1. Thoughts of pleasures from thy youthfull sinnes and vnregenerate time which at such times are ready to make re-entry and very eager being aided by the Deuils cunning and hearts-corruption to re-infect and pollute thy soule againe with sensuall filth and renewed guiltinesse And in this point take heed lest the Deuill delude thee in the glory of an Angel or by the flashes of his counterfeite light cast into thy heart his secret wild-fire and sparkes of lust For in thy solitary musing thou mayest resume into thy memory the abominations of thy former life especially of that sinne which was thy minion-delight and darling-pleasure vpon purpose to bewaile and detest them and yet without a very vigilant eye the Deuill in sinuating some secret ticklings of woonted sinfull sweetnesse that which was intended for an exercise and increase of repentance may cursedly end in the iteration and re-inioyment of old filthy pleasures 2. Take heed also at such times of acting any new sinnes vpon sensuall suppositions and imaginary plots as of worldlinesse lust speculatiue wantonnesse ambition reuenge dishonouring Gods prouidence by an vnnecessarie distrustfull forecasting of fearefull accidents vpon thy selfe family goods posteritie the State c. Some sonnes of Belial there are who make no bones as they say of acting all manner of vncleannesse horrible impuritie in the inward parts by the meere worke of imagination When they cannot compasse and attaine the reall accomplishment of their
euer since 2. Resist and crush euery exorbitant thought which drawes to sinne at the very first rising Encounter it with this dreadfull Dilemma Say vnto thy selfe If I commit this sinne it will cost mee vnvaluably more heart-breake and spirituall smart before I can purchase assurance of pardon and peace of conscience then the sensuall pleasure is worth If I neuer repent it will bee the death and damnation of my soule See what a world of misery man brings vpon himselfe by giuing way to the first wicked thought Disc. of true Happinesse pag. 150. 3. Entertaine euer with all holy greedinesse and make exceedingly much of all good motions put into thy heart by the blessed Spirit howsoeuer occasioned whether by the Ministery of the Word mindfulnesse of death Christian admonition reading some good Booke some speciall crosse extraordinary mercy any way at any time Feede enlarge and improoue them to the vtmost with Meditation Prayer and Practise So thou shalt preserue thine heart in a soft holy comfortable temper and heauenward which is a singular happinesse 3. Eleuation and often lifting vp of the heart towards heauen What Christian heart can indure to discontinue its sweet familiaritie and humble entercourse with God for one day Let thy broken heart therefore euery day besides solemne and ordinarie eiaculations Euening and Morning and vpon other speciall occasions bee sure 1. To bathe it selfe deliciously in the blisfull depths of Gods boundlesse mercies in Christ that it may bee happily kept spiritually merry thankefull and in heart to all holy duties 2. To kisse sweetly the glorified Body of our crucified Lord with the lips of infinitely dearest and vnexpressably affectionate loue though the distance bee great yet the hand of Faith will bring them easily together that it may be preserued in peace puritie and reuengefull opposition vnto sinne for as the application of his meritorious Blood is a soueraigne Plaister to heale the wounded conscience to turne Crimsin and Scarlet into snow and wooll so me-thinkes a serious and compassionate commemoration of the deare effusion thereof should bee both a precious corrosiue to eate out the heart of corruption and a speciall preseruatiue to keepe from sinne sith sinne was the principall in slaughtering the Lord of life 3. To cast the eye of hope vpon the glory euerlastingnesse and vnutterable excellencies of that immortall shining Crowne aboue which after this life and this life is but a bubble a smoake a shadow a thought shall be set vpon thy head by the hand of God a very glimpse of the goodly splendour and rauishing beauty whereof is able both to sweeten the bitterest villanies and basest wrongs from the world and wicked men and to dispell those mists of fading vanities and hurtfull fumes of honours riches and earthly pleasures which this great dunghil of the world heated by the fire of inordinate lusts is wont to euaporate and interpose betwixt the sight of mens soules and the blisse of Heauen VI. Be very watchfull ouer thy most predominant and troublesome passion whether it be feare sorrow loue anger c. All of them are vnruly and raging enough but yet commonly one ouer-rules all the rest and playes Rex as they say in the vnregenerate man nay too often offers to rise in rebellion euen against the most sanctified soule Whatsoeuer it be 1. In thy priuate morning sacrifice be sure to lay on loade of deepest groanes and strongest cries for mortifying grace against it and comfortable conquest ouer it Let that period and passage of thy prayers bee enforced and enlarged with an extraordinarie pang of feruencie and feelingly sealed as it were with the most Seraphicall Selah 2. Cut off all occasions whatsoeuer it cost thee which may any wayes stirre awaken and kindle it Withdraw the fewel that ministers food vnto that passionate flame though it should bee as painefull vnto thee as the plucking out of thy right eye or the cutting off of thy right hand Assuredly the pleasures of inward quiet and sweet spirituall calmnesse of thy so vnderstanding Soule will infinitely recompence any paines in oppositions and resistances in that nature 3. Consider seriously before-hand what a deale of disturbance and vnsettlednesse the visible exorbitancy and breaking of it out will breede and bring vpon thy inward man It will be like a dead Flie in a boxe of precious oyntment disgrace all thy graces and full foully darken the glory of thy profession It will be like fire in the Thatch and for the while cast into combustion as it were the whole frame of thy spiritual building and turne the heauenly peace of thy appeased conscience into a bitter tempest Tell mee whether after a lawlesse transgression of those bonds of moderation to which thy Christian resolution hath confinde it and that it hath preuailed against thee with any notorious excesse I say whether at night thou finde not thy spirit quite downe and much deaded to the exercise of prayer or any other euening duty And if vpon thy waking in the night there should be any terrible winde dreadfull thunder or other affrighting accident whether thy heart would not smite thee vpon that occasion with much more feare and apprehensions of horrour I will suppose thy raigning or rather rebelling passion for I speake to the Christian to be choler and anger and then first listen to the counsell which the very morall Sages minister against this spirituall maladie and to the rules and remedies which the light of reason leades vs vnto 1. Cut off say they the causes and the effect wil vanish Quench the firebrands which enrage this fury and thou shalt be at quiet They are such as these 1. Weakenesse of spirit vnmanlinesse of minde Hence it is that old men infantâ—… and sicke folkes are commonly more cholericke then others Impotency and excesse of passion euer argues the disgrace and inferiority of the vnderstanding part the noblest power of the soule And therefore if we would be armed against the sallies and assaults of this domineering raging distemper we must suffer the hiest and heauenliest part of our soule to know and exercise its place and strength Wee must not make our vnderstandings vnder-lings but giue reason his right and regiment 2. Selfe-loue a foolish doting vpon and adoring our selues which springs from the cursed root of Selfe-ignorance and quite puts out that light of Natures law in our consciences Doe as thou wouldest be done by If before thou lose the reines to that short phrensie thou wouldst suppose and set thy selfe in the place of the party with whom thou art angry and then say and doe no more then if thine owne person were the patient it would bee a notable meanes to curbe thy choler and keepe the credit of dipassionatenesse and moderation and make thee patiently suffer that which perhaps thou hast often confidently offered to others 3. An ouertendernesse and delicate nicenesse in bearing wrongs an impetuous impatiencie for being abused Whereas insensibilitie and
I. That much and generally neglected duty of Christian reproofe By reason of that generall and common fellowship whereof I gaue a taste and touch before of his arbitrary and intimate company euery Christian makes conscience of better choyce which thou must sometimes entertaine and exercise with the men of this world except thou wilt goe out of the world thou shalt meete now and then vpon vnauoydable necessitie and by the exigencie of thy calling with men of intolerable conuersation and very scandalous discourse and at vnawares and vnwillingly fall amongst such companions as will sweare blaspheme Gods Name talke filthily slander the Ministery rayle against good men besides many other scurrill base and prophane speeches much froth and folly in this kind Now in this case ordinarily prophane men meddle not They hold it a point of precisenesse to marre the mirth and cast the company into dumpes of melancholy by calling sinne into question They loue not as they say in their hearts to bee displeasing and vnplausible where themselues gaine nothing and perhaps doe no good to the partie They are commonly old-excellent in rayling vpon and slandering a good man in his absence but they are starke-naught and no-body in reproouing a notorious wretch vnto his face If they open their mouth this way it is commonly in iest in brauerie in forme in derision for some Ones sake in the company who they know cannot endure it or at best out of a ciuill detestation of outragious villany and furious blasphemies of Gods glorious Name But in such cases the Christian is truely sollicitous and zealous very much troubled and carefull how to frame and hold a serious wise and seasonable contradiction to the language of hell which consisteth in oathes lying slandering in obscenities raylings contemptuous insolencies against the Ministerie and wayes of God defence of Poperie and in such rotten and Bedlam talke Hee dares not many times in such company for his heart hold his peace lest thereby he be guiltie in some degree 1. Of the parties going on in sinne 2. Of betraying Gods glory by a cowardly and vnchristian silence and 3. For feare of wounding his owne conscience The omission of the discharge of this dutie will somtimes very much vexe the conscience and grieue the heart of the true-hearted Professour when hee is departed the place and considers that by his basenesse and frailty he hath failed in so holy a dutie and beene faint-hearted in the cause of God For this kinde of reproouing then and such censuring of the words and workes of darkenesse the Christian is not to bee censured too censorious and precise Conscience charitie and Gods Commandement calles and cries vpon him for the performance of this needfull dutie whensoeuer vnauoydable necessitie or the exigencie of a warrantable calling shall haue cast him vpon prophane wretches and imprisoned him for the while amongst fellowes of lewd discourse and gracelesse carriage Except they bee Dogs or Swine Christ himselfe hath commanded that Pearles and holy things shall not bee cast away vpon such Giue yee not saith hee that which is holy vnto Dogs neither cast yee your Pearles before Swine Matth. 7. 6. See also Prou. 9. 8. and 23. 9. The ground of this Commandement of Christ I take to be two-fold 1. A deare compassionate and tender-hearted care of God euen ouer the temporall liues of his children Besides the glorious Ministery and continuall guard of the blessed Angels for their preseruation that they hurt not their foote against a stone his own also All-seeing All-pittying Eye doth euer graciously watch ouer them to keepe them as dearely as the Apple of his owne Eye and therefore hee forbids them to cast themselues desperately into the mouth of a barking Dogge or vpon the paw of a reuengefull and blood-thirsty Lyon that is he would not haue his child to vouchsafe so much as a reproofe to any blasphemous wretch or desperate Swaggerer that would furiously flie in his face for offering him a Pearle 2. An holy iealousie ouer the glory and Maiestie of his owne blessed Word It is that holy Wisedome which issued immediately out of his owne infinite vnderstanding It is farre more pure and vnspotted then siluer tried in a furnace of earth fined seuen-fold It is a sacred Pearle framed and fashioned by His owne Almighty hand in the Palaces of heauen which onely by an inuisible and inspired power can raise those which are dead in sinnes and trespasses to spirituall life stop the bloody issue of originall corruption and preserue the soules of men in euerlasting health In a word it is the Word of God and therefore most vnworthy to be troden vnder foote or trampled in the mire by any sensuall Swine that is no wayes to be vouchsafed to those hatefull and Swinish wretches who out of a malicious sottishnesse entertaine so glorious a message from the mighty God of heauen with contempt and scorne These two reasons of the Commandement lye the Text Giue ye not c. lest they trample them vnder their feete and turne againe and rent you Whence wee haue also some light to discerne who are Dogs who are Swine 1. By Dogs we see are meant obstinate enemies that maliciously reuile the Ministery of the Word the Doctrine of God and the Messengers thereof who doe not onely tread the words of instruction and reproofe vnder foote but also turne againe and all to rend the Teachers and furiously flie in the face of those who fairely tell them of their faults Consider this and tremble all yee that are become scornefull and furious opposites to the power and purity of the Word and bloody goades in the sides of the faithfullest Ministers Alas poore wretches forlorne Caitifes you cast your selues desperately into that accursed and horrible condition that euery good man is bound in conscience not to affoord you so much as an admonition or reproofe or a caueat to preuent those curses which are comming vpon you And you wilfully draw vpon your owne heads that most fearefull doome from Gods Spirit and from the Church of God He that is filthy let him be filthy still He that is a Swine let him bee Swinish still He that rayles against the power of Grace let him continue still a mad Dog He that sets himselfe maliciously against the Ministery of the Word let that man receiue no comfort or benefit by the Word of Life If hee will needs let him roare still swagger be drunke despaire die and be damned 2. By Swine are meant those sottish scurrill wretches who doe scornefully and contemptuously trample vnder foote all holy instructions reproofes admonitions tendred vnto them out of the Word of Truth 1. Some of these are Swine as it were only in practise they do not say much or keepe any great grunting against good men but they feed vnsatiably though silently vpon the drosse and filth of sensuall pleasures and carnall contentments and if at any time a Pearle
were thorowly frighted with the wrathfull countenance of God for their infinite pollutions and prouocations of the eyes of his glory Their consciences were neuer awaked out of their dead sensuall sleepe by the Trumpet of the Law nor receiued any speciall and particular illumination from the sanctifying Spirit In a word they haue no terrour no trouble no worke or businesse at home about their owne finnes in their owne consciences and therefore they haue leasure enough to looke about them and are full enough of sinfull curiositie and vnnecessarie medling to pry and enquire into other mens courses and carriages of malice and spitefulnesse to mistake and misinterpret of pride and peremptorinesse to proclaime many times with great noise and selfe-applause their owne idle malignant forgeries and fancies for faults of those who are much more righteous thē they When they looke forward or any wayes about them they are very sharpe-sighted into the fashions and failings of others most exact in obseruing their neighbours wayes Eagle-eyed to pierce beyond the Moone to spy the least moate in the Sun I meane the smallest infirmity in the most glorious Saint Nay they are of such a refined and sublimated eye-sight that they can discerne some errours and exorbitancies especially in Professours of Religion which neuer had any existence But when they should reflect vpon themselues and turne their eyes to contemplate and consider their owne corruptions there lyes a great beame of hypocrisie betweene them and themselues so that they cannot possibly fee so much as those huge mountaines of many crying sinnes which full heauily presse downe their owne soules towards hell those vnnumbred swarmes of beastly lusts which rage remorslesly within their owne bosomes 2. It is a point of their hypocriticall policie cunningly and confidently to impute those sinnes vnto others which are grosly predominant in themselues that thereby they might purchase an opinion of a supposed innocencie and freedome from the like faults For when they cry out with great noise and clamour vpon other men they thinke they still the cry and stop the mouth of their owne sinnes and labour to fasten a perswasion vpon their owne hearts that sith they with such confidence and bold faces reprooue and censure others others will not out of the congruity of a charitable ingenuousnesse thinke them so shamelesse as to bee iustly liable to the same imputations except some few wiser and more iudicious Christians who are able by spirituall experience to discouer the depths and mysteries of their hypocrisie and for such they care not much for in point of reputation they rely most vpon the common sort and greater part 3. It is the naturall humour of an hypocrite to bee supercilious and censorious Pride is no where more naturally bred so proudly seated and highly enthroned as in his heart And therefore it is his common practise to hunt after estimation by disgracing and disabling others Sith hee wants worth in himselfe he labours to shine by darkening others misconceiuing that euery detraction from other mens reputations is an addition to his owne 4. They hold it a point and proofe of forwardnesse to be forward in finding faults As though the flame of an holy zeale were enkindled in any mans heart onely to giue him light for the discouery of other mens sinnes and not as a sacred fire to burne vp the noysome lusts which boyle in his owne brest Thus and vpon such grounds as these it is the hatefull propertie of Hypocrites and selfe-guiltie ones and a common marke of their cruell seueritie to wade deepely into the search and censure of other mens wayes and to gore verie bloodily into the consciences of others whereas they neuer purged their owne But true zeale euer casts the first stone at a mans selfe and plucks the beame out of his owne eye that he may better discerne and draw the mote out of anothers eye I meane a sincere heart is euer most censorious and seuere against it selfe most searching into and sensible of its owne sinnes prying with speciall curiositie and inquisitiuenesse into the endlesse maze of its owne wicked windings and depths of guile Though it heartily and vnfainedly detest all sinne in whomsoeuer yet it s owne iniquities and pollutions sticke closest and goe neerest and beget in it a more particular and extraordinary impression of remorse and loathing The reason is it hath truly tasted the terrors of a wounded conscience been scorched with the secret sence of Gods angry face and formerly full sorely crusht vnder the most grieuous burthen of innumerable sinnes It knowes right well by wofull experience what bitternesse of spirit and anguish of soule springs naturally from the retired suruey of scandalous transgressions in cold blood It feeles from time to time deadnesse of heart lessening of graces losse of comfort to ensue vpon euery grosse relapse or willing fall It findes too often to its much griefe that if it foster and nuzzle in it selfe any sensuall corruption or secret lust the Lord will not heare its prayers It is full well acquainted with the vnualuable preciousnesse of a peacefull conscience and Gods fauourable countenance which it cannot possibly enioy if it lie delightfully in any one sinne against its knowledge c. This being the experience exercise and constitution of an vpright heart it is most angry and displeased with most Eagle-eyde and watchfull ouer most strict and seuere against its owne sinnes Which home-imployment happily hinders and moderates a man from too much medling abroad This world of worke within about his owne soule in discouering opposing and mortifying his owne vnruly lusts and rebellions ties his tongue from being so busie in censuring other mens faults As therefore thou wouldest haue a true testimonie of taking thine owne sinnes to heart and of hauing beene sincerely humbled vnder Gods mighty hand thy selfe keepe a constant and narrow watch ouer thy tongue be very sparing in speaking the euill which thou knowest by others iudge no man rashly out of spleene humour passion pride preiudice Pharisaisme c. or of his finall state For all sound Conuerts and truely mortified men desire and labour to be very charitable mercifull and seasonable in their censures Consciousnesse of their owne corruptions makes them compassionate towards others in this kinde Obiect Yea but will some say howsoeuer you put it vpon prophane men and hypocrites yet it is well knowne your Professours are the onely shrewd censurers very sightfull and seuere about other mens faults and are still ready vpon all occasion by their peremptory iudging to send all others vnto hell saue themselues and those of their owne sect as they speake And so was the way to heauen stiled many a yeere agoe Answer This I grant is many times the prophane mans censure of the true Christian and therein he discouers himselfe to be a true hypocrite for with much bitternesse and malice hee censures sincere-hearted men to be censorious when himselfe is the only
the most worthy Saints are wofully haunted with too many distractions and violent intrusion of idle vaine and impertinent thoughts euen in holy duties religious exercises and solemne vse of the ordinances which without extraordinarie watchfulnesse and wrastling on their parts would vtterly bereaue and robbe them of all the sweetnesse power and profit of those blessed meanes and by little and little quite transforme them into forme and perfunctorinesse If in the best then and heauenliest businesses the vanity of our owne mindes and malice of the Deuill presse vpon vs with such importunitie and restlesse assaults with what furious and impetuous incursions and vastations of conscience are they like to oppresse vs in our idle houres ill spent time and pursuit of pleasures Consideration whereof me thinkes should cause Christians who alone are truely sensible of the interruption and discontinuance of their sweet communion and societie with Christ and smart many times for the estrangement of their thoughts and affections from God onely to haue recourse to recreations in case of true neede for necessitie I say and seasonably euen as they vse physicke so may they expect Gods gracious protection from the hurtfull preuailing of those sensuall distempers and licentious ranging of their thoughts which are wont to enrage and empoyson the mindes and affections of carnall men all the while and to make account so often as they are haled by the cunning ensnarement of old companions the tyrannie of former custome or vnmortified yeeldingnesse of their owne deceitfull hearts to immoderation and excesse in this kinde so often to expose their hearts by Gods iust permission as a prey to temptation and vanitie Whereby they may bee in continuall danger either by little and little to bee drawne backe and drowned againe in the froth and fooleries of their disauowed pleasures which were an horrible thing or else at least to bring vpon themselues from time to time as they transgresse in this kinde much vnnecessarie discomfort and dissettlednesse in their Christian course dis-rellish in Religious exercises deadnesse of heart disacquaintance with heauenly comforts losse of that dearest Thing and earthly Paradise peace of Conscience which perhaps they shall hardly with much adoe recouer a long time after 6. Sixthly consider Chrysostomes precisenesse against wasting time this way The present time saith he is not for melting into 〈◊〉 but for lamentation and mourning And yet doest thou vainely mis-spend it in merry conceits The Deuill gnasheth the teeth roares and foames and flashes out fire against thy saluation and doest thou sit still and Iouially iest it out Doe wee play and sport our selues Beloued Wilt thou learne the conuersation of the Saints Heare what Paul saies Act. 20. 31. By the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares 2. Cor. 2. 4. Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote vnto you with many teares 2. Cor. 11. 29. Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not 2. Cor. 5. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle doe groane being burdened And the Apostle desiring that I may so speake euery day to depart this life Doest thou laugh and play Our time here is a time of warre of fight of watch and ward of harnessing of standing in the face and fury of the enemy and doest thou demeane thy selfe like a dauncer Doest thou not see the faces of Souldiers in the fight how sad they are how contracted how terrible with frownes how full of horrour Doest thou not behold the austore piercing intention of their eyes an extraordinarie excitation of heart leaping and panting in their brests c. His meaning imports thus much Doth an ordinarie Souldier in the field against a mortal man earthly enemy recollect and vnite all the spirits and powers of body and soule with all efficacie and earnestnesse for the encounter And shall a Christian Souldier that wrastles not against flesh and blood but against Principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places who is euery moment furiously assaulted and hunted euen like a Partridge in the Mountaines by the deuils open rage the ambushment of the World and the endlesse treacheries of his owne false heart trifle away his time and turne aside to toyes 4. No incrochers vpon heauenly comforts no diminishers of our delight in God no deuourers of spirituall ioy For this is a very deare and diuine thing to bee prized and preserued as a sweet and celestiall Iewell far more worth then heauen and earth which the world can neither giue nor take from vs neither must any stranger meddle with it Wee may take an estimate of its excellency by casting our eyes vpon 1. The intolerable bitternesse of the contrary I meane spirituall horrour which we see sometimes by wofull experience doth enrage the guilty consciences of some forlorne wretches with such restlesse furies and vnutterable anguish that at length extremest I know not whether madnesse or cruelty they lay violent and villanous hands vpon themselues In which case such an hell vpon earth is horrour of conscience they care not a button for the sweetnesse of life the rufull cries of their owne deare children the heauy lookes of their yoke-fellowes the abhorred infamy they bring vpon their owne names families kindred buriall posteritie Oh how they spurne at with a vile disdainefull contempt Pleasures Riches Honours Crownes Kingdomes Worlds of gold any thing euery thing as miserable comforters Nay it is so stinging that they will rather venture vpon that other Hell to which they are posting in a Coffin of blood a thousand thousand times more horrible then endure it any longer If sence then of diuine indignation taking secret vengeance vpon the guilty conscience of an impenitent Rebell puts him as it were into hellish flames aboue ground what an heauen vpon earth is a sweet feeling of Gods reconciled face and his euerlasting mercies through Christ sealed and set on by the holy Ghost and testimonie of a good conscience And how deliciously doth an humble soule so honoured with a foretaste and first-fruits as it were of eternall ioyes graspe the Lord Iesus in his ordinances and blisfully sunne it selfe in the loue and light of His countenance 2. The practise of the prophane in their insatiable restlesse pursuite of false ioyes and painefull pleasures which at best are but as crackling of thornes vnder a pot and flashes of lightning before euerlasting fire They hunt after them euen into hell and light a candle at the Deuill for lightsoâ—…nesse of heart by haunting Ale-houses Tauerneâ—… Brothel-houses Play-houses Conuenticles of good-fellowship sinfull and vnseasonable sports a thousand kinds of vanities and fooleries which are nothing but the Deuils Wakes and reuellings of Hell And all this little poore carnall mirth is purchased many times with much shame losse misery beggery rottennesse of body discredit damnation At what an high
in all corners of the Christian world the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus as greedily and with as furious thirst as euer hee did since the Dragon first gaue him his power But I hope in the strong God of our saluation For strong is the Lord God who iudgeth the Whore that this is the last draught and that vpon his next health as it were begun to the Deuill in this cup of fierie crueltie against the seruants of Christ the Vial of Gods vnquenchable wrath wil choake him for euer Blood he shal haue enough but from the reuenging hand of the Lord God of recompences in fury and iealousie 2. Besides that thus the rage of vnsatiablenesse and restlesnesse of pursuit doth still boyle in euery carnall heart that is carried immoderately after its owne wayes or inordinately vpon any earthly thing it is also thereby in Gods iust iudgement extraordinarily hardened and estranged from God For the deepelier our affections are drowned in the World and endeared to any sensuall delight the more desperately are they diuorced from God and deaded to heauenly things It is iust with God to suffer that heart to be turned first into earth and mud and after to freeze and congeale into steele and Adamant which preferres Earth before Heauen a dunghill before Paradise broken cisternes which can hold no water before the euer-springing Fountaine of glory and blâ—…sse a few bitter-sweet pleasures for an inch of time in this vale of teares before vnmixed and immeasurable ioyes through all eternity in those glorious mansions aboue Our hearts are originally hard by the curse of Nature Ezek. 11. 19. afterward by a wilfull course and continuance in sin we adde Adamant of our owne Isai. 48. 4. Zech. 7. 12. and by not suffering the Sword of the Spirit to search and sunder our minion-delights from our bosoms Heb. 4. 7. Then Satan is let loose to put to his iron sinewes Luk. 22. 3. Lastly God himselfe hardeneth by an act of Iustice as wee may see Exod. 9. 12. Thus the heart which hates to be reformed being glued to a sensuall obiect or worldly lust by its owne inbred corruption infusion of hellish poyson and iust curse of God growes into such a prodigious rocke That no crosse or created power not the softest eloquence or seuerest course nay not the waight of the whole World were it all prest vpon it can possibly mollifie or reclaime it It will neuer yeeld or relent or be rent from its darling delight but dye in its deadnesse and be desperately hardened for the very depth of Hell except the Almightie Spirit take the hammer of the Word into his owne hand that by his speciall vnresistable power and mercifull violence he may first breake it in pieces with legall remorse and after by the sprinkling and powerfull application of Christs blood resolue it into teares of true Euangelicall repentance that so onely by a gracious miracle of diuine mercy it may be softned sanctified and saued The stubborne Iewes were heauily loaden with an extraordinary variety of most grieuous crosses and afflictions There was nothing wanting to make them outwardly miserable and no misery inflicted vpon them but vpon purpose to humble and take downe their rebellious hearts The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 1. paints out to the life the rufull state of their fresh bleeding desolations The whole head saith he is sicke and the whole heart is heauie c. for the place is meant not as some take it of their sinnes but of their sorrowes But all these blowes and pressures were so farre from melting them that they made them harder Wherefore should you be smitten anymore for yee fall away more and more What created power can possibly haue more power vpon the soules of men then the sacred Sermons of the Sonne of God who spake as neuer man spake And yet His deare intreaties and melting inuitations which sweetely and tenderly flowed from that heart which was resolued to spill its warmest and inmost blood for their sakes moued those stiffe-necked Iewes neuer a iot Hierusalem Hierusalem how often would I and you would not Matth. 23. 37. Isaiah that Noble Prophet whose matchlesse stile incomparably surpasseth the vtmost possibility of all humane inuention and to which the choicest elegancies of prophane Writers are pure barbarisme shed many and many a gracious showre of most heauenly piercing sweetest eloquence vpon a sinfull Nation and rebellious people which were fruitlesly spilt as water vpon the ground or lost as vpon the hardest flint His many heauenly soule-searching Sermons which breathed nothing but spirit and life yet to them hardened in their sinnes and hating to be reformed were but as an idle and empty breath vanishing into nothing and scattered in the ayre The Lord as he saith made his mouth like a sharpe sword and himselfe a chosen shaft and yet that two-edged sword was full often blunted vpon their hardest hearts and his keene arrowes discharged by a skilful hand rebounded from their flinty bosomes as shafts shut against a stone-wall Which made that Seraphicall Orator cry out I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength for naught and in vaine A course of extraordinary seuerity and terrour was taken with the Tyrant Pharaoh he was not onely chastised with rods but euen scourged with Scorpions and yet all the plagues of Egypt were so farre from taming and taking downe his proud heart that euery particular plague added vnto it a seuerall iron sinew so farre they were from softning it that they seared it more No materiall weight can more crush the heart of a man into pieces then braying in a morter and yet saith Salomon Though thou shouldest bray a foole an old obstinate sinner in a morter among wheate with a pestle yet will not his foolishnes his wilfull cruelty in killing his owne soule and Bedlam madnesse in exchanging a little transitorie pleasure with endlesse paine depart from him Prou. 27. 22. Now what an horrible hardnesse and hellish stone is that which no ministery or misery nay nor miracles See Exod. 10. 27. 1. King 13. 33. 2. King 1. 11. Ioh. 18. 12. nor mercies Isai. 26. 10. can possibly mollifie Here now should I haue passed out of this point did I not conceiue that of all the waightiest ciuill affaires incident to humane deliberation there is none more materiall important or of greater consequence either for extremest outward vexation and hearts-griefe or extraordinary sweete contentment and continuall peace then matter of marriage A word or two therefore of 1. conuenient entrance into and 2. comfortable enioyment of that honourable estate For the first 1. Let thy choyce be in the Lord according to blessed Saint Pauls Rule 1. Cor. 7. 39. onely in the Lord. Let pietie bee the first moouer of thine affection the prime and principall ponderation in this greatest affaire and then conceiue of personage parentage and portion as they say and such outward things and
day-labour will helpe him to heauen and serue his turne for saluation And if any of these sottish cauillers be questioned challenged for the vnsoundnesse of his spirituall state he will be ready with absurd rudenesse and irkesome clamour to breake out into such brags as these What tell you mee of these high points or trouble mee with this new learning I was neuer asked thus much before in all my life and yet the time is to come that euer our Parson threatned to keepe me from the Communion I doe no man wrong I pay euery man his owne I am neither thiefe nor drunkard nor whoremaster I liue peaceably amongst my neighbours c. I know as much as the Preacher can tell me though he preach out his heart That I must loue God aboue all and my neighbour as my selfe and that I hope I doe c. whereas poore blinded soule hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pride ignorance prophanenesse and impenitencie as the skin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is â—…moothly carried hoodwinckt by the diuell to hell without all noyse or any contradiction 7. The worke of Gods restraining Spirit Which sometimes by its power and terrour keepes in and confines a mans inward corruption that it breakes not out into such open outrages and outward villanies as in some other wicked Ones And that for the good and quiet of his owne people or some other secret ends seene and seeming good to his heauenly Highnesse Now this restraint by the delusion of the deuill and deceit of a mans owne heart may bee apprehended as a great conquest ouer corruption and so a conuersion thence vainely concluded 8. Education in a religious family thus Some in such a place being onely outwardly warmed with the heate of holy exercises about them and by custome and for company growne conformable to religious duties with some contentment depart thence with a â—…aineglorious conceit and vnsound perswasion that they are also of the right stampe because they were so long amongst spirituall tooles and at the fire which might indeed haue truly melted their yet too frozen and flinty hearts Put a Sow into a greene medow and shee will keepe her selfe as faire as the Sheepe but let her breake out and she will wallow againe in the mire as filthily as before so it is with too many such 9. Much knowledge and noble defence of that blessed Orthodoxe Truth which wee professe without a kindly sauing impression of goodnesse and grace in the heart Many great men and great Schollers more is the pitie are empoysoned with this conceit they are selfe conceited that if they be zealous Patrones and protectours of true Religion they are safe enough for saluation though alas they be meere strangers nay too many times opposites to the power and practise thereof 10. The benefit of a better nature and a constitution not so precipitant and prone to some corruptions For instance A man hereby may see others lâ—…e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most abominable beastly sinne of drunkennesse when his heart riseth against such swinish filth others transported with furious and fiery passions when as his milder temper knowes no such rage others hunting after high roomes with the hazzard of their soules and certaine ship wracke of a good conscience when as his solitary disposition affects retirednesse and home Thus when it is many times the infirmity impotencie or deformity of nature or at best but the naturall moderation of a better complexion that dis-inclines and disables him from the acting of some grosser euils hee fondly conceiues that it is the power and soueraignetie of grace which makes the difference betwixt himselfe and other sons of Belial who by natures impetuousnesse are more prone and prouoked thereunto 11. The heartlesse effects of slauish feare which sometimes will curbe some kinde of men from committing some notorious sinnes and spurre them forward to the outward performance of some holy duties yet they not marking the motiues manner or end nor taking to heart at all the grosse exorbitancy of any of them but onely eying the worke wrought may causlesly bee too well conceited of themselues and so coozen their owne soules But let no true-hearted Nathaneel heere mistake I know some of Gods dearest Children who make conscience of all sinne and to please God in all things yet in darkenesse of their melancholy or heate of temptation may feare all is naught with them because they feare they doe all for slauish feare But their feares iealousies hearty complaints and holy desires to the contrary may minister comfort enough if they will be counselled vntill they come out of temptation 12. Euen the blessed Word of God misunderstood and wretchedly abused to the deuils aduantage and damnation of mens soules For instance Some sucke poyson out of that heauenly flower Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued collecting and concluding thence that if they can say Lord Lord though they bee meere strangers to the life of Grace yet they shall liue for euer But such should know that euery one who in that sauing sence calleth vpon the Name of the Lord must depart from iniquity 2. Tim. 2. 19. and must sauingly beleeue Rom. 10. 14. Now such a fruitfull faith euer purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. and is inseparably attended with a glorious traine of heauenly graces vertue knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnesse charity 2. Pet. 1. 5 6 7. I haue heard with mine owne eares that place Rom. 12. 1. sottishly peruerted to the maintenance of lukewarmenesse coldnesse in Religion and goodfellowship When purity in heart holinesse of life vniuersall obedience and other requisites to saluation haue beene pressed it hath beene replyed in good earnest I pray you why are you so hote what needs all this what needs so much adoe when a reasonable thing will serue the turne Is it not said which is your reasonable seruice Now I often wonder what such men as these meane who are Proctors and pleaders for this Leodicean reserued mediocritie and politike moderation in matters of heauen what worship and seruice they would proportion out for the All-powerfull God Doth any man of braine conceiue that the mighty dreadfull Lord and Iudge of all the world who offers vnto vs by the Ministerie in the meane time his owne deare Sonne with all the rich purchases of his hearts blood and would giue vs the full fruition of himselfe heereafter with all the glory and endlesse felicities aboue will be bobd off if I may so speake with an heartlesse formall outwardnesse with a cold rotten carkasse of religion It cannot be He is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and truth If men will needs harden themselues in bitternesse and blasphemies against the purity and power of godlinesse if they will still browbeate and beare downe their brethren for their zeale and feruencie in the affaires of God let them teare those sacred leaues out of Gods blessed Booke that sparkle out vnto vs
euen Bellarmine himselfe speakes proportionably in another case Vpon a passage in Austin acknowledging the interior efficacy of Gods Spirit giuing testimony to our hearts concerning the truth of that which is contained in the Scriptures saith he This light of faith is a certaine testimonie of God by which it is said to the secret cogitations of our hearts That is true thou needest not to doubt thereof Here is an immediate testimony of the Spirit granted for the confirmation of the truth of the Word why may not the like bee expected for an assurance of the worke of the Word Mighty and remarkeable was the worke of the Spirit this way vpon the heart of that Noble Martyr Robert Glouer vpon the first sight and representation of the Stake so sweetely seasonable is God in all his refreshings For two or three dayes before his death hee was full heauily oppressed with the spirituall miseries of a dead heart and spirituall desertion In which time no doubt hee cried mightily vnto God and often reflected the eye of his renewed conscience vpon a truly beleeuing penitent humble holy and heauenly heart resolued to sacrifice its warmest blood in the mercilesse fire for the testimony of Iesus and yet no comfort would come But in the very nicke and needfull time as you may see in the Story the blessed Spirit did suddenly shine into his darke and desolate soule with the glorious beames of his owne immediate comfort and so sensibly filled it with such ouerflowing Riuers of spirituall ioyes that no doubt they mightily abated and quencht the ragefull fury of those Popish flames wherein hee sweetely fell asleepe It was a speciall and immediate springing of the holy Ghost in his heart which made Master Peacock after many dayes of extremest horrour professe that The ioy which be felt in his conscience was incredible We feele and acknowledge by daily experience that Satan doth immediately iniect and shall not the blessed Spirit after his holy and heauenly manner immediately also suggest sometimes Neither is this to bee reputed an extraordinary reuelation or Enthusiasme without or beside the Word of God I heartily abominate all Anabaptisticall fooleries and phrensies For that which the Spirit so reueiles vnto our consciences we our selues may collect and conclude out of Gods Word vpon the conscience of our faith repentance other sauing endowments and holy graces shining in our soules and vprightly exercised in our whole conuersation When wee by these meanes haue assured our soules that we are the children of God which is the testimony of our owne renewed spirits the Spirit of God as another witnesse secondeth and confirmeth this assurance by diuine inspiration and by sweet motions and feelings of Gods speciall goodnesse and glorious sauing presence and so acording to the Apostles phrase Rom. 8. 16. beareth witnesse with our spirits Wherefore if any man presume vpon or pretend any immediate suggestion or reuelation for his spirituall safetie and euerlasting well-beeing and yet want vtterly the testimony of 〈◊〉 renewed conscience to the same purpose the testimony of vniuersall obedience of not lying willingly and delightfully in any one knowne sin of crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts c. I can giue him none but this cold comfort hee is cursedly coozened by the Deuils counterfeit glory of an Angell casting into his abused imagination such groundlesse conceits which in time of triall will vanish into nothing and flye away as a dreame By the way let me tell you that though this last manner of assurance bee more immediately from the Spirit yet conceiue that the other also are not effectuall vpon the heart without the excitation illumination and assistance of the same blessed Spirit For the first consider that forecited place 1. Corinth 2. 12. For the second when the conscience through the ministrie of the Law doth testifie to a man his state in sinne and vnder the curse it is through the spirit of bondage that it doth testifie then when it doth testifie to him his state of grace and freedome from the curse it is much rather from the Spirit of Adoption No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost For the third I doubt not but the blessed Spirit as a comfortable Remembrancer refreshed Hezekias memory when he cryed to the Lord Remember now O Lord c. Isai. 38. 3. But how shall a man discerne and difference a true perswasion and the testimony of the Spirit from a groundlesse presumptuous conceit and the Deuils delusion If Bellarmine aske me I will easily stop his mouth First by demanding him how his Saint Francis and S. Antony knew assuredly that their reuelations of the certaine remission of their sinnes were from the Spirit of God especially sith with him they were reuelations quite besides and without the Word For he holds that this proposition Francis is truly iustified Antony hath his sinnes forgiuen and so of other particular men is not to be found in the Word either immediately or by euident consequence which we vpon good ground contradict if the particular men be true beleeuers Secondly by that saying of Ambrose vrged by Catarinus in the Councell of Trent The holy Ghost doth neuer speake vnto vs but doth make vs know that it is Hee that speaketh But if the doubtfull Christian truly troubled about it would be taught and informed in the point or if it be possible that the Pharise the deluded One should heartily desire to be illightened I aduise that they would consider vpon these following markes of difference 1. A sound perswasion vpon good ground by the Spirit is euer agreeable and answerable exactly to the Word The inward testimony of the Spirit and outward testimony of the Word doe alway sweetely accord and one answeres to the other as face to face in water And therefore if that thy present state wherein thou conceiuest thy selfe to bee sure and safe inough for saluation bee disabled and condemned by Gods Word thy confidence is vaine and Satan deludes thee The Scripture tels vs That whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sin 1. Ioh. 1. 3 9. which is not to be vnderstood simply of the act of sinning For who can say My heart is cleane But in this sence He makes not a trade of sinning he sinneth not with purpose pleasure and perseuerance he doth not liue lie and delight in sinne he suffers it not to reigne in him If then thou allowest any lust in thy heart or goe on in the willing practise of any one knowne sinne or sensuall course and yet bee well conceited of thy selfe for comfort in the World to come the Deuill coozens thee God will not heare the prayers but wound the hairie scalpe of euery such a one For instance If thou lyest in lying for it s one thing to be ouertaken that way out of feare or ere thou be aware another thing to continue in
A sound and vndeceiuing perswasion that thou art euerlastingly lockt in the armes of Gods mercy and loue grounded vpon the Word seconded and set on by the Spirit is a most rare and rich Iewell which doth infinitely out-shine and ouerweigh in sweetenesse and worth any rocke of Diamond Cristall Mountaine or this great Creation were it all conuerted into one vnualuable Pearle and therefore is infinitely enuied and assaulted mightily on all sides It is continually hunted like a Partridge on the Mountaines by naturall distrust the policy of Satan and all the powers of darkenesse There is not a wicked spirit but is transported with implacable indignation against that heauen vpon earth and therefore rages and roares about thee still to rob and bereaue thy humble brest of such an heauenly Iemme Besides the two maine ends and generall aimes of all the malice and machinations of those apostated angels 1. the dishonour of God and 2. the discomfort of mens soules In this poynt they are peculiarly enraged with extreme hellish anger to see a mortall man a childe of Adam crowned by Gods mercifull hand euen in this life with right and interest and as it were an earnest penny of the Inheritance with the Saints in light and of those blessed Mansions of glory and rest of which by their Apostacy and pride they haue vnhappily and euerlastingly depriued themselues Neither onely so but they imploy also their Agents enuious to the grace of God and thine owne fearefull heart to charge falsely many times vpon thee Hypocrisie and delusion left that white stone giuen thee by the holy Ghost the splendor and sweetnesse whereof none knoweth but hee that hath it should fairely shine vpon thy sad soule with that lightsomenesse and comfort as it both may and ought Whereupon it must needes follow that if thy perswasion be well grounded and assurance true it will be accompanied and often exercised with feares iealousies doubts distrusts varieties of temptations Satans firiest darts iniected scruples contradictions of flesh and blood cauils of carnall reasons want of comfortable feelign c. which will many times necessarily driue thee to cry mightily to God and complaine at the Throne of grace against all this hellish ordnance and assaults of thy vnbeleeuing heart by the wrastling of faith to warme thy â—…oule with meditation vpon the promises to re examine and reuise thy grounds to confirme thy watch to resort for counsell strength and comfort to the quickening meanes experience of former sweet feelings and motions of the Spirit to truly iudicious Diuines experienced Christians dayes of humiliation bookes of best rellish to a spirituall taste c. But now on the contrary side his presumptuous confidence and groundlesse conceit lyes in the Pharises bosome with much quietnesse and security without doubting difficulty contradiction or any such adoe The reason is his carnall heart is well enough content and meddles not because it still feedes vpon the delights of his darling sinne without disturbance Satan is too subtill to interpose tempt or interrupt in such a case For he well knoweth that his foundation is falsehood his hope of heauen but a golden dreame and therefore in policy he holds his peace that hee may hold him the faster Take notice by the way that that very thing which makes many a truehearted Christian to doubt of himselfe and of the soundnesse of his spirituall state should put him out of all doubt euen often exercise with doubts temptations multiplyed attempts against his faith and assurance of Gods loue prayed against humbly resisted and opposed with cleauing vnto the tenderheartednes of Christ truth of his promises though for the present he hath little or no feeling no such ioy and peace in so beleeuing And that very thing vpon which the deluded Ones doe build and many times boast themselues to wit that they are vntroubled vntempted in point of faith and pretended assurance may returne an infallible remonstrance to their own consciences that they are certainely deceiued For doubtlesse that faith which is neuer assaulted with doubting is but a fancy Assuredly that assurance which is euer secure is but a dreame Many a Pharise stands by the bedside of the sincere Professor visited with affliction of conscience and many heauy temptations secretly and sinfully pleasing himselfe in the vnblessed calmenesse of a groundlesse confidence and in his freedome from such terrors and spirituall troubles when as himselfe is like an Oxe fatting in the greene pastures of impunity and outward prosperity for the day of slaughter But the afflicted party is as precious gold purifying in the Lords refining furnace that hee may afterward come out and shine more gloriously 4. In that heart to which the Spirit of God testifies that we are His children Ro. 8. 16. doth the same Spirit create many feruent eiaculations strong cryes vnutterable groanings verse 26. The testimony of the Spirit is euer attended with the Spirit of prayer That glorious glimpse shining into the soule and assuring it of saluation is so sweete so heauenly so rauishing so transcendent and incomparably aboue all earthly ioy that it warmes the spirit of a man with quickning life liberty to powre out it selfe in the presence of his Lord and his God before the Throne of Grace sometimes in more hearty triumphant and as it were winged prayers at other times in those which are more faint and cold yet edged with infinite desires that they were more feruent and therefore by the way as it were mingled and perfumed with the soueraigne satisfactory incense in the Golden Censer which the Angell of the Couenant holds in his hand are graciously accepted of him which by an excellency and title of highest honour is stiled the Hearer of Prayers or at least with vnexpressable groanes and inward wrastlings for preseruation recouery enlargement of that same comfortable assurance it selfe and of all other holy graces and fruits of the Spirit purity of heart conquest ouer corruption neerer communion with God spirituallmindednesse and such other heauenly guests amongst whom it is woont to dwell with delight and represent it selfe more comfortably But now on the other side euery deluded Pharise is a meere stranger to the power of Prayer His presumption and groundlesse confidence is but a weede which will grow of its owne accord and therefore is not sensible of any necessity neither feeles any want of constant prayer from a broken heart vniuersall obedience or the holy precisenesse of the Saints to support it 5 An assurance of Gods Loue vpon sure ground doth mightily quicken keene and spurre forward the ingenuous Christian to more holinesse hatred of sinne resolution in good causes watchfulnesse ouer his heart walking with God Hauing these promises saith he let me cleanse my selfe from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Hauing this hope I will labour to purifie my selfe euen as He is pure To
like a Lion Let sadnesse sit vpon their foreheads as its proper seate and furies of conscience affright their spirits still with cryes of blood Let no voyce of ioy or gladnesse bee heard in their habitations but the most griezly apparitions of damned horrour dwell for euer in the eye of their guilty consciences For without repentance this is their lot and this is their euerlasting portion And most happy were they if any thing would fright and fire them out of the armes of darkenesse and snares of the deuill I say let the aspiring Lucifers looke heauily vpon foresight of their dreadfull downfall for though they exalt themselues as the Eagle and though they set their nests among the starres yet thence will I bring them downe saith the Lord. Though their excellencie mount vp to the heauens and their head reach vnto the clouds yet they shall perish for euer like their owne dung Let all couetous worldlings cry out for so the holy Ghost commands them Goe to now ye rich men weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupted and your garments motheaten your gold and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire ye haue heaped treasure together for the last dayes Let all impure goodfellow-drunkards hold downe their heads and howle for the horrible Woe which dogs them at heeles Woe to the Crowne of Pride to the Drunkards of Ephraim Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong One which as a tempest of haile and a destroying storme as a flood of mighty waters ouerflowing shall cast downe to the earth with the hand the Crowne of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden downe vnder feete Let the very heartstrings of all lasciuious wantons tremble at the terrour of that cutting commination Heb. 13. 4. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge Let that stinging But Eccles. 11. 9. strike cold to the hearts of all sensuall Gallants and sonnes of pleasure Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement Nay let the heart of euery man whosoeuer he be of what cloth soeuer his coat be made that goes on in the willing allowed practise of any one knowne sinne fall asunder in his brest like drops of water for the day of horrour that is at hand and the sword of vengeance which hangs ouer his head For certainly at length the Lord will wound the hairy scalpe of euery one that goeth on still in his trespasses In a word wayling and wringing of hands woe and alas is the merriest song that any wicked man vpon earth can sing vpon good ground while hee yet abides in his vnregenerate state Who doth not see and acknowledge it except he wilfully shut his eyes or be grosly hood-winkt by the Deuill or a ranke Atheist For there is a cup which is called a cup of Gods fury and a cup of trembling in the hand of the Lord whose little finger is able to beate the greatest mountaine to powder and rent the hardest Rocke in pieces and the wine is red which intimates vnto vs the sharpenesse and fiercenesse of Gods fiery indignation it is full of mixture brimfull of stinging ingredients and he powreth out of the same to stirre vp and quicken as it were the bitternesse and very bottome and all the wicked of the earth shall will they nill they wring out the dregs thereof and drinke them Psal. 75. 8. But now on the other side Let all those of the Brotherhood I vse the phrase of the holy Ghost all those who haue giuen their names to Christ in truth and are true of heart in his holy seruice vpon whose heads euerlasting light doth rest lift vp their heads Let the amiable aspect of sweetnesse and peace euer dwell vpon their foreheads Let heauenly beames of spirituall lightsomnesse and mirth shine fresh in their faces Let neuer vncomfortable dampe of any slauish sadnesse or touch of hellish terrour vexe their blessed hearts Let them neuer more be afraid of any euill tydings or of destruction when it commeth In a word Let them be infinitely and for euer merry and sweetly glad at the very heart roote And good cause why It is the charge and command of the Spirit of all truth and comfort Bee glad in the Lord and reioyce ye righteous and shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart Psal. 32. 11. Oh therefore that the Lord would bee pleased so to perfume and sweeten the ensuing passages with the refreshing glimpses of his glorious face and deare infusions of Diuine Ioy that I might bee vouchsafed that honour of being his humble Instrument to raise vp and quicken the drooping spirits of all that are true of heart of all that beare a sincere inuincible affection to the Gospel of Iesus Christ and power of Godlinesse that they would be euerlastingly merry that they would arise and shake themselues from the dust and put on their beautifull garments that they would for euer with a resolution neuer to bee shaken with all the powers of hell banish and barre out of their happy soules all their vnnecessary scruples distrusts deiections sad thoughts and heauinesse of heart that they would out of sensiblenesse of their present vnutterable felicity and strength of their truly Heroicall spirits beare and behaue themselues as heires of heauen indeed and as the Fauourites of the King of Kings So should they infinitely more honour the sweetnesse of Gods mercifull disposition the dearenesse of his loue the tendernesse of his compassionate bowels the bottomlesse mysterie of his free grace the preciousnesse and truth of his promises the vnualuablenesse of his Sonnes Blood the pleasantnesse of the wayes of grace and the glorious worke of the holy Ghost vpon their owne blessed soules Let them euer keepe fresh and strong in their mindes for this purpose such causefull considerations as these 1. True ioy the most noble sweet and amiable affection that euer warmed the heart of man is by warrantable proprietie and rightfull interest onely peculiar and proper to honest humble and holy hearts Such gracious and golden Cabinets are onely fit for this heauenly Iewell The beauty and deliciousnesse of it are confined onely to the communion of Saints the sealed Fountaine the Spouse of Christ. The Brotherhood alone is blessed with its refreshments and rauishing influence It neuer did or euer will shine or sparkle out the least glimpse vpon the world or to any earthly heart The most ambitious eager hunters after pleasures the worlds greatest Fauourites and dearest minions haue onely but ingrost and graspt a Bedlam counterseit of it I said of laughter saith Salemon It is mad For the truth is
and scorne from the World for thy profession which naturally much nettles a noble spirit doe crowne thy head and should fill thy heart with abundance of glory blessednesse and ioy If ye be reproched for the Name of Christ happy are yee saith Peter for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth vpon you 1. Pet. 4. 14. Blessed are yee saith Christ himselfe when men shall reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my sake reioyce and be exceeding glad Math. 5. 11. 12. Scurrilities and scoffes all spitefull speeches odious nick-names lying imputations cast vpon thee in this kind by tongues which cut like a sharpe rasor are in their due estimate and true account as so many honorable badges Let no cowardly Christian then decline them with wounding of his conscience of thy Christian magnanimitie and resolute standing on the Lords side and at the Throne of Christ will be certainely reputed as characters of speciall honour and remembrancers of thy worthy seruice whereby thou shalt appeare more acceptable and amiable in the eyes of Almightie God and all that glorious triumphant Church aboue 5. If thou rightly temper and well weigh euen thy sorest sorrow and the very bleeding of thy heart for sinne it should bee so farre from damping the lightsomnesse of thy spirit that it ought to open vnto thee a well-spring of purest ioy For the penitent melting of our affections and kindly mourning ouer Him whom we haue pierced with our sinnes argues infallibly and sweetely assures the presence and sanctifying power of the holy Spirit And what greater comfort or sweeter delight then that which ariseth from a well grounded euidence that the Fountaine of all comfort dwels in our soules Such teares as burst out of a heart opprest with griefe for sinne are like an April showre which though it wet a little yet it begets a great deale of sweetnesse in the herbes flowers and fruits of the earth As euen in laughing the heart of the wicked is sorrowfull so contrarily euen in such mourning the heart of the true penitent is lightsome and comfortable For habituall ioy may not onely consist with actuall sorrow and contrarily but also euen actuall ioy with actuall sorrow This is no strange thing in other cases when wee see a good man persecuted for a good cause stand to it nobly wee grieue for his troubles but reioyce in his resolution and vndauntednes As wee ought then to grieue bitterly for our sinnes so let vs reioyce immeasurably for such ingenuous grieuing Let vs lament heartily ouer him whom we haue wounded with our abominable lusts but let vs also bee infinitely glad at the very heart roote that they are all pardoned by the powring out of his blood Not the most exquisite quintessence and extraction of all manner of Musicke Sets or Consorts vocall or instrumentall can possibly conuey so delicious a touch and rellish to the outward eare of a man as a certificate brought from the Throne of mercy by the blessed Spirit sealed with Christs blood to the bruised heart and grieued soule of an humble sinner in the very depth of his sorrow 6. If thou be troubled with temptations and exercised euen with varietie of them heare the holy Ghost Count it all ioy when yee fall into diuers temptations To let other particulars passe From the very foulest and most griesly suggestions of Satan thou mayst collect this common glorious comfort That thou art none of his For as hee is wont to keepe vnconuerted men in as merry a moode and faire a calme of outward contentment and inward securitie as he can possibly retiring and reseruing his most fiery darts and hideous temptations vntill hee haue them at some dead lift and vnauoidable strait so all that are broke out of his hellish prison by the help of the holy Ghost he ordinarily pursues with deadly rage and all the powers of darknesse Hee hunts them in his fittest seasons like a Partridge in the Mountaines with troubles without and terrours within The lesse peace thou hast therefore from him the more pleasure mayst thou take in thine escape out of his clutches The more restlessely he followes thee with the fury and variety of his temptations the more sweetly and securely if thou wilt giue way to the counsell of the Prophets and the worke of â—…aith mayst thou repose thy wearied soule vpon the comfortable assurance of being certainly Gods 5. Euery one that hath part in Christs death is bound in conscience and bidden by the blessed Spirit to leade a most merry life euen to keepe a Feast a spirituall Holyday as it were from all seruile terrours slauish sadnesse vncomfortable deiections of spirit For euen Christour Passeouer is sacrificed for vs therefore let vs keepe the Feast 1. Cor. 5. 7. The sweetnesse and excellency of this Feast is notably set out and amplified by 1. the beautifull garments wee put on and weare when we are admitted vnto it 2. The matter and magnificent prouision 3. The musicke 4. The franke and bountifull entertainment and plenty 5. The extraordinarie pompe and princelinesse 1. For the first meditate ioyfully vpon that rich attire and those Royall attributes glorifying and crowning Christs blessed Spouse with most admirable and rauishing beauty Cant. 6. 10. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the Moone pure as the Sunne terrible as an army with Banners And know that all the essentiall glory and fairenesse which is to be found in the whole Church the Woman clothed with the Sunne as that of iustification and sanctification c. belongs to euery member thereof to euery faithfull Christian. As the morning 1. The morning springs out of the greatest darknesse the night is most darke as they say a little before day the illuminated soule arises out of the most darksome and damned graue of ignorance and sinne 2. The beauty of the morning is principally seene in her ruddinesse The soule that is newly deliuered out of the horror of Egyptian darknesse and hands of the hellish Pharaoh is all ruddy with passing thorow the red Sea of Christs blood that is the ground vpon which all its beauty and blessednesse is built 2. The glory of the morning after its first peeping in the East spreads fairer and fairer in all beauty and brightnesse vntill the mid-day and full illustration of the World Grace in the soule after the first plantation growes stronger and stronger shines fairer and fairer vntil it set in the bottomlesse Ocean of endlesse Glory See Prou. 4. 18. Faire as the Moone 1. The Moone receiues all her light and lustre from the Sunne all the graces holinesse inherent righteousnesse shining in a sanctified soule are the image and impressions of the Sunne of righteousnesse 2. The Moone hath some spots in her face but yet is a very beautifull creature by her borrowed light The Christian is somewhat blacke with the remnants of