they not vnseasonably with great distrust of God and instinct of couetousnes in hard yeeres with-draw their corne Prou. 11.26 to make the markets to faile and peoples hearts with failing to looke for no mercy nor bowels of mercy from such obdurate couetousnesse Doe they not in a time forbidden reserue their Manna of prouision where God hath said Let no man reserue thereof till morning Exod. 16.19 That is doe they not hoord vp corne where God hath said and the poore mans hunger doth say Sell corne But Manna kept out of time was full of Wormes and stancke Exod. 16.20 To lay vp Corne with Ioseph in a time of plentie against a time of dearth is not vnlawfull and may bee iudged profitable but to lay vp corne or to keepe in corne in a time of dearth to make the dearth greater when men that should sell may spare it the poore that must buy doe want it is intollerable crueltie Such a Corne-monger was that Rich man spoken of Luke 12.18.19 he would pull downe his lesser and build greater Barnes that hee might into them gather all his fruits and his goods not against a dearth as did Ioseph but rather to cause it as they who with that cursed rich man feede and make merry with that which is taken from the life of the poore But how long had hee peace in his dayes that had such peace in his wealth Hee fell into a pleasant dreame of many yeers to come who had not the respite of one whole night to prouide for his end so neare For the Text saith O foole this night they will fetch away thy soule Luk. 12.20 they that is the Diuell and his Angels shall fetch it as God and his good Angels fetch the soules of the righteous Luke 16.22 And surely if the Diuell of couetousnesse be gone into any it is into these Amos 8. 5. It may be they may looke toward Religion but it is a-skew and with an heart espoused to that Couetousnes which is Idolatrie For so long they will walke with the Gospell as they may not with-draw their foote from the world but if the world beginne to goe then farewell Religion Demas must be gone 2 Tim. 4.10 Thus it is plaine as vpon Tables Hab. 2.2 that where the world is master there Compassion Gentlenesse Pittie Mercy Bowels of mercy Brotherly Loue and such fruits of the Spirit are made vnderlings and where it may command nothing shal beare sway but worldly greedinesse The Reasons are The loue of the world is a kinde of Adultery Iames 4.4 In corporall adultery men and women adulterers goe a-whoring from their owne Mates and in spirituall Adultery they that are worldlings goe a-whoring from God Now corporall adulterers fancy not their owne chaste Mates and worldly Adulterers doe as little care for God or for godlinesse and tender compassion The adulterous person is cruell to the innocent person and adulterous worldlings are mercilesse where they owe and should shew mercy Secondly the world lyeth wholy in wickednesse 1 Iohn 5.19 Therefore where it may be Master what good can follow Thirdly they cannot serue God vvho serue it Luke 16.13 And in no seruice of God what may be expected but the seruice of the world and of all wordly affections whereof vnmercifulnesse to the poore is one and the practise of all sinne for worldly gaine another Fourthly as God draweth his Children to himselfe so the World draweth his owne Children from God to himselfe for God and the world are contrary Iames 4.4 But God will not vnfasten with his Children therefore neyther will the world vnclaspe with his Vses An Admonition therefore to resist the beginnings of this worlds loue not to heare it speake and to breake off in our first conference with it that vvee be not circumvented For the world is a great Absalom and heart-stealer 2 Sam. 15.6 If wee lend but one eare to it it will haue both If wee giue it an Inch by a little consent it will haue the vvhole Ell by large couetousnesse If we follow it in a little it will make vs seruants to it in much from seeing and praysing wee shall with Heue come to eating Gen. 3 6. Dâ—mas first liked the world then imbraced it 2 Tim. 4.10 Iudas first held it for he bore that that was giuen Iohn 12.6 then it held him for he said What will yee giue mee and I will deliuer him vnto you him that is Christ his Sauiour and the bloud of Christ his saluation for money Mat. 26.15 In our owne dayes doe not men as in stealingâ— so in coueting proceede from a pinne to a point from small couetousnesse to large couetousnesse Some that haue beene liberall before they entred into the world haue they not when it once entred into them turned passingly miserable and couetous And what maruell seeing no man can serue God and Riches Luke 16.13 If loue of riches take place God must giue place and if the World enter that vvhich is contrary to it Godlinesse which is great gaine 1 Tim. 6.6 must be gone But may not a man haue these outward things in some good measure be godly Answere Yes a man may haue them as Abraham Isaac Iob and Salomon had and be religious but not set his heart vpon them and be so or one may vse them and loue God but not loue them â—nd loue him Therefore S. Iohn sayth Loue not the world 1 Iohn 2.15 as if hee should haue sayd Set not your affections vpon it and send not your desires after it to make the God of it your God and the pleasures that are in it your chiefe happinesse For worldlinesse and Christianitie are two ends that can neuer meete and hee that greedily pursueth after earthly things will coldly seeke heauenly The Apostle S. Paul saith they that will be rich that is vvho by any couetousnesse will be so fall into tentations and snares that isâ— are sure to be greatly tempted and as sure to fall being so tempted into the net of the Deuill and those foolish and noysome lusts as it vvere Seas that drowne men in perdition and destruction 1 Tim. 6.9 Then in the 17. verse he directeth his precept or charge to Timothie concerning such rich men in the world that they be not high minded that is that they swel not by wealth and the poyson of riches which he calleth vncertaine because they taste of the soyle out of vvhich they come and so are vncertaine as all things else vnder the Sunne but that they depend and put trust in the liuing God for all their increase who giueth them richly to enioy all things But if this vvhich hath beene spoken be not sufficient to weaâ—e vs from the brest of the world for our better and further abstinence let it bee considered that the world couetously loued maketh God our enemie and consequently the Deuill our friend Iam. 4.4 And is it not a fearefull thing for the creature
bedds at night as in open places befâ—re the Sunne and in the darkest twylight as in the cleerest day The Reasons God who is holyer and mightier then all men seeth vs euery where there is not a thought in our heart nor a word in our tongue but hee knoweth it altogether Psal. 139.2.4 And our turning of deuices shall be but as the Potters clay when we seeke deepe to hide our counsell from the Lord Esa. 29.14.15 Now doth the righteous God who knoweth the hearts and reines Psal. 7.9 and who will bring euery worke to iudgment with euery secret thing Eccles. 12.14 behold vs and shall we not care how he seeth vs occupyed Doth the presence of a mortall man or woman sometimes bridle vs from that we would doe and vvill vve giue the bridle to all manner vvickednes God looking on Will a thiefe steale before him that he knoweth shall be his iudge and shall we not tremble to doe euill in his sight who shall iudge the world Gen 18.15 Secondly it is playne Idolatrie more to feare Man whose breath is in his nosthrils then to feare God who is the Father of spirits Esa. 51.12.13 and yet some when they are in company vvith those vvhom they cannot but reuerence for their calling and graces of vvhom they desire to be vvell thought and spoken of vvill make great shew of a desire to doe vvell themselues and to bring their houses to good order who neuerthelesse haue no care afterwards eyther for their owne persons or their houses to doe thereafter Vses A reproofe to those who if they doe any thing well doe it in open places and before men that they may haue prayse for the same Mat. 6.2.5 but in their houses and when they are alone they turne to their race as the Horse rusheth to the battell Ier. 8.6 or as wee vse to say They are Angels abroad and Diuels at home the Sabbath is prophaned Gods fearefull Name dishonoured the wife and seruants shamefully abused no measure kept in chafing and fretting for euery trifle somtime without cause sometime without shew of cause And this is an hypocrite in kinde by his fruits you shall know him Math. 7.20 An instruction to beware of secret sinnes that the closenes of the place doe not enbolden vs to doe that priuately that wee would be ashamed should be brought before the face of men and light of the Sunne for there is nothing couered that shall not be disclosed nor hid that shall not be knowne Mat. 10.26 the scrowle and register of our close sinnes shall be layde open before the Lord and before the Angels and before men Mens great places perhaps may priuiledge them for a while yet at their death the sting of Conscience and worme of tormenting feare will greatly worke vpon them and force them to some desperate confession and being dead there is no farther sparing of them Their name that was Honourable in the signe and in a figure onely will now in speech and truth be most shamefull after their death when that chanell is raked into and the filthynesse of their secret sinne is brought to light Dauid Gods owne King the authour of this excellent Psalme was not spared long after his sinne which is so much marked in Scripture both by himselfe in the Psalmes and by him that wrot his Story He went closely about it and had no doubt men of secrecie and counsell whom he vsed in it vvhen the woman was brought vnto him hee had men that could keepe counsell to bring her 2 Sam. 11.4 and either hee wrot himselfe or had some trustie Secretarie to write to Ioab vers 14. So all vvas done secretly and cunningly no tongue did mutter of it 2 Sam. 12.12 But the iust God would not let matters so passe and therefore sends a Messenger to him one of a thousand first to round him in the eare by a parable or darke speach and then to tell him plainely and openly what he had done and that by a deede so dishonourable in Gods great Seruant he had caused the enemies of the Lord of blaspheme vers 14. and after to pricke him to repentance with the goade of the Lords seueritie whom hee had prouoked so much by his abhominable sinne then the whole matter came out by himselfe and now the whole Church rings of his impious fault to this day Now if they be reproued that closely doe euill how much more they who with no bridle of shame or common ciuilitie can be held from acting those impieties and doing that thing publikely in the sun-shine and at noone-day which others cannot without blushing and the helpe of darknes doe And then vvhat a Monster was Absolom who spread a tent vpon the top of his Fathers Palace and blushed not to goe in to his Father Concubines in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16 22. And what Monsters were the Sodomites who declared their sinnes and hid them not Esa. 3.9 Though painted Tombes be spoken against that is hypocrites so resembled yet better be a paintâ—d Tombe then a filthy Sincke foule without and foule within And may we not thinke that the fiue foolish Virgins were more tolerable then that great Whore that sitteth vpon many waters Apoc. 17.4 5. Is it not better to haue Lamps without store of Oyle then to haue neyther Lamps nor Oyle that is neyther meanes nor meaning to attend Christ and better to doe some good then to professe all wickednes and better to seeme holie then neyther to seeme nor be So much for those protestations that concerne the Prophets owne person they vvhich concerne him vvith others follow I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes BEfore the Prophet had sayd that hee would follow the good here he sayth and makes faith for himselfe that he will hate the euill and not some euill but all wickednes for not to set a thing before our eyes is in common speech to lâ—ath it or with dislike to turne from it And here we haue the matter that he speaketh against euery wicked thing and obiâ—ct by which it is carryed to the heart the eye By wicked thing or Beliâ—l the Interpreters some of them vnderstand the Man of Belial or Man of wickednes as if the Prophet should haue sayd that he would not abide to looke vpon any such But I take it to be meant of the thing that is naught though with a reference to the person that is naught also and so the Prophets meaning is that hee will when euill is in sight turne away from it as from carion for a man cannot rightly doe iustice till he perfectly hate iniustice nor loue the good till hee abhorre the euill Neyther doth he say and promise for some euill that he will be against it but his chalenge is to all euill that his eyes should not behold it in any From whence this point of doctrine may be gathered that a true Christian must retrayne not from some
the Lord giue mercy to his House and Posteritie for it Also I know few like-minded who will faithfully care for our matters as he did and where men earthly minded seeke their owne that is seeke that and that onely which is nothing worth when they haue it he sought in his life and found in his death that which is Iesus Christ Phil. 2.20.21 But what neede I to embalme him being dead with my report who liuing had so good report of all who knew him and the grace in him and dying sweetly in the peace of his Master and his good conscience like that boxe of oyntment which being very precious the woman powred on Christs head in his breaking by death cast forth that name that is better then the best oyntment Eccles. 7.3 Mark 14.3 A name of a right good sauour such as hath filled the house and may be an ornament and crowne of reioycing to the House and Stocke hee came of For you that now liue the Heire of his House and I trust of his good minde in good things You are to remember as I hope you forget not that your life is in that age and time wherein you may as in the morning sow your seed Eccles. 11.6 the good seed of the doctrine of saluation in the field of your owne heart and furrowes of those that are of your familie and proper charge I beseech you let not your hand rest and bee diligent to take heed to your selfe and them for all necessarie instruction in the way of life so tilling them spiritually for GOD and his true feare that your whole House may bee as the field of the righteous which the Lord will blesse and the name of it may be The Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 So did your good Father in the middes of You whiles he liued and so good Sir doe you constantly in the mids of your owne House by his example who now is gone Hee learned of Abraham who commaunded his householde after him in such matters Genes 18.19 and learne You of Him that the blessing of Abraham may follow You and Yours I write not doubtingly and I haue good confidence in the Lord that you are so minded In which good meaning and intention of yours to a worke so full of spiritual consolation and godlinesse you must looke for aduersaries The more truelie you feare God the more you shall finde what enmitie is against it Looke for this in euery good purpose vnder the Sunne The world that is not of the fashion of Heauen Rom. 12.2 will be against you The flesh that is all for it selfe Rom. 13.14 will lust against the Spirit and the good motions of the Spirit in you Galat. 5.17 and the Deuill the Centurion of the band will pursue you with his armies of temptations on your right hand and on your left Ephes. 6.12 But Hee that is with you is stronger then all these and as long as Michael is your leader and his Angels your fellow-Souldiours what can doe you hurt if God be on your side what matter who be against you Rom. 8.31 If you loue the loue of Christ with all your heart who or what shall separate you from it who or what shall make you to forsake it vers 35. Neither the worlds iniuries nor the fleshes allurements nor all the mallice of the enemie ouer all which you are more then Conquerour through him that hath loued you verse 37. shall be able to take Christ from you or the holy Spirit of Christ out of you by whom you are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes. 4.30 Striue therefore forward cheerefully in this narrow way of life fight the good fight of Faith to the end whet your heart vpon the Word and make the Statutes of IEHOVA your Meditation and Counsellours pray in your holy Faith holde that you haue with increaseâ— get ground of the commune enemie daily and that by doing well while you haue time This matter requireth your earnest meditation and deepest thoughts and therefore against all incumbrances and impediments of spirituall life already remembred or further spoke of by Saint Iohn as the lusts of the eyes the lusts of the flesh and pride of life 1 Iohn 2.16 put forth your selfe couragiously in the name of the Lord of Hostes who will order the whole battell for you and finish it to your euerlasting victory and ioyfull triumph ouer all powers earthly and infernall How ill they proceede that doe not so striue I haue endeuoured to shewe in the meditations that follow concerning the sinne and punishment of the prodigall sonne perswading my selfe that of Him you haue nothing in you but his repentance and grace to come home to your heauenly Father where you haue with Him young and ignorantly in anything and who hath not in many things declined from obedience to God or the wayes of his truth These I tooke to taske the beginning of this last Sommer at what time the Lords storme fell that caused so generall a feare I would it had effected a like generall amendement in vs. For the now comming forth of them the Apostle who saith Be instant in season and out of season 2 Timoth. 4.2 shall answere for me if any shall thinke them vnseasonable Besides how can that bee or be iudged with any colour of soundnesse vnseasonable that teacheth vs to remember what GOD would not haue forgotten namely his wonderfull workes which hee made the last two moneths of May and Iune to be remembred Psal. 111.4 Or if all his workes must praise him Psal. 145.10 why should not those praise him in the Gate which he wrought so fearefully and so lately among vs And is it euer too late and vnseasonable to shew to the world how graciously and how strangely the Lords late mercies got the better hand of his other fearefull workes by taking his frownes from the skie and by putting a more louing countenance vpon it in the blessed weather that ensued I call it the Lords mercie or not the least of those mercies that are ouer all his workes Psal. 145.9 For did our repentance or any worke of ours seeke and finde that comfortable alteration at Gods hands Or did not the greatest number desire a better and more kindely season and complaine of a season so generally hurtfull and intemperate with sinne in their right hand was one Sabbath for all that power of thunder that so cracked about our eares and pouring Raine that so fell vpon the Earth that is in such abundance that it made Brookes and Riuers to rise and the water to stand in the Furrowes lesse prophaned in Towne and Countrie I doubt not but some stood as Aaron in that breach and gappe with their Censer of seruent Supplication to the Lord by whom in all likelihood hee was entreated and who sought and found him in due time Psal. 32.6 Yet what was that to the generall inconformitie that still beareth sway And heere who can but prophecie for