should I feare I might spend my time to as little purpose as he did that would fashion Plutarch a Coate for the Moone Neither doe I intend in this present discourse by adulation to praise your Worships nor my selfe by ostentation nor my worke by admiration the first I leaue lest my words should impaire your worth the second I conceale because I finde nothing in my selfe that deserues praise and the last I refraine for if my labour can but gaine your fauourable acceptance and that you will be pleased so farre to countenance it as that it may appeare to the world vnder your names I haue that which I desire and then Non ronchos metuam non vani scommata vulgi Censores treticos grammaticasue tribus No gleering scornes I le feare nor spitefull gibes Nor crabbed Criticks nor Grammarian tribes And thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse with a thankfull acknowledgement of your many vndeserued fauours extended towards me I commend you and yours to the protection of the Almightie and this present Discourse to your fauourable censures and my selfe to your seruice and command resting alwayes bound in dutie and euer deuoted in loue From my study at Low Layton in Essex Ianuary 1. 1630. Edmund Cobbes To the godly and well affected Reader BELOVED the chiefest care of euery man in this life should be how hee may glorifie God and saue his soule and there is great reason it should bee so for as he is the fountaine from whence all good things flow so he is the end Rom. 11. 36. Ps 148. 13 Isa 42. 8. 48. 11. vnto which all things tend and as his glory is most excellent and deare vnto himselfe as being the end of all his workes of Creation of Election and redemption Pro. 16. 4. Eph. 1. 5 6 Tit. 2. 11. so also of continuall preseruation of mans life Therefore the Angels those Iohn 11. 4. glorious Creatures out of their zeale to their Creator are swift winged Heralds to diuulge his glory and are restlesse in giuing honour Isa 6. 3. and praise vnto him whose practise the Saints in all ages Reu. 14. 7. 4. 8. haue imitated in glorifying their Creator and in all Rom. 4. 20. their actions haue stil aimed at his glory extolling him in 1 Cor. 6. 20 1 Pet. 4 11. Ier. 13. 16. Psa 116. 5. his greatnesse goodnesse and mercy whose example and practise teacheth vs as to ayme at the glory of our Creator in the first place so in the second place our principall care should be to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. and to giue all diligence to make our calling and election 2 Pet. 1. 10 sure and the rather because our soules are so precious Ps 49. 8 Eccl. 12. 7. being the gifts of God which being lost could not bee redeemed without an 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Luk. 13. 24 1 Co. 9. 24. Iohn 6. 27. 1 Pet. 4. 18 infinite price and the benefit of this price could not bee obtained without great paines and labour on our part because of the difficultie and the many enemies that seeke to depriue vs of our saluation in which respect that man which is carelesse of his owne saluation is also mindlesse of Gods glory so by these means he failes and comes short of the end for which he was created If this must be the care of euery godly man then sure our age abounds with many carelesse and negligent men which in stead of honouring God and seeking the saluation of their soules their chiefest care and diligence is to honour and aduance themselues in this world as appeares by their practice proiects which is all for pleasures and profits Isa 22. 13. Hab. 1. 15. in these things they reioyce and are glad greedily seeking after them that they may spend them vpon their Iam. 4. 3. lusts making themselues merry while their time lasts Luk. 12. 19 1 Cor. 15. 32. These men as they dishonor God in seeking for their Eccl. 8. 15. portion in this life as thinking these trāsitory things are the vtmost choyce of Gods reward as they are of their hopes so they cozen themselues as the rich foole did Luk. 12. 21 who laid vp treasures in the world and was not rich toward God so also they 1 Tim. 6. 10. pierce themselues through with many sorrowes by seeking content in that which yeelds none and desiring to hold that which hath no stay till at last they fall into temptation and snares many foolish hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9 The consideration hereof hath moued mee the meanest of the sonnes of Leui out of loue to your saluation to exhort you to seek the Lord while he may be found For I feare that many of vs are so lulled asleepe in the cradle of securitie as that neither the golden Isay 58. 1. Bels of Aaron the thundring trumpet of Isajah the well tuned Cimbals of Dauid nor yet the sweet harmony of the Euangelists can as yet awake vs out of our sinfull securitie and moue vs to turne to the Lord by true and vnfaigned repentance that hee may haue mercie vpon our soules yet for as much as times seasons are in Gods hands Iohn 3. 8. that his Spirit blows where he lists I haue therfore in the strength of my God presumed to present vnto your consideration The Worldlings Looking-glasse wherein hee may clearly see and behold the world and all worldly things to be vaine and vncertain louing none but those which are enemies to Christ and many Rom. 8. 7. times deceiuing them also of their hope and expectation saucing their pleasures with gall and wormwood For worldly prosperity proues dangerous snares to bring men to destruction for when it fawneth most then it hunteth most eagerly after our saluation vnless wee take the better heed Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world if hee lose his soule The life of man is short Iob 14. 1. and passeth away like a shadow and that which worldlings enioy they buy at hard rates paying full deare for their momentany pleasures which many times proue full of misery vexation of spirit But yet alas though we see the deceitfulnesse of the world and the misery of it yet we are content to be deceiued therby so to fall at noone dayes when our eyes are open Wee vse to laugh at little Children which runne vp and downe after a feather or some vaine toy till they fall downe and take harme and then wee pitty their folly But when wee see man which should haue reason to guide him to toile so eagerly after these transitory things which at last will deceiue him and steale away his heart from godlinesse how should wee lament his misery Let the consideration hereof moue vs all to consider what a pearle wee
of greater moment then the soule what thing more difficult thē to weane it from the loue of the world Therefore by this vehement speech our Sauiour layes strong battery to the hearts of worldlings to make them sound a retreate from the eager pursuite of these terrene things Thus I haue made the occasion and manner of Christs speech the pathway leading to my text in which I pray obserue these two maine points 1. The worlds vanitie and inability 2. The excellency of the soule These two points by GODS grace shall be the subiect of my ensuing discourse and from thē to deduce this note of obseruation That it is a point of Obseruation the greatest folly to aduenture the losse of the soule for the gaine of the whole world The ground of this truth is plaine Because the world and the Ground or Reason best things which are in it are but meere vanities and fooleries in respect of our heauenly inheritance Though they may make a faire show to them which are blinded with their false conceits and glory and esteeme which they haue among worldly men yet if wee looke vpon them in the glasse of Gods Word we shall find the world in his chiefe beautie and pompe to bee but as a glorious hypocrite faire in shew and false in truth promising much and performing nothing if therefore it were opened with the sharpe knife of truth it would be found both vaine and deceitfull for all that is in the world either it is already past or else it is present or else it is to come That which is past is not now and so we can haue no profit by it And that which is to come is vncertain whether we shal liue to enioy it or no and that which is present is fickle vnstable and wil stand by vs but a while no longer at furthest then our liues last and in that space our comfort and ioy in it may be disturbed by sicknesse crosses losses or many other accidents which made Dauid affirme that man Psa 39. 6. in his best estate is altogether vanitie and that hee walketh as a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine therefore he compares worldly prosperity to a dream Psa 73. 20. which delighteth a man while hee sleepeth but when he awaketh vanisheth away and leaueth nothing behind but sorrow and discontent because their ioyes and hopes are disappointed Intimating vnto vs that the glory and splendor of worldly things are but in shew only and not solid and substantiall in truth Therefore Salomon which had not onely most 2 Chron. 9. 22. wisdome and iudgement rightly to value them and more experience of them then any man because he abounded more in 1 King 3. 13. worldly prosperitie then any man that euer liued for hee 1 King 4. 21. reigned ouer all Kingdomes from the Riuer vnto the Land of the Philistines and vnto the border of Aegypt they brought presents and serued Salomon all the dayes of his life Siluer in 2 Chon 9. 27. his dayes was esteemed but as stones his houshold prouision for one day was thirty measures of fine floure and threescore measures of meale which according to the least account is two hundred thirty two quarters ten fat Oxen and twentie 1 King 4. 22 23. Oxen out of the pastures and one hundred sheepe besides Harts and Robucks and Fallow Deare and fatted Fowle He had fortie thousand stalles of Horses for his Charets and twelue thousand horsmen his pleasures were answerable to his wealth for hee had seuen hundred 1 Kin. 11. 3 Wiues Princes and three hundred Concubines hee had stately houses and pleasant gardens and he liued in health peace and prosperitie hee was loued feared and admired of his subiects for his wisedome iustice for which he was a terrour to his enemies yet for all this see what verdict hee passes Eccles 1. 2. vpon al these prosperities Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanitie Eee 2. 11. And afterwards he concludes that they are not onely vanitie but vexation of spirit That we may the better discrie the vanities of this world and their insufficiencie to profit vs wee will take a view of those things which worldly men doe so admire which though they be manifold in nature yet wee will bring them like dispersed members and couch them vnder these heads Iupiter Saturne Venus or Riches Honour and Pleasure these wander ouer the world while the blessed Sonne of righteousnesse hath no room in the world of darknesse these are now of so religious account as the golden Calfe of Israel was once that men sacrifice to thē and say in their hearts These are thy gods Wee will see if there be any hidden happinesse in them which may so farre moue vs as for the delight of them to aduenture the losse of our soules Wee will begin with riches which all men doe so dote vpon and for which they will take such paines and endure such miserie aduenturing their liues healths liberties and many times stretch their consciences thinking him onely a happy man which hath his cofers full with Diues his barnes stretching Luk. 16. 19 Luk. 12. 18 1 King 4. Dan. 5. and strouting with the worldling his stables full with Salomon his tables ful with Belshazzar his grounds full of Cattle with Iob and his purse full of siluer with Croesus What is there in riches Is there any wisedome holinesse mercy peace and truth what can they doe for vs can they keepe off Gods iudgments preserue our bodies from sicknesse and keep our soules from Hell if they could then it were great reason wee should toyle and labour for them but alas they are vnable and insufficient to doe vs good in any of these particulars If riches could purchase saluation then rich men were the onely happy men they will spare for no cost the hypocrite Micah 6. 6 7. wil part with his burnt offrings Calues of a yeare old thousands of Rammes and tenne thousand riuers of Oyle he wil part with any thing though neuer so deare to him hee will giue his first borne for his transgression and the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule But ô man it will not be no Psal 49. 7. man can giue a price vnto God so precious is the redemption of the soule Rich men die and goe to Hell so shall all the people that forget God neither Gold or Siluer could redeeme 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. vs but it is the blood of Christ that clenses vs from sinne 2. As riches are vnable to redeeme one soule so they are vnable to helpe and deliuer vs in our greatest extremities therfore the Prophet cals them vaine things which cannot profit 1 Sam. 12. 21. for they are vaine they cannot free vs from danger nor deliuer vs when wee are falne into any extremity nay they bee so far from aiding sinfull men
by force Vnnaturall that many doe not spare the liues of their owne parents as may bee seene in Absolon his will was good but the Lord disappointed him The Turks as Histories report doe many times imbrue their hands with the blood of the Parents which begat them And cruell Nero ript vp his mothers belly to gaze vpon the place where hee lay in her wombe Many times the loue of Filius anâ—e dâ—cm patrios inquiâ—t in annos Ouid. Met. lib. 1. I say 3. 1â— Zep. 3. 3. Amos 8. 6. their fathers goods makes them sick of their liues wish theÌ„ faire laid in their graues The loue of mony makes men grinde the face of the poore and to buy them for siluer and the needy for a paire of shooes The loue of money is the cause of whoredome and adultery making men and women to embrace strange flesh and so Pro. 2. 17. forget the Couenant of their God The greedy desire which Shimei had to bring backe his seruants 1 Kin. 2. 44. made him aduenture his life The loue of money hope of reward made Ziba to 2 Sam. 16. 3. slander and falsly accuse Mephilosheth his Masters sonne of treason Money made the souldiers Mat. 28. 12 to report a lie when they watched the Lords sepulchre The loue of money makes a man a theefe to himselfe defrauding his belly and backe of necessaries to increase his wealth now hee that is a theefe to himselfe for whom will hee spare hee careth and carketh for his riches as if they were his owne but hee reapeth no benefit by them as if they were another mans And though hee haue riches in abundance yet he hath such a beggerly mind that hee is still poore to himselfe The loue of a wise yoke of Oxen Luke 14. 18 19. and a Farme were forcible means to keepe off those which were bid to the marriage feast Wee may and ought in duty to loue our wiues well yet wee must take heed they doe not hinder our loue to Christ and that they doe not make vs carelesse to performe holy duties wee may buy Farmes Oxen Merchandice and performe all other actions agreeable to our callings so that we doe not neglect our soules health What is there in the world which a man will not doe for money preferment and yet when he hath it it will doe him little or no good Rather then Esau will want pottage he will sell away his birthright And in the Famine of Samaria men and women would part with any thing for food to preserue their liues their gold and siluer for asses dung and other vnwholesome things Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule But yet alas they are so farre from profiting vs as that they hinder vs in the seruice of God and robbe vs of many graces of his spirit wee will therefore for our instruction herein search into the particulars 1. They make vs sluggish lazy and vntoward in the performance of holy duties and to erre from the faith and at last to 1 Tim. 6. 10 forget GOD. This the Lord knew well therefore hee gaue his people a caueat to beware lest they should forget him when Deut. 8. 10 they were full But they vnmindfull of his watch word When they were fat kicked and forsooke Deu. 32. 1â— God which made them and lightly esteemed the rocke of their saluation But according to their pasture Hos 13. 6. so were they filled their hearts were exalted therefore haue they forgotten me saith the Lord. And are not there many among vs as vnthankfull for the Lords mercies which he hath bestowed vpon them which can open their mouthes wide to craue for riches and to prey vpon the things of the world but when they should giue GOD thankes for his mercies sunt multi lapides their tongues are as dead as stones Such are Pondus iners intilis tellus As vngratefull as hard rockes which yeeld no fruit Cages of vncleane birds which being crammed with Gods plenty die in their fatnesse and yeeld forth no notes of Gods praise O foolish Deut. 32. and vnwise people doe you so requite the Lord Hath he opened vnto you the Chabinets of his blessings and doe yee like desperate wretches abuse them to your lusts and his dishonor and like Traitors fight against him with his owne weapons 2. Riches are forcible means to draw away our hearts from GOD and to place them vpon these sordid trumperies that we can spare no time to heare read pray to meditate vpon his mercies to praise him vpoÌ„ his iudgments to feare him For where Mat. 6. 21. our treasure is there is our heart also And so by this meanes we nourish a serpent in our bosomes which will gnaw our Consciences grieue the good Spirit of God hinder our saluation and so make vs to feare any thing more then the losse Arridet mundus vt saeuiat blanditur vt fallat illicit vt occiâ—at extollit vt deprimat of our soules 3. Riches deceiue vs in our hope and expectation perswading vs helpe in time of need and to doe great matters for vs yet when we expect most from them then they will deceiue vs. Did not Achan thinke that the wedge of Gold would haue aduanced him to preferment when as indeed it was the ruine of him and his family Then why Isay 55. doe you lay out your siluer and not for bread and labor without being satisfied Weigh vp therefore your Anchors hoyse vp your sailes for these things wil proue your ruine For hee that trusteth in riches shall fall 4. Riches robbe vs of our faith which is the life of the Hab. 2. 4. Heb. 10. 37 righteous yet for all this the worldling wil trust God no longer then his Corne Wine and Psal 4. 7. Oyle abounds But will place his confidence in the wedge of Gold and say in effect to this glorious Mammon Thou art my hope and confidence the stay of my life and staffe of my age Now that we may not doe these muck-wormes wrong we will examine their practices and I doubt not but wee shall easily draw this confession out of their owne mouthes Doe wee not see how vigilant they are ouer them to preserue them scarce daring to trust themselues with them How niggardly in vsing them that they would bee as willing to part with their right eie as with a penny to any good vse what doth this argue but that they thinke there is some inherent happinesse in them 5. Riches are a great enemy to humility For haue wee not seene many in a meane estate to be courteous meeke gentle but being aduanced they swell with pride against their inferiors and enuy against their superiors and disdaine against their equals contemne those which are better then themselues as churlish Nabal did 1 Sam. 15. Dauid 6. Riches coole
iudges not according to the outward appearaÌ„ce nor any whit the more esteemed of the godly So on the contrary such is the blinde worlds iudgement that if a man bee as prudent as Cato as iust as Manlius and as magnanimous as Scipio neuer so honest wise temperate and neuer so beautified with vertue yet Non facilè emergunt quorum virtutibus obslat res angusta domi Sub sordido pallio latet aliquando sapientia if he be a poore man though he haue great wisdome and many excellent parts Si res angusta domi if Coyne bee wanting hee is despised and reiected and if hee haue neither coine nor friends he is like to haue coâ—d entertainment and no more regarded then an vnwelcome guest for Si nihil attuleris ibis Homere for as If empty handed thou appeare No welcome ghest thou canst bee here Money is the sinewes blood and soule of a man for vnlesse the purse bee well linde with crownes neither Science Art nor honesty is auaileable to aduance to dignitie So that a man is neuer thought wise and learned vnlesse he be rich and though hee speake well and to the purpose yet as the Poet saith Rara tenui facundia paÌ„no A Satyr 7. Dum pauper loquitur tunc barbarus esse videtur poore mans speech is seldome pleasant and wisdome vnder a patched coate seldome Canonicall But let these poore wormes know though they be despised of the world yet there is a GOD that iudgeth the earth and will come quickly and bring his reward with him to giue vnto euery one as Reu. 12. 12 his workes shall be Therefore let not this neglect of respect dismay the vertuous and wel-deseruing though they haue no regard in the world yet wisedome shall be iustified of her Children and their owne work shall praise them yea their very enemies shall bee forced to acknowledge their vertues Though the Iewes did labour by all meanes to bury the glory of our Sauiour and the vertues of his Disciples vnder disgrace yet for all this their enemies were forced to acknowledge their innocency and iustifie them against the faces of their enemies Therefore wee read that Metellus Macedonicus praised Scipio for his vertues and wept for him at his death though he were his mortall foe for no man though hee bee neuer so enuious can take that from him which vertue hath merited If in this life onely 1 Cor 15. 19. we had our hope we were of all men most miserable But let the poore despised comfort themselues though they sow in teares yet they shall reape in ioy For mans felicity is not in riches they are gotten with paine kept with care and lost with griefe Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world This base esteeme of the godly poore doth shake the feeble Conscience of many weake ones when they behold diuers good men stored with many good parts yet in regard of their pouerty are made the scorne of the world Let such know mans happines doth not consist in this world but in the world to come where they shall shine as the Starres in the firmament whereas those which haue had their portion in this life shall bee turned into hell Vse 3 If the world cannot helpe nor profit vs in life nor death Then let it be our wisedome to seeke for that which may and Psal 32. 1. 1 Tim. 6. 6 that is For the free pardon of our sinnes in Christ And to be truely godly which is the chiefest gaine The righteousnesse of Phil. 3. 9. Christ which is the portion of the Saints A holy conuersation Phil. 2. 15. and a good Conscience in all things which is a pledge of the true ioy wee shall haue in heauen 2 Cor. 1. 12 For all other ioyes are vaine which haue not grace for the foundation Labour then to haue GOD reconciled vnto thee And to bee at one with him And if thou feare him thou shalt want nothing that is good Wouldest thou haue riches then feare the Lord and Psal 112. 3. then wealth shall be in thy house Wouldest thou haue true gain Christ shall bee vnto thee in life Phil. 1. 2. and death aduantage Desirest thou saluation It is he that shall Mat. 1. 21. saue his people from their sinnes The comforts of the world may leaue the vngodly But the consolations Iohn 16. 21 of the godly are as wels of liuing water their ioyes shall neuer bee taken from them And they Ps 119. 165 that loue the Lord shall haue great prosperitie For the Lord taketh delight Psal 35. 27. in the prosperity of his seruants This should teach vs then to prize grace and the feare of the Lord according to their due worth They are better then Gold Psa 19. 10. yea then the fine Gold If outward things in their lawfull vse be so base and vnable to doe vs good how filthy and vile are they in their sinfull abuse And how excellent then is the Lord Iesus And how ought wee to prize his loue to vs that when Gold and siluer could doe vs no good then he bought vs for a price euen the 1 Cor. 6. 20 greatest price that any one could pay For what can bee more costly then blood or what Isay 53. Rom. 5. 10. more deare then life Yet when we were his enemies he powred out his blood to reconcile vs to God How ought we then to loue feare and obey him For it is not the riches of Craesus the triumphs of Caesar the conquest of Alexander nor any worldly pompe can profit vs and make vs happy Though some among the Romanes and some among the Grecians were so aduanced to outward felicitie that their Painters did picture them with Townes and cities gliding into Plutarch their nets while they were asleepe as Plutarch reports Yet what are these without Christ they cannot bee reduced to any of the beatitudes The fairest colours are not seene in the darke and without light haue no pleasant shew So are the most specious blessings of the world take away CHRIST the light of the world and where is their glory and comfort They are but drosse and dung Phil. 3. 8. without him full of obscurity and dishonour Labour I say to get thee an inheritance among the Saints the comfort of Gods Spirit and to let the Word of GOD dwell plentiously in thee This is the true riches this wealth is permanent and will bee a comfort vnto vs in our troubles sicknesse and houre of death when rich worldlings will be at their wits end If God blesse vs with riches let vs pray for wisedome to vse them aright Pray first for goodnesse and then in the second place for goods Else they will not become good vnto vs vntill grace season them and they be sanctified vnto vs And then vse them for necessitie as men doe knaues and theeues which they know