thy credit and provide things honest before men A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favour than silver and gold (k) Prov. 22.1 It seasoneth the gifts that we have received and maketh them profitable unto others Be our parts never so transcendent Be our gifts never so excellent Be we never so loaden with spirituall graine and food and treasure yet if we have not a good name to grace them and countenance them we can do very little or no good with them It was an honour to Demetrius that he had a good report of all men and of the truth if self (l) 3. Epist John v. 12. but stand no more upon thy credit than upon thy conscience neither regard more the shame of men than the fear of God Have him still before thine eyes who hath thee alwayes before his eyes look up unto him continually who never leaveth to look down upon thee so shalt thou walk evermore in his presence and be sure to become ever the more upright 25. NEither derogate any thing from the Majestie of God albeit he vouchsafe ordinarily to use externall and ordinary meanes in bringing his purposes to pass for he useth them freely not of necessity and he is as well able to manifest his power without them as with them He hath a prerogative above the prerogative of any Prince to work above and besides yea and against nature Neither yet magnify the creatures which the Lord at any time is pleased to use above that which is convenient for any rare gifts and qualities that we see in them for that were to set them in the place of God who have no more efficacy than that which is given them from above from him who is the guide of nature and the cause of causes according to his own pleasure but first and above all give thou glory to God to whom onely it is due and then for the Lords sake honour thou the means because God hath put the honour of an instrument upon it 26. NEver distrust in thy least or greatest vexation any the least or greatest promise of God for not one jot or one tittle of any shall fail to be performed in due time Man is variable in his love and promises to his neighbour Men are subject even the best men both to deceive and to be deceived Men promise much and perform little but as God is not deceived so he cannot deceive and if thou be of any spirituall experience thou canst not but know that the Lord often bringeth to passe more than he promiseth to do Doubt not therefore at any time of his Word who is many times better than his Word 27. ACcount it and acknowledge it alwayes with all thankfulnes as a great mercy of God that he sendeth thee to school and speaketh to thee who art not able to abide the beauty and brightnes of his majestie by men and brethren like unto thy self and subject to like passions If God himself should appeare unto thee and utter his voyce his voyce from heaven then wouldst thou fear and quake and fall down as a dead man or cry out with great astonishment as many of the Fathers did Alas I shall dye we hear not the thunder without feare we behold not the brightnes of the Sun without dazeling how then should we hear the immediate voice of God or see his glory without confusion Then if by Gods mercyes thou recoverest thy sences thou wouldst make request to have the ministers of the Word to speak unto thee again whom now thou despisest and whose words thou contemnest now as base and contemptible thou wouldst then desire and imbrace 28. REmember it and consider it as a principle whensoever thou hearest that howsoever we may not obey either man or Angell if he speak any thing contrary to the written Word though he come with all shew of learning and all appearance of unspotted and undefiled pureness yet the greatest princes of the world are bound to heare and obey the meanest man that God doth send so far as he teacheth according to his commission If Princes resist the word of truth in the Preachers mouth they resist not the messenger but the master that sent him 29. GRow better as thou growest elder Be not like a dead hedge with the many by standing longer waxing rottener Art thou past growth in body yet art thou not come to thy full growth in soul thou so journest here in this valley of teares untill thy faith be turned into vision and thy hope into fruition As a new born babe desire the sincere milk of the Word that thou mayest grow thereby [m] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Pet. 2.2 The Apostle speaketh it to the eldest as well as to the youngest There is no bound for this thy growth but the common bound of thy mortality Grow still in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ [n] 2 Pet. 3.18 c. without whom all knowledge is ignorance all wisedom foolishnes all learning madness and all religion errour or hypocrisy or superstition and of whom the greatest part of that which thou knowest is not the least part of that which thou knowest not Never be to teach unwilling or to learn ashamed 30. THink not thou hast knowledge enough for then thou clearely bewrayest thy want of knowledge such as have attained and received the greatest knowledge do find in themselves the greatest ignorance such as imagine themselves to be most sure and rich in understanding are indeed most sottish and childish in the matters of God like empty vessels that make the greatest sound Hereby thou shalt try thy self whether thou hast reached to any measure of acceptable knowledge if it work and kindle in thee a desire of more knowledge if it do praferre facem hold the light before thee to see thy own weakness and if it teach thee that still thy wants are greater than thy wealths 31. DEspise not undervalew not the the holy Word of God because it is conveied unto thee by sinfull man Forsake not the exercises of religion for the wickedness or unworthiness of the Minister As thou art not to receive his doctrine for his good life so thou art not to reject it for his evil life An evill Messenger may deliver a good message The Pharisees in the dayes of Christ were lewd livers full of pride covetousnes hypocrisy and dissimulation and many of them of other tribes than of Levy yet so long as they fate in Moses chaire that is held themselves to Moses text and doctrine the disciples are commanded ded to heare them as damned hypocrits as they were and to do whatsoever they commanded [o] Matth. 23.2 3. which words our Saviour would never have delivered if either the Minister might have defiled the Word or any man be allowed for the faults of the Minister to have rejected and refused the Lords Mysteries 32. IF thou wouldst increase in
which he useth of his goodnes towards us to convey to our feebleness good things and to make us more secure of his love They are the King of Kings gracious pardon to confirm the weakness of our faith to make good the truth of his own promises to seal up unto us forgiveness of sins Being then by Gods institution very available frequent them with a feeling of thy wants with a reverence of his ordinances with hungring after his graces with calling upon his Name to fit thee and prepare thee for that heavenly work 90. DEceive not thy own heart with a Zodiack of false signes Rest not thy self in seeking after common gifts general knowledge and illumination diversity of tongues and interpretation of tongues all which are common to all sorts of men both good and bad but labour and covet to be partaker of such gifts as are peculiar and proper to the elect do always accompany salvation and eternal life but labour to feel a certain knowledge of thy reconciliation to God in Christ the gifts of regeneration a dying unto sin and rising up to newness of life the grace of hearty prayer meekness in bearing rebukes delight in those that excel in vertue comfort in distresses and such like which the elect of God find in some measure wrought in them If these be in thee and abound thou shalt have that peace of conscience through them that passeth all understanding but if these be not in thee whatsoever knowledge thou hast besides though thou hast tasted of the heavenly gift been inlightned by the Spirit been partaker of the holy Ghost tasted of the good word of God and received the Gospel with joy thou shalt find no more sound comfort in them than many most wicked men have had who were enlightned by God but shall never be saved who attained to great and high knowledge but never grew so high as faith 91. ACcording to the truth of the Word in mercy revealed unto thee grow in grace more and more and make every day some progress to the Kingdom of heaven still press and indeavour onwards to obtain it Thou shalt find many lets and hinderances in the way which to pass over may seem to be hard in the beginning especially if they be looked upon with an eye of flesh but a setled course and continuall practice of faith and repentance will within a while make all that was laborious lightsome the matter easy and evident and the way plain and comfortable A scorner seeketh wisedome and findeth it not but knowledge is easy to him that understandeth (w) Prov. 14.6 that understandeth to desire it and humbleth himself 92. THink not thy self discharged either by Gods soveraigne or by the Priests subordinat working but that thou must also put to thy help and work out not the price but the assurance of thy own salvation (x) Philip. 2.12 but that thou must also by using the appointed means by walking in all the Commandments of God without reproof and continuall increasing in sanctification which is a signe and seal of our justification procure to thy self an assurance of thy election (y) a Pet. 1.10 but that thou must also by fighting the good fight and keeping the faith put thy self into an expection of the Crown of righteousness (z) 2 Tim. 4.8 If thou wouldst be sure to have salvation follow then must holy and carefull serving of God go before 93. HAst thou but little abilities and few gifts either of nature art or grace bestowed upon thee beholdest thou a double portion in others and a poor pittance in thy self yet be not dismay'd be not out of heart but in an humble cōtentation devout thankfulness proceed according to thy power and thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord God desireth not toreap where he hath not sown nor requireth he much but where he hath given much He looketh not for labouring beyond thy strength nor travailing further than thy gifts can reach When Ezechiah pray'd for the people that the Lord would pardon every one that prepared his heart to seek the Lord God of his Fathers though he were not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary the Lord heard him and harkened unto him and healed the people (a) 2 Chro. 30.18 19 20. 94. COntent not thy self with knowledge and understanding with utterance and discourse or with ability to dispute and determine many difficult points of Religion though these faculties be in thee very eminent and singular but consider what faith thou hast to believe and conscience to perform obedience but look what power Gods Spirit hath in thee to sanctification of life to amendment of errours and misdoings of the Spirit illuminating the fruits are often given to the wicked Balaam and Saul may Prophesie Caiphas may have some transient revelations but the fruits of the Spirit sanctifying are vouchsafed to none but onely to Gods Elect Not he that knoweth most but he that maketh best use of what he knoweth is the man whom God will know and prefer in the day of eternal retribution in the day of his glorious appearance when he shall destroy all the wicked and make happy his own for ever 95. THe free-hearted Jews stil brought either gold or silver or pretious stones or fine linnen or spices or silk or hair or one thing or other to the building of the material tabernacle and they left not building till they were prohibited by proclamation In building thy spiritual tabernacle to the Lord leave not praying reading hearing learning meditating applying practising till thou be stayed by death In thy spiritual progress repine not at thy pains past neither think much of that which is to come but keep on still Be not weary of good intents and gracious imployments 96. LEt the examples of thy neighbours dying round about thee daily thy own decaying in strength and health the many calamities in this dangerous world incite thee to apply whilst thou hast time both thy body and mind to do good stir thee up to prepare thy self both in profession and practise for thy departure so shall neither life nor death no not sudden death part thee from thy Saviour so shall death be unto thee nor death indeed but a bare name and no worse so shall death not be terrible unto thee but as welcome as quiet sleep to a wearied and over-wearied traveller 97. BE not so heartless as to fear death nor yet so senseless as to pray for death before the time appointed by the Lord thy Governour It is a sin to work thy death before men and it is a sin to wish thy death before God Indeed death which bringeth the dissolution of nature and is a passage to a better life is a welcom guest to them that are the Lords all the godly do make themselves ready to receive him to meet and intertain him Death to the wicked cometh with a sting but to the godly
Eremicus theologus OR A Sequestred Divine HIS APHORISMS OR BREVIATS of Speculations IN TWO CENTURIES By Theophilus Wodenote B. D. sometimes fellow of Kings College in Cambridge Cantic chap. 4. ver 16. Awake O Northwinde and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out LONDON Printed by T. W. for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in S. Paul's Churchyard 1654. TO THE HIGHLY BORN HONORABLY MINDED AND WORTHY OF HONORABLE AND HIGH RESPECT MATTHEW HALSE of Efford in the County of Devon Esquire THEOPHILUS WODENOTE one of his obliged Oratours dedicates these his Aphorisms or Breviats of Speculations And daily beseecheth God for him that both he and all his issue so specious already by affinitie with so many Noble Progenies and still growing more and more eminent by their own sincere and abundant piety and charity may by divine mercy be preserved thorough faith unto salvation APHORISMS OR BREVIATS of Speculations The first Centurie 1. BEfore and after and in all businesses and at all times remember Prayer how canst thou hope to speed in any thing thou do'st if thou do'st it not in Gods fear and with his favour which is the very soule of thy soule and life of thy life so profitable so necessary that by it thy souls salvation and life it self liveth Let not thy unworthiness deterr thee though thou art subject to many passions and canst not pray as thou oughtest Elias was subject to the like and yet prayed and was heard (a) James 5.17 18. Upon a crie made the thief seeks to flie and neighbours come to help upon a prayer made the Devill shifts away and God comes to succour 2. IN petitioning Almighty God Ask and it shall be given you seek yee shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you (b) Matth. 7.17 Not alone ask and it shall be given you ther 's not a full point but seek and knock as well as ask our Saviour useth a threefold phrase and urgeth the duty from one degree to another with interposition of proportionable promises to signifie that we must pray often be earnest and zealous for cold suters proove cold speeders Cold and superficial requests can never pierce the clouds nor find any manner of access to the Throne of Grace The prayer of the righteous availeth much but with this condition if it be fervent (c) James 5.16 but put not ferventness in copiousness of syllables but of sense not in lip-labour but in heart-labour God esteemeth not the loudness or the length but the strength of prayer nor weighes he the ready words but the radicall devotion of him that praeth Thou mayest pray and cry and outcrie others even without crying out Moses prayer could not be heard on earth (d) Exod. 14.15 and yet the cry of it came up to heaven when the tongue cannot speak to God if with heart we can sigh to him he understandeth that language and we shall be sure of help A sigh sometimes will serve if truly from the soul 3. TRust not with the Papists to scale the high fort of Heaven by the broken and rotten ladder of the merits of Saints or thy own works or worthyness but place all thy hopes and moove all thy sutes in the Name of Jesus Christ without whom neither thou nor any of the Saints have any thing to do with God but pray God for thy right in Jesus Christ not to enter into judgment with thee but claime all thy right to blessedness by thy right in Jesus Christ without whom no man hath right in any thing saving in Gods indignation and his own destruction 4. PRay that thy faith may be scientious and unfeigned that thy lise may be conscientious and unspotted Mans life and religion are for the most part like A sound faith a sweet behaviour A false faith a debauched demeanour The fountaine being fowle and noysome can the water be faire and wholesome Can a bad tree bring forth good fruit Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles [e] Matth. 7.16 Neither can their outward conversation be pure whose inward perswasion is not perfect 5. WHat books soever other men admire and make their Jewels Let the Scriptures be dearer unto thee than all other books together Let them be a lampe to thy feet and a light unto thy paths [f] Psal 119.105 Set and settle thy continuall considerations upon them Wherein nothing is superfluous nor any thing wanting wherein whatsoever is taught is truth whatsoever is commanded is goodness whatsoever is promised is perfect happiness yea which not onely for pure and perfect matter but for high and heavenly expressions so farr excell that they are not to be mentioned with any other writings by way of comparison 6. HOw ragged are mens expressions How poor the pithiness of their discourses In sight of the sacred Scriptures their most accomplished Treatises are not so much as the light of a candle to the glorious brightness of the Sun in his chiefest splendour In Gods book every particle hath his poize every tittle is usefull every syllable is sententious every word is wonderfull He that once truly knows it cannot chuse but love it He that truly loves it cannot chuse but with all the veines of his heart commend it to others 7. TAke not upon thee to justify whatsoever any the most learned men without speciall inspiration hath published but whatsoever any pen-man of Scripture to whom the Holy Ghost did dictate hath set down defend to thy death and with thy death Men may erre not knowing the Scriptures [g] Matth. 22.29 not attaining to the perfect sense of them Apollo's a learned Doctour fervent in the Spirit and mighty in the Scriptures yet was he ignorant in divers things and received instruction from Aquila and Priscilla [h] Acts 18.26 We know in part and we prophesy in part said S. Paul [i] 1 Cor. 13.9 after long study and many wonderfull revelations after God had exalted him to the third heaven and there shewed him more than a man might conceive In sundry things as men we are many times much mistaken but not a word in all the sacred volumes that can be either false or faulty the Scriptures of God cannot erre 8. TAke not advantages but advertisements by Scripture read it not to feed a faction but to find a truth look both forward and backward and diligently ponder the circumstances that thou mayest the more clearely perceive the substance catch not at the words or phrases but consider what the will of the Lord is Think not when Christ saith that all that ever came before him were thieves robbers [k] John 10.8 that therefore Moses Elias Elisha Isaiah Jeremiah and the rest of the Prophets were no better than thieves and robbers because they went before Christ in time but that such only were thieves as professed themselves to be the door of the sheep or received or
an answer send them packing Be averse to follow the mightiest rebels for all their smooth perswasions and sweet allurements but more averse to perswade and allure others to rebellion If they shall be sure to smart as without repentance surely they shall who rebell by other mens occasions how much more shall they suffer who are the occasions or give the occasions unto others 25. BE not refractory to any lawfull authority Be a diligent observer of good orders and good lawes submit thy self unto superiour powers procure according to thy calling whatsoever it be the benefit of thy soveraign to whom thou art a subject and the profit of the Church whereof thou art a member 26. WHen thou goest about to effect a good work not only cast how good it is but consider what warrant thou hast to do it If it be a generall good duety it belongeth unto thee in particular but if a speciall practice thou must have a speciall precept It is not for private men to reform publick abuses or to dispose of publick affaires It is not for one calling to intrude upon another no more than for one bodily member to usurpe the work of another what another may not omit without iniquity thou mayest commit iniquity if thou offer to do it and that may be for thee a most hainous sin which may be for another a most holy service 27. BE not backward when thou shouldst be zealous nor forward when thou shouldst be quiet Make not too much hast with Balaam (u) Numb 22.21 nor too little with Lots wife (w) Gen. 19.26 28. MIghtest thou be freed from sequestration and sundry other oppressions Mightest thou be preferred to offices and sundry other favours wouldst thou but confer thy self to some mens humours help to set up the new superstition and oppose government and all good order Alas what trifling and temporary baites are these refuse them yea despise them who to obtain those profits which nature regardeth would forsake those duties which the God of Nature requireth who that hath hope of heaven would not willingly suffer any thing that God imposeth rather than wilfully do any thing that God detesteth 29. LEt neither love nor fear steal courage from thy heart or thy heart from the Lord Let no stormes of troubles or calmes of pleasure turn thee back from Christ or bring thee to deny him lest thou be denyed of him in his Kingdom though the Loadstone draw Iron yet let it not moove gold though Jeat gather up the light straw yet let it not take up the pure Steel Be not mooved or carried a way as some are with the various blasphemous errours and gaudy pious pretences of these times Let no worldly promises or profits draw thee or peremptory persecutions drive thee to forsake thy Lord and Saviour or to ingage thy self in any apparent sin what though plunderers have thy goods or a prison or worse punishment thy person yet let God still have thy service lest the Devill in conclusion have thy Soul 30. INcurr not Gods enmity to increase thy neighbours amity fall not out with God to keep in with men to make thy self acceptable to the one make not thy self abominable to the other yield not so to peace as to yield unto sin withall who would not rather undergo mans unjust detestation than Gods just damnation Be content to lose the love bear the displeasure of the whole world for the love thou bearest to God and his truth Thou refusest to be in the body if thou wilt not suffer the hatred of the world with thy head [x] Recusas esse in corpore si non vis odium mundi sustinere cum capite Augustin 87. tract in Johan 31. LOve thy life and preserve it by all good means but love thy faith as thy life and more than thy life preserve that whatsoever become of thy life Be not so desirous of retaining they naturall life as rather to deny the Truth of God and forsake the Gospell of Christ than to make profession thereof and yield sincere obedience to it with hazard and perill He which choseth to forgo life rather than the services of God and a good conscience shal keep it to eternall life be saved glorified for ever without which hope if any man with al his skil could get al the world into his hands and order all things every where according to his own pleasure what were it available 32. REjoice under the cross and be glad when thou sufferest for the truth let the cause for which thou suffrest more comfort thee than the trouble that thou indurest dismay thee shew thy cheerfull obedience in suffering as well as in doing the will of God Christ our blessed Saviour the most perfect pattern of obedience performed his part both wayes both by doing and suffering And what is the substance of the Gospell but to declare to all people what he did and what he suffered 33. NEither rashly thrust thy self into any needless affliction nor cowardly desert thy station true faith is neither bare-headed nor bird-witted neither fool-hardy nor faint-hearted but when necessity requiteth and duty designeth it refuseth not any dangers be they never so great with a trust and hope to glorify God both in life and death 34. THou art not bound wilfully to cast thy self into the mouths of devouring and ravening persecutors but never deny the Truth of God nor thy self to be a professour of it if thou be called in question for it Not only believe confidently but confess cheerfully whensoever occasion is offered justly for otherwise thou goest not beyond the Devills whose faith is equivocall and their confession forced who believe God is but believe not in him and confess Christ not of love but of constraint 35. ARt thou controlled reviled and sequestred from thy share in the world Know that it is not without a providence acknowledge the Judgments of God often secret but ever just sequester thy self yet further from all those vaine worldly delights wherein some place their chiefest happiness and live as it were carryed up in regard of those wayes of licentiousness wherein others walk Bind thy self to the good behaviour and apply thy self more closely and more constantly to God As the Prophet David when he was vexed by unexpected enemies when he had complained that his friend and companion (y) Psal 55.16 rose up against him he gave himself unto prayer and again when for his love he found adversaries where did he fly but unto God for comfort (z) Psal 142. 36. BEstow not thy blood on schism or heresy it is a foolish death where the cause is fowl canst thou be content to suffer be sure it be in a good cause either for God who knoweth all or for that which thou knowest in thine own conscience to be well pleasing to God Suffer not either out of fashion or out or faction either as ambitious of honour or to satisfy