or suffered was either to purchase fame to themselves or to merit reward by it their aym and end was not Gods glory but their own honour and glory and vertues are to be judged not by their actions but by their ends Yea they called vertue Bonum Theatrale as if a man would not be vertuous if he had not spectators to take notice of him but it is false for vertue will be as cleer in solitudine as in Theatrâ— though not so conspicuous only it may grow more strong by the observation and applause of others as an heat that is doubled by the reflection But O the difference between these naturall and meer morall men and a true Christian the Christian loves goodnesse for it self and would be holy were there no Heaven to reward it he does all and suffers all out of sincere affection and a zeal of Gods glory and the Churches good Matth. 5.16 to the end his Name may be magnified and others won and edified 1 Pet. 2.12 as most fit it is that the profit being mans the honour should be Gods And this his sincerity the rather appears in that he holds out maugre all opposition disgrace persecution c. whereas the other like wind-mills would not turn about to do any good service but for the wind of mens praises Now it is one method to practise swimming with Bladders and another to practise dauncing with heavy shooes We read of some that in the Monastery could fast whole dayes together with ease but in the desart they could not hold out untill noon but their bellies would be craving presently 4. The one doth it in faith which only crowns good actions for whatsoever is not done in faith is sin Rom. 14.23 and therefore cannot please God Heb. 11.6 the reason is this If our best actions be not the fruits of a lively faith they spring from ignorance and infidelity as herbs may do from a dunghill And its evident they have not faith for how should they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 And it were well if all that are meer civill and morall men would look to the Rock where-out their works are hewn and to the Pit where-out they were digged for God looketh at no action further than it is the work of his Spirit but the spirit is no where but in the sons of God Gal. 4.6 and no sons but by faith in Christ Gal. 3.26 So that obedience without faith is but as the shell without the kernell the husk without the corn the carkasse without the soul which the Lord abhors as the sacrifice of fools Isa. 66.3 Whence it is that all the vertues of the Heathen are called by Divines splendida peccata shining or glistering sinnes sinnes as it were in a silken Robe 5. The sum of all Morall Philosophy is included in these two words sustain and abstain and a wicked man may restrain evill as do the godly but here is the difference the one keeps in corruption the other kills corruption 6. The Philosopher and so all civill and morall men can forbear the Christian forgive they pardon their enemies we love ours pray for them and return good for evill and if not we no whit savour of Heaven For if you love them that love you saith our Saviour what thanks shall you have for even the sinners do the same such as see not beyond the clouds of humane reason But I say unto you which hear Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which hurt you and persecute you Matth. 5.44 Luk. 6.27 32 33. shewing that if we will ever hope for good our selves we must return good for evill unto others In which words you may note a triple injunction one to the hâ—art the treasury of love another to the tongue loves interpreter the third and principall to the hand which is loves Factor or Almoner Wherein our Saviour seems to set man like a Clock whose master wheel must not only go right within nor the bell alone sound true above but the hand also point straight without as for the motion and setting of the wheel within he sayes to the heart love your enemies for the stroke and sounding of the bell above he saith to the tongue blesse them that curse you and for the pointing of the hand or Index without he saith to the hand Do good to them that hurt you Now well may naturall men sayâ— with the winde of their naturall passionâ— and corrupt affections in rendring evill for evill but Christ the Master and Pilot of his Ship the Church hath charged all passengers bound for Heaven the Haven of their hope and Harbour of their rest like Pauls Mariners Acts 27. to sayl with a contrary wind and weather of doing good for evill and like the Disciples on the Lake of Genazereth Râ—â— through the raging waves of their enemies reproaches with a contrary breath not rendring rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise to blesse 1 Pet. 3 â—â— And the better to teach us this lesson he practised it himself adding example to precept for his word and his work like mercy and truth were together his precept and his practise like righteousnesse and peace kissed each other for when they in devilish malice sought nothing but his condemnation he in great love went about the work of their salvation when they shed his blood to quench their malice he swet water and blood to wash their souls Yea when the Iews were crucifying of him he at the same time though the torments of his passion were intollerable incomparable unconceivable solliciteth God for their pardon Luk. 23.34 Now his prayer could not but he efficacious and a pardon for such murderâ—rs was no mean good turn And this likewise is the practice of the Saints who strive to imitate their Master in all things which he did as man St Steven at the instant while his enemies were stoning of him kneeled down and prayed Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Acts 7.60 Where is one thing very remarkable he stood when he prayed for himself but kneeled when he prayed for his enemies hereby shewing the greatnesse of their impiety which easily could not be forgiven as also the greatnesse of his piety And indeed as to render good for good is the part of a man and to render evill for evill the part of a beast and to render evill for good the part of a devill so to render good for evill is only the part of a Saint Be mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull Luk. 6.36 It were easie to abound in examples of this kinde How often did Moses return good unto Pharaoh for his evill in praying to and prevailing with God for him to the removall of nine severall plagues notwithstanding his cruell oppression And David what could he have done for Saul that he left undone notwithstanding he so cruelly persecuted him and hunted after his life
And the like I might shew in that man of God to Ieroboam and they that went to Heaven by that bloody way of Martyrdom who prayed for others even their persecutors and murtherers an easier passage to Heaven Yea Gods people account it a sinne to â—ease praying for their worst enemies 1 Sam. 12.23 But what do I tell them of these transcendent examples when I never yet heard or read of that Philosopher which could parallel Dr Cooper Bishop of Lyncolne in an act of patient suffering who when his Wife had burnt all his Notes which he had been eighty years a gathering least he should kill himself with overmuch study for she had much ado to get him to his meales shew'd not the least token of passion but only reply'd Indeed wife it was not well done so falling to work again was eight years more in gathering the same Notes wherewith he composed his Dictionary which example I confesse more admires me than any that ever I heard of from a man not extraordinarily and immediately inspired and assisted by the holy Ghost and sure he that could endure this could endure any thing whether in body goods or good name for of necessity there must be in that man that can patiently bear such a losse somewhat more than man I know there are some men or rather two legged Beasts that esteem no more of Books and Notes than Esops Coeâ— did of the Pearl he found and these accordingly will say this was nothing in comparison of what they suffer as when once a Hotspur was perswaded to be patient as Iob was he replied What do you tell me of Iob Iob never had any Suits in Chancery Yea indeed the meanest of Christs royall Band for patience puts down all the generation of naturall men as even their enemies will confesse Consalvus a Spanish Bishop and Inquisitor wondred how the Protestants had that Commandement Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self so indelibly printed in their hearts that no torture could blot it out and make them confesse and betray one another And indeed how should it be otherwise For First If Morall Principles cherished and strengthened by good education will enable the soul against vicious inclinations so that though some influence of the Heavens do work upon the aire and the aire upon the spirits and the spirits upon the humours and these incline the temper and that inclines the soul of a man such and such wayes yet breeding in the resineder sort of evill persons will nauch prevail to draw them another way what may we think of grace and faith and Gods Spirit which are supernaturall Secondly Every Christian suffering for Christs sake and for righteousnesse sake hath Gods mighty power to support him and Christ to suffer with 〈◊〉 and bear a part in his misery whereas the naturall man suffers all himself as a delinquent or malefactor whose guilty conscience adds weight â—o his punishment A woman called Faelicitas whom St Austin much praiseth being brought to bed in the time of her imprisonment for the truth and by reason of the great pains she had in her labour that she could not forbear screeâ—hing one of the Officers hearing her cry out tauntingly mockt her thus Ah woman if thou canst not bear these sorrowes without such cryings how wilt thou endure when thou shalt be burnt or cut in pieces or torn asunder what thou now sufferest is but sport but the Tragedy is to follow whom she answered Now said she I suffer for my self and for sinne but then Christ is to suffer in me and I for him And it fell out as she said for when she was thrown to the wild beasts she neither sent out schreeings nor so much as a sigh or groan but entertained death with so merry and cheerfull a countenance as if she had been invited to a Feast And thus you see in the first place that Nature hath but a slow foot to follow Religion close at the heels that grace and faith transcend reason as much as reason doth sense that patience rightly so called is a Prerogative-royall peculiar to the Saints It is well if Philosopâ—y have so much wisdome as to stand amazed at it 2. That it is not true Christian patience except 1. It flow from a pious and good heart sanctified by the holy Ghost 2. Be done in knowledge of and obedience to Gods command 3. That we do it in humility and sincere love to God 4. That it be done in faith 5. That we aim at Gods glory not at our own and the Churches good in our sufferings 6. That we forgive as well as forbear yea love pray for and return good to our enemies for their evill Which being so what hath the Swashbuckler to say for himself And what will become of him if he repent not who can afford no time to aâ—gue but to execute Yea what hath the more temperate worldling to say for himself who hath some small piece of reason for his guide arguing thus I would rather make shew of my passions than smother them to my cost which being vented and exprest become more languishing and weak better it is to let its point work outwardly than bend it against our selves and in reason Tallying of iâ—juries is but justice To which I answer it is not reason especially carnall reason but Religion which all this while hath been disputed of which is Divine and supernaturall and that teacheth how good must be returned for evill and that we should rather invite our enemy to do us more wrong than not to suffer the former with patience as our Saviours words do imply If saith he they strike thee on the one cheek turn to him thâ— other also If they sue thee at the Law and take away thy coat let them have thy cloak also Matth. 5.39 40. He speaks comparatively as if he should say Rather suffer two wrongs than do one Indeed the difficulty of the duty the seeming danger and want of faith in carnall men weakneth the force of the strongest reasons for no more among Ruffians but a word and a blow among civill men but a word and a Writ can you expect But as thrice Noble Nehemiah said to that false Belly-god betraying-Priest Shemaiah Should such a man as I flee So the true Christian will encounter all discouragements and frighting alarms thus Should such a man as I fear to do that which my Master King and Captain Christ Iesus hath commanded me which is of more necessity than life it self Yea seeing Heathens could go so farre as to subdue their passions for shame let so many of us as would be accounted Christians go further even to the mortifying of ours or if we go not before Publicans and Sinners in the Kingdom of grace Publicans and sinners shall go before us into the Kingdom of Heaven And seeing the duty of the Childe is the Fathers Honour let us that are Christians be known from worldlings by our practice as
overcome a great opposition yea it is greater glory to God to turn evils into good by over-mastering them than wholly to take them away Now if thy very enemies thus honour thee how should thy friends bought with thy precious blood glorifie thee But the sweetest of Honey lieth in the boâ—tom I pass therefore from the first to the second Reason CHAP. 2. That it makes for the glory of his Wisdom 2 SEcondly it makes for the glory of his marvellous and singular Wisdom when he turneth the malice of his enemies to the advantage of his Church I would saith Paul ye understood brethren that the things which have come unto me are turned rather to the furthering of the Gospel So that my bonds in Christ are famous throughout all the judgement-hall and in all other places insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord are emboldned through my bonds and dare more frankly speak the Word Phil. 1.12 13 14. The Apostles imprisonment was not the Gospels restraint but inlargement In all other cases a gentle resistance heightens the desire of the seeker in this the strength of opposition meeting with as strong a faith hath the same effect Again how admirably did the Lord turn the malice of Iosephs brethren when they sold him into Egypt And that devillish plot of Haman against Mordecai and his people to the good of his Church in general and of Ioseph and Mordecai in particular Gen. 45.8 11. Hester 9.1 2 3. Their plots to overthrow Ioseph and Mordecai were turned by a divine Providence to the only means of advantaging them And herein was that of the Psalmist verified Surely the rage of man shall turn to thy praise Psal. 76.10 He who can do all things will do that which shall be most for his own honour And it is not so much glory to God to take away wicked men as to use their evill to his own holy purposes how soon could the Commander of Heaven and Earth rid the World of bad members But so should he lose the praise of working good by evil instruments it sufficeth that the Angels of God resist their actions while their persons continue Yea as in the Creation out of that confused Chaos he drew forth this orderly and adorned World so still out of Satans Tragedies and Hurliburlies he brings forth sweet order and comeliness for God many times works by contrary means as Christ restored the blinde man to his sight with clay and spittle he caused the Israelites to grow with depression with persecution to multiply Exod. 1.12 The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church Persecution enlargeth the bounds of it like as Palms oppressed and Camamile trod upon mount the more grow the faster Yea it is admirable to consider how the Gospel grew maugre all the adverse blasts and floods which the billows of Earth and bellows of Hell could blow or poure out against it in those sanguinary Persecutions The more we are cut down by the sword of Persecution the more still we are sayes Tertullian of the Christians in his time Yea the sufferings of one begat many to the love of the truth we read that Cicilia a poor Virgin by her gracious behaviour in her Martyrdom was the means of converting four hundred to Christ. The spectators made contrary constructions to what their Persecutors intended witness Iustine Martyr Who when he saw the Christians suffer such great things so cheerfully said Surely these men have more in them then the men of the World they have other principles and thereupon enquired what manner of people they were and so came to embrace the truth Whence Master Iohn Lindsey a friend to Bishop Bettoune upon the burning of Master Patrick Hamilton said to him My Lord if you burn any more let them be burnt in hollow Cellars for the smoak of Master Hamilton hath infected as many as it blew upon Master Knox in his History of Scotland And as touching Iulians in particular Italy never more abounded with Students then when he had shut up all the School-doors and turned Learning into exile And so on the contrary the very means which wicked men use to establish their own power proves by Gods providence the only means of their ruine Those Babel-projectors would build themselves a Towre whose top should reach unto Heaven lest they should be scattered abroad which act of theirs proved the only cause of their being scattered and dispersed all the World over Gen. 11.4 8. Iosephs brethren sold him into Egypt that so they might prevent his reigning over them but God made it the only means of his reigning over them Genesis 37.20 36. Pharaoh and his deep Counsellours would deal wisely in oppressing the Israelites lest they should multiply and get out of his Land but by this they multiplied the more and got out the sooner even to the ruine of him and his Countrey Exod. 1.9 10 11 12. The chief Priests and Pharisees would most wisely put Christ to death lest all men should believe in him Iohn 11.47 48 53. When thereby chiefly all came to believe in him For saith he when I am lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me Iohn 12.32 And not seldome doth the Lord thus turn the deepest counsels of Haman and Achitophel into foolishness Witness the Prelates caetera Oath He that could prevent our sufferings by his power doth permit them in his wisdom that he may glorifie his mercy in our deliverance and confirm our faith by the issue of our distresses 'T is as easie for God to work without means as with them and against them as by either but assuredly it makes more for the Makers glory that such an admirable harmony should be produced out of such an infinite discord The World is composed of four Elements and those be contraries the Year is quartered into different Seasons the minde of man is a mixture of disparities as joy sorrow hope fear love hate and the like the body doth consist and is nourished by contraries how divers even in effect as well as taste wherein variety hits the humour of all are the Birds and Beasts that feed us And how divers again are those things that feed them How many several qualities have the Plants that they brouze upon Which all mingled together what a well tempered Sallad do they make Thus you see that though faith be above reason yet is there a reason to be given of our faith Oh what a depth of wisdom may lie wrapt up in those passages which to our weak apprehensions may seem ridiculous CHAP. 3. That the graces of God in his children may the more shine through employment 3 THirdly it maketh for Gods glory another way when those gracâ— which he hath bestowed upon his children do the more shiâ— through employment and are the more seen and taken notice â— by the World surely if his justice get such honour by a Pharaoh mucâ— more doth his mercy by a Moses now
the corrupt heart and festered conscience can endure nothing even a word if it be pleasing puffs him up with pride if not it swels him with passion A guilty conscience like Glasse will sweat with the least breath and like a windy iustrument be put out of tune with the very distemper of the aire but when the soul is steeled with goodnesse no assaults of evil can daunt it I more fear what is within me sayes Luther then what comes from without The storms and wind without do never move the Earth only Vapours within cause Earthquakes Jam. 4.1 No greater sign of innocency when we are accused than mildnesse as we see in Ioseph who being both accused and committed for forcing his Mistresse answered just nothing that we can read of Gen. 39.17 18. And Susanna who being accused by the two Elders of an haynous crime which they alone were guilty of never contended by laying the fault upon them but appeals unto God whether she were innocent or no. The History of Susanna Vers. 42.43 And Hannah whose reply to Ely when he falsly accused her of druukennesse was no other but Nay my Lord count not thine Handmaid for a wicked woman 1 Sam. 1.15 16. Neither is there a greater Symptome of guiltinesse than our breaking into choler and being exasperated when we have any thing laid to our charge witnesse Cain Gen. 4 9. That Hebrew which struck his fellow Exod. 2.13 14. Saul 1 Sam. 20.32 33. Abner 2 Sam. 3.8 Ioroboam 1 King 13 4. Ahab 1 King 22.27 Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.16 Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.19 Herod the Tetrarch Luk 3.19 20. The men of Nazareth Luk. 4.28 29. The Pharisees Joh. 8.47 48. And the High Priests and Scribes Luk. 20.19 20. Sinne and falshood are like an impudent strumpet but innocency and truth will veil themselves like a modest Virgin 2 Pet. 2.18 The more false the matter the greater noise to uphold it Paul is nothing so loud as Tertullus The weakest cause will be sure to forelay the shrewdest counsell or the lowdest Advocates Errour hath alwayes most words like a rotten house that needs most props and crutches to uphold it Simple truth evermore requires least cost like a beautifull face that needs no painting or a comely body which any decent apparrell becomes We plaister over rotten posts and ragged walls substantiall buildings are able to grace themselves So that as sparks flying up shew the house to be on fire and as corrupt spittle shewes exulcerate lungs so a passionate answer argues a guilty conscience Why doth the Hare use so many doublings but to frustrate the sent of the Hounds And this is one reason why the former are compared to Sheep and Lambes Emblems of innocency which being harmed will not once bleat and the latter unto Swine which will roar and cry if they be but toucht But to leave these Swine and return to the men we were speaking of A good Conscience is not put out of countenance with the false accusations of slanderous tongues it throweth them off as St Paul did the Viper unhurt Iunocence and patience are two Bucklers sufficient to repulse and abate the violence of any such charge the Brestplate of Righteousnesse the brazen wall of a good conscience feareth no such Canons The Conscionable being railed upon and reviled by a foul mouth may reply as once a Steward did to his passionate Lord when he called him Knave c. Your Honour may speak as you please but I beleeve not a word that you say for I know my self an honest man Yea suppose we are circled round with reproaches our conscience knowing us innocent like a constant friend takes us by the hand and cheers us against all our miseries A good spirit will be as Simon to Christ its Crosse-bearer A just man saith Chrysostome is impregnable and cannot be overcome take away his wealth his good parts cannot be taken from him and his treasure is above cast him into prison and bonds he doth the more freely enjoy the presence of his God banish him his Countrey he hath his conversation in Heaven kill his body it shall rise again so he fights with a shadow that contends with an upright man Wherefore let all who suffer in their good Names if conscious and guilty of an enemies imputations repent and amend if otherwise contemn them own them not so much as once to take notice thereof A wicked heart is as a barrtll of powder to temptation let thine be as a River of water Yea seeing God esteems men as they are and not as they have been although formerly thou hast been culpable yet now thou mayest answer for thy self as Paul did for Onesimus Though in times past I was unprofitable yet now I am profitable and oppose to them that sweet and divine sentence of sweet and holy Bernard Tell me not Satan what I have been but what I am and will be Or that of Beza in the like case Whatsoever I was I am now in Christ a New Creature and that is it which troubles thee I might have so continued long enough ere thou wouldest have vexed at it but now I see thou dost envy me the grace of my Saviour Or that Apothegme of Diogenes to a base fellow that told him he had once been a forger of money whose answer was 'T is true such as thou art now I was once but such as I am now thou wilt never be Yea thou mayest say by how much more I have formerly sinned by so much more is Gods power and goodnesse now magnified As St Augustine hearing the Donatists revile him for the former wickednesse of his youth answered The more desperate my disease was so much the more I admire the Physician Yea thou mayest yet strain it a peg higher and say the greater my sinnes were the greater is my honour as the Devils which Mary Magdalen once had are mentioned for her glory Thus if we cannot avoid ill tongues let our care be not to deserve them and 't is all one as if we avoided them For how little is that man hurt whom malice condemns on earth and God commends in Heaven Let the World accuse me so long as God acquits me I care not CHAP. XVIII That it is more laudable to forgive than revenge 2. BEcause it is more generous and laudable to forgive than revenge Certainly in taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy but in passing it over he is superiour to him for it is a Princes part to pardon yea quoth Alexander there can be nothing more noble than to do well to those that deserve ill And St Gregory It is more honor to suffer injuries by silence than to overcome them by answering again Princes use not to chide when Embassadours have offered them undecencies but deny them audience as if silence were the way royall to correct a wrong And certainly he enjoyes a brave composednesse that seats himself above the flight of the injurious claw Like
a shepheard and of a Wolf a Sheep of Christs fold 4. And lastly If we consider our own future estate we have no lesse cause to contemn their evil words for it is not materiall to our well or ill being what censures passe upon us the tongues of the living avail nothing to the good or hurt of those that lye in their graves they can neither diminish their joy nor yet add to their torment if they finde any There is no Common Law in the New Ierusalem there truth will be received though either plaintiff or defendant speaks it Yea there shall be a resurrection of our credits as well as of our bodies Nay suppose they should turn their words into blowes and in stead of using their tongues take up their swords and kill us they shall rather pleasure than hurt us When Iohn Baptist was delivered from a double prison of his own of Herods and placed in the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God what did he lose by it His head was taken off that it might be crowned with glory he had no ill bargain of it they did but hasten him to immortality and the Churches daily prayer is Come Lord Iesus come quickly Yea what said blessed Bradford In Christs cause to suffer death is the way to Heaven on Horsback which hath made some even slight the sentence of death and make nothing of it It is recorded of one Martyr that hearing the sentence of his condemnation read wherein was exprest many severall tortures of starving killing boyling burning and the like which he should suffer he turns to the People and with a smiling countenance saies And all this is but one death and each Christian may say of what kinde soever his sufferings be The sooner I get home the sooner I shall be at ease Yea whatever threatens to befall him he may answer it as once that noble Spartan who being told of the death of his Children answered I knew well they were all begot mortall Secondly that his goods were confiscate I knew what was but for my use was not mine Thirdly that his honour was gone I knew no glory could be everlasting on this miserable Earth Fourthly that his sentence was to dye That 's nothing Nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners and me Wicked men have the advantage of the way but godly men of the end Who fear not death because they feared God in their life So we see the cudgell is not of use when the Beast but only barks nay tell me how wouldest thou endure wounds for thy Saviour that canst not endure words for him if when a man reviles thee thou art impatient how wouldest thou afford thy ashes to Christ and write patience with thine own bloud CHAP. XXV That their expectation may not be answered 3. BEcause he will not answer his enemies expectation in which kinde he is revenged of his enemy even while he refuseth to revenge himself For as there is no such grief to a Iester or Iugler as when he doth see that with all his jests tricks and â—ooleries he cannot move mirth nor change the countenances of them that see and hear him so there can be no greater vexation to a wicked and malicious enemy than to see thee no whit grieved nor moved at his malice against thee but that thou dost so bear his injuries as if they were none at all Yea he which makes the tryall shall finde that his enemy is more vexed with his silence than if he should return like for like Dion of Alexandria was wont to take this revenge of his enemies amongst whom there was one who perceiving that by injuring and reviling of him he could not move him to impatience whereby he might have more scope to rayl went and made away with himself as Brusonius reports And Montaigne tells us of a Citizen that having a Scold to his Wife would play on his Drum when she brawled and rather seem to be pleased with it than angry and this for the present did so mad her that she was more vexed with her self than with him but when she saw how it succeeded and that this would not prevail in the end it made her quite leave off the same and prove a loving wife that so she might overcome him with kindnesse and win him to her bow by bending as much the other way that so like a prudent Wife she might command heâ— Husband by obeying And whosoever makes the tryall shall finde that Christian patience and magnanimous contempt will in time either drain the gall out of bitter spirits or make it more overflow to their own disgrace At least it will still the barking tongue and that alone will be worth our labour Satan and his instruments cannot so vex us with sufferings as we vex them with our patience It hath been a torment to Tyrants to see that they were no way able either with threats or promises kindnesse or cruelty to make the Christians yeeld but that they were as immoveable as a Rock it being true of them which is but fained of Iupiter namely that neither Iuno through her riches nor Mercury through his eloquence nor Vonus through her beauty nor Mars through his threats nor all the rest of the gods though they conspired together could pull him out of Heaven Neither feared they to die knowing that death was but their passage to a state of immortality But to go on you cannot anger a wicked man worse than to do well yea he hates you more bitterly for this and the credit you gain thereby then if you had cheated him of his patrimony with your own discredit nor do they more envy our grace than they rejoyce is see us sin For what makes God angry makes them merry And they so hunger and thirst after our discredit that should we through passion but overshoot our selves in returning like for like or in doing more than befits us they would feed themselves with the report of it for like flesh-flies our wounds are their chief nourishment and nothing so glads their hearts or opens their mouthes with insolency and triumph Besides what is scarce thought a fault in other men is held in us a hainous crime When they could not accuse Christ of sinne they accused him for companying with sinners and doing good on the Sabboth day When the Rulers and Governours could finde no fault in Daniel concerning the Kingdom he was so faithfull they alledged his praying to God and brought that within compasse of a Premunire Dan. 6.4.13 The World is ever taxing the least fault yea no fault or rather the want of faults in the best men because one imaginary cloud in a just man shall in their censure darken all the starres of his graces yea the smallest spot in his face shall excuse all the sores and ulcers in their bodies so that by answering their expectation or by returning like for like we shall both wrong our selves and pleasure them which
of men drunk with the love of the World for although it bee as common a phrase as it is foolish when any great matter falls to a man O he is made yet experience proves that it rather marrâ— than makes him for not seldom do men possess riches as sick men do fevers which indeed rather possess them And certainly if riches were such pearls as most men esteem them it is not likely the Lord would cast them to sub Swine as mostly hee doth If such happy things hee would not throw them to such Dogs As what saith Luther of the whole Turkish Empire it is but a crum of bread which the master of the house throweth to his Dogs And the truth is what men think most pleasing viz. to have theiâ— wills and their lusts granted is most plaguing Psal. 81.12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels so that the greatest temtation is to bee without temtation and the greatest affliction not to be afflicted 2 Cor. 12.7 Wherefore lift up your hands which hang down because of some sore affliction and your weak knees Heb. 12.12 and know that the worst of temporall afflictions are an insufficient proof of divine displeasure yea that stripes from the Almighty are tokens of his love and seals of his Son-ship Yea since hee that hath most grace commonly complains of most discomfort confess that the palate is but an ill Judge of the favours of God as it is in great love no doubt however it bee taken that the tender Father medicines his Child for the Worms gives him Aloes or the like the Child cries and sputters and keckeâ— as if it were poisoned yet still the Fathers love is never the less say it be bitter yet bitter poisons bring sweet health and who will not rather take a vomit then hazard life In the Sweating sickness in England their friends would stand by them and strike them over the faces with sprigs of Rosemary to keep them awake the poor souls faint and full of pain would cry out you kill mee but yet they must do it or else they kill'd them iâ—deed for all that slept dyed Look wee saith Saint Ambrose wiâ—h the eyes of our body upon Lazarus estate and wee think it miserable but if with the eyes of the mind it will bee otherwise for how did the Angels do by him but as Nurses are wont to do by their little children all the day long they carry them about in their arms and at niâ—ht they lay them down in their beds to â—est But the supernaturall works of God when wee look upon them with our own eyes are subject to a dangerous misprision the Sun-beams to whom wee are beholding for our sight if wee eye them directly blind us Miserable men we are ready to suspect truths to run away from our safety to bee afraid of our comforts to mis-know our best friends Wee usually think it a great signe of God displeasure when hee ruines our estate and brings us to nothing when hee in his wisdome knows that these riches would shipwrack the soul were they not cast over-board and his love onely forces him to it A Mother seeing her little Son brustled at by Turcki-cocks catcheth him up and strippeth him of his red coat at which those Eiâ—des are offended the child cries for his coat but shee regarding his good letteth him weep but satisfieth him not And the like of Enemies wee think our selvs mightily wronged by them But God finds it to fare with us as it doth with the Oak which gains by the maims and wounds given it and thereupon spreadeth out thicker than before Whence it is God suffers them to live and domineer as some Countries suffer Ravens enacting Laws to prohibit the killing of them thâ—t they may devour the Carrions which else would corrupt the air And so in all oâ—her trials for bee the root of this tree never so bitter yet the fruit is pleasant Well may wee catch a maim as Iacob did but such a blessing come withall that wee would not if wise bee without it Say it bee a sore and fiery citall yet better this fire to purge us than Hell fire to burn us But all the skill is in making men see this wherefore hee that opened the eyes of Paul open ours But furthermore as not to bee afflicted argues an absolute defect of goodness so if our troubles bee light and few it is because wee are weak and tender for therefore God imposeth no more upon us because hee 〈◊〉 wee can bear no moâ—e The Physitian will not suffer a milke-soâ— to see his vein opened but makes him wink or look another way The Master giveth not to his sick servant strong meats as hee doth to the rest but more dainty â—arâ— not because hee is worthier than the rest but because hee is 〈◊〉 and in greateâ— need The skilfull Armourâ—r tryeth not an ordinary Peece with musket-shot The wise Lapidary brings not his softer stones to the Stithy So that freedom from affliction is not a signe of potency but of impotency Wherefore when I am stronger I will look for more when I am a vessell fit for this strong and new wine I shall bee filled with it but not before Mark 2.22 Indeed the calling of God never leavs a man unchanged nor does hee imploy any in his service whom hee does not enable to the work hee sets them about Will any make choyce of a weak Champion no more will God hee will either find us fit or make us fit to discharge the place hee puts us in as when hee called Saul to bee a King hee gave him a Kings heart 1 Sam. 10.9 And when hee called the Apostles to that function hee gave them gifts answerable so when hee calls any to suffer for him bee it Martyrdom hee giveth them the courage of Martyrs as the times of Queen Mary witness But yet for the most part hee â—rains us up by degrees as we eat diverse things by morsels and easily digest them which if we should eat whole would choak us and doth not make us fit to undergo great matters on a suddain Wee must learn to fence in the School before wee fight in the Field and with wooden weapons men learn to fight at the sharp wee must encounter with some beasts or other I mean unreasonable men before wee fight with that fearfull Goliah death And indeed if wee do not learn to give entertainment to smaller crosses the harbingers messengers and servants of death how shall wee bee able to entertain the Lord and Master when hee cometh Wherefore as Iehoram said to Iehu when hee marched furiously Comest thou peaceably As if hee should say if thou comest peaceably march as furiously as thou wiltâ— so let us say unto God provided thy afflictions and chastisements bee directed to us as messengers of peace and love let them march towards us as furiously as thou pleasest but in
to Paul Act. 9.15 16. 23. ver 11. and our Saviour Christs words to his Apostles Ast. 1.8 yea to suffer for Christ saith Father Latimer is the greatest privilege that God gives in this world and the story of Iob is a book-case to prove it for did not God by him as sometimes a Schoolmaster with his Pupill who when he hath polished and perfected a good Scholar brings him sorth provokes adversaries to set upon him with hard questions and takes a pride to see the fruit of his own labours And in the warrs to have the hottect and most dangerous services imposed upon them by their General is accounted the greatest honour neither will he confer the same upon any but the stoutest and most valiant This Rod of the Lord like Ahasuerus his Scepter is never stretcht forth toward any of his but in great love and favour It is like the kisse which Cyrus in Xenophon gave to Chrysanthas which was accounted a greater and more special savour than the Cup of gold which he gave to Artabazus Which being so let us in this particular imitaâ—e the Muscovitish women who will not think their husbands love them unlesse they chastise them and the Indians who are ambitious to be burnt with them and the Thracians who are proud to wear their scarrs Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. And the Apostles esteemed it a grace to be disgraced for him and shall we grumble or think much at it No in the greatest extremity of straights let us acknowledge it a favour and give him thanks and so much the rather for that it is more acceptable to God to give him thanks once in adversity then six hundred times in prosperity as a grave Divine well observs and indeed it is the summe of all Religion to be thankfull to God in the midst of miseries True it is hard for Iob when the terrours of God fight against him and the arrows of the Almighty stick so â—ast in him that the venome thereof hath drunk up his spirit Iob 6.2 3 4. to think it a special favour and dignity but so it was being rightly considered It was hard for Iosephs brethren to hear him speak roughly unto them take them for spies accuse them of theft and commit them to prison Gen. 42.30 and think it is all out of love much more hard for Simeon to bee cull'd out from the rest and committed to ward while his brethren are set at libertie Vers. 24. and yet it was so yea he loved him best whom he seemed to favour least yet such is the infirmitie of our nature that as weak eies are dazled with the light which should comfort them so there is nothing more common with God's Children than to be afflicted with the causes of their joy and astonied with that which is intended for their confirmation Even Manoah conceivs death in that vision of God wherein alone his life and happinesse did consist Iudg. 13.22 And the Shepherds Luk. 2. who were sore afraid when the Angel of the Lord came to bring them good tidings of great joy to all people viz. their Saviours Birth which was Christ the Lord Vers. 9.10 But what hath been the answer of GOD alwaies to his children in such their extasies but his Fear not Gideon Judg. 6.23 Fear not Ioseph Mat. 1.20 Fear not Zachary Luk. 1.12 13. Fear not Abraham for I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Fear not Paul for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee to do thee hurt c. Acts. 18.9 10. the words are often repeated as Pharaohs dreams were doubled for the surenesse Yea to the end that we should be fearlesse in all our sufferings so long as we suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 4.15 Fear not as one well notes is the first word in the Annunciation of Christs Conception and the first word in the first Annunciation of his Birth and the first word in the first Annuuntiation of his Resurrection and almost the last words in his last exhortation a little before his death are Let not your hearts be troubled and be of good comfort strengthening his followers and sweetning his Crosse by diverse forcible reasons Luke 21. Mark 13. And the words of dying men have ever been most emphatical most effectual Nay more than all this if yet thou wilt not be comforted look but Ioh. 16.20 and thou shalt have thy Saviour assure thee by a double bond His Word I say Verily verily I say unto you His Oath I say Verily verily I say unto you that though for the present you do fear and sorrow and weep yet all shall be turned into joy 〈◊〉 that joy shal no man be able to take from you v. 22. And so much of the Patience of the Womans seed Innocency of the Womans seed Felicity of the Womans seed If you will see the Malice of the Serpents seed Subtilty of the Serpents seed Misery of the Serpents seed Read the three foregoing parts viz. The canse and cure of Ignorance Error c. The cure of Misprision Characters of the kinds of preaching The last whereof sold only by Iames Crump in Little Bartholomeâ— Well-yard A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening as also another to be said at any time Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon them that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name Psal. 145.18 Rom. 10.12 The Lord is nigh and rich unto all that call upon him in truth Isa. 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not 1 Joh. 5.14 If wee ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Joh. 16.23 Mat. 21.22 Whatsoever yee shall ask the Father in my Name believing he will give it you Psal. 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as we brought a world of sinne into the World with us and deserved to dye so soon as wee began to live so ever since that thou hast spared us we have done nothing but add sinne unto sinne as
hath been to serve Satan and fulfil the lusts of the flesh VVe even suck in iniquity like water 〈…〉 It hath been the course of our whole life to leave that which God commands and to do that which he forbids The Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience but we are constant in nothing but in perpetuall offending onely therein we cease not for when we are waking our flesh tempts us to wickednesse if we are sleeping it sollicits us to filthiness Whatever God commands we do the contrary We prophane his Dayes contemn his Ordinances resist his Word grieve his Spirit misuse his Messengers hate our reprovers slander and persecute his people seduce our friends give ill example to our neighbours open the mouthes of God's and our enemies to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are called and the truth we profess Yea we have done more against God in one week then we have done for him ever since we were born and whereas the least of Gods mercies is greater then all the courtesies of men we are not so thankfull to him for them all as we are to a friend for some one good turn Sect. XV. Neither are we sufficient of our selves to think much less to speak least of all to do ought that is good 2 Cor. 3.5 Iohn 15.4 5. There is so much wearisomness pride passion lust envy ignorance awkwardness hypocrisie infidelity vain thoughts unprofitableness and the like cleaving to our best actions to defile them that even our praying and fasting and repenting our hearing believing and giving our holiest communication our most brotherly admonition c. are in themselves as filthy rags Isa. 64.6 were they not accepted in Christ covered with his righteousness and washed white in his most precious blood Our very righteousness is as a menstruous cloth Isa. 64.6 What then is our sinfulness As bring we our lives to the rule Look how many sins are cherished so many false gods there are chosen Look how many creatures thou inordinately lovest fearest trustest rejoycest in so many new gods hast thou coined and wilt thou not then pleade guilty when the first and second Commandment arraigneth thee Thou canst not away with swearing but dost thou reprove others for their swearing Didst thou never hear Sermons unpreparedly irreverently c Does thy heart upon a Sabbath rest from worldly thoughts much more thy tongue from worldly speeches There is murther of the heart hatred Hast not thou murthered thy neighbours soul by thy negligence perswasion evil example c. Thou hast not stoln but hast thou not coveted Hast thou been liberal to those that are owners of a part of thy goods hast thou not robb'd thy brother of his good name which is above silver and gold Hast not thou robb'd God of his worship of his Sabbaths of his Tythes c. Lying flattering detracting listning to taâ—â—s yea not defending thy brothers good name is to bear false witness 〈…〉 very first motions of sins springing out of our hearts though presently rejected and a thousand the like and yet for every drop of wickedness that is in the life there is a sea in the heart that feeds it Sect. XVI True if thou lookest on thy sins in Satans false glass that will make them seem light and contemptible but behold them in the clear and perfect gâ—ass of Gods law and they will appear abominable Which makes our Saviour call hatred murther a wanton eye adultery c. Yea consider thy sins rightly and they will appear as the Iudasses that betrayed the Souldiers that apprehended bound smote and wounded thy Saviour as the gall and vinegar in his mouth spittle on his face thorns on his head nails in his hands spear in his side c. This is the way to know thy self sinful and as thus to know thy self is the best Divinity as Demonax said of Philosophy so thus to aggravate thy sins in thine own sight is the only way to have them extenuated in the sight of God Whence the more holy a childe of God is the more sensible he is of his own unholiness thinking none so vile as himself as it fared with holy Iob Iob 40.4 and 42.6 and with Isaiah chap. 6.5 and 64.6 and with Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 Rom. 7.14 to 25. and with holy David who almost in every Psalm so much bewails his sins originall and actual of omission and commission Carnal men are only troubled for those sins that appear to the world but those in whom Christs is formed anew think they cannot be humbled enough for their evil thoughts vain and unprofitable words for the evil which cleaves even to their best actions for sins of omission as the want of faith and love and repentance want of the true fear of God the neglect of preparation and unprofitable hearing of praying and reading in their families of instructing their children and servants of sanctifying the Sabbath and seeing that all under them do the same their unfruitfulness under the means of grace their not growing in grace and the like And thus do all experimental Christians all that have spiritual eies The want whereof I take to be the cause of all desperate wickedness as what else but invincible ignorance is the cause why wickednesse so abounds in every corner oâ— the Land Sin indeed at first was the cause of ignorance but now ignorance is the cause of Sin swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring abound saith the Prophet because there is no knowledge of God in the land Hosea 4.1 2. It is a people that do erre in their hearts saies God Why Because they have not known my ways Psal. 95.10 Ye are deceived saith our Saviour because ye know not the Scriptures neither the power of God Matth. 22.29 VVhen Christ wept over Ierusalem what was the cause Even their blindnesse If thou hadst known saith he at the least in this thy day those things which now are hid from thine eyes Luke 19.42 Because men know not the wages of evil therefore they do it and because they would securely do it therefore they refuse to know it O that men knew how good it is to obey to disobey how evil for this would soon disperse and dispel all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment If they were wise saith St. Bernard they would fore-see the torments of Hell and prevent them but they that wander in by-paths declare themselves ignorant of the rightway of salvation Rom. 3.17 I grant many that are wicked have a shew of wisdom but let them seem to know never so much yet it is through ignorance that they do so ill Sect. XVII And so having given you a short survey of our wretchedness by reason of Original sin and actual transgressions by which we must confess to have deserved double damnation I come now to declare the means which God of his infinite goodnesse hath found out both for
and so plainly that you cannot be deceived except you desire to deceive your own soul. The knowledge of God that saves us is more than a bare apprehension of him iâ— knows his power and therefore fears him knows his justice and therefore serves him knows his mercy and therefore trusts him knows his goodness and therefore loves him c. For he that hath the saving knowledge of God or of Christ hath every other Grace There is a sweet correspondence between every one where there is any one in truth As in the generation the head is not without the body nor the body without each member nor the soul without its powers and faculties so in the regeneration where there is any one grace in truth there is every one 2 Cor. 5.17 If you will see it in particulars read Psa. 9.10 Jer. 9.24 1 Joh. 4.6 Joh. 4.10 1 Joh. 4.7 8. 2.3 Joh 42.5 6. 1 Ioh. 4.7 which Scriptures shew that as feeling is inseparable to all the organs of sense the eye sees and feels the ear hears and feels the pallat tastes and feels the nostrils smell and feel so knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves Patience knows and suffers Temperance knows and abstains Humility knows and stoops Repentance knows and mourns Obedience knows and does Confidence knows and rejoyces Hope knows and expects Compassion knows and pities Yea as there is a power of water in every thing that grows it is fatness in the olive sweetness in the figg cheerfulness in the grape strength in the oak taleness in the cedar redness in the rose whiteness in the lilly c. so knowledge is in the hand obedience in the mouth benediction in the knee humility in the eye compassion in the heart charity in the whole body and soul piety Alas If men had the true knowledg of Jesus Christ it would disperse and dispel all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment as the Sun does no sooner shew his face but the darkness vanisheth or as Caesar did no sooner look upon his enemies but they were gone Egypt swarmed with locusts till the west wind came that left not one He cannot delight in sin nor dote upon this world that knows Christ savingly Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledg and where these two joyn there will proceed from them a noble progine a generation of good works Again as the water engendereth ice and the ice again engendereth water so knowledg begets righteousness and righteousness again begetteth knowledg It is between science and conscience as it is between the stomack and the head for as in mans body the raw stomack maketh a thumatick head and the thumatick head maketh a raw stomach so science makes our conscience good and conscience makes our science good Nor is it so much scientiae capitâ—s as conscientia cordis that knows Christ and our selves whence Solomon saith Give thine heart to wisdom Prov. 2.10 and let wisdom enter into thine heart Prov. 4.4 And when he would acquaint us 〈…〉 become wise he tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Prov. 1.7 as if the first lesson to be wise were to be 〈…〉 If it be asked Why the natural man perceiveth not the â—ings of the spirit of God Saint Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 and indeed iâ—â—hey 〈◊〉 spiriâ—ually discerned how should they descern them 〈…〉 spirit For though the outward man receiveâ— the eleme 〈…〉 â—udiments of Religion by breeding and education yet his 〈…〉 veth them by heavenly inspiration 1 Cor. 2.11 12 13 12.3 8 Matth 16 16 17. Deut. 29 2 3 4 Psa. 111. â—0 Luke 24 4◠〈◊〉 15 15. â—nd â—his alone is enough to prove that no wickeâ— man 〈…〉 man for if God alone be the giver of it we may be suâ—â— that 〈◊〉 will 〈◊〉 his secrets to none but such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory and the good of others Even as the husband man will not cast his seed but into ground that will return him a good harvest Psa. 25.14 Luke 24.45 Mark 4.34 Gen. 18.17 1 Joh. 4.7 Sect. 47. BUt would these men any one even the best of them thus improve or imploy their knowledge Or do they desire it to any such end No but to some other end as I shall in the next place acquaint you Some men desire not to know some desire only to know Or rather thus Few men in comparison desire knowledge fewer that desire divine and supernatural knowledge fewest of all that desire to be the better or that others should be the better for their knowledge More particularly a world of men desire knowledg for no other end but to remove their ignorance as Pharaoh used Moses but to remove the plagues Others again study the Scriptures and other good Books only to make gain thereof or to be the abler to dispute and discourse as boys go into the water only to play and paddle there not to wash and be clean With Eve they highly desire the tree of knowledg but regard not the tree of life As I would fain know what fruit or effect the knowledge of most men produces in them except it be to inable them to dispute and discourse to increase wit oâ—â—o increase wealth or to increase pride or perhaps to increase Athiesm and to make them the more able and cunning to argue against the truth and power of Religion Whether the utmost of their aim be not to enrich dignifie and please themselves not once casting the eye of their souls at Gods glory their neighbors good or their own salvation Whether their main drift be not purchasing of a great estate for them and theirs with out either fear of God regard of men or the discharge of their duty and calling Again whereas a godly man and a good Christian thinks himself as happy in giving light to others as in receiving it himself how many are there who as themselves are never the better I mean in regard of Grace for their great wisdom and learning so no more are others for commonly they resemble dark Lanthorns which have light but so shut up and reserved as if it were not and what is the difference betwixt concealed skill and ignorance It is the nature and praise of good to be communicative whereas if their hidden knowledge do ever look out it casts so sparing a light that it only argues it self to have an unprofitable being And for the most part these men if they may be thought great Rabbies deep and profound Schollars this is the night of their ambition though neither the Church be benefited nor God glorified by it whereas they ought the contrary for as the grace of God is the fountain from which our wisdom flows so the glory of God should be the Ocean to which it should run yea that God may be honoured with and by
incline to the pole-star How the heat of the stomach and the strength of the nether chap should be so great Why a flash of lightening should melt the sword without making any impression in the scabbard Kill the Child in the womb and never hurt the Mother How the waters should stand upon a heap and yet not over-flow the earth Why the clouds above being heavie with water should not fall to the earth suddenly seeing every beavy thing descendeth Except the reason which God giveth Gen. 1.6 Job 38 8.10 12. 26.8 Psal. 104.9 But we know the mystery of the Gospel and what it is to be born a new and can give a sollid reason of our faith we know that God is reconciled to us the Law satisfied for us our sins pardoned our souls acquitted and that we are in favour with God which many of these with their great learning do not know And thus the godly are proved wiser than the wisest humanist that wants grace You have likewise the reasons why these great knowers know nothing yet as they might and ought to know that is to say First Because they are mistaken in the thing they take speculative knowledg for soul wisdom soul saving wisdom to be foolishness madness Now if a man take his aim amiss he may shoot long enough ere he hit the white and these men are as one that is gone a good part of his journey but must come back again because he hath mistaken his way Secondly Because they are Unregenerate and want the Eye of Faith Thirdly For that they seek not to God for it who is the giver thereof and without whose spirit there is no attaining it Fourthly Because they are proud and so seek not after it as supposing they have it already Fiftly Because if they had never so much knowledge they would be never the holier or the better for it but rather the worse nor would they imploy it to the honour of God or the good of others Sixtly Because they either do or would do mischief insteed of good with their knowledge Seventhly Because they will not consult with the word about it nor advise with others that have already attained to it Or thus They read and hear the Scriptures and mind not I mean the spirituallity of the word or mind and understand not or understand and remember not or remember and practice not No this they intend not of all the rest and they that are unwilling to obey God thinks unvvorthy to know When the Serpent taught knowledge he said If ye eare the forbidden fruit your eyes shal be opened and you shal know good and evil But God teacheth another lesson and saith If ye will not eate the forbidden fruit your eyes shall be opened and you shall know good and evil Rom. 12.2 See Psa. 111.10 119.97 98 99 100. Or if you do eat it you shall be like images that have ears and cannot hear Rom. 11.8 Isa. 6.10 Matth. 13.14 Psal. 115.6 From all which Reasons we may collect That there are but a few amongst us that are wise indeed and to purpose For these Seven Hinderances are applyable to seventy seven parts of men in the Nation Besides if these great knowers know so little how ignorant are the rude rabble that despise all knowledge Nor can it be denied but all impenitent persons all unbelievers who prefer their profits and pleasures before pleasing of God as Herodias prefered John Baptists head before the one half of Herods kingdom are arrant fools yea fools in folio For if they were wise sayes Bernard they would foresee the torments of Hell and prevent them And so wise are the godly for they prefer grace and glory and Gods savour before ten thousand worlds Sect. 50. OBject But here thou wilt say or at least thou hast reason to say if there be so few that are soul wise I have all the reason in the world to mistrust my self wherefore good Sir tell me how I shall be able to get â—his spiritual and experimental knowledg this divine and supernatural wisdom Answ. By observing these Five Rules First Let such a willing and ingenuous soul resolve to practise what he does already know or shall hereafter be acquainted with from the word of God and Christs faithful Messengers For he that will do my Fathers will sayes our Saviour shall know the doctrine whether it be of God or no Joh. 7.17 A good understanding have all they that keep the commandments sayes holy David Psal. 111.10 and proves it true by his own example and experience I understood sayes he more than the Antient and became wiser than my teachers because I kept thy precepts Psal. 119.97 98 99 100. To a man that is good in his sight God giveth knowledg and wisdom Eccles. 2.26 The spiritual man understandeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 VVicked men understand not judgment but they that seek the Lord understand all things Prov. 28.5 Admirable incouragements for men to become godly and consciencious I mean practical Christians Secondly If thou wouldest get this precious grace of saving knowledge the way is to be frequeut in hearing the word preached and to become studious in the Scriptures for they and they alone make wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Ye err saith our Saviour not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22.29 Mark 12.24 We must not in the search of heavenly matters either do as we see others do neither must we follow the blind guide carnal reason or the deceitful guide our corrupt hearts but the undeceivable and infallable guide of Gods word which is truth it self and great need there is for as we cannot perceive the foulness of our faces unless it be told us or we take a glass and look our selves therein so neither can we see the blemishes of our Souls which is a notable degree of spiritual Wisdom but either God must make it known to us by his spirit or we must collect the same out of the Scriptures that coelestial glass though this also must be done by the spirits help Therefore Thirdly If thou wilt be Soul-wise and truly profit by studying the Scriptures be frequent and fervent in Prayer to God who is the only giver of it for the direction of his holy spirit For first humble and faithful Prayer ushered in by meditation is the cure of al obscurity Especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency as you may see Matth. 21.22 If any lack wisdom saith St. James let him ask of God who giveth to al men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shal be given him Jam. 1.5 Mark the words it is said if any wherefore let no man deny his soul this comfort Again ask and have It cannot come upon easier terms Yea God seems to like this sure so well in Solomon as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing well to it self And in vain do we expect that alms of grace for which we do not so much as beg
come into the world For evâ—â— the mercy of God which you have contemned and the means of grace aâ—â— the offer of salvation shall but inhance your damnation Yea Christ him 〈◊〉 that onely Summum bonum who is a Saviour to all Beleevers shall be a Revenger to you if you go on and bid you Depart ye cursed into everlastâ—â—â— fire c. Matth. 25.41 15 ¶ And so much for the discharge of my conscience and duty aâ—â— to make a supply of that which I should have some way performed loâ—â— since Yet least I should imitate those who kindle a fire under green wood aâ—â— leave it so soon as it begins to flame for I take it for granted that so of you will lay to heart what hath been said I have sent you three Boâ—â—â— writ by an impartial Author noâ— a Party which I hold exceeding pâ—â—â—fitable for you to peruse The one speaking more home and full to tâ—â— matter The second shewing how it comes to pass that so many are â—â—ceived who hope to be saved The third setting out to the life the 〈◊〉 thoughts words and actions of all natural men insomuch that no 〈◊〉 can more lively represent your faces then it does your hearts There 〈◊〉 that you may not be disappointed of your end by mistaking your way 〈◊〉 you may become as true friends to God and the Ministry as you have 〈◊〉 bitter enemies and so have your part and portion with them at Gods 〈◊〉 hand where are pleasures for evermore Be perswaded to read them 〈◊〉 as much observation and circumspection as you would do the Evidence your Inheritance Neither count it as a thing indifferent that may eiâ—â—â—â— be done or dispensed with except you are indifferent whether you be 〈◊〉 or damned Yea so minde what you read as if it were an Epistle writ 〈◊〉 Heaven and sent to each of you in particular Expect not that Christ 〈◊〉 himself from Heaven should call to you severally by name as he 〈◊〉 Saul and say Ho Ishmael such a one or Ho Elymas such a 〈◊〉 why doest thou persecute me I am Iesus whom thou persecutest Acts 9. â—â— Which yet if he should it were no more in effect then he hath often do nor would you be any more warned or reclaimed by it As is evidenâ— the example of Hazael 2 Kings 8.12 13 c. And by what Abraham Dives Luk. 16.31 If you will not 〈◊〉 Moses and the Prophets Christ his Apostles in his Word neither 〈◊〉 he be perswaded though one 〈◊〉 be sent unto you from the damned in â—eâ—l or from the glorified spirits in 〈◊〉 Wherefore hearken unto Conscience and what concerns you apply it 〈…〉 not the whole Bible and all the Sermons they hear yea the câ—eckâ— of 〈◊〉 own Consciences and the motions of Gods Spirit utterly ineffectual 〈◊〉 want of wit and grace to apply the same to themselves Whereas if they would rightly and ingenuously apply but one Text or two unto their own souls as they can unto others being better able to discern others 〈◊〉 then their own beams they might be everlastingly happy 16 ¶ But it is now a just plague upon our so much Formality and 〈◊〉 faneness under our so much means of Grace that because we many of us have heard the Word and enjoyed the means for thirty forty fifty years together and are never the better bring forth no fruits thereof that Christ should say unto such as he did to the fruitless Fig-tree Mar. 11.13 14 Never fruit grow on thee hence forward And the truth is if yon observe it you shall very rarely hear of an old Formalist or Protestant at large that ever is converted but young ones as Ministers can sufficiently inform you Perhaps they may turn to be Antinomians Ranters Quakers or the like and imbrace Error but they turn not to the Truth Or if so it is a greater miracle then was the creating of the whole world For in making such a one a New creature must be a number of miracles A blinde man is restored to sight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many devils dispossest yea one not only dead in sin but buried in the grave of long custom with a grave-stone laid upon him raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh In all which God meets with nothing bâ—t opposition which in the Creation he met not with Thus I have been large But as Iohn could only baptize with waterâ— so I can but teach you with words And when God withholds his condemned grace Paul himself cannot move a soul. If the Holy Ghost shall set it home to your hearts that you may so meditate on what hath been spoken and so practise what hath been prescribed that God in Christ may be pacified your sins by free-grace pardoned and your souls eternally saved That while you are here you may enjoy the peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 and when you depart hence you may arrive at the Haven of all happiness in Heaven where is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Blessed and happy are ye Psal. 16.11 Which is my prayer and hope and should be my joy FINIS London Printed by Thomas Newcomb and are to be sold by 〈…〉 â— Hopefull way to Cure that horrid Sinne of SWEARING Or an help to save SWEARERS if willing to be saved Being an Offer or Message from HIM whom they so Daringly and Audaciously provoke Also a Gurb against Cursing MEMB. 1. 1. § Messenger NOt to admonish our brother is to hate him as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Levit. 19.17 But to scorn our brother should admonish us is more to hate our selves That little which Cresus learned of Solon saved his life And had Pilate taken that fair warning his wife gave him it might have saved his soul which once lost cannot be redeemed with ten thousand worlds no not with the enduring of ten thousand thousand years torments in Hell When a Dog flies in his masters face that keeps him we conclude he is mad are they then rationall men that being never so little crost will fly in their Makers face and teare their Saviours name in peeces with oaths and execrations which is worse then Frenzie Yea this is to send challenges into Heaven and make love to destruction And certainly it is Gods unspeakable mercy that every such oath blasphemy proves not a Benoni the death of the mother Gen. 35.18 § 2. Think me not too bold or over harsh for I speak to you both for and from my Maker and Redeemer Yea he perswaded to hearken a while unto me as you would have God another day hearken unto you Are you Christians as you call your selves if you be you have at least heard what God and Christ hath done for us How when we were in a sad condition when by sin we had forfeited our selves and all we had and wilfully plunged our souls and bodyes into eternall torments When neither
of the same precious promises And by vertue of this Calling we serve one and the same God are of one Church and family and have one Religion one faith one baptisme are invited guests to the same Table and Supper of our Lord are all Heirs and Co-heires of the same heavenly kingdome and therein annexed also with Christ our elder brother Finally we are brethren of the same Father the onely Spouse of the same heavenly Bridegroom and members of the same mystical body whereof Iesus Christ is the head so that the neerest and strongest communion that can be imagined is between Christians one with another and all of them with their head Iesus Christ And should not all this move us to relieve them Yea more then all this If we do good to our fellow-members the benefit will râ—dound unto our selves who are of the same body even â—s the hand giving nourishment to the mouth and the mouth preparing it for the stomacke do in nourishing it provide nourishment for themselves also Yea more then all this there is such a neare and strong union and communion with the poor together with us and with our head Christ our Saviour That he esteemeth that as doâ—â— to himselfe which is done unto them even as the head acknowledgeth the benefit done unto it which the meanest member of the body receiveth Yea in truth that is much more acceptable which we do for his poor members then if we should do it to his owne person as being a signe of greater love For it is but an ordinary kindnesse to confer benefits upon our dearest friends but to extend our bounty to the poorest and meanest that belong unto them is a signe of much greater love For if for their sakes onely we do good unto these how much more would we be ready to do it unto themselves if they had occasion to crave our help And as in this regard he much esteemeth this Christian bounty so he will richly reward it also at the day of Iudgemeut For then these mercifull men who have relieved the poor for Christs sake shall with ravishing joy heare that sentence Come ye blessed of my Father because the works of mercy which they have done to the poor Christ will acknowledge as done unto himselfe And this will more rejoyce thy soule hereafter then it doth now refresh the others body when Christ shall say unto thee Come thou blessed and inherit the Kingdome Nor will it then repent thee that thou hast parted with a small part of what God hath given thee to the poor CHAP. XXXVI And indeed what can be a more forcible reason to make our hearts relent though they be never so stony and our bowels to yearn with pity and compassion towards the poor though they were of brasse and iron Then to consider that our dear Lord and Saviour in them doth crave reliefe for who is so more then brutishly ungratefull that can turne him away empty handed Who being infinitely rich in all glory and happinesse was contented for our sakes to become poore that by his poverty he might communicate unto us his heavenly riches Who would not give Christ lodging Yea even if need should require the use of his own bed if hee remember that Christ was content so far to abase himselfe for our sakes as to make a stable his chamber and a manger his lodging that we might be admitted into his heavenly and everlasting mansions Who would deny to cloath him being naked who hath câ—â—â—hed our nakedness and covered our filthinesse with the precious robe of his righteousnesse in which we stand accepted before God and receive the blessing of eternall happinesse Who would not spare food out of his owne belly to relieve poore Christ who hath given unto us his blessed body to be our meat and his precious blood to be our drinke whereby our soules and bodies are nourished unto everlasting life Who would not leave all pleasure and profit to go and visit him in his sicknesse and imprisonment that left heaven and his Fathers bosome that he might come to visit and redeem us with the inestimable price of himselfe Yea if wise we will count it an honour whereof we are very unworthy As most unworthy we are of such an honour as to relieve hungry thirsty and naked Christ in his poor members whence the Macedonians counted and called it a favour that they might have their hand in so good a worke 2 Cor. 8.1 2 3 4. And that David thanks God that of his owne he would take an offering 1 Chron. 29.9 And this is another reason to convince men that it is most just and equall they should be liberall to the poor members of Iesus Christ. And so much touching the reasons and motives to this Christian duty Then which there cannot be either more or clearer or stâ—onger or weightier inducements to perswade to any one thing in the world then there is to this if men have either hearts or braines CHAP. XXXVII The next to be considered is The time when we are to give and that is two-fold First when an opportunity of doing good offers it seâ—fe do it speedily without delay readily entertain the first â—oâ— on with-hold not good from thy Neighbour when it is in thy power to do it Say not to him that is in present need goe and â—ome again and to morrow I will give thee when thou hast it by thee Prov. 3.27 28. When Lazarus is in need of refreshment let him not wait or lye long at thy door Luke 16.20.21 22. For nothing is more tedious then to hang long in suspence and we endure with more patience to have our hopes beheaded and quickly dispatcht then to be racked and tortured with long delayes according to that Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sicke but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life For as one saith Beneficentia oft virtus que moram non patitur Beneficence is a vertue which disliketh all delayes And as Seneca telleth us Omnis benignitas properat All goodnesse is quick of hand and swift of â—oot and hateth aswell the paralyticall shaking and staggering of those who doubt whether to give or no as the gouty lamenesse of such as after they are resolved to give make but slow hast The greater speed the greater love for love can abide no lingring Then does a benefit loose his grace when it sticks in his fingers who is about to bestow it as though it were not given but pluckt from him and so the receiver praiseth nor his Benefactors bounty but his owne importunity because he doth not seem to have given but to have held too weakely against his violenâ—â— These delayes shew unwillingnesse Et qui moratur neganti proximus est He that delayes a benefit is the next door to him that denyeth it Even as on the other side a quick haâ—d is an evident signe of a free heart For proximum est libenter facientis
thou seest no possibility of increasing thy wealth by giving away a great part of it unto the poor I answer And what more reason hast thou by the collection of Sence that thy seed which thou sowest should be multiplied which thou castest away and lettest to rot in the earth unless thou hast learned it by experience And is not God's Word a more infallible Teacher and surer ground for thy faith to rest on especially when thou art not without experience of the like increase springing from the sowing of the seeds of thy beneficence To conclude this point if thou doubtest of these promises of God made unto those who relieve the poor because thou seest not how or when they are performed why dost thou believe the Remission of thy sins Salvation by Christ and everlasting life when as thou seest none of these nor hast any other ground but God's promise even as thou hast for the reward of thine Alms-deeds And therefore it thou doubtest of the one thou doubtest of the other and were not the profession of thy faith concerning those spiritual things good cheap but that it should cost thee as dear as the giving of Alms thou wouldst doubtless discover and proclaim thy infidelity there as well as here and plainly shew that it was in meer formality and hypocrisie Methinks our mistrust or at least the smal confidence we have in what God speaks in his Word especially touching temporals is the greatest wonder in the world And certainly if we cannot trust him for our bodies how do we or how can we trust him with our souls which is the greater trust But beloved what I speak I speak not to all for we have perswaded our selves better things of you and such as accompany salvation though we thus speak Heb. 6.9 And so I have finished what at first I promised with an overplus in behalf of the Poor But as Iohn could onely Baptize with water so I can but teach you with Words and when God withholds his contemned Grace Paul himself cannot move a soul. If the Holy Ghost shall set it home to your hearts that you may so meditate on what hath been spoken and so practise what hath been prescribed that God in Christ may be pacified your sins by free grace pardoned and your souls eternally saved That while you are here you may enjoy the peace of God which passeth all understanding Philip. 4 7. and when you depart hence you may arrive at the Haven of all happiness in Heaven where is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore blessed and happy are yee Psal. 16.11 Which being my praier and hope I shall not onely take my work off the Loom or turn my Pinnace into the Harbor by making a conclusion of this subject as well considering that those who are most insatiable in other things will soonest be cloied with Mannah but likewise take leave of the Press and that for these Reasons First according to my scantling I have said something if not sufficient in one or other of my Six and thirty Pieces to each soul seduced or afflicted Secondly which would by the Reader be considered As he gathers that reads so he spends that writes and who so spends ere he gathers shal soon prove Bankrupt Thirdly because the Bow that is alwaies bent will soon grow weak and sluggish Fourthly I have bestowed so many years and taken so much pains in gleaning ears of corn with Ruth grinding at the Mill with Samson in binding Sheaves carrying to the Mill Barn Garner in threshing Winnowing Garbling Kneading it into Paste making it into Loaves and baking it into Bread that so I might have fine Manchet to set before you my most welcome Guests that with Martha in entertaining her Saviour I have wearied my self And the truth is no mony could have hired me to have taken the pains had not an earnest desire and hope of the common good continually spurred me to go on Onely for this cause and the great pleasure I have taken in the work or imploiment I would not for a world have been debarred from it This may seem a Paradox but it is the immediate gift of God to those that he imploies in such his service thus to counterpoise their labour with more then answerable delight Now unto the King Everlasting Immortal Invisible unto God onely Wise be Honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.17 If you cannot remember all that I have said yet at least remember what the Holy Ghost says in these ensuing places Godliness is profitable for all things and hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come 1 Tim. 4.8 The Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psalm 34.9 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about on every side Psalm 32.10 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack Prov. 28.27 All things shall work together for the best unto those that love God Rom. 8.28 FINIS The sad and doleful Lamentation of ORIGEN after his Fall Set up as a Sea-Mark to make others beware of doing the least Evil that good even the greatest good may come of it BEing much affected with this Example of Origen as deeming it exceeding rare remarkable forcible to make others beware I have much desired that some Stationer would print it with some other small piece for the common good and thereupon I engaged first one and after that another who were to print Spira that they would add this of Origen unto it leaving my Copy with them but neither of them kept their promise because forsooth that of Spira alone would sell for six pence and both together for no more A solid reason while a little gain shall be more stood upon then the glory of God and good of Souls Yet this is the worlds method and as common as cursed and barbarous All which considered none of them I hope can justly blaâ—â— me for filling up the void pages of this sheet with that which may pleasure thousands For I dare say there is not one Reader of fourty that have formerly met with the same in any Author IN the days of Severus lived Origen a man famous for Learning and in mental excellencies most rare and singular he was bold and fervent under the reign of Severus Maximinus and Decius in assisting comforting exhorting and cherishing the Martyrs that were imprisoned with such danger of his own life that had not God wonderfully protected him he had bin stoned to death many times of the heathen multitude for such great concourse of men and women went daily to his house to be catechised and instructed in the Christian Faith by him that Souldiers were hired of purpose to defend the place where he taught them Again such search sometimes was set for him that neither shifting of place nor Countrey could hardly serve him