their delights their bowling dycing carding hawking hunting and not an hower in the weeke to bee spent for the good of poore Christians either in relieuing their wants or in redressing their wrongs When all their mony is little enough to make bargaines to purchase land to chest vp in their Treasurie or to set foorth to vsurie and not a shilling in the hundred imploied for the vse and benefit of their needy neighbours or distressed brethren Nay is it not almost euery where come so to passe that a wanton Gallant or rich Glutton though he be an open prophane man and a knowne Whore-master Drunkard or blaspheming Swaggerer shall yet haue more kinde entertainment at our house and better vsage at our hands than the best Christian being of meane estate and in some manner of want Are we not for the most part caried as the blinde world is with that squint-ey'd partialitie so much condemned by the Apostle Iam. 2. Iam. 2. 2. Let one come in with a gold ring on his finger in gorgious apparel we vse him with passing kindnesse a chaire and a cushion presently you are heartily welcome I am glad to see you well the best cheer the best lodging the best attendance all is too little much adoe and more then needeth But let a poore Christian come to craue helpe at neede either the fatherlesse for releife being distressed or the Widdow for iustice or right being oppressed a scornefull eye a short answere cold comfort a neere hand a needy reward all is too much little done for such and that as good as nothing Is not this the common fashion and the corrupt affection of the most of vs O my brethren beloued in Christ Iesus is this to loue one another with a true Christian loue as Christ hath commanded No No Christianitie Christianity godlinesse the Image of God in the poore members of Christ and true godlinesse it selfe is the proper obiect of this spirituall loue A man for his wisedome is much to be regarded for his religion more highly to bee esteemed but if eminent sanctitie beautifie his profession he is more entirely to bee embraced euery excellency in morall vertues carrieth with it a sweete grace and motiue to amability but such is the bright luster of Christianitie that it alone causeth a more sollide friendship loue and amitie whom we affect for this and that earnestly them wee loue indeed heere Christian loue will poure foorth it selfe here it thinketh all that is don too little no cost too much here it will spend and extend it selfe to the vttermost Hence it was that Saint Paul was so kinde to the Galathians of whom he was disgraced and so louingly deuoted to the vnkinde Corinthians who the lesse loued him by how much the more he loued them surely the loue of Christ and Christianitie as he confesseth moued yea constrained him hereunto That sweete influence 2. Cor. 5. 14. of kindnesse which the spirit of God infused into his soule testifying to his heart that Christ was his Redeemer and had done so much for him would not suffer him to be vnkinde but did euen offer an holy violence vnto him and compell him to loue all men in Christ and to seeke to gaine all men vnto Christ This was it which made the three thousand which were conuerted Acts 2. to be so aboundant in charity that they communicated each to other whatsoeuer hee had euery one esteeming his purse as it is indeed the common treasurie and his house a common Inne for all the members of Christ This caused Lydia and the Iay lour Acts 16. to Acts. 2. 44. be so kinde to the Apostles so full of loue in heart and outward behauiour to the rest of their fellow Christians they felt in themselues Acts 16. the life of Christianitie and the hope of the life to come through Christ and in consideration hereof were liberall and bountifull of whatsoeuer good things the liberality of Christ had made them partakers and Stewards of O that we did liue now in that louing and giuing age to Christians O that our fathers charitable deuotion sequestred from superstition were more abounding in vs. O that wee did not liue in the winter of the world wherein charity is growne chilling cold and the fire of true Christian loue is as it were put out and quite extinguished by the water and frost of selfe loue the loue of the world and worldly couetousnesse But alasse so it is that there is a generall defection in this duty of Christian loue and our eyes may with Dauid gush foorth Psal 119. 136. riuers of teares yea our soules may droppe downe teares in secret for the same Vse 2 And to come a fresh vpon our soules with a new charge reprehension whose heart doth not in steed of loue giue often and long harbour vnto hatred whose lips are not polluted with breathing forth of mallice and malitious conceits whose hands are free from offence in this behalfe Doe not all of vs come within compasse of iust reprehension for that wee haue so much neglected and transgressed this commandement of loue so often proclaimed and earnestly pressed by our louing Sauior whence is it that the false surmise of a stale wrong doth leauen our hearts with malice and enuie and euill intentions for twice twelue monthes together so that we can neither thinke well or speake well of some of our neighbours much lesse do any good vnto them is it not because we haue not tasted one sponefull of the sacred liquor of Christian loue which is able to quench the fiery fury of any conceiued wrong whence is it that Christians meeting together in a seeming loue at Gods table do at their owne tables so seuerely censure vpbraide backbite and slander one another little regarding the Apostles admonition if ye backbite one another take Gal. 5. 15. heed least ye bee deuoured one of another When is it that they are so quick-sighted to see and open mouthed to speake of their neighbours imperfections not before God in praier for them or in their bosome with griefe in secret to reclaime them but in publicke amongst friends foes to disgrace them Is it not for want of the holy sparke of spirituall loue Whence is it that Nero-like we write our enemies in marble register their vnkindnesses with deepe Characters in the Tables of our minds memories and vpon euery light occasion vex them with sutes in law or lawlesse sutes And in briefe arme both our tongues and our hearts and our hands to doe mischiefe to the name goods and persons of those whom we should call Brethren Is it not because this christian loue the seasoner of our life which maketh vs full of good words and good works is banished from our society Oh where is that loue now wherof S. Paul maketh mention vnto the Corinthians and 1. Cor. 15. 5. 6. 7. setteth it out by 15. properties viz. That it
soeuer thou bee bee prudent and prouident as it beseemeth thy yeeres thy place thy office thy state embrace Eliphaz his exhortation Iob 12. 21. Acquaint thy selfe with God make thy peace with him there by shalt thou haue prosperity Iob 22. Wisdome saith Salomon is the gray Sap. 4. haire and an vndefiled life is the old age Let these ô let these wisdome and an vndefiled life meete together in thee and kisse each other looke narrowly to thy waies least either in the greatnes of thy power thou forget God or in the abundance of thy pleasures remember not thy selfe Be not like Nabuchadnezar who in the ruffe of his pride remembred not who had made him till God had mard him neither acknowleged who set his ioints together till God had rent his Kingdome asunder But let my counsell be acceptable to thee ô man whether Knight Iustice Gentleman or all in one and let mee boldly say to thee as Daniel did to him Breake Dan. 4. 24. off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by mercy towards the poore Loe let there bee an healing of thine errors Loe thou hast erred and gone astray by thy pride and luxury returne returne by the holy way of temperance and humility Thou hast through couetousnes and malice sowen in hardnes of heart O returne by the way of mercifulnes and charity least thou reape in horror of cōscience Returne returne ô Shulamite as Cant. 6. 12. Christ speaketh to his Spouse returne returne that we may behold thee that we may see aswell a sight of thy good workes as heare a sound of thy good words that we may behold the fruits of amendment in thee place not the anchor of thine eternall wealth and woe on so ticklesome a point as thy repentance at last cast Repent amend defer not from time to time least God in whose hands are the moments of time cut thee off from all time and send thee to paines eternall without time for abusing the singular benefit of time in this world make not thy death-bed to smart by thy wilfull adiournings of thy repentance In the midst of thy ruling remember thy reckoning suffer now whilst it is to day the seeds of godlines to be sowne more and more in the field of thy repentant heart that whensoeuer the night of death commeth thou maiest reape receiue the plentifull crop of a ioyfull haruest furnish thy soule with grace and inure it to a sweete conuersation with God in thy life so shall the offering of thy death-bed be acceptable and thou maiest boldly make God the guardian thereof in thy death And now at length to come to Tertia Part. Viaticum in via my last part and to shut it vp in a word beeing desirous to recompence the largenes of my former discourse with the briefe touch of that which followeth let mee Right Worshipfull and beloued in Iesus Christ intreat you all both old and young which haue heard and seene this day the blacke colours of death and the glorious ensignes of the resurrection displayed to make the due and daily meditation of both vsefull profitable vnto you that your practises in this life may hence forward be more commendable and your passage out of this life when God shall call you be blessed and comfortable Let me I say intreat you all in a serious consideration of the speedy approach of death sure in the end vnsure in the time and bitter when it commeth and of the certain appearance of vs al before the iudgement seat of Christ to render an account of our doings in that day of resurrection to watch all the daies of your life and with holy Iob in my text to waite till your changing shall come Your change may come at a suddaine therefore be alwaies prouided and prouide not so much by corporall phisicke as the maner of most is to put off death that it may not so soone happen vnto you as by soule sauing phisicke repentance faith obedience cleernes of conscience and comforts of Gods word and confidence in his sweete promises to cut off the sting and malignity of death that whensoeuer it comes it may not hurt you This this is viaticū in via prouision in the way to bring vs in safety to the iourneies end of euerlasting felicity O runne with alacrity this race of piety set before you Gratia praeparandus animus mens D. Ambros li. 1. off c. 38. stabilienda ad constantiam saith St. Ambrose for expedition in this iourney pray for grace practise constancie Seeke earnestly for the things that are aboue liue after the lawes of the new Ierusalem which is aboue your Burgeship is in heauen bee not then earthly minded but heauenly affected labour to get more more assurance of the forgiuenesse of your sinnes and to feele in your soules the power of Christs death in dying vnto sinne and the vertue of his resurrection in rising to newnes of life And that you may out of the court of Requests the more easily obtaine for all your transgressions an assured pardon indulgence put somewhat euery day into the court of Gods Exchequer in hope of recompence or remembrance that with good Nehemiah you may Neh. 13. 22. say Lord remember me according to this and pardon me after thy great mercies Let the counsell of our Sauiour be precious Lay vp treasure Matt. 6. 14. for your selues in heauen send your vertuous actions the best monuments of a Christian thither before you Bee zealous of good workes studious of piety abundant in the deeds of charity for the witnes and inward testimony of a well-deeded life when all other comforts leaue you will relieue and comfort you in death accompany you to heauen and present it selfe with you before God By these fruites of a liuely faith Ezek. 9. as his own marks God will know and acknowledge vs to be his and for these his owne gifts which are our best merits he will reward vs and this reward is a life and such a life as is eternall is a crowne and Rom. 6. 23. 1. Pet. 5. 4. Heb. 12. 28. 1. Pet. 1. 4. 2. Pet. 3. such a crowne as is the crowne of glory is a kingdome and such a kingdome as cannot be shaken is an inheritance and such an inheritance as is immortall vndefiled For the obtaining of which life crowne kingdome inheritance what manner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlines how ought wee in respect of these great and gracious promises to giue all diligence to ioine to 2. Pet. 1. 5. our faith vertue to our vertue patience temperāce brotherly kindnes and all other ornaments of a sanctified life These these are Viaticum in Bern. mundo the saurus in coelo Prouision for spirituall comfort in this world for a celestiall crown in that to come O let vs in this behalfe be prouident and thriuing Christians and whilst we are in
or else out of the store thereof the lipps will vtter it and from the abundance of the heart speake abundantly To be short the spirituall good of those with whom the righteous man liueth and whom he loueth taketh vp a chiefe room in his affections hee seeketh their conversion and saluation this is an imployment worthy his loue his labour his prayers his paines Herein hee sheweth himselfe the childe of God and his wishes accord with Gods Oh saith the Lord Deut 5. that there were in Deut 5. 25. my people an heart to feare me Oh saith the righteous christian that there were in my frends kinsfolke neighbors and acquaintance an heart to feare the Lord and keepe his commandments that it might goe well with them Would to God saith Moses Numb 11 all Gods people were Prophets and Numb 11. 29. Paul Act 26. wisheth that not onely Acts 26. 29. Festus the President and Agrippa the King but all that heard him were as he was not in bands and captiuitie but in grace and christianitie Seldome shall you heare these or the like voyces amongst worldlings I wish others were as rich as I as learned as I and in as good credit as I am for these things make men earthly-minded base selfe-louers and priuately affected but grace and holinesse is of an excellent royall nature and enlargeth the heart wherein it is with such loue to other men that nothing more contents the righteous man then to make others as good as himselfe and to see them goe in his Masters heauenly liuery Hee taketh heede to himselfe hee taketh care of others tanquam sidus clarum beneficum as the Sunne in the firmament is beneficiall to all Vse 1 Wherefore to make some vse of this point Rouze vp your selues ô yee Christians which heare me this day vp and be doing and the Lord will be with you suffer not this doctrine to passe vnregarded vnpractised but as you would be accounted the holy and righteous seruants of the Lord quickned and enlived with the spirit of grace and power of godlinesse so shew your selues to bee such by communicating the good graces you haue receiued to the benefit of others lay aside all hypocrisie in seeming to be what you are not remoue all slothfulnes in not appearing to be what you are and as the elect of God put on the bowells of mercy and with cheerefulnes and alacritie spend those talents wherewith God hath enriched you and adventure them for your Masters best advantage and vse your gifts as Dauid Psalm fitted for the good of all which may be or desire to be benefited by them Bee not spare in spending what God hath been bountifull in bestowing make knowne your selues to be not onely like the good tree which bringeth forth its owne good fruit in due season but like the fire and Psal 1. 3. the fire non in silice sed in sinu not in the flint which will hardly bee beaten out but in the bosome which cannot be concealed but will soone shew it selfe and hauing matter to worke vpon will send out a flaming light to direct and comfort others O consider from what misery by nature you your selues are freed and to what an excellent estate by grace yee are translated and be not so thanklesse to the authour of your happinesse or hard hearted to the good of your brethren as to neglect to pay to either what you doe owe them You owe glory to God for his manifold mercies vouchsafed vnto you and the greatest thing wherein you can glorifie him is to be the meanes of drawing others to his kingdome you owe loue vnto your brethren and the greatest thing wherein you can shew this loue is to seeke their freedom out of the bands of sinne and Sathan and to bee instruments of sauing their soules O set then close to this worke vse all the good means of prayer counsell conference comfort and admonition and commit the successe vnto God Petitur avobis cura non curatio as Bernard speaketh God requireth Bern lib. 4. consider not at your hands that you should cure your brethren for that is his immediate worke Hebr 13. but that you should care for them and doe what in you lyeth to procure not only their temporall but especially their spirituall and eternall good Blessed and beloued Christians wee are all and ought to bee one anothers keepers and it was but Cain a murtherer which made question to the contrary Gen. 4. Gen 4. 9. Wherefore as brethren sonnes of the same Father seruant◠to the same Master heires of the same promise fellow-trauellers bound for the same countrey let vs make on an other partakers both of our temporall goods according to the rule of Salomon Prov 5. Let thy Prov 5. 16. fountaine flow forth and thy riuers in the streetes and especially of our spirituall graces instructing counselling comforting and aedifying one an other in an holy faith and godly life It is a true saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good man is a common good Oh then let vs shew our selues to be such good men and louing Christians indeed leauing behind vs in all plaees where wee liue and haue to doe some tokens of our goodnesse some monuments of our godlines some sweet sauour of our virtues especially as occasion is now giuen let vs expresse our bounty for a common good namely in furthering by our willing contribution therevnto the honorable plantation of Virginia for the reducing Virginia of pagans vnto Christianitie and the praise-worthy erection of the Colledge of Controuersies Chelsey for the speedier refuting of the errors and repressing of the insolencies of malignant popish aduersaries Those worthies which are imployed in these famous workes cry vnto vs as the Angell of Macedonia did vnto Paul Come and helpe vs. Let vs then be helpfull Act 16. 9. vnto them and as profitable members in the Bee-hiue of christs Church let vs bring by our loue our largesse by our prayers paines or practise wax or hony therevnto for the benefit of many and not be like those haughty vngentle spirits in whom the grosse humours of pride and couetousnes haue bred such an obstruction of liberalitie and kindnes that neither good workes nor gracious words at all proceed from them Solon in Plutarch in moral Plutarch made a law that if any one had digged 20 foote deepe in his owne ground and found no water his neighbour should permit him to draw water out of his Well Doe then such and such men labour to liue and endeuour to learne and yet want some maintenance and learning which God in some greater measure hath afforded vs why then we are bound to giue vnto them of that little which we haue and to teach them of that little which we know and to doe them what good wee can if we doe God will reward vs if we doe not the heathen man will rise vp in iudgement against