Christ her Sauiour 1017 THE PRACTISE OF PIETIE Directing a CHRISTIAN how to walke that hee may please GOD. WHo euer thou art that lookest into this Booke neuer vndertake to read it vnlesse thou first resoluest to become from thy heart an vnfained Practitioner of Pietie Yet reade it and that speedily least before thou hast read it ouer God by some vnexpected death cut thee off for thine inueterate Impietie The practise of Pietie consists 1 In knowing 1 The essence of God that in respect of 1 The diuers manner of being therin which are 3. persons 1 Father 2 Sonne 3 H. Ghost 2 The Attributes therof which are either Nominall or Reall 1 Absolute 1 Simplenes 2 Infinitenes 2 Relatiue 1 Life 2 Vnderstanding 3 Will. 4 Power 5 Maiestie 2 Thy owne selfe in respect of thy state of 1 Corruption 2 Renouation 2 In glorifying God aright 1 By thy life in dedicating thy selfe deuoutly to serue him Ordinarily 1 Priuately in thine owne person 2 Publikely 1 With thy familie euery day 2 With the Church on the Sabboth day Extraordinarily by Fasting Feasting 2 By thy death in dying 1 In the Lord. 2 For the Lord. VNlesse that a man doth truely know God hee neyther can nor will worship him aright for how can a man loue him whom hee knoweth not and vvho will worship him whose helpe a man thinkes he needeth not and how shall a man seeke remedie by Grace who neuer vnderstood his miserie by Nature Therefore saith the Apostle Hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him And for as much as there can be no true Pietie without the knowledge of GOD nor any good practise without the knowledge of a mans owne selfe wee will therefore lay downe the knowledge of Gods Maiestie and mans miserie as the first and chiefest grounds of the practise of Pietie A plaine Description of the Essence and Attributes of GOD out of the holy Scriptures so far forth as euery CHRISTIAN must competently know and necessarily beleeue that will be saued ALthough no Creature can define vvhat God is because hee is incomprehensible and dwelling in inaccessible light yet it hath pleased his Maiestie to reueale himselfe in his Word vnto vs so farre as our weake capacitie can best conceiue him Thus God is that one spirituall and infinitely perfect essence whose beeing is of himselfe eternally In the Diuine Essence we are to consider two things first the diuers manner of being therein secondly the Attributes thereof The diuers manner of being therein are called Persons A Person is a distinct subsistence of the whole God-head There are three Diuine Persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost These three Persons are not three seuerall substances but three distinct subsistences or three diuerâ— manner of beeings of one and the same Substance and Diuine Essence So that a Person in the God-head is an indiuiduall vnderstanding and incommunicable Subsistence liuing of it selfe and not sustained by another In the vnitie of the God-head there is a pluralitie which is not accidentall for GOD is a most pure act and admits no accidents nor essentiall for God is one essence onely but personall The Persons in this one essence are but three In this Mysterie there is alius alius another and another but not aliud aliud another thing and another thing The Diuine Essence in it selfe is neyther diuided nor distinguished But the three Persons in the diuine Essence are distinguished among themselues three manner of wayes 1 By their Names 2 By their Order 3 By their Actions 1 By their Names thus THe first Person is named the Father first in respect of his naturall Sonne Christ secondly in respect of the Elect his adopted sons that is those who being not his sonnes by Nature are made his Sonnes by Grace The second Person is named the Sonne because hee is begotten of his Fathers substance or nature and he is called the Word first because the conception of a word in mans minde is the neerest thing that in some sort can shadow vnto vs the manner how hee is eternally begotten of his Fathers substance and in this respect he is also called the Wisedome of his Father Prou. 8.12 Secondly because that by him the Father hath from the beginning declared his Will for our saluation hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Person speaking with or by the Fathers Thirdly because hee is the chiâ—fe argument of all the Word of God or that Word whereof GOD spake when he promised the blessed Seede to the Fathers vnder the old Testament The third Person is named the holy Ghost first because hee is spirituall without a body secondly because hee is spired and as it were breathed from both the Father and the Sonne that is proceedeth from them both And he is called holy both because he is holy in his owne nature and also the immediate sanctifier of all Gods Elect people 2 By their Order thus THe Persons of the God-head are eyther the Father or those vvhich are of the Father The Father is the first person of the glorious Trinitie hauing neyther his beeing nor beginning of any other but of himselfe begetting his Sonne and together vvith his Sonne sending forth the Holy Ghost from euerlasting The Persons which are of the Father are those who in respect of their Personall existence haue the whole Diuine Essence aeternally communicated vnto them from the Father and those are either from the Father alone as the Son or from the Father and the Sonne as the Holy Ghost The Sonne is the second person of the glorious Trinitie and the onely begotten Sonne of his Father not by Grace but by Nature hauing his beeing of the Father alone and the whole beeing of his Father by an eternall and incomprehensible generation and with the Father sendeth forth the Holy Ghost In respect of his absolute Essence he is of himselfe but in respect of his Person hee is by an eternall generation of his Father For the Essence doth not beget an Essence but the person of the Father begetteth the Person of the Sonne and so he is God of God and hath from his Father the beginning of his Person and Order but not of Essence and time The holy Ghost is the third Person of the blessed Trinitie proceeding and sent forth equally from both the Father and the Sonne by an eternall and incomprehensible spiration For as the Sonne receiueth the whole diuine essence by generation so the H. Ghost receiueth it wholy by spiration This Order betwixt the three persons appeares in that the Father begetting must in order be before the Sonne begotten and the Father and Sonne
before the Holy Ghost proceeding from both This Order serues to set forth vnto vs two things first the manner how the Trinitie worketh in their externall actions as that the Father worketh of himselfe by the Sonne and the holy Ghost the Sonne from the Father by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Secondly to distinguish the first and immediate beginning from vvhich those externall and common action do flow Hence it is that for as much as the Father is the fountaine and originall of the Trinitie the beginning of all externall working the Name of God in relation and the title of Creator in the Creede are giuen in a speciall manner to the Father Our Redemption to the Sonne and our Sanctification to the person of the Holy Ghost as the immediate agents of these actions And this also is the cause why the Sonne as he is Mediator referreth all things to the Father not to the Holy Ghost and that the Scripture so often saith that we are reconciled to the Father This diuine order or oeconomie excepted there is neyther first nor last neyther superioritie nor inferioritie among the three Persons but for Nature they are coessentiall for Dignitie coequall for Time coeternall The whole diuine Essence is in euery one of the three Persons but it was incarnated onely in the second Person of the Word and not in the Person of the Father or of the Hâ—ly Ghost for three reasons First that GOD the Father might the rather set forth the greatnesse of his loue to Mankinde in giuing his first and onely begotten Son to be incarnated and to suffer death for mans saluation Secondly that hee vvho was in his Diuinitie the Son of GOD should be in his Humanitie the Sonne of Man lest the name of Sonne should passe vnto another vvho by his eternall natiuitie was not the Sonne Thirdly because it vvas meetest that that Person who is the substantiall Image of his eternal Father should restore in vs the spirituall Image of GOD which we had lost In the Incarnation the God-head was not turned into the Man-hood nor the Man-hood into the God-head but the God-head as it is the second Person or Word assumed vnto it the Man-hood that is the whole nature of man body and soule and all the naturall properties and infirmities therof sinne excepted The second Person tooke not vpon him the Person of man but the Nature of man So that the humane nature hath no personall subsistence of it owne for then there should be two Persons in Christ but it subsisteth in the Word the second Person for as the soule and body makes but one Person of Man so the God-head and Man-hood makes but one Person of Christ. The two natures of the God-head and Man-hood are so really vnited by a Personall vnion that as they can neuer be separated asunder so are they not confounded but remaine still distinguished by their seuerall and essentiall proprieties which they had before they were vnited As for example the infinitâ—nesse of the Diuine is not communicated to the humanâ— nature nor the finitenesse of the Humane to the Diuine nature Yet by reason of this personall vnion there is such a communion of the proprieties of both natures that that which is proper to the one is sometimes attributed to the other Nature As that God purchased the Church with his owne bloud And that he will iudge the world by that man whom he hath appointed Hence also it is that though the Humanitie of Christ be a created and therefore a finite and limited nature and cannot be euery where present by actuall position or locall extension according to his naturall being yet because it hath communicated vnto it the personall subsistence of the Sonne of God which is infinite and without limitation and is so vnited with God that it is no where seuered from God the body of Christ in respect of his personall being may rightly bee said to be euery where 3 The Actions by which the three Persons be distinguished THe Actions are of two sorts either Eternall respecting the Creatures and those are after a sort common to euery one of the three Persons or Internall respecting the Persons onely amongst themselues and are altogether incommunicable The Externall and communicable Actions of the three Persons are these The creation of the World peculiarly belonging to God the Father The redemption of the Church to God the Sonne And the sanctification of the Elect to God the holy Ghost But because the Father created and still gouerneth the World by the Sonne in the holy Ghost therefore these external actions are indifferently in Scripture oftentimes ascribed to each of the three Persons and therefore called communicable and diuided Actions The Internall and incommunicable Actions or proprieties of the three Persons are these 1 To beget and that belongeth onely to the Father who is neither made created nor begotten of any 2 To be begotten and that belongeth only to the Sonne who is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten 3 To proceede from both and that belongeth onely to the holy Ghost who is of the Father and the Sonne neither made created nor begotten but proceeding So that when wee say that the diuine essence is in the Father vnbegotten in the Sonne begotten and in the Holy Ghost proceeding wee make not three Essences but onely shew the diuers maners of subsisting by which the same most simple eternall vnbegotteÌ„ Essence subsisteth in each Person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that it is in the Sonne communicated from the father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the Father and the Sonne by proceeding These are incommunicable Actions and doe make not an Essentiall accidental or rationall but a reall distinction betwixt the three Persons So that he who is the Father in the Trinity is not the Son he who is the Son in the Trinity is not the Father hee who is the holy Ghost in the Trinity is neither the Sonne nor the Father but the Spirit proceeding from both though there is but one and the same Essence common to all three As therefore wee beleeue that the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is God so we likewise beleeue that God is the Father God is the Sonne and God is the holy Ghost But by reason of this reall distinction the Person of the one is not nor neuer can be the person of the other The three Persons therefore of the Godhead doe not differ from the Essence but formally but they differ really one from an other and so are distinguished by their hypostaticall proprieties As the Father is God begetting God the Sonne the Sonne is God begotten of God the Father and the holy Ghost is God
which was the Lord. Some receiue the spirituall grace without the outward signe as the Saint-Theefe on the Crosse and innumerable of the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receiue it through some externall impediments but the worthy Receiuers to their comfort receiue both in the Lords Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather then any other Elements to be the outward signes in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attaine vnto secondly to teach vs that as mans temporall life is chiefely nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our soules by his body and bloud sustained and quickned vnto eternall life Hee appointed Wine vvith the Bread to be the outward signe in this Sacrament to teach vs first that as the perfect nourishment of mans Body consists both of meate and drinke so Christ is vnto our soules not in part but in perfection both saluation and nourishment secondly that by seeing the Sacramentall Wine apart from the Bread wee should remember how all his precious bloud was spild out of his blessed body for the remission of our sinnes The outward Signes the Pastor giues in the Church and thou dost eate vvith the mouth of thy body the spirituall grace Christ reacheth from Heauen and thou must eate it with the mouth of thy Faith 3 Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or fruits for vvhich this blessed Sacrament vvas ordayned are seauen Of the first end of the Lords Supper 1 To keepe Christians in a continuall remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death vpon the crosse to reconcile vs vnto GOD. Doe this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as yee shall eat this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the preaching of the word Iesus Christ was so euidently set forth before the eies of the Galathians as if he had beene crucified among them For the whole action representeth Christs death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctified wine the shedding of his holy bloud Christ was once in himselfe really offered but as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is hee spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lords Supper is called a propitiatorie sacrifice not preperly and really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the Crosse. And to distinguish it from that reall sacrifice the Fathers call it the vnbloudy Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this action offereth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing for her redemption effected by the true and onely expiatory sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse. If the sight of Moabs King sacrificing on his walles his owne sonne to moue his gods to rescue his life 2 King 3.27 mooued the assayling Kings to such pitty that they ceast their assault and raised their siege how should the spirituall sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Crosse his onely begotten sonne to saue thy soule mooue thee to loue God thy Redeemer and to leaue sinne that could not in iustice be expiated by any meaner ransome Of the second end of the Lords Supper 2 To confirme our faith for God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seale vnto vs from heauen that according to the promise and new couenant which he hath made in Christ he will truely receiue into his grace and mercy all penitent beleeuers who duely receiue this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ hee will as verily forgiue them all their sinnes as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called the seale of the new Couenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts wee may therefore receiuing this Sacrament vndoubtedly say with Sampsons mother If the Lord would kill vs hee would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he haue shewed all these things nor would at this time haue told vs such things as these Of the 3. ende of the Lords Supper 3 To bee a pledge and symbole of the most neere effectuall communion which Christians haue with Christ. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our Communion with Christ. This vnion is called abiding in vs ioyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by diuers Similies First of the Vine and branches Secondly of the head and body Thirdly of the foundation and building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fiftly of the matrimoniall vnion twixt man and wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and Christs diuine nature in the person of the vvord The second is mysticall betwixt our persons absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and Man into one mysticall body The third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in a body glorified these three coniunctions depend each vpon other For had not our nature beene first hypostatically vnited to the nature of GOD in the second person wee could neuer haue been vnited to Christ in a mysticall body And if wee be not in this life though absent vnited to Christ by a mysticall vnion wee shall neuer haue communion of glory with him in his heauenly presence The mysticall communion chiefly heere meant is wrought betwixt Christ and vs by the Spirit of Christ apprehending vs and by our faith stirred vp by the same spirit apprehending Christ againe Both which Saint Paul doth most liuely expresse I follow after If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus How can hee fall away that holdeth and is so firmely holden This vnion he shall best vnderstand in his minde who doth most feele it in his heart But of all other times this vnion is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receiue the Lords Supper For then we shall sensibly feele our hearts knit vnto Christ and the desires of our soules drawn by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cordes of loue neerer and neerer to his holinesse From this Communion with Christ there followeth to the faithfull many vnspeakeable benefits As first Christ tooke by imputation al their sinnes and guiltinesse vpon him to satisfie Gods iustice for them and he freely giues by imputation vnto vs all his righteousnesse in this life and all his
hatred c. Or by an Analogia as when he is named a Lion a rocke a tower a Buckler c. Whose signification euery commentary will expresse Of all these Attributes wee must hold these generall Rules 1 NO Attributes can sufficiently expresse the Essence of GOD because it is infinite and ineffable Whatsoeuer therefore is spoken of God is not God but serueth rather to helpe our weake vnderstanding to conceiue in our reason and to vtter in our speech the Maiestie of his Diuine Nature so farre as hee hath vouchsafed to reueale himselfe vnto vs in his Word 2 All the Attributes of God belong to euery of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it selfe with the limitation of a Personall proprietie as the Mercy of the Father is Mercy begetting the Mercy of the Sonne is Mercy begotten the Mercy of the Holy Ghost is Mercy proceeding and so of the rest 3 The Essentiall Attributes of God differ not from his Essence Because they are so in the Essence that they are the very Essence it selfe In God therefore there is nothing which is not eyther his Essence or a Person 4 The Essentiall Attributes of GOD differ not Essentially nor really one from another because whatsoeuer is in God is one most simple Essence and one admits no diuision but onely in our reason and vnderstanding which being not able to know earthly things by one simple Act without the help of many distinct acts must of necessitie haue the helpe of many distinct Acts to know the incomprehensible GOD. Therefore to speake properly there are not in God many Attributes but one onely which is nothing else but the Diuine Essence it selfe by vvhat Attribute soeuer you call it But in respect of our reason they are said to be so many different Attributes for our Vnderstanding conceiues by the name of Mercy a thing differing from that which is called Iustice. The Essentiall Attributes of God are not therefore really inseparable 5 The Essentiall Attributes of GOD are not parts or qualities of the diuine Essence nor Accidents in the Essence as in a Subiect but the very whole and entire Essence of God So that euery such Attribute is not aliud aliud another and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no Quantities in God by which hee may be said to be so much and so much nor Qualities by which he may be said to be such and such but whatsoeuer God is hee is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence hee is wise and therefore Wisedome it selfe by his Essence hee is God and therefore Goodnesse it selfe by his Essence hee is mercifull and therefore Mercy it selfe by his Essence hee is iust and therefore Iustice it selfe c. In a word GOD is great without Quantitie good true and iust without Qualitie mercifull without passion an Act without motion euery-where present without site without time the first and the last the Lord of all Creatures from whom all receiue themselues and all the good they haue yet neyther needeth nor receiueth hee any encrease of goodnes or happinesse from any other This is the plaine description of God so farre as hee hath reuealed himselfe to vs in his Word This Doctrine of all others euery true Practitioner of Pietie must competently know and necessarily beleeue for foure speciall vses 1 That wee may discerne our true and onely God from all false Gods and Idols for this description of God is properly knowne onely to his Church in whom he hath thus graciously manifested himselfe 2 To possesse our hearts with a greater awe of his Maiestie whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitenesse adore him for his vnmeasurablenesse vnchangeablenesse and eternitie seeke wisedome from his vnderstanding and knowledge submit our selues to his blessed will and pleasure loue him for his loue mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his Word because of his truth feare him for his power Iustice and anger reuerence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on him who is the onely author of our life beeing and all the good things which wee haue 3 To stirre vs vp to imitate the Diuine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his Wisedome Loue Goodnes Iustice Mercy Truth Patience Zeale and Anger against sinne that we may be wise louing iust mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is 4 Lastly that wee may in our Prayers and Meditations conceiue aright of his diuine Maiestie and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines as when they conceiue GOD to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinitie to be like that tripartitae Idoll which Papists haue painted in their Church-windowes When therefore thou art to pray vnto God let thine heart speake vnto him as to that eternall infinite almightie holy wise iust mercifull Spirit and most perfect indiuisible Essence of three ssuerall Persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heauen and Earth vnderstandeth all mens harts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on vs all graces which we want and to deliuer all penitent sinners who with faithfull harts seeke for Christs sake his help out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoeuer The ignorance of this true knowledge of GOD makes many to make an Idoll of the true God and is the onely cause why so many doe professe all other parts of Gods worship and religion with so much irreuerence and hypocrisie whereas if they did truely know GOD they durst not but come to his holy Seruice and comming serue him with feare and reuerence for so farre doth a man feare God as he knoweth him and then doth a man truely know God when hee ioynes practise to speculation And that is First when a man doth so acknowledge and celebrate Gods Maiestie as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word Secondly when from the true and liuely sense of Gods Attributes there is bred in a mans heart a loue awe and confidence in God for saith God himselfe If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Lord where is my feare O taste and see that the Lord â—s good saith Dauid Hee that hath not by experience tasted his goodnes knowes not how good hee is Hee saith Iohn that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him So farre therefore as wee imitate God in his Goodnesse Loue Iustice Mercy Patience and other Attributes so farre doe vvee know him Thirdly when with inward groanes and the serious desires of our hearts wee long to attaine to the perfect and plenarie knowledge of his Maiestie
in the life which is to come Lastly this discouers how few there are who doe truely know God for no man knoweth God but hee that loueth him and how can a man choose but loue him being the soueraigne good if hee knew him Seeing the nature of God is to enamour men with the loue of her goodnesse and whosoeuer loueth any thing more then God is not worthy of God and such is euery one who setles the loue and rest of his heart vpon any thing besides God If therefore thou dost beleeue that God is Almighty why dost thou feare Diuels and enemies and not confidently trust in God and craue his helpe in all troubles dangers If thou beleeuest that God is infinite how darest thou prouoke him to anger If thou beleeuest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite If thou beleeuest that God is the Soueraigne good why is not thy heart more setled vpon him then on all Worldly goods If thou dost indeede beleeue that God is a iust Iudge how darest thou liue so securely in sinne without repentance If thou dost truely beleeue that God is most wise why dost not thou referre the euents of crosses and disgraces vnto him vvho knoweth how to turne all things to the best vnto them that loue him If thou art perswaded that God is true why dost thou doubt of his promises And if thou beleeuest that God is beautie and Perfection it selfe why dost not thou make him alone the chiefe end of all thine affections and desires for if thou louest beautie hee is most faire If thou desirest riches hee is most wealthy if thou seekest Wisedome hee is most wise Whatsoeuer excellencie thou hast seene in any creature it is nothing but a sparkle of that which is in infinite perfection in GOD and when in Heauen wee shall haue an Immediate communion vvith God wee shall haue them all perfectly in him communicated vnto vs. Briefely in all goodnesse he is all in all Loue that one good God and thou shalt loue him in whom all the good of goodnesse consisteth He that would therfore attaine to the sauing knowledge of God must learne to know him by loue For God is loue and the knowledge of the loue of God passeth all knowledge For all knowledge besides to know how to loue God and to serue him onely is nothing vpon Salomons credit but vanitie of vanities and vexation of spirit Kindle therfore O my Lady nay rather O my Lord Charity the loue of thy selfe in my soule especially seeing it was thy good pleasure that being reconciled by the blood of Christ I should be brought by the knowledge of thy grace to the communion of thy Glory wherein onely consists my soueraigne good and happinesse for euer Thus by the light of his owne word we haue seene the backe parts of Iehoua Elohim the eternall Trinity whom to worship is true Piety whom to beleeue is sauing faith and veritie And vnto whom from all creatures in heauen and earth bee all praise dominion and Glory for euer Amen Thus farre of the knowlege of God Now of the knowlege of a Man selfe And first of the state of his miserie and corruption without renouation by CHRIST Meditations of the misery of a Man not reconciled to GOD in Christ. O Wretched man where shall I beginne to describe thine endlesse miserie who art condemned as sonne as conceiued and adiudged to eternall death before thou wast borne to a temporall life A beginning indeed I finde but no end of thy miseries for when Adam and Eue being created after Gods owne Image and placed in Paradise that they and their posterity might liue in a blessed state of life immortall hauing dominion of all earthly creatures and onely restrained from the fruit of one tree as a signe of their subiection to their Almightie Creator Though God forbad them this one small thing vnder the penalty of eternal death yet they beleeued the diuels word before the word of God making God as much as in them lay a lyer And so being vnthankefull for all the benefits which God bestowed on them they became male-contented with their present state as if God had dealt enuiously or nigardly with them and beleeued that the Diuel would make them pertakers of farre more glorious things then euer God had bestowed vpon them and in their pride they fell into high treason against the most high and disdayning to be Gods subiects they affected blasphemously to bee Gods themselues equals vnto God Hence till they repented losing Gods Image they became like vnto the Diuell and so all their posterity as a traiterous broode whilest they remaine impenitent like thee are subiect in this life to all cursed miseries and in the life to come to the euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Lay then aside for a while thy doating vanities and take a view with me of thy dolefull miseries which daily suruayed I doubt not but that thou wilt conclude that it is far better neuer to haue natures being then not to be by grace a Practicioner of religious Pietie Consider therfore thy misery 1 In thy life 2 In thy death 3 After death In thy life 1 The miseries accompanying thy body 2 The miseries which deforme thy soule In thy death the miseries which shall oppresse thy body and soule After death the miseries which ouerwhelme both body and soule together in Hell And first let vs take a view of those miseries which accompanie thy body according to the foure ages of thy life 1 Infancy 2 Youth 3 Manhood 4 Olde age Meditations of the misery of Infancy WHat wast thou being an Infant but a bruit hauing the shape of a man was not thy body conceiued in the heate of lust the secret of shame and staine of originall sinne And thus wast thou cast naked vpon the earth all imbrued in the blood of filthinesse fithy indeed when the Sonne of God who disdained not to take on him mans nature and the infirmities thereof yet thought it vnbeseeming his Holines to be conceiued after the sinfull maner of mans conception So that thy mother was ashamed to let thee know the manner thereof What cause then hast thou to boast of thy birth which was a cursed paine to thy mother and to thy selfe the entrance into a troublesome life the greatnesse of which miseries because thou couldst not vtter in words thou didst expresse as well as thou couldest in weaping teares 2 Meditations of the miseries of youth WHat is Youth but an vntamted beast all whose actions are rash and rude not capable of good counsell when it is giuen and Ape-like delighting in nothing but in toies and bables Therefore thou no sooner beganst to haue a little strength and discretion but foorthwith thou wast kept vnder the rodde and feare of parents and masters as if thou hadst beene borne to
afflictions of this present life are not worthy which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enioy from that time that they shall be receiued with Christ as ioynt heires into that euerlasting Kingdome of ioy Notwithstanding we may take a scantling thereof thus The holy Scriptures set foorth to our capacity the glorie of our eternall and heauenly life after death in foure respects 1 Of the Place 2 Of the Obiect 3 Of the Prerogatiues of the Elect there 4 Of the effects of those Prerogatiues 1 Of the Place THe place is the Heauen of Heauens or the third Heauen called Paradise whither Christ in his humane nature ascended farre aboue all visible heauens The Bridgroomes chamber which by the firmament as by an azured curtaine spangled with glittering starres and glorious planets is hid that wee cannot behold it with these corruptible eyes of flesh The holy Ghost framing himselfe to our weakenesse describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate by such things as are most precious in the estimation of man And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City named the heauenly Ierusalem Where onely God and his people who are saued and written in the Lambes booke doe inhabite all built of pure gold like vnto cleare glasse or Chrystall the walles of Iasper stone the foundations of the wals with twelue manner of precious stones hauing twelue gates each built of one pearle three gates towards each of the foure cornerâ— of the world and at each gate an Angell as so many Porters that no vncleane thing should enter into it It is foure square therefore perfect the length the breadth and height of it are equall 12000. furlongs euery way therefore glorious and spacious Through the middest of her streets euer runneth a pure Riuer of the water of life as cleare as Christall therefore wholesome And of either side of the riuer is the Tree of life euer growing which beares twelue manner of fruits and giues fruit euery moneth therefore fruitfull and the leaues of the tree is health to the Nations therefore healthy There is therefore no place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation For there the King is Christ the law is loue the honour verity the peace felicity the life eternity There is light without darknesse mirth without sadnesse health without sicknesse wealth without want credit without disgrace beauty without blemish ease without labour riches without rust blessednesse without miserie and consolation that neuer knoweth ende How truely may we cry out with Dauid of this Citie Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! and yet all these things are spoken but according to the weakenesse of our capacity For heauen exceedeth al this in glory so farre as that no tongue is able to expresse nor heart of man to conceiue the glory thereof as witnesseth Paul who was in it and sawe it O let vs not then dote so much vpon these woedden cottages and houses of moulding clay which are but the tents of vngodlinesse and habitation of sinners but let let vs looke rather and long for this heauenly City whose builder and maker is God which he who is not ashamed to be called our God hath prepared for vs. 2 Of the Obiect THE blisseful and glorious obiect of all intellectuall and reasonable creatures in heauen is the God-head in Trinity of Persons without which there is neither ioy nor felicity but the very fulnesse of ioy consisteth in enioying the same This Obiect wee shall enioy two waies 1 By a beatificall vision of God 2 By possessing an immediate communion with his diuine nature The beatificall vision of GOD is that onely that can content the infinite minde of man For euery thing tendeth to his center GOD is the center of the soule therfore like Noahs Doue shee cannot rest nor ioy till shee returne and enioy him All that GOD bestowed vpon Moses could not satisfie his minde vnlesse hee might see the face of GOD. Therefore the whole Church praieth so earnestly God be merciful vnto vs and blesse vs cause his face to shine vpon vs. When Paul once had seen this blessed sight he euer after counted al the riches and glory of the world in respect of it to be but dung And all his life after was but a sighing out cupio dissolui I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. And Christ prayed for all his Elect in his last prayer that they might obtaine this blessed vision Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be where euen where I am To what end that they may behold that my glory c. If Moses face did so shine when he had beene with GOD but fourty daies and seene but his backe parts how shall wee shine when we shall see him face to face for euer and know him as we are known and as he is Then shall the soule no longer be termed Marah bitternesse but Naomi beautifulnesse for the Lord shall turne her short bitternesse to eternall beauty and blessednesse Ruth 1.20 The second meanes to enioy this obiect is by hauing an immediate and an eternall communion with GOD in heauen This we haue first by being as members of Christ vnited to his manhood and by the manhood personally vnited to the word we are vnited to him as he is GOD and by his Godhead to the whole Trinity Reprobates at the last day shall see GOD as a iust Iudge to punish them but for lacke of this Communion they shall haue neither grace with him nor glory from him For want of this communion the Diuels when they saw Christ cried out Quid nobis te cum What haue we to doe with thee O Sonne of the most high God But by vertue of this Communion the penitent soule may boldly goe and say vnto Christ as Ruth vnto Bâ—az Spread O Christ the wing of the garment of thy mercy ouer thine handmaide for thou art my kinsman This Communion God promised Abraham when hee gaue him himselfe for his great reward And Christ praieth for his whole Church to obtaine it This communion Saint Paul expresseth in one word saying that God shall be all in all vnto vs. Indeed God is now all in all vnto vs but by meanes and in a small measure But in heauen God himselfe immediatly in fulnesse of measure without all meanes will be vnto vs all the good things that our soules and bodieâ— can wish or desire He himselfe will be saluation and ioy to our soules life and health to our bodies beauty to our eyes musicke to our eares honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies light to our vnderstandings contentment to our willes and delight to our hearts and what can be
which a wise Merchant will purchase though it cost him all that hee hath Mat. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern country diuided forth-with among his Captaines and Souldiers all his Kingdome of Macedonia Hephoestion asking him what hee meant in so doing Alexander answered that he preferred the riches of India whereof hee hoped shortly to be Master before all that his Father Philip left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferre the eternall riches of Heauen so greatly renowned vvhich they shall enioy ere long before the corruptible trash of the earth which last but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their owne Country and possessions to looke for a Citie whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no land but onely a place of buriall Dauid preferreth one day in this place before a thousand else-where yea to be a doore-keeper in the house of God rather then to dwell in the richest tabernacles of wickednesse Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receiue his soule into his Kingdome and went willingly though in a fiery Chariot thither Paul hauing once seene heauen continually desired to be dissolued that hee might be with Christ. Peter hauing spyed but a glimpse of that eternall glory in the Mount wished that hee might dwell there all the dayes of his life saying Master it is good for vs to be here How much better doth Peter now thinke it to be in heauen it selfe Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receiue him into that excellent glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the ioy which was set before him he endured the Crosse and despised the shame If a man did but once see those ioyes if it were possible hee would endure an hundred deaths to enioy that happinesse but one day S. Augustine saith that he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gaine this ioy rather then to lose it Ignatius Paules Scholler being threatned as hee vvas going to suffer vvith the crueltie of torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallowes Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the Diuell together let them come vpon me so I may enioy my Lord Iesus and his Kingdome The like constancie shewed Polycarpe who could not by any terrors of any kinde of death be moued to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will neuer said hee feare death which can doe no more then restore mee to him that made me If Ruth left her owne country and followed Naomi her Mother in Law to goe and dwell with her in the Land of Canaan which was but a type of heauen onely vpon the fame which she heard of the God of Israell though shee had no promise of any portion therein how shouldest thou follow thy holy mother the Church to go vnto Christ into the heauenly Canaan wherin God hath giuen thee an eternall inheritance assured by an holy Couenant made in the words of God signed with the bloud of his Sonne and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments This shall be thine eternall happinesse in the Kingdome of heauen where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinitie thy ioy the presence of the Lambe thy exercise singing thy ditty Alleluiah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flourisheth that neuer waxeth olde Beautie lasteth that neuer fadeth loue aboundeth that neuer cooleth health continueth that neuer slaketh and life remaineth that neuer endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himselfe without delay the fore-said knowledge of GOD and himselfe THou seest therefore O man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of nature without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures doe liken wicked men vnto Lyons Beares Buls Horses Dogges and such like sauage Creatures in their liues it is certaine that the condition of an vnregenerated man is in his death more vile then a Dogge or the filthiest Creature in the world for the Beast being made but for mans vse when hee dyeth endeth all his miseries with his death But man endued with a reasonable and an immortall Soule made after Gods Image to serue God when hee ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeedes and begin to endure those miseries that neuer shall know end No creature but man is liable to yeeld at his death an account for his life The bruite Creatures not hauing reason shall not be required to make any account for their deedes and good Angels though they haue reason yet shall they yeeld no account because they haue no sinne And as for euill Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they neede not make any further accounts Man onely in his death must be Gods accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truely reconciled vnto GOD in Christ in that through the restauration of Gods Image and thy restitution into thy soueraigntie ouer other Creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shalt be in the life to come equall to the Angels yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personall vnion to the Sonne of God and by him to the glory of the Trinitie superiour to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spirituall grace and euerlasting glory Thou hast seene how glorious and perfect GOD is and how that all thy chiefe blisse and happinesse consisteth in hauing an eternall communion with his Maiestie Now therefore O impenitent Sinner in the bowels of Christ Iesus I entreat thee nay I coniure thee as thou tenderest thy owne saluation seriously to consider with mee how false how vaine how vile are those things which still retaine and chaine thee in this wretched and cursed estate wherein thou liuest and doe hinder thee from the fauour of God and the hope of eternall life and happinesse Meditations on the hinderances which keepe backe a sinner from rhe practise of Pietie THose Hinderances are chiefely seauen I. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certaine places of the holy Scripture and some other chiefe grounds of Christian Religion The Scriptures mistaken are these 1 Ezek. 33.14.16 At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne I will blot out all c. Hence the carnall Christian gathereth That he may repent when hee will It is true Whensoeuer a sinner doth repent GOD will forgiue but the text saith not that a sinner may repent whensoeuer he will but when GOD will giue him grace Many saith the Scripture when they would haue repented were reiected and could not repent though they sought it carefully with teares What comfort yeelds this Text to thee who hast not repented nor knowest whether thou shalt
obtaine eternall life For good workes are the true fruits of a true faith which apprehendeth Christ and his obedience vnto Saluation And no other faith auaileth in Christ but that which worketh by loue And but in the act of Iustification that Faith which onely iustifieth is neuer onely but euer accompanied with good workes as the Tree with his fruits the Sun with his light the Fire vvith his heate and Water with his moisture and that faith which doth not iustifie her selfe by good workes before Men is but a dead Faith which vvill neuer iustifie a mans soule before God But a iustifying faith purifieth the heart and sanctifieth the whole man throughout II. From the doctrine of Gods eternall Predestination and vnchangeable decree hee gathereth that if hee be predestinated to be saued hee cannot but be saued if to be damned no meanes can doe any good Therefore all vvorkes of Piâ—tie are but in vaine but hee should learne that God hath predestinated to the means as well as to the end Whom therefore GOD hath predestinated to be saued which is the end hee hath likewise predestinated to be first called iustified and made conformable to the image of his Son which is the meanes And they saith Peter who are elect vnto saluation are also elect vnto the sanctification of the spirit If therefore vpon thy calling thou conformest thy selfe to the Word and Example of Christ thy Master obeyest the good motions of the holy Spirit in leauing sinne and liuing a godly life then assure thy selfe that thou art one of those who are infallibly predestinated to euerlasting saluation If otherwise blame not Gods predestination but thine owne sinne and rebellion Doe thou but returne vnto God and God will gratiously receiue thee as the Father did the prodigall Sonne and by thy conuersion it shall appeare both to Angels and Men that thou didst belong to his Election If thou wilt not why should God saue thee III. When a carnall Christian heares that man hath not free-will vnto good he looseth the reynes to his owne corrupt will as though it lay not in him to bridle or to subdue it Implicitely making God the authour of sinne in suffering man to runne into this necessitie But hee should know that GOD gaue Adam free-will to stand in his integritie if hee would but man abusing his free-will lost both himselfe and it Since the Fall Man in his state of corruption hath Free-will to euill but not to good for in this state we are not saith the Apostle sufficient to think a good thought And God is not bound to restore vs what wee lost so wretchedly and make no more care to recouer againe But as soone as a man is regenerated the Grace of God freeth his will vnto good so that hee doth all the good things hee doth with a Free-will for so the Apostle saith that God of his owne good pleasure worketh both the will and the deede in vs who as the Apostle expoundeth cleance our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God And in this state euery true Christian hath Free-will and as hee increaseth in grace so doth his will in freedome for when the Sonne shall make vs free then shall wee be free indeede and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie for the holy Spirit drawes their mindes not by coaction but by the cordes of Loue Can. 1.4 by illuminating their mindes to know the truth by changing their hearts to loue the knowne truth and by enabling euery one of them according to the measure of grace which hee hath receiued to doe the good which he loueth But thou wilt not vse the freedome of thy will so farre as GOD hath freed it for thou dost many times wilfully against Gods Law to the hazard of thy Soule that which if the Kings Law forbad vnder the penaltie of death or losse of thy worldly state thou wouldest not doe Make not therefore thy want of free-will vnto good to be so much the cause of thy sinne as thy want of a louing heart to serue thy heauenly Father IIII. When the naturall man heares that no man since the fall is able to fulfill the Law of God and to keepe all his Commandements He boldly presumes to sinne as others doe hee contents himselfe with a few good thoughts and if hee be not altogether as bad as the worst hee concludes that hee is as truely regenerate as the best And euery voluntary refusall of doing good or withstanding euill he counts the impossibilitie of the Law But he should learne that though since the Fall no man but Christ who was both God and man did or can perfectly fulfill the whole Law yet euery true Christian as soone as hee is regenerated begins to keepe all Gods Commandements in truth though hee cannot in absolute perfection Thus with Dauid they apply their hearts to fulfill Gods Commandements alwayes vnto the end And then the Spirit of grace vvhich was promised to be more aboundantly poured forth vnder the Gospel helpeth them in their good endeuours and assisteth them to doe vvhat he commands them to doe And in so doing GOD accepteth their good will and endeuour in stead of perfect fulfilling of the Law supplying out of the merits of Christ who fulfilled the Law for vs whatsoeuer wanteth in our obedience And in this respect S. Iohn saith that Gods commandements are not burdenous And S. Paul saith I am able to doe all things through the helpe of him that strengthneth me And Zâ—chary and Elizabeth are said to walkâ— in all the Commandements of the Lord without reproofe Hereupon CHRIST commends to his Disciples the care of keeping his Commandements as the trueest testimonie of our loue vnto him So farre therefore doth a man loue Christ as he makes conscience to walk in his Commandements and the more vnto Christ is our loue the lesse will our paines seeme in keeping his Law The Lawes curse which vnder the Olde Testament was so terrible is vnder the New by the death of Christ abolished to the regenerate The rigor which made it so vnpossible to our nature before is now to the new borne so mollified by the Spirit that it seemes facile and easie The Apostles indeede pressed on the vnconuerted Iewes and Gentiles the impossibilitie of keeping the Law by abilitie of nature corrupted But when they haue to doe with regenerated Christians they require to the Law which is the rule of righteousnesse true obedience in word and deede the mortifying of their members the crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof resurrection to newnesse of life walking in the spirit ouercomming of the world by faith So that though no man can say as CHRIST which of you can
vvho came to Christ for mercy went euer away vvithout his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sicke Soule in this fountaine of Christs bloud and doubtlesse according to his promise Zach. 13.1 thou shalt be healed of all thy sinnes and vncleannesse Not sinners therefore but they who are vnwilling to repent of their sinnes are debarred this Sacrament Fiftly meditate that Christ left this Sacrament vnto vs as the chiefest token pledge of his loue not when wee vvould haue made him a King Iohn 6.15 which might haue seemed a requitall of kindnesse but vvhen Iudas and the High Priest were conspiring his death therefore vvholy of his meere fauour When Nathan would shew Dauid how entirely the poore man loued his sheepe that was killed by the rich man hee gaue her said hee to eate of his owne morsels and of his owne Cup to drinke 2 Sam. 12.3 and must not then the loue of Christ to his Church be vnspeakeable when hee giues her his owne flesh to eate and his owne bloud to drinke for her spirituall and eternall nourishment If then there be any loue in thine heart take the Cuppe of saluation into thy hand and pledge his loue with loue againe Psal. 116.11 Sixtly when the Minister beginneth the holy consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoeuer and settle thy meditation onely vpon those holy actions and rites which according to Christs Institution are vsed in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weaknesse to appoint those rites as meanes the better to lift vp our mindes to the serious contemplation of his heauenly graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsall of Christs Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Bloud of Christ then meditate how GOD the Father of his meere loue to mankinde set apart and sealed his onely begotten Sonne to be the all-sufficient meanes and onely Mediator to redeeme vs from sinne and to reconcile vs to his grace and to bring vs to his Glory When thou seest the Minister breake the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of GOD was put to death and his blessed Soule and Body vvith the sense of Gods anger broken asunder for thy sinnes as verely as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withall call to minde the hainousnesse of thy sinnes and the greatnesse of Gods hatred against the same seeing Gods Iustice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himselfe to distribute it then meditate The King who is the Master of the feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh vpon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding garment thinke also that all the holy Angels who attend vpon the Elect in the Church and doe desire to behold the celebration of these holy Mysteries doe obserue thy reuerence and behauiour Let thy Soule therefore whilest the Minister bringeth the Sacrament vnto thee offer this or the like short Prayer vnto Christ. A sweet Soliloquie to be said betwixt the Consecration and receiuing of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that GOD will dwell on earth behold the Heauen and the Heauen of Heauens are not able to containe thee how much more vnable is the soule of such a sinfull câ—itife as I am to receiue thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to suppe with me and to dwell in mee I cannot for ioy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou so regardest him What fauour soeuer thou vouchsafest mee in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confesse what I am in the wretchednesse of my Nature I am in a vvord a carnall Creature vvhose very soule is sold vnder sinne a wretched man compassed about with a body of death yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I haue thrust my selfe in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heauiest loades I see no reason why I should stay behinde O Lord I am sicke and whither should I goe but vnto thee the Physitian of my Soule Thou hast cured many but neuer didst thou meete vvith a more miserable patient for I am more leaprous then Gehazi more vncleane then Magdalene more blinde in Soule then Bartimeus vvas in Body for I haue liued all this while and neuer seene the true light of thy Word My Soule runnes with a greater fluxe of sinne then vvas the Hemorisse issue of bloud Mephiboseth was not more lame to goe then my soule is to walke after thee in loue Ieroboams Arme was not more withered to strike the Prophet then my hand is maimed to relieue the poore Cure me O Lord and thou shalt doe as great a worke as in curing them all And though I haue all their sinnes and sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgiue the one and heale the other And vvhy should I doubt of thy good will when to saue mee will cost thee now but one louing smile vvho shewedst thy selfe so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart bloud and now offerest so gratiously vnto mee the assured pledge of my redemption by thy bloud Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so deare a price It is meerely thy mercie and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much lesse to be a partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest Pledge of the greatest mercy that euer thou diddest bestow vpon those sonnes of men whom thou louest How might I in respect of mine owne vnworthynesse cry out for feare at the sight of thy holy Sacrament as the Philistimes did when they saw the Arke of God come into the assembly Woe now vnto me a sinner But that thy Angel doth comfort me as he did the women Feare thou not for I know that thou seekest Iesus which was crucified It is thou indeed that my soule seeketh after And heere thou offerest thy selfe vnto me in thy blessed Sacrament If therefore ELIZABETH thought her selfe so much honoured at thy presence in the wombe of thy blessed mother that the babe sprange in her bellie for ioy how should my soule leape within mee for ioy now that thou commest by thy holy Sacrament to dwell in my heart for euer Oh what an honour is this that not the mother of my Lord but my Lord himselfe should come thus to visit me Indeede Lord I confesse with the faithfull Centurion that I am not worthy that thou shouldest