the seed-time with the Harvest look up from the root to the fruit consider the recompence of the reward and will not choose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Who will not bee willing to suffer with Christ that hee may also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Who will not suffer these light afflictions which are but for a moment when they cause unto us a far more excellent end eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.16.17 Was Lazarus for a time extream miserable hee is now in Abrahams bosom Yea blessed Lazarus thy sores and sorrows soon ceased but thy joies are everlasting Now mee thinks if thou but considerest that thy pain will shortly pass but thy joies shall never pass away it should prove a notable soveraign Cordiall to strengthen thee not onely against reproaches which attend thy profession but even against fire and faggot Who would not bee a Philpoâ— for a month or a Lazarus for a day oâ— a Stephen for an hour that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever nothing can bee too much to endure for those pleasures which endure for ever It is true If in this life onely wee had hope in Christ we were of all men the most miserable as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 15.19 But thou must consider that as this life is our Hell and the wickeds Heaven Ioh. 16.20 So the next life shall bee their Hell and our Heaven ver â—1 33 Prov. 16.4 As Dives was in Abrahams bosome when Lazarus was in torments so Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome when Dives was in torments Luk. 16. ver 23.25 And herein wee fare no worse than Cstrist Did not his Spirit pass from the Cross into Paradice Did not hee first descend into Heâ—l and then had his ascension Suppose thy sufferings bee great what then Assure thy sâ—lf that every pang is a prevention of the pains of Hell and every respite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes dost thou esteem Heaven worth It is true flesh and blood is so sensual that it feels a little pain in the finger a great deal more than the health of the whole body But let us better consider on it and behold at once the whole state of a Christian wee shall see his peace exceed his pain yea wee shall see both the torments present and the glory following Hope makes absent joies present wants plenitudes and beguiles calamity as good company does the way The poor traveller in thinking of his Inne goes on more cheerfully and the bond man in calling to mind the year of Iubilee When the Apprentice calls to mind that his years of covenant will now shortly expire and then hee shall have his freedom confirmed the very remembrance thereof maketh many labour some works seem more light and less grievous unto him neither doth hee afterwards repent it Did it ever repent Iacob when hee came to inherit his Fathers blessing that hee had indured a long exile and tedious bondage Or Ioseph when hee wâ—s once made Ruler in Egypt that he had formerly been sold thither and there imprisoned and hee had never been a Courtier if he had not first been a prisoner Or did it repent the Israelites when they came to inherit the Land of promise that they had formerly been forty years passing through a forlorn wilderness Or which of Gods servants did ever repent that they had passed the apprentiship of their service here and were now gon to be made free in glory If so let us do and suffer cheerfully patiently couragiously what God imposeth upon us knowing that after wee have swet and smarted but six days at the utmost then cometh our Sabbath of eternal rest which will make a mends for all knowing that death ends our misery and begins our glory and a few groans are well bestowed for a Preface to an immortall joy Let then our eyes bee continually on the joys which follow and not on the pain which is present the pain neglected and unregarded cannot bee very discomfortable But that there is reward promised to those which suffer in Christs cause is not all for our reward shall bee answerable to our sufferings the greater our sufferings are here the greater shall our reward bee hereafter Matth. 16.27 The deluge of calamities may assault us but they shall exalt us By our crosses sanctified weight is added to our Crown of Bliss for according to the measure of our afflictions God weigheth unto us of his graces that wee may bee able to bear them and according to the measure of our graces hee proportioneth our glory and future happiness Suffering for the Gospell is no inferiour good work and every one shall bee rewarded though not for yet according to his works Psal. 62.12 Rom. 2.6 Rev 22. ver 12. The Apostles tell Christ wee have left all and followed thee Matth. 19.27 Christ tels them when I sit on my Throne yee shall sit on Thrones with mee ver 28. They that turn many unto righteousness shall shine as the stars in the Kingdom of heaven Dan. 12.3 And they that suffer Martyrdom shall bee cloathed with long white Robes and have Palms in their hands Rev. 6.9.11 Now there bee three sorts of Martyrs Re intentione intentione non re re non intentione in both deed and intention as was Saint Steven in intention not deed as was Saint Iohn in deed not in intention as were the innocents But where the conflict is more hard the conquest obtained shall be more glorious for as Chrysostom speaks According to the tribulations laid upon and born by us shall our retribution of glory be proportioned And persecutors saith Bernard are but our Fathers Gold-smiths working to add pearls to the Crowns of the Saints Yea ever where more work is done there more wages is given and when the sight or conflict is sharper and the victory harder the glory of the triumph is greater and the Crown of reward more glorious Whence it was that those Saints in the Old Testament which were racked and tortured would not be delivered or accept of their enemies fair offers to the end they might receive a betâ—er resurrection and a more glorious reward Heb. 11.35 Neither would we wish our work easier or our burthen lighter if we looked up to â—he recompence of reward for it may bee well applied here which was misapplied in the triall of that holy man Ioh We do not serve God for nothing Though we must 〈…〉 him meerly for reward as hirelings nor for fear as servants but as children for love O that when we suffer most we would but meditate and look upon with the eie of faith the fulnesse of those joies and sweetnesse of those pleasures which having once finished our course we shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 being such as eie hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entered into the heart of man to conceive
anguish of death he started up in his bed and sware by the former oath that bell toled for him whereupon immediately the bloud most fearfully issued as it were in streams from all parts of his body not one place left free and so dyed Popiel King of Poland had over this wish in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rats might eat me and so it came to passe for he was so assailed by them at a banquet that neither his guards nor fire nor water could defend him from them as Munster mentions The Iews said Let his bloud be upon us and upon our children and what followed sixteen hundred years are now past since they wished themselves thus wretched and have they not ever since been the hate and scorne of the world Did they not many of them live to see their City buried in ashes and drowned in bloud to see themselves no Nation Was there ever any people under heaven that was made so fa 〈…〉 〈…〉 Nor is it seldome that God payes them in their own coin men prophane Gods name and he makes their names to stinke When the pestilence rageth in our streets blasphemy and execration must confesse that they have their dâ—e wages Blasphemers live swearing and dye raving it is but their wages 2. § He punisheth some in the Suburbs of hell that they might never come into the City it self The evill he now suffers uncorrected he refers to be condemned Sin knows the doom it must smart here or hereafter Outward plagues are but favour in comparison of spirituall judgments and spirituall judgments but light to eternall torments God does not punish all flagitious sinners here that he may allow some space to repent and that none may doubt his promise of a Generall Iudgement nor does he forbear all here lest the world should deny his providence and question his justice MEMB. 6. 1. § But what do I urge reason to men of a reprobate judgment to admonish them is to no more purpose then if one should speak to life-lesse stones or sense-lesse plants or wit-lesse beasts for they will never fear any thing till they be in Hell fire wherefore God leaves them to be confuted with fire and brimstone since nothing else wil doe it If there be any here that beleeve a Resurrection as I hope better things of some of you all such I would beseech by the mercies of God before mentioned that they would not be so desparately wicked as to mock their admonisher scoff at the means to be saved and make themselves merry with their owne damnations but that they would entertain this messuage as if it were an Epistle sent from God himself to invite and call them to repentance Yea consider seriously what I have said and do not Oh do not mock at Gods Word nor sport away your souls into those pains which are easelesse endlesse and remedilesse Shal we give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak Mat. 12.36 and never give a reckoning for our wicked swearing and cursing we shall be judged by our words v. 37. Are you willing to be saved if you are Break off your sins by repentance Dan. 4.27 Cease to do evill learn to doe well Isai. 1.16.17 Seriously grieve and bewail for the millions of times that you have blasphemed God and pierced your Saviour and never more commit the like impiety Yea doe not only leave your swearing but fear an Oath and make conscience of it resolve not to take the glorious name of God in vain nor place any otheâ— creature in his roome though the Devill should say unto you as once hâ— did to Christ All this will I give thee For it is not enough that we abstained from evill unlesse we hate it also and doe the contrary good Sanctifie the Lord God in your heart 1 Pet. 3.15 Make a covenant with your mouth as Joâ— did with his eyes and set a watch before the door of your lips that you thuâ— offend not with your tongue Psal. 141.3 2. § Which if you doe rightly the like care to avoid all other sins wilâ— necessarily follow because he that fears to commit one sin out of conscience and because God forbids it will upon the same ground fear all the 〈…〉 commit it as that God should never impure it 2 Tim. 2.19 Neither can a regenerate mind consist with a determination to continue in any one sin as when Christ cast out one Devill we read that he cast out all even the whole Legion Mark 5.2 c. And he that makes not some consience of all sin makes no true conscience of any sin And the same is to be understood also of duties commanded for the same law which injoins us to hate and for sake all sin commands us also to strive after universal obedience to every precept And it is a true rule he that hath not in him all Christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all He that is not sanctified in every part is truly sanctified in no part 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 Mat. 5.48 2 Tim. 3.17 2 Cor. 7.1 And the least sin allowed of be it but a vaine thought or one duty omitted is enough to cast thee into hell for the wages of sin any sin be it never so little is death Rom. 6.23 Jam. 1.15 Yea admit thou hadst never acted any the least evill in all thy life it were not enough to save thee from hell much lesse to bring thee to heaven for we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the World with us Gen. 2.17 Psal. 51.5 Rom. 5.12 Whence the new born child in the law was commanded to offer a sin offering Lev. 12.6 3. § Wherefore as you tender the good of your own soul set upon the work presently before the Drawbridge be taken up provide with Ioseph for the dearth to come With Noah in the days of thine hâ—alth build the Ark of a good conscience against the floods of sicknesse Imitate the Ant who provides her meat in Summer for the Winter following Yea do it whilst the yearning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Jesus Christ lie open to receive you Whiles you have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God in Christ as you tender I say the everlasting happinesse wel-fare of your almost lost and drowned soul as you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endlesse blisse and glory at the last As you would escape the direful wrath of God the bitter sentence and doom of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul scorching flames of hel and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure utterly renounce all wilfull and affected evill and in the first place this abominable sin of swearing and cursing 4. § The which Grace if you
pounds for a falling Band five pounds for a Tulip ten twenty pounds for a yard of Lace But will Christ take this well and count them good Stewards when he shall sit upon his Throne and judge every man according to his deeds Matth. 25.31 to the end To these might be added the vast sums of mony that are lavisht out without measure in needless and unnecessary Buildings and trimming of houses as if the owners were to dwell for ever in this world So many Walks and Galleries Turrets and Pyramides such setting up pulling down transposing transplacing to make gay habittations for the memory and honour of mens Names So much yearly bestowed in costly furniture with which their houses were well stuft and filled before whereas multitudes of people by reason of the late civil wars are driven to wander about as having no certain dwelling-place yea no other house then the wide world no other bed then the hard ground and no other Canopy then the wide Heaven And so I might go on to many hundreds spent in Law-suits for the satisfying of a self-will so much spent in sports and needlesse Iourneys in Gaming and Revelling in kindnesses to Friends and Neighbours and many the like Whereas they should be sparing in other things that they might be the more bountiful in this duty They spend where they should spare and spare where God biddeth them spend Yea whereas the godly man spareth not onely from his superfluities but even from very necessaries that he may have the more to spend in bounty and beneficence These only spare in the works of mercy that they may have the more to spend upon their sinful Vanities But as the niggard that soweth not shall not reap so the prodigal Worldling that soweth onely to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption as it is Gal. 6 8. Now for conclusion of this point if Frugallity and saving be so great an help to bounty and liberality let it be our care to practice it avoiding both the extreams Prodigality on the one side and Avarice on the other for this as all other vertues is placed between two extreams as the Planet Iupiter between cold Saturn and fiery Mars Let it be used as a razor of all wicked and superfluous and as a rule of all good and necessary expences For that stock is like to last that is neither hoarded up miserably nor dealt out indiscreetly We sow not the furrow by the sack full but by the handful and the wise man knows it is better looking through a poore Lettice-window then through an Iron Grate Let it quite shave off all expenses about Surfeiting and Drunkenness Harlotry and Wantonness with other debauched courses which many amongst the Heathens have been ashamed of and therefore should not be once named among Christians Eph. 5.3 Nomina sunt ipso pene timenda sono And let it also moderate and diminish those excessive charges which too commonly men are at about things lawful and commendable because if men would so do the poor would be richly provided for As how much might be saved how many millions of money every year and how abundant might we be in works of mercy and yet be never the poorer at the years end Yea how would they praise God and pray for their bountiful Benefactors And how would God bless us in our souls bodies names estates and posterities As he hath abundantly promised in his Word CHAP. XLIV AND so much of the means enabling to this duty Now of the ends we are to propound to our selves in the doing of it wherein I wil bebrief Fourthly As our Alms or Works of mercy should flow from faith obedience charity mercy unfeigned love c. which are proper onely to true believers and such as in Christ are first accepted because as a woman that abides without an Husband all her fruit is but as an unlegitimate birth So until we be marryed to Christ all our best works are as bastards and no better then shining sins or beautiful abominations as the Apostle telleth us Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 So our aim and end must be the glory of God the good of our brethren who are refreshed with our Alms the adorning of our Profession with these fruits of Piety the edification of others by our good example the stopping of the mouths of our Adversaries our own present good both in respect of temporal and spiritual benefits and the furthering and assuring of our eternal salvation all which shews that howsoever any man may give gifts out of natural pity yet onely the Christian and godly man can rightly perform this duty of Alms-deeds for it is a good work and there are none do good but those that are good neither is it possible that there should be good fruit unless it sprung from a good Tree Charity and Pride do both feed the poor the one to the praise and glory of God the other to get praise and glory amongst men in which Case God will not accept but reject a mans bounty As when one sent a Present to Alcibiades he sent it back again saying He sendeth these Gifts ambitiously and it is our ambition to refuse them The Hypocrite aimeth chiefly at his own glory and good either the obtaining of some worldly benefit or the avoiding of some temporal or everlasting punishment or finally that he may satisfie God's justice for his sins make him beholding unto him and merit at his hands everlasting happiness But the Christian doth these works of mercy with great humility remembling that whatsoever he giveth to the poor for Gods sake he hath first received it from God with all other blessings which he enjoyeth In which respect when he doth the most he acknowledgeth that he doth far less then his duty and that with much infirmity and weakness and therefore in this regard he humbly confesseth that his Almes are sufficiently rewarded if they be graciously pardoned the which as it maketh him to carry himself humbly before God so also meekly and gently towards the poore And indeed our axes saws hammers and chisels may as well and as justly rise up and boast they have built our houses and our pens receive the honor of our writings as we attribute to our selves the praise of any of our good actions And it were as ridiculous so to do as to give the Souldiers honor to his sword For of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.36 If we have any thing that is good God is the giver of it if we do any thing well he is the Author of it Ioh. 3.2 Rom. 11.36 1 Cor. 4.7 11.23 We have not onely received our talents but the improvement also is his meer bounty Thou hast wrought all our works in us saies the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 26. ver 12. We do good Works but so much as is good in them is not ours but God's We for these things magis Deo
patient in his sufferings but joyfull esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt For saith the Text he had respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.26 And well it might for whereas the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this glory Rom. 8.18 St Paul witnesseth that our light affliction which is but â—or a moment if it be borne with patience causeth unto us a far most excellent and eternall weight of glory while we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparablenesse and infinite difference between the work and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary afflictions eternall glory answerable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and die in a moment but their insufferable punishment is interminable and endlesse As it fared with Pope Sixtus the fifth who sold his soul to the Devill to enjoy the glory and pleasure of the Popedom for seven years their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternall What will not men undergo so their pay may be answerable The old experiencâ—â— Souldier fears not the rain and storms above him nor the numbers falling before him nor the troops of enemies against him nor the shot of thundring Ordnance about him but looks to the honourable reward promised him When Philip asked Democritus if he did not fear to lose his head he answered No for quoth he if I die the Athenians will give me a life immortall meaning he should be statued in the treasury of eternall fame if the immortality as they thought of their names was such as strong reason to perswade them to patience and all kind of worthinesse what should the immortality of the soul be to us Alas vertue were a poor thing if fame only should be all the Garland that did crown her but the Christian knowes that if every pain he suffers were a death and every crosse an hell he shall have amends enough Why said Ambrose on his death-bed we are happy in this we serve a good Master that will not suffer us to be losers Which made the Martyrs such Lambs in suffering that their persecutors were more weary with striking than they with suffering and many of them as willing to die as dine When Modestus the Emperours Lieutenant told Basil what he should suffer as confiscation of goods cruell tortures death c. He answered If this be all I fear not yea had I as many lives as I have hairs on my head I would lay them all down for Christ nor can your master more benefit me than in this I could abound with examples of this nature No matter quoth one of them what I suffer on earth so I may be crowned in Heaven I care not quoth another what becometh of this frail Bark my flesh so I have the passenger my soul safely conducted And another If Lord at night thou grant'st me Lazarus boon Let Dives dogs lick all my sores at noon And a valiant Souldier going about a Christian atchievement My comfort is though I lose my life for Christs sake yet I shall not lose my labour yea I cannot endure enough to come to Heaven Lastly Ignatius going to his Martyrdom was so strongly ravished with the joyes of Heaven that he burst out into these words Nay come fire come beasts come breaking my bones racking of my body come all the torments of the Devill together upon me come what can come in the whole earth or in hell so I may enjoy Iesus Christ in the end They were content to smart so they might gain and it was not long but light which was exacted of them in respect of what was expected by them and promised to them 2 Cor. 4.17 Neither did they think that God is bound to reward them any way for their sufferings no if he accepts me when I have given my body to be burned saith the beleever I may account it a mercy I might shew the like touching temptations on the right hand which have commonly more strength in them and are therefore more dangerous because more plausible and glorious When Valence sent to offer Basil great preferments and to tell him what a great man he might be Basil answers Offer these things to Children not to Christians When some bad stop Luthers mouth with preferment one of his adversaries answered it is in vain he cares neither for Gold nor Honour When Pyrrhus tempted Fabritius the first day with an Elephant so huge and monstrous a beast as before he had not seen the next day with Money and promises of Honour he answered I fear not thy force and I am too wise for thy fraud But I shall be censured for exceeding Thus hope refresheth a Christian as much as misery depresseth him it makes him defie all that men or Devils can do saying Take away my goods my good name my friends my liberty my life and what else thou canst imagin yet I am well enough so long as thou canst not take away the reward of all which is an hundred fold more even in this world and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10.29 30. As when a Courtier gave it out that Queen Mary being displeased with the City threatned to divert both Terme and Parliament to Oxford an Alderman askt whether she meant to turn the Channell of the Thames thither or no if not saith he by Gods grace we shall do well enough For what are the things our enemies can take from us in comparison of Christ the Ocean of our comfort and Heaven the place of our rest where is joy without heavinesse or interruption peace without perturbation blessednesse without misery light without darknesse health without sicknesse beauty without blemish abundance without want ease without labour satiety without loathing liberty without restraint security without fear glory without ignominy knowledge without ignorance eyes without tears hearts without sorrow souls without sinne where shall be no evill present or good absent for we shall have what we can desire and we shall desire nothing but what is good In fine that I may darkly shadow it out sith the lively representation of it is meerly impossible this life everlasting is the perfection of all good things for fullnesse is the perfection of measure and everlastingnesse the perfection of time and infinitenesse the perfection of number and immutability the perfection of state and immensity the perfection of place and immortality the perfection of life and God the perfection of all who shall be all in all to us meat to our tast beauty to our eyes perfumes to our smell musick to our ears and what shall I say more but as the Psalmist saith Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God but alas such is mans parvity that he is as far from comprehending it
their ascent to glory Besides Elias his fiery Chariot or they which stoned Steven took no more from them than an ordinary sicknesse did from Lazarus and let death any way crumble the body to dust the Resurrection shall restore it whole again Indeed if we live and God by some lingring sicknesse shall in mercy stay till we make us ready we shall do well but if we die as the Martyrs did half burnt and half blown up we shall do better And thus much to prove that the Godly indure reproaches and persecutions patiently because God hath commanded them so to do CHAP. XXX That they are patient in suffering of wrongs for Gods glory 3. THe Children of God are patient in suffering wrongs for Gods glory lest Philosophy should seem more operative in her Disciples than Divinity in hers lest Nature and Infidelity should boast it self against Christianity It is a saying of Seneca He that is not able to set light by a sottish injury is no Disciple of Philosophy And the examples before rehearsed shew that Socrates Plato Aristippus Aristotle Diogenes Epictetus Philip of Macedon Dion of Alexandria Agathocles Antigonus and Caesar were indued with rare and admirable Patience whereunto I will add three other examples Philip of Macedon asking the Embassadors of Athens how he might 〈…〉 Athens that could be if you would hang your self yet was not moved a jot for all his might was answerable to his patience Why he cared not so much to revenge the evill as to requite the good Polaemon was not so much as appalled at the byting of a Dogge that took away the brawn or calf of his leg nor Harpalus to see two of his Sonnes laid ready drest in a silver charger when Astyages had bid him to supper And lastly when it was told Anaxagoras from the State that he was condemned to die and that his Children were already executed he was able to make this answer As touching said he my condemnation nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners and me and as touching my Children I knew before that I had begot mortall creatures But what of all this Let every naturall man know that a continued patience may be different from what is goodnesse for as Austin well There is no true vertue where there is no true Religion neither is it a naturall meeknesse which proceeds from a good constitution nor a morall meeknesse which proceeds from good education and breeding but spirituall meeknesse which is a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5.22 to 25. That is the subject of our discourse and will carry away the blessing But to give them the utmost advantage let the vertues of all these Philosophers be extracted into one Essence and that spirit powred into one man as Zeuxis pourtraying Iuno chose the five Daughters of Croton out of all the Agrigentine Virgins that from their severall perfections he might compose one excellent and most beautifull picture Yet this Philosopher must be acknowledged to fall short of a compleat Christian guided by the Spirit of God Or if you will gather out of Histories the magnanimity of Hector of Alexander of Caesar of Scipio and of Scaevola put them to the rest yet for patience and constancy they come not near that one president laid down in the example of that holy man Iob and other servants of God in succeeding ages and that in five main particulars 1. One notable difference between the patience of a Philosopher and a Christian is They lacked a pure heart truly sanctified by the holy Ghost which is the fountain of all well doing Now if the fountain be corrupt the streams cannot be pure but the best of them were but in the state of nature unregenerate and consequently unreconciled to God in Christ and so enemies to him Rom. 5.10 And our persons must first be justified and accepted of God before our actions can please him as of necessity the Tree must be good before it can bear good fruit Yea saith our Saviour as the Branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except you abide in me Joh 15.4 Christian vertues are not naturall a man is no more born with Grace in his soul than with Apparell on his back Again the best of our Works are imperfect and mingled with corruptions and therefore cannot abide the examination of Gods exact justice till they be covered with Christs Righteousnesse and their corruption washed away with his most precious blood Neither can those works please God which are done without him for as it will be no excuse before God 〈…〉 when the matter of the work is ill to plead the goodnesse of the heart so neither when the heart is nought to plead that the matter of the work is good as many notable examples prove namely the Iews urging God with their fasting Isa. 58. and yet sent away empty And those reprobates Matth. 7. who alleadg their preaching in Christs Name casting out Devils c. but receiving that fearfull answer Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not As also Cain whose outward works in sacrificing were the same with his brothers and yet St Iohn sayes Cains works were evill and his brothers good which may serve to comfort poor Publicans and confound all proud Pharisees as St Austin observes Qui viret in foliis venit a radicibus humor 2. As the Christian bears injuries patiently so he doth it and all other performances in knowledge of and in obedience to Gods Word and Commandement which obedience also proceeds from a true loue of God and an humble heart thinking when he hath done that he falls far short or performing his duty Whereas they had neither knowledge in nor love to not the least respect of God or his word in their bearing injuries and therefore as God said once to the Iews in matter of fasting Have ye fasted to me so he will say to them in the matter of suffering Have ye suffered in love and obedience to me and my word No but in love to your own credit and other the like carnall respects And indeed how can they expect a reward from God when they have done him no service If in bearing with or serving of men we serve our selves and seek our selves rather than God when we come for our reward Gods answer will be Let him reward you whom ye have served thou servedst thy self therefore reward thy self if thou wilt for I never reward any service but mine own As why will Christ at the latter day remember and reward the duties of love and liberality done to men but because they were done for his sake and as to himself Matth. 25.40 Ye have done them unto me there is the cause of the reward Whence it is St Paul willeth Christian servants yoaked with cruell heathenish Masters to be obedient unto them as unto Christ serving the Lord and not men Col. 3.22 23 24. 3. What ever they did
upon it Neither let Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an hour lest your resolution proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing Besides death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill you and give you no leasure to be sick Thirdly If thou wilt be safe from evil works avoid the occasions have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity neither fear their scoffs for this be sure of if your person and waies please God the world will be displeased with both If God be your friend men will be your enemies if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy But take heed of losing Gods favour to keep theirs Beda tels of a great man that was admonished by his friends in his sicknesse to repent who answered He would not yet for that if he should recover his friends and companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker they again prest him but then his answer was that it was now too late for I am judged and condemned already A man cannot be a Nathaniel in whose heart there is no guile but the world counts him a fool But Christ saies Verily except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 Again Satan and your deceitfull heart will suggest unto you that a Religious life is a dumpish and melancholy life but holy David will tell you that light is sown to the righteous and joy to the upright Psal. 97.11 Isa. 65.14 And experience tells that earthly and bodily joys are but the body or rather the dregs of that joy which Gods people feel and are ravished with As O the calm and quietnesse of a good conscience the assurance of the pardon of sin and joy of the Holy Ghost the honesty of a virtuous and holy life how sweet they are Yea even Plato an Heathen could say That if wisdom and virtue could but represent it self to the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And the like of a sinners sadnesse as hear what Seneca saies if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the uglinesse and filthinesse of sin and the guilâ— and sadnesse of his conscience But experience is the best informer wherefore take the counsell of holy David Psalm 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him To which accordeth that of holy Bernard Good art thou O Lord to the soul that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee As I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted of the powers of the world to come to him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost whether his whole life be not a perpetual halellujah in comparison of his natural condition Whence they are able to sleight all such objections as he did you tell me that scrupling of small matters is but stumbling at straws that they be but trifles When I know your tongue can tell nothing but truth I will believe you Fifthly Beg of God that he will give you a new heart and when the heart is changed all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sun when it ariseth But without a work upon the heart wrought by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shall say to the contrary That must be first reformed which was first deformed It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.23 24. Yea it is Gods own counsell to the men of Ierusalem Jer. 4. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved ver 14. It is most ridiculous to apply remedies to the outward parts when the distemper lies in the stomach To what purpose is it to crop off the top of weeds or lop off the boughs of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth as cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop of the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the roots then and not till then it will grow no more Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Great Cities once expunged the dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves the heart is the treasury and store-house of wickedness Mat. 12.34 such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which proceed from it Mat. 12.35 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean otherwise not Mat. 23.26 Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Psal. 51.10 do thou the like importune him for grace that you may firmly resolve speedily begin and continually persevere in doing and suffering his holy will desire him to inform and reform you so that you may neither misbelieve nor mislive to change and purifie your naure subdue your reason rectifie your judgment reform and strengthen your will renew your affections and beat down in you whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Iesus Christ. Sixthly and lastly If you receive any power against you former corruptions forget not to be thankefull yea study all possible thankfulness For that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed that we have the offer of grace here and glory hereafter it is his unspeakable goodness And there is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have than thankfulness He will sow there and there onely plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sow those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to loose both their seed and labour Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so much for the Second Part. An Appendix followes wherein you have instances of all sorts how sin besots men THE TRYALL OF TRUE WISDOM WITH How to become Wise indeed OR A Choice and Cheap Gift for a Friend both to please and pleasure him Be he inferior or superior sinful or faithful ignorant or intelligent By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Floreligus Add this as an Apendix or Third Part to The Hearts Index And A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation Section 41. LUcian tells of an Egyptian King
that perisheth by Mahomets jugling add to the pilâ— of his unspeakable horrors So if we sow good works succession shall reap them and we shall be happy in making others so Good Report from Bad men no mean disparagement TOGETHER With a Cordial for Christians when they receive evil for well doing BEING An Arrow drawn forth of that Sententious Quiver Intituled A Christian Library or a pleasant and plentifull Paradise of practical Divinity SECT I. Convert REverend Sir when by a providence you heard me swear and curse you gave me a printed Paper to convince me of that fowle audacious provoking and yet unprofitable sin and withall intreated me to read three larger Tracts viz. A short and sure way to grace and salvation The hearts Index with A serious and pathetical description of Heaven and Hell This to me whom you had never before seen seemed no less absurd then strange and having a darke heart in stead of great love and thanks I returned you a most churlish and uncivil answer and accordingly when I met with my drunken consorts I read it with no less scorn then ignorance but before I had done it made me tremble nor could I rest until I had perused the other three Books which have so represented the very thoughts secrets and deceitfulness of my heart unto my conscience that I could not but say of them as the woman of Samaria once spake of our Saviour They have told me all things that ever I did John 4.29 Which made me conclude with that Vnbeliever 1 Cor. 14.24.25 That the hand of God was in the contriving of them Nor could they ever have so done if they were not of God as the young man in the Gospel reasoned with the Pharisees touching Iesus when he had opened his eyes that had been blind from his birth John 9.32.33 Which is such a mercy that no tongue is able to express for till then I went on in the broad way and worlds road to destruction without any mistrust What change they have wrought in me with Gods blessing upon the means and how greatly I have longed to see you again I forbear to mention Onely this when I had read them in reference to Levit. 19.17 and in compassion to their pretious soules who are neither able nor willing to help themselves I have and not without some comfortable success taken up your trade in giving the Papers and mentioning the Books to all that I hear blaspheme my Maker or belch out their spleen against goodness As well considering that one soule is of more worth then the Indies And indeed whose heart would it not make to bleed to see what multitudes there are that go blindfold to destruction and no man offer to stop or check them before they arrive there from whence there is no redemption Matth. 7.13.14 1 Iohn 5.19 Revel 20.8 and 13 16. Rom. 9.27 2 Tim. 2.26 2 Cor. 4.4 Ephes. 2.1 to 4. Iohn 8.44 And certainly it more then behoves me as being my self snatcht out of the fire Jude 23. to do what I can to draw others of my brethren after me in imitation of Andrew John 1.41 and Philip v. 45. and the women of Samaria John 4.28 to 41. and Peter Luke 22.32 Acts 2.41 4.4 c. 3. and of Moses Exod. 32.32 and Paul Rom. 9.3 Neither are we of the communion of Saints if we desire not the salvation of others Yea how could I be thankful to my Redeemer that hath done and suffered so much for me or in the least love God and my Neighbour if I should not thus resolve as by my sins and bad example I have drawn others from God so now I will all I can draw others with my self to God yea what a shame were it If I should not be as faithful a servant to my Saviour As I have formerly been to Sathan Saul converted will build up as fast as ever he pulled down and preach as zealously as ever he persecuted Onely there is a great rub in the way which makes me fear I shall not be able to hold out for I am so scoft and scorned where ever I come both by Parents Friends and Enemies for giving these Papers that they make me even weary of my life as the daughters of Heth did Rebecca Gen. 27 46. And yet I dare not leave off since our Saviour saith expressly that he will be ashamed of such at the latter day who are now ashamed for his sake to bear a few scoffs and reproaches from the World Marke 8.38 Nevertheless I am in a wonderful strait for if I seek to please God and discharge my conscience I displease the world and that will hate and vex me if I seek to please the world I displease God and he will hate and condemn me Now though the case be plain enough for better it is to have all the world mine enemies then my Maker my Redeemer and my Conscience Acts 5.29 Yet it almost beats me off from being religious back to the world And certainly he must be more spirit then flesh that can contentedly make himself contemptible to follow Christ be pointed at for singularity indure so many base and vile nicknames have his Religion judged hypocrisie his godly simplicity silliness his zeal madness and the like malicious and mischievous constructions made of whatsoever he speaks or does For my part I could better abide a stake God assisting me then the mocks scoffs and scornes which every where I meet withall Its death to me to be mockt as it fared with Zedekiah Jer. 38.19 Now could you cure me of my cowardliness as you have of my cursing and swearing I should have cause indeed to bless the time that ever I saw you and why not Since God hath given you the Tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to them that are weary Esay 50.4 Sect. 2. Minister If you would shake off this slavish yoke of bondage and fear in which Satan for the present holds you and be rid of this bashful devil Search the Scriptures and they will both inform your judgement and confirm comfort and strengthen you against the worlds hatred and calumny though there needs no more then Ephes. 6.11 12 James 3.6.2 Tim. 3.12 Matth. 5.10 11 12 and 10.22 and 24.9 Luke 2.34 35. and 4.29 John 15.20 Gen. 3.15 1 John 3.13 1 Pet. 4 1â— 13 14. Luke 14.27 and 6.26 Philip. 1.28 29. Revel 2.13 Do but seriously ponder these few places and consider by whom they were spoken and then certainly you will confess that if there be any nectar in this life t is in sorrows we endure for righteousness And methinks when I hear goodness calumniated I bear it the easier because the servants of vice and none else do it But the better to help and further you in this great work take these ensuing Notions Aphorisms and conclusions which perhaps alone may both imbolden you and stop many of their mouths that scoff you First
flesh will persecute him that is borne after the spirit Gal. 4 29. When CHRIST was borne all Ierusalem was troubled and Herod cut the throats of all the children in Bethlehem Matth. 2.3 to 22. All was quiet at Ephesus before St. Paul came thither but then there arose no small strife about that way Acts 19.23 c. Again Sect. 6. Fifthly Are you scoft and scorned how can the world pleasure or honour you more First for Honour Reproach in Gods service is the best preferment For as in the Wars to have the hottest and most dangerous service imposed upon them by their Generall is accounted the greatest honour Neither will he confer the same upon any but the stoutest and most valiant So even bearing the Crosse with Christ is as great a preferment in the Court of Heaven as it is in an earthly Court for the Prince to take off his owne Robe and put it on the back of his servant as you may perceive by the Lords speech to Paul Acts 9.15 16. 23.11 And our Saviours words to his Apostles Acts 1.8 Yea sayes Father Latimer to suffer for Christ is the greatest priviledge that God gives in this world And the story of Iob is a book-case to prove it Yea the same Iob professes that if his adversary should write a Booke against him he would esteem it his crowne Job 31.35 36 37. Whence Moses esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.26 Whence Peter and Iohn when they were beaten and imprisoned departed from the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs Name Acts 5.41 They esteemed it a grace to be disgraced for him And so it hath been accounted by the best and wisest ever since They that reproach me saith St. Austine do against their wills increase my honour both with God and good men And another of the Fathers It is the highest degree of reputation to be evill spoken of for well doing It is no small credit with the vile to have a vile estimation Tertullian thought much the better of Christianity because Nero persecuted it Calvin made the reproaches and evill speeches of his enemies a matter of great joy to him To be disliked of evill men sayes Picus Mirandula is to be praysed for goodnesse their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour Never did Neckarchife become me so well as this chaine said Alice Drivers 〈…〉 a Rope was put about his fellowes neck Give me that Gold chaine and dub me a Knight also of that noble Order And shall we grutch to beare a few scoffs for CHRIST No but in our greatest streights and extremities let us acknowledge it a favour and give GOD thanks And indeed it is the sum of all Religion to be thankfull to GOD in the midst of miseries But if thou canst not beare a few ill words for thy Saviour without murmuring and impatience how wouldst thou endure wounds for him yea how wouldst thou afford him thine ashes and write patience with thine own blood Then Sect. 7. 2ly For profit Let a good man be scoft and scorned for a fault he will be the better for it to his dying day His enemies by their evill tongues shall beget in him a good and holy life For happily they shall bring to his remembrance sins forgotten wean him from the love of the world discover whether he be sincere or no make him humble exercise and improve his patience and all his other graces and augment his glory Yea his patient suffering shall be rewarded here as well as hereafter Deut. 23.5 2 Sam. 16.12 Blessed are they which suffer for righteousness for theirs is the kingdome of heaven Matth. 5.10 to 14. They that suffer here for well doing shall be crowned hereafter for well suffering And certainly nothing that we can suffer here can be compared with those woes we have deserved in Hell or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven By our crosses sanctified weight is added to our Crowne of blisse Our Enemies saith Bernard are but our Fathers Goldsmiths working to add pearls to the Crowns of the Saints Whence Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.26 And hence it is that the Holy Ghost calls upon us to rejoyce and be exceeding glad when men shall revile and persecute and say all manner of evill against us falsely for Christs sake and tels us we are blessed and happy for that the spirit of glory and of God does so much the more rest upon us which on their parts is evill spoken of but on our part is glorified 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Mat. 5.11 12. Phil. 1.28 29. Rev. 2.13 And this hath made thousands to embrace the very flames when they might easily have been freed by exchanging eternall happiness for temporary and transitory Your cruelty is our glory said the Martyrs in Tertullians time to their persecutors For the harder we are put to it the greater shall our reward be in Heaven It is to my losse said Gordius the Martyr if you bate me any thing of my sufferings Sect. 8. Now if in conclusion the most malicious practices of our worst and greatest Enemies by the blessing of God and our well hushanding of them prove no other in effect to us then did the malice of Josephs brethren Mistris and Lord to him then the malice of Haman to Mordecai and the Iewes Then Balacks malice to the Children of Israel Then the Devils spight to Job Then the malice of Achitophel Shimei to David Or then the Arians malice to Paphnutius all which made for their inestimable good benefit and advantage Then grutch not at it neither mutter at the matter but receive what ever comes with humility patience piety and thankefulness Yea if none but evill men do it and that because you do better or fare better then they and that what you suffer is nothing to what Christ the best of Saints have exceeded you in Let it make you no less joyfull then thankefull Yea let it cause you to cry out O the wonderfull and soveraign goodness of our God! that turns even our poysons into cordials And henceforth thinke it no shame but count it your glory Be not grieved when you have so much cause to rejoyce for it shews you to be borne of God your enemies to be the seed of the Serpent The worlds hating you shewes that Christ loves you and hath chosen you out of the world Yea this is to your Adversaries a sure token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Yea do not only beare with them but pitty and pray for them for they need no helpe to be miserable As who sets them on worke but he that will pay them with damnation though God offers them better wages Nor is it so much they as the Devill in and by them It is his
16. 28.1 to 14. 2 King 6.25 to Chap. 7. vers 17. Psal. 34.9 10. 37.26 28 112.3 37.3 4 5. Luke 18.29 30. Mark 4.24 Hag. 1.2 Chapters Mal. 3.10 11 12. But if this weary not the Muckmonger it 's well Now this being the case namely that what God gives is chiefly hereafter little at present yea that we may look to be loosers by him at present whereas Satan and the world out-bid Christ in respect of outward condition and present pay thus it fals out or this is the issue The worldling cryes a bird in the hand is best hugges his money that he hath God he thinks is not so good a customer or he dares not trust him Yet will this man rather accept a reversion of some great Office or Estate though expectant on the tedious transition of seven years or on the expiration of anothers life which may prove to be sixty years or more than at present a summe of farre lesse value But what a strange folly is this rather to take the idle vanities of this world in hand than faithfully to wait upon Gods promise for an eternal Kingdom of glory in Heaven CHAP. IV. Thirdly The rarest of all remedies is Regeneration As what saith holy David Turn my heart unto thy Law and not to covetousnesse Psalm 119.36 As if a man could not be covetous that sets his heart upon heavenly things nor have any leasure to think upon good so long as he is covetous Let them seek after the earth sayes one that have no right to Heaven let them desire the present who believe not the future As Regeneration is the best physick to purge away melancholy so likewise of covetousnesse As may be seen in Zacheus who before he met with Christ knew nothing but to scrape but so soon as Christ had changed his heart all his mind was set upon giving and restoring Luk. 19.8 He was as liberal in almes and restitution when he was become a Convert as possibly he was unjust and unmercifull when he was an usurer And the like of all other sinnes Paul was not a more hot and fiery enemy to Christ when he was a Pharisee than he was a shining burning and zealous Preacher when he was an Apostle When any man is born anew and better never be born than not to be born again there will be new vertues arise in the room of old vices Heretofore thy soul hath been an Idolatrous Temple if the Ark of God that is his Holy Spirit once enter into it Dagon that is the works of darknesse will down and soon moulder away For both cannot stand together 1 Sam. 5.3 especially covetousnesse will be chasheired Yea God hath set Religion and covetousnesse at such variance that they cannot possibly reign in one person No man can serve God and Mam 〈…〉 not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Wherefore as we desire to have peace in the end let piety be our race 'T was Marcus Aurelius his dying counsel to his Sonne Commodus that if he would live quietly he should live justly if he would dye peaceably he should live uprightly Now if covetousnesse be once cashiered by Regeneration have a man much or little he will not be overmuch troubled at it The godly man hath sufficient though he have no wealth even as man in innocency was warm and comely though without cloathing A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty Psal. 37.16 The reason is the one hath his sight to see clearly his happinesse in having what is best for him and is content to be poor in outward things because his wealth and purchase is all inward The other by a just judgment of God is so blind that he cannot see when he is well but thirsts so after other mens goods that he takes no pleasure in his own His heart is glewed to the world or rather to his wealth and an object too near the eye cannot be seen yea be it but the breadth of a penny it will hide from the sight the whole half heaven at once Covetousnesse is like the Albugo or white spot in the eye that dimmes their understandings and makes fools even of Achitophels leaving them never an eye to see withall according to that of Moses A gift blindeth the eyes Exod. 23.8 And this for certain could the covetous chuâ—l but see what peace and rest and joy through contentation the godly man hath at the same time when he can say with Peter Silver and gold have I none he would be also a suter to godlinesse that he might have the dowry of contentation He would soon see that it is much better to be poor than evil that it is quieter sleeping with a good conscience than in a whole skin and that there is no comparison between want with piety and wealth with dishonesty As what canst thou say against it thou hast abundance of all things yet thou findest small peace joy or content in the world Get but godlinesse and thou shalt have true content of mind great peace of conscience together with joy in the Holy Ghost and Gods blessing upon all thou hast or takest in hand be thy condition in the world never so mean Thou hast hetherto like Satan compassed the whole earth never thought of compassing Heaven thou art as poor in grace and parts as rich in revenues Thy desires about this world have been insatiable but for heavenly things a small scantling hath been thought enough I believe that Christ dyed for me I am sorry for my sinnes I hope to be saved this is sufficient though thou dost all thy devotions more out of custom than of conscience as Simonides reports of Theodoricus But wilt thou prove thy self wise wilt thou do thy self good indeed the only way is to become godly For godlinesse is great gain if a man be content with that he hath 1 Tim. 6.6 And this I may be bold to affirm that if thou canst not say as Paul saith I have learned to be content godlinesse is not as yet come unto thine house For the compaâ—ion of godlinesse is contentation which when she comes will bring you all things Therefore as Christ saith If the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed John 8.36 So I say if godlinesse make you rich you shall be rich indeed Otherwise have you never so much it will no more satisfie your desire or quench your lust than fewel does the flame Yea as oyl kindleth the fire which it seems to quench so riches come as though they would make a man contented but they make him more covetous CHAP. V. As see how insatiable mens desires are of these transitory things by some examples Give Alexander Kingdom after Kingdom he will not rest till he have all Yea giving credit to that opinion of Democritus to wit that there were worlds infinite and innumerable he even wept to think that he was Emperour but of one only
you may come to Heaven he saith Keep the Commandments Luk. 18.20 If you ask him again Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and do it here are none but doers If you ask an Angel who are blessed he saith Blessed are they which keep the words of this Book Revel 22.7 Here are none but doers If you ask David Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that keep judgement and he that doth righteousness Psal. 106.3 103.18 If you ask Solomon Who are blessed He saith The man is blessed that keepeth God's Law Prov. 29.18 Here are none but doers If you ask Esay Who are blessed He saith He which doth this is blessed Esay 56.2 If you ask St. Iames Who are blessed He saith The doer of the Word is blessed in his deed Iames 1.25 Here is none but doers mentioned Matth. 7 21. Rom. 2.13 So that blessedness and doing go always together For as the works that Christ did bore witness that he was Christ Ioh. 10.25 So the works that we do must bear witness that we are Christians And least any man should look to be blessed without obedience as Christ calleth Love the greatest Commandment so Solomon calleth Obedience the end of all as though without obedience all were to no end Eccles. 12.13 When God created the Trees in Paradice Gen. 1. hee commanded them to bring forth fruit So when he createth a lively faith in any one he commandeth it to bring forth Works And when our Saviour would prove himself to Iohn to be the true Messias indeed he said to his Disciples Tell Iohn what what things you have heard and seen not only heard but seen Matth. 11.4 So if we will prove our selves to be Christs Disciples indeed we must do that which may be seen as wel as heard Iohn was not onely called the Voyce of a Cryer but a Burning Lamp which might be seen Iames doth not say Let me hear thy Faith but let me see thy Faith As the Angels put on the shape of men that Abraham might see them so Faith must put on Works that the World may see it The works which I do says Christ bear witness of me And he alwayes linketh Faith and Repentance together Repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1.15 Therefore that which Christ hath joined let no man separate Mark 10.9 I know the Antinomians preach another Gospel but this is the old Orthodox common received truth They that in life wil yeild no obedience to the Law shall in death have no benefit by the Gospel And though the Law have no power to condemn us yet it hath power to command us Lex datur ut gratia quaereretur Evangelium ut Lex impleretur The Law sends us to Christ to be saved and Christ sends us back again to the law to learn obedience The former is plain The Law is our School-Master to bring us to Christ that we might be justisted by faith Gal. 3.24 The other is as manifest If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matth. 19.17 Let our Faith then be seen by our faithfulness and our Love by our Charity and think not to partake of what God hath promised but by doing in some measure what he hath commanded To conclude in a word God's servants are known by humility and charity the Devil 's by pride and cruelty Our Persons are justified by our Faith our Faith is justified by our Charity our Charity by Humility and the actions of a Godly Life And so much of the fourth Use. CHAP. LV. FIfthly if we be but Stewards of what we have and that our superfluities are really the Poors due then let none object when told of their unmercifulness What I have is mine own Or May I not do as I list with mine own for it is neither their own nor at their own disposing their wealth is their Makers and they must do with it as he in his Word injoins them Nor does this argument always hold good in civil matters 'T is a rule in Law No man may use his own right to the Common-wealths wrong or damage The Law provides that a man shall not burn his own corn nor his own house That he shall not drown his own Land nay a man may not bind himself from marriage or the manuring or tillage of his own Land because it is against the good of the Common-wealth Wherefore flatter thy self no longer but look to it thou hast not two souls that thou mightst hazard one of them Lose not thy soul to save thy purse but shew mercy if ever thou lookest to find any And hear the poor if ever thou wilt have God to hear thee For he hath said it that will one day Audit the poor man's complaints and thy Stewardships account that no sin but unkindness to thy Saviour in his suffering members shall bee cast into thy dish to the feeding of the never-dying worm of conscience Sixthly art thou but a Steward put in trust and art thou to give an account unto God how thou hast husbanded thy Master's Goods and wil this be the bill of particulars thou hast to give up Item so much spent in pride so much in lust so much spent upon revenge so much upon dice drunkenness drabs and the like great sums all laid out upon thy self in the pursuance of thy lust But when it comes to a work of mercy as What have you done for God What for Christ What â—or the members of Christ What for the advancement of Religion or any pious work or service Item nothing or as good as nothing Or thus Item received strength and laid out oppression Item received riches and laid out covetousness received health and laid out riot and drunkenness Item received speech and laid out swearing cursing lying received sight and laid out lusting or perhaps Item so many score pounds laid out in malice and suits of Law so many hundreds in lusts and vanities in feasting and foppery So many thousands in building great houses Item to the Poor in my Will to be paid at my death forty shillings to the Preacher for a funeral Oration to commend me ten or twenty shillings Item to beggars when they came to my door or when I walked abroad a few scraps that I knew not what else to do with and sometimes a few Farthings Item so much spent in excess and superfluitie and so little in performing the works of mercy so much laid out upon worldly vanities sinful pleasures and so little for good uses especially for relieving Christ's poore members Will this Bill pass current when God comes to cast it up When thou hast laid out all for thy self either in Apparel or in Feasting Drinking c. for thy self self-credit self-delight and content even amounting to scores hundreds thousands while for pious and charitable uses there comes in here and there onely two-pences three-pences such poor short reckonings not worthy to be summed up