farre that we feele not the power thereof yet our vnion still remaineth with him and wee are not parted from Christ though his vertue somewhat depart from vs wee are grounded on the Rocke and hell gates cannot preuaile against vs we are one with life and life cannot wholly forsake vs. Yea after desertions when God hath drawne vs to giue him the glory which is his owne and so instructed and bettered vs by his chastisements for punish vs meerely hee will not because wee are his sonnes hee addeth to this benefit another euen an increase of grace beyond the old bounds So that though out of our selues he giues vs humiliation yet from our vnion with him he giueth vs exaltation that he which glorieth may glorie in the Lord and that hee which wanteth may seeke him onely who onely filleth the hungrie with goodnesse 55 Death at y e diuels first bringing in of it was a fearfull punishment cutting off man from all ioy and comfort But when God in his mercy annexed infinite and euerlasting ioies vnto death death became then aduantage and that an especiall one as being the gate of eternall happinesse But the naturall man seeing onely with naturall eies beholdeth therfore only the sensible and visible comforts of this life not knowing the second ioyes wherfore his desire being bounded with his knowledge resteth onely in them and accordingly he accounts death a chiefly miserable feareful thing by which he must be depriued of such ioyes But the spirituall man by the spirituall eye of faith which the other hath not discerning spirituall things beholdeth euidently the infinite endles ioyes which are in the glorious presence of the highest happines euen God the Creator and valuing them according to the ods of their worth hee longeth after them he thirsteth to inioy them hee accounteth death that which it is euen a great aduantage as that which doth not take away life altogether from a Christian man but most happily changeth it turning a life fraile miserable and sinfull into a life mortall secure holy and happie And as that which doth not take away ioy but changeth it turning the impure narrow and the interrupted ioyes which here we take in the creatures into a pure vnbounded incessant ioies in God the Creator Now herein is the great difference betweene a naturall man and a Christian. The naturall man is in bondage while he liueth for feare of death hee goes on casting an eye still on this vizard as a thing of terror affrightmēt he is troubled with the darknesse of not being the fearefull shadow of death But the true Christian is bold as a Lion hee treadeth vpon death as hauing lost the sting by which it may kill vnto a second death he gladly makes vse of it willingly giuing himself to it as to a messēger of God which comes to fetch him from earth to heauen from miserie to felicitie from the workes of the sixe daies which could not blesse their daies to that blessed rest of the Maker of those workes which rest blessed the seuenth day it being indeed blessednesse it selfe and there being no other blessednesse but it selfe Be it therefore the high priuiledge of the Christian to enioy death to reioyce in it to account it the dore of felicitie And that euery Christian may make vse of this priuiledge this must also be the practise of a Christian euen often with the eie of faith cleared by prayer and meditation to behold the ioyes which are at the right hand of God euen the glory of the new Ierusalem whereof God is the Sunne For as much as we se it so much shall we see it to surmount all worldly ioy and as much as we see it to surmount so much shall our desire to it surmount our desire to the world and finally so much greater shal be our loue of death as our desire to that ioy is greater Wherefore if thou louest death but a litle thy sight of that ioy is but little but see it more thy affection to death shal be more If nature run to the eie and eare to draw thee to life run thou to the word spirit to draw thee to heauen These will shew thee more reason why to desire God thē flesh can why to loue this life But thou likest as thou saist the bargaine well and dost account it gainfull exchange but thou likest not the means death is painful and thou art not cōtented to be happy by paine Surely sicknes is paine but death absolutely in it self seemes not to be paine For the setting of a ioint is many times more paine then death by a consumption The conuulsions which appeare are cōmonly from the strife of nature with diseases but death followeth vsually after nature is ouercome and then life goes out gently like a consumed taper But if it must be cōfessed that there is paine in the sicknesse of death or in death it self get thou again into the spirit yet shalt thou see that death is aduātage Al the suffrings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be reuealed For the weight of y t ioy is an exceeding weight and ouerweyes farre all temporall and momentany affliction Therefore if by lesser weight of temporall griefe thou purchase y e exceeding weight of eternall ioy thou art yet a great gainer thou hast made a most profitable exchange thou maist yet reioyce and goe gladly through paine vnto a surpassing happines Go thou therefore and follow the patterne of our faith Christ Iesus who for the ioy set before him endured the crosse despised the shame Follow the seruants of Christ who reioyced in tribulations and went ioyfully through all persecutions scourgings stonings burnings and death it selfe vnto that glory which is aboue Yea let vs say with the seruants of God If God commanded vs yet a greathing should we not doe it for the end shall aboundantly recompence the way the end which is happines the way which is griefe and the way passeth away but y e end is endles endures for euer Let vs go on therefore hopefully and chearefully through al sorrowes bitternesses limited transitory vnto happines large without end or bound solid without lightnes continuing without cessation let y e sight of this felicity counterpoise yea ouerwey with comfort the trouble imparted by the feeling of griefe 56 A main cause of much of the griefe and folly of men is this That men resolue to make something of this world They raise great plots vpon it and intend to bring it into a Method and out of things so ordered to draw some great happines and contentment But God hath resolued the contrary to make nothing of the world but to turne it into vanity of vanities he hath set it forth as a thing to be shaken to be remooued to resolue with the lost fire and only to be a schole and nurcery for the next world Therefore doth hee
through Christ that loueth vs. 5 All sorts of men propose to themselues a happinesse hauing proposed it they seeke it with al their might neglecting all things in coparison of it The happinesse of the Gentiles is this world and therefore they striue toward it with all their strength neglecting the kingdome of heauen in regard of the world But the happinesse of a Christian is the kingdome of God and setting his heart thereon he despiseth the world in comparison of it and endeauours wholly for faith and regeneration the meanes to attaine it Now the Christians haue great aduantages of the Heathen For besides that our happinesse is eternall their 's transitory ours increaseth a man theirs addeth nothing to man wee haue euen their happinesse for an aduantage though not for an happinesse For this world was made for the next whosoeuer haue a right to the next they only haue a right to this and a promise that so much of this world shal be added to them as is necessarie for them in their way to the next Hee that sets vs in a Iourney will giue vs foode in the Iourney as hee did Manna to the Israelites trauailing to Canaan bread and drinke to Elias when he was to go the great iourney to the Mount of God Surely if the Creator giue himselfe to vs how shall he not giue his creatures with himselfe Therefore as we auoide the loue of the Gentiles so let vs auoide their feare as we loue not the world as our chiefe good so let vs not feare the losse of the world as a chiefe euill especially since we haue a sure stedfast and vnmooueable word God will not faile vs nor forsake vs. Surely they that know thy name will trust in thee O Lord for they haue seene and felt that thou hast not failed them that seeke thee 6 The Sunne of the soule is God while shee is here therefore without God she hath but her owne light which is but as the light of the eye without the Sunne is little more then blindnesse Let vs therefore still aspire to that high and perfect light where the soule looking out with open sight shall behold a Sunne infinitely more passing this Sunne then the soule doth the eye In the meane time let vs be farre from setting our content on this dungeon where the soule dwelleth in darkenesse but in a godly discōtent let vs striue here to get some ray of that purest light which may guide vs through this darkenesse and from it vnto that glorious citie wherin God is the Sunne 7 The nature of man being subiect to passions is very apt to amend one vice with another and to runne from one extremity iust as farre as another The ciuill and spirituall powers are two that may and would well liue together in mutuall comfort and vnitie But in the first times after Christ the ciuill power mightily destroyed and diminished the spiritual hunting the possessors thereof as partriches on the mountaines After this the cleargie hauing gotten power enough at least to right themselues aduanced toward the limits of the temporalty and at length inuaded the very sword and scepter thereof This being the disease of the cleargy it was mightily purged and now it concernes the Laity whose turne is next to be faulty to looke to it self that it continue not these circular euils Likewise the Papists digged downe the foundation to build vp the walles they tooke from Christ to magnifie workes Now let vs take heede that we make not all foundation and so indeede make no foundation for Christ is not a foundation to them that build not vpon him The Popish Cleargie couered their people with blindnesse and then gaue them a line which they willingly followed ours desireth to guide and fill vs with light now farre bee it from vs so to hate blindnesse that we doe nothing but stare on the light Light on earth is a guide to light in heauen but it is no guide to them that doe not follow it yea to such in the day of darkenesse it shal become an accuser But thogh darknes should bring forth more workes then light yet Hagar may not boast against Sara nor ignorance against knowledg For first these workes of ignorance are the children of the bondwoman euen of our naturall corruption therfore shall not inherite with the children of grace the freewoman neither shall they obtaine any reward Secondly nature spreads ouer all mankinde but true sanctifying grace comes into few Now superstition is rooted in nature and so is generall with nature and therefore it is no wonder if that which is general bring forth more general and cōmon fruits neither if grace which dwels but in the few that enter in at the narrow gate makes the lesse muster and outward apparence 8 A Christian man hath as much neede of Christs Spirit to be a Christian and to liue eternally as a naturall man hath of a Spirit to be a man and to liue temporally For as the soule and the bodie are a man so Christs Spirit and man are a Christian which is a holy eternall and happy thing 9 When a Christian hath committed some notable sinne there presently open before him two dangerous gulfs ready to swallow him one of them is Despaire the other Presumption Hee is tempted to beleeue that he cannot be forgiuen or that he is very easily forgiuen and so Gods mercy is too much assumed or refused But against presumption should bee set as a counterpoyse the Maiestie and Iustice of the great God that is offended the foulenesse and deformitie of sinne in the sight of that God the breach of the Couenant made with God both at the outward and inward Baptisme the grieuing of the Spirit with which wee are sealed vnto redemption and finally the temporall punishments wherewith God chastiseth his transgressing seruants especially not iudging humbling or chastising themselues Surely God is infinite in Maiesty the heauen of heauens cannot containe him the Angels cannot fully behold him the Sun and Starres are not pure in comparison of him The same God is a iust iealous God visiting sin and iniquity for sin is more lothsome in his sight then the most abhorred filthinesse or foulest soares are in the eies of mē As for thy Couenant thou hast mightily brokē it thou gauest thy selfe to God in generall and now thou takest thy selfe from him in particulars thou madest an agreement with him to bee his seruant if he would bee thy God he is become thy God and thou failest in thy promised seruice Besides thou grieuest the Spirit that cōforts thee thou art a great vexatiō to him who is thy chiefe consolation thou frettest that which is thy life eternall and goest about to quench him who would quicken thee vnto glorie euerlasting Lastly that the punishments of sin may come within thy consideration remember Dauid for whose adultery and murder his child of adultery died his wiues were polluted with
the new life we ascribe glory to him for our Election for our Iustification for our Regeneration which are the maine works of our saluation and are the ioynt-workes of the vndiuided Trinitie But yet we can follow this truth no farder then it goes before vs. Therfore when we come to regeneration there must we stop and looke no further for saluation for therein is our saluation accomplished and all the parts thereof perfected If after we will goe on to workes as to further causes of our saluation we goe beyond the truth being past the God-head and come vnto man For though it may be said that God worketh these workes in man yet man ioyneth therein with God Now the saluation of man is deriued into man from God alone and is then absolute and full in parts whē Election Iustification and Regeneration the absolute and only workes of the Trinity haue wrought vpon him For regeneration hauing put into man the seede of God which is the seede of life Man is then translated from death to life and hauing begotten him the Sonne of God hee is then the heire of promised glory and eternitie Indeed works comming after the state and right of life and glorie their goodnesse as it comes from God so it shall be rewarded by God increasing the degrees of that glory wherein before we had an vndeniable property and title Therefore works adde not a new part of saluation but only increase the issues and fruit of a part formerly possessed Accordingly doth the Diuine song of that rauished soule orderly declare Gods sauing of vs from our enemies to goe before our seruing of God in holinesse all the daies of our life So workes themselues are placed as fruits of our saluation and therefore the glory giuen to workes is but as the fruite of the fruite of saluation But why then shall it be said Come yee blessed for ye fed mee and blessed are they that keepe the commandements that their right may bee in the tree of Life So that good works seeme to iustifie and saue in the day of iudgement Herein comparisons may inlighten though not prooue If a man haue a wife of a suspected life whose many children when the dying husband calleth before him hee saith to those that liuely represent him Come to mee the true sonnes of Mee your Father you truely resemble mee therefore to you shall bee giuen the inheritance of your Father Here for their countenance and proportion is the inheritance adiudged to them yet is it not for that indeed giuen them but because thereby they are iudged to be sonnes for which Son-ship the inheritance is verily giuen them So doth God in his great iudgement he will iudge men to bee his sonnes by their good workes it being impossible that good works can come from any cause but Regeneration and for the regenerate sonnes was the kingdome of glorie long agone prepared euen by that election which was before the world So the word For doth not still imply the cause it selfe but sometimes an inseparable signe annexed to the cause as if it should be said My sonnes are heires of my kingdome those which are my sonnes and they only bring forth the works of loue these workes haue I seene in you therefore do I acknowledge you to bee my sonnes enter into your Fathers ioy 28 There are two things without in the word which witnesse it to bee excellent aboue nature A supernaturall truth and a supernaturall holinesse There are also two supernaturall things within a Christian which ioyne their inward witnessing to the outward A supernaturall inlightning to acknowledge and beleeue this truth and a supernaturall vertue changing the will into a conformity with this holinesse So in the mouth of many witnesses standeth firme the truth of diuine truth 29 Man and the earth are growne wilde by the fall of Adam both bring foorth weedes of their owne nature But as the earth is cured by husbandrie good seed so by the regeneration of Christ the chiefe husbandman and the seede of the word man is brought into a fruitfull nature and hath a remedy for the first Adam by the last Blessed be the word which is God and reuerenced and desired be the word of that Word which is of God for of them is our life and health 30 As a man in his first conuersion yeelded himselfe into a generall submission vnto the spirit so must hee doe in euery particular action and then most resolutely when sin tempteth most strongly our selues Wee made our couenant at first for the whole and continually we must performe the parts of the promised whole When we gaue our selues to the spirit of dead branches to be made liuely branches withall inclusiuely we gaue our selues to bring forth the continuall fruite of liuing branches which is done by a continuall sucking of life from the spirit which quickneth vs. Now if we rest contented onely with our first ingrafting though the Almightinesse of him whose seed is immortall and who wil not faile of his end may preserue vs aliue yet do we what wee may to kill our selues and to falsifie our couenant with him who therefore beeing offended will chastise vs with temporall iudgements and desertions and will shew that when hee is angry he is a consuming fire But let the true sonnes keepe neere to their father let them keepe close to his spirit moouing at euery motion of it and filling the wants in their Lampes with the continuall oyle thereof for this spirit is our very life and the witnesse thereof By our generall resignation this life entred and by particular resignation this life increaseth so the more we sow to this spirit the more we shal reape of life eternal Again as a mā in his great main conuersion from a sinner guilty to a sanctified and iustified man goeth ouer himself in general with y t iudgement of the Law whereby finding himselfe a man of death he flieth vnto Christ who baptizeth him from his guilt and sinfulnesse by his Bloud and Spirit giuing both his actuall righteousnes and the spirits habitual righteousnesse so after the committing of euery particular sin we shold go ouer it with a particular iudgment of y e Law wherby acknowledging it to be a worke of death wee should flie to a particular applicatiō of the great Baptisme that so putting away the particular guilt of that sinne by the washing of Christs blood and the particular vncleannesse of that sinne by the washing of Christs Spirit we which before were generally clensed and iustified may also haue a particular and continual clensing and iustification For our inward and outward Baptisme though at once performed is of continual vse and daily wee must haue a recourse thereto to wit by the outward remembring and passing to the inward that the stocke of iustification and sanctification at first imparted may be daily applied and distributed to our particular necessities And thogh being in Christ we
raised If they haue done all it is a shame wee should not doe something wee should rather bee glad though not of the cause yet of this effect that there is matter left for our charitie to expresse it selfe in this kind and to let blind deuotion know that if our ancestors had not founded such spiritual maintenance it might and should yet haue bin done by vs. There are many godly deuout persons who haue in these daies of light made and increase dwellings portions for the bodies of the poore and needy Excellent indeed is this worke it is a blessed thing to giue and blessed are they that feede the hungrie and clothe the naked But yet of all Almes houses the spiritual Almes-house is the best and Paul that willeth you to desire the best gifts would haue you vse your gifts to the best aduantage Wherefore I shew you a more excellent way As the soule is infinitely better then the bodie and life eternall then life present so the food of the soule is farre better then that of the body and the sauing of the spirituall life better then the preseruation of the temporall life If thou giuest to the body thou dost well but thou giuest to that which shall die but if thou giue to the soule thou dost better for thou giuest to that which by thy gift may liue for euer in happines and make the body liue for euer in the same blisse with it If thou giue naturall bread thou dost well but thou giuest that which perisheth with the vsing but thou most resemblest Christ thy head and giuest the best Almes when thou giuest the bread of heauen What a comfortable and ioyfull thing to thy soule and heart will it be to see a whole Congregation fed on Gods holy day with thy Almes to see many soules receiuing saluation as it were from thy hand to heare many blesse glorifie God for his gifts to thee thine to them yea to blesse thee therefore in the name of the Lord Surely such ioy is infinitely better sounder and fuller of waight then the ioy of mony corne and oyle but the ioy that God shall giue thee in the great marriage day in the day of the gladnes of thy heart in that day will againe infinitely exceed this Thē shal Christ say vnto thee come thou blessed of my Father for when I was hungry naked and cold in the very soule of my little ones thou diddest buy Manna long white robes fire of the Altar to feede cloth warme me thou gauest the best gifts and which most nearely and inwardly cherish me therefore shalt thou haue the best reward come and sit nearest vnto me But if some backeward withdrawing hearts in whome God hath no delight put this grace and glory from themselues by a perswasion that this businesse concernes them not but that euery horse should beare his owne burthen and each congregation maintaine a Preacher for themselues Let them know that naturall men not vsed to instruction for want of it haue no desire to it Things not known are vnsought much lesse will a naturall man part from things knowne for things vnknowne It is the propertie of teaching to make men desire to be taught expect not then this desire from them which haue not the meanes to attaine it the sweetnesse of the word must be first sounded in their eares before they will loue the sound thereof it must teach them the worth of it selfe before they will part from any of their worth for it He must be partly or wholly a spirituall man that hungers for spirituall foode vnto the losse of his temporall substance and how shall many such be expected where the word by which the spirit entereth hath not bin fitly opened vnto them Therefore if thou wilt haue them doe for themselues do thou something first though but a little for them whereby they may heare the word And then it is likely the word heard will make way for it selfe and perswade for increase of maintenance for it perswades the truly sanctified to a farre greater degree euen to fell all to giue life all for the Treasure of happinesse Christ Iesus whome lying more closely in the Cabinet of the word preaching deliuers vnto vs opened and displaied in full glorie and Lustre Yea it may bee by the word so communicated by thee there wil be some prouoked to doe that for others which thou hast done for them and so a generation of goodnesse may bee continued of which thou hast beene the father and a chaine of good works may be lengthned of which the first linke framed by thee is both the beginning and cause Hereunto may be added this other reason of forrein helpe That such places beare already as great a burden without the benefite of preaching as others do that haue it Wherfore that Saint Pauls rule of equity may bee obserued which will not haue some eased to haue others doubly grieued and that rule of Charity Beare yee one anothers burden it is fit that the burthen of such places should be deuided among many so to take away the griefe of surcharging by an equalitie and to ease the weight of the burthen by deuiding it with others 5. Part. As these great blowes of Satan haue afflicted the Ministery in these latter times so doe daily buffets lesser pinchings of the seruants of Satan follow and persecute continually the same Ministerie His plot and his hatred still are one though the limitation of his power by Gods ouer-ruling suffer him not at all times to bring forth like effects He is God be praised tied vp somewhat from appropriating of spirituall liuings yet what he cannot get in a rent hee striues to obtaine in a fine The Patron that cannot haue the yearely profit must haue a grosse summe in consideration of it and a scholler hauing spent much of his portion spirits and time in studie to make himselfe worthie of a place in the Church yet after must he studie for sureties or readie mony to throw into the mouth of Cerberus euen of these porters of hell that they stoppe not his way into the deserued Benefice And this also is a vertue if they will bestow it in this kinde of bestowing on a man able and sufficient for if such a one bee not very neere as finable as a meere dumbe and vnlearned fellow sufficiency shall bee bought out profitable ignorance shall be preferred before edifying knowledge The great God Mammon must chuse the Priest that fitteth him best the greatest truest God whose Priest is thoght thē to be choosing hath least to do in y t choise But ô thou Marchant of hel Factor for Satā know y t cursed is thy mony with thee thy mony is the price of Soules euen of spirituall blood the life of spirits Thou hast for that summe giuen ouer so many soules to Satan thou hast giuen their throats to the Butcher and thou hast done
worse then slaine them for thou killest them with death eternall Christ hath said what shall a man giue for his soule yea to giue a whole world and to lose his soule is a bad bargaine but what a beggerly and bloudy bargaine hast thou made which for litle pieces and shrids of the world hast sold many soules But to what end is it to speake to a man of clay that hath no sense nor feeling of heauen To what end is it to speake to a mule that hath no vnderstanding Such men are more dead then the Altar which heard the word of the Lord. They are stonie at the very heart and nothing but mony makes any sound by striking such a heart Otherwise euen to common reason it wold grosly appeare that a lanterne without a candle can giue no light that a man without sight cannot bee a guide to the blinde that men led by such guides must needes fall with their guides into the pit of eternall destruction But if it happen that a man of some sufficiencie hath like the Centurion by a great summe obtained the freedome of this Benefice then is the Patron readie to go into the Temple with the Pharisie to giue thankes that hee is not like other men There is a fit man in the place and hee hath taken no mony for the Benefice but for the Aduowson which a man may honestly doe But know thou Circumuenter of thy owne soule That if it were lawfull to sell an Aduowson thou shouldest sell it at the price of an Aduowson To finde out this consider what either thou payest for the patronage and so make some proportion by that or what a lay-man would giue for it that would make no vse of it but the bestowing For whatsoeuer is giuen beyond that which a man would giue to haue the meere naming of the Minister is the price of the benefice and not of the Aduowson it paies for the profit of the liuing not for the particular appointment of the man Mingle things as cunningly and confusedly as thou canst the iudgement of God shal single thē as perfectly and the euill shal be takē out shewed thee by it self in the great terrible day of the Lords displeasure Yet neither do I cōmend y e selling of Aduousons though at the easier rate for a Patronage is an excellent priuiledge a patrone hath the power of a great and high worke euen in the chiefest businesse of God Why wilt thou for a little mony let another doe God acceptable seruice when thou maist do it thy selfe Or why perchance dost thou suffer another to doe Gods seruice negligently and corruptly when thou maist doe it faithfully Take heede hereunto for if by thy sale the sheepe be vnfed for whome Christ died thou maist go among the cursed to whom it shall be said When I was an hungrie thou hadst food in thy hand and yet thou fedst me not Part. 6. But after all this is not the Minister fully escaped hauing paide the Patron for his passage he falles after into the hands of his Parish then is hee like a man rid of a Lyon falne among Wolues euery one almost if not wholly rubs vp his wit and makes it a principall conquest to deceiue the Parson Howsoeuer the Vsurer haue his ten of the hundred the Lawyer his grossefee and the workman his wages the Minister who layes out his stock for their saluation shall not haue his tenne of the hundred nay but a leane fee for the most pretious counsell nor his full wages for his most excellent worke It is a speciall part of thrift if we cannot conceale and defraud some tithes yet to make a good bargaine with the Minister and to get somewhat by him and if he will not bee so wrought on he must goe for a couetous and hard man But O thou ouerthriftie Tither what thinkest thou while thou dealest thus hast thou a soule or not If thou hast none at least if thou thinkest so words wil be vseles vntill thou feele one day by the torments of thy soule that thou hast one and then they will also bee vselesse But if thou hast one it is better then thy body which is also better then thy goods Thou gladly giuest to the Phisition to maintaine the health of thy body and to the Lawyers to preserue thy goods how doth not thy hand willingly chiefly stretch foorth it selfe to him which saueth thy soule which is infinitely better then these It sheweth too euidently that thou valuest things backwards since thou esteemest not thy soule as thou dost thy goods and body nor the eternall saluation thereof as thy present preseruation But they that haue had a glimse of heauenly glorie despise earthly things in comparison thereof and in disdaine say Is it a great matter to giue carnall things for spirituall such men know they cannot giue so good things to them as they receiue from them Therefore they would euen take out of their owne bowels to doe good to their teachers at least they wold thrust their right vpon them though ignorant of it they would by all meanes desire that they might liue plentifully in this world whose life is imploied to make them liue euerlastingly in the next Farre be it then from vs to vexe and discourage by robberie and impouerishing those who are the guides vnto heauen Let diuine loue iustifie them in taking their right yea help them to it and bring after them what they haue left of it Let vs entertaine them as embassadours of Christ with bountifull allowance and not shew our small regard of the Lord that sent them by our ill rewarding of his messengers Their estate is but for life and naturall affection towards their family is commendable in them as in vs therefore a prouident care if without wrong is not to be censured but allowed in them and a willing and a plentifull contribution is requisite in vs. And herein I deserue speedier assent because I am none of those I speake for Part. 7. A third cunning of Satan is to make sanctification an odious thing and to fasten on it some vile reproch that men may bee ashamed to serue God and to be saued And that this may worke the more effectually he suffers many to goe so farre in religion as they may without losing them that is in a morall and ciuill profession thereof but that degree beyond which indeed is onely the very life and power of sanctification is very offensiue to them and appeares to such to bee but hypocrisie and scrupulositie Hence it is that among most of these ciuilians regeneration and sanctification which they attaine not is Puritanisme and a true Saint is called a Puritan which in their English meanes a dissembling or scrupulous fellow And this being the verdit of those who account thēselues for honest men and their neighbours think the same to whom these ciuill men are almost Puritans like a kennel of
vndertaken him who hath onely power on the bodie if yet he haue so much so instead of a reuenger thou hast done the part of a redeemer and goest about to helpe him whom thou thoughtest to hurt Againe where God was before angry with him alone now he is angrie with thee also and so hast thou lost thy aduantage which thou hadst vpon him Thou hadst the best friend in the world for thee and against him and now thou hast by thy reuenge lost him equally with the other And lastly him whom thou censurest to haue done euill thou goest about to imitate and to make thy selfe as bad as he And now that Gods counsell to recompense good for euill is excellently wise it appeares hereby certaine it is and to the godly certainly knowne that the eies of God behold al things done on earth and he which beholdeth all things certainly shall as certainely iudge all men for all things done in their flesh Therefore if a man wrong thee know that this wrong is seene that it is recorded that it shall bee iudged And if thou couldest now but see or rightly imagine that terrible iudgement which shall bee inflicted on those which touch Gods anointed thou wouldest pitty them whom now thy vengeance would punish Surely fire and brimstone cries and torments darknesse and diuels are their portion though it bee not present yet it shall be present and the weight of the paine shal recompence the stay Again the moore good thou art the more God will pitty thee the more God will plague him that wrongeth thee For the more good the dearer to God and the more odious are those that offend thee Therefore if thou wilt bee reuenged on thy enemie bee still doing of good as to all so to him among all and thy goodnesse shall bring God the auenger vpon him and shall heape coales of fire vpon his head in the day of the highest vengeance Possesse thy soule in goodnesse in patience and bee not mooued from thy place to doe euill then shalt thou dwel assuredly in happinesse and shalt see thy desire vpon thy enemies whatsoeuer the wicked do thou knowest thy part though he doth the works of a wicked man thou still art to bring forth the fruits of a good man hee doth what belongs to a seruant of his master do thou what belongs to the seruice of thine and at last thou shalt see his Lord and himselfe made the foote stoole of thy Lord and cast downe into vtter darkenesse where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Then shall this thy Lord who casteth him into hell exalt thee into heauen and as your waies in this life were diuers so shall they bee in the next and then shall it be no griefe of mind to thee when thou art in that glorious kingdome that thy hand hath not shed blood nor wickedly auenged thy wrongs 82 The nature of man by the corruption thereof maketh a God of whatsoeuer it listeth Therefore rightly is Idolatrie by the Apostle reckoned among the works of the flesh it being a work to which the flesh is prone This hath the wicked custome of mankind grossely declared while some make their wealth a god some haue taken men for gods as the Barbarians did Paul and Barnabas and some haue made gods for all occasions as did the Romans But among the rest this corruption of the flesh hath a speciall lust and desire of some glorious and faire image to make to it selfe a God And this it doth not by beleeuing the outward substance as gold or wood to be a God of it selfe but that some diuine spirit inhabiteth and possesseth it and so maketh it diuine by dwelling in it This inclination and readinesse of man to idolatrie is expressed often in Scripture Ieremie 10. Ezechiel 16. Iudges 2. Yea it hath so farre preuailed that men haue beene inflamed with Idols vnder euerie greene tree burning in lust toward them yea they haue adored and worshipped the very images of their friends which they kept as remembrances of them Wisd. 13. 10. and more particularly the image of the serpent which healed them 2. King 18. If this was the inclination of mans nature in former times how can wee but still looke for the same fruites of the same roote The same corrupt nature yea worse in these last times still dwelleth in vs it is as neere kin to Idols as euer it was and the diuell rageth more then euer hee did knowing his time to be short Therefore if an image was a stumbling blocke and a teacher of lies how do they teach the truth that teach images Where they are publikely proposed vnto corrupt and fraile mankinde yea where they are proposed to be worshipped with the honour due to the patterne yea where they doe or are said to do great and diuine wonders what can be looked for but that the same mankinde which worshipped images in old time and by that worship were idolaters will worship images with the same worship now and now also become idolaters The same man the same image and the same idolatry But now they are taught not to worship them with diuine worship And then they were taught by the second commandement not to worship them at all Thy proposing of them doth draw men more to them then thy teaching doth deterre from them Say what thou wilt if thou put an image before a man of flesh Flesh and the image will together commit idolatry Wilt thou take thy faire wife and leaue her with a lustfull man and tell him he shall only passe the time with her in ciuill conference The Lord of hosts is as ielous of his spouse as thou of thy wife he wil not haue temptations set before her and therefore forbids altogether the making of images for any worship Besides the ignorant man vnderstands not the difference betweene Dulia and Latria but falls heartily to his businesse and thinkes he cannot do it amisse if he do it with all his heart And if hee did vnderstand it yet when it doth miracles how can they not worship it since euen for that Israel worshipped the serpent which their story told them to haue beene made of Brasse Therefore let men cease to lay stūbling blocks before the blinde though they hang vp lanternes by their sides Let them not ioyne with the diuell to make temptations yea let them auoide euen images of remembrances in the place of worship since such haue drawne worship aside from God vnto them And cursed is hee that maketh the blinde to goe out of the way Deut. 27. 83 The estates and functions in this world considered alone and not in order respect to the next meet altogether at the end of life in the same point of vanity howsoeuer by the way different in the apparance of outward glory And in this way those that are gotten aboue necessity and miserie haue so confused vnknowne mixt a goodnesse that they still turne our thoughts forcibly