yet Thus it is betwixt Christ and the damned soul Christ is a most just Judge no Tyrant no Tiberius and yet if one of the damned after a thousand years burning in hell should beg and entreat for a speedy death he would answer after the same manner Nondum tecum in grattam redii you and I are not yet friends if after thousands and millions of years the request should be renewed the answer would continue still the same Stay you and I are not yet friends So just and right a thing it is that he that would not by Repentance accept of mercy when it was offered should by punishment be tormâ—nted and have justice without mercy for ever God and his Attributes are answerable IT is well known that the title of Augustus hath been given to such Caesars as did not enlarge but diminish the Empire of Pater patriae to those that were so far from being Fathers that they were plain Tyrants of Pontifex maximus given to them which were so far from serving the Gods that they did sacrilegiously Canonize themselves for Gods and yet propter spem the Senate gave them these titles and by flattery they did amplifie in the rest He that had but a small conquest encreased his style as if he had conquered a whole Kingdome as appears in the titles of Germanicus Illyricus Britannicus c. nay the Eastern Monarchs were very fond this way claiming kindred of the Gods of the Stars and what not which might amplifie their Majesty In a word hope and flattery are the best ground whereupon all worldly mens titles are built especially great mens and Kings most of all But it is not so with the King of Heaven the truths in him are answerable to the titles that are given him the Attributes proportionable they are not given him propter spem but rem He is that which he is called neither is there in them any flattery yea his titles do come short of they do not exceed those perfections that are in him So that we may not measure the style of God as we do the stylâ—s of mortal Kings but conceive rather more then less when we hear them Prosperity of the wicked is destructive I Have seen the wicked saith David in great power and spreading himself like a green Bay-tree And why like a green Bay-tree because in the Winter when all other Trees as the Vine-tree Fig-tree Apple-tree c. which are more profitable Trees are withered and naked yet the Bay continueth as green in the Winter as the Summer So fareth it with wicked Men when the children of God in the storms of persecutions and afflictions and miseries seem withered and as it were dead yet the wicked all that time flourish and do appear green in the eyes of the World they wallow in worldly wealth but it is for their destruction they wax fat but it is for the day of slaughter It was the case of Hophni and Phinees the Lord gave them enough and suffered them to gâ— on and prosper in their wickednesse but what was the reason because he would destroy them Justifying faith accompanied with good works IT is evident to all except others be made keepers of their Reason as now they are of their Liberties that the eye alone seeth in the body yet the eye which seeâ—h is not alone without the other senses that the Fore-finger alone pointeth yet that finger is not alone on the hand that the Hammer alone striketh on the Bell yet the hammer that striketh is not alone in the Clock that the heat alone in the fire burneth yet that heat is not alone without light that the Helm alone guideth the Ship and not the Tackling yet the helm is not alone nor without the â—ackling In a compound Electuary Rubarb onely purgeth choler yet the Rubarb is not alone there without other Ingredients Thus we are to conceive that though faith alone doth justifie yet that faith which justifieth is not alone but joyned with charity and good works St. Bernard's distinction of Via regni and Causa regnandi cleareth the truth in this point Though good works are not the cause why God crowneth us yet we must take them in our way to Heaven or else we shall never come there It is as impious to deny the necessity as to maintain the merit of good works Talkers and not doers of Religion are to be condemned IT is a custom in Germany that in the evening when a candle is first lighted or brought into a Room they say Deus det vobis lucem aeternam God grant light eternal And it is usual in many parts of this Kingdom to say God grant us the light of Heaven The custom is good and the words warrantable but were the light of Heaven more in our hearts and less in our tongues there woâ—â—d be fewer works of darkness in our lives and conversations We speak of the light of Heaven and wish for the light of Heaven and we talk of new lights to heaven but all this is like that silly Actor in the Comedy that cryed out with his finger pointed to the Earth and his eye to Heaâ—en Encoelum ôterra Heaven is in our mouth but Earth in our hearts We are Heteroclitâ—s in Religion not reas but nominals in profession The endeavours of Christ are for peace IT is too usual with men the wiser they are the more to be turbuleâ—t and disquieters of the State and the more power they have the more to tyrannize and lord it over their fellow Subjects For such men do seldom suffer themselves to be guided or governed by the Counsels and dictates of others and run head-long of themselves swayed by a kind of impulsive providence and so care not but to please their own fancy no matter whom they displease besides But it is not so with Christ he that is Wisdome it self that is wonderful for Counsel mighty for Power bends both his wisdom and his power and his counsel to work peace that peace which is the portion of his people the inheritance of his Church which none can partake of but those that are true members thereof Study of the Tongues to be encouraged DAvid made a Statute in Israel that they who tarryed by the stuffe should part alike with those who went to battel The Professors of the Tongues are they who keep the stuffe and they should be as well rewarded as they who go into the field and fight in the Ministery The anger or wrath of God best appeased when the sinner appeareth with Christ in his armes THemistocles understanding that King Admetus was highly displeased with him took up his young son into his armes and treated with the Father holding that his darling in his bosom and thereby appeased the King's wrath God is at this time offended with us and hath a controversie with us there is no
eat and strengthen our selves first with milk and then with stronger meat We have still a greater journey to go we must walk from grace to grace from virâ—ue to virtue from knowledg of knowledg and alwayes think that we hear a voyce that calleth us forward and saith Thou hast yet a greater journey to go What dost thou here Elias Why standest thou here loytring all the day long There is no time of standing in this life we must still forward and take notice that every blessing of God bestowed upon us is a further calling on and a greater engagement to duty The service performed unto God must be personall THere is an old Tale idle in it self the use may be good A certain Man that would never go to Church when he heard the Saints-bell ring would say to his Wife Go thou to Church and pray for thee and me One Night he dreamt That both he and his Wife were dead and that they knocked together at Heaven gate for entrance St. Peter by the Legend's leavâ— is Porter and suffered the Wife to enter in but kept the husband out answering him Illa intravit prose et te She is gone in both for her self and thee As thy Wife went to Church for her self and thee so she is gone to Heaven for her self and thee The Morall instructs every one to have a personality of Faith and a propriety of devotion not to have their Faith pin'd upon anothers sleeve not to think to go to Heaven upon another Mans score but that himself serving God himself may be blessed of God both here and hereafter Saving Faith the onely Faith AS a cunning Lapidary that shews the buyer an Orient pearl and having a little fed his eye with that our-pleaseth him with a Saphire yet out-values that with some Ruby or Chrysolite wherewith ravished he doth lastly amaze him with a sparkling Diamond transcending them all Or as Drapers shew divers colours yet at last for a Master-piece exceed all with a rich piece of well-dyed Scarlet So there are divers Graces and Virtues like to Iewels but the most pretious of all is Faith And there are divers degrees and sorts of Faith as divers coloured cloaths but the saving Faith is arrayed in the Scarlet robe hath dipped and dyed her self in the bloud of Iesus yet she is white pure white Rev. 7. 14. as the snow of Lebanon The Faith that believes Gods Word to be true is a good Faith but not illa fides that saving Faith The Faith that believes many Men shall be saved is vera fides no illa fides a true Faith but not the Faith Onely that Faith which believes a Mans own Soul redeemed justified saved by the merits of Christ Iesus and that not without works answerable thereunto is the onely Faith and the Queen of all other Graces Covetousnesse in the Clergy condemned THere is a Fable of a Widow that being thick-sighted sent to a certain Physitian to cure her he promiseth it to her and she to him a sum of money for satisfaction The Physitian comes and applyeth medicines which being bound over her eyes still as he departs he carries away with him some of her best goods so continuing her pains and his labour till he had robbed the house of her best substance At last he demanded of her being now cured his pay agreed upon She looking about her house and missing her goods told him that he had not cured her for whereas before she could see some good Furniture in her house now she could perceive none at all she was erst thick-sighted now poor-blind And are there not such spiritual Physitians to be found amongst us such as with long or at least tedious prayers prey upon the poor and devour their houses the purse is still the white they level at Miserable men that look to their own good more then the Churches serving God with their parts themselves in their hearts working like those builders in the Ark rather for present gain then future safety but as they desire rather nostra quam nos so they preserve rather sua quam se loving like Demas the World losing like Iudas their own Souls Riches how to be used LOok but upon a Fly coming to a platter full of sweet and pleasant honey if she thrust not her self altogether into it but onely touch and taste it with â—er mouth and take no more then is necessary and needful she may safely take â—ing and fly to anothâ—r place but if she wallow and tumble in the honey then is she lymed and taken in it and whilest she is not able to fly away she doth â—here lose her life Thus if a Man take onely so much of his Riches as may suâ—tain and honestly maintain his estate bestowing the rest well and in a Christian â—anner then they cannot hold him back or barre him from the Kingdome of Heaven but if Covetousnesse shall bewitch him and prick him on to scrape and rake together more and more then he shall never be satisfied but fall into many snares and temptations The incorrigible Sinners desperate condition IT is written of the Elephant that as if guilty of his own deformity and therefore not abiding to view his snowt in a clear spring he seeks about for muddy and troubled waters to drink in Thus the incorrigible Sinner that hates to be reformed because he knowes his wound is deep he will not suffer the Chirurgion to search them willing rather to kill his Soul then disquiet it He refuseth to look into the glasse of the Law or to come to the clear springs of the Gospel or any perspective that may present his evill Conscience to his eyes but seeks rather to muddy and polluted channels such as misty Taverns clowdy Ale-houses vapouring Tobacco-shops Societies of Sin and all this to drown the thoughts of former iniquities with flouds of new And if he be inforced to any such reflection he spurns and tramples that admonition as Apes break the glasse that shews their deformity He runs himself prodigally into so many arrears of debt that he cannot endure to hear of a reckoning and thus dispairing to pay the old score he recks not into what new and desperate courses he precipitaâ—es himself Wisdome how to be regulated AS God appointed the Iews a measure how much Manna they might gather so St. Paul appointed the Romanes a measure how much Wisdome they might gather Let every Man understand according to Sobriety The Iewish measure of Manna was as much as an Omer would hold what they gathered over turned into Worms and puâ—refaction So the Wisedome which men gather beyond sobriety doth no good but puff them up and corrupt them and put them upon strains of Machiavillian policy Wisedom not well regulated is like a dangerous knife in the hands of a Mad-man and to speak truth there is nothing so much to be
not partly on one and partly on another but he bestowes all himself on every one and expects that every one should do the like unto him Excesse of Apparrell condemned WHat heavy things are thundred against those curious Dames of Ierusalem by the Prophet Isaiah who being himself a Courtier inveighs as puncutally against the Noble vanity of Apparrell as if he had late viewed the Ladies Wardrobes And our Saviour finds fault with the Scribes that loved to go in long cloathing But to come nearer In the year 1580 great ruffs with huge wide sets and cloaks reaching almost to the ancles no lesse comely then of great expence were restrained here by Proclamation saith Mr. Cambden And need we not the like Law now when so many Prodigals turn Rents into ruffes and lands into lace singulis auribuâ— bina aut terna pendunt Patrimonia as Seneca hath it hang two or three Patrimonies at their ears a pretty grove upon their backs a reasonable Lordship or living about their necks from whence both S. Cyprian and S. Augustine drew up this conclusion That superfluous Apparrel is worse then Whoredome because Whoredome onely corrupts Chastity but this corrupts Nature God to be seen in the works of the Creation A Godly Antient being asked by a Prophane Philosopher How he could contemplate high things sith he had no books wisely answered That he had the whole World for his book ready open at all times and in all places and that he could therein read things Heavenly and divine And most true it is that God is to be seen and admired in the works of the Creation there 's not a Flower in the Field not a pile of grasse we tread on but sets forth God unto us in very lively colours so that not to see him is to incur the curse he hath denounced against such as regard not the work of the Lord i. the first making neither consider the operation of his hands i. the wise disposing of his Creatures for our good Esay 5. 12. To keep close to the Word of God in seeking after Christ. IT is the observation of a good Man now with God That the Wise-men travelling to find Christ followed onely the starre and as long as they saw it they were assured that they were in the right way and had great mirth in their journey but when they entred into Ierusalem whereas the starre led them not thither but unto Bethlem and there would be instructed where Christ was born they were not onely ignorant of the place Where but they had lost the sight of the Starre that should guide them thither Whereof we learn in any case that whilest we be going to learn Christ to seek Christ which is above to beware we lose not the Star of Gods Word which onely is the mark that shews us where Christ is and which way we may come to him These are the good Man 's own words whereunto may be added That whereas David made the Word of God a lanthorn to his feet and a light unto his paths we would not suffer our selves to be led aside by every ignis fatuus every false fire that presents it self unto us but to keep close to the Word of God which will bring us to the Knowledg of Christ here and the full enjoyment of him hereafter What it is to trust in God really and truly THere was a King of this Land that being engaged in Warre sent to the Generall of his Army to spare such a City yet he had a command under the broad Seal and the King 's own hand to do it and to disobey his warrant was death but withall the King gave him private instructions to destroy the City and in so doing he would save him harmlesse The Generall did so and trusted the King for his life so that if he had failed him he had been utterly destroyed Thus if a Man be brought to such an exigent if he will trust God in such a case as wherein if he fayl him he is undone so to lean upon God that if he slip away he sinketh so to be unbottom'd off himself and every Creature so to cast himself upon God that if he step aside he is like to perish this is to trust in God really and truly The monstrous Sin of Ingratitude Q. Elizabeth in a letter of hers to Hen. 4th King of France amongst many other expressions hath this upon the sin of Ingratitude That if there were any unpardonable sin in the World such as the sin against the Holy Ghost it was Ingratitude Call me unthankfull said another and you call me all that naught is And without all doubt such a Vice it is that Nature frowns at though she smile at many others Nay It is a Monster in Nature a Solecism in manners a Paradox in Divinity an ugly sinl Insomuch that Christ himself joyned the Evill and unthankfull together Luke 6. 35. How it is that Faith is said to be made perfect by Works AS one that professeth That he hath an art and that he is able to do this and that by his art Now if he make up some exquisite piece of Workmanship by that he is said to make good his Art Or as when we say such and such Trees are good because they have sap in them they are not dead Trees yet for all this the Tree is made perfect by the fruit So Faith by Works is made perfect Not that works put life into Faith the sap must first be in the Tree and then it bringeth forth fruit so there must be first a life in Faith and then it bringeth forth good works So that when it is said Faith is made perfect by Works the meaning is that Faith is made good by Works that Works declare Faith to be right as the Fruit doth declare the Tree to have sap How to make tryall of Faith whether it be right or not TAke a cup of Wine and if you would know whether it be good or not drink it off but if it heat you not warm you not at the Hearâ— quicken you not nor in any way revive your spirits you will say It is â—aught flat and dead had it been good Wine it would have done all this Then if you come to Plants and find no fruit nor leaves you say This plant is dead If you come to take a dram of Physick and it do not work you say It is bad Physick And so if you take leaven and put it into the dough if it sowr not the lump you say it is a dead leaven a counterfeit Thus if a Man find not Faith in the operation thereof that it works not a generall change in the Soul that it fire not the heart with love to Christ if there be no life in it then let such a Man know that he is deceived his Faith is not right not effectuall not any way
of his childre 139. The Soul's delight once set upon God hardly to be removed 183. Gods time the best time for deliveâ—ance 5. God doth not onely deliver but comfort his Children 25. In all deliverances spiritual and temporall to give God the glory 339. God raising up Instruments for the deliverance of his people 551. The workings of God in the deliverance of his people various 648. Spiritual desertions no distractions to the child of God 49. How it is that there may be partial desâ—rtions of spirituall grace in the Souls of Gods dearest children but never totall nor final ones 383. Gods love to his children in the midst of spiritual desertions 395. Gods comfortable presence in the midst of spiritual desertions 397. Not to be over-hasty in the desire of Justice for wrongs sustained 7. The godly Man's desires are above his reach 122. The true Christian's desires are all for Heaven 394. Desperation the complement of all sins 317. The desperate Sinner's madnesse 454. Dâ—struction is from our selves 164. 659. Not so much the quantity as the quality of Devotion acceptable to God 15. The great benefit of devotion at bed time 247. The Devil a deceiver deceived by Christ 30. The Devil suiting himself to all humours 48. Satan's restlesse uncessant employment 49. Satan tempteth by degrees 68. Despâ—rate Devils 85. Satan subdued by Christs death 126. His policy to defile the Soul with sin 289. The Devill rewarding his servants 500. The Devils cunning to deceive 578 637. The Devils rage and arguments of the Judgment day at hand 626. Why it is that the children of God die usually sooner then others 522. All must die 341 522. We dye daily 162. Wisemen dye as well as Fools 478. Many seem to be willing yet are loath to dye 64 76. Man alwaies in a dying condition 12. We must learn to live well before we desire to dye 65. Dâ—scretion the guid of all Religious actions 574. A main part of true Wisedome 650. Discord ill-becomes the Disciples of Christ 43. Discord in Church or Common-wealth prejudicial 58. The deepest dissembler at one time or other discovered 478. Civill Dissention attended by uncivill destruction 13. Dissention the Fore-runner of confusion 626. Distractions will prove destructions 8. Englands distractions to be Englands peaceable directions 193. Dangerous to interpose with a divided People 74. Division amongst Christians is the disgrace of Christians 44. All divisions are against Nature 75. The danger of Divisions 94 317. Divisions usher in destruction 204. The evill of Division 474. Divisions in Church and State to be prevented 559. The stuâ—y of Divinity necessary 220. The study of School-divinity not altogether necessary 241. False doctrine is treason against God 44. To do as we would be done by is praise-worthy 163. Dreams not altogether to be sleighted 1. The right use that is to be made of Dreams 237. A drunkard hardly to be reclaimed 87. Drunkennesse condâ—mned 140. Drunkennesse the shame of England 190. The encrease of drunkennesse in England 206. Drunkennesse Whoredome c. the generality of them 281. The scoffing drunkards sad condition 472. To be careful of extraordinary drinking 474. Excessive drinking condemned 475 580. Drunkennesse a great punishment of it self 483. To be carefull of our Duty of God and Man 10. Not to rest in outward performance of duty because dangerous 178. Compleat Christian duty 383. Neglect of the main duties of Christianity reproved 388. Men to be constant in performance of holy duties 396. Constancy of holy duties makes the performance of thâ—m easy 442. Holy duties call for holy preparation 469. The sins of our Religious duties corrected by Christ and then presented to his Father 633. E GOds decree of Election not to be made the proper objâ—ct of Faith 656. Mans happinesse consistech onely in Gods free Election 288. The true comfort of Election 586. How to be assured of our Election 586. Election known by Sanctification 76. Gods fundamentall love of Election and actuall love of Adoption how distinguished 261. To make our calling and Election sure 488. Eloquence if not affected an excellent gift of God 284. Eloquence not to be abused 306. Good endeavours assisted by God 157. All endeavours to be sanctified by prayer 551. The Churches Enemies in Gods hands 13. A Forreign Enemy to be prevented 34. To love our Enemies and do them good 73. How it is that we may hate our Enemies 138. 112. The great good which cometh by Enemies 112. Not to envy each others gifts and prefermenâ—s 29. The great power of Envy 173. The destructive quality of Envy 518. The incorrigibility of Errour 184. To beware of erronious doctrine 243 417. The obstinate Sinner deserving Eternity of punishment and why so 12. Eternity of punishment in Hell 97. to be considered 442. In all our doings we should have our eye uppon Eternity 103 443. Not to serve time but Eternity 202. Nothing but Eternity will satisfy the gratious Soul 438. In the midst of worldly enjoyments to mind Eternity 440. The evill of Excesse 616. A wicked Man hardly drawn to examine himself 107. Daily Examination of our selves the comfort of it 294. Gods choice of eminent persons to be Exemplary to others 13. Rulers actions Exemplary 32. A good Man will be a good Example to others 127. The dangerous Example of wicked Governours 192. The prevalency of a good Example 256. Christ to be our Example and pattern of imitation in life and death 484. Wicked men reserved for exemplary judgment 507. Magistrates and men in authority to be exemplary to others 516 531. Christ to be our example in bearing the Cross 624. The sufferings of Christ as so many Examples to teach us how to suffer 677. Experience of Gods love to be a motive unto better obedience 126. The experimented Christian the onely undaunted Christian 596. Mans extermity Gods opportunity 408. F. A Factious-spirited Man unfit for the work of the Ministery 21. Ring-leaders of Faction and Schism their condition deplorable 391. Factious hearers of the Word condemned 460. The happy succession of a Christian Family 423. Wicked persons may be in a good Family 461. The unhappinesse of a disordered Family 655. How to make tryall of Faith whether it be perfect or not 644. The great benefit of Faith truly appropriated 665. Faith and love inseperable 671. Complaint of the want of Faith an argument of true Faith 35. More comfort in a strong Faith then a weak one 435. The life of Faith the happy life 40. Faith is the Fountain of all Graces 51. The gradation of Faith 53. The tryall of Faith is the enlargement of Faith 74. Justifying Faith accompanied with good works 98. The certainty of Faith 111. Faith makes partakers of every good thing in Gods ordinances 113. Faith in the time of tryall needful 150. How Faith justifieth alone 163 151. The power of Faith reviving the deadly sin-sick Soul 177. The great power of Faith seated in the heart of Man 229. The least measure
the holy Ghost Christian people of all conditions of both sexes have been causlesly and cruelly destroyed But how shall the Nations ever be able to make recompence what compensation can there be for such effusions of Christian Protestant blood God of his infinite goodnesse forgive that debt which they of themselves are no way able to satisfie To joy in the light of the Gospell PRocopius reports that neer to the Pole where the night endures many months together the Inhabitants in the end of such a long night when the Sun begins to appear get up to the tops of the Mountains striving who should have the first sight of that desired Creature and so no sooner do they see it but they deck themselves in their best apparell and with mutuall embraces of joy congratulate each other saying â—cce Sol Behold the Sun the Sun appeareth How then should we rejoyce in the happy light of the Gospell How should we live and love together when after such a long Egyptian night of popery and superstition the Sun of Righteousnesse is risen unto us It was once light onely in Goshen and all Egypt dark besides In Iury onely was God known But now Ecce sol light is come into the world Lux mundi non lux modii the Sun of the Gospell is so full that it is but opening the casements of our hearts and it flowes in upon us Let us rejoyce and be glad thereat Censurers condemned HEnry the 7 th in derision of Star-gazers asked one who had before prophecied of his death this quâ—stion What shall beâ—ide me this Christmas The cunning man forsooth answered he could not tell What then I pray thee quoth the King shall become of thee To this he answered likewise that he knew not Well then said the King I am then more learned in thy Science than thy self for I know that thou shalt be committed to prison and there lie fast all this Christmas for a jugling companion What this â—â—lly man could not tell by the influence of the Stars as concerning the bodies of men there is an hypocriticall generation of censurers of others but justitiaries to themselves that can tell what will become of the souls of themselves and others This man is a poor carnall man that man is a pretious Saint one man is damned already another man is in heaven As for their selves they know their place in Heaven as perfectly as their pew in the Church which they have a key to But the blessed Spirit of God hath long since branded this wicked censorious generation and checks them plainly Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth And so shalt thou Grace in the heart cannot be smoothered TAke a River let it be dam'd and stopped up yet if the course of it be naturall if the vent and stream of it be to go downward at length it will overbear and ride triumphantly over Or let water that is sweet be made brackish by the comming in of salt-water yet if it naturally be sweet at the length it will work it out So it is with every man look what the constant stream of his disposition on is look what the frame of it is that which is most naturall and inward to a man though it may be dam'd up and stopt in such a course for a while yet it will break through all at the last and though there be some brackish some sinfull dispositions that may break in upon a man yet he by the grace of God will wear them out because his naturall disposition the frame of his heart runs another way Impossible but that a true Christian will be a thankfull Christian. IF a man being wearied through a tedious and long journey should rest himselfe at the foot or bottom of some Tower or Castle and should be exceedingly tormented at the same time with hunger and thirst and that one in that Tower or Castle should reach unto him as much meat and drink as he desired could he possibly contain himself but that he must needs look up to see who it is that thus relieved his necessity So it is not possible but that a true Christian that lives daily upon the almes-basket of God's providence should be a thankfull Christian and cast up his eyes to Heaven that he may see who it is that thus liberally furnisheth him in the time of his so great extremity A factious spirited Man unfit for the work of the Ministry MArtianus Bishop of the Novatians at Constantinople having ordained Sabbatius a Jew Priest and finding him afterward to be a turbulent man Utinam super spinas c. saith he O would to God I had laid my hands on bryers rather on such a man's head And it is to be feared that many now in these daies have just cause to beshrew their fingers for ordaining them whom they have no sooner put into the Ministry but they become the Ringleaders of faction and schism against that very Authority which ordained them Bitter Spirits no gracious Spirits PLiny tells of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt that in her wanton bravery at a supper made for Marcus Antonius she dissolved a Pearl in vinegar and drank it off and prepared another both which were valued neer five thousand pounds But oh the many pretious Pearls of patience humility love brotherly kindnesse c. worth many thousands of gold and silver that are dissolved by the vinegar-sournesse of mens spirits in these sad distracted times in these sharp dissentions that are amongst us We must not be carelesse hearers of the Word AS market-folk returning from the market will be talking of their markets as they go by the way and be casting up of their penny-worths when they come home reckon what they have taken and what they have laid out and how much they have gotten So should we after we have heard the Word publickly confer privately of it with others at least meditate on it by our selves and be sure to take an account of our selves how we have profited that day by the Word that hath been spoken to us and also by other religious exercises that have been used of us And as the market-man counteth that but an ill market-day that he hath not gained somewhat more or lesse so may we well account it an ill Sabbath day to us whereon we have not profited somewhat whereon we have not encreased our knowledge or been bettered in our affection whereon we have not been either informed in judgment or reformed in practise whereon we have added nothing to our Talent Protestant Religion the onely comfortable Religion to die in AS an eminent Prelate of the Church of Rome said of the Doctrine of Iustification by faith onely that it was a good supper-doctrin though not so good to break-fast on So it must be acknowledged of
who had found a Boat there but having no helps to further him to sail first he got Oars then a Mast Sails and Ropes and then he set to Sea Thus from a little beginning if a man be industrious he may attain unto great things to the enlargement of a great temporal estate to a great measure of spiritual Grace to a great height of knowledge especially in a knowing age wherein the gleanings of Ephraim are better then the Vintage of Abiezar having such helps as Antiquity never knew of and sitting under the droppings of such spiritual means as no age can parallel Vnworthy Communicants reproved THe Hahassines a Christian people in Prester Iohn's Country after the receiving of the Sacrament think it not lawfull for them to spit that day till the setting of the Sun It is no better then Superstition in them but yet their Superstition will rise up against the monstrous profaneness of many amongst us They hold it unlawfull to spit that day And shall some out of drunkenness spue that day drown him in the Tavern whom they received in the Temple They will not spit that day And shall some endure the Devils drivell to fall from their mouths that day in ungodly oaths and unsavory rotten Communication They will not spit that day And shall some in that day spit in Gods face as common prophane swearers do c Self-conceitedness condemned as dangerous IT is a natural disease of all the Sons of Adâ—m that if they have but motes oâ— goodness they think they are Mountains and presume that their actions go hand in hand with their speculations Little children when they begin first to find their feet think they can go as well and as far as those that are of riper age and this conceit makes them catch many a fall The case is ours most of us are but Babes in Christ and our Iudgement erreth in nothing more then in taking an estimate of our own ability wherein we come so short of performing what we promise to our selves that we may very well blush and make this conclusion Man even the best of men is altogether vanity The Romanists error in the point of the Antiquity of Ceremonies A Nobleman who had heard of the extream age of one dwelling not far off made a journey to visit him and finding an aged person sitting in the chimney corner addressed himself unto him with admiration of his age till his mistake was rectified For Oh Sir said the young old man I am not he whom you seek for but his son My Father is further off in the field The same error is daily committed by the Romane Church adoring the reverend brow and gray hairs of some antient Ceremonies perchance but of some seven or eight hundreth years standing in the Church and mistake these for their Fathers of far greater age in the Primttive times The Terrors of a guilty Conscience THe blind man in the Gospel newly recovering his sight imagined trees to be men and the Burgundians as Comines reports expecting a battel supposed long Thistles to be Lances Thus the wicked man fears where no fear is sonus excitat omnis Suspensum the guilty conscience conceits every thistle to be a Tree every Tree a Man every Man a Devil afraid of every man that it sees nay many times of those that it sees not Not much unlike to one that was very deep in debt and had many Creditors who as he walked London streets in the evening a Tenter-hook catched his Cloak At whose suit said he conceiving some Sergeant had arrested him Thus the ill conscienced man counts every Creature he meets with a Bayliffe sent from God to punish him Atheism advanced by the distractions of the Church LActantius reports of Arcesilas that having throughly considered the contradictions and oppositions of Philosophers one against another in fine contemned them all Et novam Philosophandi philosophiam constituit and set up a new way of Philosophy Thus worldlings and Atheistically spirited men expending their differences of Christians in matters of Religion have resolved to be of no Religion and understanding the violent contentions about forms of prayer and interpretation of Scripture use no Prayer nor Bible but make Lucian their Old Testament and Machiavel their New How to benefit by the Sacrament THe Disciples of Christ as they passed through the Corn-fields plucked the ears of the Corn and did eat rubbing them in their hands They did not pluck off the ears and eat them whole that would have been dangerous but they first rubbed the ears with their hands to fetch out the Corn and then did eat Thus at the Sacrament we must not devour those holy things all at once hand over head that will be dangerous but we must set faith on work to rub the ears and fetch out the Corn that is in them for food and then there will be comfortable refreshing for the soul. To submit to Gods will in all things IT is for profit that Men rise up early and go to bed late and eat the bread of carefulness The Husbandman takes much pains plows his ground endures many sharp storms and piercing Winters Currit Mercator ad Indos The Merchant runs divers hazards abroad difficulties at home and all for profit So should we be willing patiently and quietly to submit our selves to God's dealing with us in all conditions humbly to apply our selves to his wise and fatherly administrations and take heed of murmuring for he intendeth nothing but our good even the salvation of our souls which is the chiefest good of all The powerful effâ—ct of the Word of God preached PHiletus a Disciple of Hermogenes that Conjurer coming to dispute and maintain an Argument with St. Iames the elder reliâ—d much upon his Sophistry but the Apostle preached Christ unto him with that powerfulness that Philetus returning back to his Master told him Magus abieram Christianus redeo I went forth a Conjurer but am returned a Christian O the power of divine Truth If Peter do but preach the Iews will cry out Men and Breâ—hren what shall we do to be saved Where the word goes along with the operation of the blessed spirit crooked things will be made straight Mountains will be levell with the Valleys sinners will become Saints and there will be a daily addition to the Church of such as shall be saved Great engagements to love one another EUclide shewed in himself the true symptoms of brotherly affection who when his Brother in his rage made a rash vow saying Let me not live if I be not reâ—enged on my Brother Euclide turns the speech contrary way Nay let me not live if I be not reconciled to my Brother Let me not live if we be not as good friends as ever we were before Shall an Heathen thus outstrip us Christians Nature be stronger then Grace the bonds of Flesh tye faster and
good of others we see it in the frame of the whole world in Heaven and in Earth neither of them is more beautiful then usefull yea the more glorious the more commodious are the parts of the great World which should make this Microcosm this little world of ours blush if we use our endowments as many do their Garments for pride and not for profit that fools may gaze on us and no body be the better for us The health of the Soul is the true health of the body THe Earth is a huge Globe made to be the Nurcery of Plants Herbs Birds c. While the Sun shineth upon them comfortably How cheerfully doe all things look how well do they prove and prosper but remove the Sun from it as in winter or Eclipse the beams thereof how squalid is the face thereof how do all things languish and die Even so fareth it between our Souls and our Bodies according to the influence of the soul is the true health and strength of the body Our bodies may be then said to be in good liking and Summer-like when they be cherished by our souls but if our souls neglect them then they grow Winter-like and droop Sorrows in this life not comparable to the joyes of the other life AS the Globe of the Earth which improperly for his great show and bignesse we tearm the World and is after the Mathematician's accompt many thousands of miles in compaâ—ss yet being compared unto the greatnesse of the starry Skie's circumference is but a Center or a little prick So the troubles and afflictions and sorrows of this life temporall in respect of the joyes eternall in the world to come bears not any proportion but are to be reputed as nothing or as a dark cloud that cometh and goeth in a moment Dangerous to pry into Gods Counsells and Secrets WIse Solomon sayes The light is a pleasant thing and so certainly it is but there is no true outward light which proceedeth not from some fire The light of that fire is not more pleasing then the fire of that light is dangerous and that pleasure doth not more draw on our fight then that danger forbids our approach How foolish then is that fly that in the love and admiration of the Candle-light will know no distance but puts it selfe heedlesly into that flame whereinâ— it perisheth How many bouts it fetcheth every one nearer then other ere it make the last adventure And so the merciless fire taking no notice of the affection of an over-fond Clyent sindgeth his wings and suddanly consumes it Thus do those bold and busie spirits who will needs draw too near unto that inaccessible Light and look into things too wonderfull for them so long do they hover about the secret Counsels of the Almighty till the wings of their presumptuous conceits be scorched and their daring curiosity hath paid them with everlasting destruction We die daily IErusalem was once finally sacked by Titus and Vespasian where besides an infinite number which were otherwise spoiled ten hundreth thousand Men were down-right 〈◊〉 by the sword altogether as Iosephus a Greek Writer and Iosâ—â—pus an Hebrew Author â—estifie But that which happened oâ—ce to them happeneth every day to us We dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. How faith justifieth alone Bethulia is in danger of Holofernes the terror of the East as we are or ought to be of the justice of God and as the strength of Bethulia was thought too weak to encounter him so all our Obedience to the Law of God is weak and insufficient to defend us Iudeth undertakes for the people of the City Faith for us Iudeth goes accompanied with her Hand-maids Faith with her Works and though the eyes of her Hand-maid were ever towards her Lady to carry the Scrip c. yet in performing the act of deliverance Iudeth is alone her Maid standing and waiting at the door not so much as setting her foot within the Chamber door Thus it is that faith goeth formost and good works follow after and although our love and obedience be as attendant to Faith as ever that servant was to Iudeth yet in performing the mighty Act of deliverance acquitting the conscience from the curse of the Law pacifying the anger of God and presenting us blameless before his holy eyes all which standeth in the apprehension of the merits of Christ Iesus and a stedfast perswasion that he hath assured for us Faith is soly and wholly alonâ— our VVâ—rks not claiming any part in that sacred action To be mercifully minded is praise-worthy APpius in the Roman story was a very great Oppressor of the liberties of the Commons and particularly he took away all appeals to the People in case of life and death Not long after this decree he being called in question for forcing the Wife of Virginius found all the Bench of Iudges against him and was constrained for saving his life to prefer an appeal to the people which was denyed him with great shouts and out-cryes of all saying Ecce provocat qui provocaâ—ionem sustulit he is forced to appeal who by barring all appeals in case of life and death was the death of many a man Thus Iustice revenged Mercies quarrel upon this unmerciful man and certainly if we expect mercy at the hands of God or Man we must shew mercy for there shall be judgement without mercy to him that will shew no mercy and that happeneth many times even in this life when God is pleased to reckon with hard hearted men that have no bowells of compassion To do as we would be done by DO as you would be done by is a golden Rule If the Iudge that sits on the Bench the Landlord that deals with his Tenant the Tradesman that venteth his commodities and every man that dealeth with another did square his carriage by this Rule there would be much less wrong in society and much more comfort in mens consciences for pulcher liber cor tuum every man beareth in his own bosom a fair Table-book engraven legibly by the finger of nature wherein if he would read he might learn without any other help what usage is fit for his neighbour and if men were as prompt Scholars in learning active charity as they are acute Doctors and Teachers of the Passive of that charity they expect from others the Moralists and Casuists might save much of their pains in discoursing and determining our mutual duties Wisdom of the World proves folly CRuelty is forbidden Courage is commanded we may partake the gâ—od of the Lion but not the evil of the Lion It was and is a gross mistake a very large conceit of Nicholas the Florentine to think that those properties of the Dove to be without guil have been the bane of Christendom whilst the enemies thereof have taken advantage of their simplicity to ensnare them and of their pitty to devour
Learned he made scruple of committing not onely the least known sin but of embarking into any action which was questionable amongst those that love the truth in sincerity This was in him a good frame of spirit and it were heartily to be wished that Mens actions were sutable to their professions that they would consult with God in all things that as they carry a Bible in their hand so they would make that their Master to direct them not listening to the close whisperings of the Iesuite in one ear for matters of Religion or to Nicholas the Florentine at the other ear in point of Policy but in all the changes and chances of this mortal life commit themselves to Gods guidance and so they shall be sure to prosper Minding of the great day of Judgement a meanes to live Godlily WHen Sapores King of Persia raised a violent persecution against the Christians Usthazanes an old Nobleman a Courtier that had Sapores Government in his minority being a Christian was so terrified that he left off his profession But he sitting at the Court-gate when Simeon an aged holy Bishop was leading to prison and rising up to salute him the good Bishop frowned upon him and turned away his face with indignation as being 〈◊〉 to look upon a Man that had denyed the faith Usthazanes fell a weeping went into his Chamber put off his courtly attire and brake out into these or the like words Ah how shall I appear before the great God of Heaven whom I have denyed when Simeon but a Man will not endure to look upon me if he frown how will God behold me when I come before his Tribunal The thought of Gods Iudgement seat wrought so strongly upon him that he recovered his spiritual strength and dyed a glorious Martyr Thus did but Men consider that they must one day stand before the bar of Gods Tribunal they would then be casting up how things stood betwixt him and their own Souls Would any man loyter away the day when he knows that he must shew his work to his Master at night Let every Man then in all his doings remeâ—ber his end and so he shall never do amiss remember that all must come to a reckoning in that great day and that though here in this world a Man may wear white gloves upon foul hands and a crooked body may be bolstered under a silken gown yet when they shall consider that these gloves shall be plucked off in that day and the body be shewed naked before God with whom they shall then have to do it will be a meanes to order and regulate their lives so that their appearance may be with comfort The great power of faith seated in the heart of Man THe Philosoper when he would perswade the King to settle his Court and place of residence in the heart of his dominion laid before him a Bull hide ready tan'd upon which when he stood upon any one side of it and so kept down that the other side would rise up when he removed to the side that rose up and kept down that then the side he came from would rise as high but when he stood in the middle he kept down all alike Thus Faith is this great King which being seated in the Heart makes provision against every Rebellion keeps down every mutiny marshals and orders every action and affection takes a Man off from all servile dependances and by-respects and makes him profess Gods name boldly evenly and without halting it cleanseth the whole heart seasons every affection alters the taste of every appetite strengthens every propension to good and fortifies the Soul against all evill Blasphemous language condemned CAto being very much struck in years would by all means study the Greek tongue and being asked by one Why in his old age he would set upon such an exotick language O said he I am informed that the Greek is a copious and fluent tongue and withall such a tongue as the Gods speak in I would therefore learn it that I may be able to converse with the Gods in their own Dialect This was Catoes conceit in those darker times of Nature but there is a generation amongst us in these clearer times of Grace Ranters Roaring boyes such as are great proficients in all manner of blasphemous language such as belch out nothing but oathes and direful execrations in the very face of Heaven What can this else be but to practise here on Earth what by a sad Prolepsis they are sure to come to hereafter that is to be roaring boyes and girls in Hell to all eternity Drowsiness in Prayer to be avoided IT is reported of Queen Katharine Dowager of King Henry the eighth that in her devotions to God she was poplite flexo nudo c on her bended knees naked upon the bare floore it was without doubt that she might be the more watchfull over her heart which otherwise might be apt to slumber and take a nod in the performance of so holy a duty It is not hereby meant to take away the use of Cushions but to mind us that we do not lay cushions of sloath under our knees nor pillowes of idleness under our elbowes nor to be drowsily devoted but to be active and sprightly upon the bended knees of our hearts when we approach unto God in the spirituall exercises of Prayer and heavenly meditation The least measure of true faith rewarded A Man having many Children and one amongst the rest a small undergrowth a very weakling Doth he cast off this child doth he cease to be a Father therefore No his bowels are the more enlarged he provides for it supports it cherisheth it more than all the rest till in some measure it be enabled to help it selfe Thus God if we be weak in faith though we be but as younglings of Christ's flock we must not therefore be discouraged he will take care of us not cast us off he hath a Crown for the least works if there be but singultus fidei a sob or a sigh of faith nay which is less if but a pant of faith present it self Surgam dicit Dominus c. I will up saith the Lord help them and set them at rest yet further which is the least of all though the pulse of faith beat not at all though David be like a deaf Man that heareth not or as one that is dumb not opening his mouth yet God will look down from his Sanctuary and make deliverance for David as he did also for tâ—e poor Man sick of the Palsie Mat. 19. 2. Hypocrisie the generality of it THe Emperour Frederick the third who when one said unto him he would go find some place where no Hypocrites inhabited he told him He must travell then far enough beyond the Sauromatae or the frozen Ocean and yet when he came there he should find an Hypocrite if he
of the bulk and body the spreading fairnesse of the branches the glory of the leaves and flowers the commodity of the fruits proceed from the root by that the whole subsisteth So Faith seemes to be but a sorry grace a vertue of no regard Devotion is acceptable for it honours God Charity is noble for it does good to men Holinesse is the Image of Heaven therefore beautious Thankfulnesse is the tune of Angels therefore melodious But ad quid fides what is faith good for Yes it is good for every good purpose the foundation and root of all graces All the prayers made by Devotion all the good works done by Charity all the actuall expressions of Holinesse all the praises founded forth by Thankfulnesse come from the root of Faith that is the life of them all Faith doth animate Works as the body lives by the soul. Doubtlesse faith hath saved some without works but it was never read that works saved any without faith The Ministers partiality in the reproof of sin condemned THere is mention made of a sort of people called Gastromantae such as speak out of their belly so hollow that a stander by would think that some body else spoke in the next room unto them Just such are those byas'd Ministers the trencher Chaplains of our daies that when they speak of sin especially in great ones they may be said to speak out of their bellies not out of their hearts a dinner or a great parishioner or a good Dame will make them shoot the reprehension of sin like pellets through a Trunk with no more strength than will kill a sparrow Hence is it that there are so many no-sins so many distinctions of sins that with a little of Iesabels paint Adams weaknesse in regard of his wife is called tendernesse Abraham's lye equivocation Lots incest and adultery good nature Noahs drunkenness the weakness of age Aaron Solomons idolatry policy oppression justice treason religion faction faith madnesse zeal pride handsomenesse and covetousnesse good husbandry whereas sin should be set out in his right colours and the sinner pointed out as Nathan did David Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. To be charitable Christians and why so IF a man should at his own proper cost and charges build a fair Bridge upon some River in a convenient place thereof leading the ready way to some City or Market-town can it be thought amisse if he should demand a small kind of tribute or pontage for horse or man that should passe over whether it were to keep the Bridge in repair that so posterity might have the benefit thereof or for the acknowledgment of so great a benefit or for the satisfaction of the builder Surely it could not Thus Christ Iesus our blessed Saviour and Redeemer hath with the price his own most precious bloud built a bridge of mercy to pass over and is himselfe become a new and living way for all repentant sinners to walk in there being no other way no other bridge for passage into Heaven It is but just then that something should be done on our parts not that he hath any need but because he looks for it some tribute something by way of acknowledgement something as a Toll-penny for the reliefe of his poor distressed Members with this assurance That Eleemosyna Viaticum in Mundo thesaurus in Caelo What we lay out in this world by way of Charity shall be doubled in the next by way of Retribution Regeneration the necessity thereof ONe bargain'd with a Painter to paint him a Horse running as it were in a full careere The Painter having done his work presents it with the heels upward Why said the Man I bespake the Picture of a running Horse but thou hast brought me a horse kicking up his heels O but quoth the Painter turn the frame set the picture right and then you shall find it to be a running horse such an one as you bespake Such is every son of Man in his naturall condition his head and his heart is all downward groveling on the Earth whilst his heels are kicking at Heaven but let the Table be once turned let but God come into his Soul by the operation of his blessed spirit then there will be a renewing of the mind then that Tongue which ere-while was set on fire in Hell wil become a Trumpet of Gods glory those hands which were once reached out to do wickedly will now work that which is honest those feet which were swift to shed bloud will now walk in the paths of peace instead of an itching ear there will be an attentive ear instead of a wanton eye there will be a covenanting eye not to look upon a strange woman there will be a new will new affections new qualities a new disposition all new A man of Learning speaks little VVHen a Rabbi little learned and lesse modest usurped all the discourse at Table one much admiring him asked his friend in private Whether he did not take such a Man for a great Scholar to whom he plainly answered For ought I know he may be learned but I never heard Learning make such a noyse So when a modest Man gave thanks to God with a low and submiss voyce an impudent criticall Gallant found fault with him that he said Grace no louder but he gave him a bitter reply Make me but a fool and I shall speak as loud as you but that will marre the Grace quite Thus it is that the Sun shews least when it is at the highest that deep waters run most silent But what a murmur and bubling yea sometimes what a roaring do they make in the shallows Empty Vessels make the greatest sound but the full ones give a soft answer Profound knowledge sayes little and Men by their unseasonable noyse are known to be none of the wisest whereas a Man of parts and learning sayes little Death the end of all MAn is as it were a Book his birth is the Title-page his Baptism the Epistle Dedicatory his groans and crying the Epistle to the Reader his Infancy and Child-hood the Argument or Content of the whole ensuing Treatises his life and actions are the subject his sinnes and errours the faults escaped his Repentance the Correction As for the Volums some are in folio some in quarto some in Octavo c. some are fairer bound some plainer some have piety and godlinesse for their subject othersome and they too many mere Romanees Pamphlets of wantonness and folly but in the last page of every one there stands a word which is Finis and this is the last word in every Book Such is the life of Man some longer some shorter some stronger some weaker some fairer some coorser some holy some prophane but Death comes in like Finis at the last and closes up all for that is the end of all The incorrigible Sinners stupidity IT is reported of Silkworms
that at the noyse of Thunder they are oft-times even terrified unto death insomuch that they which keep them use to beat a drum amongst them that they being accustomed to the softer noyse of the drum may not be daunted with louder claps of Thunder Thus it is with incorrigible sinners of all sorts they are so affected with the whisperings of wordly pleasures so taken up with the jingling noyse of Riches so delighted with the empty sound of popular applause and secular preferments so sottish and besotted are they that they are not sensible of Gods anger against them the very custome of sinne hath taken away the sense of sin that they do not so much as hear that which all the world besides heareth with trembling and amazement the dreadful voyce of Gods wrathful and everlasting displeasure Regeneration the onely work of Gods spirit IT is said of the Bear that of all Creatures she bringeth the most ugly mishapen whelps but by licking of them she brings them to a better form yet it is a Bear still Thus all of us are ugly and deformed in our inward man 'T is true good breeding learning living in good Neighbourhood may lick us fair and put us into a better shape but shall never change our nature without the operation of the blessed Spirit A Man may be able to discourse of the great mysteries of Salvation yet not be changed may repeat Sermons yet not renewed pertake of the Ordinances yet not regenerated not any of these nor any of all these put together will stand in stead till it hath pleased God to square them and fit them and sanctifie them unto us by the blessed assistance of his holy Spirit Scripture-comforts the onely true comforts IT is storyed of an ancient and Reverend Rabbi who that he might by some demonstration win the People to look after Scripture-knowledge put himselfe into the habit of a Mountebank or travelling Aqua-vitae man and in the Market-place made Proclamation of a soveraign Cordial or Water of life that he had to sell Divers call him in and desire him to shew it whereupon â—he opens the Bible and directs them to several places of comfort in it And to say truth there is the greatest comfort to be had being the word of the everliving God The waters of life which are to be thirsted after whereby we may learn to live holy and dye happy The deaths of friends and others not be sleighted THe Frogs in the Fable desire a King Iupiter casteth a stock amongst them which at the first fall made such a plunge in the water that with the dashing thereof they were all affrighted and ran into their holes but seeing no further harme to ensue they came forth took courage leapt on it and made themselves sport with that which was first their fear till at length Iupiter sent a Stork among them and he devoured them all Thus it is that we make the death of others but as a Stock that somewhat at firstâ— affecteth us but we soon â—orget it until the Stâ—rk come and we our selves become a miserable prey Do they who close the eyes and cover the faces of their deceased friends consider that their eyes must be so closed their faces thus covered Or they who shrowd the Coarse remember that they themselves must be so shrowded Or they who ring the knell consider that shortly the bells must go to the same tune for them Or they that make the grave even while they are in it remember that shortly they must inhabite such a narrow house as they are now a building Peradventure they do a little but it takes no deep impression in them Prayers to be made unto God in Christs name JOseph gives strict command unto his brethren that if ever they looked for him to do them any good or to see his face with comfort they should be sure to bring the lad Benjamin their brother along with them Thus if ever we expect any comfortable return of our Prayers we must be sure to bring our elder Brother Christ Iesus in our hearts by faith and to put up all our requests in his Name They of old called upon God using the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob three of Gods friends Afterwards they entreated God for his servant Davids sake Others drew up Arguments to move God drawn from the Creation of the World and from his loving kindnesse These were very good wayes then and very good to engage the great God of Heaven to us But unto us is shewed a more excellent way by how much the appellation of an onely begotten Son exceeds that of friend and servant and the benefit of Redemption excells that of creation and favour Dulce nomen Christi O the sweet name Iesus Christ no man ever asked any thing of God truly in that Name but he had his asking To be mindfull of Death at all times THere was once a discourse betwixt a Citizen and a Marriner My Ancestors sayes the Marriner were all Seamen and all of them dyed at Sea my Father my Grand-father and my Great-grand-father were all buried in the Sea Then sayes the Citizen what great cause have you then when you set out to Sea to remember your death and to commit your soul to the hands of God yea but sayes the Marriner to the Citizen Where I pray did your Father and your Grand-father dye Why sayes he they dyed all of them in their beds Truly then sayes the Marriner What a care had you need to have every night when you go to bed to think of your bed as the grave and the clothes that cover you as the Earth that must one day be thrown upon you for the very Heathens themselves that implored as many Deities as they conceived Chimaera's in their fancies yet were never known to erect an Altar to Death because that was ever held uncertain and implacable Thus whether it be at Sea or Land that Man is alwaies in a good posture of defence that is mindfull of death that so lives in this World as though he must shortly leave it that concludes within himselfe I must dye this day may be my last day this place the last that I shall come in this Sermon the last Sermon that I shall hear this Sabbath the last Sabbath that I shall enjoy the next Arrow that is shot may hit me and the time will come how soon God knows that I must lay aside this cloathing of Mortality and lie down in the dust Scripture-knowledge to be put in practice MUsicall Instruments without handling will warp and become nothing worth a sprightly horse will lose his Mettall by standing unbreathed in a Stable Rust will take the sword that hangs by the walls The Cynick rather then want work would be still removing his Tub Thus it is not Gods meaning that any Grace should lie
very Begger and hath nothing Just such is a Man that takes up a false perswasion of his effectuall Calling when God knows he is not called at all Or like a Man that is asleep upon the Mast of a Ship he is in a golden dream and his thoughts are all upon Kingdomes and thousands which he seemeth to have already in possession but happily or rather unhappily in that very moment wherein he solaceth himselfe in his imaginary happinesse a storm ariseth the Ship is in danger to be overwhelmed and the Man is tumbled into the Sea and so drowned Thus it is with many Men and Women they nourish golden dreams and have very strong hopes that Heaven is theirs and Christ theirs When as alass they do extreamly befool themselves being all this while upon the very brink of Hell and so are tumbled in before they be aware Sin committed with deliberation premeditation c. greatly provoke the Spirit of God AS it is with a Friend if you give him a blow at peradventure or strike him by chance though he may be very angry and take it ill at the first yet when he shall understand that it was done against your will he is soon pacified but if he perceive that you plot contrive his death that makes him look about him and resolve that he will never come into your company any more Thus it is with the blessed Spirit of God when he sees thee fall into sinne unadvisedly and inconsiderately he will not withdraw from thee for this but if he perceive that thou dost way-lay him dost deliberate and contrive sin this highly provokes him if not for ever yet for a long departure from thee Hence it is that a deliberate will to sinne without the Act is more sinfull then the Act of sin without a deliberate Will as in the case of St. Peter That Man does worse who purposeth to deny Christ though he never do it than St. Peter that did actually deny Christ and never intended it Let every Man therefore look to his purposes and deliberations for if he sin deliberately and advisedly the Holy Ghost is highly provoked and he is upon the very next step to the sin of those against whom the Prophet prayes Lord be not mercifull to those that sin maliciously A Reprobate and Regenerate Man their different enjoyment of the motions of the holy Spirit WIcked Men sayes one partake of the Spirit as Cooks do of the meat they dresse they taste as much onely as will relish their palates but do not eat so much as will fill their bellies whereby Nature may be strengthned and refreshed But the Regenerate are as the invited guests and they not onely taste the meat prepared but also make a full meal thereof Wicked Men they have but a taste onely They are just like Men going by an Apothecaries shop they may smell the sweet scents of his Pots but it is the sick Patient that gets benefit by his Cordials Thus it is with the wicked God may and doth give them tasts of his Spirit but they have not so much as will do their Soules good thereby It is only the Godly that have the saving participations of Grace here and shall be sure of the fulnesse of Glory hereafter The motions of Gods Spirit in wicked Men tend to outward formality IT is reported of one that could fast seven days in a Monastery but not half a day in the Wildernesse and being asked the reason He gave this answer When I fast in the Monastery I feed upon vain-glory and the applause of Men but not so in the Wildernesse It is just so with many Professors The motions of Gods Spirit in them are such as tend to formality such as put them upon outward and visible good but never upon inward and secret duties as to examine their hearts to watch over their waies and to keep close communion with God in secret As it is said of the Nightingale that if it see a Man listen to her it will sing the more sweetly So they are better to Men then they are to God and devouter in the Church then they are in the Closet they are for good things done in publique not in private so as Men applaud them they care not what or who it is that disallowes them How it is to be understood That the Holy Spirit dwelleth in us THe Sun that is in the firmament we use to say is in such a part of the house or in such a window but when we say so we do not mean that the body of the Sun is there but onely that the light heat or influence of the Sun is there So though the Scripture telleth us That the Holy Ghost or Spirit dwelleth in us the meaning is not that the Essence or Person of the Holy Ghost is in us as the Familists would have it but onely the Motions and Graces of the Spirit are there guiding governing and sanctifying our Words and Works which otherwise of themselves would be but vain and foolish The meaning therefore of those two places in the Apostle Ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. and the Holy Ghost dwelleth in you 2 Tim 1. 14. are not literally but Metaphorically to be understood as many other expressions of the like kind in the Book of God are to be To take heed of smaller sinnes as bringing on greater THere is a story of a young Man that was tempted by the Devill and his own wicked heart to commit three sins as to kill his Father lye with his Mother and to be drunk The two former he would by no means do as being things abhorrent to Nature but thought he I will yield to the last because it was the least which was enough for being drunk he killed his Father and ravished his own Mother Here now were two horrid ugly sinnes Murther and Incest ushered in by one that was not of so deep a dye It concerns us then to take heed of falling into lesser sinnes they being as in lets to greater A little Thief put in at the window may open the doors for stronger and greater to come in A wedge small and thin in one part makes way for a greater and little sinnes will draw us on to greater our own hearts will prompt us to all sinne at first but will labour to draw us on by degrees from lesser sinnes to greater from sinnes lâ—sse obnoxious to sinnes more scandalous untill we be become abhominable therein and so without Gods mercy perish everlastingly Corruption of Nature left even in the most Regenerate Men to humble them GOd hath so ordered it in Nature that Creatures of the greatest excellency should have some manifest deformity Whether it be in Birds or Beasts Among birds the Peacock a bird of the gayest feathers yet it hath the foulest feet The Swan a bird of
a nayl in the work yet all serve for the good of the building The least starre gives light the least drops moystens the least Minister is no lesse then an Angell the least nayl in the Ministery serves for the fastning of Souls unto Christ there is some use to be made even of the lowest parts of Men the weakest Minister may help to strengthen ones Faith Though all are not Apostles all are not Evangelists all have not the same dexterous abilities in the Work yet all edifie And oftentimes so it cometh to passe that God crowns his labours and sends most Fish into his net who though he may be lesse skilfull is more faithfull and though he have lesse of the brain yet he may have more of the Heart and therefore not to be contemned The Minister and Magistrate to go hand in hand together IT is reported of Queen Elizabeth that coming her progresse into the County of Suffolk when she observed that the Gentlemen of the County who came out to meet her had every one his Minister by his side said Now I have learned why my County of Suffolk is so well governed it is because the Magistrates and Ministers go together And most true it is That they are the two leggs on which a Church and State do stand And whosoever he be that would saw off the one cannot mean well to the other An Anti-Ministerial spirit is an Antimagistratical spirit The Pulpit guards the Throne Be but once perswaded to take that away and you give the Magistrates Enemies room to fetch a full blow at them as the Duke of Somerset in King Edward the sixth's dayes by consenting to his Brother's death made way for his own by the same ax and hand The great danger in commission of little Sins WHat is lesser then a grain of â—and yet when it comes to be multiplyed What is heavier then the Sands of the Sea A little sum multiplyed riseth high So a little Sin unrepented of will damn us as one leak in the Ship if it be not well lookt to will drown us Little Sins as the World calls them but great Sins against the Majesty of God Almighty who doth accent and inhance them if not repented of One would think it no great matter to forget God yet it hath an heavy doom attending on it Psal. 50. 22. The non-improvement of Talents the non-exercising of Graces the World looks upon as a small thing yet we read of him that hid his Talent in the earth Matth. 25. 25. he had not spent it onely not trading it is senâ—enced such and so great is the danger of the least Sin whatsoever The Worldling's inordinate desires And why so THe Countryman in the Fable would needs stay till the River was run all away and then go over dry-shod but the River did run on still and he was deceived in his expectation Such are the Worldling's inordinate desires the deceitfull heart promiseth to see them run over and gone when they are attained to such a measure and then they are stronger and wider more impotent and unruly then before For a Covetous heart grasps at no lesse then the whole World would fain be Master of all and dwell alone like a Wen in the body which drawes all to it self let it have never so much it will reach after more adde house to house and field to field till there be no more place to compasse like a bladder it swells wider and wider the more of this empty World is put into it so boundlesse so endlesse so inordinate are the corrupt desires of Worldly-minded Men. To beware of masked specious Sins IT is said of Alcibiades That he embroydered a Curtain with Lyons and Eagles the most stately of Beasts and birds that he might the more closely hide the picture that was under full of Owls and Satyrs the most sadly remarkable of other Creatures Thus Satan embroyders the Curtain with the image of virtue that he may easily hide the foul picture of Sin that is under it Sin that in the eye of the World is looked on as Grace coloured and masqued over with Zeal for God good intentions c. such as hath a fine glosse put upon it that it may be the more vendible Wherein the Devill like the Spider first she weaves her Web and then hangs the Fly in it So he helps Men to weave the web of Sin with specious shews and Religious pretences and then he hangs them in the snare and sets all their Sins in order before them No true Happinesse to be found in the best of Creatures here below SOlomon having made a Critical enquiry after the excellency of all Creature-comforts gives this in as the Ultimate extraction from them all Vanity of vanities all is vanity And have not all of us great experience how loose the World hangs about us If you go to the Creature to make you happy the Earth will tell you that happinesse growes not in the â—urrows of the Field the Sea that it is not in the Treasures of the deep Cattel will say It is not on our backs Crowns will say It is too pretious a gem to be found in us we can adorn the head but we cannot satisfie the heart It is true that these Worldly earthly things can benefit the outward and the Natural Man but to look for peace of Conscience â—oy in the Holy Ghost inward and durable comfort in any thing which the World affords is to seek for treasure in a Cole-pit a thing altogether improbable to be found there How it is that Faith challengeth a superiority above other Graces TAke a piece of Wax and a piece of Gold of the same Magnitude the Wax is not valuable with the Gold but as this Wax hangs at the labell of some Will by vertue of which some great Estate is confirmed and conveyed so it may be worth many hundred pounds So Faith considered purely in it self doth challenge nothing more then other Graces nay in some sense it is inferiour it being an empty hand But as this hand receives the pretious Alms of Christ's Merits and is an Instrument or channel thorow which the blessed streams of life flow to us from him so it doth challenge a superiority over and is more excellent then all other Graces whatsoever Men not living as if they had Souls to save reproved SOcrates in his time wondred when he observed Statuaries how careful they were and how industrious to make stones like Men and Men in the mean time turning themselves into very blocks and stones The case is ours Men walk not as Men that have Souls to be saved many walk as if they had nothing but bellies to fill and backs to cloath fancies to be tickled with vanity eyes and ears to look after pleasure brains to entertain empty notions and tongues to utter them as for their Souls
notwithstanding Mans provocations SUppose a Man should come into a curious Artificers shop and there with one blow dash in pieces such a piece of Art as had cost many years study and pains in the contriving thâ—reof How could he bear with it How would he take on to see the workmanship of his hands so rashly so wilfully destroy'd He could not but take it ill and be much troubled thereat Thus it is that as soon as God had set up and perfected the frame of the World Sin gave a shrewd shake to all it unpin'd the frame and had like to have pull'd all in pieces again nay had it not been for the promise of Christ all this goodly frame had been reduc'd to its Primitive nothing again Man by his Sin had pull'd down all about his ears but God in mercy keeps it up Man by his Sin provokes God but God in Mercy passeth by all affronts whatsoever Oh the Wonderfull Mercy O the Omnipotent Patience of God! How it is that there may be partial desertions of Spiritual Grace in the Souls of Gods dearest Children but never totall nor final ones AS it was with Sampson when his locks were cut off his strength was gone and therefore though he thought to go out and do great things as formerly he had done yet by woful experience he found there was no such matter he was become even as another Man So it is with the best and dearest of Gods Children When God is gone their locks are cut their strength is gone as not lying in their hair but in their head yet this is but a partial a temporary not a total and final desertion of divine assistance and Spiritual Grace in the Soul For God may forsake a Man in respect of his quickning presence and leave a Man to such barrennesse flatnesse deadnesse of his Spirit for a time that the Soul cannot pray hear meditate do any thing as formerly it hath done And God may forsake a Man too in respect of his comforting presence he may eclipse his joyes damp his comforts withdraw the beams of his Countenance and leave him in daâ—knâ—sse and trouble yet for all this God never forsakes such a Man in respect of his supporting presence then it is that in the saddest condition in the darkest night in the stormiest day the Soul hath support from him As he told S. Paul so he tells all Men all of the election of Grace all that love and fear him His strength shall be seen in their weaknesse and his Grace is sufficient for them i. e. sufficient to bear them up in the tryall and sufficient to bring them out of all tryalls whatsoever Compleat Christian duty IT was the speech of Mr. â—radford That he could not leave a duty till he had found communion with Christ in the duty till he had brought his heart into a duty-frame He could not leave Confession till he had found his heart touched broken and humbled for Sin not Petition till he had found his heart taken with the beauties of the things desired and carried out after them nor could he leave Thanksgiving till he had found his Spirit enlarged and his Soul quickned in the return of praises just like that of S. Bernard who found God in every duty and communion with him in every Prayer This was true sincere compleat Christian duty And thus it is that the Soul taken with Christ desires converses with him in prayer in hearing and meditation And such too is the Genius of a Soul taken up with Christ that duty doth not content it if it find not Christ in the duty so that if the end of a duty hath not left it on this side Christ it hath left it so far short of true comfort Directions for both strong and weak in Faith how to demean themselves as to the matter of Gods Providence WEe may read that Ulysses when he was to passe the coast of the Syrens he caused his Men to stop their ears that they might not be inchanted by their Musick to destroy themselves But for himself he would onely be bound to the Mast that though he should hear yet their Musical sounds might not be so strong as to allure him to overthrow himself by leaping into the Sea Thus there are some of Gods people that are weak in Faith so that when they see Gods outward proceedings of Providence seemingly contrary to his Promises they are apt to be charmed from their own steadfastnesse It were therefore good for them to stop their ears and to shut their eyes to the Works and look altogether to the Word of God But for those that are strong such as in whom the pulse of Faith beats more vigorously they may look upon the outward proceedings of God yet let them be sure to bind themselves fast to the Mast the Word of God lest when they see the seeming contrariety of his proceedings to the Promise they be charmed from their own stedfastnesse to the wounding of their own most pretious Souls and weakning the assurance of their eternal salvation How it is that the strength of Imagination perswades so much out of the way in matters of Religion IT is observable that when some Men look up to the Rack or moving clouds they imagine them to have forms of Men of Angels of Armies of Castles Forrests Landskips Lyons Bears c. where none else can see such things nor is there any true resemblance of such shapes And some there are too that when they have somewhat roules and tumbles in their thoughts they think that the ringing of bells the beating of hammers the report that is made by great Ordinance or any other measured intermitted noyse doth articulately sound and speak the same which is in their thoughts Thus it is that a strong Imagination or Fancy becomes very powerfull as to perswasion in the matters of God and Religion Hence is it that most of those that are unlearned and unstable wrest the Scripture thinking they find that in it which indeed is not there perswading themselves that it representeth to them such and such formed opinions when questionlesse they do but patch and lay things together without any reason at all from whence have proceeded the senselesse dotages of Hereticks in elder times and of late in the ridiculous papers of some Dreamers that have flown about and bring Scripture with them but no sense fancying the holy Word of God to strike to ring or chyme to their tunes to eccho out unto their wild conceits and joyn with them in their rude indigested notions How it is that so many deceive themselves in their not rightly searching the Scriptures AS the Apes in the story who finding a Glo-worm in a very cold night took it for a spark of Fire and heaped up sticks upon it to warm themselves by but all in vain So do they lose their labour that in the
Horse would needs have him foaming at the mouth but could not by any means do it Whereupon in a great rage he took the sponge wherewith he made his pensils clean and thrâ—w it at the picture intending to have utterly defared it but it so fell out that the spunge having sucked in severall sorts of colours effected that by chance which the Artist by all his industry could not compasse Thus it is with them that strive to make themselves great and eminent in the World How do they cark and care flatter lie and dissemble and all to be thought some body amongst their fearful Neighbours But all in vain this is not the way to do it for as Charles and Fifth told his sonne That Fortune was just like a Woman the more you woe her the further she flings off Let every good Christian then take up the spunge of contempt and throw it at these outward eminencies Moses did so and found to his exceeding joy that the abjection of vain glory was the acquisition of that which was true and reall The difference of good and bad Men in their preparation for Death A Wife that hath been faithfull to her Husband and waits his coming home let him knock when he will she is alwayes ready to open the door unto him but another Woman that is false to her husband and hath other Lovers in the house if her husband chance to knock at the door she does not immediately go to the door and let him in but there is a shuffling up and down in the house and she delayes the time till she have go the others out of the way Thus it is when Death knocks at the door of these Earthly Tabernacles of ours here 's the difference A good man is willing and ready to open to Death his Heart is in such an Heavenly frame that he is alwayes prepared for Death and seeing 〈…〉 Death that so he may take possession Whereas the Atheist he dares not die for fear of a Non esse that he shall be no more the prophane Person is afraid of Death because of a male esse to be made miserable and every wicked ungodly Man is loath to die for having espoused himself to the things of this World he shrinks at the very thought of Death and cryes out to his Soul as sometimes Pope Adrian did O my Soul whither goest thou thou shalâ— never be merry more Or as those ten Men Stay us not for we have Treasures in the Field of Wheat and of Barley and of Oyl and of Honey c. Jer. 41. 8. Christ to be the summe of all our Actions THere is mention made of one in the Primitive times who being asked What he was answered A Christian. What is thy name he answered Christian. What is thy Profession He answered Christian. Wâ—at are thy thoughts He answered Christian. Thy words and deeds What are they He answered Christian. What life leadest thou He answered still Christian. He had so digested Christ into his Soul by Faith that he could speak nothing but Christians And thus it is that Christ is to be made the summe and ultimate of all our actions we must labour that Christ may be made one with us and we with him that in all our Works begun continued and ended we may still conclude with that expression of the Church Through Iesus Christ our Lord. Gods Immutability A Man travelling upon the Road espies some great Castle sometimes it seems to be nigh another time afar off now on this hand anon on that now before by and by behind when all the while it standeth still unmoved So a Man that goes in a boat by water thinks the shore moveth whereas it is not the shore but the boat that passeth away Thus it is with God sometimes he seemeth to be angry with the Sons of Men another time to be well pleased now to be at hand anon at a distance now shewing the light of his Countenance by and by hiding his face in displeasure yet he is not changed at all It is we not he that is changed He is Immutable in his Nature in his Counsels and in all his Promises whereas all Creatures have and are subject to change having their dependance on some more powerfull Agent but God being onely independent is as the School-men say omninò immutabilis altogether immutable The Godly Man rejoycing in Death IT is storied of Godfrey Duke of Boloigne that when in that his expedition to the Holy Land he came within view of Ierusalem his Army seeing the high Turrets goodly Buildings and fair fronts though but as it were as so many Skeletons of far more glorious bodies being even transported with the joyfulnesse of such a sight gave a mighty showt that the Earth was verily thought to ring with the noyse thereof Such is the rejoycing of a Godly Man in death when he doth not see the Turrets and Towers of an Earthly but the spirituall building of an Heavenly Ierusalem and his Soul ready to take possession of them How doth he delight in his dissolution Especially when he sees Grace changing into Glory Hope inâ—o fruition Faith into vision and Love into perfect comprehension such and so great are the exultations of his Spirit such mighty workings and shoutings of the Heart as cannot be expressed Sin to be looked upon as the cause of all sorrow IN the course of Justice we say and say truly When a Party is put to death that the Executioner cannot be said to be the cause of his death nor the Sheriff by whose command he doth it neither yet the Iudge by whose sentence nor the twelve Men by whose verdict nor the Law it self by whose Authority it is proceeded in for God forbid that we should endite these or any of these of Murther Solum peccatum Homicidae Sin and sin onely is the cause and occasion of all sorrows It is not the looking upon any accidentals any Instrumentals of our Miseries and vexations but upon the principal the prime Agent and that 's Sin to take a wreak or holy Revenge upon that to send out an enquiry in our Souls after that and having found it to passe sentence thereupon The Good Mans comfort in matter of Worldly losse IT was a handsome conceit of a great Duke of Florence that had for his Arms a fair spread Tree having one branch onely lopped off with this Motto Uâ—o avulso non deficit alter intimating thereby that as long as the Trunk or body of the Teee was well rooted there was no fear though a branch or two were withered Thus a good Man bears up himself in the matter of temporal losse As to the matter of Government if a David be gathered to his Fathers a Solomon may succeed him in his Throne If a Iohn be cast into Prison rather then the Pulpit shall stand empty a greater then
thoughts of God if no looking up to better things then without doubt they are unclean not legally unclean as the beasts were but really unclean in the fight of God and his â—oly Angels Wherein the true Knowledg of Christ consisteth MAry when she went in quest of her Saviour stopt not at the empty Monument but searches and follows him so far that she discovered him under the disguise of a Gardiner and then casting her sâ—lf at his feet takes possession of him with this acclamation Rabboni which is in effect as much as Thomas his congratâ—lation My Lord and my God Thus it is that true Knowledg doth not alwayes hunt objects at the view nor doth it stop at the numerous effects wrought by the Creator It is not a shallow or supersicial knowledg that God is in a general consideration the cause of all things a Creator at large but in a nearer My God my Creator So that Religion and Faith are but aery empty sounds if a Man possesse nothing of them beyond the words the fruit of either consists in their application 'T is true that Christ is the Saviour of the World so much I know but this is an uselesse truth to me if my knowledge reach no further unlesse my Faith entitle me to him and by appropriâ—ting his work be able to call him my Lord my God my Redeâ—mer c. To beware how we come into the debt of Sin A Wary discreet Traveller when he comes to his Inne calls for no more then he means to pay for though he see a great deal of good chear before him in the house yet he considers how far his purse will reach otherwise if he call in for all he sees and never take any thought of the reckoning he shall not onely run into a great deal of disgrace but of danger also So fareth it with most Men in taking up more then they are able to pay for but let every good Man howsoever hâ— sees a number of goodly things in this World which may allure him and set his desire on Fire causing expence both of time and Mony be carefull how he comes into debt especially the debt of Sin the worst of all other For though by death he may be out of the Usurers hands yet Death cannot free him from the debt of Sin neither can he escape out of the hands of a just and all-knowing God Infant-Baptism asserted A Ristotle was so precise in admitting Schollers to his Moral Lectures that he would first have them past their Wardship as thinking that their green capacities would not be mellow enough for his Ethiques till Thirty at least But Christ our Master was of another mind his Sinite parvulos Suffer little ones to come unto me and sorbid them not encouraged Parents and Supervisers of Children to enroll them in his bands his Church before they were Masters of so much tongue as to name Christ well knowing that though their narrow apprehensions could not reach the high mysteries of Faith yet in a few years their understandings being elevated with their statures would grow up to them and the accession of a little time digest those precepts which their Infancy drew in into the constant habit of a good life not â—owing themselves into any crooked postures of Error nor forgetting that streight form into which their first education brought them Grace to be communicated IF a Man had a thousand tuns of Wine stored up in a Cellar which he had no use of but should be kept up close What were any Man the better for it but if he would make a large Cistern and turn out a Conduit cock into the street that every one that passed by might be refreshed then would they commend his bounty and be very thankfull unto him So when it hath pleased God of his goodnesse to afford us the graces of his holy Spirit and we should keep them to our selves not being profitable to any in the communication of them it would be matter of rebuke and reproach untill we let the Cock run untill we tell others what God hath done for our Souls For Grace like oyl is of a diffusive nature like Mary's box of oyntment which she brought unto Christ that filled all the house with the sweet scent thereof so that God smells the savour and others receive good thereby To be patient under Afflictions because they will have an end AS an Apprentice holds out in hard labour and it may be bad usage for seven years together or more and in all that time is serviceable to his Master without any murmuring or repining because he sees that the time wears away and that his bondage will not last alwayes but he shall be set at large and made a Freeman in the conclusion Thus should every one that groaneth under the burthen of any crosse or Affliction whatsoever bridle his affections possesse his Soul in patience and cease from all murmuring and repining whatsoever considering well with himself that the rod of the Wicked shall not alwayes rest upon the lot of the Righteous that weeping may abide at Evening but joy cometh in the Morning and that troubles will have an end and not continue for ever Every Man to find out the impediments of Repentance in himself THey who have Water running home in Conduit-pipes to their houses as soon as they find a want of that which their Neighbours have in abundance by and by they search into the causes run to the Conduiâ—-head or take up the pipes to see where they be stopt or what is the defect that so they may â—e supplyed accordingly Even so must every Man do when he finds that the Grace of Repentance flowes into other Mens hearts and hath no recourse or accesse into his Soul by and by sit down and search himself what the cause should be where the Remora is that stayes the course where the rub lyes which stoppeth the grace of Repentance in him seeing they that live it may be in the same house sit at the same Table lye in the same bed they can be penitent for their sins sorry that they have offended God and so complain in bitternesse of Soul for their Sins but he that had the same means the same occasions more sins to be humbled for morâ— time to repent and more motives to draw him to the duty is not yet moved with the same nor any way affected with the sense of Sin this must needs be matter of high concernment to look about him Murmuring at Gods doings the prejudice thereof IT is reported of Caesar That having prepared a great Feast for his Nobles and Friends of all degrees it so falling out that the day was extream foul tâ—at nothing could be done to the honour of the meeting with comfort he was much displeased and so far enraged at present that he willed all them that had bowes to shoot
Prince no sooner gone buâ— the Servant falls to lust and riot forceth the Lady the Controller and the Guardians to the like intemperance which they refusing he dispoyles her of all her Robes and Jewels them of their weapons and turns them out by beggerâ— or pillage to seek their lives in the wide world This Servant is Man God iâ— the Pâ—ince his daughter the Soul the Controller is Reason and the five Senses thâ— Guardians Whilest these hinder Man from spoyling his Soul with riot and excesse he abuseth them turns Reason to madnesse and makes all his senses buâ— as so many Instruments of Wickednesse but woe to that Servant who when his Lord cometh shall find so doing The several degrees of Faith AS meat digested turns to juice in the stomach to bloud in the liver to spirits in the heart So Faith is in the brain knowledg in the Reason assent in the heart application As the child in the womb hath first a vegetative life then a sensitive lastly a rational So Faith as meer knowledg hath but a Vegetation as allowance but sense onely the application and apportioning the merits of Christ to the Soul by it this is the rational the very life of it To exemplifie this Similitude yet further The vegetative Soul is the Soul of Plants and it is a true Soul in the kind though it have neither sense nor reason The sensitive Soul is the Soul of beasts a true Soul includes Vegetation but is void oâ— Reason The rational Soul is the Soul of Man a distinct Soul by it self comprehends both Vegetation and sense having added to them both the perfection of Reason So there are three kinds or degrees of Faith 1. To believe there is a God this is the Faith of Pagans and it is a true Faith though it believâ— neither the Word of God nor mercy from God 2. To believe what God sayes is true this is the Faith of Devils and Reprobates and a true Faith including the Faith of Pagans and going beyond it yet it apprehends no mercy 3. To believe on God to rely upon his mercy in Christ this is the Faith of the Elect comprehends both the former yet is a distinct Faith by it self The uncertain comfort in Riches CAst but your eye upon a vagrant Fellow whom because he is big-bon'd and well limb'd and able to go through his work a Man takes in at his doors and cherisheth It may so be that for a while he takes pains and plyes his work but when he spyes opportunity the Fugitive servant is gone and takes away with him more then all his service came to Thus the Riches and preferments of this World may seem to stand a Man in some stead for a season but at last they irrecoverably run away and carry with them all his joyes and worldly comforts As Iacob stole away Laban's Idols so they take away the peace and content of heart and leave him desperate As to beware of all Sins so especially of beloved Sins LOok upon a City besieged how wise Governors will take care of ever Postern-door and so every part of the Wall and repair the least decayes thereof but it one Gate be more likely to be entred then another or if any part of the Wall be weaker or more easily to be thrown down then another they will be sure to set the strongest Watch in that place where the danger is most And so it is or should be with us in respect of our most pretious Souls We have here a Fort to keep which is every day assaulted by our Enemies and we have a diseased Soul of our own distempered with many spiritual maladies but some of them are worse then other and some parts of the Fort are weaker and more in danger then others are that is there are some sins as sins whereunto by constitution of body we are most inclined such as are Dalilah bosome beloved-sins by which the Devil more easily surprizeth and captivateth our Souls And therefore as we should set diligent Watch against all sins so we should especially bend our forces against those that do or may in a more especial manner breed our harm and hinder our Salvation The uncertainty of Mans life IT hath been usual with Cathedral Churches and is still in use with Colledges to let Leases of houses and Lands for the term of three lives so that the Purchaser knowes the certainty of his time and that if one life will not hold another shall But it is not so betwixt God and Man there is no Man but is Gods Tenant at will he may put him out of house and home when he list he never deviseth any Tenement longer then for one life the which being expired shall never be renewed again nor will he suffer us to dwell any longer in the best and strongest of his houses then above seventy years if happily some continue eighty their term is exceeding long and yet of all this time they cannot be secured of one half hour not the peaceable possession of one moment so many and so mighty are the Enemies that way-lay them Ferro Peste Fame Vincâ—is Algore Calore â— Mille modis miseros Mors rapit una viros By Sword Plague Famine by Bonds by Heat and Cold And a thousand other wayes Death brings us to his Fold What then remains since that our Enemies are so strong our Earthly houses so weak the coming of our Landlord unknown and the term of our Lease so uncertain let us be sober and watching in prayer and then happy shall that servant be whom when his Master cometh he shall find so doing The biting Vsurer described SAd was the condition of the Egyptians when the plague of Flyes was upon them they did so biâ—e and sting them that they were weary of their lives Such are all biting Usurers that gorge themselves with the spoyl of their poorer brethren the suckers of their sap the bibbers of their bloud the pinchers of their hearts and the stingers and the wringers of their very Souls who with Noverint universi c. make an universal ruine of many a Man's estate and so fetch him still within the Condition of the Obligation that in the end his Condition is wofull and his heart breaketh with the bâ—â—ter grief of Be it known unto all men How to deal with Sin being once committed AMmon when he had deflowred his Sister Thamar forthwith hated her and that in a far more exceeding manner then he loved her before then puts her out of doors and loâ—ks the door after her lest she should return again Thus must we deal with Sin being once committed hate it with a deadly hate put it far from us lock up the doors of our hearts shut up the windowes of our eyes and take up a Resolution of never sinning again How to make a right use of the doctrine of Predestination CArdinal Pool
that one slender word all the greatness of the rest is included the King being the Fountain of Honour from whence all their glory is derived Thus it is that if all the created goodnesse all the Priviledges of Gods children all the Kingdomes of the Earth and the glory of them were to be presented at one view they would all appear as nothing and emptiness in comparison of the excellency and fullness that is to be found in Christ Iesus The Ministers joy in the conversion of Souls IF it cannot but delight the Husbandman when he seeth his plants grow his fruits ripen his Trees flourish If it must needs rejoice the Shepheard to behold his sheep sound fat and fertile If it glad the heart of a Schoolmaster or Tutor to observe his Schollers thrive in Learning and encrease in knowledg It must needs be matter of abundant joy to any Minister of the Gospell when People are brought to Fellowship with God in Christ Iesus when they are as it were snatched out of the slavery of sin the jaws of Death and Hell and brought into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God then it is that he may be said to reap the fruits of his labours in the great comfort of his own Soul Gods pardoning other Repentan◠Sinners a great motive to perswade us that he will pardon us also IF one should come to a Physitian of whom he hath had a large report of his skill and should meet with hundreths by the way such as were at that time his Patients and all of them should tell him how he hath cured and healed them of their severall infirmities this must needs encourage him to go on with confidence of his skill that he will recover him also So should every Repentant Sinner run to Christ the great Physitian of his Soul because so many thousands have been healed so many great Sinners have been forgiven such as Manasses Mary Magdalen S. Paul c. This may be a great motive to perswade us all that upon Repentance he is and will be ready to forgive us also according to that of the Apostle He hath shewed Mercy unto me that others might believe in God Men to be carefull in the triall of their Faith Whether it be sound or not IF one be told that his Corn is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his Money is counterfeit that the deeds and Evidences upon which his Lands and whole estate depend are false it must needs affect him much and make him look about him to see if these things be so or no. And shall not Men look then to the Faith they have upon which depends the eternall Welfare of their immortall Souls seeing God accepteth none except it be sound effectuall lively and accompanied with good works such a Faith as worketh by love purifieth the heart and shews it self in fruits worthy amendment of life 1 Thes. 1. 3. Men not to be ashamed of their Godly Profession though the Wicked speak evill of them SUppose a Geometrician should be drawing of lines and Figures and there should come in some silly ignorant fellow who seeing him should laugh at him Would the Artist think you leave off his employment because of his derision Surely no For he knows that he laughs at him out of his ignorance as not knowing his Art and the grounds thereof Thus let no Man be ashamed of his godly Profession because Wicked Men speak evill of it And why do they so but because they understand it not it is strange to them they see the actions of Godly Men but the rules and principles that they go by they know not and hence is it that they throw dirt in the face of Religious profession but a Wife man will soon wipe it off again God ordering all things for the good of his Church PUt the case all were turned upside down as it was in the confused Chaos wherein Heaven and Earth were mingled together and the waters overcoming all the rest yet as when the Spirit of the Lord did but move upon the Waters many beautifull Creatures wee produced and the Sea divided from the rest so that those waters which then seemed to spoil all serve now to water all without which 〈◊〉 cannot possibly subsist Even so were the Church in never so confused 〈◊〉 yet God will in his great Wisedome so order the things that seem to undo us that they shall make much for us and bring forth something of speciall use for the Churches good something to water and make fruitfull the house and People of God Sin the godly Mans hatred thereof IT is said of the Dove that she is afraid of every Feather that hath grown upon on Hauk and brings as much terrour upon her as if the Hauk were present such a native dread is as it seems implanted in her that it detests and abhors the very sight of any such feather So the Godly man that hath conceived a detestation against Sin cannot endure any thing that belongs to it or that comes from it No not the least motion or inclination though it bring along with it never so fair pretences never so specious shews shall have the least welcome or entertainment Vanity of the Creature without God TAke a beam of the Sun the way to preserve it is not to keep it by it self the being of it depends upon the Sun take the Sun away and it perisheth for ever but yet though it should come to be obscured and so cut off for a while yet because the Sun remains still therefore when the Sun shines forth again it will be renewed again Such a thing is the Creature compared with God If you would preserve the Creature in it self it is impossible for it to stand like a broken glasse without a bottom it must fall and break It is well known that the being of an accident is more in the subject then in it self insomuch that to take away the subject the very separation is a destruction to it So it is with the Creature which hath no bottom of it self so as the sepaeration of it from God is the destruction of it as on the contrary the keeping of it close unto God though in a case that seems to be the ruine of it is its happinesse and perfection How it is that God is to every one of his Children alone IT is observed That a Mathematicall point hath no parts it is one indivisible For let a thousand lines come to one point every one hath the whole and ye◠there is but one that answers all because it is indivisible and every one hath all So it is with God though there be many thousands that he loves dearly yet every one of them hath the Lord wholly For that which is infinite hath no parts and therefore he bestowes himself
by it What comfort reap they by it None at all their Consciences bearing them witnesse that they are none such as the World takes them to be The losse of an onely Son or nearest relation not to be over-much lamented IT is said of Cleobis and Biton that in absence of the Horses they drew their Mothers Chariot to the Temple themselves for which obedient act of theiâ—s she prayed that they might be both of them rewarded with the greatest blessings that could possibly happen from God to Man but so it hapned that they were both of them found dead in their beds the next morning News thereof was brought to their Mother as matter of great misfortune which she in a manner slighted saying I will never account my self unfortunate that was the Mother of two such Sons whom the Gods have invested with immortality for their pious and obedient actions And shall then a Pagan Mother having no other light but that of dusk nature take it for a divine favour that her two Sons did so early quit this life And shall Christian Parents or any others within the pale of the Church such as are better enlightned pule and repine and look sowre upon Heaven and upon God when in mercy he hath done for theirs not what is pleasing to them but what is most fit and commodious for both nothing being done but for the best to them that love him so that for the most part life is not so much taken away as death given for a speciall favour and advantage Noreturn from Hell THere is a story of an ignorant Man that being at Church and hearing the Preacher set out the pains of Hell as a just reward of all those that forget God said That he would not believe there was any such thing as Hell or any such pains at all To whom the Preacher replied That if one should come thence and tell him the truth thereof yet he would not believe or take any care to avoid it For as the party came thence to tell him of it so he would hope to do as much when he was there to warm another But let no Man be deceived that cannot be Vestigia null a retrorsum there 's no return from Hell Dives being there may make it his suit but all in vain Luk. 16. For as the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave or Hell as it is sometimes expressed shall come up no more i. e. shall never converse or transact any businesse upon the Earth again Powerfull Preaching of the Gospell IT is said in the Revelation of S. Iohn that amongst many other visions He saw an Angell fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospell to preach unto them that dwell upon the Earth and to every Nation and Kinred and Tongue and People saying with a loud Voice Fear God and give glory to him c. And what next followed Another Angell saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Babylon the great City is fallen c. Apoc. 14. 7. 8. See here now the efficacy and power of Gospell preaching let but the Gospell be sincerely preached Babylon must down the Devill and Dagon must fall before the Ark of Gods presence Whatsoever the purposes projects pretences policies conspiracies combinations and consederacies of lâ—ud Atheistical and wicked men be yet they shall never be able to stop the stream of Gods word dam up the wells of Salvation or hinder the free passage of the Gospell no more then to bind up the wind in their fists or stop the rain of Heaven from watering the Earth It is true that the Ministers of the Gospell may be the Instruments of Sathan be stocked stoned hewen asunder burned with fire slain with the sword clap'd up in Prison fettered in chains sequestred plundred decimated c. yet the Gospell it self may be nay is in lively operation a light that cannot be put out a heat that cannot be smothered a power that cannot be broken For even then the constant sufferings and patient bearing of the crosse doth as by a lively voice publish and proclaim the truth of the Gospel for which they suffer and serveth to win many to the Faith of Christ Jesus Punishments of the Wicked in this life nothing in comparison of those in Hell hereafter IT is said of Christ that going up to Ierusalem and finding in the Temple those that sold Oxen and sheep and Doves and the changers of Money sitting he made a scourge of small cords quasi flagellum as it were a scourge saith the vulgar translation made up of small cords such as he gathered up from amongst the People in the binding of their Sacrifices bearing the likenesse and form of a Scourge and with this he drove them out of the Temple And so it is that the sorrows troubles vexations and punishments that befall the Wicked in this life they are but quasi tales as it were such they are but the type the Figure the similitude of such the meer beginnings of sorrows but flea-bitings in comparison of what shall befall them hereafter For when Christ shall come to Judgment he will make a whip indeed such an one that by the stripes thereof the Wicked shall be whipped into Hell and all such as forget God Faith and Love inseparable IT is a Rule published by the Heathen that all Vertues are so interwoven and linked together in a chain that he that hath one hath all and he that wanteth but one wanteâ—h all So it is with that worthy pair of Graces that Heavenly couple Faith and Love Faith not without Love nor Love without Faith but both together Not Faith without works nor works without Faith but the one must be fruitfull to bring forth works and the other thankfull to confesse them Faith must work by Love and Love live by Faith for Faith without Love is but seeming and Love without Faith is disordered Then as it is Christ's own rule that the things which God hath joyned together no Man should put a sunder so Faith and Love being lodged as two guests in one house and locked up as two Iewels in one Cabinet they should by no Man whatsoever be dis-joyned or divided Sacrilegious persons condemned THe antient Romans by the light of Nature disliked and checked Quint. Fulvius Flaccus because he had uncovered a great part of Iuno's Temple to cover another Temple of Fortune with the same tiles they told him that Pyrrhus and Hannibal would not have done the like and that it had been too much to have done to a private dwelling house being a place far inferiour to a Temple and in conclusion forced and compelled him by a publique decree in Senate to send home those tiles again What a shame then is it for Christians such as pretend to be knowing Christians to come behind the Heathen who did more for their Idols then they will do for
of true Faith rewarded 230 406. Christ to be entertained in our hearts by Faith 253. Without Faith impossible to please God 261. Faith the root of all Graces 262. Faith though weak rewarded and why so 341. How it is that Faith is the first act of Repentance 343. Faith to be preserved as the head of all Graces and why so 344. True saving Faith though never so weak is all in all 359 590. How it is that Faith challengeth superiority over all the Graces 386. The force of justifying Faith 518. Directions for the strong and weak in Faith how to demean themselves as to the matter of Gods providence 383. Faith not alwaies sensible 511. A sure anchor-hold in time of distresse 550. Faith and Repentance to be daily renewed and encreased 555. The appropriation of Faith is all in all 599. The several degrees of Faith 601. Men to be careful in the triall of their Faith whether it be found or not 641. The Faithfull servants of God well rewarded 273. God rewarding the least of Faithfull service done unto him 285. Faithfull servants of God the paucity of them 292. The Faithful soul and an unbeliever their difference in relying upon God 634. How it is that Faith is said to be made perfect by works 644. The Court Favourites condition 208. The Godly Man is Gods Favourite 227. A Man to be clear of that fault he condemneth in another 448. The apprehension of Fear and courage mans mistaking of the object spoyles all 624. Fears and jealousies the danger of them 94. God to be feared in his Judgments 307. Gods dwelling in the Soul that truly fears him 65â— He that truly feareth God passeth not for the affronts of Men 412. The sad condition of the fearlesse heart-hardned sinner 674. There 's no fighting against God 673. Flatterers to be avoided 439. A Caveat for Flatterers 615. Flesh and Spirit their opposition 185. The danger of Fleshly lusts to be avoided 330. 476. Flesh and bloud not to be hearkned unto 430. Forgivenesse of others an argument of Gods forgiving us 49. Injuries not onely to be forgiven but forgotten also 97. Forgivenesse of one another commanded and commended 114. The great diffiâ—ulty of forgiving one another 153. A Formal specious Christian no true Christian 100. Outward Formality onely in the service of God condemned 187. The Formal Christian described 403 450. The deaths of Friends and acquaintance not to be slighted 264. The hasty unexpected death of Friends not to be made matter of excessive sorrow 282. A Faithful modest Friend very hard to be found 371. Few or no Friends to be found in time of Adversity 432. God a sure fast Friend 610. Friendship to be made with God in Christ Jesus 300. True reall Friendship very hard to be found 372. Friendship tryed in the times of Affliction 433. G. God loveth a chearfull giver 482. Excellency of the crown of Glory 499. Glory to be given to God onely and why so 15. God is to have the glory of all things 83. 225. 288. The sad effects of not giving unto God his glory 553. Gluttony reproved 444. How it is that God is to every one of his children alone 642. God alone more powerfull then all the Enemies of the World 561. God working the greatest of things without means 485. God in wisdome ordering all things to work together for the good of his children 242. The workings of God and Man very different 244. An account of Gods knowledg not to be made out by the wisest of Men 318. God's Immutability 464. Gods omniscience necessarily demonstrated from his omnipresence 379. Watchfulnesse over his people forgood 496. Consideration of Gods omnipresence a strong motive to Christian confidence 380. To be a disswasive from sin 381. 436. God a mercifull God 234. 510. Gods speciall love to his children 112. God slow to anger 115. God a jealous God of his honour 535. The great goodnesse of God in sending Jesus Christ to save Sinners 167. Gods omniscience 577. Gods care over his children notwithstanding their many aberrations 171. God onely to be served 584. God a mighty God 190. The onely searcher of Man's heart 498. Gods Justice what it is and how defined 231. How it is that the proceedings of God in his Justice are not so clearly discerned 231. The several expressions of God in his mercies And why so 235. The generality of Gods knowledg 236. Gods great patience notwithstanding Man's provocation 382. God onely to be worshipped as the great Creator c. 661. God onely to be seen in Christ Jesus 3. God and his Graces go together 22. The manifestation of God in severall respects 26. God is All in all 42 Gods Eternity 44. Omnisciency 52. 266. The certainty of Gods Will and promise 69. The fulnesse of God 70. God the proper Agent in all things 85. God and his Attributes are answerable 97. Gods two hands of Mercy and Judgment 130. God onely wise 144. The onely searcher of the heart 577. God slow to anger and of great patience 146. God both powerful and merciful 185. God a just God as well as a mercifull God 274. God to be feared in his Judgments 307. God's Judgments the causes of them to be considered 409. God brings good out of evil for his Peoples good 22. To make good use of good Men while we have them 43. A good Man is the prop and stay of his Country 43. Carnal and spiritual Men their difference in doing good The good Man's life preserved for the good of others 158. The great difference of both good and bad Men in life and death 158. To do good for evill 501. Good Men as the Pillars both of Church and State to be preserved 200. The good Man rejoycing in death 464. The falls of good Men presage the Nations ruine 221. 662. Goodnese not greatnesse that holdeth out to the last 525. Goodnesse and greatnesse seldome meet together 108. The beginnings of goodnesse to be encouraged and why 150. Goodnesse or godlinesse the best Friend 214. The wayes of Godlinesse more comfortable then Worldly Men can imagine 431. Godlinesse a great mystery and why so 453. Godlinesse a very gainful Trade 457. Fears of the losse of Gospel light more at home then from abroad 14. 95. To joy in the light of the Gospel 20. Gospel-promises are the poor Man's supporters 117. How the Gospel propagateth it self 193. Christ seen more clearly under the Gospel then under the Law 258. How it is that the preaching of the Gospel is of a double and contrary operation upon different persons 372. The different effects of the Gospel preached 481. Gospel invitation to comfort 558. Powerfull preaching of the Gospel 670. Government of Christ a peaceable government 31. Popular Government popular confusion 49. The happinesse of good Government 51. 587. The excellency of good Government 65. Licentious Libertines impatient of Government 77. The good of Government 122. Who fit for Government in point of remporal estate