little for thy censure as I doe for thy selfe Therefore Cum tua non aedas ne carpas munera lector Carpere vel noli nostra vel aede tua Sith that thy works thou doest conceale Good Reader carpe not mine Leaue off to reprehend our workes Or else goe publish thine And though there is no end in making books seeing much reading brings wearisomnesse to the flesh Eccles 12. 12. Yet this wee doe and pleasure take in toile Although wee doe but plow the barren soile And thus hauing beene ouerbold in presuming vpon your patience I will here end cōmend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you vp further and giue you an inheritance among Act. 20. 32. them which are sanctified And rest Yours alwayes in the Lord EDMVND COBBES THE WORLDLINGS LOOKING-GLASSE VVherein hee may cleerely see what a woefull bargaine he makes if he lose his soule for the gaine of the world Matth. 16. 26. For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and lose his own soule or what shall a man giue in exchange for his soule THE time of our blessed Sauiours passion being at hand he tells and forewarnes his Disciples of it that thereby he might confirme and strengthen them against the scandall of his Crosse But yet for all this they dreame of an earthly Kingdome and that our Sauiour should restore them to their ancient liberties which in time past their fathers enioyed in the time of Dauid and Salomon and other Kings of Israel but our Sauiour to put them out of this conceit tells them plainly elsewhere that his Kingdome is not of this world and therefore they are not to expect any earthly pompe and state by him for a Vers 21 he must goe to Ierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chiefe Priests and Scribes and bee killed c. Peter who loued him dearely and so was more forward to manifest his loue then the rest takes him aside thinking he had spake vnaduisedly that would die when he might liue and began to rebuke him saying Be it farre from thee Lord this shall not bee vnto thee q. d. Thou art the promised Seed of the Woman in whom all the Nations of the world shall bee blessed thou art an innocent man and therefore oughtest not to die thy life is very profitable vnto all men by feeding their bodies curing their diseases teaching and instructing them in the wayes of godlines therefore thou oughtst rather restore the kingdome to Israel and to free vs out of our captiuity But alas Peter thy counsell is carnall thou vnderstands only the things that belong to thy owne ease and quietnesse but not the things which are of God I was sent to seek and to saue the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and am that scape goate which Leu. 16. 10. must beare the iniquities of the people and that Lambe which must take away the sinnes of the world by my death and suffering must offer my selfe as a sacrifice for the redemption of the world and so by death ouercome him which hath the power of death therefore Peter get thee behind me with thy deuillish counsel thou art an offence to me and an aduersary to my fathers wil which hath appointed set me apart to reconcile the world vnto him therefore if thou wilt be my Disciple indeed as thou professest thy self to bee imitate thou mee in my obedience to my Fathers Will learn thou thy duty which now I teach thee and which I will haue all my Disciples to learne If any man will come after mee let him deny himself take vp his crosse and follow me Teaching all those which will giue vp their names vnto him what must bee their practice and whereto they must trust they must renounce their owne wit pollicie and affection and bee content to endure crosses losses and much affliction which they must beare cheerefully and follow their Captaine Christ Iesus in well doing though they haue neuer so many pullers back and hinderances in the way yet they must imitate the Philistins 1 Sam. 6. Kine which bare the Arke of GOD though they were milche and had their Calues at home yet without any turning to the right hand or left they kept on their way to Bethshemesh So the Disciples of Christ which haue giuen vp their names vnto him and doe beare the Arke of his law vpon their shoulders though they haue many allurements of the world the flesh and the Deuill to draw them backe which are as dear vnto them as the calues were vnto the Kine yet for all this they must keepe on their course in the pathe of a holy life and conuersation without turning either to the right hand or left vntill they come to Bethshemesh the house of the Sun for he that puts his hand to the Plough and afterwards lookes backe makes himselfe vnfit for the Kingdome of God Therefore our blessed Sauiour plainly tels his Disciples what their profession would cost them and what they should looke for that is to bee hated of all men for his sake and to endure all manner of crosses and bee content to beare them patiently and weare them as a crown vpon their heads and to cary death alway before them as a seale vpon their fingers Now because the heart of man is full of doubts and out of selfe-loue is readie to call the truth of God in question our blessed Sauiour is carefull to fence his doctrine against all doubts and to preuent all scruples which carnal men can make against the truth thereof as thinking it very harsh to flesh and blood Therefore in the 25 and 26 verses hee answers a secret obiection which some obiectour might reply vpon him in these or the like words That so hee should lose at least the worlds goods and perhaps his life too To the one Christ answers in the verse preceding my Text that to lose life was the way to find it meaning eternall life q. d. for the worst that Tyrants can doe is but to send them to heauen and the desire to saue life by refusing the crosse was the way indeed to lose it to wit eternall life And to the other he answeres in the words of my Text that the gaine of the world is nothing if it be compared with the soules losse which he layes downe in an hypotheticall proposition question wise For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world if he lose his soule Which categorically turned is he that winnes euen a whole world but loseth his owne soule for it gaines not which is confirmed by the latter part of the verse that there is nothing worth the soule nothing equiualent to it which he propounds question-wise also because in this forme a proposition hath most life and power to work vpon the heart and conscience of the hearer For what thing is there
of greater moment then the soule what thing more difficult thē to weane it from the loue of the world Therefore by this vehement speech our Sauiour layes strong battery to the hearts of worldlings to make them sound a retreate from the eager pursuite of these terrene things Thus I haue made the occasion and manner of Christs speech the pathway leading to my text in which I pray obserue these two maine points 1. The worlds vanitie and inability 2. The excellency of the soule These two points by GODS grace shall be the subiect of my ensuing discourse and from thē to deduce this note of obseruation That it is a point of Obseruation the greatest folly to aduenture the losse of the soule for the gaine of the whole world The ground of this truth is plaine Because the world and the Ground or Reason best things which are in it are but meere vanities and fooleries in respect of our heauenly inheritance Though they may make a faire show to them which are blinded with their false conceits and glory and esteeme which they haue among worldly men yet if wee looke vpon them in the glasse of Gods Word we shall find the world in his chiefe beautie and pompe to bee but as a glorious hypocrite faire in shew and false in truth promising much and performing nothing if therefore it were opened with the sharpe knife of truth it would be found both vaine and deceitfull for all that is in the world either it is already past or else it is present or else it is to come That which is past is not now and so we can haue no profit by it And that which is to come is vncertain whether we shal liue to enioy it or no and that which is present is fickle vnstable and wil stand by vs but a while no longer at furthest then our liues last and in that space our comfort and ioy in it may be disturbed by sicknesse crosses losses or many other accidents which made Dauid affirme that man Psa 39. 6. in his best estate is altogether vanitie and that hee walketh as a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine therefore he compares worldly prosperity to a dream Psa 73. 20. which delighteth a man while hee sleepeth but when he awaketh vanisheth away and leaueth nothing behind but sorrow and discontent because their ioyes and hopes are disappointed Intimating vnto vs that the glory and splendor of worldly things are but in shew only and not solid and substantiall in truth Therefore Salomon which had not onely most 2 Chron. 9. 22. wisdome and iudgement rightly to value them and more experience of them then any man because he abounded more in 1 King 3. 13. worldly prosperitie then any man that euer liued for hee 1 King 4. 21. reigned ouer all Kingdomes from the Riuer vnto the Land of the Philistines and vnto the border of Aegypt they brought presents and serued Salomon all the dayes of his life Siluer in 2 Chon 9. 27. his dayes was esteemed but as stones his houshold prouision for one day was thirty measures of fine floure and threescore measures of meale which according to the least account is two hundred thirty two quarters ten fat Oxen and twentie 1 King 4. 22 23. Oxen out of the pastures and one hundred sheepe besides Harts and Robucks and Fallow Deare and fatted Fowle He had fortie thousand stalles of Horses for his Charets and twelue thousand horsmen his pleasures were answerable to his wealth for hee had seuen hundred 1 Kin. 11. 3 Wiues Princes and three hundred Concubines hee had stately houses and pleasant gardens and he liued in health peace and prosperitie hee was loued feared and admired of his subiects for his wisedome iustice for which he was a terrour to his enemies yet for all this see what verdict hee passes Eccles 1. 2. vpon al these prosperities Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanitie Eee 2. 11. And afterwards he concludes that they are not onely vanitie but vexation of spirit That we may the better discrie the vanities of this world and their insufficiencie to profit vs wee will take a view of those things which worldly men doe so admire which though they be manifold in nature yet wee will bring them like dispersed members and couch them vnder these heads Iupiter Saturne Venus or Riches Honour and Pleasure these wander ouer the world while the blessed Sonne of righteousnesse hath no room in the world of darknesse these are now of so religious account as the golden Calfe of Israel was once that men sacrifice to thē and say in their hearts These are thy gods Wee will see if there be any hidden happinesse in them which may so farre moue vs as for the delight of them to aduenture the losse of our soules Wee will begin with riches which all men doe so dote vpon and for which they will take such paines and endure such miserie aduenturing their liues healths liberties and many times stretch their consciences thinking him onely a happy man which hath his cofers full with Diues his barnes stretching Luk. 16. 19 Luk. 12. 18 1 King 4. Dan. 5. and strouting with the worldling his stables full with Salomon his tables ful with Belshazzar his grounds full of Cattle with Iob and his purse full of siluer with Croesus What is there in riches Is there any wisedome holinesse mercy peace and truth what can they doe for vs can they keepe off Gods iudgments preserue our bodies from sicknesse and keep our soules from Hell if they could then it were great reason wee should toyle and labour for them but alas they are vnable and insufficient to doe vs good in any of these particulars If riches could purchase saluation then rich men were the onely happy men they will spare for no cost the hypocrite Micah 6. 6 7. wil part with his burnt offrings Calues of a yeare old thousands of Rammes and tenne thousand riuers of Oyle he wil part with any thing though neuer so deare to him hee will giue his first borne for his transgression and the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule But ô man it will not be no Psal 49. 7. man can giue a price vnto God so precious is the redemption of the soule Rich men die and goe to Hell so shall all the people that forget God neither Gold or Siluer could redeeme 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. vs but it is the blood of Christ that clenses vs from sinne 2. As riches are vnable to redeeme one soule so they are vnable to helpe and deliuer vs in our greatest extremities therfore the Prophet cals them vaine things which cannot profit 1 Sam. 12. 21. for they are vaine they cannot free vs from danger nor deliuer vs when wee are falne into any extremity nay they bee so far from aiding sinfull men
then Pudeat tanto bona velle caduca Manil. l. 4. Oh be asham'd so much your hearts to stay On things so fraile that swiftly passe away Thus much of the former point propounded the vanity and insufficiencie of the world and all worldly things the second followes the excellency of the soule the loue whereof should make vs basely to esteeme of all worldly things and to count them no better then dung in respect of Christ for Riches as we haue heard are transitory and will beguile vs Honours are slippery and will deceiue vs and the world is Moath-eaten and weares away and we our selues are brittle and so shall perish then what is a man profited if he gaine the world and lose his owne soule In which words wee may obserue againe these particulars 1. A comparison of the price with the thing prized the price is amplified by the subiect matter thereof which is the soule 2. By the propinquitie and proprietie it is his owne soule more worth then all the world which must continue when all these transitory things must passe away and that which shal eternally rue the bargaine for what is the earth to heauen and what can the world profit when the soule is plunged in Hell where it can neither mitigate paine nor purchase redemption 2. The irrecouerablenesse of the losse what shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule There is nothing in the world sufficient so precious is the redemption of the soule The Psal 49. 8. words are expressed by a metaphor borrowed from captiue prisoners supprised or taken in warre which were wont to bee redeemed by money or else by exchange of one prisoner for another but if that cruell Pyrat Sathan haue taken vs prisoners we are past hope of recouery there is no redemption then what is a man profited if he gaine the world and lose his owne soule Doct. The note of obseruation which offers it selfe to our consideration is this That men ought not principally to respect this life onely but that their chiefest care and labour should bee to get their soules saued in the day of the Lord. To this we are exhorted by our Sauiour to labour for the Iohn 6. 37. Luk. 13. 24 meate that endureth for euer and to striue to enter in at the Mat. 7. 13. strait Gate Now striuing wee know is an action of labour teaching vs that it requires great paines and diligence for many shall seeke to enter in and shall not bee able And the Apostle exhorts vs to giue all diligence to make our calling and Election sure and hee tels vs of the benefit that will follow If ye doe these things you shall neuer fall This hath been the practise of Gods Children to presse toward Phil. 3. 14. the marke for the high Calling of God in Christ and this is a marke of triall for the Saints if they be risen with Christ to seek Col. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 20. the things which are aboue and to haue their conuersation in heauen And therefore hee would haue as many as bee perfect to bee thus vers 15. minded This is also a point of wisedome which our Sauiour would haue vs learne to make vs friends of the Mammon Luke 16. 9. of vnrighteousnesse and promised a reward to him that Reu. 3. 21. ouercommeth he shall sit with him on his Throne and a Crowne of life to those that continue Reu. 2. 10. faithfull to the death Reason 1 Ground of this truth is Effiieâ—s â— qua 1. In regard of the excellency of the soule which is seene in the worke of Creation for therein all the causes did concurre for the perfecting of it 1. The efficient and supreme cause is God himselfe which he hath reserued to himselfe as his Eccle. 12. 7 owne Royalty 2. The Materiall cause was 2. Materia eâ— qua not the rude Chaos and base slime of the earth as was the body made of neither was it made of the pure Gold of Ophir but as if there were nothing precious enough in heauen and in earth it is said the Lord breathed it out of his mouth 3. The formall cause it was 3. Forma per quam Gen. 1. 27. Eph. 4. 24. made after the Image of God resembling him in Holinesse Wisdome and Righteousnesse 4. The finall cause that it 4. Finis propter quem 1 Cor. 6. 19. might be the temple of God and an habitation for his Spirit 2. The excellency of the soule is seene in the worke of Redemption for the soules sake Christ laid aside his Robes of glory was made man and endured Phil. 2. 7. so much misery shame in his life and so much torment and sorrow at his death and all 1 Pet. 1. 18 to redeeme the soule with no lesse price then the Blood of Act. 20. 28 the Sonne of God 3. The excellency of the soule appeares by Sathans malice who goes about like a roring 1 Pet. 5. 6. Reâ— 12. 7. Lyon seeking to deuour it he hath not such a spight to our wealth our learning cunning or credit though he loue none of those things which are good and comfortable to vs as hee hath to our soules and the graces of Gods Spirit in vs. Was it Iobs wealth he so much enuied or did he sift him because he was a rich man No nothing grieued him so much as to see Iob continue in his vprightnesse therefore hee laboured by all meanes to crosse him in his estate and torment him in his body that he might moue him to despaire or else to blaspheme that thereby hee might destroy his soule so also hee shewes himselfe an aduersary to all Gods Children crossing Zach. 3. 1. them in their suites which they make to God or else defiles their prayers by ming ling hypocrisie and vaine glory with their best sacrifices 4. The excellency of the soule is also seene by the ministery of the Angels which are euer about the godly men to deliuer them from danger and are about their beds in sicknesse and at the day of death like swift Postes to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome Reason 2 2. Ground of this truth is because as the soule is the most excellent part of man so the losse of it is the greatest losse in the world and therefore our Sauiour addes What shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule intimating vnto vs that the world and worldly things are not able to make recompence and satisfaction for the losse of the soule Vse 1 Is the soule so excellent then be exhorted to vse all meanes that it may be saued part with liberty life al rather then thy soule We see worldly men wil endure any trouble and take any paines for to gaine preferment they will hazzard their liues abide hunger and cold take long and tedious iournies and diue into the bowels of the earth to satisfie their longing
remember now thy Passion True saith the Iudge but yet now there is no place for compassion Yet Iesus let me come to thee No for in thy life time thou saidst depart from me Yet Iesus hast thou but one blessing giue me a blessing before I part No thou art vnder the curse therefore goe from me ye cursed But Lord since we are accursed let vs feele no other punishments then thy curse No as you haue burned with the fire of lusts so now you shal burne with the fire of Hell But who is able to endure this Isay 33. 11. euerlasting burning therefore sweet Iesus let it not continue long Yes as you would haue sinned for euer so shall this fire last for euer therefore goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire But Lord seeing wee must goe away with a curse yet giue vs some comfortable companions which may refresh and comfort vs in this flame No but as you were of your father the Deuill so goe yee into that flame prepared for him and his Angels from whence yee shall neuer depart till you haue paid the vttermost farthing which you will neuer bee able to doe Hell is a great deepe without Infernus ab inferendo dictus est bottome out of which there is no redemption In earthly prisons and dungeons there may be some possibility of escape as we read of many that were condemned to die by the tyranny of Gog and Magog the Turke and Pope and yet haue escaped but out of hell neuer any escaped The party which Mat. 13. 22 intruded himselfe into the wedding feast and had not on his wedding garment was bound hand and foote and cast into vtter darkenesse If a man were bound hand and foot with a thousand Cords crosse one another this way and that way as the wit of man might conceiue so to hamper and fetter a man as that he were neuer able to stirre or moue much lesse able to loose and set free himselfe were not such a man in a miserable case but if this mā so bound should be cast into a Well or Pit a thousand mile deep what hope could such a man haue of euer comming out So they that are once in Hell shall neuer come out thence for Betweene you and vs Luk. 16. 29 saith Father Abraham is a great gulfe set so that it is impossible to come out thence Now this Gulfe is the eternall Decree of God and it is past the skill of men Angels and deuils to giue Dan. 12. 2 ease to a tormented soule or purchase their libertie for their Worme neuer dyeth and their Mat. 9. 24. 2 Thes 1. 9. perdition is euerlasting and Saint Iude saith that they shall suffer eternall fire and as the Reu. 20. 10. Mercie of the Lord endures for euer so doth the Iustice of the Lord endure from euerlasting to euerlasting world without end Ob. Oh but may some say Is not God vniust to punish mortall man which hath liued not aboue 20. 30. 40. 60 or 80. yeares and hath endured a great deale of misery in this world is hee not then vniust to punish him eternally in the world to come A. Vnto which I answere Oh man who art thou that replyest Rom. 9. 20. against God It is iust with the most holy righteous glorious God to punish man for euer for these reasons 1. If we consider the infinite Holinesse and Puritie of GOD that is offended the intolerable indignitie that hath beene offered to his sacred Maiestie he may iustly punish man with eternall torments 2. If man should liue euer he would sinne euer and despite and offer violence to the sacred Maiesty of the Lord and lade him with his sinnes as a Cart is pressed with Sheaues 3. It is iust with God to punish sinners so long as they continue sinfull but the damned in hell remaine sinfull therefore it is iust with God to punish them with eternall torments for sinne is like Oyle and the Iustice of God like fire and we see by experience that so long as the Oyle lasts the fire will burne so as long as the damned remain sinfull so long they shall bee tormented now in hell as we shewed before the damned doe continually blaspheme and sinne against God therefore their torments shall bee endlesse for euer and euer Now let the greedy worldling Extrema gaudia sequuntur perpetuae lament◠tell mee what a match hee makes to gaine the world and lose his soule which is more worth then ten thousand worlds and which cannot bee ransomed againe at any rate If gold and siluer and the riches of the world could redeeme the soule then sure the Deuill would haue made sure worke for himselfe but alas it cannot be obtained he cannot purchase his redemption but at last shall bee cast into that fiery lake and shall bee tormented day and night for euer and euer Brethren if the torments of Hell be so fearefull and so painfull as we haue heard and so impossible to come out of them the Deuill being the Gaoler and being armed with the purpose and decree of God that it is impossible to escape Those he possessed in our Sauiours time how hard a matter was it to make him let goe his hold so loath he was to lose those he held captiue by permission how much more carefull will he bee now to hold the damned vnder the fiercenesse of Gods wrath for euer How then may we wonder at the folly and madnesse of many of vs that so wilfully cast away our soules What adoe haue wee to win and perswade men from their wickednesse which is the high way to lose their soules Some cast away their soules to satisfie their drunkennesse some by blasphemous oathes some by griping and greedy couetousnesse some one way some another in so much that God may thunder from heauen against the deafe sinners of our times and say as once hee did to Israel Why will ye die why will ye cast away your soules And yet for all this we will not amend Christ may lay loade vpon our Consciences as once hee did vpon Iudas and tell vs that if we lose our soules it had beene better for vs we had neuer beene borne but for all this neither his Word nor his Iudgements can stay vs from walking in those sinfull courses which lead to hell We loue the way to hell better then the way to heauen and wee preferre the pleasures of sin before the ioyes of heauen We are carefull for the world lest we should want but for the soule we make no question for the body wee take care and vpon euery light occasion doe distrust and fall to shifts fearing wee shall want but for our soules we perswade our selues that all is well with them albeit they want all the meanes of saluation and wee our selues liue in our corruption vnreformed many wayes there are to make supply for the body in earthly things but one way
for an old man which hath wanted the meanes all the daies of his life may when the means is offered him comfortably lay hold of euerlasting saluation else God would neuer haue enioyned Nunquam peccaâ—ti indicta esset pro peccatis deprecatio si deprecanti non esset remissio concendenda Aug. de fide man to craue the remission of his sinnes if hee had no purpose to grant it 2. This Parable doth fully answere this obiection in shewing that those which were hired at the eleuenth houre came as soone as they were called if they had beene called at the third sixt or ninth houre no doubt but they would haue come therefore this example will not iustifie them that are called at all houres early and late and yet will not come 3. This Parable shewes that the housholder went out early in the morning to hire labourers therefore God expects that we should come in at the first houre and begin our repentance betimes and if wee doe not come when God cals it is questionable whether we shall receiue repentance to come at last And though God haue Qui promisit poenitenti veniam non promisit peccanti poeniâ—entiam Aug. de poenit promised pardon to him that repenteth yet hath hee neuer promised repentance to him that continueth in his sinnes neither is it in any mans power to repent when he will Thus brethren by Gods mercy we haue beaten the presumptuous sinners out of their strong holds what remaines now but that euery one of vs enter into examination of his heart and bewaile the losse of his time mispent and now labour to make vp his peace with God that the Lord may haue mercy vpon his soule else what is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world and lose his soule Seeing the soule is so excellent wee must haue principall care to auoid those euils that may endanger it and to vse those meanes whereby it may be saued The things then which are dangerous to the soule may be couched vnder these two heads as there are two wayes of destroying the body so are there likewise two wayes of destroying the soule The first is positiue by offering violence to it The second priuatiue by withholding the meanes of preseruation of it Sin is that which offers violence to the soule sin is like leauen that will leauen the whole lump like poisoÌ„ that wil corrupt the whole bodie by obscuring the Will and Vnderstanding and by disturbing the faculties of the soule and body The deuill as a strong armed man keepes rule in that soule which is held vnder the slauery of sinne Sinne though it be delightsome in the committing yet it breedeth a worme in the conscience which perpetually vexeth it with endlesse Voluptas transijt peccatum remansit Bern. Citò praeterit quod delectat permanet sine fine quod cruciat Aug. Omne peccatum est mors animae woe and remaineth when the pleasure is gone All the itching delight of sinne is soone at an end but it leaueth bitter foot-steps in the soule euery sinne doth wound and kill the soule We vse to say we wil not buy gold too deare why then are we so foolish as to buy the pleasures of sinne at so high a rate as the losse of our soule When the Fish hath swallowed the Hooke had she not been better without the bait so wheÌ„ our soules are lost how much better had it beene for vs neuer to haue tasted of the pleasures of sinne If then we would haue our soules saued we must bee carefull to expell and cast out sinne by vnfeigned repentance We see men will subdue their appetites and defraud themselues of many things nature desires for bodily health and shall we doe nothing for the saluation of our soules Now then seeing wee haue found a way to remoue our sinne and to obtaine of our Physitian a purgation to cure Cur cessas aggredi quod scias mederi tibi Tertul. de poenit our soares which is repentance then why doe we delay to get that which will bee our cure and why doe not we seeke the Lord while he may be found for else it may happen That hee Qui tempus senectutis expectat ad poenitendum speret misericordiam muâ—niet iudicium Greg. Seminemus dum tempus est vt metâ—mus nauigeâ—us dum mare nauigari potest antiquam sit â—iems quando magnus ille tremen dus dies aduenerit non licebit nauigare Chrys which putteth off his repentance vntill the time of age or day of death in stead of mercy may finde iudgement Therefore let vs sow our seed while it is seed time and set forward to saile while the Sea will serue for it may bee it will bee too late to begin our iourney when the Sunne sets and to hoise vp our sayle when the tempest ariseth to sow our seed when we should reape our corne to repent when we lie a dying and to doe good when we are dead One thing I lament saith a holy Father and I feare another the first is my sinnes the second is Gods iudgements seat bewaile therefore thy sins and lament thy iniquitie so shalt thou shunne those tormenting Vbi nec tortores deficiunt nec torti misere morientur Aug. torments where the tormentors are neuer wearie nor the tormented shall euer dye Therefore while it is called to day harden not thy heart but breake off thy sinne by true repentance Hast thou therefore bin a drunkard now learn sobrietie Hast thou beene intemperate now embrace chastity Hast thou beene malicious now shew charitie Hast thou beene proud now bee humble labour now to get the life of grace into thy soule which must be done by the amendment of thy life and by forsaking of thy sinnes for regeneration beginneth at repentance and repentance at the leauing and forsaking of sinne Trie and examine thy selfe then whether thou hast forsaken sin or no if thou hast not bridled thy tongue from bitter and blasphemous speeches if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke without deceit and brought thy heart to pray without hypocrisie and doe to thy neighbour as thou wouldest haue thy neighbor doe to thee thou hast not yet forsaken thy sinne but remainest still in the gall of bitternesse and so hast neglected thy soules health 2. The second way of losing the soule is by withholding from it the meanes of preseruation Thus those hazzard their saluation that despise and contemne the powerfull preaching of the Word of God and so by putting from them the Word of GOD they iudge themselues vnworthy of eternal Act. 13. 46. life Thus also many hazzard their saluation by neglecting of prayer and are carelesse in the duties of mortification Seeing then the soule is so excellent and may be lost then let it be euery ones care to get it saued in the day of the Lord. To this end labour to keepe faith and a good Conscience
in Rom. 13. 14. all thy wayes for faith doth apply and put on Christ now if Christ be put on by faith then he is a most glorious garment to couer all our filthy nakednesse out of Gods sight and an armour of proofe to defend and protect vs from all dangers of our soules and of our bodies A good Conscience is a sweet comfort in al troubles If then we can reioyce in the testimony of a good Conscience wee are in a happy condition Be conuersant in the Scriptures let the Word of GOD dwell plentiously in thee this will be as great a comfort vnto thee in al thy afflictioÌ„s as euer it was vnto Dauid in his troubles Be feruent in prayer begin the day with calling vpon Gods name and praising him for all the mercies thou hast receiued and at night let prayer bee a Key to locke thee vp vnder the protection of the Almightie Ioyne thy selfe in societie with those that feare God they can teach thee by their experience and direct thee in the wayes of Godlinesse and labour to exhort one another to continue constantly in the feare of the Lord. Thus if wee doe we shall redeeme the time for our soules health But alas how many times haue we come together and yet haue had no care nor thought to doe one another good for our soules health but haue spent our time in prophane and Idle talke letting our tongues loose to discourse of all manner of vanitie But oh the miseries of our times in which there are many which are so farre from helping their brethren in their saluation as that they hinder them and by their leud examples turne them from the way of godlinesse Our time is short as we haue heard and as wee behaue our selues here vpon earth either in walking in the wayes of godlinesse or spending the time in seruing our owne turnes so shall wee fare euerlastingly in the world to come Therfore seeing life or death is gained in this world let vs giue all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure And seeing our time is but short let vs learn a point of policy of the Deuill he knowes his time is but short therefore hee doth all the mischiefe he can so let vs on the contrary knowing our time is short labour to doe all the good wee can for our soules But if we will still turne the grace of God into wantonnesse by despising the riches of his mercie in waiting for our repentance and humiliation we shall at length be turned out of these houses of clay wherein we haue liued in much peace as the most vnworthiest wretches that euer liued and shall giue a strict account vnto God for all the time and meanes that hee hath vouchsafed vs for our soules good and if wee haue spent our dayes well then wee shall receiue the reward of the Iust but if ill then woe vnto our soules that we haue sinned for What is a man profited â—f hee gaine the whole world and lose his soule And thus hauing finished this small Treatise I beseech you in the bowels of our Lord Iesus to suffer the words of exhortation and the Lord from heauen giue vs all grace to make vse of it for the saluation of our soules But I feare I haue wearied your patience with this Non minor virtus scire desinere quam scire dicere my tedious discourse and therefore because it is not lesse commendable for an Orator to end his speech in good time then to begin with good liking I will therefore at this time imitate the Roman Oratour Non omnia effundam Cicero Philip. Orat. 2. vt si saepius dicendum vt erit semper nouus veniam I will be loath to spend all my store at this once but I will keepe somewhat fresh if I shall haue any occasion to come againe In the meane time for our farewell let vs commend each other to the protection of Almightie GOD and to the Word of his grace which is able to build vs vp in godlinesse and giue vs an inheritance among them that bee sanctified by faith in Christ Iesus our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed as is due all honour glory from this time forth for euermore Amen FINIS An Alphabeticall Table expressing the chiefe matter contained in this Booke A APostacie the danger thereof 6 Apparell vaine and immodest 196 Makes men proud 190 How to be esteemed 191 Men exceed their degrees 195 Euery one will be in the fashion 195 Men of place may weare costly Apparell 192 When it must be laid aside 193 Age the dignitie and duty 340 341 Old age vnfit to begin to repent 326 336 A shame to defer repentance 353 Reasons why 327 328 336 It is very vnequall 329 Vniust 330 Adultery defined 137 The filthinesse of the sinne ibid. Danger of it 138 143 144 Condemned by the Law of God 139 Of Nations ibid. God takes notice of it 143 Preseruatiues against it 140 141 142 Vide Fornication B Busie-bodies 249 What they should doe 247 Beauty defined 217 Good in its nature 217 218 Granted to the wicked why 218 219 To the Peacock Swan Lillies 219 If not sanctified vaine and deceitfull 219 A snare to entangle 222 Bane of the Soule 220 Hath made many adulterers 222 Neuer any chaste ibid. Full of euill effects 223 C Charitie the Deuill shewed more charitie then many of our proud Dames will shew 256 Christs Kingdome not earthly 1 2 Necessitie of his death 4 His great loue to vs in helping when riches could not 8 Peters Counsell carnall 2 3 Couetousnesse makes the godly slaues to the world 93 94 To question Gods Prouidence 93 They desire riches to their destruction 94 Care true Christians care 322 Crosse the godlies portion 6 7 Yet they must endure it patiently 7 Though they haue many pullers backe 6 Contentation a duty 90 91 How obtained 26 27 1. By learning the truth of Gods prouidence 100 2. Because nature is content with a little 96 3. Because it must leaue all at death 97 God wil supply earths wants with heauens ioyes 9 All men full of discontents 26 27 Heathens teach Contentation by natures light 99 They shame Christians 101 Cock fighting vnlawfull 175 176 D Drunkennesse what it is 153 Sathan turnes him about like a foole 153 Condemned by God 154 By Fathers 155 By wise heathen 156 165 A Drunkard vnfit for any imployment 157 159 He is a theefe abroad 160 A Tyrant a beast at home 161 The effects it produceth 163 What wil make him speake sense 158 Antidoâ—es to preuent it 166 167 Damned their intolerable paines 289 291 Euer dying 292 300 Their fearefull sinnes 292 What they would tell vs 337 Difficult to weane the heart from the world 9 More to saue the soule 324 If we neglect our duty and faile of our hopes we must not murmure 96 Day of sicknesse and death no fit time to
Mundanum Speculum OR THE WORLDLINGS LOOKING GLASSE Wherein hee may clearly see what a woefull bargaine he makes if he lose his soule for the gaine of the VVorld A Worke needfull and necessarie for this carelesse age wherein many neglect the meanes of their Saluation Preached and now published by EDMVND COBBES Minister of the Word of God LVKE 13. 24. Striue to enter in at the strait gate for many I say vnto you will seeke to enter in and shall not bee able LONDON Printed for Phillip Water house and are to bee sold at his Shop at the sâ—gne of St. Pauls Head in Canon street neare London Stone 1630. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Reuerend and iudicious Diuines RICHARD CLERKE Doctor of DIVINITIE one of the learned Translators of the Bible and now Preacher of Christ Church Canterburie and Daniel Featly Doctor of Diuinity and Rector of Lambeth The sweet comforts of grace and plentie of peace here and the blessednesse of immortalitie hereafter RIGHT Worshipfull and Reuerend Diuines I am not ignorant how dangerous a thing it is to present any worke to the curious eyes of the world or to speake any thing vnpolished in open audience such is the delicacie of mens eares as experience teacheth and so censorious are the tongues of the enuious that they are ready to condemne before they vnderstand and to iudge of men and their actions not as they are indeed but according to their own preiudicate opinions I know and must needs confesse that it were good reason nothing should come before your presence but that which were most perfect and excellent How may I then which am neither sound PHILOSOPHER eloquent Orator good Poet nor learned Diuine presume to present to your iudicious coÌ„siderations this meane and illiterate Treatise intituled The Worldlings Looking-glasse whose rudenesse both for matter and method is farre vnfit to weare the liueries of your names yet Commasculaui frontem pudoris limites transilire I haue put courage into my bashfull nature and haue so farre presumed vpon your curtesies as that you will pardon my presumption in venturing so farre vpon your manifold fauors as to defend my poore paines by your patronage And the rather because the subiect is of so great importance and so not vnworthy your best considerations Touching my own insufficiency to handle a point of so great moment I haue the wise Heathen ready to plead for me Not who Non quis sed quid dicit attenditâ— Sen. is the speaker but what he saith ought to be regarded Yet I could wish I could act the Rhetoritians part docendo delectaÌ„do flectendo in teaching delighting perswading yet seeing the first is a worke of necessitie and the latter of victory and delight I shall reioyce if I can performe that which is necessary leauing the rest to those which excell therein because our words must rather Non delectent verba vestra sed prosint Seneca Melius est vtâ—â—tellâ—gâ—nt populi quam vt commendent grammatici Amb. bring profit then delight Therefore it is a sure rule which the Father giues that it is better so to speake that the meanest may conceiue then for to gaine the learneds commendation because in graue and Diuine sentences many times it proues true That while men adde an eloquent Dum nameruâ— addatur pondus detrahatur forme of words they detract from the substance of the matter But the best affected Verum magis amant in verbis quam verba Aug. doe rather looke to the truth deliuered then to the curiositie of the manner of deliuery Concerning this present discourse let it condemn or commend it selfe for great words cannot better it nor disabling speeces much impaire the worth of it gold is tried by the touch and good bookes by the worth the wise are not so skilfull in the one but iudgment makes them as capable of the other But how euer it bee it is the first Budd that grew in my garden if it giue not that fragrant smel that others more ful grown do yet I doubt not but that it may giue some small sent if the diligent Reader come not like Dinah rather to feed his fancy by gazing on the lines then to gaine by the matter And though Elijah and Elisha 2 Kin. 2. 12 be the Chariots of Israel the HorsemeÌ„ therof yet I doubt not but the footmen may doe some seruice in the battle And Apollos without offence may water where Paul hath planted And though I am not able to hold way with such strong able laborers as you are nor worthy to be accounted in the nuÌ„ber of good workmen yet I doubt not but that by Gods assistance I may some way aduance his glory and benefit his Church The consideration hereof hath made mee not to regard the nipping checks scornful speeches of Momus and Zoilus and all the rabble of censorious detractors which will like of nothing but that which is framed in their owne braines knowing no other way to grace themselues then by their taunting tongues which they imploy to disgrace others and as they are carelesse to doe any good themselues so they are ready to discourage those which are carefull and willing to imploy their talents to their masters profit like the enuious Jews who would not build Ezra 4. 4. the TeÌ„ple of the Lord themselues nor were willing that any other should but when the godly did begin to imploy themselues in the worke they scoffed Neh. 4. 2. mocked and discouraged them fearing belike that GOD might haue too much glory yet for al this the godly were not discouraged but for all their reproaches ceased not till they had finished the Worke of the Lord whose practise shall teach mee not to bee discouraged but with the strength of my GOD to arme my selfe with patience to endure the censures of all men For as in all good actions Difficile imâ— impossibile est placere omnibus nec â—anâ—a vnâ—tâ—uâ—â— quâ— ta sententiâ—rum diuersiâ—as est Hieron so especially in publishing of bookes it is hard to please all men for there is not lesse varietie in mens countenances then there is their iudgements and therefore nothing can be so warily spoken but enuious Nihil tam circumspectâ— dici potest quod non rapiatur ab improbis vel in alâ—quam calumniam vel in ansam peccandi vt vix tutum sit quicquid recte monere Eraâ— ad Vol. men may find one thing or other to cauil at if they bee disposed to depraue though perhaps if they were put to amend they would shew more criticisme then abilitie yet for all this they Optima queque malant â—ontemnere quam discere Pâ—â—n thinke it better to despise those things which are good then to learne them But as the scope aime of all my actions shall bee to please God and discharge my owne conscience so I will not trouble my self to please such mens humours for if I
should I feare I might spend my time to as little purpose as he did that would fashion Plutarch a Coate for the Moone Neither doe I intend in this present discourse by adulation to praise your Worships nor my selfe by ostentation nor my worke by admiration the first I leaue lest my words should impaire your worth the second I conceale because I finde nothing in my selfe that deserues praise and the last I refraine for if my labour can but gaine your fauourable acceptance and that you will be pleased so farre to countenance it as that it may appeare to the world vnder your names I haue that which I desire and then Non ronchos metuam non vani scommata vulgi Censores treticos grammaticasue tribus No gleering scornes I le feare nor spitefull gibes Nor crabbed Criticks nor Grammarian tribes And thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse with a thankfull acknowledgement of your many vndeserued fauours extended towards me I commend you and yours to the protection of the Almightie and this present Discourse to your fauourable censures and my selfe to your seruice and command resting alwayes bound in dutie and euer deuoted in loue From my study at Low Layton in Essex Ianuary 1. 1630. Edmund Cobbes To the godly and well affected Reader BELOVED the chiefest care of euery man in this life should be how hee may glorifie God and saue his soule and there is great reason it should bee so for as he is the fountaine from whence all good things flow so he is the end Rom. 11. 36. Ps 148. 13 Isa 42. 8. 48. 11. vnto which all things tend and as his glory is most excellent and deare vnto himselfe as being the end of all his workes of Creation of Election and redemption Pro. 16. 4. Eph. 1. 5 6 Tit. 2. 11. so also of continuall preseruation of mans life Therefore the Angels those Iohn 11. 4. glorious Creatures out of their zeale to their Creator are swift winged Heralds to diuulge his glory and are restlesse in giuing honour Isa 6. 3. and praise vnto him whose practise the Saints in all ages Reu. 14. 7. 4. 8. haue imitated in glorifying their Creator and in all Rom. 4. 20. their actions haue stil aimed at his glory extolling him in 1 Cor. 6. 20 1 Pet. 4 11. Ier. 13. 16. Psa 116. 5. his greatnesse goodnesse and mercy whose example and practise teacheth vs as to ayme at the glory of our Creator in the first place so in the second place our principall care should be to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. and to giue all diligence to make our calling and election 2 Pet. 1. 10 sure and the rather because our soules are so precious Ps 49. 8 Eccl. 12. 7. being the gifts of God which being lost could not bee redeemed without an 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Luk. 13. 24 1 Co. 9. 24. Iohn 6. 27. 1 Pet. 4. 18 infinite price and the benefit of this price could not bee obtained without great paines and labour on our part because of the difficultie and the many enemies that seeke to depriue vs of our saluation in which respect that man which is carelesse of his owne saluation is also mindlesse of Gods glory so by these means he failes and comes short of the end for which he was created If this must be the care of euery godly man then sure our age abounds with many carelesse and negligent men which in stead of honouring God and seeking the saluation of their soules their chiefest care and diligence is to honour and aduance themselues in this world as appeares by their practice proiects which is all for pleasures and profits Isa 22. 13. Hab. 1. 15. in these things they reioyce and are glad greedily seeking after them that they may spend them vpon their Iam. 4. 3. lusts making themselues merry while their time lasts Luk. 12. 19 1 Cor. 15. 32. These men as they dishonor God in seeking for their Eccl. 8. 15. portion in this life as thinking these trāsitory things are the vtmost choyce of Gods reward as they are of their hopes so they cozen themselues as the rich foole did Luk. 12. 21 who laid vp treasures in the world and was not rich toward God so also they 1 Tim. 6. 10. pierce themselues through with many sorrowes by seeking content in that which yeelds none and desiring to hold that which hath no stay till at last they fall into temptation and snares many foolish hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9 The consideration hereof hath moued mee the meanest of the sonnes of Leui out of loue to your saluation to exhort you to seek the Lord while he may be found For I feare that many of vs are so lulled asleepe in the cradle of securitie as that neither the golden Isay 58. 1. Bels of Aaron the thundring trumpet of Isajah the well tuned Cimbals of Dauid nor yet the sweet harmony of the Euangelists can as yet awake vs out of our sinfull securitie and moue vs to turne to the Lord by true and vnfaigned repentance that hee may haue mercie vpon our soules yet for as much as times seasons are in Gods hands Iohn 3. 8. that his Spirit blows where he lists I haue therfore in the strength of my God presumed to present vnto your consideration The Worldlings Looking-glasse wherein hee may clearly see and behold the world and all worldly things to be vaine and vncertain louing none but those which are enemies to Christ and many Rom. 8. 7. times deceiuing them also of their hope and expectation saucing their pleasures with gall and wormwood For worldly prosperity proues dangerous snares to bring men to destruction for when it fawneth most then it hunteth most eagerly after our saluation vnless wee take the better heed Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world if hee lose his soule The life of man is short Iob 14. 1. and passeth away like a shadow and that which worldlings enioy they buy at hard rates paying full deare for their momentany pleasures which many times proue full of misery vexation of spirit But yet alas though we see the deceitfulnesse of the world and the misery of it yet we are content to be deceiued therby so to fall at noone dayes when our eyes are open Wee vse to laugh at little Children which runne vp and downe after a feather or some vaine toy till they fall downe and take harme and then wee pitty their folly But when wee see man which should haue reason to guide him to toile so eagerly after these transitory things which at last will deceiue him and steale away his heart from godlinesse how should wee lament his misery Let the consideration hereof moue vs all to consider what a pearle wee
are like to lose for the gaining of these deceitfull vanities that so at the last wee may be perswaded to labour for the saluation of our soules For is it not better to serue God and to worke out our owne saluation here that we may bee blessed hereafter then for the loue of this base world to bee tormented for euer and euer Is it not better to want these sinfull pleasures then for enioying of them to be turned into Hell For what Gal. 6. 8. shall we reape of the flesh but corruption And what shall we gaine of the Deuill for al our seruice but eternal torments And what shall Psal 37. 35. wee gaine of the world but speedy forgetfulnesse Seeing then the loue of the world is so vaine and deceitfull let vs then labour for heauen and heauenly things and take no thought Rom. 13. 14 for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof minding not so much this present world as that which is to come for this is temporary and must haue an end but that is eternall 2 Cor. 4. 8. and will abide for euer This must bee done Col. 3. 1 2. that thereby wee may approue our sanctification for here wee liue by faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. and therefore our conuersation Phil. 3. 20. must bee sutable This will bring vs present ease Heb. 6. 19. Ioh. 16. 22. for our hope is certaine and cannot deceiue vs. This is the onely way to be approued Rom. 14. 18. of God and to gaine a good report among men This will bring a sure reward at last God himselfe hath pronounced that it shal goe well with the iust Isay 3. 10. for their end shall bee euerlasting Rom. 6. 22. life For the ground of their hope is founded vpon 2 Tim. 1. 12. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. his power that cannot faile on his promise that cannot lye and vpon his Iustice that will not forget Heb. 6. 10. to reward This as it will bring comfort when worldlings are at their wits 2 Cor. 4. 8. ends so also it yeelds an honourable imployment in the meane time while wee exercise our selues in heauenly Col. 3. 2. things For the things Phil. 3. 8. of this life as they are base so they are shamefull and the end of them is death Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule Spare no paines then for to gaine thy saluation abandon and cast away all pleasures and delights till thou art perswaded thy name is written in heauen Wee see Luk. 10. 20 worldly men will toyle labour to gaine riches Honour and preferments hope of gaine will make Raine and windie weather seeme faire and pleasant For shame then let not worldlings diligence condemne ours for how shall wee escape if wee neglect so Heb. 2 3. great saluation Christ hath done more for vs and shall wee doe nothing for our selues wee shall lose nothing at the end but gaine exceedingly then it shal not repent vs that wee haue sowne in teares when wee see we shall reape in ioy As we desire to bee members of the new Ierusalem hereafter let vs now labour to haue the assurance sealed vp to our soules by denying the world and all worldly things For the glory of the world is but like a blazing Starre which terrifies the minde by presaging ruine and the pleasures of the world like candide Wormwood which deceiues the taste and imbitters the stomacke Thus farre Christian Reader for thy sake I haue diued into the world and all worldly things if I haue said any thing in this ensuing discourse which may yeeld thee any profit giue God the glorie and me thy friendly censure and helpe Iâ—uate me orationibâ—â— vestris vt sâ—mper possim loqui quae opâ—rtâ—t opere iâ—plere quae loqui Bernard in Cant. me with thy prayers that I may speake those things I ought and practice my selfe what I speake But if in any place I haue erred then I pray correct it gently or passe it ouer with silence or in a friendly manner admonish me thereof and then I haue of thee as much as I desire and then I shall be encouraged to set Pen to Paper againe and publish another Treatise vpon the Parable of the Vncleane Spirit recorded by the Euangelist Matth. 12. 43. Luke 11. 24. in which if God grant life and opportunitie I will shew 1. The manner and the measure of Sathans departure from the soule of mans and then how hee demeaneth himselfe when hee is gone 2. His diligence to gain his former possession with the reasons that induce him thereunto 3. When he hath regained possession how strongly he fortifies himselfe to preuent expulsion Lastly the miserable estate of those which he repossesses how wherein their end is worse then their beginning As also compose a Table for the reading vnderstanding and remembring of the Scriptures and how to reconcile such places as seem to contradict one another to prescribe rules to know when the Scriptures are to bee taken figuratiuely and when literally with the reasons why And to set downe the time when such famous men liued as are mentioned in Scriptures with many other occurrences both profitable and delightfull All which I shall bee willing Cum lectoris nomen feras ne lictoris nomen geras to performe if in this discourse thou wilt performe the part of a Reader that is to Suspend thy iudgement and censure not in haste Before thou iudge the first first read the last But alas there are manie now adayes that can spie a moate in anothers eie that had need to haue a Beame pulled from their owne some there are so curious in their conceits as that they can easier finde two faults in another mans worke then know how to mend one If thou be of that mind friendly Reader I doe not intend to make thee my Iudge My end is not to gain popular applause but to discharge my Conscience and to doe my Countrey good Then accept his will who meaning plaine Doth neither write for praise nor hope of gaine And though it be not so curiously set forth as perhaps thou expectest be content to accept of this answer If it be not so punctuall as it should yet it is as I could for They that are learn'd and haue the gift May make of matters what they will But hee that hath no other shift Must goe the plaine way to the Mill. When the materiall Temple was to bee built euery man could not bring gold and siluer so in this spirituall building euery one hath not the skill of caruing and working curiously yet if I by bringing baser metals or by working plainly may helpe thee in thy spirituall building it shall aboundantly comfort me Come not then to carpe with Momus nor to disdaine with Zoilus nor to sooth with Zantippus if thou doest I shall care as
his desire 7. As they cannot in any degree profit our bodies so they are lesse able to profit our soules They cannot inrich them with spirituall graces They cannot purchase Christ procure for vs the rich Robes of his righteousnesse or purchase vs an obedience answerable to the Law They cannot furnish vs with faith hope repentance They cannot reconcile vs to God for he accepteth not the person Iob 34 19. of Princes and regards not the rich more then the poore for they be all the worke of his hands GOD doth not respect men for their goods but for their Godlines For better is the poore that walketh Pro. 28. 6. in his vprightnesse then hee that peruerteth his wayes though he bee rich They cannot put courage in vs to stand resolutely for Christ and for his cause against Sathan and his seruants but rather they make vs cold in the performance of holy duties of which we shal haue more occasion to speake of in due place 8. As riches cannot profit vs in our soules so they cannot profit vs in the course of our life they cannot keepe off old age the forerunner of death neither can they make vs carefull to prepare our hearts for God at our death and so to submit our will vnto Gods Will Neither can they appease Gods anger restraine the Deuils power but when we are panting and gasping vpon our sick beds all the world will not bribe Death but hee will tell vs hee hath a warrant from GOD to attach vs without baile or mainprice For it is appointed for Heb. 9. all men once to die Which statute being enacted in heauen all the world is not able to reuerse What comfort then shall rich worldlings find in their bags of Luk. 12. 15 Gold seeing their life consists not in their riches Then what shal it profit them to haue their barnes full when as their soules shall be taken from them what good will their money doe them when the Deuils are ready to attache them then shall they lament and say they haue spent their strength in vain For what hope hath the hypocrite though Iob. 27. 8. Quicquid vita dedit tollit cum vita recedit hee hath heaped vp riches when God taketh away his soule How miserable then will the case of rich worldlings bee when as they shall finde that they haue heaped vp the wrath of GOD with their riches and that now as they came naked into the world so they must returne Eccl. 5. 14 15. Then what profiteth it a man that he hath laboured for the winde How much would a man then giue for a good Conscience to haue his peace made vp with God how would he preferre a dramme of grace before a bag of Gold and would be content to part with his Coffers and Treasures to haue a share among the inheritance of the Saints for the rich men shall leaue Ier. 17. 11. their inheritance in the middest of their dayes and their end shall be as a foole But suppose riches could sweeten death and make it lesse painful to vs yet what good can it doe vs when wee are laid in the Graue then they cannot preserue our bodies from corruption no then there will bee no difference betweene the King and the Begger For one heape of dust is not better then another in the darke Chambers of death For as nature maketh no difference between one man and another in the birth so neither doth it distinguish them after their death open the graues and stately monuments and we shall see Kings and Princes and great men turned to dust as wel as poor men Finally the riches of the world caÌ„not stand vs in stead at the day of iudgment for at that day the Lord the iust iudge Psal 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. will reward euery man according to his workes he will not respect rich men according to the honour which they haue with men but according to the honour which they haue Solae virtutes faciunt beatum Macrob. done to him and comfort to his poore members he will not esteeme men for their wealth but according how they haue vsed it to his glory and the good of their brethren Then they that Pâ—o. 21. 21. haue followed after righteousnesse and mercy shall finde life righteousnesse glory But those which in their life haue beene contentious proud and enuious and haue not obeyed the truth Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon euerie soule and the riches Rom. 2. 8. which they haue had shall witnesse against them because they haue not vsed them to glorifie their Creator Thus by Gods Iam. 5. 3. mercy we haue traced the rich man through the whole course of his life and death wee haue laid him downe in his graue haue summoned him vp to iudgement and haue found out the inabilitie of riches to profit him in life death and day of iudgement in all which wee haue seene the truth of this point That a man is not profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule But alasse riches are so farre from profiting vs as that they are the cause of much euill to soule and body For they that will bee rich fall into temptations 1 Tim. 6. 9. and into many dangerous lusts The loue of money made Balaam aduenture to make a long Numb 24. iourney to go to curse the people of God For hope of reward Dalilah was alâ—ured to betray Sampson her beloued husband Hope of preferment will make Doeg flatter Saul and speake euill of Dauid the beloued of the 1 Sam. 22. 10. 2 Sam. 15. 2. Lord. And Absolon will seeke his Fathers life to gaine his Kingdome If Ioab may but get the chiefe Captainship hee 2 Sam. 10. will make no scruple to kill Amasa And Abimelech will embrue his hands in the blood of Iud. 9. 2. threescore and ten of his brethren to make himselfe way to the Crown The loue of money made Iudas sell his Lord and God for thirty peeces the price of a slaue by which meanes he brought the blood of Christ vpon his soule that it had beene good for him if hee had neuer beene borne The loue of gaine so tipt the tongue of Demetrius that he became a subtill Orator to plead for Idolatry The loue of mony made Gehazie run after Naaman with a lie in his mouth 1 King 21. so for a little mony chaÌ„ge of raiment to sell Gods honor and his masters credit The loue of Naboths Vineyard made Ahab purchase a place of pleasure with the price of the blood of his subiect which procured the bane of him and his familie The Babylonish garment and los 7. 21. wedge of Gold made Achan expose himselfe and all the hoast to the iudgement of God The loue of money will make men cruell and vnnaturall Cruell to Mic. 2. 2. couet fields and to take them
by force Vnnaturall that many doe not spare the liues of their owne parents as may bee seene in Absolon his will was good but the Lord disappointed him The Turks as Histories report doe many times imbrue their hands with the blood of the Parents which begat them And cruell Nero ript vp his mothers belly to gaze vpon the place where hee lay in her wombe Many times the loue of Filius anâ—e dâ—cm patrios inquiâ—t in annos Ouid. Met. lib. 1. I say 3. 1â— Zep. 3. 3. Amos 8. 6. their fathers goods makes them sick of their liues wish theÌ„ faire laid in their graues The loue of mony makes men grinde the face of the poore and to buy them for siluer and the needy for a paire of shooes The loue of money is the cause of whoredome and adultery making men and women to embrace strange flesh and so Pro. 2. 17. forget the Couenant of their God The greedy desire which Shimei had to bring backe his seruants 1 Kin. 2. 44. made him aduenture his life The loue of money hope of reward made Ziba to 2 Sam. 16. 3. slander and falsly accuse Mephilosheth his Masters sonne of treason Money made the souldiers Mat. 28. 12 to report a lie when they watched the Lords sepulchre The loue of money makes a man a theefe to himselfe defrauding his belly and backe of necessaries to increase his wealth now hee that is a theefe to himselfe for whom will hee spare hee careth and carketh for his riches as if they were his owne but hee reapeth no benefit by them as if they were another mans And though hee haue riches in abundance yet he hath such a beggerly mind that hee is still poore to himselfe The loue of a wise yoke of Oxen Luke 14. 18 19. and a Farme were forcible means to keepe off those which were bid to the marriage feast Wee may and ought in duty to loue our wiues well yet wee must take heed they doe not hinder our loue to Christ and that they doe not make vs carelesse to performe holy duties wee may buy Farmes Oxen Merchandice and performe all other actions agreeable to our callings so that we doe not neglect our soules health What is there in the world which a man will not doe for money preferment and yet when he hath it it will doe him little or no good Rather then Esau will want pottage he will sell away his birthright And in the Famine of Samaria men and women would part with any thing for food to preserue their liues their gold and siluer for asses dung and other vnwholesome things Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule But yet alas they are so farre from profiting vs as that they hinder vs in the seruice of God and robbe vs of many graces of his spirit wee will therefore for our instruction herein search into the particulars 1. They make vs sluggish lazy and vntoward in the performance of holy duties and to erre from the faith and at last to 1 Tim. 6. 10 forget GOD. This the Lord knew well therefore hee gaue his people a caueat to beware lest they should forget him when Deut. 8. 10 they were full But they vnmindfull of his watch word When they were fat kicked and forsooke Deu. 32. 1â— God which made them and lightly esteemed the rocke of their saluation But according to their pasture Hos 13. 6. so were they filled their hearts were exalted therefore haue they forgotten me saith the Lord. And are not there many among vs as vnthankfull for the Lords mercies which he hath bestowed vpon them which can open their mouthes wide to craue for riches and to prey vpon the things of the world but when they should giue GOD thankes for his mercies sunt multi lapides their tongues are as dead as stones Such are Pondus iners intilis tellus As vngratefull as hard rockes which yeeld no fruit Cages of vncleane birds which being crammed with Gods plenty die in their fatnesse and yeeld forth no notes of Gods praise O foolish Deut. 32. and vnwise people doe you so requite the Lord Hath he opened vnto you the Chabinets of his blessings and doe yee like desperate wretches abuse them to your lusts and his dishonor and like Traitors fight against him with his owne weapons 2. Riches are forcible means to draw away our hearts from GOD and to place them vpon these sordid trumperies that we can spare no time to heare read pray to meditate vpon his mercies to praise him vpoÌ„ his iudgments to feare him For where Mat. 6. 21. our treasure is there is our heart also And so by this meanes we nourish a serpent in our bosomes which will gnaw our Consciences grieue the good Spirit of God hinder our saluation and so make vs to feare any thing more then the losse Arridet mundus vt saeuiat blanditur vt fallat illicit vt occiâ—at extollit vt deprimat of our soules 3. Riches deceiue vs in our hope and expectation perswading vs helpe in time of need and to doe great matters for vs yet when we expect most from them then they will deceiue vs. Did not Achan thinke that the wedge of Gold would haue aduanced him to preferment when as indeed it was the ruine of him and his family Then why Isay 55. doe you lay out your siluer and not for bread and labor without being satisfied Weigh vp therefore your Anchors hoyse vp your sailes for these things wil proue your ruine For hee that trusteth in riches shall fall 4. Riches robbe vs of our faith which is the life of the Hab. 2. 4. Heb. 10. 37 righteous yet for all this the worldling wil trust God no longer then his Corne Wine and Psal 4. 7. Oyle abounds But will place his confidence in the wedge of Gold and say in effect to this glorious Mammon Thou art my hope and confidence the stay of my life and staffe of my age Now that we may not doe these muck-wormes wrong we will examine their practices and I doubt not but wee shall easily draw this confession out of their owne mouthes Doe wee not see how vigilant they are ouer them to preserue them scarce daring to trust themselues with them How niggardly in vsing them that they would bee as willing to part with their right eie as with a penny to any good vse what doth this argue but that they thinke there is some inherent happinesse in them 5. Riches are a great enemy to humility For haue wee not seene many in a meane estate to be courteous meeke gentle but being aduanced they swell with pride against their inferiors and enuy against their superiors and disdaine against their equals contemne those which are better then themselues as churlish Nabal did 1 Sam. 15. Dauid 6. Riches coole
will bee ready to cozen or steale away something from them So let vs watch ouer our riches lest they steale away our hearts from godlinesse dull and dead our affections vnto holy and religious duties or hinder vs in our spirituall voyage to the Land of Canaan or split our earthly vessels vpon the craggie Rocks of presumption or carnall security Thus if wee watch ouer our hearts our riches shall not be our ruine Vse 4 Seeing riches are so vnable to profit vs Then be exhorted in the last place to cast away couetousnesse and let euery man bee content with his owne estate And not repine against Gods prouidence thereby wee shall shew our selues vnthankfull for mercies receiued because we doe not abound in the things of the world as others doe But let vs wisely consider with our selues not so much what others haue as what is fit for vs to haue and what wee haue deserued at Gods hands that he should preferre vs before others Why should wee desire more when as wee haue already more then we deserue The consideration hereof should teach the Children God as to bee content with their owne portion so not to enuy the prosperity of the wicked because God giues them a larger allowance shall our eye bee euill because his is good If we haue food and rayment let vs 1 Tim 6. 8 be therewith content And if God giue vs store of these earthly things take we heed wee doe not set our hearts vpon them Then wee shall bee willing to leaue them when God cals for them and when they take wings and flie away we shall looke after them with a quiet minde as Iob 31. 25. 1. 21. Blessed is that pouerty which vnites our hearts to God Iob did because he did not set his heart vpon his riches when his substance was great therefore he was not grieued when they were taken away but in his greatest losses praises the Lord hauing learned patience and contentednesse as well when he wanted as when hee abounded If God haue giuen vs the comforts of his Spirit the assurance of saluation then let vs learne to bee dieted by him which knowes how ready we are to surfeit vpon these vnwholesome viands which produce such obnoxious humours And let vs know that what wee want in earth shall be supplyed in heauen The Lord will not suffer vs to want those things which in his wisdome he knows to be fit for vs. Therefore Dauid saith Nothing is wanting to them Ps 34. 9. 10 that feare him for the Lord forsaketh not his Saints they shall bee preserued for euermore Therefore psa 37. 28. let vs labour to be content with any estate which God hath chalked out for vs by his prouidence But alas what a lamentable thing it is to see many which professe themselues the Children of God to be so worldly minded that if things goe not according to their minde they will be ready to cal the truth of Gods prouidence in question as appeares by their distrustfull 2 Kin. 6. 33. speeches as if they were borne for no other end then to bee bond-slaues to the world And so by cumbering their mindes with the cares thereof which are in their owne nature so heauy a loade that they hinder them in the pursuit of blessednesse What a burden of torments doth the couetous desire bring with it a disease like to the dropsie the more it hath the more it would Alway thirsty as the Serpent Dipsas which will neuer bee satisfied till it burst If a couetous man might haue his desire and Mydas Aurum cuncta prâ—ecor fiant quae câ—rpore tangam Palin in Tau wish were now to bee obtained the couetous man would haue the deuill all and thus by this meanes he would wrap himself in all misery by neglecting his soules health Brethren what were you borne to bee drudges to the world and so to spend your dayes in seruitude No no you were born to be the Lords free men and to serue him with ioy and gladnesse and not to be slaues to your riches Salomon leuied tribute vpon bondmen and Vassailes and not vpon the Israelites the Lords owne people So let the world leuy her bond-seruice vpon the spirituall Amorites Hittites I meane vpon earth-wormes Vsurers and the like Let them be her drudges and not the true Israel of God which haue him for their Shepherd which will take Psal 23. 5. care they shall want nothing Therefore let vs cast our care vpon God and make our request knowne vnto him which is able to helpe vs and will not faile vs nor sorsake vs If God feed the Rauens shall we think he will let vs and our children want And if we doe want any necessary thing then let vs examine our hearts what may bee the cause haue we serued God as we ought and depended vpon his prouidence if we haue failed in any part how shall we thinke that he will take care of vs Let vs repent for our negligence herein and humble our soules vnder the hand of God and be content to endure hardnesse and scarcitie because we haue sinned against our Maker and haue valued these trifles aboue the glory of God and our owne saluation Learne we then to bee content with our estates and conditions and to praise God and if hee giue vs nothing but bread or feed vs with scarcitie yet let vs know he deales more freely with vs then hee hath done with many which haue better deserued them then wee that haue eate the bread of care and quenched their thirst with the water of affliction Let vs remember Exiguum natura desiderat nature is content with a little Food Rayment was as much as Iacob desired Agur craued Gen. 28. 20. Pro. 30. 1 Tim. 6. 8. but food coÌ„uenient which if God grant vs we ought to be coÌ„tent not to seek after great things here seeing we must leaue them when we die And if the body bee not dieted with moderation it will proue a stubborne seruant to the soule making it fit for nothing but thorny cogitations which are the greatest enemies to grace or good exercises The wise heathen could teach vs moderations in these Si ad naturam viuis nunquam eris pauper si ad opinionem nunquam diueâ— Epist 161. What the wise heathen thought of riches things Seneca that Christian Ethnick as Erasmus stiles him hath a witty saying of Epicurus If thou liuest saith he according to nature thou shalt neuer bee poore but if according to opinion thou shalt neuer be rich They feared lest these earthly things would steale away their hearts from their studies in Philosophie therefore they despised these base and mundane trifles Annacreon hauing a huge masse of money sent him by Policrates could neuer rest till he was rid of it againe therefore he sent it backe againe saying That he neuer liued in such feare as hee did while he
musing how they may be braue and trying what fashion will become them best by which meanes it comes to passe that they haue little leasure to adorne their soules with sauing grace as knowledge faith and repentance wherupon it is that our gallants are so ignorant in spirituall matters 3. This excesse in apparell causeth many men and women to runne in debt which is the very bane of a quiet minde and so become seruile slaues and are forced to put vp many harsh wordes at the hands of the Pro 22. 7. lender 4. As they torment and discrutiate their mindes and bring desolation vpon their temporal estates so also they wrap themselues vnder the iudgement of Isay 2. 11. God for their brauery Vse Be exhorted then you that feare GOD to weane your hearts from this sinfull vanity and labour to decke them with the sauing graces of Gods spirit the wedding garment of faith and labour to be couered with the long white Robe of Christs innocency so that thy Reu. 3. 18. filthy nakednesse may not appeare that so thou being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ thou mayest at the Rom. 13. 14. day of refreshing follow the LAMBE wheresoeuer hee Reu. 7. 13. 14. goeth Q. Oh but may some say how shall I weane my heart from this sinfull vanitie Answ Euery mischiefe is best auoided by opposing against him his contrary so the best way to preuent pride is to arme our selues with humilitie and stop this filthy disease in the beginning and therefore the Poets counsell in this case is very good Obsta principijs sero medicina pâ—ratur Ouid. Cum mala per longas conualuere moras And another very fitly seconds him saying Stop the beginnings and you shall be sure All dangerous diseases to helpe and cure Pride sinketh to hell but humilitie lifteth to heauen Pride is the first step to Apostasie and being opposed to God is the greatest sinne in man for all other vices are to be taken heed of in sinnes but this in good doing lest those things which be laudibly done be lost in the desire of praise follow Christ who is humble and meeke Ecce habes humilitatis exemplum superbiae medicamentum in whom thou hast an example of humilitie and a medicine against pride Call to minde thy base metall from what thou camest what now thou art and whither thou must goe at length What is man an vnprofitable Telluris inutile pondus Gen. 3. Iob. 10. 9. lumpe of earth Man was earth he is earth and to earth he shall returne againe What is man his matter is base Slime and Clay his nature weak and feeble his birth paine and sorrow his life vaine and miserable his state slipperie and vncertaine his sinnes horrible and filthy and his end grieuous and loathsome Why swellest thou O man thou filthy matter why art thou inflamed Thy Prince is humble and art thou proud Oh earth earth earth cast downe thy Peacocks feathers looke downe whither thou must and bee ashamed consider how GOD hath seuerely punished pride in all ages and hath rewarded humilitie Let the consideration hereof make vs all labour for humilitie There remaines another kinde of pride and that is of a mans gifts of nature or grace but I intend to speake of that when I come to handle the vanity of men in hunting after vaine glorie and popular applause vnto which place I refer the discreet Reader And to put a period to this point of pride in apparell let all those which are so curious in decking their bodies with quaint attire take heed they doe not forget to deck their soules with the pearles of sobriety and humility and therefore follow not the foolish fashion of the world and if any new fangled fashion come vp be thou the first to pul it downe so shalt thou shew thy selfe a patterne for modest matrons to imitate And thus we haue done with pride in apparell Doe we take delight in beautie what is beautie if it bee separated from grace but pleasing vanitie Beautie according Pro. 31. 30. to Saint Augustines definition Is a proportionall agreement of all Pulchritudo corporis est congruentia partium cum quadam coloris suaeuitate Aug. â—d Nebr. the parts of the body ioyned with a certaine sweetnesse of colour and countenance Which in its owne nature is good as being the gift of GOD which hee hath bestowed vpon many of his children as vpon Sarah Rebecca Rachel Naomi Abigail Esther the daughters of Iob but wee shall Iob 42. 15. haue little neede to perswade any to the loue of this seeing all men by instinct of nature doe reuerence and respect it The Poet long agoe could say Forma corporis Dei munus Ouid. that Beauty is the gift of God yet through the corruption of nature this blessing is much abused and made a snare to intangle many and therefore wee are to account it among those common blessings which hee bestowes vpon the wicked as wel as vpon his owne children as vpon Saul Adoniah Absolâ—n 1 Sam. 9. 2 1 Kin. 1. 6. Pulcritudo corporis bonum Dei donum est sed propteria id largitur etiam malis ne mâ—gnum bonum videatur bonis Aug de Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 22. Pro. 31. 30. 2 Sam. 14. 25. Beautie indeed is the gift of God but hee hath bestowed it on the euill also lest it might seeme to the godly to be of any value yea hee hath bestowed it on the dumbe creatures as the Peacocke Swan yea the Lillies exceed Salomon in al his royalty therefore we are not to doate vpon it for the Wise man saith It is vaine and deceitfull and experience shewes that sicknesse care griefe or the scrach of a pin wil deface it and the Sunne quickly alter it If it were an absolute blessing the Sunne that glorious creature would not so soone deface it Therefore Chrysostom saith to the vertuous in his time I doe not saith Nolo pulcritudinem câ—rpoâ—oris honestatem mentis requiro in Psal 50. Hom. 1. he so much require the beautie of the bodie as the honesty of the minde But seeing it is so esteemed and ouer-valued let it bee the wisedome of the godly to turne the edge of their loue from this deceitfull vanitie which is better many times to those which see it then those which haue it to that perfect and vndeceiuable beautie of Pulchrius est pulchâ—uÌ„ fieri quam nasci illud enim casus hoc studij est Petrar the minde adorned with the saÌ„ctifying grace of Gods Spirit as lowlinesse of minde brotherly kindnesse and the bowels of compassion to the poore these are perpetuall and durable sicknesse and disgrace cannot blemish vertue But alas this carnall beauty is so farre from profiting vs or helping vs in the way of godlinesse as that many times through the corruption of nature it proues the bane of the Rara est
Church to heare his Minister but alas he growes weary quickly and out of heart his Minister speakes no Latine nor Greeke and so he thinkes it is lost time to heare such a homely Sermon But alas poor ignorant soule if thou wert coÌ„demned to die thou wouldst be glad to heare thy pardoÌ„ read vnto thee in plain English wthout any other curious matter but thy Princes haÌ„d to ratifie it but now God must seÌ„d thee thy pardon and set it forth in such eloquent words as may best please thee else thou wilt haue none of it as if GOD were bound to saue thee a coÌ„demned slaue to feed thy eares with fine speeches But if these curious dainty hearers were examined in the points of saluatioÌ„ as of faith repentance the meaning of any of the Commandements or of the Articles of our Faith I feare many of them which carry their heads full high would bee found to be as grosely ignorant as euer Nicodemus was and would bee as ready to make as simple an answere as the Disciples of Ephesus Act. 19. 2. did when the Apostle asked them if they had receiued the Holy Ghost they told him plainely that they had not so much as heard whether there bee a Holy Ghost or noâ— What a vaine thing is it then to hunt after those things which will doe vs no good How much better were it to be busied in matters of greater importance and not to please our selues in such knotty questions which haue ensnared better iudgements then our owne Parum placent cae literae qua ad virtutem non profuerant Salust de Bel. Iurg The very Heathen doe condemne our vanity herein who tell vs that That learning doth vs little good which doth not helpe vs forward in vertuous courses For what wil it auaile men to be accounted subtill and acute Logicians to finde out arguments and to be as able to discourse and as skilfull in disputation as the men of Gibeah were in slinging that they could sling at a haires bredth when as they are not able to find out that good and perfect Will of God nor able to confute the subtill sophistry of Sathan what will it profit men to be plausible RhetoriciaÌ„s to perswade others vnto what they Melius est é duobus impeâ—fectis rustâ—c tatem sanctam habere quam eloquentiam peccatricem Hieron list by masking a false cause with a faire glosse if they haue not sanctified eloquence to perswade and assure themselues of their owne saluation What will it profit men to be good Grammarians and to haue the knowledge of all tongues and to be able to negotiate with strangers of all Kingdomes without an interpreter yet for all this not to be able to speak the language of Canaan which is gloria in excelsis What wil it profit men to be skilfull in the secrets of numbers if they want skill to number Knowledg without vertue and learning without good liuing are like trees without fruit their dayes that they may apply their hearts vnto wisedome What would it profit men if they could with Salomon diue into the secrets of nature and yeeld a reason of all things if they be ignorant of the corruption of their nature and of the meanes how to bee freed from it Therfore that godly learned Ex curiositate non solum friuolae sed etiam noâ—iae quaestiones scaturiunt ex quibus nulla vtilitas elici potest Caluin instit lib. 3. cap. 25. Neoterick hath well obserued that froÌ„ this bitter root of cursed curiositie innumerable questions do bud blossom in the mindes of men which are not onely friuolous but very hurtfull to them that aske them Let hearers then be content with those things which may Pluris est vna gultula sapientâ—ae diuinae quam vastiss pelagus sapientiae huius mundi Stella de contemptu mundi Dum nugâ—s tenemus opinionum riuâ—los consectemur ipsum veritatis foutem amittimus Hier. epist profit them for their soules healths and not puffe them vp for a little heauenly knowledge is better then all the froathie knowledge of the world for while we hunt after trifles many times the truth slips from vs before wee are aware yet many good DIVINES are herein faultie which by their too often quoting Poets and schoolmen cause the people to make little difference betweene the pure Word of God and the authority of man whose breath is in his nostrils Hence it comes to passe that many times they omit that which should be the summe of a Preacher to teach the people to feare God and honour the King This popular applause and vaine glory many times makes men of weake iudgment to out-goe themselues and so by thinking to make a shew of learning they bewray their own ignorance and so proue as tedious to their hearers as a muddy way is to a weary Trauailer and being neerly touched they appeare nothing else but empty bags Nomine grammatici re barbari Therefore men must take heed that they meddle not with matters aboue their vnderstanding and looke that they vse not their mouthes to spruce Inkhorne termes and swelling words bumbasted with the flockes of sundry languages as Cleantes and Chrysippus did in their painted Rhetorick which that wise heathen hath so sharply Cicer. de fiâ— lib. 4. rebuked hereby they shew themselues good Nurses for Nugarum matrem virtutum Nouercam Bern. vanity but Step-dames for vertue But let no man mistake me as if hereby I seemed to mislike learning no I am so farre from condemning it as that I honor it wheresoeuer I finde it for learning in it selfe is good and an excellent blessing of God adorning the minde with naturall gifts mollifying the roughnesse of nature and sitting it to receiue the seedes of knowledge therefore to neglect it when it may bee had is to tempt God with an high hand It is not then the vse of learning Crimen non est in rebus sed in vsu agentis Greg. moâ— lib 9. e. 28. that I speake against but the abuse when men labour to set vp themselues and so seeke to rob God of his glory Vse Seeing then learning is such an excellent thing let vs pray vnto God to sanctifie it to vs and then to make a sanctified vse of it by imploying it so that God may be honoured and the Church edified for that is true Saâ—ientia illa clara est non quae verbis volat sed quae virtutibâ—s constat Greg. in mor. Psal 11. 10 Ps 19. 7. Iam. 3. 13. Vera SapieÌ„tia est thesaurus quae solum in agâ—o scripturarum nascitur Hieron in c wisedome which doth not flie in the winde of words but consists in the operation of vertue Now this true wisedome is to bee craued onely at the hands of God which onely giueth wisedome to the simple and this true wisdome is a treasure which groweth onely in the field
of the Scripture where the man of God may bee instructed in whatsoeuer belongeth to policy Ciuilitie and Christianitie for this life or for the life to come If wee would know our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier we may see them described in the Scripture in which is contained a salue for euery sore Then those are much to blame which leaue this pure Many striue rather to speake tunably to the care then powerfully to the heart delighting more â—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 〈…〉 〈◊〉 to p 〈…〉 theiâ— heaâ—erâ— and â—â— charge their dutie before God Pro. 19. 23. fountaine of running water and digge vnto themselues Cisternes that will hold no water such mens maine end is to bee admired for their learning by which they hope to gaine popular applause Now this ambition many times waiteth vpon Gods deare Children which makes them many times sacrifice to their owne nets and to seek theÌ„selues not the Lord Iesus therfore the Lord doth ofteÌ„ depriue them of their hopes and frustrate their expectation and so brings downe the pride of man that thereby hee may make way for his owne glory As then the office of a Preacher is a Calling of great reuerence Reu. 2. 8. God himselfe dignifying them with the title of Angels whose tongues hee hath consecrated to comfort the deiected instruct the ignorant and direct the simple Therefore all those which are called to this high calling should not bee greene plants but well seasoned timber grounded in knowledge and experience that they may be able to maintaine their Masters cause and by sound arguments defend the truth powerfully and perswade to the loue of vertue pithily and not to abuse that learning knowledge God hath giuen them to iangling and contention as many of the Separation haue done who hauing a great desire to bee taken for singular wise men and zealous professors and being puft vp with a vaine opinion conceiued of themselues and of their owne knowledge haue laboured for to sow contention in the Church and to displant good order established whereby it comes to passe that not onely weak ChristiaÌ„s are amazed but also the hearts of many are alienated from obedience to lawful authoritie These men being further wrapt in deuotion then they can wade through with discretion yet vnder the colour of zeale for reformation in the Church they haue disgraced the gouernment as if Gods Spirit inforced them to passe the bounds of Christian modesty Touching those that carpe at the present estate of Church-discipline it lies not in the limits of my Text to say much yet thus much I wil say though many things may seeme to be misliked as not so precisely good to them that look a far off with a sleight imagination yet may very well be tolerated in policie to keepe peace and quietnesse for it is no sure course to goe about to change lawes and to breake downe discipline which is already established to please the itching fancies of those humorous Sectaries which delight in nothing but innouatioÌ„ lest therwith all comelines good order be ouerthrown Dauids resolutioÌ„ is Ps 39. 1 2. worne out of date he said hee would looke to his wayes that he did not sin with his tongue but now a dayes men are falne from Dauids practise to be busie bodies to prie and to looke into matters of State and to censure and carpe at the gouernment of the Church which was so graciously established by that vertuous Princesse of blessed memory Queene ELIZABETH now as glorious a Saint in heauan as euer shined in this our hemisphere and since ratified and confirmed by two learned Kings vpon the examinarion of the learned Clergy confirmed by the Peeres and Nobilitie and subscribed vnto by the Commons by the powerfull authoritie of that honourable Court of Parliament and now many yeares experience bath taught vs to bee peacefull and religious yet for all this they can see Moates in the Church but care not for searching their owne hearts and reforming their crooked manners and so being puft vp with singularitie they thinke they are able to instruct the wisedome of the State without booke when as they cannot learne obedience their owne duty in all the bookes in the world Brethren what meane you to pry into those things which are aboue your reach and cannot be fathomed by your shallow conceits God be thanked the graue Senators which sit at the sterne doe foresee dangers and godly discreetly and prouidently preuent them and so doe preserue and protect vs in peace and quietnesse and so we may long enioy our happinesse if our vnthankfulnesse to God and vndutifulnesse to our Gouernours doe not hinder it Therefore seeing by them wee enioy great quietnesse and that very worthy deedes are done Act. 24. 23. vnto this nation by their prouidence wee ought to acknowledge it with all thankfulnesse wherefore in stead of prying into matters aboue our reach let vs remember that the time will shortly come that we shall be called to giue account of our owne stewardships then wee shall finde that it is better to bee of small learning with humilitie then to bee profoundly learned with a proud minde There is a second branch which springs from this bitter root of vaine glory and popular applause and they are those pragmaticall censurers and curious obseruers of other mens liues and actions that can marke and obserue the slips and infirmities of their brethren to disgrace them but lacke an eye to see their owne filthy conuersation but let vs remember againe that wee must giue account of our owne Stewardship and not of others What can wee spare so much of our short time to prie into others and can finde so little to ransack our owne hearts Surely to bee curious in scanning other mens liues and carelesse of our owne is certainly an argument of an euill minde and a great signe of an vnsanctified heart if thou wilt needes bee prying into other mens conuersations looke into the state of the poore and needy behold their faces pale and wan their cloathes ragged and torne Be thou as Iob was An eye to the blinde feet to the lame and a comfort to the needie this is the way to gaine honour and praise of men when the loynes of the poore shall blesse thee and the Lord will reward thee Possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant Worldly things when wee haue them they load vs when we loue them they defile vs when wee lose them they vexe vs. at the day of his appearing Thus wee haue diued into the pleasing delights of the world and haue found out their insufficiency to profit vs in life and death come wee now to consider of the world in it self As all worldly things are vaine and insufficient in their vse and vnable in themselues to doe vs good for our soules and our bodies so the world it selfe is momentany and mutable momentany in regard of it selfe as at the first it
was a confused Chaos so some shall liue to see it passe away as a scroule or squib in the Aire so also it is mutable in regard of vs who are changeable and subiect to alteration If the world could alwayes continue yet could not wee for one generation must passe Eccles 1. 4. Quod breuiter dâ—râ—t quis prudens quaerere curat away and another come in their place Then what wise man would set vp his rest vpon such an vncertaine place so vnable to doe vs good what is the world a vale of misery a sinke of sinne a Court of Sathan a purgatory of paine a mother to the wicked and a Step-dame to the godly where the proud are aduanced without desert and the vertuous oppressed without cause What is the world a second hell full of ambitious desires wicked wiles and deuillish intents a cruell Serpent that biteth vs with her teeth scratcheth vs with her nailes and swelleth vs with her poyson much like Laban who made poore Iacob serue seuen yeares for faire Rachel and in the end deceiued him with foule Leah Euen so dealeth the world with vs promising health wealth long life and in the end deceiueth vs with sicknesse pouertie and death What is the World her musicke is griefe sorrow shame and paine her wealth misery nothing is to be looked for in it but troubles following one another as Iobs messengers Some are pinched with pouerty and ouerwhelmed with misery some vexed with strife and contention some tortured w th sicknesse boyles and vlcers some amazed with crosses losses and the like some one way some another way in so much that if an old man should consider the dangers of his life from his birth to his graue he might wonder how he could bee able to endure so painfull a iourney What is the world no place to continue in all mankinde are either strangers or straglers 1 Pet. 2. 11 Heb. 11. 13 the godly they are Strangers and Pilgrimes so the godly haue confessed and the wicked they are Straglers howsoeuer they take their portion in this life yet at last they must away Psa 17. 14. Act. 1. 25. with Iudas to their owne home Then what a vaine thing is it to build vp Tabernacles of rest here of whose fauour and loue there can be no certaintie for the world it selfe is subiect to change looke vpon the earth it waxeth weake and feeble for age and therefore not so fruitfull as in times past looke vp to the heauens they are not free from mutabilitie the Sunne and the Moone haue their ecclipses the times vary chaÌ„ge one with another Summer with winter day with night looke vpon the world sometime it flourisheth and abounds with delights and seemes to be as the garden of God as Sodom and her neighbour Cities and presently turned into ashes Look vpon the Assyrian Babylonian Monarchy for a time Master of the world but at last was fain to yeeld to the Monarchy of the Medes Persians they at last were forced to stoop to the Grecians and they to submit to the Romanes So that wee see that the glory of the Nations was quickly laide in the dust And haue not wee liued to see many in our dayes which haue shined as the Starres which in a moment haue vanished away like a Comet haue not our eies beheld and our eares heard the setting of as glorious stars as euer shined in the World since the death of Iosiah I meane the setting of that glorious Princess of euerliuing memory Queene Elizabeth the Phoenix of her age whose name shall smell as precious as euer Maries oyntment in the nostrils of all true hearted English as also the going Dum tumu lum cernis our non mortalia sperâ—is downe of the Sunne of that prudeÌ„t learned godly prince King Iames of blessed memory who was in vertue excellent in glory renowned in gouernment politick remouing debate by diligent foresight filling our hearts with the fruit of peace yet for all this though they Quid valet hic mundus quid gloria quidue triumphus Sic transit gloria mundi were great in Gods fauour yet they died When God doth call Nature must obey Alexander that conquered the world could finde no weapon to conquer death Man in honour must not continue Brethren what meane you then to set vp your rest in such an vncertaine place What hath Christ redeemed you from the world and will you bee partners with the deuill in possessing it it wil shortly passe away perish before your eies and yet will you make it your God What madnesse is it to repose hope felicity in that which is nothing els but troubles to our bodies disquietnes to our minds inticements of vice to our children seedes of enuy to our neighbours the bait of sinne the snare of the soule and the gate of death The world is like vnto Salomons harlot that layes open her breasts to intice Trauellers and Strangers the two Dugs whereof are profit and pleasure with the first shee deales like Hypomanes and Attalanta who being to runne a race for a kingdome Hypomanes casting a ball of gold on this side and that side so besotted Attalanta that for to gaine the gold she lost the victory so doth the world mis-lead the gold desiring Merchant With the second the world deales like Cyrces who alluring Grillus to taste of her drugs made him so drunke with the pleasure thereof as that he neither remembred the dignitie of his person nor sight of his Country so deales the world with the pleasurable worldling But of this point we haue spokeÌ„ enough yet for all this so linckt in league are wee with the world that we can bee content to hazzard our saluation for the vncertaine inioying of it If we look vpon the rich Giants of the world which ioyne house to house and land to land to maintaine their proud backes golden heads and dainty throats they haue power to get riches policie to keepe them and time to possesse them but they want hearts to vse them they build great and gorgious houses as if they should liue for euer and surfeit themselues with dainty diet as if they should die to morrow hauing lesse charitie to the poore then the Deuill he desired to haue stones turned into bread but they turne Beefe and bread which was wont by the charity of the godly to feed the poore these they turne into stones to raise vp their Babel and into Silkes and Veluets to maintain them in their brauery and so by this means they haue almost brought the Common-wealth into ruine for there was neuer good house kept by Gentlemen since the Tailer measured their lands by the yard for now while they striue to aduance themselues on high they fearefully plunge their soules in misery But woe to such fat Buls of Bashan without speedy repentance they shall bee turned into hell and al the people that forget God
desire for the things of this earth which can stand by them no longer then their liues yet saies the Poet Impiger extremâ—s â—urrit Mercator ad Indos If riches may be had in India Turkie or any other places though neuer so dangerous yet the greedy worldling will venture his life rather then he will goe without them The husbandman what pains and care will hee take rising early and going to bed late for the things of this life faring hard and going thin sparing from back and belly to aduance himselfe in the world what tortures and troubles and paines will a sicke man endure for to gaine health he will be contented to haue a legge or an arme cut and lanced to preserve and gain health he wil endure fretting tents and corroding plaisters and depriue himselfe of pleasure nay many times he wil be content the endure the cutting off of his legge arme or other of his members for the preseruing of the health of his body If Naaman can recouer 2 Kin. 5. 17 helpe for his Leprosie hee will spare for no cost Oh how carefull are men for their bodies and states but how carelesse for their soules they will be sure to looke to their estates and make them sure by good aduice from their learned Counsell but for their soules they take little or no care Oh how ought we to break out into teares for the carelesnesse of our owne saluation what a Childhood and youth haue we spent in ignorance and vanitie and how carelesse haue wee beene to serue God and saue our soules Nay what enemies haue wee beene to our owne saluation what filthy and vncleane thoughts haue wee harboured in our hearts what filthy words haue we vttered w th our tongues how often haue we sworne lyed blasphemed God and taken his name in vaine how often haue our hearts disdained and enuied not only our Superiours whom wee should haue honoured but also scorned and despised our Inferiours equals whom we should haue loued and respected as our selues how haue we spent our daies in ignorance of God and of our owne fearfull estate spending our daies in idlenesse pride and all manner of prophanenesse presumption of Gods mercy and turning his grace into wantonnesse grieuing his Spirit and wounding our owne consciences how should the consideration hereof cause vs to powre forth our soules in godly sorrow before the Lord because we haue offended our Maker sinned against our Redeemer grieued the Holy Spirit wronged our Neighbours and so haue deserued damnation and to be cast out from the presence of the Lord for euer and as we haue cause to weepe and mourne for our sinnes and for that wee haue neglected the care of our owne saluation so also we are to mourne and lament to see others so carelesse of their saluation some sell their soules some carelesly lose them 1. Some sell them as Ahab and as some wrangling and corrupt Lawyers which haue Linguam venalem a tongue to bee sould which for a paltrie fee will many times stretch his conscience by maintaining a false cause or marring a good to the vndoing of his Neighbour Mistake me not I speake not of all Lawyers for some are conscionable and iust in their proceedings The couetous man hath Animam venalem a soule to sell for the base thick clay of this world which cannot bee redeemed with all the world So the voluptuous man he sels his soule for pleasure as Esau did his Birth-right esteeming more the pleasures of sinne which last but for a season then the saluation of his soule The proud man hee sells his soule for aduancement as Alexander the sixt for the Popedome GOD he commands vs in the first Commandement to haue no other Gods but him alone yet the proud man will make Honour his god the couetous man the wedge of gold his god the voluptuous man his belly his god The first of Phâ—l 3. 19. Iohannis de Combis compen theol lib. 5. cap. 10. these as one well saith hath his Idoll in the Ayre the second on the earth the third in the water 2. Some lose their soules as the carnall Gospellers who thinke if they be not guilty of the crying sinnes of Sodome nor Gen. 18. 20 Isa 1. 18. of the crimson sinnes of Israel nor of the bitter sinnes of Simon Magus they thinke they are in good case though their liues abound with ignorance and prophanenesse and their soules with manie infirmities their liues with many deformities which they take no notice of Alas poore soules what good will it doe you at the great day of account when man cannot iustly charge with crime when God and your owne conscience knowes you want the wedding garment of faith it is not sufficient to bee cleansed from the one vnlesse ye bee furnished with the other else being weighed in the Dan. 5. 27. ballance of Gods Iustice yâ—e shall be found too light Others lose their soules by trifling away their time like idle people in the market while other are buying they stand gaping after the sinfull vanities of the world and thinke if they doe as their Neighbours do come to Church although it be for fashions sake they are in very good case though all this while their mindes roue and wander after their worldly businesse and so for want of watchfulnesse they betray their soules into Sathans hands and wrap themselues vnder that curse of doing the worke of the Lord negligently Others so liue that vnlesse all be saued it is impossible but they shall be damned because they loue like and continue in their miserable estate of nature being so chained in their sinnes and iniquities that they cannot stir one foot to heauen-ward yet for all this they doe not consider their miserable state and condition that they are slaues to sinne for whosoeuer Iohn 8. 34. Eph. 2. 3. committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and his seruants ye are to Rom. 6. 16 whom ye obey Nay by nature we are the children of wrath and heires of hell and bound ouer to the curse of the law Gal. 3. 10 Deut. 27. 2 6. and so lyable to all crosses and calamities at our death to be haled by Sathan into Hell This fearefull and miserable condition is farre worse then the bondage of Turkes and BarbariaÌ„s for theirs though it be cruell yet it extends but to the body and cannot hurt the soule the most that Tyrants can doe is but to take away our liues and depriue vs of our liberty but this bondage is spirituall and depriues vs of Gods Image in our soules In the other there may be possibility of escaping that miserable bondage either by feare force or fauour or at least-wise our paines may bee mittigated if not death will set vs free but in this boÌ„dage as we are vnable to set our selues free so wee are vnwilling to be freed and are the greatest enemies to our owne saluation for
SathaÌ„ hauing got possessioÌ„ of vs deales w th vs as the BabyloniaÌ„s did with Zedekiah first put out his eies and then bound him in chaynes so doth Sathan hee puts out the eyes of our vnderstanding and then bindes vs with the chaynes of ignorance hypocrisie hardnesse of heart so that to our vnability wee our selues adde vnwillingnesse to come out and so by hating to be reformed we plunge our selues vnrecouerably vnder the wrath of GOD pleasing our selues in our ignorance blindnesse and hardnesse of heart and so hauing lost the harmony of a good Conscience we vse varietie of obiects to take away tediousnesse and get some Iubal or other to play vpon the Organ to make vs merry with our sinnes In this corporall bondage wee haue a feeling of our misery and so sigh and groane vnder the burthen of it but this bondage is spirituall pleasing and delightfull to our nature so that we are so farre from being weary of it that if any one seek to set vs free out of this slauery we hate him scorne him and deride him and so put backe the meanes of saluation from vs. Brethren what cruelty is this to neglect the meanes of our soules health which was bred and brought vp with vs and which hath spent and wasted her selfe in our seruice to minister strength and reliefe to our bodies and shall not we take care to preserue it and to vse all meanes that it may bee saued God hath shut it vp in our breasts that it may be alwayes in readinesse to supply our wants and shall wee not take care to preserue it from destruction our soules are shut vp in a darke dungeon which is neither lightsome nor pleasaÌ„t but darke and dirtie and full of all manner of vncleannesse and poluted with our originall and actuall sinnes which made the the Apostle cry out O wretched man who shall deliuer me from this Rom. 7. 24 body of death If our soules had tongues to speake for themselues they would crie out against vs for our great cruelty in that wee starue them for want of food and robbe them of heauenly comforts and scarce allow them a good meale in a whole yeare Brethren what food is to the bodie such is the Word of God to the soule now if by chance wee come where any good matter is to bee handled so cruell are many to their soules that they choake and dead them by drunkennesse surfeiting or other vncleanesse or filthy vanity so that their soules take little or no comfort by the Word Sacrament or Christian communication As for the Sabbath day which should be spent holy and religiously vnto God we spend it many of vs most prophanely vngodly as if wee had no part in the Creation of the world nor redemption of it by Iesus Christ For where is the man that bridles his desires to saÌ„ctifie that day as he ought if God should now looke downe from heauen to behold the sonnes of men vpon earth should he not finde many a Master and Father many a Mother and many a Mistris either snorting or lazing vpon their beds prating walking trimming smoothing themselues vpoÌ„ that day on that time which they should haue spent for their soules health And yet alas so carelesse are they of their soules that they thinke that time is lost which is spent for their good Should hee not also finde many a Child many a Seruant nay perhaps many a father many a master drinking swilling gaming and peraduenture whoring vpon this day or at leastwise swearing fighting or quarelling or bargaining or chopping or changing But how few among many of vs should he finde praying reading and meditating vpon the Word of God and his righteous iudgements Men are very carefull for their bodies but very carelesse of their soules But O foolish people will you watch and take care to keepe your Chickens from the Kite your Lambs from the Wolfe your Pigions and Conies from the Vermine and will you take no care for your soules The soule being once lost it is impossible to recouer it againe other losses may be recouered but this cannot If Iob lose his health wealth and Children yet they may bee recouered either by Gods blessing vpon our labours or else by the charitie of friends but if thy soule bee once lost there is no recouery thousand of Rams and ten thousand riuers of Oyle will then do vs no good Saint Chysostom hath well obserued Omnia Deus dâ—dit duplicia animam vero vnam Chry. ad pop Antioch Hom. 22. Nullo remedio sarciri nullo precio redimi potest Chrys Hom. 56. that God in the frame of the body hath giuen man two eyes two eares two hands two feete c. that if one faile the other may supply the want but hee hath giuen him but one soule so that if that bee lost there is no supply to bee had no meanes can repaire it no price can redeeme it all the world cannot recompence it for what would it auaile vs to haue the wisedome and riches of Salomon the strength of Sampson and the beautie of Absolon and to enioy the blessings of the world as long a life as Methushelah liued if at our death Gen. 5. 27. Daretur caro Verminibus anima daemonibus Isodor de Summo bono our flesh shall be made a booty for the Wormes and our soules a prey for the Deuill Oh consider this all you that forget God and are carelesse of your owne saluation GOD hath made man a most glorious creature and therefore all creatures admire serue him the woÌ„der of the world now as nothing is so glorious in earth as man so there is nothing so glorious in man as his soule which man himselfe should admire and by all meanes seeke the welfare of it for this is our glory our life saue this and saue all But oh the carelesnesse of many nay the most of vs all for that which should be our chiefest care wee are lesse carefull our soules are more worth then all the world yet men now so liue as if their soules were of no worth How iustly may we take vp that sad complaint of the Prophet The Ier. 12. 11. whole land is made desolate because no man layeth it to heart all manner of sinnes doe now so abound pride hypocrisie selfe-loue and crueltie prophanenesse and Atheisme haue gotten the vpper hand and men doe so liue that they thinke they haue no soule to saue euery man spends his dayes in pleasure and following his owne delights as if God had sent vs hither for no other end but to sport and play and follow the lusts of our owne hearts Brethren hath God created vs in his owne Image that wee should so vilely and dispitefully deface it hath Christ redeemed vs with such a price to saue our soules and shall wee so negligently and wilfully cast them away the wise-man saith God hath created all things for Pro. 16.
for heauenly our labour here may procure vs maintenance and what we want may be supplyed by the Charitie of our friends but no man can redeeme his soule Wee may win the world as Alexander did and yet for all this lose our soules Oh consider this all yee that forget GOD and are carelesse of your saluation we will bee at great cost for the assurance of our lands and for gaine wee will trauell farre and to bee sure of promotion we will endure much toyle and drudgery and shall we take no paines to be assured of heauen the gaine of glory and the saluation of our soules Naturally we are moued to seeke after those things by which wee may escape losse and gaine some good but oh the carelesnes of the most of vs for the saluation of our soules Men study to become learned they labour for friends striue for riches and seeke for promotion because the benefit of theÌ„ is much for mans welfare the want of them is held to be very hurtfull without them men are iudged but miserable yet riches honour are nothing so auaileable for vs here learning and friends cannot make them happy that haue them vnlesse they be assured of the saluation of their soules but alas we are like Balaam wee can wish that our soules may die the death of the righteous but are vnwilling to liue their life we would with Diues fare delicately euery day and yet with Lazarus looke for heauen at our ending Thus we passe our dayes in the sinfull vanities of the world and are carelesse of our owne saluation and so spending our dayes in pleasure suddenly we sink down into hell Oh but may some say God forbid wee should bee so carelesse for our soules as to lose them for the world wee hope we haue more care then so Vnto whom I answere if you be so carefull as you say you are what meanes that rising vp early and going to bed late what toyling carking caring for the world like the bleating lowing of the Amalekites sheep and Oxen what meanes that excessiue care for the belly and backe these cry so loud that men may see that the care of the most is for the world and the least care is for the soule the most precious Iewel we haue But thou that sayest thou art so careful for thy soule let me aske thee a question or two and let thy Conscience answer before God that knows the secrets of thy heart Doe you feele as great thirst after righteousnes as euer at any time you haue felt after drinke to refresh your drie body or as great a desire after Gods Kingdome as the Couetous man hath after money is your principall care night and day how you may please God canst thou sorrow and mourne more for sinne and for the losse of Gods fauour then for the losse of any worldly estate Canst thou put vp wrongs and iniuries done thee patiently and quietly and see Gods hand in them as Dauid did the cursing of Shimei If these things thou doest out of a good Conscience then I say thou art carefull for thy soule But on the contrary art thou a willing seruant of sinne more willing to doe what thy lust leads thee vnto then what God commands Doest thou bestow vpon the world that loue feare ioy delight strength and time which God challengeth and the godly in all ages haue beene carefull to performe and giue vnto him then where is thy care for thy soule doth thy life and couersation agree better with the wil of the Deuill then with the Will of God dost thou take more care paines to fulfil the Will of the flesh and Sathan then in doing what God requireth If thus thou doest for shame neuer say thou takest care for thy soule for the deuils take as much care as thou doest If the righteous can hardly bee saued where shall the prophane sinners appeare if they which haue set their faces towards heauen all the dayes of their life shall scarce be saued what shall become of those that haue set their faces against heauen all their life If wee haue care of our soules as wee ought where is our zeale to God-ward where is our reuerend feare of his Maiesty where is our seruice and obedience wee yeeld vnto our Lord and God where is our very reason that makes vs differ from beasts which by the instinct of Nature follow those things which are profitable to them and shunne those things which are hurtfull yet we hauing direction from the Word of God haue no desire of euerlasting happinesse nor feare of endlesse destruction Ob. Oh but may some say I mean to take care for my soule but as yet I haue no leisure I haue many businesses in hand and within short space I meane to put off my trade and by that time I shall haue got money and then I meane to betake my selfe to a religious course of life A. But doth not God in the first place command thee to seeke his Kingdome which is the greatest principall work and wilt thou seeke that last which hee hath commanded to seeke first Thou sayest thou wilt serue God when thou art rich but how doest thou know that thou shalt haue a heart then to serue God haue not wee seene many rich men haue made their riches their god and so haue withdrawne their hearts from God Againe no Calling must bee a calling from God euery man can finde time to spare out of his Calling to eate drinke sleepe and many times to prate game and the like and canst thou finde time to fill thy belly and no time to prouide for thy soule Oh but may some say I will repent when I am sicke then will I humble my selfe and seek for my soules health for sicknes will put me in minde of death Vnto which I answere suppose thou bee neuer sicke wilt thou neuer take care for thy soule haue wee not heard of many that haue died suddenly and so haue had no time to prepare for their soules health Was not Zimry and Cosby taken in the very act of sinne and so by the hand of Iustice sent to Hell without any time to repent in If old Ely had had his repentance to seeke and the prouision for his soule to get when he fell downe and his neck was broken in what a fearfull case had he beene Doe we not see many in their sicknesse to haue died senselesse like Nabal and it is iust with GOD that Soepe morieâ—s obliui scitur sui qui dum viâ—eret oblitus est Dei. they which haue forgotten him in their life should forget themselues in their death Did not the Israeliâ—es die suddenly with the Quailes in their mouthes and Ananias and Saphira his wife before they were summoned by sicknesse or thought of their soules and how many are there which are taken away by senselesse diseases as the Apoplexie dead Palsie or other diseases which
repent in with reasons wherefore 311 345 Very dangerous to hazzard our saluation vpon vncertainties 320 221 322 Dancing wanton dancing a gate leading to whoredome 172 A prouocation to vncleannes ibid. Feet not giuen to trip like Rams skip like Goates and leape like madd men 173 Dancing how lawful 175 E Enemies men are great enemies to their owne saluation 268 276 285 305 Separatists enemies to the peaceable gouernment of the Church 243 244 Example a lamentable example 134 F Men are fearfull of wants but few of the losse of their soules 305 281 303 Fornication a great sinne 130 The cause of great iudgements 130 God will not let it goe vnpunished ibid. A Fornicator branded with the signe of Gods hatred 13â— An enemie to saluation 133 To be abhorred 131 The cause of many sinnes 133 Vide Adultery G Gluttony what it is 145 Whence it came 145 A dangerous sinne 148 Sinne of Sodom 151 Gluttons monsters in nature 146 They make a god of their belly 147 Effects it produceth 149 Benefit of moderation 151 Motiues to induce to the practice thereof ibid. Garment he wedding garment 213 H Hell a place of tâ—â—ment 291 A great deepe 296 Oâ—t of it no redemption 301 298 The Deuâ—ll is the Gaoler ibid. He delights to torment 292 Hee will spare none ibid. Torments are lamentable 291 Alway dying ibid. Nature preserued to endure torments ibid. They shall last eternally 298 Humility Christ a patterne of humility 215 It is a medicine against pride ibid. Benefit of iâ— 214 Hearers fantasticall hard to please 229 What they delight to heare 230 Such are very ignorant 231 What they must heaâ—e 235 I Idle persons neglect their saluation 273 284 Inkhorne tearmes 236 K Knowledge without practice vaine 232 233 Excellency of heauenly knowledge 235 Where it growes 238 L Losse of the soule the greatest losse 265 How lost 273 277 Nothing able to recompence the losse 265 It is vnrecouerable 259 Landlords cruell 202 203 Learning a great blessing 225 To be honoured 237 Pray for Wisedome to vse it well 228 238 No profit in it without grace 233 234 Else dangerous 228 232 How abused 226 235 Life very short and vncertaine 331 M Man made of earth 215 His nature weake and feeble ibid. His life vaine and miserable 215 Therefore he must not bee proud ibid. Mammon the worldlings Idoll 76 Means being neglected feareful 334 Ministers dignity 240 How they should be qualified ib. Their duty ibid. N Naturall men their fearful estate 275 Their bondage worfer then the Turkes 275 Wherein 275 Men are vnwilling to be freed 276 O Ornament modesty ioyned with piety the best ornament 204 Obedience Separatists cannot learne it in all the books of the world Obiections for the neglect of saluation answered 307 For the clearing of the seuerity of Gods Iustice 290 298 300 Oportunities to be embraced 335 343 Their profit 359 Men wil watch opportunities to inrich their estates but are carelesse of their soules 320 321 324 325 333 P Pleasures are of diuers sorts 123 Blessings of God 125 Lawfull 123 124 Sinfull 128 Pleasures dangerous 125 182 183 Cause of ruine 130 They draw away the heart from goodnesse 131 179 184 Sathans baites 180 Opposite to grace 181 Full of vncertaintie 188 How to be vsed 178 179 187 Louers of pleasures 185 More then godlinesse 185 186 Constant pleasures 188 189 How to get them 179 Pride the forerunner of destruction 201 A woe denounced against it ibid. Causes Gods iudgments 211 212 Pride turnes charity out of doors 198 Their wanton apparell disgraces them 205 Becomes none but harlots 206 Pride makes way for lust 205 Heathen condemn ChristiaÌ„s 210 How pride may bee preuented 213 215 Playes Stageplayes vnlawful 170 171 Dishonour God and nourish vice 169 Mispend time ibid. By whom inuented 170 What they teach 169 170 Parables no sound conclusions can be drawne from them 357 Their scope and end 358 R Riches Salomons riches and prosperitie his verdict on them 14 They are in their owne nature good 64 71 May be desired 65 Yet not to be ouervalued 71 They are a blessing which the wicked enioy 72 How they are a burthen 76 â—9 They fill the head with care 32 Heart wiâ—h distrust 77 They are deceitfull 28 29 52. 258 Dangerous to trust in them 20 They are vnable to preserue from iudgements 17 20 Sicknesse 17 Sathans mâ—lice 35 Mittigate paines 40 Giue content 22 23 Purchase faith repentance c. 36 37 They make men forget God 49 Question his Prouidence 76 Steale away faith humility 52 53 How to be esteemed 58 Durable riches 85 89 Repentance not to be neglected 335 336 It must be voluntary 338 Late repentance seldome true 338 Very dangerous 365 Triall whether sound 365 366 S Soule how excelâ—ent 280 How admirable 285 How seruiceable 378 How cruell we are to them 279 And carelesse of them 268 270 273 279 Liue as if they had no soules 284 Men will labour for any thing but their soule 305 Losse of the Soule the greatest losse 288 What destroyes it 361 366 It is immortall and therefore will rue it 288 A lamentation for the neglect of the soule 268 284 302 303 366 How it may be saued 367 368 Scriptures purity 239 Containes a salue for euery sore 238 Sinne a bone to the soule 362 Delight soone at an end 362 Sabbaths how prophaned 280 Men so liue as if they had no part in the worke of Creation nor Redemption 280 If God should looke downe from heauen how many hee should finde prosaning it 281 How few praying reading ibid. Sinner and his Sauiours Dialogue 294 295 Sobrietie hard to bee found in this proud age 199 Therefore be content to bee told of your faults 208 Sicknesse a time to liue by faith 313 Vnfit to begin to repent in 315 Strangers the godly are strangers 250 The wicked are straglers ibid. Separatists they labour to displant good order 241 They amaze weake Christians ib. They are further wrapt in zeale then they can passe through with discretion ibid. T The repentant Theefe a Patron for all sinners 346 A rare example and worke of wonder 348 Of Christs Diuine power 351 No fit paâ—â—erne 352 Temptation to hazzard saluation vpon the last houre 334 Time abused and neglected 357 Must be redeemed for our soules good 226 Time â—â— repentance wheÌ„ 323 324 It is in Gods hand 324 Very shamefull to deferre it til old age 353 354 V Vaine glories originall 224 Sets mens wits a working 234 Layes open mens ignorance 235 How worthlesse 225 VV World what it is 249 255 Momentany and mutable 248 An vnfit place to set vp rest 248 250 251 255 It must passe away 55 Worlds glory cannot be reduced to any of the Beatitudes 88 Vpon whom the world must leauie her bond seruice 95 Worldlings happy man 16 75 He is a miserable man 39 His triumph vaine 87 VVhat he would giue for a good Conscience and to haue his peace made vp with God 40 Worldly men vaine in their iudgements 78 79 Wicked how God esteemes them 78 119 Y Youth sinnes to be repented 268 Z Zeale Separatists zeale furious 241 FINIS Errata Page 20. for Exod. 14. reade 8. p. 107. for mice r. mire p. 117. for Ethicall r. Ethnicall p. 121 for deale r. doate p. 131. l. vlâ— dele end p. 167. for the r. to p. 286. â— senselesse stone Other faults lesse materiall are omitted
4. himself Now if man swerue froÌ„ the end for which he was created serue the Deuil the world his filthy lusts and being made for heauen should walke in the path that leads to hell this is to degenerate from his nature and become worse then the very beasts for they stand firme in their places enioyned them by God in their Creation The Bee and the Pismiâ—e are carefull to doe Gods worke hauing no Tutor nor remembrancer But Man the most excellent of all Creatures wallowes in all manner of riot and disorder the Trees beare fruit Flowers send forth sweet odors herbes their secret vertues and the waters post apace to the maine Ocean but Man is senselesse and carlesse to obey his Maker the senselesse being forced contrary to his inclination to mount vpward neuer rests but sinks and descends againe vntill it come to its proper center which is the determined place appointed of God And shall Man that glorious Creature created after the Image of God runne from his end and delight to do euerie thing sauing that which God hath prescribed him to doe The Frogs Flies Lice and Grashoppers being appointed of God to take downe the pride of that stout King were zealous and diligent to obey their Creator And shall Man which hath his heart filled with vnderstanding and iudgement being so many wayes called vpon and put in minde of his dutie yet shall hee swerue and goe awry shall God reioyce and delight himselfe in all the Creatures that he hath made and repent that hee hath made Man which is so carelesse of such a precious Iewell as hee hath committed to him There is nothing in the world should bee so deare vnto man as his soule and yet how wretched are the most of vs wee passe away our soules for trifles We spit at Iudas who sold his Master his Lord and God for thirty peeces of siluer but wee sell away heauen for earth the place of glory and blisse to purchase hell the place of torment Oh consider this and be ashamed all yee that forget God If the soule did die perish with the body then there were not so much care to bee taken of it but seeing the soule is immortall and must for euer liue with GOD or the Deuill how much care should we take to get it saued for with the losse of our soules wee lose GOD the life of our soules in whose presence is fulnesse of Psal 16. ioyes and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore With the losse of our soules we lose Christ with all his merits the presence and protection of all the Angels and in stead of enioying the societie of the godly Spirits wee are plunged into Hell that loathsome prison that shall neuer bee vnlocked but shall for euer indure the fiercenesse of Gods wrath in that euerlasting burning where shall be weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth and in stead of hearing of that blessed sentence of approbation Come ye blessed of my Father c. the damned wretches shall heare that terrible sentence of condemnation Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting torments prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Euery one of these words shall be pronounced with such power and authoritie that they shall strike those damned wretches euen to the bottome of Hell Goe from me who haue all helpe and comfort all power and might which all the dayes of your liues haue had care to protect and saue you from dangers which haue nourished your bodies withall manner of delights but seeing you haue had no care to glorifie mee I will now take no further care to help you but will glorifie my selfe in your destruction therefore depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire where you shall endure torments remedilesse and endlesse where you shall crie and rore but I will not heare you where you shall bee alwayes burning and frying and yet neuer consumed You shall seeke death and yet neuer find it you shall be tormented Ibi dâ—lor permanet vt affligat natura perdurat vt sentiat quia vtrumque non deficit neâ— poena deficiet Aug. de Ciâ— Dei l. 19. with griping hunger but shall neuer bee satisfied with intolerable thirst which shall neuer bee quenched your Musicke shall bee howling and weeping of damned wretches like your selues but all in vaine you are now accursed because you did abuse the titles of Honour which God gaue you in your life therefore now you shall haue the title of curse you shall be cursed of God whose curse is euerlasting damnation you shall bee cursed of the blessed Angels whose curse shall bee the horrors of your conscience you shal be cursed of the deuils whose curse shall bee the execution of your punishment you shall bee cursed of the damned wretches whose curses shall be the aggrauation of your torments and you shal be plunged into euerlasting fire and bee Mat. 22. 13 bound hand and foote from whence you shall neuer be able to stirre nor moue but shall for euer and euer so long as God is remaine frying and broyling in euerlasting torments which shall burne so violently that the damned shall prize a drop of water aboue all the world but they shall not obtaine it For there the Tormentors are Deuils and will neuer pittie the damneds misery and as they will neuer be weary with tormenting so the torments shall neuer bee ended nor the tormented consumed and therfore it is a misery of all miseries to be alwayes dying and neuer dead The soule also shall bee tormented with the remembrance of pleasures past and mercy refused and now with paines and torments present but vnauoidable and of ioyes lost but now vnrecouerable and thus the Worme of your Conscience shall lie gnawing and fretting you by bringing to your remembrance the cause Omnes gebennae superat cruciatus carere bonis quibus in potestate habuerunt perfrui Chrys of your misery and how easily you might haue escaped these torments but that you had no grace to vse the meanes the consideration hereof shal make you curse God your Creator and curse his iustice because he punishes you so cruelly you shall curse his bountie and liberalitie because he so seuerely prizes it now at so high a rate and you shall curse the vertue of Christs blood which was able to cleanse thousands from their sinnes but now hath no vertue to purge you from your filthinesse and you shall curse the Saints in heaven because you shall see them in glorie when as your selues are in torment and though you yell and cry with the damned rich man for mercy for mercy but alasse the time of mercy then will be past Christ the Iudge will not now be entreated from whose sentence you cannot appeale the soule being once lost there is no place left for mercy A good Father doth bring in a Sinner and his Iudge expostulating each with other Sweet Sauiour saith the Sinner