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A25478
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A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers; Morning-exercise at Cripplegate. Supplement.
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Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing A3240; ESTC R13100
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974,140
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814
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children or lands for my sake and the Gospel but that he shall receive an hundred fold Now in this time an hundred fold more comfort in parting with all for Christ than he could have had in keeping all and denying of him But why should I name particulars there 's enough in one Scripture whence to form many incentives to love God (y) Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose Pray mark this place We 'T is not only the Apostle but all Believers Know 't is not we only Think or Hope but we Know that all things all those afflicting providences which are most grievous to be born all those dark providences which we know not what to make of work together though we cannot presently anatomize every particular providence yet in their contexture we can't but say they are gracious and for good for the spiritual and eternal good of all them that love God O but here I stick I cannot say I love God Read on the next clause is the best Interpreter of this To them that are the called according to his purpose that is plainly to those that obey Christ's call in his Word to all that are converted to all that are willing to be taught and rul'd by Jesus Christ And though thou darest not own thy conversion yet thou darest not deny this evidence of it viz. That thou wouldst fain comply with Christ in every thing 2. Love to God enobles all other graces I will not meddle with the controversie about faith's being informed by love or love being as it were the Soul of faith The Scripture tells that faith works by love (z) Gal 5.6 and 't is by loving nothing so much as God Love is the most ingenuous grace the most heavenly grace the most God-like grace all other graces are more or less excellent as they are enlivened with love to God Sales (a) Sales of the love of God p 670 c. Spaâ—sim illustrates it thus The General of an Army having gain'd some renowned victory will have all the glory of it for he ordered the Battel and led them on we name the Services of the several parts of the Army both the Vanguard the Body the Wings the Rear So here some Christians are singular for Faith others for Alms deeds some for Prayer others for Humility but Love to God commands all these Love commands Patience to bear and Hope to wait and Faith to believe Elsewhere he compares love to Scarlet which is a Royal cloath not for the wool but for the dye so a Soul as it were double dip'd in love to God is the most excellent Christian 3. Love to God rectifieth all other loves and keeps them in due bounds The same Author hath this other illustration viz. I may love my servant but if I doe not love my child better than I love my Servant I am defective in my love Well then I must love my child but if I do not love my wife better than I love my child I am defective in my love Well then I must love my wife but if I do not love God infinitely more than I love my wife I am defective in my love You shall see saith he a Mother so busie about her child as if she had no love for any one else as if her Eyes were for nothing else but to look upon it and her Mouth for nothing else but to kiss it But now if she must lose her child or her husband her love to her Husband is so great as if she had no love for her child at all So when God and those we most dearly love stand in competition you may soon see the subordination of our love Though let me add this for your encouragement God never calls for the hating of other things for love to himself but he doth most singularly make up in himself whatever any one parts with for him when God requires the banishment of other Objects it is to communicate himself more fully more clearly more sweetly Look over what Martyrology you please I think you will scarce find so much as One dying for Christ any other way than Triumphing whereas many of as eminent Graces as they dye in their Beds little less than despairing What encouragement may this be for the worst of times 4. Our love to God doth more sensibly quiet our hearts than God's love to us for though God's love to us be infinitely greater than our love to God yet till his love to us have drawn out our love to him we do more abuse his kindness than other persons do whom he doth not so love This is most evident in a person just upon the borders of conversion but yet unconverted God is abundant in his love of Benevolence he is now engag'd upon the making of means effectual for his through-regeneration but now in this work there are several things to be done which though they speak greater love on Gods part than ever he before shewed him yet while God is at work the person quarrels with God more than about any former providences of his Life God to tame him brings him under great Afflictions upon which he either flyes in his face or lies sullen at his feet and thinks he may well do so well but God will not thus leave him God follows him with terrors of Conscience the arrows of God stick fast in him and the poyson thereof drinketh up his spirits but he will not yet yield he holds fast his iniquity which he 's as loth to part with as his life and rather hates than loves God for all this kindness so that till he is brought to love God God's love to him doth no way quiet him by which you may plainly see that let Gods love to us be never so great we misinterpret all till we love God again and then let God do what he will Da mihi Domine Sanctum amorem tuum mitte me si vis in ignem inferni Stell de amore dei p. 314 c. he is quiet let his sufferings be next to Hell torments he 'l not allow one hard thought of God Therefore be perswaded to get encrease and exercise this Love to God with all your hearts souls and minds I have been too long already and therefore will be as brief as may be in answering these two Complaints 1. Complaint All that hath been said makes me fear I have no true love to God at all I cannot say I love God more than the Creature I feel my heart more sensibly warping towards the World in the Service of God than springing towards God in my worldly affairs To this I answer by these Distinctions Distinction 1. We must distinguish between the Estimation of our love and the Commotion of it the Commotion may be greater where the Estimation is less One whose love is fixed upon God though he
striving could not be removed till it had stifled him Let Children learn hence to take heed of being ungrateful to their Patents for fear of the dreadful consequence thereof Thus we have seen three particulars of Childrens actiue obedience there is yet another which is more passive and that is 4. Submission or subjection to Parental discipline with all lowliness of mind (f) Phil. 2 3. acknowledging their coercive authority and therefore are Children oblig'd with patience to bear their Parents rebukes whether verbal or real considering in charity they design good The ignorance imperfection and corrupt inclinations of Children born in sin require Parents animadversion and the Childrens submission both to their Admonitions and Corrections 1. Their Admonitions when in their watchful inspection they give check unto exorbitant behaviour and lay restraints upon their Children who should indeed stand in great awe of those reproofs and threats which do arise from Parents displeasure When Jonadah's posterity were tempted to act in complaisance with others their Fathers forewarning kept them in awe that they did not violate his appointment (g) Jos 35.6 and so upon doing amiss an ingenuous Child will amend There should be shame upon a Father's frown and discountenance (h) Numb 12.14 yea though Parents should be out in the matter as well as manner and be too quick in their rebukes as it should seem Jacob was with Joseph for his dreams not considering what signal motion of God was in them yet the Children should bear it as Joseph did (i) Gen. 37.10 and as Jonathan did his Father's unkind exprobation (k) 1 Sam. 20.30 c. It is true Jesus took up his Mother in one instance but it was in his Heavenly Father's cause which he was concern'd in as God-man (l) Luke 2.49 Yet in other cases they should not only bear but amend upon admonition as Moses did upon his Father in law's dislike of that task he took upon himself alone (m) Exod. 18.13 17.24 whereas on the other hand Ely's Sons slighted their Father's reproof (n) 1 Sam. 2.25 and such others there are who scorn to be told of their faults (o) Prov. 13.1 though they loose God's favour by it and are accounted fools by him who is never out in his censure when the submiss are prudent going on in the way of life (p) 3.34 35. 15.5 3.23 Many Children are impatient of just restraints in their meats drinks apparel and recreations not considering the advantage of self-denyal and patience learn'd betimes when as others can say experimentally they had been undone if they had not been early curb'd Monica Austin's Mother ‖ Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 9. having in her minority been educated to temperance when growing up and getting from under that severer tuition by the insinuation of a jocund companion was drawn to drink her whole draughts till upon the upbraiding of her associate she reform'd her self and observ'd her former rules of temperance Reverend Mr. Greenham used to say Be most moderate in those things which thine appetite liketh best and check thy too much greediness of them And another said well †Citante Steph. Guazi de civili convers p. 376. maluisse se infirmum quam delicatum esse c. That he had rather be infirm than delicate sith weakness only can hurt the body alone but delicacies may at once corrupt both body and mind and more than that may also render any one unjust by reason they make him covetous to get that which may maintain them and also dull and regardless of the Word of God and the service of his friends and country I have in my own observation seen Children prove well who have submitted to the prudent restraints and admonitions of their watchful Parents and Guides as to these things and others ruin'd who when they have been told of their faults have swell'd and rag'd against those that have lov'd them best yea in a most unchristian manner So necessary it is to submit to Parents admonitions So also to 2. Their corrections or real chastisements whether by stripes or other punishments inflicted sith we should imagine Parents come to this sharp and unpleasant work out of a principle of love (q) Prov. 13.24 with an aim at their Childrens good (r) 22.15 and it is look'd upon in Scripture a Rul'd Case that reverence with submission is paid to the Parents of our flesh (s) Hebr. 12.9 when under their rod which we are to bear and upon the feeling of it to amend what is amiss as some kind of satisfaction (t) Prov. 29.17 whereas disdain and stubbornness spoils all and if it be persisted in may sometimes occasion Parents to call in the posse magistratus (u) Deut. 21.18 19 c. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Epistle to the Hebrews translated We gave them reverence doth import that we Children when faulty under our Fathers frowns and stripes turn'd our faces with shame and blushing at our unworthy acts not able to look them in the face as the Prodigal upon his return (w) Luke 15.21 with Tit. 2.8 which accords as some have noted ‖ Laws on Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Hebrew word which is in this case to submit with humility to them in this Relation Because though we cannot bear that others should beat and scourge us yet our Parents as having power upon a just cause to punish by vertue of their Superiority and our dependence upon them whose end is or should be their Childrens reformation and therefore is in mercy to prevent further sin and misery in complyance with God's command they correct their ofspring to save it from hell though many an inconsiderate Child may at present conceive the Father correcting to be a severe Judge when as to intended amendment he is indeed a loving Father So that though it seem to be jarring and harsh musick disagreeable to the faulty Patient yet it will sound sweeter to the judicious ear than the melody of a luscious and disorderly indulgence Ingenuous Children have acknowledg'd the benefit of Paternal correction especially after they have sought to God by Prayer that God would sanctifie the rod to their good That was a good practical answer of one of Zeno's Scholars Citante Steph. Gua2zi de civil Convers who to his Father asking what wisdom he had learned by being so long abroad said He was able to shew it at any time which he did to the purpose not long after when his Father chastising him with strokes he took it quietly and patiently shewing that he could sustain the displeasure of his Parent without any untoward reparties In short Children should in all these duties deport themselves with piety toward their Parents being in that relation they bear the image of God as Creator Upholder and Governour of the World So that resistance yea surly and rude replies are a