some who send their prayers and their praises after Soules departed But all helpes no more then doth the crying after a Bowle rub or runne now throwne out of the hand The hand sets the Bias and gives the bowle an impression and where the strength of that impression ceaseth there the Bowle lyeth all our running and calling and crying helpes nothing at all but to evidence clearely as the Anticke and ridiculous trickes of the Bowler so the vanity and unprofitablenesse of our after labours now that the soule is departed For then it is night with the Soule in respecâ— of any further worke the pit is open where there is no praise Then it either rests from his labour or is restlesse in paine There teares are wiped of or else they begin never to have end Weeping for evermore And this I note in passage that when we speake of Death we may be serious It was well answered by a Father to his Sonne who being Crossed in his humor wished hee were dead learne first what it is to live he that so lightly wisheth to dye is as he that flyeth from an yron weapon and a bow of steele striketh him through as Iob speaketh l Job 20. 24. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you m Amos 5. 18. Jer. 48 48. 43. 44. The day of the Lord is darknesse and not light as if a man did flee from a Lyon and a Beare meet him c. So the Prophet reprooved those who were dispisers of Gods Words and Workes and scoffed at His judgements It may instruct us to sobriety that we doe not for the avoyding of an inconvenience runne into a mischiefe It is dangerous to live in discontent to dye in it or to wish so to do is much more dangerous We ought to wish rather we may live and to count it a great mercy that we are spared till we can give a better account of our Time and are better fitted to dye Death indeed is the Churches portion and part of her joynture All are yours n Cor. 3. 21. 22 23. and amongst those severall parcels Death is yours and therefore it may be wished for and desired as lawfully as a Childe may desire to goe to bed or to his Father For the nature of Death is changed to the godly It is harmelesse now and hath lost its venome It is a passage to a better place a gate to Glory It is the accomplishment of Mortification and the end of labour Thus death is but not in its owne nature so it is a destroying hostile thing and so to our nature the most terrible of all Terribles And therefore not to be desired till we are assured that both the nature thereof and our nature also is changed And then also our desires must not be immoderate we must not long for it nor rejoyce exceedingly when we can finde the grave o Job 3. 21 22. This argueth too much shortnesse of spirit and some impatience under Gods Hand and more unwillingnesse then becometh to waite upon Him any longer we must patiently waite Gods Time remembring Eternity is a space long enough for God to shew mercy unto His when their faces shall waxe pale no more they shall rest for ever And therefore no matter if yet longer they waite His Time and abide His pleasure though with some griefe and paine to the flesh pleasures at His right Hand for evermore will abundantly recompense what ever pressures are from below But whether we dye sooner or later it is then safe dying when we can yeeld up our spirits as David did and with the same confidence Into thine Hand I commit my Spirit p Psal 31. 5. Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth It is safe casting a mans selfe upon God when he can say as Paul did whose I am and whom I serve q Acts 27. 23. We may then wish for Death when with old Simeon we can with the Armes of faith claspe and embrace Christ the fountaine of life Now lettest Thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy Salvation Then there is a peaceable departure when the soule hath such a vision And therefore pray thou and pray againe that the Lord would spare thee yet and yet longer till by a conscionable improvement of life health strength peace ordinances corrections also c. Thou hast got some good assurance certaine and stable That do depart hence is much better for thou shalt be ever with the Lord whose Thou art and whom Thou servest And which is the second lesson do not trifle away time nor delay here in a matter of so great consequence Let me remember here for we cannot think of any thing more to our purpose how the learned Knight complaineth of and convinceth the true unhappinesse of our condition and the dark ignorance which covereth the eyes of our understanding we onely saith he prize pamper and exalt Hist of the World 1 Book chap. 2. sect 3. p. 24. See preface pag. 19. this vassall and slave of Death and forget altogether the imprisoned immortall soul till the soul be going from out of one prison into another for when is it that we seriously think of death when examine we the great account which then we are to give up Never while we have one vanitie left us to spend we plead for titles till our breath fail us digge for riches whiles our strength enableth us exercise malice while we can revenge and then when time hath beaten from us both youth pleasure and health and that Nature it self hateth the house of old age we remember with Iob that we must go the Job 10. 21. and 17. 13. way from whence we shall not return and that our bed is made ready for us in the dark and then I say looking over late into the bottom of our conscience which pleasure and ambition had locked up from us all our lives we be-behold therein the fearfull images of our actions past and withall this terrible inscription That God will bring every Eccles 12. 14. work into judgement that man hath done under the Sun But what examples have ever moved us what perswasions reformed us or what threatnings made us afraid we behold other mens Tragedies plaid before us we heare what is promised and threatned but the worlds bright glory hath put out the eyes of our mindes and these betraying lights with which we onely see do neither look up towards termlesse joyes nor down towards endlesse sorrows till we neither know nor can look for any thing else at the worlds hands But let us not flatter our immortall souls herein For to neglect God all our lives and know that we neglect Him to offend God voluntarily and know that we offend Him casting our hopes on the peace which we trust to make at parting is no other then a rebellious presumption and that which is the
to their superiours equalls and inferiours in all ages times and places This is that faire Edifice whereof intimation was made before fairer then the Edifices which have formerly been erected by Xenophon in his d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Institution of Cyrus by Plutarch in his Treatise e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of training up children by Clemens Alexandrinus in his f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instructour of children by Hierome in his Epistle to Laeta concerning the g De institutione fiâ—iae educating of her daughter by Erasmus in his Discourse h De pueris statim libe aliter instituendis of timely and liberall training up of children or by others in like Treatises This Author hath more punctually and pertinently handled all kinde of duties from ones first entrance into this world to his going out thereof then any of the fore-named Authors or any other that have written of the like subject Such varietie of matter is here couched as it will prove usefull to all of all sorts that will reade and heed it The Lord give a blessing to this and all other like labours of his faithfull servants Amen William Gouge THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK CHAP. I. WHat the Parents dutie when it begins Gods gracious work upon the Childe framing it in the wombe and giving it its due proportion of parts what thanks therefore pag. 1. 2. How Sinne defaceth Gods Image How repaired Of Baptisme and the solemnitie thereof The Mother the Nurse to pag. 4. The Mother is most imployed about the head of the Childe my head my head saith the Childe carry him to the Mother saith the Father 2 Kings 4. 19. The Mother is charged with the head Father and Mother both with the heart and this work is for the closset pag. 4. What Infancy is called an Innocent Age but miscalled Something may be done even then for the rectifying the Childes body and his heart too Grave considerations pressing to that Dutie from pag. 5. to pag. 9. CHAP. II. CHild-hood and youth how they differ wherein they agree unhappy Ages both The period of this Age not easily defined The Parent makes it longer or shorter as their care is more or lesse pag. 10. Parents not discharged in point of care when they have charged the Schoole with their childe how vain that thought pag. 12. How preposterous the Parents care How much Father and Mother both do crosse their own ends What a point of wisdome it is well to Time our beginnings When the Seed-Time what their imployment there to pag. 15. CHAP. III. A Two-fold imployment which lyeth in the order of Nature and right reason Lets hindring this two-fold dutie two fondnesse fiercenesse extreames yet ordinarily in one and the same Parent I. Of fondnesse what causeth it Youth more profitable Child-hood more delightfull * Fructuosior est adolescentia liberorum sed Infantia dulcior Sen. epist 9. What hurt fondnesse doth The Divels murthering engine to pag. 18. Foure mightie considerations to fortifie us against it from pag. 19. to pag. 22. Three examples evidencing how destroying it is to pag. 24. Repeated concluded in Mr. Boltons words with some use of the whole to all Parents to page 26. II. Fiercenesse whose fruit it is and how much it hinders to pag. 27. It helps not to unroot evill but rather roots it more in to pag. 29. It hinders much the Implanting of good to pag. 30. Considerations which may help to calme a Parent when in heat of spirit he is about to unroot evill are three very worth his consideration to pag. 33. Considerations which may arrest a Parents hand when he is about the implanting of good are foure which being considered will command an answerable practise to pag. 35. CHAP. IIII. OVr nature like a soyle fruitfull of weeds what they are and how unrooted 1. Pride the heart-string of corruption Chrysostomes note upon it how cherished how the contrary grace may and ought to be instilled to pag. 38. 2. Frowardnesse a spice of the former The Parents dutie here how the contrary grace may be inforced to pag. 40. 3. The way of lying and the way the Parent must take to prevent the course of it a great work if it may be done if not the Childe is fit for no societie to pag. 41. 4. Idlenesse how corrupting and provoking Labour how naturall to a man how he is provoked thereunto to pag. 43. 5. A bad Malignus comes quamvis candido simplici rabiginem suam suam affricuit Sen. epist 7. companion how infectious and corrupting he will defile the best and most candid nature with his foule example pag. 44. 6. The evill of the Tongue prevented by teaching the Childe silence and this the Parent must teach himself and his Childe under five notions The briefe of that which concernes the Childes Instruction is while it is a Childe let its words be answers Nature teacheth much at this point and they more who walked by an higher light pag. 47. 7. An oath a word cloathed with death in a Childes mouth the Parent as in all so here very exemplary yea yea nay nay The Friers note upon those words No more must be heard from a Childe pag. 48. 8. The Childe must be taught what weight there is in those words yea yea c. A good hint there-from to teach the Childe to abhorre that religion which gives no weight to words nor oathes neither pag. 51. 9 10 11 12. Nick-names and abuses that way are ordinary with Children and a fruit of corrupt nature so quarrelling uncovering their nakednesse mocking scorning the meaner sort Great evills to be corrected and prevented in Children betimes a notable example to presse us thereunto to use our Inferiours kindely to pag. 53. 13. Cursing a great evill so imprecations against our selves Foure great examples full of instructions who spake rashly and were payed home in that they spake to pag. 57. 14. As Childrens Tongues must be watched over for the Tongue is a world of wickednesse so must their hands They will spill more then they eate how to teach Children to prize the good creatures pag. 59. 15. Children delight in the pain and vexation of those weake creatures that are in their power A great evill to be looked unto and prevented betimes considering our natures what they are page 61. 16. Nature fruitfull of evills more then can be pointed at or prevented but that is the true and genuine order of nature to prevent the evills thereof first pag. 62. 17. Teaching by examples the best way of teaching and the shortest they make the deepest impression pag. 64. CHAP. V. THe implanting of good the order therein The foure seasons in the day seasonable therefore 1. How uncomfortable darknesse is how comfortable the light A notable lesson there-from wherein our light and the true light differ to pag. 67. The Sun knoweth his appointed Time what that teacheth The Sun is glorious in his
that is in employment and lives as a parcell of the World cut off from k Lucullus Caenat cum Lucullo others l Nemini fructuosa Trem. Hos 10. 1. bearing fruite to himselfe and m Indulgeas Psal 49. 18. Trem. making much of himselfe such a one may lay up more then his heire shall have cause to joy in They who know me well will say I was not the worst husband of my time or purse I disposed of both so as one who was not wholly ignorant that I must be accountable to God for both I had no Friar-like contempt of outward things nor could I much esteeme them though perhaps too much for the more we have of them the more our Cares and the more we love them the more our sorrow will be n Quo plus amas plas dolebis when we must leave them or they us Too little pincheth too much ensnareth the meane betwixt both is the safest proportion o In rebus necessariis est salus in supersluis laqueus c. Salv. de Eccles Cathol lib. 2. p. 404. Lege Isi◠pelus lib. 2 ep 146. They that are in a depending Condition waiting upon God for their daily bread having neither Barnes nor Coffers nor Cupboards to goe unto as some such there are they can speake of Gods provision for them His strange wayes to bring things about when they knew not which way to turne and they can trust perfectly whereas they who have all the fore-mentioned full stored do pray for their daily bread but trust thēselves and Sacrifice to their owne nets God will provide is more to a faithfull heart then all the treasure in the World for that provision comes forth of a Treasury that will never be exhausted It is good to be at Gods finding and to waite upon him which we cannot doe but by using all diligence in our lawfull Callings And this I mention here That we may not neither the Parent nor the Childe spend our strength as usually we doe even all our stock of time parts in seeking great things Call them by what name we will Honours Preferments c. and hasten we after them as fast as we can They that spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost doe tell us under the metaphor whereby they use to set out the nature of all things under the Sunne That what we so hastily runne after runs away as fast from p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 3. 6. 1 John 2. 16. us And the Wiseman q Prov. 23. 5. gives this censure of them They are nothing or presently they will be as if they had not beene We cannot say properly That Riches Are r See Hist of the World B. 2. C. 3. Sect. 4. for now they are and straight-way they are not It is but a mans own and earthly wisedome that makes him think better of them then indeed they are for they are Nothing and he is of no account who maketh account of nothing ſ Nihil est qui nihil amat Plaut pers Cease from thine owne wisedome Wilt thou let thine eyes flie with such greedinesse upon that which is nothing Nothing Are Riches nothing Rather a man is nothing without them or nothing accounted of he lives in obscuritie which is the Death of his name and Parts and burieth a man alive as one saith t Dr. Featley And so it is indeed and hence such strugling after riches as for life there being in humane nature more of the foole then of the wise It is then but the fruit of our owne wisdome which must be Ceased from If we stay a little we shall see plainly Riches are not For when a man is brought to a straight and that may be before next morning and when these should prove something and come in for his helpe then they are not They are as farre from his helpe as an Eagle soaring in the Aire out of his reach They were in the eye but now and now againe they are Passed as some Rocks Steeples or Castles on a Pageant and the heart is empty more unsatisfied then the eye with seeing I might remember here and it might be to great purpose even to take us off from our eager pursuit after the World That they who were the greatest purchasers of Land of any we read of could hardly by their Executors purchase so much earth as to interre their bodies in witnesse Alexander V. Patercul and Pompey both great and the richest in Land And William the Conquerour who of all He killed one man after he was dead with the stench of his Braines S. I. H. he attained to by his sword after Death had not a roome to containe his Corps in without being purchased at the hand of another Men esteeming a living Dog more then a dead Lion saith Sam. Dan. I might remember also how Philip the Second of Spaine lessoned the Prince his sonne when he thought of a great Treasure spent and when his owne spirits were spent also And how Charles Grimst Hist of the Netherl the Father in the Waine of his greatnesse left alone and carrying the Candle before his Embassadour instructed the same Embassadour The instruction Medull Hist prophanae p. 899 is but short Goe speake of what thou hast seene me doe who had so many Princes waiting on me and learne the state of humane things The summe of all riseth to this Those things which we so greedily graspe after and lay out our precious stock of time and wit upon are no enduring Substance But yet that is not the worst They are passed and gone and many times there remaineth but Sighs behinde when a man remembers the getting and expending of them that he was unrighteous in both But take them at the best They cannot keepe the heart from trembling or the knees from smiting one against another All outward strength cannot keepe out shall I say an Armed-man nay not a silly frog out of the Chamber where the God of Hosts will bid it goe The greatest Pompe cannot prevent a Consumption by the basest Vermine of which truth Pharaoh Herod more lately Philip of Spaine before mentioned and others neerer home are very great Examples The serious consideration whereof may prevent the bewitching of profit the great Enchantresse of Mankinde so as we shall not be ensnared by deceitfull riches which make us beleeve that they can satisfie and stay the heart in the day of wrath whereas they are no strong Wall Prov 11. 4. but onely in a mans owne conceit But righteousnesse delivereth from death x Chap. 18. 10 11. All things are nothing without this This is all without them Therein is the substance the Kernell the quintessence of all The y 1 John 2. 16. World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever fast like mount Sion an everlasting foundation Godlinesse
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Protrept p 30. A spark of wickednesse neglected or dallied with in the fancy may quickly beget a flame of wickednesse in the heart Corpus opere sordidatur animus voluntate Chrysost in Matt. Lat. tantum Hom. 52. pleasures which we have not opportunitie outwardly to performe which is called speculative wickednesse and greatly defileth the man and dishonoureth God and so answerably provoketh Him even to give us up to our imaginations and to cast us loose into the lap of our Delilahs or lusts which is the greatest judgement in the world for when sinne is let into the soule by the eye and rouled about by the imagination it will quickly like a canker eat out all the grace in the soule and then what follows but a filling of our hearts with Satan and in the end a reaping the fruit of our own wayes If we suffer our fancy to brood upon lusts we shall hatch Cockatrice egges or weave Spiders webbs the issue will be mischiefe or vanitie and so we shall weave the web of our own sorrow and shame Therefore we must watch over our thoughts if we regard our peace whereof watchfulnesse is the preserver They may make a through fare in our minde they must not get entertainment nor lodging there n From sinne lighting upon our thoughts it is impossible from making a nâ—st there or hatching that we may do and are charged so to do We must keep our heart from resolving and saying content Bp. And. p. 190. And that we may be afraid to think before God what we are ashamed to do before men we must consider first 1. That we have to do with an holy God who specially sees the heart and requires puritie there It is our spirits with whom God who is a spirit hath most communion with all And the lesse freedome we take to sinne here the more argument of o Voâ— scelera admissa punitis Apud nos cogitare peccare est Vos conscios timetis nos etiam conscientiam solam M. Minut Fael p. 25. lin 3. in sol Summum praesidium Regni est justitia ob opertos tumultus Religio ob occultos Card. de sap lib. 3. â— Incentiva viâ—â—orum statim in mente iugulabis parvulos Babylâ—â—is allides ad Pâ—tram c. Hier. lib 2. ep â—8 p. 216. â— Succubâ— Incubi Zanch. de oper Dei lib. 4 cap. 16. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 2. sinceritie because there is no Law to binde the inner-man but the law of the Spirit of Grace whereby we are a law to our selves But on the contrary the more way we give to wicked imaginations the more we shew what our actions would be if we dared o for if we forbeare doing evill out of conscience we should as well forbeare imagining evill for both are alike open to God and hateful to Him And therefore oft where there is no conscience of the thought God gives men up to the deed The chiefe lesson then is this As we desire and expect to have communion with God we must addresse our spirits before Him p we must be pure not in body only but in heart also nay we must be in our measure pure and holy as He is if we look to see Him as He is We must consider withall That our unclean spirits make us like that Spirit who though he commits no corporall uncleannesse some tell us of sexes in divels or assumed by them and of their filthinesse that way q yet he is called an uncleane spirit And as he is he is called which tells us That the uncleannesse of our spirits and hearts as it is the greatest defilement so it doth make us most like the divell And therefore if this uncleane spirit or our selves have stirred a sinke in our soules we must not stirre it more by our imagination but as we use to do when a sink is stirred we go into a sweeter roome so we must remove our thoughts and take off our imagination from stirring and puddering in that filth And this we may do by finding it some sweeter more cleanly and befitting work It is certain that the imagination hath a power if it be put forth but that requires an other power to raise it selfe as swiftly and as quick which is the excellency of it to heaven to the high and great things there as it will descend to hell though it be a naturall descent to those black things there And it is certain too that hopes on high will lead to thoughts on high The noblenesse of the soule and thoughts thereof and of great things prepared for it will remember our imaginative sacultie of noble work of high and weightie considerations If our affections be indeared to any sensuall delight they will drown our fancies therein and on the other side our fancies quicke and nimble though they be yet will they move heavily and die in their excessive motion to the things below if the soule be taken up with the Love of the best things And this leads me to the last thing which is a more speciall and soveraign vertue to help and fortifie our soule against her sensuall appetites I meane such helps which reason can suggest I know if the Eye of the Lord awe us Job 31. if destruction from God be a terrour unto us if the spirit of holinesse comes into the heart then the work is done 2. In the last place then because our imagination hurteth and betrayeth our succours within by false representations and by preventing reason usurping a censure of things before our judgements try them whereas the office of imagination is to minister matter to our understanding to work upon not to lead it much lesse to mis-lead it sith I say our case is so and so depraved our facultie is we must take great heed and give all diligence That as one excellently adviseth we suffer not things to passe suddenly from the imagination to our will and affection we must aske advise first of our judgement That is the light and eye of the inward man and we must pray for the inward anoynting whose office it is to weigh things in the ballance and so to discerne This judgement doth acquaint the minde to ballance reasons on both sides and to turne backe the first offers and conceits of the minde and to accept of nothing but first examined and tryed There is a sicknesse of fancy and there is no way to cure it but by advising with judgement We shall as Saul in another case account the wayes of sinne and death even the shedding our own souls bloud in the pursuit of our own appetites and the libertie to satisfie the same All this we shall account a compassion r 1 Sam. 23. 21. if judgement do not come betwixt our imaginations and will The tumults and distempers of the soul though they rage in silent darknesse would be in a great measure quieted if summon'd before strength
base unto it the soul cannot unite with them nor be servant unto them use them she may but she enjoyes God her union there parts unrivets and divorceth her from base unions and fellowships with things below And so much to the second Grace required in the Receiver 3. The third is Love Love to God who loved us first and gave His Sonne that we might not perish Love to to Christ who so dearely bought us a Love as strong as Death which stirres up all the powers of the Body and Soul to love Him again so as we can thinke nothing too much or too hard to do or suffer for Him who hath so abounded towards us The History of His passion is more largely set down then is the History of His Nativitie Resurrection or Ascension and for this reason it is That all the circumstances thereof are so largely set down That our hearts should be enlarged after Christ That we should have largenesse of affection to Him and these steeped as it were in His bloud and crucified to His crosse and buried in His grave And as Love to Him so love to our Brother for His sake * Amicum in Christo inimicum propter Christum It cannot be doubted of in Him that tastes of this Love Feast he partakes of that there which is the cement that sodders and joynes us together e Sanguis Christi coagâ—lum Christianorum as the graines in one Loafe or as the stones in an Arch one staying up another or to speake in the Scriptures expression as members of one Body nay which is yet neerer as members one of another we partake in one house at one table of one bread here is a neere Communion and that calls for as neere an union so the Apostle reasons 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. One God one Christ See Chrysost on the 1 Cor. Hom. 1. one Spirit one Baptisme one Supper one Faith And all this to make us one That we may keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace f Eph. 4 3. But above all The Sacrament of the Supper is ordained for Love But our love to our enemies our shewing the kindnesse of the Lord g 2 Sam. 9. 3. first part p. 71. that is returning good for evill This blessing them who curse us this is all the difficultie and the doubt And hard it is to corrupt nature I remember Salvian saith He that thinks he prayeth for his enemy may be much mistaken he speaks he doth not pray h Si pro adversario orare se cogit loquitur non precatur lib. 2. pag. 70. And yet it is much to consider how farre a common and naturall light hath lead some here in this straight way of forgiving an enemy He was an implacable brother who said let me not live if I be not revenged of my brother The other brother answered And let not me live if I be not reconciled to my brother i Plut. de Fralorno amore And they were brothers too betwixt whom we read never any other contention was but who should dye for the other k Mart. lib. 1. ep 37. So strong a naturall affection hath been and so able to endure wrongs and to right them with good which is our rule and contrary to former customes l Isid Pelus lib. 3. epist 126. 1 Cor 4. 12. 13. Lege Chrys ad Pop. Ant. tract Hom. 9. ω. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plus de Frat. Am. wins the Crown or garland Grace is stronger then Nature it rivets and joynes men together like twin-members eyes hands and feet or like twigs on the same root or stalke which stick alwayes together But especially if we suppose two persons communicating together at the Table of the Lord we must needs grant that in this Communion they see that which will reconcile implacablenesse it self for there they see a free offer of grace and peace not onely to an enemie once but to enmitie it self an infinite debt cancell'd a transgressour from the wombe an infinite transgressour since yet accepted to mercy This will beget again a love to God and to the most implacable enemy for Gods sake thoughts of this will swallow up the greatest injuries If our thoughts be upon the Ten thousand talents we cannot possibly think of requiring the hundred pence this Chrysostome m Vol. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lege Chrysost in cap. 8. ad Rom. Hom. 14. p. 206. presseth very fully and usefully in his first sermon upon that parable or debtor We must remember alwayes that much love will follow as an effect from the cause where many sinnes are forgiven n Luke 7. 47. Matth. 18. 33. We cannot but think on the equitie of this speech and how inexcusable it must leave an implacable man I forgave thee all thy debt shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servants The summe is and our rule I must love my friend in Christ and my enemie for Christ Catechismes are large here and helps many and it is hard to meet with new meditations on so old a subject handled so fully and usefully by many but His good spirit leade thee by the hand who leades unto all truth It remains onely that I give some satisfaction to a question or two these they are But how if I finde not these graces Repentance faith charitie to be in me how then May I go to this Table or go I as a worthy Communicant A weighty Question this of high and universall concernment For he or she that eats and drinks unworthily are guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord o 1. Cor. 11. 27. The guilt of bloud lieth upon them Now the Lord ever puts a price upon bloud even upon the bloud of beasts upon the bloud of man much more upoÌ„ that bloud that was shed for man how great a price being the bloud of God and the price of souls So then we must be well advised what we do For if we spill mans bloud as God forbid we should for bloud cries yet if we would we have another bloud to cry unto which cries for mercy but if we spill this Bloud and tread it under foot what then whither then shall we flie for mercy when with our own hands we have plucked down our Sanctuary We spill we cast away our right pretious medicine We must then be well advised what we do and be humbled very low for what we have done even to girding with sackcloth and wallowing in dust p Jer. 6. 26. For who is he that may not say even in this case Deliver me from bloud guiltinesse O Lord the God of my salvation q Psal 51. And blessed be God even the God of our salvation that we can in His Name go to bloud for pardon of this crimson sinne even the spilling of His Bloud for so three thousand did before us r Acts 2. And written
abuse of the tongue but to instruct to exhort to reprove to correct also thereby to bring all to know and serve God There must be no difference none at all between children and servants It is not said m Gen. 18. 19. Abraham and his Isaac Lydia n Acts 15. 16. and her daughters but Abraham and his houshold Lydia and her houshold All alike in point of information though a difference in affection This is the praise in the Gospell that some private families were particular Churches The Church in thy house Philem. 2. And hence saith the Father o Chrysost in ep ad Cor. Hom. 12. If we observe so much it sufficeth hence all our evils which break out in Citie and Countrey ever from the neglect of this family or household We think it saith he sufficient to excuse our neglect when he or she walk in their own way the way of sinne and death That they are our servant or handmaid as if servants had no souls and we no charge over them or to use the same Fathers words as if in Christ Iesus there were either bord or free All one in our care But now heare the same Fathers reproof we do not so neglect our horse or our asse for we would have them good as we do our servants For the same may be said of us the Father p In epist ad Cor. Hom. 8. puts it down as a Caveat in way of prevention which was said of a people in Ieremiah's time q Jer. 7. 18. The children gather wood and the fathers kindled the fire and the women knead their dough So of us children and servants run after their pleasure Fathers as fast after their profit the women make provision for a temporall life onely none seek the things of Christ but all their own things whence must needs follow disorder in the family confusion in the Common-wealth And so much may teach thee so to use thy tongue that it may be thy glory in the setting up and maintaining the Glorie and service of God in thy family which was the grace and glory of those families whose praise is in the Gospell and the praise of that vertuous woman She openeth her mouth with wisdome and in her tongue is the law of kindenesse Prov. 31. 26. 2. There will be much use of the eye too many servants riotously waste much children wantonly spill much be wakefull herein see that nothing be riotously abused as the swinish manner is in some families worse then brutish nor needlesâ—ly spent nor carelesly spilt Set an honourable price upon Gods gifts for thou receivest them from God opening His hand What comes from His hand must not be slighted in ours The least crum of His blessings should have its due regard And as He doth open His hand so do thou open thy heart Thou canst not open at all till He open first much lesse so wide but yet pray as the one is enlarged towards thee so the other may be enlarged towards Him in thy measure and thy hand also open to others according as He hath blessed thee If He doth give thee to eat of the fat and to drink of the sweet and to be clad with the wool Nehem. 8. 10. Remember them for whom none of all is this provided And remember withall it is one of the properties of a vertuous woman Prov. 31. 20. She stretcheth out her hand to the poore yea she reacheth out her hands to the needy Mercies are spilt upon us if our hearts are not open towards God whose they are and our hand open towards our brethren who need our help The poore mans hand is Christs treasurie u Manus pauperis est gazophylacium Christi Chrysol Ser. 8. as we adde thereto we give unto Christ and we shew mercy to our own souls x Prov. 11. vers 17. and verses 24. 25. and that thy alms may not stick in thy hand as if thou wert grieved to part with it learn a lesson from thy bee-hive There thou seest great store of honey brought home but look in the place whence the Bee did fetch it and thou canst see nothing missing y Quis unquam quod ferentem â—pem viderat ubi dâ—esset invenâ—t Quint Pro paupâ—re decl 13. p. 158. It is so in giving of alms Thou doest cut a cantle from thy loaf so from thy cheese and something more thou takest out of thy purse wisely considering the poore and needy for that is supposed beleeve me now at the yeares end thou shalt finde nothing missing of all thou hast taken from thy loaf or out of thy purse But suppose thou hast not whereof to give it is a strong objection if there be truth in it as oft-times there is not but suppose thy case so though I cannot well suppose thy case harder then was the case of the widow who notwithstanding as rich in faith as she was poore in outward things from a very little parted with a little and thereby found a very rich increase So we reade 1. Kings 17. It is an extraordinary example but of no ordinary use But suppose I say this little is wanting thou hast nothing to give Then we must suppose also that as it is said thou wast thy self a stranger therefore thou knowest the heart of a stranger z Exod 2â— 9. So thou art a needy person and now thou knowest the heart of the needy and helplesse man he would have kinde and mercifull words they as an almes will be accepted when there can be no more he would not have affliction added to affliction not gall and wormwood put to his sowre cup. So then what thou canst not do with thy hand supply with thy tongue but let thy words come from thy heart Mark it we are not commanded to draw out our purses to the needy person No for our case may be as it is an ordinary case silver and gold have we none But this we are bound to do To draw out our soul to the hungry Esay 58 10. even then when otherwise we cannot satisfie the afflicted soul We must be kinde pitifull mercifull to his body more specially to his soul that is to draw out our soul to the hungry when we have no purse to draw out And then past all doubt we are bountifull for it is a case long since resolved A poore man may be liberall Now in a few words learn the way of thriving how thou may est have whereout to give this is the way A wise and Christian thrift will supply us much this way to enable us to supply others wants whereas a profuse and riotous spending emptieth all the contrary way and seals up the heart that it sheweth no pitie The eye must be wakefull looking about thee that nothing be lost and thy hand must be diligent in thy house for we shall never see one and the same person slack and slothfull yet liberall and bountifull profuse
Prov. 1. turn away their eare from hearing his Law we must heare God first if we look that God should heare us at the last If He cryeth and He cannot be heard We shall cry and we shall not be heard for the Lord hath spoken it more then once e Zach. 7. 13. Quid enim justius c. Sal. De Gob. lib. 3. pag. 86. Non audivimus non audimur ibidem All our stretching and crying and howling will be in vain We should have stretched and inclined our eares and have lifted up our voice on high when Gods time and ours was I mean the ordinary time that he hath appointed to be called upon and we are commanded to seek Him in What time is that it is called the Day of Salvation the acceptable Day And when is that time The Apostle answers Now is the accepted time now is the Day of Salvation now this present time f 1 Cor. 6. 2. And it is but a day Time is all the yeare long but your sowing time and your reaping time both these have their seasons Time is all the day long but tide-time hath See first Part. pag. 71. its appointed houre and we observe it as the poore man the stirring of the water Now this present time while the male is in the flock while breath is and strength is while the season is of knocking and opening Now is the time when we must seeke Now the time when God usually opens There is a pretty fiction touching the shell fish and the Serpent And because it instructs us touching a speciall point of practise we thus read it The Shell-fish and the Serpent sometime lived together and conversed the Shell-fish very harmelesly with the Serpent the Serpent very crookedly with the Shell-fish After many faire means and thereby prevailing nothing the Shell-fish watched his opportunitie and while the Serpent slept gave him a blow on the head which is deadly The Serpent feeling himself wounded to death began to stretch out himself it is the manner of all creatures so to do but most remarkable in the Serpent because he lyeth in a ring and goeth in folds or doubles The Shell-fish observing the Serpent so stretching Chap. 7 § 2 out and straightning himselfe told him Thou shouldest have done so before Thou shouldest have walked even and straight with Me when we conversed together so it might have benefitted thee but now nothing at all This is a fiction but it tels us our folly in good eatnest and instructs us in a speciall point of wisdome we have this property of the Serpent we are content to walk crookedly all our life in the crooked wayes of sinne and Death our owne wayes and we doubt not but to make all straight and even when we dye But ordinarily it profiteth us not our Thoughts deceive us and that is a fruit of our folly Our wisdome is to set all straight and even before hand to put our soules in order and our feete in straight pathes while there is yet Time this hath been the wisdome of the Saints If we read the sacred Register we shall observe all along That they whose yeares are numbred to be many were fruitfull in their lives and faithfull in their Deaths their Old age was their crowne of glory for it was found in the way of righteousnesse And for that great and waighty worke Their setting their house in order Their making all straight and even This was not a worke to be done then when strength and heart and breath faileth but already done When they came to that point there was no more to be done but to close the eye and fall asleep quietly in the Lord. Remember Lord said that good King when death was in his eye Remember how I have walked in truth g 2 Kin. 20. 3. how I have done the thing which is good in thy sight He assureth and giveth large testimony touching the Time past I have I have It was not large promises concerning the time to come when it was threatned That time should be no more as the manner of the most is I will doe thus and thus hereafter if thou wilt be pleased to spare me now many have said so and so promised and recovered and falne backe strangely to commit greater abominations For that is a Time as the learned Knight noteth h Hist. of the world 2. B. Chap 3. Sect. 4. pag. 212. When we remember God perforce and when we stand upon no condition with Him It was not what he would doe but what he had done Remember Lord how I have walked how I have done I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith i 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. said Paul the Aged when the time of His departure was at hand That is not a time to fight when commonly the heart faints the head is light the backe pained the sides weakned that is the time to have the Crowne put on which we have so long striven after a Time to have our sanctification perfected which before we have heartily laboured in It is not the Time to fight but to overcome and to be more then conquerers I have fought that good fight I have kept the faith When when was Paul such a Champion so valiant for the Truth contending for the Faith and keeping it when was this when his bow abode in strength then he played the Soldier so fighting so contending And hence Pauls ground of confidence Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne Thus touching the wisdome of the Saints They have understanding of the times And they know what they ought to doe k 1 Chron. 12. 32. that is they doe all in season Two lessons I shall draw hence for the Childs use and instruction and then anend First from hence I would give warning and put in a Caveat against some bold and presumptuous words and for ever hereafter prevent them We heare some and it is ordinary To wish for Death in a Passion before they have well thought of it and prepared for it if we may beleeve them they are well content to dye in a discontent They wish for that which they never before thought of in sobriety and good earnest Know they what they say doe they consider what death is and the consequence of the same when once death hath made its last conquest over the Body in that very instant Time the soule enters into a condition never to be altered it enters into eternity a gulfe of Time which all the figures in Arithmeticke cannot fill up For when we have reckoned a thousand thousand yeares we Read Drexclius 4. 2. have not the fewer remaining We are swallowed up in the thought of Eternity as a drop in the Ocean It is not possible to finde any bottome there we want a thought to measure it but if we should thinke of it to purpose we should be well advised what we doe or say I know there are
but it is beyond expression and this is the portion of them that feare Him not nor in their season and Day of Visitation call upon His Name even this is their Portion from the Lord saith the Lord Almightie But there is a sweet peace in Death to all such as painfully serve the Lord in life they are the words of him who relateth the last words of that excellent servant of the Lord Mr. Dearing And they were these It is not to begin for a moment but to continue in the A comfortable death ever followes a conscionable life Dr. Ayeries Lectur p. 715. feare of God all our dayes for in the twinckling of an eye we shall be taken away dally not with the Word of God blessed are they that use their tongues so every other faculty well while they have it So he spake lying upon his Death bed neare the time of His dissolution and having spoken somewhat touching His Hope and Crowne of rejoycing He fell asleepe This instructs us in this high point of Wisdome more then once pointed at before but can never be sufficiently pressed till it be thoroughly learnt which is to make use of the ptesent Time to know the Day of our visitation o Iob 22. 21. to acquaint our selves now with the Lord to number our Dayes God only teacheth the heart that Arithmeticke that is to consider how short how transitory how full of trouble our dayes are And yet such though they are but as a span yet thereon dependeth Eternity The thought whereof might stirre up to the well improovement of them The Hebrewes have a proverbe which they deliver in way of Counsaile Good friend remember to repent one Day before thy Death By one Day they meant the present Time the Day of Salvation So the words tend but to this to perswade to a wise and Christian improovement of that which is our Time the present There is no mans Will but when he comes to that point he bequeatheth his Soule to God But let him see to it that hee set his house in order while there was a fit season that Hee committed His Soule to God when He had perfect memory and strength of minde and well understood what He did which in time of distresse a man doth not q Few men pinched with the Messengers of Death have a dâ—sposing memory saith a great sage of the Law the L. Coke in his tenth epistle where he adviseth to set our house in order while we are in perfect health weighty counsell every way else all is in vaine for we know all is voyde if the Will be forced or if the minde and understanding part be wanting and out of frame The Lord will be as strict in examining our Will upon this point as man is what strength there was of understanding what freedome of Will And therefore the sure and certaine way is to evidence our Will in our health by double diligence as by two sure witnesses else the Lord may answer us as Iepthah to the Elders of Gilead r Iudg. 11. 7. Thou despisest me all thy life why committest thou thy Soule unto mee now in thy distresse at thy Death It is not to begin for a moment but a continuance in the feare of God all our dayes It is not to use our tongue well at the point of death but to use it well while we have it and strength to use it We must not think to leap from Earth to Heaven not think at the point of Death to live for ever with the Lord when all our life time we cared not to be made conformable to Christ in His Death We cannot thinke to Raigne with Christ who when we were living men did not Crucifie one Lust for His sake We cannot think to Rest with Him for ever in Glory who never sanctifyed one Sabbath to Him on Earth We cannot think to shine after Death as the Sunne in his strength yea to be like Him who never tooke paines to purifie our hearts nor to rub off the sully and filth of a vaine Conversation We cannot look for pleasures at Gods Right Hand forevermore who in our life and strength preferred a vaine perishing and now a tormenting pleasure before them But great peace have they that keep thy Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 119. verse 165. Great peace have they in death who painfully served God in life Their hope shall not make them ashamed for they commit their spirit into His hand Who hath redeemed them the Lord God of Truth they go to Him whose salvation their eyes have seen and whose they are and whom they served What can dismay them now can death can the grave No they are both swallowed up in victory They put death on the one side and immortalitie on the other worms on the one side and Angells on the other rottennesse on the one side and Christ Iesus on the other and now they are bold and love rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with the Lord Christ with Him together with the Father and the Holy Ghost to have continuall fellowship and everlasting communion Such honour have all the Saints Death is no other thing to them now then as the flame to the Angell Å¿ Judges 13. 20. for thereby though clean contrary to the nature thereof they ascend to their everlasting mansions there to see the good of His chosen to rejoyce in the gladnesse of His Nation and glory in His inheritance There to take possession of that crown of Righteousnesse which the Lord the Righteous Iudge shall give them at that day when with all the Patriarchs t Patriarcharum consortium Prophetarum societatem Apostolorum germanitatem Martyrum dignitatem c. Calv. Ad eccles cath lib. 2. p. 398. Prophets Apostles all the Antipasses those faithfull witnesses not yet made perfect u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost in ep ad Heb. cap. 11. hom 28. α. they shall be made perfect There to make up that tribute of praise wherein while they lived on earth they were wanting bearing part for ever in that heavenly quire saying Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Revel 7. 12. Thus my deare Children I thought it meet while I was in this tabernacle to stirre up your mindes by putting you in remembrance knowing that I and you must put off this walking tabernacle we must lay down this piece of breathing clay I know my self must before long and we all know not how soon and the good Lord grant that ye may be able after my departure to have these things alwayes x 1. Pet. 1. 13. in remembrance It is my charge unto you my last will look unto it and be acquainted with it for it is agreeable to Gods will My hearts desire concerning you is that ye would acquaint your selves with God for that is the