corruptions But death at once with a most happy paricide as I may terme it kils both it selfe our last foe and sinne its mother our first foe and sorrow its sister our daily foe That one pang which puls away the soule from the body doth also pull away sinne both from the soule and the body O most desireable pang and worthy to be thirsted after more then any earthly thing Iob when his body was full of botches could say with much vehemency of passion Why dyed I not from the wombe why gaue I not vp the ghost when I came out of the belly then should I haue lyen still and beene quiet I should haue slept then had I been at rest Hee could in elegancy of speech commend death and say There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together and heare not the voyce of the oppressour yea hee saith that a miserable man would long for it and dig for it more then for hid treasures and would reioyce exceedingly and be glad if he could find it This impatiency of life is no way worthy commendation it sauours too much of selfe loue to be good and allowable But if out of an holy impatiency of sinne wee could as feelingly take vp speeches of a like nature O how truly might it witnesse with vs that we did hate sinne that we were enemies to the lusts of our hearts that our corruptions were to vs as imprisonment sicknesse paine captiuity and so that wee were sure of our part in Christs goodnesse who comes to preach liberty vnto the captiues Verily our soules are as full of hotches many of them as Iobs body and it will hardly bee better with many of vs so long as we abide in these earthly tabernacles were we as full of spirituall life as hee of naturall and our soules as truly indued with holinesse as his body with sense we should complaine of this burthen with much bitternesse and say O that I could tell where to seeke death O that I might finde the graue and come to those quiet regions where worldlinesse and pride and wrath shall no more torment mee and where my will shall be no more carryed away with any fleshly perturbation I confesse that this is the least part of the good that death bringeth vnto the Saints that it doth vtterly dismisse them from the seruitude of the flesh but were we so thorowly spirituall as we should be this would seeme of so great worth with vs as wee would preferre it before all that the world counts delightfull The Bridegroome would rather go to his graue then to his bride-chamber the traueller would rather lye downe in his bed of earth then in a bed of downe and euery man would bee of Salomons minde and count the day of death better then the day of birth I confesse that wee must so farre resigne our willes to Gods will as with all contentednesse of minde to weare out the dayes of our apprentiship and pilgrimage For so long as God hath any seruice for vs to doe any where though the place and company be full of troublesomnesse yet should wee force our willes to doe him seruice with our owne disquietment but yet a vertuous desire of being separated from this vnhappy condition of life wherein wee shall neuer fully be separated from the sinne that cleaueth so fast would be very commendable and very profitable The gavvdes of this vvorld vvould not so easily beguile vs the cumbers of this vvorld vvould not so frettingly gawle vs if wee did dis-sweeten the one with making our selues to taste the bitternesse of our sinne and dis-imbitter the other with feeling the far greater bitternesse of that which is as farre more harmefull then it as lead is heauier then corke Then should wee proue our selues to bee men and women of a discerning spirit that can know of things what is good what is bad and of bad things what is more what is lesse bad Then should we shew our selues to approch neere that height of grace which the blessed Apostle had who in relating of bonds imprisonment hunger thirst nakednesse whipping stocking shipwrack and daily dying neuer bursts forth into lamentations but rather recounts with ioy that which was so painfull to suffer and seemeth to bee glad of life for nothing else but that by suffering more of those troubles hee might doe more seruice to the Church and honour to Christ but when he hath occasion to declare his sinfulnesse the body of death the law of his members the rebellion of his flesh then onely is heard bewailing and crying out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body Let therefore the feeling of sinne make our desires so earnest after full freedome from it that we may for this cause euen breathe after death when there are none other aduersities to distaste the comforts of this life vnto vs that by it wee shall be set at liberty from the diuels tentations the worlds affrightments allurements but specially from the corrupt lusts which we both doe and whilest we lodge in this dungeon shall carry about with vs. And let each of vs say often to himselfe O that I were parted from husband and wife from children from friends from lands and goods and from this world and all that in this world is counted worth hauing so that I might also bee parted from my corruptions and neuer more hereafter stand in need of pruning Fasting and prayer will purge the Word and Sacraments will cleanse and all Gods ordinances and all our Christian indeuours will helpe to lop off these disordered passions that are within vs. But this is alone a cleansing in part a paring off some euill and leauing much behind onely the last blow of death will make a full riddance of all that is euill in vs and after that blow giuen there shall nothing remaine behinde that may call for any more purging This is the soueraigne medicine that will consummate the cure of our diseased soules which till then shall neuer bee deliuered from all diseases though wee bee in Christ as the Vine and haue God the Father for our Husbandman O then Lord send thou this last enemy which may doe mee more good then all the former friends I meet with can doe euen worke a dissolution of my soule from my body and of my sinne from them both Let it come Lord let it come speedily doe thou hasten it in due season and take away all sinne by taking away this life of nature to make way for a farre more excellent life of glory Desire of death is then only warrantable when a desire of Gods full presence and of sinnes perfect absence be the causes mouing that desire CHAP. IX Containing the third vse of the poynt viz. an exhortation and direction how to keepe downe our corruptions whilest wee liue Vse 3 BVt as wee should moderately wish for death We
of ceremony and could scarce abide them that could abide those petty things which I haue disliked and yet I neuer lamented but rather applauded my selfe in this bitternesse and I my selfe haue beene very carelesse of greater things when profit pleaded for them that haue seemed so very strict in formes and shaddowes and externall rites and yet I pleased my selfe well enough in this largenesse of conscience O Lord thy Word hath found me out thy Word hath discouered vnto mee the secrets of mine heart it hath iudged me it hath condemned me I desire to giue glory to thee and no longer to hide my sinnes this sinne this vpholder of all sinnes this damnable hypocrisie I see it hath ruled in me and I for want of care haue neuer yet perceiued it but now I perceiue it and now I confesse it O Lord to thee that knowest it already to thee from whom it cannot be hidden I humbly acknowledge I haue all this while beene but an hypocrite Brethren will yee thus pleade guilty A man shall be loath thus to confesse his hypocrisie if you bee guilty before the Lord I know it is maruellous hard to bring the guilty soule to plaine confession selfe-loue raigneth in our hearts naturally and that can hardly endure to speake any euill against it selfe though vpon neuer so iust cause Hee that hath long fed himselfe and made himselfe if not peaceable yet secure with telling himselfe he was a good Christian will be very loath now perhaps after many yeares abiding in this false opinion to acknowledge himselfe to haue been deceiued We see it is very hard to draw men out of those errours wherin they haue been long trained vp Euery man hath been euen trained vp in a conceit that he was a good Christian It is conceit hath long possessed him and this errour hath become a very preiudice within him he hath euer taken it for granted and beene angry that it should be once called into question It is therefore no wonder if men finde themselues loath to recant their owne good conceits of themselues and to goe from all that they haue formerly esteemed vndenyable But for all this But he must for all that confesse I pray you be perswaded to see your selues to haue been dissemblers if you haue been such for all your vnnaturall vnwillingnesse The theefe indeed hath cause as he thinketh to be impudent in denying himselfe to haue committed felony though he know full well that he hath committed it because confession is required of him as an helpe to his conuiction and so to his condemning But the Lord of heauen doth not desire thee to confesse thy selfe to haue been but an hypocrite because he wanteth other meanes to conuict thee or because hee may the more easily proceede to condemne thee For that is the onely way to get it pardoned nay therefore onely he would haue thee confesse that thou mayest be capable of pardon because it is an ouer-ruled case in heauen and a thing peremptorily concluded of by the Diuine iustice that no sinner shall euer be pardoned till he deale plainely and freely confesse that he is such a sinner as he is Thy confession is called for onely to sit thee for pardon not to vrge against thee to any worse purpose Wherefore forbeare no longer winke no longer be ignorant of thy selfe no longer hide thy guile no longer but in thy very soule now in the thoughts of it and heereafter in more words twixt God and thy selfe in secret say vnto the Lord and deny not but acknowledge O Lord I see plainely that yet I haue been but an bypocrite Brethren And if he doe it not he is no whit safer ignorance of ones ill estate cannot helpe it Is a man one iot the better if he be an hypocrite because hee refuseth to acknowledge it Shall he scape better because he can make himselfe blinde and not see it Doubtlesse the Lord will discouer the secrets of euery soule at the last day and at the day of death to euery mans soule first and after to all the world and then a man shall be discouered to himselfe fearefully and horribly without all hope without all possibilitie of being pardoned Suffer the Word of God wherein hee comes to exercise iudgement in a mercifull manner to draw you to a plaine and sauing acknowledgement that you may not be forced by the last sentence to see and feele your hypocrisie when there will be neither leasure nor meanes to redresse it Now thou mayest be helped now thou mayest be changed from an hypocrite to a true Christian from a dissembler to soundnesse of spirit Now therefore whilest vpon confession mercy and healing may be procured bring thy soule to it and suffer the Word of God to ouer-rule all thine vnwillingnesse and fall to a free confession and as I haue often said tell the God of heauen O Lord It is true too true too plaine I cannot deny it vnlesse I will deny it wilfully and against my conscience I am but an hypocrite as yet Brethren wee therefore labour about this point so much because we doe well know the necessitie of it If we cannot attaine thus much from you But shall for euer remain so you will alwayes remaine hypocrites and the Word of God through your opposing it will prooue but a meanes of hardening you in your hypocrisie but if we draw you to acknowledgement it will not be impossible to direct you to amendment I know that your hearts may possibly hold off from confession by thinking to this effect That if you haue beene but hypocrites all this while it will neuer bee better with you and you shall neuer attaine to be vpright But this is a false suggestion of Satan If you will not see your selues to haue but dissembled you shall in very deede neuer be better but rather worse and worse and more and more sold vnder the power of hypocrisie Only by confessing and lamenting hee may be made true but if you will see it and lament it before God and oppose it by striuing to cast out the beloued sinne and to step that one step which hitherto you haue not stepped of falling out with that one sinne whatsoeuer which hitherto you haue harboured and constant praying against that one fault which hitherto you haue been content to winke at and let passe with a priuiledge of Seene and allowed you shall bee true you shall bee vpright you shal be sincere and of fruitlesse barren become fruitfull and profitable branches A man may weep out hypocrisie aswel as other vices confessing and lamenting guile will surely free a man from the power of guile and hee shall cease to be an hypocrite that will now begin hereafter daily continue to see acknowledge and bewayle his hypocrisie before the Lord who sees and hates it where it is not cōfessed sees pities it where it is CHAP. XII Containing a third vse for them that
euen so a man that hath long been taken for a good Christan is very backward to see and confesse that all his Christianitie was in formes and that he is not the man hee was taken for but an errand dissembler For why the heart of man is loath either to perceiue himselfe so wretched as he cannot but confesse himselfe to be in case he be but an hypocrite or else to take the paines which hee must needs take to make his estate better for doubtlesse it cannot but proue a painefull piece of worke to weede out a vice so deepely settled and so farre ouer-spreading But brethren vntill hypocrisie be plainely discerned it can neuer be reformed neyther this nor any other vice will cuer be conquered if it be not espied He shall for euer remaine an hypocrite that being so will not confesse himselfe so to be For when a man is ignorant of his vnhappinesse he will neuer set himselfe with all diligence to redresse it and certainely sinne will neuer be ouercome without striuing against it This and this alone is the true cause of our earnest plainnesse in this matter Wee would shew you your disease that you might in time seeke remedy and not perish by it Wee would lay open your sores that you might procure a playster and not be destroyed for want of healing And therefore returning againe to the matter we were about we doe now certifie euery person amongst you in whom that vniuersall care of knowing and accomplishing the whole will of God in each point of it and that out of the loue he beareth to him and for the honour and glory of his holy name that he I say in whom this care is not to be found though hee haue liued neuer so honestly to the world though he come to the Church neuer so duly though hee haue bin constant in frequenting Sermons though he haue beene very kinde to the Ministers of Gods Word though hee haue prayed many times with great feeling though he haue fits of great sorrow for diuers sinnes though he repeate Sermons and pray in his family though he haue obtained great credit amongst godly men and goe in the name of a most worthy Christian yet for all this and more than this if more may be without the fore-named generall endeauour is but a flat hypocrite a ranke dissembler a cousener of the world a beguiler of himselfe a whited sepulcher a picture of a Christian and not a Christian indeede This is thy case whatsoeuer thou hast heretofore deemed this and none other is thy condition if thou beest destitute of that fruitfulnesse which hath been plainely described vnto thee Open thine eyes now and see thy wretchednesse now suffer thy soule to bee wrought vpon and begin to seele thy misery that thou mayest be capable of helpe CHAP. XVIII Containing the third vse THirdly We must labour to be fruitfull let all men be now exhorted to get this fruitfulnesse by which they may approoue themselues to bee the true members of IESVS CHRIST Men do many times delight to norish in their Orchyards trees that beare no fruit onely for the comfort of their shade in hot seasons It is not so with God he likes not any tree that can doe nothing else but yeeld a shaddow if you will finde fauour in his sight you must be trees of righteousnesse you must be trees that yeeld some good fruit and be not wholly barren Learne I beseech you not to satisfie your selues with shewes with formalities with bare leaues but shew your faith by the fruites and let the grapes and figgs that may bee gathered of you testifie for you before God and your owne consciences that you be trees of Gods owne planting Content not your selues with a forme of religion applaude not your selues in your hearing and receiuing in your talking and seeming and your outward good dealing but O let your liues your whole liues and the tenour of all your whole conuersation be vniformerly constantly and in all things conformeable to the doctrine and example of our Lord Iesus Christ walke as he hath walked and hath commanded you to walke Let me vrge vpon you the words of Iohn Baptist to the Pharisies men that went for as deuoute holy and religious persons in their times till Christ the heart-searcher came to deale with them as any of you likely can be taken now begin not saith he to say with your selues we haue Abraham to our father but bring forth fruites worthy amendment of life Satisfie not your selues in hauing Abraham for your father I meane in the externall formalities of religion but looke to the course of your liues and see that it be such as may beseeme repentance Why will you loose your labour why will you die O house of Israel why will you rest your selues in that that will not profit Labour now to leade a godly conuersation in Christ Iesus let the common streame and current of your actions fauour of the holinesse of that Word of God which you say you beleeue and of the vertues of that Lord Iesus Christ in whom you say you place your confidence Assure your selues you shall neuer attaine the benefits of Christs death and resurrection vnlesse you shew forth the power of both in your liues that is to say vnlesse the serious consideration of the loue and goodnesse of God shewed in these two and of the hatefulnesse and filthinesse of sinne manifested in the former of them doe leaue so deepe an impression in your soules that here-hence you grow both resolute and able in some degree to cast away all the former lusts of your ignorance and now to turne your feete into the pathes of righteousnesse to fight against all the corrupt lusts of your hearts to labour to forbeare all wicked actions to endeauor to plant in your soules all vertues and to be abundant in religious mercifull iust temperate and all other godly actions that you may shew forth the vertues of him that hath translated you from darkenesse to light and be holy in all good conuersation euen as hee is holy Vrge and presse your selues therefore to this fruitfulnesse and make the constant carriage of your whole man inward and outward euen depose for you that yon are truly ingraffed into the true vine This fruitfulnesse shall arise for you in the day of tentation as it did for Iob and inable you to stand for your vprightnesse against all accusations of men and diuels and against all feares and doubtings of your owne hearts When a man is cast into the fornace ot aduersitie then will the leaues be blowne off as in the winter they be from trees then if the grapes of a good conuersation doe not lye by him to witnesse that he was a true branch in Christs body nothing will remaine for him but horror and amazement and a fearefull expectation of vengeance to befall him for all his shewes Be you therefore prepared for the day of triall which
you may see that in these words we are led to speake of foure most necessary points The destruction of hypocrites The corruptions of Gods true Saints in that they need pruning The helpe they haue against these corruptios by pruning And the good they get by this pruning viz. growth in godlinesse of which whilst I doe speake with as much plainenesse and euidence as I can let me craue you also to attend with all diligence and reuerence CHAP. II. Shewing the certaine destruction of hypocrites and the degrees and meanes thereof Doct. 1 All hypocrites must be destroyed COme hither therefore I pray you in the first place and behold the end of the hypocrite He is to be cut off All false-hearted guilefull and hollow professors of Christian Religion that are not in truth which they seeme in appearance shall by degrees be surely brought to nought and destroyed The Lord will no more suffer such persons to remaine in his Church vndiscouered and vnconfounded then a good husbandman will suffer dry and rotten branches to remaine vpon the trees of his Orchard vncut off So you haue it in the other Parables also Matth. 3.10 The tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire saith Iohn the Baptist to the men that came to his Baptisme The house that was built vpon the sand when the winde raine and tempest did beate vpon it was quickly tumbled vnder foot Matth. 7.17 and the fall thereof was great saith our Sauiour in the conclusion of his Sermon on the mount The stony ground also withered away in the heate and the thorny was ouerrunne with thornes The earth that drinketh in the raine which commeth vpon it and bringeth forth no better fruit then thornes and bryers is neere vnto cursing whose end shall be burning saith the Author to the Hebrewes And from him that hath not meaning in truth that shall bee taken away which he seemed to haue as our Sauiour tells vs. Saint Iohn doth giue vs examples of this ruine of dissemblers saying of many in his time They went out from vs because they were not of vs. Thus hath the Lord beene abundant in discouering his intended vengeance against the counterfeit Christian That you may the better conceiue of Gods Wisedome and Iustice herein we will shew you in what degrees and by what instruments the Lord doth cut off these dry branches The degrees are likely these and thus they follow one vpon another First whereas they had some workes of common grace bestowed vpon them as the inlightening of their mindes in some measure to conceiue diuine truths the framing of their wils to a liking of exercises of piety a gladnesse to heare and speake of the Word a gladnesse of the company of good men and the like these workes are by Gods iust Iudgement because they refuse to make a good vse of them in turning all to the thorow changing of their hearts and reforming of their liues euen quite withdrawne from them and so there followes a sensible withering they care not for the Word they care not for the company of the Saints that once contented them and Religion seemeth nothing so goodly a thing vnto them as somtimes it did Secondly whereas they had once the spirit of restraint bestowed vpon them to hold downe their corruptions and to keepe the badnesse of their hearts from shewing it selfe in extremity the Lord doth now please to remooue these bars so to auenge himselfe vpon their ingratitude and stubbornnesse that did winke with their eyes and resist the offers of loue made to them and refuse to open the doore when hee stood there and knocked and to giue them ouer into the hands of their owne euill natures that they may breake foorth openly and discouer themselues how rotten they were at heart by running into some such vile practice as carries them quite away so that they neuer returne againe by repentance nor neuer shew themselues to be soundly humbled for the same Then doth he send the temptations of Satan together with the affrightments or allurements of the world whereby they are so cleane pule away from the shew of godlinesse that at last they grow professedly cold and carelesse in open shew bearing before them an allowance of themselues in such their luke-warmenesse yea perhaps also they turne very enemies of that goodnesse which they seemed to haue fall out with those persons that they seemed best to loue brooke least that company that seemed most to satisfie them and become bitter harsh sharpe violent in speaking euill of those persons and things that were once approoued by them and lastly some miserable and fearefull end wherein they are either swallowed vp of horrible despaire or sold ouer to the most stony hardnesse that may be doth rent them from the land of the liuing and send them downe to hell And so is fulfilled that of our Sauiour in the sixth verse The branches that abide not in him are cast foorth and wither and gathered and cast into the fire and burnt Now the meanes of cutting them off are many euen all things that doe befall them for all workes together to the ruine of them that sell themselues ouer into the hands of sinne as well as for the good of them that worke righteousnesse but chiefly the Word of God it selfe a two-edged sword because they will not yeeld vnto it that it might cut off their corruptions from their soules becomes a sauour of death a weapon of vengeance to cut off their soules from God for by their often resisting it and much setting of their wits and consciences vpon the tenters to shift and dally with it they become blinder and blinder and harder and harder till at length they bee sold ouer vnto vtter blindnesse and giuen cleane into the power of sinne and Satan from which they seemed once to be redeemed And thus was Iudas cut off as the Scriptures shew vs. Hee was first a thiefe allowing himselfe in his couetousnesse and purloyning and not heeding the checkes of his owne heart which euery man must needs know would be apt to be moouing within him being a person of so great knowledge as he was and after he prooued a very deuill when he dipt his hands into the warme and innocent blood of his heauenly Master and well-knowne Sauiour The Lord to punish his guile in not opposing his couetousnesse and falshood put him cleane vp into the hands of the deuill and his owne both rage and lucre till Satan had possessed him with a full purpose of turning on the Pharises side where he saw more likelihood of rising and of making himselfe a faire way into their fauours by selling his Master vnto them for a little money And those reproofes and warnings of our Sauiour Christ which should haue withdrawne him from this reuolt and treason did nothing else through his desperate wilfulnesse but inrage imbitter and inuenome him prouoking him more and more against
but from gracious acceptation of them in that blood by dipping wherein the spots of them are done away For there is I thinke none of vs which denyeth but that God accepting our workes as perfect in Christ doth reward vs for them as if they were perfect but seeing the reward becomes due in Christ and not by the workes themselues wee thinke it a foolish pride to maintaine the stately name of merit of workes when wee are faine to beg the reward for anothers sake and cannot chalenge it simply for the workes sake Thus this truth inforceth them after much turning and winding in effect to confesse it though the truth is they would not haue it seeme so for feare of a sore losse that might follow thence vnto their Clergies kitchin and manger I meane their liuing and pompe But let them passe There is a second errour of heretickes 2. Of perfection of holinesse in this life dreamed of by the ancient Puritans so they may well be called no lesse dangerous yea verily I suppose much more dangerous then the former of old condemned vnder the name of Puritans from a conceited and imaginary purity or absolute freedome from all sinne whereof they boasted and now as the speech goes reuiued in some parts of this Land This is that the Saints of God in this life may attaine to such perfection as not at all to commit any sinne with such gay fancies they please to seed themselues and their seduced followers Now it is most certaine that these men are the most abominable and dissembling hypocrites in all the world or else the most besotted and benummed spirits for their owne whole carriage and continuall experience doth confute them euen to themselues and yet they will not see themselues confuted If euer any of you meet with any foolish Hypocrite offering to tel you a tale of such perfection that he hopes to get or that he hath gottē or that may be gotten by any in this life as neuer to sinne any more neuer any more to need repentance doe no more but turne him to Saint Iohns Epistle and tell him that he that saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Bid him consult with Salomon againe who propoundeth the question as of a thing impossible Who can say his heart is pure and tell him againe that the same Salomon knew what he said when he said that there is a generation which is pure in their owne eyes but are not cleansed from their filthinesse and tell him that those branches in Christ which need no pruning are sure like a branch ouerladen with Grapes through the conceit of their much fruitfulnesse broken off from him for he saith that euery one remaining in him needeth and receiueth pruning which were not needfull if he were faultlesse And so leaue the fond deceiued and selfe-conceited Hypocrite vnto himselfe and haue no more to doe with him For either he speaketh altogether against his owne heart or else his heart is nought worth as Salomon saith of the wicked yea more hope is there of the saluation of the most desperate sinner aliue then of such an one For Christ alwayes 〈◊〉 the full empty away and pronounceth a 〈◊〉 vpon these spiritually rich persons Seest thou a man wise in his owne eyes saith Salomon there is more hope of a foole then of him Surely he is wise in his owne eyes that thinketh he hath no sinne wherefore we can haue little hope of him This errour is so contrary to all the feeling and sense of all Gods Saints who are faine still to say with Dauid Lord who can know his errors as that a man would maruel how any man in whom there was euer any knowledge of the Word and any shew and beginning of goodnesse should bee so farre seduced and drawne away as to entertaine such an opinion But the cause is manifest hypocrisie is alwayes accompanied with pride and the growth of hypocrisie breeds also a growth of pride and pride swels out the eyes that a man cannot see the cleerest truthes And thus haue we briefly discouered vnto you these errours to rectifie your iudgements For if the words of Christ be true these opinions that are directly opposite vnto the truth contained in them must needs be false Now heare some other vses to rectifie your practice also CHAP. VIII Containing a second vse of the poynt stirring vp the seruants of God to an holy longing for death Vse 2 SEE heere 〈◊〉 how great cause wee haue to follow the Apostle Paul We should long for the time of our dissolution when we shall be perfectly freed from sinne and to long that wee were once dissolned and perfectly vnited vnto Christ that as hee prayes for vs being where he is and seeing his glory we might be perfectly like him in a spotlesse purity and holinesse Impatient folkes are many times so tormented with worldly crosses made so troublesome vnto them alone by their owne folly and pride whereby they neglect to see God and to stoope vnto him in crosses that they are euen altogether weary of their liues because of them and our of a kind of stomackfull sullennesse against God as once Ionas or else a feeble sinking vnder the burthen of misery as once Eliah they euen thinke with themselues I would I were dead and are bold to trouble God with that vnsauoury petition of making an end of their daies that they may be rid of their crosses which they haue neither patience enough to beare for the present nor hope enough to looke for a good issue out of for the time to come But my brethren consider Haue you not other and worse things to be weary of then crosses and for which if for any thing to be weary of life also as of a burthen which you long to be remoued from off your shoulders Hast thou not pride passion worldlinesse ambition lust enuie vaine-glory blindnesse hollownesse deadnesse of heart and a thousand more besides these corruptions within thee which giue thee farre iuster cause of panting for the period of thy dayes and wishing that thy life heere might bee but short then the frowardnesse of a yoke fellow the stubbornnesse of a child the meannesse of thine estate the falsenesse of thy friends the power and fury of thine enemies or any other crosse if any be worse then these Ah wee haue not sufficiently informed our selues of the loathsomnesse of sin neither are we sufficiently heauie laden with the sense thereof if the cumbersomnesse of this doe not cause vs euen in the time of our greatest immunity from other miseries to couet our departure hence If sicknesses make men cry for death because they be terrible to the body how should not the sicknesses of the soule make vs much rather to seeke for it seeing wee shall not cease to suffer the fits of this disease till death be sent to seuer our soules from our bodies and both from our
An exhortation to growth in goodnesse to approue himselfe a true branch by indeuouring after this increase in fruitfulnesse for nothing doth more infallibly argue life then growth I meane a sutable and proportionable growth of each part Be not therefore satisfied with what you haue already gotten but striue to get more Make your selues euen vnsatiably couetous after grace account your selues neuer to haue enough but for this matter imitate the Horse-leach and the graue and be alwayes saying Giue giue for no grace is further sound then it is ioyned with an hungring after more O then trauell forward in the paths of righteousnes daily Labour to be each weeke more holy more heauenly minded more patient more temperate more contentfull more prayerfull more abundant and affectionate in holy cogitations and to doe all good things more sincerely and more heartily with a more particular and actuall intending of Gods glory in each of them and with a more feeling attractiue of loue inducing you to them Grow I say continually either bigger or better or both Let these words put wings to your soules and let this exhortation as it were a good gale of wind to a ship carry you more swiftly towards the hauen of perfection You cannot glorifie God or profit your selues or edifie your brethren more or better you cannot make a better preparation for death or the day of affliction nor make your assurance of eternall happinesse more large and vndeceiuable then by making a continuall progresse in the vertues of Christ Iesus Faint not therfore nor grow weary let not your hands fall from this worke slow not your pace in this iourney but prouoke your selues and let the Word of God prouoke you to be yet more and more godly righteous sober and to proceed from faith to faith from vertue to vertue till you be made at last fully conformable to the Image of Christ Let there bee no going backe in any hand no flying no reuolting By going backe you shall as much as proclaime to all the world that you account Gods seruice an ill seruice and his worke an vnprofitable worke not worth the while to imploy your selues in it By going backe you should giue occasion of discouragement to others and lay vp matter of griefe and shame for your selues Offer not God this iniury doe not such hurt to your selues and to your brethren But as the God of heauen reneweth his mercies daily and inlargeth his bounty so doe you daily renew your obedience and let your graces be still on the thriuing hand But that my words may not bee fruitlesse in perswading you to grow let me also declare vnto you what it is that you must doe to the intent you may grow Growth you know doth presuppose life Meanes of growing and that wee must take for granted to bee in all those that shall be fruitfull hearers of this exhortation And yeelding a man to liue with a spirituall life in Christ the meanes of growth to his soule may not vnfitly be resembled to those that concerne his body The body will grow if it be of a good constitution and haue a good stomacke good diet and good digestion so will the soule also and therefore wee will speake a word or two of each of these First then as the body 1. To preserue the good constitution of the soule so the soule must inioy the benefit of a good constitution Now as the good constitution of the body consists in a right mixing together and tempering of the foure first and chiefe qualities so the good constitution of the soule standeth in a right and due ordering of the principall faculties of the minde towards the different obiects thereof I meane the iudgement the will and the affections when the iudgement entertaineth an high and excellent esteeme of God and things diuine but a meane and base esteeme of ones selfe and all things earthly when the will most vehemently and earnestly inclineth it selfe to God the chiefe Good and carefully withdraweth it selfe from fained or inferiour good things when the affections are inflamed towards God and heauen and cooled towards earth and the things of the earth This is a sweet and happy constitution of the soule and if this constitution be not preserued by a diligent watching ouer the mouing and working of our mindes and a daily striuing to pull them from things below and set them on things aboue there is no possibility of growing but if this constitution bee carefully preserued the meanes following will infallibly procure a proceeding in all the fruits of good liuing And the second thing required 2. To keepe a good appetite is to keepe a good stomack or appetite that is a continuall desire of more grace feeling its wants and longing for a supply Wee must tell our selues often how farre short we come of that wee might attaine and others haue attained and wee must earnestly prouoke our selues to desire a supply of what we feele our selues to want Wee should often say to our selues Alacke how poore a quantity of faith patience hope charity temperance heauenly-mindednesse haue I gotten how slender are all graces in mee If I compare my selfe with those of Gods Saints whose examples are commended in Scripture for mine imitation I come so short of them that it may almost bee a question whether I haue any goodnesse or none at all What a little meeknesse haue I in comparison of Moses what a little zeale of Gods glory in comparison of Dauid what little patience to beare affliction for Christs sake in comparison of Paul what little faith in Gods promises in comparison of their faiths that the Apostle to the Hebrewes commendeth to mee O how farre did Iob surpasse mee in patience in bounty in religiousnesse in the feare of God How farre did Nehemiah goe beyond me in loue to the Church and people of God and zealous desire of promoting the worship of God So weigh thy selfe in the ballance against the godly men which are famous in holy Writ and seeing how much thou wantest of what they had gotten and yet that which they had commeth farre shorter of what they should haue had then what thou hast doth come short of what they had then moue thy desire to an increase and thinke thus Ah that I could get at least a little more grace Ah that my graine of faith were made two graines Ah that my one talent were made two talents my two fiue What might I doe to get more grace what course might I take to fil vp that which is wanting to my faith patience temperance confidence and other like vertues To whet a mans appetite in this manner and to sharpen his desires towards vertues doth exceedingly helpe to make him capable of them and is as one may terme it a great inducement to the Lord to bestow more vpon him for the Lord as once Iob doth loue to feed the hungry and to giue drinke vnto them that thirst