Horse would needs have him foaming at the mouth but could not by any means do it Whereupon in a great rage he took the sponge wherewith he made his pensils clean and thrâ—w it at the picture intending to have utterly defared it but it so fell out that the spunge having sucked in severall sorts of colours effected that by chance which the Artist by all his industry could not compasse Thus it is with them that strive to make themselves great and eminent in the World How do they cark and care flatter lie and dissemble and all to be thought some body amongst their fearful Neighbours But all in vain this is not the way to do it for as Charles and Fifth told his sonne That Fortune was just like a Woman the more you woe her the further she flings off Let every good Christian then take up the spunge of contempt and throw it at these outward eminencies Moses did so and found to his exceeding joy that the abjection of vain glory was the acquisition of that which was true and reall The difference of good and bad Men in their preparation for Death A Wife that hath been faithfull to her Husband and waits his coming home let him knock when he will she is alwayes ready to open the door unto him but another Woman that is false to her husband and hath other Lovers in the house if her husband chance to knock at the door she does not immediately go to the door and let him in but there is a shuffling up and down in the house and she delayes the time till she have go the others out of the way Thus it is when Death knocks at the door of these Earthly Tabernacles of ours here 's the difference A good man is willing and ready to open to Death his Heart is in such an Heavenly frame that he is alwayes prepared for Death and seeing 〈…〉 Death that so he may take possession Whereas the Atheist he dares not die for fear of a Non esse that he shall be no more the prophane Person is afraid of Death because of a male esse to be made miserable and every wicked ungodly Man is loath to die for having espoused himself to the things of this World he shrinks at the very thought of Death and cryes out to his Soul as sometimes Pope Adrian did O my Soul whither goest thou thou shalâ— never be merry more Or as those ten Men Stay us not for we have Treasures in the Field of Wheat and of Barley and of Oyl and of Honey c. Jer. 41. 8. Christ to be the summe of all our Actions THere is mention made of one in the Primitive times who being asked What he was answered A Christian. What is thy name he answered Christian. What is thy Profession He answered Christian. Wâ—at are thy thoughts He answered Christian. Thy words and deeds What are they He answered Christian. What life leadest thou He answered still Christian. He had so digested Christ into his Soul by Faith that he could speak nothing but Christians And thus it is that Christ is to be made the summe and ultimate of all our actions we must labour that Christ may be made one with us and we with him that in all our Works begun continued and ended we may still conclude with that expression of the Church Through Iesus Christ our Lord. Gods Immutability A Man travelling upon the Road espies some great Castle sometimes it seems to be nigh another time afar off now on this hand anon on that now before by and by behind when all the while it standeth still unmoved So a Man that goes in a boat by water thinks the shore moveth whereas it is not the shore but the boat that passeth away Thus it is with God sometimes he seemeth to be angry with the Sons of Men another time to be well pleased now to be at hand anon at a distance now shewing the light of his Countenance by and by hiding his face in displeasure yet he is not changed at all It is we not he that is changed He is Immutable in his Nature in his Counsels and in all his Promises whereas all Creatures have and are subject to change having their dependance on some more powerfull Agent but God being onely independent is as the School-men say omninò immutabilis altogether immutable The Godly Man rejoycing in Death IT is storied of Godfrey Duke of Boloigne that when in that his expedition to the Holy Land he came within view of Ierusalem his Army seeing the high Turrets goodly Buildings and fair fronts though but as it were as so many Skeletons of far more glorious bodies being even transported with the joyfulnesse of such a sight gave a mighty showt that the Earth was verily thought to ring with the noyse thereof Such is the rejoycing of a Godly Man in death when he doth not see the Turrets and Towers of an Earthly but the spirituall building of an Heavenly Ierusalem and his Soul ready to take possession of them How doth he delight in his dissolution Especially when he sees Grace changing into Glory Hope inâ—o fruition Faith into vision and Love into perfect comprehension such and so great are the exultations of his Spirit such mighty workings and shoutings of the Heart as cannot be expressed Sin to be looked upon as the cause of all sorrow IN the course of Justice we say and say truly When a Party is put to death that the Executioner cannot be said to be the cause of his death nor the Sheriff by whose command he doth it neither yet the Iudge by whose sentence nor the twelve Men by whose verdict nor the Law it self by whose Authority it is proceeded in for God forbid that we should endite these or any of these of Murther Solum peccatum Homicidae Sin and sin onely is the cause and occasion of all sorrows It is not the looking upon any accidentals any Instrumentals of our Miseries and vexations but upon the principal the prime Agent and that 's Sin to take a wreak or holy Revenge upon that to send out an enquiry in our Souls after that and having found it to passe sentence thereupon The Good Mans comfort in matter of Worldly losse IT was a handsome conceit of a great Duke of Florence that had for his Arms a fair spread Tree having one branch onely lopped off with this Motto Uâ—o avulso non deficit alter intimating thereby that as long as the Trunk or body of the Teee was well rooted there was no fear though a branch or two were withered Thus a good Man bears up himself in the matter of temporal losse As to the matter of Government if a David be gathered to his Fathers a Solomon may succeed him in his Throne If a Iohn be cast into Prison rather then the Pulpit shall stand empty a greater then
yea though the Temple in his time were become a den of thieves yet then and there sent he up devout and holy prayers to Heaven Get but God and get all AS Noah when the Deluge of waters had defaced the Earth and blotted the great book of Nature had a copy of every kinde of Creature in that â—amous Library of the Ark out of which all were reprinted to the World So he that hath God hath the originall copy of all blessings out of which if all were perished all might easily be renewed Let friends and goods and life and all forsake us yet let but the light of God's countenance shine upon us and that shall be life and friends and goods and all unto us Afflictions the ready way to Heaven A Man taking his journey into a far Country and enquiring for the way is told that there are many plain waies but the streight and right way is by woods and hills and mountains and great dangers that there are many Bears and Lions in the way much difficulty is upon the road thither Now when he is traâ—ailing and finds such and such things in the way such mountains and hills of opposition such flats and vallies of danger he concludeth that he is in the right way thither And so the child of God that is going to the kingdom of Heaven though there be many waies to walk in yet he knowes that there is but one rigâ—t way which is very strait and narrow full of trouble full of sorrow and Persecution full of all manner of crosses and afflictions and when in this life he is persecuted for God and a good cause whether in body or in mind it argueth plainly that he is in the right way to salvation To be provident for daies of triall MEn in policy prepare cloaks for the wet provision for winter a staffe for old age a scrip for the journey they 'l be sure to lay up something for a rainy day or a bank of mony to flie to when occasion serveth Thus it should be with all true Christians they should be alwaies striving for the more and more assurance of God's favour to be sure of a stock going in the Lord's affection to get some perswasion of God's love whereby they may be able to stand in the evill day in the saddest of times in the hour of death and in the day of judgment A good Man is the prop and stay of his Country IT was the Poet's vain and groundlesse conceit of Hector that so long as he lived Troy could not be destroyed terming him the immovable and inexpugnable pillar of Troy But well may it be said of a faithfull man that he is a mighty stay and strength a main defender and upholder of the place where he liveth for whose sake for whose presence and prayers out of the Lord 's abundant kindnesse to all His even the wicked are often within the shadow of God's protection and spared It is Peace that sets up Religion ANtigonus told the Sophister he came out of season when he presented a treatise of Iustice to him that was at that very time besieging a City he could not hear the voice of the Lawes for the noise of Drums And so the Lawes of God the comfortable voice of the Gospell cannot be heard in times of war and hostility Religio doâ—enda non coercenda Fire and faggot are but sad Reformers It is Peace that is the good Ioseph the best Nurse to Religion When the Church had peace and rest then and not till then it multiplied Children to be brought up in the fear of God PArents are very carefull to prefer their children to great places and Noblemen's houses and to that end they give them gentile breeding which is welldon of them But if they would indeed be good parents to their children they should first endeavour to get roomes for them in the kingdom of Heaven But how shall this preferment be had God hath an upper and a lower house His Church and the â—ingdom of Heaven the Church is his house of grace Heaven is his house of glory Now if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glory then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace bringing him up so in the fear of God that both in life and conversation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church and then assure thy selfe that after this life he shall be removed to the second House which is the house of glory and there for ever be a freeman in the kingdom of Heaven In thus doing thou shalt not leave him an Orphan when thou diest for he shall have God for his Father Christ for his Brother and the Holy Ghost his Comforter to all eternity Heavenly Principles tend Heaven-ward FIre which here we kindle and is engendered on the earth it being no earthly but an heavenly body hath ab origine an aptnâ—sse and inclination carrying it towards the sphear of Fire which is the proper place thereof So from what time a man by God's calling is begotten to be an heavenly creature here on the earth he hath produced in him an inclination which doth make him move God-ward being heavenly principled he tends Heaven-ward Never did poor exile so much long to smel the smoak of his native Country as he breathes and pants after the Kingdome of Heaven Sathan suiting himself to all humours IT is observable that a Huntsman or Forrester goeth usually in green suitable to the leaves of the Trees and the grasse of the Forrest so that by this means the most observant in all the Heard never so much as distrusteth him till the Arrow stick in his sides And thus the Devill shapes himself to the fashions of all men if he meet with a proud man or a prodigal man then he makes himselfe a flatterer if a covetous man then he comes with a reward in his hand He hath an apple for Eve a grape for Noah a change of raiment for Gehezi a bag for Iudas He can dish out his meat for all palats he hath a laste to fit every shoo he hath something to please all conditions to suit with all dispositions whatsoever Love the bond of all perfection AS the Pâ—imum mobile in the Heavens sets all the other Sphears a going which move and make musiâ—k as the Pythagoreans thought in the god's bosome As Ens in Logick communicates his beeing to the ten Preâ—icaments So is Love to the ten Commandements in which they live and move and have their being Love is the end the scope at which they all aime the perfection in which they rest the tribute which they exact it is the bond of perfection or perfection of bonds the most perfect bond that ties all graces to us Forgivenesse of others an argument of God's forgivenesse of us TAke a
payment but dross putting off as the trick is either with improbable reverâ—ions or Promises of Promises like the Devills omnia dabo imaginary and delusory whilst their Patients like that Man of many years infirmity in the Gospel fainting by the pool and none to put him in lie languishing at Hopes Hospital like a hungry man dreaming of meat and when he awaketh his soul is empty or like Men in a swoon cheared with strong water they revive onely to beweary their eyes with further expectation and to witnesse the fallibility of Promise Partiall Hearers of Gods word reproved IT is observable that in great Fayrs and Markets the Pedlar and the Ballad singer are more thronged than the wealthy â—radesmen Children and Fools hang upon them who sell toyes and neglect those who have their shops furnished with rich and Merchantable commodities And such is the partiality of many Hearers of Gods word that they will croud to hear a Sermon abroad when they may hear one perhaps a better at home and that too with a great deal more ease and herein they wrong both God his Word and his Ministers God to whom onely Iudgement belongs in this case for though some may judge of the Minister eloquence many of his industry yet none of his faithfulnesse which is the chief thing required in a Steward His word in having the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2. 5. Lastly They offer indignity to the Preachers of his word in overvaluing one man and too much sleighting another Afflictions happen both to good and bad but to severall ends THe stalk and the ear of Corne fall upon the threshing floor under one and the same Flayl but the one shattered in pieces the other preserved from one and the same Olive and from under one and the same press is crushed out both oyl and dregs but the one is tun'd up for use the other thrown out as unserviceable And by one and the same breath the fields are perfumed with sweetness and annoyed with unpleasant favours Thus Afflictions are incident to good and bad may and do befall both alike but by the providence of God not upon the same accompt Good Men are put into the Furnace for their tryal bad Men for their ruine the one is sanctified by Afflictions the other made far worse then before the self-â—ame Affliction is as a Loadâ—stone to the one to draw him to heaven as a Milstone to the other to sink him down into hell The study of School-divinity not altogether necessary THere is an Italian Tree mentioned by Pliny called Staphylodendron whose wood is fair and white like our Maple the leaves broad and beautifull the fruit sweet and pleasant yet Dodoneâ—s a good Herbalist saith of it that it is good for nothing Such is the study of School-divinity I will not say good for nothing but as Dr. Whitaker a learned Man in his time said That School-men had plus argutâ—arum quà m doctrinae plus doctrinae quâ—m usus a goodly kind of learning that whetteth the wit with quaint devices and filleth the head with nice distinctions Multa dicunt sed nihil probant said another learned Man yet giving them Christian freedom we may use them as sweet meats after a feast rather to close the stomack and to delight with variety then to satisfie the appetite or support Nature Atheism condemned PRotagoras Abderites because he began his Book with a doubt De Diis neque ut sint neque ut non sint habeo dicere was banished out of Athens and his Books solemnly burnt to ashes And the same Athenians committed Anaxagoras to prison and but for Pericles had put him to death for but writing a book of the Moon 's Eclipses after they had received her for a Goddess Then do we find such jealousie of the Heathens over their fained Gods and shall the denyall and disparagement of the Honour of the one true and ever-living God be tolerable among Christians No let us know that Atheism is the main disease of the Soul not only pestilent to the person in whom it is harboured but to the whole Land where it is permitted Heaven the inheritance of Gods children IT is observable that whereas Abraham gave gifts to the Sons of his Concubines and so sent them away yet the Heritage he reserved for his son Isaac in whom the Covenant was established the Son of Promise So if God as oftentimes he doth give secular things common gifts unto bastard-children yet the Inheritance of Heaven the Crown of life he preserveth for them who after the manner of Isaac are children of promise as St. Paul speaks to his Isaacs his laughters in whom he takes pleasure to those that love him saith St. Iames to those that love his appearing saith another all which hinteth thus much that Heaven is the proper inheritance of Gods children God in wisdom ordering all things to work together for the good of his Children LOok upon the revolution of the Heavens how every Planet moves in its proper Orbe their motions are not all alike but various nay opposite each unto the other Hence those different Conjunctions Oppositions and Aspects of the Planets yet by the wheeling round of the Primum mobile they are brought about to one determinate point Or do but observe well the wise and politique carriage of a provident Governour who meeting with opposite factions in the State while each man takes his own way one seeking to undermine another he serves his own ends of both so wisely managing the good so powerfully over-awing the bad that all turns to the common good Thus it is that though many and sundry Agents are found in the world whose course and scope whose aims and ends and actions are not the same yea divers nay adverse one thwarting and crossing the other yet the over-ruling providence of God so swayes all subordinate and inferiour instrâ—ments that in the midst of their mutuall jars they conspire in a sacred harmony as if they were entred into an holy league or some sacred combination for the good of his chosen where-ever the Enemies be in respect of their places whosoever they be in regard of their persons howsoever dis-joynted in regard of their affections all their projects and practices tend and end in the good of his Elect. The unprofitable Rich man IT is observed by the Mineralists such as dig for treasure that the surface of that Earth is most barren where the bowels are most rich that where veyns of Gold and Silver swell the biggest the body of that Earth as if the treasure had eaten out all its fatnesse is made so poor that it is not capable of the least improvement Thus it is not alwayes but most usuall with rich Men they have full purses but empty souls great Incomes of wealth but small stocks of
Weak ones his little ones sins of weaknesse and infirmity which if once admitted will soon unbolt the dores of the heart let in all the rest of their Company and so make a surprisall of the Soul and endanger it to all Eternity Not to admit of delayes in Religious performances EXcellent is that comparison of St. Ambrose If saith he I should offer thee gold thou wouldst not say I will come to morrow and fetch it but thou wilt be sure to take it out of hand yet Redemptio animae promittitur nemo festinat the Redemption of our pretious Souls more worth then thousands of gold and silver is daily offered and no man hastneth to lay hold thereon How true may this speech of the Father be returned upon the cunctators such as procrastinate in the matters of Religion For Earthly things no Man will take time till to morrow but is very hot in the pursuit never resting till he have one way or other compassed them yet for spirituall things such as accompany salvation most Mens states are Weak and like Men ready to break are taking order for two three four six Monthes time and so as far from making satisfaction as ever Humility appeaseth the wrath of God incensed IT is recorded of an English King Edward the first that being exceeding angry with a servant of his in the sport of Hauking he threatned him sharply The Gentleman answered that it was well there was a River betwixt them Hereat the King more incensed spur'd his horse into the depth of the River not without extream danger of his life the water being deep and the banks too steep and high for his ascending yet at last recovering land with his sword drawn he pursues the servant who rode as fast from him but finding himself too ill-horsed to out-ride the angry King he reyned lighted on his knees and exposed his neck to the blow of the Kings sword The King no sooner saw this but he puts up his sword and would not touch him A dangerous water could not hold him from Violence yet satis est prostrâsse his servant's submission pacified him Thus whilst Man flies stubbornly from God he that rides upon the wings of the wind posts after him with the sword of Vengeance drawn but when poor dust and Ashes humbles it self and stands to mercy the wrath of God though ever so much incensed is soon appeased A faint-hearted Christian described A Certain Colliar passing through Smithfield and seeing some on the one side hanging he demands the cause answer was made For denying the Kings supremacy on the other side some burning he asking the cause was answered For denying the reall presence in the Sacrament Some quoth he hanged for Papistry and some burnt for Protestancy Hoyte on a Gods name â—hil be nere nother Such an one is every timerous faint-hearted Christian another Gallio a new Nichodemus that would fain steal to Heaven if no body might see him one that owes God some good will but dares not shew it his Religion is primarily his Prince's subordinately his Landlord's Whilst Christ stands on the battlements of Heaven and beckens him thither by his Word his heart answers Lord I would fain be there but that there is a Lyon or a Bear some trouble in the way All his care is for a ne noceat let him but sleep in a whole skin then omnia bene whether right or wrong all 's one to him The Devills hard dealing with the ensnared Sinner IT is not unknown how the Spanish Index deals with Velcurio who commenting on Livy saith That the fifth age was decrepit under the Popes and the Emperours The Index favourably takes out the Popes and leaves the Emperours wholly obnoxious to the imputation Thus the Devill winds out himself at the last from the wicked refusing to carry the burthen any longer but leaves it wholly to their supportation he that flattered them before with the paucity of their sins now takes them in the lurch and over-reckons them he that kept them so long in the beautiful Gallery of Hope now takes them aside and shews them the dark Dungeon of despair and ingrossing all their iniquities in great text-letters hangs them on the curtain of their beds feet to the wracking amazement of their distracted and distempered Souls The great Folly of costly Apparel LOok upon a Man that dwels but in a borrowed house expecting every hour when he shall have warning to avoid he doth not trouble himself to bestow any cost either in repairing or trimming up thereof because he hath no time in it no Lease for tearm of years to come Such is the condition of every living Man his body is but as it were an House lent unto the Soul from whence it looketh daily and hourly to depart Why should he then be so carefull to cloath this body with rich and brave Apparell when God knows how soon it must be laid down in the Earth there to rot and perish and in the mean time neglect to adorn and beautify his pretious Soul with Heavenly graces which is immortal How the wounded Sinner is to be cured THere is a story nothing worth but for the Morall of a great King that married his daughter to a poor Gentleman that loved her But his grant had a condiâ—ion annexed unto it that whensoever the Gentlemans side looked black or he lost his Wedding Ring he should not onely lose his Wife but his life also One day pursuing his sports he fell into a quarrel where at once he received a bruise on his left breast and lost his Ring in the scuffle The Tumult over he perceived the danger whereinto his own heedlesnesse had brought him and in bitternesse of Soul shed many tears In his sorrow he spied a book which opening he found therein his Ring again and the first words he read was a Medicine for a bruised side it directed him to those hearbs whereof a plaister applyed would not fail to heal him He did so was cured was secured Thus applied The great King of Heaven marries to Man poor Man hiâ— own daughter Mercy or eâ—eâ—lasting kindness but threatens him that his side musâ— not look black his heart must not be polluted with spiritual Idolatry nor must he lose his wedding Ring love to God and his Saints least he forfeit both Gods mercy and his own salvation Man in pursuit of Worldly affairs quarrels with his Neighbours and scuffles with Contention So his heart gets a bruise looks black with hatred And Charity his wedding Ring is lost in these willfull turbulencies and Vexations What should we do but mourn Lo God in his goodnesse directs him to a book the holy Gospell then the spirit helps him to his Ring again his former love and to heal his bruise prescribes him these speciall herbs of Grace Repentance Thankfulness and Meekness which being well applied will keep his Ring of
story How that upon a time a Complaint was sent from the Islands of the Blessed to the Judges of the superiour Courts about certain Persons sent thither who formerly had lived impiously humbly intreating that this abuse thus offered unto them might speedily be redressed Whereupon these impartiall Iudges taking the businesse into their considerations found not onely the complaint to be true but withall the reason and cause thereof which was that Iudgment and sentence was passed upon them here below in this life Whereupon it oft fell out that many Persons cloathed with Honourable titles Riches Nobility and other like dignities and preferments brought many Witnesses with them who solemnly swore in their behalf that they deserved to be sent to the Islands of the Blessed when the truth was they deserved the contrary To avoid which inconveniency it was decreed by an eternal doom that for the time to come no Iudgment should be passed till after death and that by Spirits onely who alone do see and plainly perceive the spirits and naked Souls of such upon whom their sentence and Iâ—dgment was to passe that so of what estate and condition soever they were they might receive according to their works Here now was a great deal of light in a dark vault the divine eye of a meer naturall Man discovering an Heavenly truth which is That definitive sentence is not to be passed upon any here below not that any whosoever shall receive his full Reward of what he hath done whether it be good or bad till after this life be ended Good meanings of bad Men destructive THe Poets prate much of Plato's Ferry-boat that never rested to carry Men through the infernall River to the infernall place So that what was then feigned is now verified For if there be any Ferry-boat to Hell it is the thing that Men call a good Meaning This is that which carries Men and Women down to Hell by multitudes by Millions There cannot be found so many Passengers in all the boats upon any River as there are in this one Wherry wafted down to the pit of perdition Many in all Ages have had their good meanings and to this day the Iews Turks Pagans Papists the worst of them all do not want for good meanings It is the good meanings of bad Men that brings them to an evill end they think they do God good service by abusing his People but they are sure to find and feel one day what disservice they have done to God and their own Souls for ever and that their good meanings before Man shall never excuse their bad actings before God Gods readinesse to maintain the cause of his Church AS in publique Theaters when any notable shew passeth over the stage you shall have all the spectators rise up off their seats and stand upright with delight and eagernesse that so they might take the better notice of the same Thus it is that though by an article of our Faith we are bound to believe that Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty as a Iudge to pronounce sentence Yet he is said in the Scripture to stand upright at the sufferings of his People as at the stoning of S. Stephen either as an Advocate to pâ—ead the Church's cause or as one in a posture of readinesse to take revenge upon all her Enemies Men not to be proud of Honours and Preferments IT is Pliny's observation of the Pidgeons that taking a pride in the excellency of their feathers and the height of their flying they towr it in the ayr so long that at last they become a prey to the Hawk whereas otherwise if they would but fly outright they are swifter of wing then any other bird Thus Men that take a pride in the height of that honour whereunto they are advanced are many times made a prey to the Devil and a laughing stock to Men whereas did they but moderate their flight and make a right use of their preferments they might become serviceable to God and their Country Moderation the fore-runner of Peace IT is the observation of S. Hilary that Salt containeth in it's self the element both of Fire and Water and is indeed saith he a third thing compacted out of both It is water lest we should too much be incensed unto heat and passion It is Fire lest we should grow too remisse and chill with neglect and carelesnesse Hence is that advice of our Saviour to his Disciples Have salt in your selves and peace one with another that is as S. Paul interprets Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt let it not be rancid or unsavoury larded with bitter and unchristian Invectives but tempered alwayes with sobriety meeknesse and temperance And then when the salt is first set upon the Table Peace as the best and choycest dish will follow after The Saints Infirmities AS all Men dwelling in houses of clay and carrying about them the earthly Tabernacles of their bodies between whiles will they nill they sleep by reason of bodily infirmity and by a kind of unwelcome heavinesse nod towards the Earth as it were pointing at their natural Element whereunto they must in a short processe of time be reduced So even the best of Gods children compassed with Flesh and bloud cannot but at times bewray their folly and unsteadfastnesse The best Artist hath not alwayes his wits about him quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus and the most watchful circumspect Christian doth not alwayes stand so fast upon his guard of Faith and a good Conscience but he may at one time or other be taken napping God onely to be trusted unto in time of distresse AS when little Children do first learn to go alone and feeling the weaknesse of their feet Nature â—eacheth them to thrust out the hand to the Wall and trust it onely for a stay unto them And thus it is that especially in times of distresse Nature and Religion teach us to trust to a stronger then our selves that we shall have help at Gods hands and that without him there is no reall true help at all none in the smooth tongue of Man nor in his fair looks not in the strength of Man nor in his Riches nor in the wit of Man that may be turned into Foolishnesse but in God alone who is able and willing to relieve his People in the time of their distresse The great heat of Ambition IT is reported of Iulius Caesar that as he passed over the Alpes in his journey to Spain he took up his quarters one night in a little poor inconsiderable Village where one of his Company came unto him asked him merrily If he thought there would be any contention in that place for the Soveraignty Whereunto he made this stout answer I had rather be the first Man here then the second at Rome Now
sword we turn them against their Master and fight against Heaven with that health wir wealth friends means and mercies that we have from thence received Gods infinite Power in the Resurrection of the Body IN Queen Marie's daies the body of Martyr's wife was by the charity of that time taken out of her grave and buried in a dunghill in detestation of that great Schollar her husband sometimes Professour of Divinity in the University of Oxford But when the tide was once turned and that Queen Elizabeth of happy memory swayed the Scepter of this State her bones were reduced to their place and there mingled with the bones of St. Frideswide to this intent that if ever there should come an alteration of Religion in England again which God forbid then they should not be able to discern the ashes of the one from the other Thus Death hath mixt and blended the bodies of men women and children with the flesh of beasts birds and serpents hath tossed typed and turned their ashes both into aire and water to puzzle if possible the God of heaven and earth to find them again but all in vain He can call for a finger out of the gorge of an Eagle for a leg out of the belly of a Lion for a whole Man out of the body of a Fish If the devill or thy corrupt reason shall suggest that this is impossible make no other answer but this God is omnipotent God is infinite Fears of the losse of Gospell-light more at home than from abroad POpe Silvester when he was bid to beware of Ierusalem for that whensoever he should come thither he should surely dye he thereupon flattered himself that he should then live long enough for he was sure that he should never trevell thither little thinking that there was a Church in Rome of that name into which he had no sooner set his foot but he met with his evill Genius as Brutus did at Philippi and suddainly ended his wretched daies Now it is not Rome in Italy which we so much need to fear but Rome in England not Amsterdam in Holland but Amsterdam in England The Popish faction on one side and the Schismaticall party on the other side both of them fire-balls of dissention in the State and of schim in the Church to set all in a combustion Zeal and Knowledge must go hand in hand together PHâ—â—ton in the Poet takes upon him to drive the Charriot of the Sun but through his inconsiderate rashnesse sets the world in a combustion What a Horse is without a Rider or a hot-spur'd Rider without an Eye or a Ship in a high Wind and swelling sail without a Rudder such is Zeal without Knowledge Knowledge is the eye of the Rider that chooseth the best way the bridle in the hand to moderate the pace the rudder in the ship whereby it is steered safely St. Bernard hits full on this point Discretion without zeal is slow-paâ—ed and zeal without discretion is strong-headed let therefore zeal spur on disâ—retion and disoretion reyne in zeal Not so much the quantity as the quality of Devotion accâ—ptable to God IT is said of Saul Duobus annis regnavit that he reigned two years over Israel when notwithstanding according to the computation of men he reigned twenty but the Scripture reckons onely upon the dates of grace not counting those at all which either went before or followed after A Musitician is commended non tam multum sed tam bene not that he played so long but that he played so well And thus it is not the daies of our life but the goodnesse of our life not the length of our prayers but the fervency of our prayers not the measure of our profession but the sincerity of our profession that is acceptable unto God Almighty The deceitfulnesse of Riches HEe that sees a flock of birds sitting on his ground cannot make himselfe any assurance that therefore they are his own and that he may take them at his pleasure Thus he that hath riches and thinks himself fully possessed of them may be deceived and soon deprived of them a small spark of fire may set them flying a thiefe may steal them an unfaithfull servant may imbezle them a souldier a wrack at sea a bad debtor at land there 's a hundred waies to set them packing They have wings and hop from branch to branch from tree to tree from one man to another seldom to him that is the true owner of them Glory is to be given to God onely and why so THat workman should do ill who having built a house with another man's purse should go about to set up his own Arms upon the front thereof and in Iustinian's Law it was decreed That no workman should set up his name within the body of that building which he made out of another man's cost Thus Christ sets us all at work it is he that bids us to fast and pray and hear and give almes c. But who is at the cost of all this whose are all these good works Surely God's Man's poverty is so great that he cannot reach a good thought much lesse a good deed All the materialls are from God the building is His it is His purse that paid for it Give but therefore the glory and the honour thereof unto God and take all the profit to thy self God must be loved for himself onely YOu shall have a man scrape and crouch and keep a do with a man he never saw or knew before one that he is ready it may be when his back is turn'd to curse but yet he will do this for his almes for his gain to make a prey a use of him some way or other this man loves his almes loves his prey loveth his bounty but all this is no argument of love to the man Thus for a man to make towards God and to seem to own him and to be one of the generation of those that seek his face to addresse himself in outward conformity and many other things by which another may if he have no other ground judge charitably of him yet all this is nothing except a man may discern something that may give him a tast that his spirit doth uprightly and sincerely seek God that he loveth God for God himself that he loveth Grace for grace it self he loveth the Commandments of God because they are God's commandments c. And thus it is that our love our desire after God must be carried sincerely not for any by and base respâ—cts whatsoever Every motion towards God is not a true motion towards God THere be many things that move and yet their motion is not an argument of life A Windmill when the wind serveth moveth and moveth very nimbly too yet this cannot be said to be a living creature no it moveth only by an external cause by
peace it being done without the wit of the King So it is with sin in Gods children it breaks not the peace betwixt God and them because it is but a Rebel and they agree not to it There is a difference betwixt entertaining of sins as Theeves and Robbers and as guests and strangers Wicked men entertain sin as a guest the godly man as a Robber the one invites it as a friend and acquaintance the other throws it off as a rebellious Traitor Immediate addresses unto God by prayer find acceptance CUshai and Ahimaaz ran a race who should first bring tidings of Victory to David Ahimaaz though last setting forth came first to his journeys end Not that he had the fleeter feet but the better brains to chuse the way of the most advantage For the Text saith So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overwent Cushai Prayers made to God by Saints fetch a needless compass about that is but a rough and uneaven way The way of the plain or the plain way both shortest and surest is Call upon me in the day of trouble such prayer though starting last comes to the mark first Sacriledge never thrives Coepio a Roman Consul with his Souldiers robbed the wealthy Temple of Tholouse a City of Narbon in France neer the Pyrene mountain but of those that had a share of any of those goods not one ever prospered It was so generally observed that it occasioned a Proverb If any man what by means soever decayed were fallen into poverty they would say of him Aurum habet Tholosanum He hath some of the gold of Tholouse The endowment of all other Churches whereof many have been plundered of rich Chalices and other utensils in sacrilegious times are like the gold of Tholouse that brought ruine to them and their Families If any man thriveth with them that holdeth them by a wrong tenure he hath better luck then any such Malefactor before him How many sacrilegious persons have utterly ruinated themselves as it is easie to find in many Monuments of learning how a Canker hath eaten their estates as a Gangrene did their consciences but see the Chronicle search the histories of sundry Nations both antient and modern and find me out but one Church-robber here that hath thrived past the third generation A seeming Religion no saving Religion WAndring Empiricks may say much in Tables and Pictures to perswade credulous people their Patients but their ostentation is far from apprehension of skill when they come to effect their cures How many Ships have suffered shipwrack for all their glorious names of the Triumph the Safe-guard the Good-speâ—â— he Swift-sure Bona-venture c. So how many souls have been swallowed up with the fair hopes of mens feigned Religions such as have at that very time the Deâ—il in their hearts when they seem to have nothing but God at their tongues end The vanity of needless and intricate questions CAmbden in his History of the life of Q. Elizabeth relateth how Captain Martin Forbisher fetched from the farthest Northern parts a Ships-lading of as he thought mineral stones which afterwards were cast out to mend the high-ways Thus are they served and miss their hopes who long seeking to extract hidden mysteries out of nice questions leave them off at last as altogether uselesse and unnecessary The life of Man subject to all sorts of Calamity IOnah's condition was but bad at the best as to be rocked and tossed to and fro in a dangerfull Ship the bones whereof aked with the violence of every surge that assailed it the Anchors Cables or Rudders either thrown away or torn in pieces having more friendship preferr'd him then he had hap to make use of and at length to be cast into the Sea a merciless and implacable Sea roaring for his life more then ever the Lion roared for his prey the bottom thereof seeming as low to him as the bottomless pit and no hope left to escaâ—e either by Ship or by Boat no Tabula Naufragii no plank or peice of board appearing whereby to recoâ—er the land besides all these to make the measure of his sorrows up to the brim the burning of God's anger against his sins like a River of brimstone This is the case of us all in the whole course of our lives as Ezâ—chias sang in his song From day to night thou wilt make an end of me We are tumbled and tossed in a vessel as frail as Ionah's Ship was which every stream of Calamity is ready to dash in pieces every disease is able to fillip on one side or other where neither Anchor nor Rudder is left neither head nor hand nor stomack is in case to give any comfort where though we have the kindness of Wife and Friends the duty of children the advice of Physitians we cannot use their service where we have a grave before us greedy to receive and never to return us till the worâ—s and creepers of the Earth have devoured us but if the anger of God for our sins accompany all these it will be a woful adventure for that Man when the sins of his soul and the end of his life shall come so neer together as the trespasse of Ionah and his casting out of the Ship Sacriledge cursed with a curse IT was usual in former times when any thing was given to the endowment of the Church it was done with a curse against all such as should ever presume to alienate or take them away Whether Mans curse shall take hold on such Church-robbers is wholly in the disposition of God and a secret But sure it is that God himself hath openly cursed all those how many or how great soever they be that rob him of Tythes and Offerings Yea cursed them with a curse redoubling the words not without great cause but emphatically to signifie that they shall be cursed with a strange curse such a curse such a signal curse that he that hears of it his ears shall tingle and his knees smite one the other God the proper object of Man's memory SEneca writeth of himself that he had a very flourishing memory being able to recite by heart 2000 names in the same order they were first digested Portius Laâ—ro writ that in his mind which others did in Note-books He was a man of cunning in History that if you had named a Captain unto him he would have run through all his acts presently a singular gift from God But as Tully comparing Lucullus and Hortensius together both being of a vast memory yet he preferreth Lucullus before Hortensius because he remembered matter this but words Thus certainly as the object about which memory is conversant is more principall so the gift more commendable And the most excellent object of all others either for the memory to account or for any part of the soul to conceive is God the Lord for he
good of others we see it in the frame of the whole world in Heaven and in Earth neither of them is more beautiful then usefull yea the more glorious the more commodious are the parts of the great World which should make this Microcosm this little world of ours blush if we use our endowments as many do their Garments for pride and not for profit that fools may gaze on us and no body be the better for us The health of the Soul is the true health of the body THe Earth is a huge Globe made to be the Nurcery of Plants Herbs Birds c. While the Sun shineth upon them comfortably How cheerfully doe all things look how well do they prove and prosper but remove the Sun from it as in winter or Eclipse the beams thereof how squalid is the face thereof how do all things languish and die Even so fareth it between our Souls and our Bodies according to the influence of the soul is the true health and strength of the body Our bodies may be then said to be in good liking and Summer-like when they be cherished by our souls but if our souls neglect them then they grow Winter-like and droop Sorrows in this life not comparable to the joyes of the other life AS the Globe of the Earth which improperly for his great show and bignesse we tearm the World and is after the Mathematician's accompt many thousands of miles in compaâ—ss yet being compared unto the greatnesse of the starry Skie's circumference is but a Center or a little prick So the troubles and afflictions and sorrows of this life temporall in respect of the joyes eternall in the world to come bears not any proportion but are to be reputed as nothing or as a dark cloud that cometh and goeth in a moment Dangerous to pry into Gods Counsells and Secrets WIse Solomon sayes The light is a pleasant thing and so certainly it is but there is no true outward light which proceedeth not from some fire The light of that fire is not more pleasing then the fire of that light is dangerous and that pleasure doth not more draw on our fight then that danger forbids our approach How foolish then is that fly that in the love and admiration of the Candle-light will know no distance but puts it selfe heedlesly into that flame whereinâ— it perisheth How many bouts it fetcheth every one nearer then other ere it make the last adventure And so the merciless fire taking no notice of the affection of an over-fond Clyent sindgeth his wings and suddanly consumes it Thus do those bold and busie spirits who will needs draw too near unto that inaccessible Light and look into things too wonderfull for them so long do they hover about the secret Counsels of the Almighty till the wings of their presumptuous conceits be scorched and their daring curiosity hath paid them with everlasting destruction We die daily IErusalem was once finally sacked by Titus and Vespasian where besides an infinite number which were otherwise spoiled ten hundreth thousand Men were down-right 〈◊〉 by the sword altogether as Iosephus a Greek Writer and Iosâ—â—pus an Hebrew Author â—estifie But that which happened oâ—ce to them happeneth every day to us We dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. How faith justifieth alone Bethulia is in danger of Holofernes the terror of the East as we are or ought to be of the justice of God and as the strength of Bethulia was thought too weak to encounter him so all our Obedience to the Law of God is weak and insufficient to defend us Iudeth undertakes for the people of the City Faith for us Iudeth goes accompanied with her Hand-maids Faith with her Works and though the eyes of her Hand-maid were ever towards her Lady to carry the Scrip c. yet in performing the act of deliverance Iudeth is alone her Maid standing and waiting at the door not so much as setting her foot within the Chamber door Thus it is that faith goeth formost and good works follow after and although our love and obedience be as attendant to Faith as ever that servant was to Iudeth yet in performing the mighty Act of deliverance acquitting the conscience from the curse of the Law pacifying the anger of God and presenting us blameless before his holy eyes all which standeth in the apprehension of the merits of Christ Iesus and a stedfast perswasion that he hath assured for us Faith is soly and wholly alonâ— our VVâ—rks not claiming any part in that sacred action To be mercifully minded is praise-worthy APpius in the Roman story was a very great Oppressor of the liberties of the Commons and particularly he took away all appeals to the People in case of life and death Not long after this decree he being called in question for forcing the Wife of Virginius found all the Bench of Iudges against him and was constrained for saving his life to prefer an appeal to the people which was denyed him with great shouts and out-cryes of all saying Ecce provocat qui provocaâ—ionem sustulit he is forced to appeal who by barring all appeals in case of life and death was the death of many a man Thus Iustice revenged Mercies quarrel upon this unmerciful man and certainly if we expect mercy at the hands of God or Man we must shew mercy for there shall be judgement without mercy to him that will shew no mercy and that happeneth many times even in this life when God is pleased to reckon with hard hearted men that have no bowells of compassion To do as we would be done by DO as you would be done by is a golden Rule If the Iudge that sits on the Bench the Landlord that deals with his Tenant the Tradesman that venteth his commodities and every man that dealeth with another did square his carriage by this Rule there would be much less wrong in society and much more comfort in mens consciences for pulcher liber cor tuum every man beareth in his own bosom a fair Table-book engraven legibly by the finger of nature wherein if he would read he might learn without any other help what usage is fit for his neighbour and if men were as prompt Scholars in learning active charity as they are acute Doctors and Teachers of the Passive of that charity they expect from others the Moralists and Casuists might save much of their pains in discoursing and determining our mutual duties Wisdom of the World proves folly CRuelty is forbidden Courage is commanded we may partake the gâ—od of the Lion but not the evil of the Lion It was and is a gross mistake a very large conceit of Nicholas the Florentine to think that those properties of the Dove to be without guil have been the bane of Christendom whilst the enemies thereof have taken advantage of their simplicity to ensnare them and of their pitty to devour
Hive and fearing least she should be taken by the way with the wind so might be tossed up and down in the ayr couâ—terpoiseth her selfe with a little stone and so flyes streight home This may teach us what we ought to do we must not be wavering and carried about with the blast of every doctrine like a Reed shaken in the wind but as the Bee is ballanced with a little stone so we must be built upon the chife corner stone and grounded upon a Rock and stablished with Grace that however the rain fall or the floods arise or the winds blow or what times soever come yet we may stand fast in the street which is called Streight alwaies following Christ directly to the mark Parents care only to enrich their Children reproved OF the Ostrich it is said That she leaveth her Eggs in the Earth and warmeth them in the Dust. It is the benefit of the Earth onely that she gives unto them And such surely is the onely care worthily to be reproved which too too many Parents have of their Chrildren it is onely concerning the things of the Earth that they may be rich and noble and great Men in this present world as for Heavenly things the eternall good of their soules they are not so much as once thought of The folly and danger of self-conceitedness THere were some amongst the Philosophers of old Qui jactabant solaecismos suos esse laudes gemmas Philosophiae Who accompted their rude Barbarisms as Ornaments of Philosophy Such are all self-conceited men our new Opinionists who present their vain fancies as the exquisite patterns of God's mind How are the Pulpits made Stages for every Man to act his humour in and the Printing-Presses Market-places for men to vent their false wares and counterfeit Doctrines they pretend fair to build the Lords house but it is Babel not Bethel if one may ghess by the division of their languages and whilst they pretend to depart from a mysticall Babylon they run into a liter all one that of confusion Hope well and have well THe Mariners sayling with S. Paul bare up bravely against the Tempest whilst either Art or Industry could be friend them finding both to fail and that they could not any long bear up to the wind they even let the Ship drive Thus many have endeavoured in these distempered times to hold up their spirits and to steere them steddily happy Peace was the Port whereat they desired to arrive but now since the storm grew too sturdy for the Pilot all the skill they will hereafter use is no skill at all and even let the Ship sayl whither the wind will send it but with the hope and comfort that the most weather-beaten Vessel cannot properly be seized on for a wrack which hath any quick cattel remaining therein and their spirits are not as yet for feited to dispair having one lively spark of hope in their hearts because God is even where he was before Bloody-minded Men condemned VVHen Vedelius Pollio a Roman at a Supper provided for Augustus the Emperour would have thrown his Servant into his Fish-pond where he kept his Lampreys because he had broken a Cup of Crystall the Emperour with-held him and controlled him with these words Homo cujuscunque generis c. A Man of what condition soever he be if for no other cause yet because he is a Man is more to be valued than all the Cups and Fish-ponds in the world What a shame is it then for Christians How are they to be condemned when an Heathen Emperour shall exceed them in the principles of Humanity How is our Gold become dross our blood so stained What is more rare amongst Men than to find a Man i. e. Amongst Men how many beasts are there for want of using Reason and for not using it well how many Devils whose hearts are so bound with sinens of Iron that they are no more moved with the life of a Man than if a dog had fallen before them Sathan's policy to ensnare us by the observance of our Natures THe Camelion when he lies on the grass to catch flyes and Grashoppers taketh upon him the colour of the grass as the Polypus doth the colour of the Rock under which he lurketh that the Fish may boldly come necre him without any suspition of danger In like manner Sathan turneth himself into that shape which we least fear and sets before us such Objects of temptation as are most agreeable to our Natures that so he may the sooner draw us into his Net he sayles with every wind bowes us that way which we encline of our selves through the weakness of Nature Is our knowledge in matter of faith deficient He tempts us to errour Is our Conscience tender He tempts us to scrupulosity and too much preciseness Hath our Conscience like the Ecliptick line some latitude He tempts us to carnall liberty Are we bold spirited He tempts us to Presumption Are we timerous and diâ—irustfull He tempteth us to Desperaâ—ion Are we of a flexible disposition He tempteth us to Inconstancy Are we stiffe He labours to make obstinate Hereâ—icks Shcismaticks or Rebels of us Are we of an austere temper He tempteth us to cruelty Are we foft and mild He tempteth us to Indulgence and foolish pitty Are we not in matters of Religion He tempteth us to blind zeal and superstition Are we cold He rempteth us to Laodicean lukewaâ—meness Thus doth he lay his traps in our way that one way or other he may cnsare us All things come from God who is therefore to be praised MAny are the Symbols and Emblems of true thankfulness and gratefull acknowledgement As in the Sun-dyal with all the hours thereon by distinct figures the Motto In umbra deâ—ino To the Sun onely I owe my motion and being As likewise the Shell full of Pearl lying open to the Sun and the dew of Heaven with this word Rore divino As also of the Olive amidst the craggy clifts without rooting or moysture with this wreath coming our of it A coelo And thus must every good Christian acknowledge That it is in God that he liveth and moveth and hath his being that without the divine dew of heavenly Grace there is no virtue in himselfe and that all his happiness is from Heaven onely that all the gifts of fortune falsely so called as Riches and Possessions c. all the gracefull endowments of the body as agility strength comlinesse c. all the goods of the mind as virtue wit learning all these and all other beside these descend from God above who gives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all all things Act. 17. 25. no silver in Benjimins sack till Ioseph put it in no good in Man except the Lord bestow it What hast thou that thou hast not received Sanctification wrought by degrees SAnctification is not
a man cuts down his chiefest timber-trees it is an argument that he intends to part with his land And hath not God of late cut down many of the tallest Cedars in this our Lebanon And what can we expect such and so many are our wickednesses but that he will either part with or depart from this sinfull Nation of ours It is high time therefore to lay hold upon him by faith saying Help Lord for there is not one godly man left c. Psal. 12. 1. Neutrality in Religion dangerous THere is mention made of a kind of bastard-Eagle that hath one leg like the Goofe close at the foot the other open and armed with talents like that of the ordinary eagle with the close foot she swimmeth on the water and dives for fishes there with the open foot she soareth into the air and seizeth on her prey there But so it is that participating thus of two severall natures her strength is weakened and she her self made at last a prey to every ordinary crow Thus fares it with all Neuters all Hermophrodites all Ambo-dexters in Religâ—on such as have one close foot for sea and land for the world and worldly things and another open-foot for the aire above for heaven and heavenly things so that they may not be seen to float on the sea of this world altogether they take themselves to their wing and will seem to be religious and make some small fluttering up of their hearts towards Heaven but all in vain for being divided in their thoughts the act of their souls being not set upon the onely object God and the powers and faculties thereof not contracted to Himward no marvell if they wax faint in their duty and weak in all holy performances so that the devill like the ordinary crow set upon them conquer them and lead them captive at his will The Devill most busie in time of Prayer IT is an usuall custom that two being at law together when the suit comes to tryall the Plantiff by his Counsell labours all that he can to hinder the Defendant that the Judge may not hear him speak out what he is to say in his own defence So the devill the common plantiff and accuser of all mankind when he sees us upon our knees in addresses unto God who is the Judge of all the earth pleading for our selves by prayer and seeking the favour of God in the remission of our sins by the merits of his Son Christ Iesus then doth he stir most to interrupt us by weakening our evidence by throwing strange thoughts into our hearts so distracting our devotions that we may not be heard in what we pray for Sense of sin is from God onely AS when the pool of Bethesda was troubled the poor Cripples that lay there for cure did absolutely conclude that it was not any naturall motion of the water but an Angell that came down at a certain season and did it So when the heart of a sinner is troubled for his sin let him know for his comfort that this shaking of his soul ariseth not from any principle of corrupt nature that will defend it self nor from the devill he will not destroy his own Kingdom but from some seeds of grace sown in the heart which the Spirit of God greatly breathing upon the soul is thereby made sensible of sins and transgressions committed Leud Ministers what they are like unto LEud debauched Ministers whose doctrin and lives are as distant as the two Polar Lines cosmographically described on the Globe terrestriall are like those statuae Mercuriales on the road that point out unto a man which is the way to London but move not a foot thitherward themselves like those Carpenters that built the Ark to save others and were drowned themselves or like Porters of great mens gates that let in others but lodge without themselves So that what was said of Christ falsly and malitiously may be spoken of them really and truly He saved others himself he cannot save For 〈◊〉 as another by his good life sets a seal to his doctrin he by his bad life puts a lie upon the truth his words prove unprofitable because his life is abominable Not to admit of impediments in our way to Heaven A Certain Heathen making an Oration as he was sacrificing to his god in the midst of his devotion word was brought him that his onely son was dead whereat being nothing at all moved he made this answer Scio me genuisse mortalem I did not get him to live for ever and so went on with his businesse Thus when we are entring into the sight of Gods favour it may so please him to try us by afflictions there may newes come of a ship wrack'd at sea of a chapman broke in the country of the death of friends and allies c. Yet ought we not for all this to leave off our course in the service of him but rather whatsoever comes crosse make it as it were a Parenthesis an ornament not remora an hinderance in our progresse to Heaven But one sure way to Heaven THe Phrygian Fabulist hath a story of a Fox and a Cat as they wâ—re discoursing their evasions in the midst of danger I saies the Fox have many holes to earth in if hindred of one I have another to run to Let me alone to shift for my self to save my life and sleep in a whole skin Well saies the Cat I must do as well as I can I have but one way to save my life and that 's to climb for it As they were thus conferring the toiles were laid the dogs began to open the hunt was up and the Fox for all his cunning for all his tricks and devices was torn in pieces by the hounds whilst the Cat getting up into a tree secured her self from danger Thus there may seem to be many waies to Heaven but there is one onely true safe way There 's many a man in these daies that thinks to go to God by the way of two Religions one at home another abroad one publick another private And whilst he is thus divided and halting betwixt two the Hunt is up that roaring Lion the devill laies hold upon him and devoures him Whereas the true reall well-affected Christian cleaving close unto one God one Faith one Baptism gets upon that scala coeli and so by prayer and meditation climbs up to Heaven where the enemies gun-shot shall never be able to reach him Love of the World enmity to God THere 's no one sublunary thing in the World can make an Eclipse of the body of the Sun but the interposition of the Earth betwixt it and the Moon So there 's nothing can eclipse the Sun of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus but the Earth the love of earthly things the love of this world being Enmity to God If then our Conscience
Grace Iudas carried the bag he was good for nothing else and a rich Man laden with thick clay having outward things in abundance is good for no body but himself so true it is that as Greatness and Goodness so Gold and Grace â—eldom meet together To beware of erronious Doctrine IT is recorded by Theodoret that when Lucius an Arrian Bishop came and preached amongst the Aâ—tiochians broaching his damnable errours the People forsook the Congregation at least for the present having indeed been soundly taught before by worthy Athanasius Thus it were to be wished that the People of this age had their wits thus exercised to distinguish betwixt truth and falshood then false doctrines would not thrive as they do now amongst us and Errours though never so closly masked with a pretence of zeal would not so readily be received for Truths as now they are by the Multitude nor so much countenanced by those that make profession of better things Atheism punished IT was somewhat a strange punishment which the Romans inflicted upon Parricides they sewed them up in a mail of leather and threw them into the Sea yet so that neither the water of the Sea could soak through nor any other Element of Nature earth air or fire approach unto them And certainly every Creature is too good for him that denyes the Creator nor can they be further separated from Heaven or pitched deeper into Hell than they deserve that will believe neither The God they deny shall condemn them and those Malignant spiritâ— whom they never feared shall torment them and that for ever Truth beloved in the generall but not in the particular AS the Fryer wittily told the People that the Truth he then preached unto them seemed to be like Holy-water which every one called for a pace yet when it came to be cast upon them they turned aside their face as though they did not like it Just so it is that almost every Man calls fast for Truth commends Truth nothing will down but Truth yet they cannot endure to have it cast in their faces They love Truth in universali when it onely pleads it selfe and shewes it self but they cannot abide it in particulari when it presses upon them and shewes them themselves they love it lucentem but hate it redarguentem they would have it shine out unto all the world in its glory but by no means so much as peep out to reprove their own errors The confident Christian. THe Merchant adventurer puts to Sea rides out many a bitter storm runs many a desperate hazard upon the bare hope of a gainful return The valiant Souldier takes his life into his hands runs upon the very mouth of the Cannon dares the Lion in his Den meerly upon the hope of Victory Every Man hazards one way or other in his Calling yet are but uncertain venturers ignorant of the issue But so it often falls out that the greedy Adventurer seeking to encrease his stock loseth many times both it and himself The covetous Souldier gaping after spoil and Victory findeth himselfe at last spoiled captivated But the confident Christian the true child of God runs at no such uncertainty he is sure of the Goal when he first sets out certain of the day before he enter the field sounds the Trumpet before victory and when he puts on his harnesse dares boast as he that puts it off witnesse Davids encounter with Goliah Gedeons march against the Midianites and the christian resolution of those three Worthies Dan. 3. 17. To take Time while time serves IT was a curious observation of Cardinal Bellarmine when he had the full prospect of the Sun going down to try a conclusion of the quicknesse of its motion took a Psalter into his hand And before saith he I had twice read the 51 Psalm the whole body of the Sun was set whereby he did â—onclude that the Earth being twenty thousand thousand miles in compasse the Sun must needs run in half a quarter of an hour seven thouâ—and miles and in the revolution of twenty four hours six hundred seventy two thousand miles a large progresse in so short a time And herein though the Cardinal's compute as well as his doctrin in debates Polemicall doth very much fall short of truth yet his experience in this gives some proof of the extraordinary swiftnesse of the Suns motion Is then the course of the Sun so swift is time so passant then let time be as pretious lay hold upon all opportunity of doing good labour while it is day for night will come and time will be no more The Sun was down before the Cardinal could twice read the Psalm Miserere mei Deus and the light of thy life such is the velocity thereof may be put out before thou canst say once Lord be mercifull to me a sinner The workings of God and Man very different THe first and highest Heaven drawes by its motion the rest of the Planets and that not by a crooked but by a right motion yet the Orbs of the planets so moved move of themselves obliquely If you enquire whence is the obliquity of this motion in the Planets Certainly not from the first mover but from the nature of the Planets Thus in one and the same manner Man aimes at one end God at another the same that man worketh sinfully God worketh most holily and therefore they work idem but not ad idem The motion of our wills do exceedingly vary from Gods will and seem to drive a contrary end than that which God aimeth at yet are they so over-ruled by his power that at last they meet together and bend that way where he intendeth A wicked life hath usually a wicked end THere is a story of one that being often reproved for his ungodly and vitious life and exhorted to repentance would still answer That it was but saying three words at his death and he was sure to be saved perhaps the three words he meant were Miserere meî Deus Lord have mercy upon me But one day riding over a bridge his horse stumbled and both were falling into the River and in the article of that precipitation he onely cryed Capiat omnia diabolus Horse and man and all to the devill Three words he had but not such as he should have had he had been so familiar with the devill all his life that he thinks of none else at his death Thus it is that usually a wicked life hath a wicked end He that travells the way of hell all his life-time it is impossible in the end of his journey he should arrive at heaven A worldly man dies rather thinking of his gold than his God some die jeering some raging some in one distemper some in another Why They lived so and so they die But the godly man is full of comfort in his death because he was full of heaven
fallow and give them a summer-tilth of seasonable recreaâ—ion they will soon become barren and fruitlesse A man not well principled in his Religion unstable in all his waies THe intemperate man now sucks the grape of Orleance anon that hotter fruit of the Canaries then he is taken with the pleasant moisture of the Rhenish plants sometimes the juice of the pressed apples and pears delights him which he warmeth with the Irish Usquebath and then quencheth all with the liquor made of English barley Thus a man not well principled in his Religion is unstable in all his waies he reeles like a drunkard from place to place he hath put so much intoxicating scrupulosity into his head that he cannot stand on his legs A drunkard indeed not so much for excesse as change of liquors for his soul doth affect variety of Doctrines more than the intemperate body doth variety of drinks He takes in a draught of Religion from every Country so much of Anabaptism as may make him a rebell so much of that loving Family as may make him an adulterer so much of Rome as may make him a traitor so much of Arrianism as may make him a blaspheamer Onely he will stand to nothing as the drunkard can stand at nothing He knowes what he hath been he knowes not what he will be nay he knowes not what he is The want of Zeal in the cause of God reproved IN the sacking of Troy Aeneas is said first to have exported 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have carried out his gods even before his dearest father Look upon the Turks eagernesse in defending and propagating that their Law Non disputando sed pugnando as Mahomet their Prophet hath taught them Or if Christian instances may be more operative look upon the Romanists their Iesuites own expression shall evidence their earnestnesse Campian in his Epistle to the Councill of Queen Elizabeth Quandiu unus quispiam â— nobis supererit qui Tiburno vestro fruatur c. saith he That so long as there was any one Iesuite of them remaining to enjoy Tiburn any one of them left for the gallowes torment and imprisonment they had vowed never to desist endeavouring to set up that Religion in the Nation Shall Turks then and Heathens and Papists solicite their bad cause so earnestly and we our good cause our Goâ—'s cause so faintly O let it not be said Acriâ—s ad pernitiem quà m nos ad salutem that they should drive like Iehu fiercely and we like Egyptians with their wheeles off heavily they clamour out for their woodden and breaden god and we by our sluggishnesse prejudice and betray the cause of our great and glorious God How Faith alone may be said to justifie JUdith cut off Holofernes's head alone the commandeth all her attendants as well great as little to stand without her Tent and to go forth of her presence but when once the deed is done when the Serpent's head is broken and trodd under foot her whole troop runs to her and stands about her Thus albeit Faith apprehending Gods sure mercy for the full and free pardon of sins is in our justification sola yet in our conversation it is not solitaria but ever accompanied with cleannesse of hands which is ready to do that which is right and with a graciousnesse of tongue which is ready to speak that which is true neither deceiving our neighbour nor blaspheming God by lifting up his soul unto vanity i. e. taking his Name in vain as some Divines expound it The Commandements of God the reasonablenesse of them THere is mention made of one who willingly fetched water neer two miles every day for a whole year together to poure upon a dry dead stick upon the bare command of a Superior when no reason could be given for so doing How ready then should every one be to do God service to be at the command of Iesus Christ whose service is perfect freedom whose commands are back'd with reason and whose precepts are attended with encouragements Never did any man serve him in vain never was any mans labour in or for the Lord forgotten Nay as he doth not let Obedience go unrequited so doth he not require it with a little or measure out his rewards by inches or scantlings but such as shall be pressed down shaken together and running over To be servent in Prayer AN Arrow if it be drawn up but a little way it goes not far but if it be pull'd up to the head it flies strongly and pierceth deeply Thus Prayer if it be but dribled forth of carelesse lips it falls down at our feet It is the strength of ejaculation that sends it up into Heaven and fetches down a blessing thence The child hath escaped many a stripe by his loud cry and the very unjust Iudge cannot endure the widow's clamour Heartlesse motions do but be speak a denyall whereas fervent suits offer a sacred violence both to Earth and Heaven It is not the Arithmetick of our prayers how many they are nor the Rhetorick of our prayers how eloquent they be nor the Geometry of our prayers how long they be nor the Musick of our prayers the sweetnesse of our voice nor the Logick of our prayers and the method of them but the Divinity of our prayers which God so much affecteth He looketh not for any Iames with horny knees through assiduity of prayer nor for any Bartholomew with a century of prayers for the Morning and as many for the Evening but St. Pauls frequency of praying with fâ—rvency of spirit that 's it which availeth much Iam. 5. 16. Parents not to be over carefull to make their Children rich THere is a true story of a rich oppressour who had stored up a great masse of wealth for his onely son This man falling into sicknesse and thereby into some remorse called his son to him and told him how abundantly he had provided for him withall asking him whether he did truly and really love him The son answered That nature besides his paternall indulgence bound him to that The father being now in his sick bed further puts him to it How he would expresse his love to him The son answered and said In any thing that he should command him Hereupon his father chargeth him to hold his finger in the burning canâ—le but so long as he could say one Pater noster without removing it The son attempted it but could not endure it Yet saies his father to get thee wealth and a large estate upon Earth I have hazarded my soul to Hell for the vvelfare of thy body I have ventured my soul Thou canst not suffer the burning of a finger for me I must burn body and soul for thy sake thy pain is but for a minute mine must be unquenchable fire even torments for ever By this consideration being melted into repentance
another IT is reported of Harts that being to travail far by heards on the land or else to passe over some great water then they go behind one another and when the foremost is weary then he resteth his weary head upon the hindmost and so mutually bearing one anothers burden they come happily to the place where they would be Thus as the souls of holy men long and thirst after God with whom is the well of life like as the Harts desire the water-brooks let them as Deer support the sick head and heavy hart of one another bear up a Brother which is falling rear up a Brother which is fallen strengthning one another in the way of this earthly pilgrimage untill they all rest upon Gods holy mountain where they shall be satisfied with the pleasures of his house drinking out of the comforts thereof as out of a River Graces to stock them up against a day of trouble ST Chrysostom suffering under the Empresse Eudoxia tells his friend Cyriacus how he armed himself before hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I thought Will she banish me The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Take away my goods Naked came I into the world and naked must I return Will she stone me I remembered Stephen Behead me Iohn Baptist came into my mind c. Thus it should be with every one that intends to live and die comfortably they must as we say lay up something for a rainy day they must stock themselves with graces store up promises and furnish themselves with experiences of Gods loving kindnesse to others and themselves too that so when the evill day comes they may have much good comming thereby Man since the fall of Adam subject to the Creatures ACteon in the Fable goes abroad a hunting but unhappily lights upon Diana in the midst of his game as she was naked bathing her selfe in a fountain The Goddess is angry and transforms him into the shape of a Hart the dogs not knowing their Master being thus changed hunt him down tear him all in pieces Thus Man before his fall was Gods Vicegerent over all his Creatures they did homage and fealty unto him as their leige Lord and Soveraign but since Satan hath obliterated the Image of God wherein he was first created and drawn his own in the room the Creatures seeing him thus altered one snaps another snarls at him nay the weakest of all the Creatures are able to undoe him as the spider to poyson him and the 〈◊〉 to choak him But for our comfort we may recover our selves by the second Adam Christ Jesus get but an interest in him and then that Lion which tore the Prophet in pieces shall do us no more hurt than he did Daniel when he had him in his Den and those Dogs which eat up Iesabell shall lick up our sores as they did those of Lazarus no Creature shall have power to hurt us without Gods especiall dispensation To trust in God onely THe Forresters knowing that the Elephant useth to sleep leaning against some Tree are wont to cut the likeliest Tree with a Saw so deep that the unsuspecting beast thinking to rest upon it falls down with it and so is surprised by them Thus they that put their trust in Man or in any other Creature shall soon find him hewen down by Death and then there lyes all their hope in the dust It is ill sticking to any thing but God all other props will fail us we are sheep apt to wander we shall not if we keep to our shepheard There 's no trust but in God onely Psalm 33. 18. Insensibility of Death reproved IN a good Pasture where many good Oxen are the Butcher comes and fetcheth away one and kills it next day he fetcheth away another and kills that too Now those which he leaves behind feed and fat themselves till they are driven to the slaughter not considering what is become of their fellows or what shall become of themselves So when Death coming amongst a multitude of Men here taking one and there another we pamper up our selves till he overtake us also We live as though like Adam Abel we never saw a Man dye before us whereas every Church-yard every age every sickness should be a Preacher of Mortality unto us Men to bear with one anothers Infirmities A Blind Man and a lame Man as it is in the Fable meeting upon the way the lame Man said If thou wilt be feet unto me then I will be eyes unto thee so the blind Man carrying the lame and the lame guiding the bind both arrived at their journies end in a good hour Thus it is that Men especially Christian men must bear with one another yea bear and forbear If a brother in his unadvised anger use thee roughly rudely bear with him thou bearest his burthen If thou be too silent in thy conversation and thy brother on the contrary too full of prattle bear thou with his loquacity that he may bear thy pertinacy A Magistrate in the Common-wealth and a Master in his Family must have patience to see many things and not to see them hence is that Motto of Frederick the first Qui nescit dissimulare nescit imperare may be digested easily with a little salt For when small faults are winked at in time and place wisely Soveraign and Subject Master and Man one and another according to that Apostolical injunction may be very well said to bear one anothers burthen Gal. 6. 2. The great danger of sleighting the least Sinne. GEnerall Norris one of the Ancients of that Noble Family having as he thought received a sleight wound in the Wars of Ireland neglected the same presuming belike that the balsome of his own body without calling in for those other Auxiliaries of Art would have wrought the cure but so it was that his arm gangrened and both arm and life were lost together Thus it was with him in the body natural and thus it will be too in the body spirituall the least of Sin therefore is to be avoyded the least growth of sinne to be prevented the Cockatrice must be crushed in the egge else it will soon become a Serpent the very thought of sinne if not thought on will break out into Action Action into custom custome into habit and then actum est de Corpore Anima both body and soul are â—recoverably lâ—st to all Eternity Marriage to be sought of God by Prayer IT came so to pass when Men began to multiply upon the face of the Earth and daughters were born unto them That the Sons of God Men well qualified saw the daughters of men very lewd ones that they were fair that 's all they aimed at and therefore they took them wives hand-over head of all which they chose but being not of Gods providing they had better
of the bulk and body the spreading fairnesse of the branches the glory of the leaves and flowers the commodity of the fruits proceed from the root by that the whole subsisteth So Faith seemes to be but a sorry grace a vertue of no regard Devotion is acceptable for it honours God Charity is noble for it does good to men Holinesse is the Image of Heaven therefore beautious Thankfulnesse is the tune of Angels therefore melodious But ad quid fides what is faith good for Yes it is good for every good purpose the foundation and root of all graces All the prayers made by Devotion all the good works done by Charity all the actuall expressions of Holinesse all the praises founded forth by Thankfulnesse come from the root of Faith that is the life of them all Faith doth animate Works as the body lives by the soul. Doubtlesse faith hath saved some without works but it was never read that works saved any without faith The Ministers partiality in the reproof of sin condemned THere is mention made of a sort of people called Gastromantae such as speak out of their belly so hollow that a stander by would think that some body else spoke in the next room unto them Just such are those byas'd Ministers the trencher Chaplains of our daies that when they speak of sin especially in great ones they may be said to speak out of their bellies not out of their hearts a dinner or a great parishioner or a good Dame will make them shoot the reprehension of sin like pellets through a Trunk with no more strength than will kill a sparrow Hence is it that there are so many no-sins so many distinctions of sins that with a little of Iesabels paint Adams weaknesse in regard of his wife is called tendernesse Abraham's lye equivocation Lots incest and adultery good nature Noahs drunkenness the weakness of age Aaron Solomons idolatry policy oppression justice treason religion faction faith madnesse zeal pride handsomenesse and covetousnesse good husbandry whereas sin should be set out in his right colours and the sinner pointed out as Nathan did David Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. To be charitable Christians and why so IF a man should at his own proper cost and charges build a fair Bridge upon some River in a convenient place thereof leading the ready way to some City or Market-town can it be thought amisse if he should demand a small kind of tribute or pontage for horse or man that should passe over whether it were to keep the Bridge in repair that so posterity might have the benefit thereof or for the acknowledgment of so great a benefit or for the satisfaction of the builder Surely it could not Thus Christ Iesus our blessed Saviour and Redeemer hath with the price his own most precious bloud built a bridge of mercy to pass over and is himselfe become a new and living way for all repentant sinners to walk in there being no other way no other bridge for passage into Heaven It is but just then that something should be done on our parts not that he hath any need but because he looks for it some tribute something by way of acknowledgement something as a Toll-penny for the reliefe of his poor distressed Members with this assurance That Eleemosyna Viaticum in Mundo thesaurus in Caelo What we lay out in this world by way of Charity shall be doubled in the next by way of Retribution Regeneration the necessity thereof ONe bargain'd with a Painter to paint him a Horse running as it were in a full careere The Painter having done his work presents it with the heels upward Why said the Man I bespake the Picture of a running Horse but thou hast brought me a horse kicking up his heels O but quoth the Painter turn the frame set the picture right and then you shall find it to be a running horse such an one as you bespake Such is every son of Man in his naturall condition his head and his heart is all downward groveling on the Earth whilst his heels are kicking at Heaven but let the Table be once turned let but God come into his Soul by the operation of his blessed spirit then there will be a renewing of the mind then that Tongue which ere-while was set on fire in Hell wil become a Trumpet of Gods glory those hands which were once reached out to do wickedly will now work that which is honest those feet which were swift to shed bloud will now walk in the paths of peace instead of an itching ear there will be an attentive ear instead of a wanton eye there will be a covenanting eye not to look upon a strange woman there will be a new will new affections new qualities a new disposition all new A man of Learning speaks little VVHen a Rabbi little learned and lesse modest usurped all the discourse at Table one much admiring him asked his friend in private Whether he did not take such a Man for a great Scholar to whom he plainly answered For ought I know he may be learned but I never heard Learning make such a noyse So when a modest Man gave thanks to God with a low and submiss voyce an impudent criticall Gallant found fault with him that he said Grace no louder but he gave him a bitter reply Make me but a fool and I shall speak as loud as you but that will marre the Grace quite Thus it is that the Sun shews least when it is at the highest that deep waters run most silent But what a murmur and bubling yea sometimes what a roaring do they make in the shallows Empty Vessels make the greatest sound but the full ones give a soft answer Profound knowledge sayes little and Men by their unseasonable noyse are known to be none of the wisest whereas a Man of parts and learning sayes little Death the end of all MAn is as it were a Book his birth is the Title-page his Baptism the Epistle Dedicatory his groans and crying the Epistle to the Reader his Infancy and Child-hood the Argument or Content of the whole ensuing Treatises his life and actions are the subject his sinnes and errours the faults escaped his Repentance the Correction As for the Volums some are in folio some in quarto some in Octavo c. some are fairer bound some plainer some have piety and godlinesse for their subject othersome and they too many mere Romanees Pamphlets of wantonness and folly but in the last page of every one there stands a word which is Finis and this is the last word in every Book Such is the life of Man some longer some shorter some stronger some weaker some fairer some coorser some holy some prophane but Death comes in like Finis at the last and closes up all for that is the end of all The incorrigible Sinners stupidity IT is reported of Silkworms
Berengarius So may we say of the Publicans prayer much more of the Lords prayer set in flat opposition to the Heathenish Battologyes and vain repetitions of some that would be held good Christians It is not the length but the strength of Prayer that is required not the labour of the lip but the travell of the heart that prevails with God The Baalites prayer was not more tedious then Eliah's short yet more pitthy then short Let thy words then be few saith Solomon but full to the purpose Take unto you words saies the Prophet neither over-curious nor over-carelesse but such as are humble earnest direct to the point avoiding vain â—ablings needlesse and endlesse repetitions heartlesse digressions tedious prolixities wild and idle impertinencies such extemporary petitioners as not disposing their matter in due order by premeditation and withall being word-bound are forced to go forward and backward just like hounds at a losse and having hastily begun they know not how handsomly to make an end Division the great danger thereof IF two ships at sea being of one and the same squadron shall be scattered by storm from each other how shall they come in to the relief of each other If again they clash together and fall foul how shall the one endanger the other and her self too It was of old the Dutch device of two earthen Pots swimming upon the water with this Motto Praâ—gimur si collidimur If we knock together we sink together And most true it is that if spleen or discontent set us too far one from another or choller and anger bring us too near it cannot be but that intendment or designe whatsoever it be like Ionah's gourd shall perish in a moment especially if the viperous and hatefull worm of dissention do but smite it Desperation the Complement of all sins THere is mention made in Daniel's prophecy chap. 7. of four beasts the first a Lion the second a Bear the third a Leopard but the fourth without distinction of either kind or sex or name is said to be very fearfull and terrible and strong and had great iron teeth destroyed and brake in pieces and stamped under his feet and had horns c. Such a thing is desperation others sins are fearfull and terrible enough and have as it were the rage of Lions and Bears and Leopards to spoil and make desolate the soul of man but desperation hath horns too horns to push at God with blasphemy at his brethren with injury and at his own soul with distrust of mercy Desperation is a complicated sin the complement of all sins The greatest sins are said to be those which are opposed to the three Theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charity infidelity to faith desperation to hope hatred to charity amongst which infidelity and hatred the one not believing the other hating God are in themselves worse but in regard of him that sinneth desperation exceedeth them both in the danger that is annexed unto it for Quid miserius misero non miseranti seipsum What can be more miserable what more full then for a poor miserable wretch not to take pitty of his own soul. A covetous man never satisfied IT is said of Catiline that he was ever alieni appetens sui profusus not more prodigall of his own as desirous of other mens estates A ship may be over-laden with silver even unto sinking and yet compasse and bulk enough to hold ten times more So a covetous wretch though he have enough to sink him yet never hath he enough to satisfie him like that miserable Cariff mentioned by Theocritus first wishing Mille me is errent in montibus agni That he had a thousand sheep in his stock and then when he has them Pauperis est numerare pecus He would have cattle without number Thus a circle cannot fill a triangle so neither can the whole world if it were to be compassed the heart of man a man may as easily fill a chest with grace as the heart with gold Non plus 〈◊〉 cor aâ—ro quam â—orpus aura The air fills not the body neither doth mony the coâ—â—â—tous mind of man A true child of God half in Heaven whils the is on Earth TEnorius Arch-Bishop of Toledâ— making question whether Solomon were saved or damned caused his picture to be drawn in his Chappell half in Heaven and half in Hell Now what was painted of Solomon imaginarily may be said of Gods children truly though they dwell upon Earth yet their Burgesship is in Heaven Earth is patria loci but Heaven patria juris just like Irishmen that are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England half in Heaven and half on Earth in Heaven by their godly life and conversation in Heaven by reason of their assurance of glory and salvation But on Earth by reason of that body of sin and death which they carry about them having the flesh pressing with continuall fight and oppressing with often conquest Hope in God the best hold-fast FAmous is that history of Cynegirus a valiant and thrice renowned Athenian who being in a great sea-sight against the Medes spying a ship of the Enemies well man'd and fitted for service when no other means would serve he grasped it with his hands to maintain the fight and when his right hand was cut off he held close with his left but both hands being taken off he held it fast with his teeth till he lost his life Such is the hold-fast of him that hopes in God dum spirat sperat as long as there is any breath he hopes The voice of hope is according to her nature Spes mea Christus God is my hope In the winter and deadest time of calamity Hope springeth and cannot die nay she crieth within her self Whether I live or die though I walk into the chambers of death and the doors be shut upon me I will not loose my hope for I shall see the day when the Lord shall know me by my name again righten my wrongs finish my sorrowes wipe the tears from my cheeks tread down my enemies fulfill my desires and bring me to his glory Whereas the nature of all earthly hope is like a sick mans pulse full of intermission there being rarely seen sperate miseri on the inscription but it is subscribed Cavete foelices An account of Gods knowledge not to he made out by the wisest of men THere is a place in Wiltshire called Stonage for divers great stones lying and standing there together Of which stones it is said That though a man number them one by one never so carefully yet that he cannot find the true number of them but finds a different number from that he found before This may serve to shew very well the crring of mans labour in seeking to give an account of divine wisdom and knowledge for all his Arrowes
we do it will make us like a wall of brasse to beat back all the arrows of strong perswasion that can be shot against us like an Armour of proof against all the Anakims and Zanzummins Scyllas and Syrens temptations on the right hand and on the left like the Angell that roled away the stone from before the dore of the Sepulchre it will enable us to remove the great mountains of opposition that lye in our way or else to stride over them yea like the ballast of a Ship will keep us steddy in the cause of God and his Church who would otherwise be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like those mentioned by the Apostle men of double minds unsetled and unstable in all our wayes Gods omniscience necessarily demonstrated from his omnipresence SUppose we in our thoughts a Sphere of infinite greatnesse and efficacy whose center were every where and circumference no where it must necessarily follow that whatever thing or things be besides this Sphere must needs be within it encompassed by it and contained in it and all things existing within this Sphere it will follow That there can be no action nor motion but this Sphere will perceive it Such is God a Sphere of infinite being who filleth all things that he hath made as spirits bodies things above and below things in Heaven and Earth all that encompasseth all things is above all things and susteyneth all things neither doth he â—ill them on the one side and encompasse them on the other side But by encompassing doth fill them and by filling doth encompasse them and by susteyning them he is above them and being above them he doth sustain them then must it needs be that God that thus filleth encompasseth and susteineth all things doth also know all things To be Zealous for the honour of Jesus Christ as he is the eternal Son of God IN the dayes of Theodosius the Arrians through his connivence were grown very bold and not onely had their meetings in Constantinople the chief City of the Empire but would dispute their opinions etiam in foro and no man could prevail with the Emperour to lay restraints upon them because saith the Historian he thought it nimis severum et inclemens esse At length comes to Constantinople one Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium a poor Town an honest Man but no great Politician for the World he petitions the Emperour to restrain the Arrians but in vain Next time he comes to the Court finding the Emperour and his son Arcadius whom he had lately created joynt-Emperour standing together he doth very low obeysance to the Father but none to the Son yet coming up close to him in a familiar manner stroaketh him on the head and saith Salve mi fili God save you my child The Emperour taking this for a great affront being full of rage bids turn the Man out of dores As the Officers were dragging him forth he turning to the Emperour saith Ad hunc modum existima ò Imperator c. Make an accompt O Emperour that thus even thus is the Heavenly Father displeased with those that do not honour the Son equally with the Father Which the Emperour hearing calls the Bishop back again asks him forgivenesse presently makes a law against Arrianism forbids their meetings and disputations constitutâ paenâ Here was a blessed artifice by which the Zeal of this Emperour was suddenly turned into the right channel and he was taught by his tendernesse over his own honour and the honour of his Son to be tender over the honour of God and his Son Christ Iesus Now so it is that much of Arrius is at this day in England and more then ever was since the name of Christ was known in England yet it is much hoped and heartily wished for that as there hath been some actings for God that men may no longer impunâ— wickedly and pertinaciously blaspheme his glorious essence and attributes so to shew the like Zeal for the glory of his eternall Son and spirit This being the will of God that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father Politicians spoyled in the height of wicked designs AS the Potters clay when the Potter hath spent some time and pains in tempering and forming it upon the wheel and now the Vessell is even almost brought to its shape a Man that stands by may with the least push put it clean out of shape and mar all on a sudden that he hath been so long a making So it is that all the plots and contrivances of leud and wicked Men all their turnings of things upside down shall be but as the Potters clay For when they think they have brought all to maturity ripenesse and perfection when they look upon their businesse as good as done on a sodain all their labour is lost the designs they travell so much withall shall be but as an abortive birth for God that stands by all the while and looks on will with one small touch with the least breath of his mouth blast and break all in pieces Consideration of Gods omnipresence a strong motive to Christian confidence THere is a story of that holy Martyr of Jesus Christ B. Latimer that having in a Sermon at Court in Henry the eighth's dayes much displeased the King he was commanded next Sunday after to preach again and make his recantation according to appointment he comes to preach and prefaceth to his Sermon with a kind of Dialogisme in this manner Hugh Latimer doest thou know to whom thou art this day to speak to the high and Mighty Monarch the Kings most excellent Majesty c. that can take away thy life if thou offend therefore take heed how thou speak a word that may displease But as it were recalling himself Hugh Hugh saith he dost know from whence thou comest upon whose message thou art sent and who it is that is present with thee and beholdeth all thy wayes Even the great and mighty God that is able to cast both body and Soul into Hell for ever therefore look about thee and be sure that thou deliver thy message faithfully c. and so comes on to his Sermon and what he had delivered the day before confirms and urgeth with more vehemency then ever Sermon being done the Court was full of expectation what would be the issue of the matter After dinner the King calls for Latimer and with a stern countenance asked him How he durst be so bold as to preach after that manner He answered That duty to God and his Prince had enforced him thereunto and now he had discharged his Conscience and duty both in what he had spoken his life was in his Majesties hands Upon this the King rose from his seat and taking the good Man from off his knees embraced him in his arms saying He blessed God that he
Solomon be wise for thy self It is not enough for a Man to do good to others though he could to all if he remain an Enemy to himself He must be like a Cynamon-Tree which lets not out all its sap into leaves and fruit which will fall off but keeps the principall part of its fragrancy for the bark which stayes on like a Tree planted by the water side which though it let out much sap to the remoter boughs yet is specially carefull of the root that that be not left dry And to speak truth What profit would it be to a Man if he could heal and help all the sick Men in the World and be incurably sick himself If he could get all the Men on the Earth all the Angels in Heaven to be his Friends and have still God for his Enemy If he could save others and then lose his own Soul to be like the Ship Acts 27. broken to pieces it self though it helped others to the shore Or like those that built the Ark for Noah and were drowned themselves this is to have the cares of Martha upon him on the behalf of others and never mind that one thing of Mary the care of his own Salvation Neglect of the main duties of Christianity reproved SUppose a Master before he goes forth should charge his Servant to look to his Child and trim up the house handsomely against he comes home But when he returns will he thank this servant for sweeping his house and making it trim as he bade him if he find his child through negligence fallen into the fire and so kill'd or cripled No sure he left his child with him as his chief charge to which the other should have yielded if both could not be done Thus there hath been a great Zeal of late amongst us about some circumstantials of Gods worship but who is it that looks to the little child the main duties of Christianity Was there ever lesse love charity self-denyal Heavenly-mindednesse or the power of Godlinesse to be found then in this sad Age of ours Alas these like the child are in great danger of perishing in the fire of contention and division which a perverse Zeal in lesse things hath kindled amongst us Pleasures of Righteousnesse not discerned by unrighteous Men And how so THe Roman Souldiers when at the sacking of Ierusalem they entred the Temple and went into the Sanctum Sanctorum but seeing no Images there as they used to have in their own idolatrous Temples gave out in a jeer that the Iews worshipped the clouds And thus because the pleasures of Righteousnesse and holinesse are not so grosse as to come under the cognisance of the Worlds carnal senses as their brutish ones do therefore they laugh at the Saints as if their Ioy were but the child of Fancy and that they do but embrace a cloud instead of 〈◊〉 her self a phantastick pleasure for the true But let such know that they carry in their bosome what will help them to think the pleasures of a holy life more reall and that the power of Holinesse is so far from depriving a Man of the joy and pleasure of his life that there are incomparable delights and pleasures peculiar to the holy life which the gracious Soul finds in the wayes of Righteousnesse and no stranger intermeddles with his joy The truth is they lie inward and therefore it is that the World speaks so wildly and ignorantly of them Gods different disposal of his blessings WHen a Prince bids his Servants carry such a Man down into the Cellar and let him drink of their Beer and Wine this is a kindnesse from so great a Personage to be valued highly But for the Prince to set him at his own Table and let him drink of his own Wine this no doobt is far more Thus i◠is that God gives unto some Men bona scabelli great Estates abundance of corn and wine and oyl the comforts of the Creature yet in so doing he entertains them but in the common Cellar they have none but carnal enjoyments they do but sit with the servants and in som sensual pleasures they are but fellow-Commoners with the beasts but for his People they have the bona throni his right-hand blessings he bestowes his Graces on them beautifies them with holinesse makes them to drink of the Rivers of his pleasures and means to set them by him at his own Table with himself in Heavenly glory The encrease of Atheism amongst us at this day IT is reported to have been the saying of Mr. R. Greenham a good man in his time That he feared rather Atheism then Popery would be Englands ruine Had he lived in our dismal dayes he would have had his fears much encreased Were there ever more Atheists made and making in England since it was acquainted with the Gospel then in the compasse of some few years past There is reason to think there were not When Men shall fall so far from profession of the Gospel and be so blinded that they cannot know light from darknesse righteousness from unrighteousness Are they not far gone in Atheism This is not natural blindness for the Heathen could tell when they did good and evill and see Holiness from Sin without Scripture-light to shew them No this blindnesse is a plague of God fallen on them for rebelling against the ligh◠when they could see it And if this plague should grow more common which God forbid woe then to England Men to be willing to have their Sins reproved And why so THere was a foolish it may be said cruel Law among the Lacedemonians That none should tell his Neighbour any ill news befallen him but every one should be left in processe of time to find it out themselves And it is to be supposed that there are many amongst us that would be content if there were such a Law that might tye up Ministers mouths from scaring them with their Sins and the miseries that attend their unreconciled estate The most are more carefull to run from the discourse of their misery then to get out of the danger of it are more offended with the talk of Hell then troubled for that sinful state that shall bring them thither But alas when then shall the Ministers shew their love to the souls of Sinners When shall a loving Man have a fitting time to tell his Friend of his faults if not now in the present time And why because that hereafter there remains no more offices of Love to be done for them Hell is a Pest-house there cannot be written so much on the door of it as Lord have mercy on them that are in it Nay they who now pray for their salvation and weep over their condition must then with Christ vote for their damnation and rejoyce in it though they be their own Fathers Husbands and Wives they shall see there
we sing Laudate Dominum omnes gentes Praise the Lord all ye Nations Then the Name of Christ was an oyntment kept close in a box but now it is an oyntment poured out And lastly then the Church was a Garden enclosed a Fountain sealed up but now it is a springing Well that overflowes the World to renew it as Noah's floud did to destroy it The Company of Wicked Men to be avoided IT was once the Prayer of a good Gentlewoman when she was to die being in much trouble of Conscience O Lord let me not go to Hell where the Wicked are For Lord thou knowest I never loved their Company here the same in effect though not in the same words was that of holy David Lord gather not my Soul with Sinners Thus if Men would not have their Souls gathered with Wicked Men hereafter they must take heed of joyning with them here Can God take it well at any Mans hands to go and shake hands with his Enemies God himself will not so much as reach out his hand to the Wicked Why then should any of us do so Can we be in any place where we see God dishonoured and sit still as though not concerned therein Certainly the sight of Sin wheresoever or by whomsoever it is committed should cause horror in the Soul it should make us forbear coming into such wretched Company Time mis-spent to be carefully redeemed IT is observable that when Men have mis-spent their youth in Riotous living neglected all means of thriving and prodigally wasted their Estates but coming to riper years and being beaten with the rod of their own experience in the sight of their folly do not onely desist from their former lewd courses but are sorry and ashamed of them and set themselves with so much the more care and diligence to recover and repair their decay'd estates and with the greater earnestnesse use all good means of thriving And he that being to travell about important businesse nearly concerning his life and estate if he have over-slept himself in the Morning or trifled out his time about things of no worth when he sees his error and folly he makes the more haste all the day following that he may not be benighted and so coming short of his journey be frustrate of his hopes And thus must every good Christian do labouring with so much the more earnestnesse after the spiritual riches of Grace and assurance of his Heavenly hope by how much the longer he hath neglected the spiritual thriâ—t And traâ—elling so much the more speedily in the wayes of God by how much the longer he hath deferred his journey and loytered by the way fearing as the Apostle speaketh lest a promise being left of entring into Gods rest he come short of it Heb. 4. 1. Sacriledg the heavy Iudgments of God depending thereon POmpey the Great who is noted by Titus Livius and Cicero to be one of the most fortunate Souldiers in the World yet after he had abused and robbed the Temple of Ierusalem he never prospered but velut unda sâ—pervenit undam as one wave followeth another so ill successes succeeded to him one on the neck of another till at last he made an end of an unhappy life by a miserable death Many more Examples of the like nature are recorded to posterity To what purpose To forewarn them of the heavy Iudgments that depend upon all Sacrilegers that as the Aâ—k of God could find no resting place amongst the Philistines but was removed from Asdod to Gath from Gath to Ekron and so from place to place till it came to it 's own proper place so shall it be with the goods of Gods Church of what nature soever being wrung out of the Churche's hands by violence Quae malignè contraxit Pater pejori fluxu refundet haeres That which the Father hath so wickedly scraped together the Sonne shall more wickedly scatter abroad and so it shall passe and repasse from one to another untill it be far enough from him and his for whom it was collected so tâ—at the out-side of all his goodly purchase will be the Iudgment of God against himself and the curse of God to remain upon his Posterity Nothing but Eternity will satisfie the gratious Soul WHen there were severall attempts made upon Luther to draw him back again to the Romish side one proposed a summe of Money to be offered unto him No that will not do sayes another Illa bestia Germanica non curat argentum c. That German beast cares not for money nor any temporal thing whatsoever and so they ceased any further tampering that way Such was the Christian resolution of those Fourâ—y Martyrs under the persecution of Liciâ—ius the Emperor Anno 300. that when Agricolaus his chief Governour and one of the Devil 's prime Agents set upon them by severall wayes to renounce Christ and at last tempted them with money and preferments they all cryed out with one consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O Eternity Eternity Give money that may last â—or 〈◊〉 and glory that may never fade away Nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified will serve S. Paul's turn And thus it is that nothing but Eternity will satisfie the gratious Soul Let all the World the things of Heaven and Earth present themselves to the Soul by way of satisfaction it will say What are ye Temporal or Eternal If temporal away with them but if they bring Eternity along with them if the Inscription of Eternity be set on them then it closes with them and is satisfied in the sweet enjoyment of them The Ranters Religion IT is reported of the Lindians a People in the Isle of Rhodes who using to offer their Sacrifices with curses and execrable Maledictions thought their unholy holy-Rites were prophaned if that in all the time of the solemnity vel imprudenti alicui exciderit verbum bonum any one of them at unawares should have cast out or let fall one good word Such is the irreligious Religion and desperate carriage of a wretched crew called Ranters whose mouthes are fill'd with cursing and blasphemous speeches and that in such an â—orrid and confused manner as if Pythagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to be credited a Man would think Rabshekah's Soul had been transported into their bodies their Dialect being alike Divellish their language semblable Flatterers to be avoided WHen Xerxes with his multitudinous Army marched towards Greece and asked of his Friends What they feared most and one said That when the Greeks heard of his coming they would fly away before he could come near them another said He feared the ayr had not room enough for the arrowes of his Army another feared All Greece was not sufficient to quarter his Souldiers in And then Damascerus the Philosopher said He feared that all those Parasites would deceive him And no
hindred by a domestick â—arre he gave his Sonne a strict charge upon his death-bed that after his death he should cause his heart to be conveyed thither and to that purpose he had prepared two and thirty thousand pounds to defray the charge and ordered that sevenscore Knights with their several retinues should attend it thither Thus the Saints and dear Childrâ—â— of God though they have not their bodies in Heaven yet their hearts are there they are like Eagles alwayes mounting upwards their treasure is in Heaven and there will their hearts be also they may have many weights of corruption without that presse them downwards yet they have an inward Principle that works upwards A speciall work of God so ordering it that their Conversation is altogether in Heaven and that though with the Church they be black and dark in regard of their infirmities yet they are like unto pillars of smoke that ascend upwards To be carefull of our pretious Souls CHarles the Fifth when he was solicited by a great Counsellor Antonius de Lena to cut off all the petty Princes of Germany and then he should rule alone cryed out Anima anima My Soul my Soul Nay sayes the Tyger If your Majesty have a Soul give over your Empire The Emperour had some care of his Soul the bloody Advocate had none Oh the pretious Soul of Man the Master-wheel of all our actions the chief Seat of the Image of God that for which Christ emptied himself of glory that wherein Christ desires to dwell by faith How ought such a Iewell to be kept with all diligence let the Men of the World prise their Soul at never so low a rate yet let all good Men set an high value upon theirs The Worlds uncertainty AS it cannot be otherwise but that the Sun shining out in our Horison must needs be the occasion of darknesse in another so that our day is their night and when it is day with them it is night with us Thus it is with the things of this World they are at no certainty many are made poor that a few may become rich One is made Honourable by anothers disgrace this Man full by that Man's emptinesse If the day of Prosperity smile upon one the night of Adversity lowres upon another one weepeth and another rejoyceth one gains by anothers losse Why then should any Man think that to be certain with him that is so inconstant to all besides him How to know whether a Man be Heavenly or Earthly-minded ALL things in Nature have a principle to carry them to their prâ—pâ—r place As for example take Earth and close it in a vessell and takâ— Fire and put it in another vessel then open the vessels let them out and they 'l both go to their proper place the one upward the other downward because the place of Fire is on high hence is it that sparks fly naturally upwards And because the place of Earth is below thence is it that it tends downward Thus if the place and center of the Heart be in Heaven then certainly it will move upwards towards Heaven but if on Earth then it will bear downward So likewise the Souls of Men when they are gone out of the body they go to the place where they had a Principle to carry them not a Principle that shall be put into them when they die but a Principle that they were led by before so that if their hearts he press'd down by Earthly things when they die they will fall down but if Heavenly-minded they will mount upwards It stands therefore upon every Man to know how his Soul worketh Children to be ready in relief of the Parents Necessities LUther hath a Story of a good Father in Germany that had made over all his estate to his Sons reserving onely to himself a power by turns to come and take his diet at their Tables One of the Sons being at dinner and having a goose before him espied his Father coming and set the goose underneath the Table till his Father was gone again Then takes he up the goose which God had miraculously turned into a great Toad which leaped into his face and notwithstanding all his striving it could not be removed till it had stifled him Let all Children seriously look upon this Example and look to it that they relieve their Parents For Parents helped them when they were not able to help themselves Let Parents not be sleighted not mocked not cursed not smitten but submitted unto and relieved by the Examples of Christ of David and of Ioseph and of divers others that for their filiall love are recorded as famous in their several generations Captious Hearers of the Word condemned SUppose a company of People coming not to an elbow but a working Goldsmith's shop One buyes a chain another a Diamond Ring this buyes a Iewell that a rich piece of Plate And that there should be one amongst them so self-conceited should take up a coal from off the floor and handle it so long till he had all to besmear'd his Fingers refusing what the Shop afforded so as he might but have that coal along with him Were not this great absurdity Yet such and more is the condition of those Captious Hearers of Gods Word that whilest others carry away good and wholesome doctrine pretious promises such as is food for their Souls they come onely to carp and catch at their Minister that so they may more easily traduce him and brand him with the black coal of Infamy and disgrace but they shall one day find that the more they throw dirt in his face the more they bespatter their own Things of Heaven to be waited for with Patience IN the way of Trade if a Man go and buy a commodity of five or ten shillings price he layes down ready money but if the price rise high and come to a good round summe then he doth but give something in earnest the great payment it may be comes six or twelve moneths after So when Men will bargain with God for their obedience to have credit and esteem in the World these are but poor trifling matters and God gives them presently but because the Covenant that is betwixt God and Christ and so betwixt Christ and Us is about great matters and God intends to reward his People with glorious things eternally in the Heavens we have but the first fruits of them at present and must not expect the fulnesse of them suddenly they are great things and must be waited for with Patience till they do come and being once come they will make amends for all our tarrying Children to be Religiously educated IT was the saying of Aulus Fulvius to his Son when he was discovered to be a Comploâ—â—er in Cateline's conspiracy Ego te non Catelinae sed Patriae genui I begot thee
Men take heed then how they multiply their cups as in that Feast of Ahashuerus at Shushan where every Man drank as much as he lift but content themselves with Timothy's Modicum prescribed by S. Paul One cup is enough two are too much and three too little but How may that be When a Man hath taken off three he is fit if possible for three hundred and then ab hilaritate ad ebrietatem lubricus est gradus He shall find to his sorrow that from mirth to madnesse the step is very slippery The great pains that Wicked Men take to go to Hell IT is observed of Antiochus Epiphanes one of the Kings of Syria that he was a most cruel Persecutor of the Church and undertook more troublesome journeys and went upon more hazardous designs meerly to trouble vex and oppose the Church of the Iews then ever any of his Predecessors did about any other conquest or noble enterprize that he travelled more miles to do mischief as he that compareth their journeys then any of the Saints did to do good And thereupon concludes the Story of him with this general truth concerning all wicked Men That they go with more pains to eternal death then the Saints to eternal rest that they toyl themselves more and suffer more hardship to work out their own damnation then the godly do to work out their Salvation Thus it is that a Wicked ungodly Man is said to travell with pain all the dayes of his life and wearying himself in the way to Hell doing the Devils drudgery And whereas a good Man is mercifull to his beast he is unmercifull to himself and tires himself more then a good Man will tire his beast For he that will follow Sin and serve his own lusts especially the lust of Pride and oppression serveth a hard Master one that will make him sweat for it and pay him home at last with eternal death so that the work of Sin is bad enough but as to the Sinner the wages is worse Proper Names of Men not to be so much regarded as Appellative A Poor Shepherd in Germany when divers observing the Cardinal of Colein and admiring his pomp as a Prince whereas his calling was but a Bishop O sayes the Shepherd Cum damnatus fuerit Rex quid fiet de Episcopo If the great Duke should go to Hell for pride What would become of the humble Bishop Thus as with Titles so is it with the Names of Men It is not the proper Name but the Appellative not the Nominal but the Reall that makes a good Construction in Gods grammer Abraham is a good Name but the Father of the Faithfull is a better Moses a good Name but the servant of God much better David a good Name but a Man after Gods own heart far better so it may be said of S. Iohn he had a good Name but to be the beloved Disciple of Iesus Christ was much beyond it Paul a good Name but to be a chosen vessell of the Lord much more So that Grace is not tyed to Names Theodorus Theodosius Dorotheus Theodatus Deodatus Adeodatus all signifying the gift of God may well be given to our Children but it is the Grace of God that maketh happy No Man hath the mystery of his Fortune written in his Name Names are not Propheticall much lesse Magicall yet the Civill use of them is for distinction Nomen quasi Notamen and the Religious use of them hath by good antiquity been alwaies observed in the Sacrament of Baptism Excessive drinking condemned A Nacharsis had a saying that the first draught of Wine is for thirst the second for nourishment the third for mirth the fourth for madnesse Whereupon Calisthenes being pressed to quaffe off a great Bowl of Wine which bowl they called Alexander gravely replyed That he would not for drinking of Alexander stand in need of Aesculapius i. e. he would drink no more then what should do him good And it were heartily to be wished that all Men were of his mind but so it is that now adayes a drunken health like the Conclusion in a Syllogism must not be denyed yea such and so excessive is the custom of high drinking that S. Basil makes it a wonder How the bodies of Drunkards being by Nature framed of Earth do not with so much moysture dissolve into clay and water Books of Piety and Religion testimoniall at the great day of Iudgment IT is usual in Scripture to ascribe a testimony to the more notable circumstances and accidents of humane life as to the rust of hoarded money to the solemn publications of the Gospel the dust of the Apostles feet And so downward in the Primitive times when grown persons were baptized they were wont to leave a stole or white garment in the vestry for a Testimony and witnesse of their Baptism Wherefore when one Elpidophorus had revolted from the Faith the Deacon of the Church came and told him O Elpidophorus I will keep this stole as a Monument against thee to all Eternity And thus it is that Books of Piety and devotion being publique Monuments are much of this Nature a testimony likely to be produced in the day of Iudgment not only against the Authors but the Persons into whose hands they shall happen to be perused in case on either side there be any defection in Iudgment or manners from the Truths therein expressed Atheistical Wicked Men at the hour of Death forced to confesse Gods Iudgments IT is the report of a Reverend Divine now with God concerning an Atheist in England A young Man sayes he was a Papist but soon fell into dislike of their superstition He became a Protestant but that did not please him long England could not content him he reels to Amsterdam there he fell from one sect to another till he lighted upon the Familists The first Principle they taught him was this There is no God as indeed they had need to sear up their Consciences and dam up all natural light that turn Familists hereupon he fell to a loose life committed a Robbery was convicted condemned and brought to die At the Execution he desired a little time uttering these words Say what you will surely there is a God loving to his Friends terrible to his Enemies And thus it is that the lewdest Reprobates the most wretched Atheists that spit in the face of Heaven and wade deepest in bloud are forced at the time of Death when they see the hand-writing of Gods Iudgments upon the wall to confesse there is a God who is just in all his wayes and wondrous in all his works Fleshly-lusts the danger of them IT is said of the Torpedo a kind of dangerous Sea-fish that it is of so venomous a Nature that if it chance to touch but the line of him that angles the poyson is thereby
man from the cold starving Climate of Poverty into the hot Southern Climate of Prosperity and he begins to lose his appetite to good things he grows weak and a thousand to one if all his Religion do not dye but bring a Christian from the South to the North from a rich flourishing estate into a jejune low Condition let him come into a more cola and hungry ayre and then his stomach mends he hath a better appetite after Heavenly things he hungers more after Christ he thirsts more after Grace he eats more of the bread of life at one meal then he did at six before and such a Man is like to live and hold out in the way of Gods Commandements to the end A foul polluted Soul the object of Gods hatred THe rheumatick and spawling Cynick when he was entreated by the dainty Mistresse of the house where he was entertained that he would spit in the foulest part of the house did thereupon very unmannerly spit in the Mistresses own face because that in his opinion it was the foulest Thus as it is the honour of the Holy Omnis decor ab inâ—ùs to be all glorious within what outward wants soever seem to disgrace them so it is the disgrace of the Worldly Omnis faetor ab intus they are filthy within what outward abundance soever doth seem to honour them God requires truth in the inward parts but alasse we may say truly of these their inward parts are very wickednesse so that when he sees their houses kept neat and clean the floores swept the walls hung the vessels scowred their Apparel brushed their bodies adorned all curiously highted onely their hearts filthy and polluted he will certainly spit his contempt upon that Heart Therefore wash thy heart from iniquity O Ierusalem that thou mayest be saved 2 Kings 9. 12. The high price of the Soul PLato that divine Philosopher travelling to see the wonders of Sicily was upon some discourse had betwixt him and Dionysius the Tyrant apprehended and clapt up in Prison his fact was made capital but by the favour of some near the Tyrant he was adjudged to be sold one Annecerts buyes him layes down twenty pounds and sends him home to Athens Seneca quarrels the price censures Anneceris for undervaluing so worthy a Man ballancing one of such high parts with such a low sum of Money But this censure cannot light upon our Saviour who gave not for the Soul of Man the Earth the Sea the World but that which was of infinite Value even his own dearest bloud Propter Animam Deus secit mundum c. It was for the Souls sake that God made the World And it was for the Souls sake that the Son of God came into the World made himself of no Reputation was like unto man in all things sin onely excepted scorned scourged derided c. and at last submitted himself to Death even the Death of the Crosse Phil. 2. 8. Prosperity for the most part draws Envy to it SHeep that have most Wool are soonest fleeced The fattest Oxe comes soonest â—o the slaughter The barren Tree grows peaceably no Man meddles with the Ash or Willow but the Appletree and the Damosin shall have many rude suiters David a Shepheard was quiet but David a Courtier was pursued by his Enemies Thus it is that Prosperity is an Eye-sore to many and a prosperous condition for the most part draws Envy to it whereas he that carries a lesser sail that hath lesse Revenues hath lesse Envy such as bear up with the greatest Front and make the greatest shew in the World are the White for Envy and Malice to shoot at Liberty the cause of Licentiousnesse IT was a grave and smart answer of Secretary Walsingham a great Statesman of that time when he was consulted by the Queen about the lawfullnesse of Monopoly-Licences Licentiâ omnes deteriores sumus We are all the worse for Licence And most true it is let but the golden raynes of Law and Religion lye any thing loose upon the People shoulders they will soon be licentious enough If the well-compacted hedge of Discipline and Government be broken down neither Church or State shall long want those that will intrude upon their Priviledges and trample all Authority under their feet The Folly of Men in parting with their Souls for trifles WE laugh at little Children to see them part with rich Jewels for silly trifles And who doth not wonder at the Folly of our first Parents that would lose Paradise for an Apple and of Esau that sold his birth-right for a messe of Pottage yet alasse daily experience doth proclaim it that many are so childish to part with such rich and pretious Jewels as their immortal Souls for base unworthy trifles and so Foolish as to lose the coelestial Paradise the kingdome of Heaven for Earthly vanities of whom it may be truely said as Augustus Caesar in another case They are like a Man that fishes with a golden hook the gain can never recompence the losse that may be sustained The spiritual benefit of divine Contentment ZEno of whom Seneca speaks who had once been very rich hearing of a Shipwrack and that all his goods were drowned at Sea Fortune saith he speaking in an Heathen Dialect Iubet me Fortuna expeditiùs Philosophari hath dealt well with me and would have me now to study Philosophy He was content to change his course of life to leave off being a Merchant and turn Philosopher And if an Heathen said thus shall not a Christian much more say When the World is drained from him Iubet Deus mundum derelinquere et Christum expeditiùs sequi God would have me leave off following the World and study Christ more and how to get Heaven to be willing to have lesse gold and more goodnesse to be contented to have lesse of the World so I may have more of Christ to sit down with a little so much as shall recruit Nature and if that fail so that the slender barrel of Provision fall shorter and shorter not to murmure and say with Micah Have ye taken away my gods and do ye ask me What I aile Judg. 18. 24. Hope to be kept up in the midst of all Perplexities PAndora a beautiful Woman as the Poets â—eign was framed by Vulcan to whose making up every god and goddesse gave a contribution They put into the hand of this fair Inchanâ—resse a goodly box fraught and stuffed with all the Woes and Miseries that might be onely in the bottom of it they placed Hope It was presented to Prometheus but Providence refused it then to Epimetheus and After-wit accepted it Which he no sooner rashly opened but there came out a swarm of Calamities fluttering about his ears This he perceiving clap'd on the cover with all possible speed and so with much ado saved Hope sitting in the bottom Such
may come it may be presented pure and spotlesse to him whom he intendeth it now unto Progresse in Piety to be endeavoured PRogresse in Piety and Religion is not unfitly compared to a building to a Race to the Morning light and to the Moon that waxeth Houses are raised from the Foundation to the walls from the walls to the roof In a Race Men run on to the goal The Morning light is brighter and brighter till the Noon day And the Moon encreaseth more and more till it come to the Full Habent et omnes virtutes suas conceptiones nativitates incunabula c. And all virtues have their conceptions births infancies and encreas So must every good Christian have he must not stand still in Religion like the Sun in Gibeon or go back like that on Ahaz's dyall but as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber that rejoyceth as a strong Man to run a Race he must go forward make still some progresse in Piety It is not enough that he receive a Talent but he must employ it and gain by it like good ground that giveth not the bare seed-corn back again but fructifieth in abundance He must encrease more and more as S. Paul exhorted the Jews of Thessalonica and to grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Resurrection of the dead asserted OUt of the Earth comes the bread that we eat that bread after it passeth several concoctions is alter'd and changed into bloud then conveyed throughout the parts of the body and at last attains to be even of the very same substance and Nature with the body Thus that which was Earth and sprung out of the Earth becomes Flesh in substance which before it was not In the Numerical Resurrection that which was Flesh and after turn'd into Earth becomes Flesh again in the same Nature which before it was If that were not daily and ordinary the difficulty would appear no greater in the one then in the other Again We daily see a tall fair spread losty Tree to have risen out of a little seed If you demand saith Gregory the Great Ubi latet fortitudo ligni asperitas corticis c. Whence was derived the solidity of the Wood the superficial hardnesse of the bark the flourishing greennesse of the leaves Experience testifies it proceeded from the spreading virtue which lay treasured up in the seed What marvel then if he that out of a small seed daily extracts the Wood Fruit and leaves in the trunk and branches of a Tree doth likewise reduce bones veins and hair out of the least remainder of our dust And having grafted them into the former stock of the same Flesh commands again breath and warmth into that Flesh bloud into those veins strength into those bones and beautifies those hairs with a fresher hew The Souldiers calling Honourable HE â—hat in these dayes of the Gospel styleth himself Deus pacis the God of Peace did in the dayes of old under the Law call himself Deus exercituum the Lord of Hoasts The Scriptures make Christ The Captain of the Lords Army the Angels Souldiers The Church a Squadron of armed Men every Bishop or Superintendent of the Church a Souldier and the Church upon good grounds hath listed every Child in Baptisme as a Souldier of Christ Iesus Eques that formerly signified an ordinary Trooper is now our Knight Miles that was wont to be a private Souldier is now our Esquire or Gentleman such and so Honourable is the Condition and Calling of a Souldier that though the Poets have inveighed against it yet they must so far yield that whatsoever of rubbish and dirt is thrown upon it it is vitium personae non rei the fault of the Persons not of the Profession since God himself hath graced it our Saviour hath approved it the Apostles have commended it the Saints have practised it and our Ancestors gloried in it Women Reformers intolerable IT was a witty answer that St. Bernard gave to the Image of the blessed Virgin at the great Church of Spire in Germany Bernard was no sooner come into the Church but the Image straight saluted him and bad him Good morrow Bernard Whereat Bernard well knowing the jugling of the Fryers made answer again out of St. Paul O saith he your Ladiship hath forgotten your self It is not lawfull for Women to speak in the Church Thus it is commendable in a Woman when she is able by her wisdome to instruct her Children and to give at opportunities good Counsell to her Husband but when she-Apostles Women shall take upon them as many have done to hold out the Word in publique and to chalk out Discipline for the Church this is neither commendable nor tolerable for her hands should handle the spindle or the Cradle but neither the Altar nor the Church the commendations that St. Iohn's elect Lady had was not so much for her talking as her walking in the Commandements of God 2 Joh. v. 5 6. When it may be said to be the best time for Prayer SUiters at Court observe mollissima fandi tempora their times of begging when they have the King in a good moode which they will be sure to take the advantage of but especially if they should find that the King himself should begin of himself to speak of the businesse which they would have of him then they take that very nick of time and seldome or never come off but with good successe Thus when God speaks secretly to the heart to pray fashioneth and composeth it into a praying frame and disposition observe such a time and neglect it not strike whilst the Iron is hot lay hold upon such a blessed opportunity such a one as thou maist never have the like againe for it is a great signe that he intends to heare thee and answer thee gratiously when he himself shall thus prepare and indite the Petition and frame the Requests that thou shalt put up unto him This must needs be the best time of Prayer Magistrates and men in Authority to be Exemplary to all others IT is observable in the very course of Nature That the highest Spheres are alwayes the swiftest in their motion and carry about with them the inferior Orbes by their â—elerity The biggest Stars in the Firmament are evermore the brightest and give lustre unto those of a lesser magnitude Thus Men that bear Authority that are eminent in power and dignity that excell in Riches and command are placed in the highest sphere of humane Society to this end that like sons of God they might shine brightly unto their Inferiors by their godly life and Example Ministers to be acquainted with the state of Mens Souls MEn are careful that the Physitian should be well and throughly acquainted with the Constitution of their bodies before he administer any Physick unto them And
up their arrowes at Iupiter then their chief god as in defiance of him for that rainy weather Which when they accordingly did thâ— arrows fell short of Heaven and full upon their own heads so that many of them were very sorely wounded Even so do our muttering and murmuring words either for this or that which God sendeth they hurt not him at all but return upon our own pates and wound both deeply and dangerously Gospel-invitation to comfort A Party of the Syrian hoast as they were forraging about light upon a little Hebrew Maid they brought her to Naaman their Commander in chief he bestowes her upon his Wife the Girle perceiving that he was infected with Leprosie said unto her Mistresse Would to God my Lord were with the Prophet that is in Samaria he would soon deliver him of his Leprosie Such is the voyce of the Gospel to every unrepentant Sinner O that you would come unto Christ seek after him by a lively Faith and Repentance for your sins he would deliver you from the threatenings of the Law and release you of those impossible conditions which you are there bound unto he hath conquered Death and Hell for your sakes paid the ransome for your sins and in the end by his Redemption will bring you to life everlasting The moderate use of Worldly things PLiny maketh mention of Cranes that being about to fly over the Seas they take up stones in their feet and sand in their throat to poyse them against the wind and as they come near the Land by little and little cast them down so lightning themselves that the desired shoar seeth the last stone not â—aken away but let fall Thus it is that good Men use the World as if they used it not they take up the care of Riches as a Viaticum to serve them in this life they know that enâ—ugh is useful too much a burthen and therefore as they come nearer and nearer to their desired Râ—st they more and more disburthen themselves and cast off every thing that hindreth in their way thither The work of the Law preceding the Work of the Gospel IF a Man have a corrupt and dangerous sore in his Flesh if he will be cured or prevent the danger of a Gangrene he must prepare himself both for trouble pain and many other inconveniencies as first the lancing of it then the cutting and squeezing out the filthy and corrupt matter then corrosives to eat out the proud Flesh and lastly if need be searing and cauterizing before any healing plaister be applyed Even so in the spiritual healing of our Sins the work of the Law must precede the work of the Gospel First that of the Law to humble us then that of the Gospel to comfort us before there be any obtaining of pardon any comfort in the hope of Redemption the Law must take â—s in hand search our frailty lance our Sins squeeze out the Corruption of our Natures make us cry and roar again with the smart of our wounds And then it is that the gentle Cataplasms of the Gospel may be applyed and the comforts of Remission ministred unto us from the Physitian and Surgeon of our Souls Christ Iesus Divisions in Church and State to be prevented TAcitus in the life of Agricola his Father in Law describing the figure form fashion complexion chivalry and resolution of the Britaiâ—s in that time observeth this also that they were then drawn into petty partialities and factions and the greatest help the Romans had adversus validissimas gentes as he calls our Warlike Nation was that they had no Common-Councell they did not consâ—lt together but each City fought against their Neighbours Et ita dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur they are his own words whilest one by one sighteth all are subdued And it is much to be feared that the Romans are again entring our Land they expect an advantagious succâ—sse by our home-bred factions and divisions so that the Pope may well be said never to have had hopes of a greater harvest in England For how can it otherwise be How shall the Church of Christ the body of Christ the houshold of Faith the Kingdome of Heaven upon earth stand if there be so many Sizers and Concisors and cutters and carvers of her Members Sorrow for Sin must be in particulars PHysitians meeting with diseased bodies when they find a generall distemperature they labour by all the art they can to draw the humour to another place and then they break it and bring out all the corruption that way All which is done for the better eâ—se of the Patient Even so must all of us do when we have a general and confused sorrow for our Sins labour as much as may be to draw them into particulars as to say In this and in this at such and such a time on such an occasion and in such a place I have sinned against my God For it is not enough for a Man to be sorrowful in the general because he is a Sinner but he must draw himself out into particulars in what manner and with what Sins he hath displeased God otherwise dolus latet in generalibus he may deceive his own Soul Perseverance in goodnesse enjoyned IT is said of Hannibal that notwithstanding the rough Rocks and craggy clifts of the Alpes he proceeded onward in his design for Italy with this resolution Viam inveniam aut faciam I will either find or make a way that is the terminus ad quem and thither I will go Thus it is that God being Alpha and Omega he will have his servants to run from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning to the end in the constant profession of the Faith They that were marked to be preserved in Ierusalem were distinguished by the character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the last of all the Hebrew letters teaching them that they must run their race even to the last that their Profession must be Sacramentum militare or like to that in the Covenant of Marriage Till death us depart with the Spouse in the Canticles not to leave their hold with Mary Magdalen to stand wait and stay at the Sepulcher and with the Woman of Canaan to cry and continue in crying And why because that as they have heaped Sin upon Sin and drawn the threds thereof so bigg so long till they made them cords of Vanity and after wreathed those cords till they became Cart-ropes of Iniquity so that now being called unto Sanctification there being alwaies in Christianity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Furthermore they should encrease more and more from Faith to Faith from vertue to vertue crying out with S. Paul Nondum apprehendi I have not yet attained c. Sorrow for Sin must be proportionable HE that falleth into the midst of a deep
to play before him promised them a great Reward having plaid a long time they expected their pay but he told them they were paid already since as they had pleased him with Musical sounds so he them with windy hopes of Reward But God deals not so with his servants he feeds them not with vain hopes but sure accomplishment of his gracious promises there being a Reward for the Righteous and he Faithful that hath promised it who saith Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me Rev. 22. 12. God onely to be served WHen the Souldiers had chosen Valentinian to be their Emperour they were consulting how they might joyn a Partner with him To whom Valentinian replyed It was in your power to give me the Empire when I had it not Now I have it it is not in your power to give me a Partner Thus if God be our God Mammon must be our slave He that is the servant of God must be Master of his Money If God be our King he must be our King onely for the Bed and the Throne brook no Rivalls God must be our God alone Aequum est Deos fingere ac Deum negare It is all one to chuse new Gods and to deny the true God No let the Heathens chuse new Gods and forsake the true God but let every good Christian say Thou O Father of Mercy and Lord of Heaven and Earth be my God and my onely God for ever and ever To be at Gods will and disposall is the best condition IT is storied of a young Virgin that at a great Princes hands had the choice of three Vessels One whereof was Gold richly wrought and set with pretious stones and on it was written Who chuseth me shall have what he deserveth The second was of silver superscrib'd thus Who chuseth me shall have what Nature desireth The third was of Lead whose Motto was this Who chuseth me shall have what God hath disposed The former pleased her eye well but not her understanding It offered what she deserved She knew that was just nothing therefore refused it The second considered offered wâ—at Nature desires She thought that could be for no solid good For Nature desires such things as please the carnall lust This she also refused The third had a coorse outside but the sentence pleased her well offering what God had disposed So the Faithfull Soul put her self upon Gods Ordinance and chose thaâ— The Virgin is Maâ—s Soul The Golden Vessel is the Worlds riches contentfull enough to an avaritious eye Too too many chuse this but being opened it was full of dead Mens bones and a Fools bable to set them down for very Ideots which cleave to the present World and at last have all their hopes rewarded with Folly The silver Vessel is the lust of the Flesh those fond and vain delights which Concupisence so much hunts after So saith the Motto It gives what Nature desireth This Vessel opened was full of wild fire and an Ironâ— whip intimating that God will scourge the lustfull with the whip of Judgments as diseases of body infamy of name overâ—hrow of estate and vexation of Conscience The leaden Vessel is as the sense and sentence declares it The blessing of God The chuser of it shall have what God hath disposed for him shall be contented with the providential penny that comes in daily And in a blessed happy condition is that Soul that makes this Election for opened it was found to be full of Gold and pretious stones every one more worth then a World the immortal graces of Gods Spirit The Virgin chose this and she was married to the Kings Son and so shall every Soul that makes the like choice No matter though it seems lead without and glister not with outward Vanities it is rich within the wealth thereof cannot be valued though all the Arithmetical Accomptants should make it their design to cast it up Neglect in the Hearing of Gods Word dangerous HErodotus hath a merry tale of a Piper how he came to the water side and piped to the fishes but they would not dance then he took his net and caught some of them and being thrown upon the land they began to leap and skip up Nay quoth the Pipeâ— I offered you Muâ—â—ck before and you would none now you shall dance without a Pipe Thus it is that most Men commonly regard the songs of Sion the preaching of Gods Word as some men do Musick heard late at midnight in the streets whilst they are in bed perhaps they will step to the window and listen to it a while and presently to bed again step from the couch of their lusts to Church hear the Sermon commend the Preacher for a good Man and then to bed again lulling themselves in their former security but let such know that if God have given them Musick and they will not dance if God have afforded Orthodoxall Preachers and they will not hear as Christ reproved the Iews they shall mourn in sadnesse for their obstinate refusall of proffered mirth and say with heavinesse of spirit There was a Prophet amongst us How Sins may be said to out-live the Sinner IT is said of a Lawyer that resolving not to be forgotten he made his Will so full of intricate quirks and quillets that his Executors if for nothing else for very vexation of Law might have cause to remember him Thus the Incloser of Commons sinneth after he is dead even so long as the poor are deprived of that benefit He that robbbeth the Church of a due and so leaves it to his heir Sins after he is dead even so long as God is made to lose his right The unjust decree of a partial Judg may out-live him even so long as the judged Inheritance remains in a wrongfull possession but eâ— contrà we say of a charitable good Man that he doth good after he is dead his alms maintain many poor Souls on Earth when his Soul is happy in heaven Heaven to be alwaies in our thoughts IT is reported of a Reverend Preacher that sitting amongst other Divines and hearing a sweet consort of Musick as if his Soul had been born up to Heaven took occasion to think and say thus What Musick may we think there is in Heaven Another taking a serious view of the great pomp and state at Court upon a Collar-day spake not without some admiration What shall we think of the glory in the Courts of the King of Heaven And thus must we do as we read the book of Nature be still translating it into the book of Grace as we plod on the great Volume of Gods works be sure to spell on the word of use of instruction of comfort to our selves the spiritualizing of Earthly things is an excellent art And that 's a happy object and well-observed that betters the Soul in grace A
vervells upon her leggs and a dark hood upon her head Et quare capititium quare compedes saith the Father Why is she hood-wink'd why fettered lest she should fly away he would not by any means have her out of call but that she might be alwayes within the lure Thus God deals with his children there cannot be a more evident sign of his love then when he chastiseth them nor a greater evidence of his hatred and rejection then when he gives Men over to do what they list to go on and prosper in all wicked and licentious courses When he lets Men neglect all duties without controlement he makes it manifest that his purpose is to turn them out of service and when he lets them feed at will in the pleasant pastures of Sin it is more then probable that he hath destinated them to the slaughter God not the Author of Sin AS a Man that cutteth with a dull knife is the cause of cutting but not of the ill cutting and hackling of the knife the knife is the cause of that Or if a Man strike upon an Instrument that is out of tune he is the cause of the sound but not of the jarring sound that 's the fault of the untuned strings Or as a Man riding upon a lame horse stirres him the Man is the cause of the motion but the horse himself of the halting motion Thus God is the Author of every action but not of the evill of that action that 's from Man He that makes Instruments and tools of Iron or other metal he maketh not the rust and canker which corrupteth them that 's from another cause nor doth that Heavenly Workman God Almighty bring in sin and iniquity nor can he be justly blamed if his Creatures do soyl and besmear themselves with the foulnesse of sin for he made them good Gen. 1. 10. Iâ—h 34. 11. Psalm 5. 4. The appropriation of Faith is all in all IN Gedeon's Camp every Souldier had his own Pitcher amongst Solomon's men of Valour every Man wore his own sword The five wise Virgins had every one oyl in her lamp Luther was wont to say That there lay a great deal of Divinity couched up in Pronouns as meum tuum suum mine thine his Thus Faith appropriated is all in all a bird shall assoon fly with anothers wings as thy Soul mount to Heaven by anothers Faith Whosoever will go to God whether it be in Prayer or in any Religious performances he must have a Faith of his own it must be fides tua thy Faith It is not enough to say Lord Lord but to say with David my Lord with Iob my Redeemer with the blessed Virgin my Saviour not to say Credimus but Credo not We believe but I believe in God Every Man must profesâ—e and be accomptant for his own Faith When a Man believes his own Reconciliation by the merits of Christ Iesus and strengthens this belief by a desire of pleasing God this is Fides sua the right appropriation of Faith Gods Judgment and Mans not concurrent IT is observable that when the Moon is lightest to the Earth she is darkest to Heaven And when lightest to Heaven the darkest to Earth Thus they that seem best to the World are often the worst to God they that are best to God seem worst to the World and Men most glorious to the World are obscurest to the Divine approbation others obscure to the Worlds acknowledgment are principally respected in Gods favour The Samaritans were condemned by the Iews yet nine Iews are condemned by one Samaritan The Iews thought that if but two Men were saved in the world the one should be a Scribe the other a Pharisee but Christ saith that neither of them both shall come into the Kingdom of Heaven Samuel was mistaken in Eliab Abinadab and Shammah for the Lord had chosen David Isaac preferreth Esau but God sets up Iacob All this to justifie That Gods Iudgment is not as Mans judgment his thoughts not as Mans thoughts neither are his wayes as Mans wayes Esay 55. 8. The uncharitable Christian described DIogenes a witty beggar would usually walk in a place where earthen Statues were erected in honour of some that dyed for their Country To them he would pray to them reach out his hand bow and begg being asked the Reason he answered Nihil aliud quam repulsam meditor I think of nothing but a repulse or denyal We have many such living Statues in these strait-laced times of ours meer Idols that have mouthes and speak not eyes and pity not hands and give not the Poor are sure of nothing but a repulse They are just like St. Peter's fish it had money in the mouth but not a hand to give it like Dives his doggs they can lick a poor Man with their tongues else give him no relief The Papists will rather lose a penny then a Pater-noster these will give ten Pater-nosters before one penny They give the words of Nephthali pleasant words but no meat as if the poor were like Ephraim to be fed with the wind or as if their words were Verbum Domini the Word of God that men might live by it The great danger and disgrace of lying under the guilt of one eminent Sin WHen one commended Alexander for his many noble acts another objected against him that he killed Calisthenes He was valiant and successefull in the Wars true but he killed Calisthenes He overcame the great Darius so but he killed Calisthenes His meaning was that this one unjust act poysoned all his better deeds And there was Naaman the Syrian a Man plentifully commended 2 Kings 5. 1. When he was cured and converted by Elisha First hee 's charitable offers gold and garments but he excepts bowing in the house of Rimmon he is devout and begs earth for sacrifice but excepts Rimmon he is Religious and promiseth to offer to none but the Lord yet excepts Rimmon This Rimmon like the Fly in the Alablaster-box spoyled all the good intentions Thus one spot in the Face spoyls all the beauty one Vice in the Soul disgraceth a great deal of Virtue O such a Man is an honest Man a good Man but Let every Man take heed this is that but which the Devill ayms at 'T is true we must hate all sin and every sin sowrs but to the repentant Christian it shall not be damnable Rom. 8. 2. there is in all corruption to most affliction to none damnation that are in Christ One Sin may disgrace us and sowr us but to our comfort upon true Repentance we are madâ— sweet again by the all-perfuming bloud of our Saviour The sinfulnesse of Sin THere was a great Prince intending travel into a far Country left his daughter to the tuition of a Servant Him he made chief and set under him a Controâ—â—er and five serviceable Guardians The
that one slender word all the greatness of the rest is included the King being the Fountain of Honour from whence all their glory is derived Thus it is that if all the created goodnesse all the Priviledges of Gods children all the Kingdomes of the Earth and the glory of them were to be presented at one view they would all appear as nothing and emptiness in comparison of the excellency and fullness that is to be found in Christ Iesus The Ministers joy in the conversion of Souls IF it cannot but delight the Husbandman when he seeth his plants grow his fruits ripen his Trees flourish If it must needs rejoice the Shepheard to behold his sheep sound fat and fertile If it glad the heart of a Schoolmaster or Tutor to observe his Schollers thrive in Learning and encrease in knowledg It must needs be matter of abundant joy to any Minister of the Gospell when People are brought to Fellowship with God in Christ Iesus when they are as it were snatched out of the slavery of sin the jaws of Death and Hell and brought into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God then it is that he may be said to reap the fruits of his labours in the great comfort of his own Soul Gods pardoning other Repentan◠Sinners a great motive to perswade us that he will pardon us also IF one should come to a Physitian of whom he hath had a large report of his skill and should meet with hundreths by the way such as were at that time his Patients and all of them should tell him how he hath cured and healed them of their severall infirmities this must needs encourage him to go on with confidence of his skill that he will recover him also So should every Repentant Sinner run to Christ the great Physitian of his Soul because so many thousands have been healed so many great Sinners have been forgiven such as Manasses Mary Magdalen S. Paul c. This may be a great motive to perswade us all that upon Repentance he is and will be ready to forgive us also according to that of the Apostle He hath shewed Mercy unto me that others might believe in God Men to be carefull in the triall of their Faith Whether it be sound or not IF one be told that his Corn is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his Money is counterfeit that the deeds and Evidences upon which his Lands and whole estate depend are false it must needs affect him much and make him look about him to see if these things be so or no. And shall not Men look then to the Faith they have upon which depends the eternall Welfare of their immortall Souls seeing God accepteth none except it be sound effectuall lively and accompanied with good works such a Faith as worketh by love purifieth the heart and shews it self in fruits worthy amendment of life 1 Thes. 1. 3. Men not to be ashamed of their Godly Profession though the Wicked speak evill of them SUppose a Geometrician should be drawing of lines and Figures and there should come in some silly ignorant fellow who seeing him should laugh at him Would the Artist think you leave off his employment because of his derision Surely no For he knows that he laughs at him out of his ignorance as not knowing his Art and the grounds thereof Thus let no Man be ashamed of his godly Profession because Wicked Men speak evill of it And why do they so but because they understand it not it is strange to them they see the actions of Godly Men but the rules and principles that they go by they know not and hence is it that they throw dirt in the face of Religious profession but a Wife man will soon wipe it off again God ordering all things for the good of his Church PUt the case all were turned upside down as it was in the confused Chaos wherein Heaven and Earth were mingled together and the waters overcoming all the rest yet as when the Spirit of the Lord did but move upon the Waters many beautifull Creatures wee produced and the Sea divided from the rest so that those waters which then seemed to spoil all serve now to water all without which 〈◊〉 cannot possibly subsist Even so were the Church in never so confused 〈◊〉 yet God will in his great Wisedome so order the things that seem to undo us that they shall make much for us and bring forth something of speciall use for the Churches good something to water and make fruitfull the house and People of God Sin the godly Mans hatred thereof IT is said of the Dove that she is afraid of every Feather that hath grown upon on Hauk and brings as much terrour upon her as if the Hauk were present such a native dread is as it seems implanted in her that it detests and abhors the very sight of any such feather So the Godly man that hath conceived a detestation against Sin cannot endure any thing that belongs to it or that comes from it No not the least motion or inclination though it bring along with it never so fair pretences never so specious shews shall have the least welcome or entertainment Vanity of the Creature without God TAke a beam of the Sun the way to preserve it is not to keep it by it self the being of it depends upon the Sun take the Sun away and it perisheth for ever but yet though it should come to be obscured and so cut off for a while yet because the Sun remains still therefore when the Sun shines forth again it will be renewed again Such a thing is the Creature compared with God If you would preserve the Creature in it self it is impossible for it to stand like a broken glasse without a bottom it must fall and break It is well known that the being of an accident is more in the subject then in it self insomuch that to take away the subject the very separation is a destruction to it So it is with the Creature which hath no bottom of it self so as the sepaeration of it from God is the destruction of it as on the contrary the keeping of it close unto God though in a case that seems to be the ruine of it is its happinesse and perfection How it is that God is to every one of his Children alone IT is observed That a Mathematicall point hath no parts it is one indivisible For let a thousand lines come to one point every one hath the whole and ye◠there is but one that answers all because it is indivisible and every one hath all So it is with God though there be many thousands that he loves dearly yet every one of them hath the Lord wholly For that which is infinite hath no parts and therefore he bestowes himself
conducing to life eternal The proposall of Rewards and punishments very usefull to the bringing into Christ. A Spouse that is considering with her self Whether she should marry such a Husband or not beginneth to consider What she should be without him and what she shall have with him she considers him perhaps as one that will pay her debts and make her Honourable c and yet it may be she considers not the Man all this while however these considerations are good preparatives to draw her on to give entertainment to him but after some converse and acquaintance with the person she comes to like the Man himself so well that she is content to have him though she have nothing with him and so she gives her full and free consent to him and the match is made up betwixt them out of true and sincere free love and liking Thus it is that the proposals of Rewards and punishment are as it were a beginning a Prodromus a good introduction to the full sight and fruiâ—ion of God When it is that Men begin at first to consider their own misery most and that if they should apply themselves to other things as remedies they would be still to seek For there is a Vanity in all things And if to themselves that they cannot help themselves in time of Trouble therefore they judge that they must go to Almighty God who is able to do more than all and to rid them out of misery And they consider that going to him they shall have Heaven besides yet all this while they consider not the Lords power however this consideration makes way that God and they may meet and speak together it brings their hearts to give way that the Lord may come to them it causeth them to attend to him to look upon him to converse with him to admit him as a Suitor and to be acquainted with him And whilest they are thus conversing with him God reveals himself And then being come to the knowledg of him in himself they love him for himself are willing to seek his presence to seek him for a Husband though all other things were removed from him And now the Match is made up and not till now and then they so look upon him that if all other advantages were taken away they would yet still love him and not leave him for all the Worlds enjoyments No Man a loser by giving up himself unto God IT is said of Vapours that arising out of the Earth the Heavens return them again in pure water much clearer and more refined then they received them Or as it is said of the Earth that receiving the Sea water and puddle-water it gives it better then it received it in the Springs and Fountains For it strains the water and purifies it that whereas when it came into the bowels of the Earth it was muddy salt and brinish it returns pure clear and fresh as out of the Well-head waters are well known to come Thus if Men would but give up their hearts desire and the strength of their affections unto God he would not onely give them back again but withall much better then when he received them their affections should be more pure their thoughts and all the faculties of Soul and Body should be renewed cleansed beautified and put into a far better condition then formerly they were Ignorance and Wilfulnesse ill-met IT is a Maritime observation that if a thick Fogg darken the ayr there is then the great God of Heaven and Earth having in his providence so ordered it no storm no Tempestuous weather And if it be so that a storm arise then the sky is somewhat clear and lightsome For were it otherwise no Ship at Sea nor Boat in any Navigable River could ride or sayl in safety but would clash and fall foul one upon another Such is the sad condition of every Soul amongst us wherein Ignorance and Wilfulnesse have set up their rest together And why because that if a Man were Ignorant onely and not Wilfull then the breath of wholesome Precepts and good Counsell might in time expell those thick mists of darknesse that cloud his understanding And were he Wilfull and not Ignorant then it were to be hoped that God in his good time would rectifie his mind and bring him to the knowledg of himself but when the storm and the fogg meet when Wilfulnesse and Ignorance as at this day amongst the Iews and too too many Christians do close together nothing without the greater Mercies of God can befall that poor Shipwrack't Soul but ruine and destruction Unsteadfastnesse giddinesse c. in the profession of Religion reproved IT is said of an intoxicated Man who the liquor being busie in his brain fancied himself at Sea in a great storm in present danger of Shipwrack and thought there was a necessity of lightning the Ship and throwing some of the lading over-board and so threw the goods of his house out at the Windows Thus it is that this Age hath been taken with an unhappy Vertigo which hath made some Men not keep the ground they first stood upon and wanton delight hath possessed many Men to be medling trying of experiments and ringing changes Nay so distempered have divers been that like the drunken Man they have fancied a great necessity of abolishing and throwing away what they would have done better to have kept Men in the midst of their Worldly contrivances prevented by Death AS it is with a Man being come to some great Fair or Market with a con siderable summe of money about him who whilest he is walking in the throng considering with himself how he should lay out his money to the best advantage some sly fellow either cuts his purse or at unawares dives into his pocket and there 's an end of all his marketting So it is with the most of Men that whilest they are in the midst of all their secular employments and as it were crowded in the throng of Worldly contrivances how to secure such a Ship advantage trade compasse such and such a bargain purchase such and such Lands c. things in themselves with necessary cautions not unlawful in steps Death cuts the thread of their life spoyls all their Trade and layes their glory in the dust Riches their uselesnesse in point of Calamity NUgas the Scythian King despising the rich Presents and Ornaments that were sent unto him by the Emperour of Constantinople asked him that brought them Whether those things could drive away sorrow diseases or Death looking upon them as not worthy presenting that could not keep off vexation from him And such are all the Riches and glories of this world they cannot secure from the least calamity not make up the want of the least Mercy It is not the Crown of gold that can cure the head-ache not the gilded Scepter that can stay the
that while upon the Tree Whereupon they both agreed to unite their strength and joyn their forces together the whole-blind Man took the well-sighted-lame Man upon his shoulder and so they reached the Apples and conveyed their Masters fruit away but being impeached for their fault and examined by their Master each one framed his own excuse The blind Man said he could not so much as see the Tree whereon they grew and therefore it was plain he could have none of them And the lame Man said He could not be suspected because he had no limbs to climb or to stand to reach them but the wise Master perceiving the subtle craft of the two false servants put them as they were one upon the others shoulders and so punished them both together Thus it is that Sin is neither of the body without the Soul nor of the Soul without the Body but it is a common act both of Body and soul they are like Simeon and Levi brothers and partners in every mischief like Hippocrates twins they have idem velle et idem nolle they do commonly will and nill the same thing and therefore God in his just Judgment will punish both body and Soul together if they be not repaired and redeemed by Christ. How Christ by his death overcame death IT is said of the Leopard that he useth a kind of policy in killing such Apes as do molest him First he lyeth down as dead and suffereth the Apes to mock him trample upon him and insult over him as much as they will but when he perceiveth them to be weary with leaping and skipping upon him he revives himself on a suddain and with his claws and teeth tears them all in pieces Even so our Saviour Christ suffered the Devill and death and all the wicked Iews like so many Apes to mock him to tread upon him and trample him under foot to crucifie him to bury him to seal up his grave and set a guard of Souldiers to watch him that he should not rise any more and did indeed what they list with him but when he saw they had done their worst and that they could do no more Then he awaked as a Giant out of sleep and smoâ—e all his Enemies on the cheek-bone spoyl'd Principalities and powers led Captivity captive and brought them unto shame and confusion of face for ever Confession of Sins irk some to the Devill THere is a story how that on a time a Sinner being at Confession the Devill intruded himself and appeared unto him And being demanded by the Priest Wherefore he came in made answer That he came to make Restitution being asked What he would restore He said Shame For it is shame that I have stollen from this Sinner to make him shamelesse in sining and now I am come to restore it to him to make him ashamed to confesse his sins And thus it is that he deals with the most of Men he makes them shamelesse to commit sin even with Absolon in the sight of all Israel and in the sight of the Sun but he makes them ashamed to confesse any sin he perswades them to commit sin and he also perswades them to conceal sin he cannot endure by any means that they should confesse their sins And why but because God is merciful and just to forgive them To depend upon Gods All-sufficiency in time of trouble ABraham considering that God ws El Shaddai a God of All-sufficiency did assure himself that although Sarah's womb was dead yet God was not dead but was as able to raise him a living son out of her dead womb as he is to raise out dead bodies out of the senselesse Earth So Moses when he had six hundred thousand People and upward to provide for in a sandy desart which yielded them neither bread nor water considering the power of God did believe that he could bring drink out of the Rock as out of a River and meat out of the clouds as out of a Cubbard So Ionathan when he went against the Philistins that were thousands had this resolution for his encouragement That God could deliver with few as well as with many And so Asa went as far as he when he had a huge Army of Ethiopians consisting of thousand thousands besides three hundred Chariots the greatest Army that ever was read of come against him he cryed unto the Lord his God and said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power c. And so it is that every Man should depend upon his God who can help with few Friends or no Friends with small means or no means as well as if he had all the means or all the Friends in the World And therefore let no Man be dismay'd in the time of Affliction nor faint in the hour of temptation but if his troubles be great let him remember that God is greater If his Enemies be mighty let him know that God is mightier then they his hand is of Iron and his feet of burning brasse not onely to tread upon but trample under foot the Enemies of his Church and People Simplicity of Men to be more affected with the losse of things temporal then spiritual IT is said of Honorium a Roman Emperour that when one told him Rome was lost he was exceedingly grieved and cryed out Alas Alas for he supposed it was his Hen so called which he exceedingly loved but when it was told him it was his Imperial City of Rome that was besieged by Alaricus and was taken and all the Citizens rifled and made a prey to the rude enraged Souldier then his Spirits were revived that his losâ—e was not so great as he imagined Now can it be otherwise thought but that this disposition of Honorius was most simple and childish yet the most of Men are under the same condemnation as being too too much affected with the losse of a poor silly Hen with the deprivation of things temporall nothing at all minding the want of those which are spiritual If they lose a little wealth the least punctilio of Honour a little pleasure a little vanity things of themselves good for nothing because of themselves they can make nothing good and then as the Proverb goeth That is too dear of a farthing that is good for nothing yet for these things they will vex and fret weep and wail and their mourning shall be like that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo but when they lose their pretious Souls in the desarts of Sin and God for Sin when they are rifled and strip'd naked of Grace not having the least rag of Christ's Righteousnesse to cover them then with the Israelites they sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play so foolish are they and ignorant even as the beast which perisheth Psalm 49. 20. The sufferings of Christ as so