nil cupiat Quis pauper avarus Bias 48. Avaro quid mali optes insi ut diu vivat pub 54. Inopiae parva desunt avaritiae omnia Idem 70. Avarus ipse miseriae causa est suae 53. is poore the covetous man The covetous man himselfe is cause of his owne miserie small things are wanting to poverty all things to covetousnesse accusing God of injustice and want of providence which is against nature christianity and salvation making man injurious to God his neighbour himselfe and substance but onely from his unsatiable desire which like the leane kine ever hungred like the vast ocean receiving all waters yet never full like the earth the horse-leach barren wombe and hell never satisfied surely from want of contentment 4. In a word is not want of contentation it which occasioneth our apish fantastique fashion followers so often to metamorphise themselves sometimes being men sometimes onely like men It is therefore seasonable at all times befitting all estates and profitable for all persons to learne in all estates therewith to be content Saint Paul had well learned this lesson Acts 20. 23. Phil. 4. 11. and perswadeth all Gods people to learne the same Heb. 13. 5. 1. Tim. 6. 6. 8. And if we well consider we shall finde convenient and fitting for us to be content with our fathers allowance Contentation is when the mind of man is pleased with such things as God hath thought fit and meete for a man so that he is ready to undergoe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more hard and meane estate if God will ever judging his present condition best for him Reason 1 For without contentation of mind if a man hath never so much he hath gained nothing A man can find no gaine no not in godlinesse if it were possible to have godlinesse without contentment without contentment 1. Tim. 6. 6. The Saints those holy ones of God which are to us as glorious lights to conduct us in the holy way whom we ought to follow as they followed Christ were content with and thankfull for food and rayment O happie ones who preferred your soules before your bodies heaven before earth and were so content with necessaries yea ofttimes to wander in sheepskins and goateskins being destitute and afflicted We commend and admire Abraham leaving his country Moses forsaking an earthly paradise Iob Paul and such and shall wee not imitate them as in other graces so in this It is meete for us to be content with any estate Because whatsoever our estate is it is better then we deserve Have we food and rayment we deserve not so much Have wee not food to eat and cloathes to put on we deserve more woe misery and calamity 2. Be our estate what it will it is as good as we brought into this world for how came we hither Naked weeping poore and shiftlesse Why did God make man the principall creature of the world to be so borne whereas other creatures can make some shift for themselves but onely to teach us contentednesse All we have we found in the world Have we food wee brought none Have we cloathing we came naked Have we any comfort we came weeping Have we any waies to helpe our selves we came shiftlesse be we therefore content 3. And wee have more then we can carry away Iob 1. 21. naked shall I returne M Knols Turk Hist 1. Tim. 6. 7. we shall carry nothing away Saladine Conquerour of the East of all the greatnesse and riches he had in his life carried not with him after his death any thing more then his shirt said a Priest at his appointment it being all the funerall pompe he would have being dead 1. This contentation doth no whit impeach honest labour and industry in a sanctified calling The same God who commands contentmēt enjoyning us to labour in some lawfull calling sc such as is founded upon Gods Word profitable to mankind for soule or body this life or that to come 2. Thess 3. 10. Adam must get his bread c. Gen. 3. 19. 2. This doth not forbid us to pray unto God for temporall things for although we must be content if we have not bread yet may we lawfully pray for terrestriall supplements 1. We being commanded to pray for daily bread 2. We having a gracious promise to incourage us Mat. 7. 11. 3. And Saints examples warranting us Gen. 28. 20. Prov. 30. 7. 4. God being hereby glorified we acknowledging the receipt of temporall things yea every pittance and morsell of bread to come from him 5. And these being so necessarie that without them we cannot live sc 1. This prayer being in faith assuring us we are Gods children and that we have right to them in Christ 2 Not with an immoderate care but to sustaine present necessities 3. Not simply but conditionally praying for them so farre forth as they tend to Gods glory the good of his Church and our owne salvatin 4. Not to that end we might be rich but to enjoy necessaries not that which corrupted nature thinkes necessarie for had it millions of gold it would thinke more necessarie but necessaries truely in regard of nature and a mans particular calling 3. This condemneth not godly providence for time to come A wise provident foreseeing consideration being allowed by the practise of Ioseph Gen. 41. 48 and the Apostles Acts 11. 29. By Gods precept Prov. 6. 6. And by the end of Gods guifts Deut. 8. 18. God gives providence for its proper and peculiar end We are forbidden to care for to morrow sc with carking care distrusting Gods providence And wee are allowed to lay up sc if without covetousnesse made onely in reverence to Gods gifts to lawfull ends not trusting in any store not robbing our selves or others 4. This doth nothing priviledge our idle wandering beggars although they say they are content and that they sleepe as contentedly as we in our beds This kind of living 1. Being a disorder in a common-wealth that being hereby robbed of the labours of many able bodies 2. A shame to Magistracy not redressing it 3. A disgrace to rich men proclaiming them irreligious and unmercifull St. Iames telling us that pure Religion is to visit c. Not to be visited c. Iames 1. 25. 4. And forbidden by God But this condemneth such who are discontent with Gods allowance and commands us all walking honestly in our lawfull callings tobe content with whatsoever God in his wisdome shall give unto us Which that we may be let us consider Mot. 1 That all we have comes from God Iob 1. 21. He gives he takes What we have are meere gratuities onely at the will of our Father He gives food to all flesh Psal 136. 25. He gives meate in due season Psal 145. 16. Have we much It is Gods gift Little or nothing It is his goind and shall we be discontent with God Shall our children be content with what we give them and not we
7. 38. 4. Shall wicked men who are obsequious to base Lords 4. Wicked men strive to make others bad serve with all dutifull observance first the world whose service is vaine Eccl. 2. 10. Hard bringing carking cares Eccl. 1. 14. Dangerous unfitting for the service of God 1 Ioh. 2. 16 Deceitfull offering with Iabin milke with the one hand a naile with the other exchanging for advantage copper for gold Secondly sinne whose service is base it being baser then the most fastidious creatures and exceeding tyrannicall recompencing its best and most dutifull observants with everlasting death Rom. 6. 23. Thirdly Sathan a grand enemie to mankind powerfull onely to punish promising liberty yet in hellish bondage joying at their destruction Shall these strive with tooth and naile and imploy their utmost endevors to hale and drag and use all fraudulent guiles and fawning glozes to win others to their pernicious and damnable society although hereby they aggravte their owne damnation And shall not we who serve the Lord of life whose service is as unlike to theirs as light to darknesse heaven to hell glory to shame Whose service is first most honourable in regard of our Lord who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords of whose kingdome there is no end In regard of our fellow-servants who are not the risse rabble of wicked men but those renowned Patriarchs as Abraham heroicall Kings as David magnanimous Prophets as Eliah blessed Apostles as Paul and all the company of glorious Angels and happy Saints in heaven triumphant and on earth militant Secondly most pleasant and delectable in regard of our Lord and Master who is no churlish Nabal oppressing Pharaoh or hard-dealing Laban But such whose words are full of delectation he calling us not onely servants but sonnes Exod. 4. 22 23. and friends and his deeds correspondent In regard of our taske his commandements being pleasant and not grievous And most gainefull bringing advantage by life and death sicknesse and health here and hereafter Shall not we I say imploy our utmost indeavours to conglutinate others into tâ—â—s so sweet society Seeing that by this means we do not diminish our own store as by parting with wordly substance nor keep our own without impaiâ—ing or augmenting it But hereby we increase graces here and glory hereafter 5. There is no meanes possible whereby we can benefit one another so much as by correcting our brethren as by Imparting grace to others the best benefit to them inlightening them with our knowledge imparting Gods graces to them and working grace in them For could we by our endeavours raise them to the highest pitch of honour mount them aloft into Hamans place of fauour and command So that their smiling countenances might make glad soâ—e their angry frownes strike dread into the hearts of others Could we ascertaine them of the full fruition of all the golden mountaines and fruitfull Ilands under the whole heavens Could we procure for the satisfying of their appetites the greatest satiety of all mellifluous Nectars and delicious aliments that earth ayre and water can affoord of all exquisite and resplendent garments curiously wrought and embroidered by the art of man finely perfum'd with the most odoriferous Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia and garnished with varietie of gemmes and belliments so that they are clothed in purple and fine linnen and fare deliciously every day Yet all these without grace are but so many silken manicles and golden fetters of a miserable wretch haled to wofull execution On the contrary Let a man be furnished with the last measure of those heavenly endowments of saving grace although he be the drunkards song a by-word to fooleâ— the anvile of all dunghill scorne and disdaine a monster amidst men Psal 71. 3. Zach. 3. 8. such an object of commiseration that may melt an Adamantine heart into pitifull compassion of his extreamest miseries Yet in this man the beloved of the Lord his rich inheritance peculiar portion rich jewell apple of his eye an heire of heaven a judge of the world Christs beautifull spouse never wanting a sweet comforter a never-failing friend who will not leave him untill it hath set an eternall crowne of glory upon his head Psal 84. 10. Poise these in an even ballance and we shall see grace as farre surmounting all these golden vanities as heaven doth earth the peerelesse Sunne a pinking candle and a golden mountaine a heape of dust 1. Grace is peculiar to the soule It s not the backe or belley but mans immortall soule which is the place wherein grace is resident 2. Grace is proper to the Saints Those who walke in the cursed wayes of damnation are strangers to Gods graces But those other thingâ— are common both to good and bad Absolon of an amiable beauty aswell as Ioseph Goliah matchlesse in power and prowesse aswell as Sampson Haman a Kings greatest favourite as well as Mordecaâ— Dives abounding in wealth aswell as Abraham 3. Grace of as long continuance as heaven it selfe and those crownes of immortality In regard of it selfe as love joy peace which shall extend even to eternity never ending Or in regard of its fruits the fruits of faith hope patience prayer c. being endlesse Those other are of so limber and brittle nature that there can be no assurance of their continuance Riches often mount aloft on Eagles wings leaving their owners in extreame scarcenesse Beauty is oft blasted by cares sorrowes discontents sicknesse and made disdainefull Strength many times is enfeebled by inlenesse gluttony drunkenesse adultery diseases c. Honourable advancement is often turned into scornefull contempt and hatefull obloquie Howsoever at the bed of death they must shake hands for ever 4. Grace is a most sweet refreshing comforter in all extremities This did revive David in his distresse This made Iob blesse God for taking away This made the Apostles rejoyce in afflictions And the Martyrs to contemne the utmost rage of hellish persecutors Those other have no more power to comfort in the needfull time of dread then congeal'd ice to give warmth to a starveling body tart vinegar to supple a smarting wound or smoothering smoke to comfort a tender eye Witnesse Achitophel who for all his great esteeme hangs himselfe Ahab who being but denied Naboths vineyard is sicke with griefe 6. Lastly considering that gaine is of such efficacy that it makes the martiall man to abandon all fearefull cowardise forsake the delight of his eyes and his tender children disregard his owne life and with heroicall prowesse encounter his formidable bloud-thirsty enemy What drives the ventrous mariner through so many perillous hazards and dangerous pericliations save onely hope of gaine Yea what doth edge the keene appetites of cursed and cruell inclosers oppressing landlords hellish usurers to grinde the faces of the poore purchase Gods displeasure and damne their soules save onely gaine This therefore being so prevalent let me use it as a spurre to pricke you forward to this so sacred
like manner Had I more then all other imaginable excellent qualities and dignities Did I excell in wisdome and understanding not onely those renowned Heathen Philosophers but even their fained Apollo and our Divine Salomon Had I the tongue of Angels and a body as beautifull as the Sunne Had I a Soveraigne command over men and all other inferiour creatures Could I enjoy the sweetest contentments of the most mellodious musicke richest robes costly cates Had I the full fruition of all the richest treasures in the whole world yet without Christ Iesus without redemption I had nothing Am I therefore partaker of that comfortable worke of redemption where justice and mercy met together whereby I am saved from the curse of the law the power of darknesse the divell the wrath to come the guilt guerdon due desert and punishment of sinne Was I redeemed not with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a lambe without blemish and without spot Was I redeemed that I might serve him in holinesse c. Luke 1. 74. 75. that I should honour him Then surely I will not be so unmindfull of such a mercy nor unthankfull to such a benefactour but will honour him who hath thus honoured mee Gods honour ought to be the end of all our actions 1. Pet. 4. The end of all 4. 11. If any man speake if any man minister that God in all things may bee glorified 1. Cor. 10. 31. whether you eate or drinke or whatsoever you doe c. doe all to the glorie of God Doe we desire our owne advancement and benefit The 5. A meanes to be honoured way is not turke and popishlike like cruell Abimelech to build our deemed safeties upon the ruines and bloud of others or like faire tongu'd Absaloms by insinuating flatteries or like couzening Zebaâ—s by lies and falsehoods or by any such like Machivelian policies For could we such hopes such happinesses would proove like spiders webs But the onely meanes is by honouring the Lord 1. Sam. 2. 30. those that honour me will I honour saith the Lord. If none of these will prevaile yet let feare of punishment due to such which dishonour and deny honour to the Lord 6. Want dangerous perswade Why was Pharoah scourged with a tenfold plague was it not for dishonouring God Why was Herod eaten with wormes save because he gave not God his glory Acts 11. 23. Yea why was an entrance denyed to Moses and Aaron into the land of promise was it not because they sanctified him not in the midst of the children of Israel Deut. 32. 51. Wherefore did the Lord smite Davids childe with death save for dishonouring him 2. Sam. 12. 14. Were your strength as sinewes of iron your wisedome and policy as exact as is possibly attaineable by mortall men your friends and fauorites many and mighty Had you the swaying of earthly scepters yet neither these nor any such like can possibly secure you from the irefull revenging hand of God if you either dishonour or deny him honour Witnesse these forenamed who were kings or as kings Witnesse that saying of the Prophet to Ely 1. Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour mee those that despise me will I despise or shall be lightly esteemed i. e. accounted vile in Gods sight Doe not thinke to avoid the judgement if you will not be perswaded To deny the truth of Scripture is blasphemy To thinke he will not doe what he hath said he being faithfull and so to make him a lyar or that he cannot punish although hee hath threatned hee being omnipotent is much more blasphemous CHAP. VI. Duty 5. Saints must doe Gods will IF God is our Father we ought to doe his will The doing Duty 5. whereof allieth men to Christ Iesus Mat. 12. 50. Makes men like Christ Ioh 6. 38. Is a meanes for man to prosper Ioh. 9. 31. Is the direct rode and pathway to heaven and happinesse 1. Ioh. 2. 17. Many men alas looke for heaven who never shall enjoy it Ignorant men because they meane no harme although the Lord will come in flaming fire against such 2. Thess 1. 8. Civill honest men because they doe no hurt and render to all their dues although they want holinesse without which none can see God Heb. 12. 14. Pharisees because in diverse things they excell other men although they want the pith and marrow of Christianity These such like hope for heaven But they being asleepe in sinne dreame of fulnesse but will arise empty of plenty awake poore of heaven finde nothing lesse Heaven is promised but not to all 1. Ioh. 2. 25. It is reserved but not for all 1. Pet. 1. 4. There is a broad way leading to death traced by the most There is a straight and narrow way leading to heaven not knowne of all and found onely by few Mat. 7. 13. 14. even of those who doe the will of God Mat. 7. 21. would we know who shall goe to heaven Aske not the ignorant man his cloudy and darke understanding cannot tell he onely hopes well that 's the vtmost of his skill Aske not the carnall man he is not able to discerne such things 1. Cor. 1. 14. no more then the blinde can judge of colours Aske not the civill man he walkes in a way which seemes good to himselfe but it is not right enough to bring him to heaven Aske not the Pharisee his golden shewes are too too weake our righteousnesse must exceed his But aske of Christ who is the Truth and cannot deceive us the Light void of ignorance and the Way it selfe leading to heaven by his example by his merits and by his doctrine and he will tell us we must doe the will of his father which is in heaven Mat. 7. 21. Thinke not O thou painted sepulchre with thy lording tongue and divelish heart Thinke not O thou carnall christian with thy Lord Lord living in iniquity to have the prerogatives of Gods sonnes but shew thy faith by thy workes thy profession by thy practise Ioyne with Lord Lord doing of Gods will so shalt thou declare thy selfe to be the childe of God so shalt thou obtaine the proper priviledge of Gods children the kingdome of heaven 1. Let the worldling doe the will of his god Mammon therefore as moles blinded in the earth or as the horse without understanding who knowes no greater felicity then plenty of hay and provender onely tune this note who will shew us any good whereas all his wished contentments bring him no true content being never able to satiate his soule witnesse Ahab 1. King 21. 5. he had a kingdome yet still hee needs something a garden of hearbes witnesse the rich man Luke 12. 17. who had so much that he could not tell what to doe yet still hee is in a pecke of troubles for having plenty hee wants roome he knowes not what to do yet for these unprofitable things which cannot add