hast set up And therefore our Blessed Lord redoubles the injunction of our fear toward him that can destroy both body and soul in hell but forbids any fear of such persecutors who can only destroy the body and then can do no more And certainly that man that hath full assurance of favour and esteem with the great God of heaven and earth of an incorruptible weight and crown of glory the next moment after death must needs have a low esteem of the reproaches and scorns and persecutions of men for righteoufness sake and so much the rather because that very favour with God and that very crown of happiness that he expects is enhanced by those very scorns and those very afflictions For Our light afflictions which are here for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 3. Concerning the third kind of world namely the Providential world consisting in external dispensations of adversity or prosperity And first concerning the dark part of this world namely Adversity as casualties losses of wealth or friends sicknesses the common effects whereof are impatience distrust murmuring and unquietness Faith conquers this part of the world and prevents those evil consequences which either temptations from without or corruptions from within are apt to raise 1. Faith presents the soul with this assurance that all external occurrences come from the wise dispensation or permission of the most glorious God they come not by chance 2. That the glorious God may even upon the account of his own Sovereignty and pro imperio inflict what he pleaseth upon any of his creatures in this life 3. That yet whatsoever he doth in this kind is not only an effect of his power and sovereignty but of his wisdom yea and of his goodness and bounty No affliction can befall any man but it may be useful for his instruction or prevention 4. That the best of men deserve far worse at the hands of God than the worst afflictions that ever did or ever can befall any man in this life 5. That there have been examples of greater affliction that have befallen better men in this life witness Job and that excellent pattern of all patience and goodness even as a man our Lord Christ Jesus 6. That these afflictions are sent for the good even of good men and it is their fault and weakness if they have not that effect 7. That in the midst of the severest afflictions the favour of God to the soul discovering it self like the Sun shining through a cloud gives light and comfort to the Soul 8. That Almighty God is ready to support them that believe in him and to bear them up under all their afflictions that they shall not sink under them 9. That whatsoever or how great soever the afflictions of this life are if the name be blasted with reproaches the estate wasted and consumed by fire from heaven if friends are lost if hopes and expectations disappointed if the body be macerated with pains and diseases yet Faith presents to the believer something that can bear up the Soul under these and many more pressures namely that after a few years or days are spent an eternal state of unchangeable and perfect happiness shall succed that death the worst of temporal evils will cure all those maladies and deliver up the soul into a state of endless comfort and blessedness and therefore he bears all this with patience and quietness and contentedness and cheerfulness and disappoints the world in that expectation wherein its strength in relation to this condition lyes namely it conquers all impatience murmuring unquietness of mind 2. As to the second part of this Providential world namely Prosperity which in truth is the more dangerous condition of the two without the intervention of the divine grace the foils that the world puts upon men by this condition are commonly pride insolence carnal security contempt or neglect of duty and religion luxury and the like The method whereby Faith overcometh this part of the world and those evil consequences that arise upon it are these 1. Faith gives a man a true and equal estimate of this condition and keeps a man from overvaluing it or himself for it lets him know it is very uncertain very casual very dangerous and cannot out-last this life death will come and sweep down all these cobwebs 2. Faith assures him that Almighty God observes his whole deportment in it that he hath given him a law of humility sobriety temperance fidelity and a caution not to trust in uncertain riches that he must give an account of his stewardship also to the great Master of the Family of Heaven and Earth that he will duly examine all his Items whether done according to his Lord's commission and command and it lets him know that the more he hath the greater ought his care to be because his account will be the greater 3. Faith lets him know that the abundance of wealth honour power friends applause successes as they last no longer than this short transitory life and therefore cannot make up his happiness no nor give a man an ease or rescue from a fit of the Stone or Colick so there is an everlasting state of happiness or misery that must attend every man after death And on the one hand all the glory and splendor and happiness that this inferior world can afford is nothing in comparison of that glory that shall be revealed to and enjoyed by them that believe and obey 1. Nothing in respect of its duration if a man should live a thousand years yet that must have an end and the very pre-apprehension of an end is enough to dash and blast and wither any happiness even while it is enjoyed but that happiness that succeeds after death is an everlasting happiness 2. Nothing in respect of its degree there is no sincere complete perfect happiness in this world it is mingled with evils with fears with vicissitudes of sorrow and trouble but the happiness of the next life is perfect sincere and unmixed with any thing that may allay it And upon these accounts faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen and therefore by a kind of anticipation gives a presence to the Soul of those future joys renders the best happiness this world below can yield but languid and poor like the light of a Candle in the presence of the Sun On the other side the misery that after death attends the mispent present life over-ballanceth all the good that this life can yield both in its degree and duration and therefore with the pre-apprehension of it it sowres and allays all the good that is in the greatest happiness of this life 4. Faith doth assute every believing Soul that as sure as he now liveth and enjoyeth that worldly felicity it hath so surely if he in belief and obedience to the will of God revealed in and through Christ
mankind are 1. The unruliness and want of government of the sensual appetite on Lusts hence grows intemperance and excess in eating and drinking unlawful and exorbitant lusts and these exhaust the Estate waste and consume the Health embase and impoverish the Mind destroy the Reputation and render men unfit for Industry and Business 2. The exorbitancy and unruliness and irregularity of the Passions as excessive love of things that are either not lovely or not deserving so much love excess of anger which oftentimes degenerate into malice and revenge excess of joy in light trivial inconsiderable matters excess of fear where either no cause of fear or not cause of so much fear is And these exorbitances of Passions betray the succours of Reason break out into very foolish vain imprudent actions and fill the World with much of that folly and disorder that is every where observable 3. These diseases and distempers of the Mind as pride vain-glory ambition of honour and place and power insolency arrogancy envy covetousness and the like these I say are so many Sicknesses and Cankers and rotten Ulcers in the Mind and as they like the Furies that were let loose out of Pandora's Box do raise most of those storms and tempests that are abroad in the World so they disease and disorder and beset the Mind wherein they are and make their lives a torment to themselves and put them upon very foolish vain and frentique actions and deportments and render men perfect fools mad men and without understanding and their folly is so much the greater and the more uncurable that like some kind of frentique men they think very goodly of themselves think themselves passing wise men and applaud themselves though it is most apparent to any indifferent by-stander that there are not a sort of vainer foolish persons under Heaven Now as we are truly told that the first degree and step of wisdom is to put off folly Sapientia prima est Stultitia caruisse so it is the method of the fear of God the beginning of all true wisdom to disburthen a man of these originals and foundations of folly It gives a law to the Sensitive appetite brings it in subjection keeps it within the limits and bounds of Reason and of those instructions and directions that the wise God hath prescribed it keeps it under discipline and rule It directs the Passions to their proper objects and keeps them within their due measures and with in the due lines and limits of moderation and as becomes a man that lives in the sight and observation of the God of glory majesty and holiness It cures those diseases and distempers of the Mind by the presence of this great preservative and cathartick the Fear of God If Pride or Vain-glory begins to bud in the Soul he considers that the God he fears resists the proud this fear puts a man in remembrance of the glorious Majesty of the most glorious God and what is a poor Worm that he should be proud or vain-glorious in the presence and sight of that mighty God If Ambition or Covetousness begin to appear this fear of God presently remembers a man that the mighty God hath prohibited them that he hath presented unto us things of greater moment for our desires than worldly wealth or honour that we are all of his houshold and must content our selves with that portion he allots us without pressing beyond the measure of sobriety or dependence upon or submission unto him If Revenge stir in our Hearts this fear of God checks it tells a man that he usurps God's prerogative who hath reserved vengeance â—o himself as part of his own Sovereignty â—f that vermin Envy begins to live and crawl in our Hearts this fear of God crusheth â—t by remembring us that the Mighty God prohibits it that he is the Sovereign Lord and dispenser of all things if he hath given me little I ought to be contented if he hath given another more yet why should my Eye be evil because his Eye is good Thus the fear of the Lord walks through the Soul and pulls up those weeds and roots of bitterness and folly that infect disquiet disorder and befool it 6. Another great cause of folly in the World is Inadvertence Inconsiderateness Precipitancy and over-hastiness in speeches or actions If men had but the patience many times to pause but so long in actions and speeches of moment as might serve to repeat but the Creed or Lord's Prayer many follies in the World would be avoided that do very much mischief both to the parties themselves and others And therefore inadvertence and precipitancy in things of great moment and that require much deliberation must needs be a very great folly because the consequence of miscarriage in them is of greater moment Now the fear of the Lord of Heaven and Earth being actually present upon the Soul and exerting it self is the greatest motive and obligation in the World to consideration and attention touching things to be done or said When a man is to do any thing or speak in the presence of a great earthly Prince the very awe and fear of that Prince will give any man very much consideration touching what he saith or doth especially to see that it be conformable to those Laws and Edicts that this Prince hath made Now the great God of Heaven and Earth hath in his Holy Word given us Laws and Rules touching our words and actions and what we are to say or do is to be said and done in no less a presence than the presence of the ever-glorious God who strictly eyes and observes every man in the World with the very same advertence as if there were nothing else for him to observe And certainly there cannot be imagined a greater engagement to advertence and attention and consideration than this And therefore if the action or speech be of any moment a man that fears God will consider 1. Is this lawful to be done or not if it be not how shall I do this great evil and sin against God 2. But if it be lawful yet is it fit is it convenient is it seasonable if not then I will not do it for it becomes not that Presence before whom I live 3. Again â—f the thing be lawful and fit yet I will â—onsider how it is to be done what are the most suitable circumstances to the honour and good pleasure of that great God before whom I stand And this advertence and consideration doth not only qualifie my actions and words with wisdom and prudence in contemplation of the duty I owe to God but it gives an excellent opportunity very many times by giving pause and deliberation in reference to my duty to God to discover many humane ingredients of wisdom and prudence requisite to the choice of actions and words and the manner of doing them So that besides that greater advantage of consideration and advertence in relation to Almighty God it doth
only both Evangelists Matthew and Luke testifie it was a cry with a loud voice to evidence to the world that in the very article of his giving up of the ghost the strength of nature was not wholly spent for he cryed with a loud voice 3. The comfortable resignation of his soul unto the hands of his Father Luk. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And although but even now the black storm was upon his soul that made him cry out with that loud and bitter cry yet the cloud is over and with comfort he delivers up his soul into the hands of that God whom he thought but even now had forsaken him It is more than probable that that bitter cry was uttered at the very Zenith of all his pains and when he had taken the vinegar and proclaimed that it is finished though they were all wrapt up in a very small time about the end of the ninth hour yet now there remained no more but for him to give up his spirit which he instantly thereupon did Joh. 19.30 He said It is finished he bowed the head and gave up the ghost Now the things wonderfully observable in the death of our Saviour are many 1. That it was a voluntary delivering up of his spirit this is that which he said Matth. 10.18 No man taketh it from me but I lay it down I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this commandment have I received of my Father And truly this voluntary delivering up of his soul was well near as great an evidence of his Divinity as his resuming it again so that this very delivering up of his soul converted the Centurion Mar. 15.39 When he saw that he so cryed and gave up the ghost he said Truly this man was the Son of God Now that he thus voluntarily gave up his spirit is evident 1. By the strength of nature that was yet upon him in the very article of his death he cryed with a loud voice 2. That the Thieves who were crucified at the same time dyed not till there was a farther violence used by breaking their legs Joh. 19.32 but he expired to prevent the violence of the Souldiers and to fulfill the type and prophecy Not a bone of him shall be broken Joh. 19.36.3 That the suddenness of his death caused admiration in those that well knew the lingring course of such a death in the Centurion Mar. 15.39 in Pilate Mar. 15.44 which might probably be the cause that the insolent Souldier to secure the assurance of his death pierced his side with a spear Job 19.34 and thereby fulfilled that other Scripture which he never thought of Job 15.37 Now the wonderful occurrences that accompanied our Saviour's death were very many and considerable 1. A strange and particular Fulfilling of the Prophecies and Types that were concerning our Saviour's death and the very individual circumstances that attended it and all to consirm our Faith that this was indeed the Messias and that he was thus delivered over to death by the most certain and pre-determinate Counsel of God The Time of his Death so exactly predicted by Daniel ch 9.v.25 26. the parallel circumstances with the Paschal Lamb in the nature of him a Lamb without spot Exod. 12.5 in the time of his delivery over to death at the Feast of the Passover and the very evening wherein the Passover was to be eaten In the Manner of his Oblation not a bone to be broken Exod. 12.46 again the Manner of his Death by piercing his hands and his feet Psal 22.16 the very Words used by him Psal 22.1 Matth. 27. 46. the Words used of him Psal 22.8 Matth. 27.43 the crucifying of him between Malefactors Isa 53.12 the Whippings Isa 53.5 the Dividing of his Garments and casting Lotts upon his Vesture Psa 22.18 the Thirst of our Saviour upon the Cross and the giving him Vinegar and Gall Psal 69.21 2. A strange and miraculous Concussion of nature giving testimony to the wonderful and unheard of dissolution of our Saviour's body and soul Darkness from the sixth hour until the ninth hour And it is observable in the night wherein he was born by a miraculous light the night became as day Luk. 2.9 but at his death a miraculous darkness turned the day into night for three hours Matth. 27.45 at his birth a new Star was created to be the lamp and guide unto the place of his birth Matth. 2.9 but at his death the Sun in the firmament was masked with darkness and yielded not his light while the Lord of life was passing into the vail of death Again another prodigy that accompanied the death of Christ was an Earthquake that rent the rocks and opened the graves and strake amazement and conviction into the Centurion that was watching him Math. 27.52 53 54. When our Saviour was entring into the earth by death the earth trembled and so it did when he was coming out of it by his Resurrection Matth. 28.2 3. Again the Graves were opened and the dead bodies of the Saints arose As the touch of the bones of Elisha caused a kind of resurrection 2 Kings 13.21 so our Saviour's body new saln to the earth did give a kind of particular resurrection to the Saints bodies to testifie that by his death he had healed the deadliness of the Grave and that the satisfaction for Sin was accomplished when Death the wages of Sin was thus Conquered 4. Again the Vail of the Temple was Rent in twain from the top to the bottom Matth. 27.57 the Vail was that which divided the most holy place from the rest of the Tabernacle Exod. 26.33 and in that most Holy place were contained the mysterious Types the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy-Seat and within this Vail only the high Priest entred once a year when he made an atonement for the People and for the Tabernacle Levit. 16.33 Heb. 9.7 and now at our Saviour's death this vail was rent from the top to the bottom and it imported divers very great Mysteries 1. That now our great High Priest was entring into the most holy with his own blood having thereby made the atonement for us Heb. 9.12 By his own blood he entred once into the most holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us 2. That the Means whereby he entred into the most holy place was by the Rending of his Humanity his soul from his body typified by the rending of that vail and therefore his flesh that is his whole humane nature was the vail Heb. 10.20 Consecrated through the vail that is his flesh 3. That now by the death of Christ all those dark Mysteries vailed up formerly in the most holy the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy-Seat are now rendred open and their Mysteries unfolded Christ the Mediator of the Covenant and the Seat of Mercy and Acceptation unto all believers founded and seated upon him and thereby that Life and
and Favour avail not so long as Mordecai sate in the Gate and did him no reverence any small neglect or affront any cross in expectation any little inconsiderable disappointment in what he sets his mind upon disorders him even to distraction The other Extreme is Baseness and Sordidness of Mind which though it carries the shadow of humility yet it is quite another thing And though sometimes as in pride so in this of baseness of mind the complexion and temperament may have an influence yet it is most commonly upon another account namely when a man is forlornly given over to the love of Wealth or Honour or bodliy Pleasures or Lusts this doth make him prostitute himself to any base sordid means or compliances to compass and attain those ends there is nothing so base or unworthy that such a man will not undertake or do to the attainment of what he thus designs such as are base Flattery of Men in Power ugly Compliance with their humors though most nauseous unsavoury creeping and cringing even almost to Adoration of them making pitiful Addresses to their meanest dependents even as low as Pages and Foot-boys performing the most unwarrantable offices for them and many times an external disguise a shape of lowliness and humility in gesture shape habits and deportment till they can attain their ends like the Monk that was always looking upon the earth in a shape of humility till he was chosen Abbot and then changed his figure and being questioned for his sudden change by one of his Covent answered in his former posture he was only looking for the keys of the Abbey but now he had found them he needed not the former posture And this baseness of mind is many times also the effect of the Fear of Men which many times works so much upon the mind that it carries men to base and unworthy compliances But true Humility is a virtue and temper of mind of another nature and arising from better principles It is a lowly frame and habit of spirit arising from the due sense of the Glorious Excellency of the Almighty God and our own frailty and infirmity and our infinite dependence upon his Bounty Goodness Mercy whereby we are under a constant firm and sound conviction that all the good that is in us or that is enjoyed or can be expected by us is from the free and undeserved liberality of that Glorious God So that although possibly the helps of complexion and constitution and education may be contributory to the more easie acquest and exercise of this virtue yet it is in it self the effect of a mind truly and foundly principled the Spirit of a sound mind And this humility of mind is not barely in the external habit or counterfeited deportment many times a Cynical intollerable Pride is clothed with the mantle of Humility but principally it is rooted in the very mind it self and for the most part evidenceth its being by these ensuing particulars 1. A most awful and sincere Reverence 0130 0 and Fear of the Great and Glorious God a habitual prostration of our souls always before him as the great and glorious Sovereign of Heaven and Earth in whose presence we always are and to whom we owe an infinite subjection and dependence 2. A most high and constant Gratitude and Thankfulness of heart and soul to him for all the good we have in us or that is or can be enjoyed by us recognizing him as the giver of our Being of our Faculties our abilities and strength of Mind and Body our Wealth our Honour our Comforts our Hope and Expectations that he is not only the giver of them but the Sovereign Lord of them and as may resume them when he pleaseth 3. And consequently upon this that we owe to that great and Sovereign Lord a due Employment of all that he hath thus given us to his Glory and Service and that we must therefore be accountable for them to him who is our great Lord or Proprietor and Master 4. A constant Vigilancy and Attention of mind upon all our thoughts words and actions but especially lest we forget that habitude of mind that we thus owe to Almighty God and lest pride arrogancy vanity or vain-glory steal in upon us checking and plucking up the first ebullitions and risings the first buds and motions thereof 5. Which is but the consequence of the former a Sober Opinion concerning our selves and all we can do and say not thinking of our selves above what we ought to think and since self-love so naturally adheres to us to be very jealous over our selves especially in those actions that are good or that meet with some applause in the world lest we either value them too high or over-value our selves by reason of them or lest we are short in giving to Almighty God that Honour that is due to him and to him only for them 6. A diligent and impartial and frequent Consideration and Examination and Animadversion of and upon our defects and failings for these and these only are truly and properly our own There are a sort of artificial Pictures that if a man look upon them one way they represent some beautiful comely person but if we look upon them another way they present some deformed mishapen Monster Our own partiality to our selves prompts us to look upon the Picture of our lives and actions in that position or posture that renders nothing but beautiful and virtuous and we have seldom the patience to look upon it in that position that may render our Deformities and Vices and thereupon we give our selves the denomination accordingly of Good and Virtuous and either do not observe or do not consider our own failings and defects If we did as well consider our sins which we commit as the duties which we perform and if in the consideration of our duties we did but consider how much more of duties we omit than we perform and in the duties we perform if we did consider how much deadness formality hypocrisie vain-glory self-seeking and other unhandsom ingredients were mingled with them and should lay our sins our omissions our defects in one scale and that which were really and truly duty and good and worthy in another scale the best of mankind would soon find that that which was truly good in the whole course of his life were a pitiful slender scantlet and would be infinitely out-weighed by his sins omissions and defects and the due comparison and prospect of this would quickly give him a Lecture of Humility the Good we do would indeed make us Thankful but the good we omit the evil we commit and the deficiencies of our duties would make us Humble 7. Charitable Opinions of the persons of others as far as possible may be It is true that neither Religion nor Charity commands or allows any man to say or think that that which is in it self a sin is not so as that Drunkenness and Whoredom or Pride or