assistance and exercise of Faith an vnutterable sweete communion and humble familiarity with his holy Maiestie In a word to liue in Heauen vpon earth Proofes Gods Couenant and commandement to Abraeham and in him to all the faithfull vnto the Worlds end requires it Gen. 17. 1. The practise and protestations of the Saints and seruants of God seale vnto it Enochs walking with God chap. 5. was an happy preparatiue to his extraordinary translating to glory The Lord before whom I walk saith Abraham chap. 24. 40. will doe thus and thus I will walke before the Lord in the Land of the liuing saith Dauid Psal. 116. 9. O Lord God of Israel saith Salomon 2. Chron. 6. 14. There is no God like thee in the Heauen nor in the Earth which keepest couenant and shewest mercy vnto thy seruants that walke before thee with all their hearts I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart saith Hezechiah 2. King 20. 3. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwaies a conscience voyde of offence toward God and toward men saith Paul Acts 24. 16. which sounds the same way Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the gold in the World worth one dayes societie with Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit said that Noble Marquesse of Vico well skilled and experienced in an heauenly conuersing with his God Reas. 1. And it must needs be so For howsoeuer naturall men and worldlings out of their obnoxiousnesse and secret terrors slauishly retyre doe not willingly neither dare they draw neere to that God which to them is a consuming fire yet all those who haue truly tasted how gracious and glorious he is shall find their hearts out of a secret sence of Gods loue vnto them first kindlily inflamed with infinite desire to liue vnder the comfortable influence of his pleased countenance to enioy his holy Maiestie with constant peace and an humble spirituall accesse and acquaintance continually His spirit of Prayer infinite loue exercise of repentance temptations and troubles from Satan pressures and oppressions from the World losse of inward peace faintnesse of Faith want of spirituall strength assault of some speciall sinne sweetnesse of meditation daily fauours showred downe vpon him without number and aboue measure sore-thought of the great and last Account motions of the blessed Spirit spirituall desertion c. but aboue all the inexplicable blessâ—…dnesse goodnesse and excellency of that highest Maiestie it selfe driues him to his God many times a day 2. All Gods loues vnto vs His louing kindnesses protections preseruations bounty patience diuine illuminations spirituall blessings in a word euery linke of that golden chaine of Mercy Grace and Glory farre thicker set with sweetest blessings in all kinds then the Heauen with Starres which our happy Soules haue doe or shall enioy from the first springing of it vp if euerlasting could haue any beginning out of the adored Fountaine of his free Grace to the last moment of eternitie in highest heauenly blisse if eternitie could possibly euer determine should be so many keene spurres deepest oblâ—…gations strongest chaines to draw our hearts most greedily to this infinite delight in him and thus with an humble familiaritie to conuerse with his holy Maiestie 3. Consciousnesse of our former walking comfortably with God sanctified by the life of Faith will mightily and incredibly support our spirits and courage in the times of confusions and feare The hearts of sensuall worldlings for want of reconcilement and acquaintance with God in calme and comfortable times sinke and tremble in the Day of distresse and Gods dreadfull visitations as the heart of a woman in her pangs and fall asunder in their brests like drops of water But that happy One who in his prosperity hath made God his portion and walked humbly in his presence shall in the time of trouble stand like a strong vnmoueable mountaine impregnable against the rage of wind and weather against the cruell incursions of all aduersarie power when the wicked shall tire the Mountaines with bootelesse cries to couer them he shall be able to say with Dauid The Lord is my refuge and my strength c. therefore will I not feare though the earth be moued and the Mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea He shall by the mercies of God and humble dependance vpon his omnipotent Arme encounter and entertaine the terrours euen of the euill day of the houre of temptation of the King of feare and last Iudgement with confidence and peace 4. Thy walking with God will make thee extraordinarily powerfull and mightily preuaile in prayer one of the greatest blessings and sweetest comforts which can be named or enioyed in this life As the Kings Fauourite who stands still in his presence and vnder the immediate and gracious influence of his Royall eye doth farre sooner and much more easily obtaine both his owne and friends suites then those who are more estranged from the Court So it is in this case 5. But aboue all that which should most quicken and keene vs to this duty is that particular interest we haue by Iesus Christ in Iehoua himselfe blessed for euer A mysterie which if I should offer to open and enlarge I should be endlesse and yet come infinitely short Oh then let vs infinitely loue and learne exactly the most sweete and heauenly Art of walking with God! For a more comfortable illightning and guiding vs wherein before I come to giue some generall instructions giue mee leaue to premise these quickning preparatiues 1. Looke that thou lyest not in any one knowne sinne against thy conscience hating to be reformed do not cherish allow or goe on in any lust corruption or lewd way in thine heart life or calling suffer not any worke of darknesse or seruice of Satan to reigne and domineere in thee For if so thou art so farre from abilitie or possibilitie of walking with God or delighting in him that thou wearest the Diuels brand and art yet most certainely one of his See and search the true meaning of such places as these 1. Ioh. 3. 3. 6 8 9. Iames 2. 10. Ezech. 18. 21. Psalm 66. 18. and 119. 6 101. Ezech. 18. 30. Matth. 18. 8 9. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Sutable hereunto is the concurrent iudgement and doctrine of our best Diuines and worthiest Writers graciously instructed vnto the Kingdome of Heauen These are their seuerall assertions to the same sense in their owne words 1. A man can haue no peace in his conscience that fauoureth and retaineth any one sinne in himselfe against his conscience 2. A man is in a damnable state whatsoeuer good deeds seeme to be in him if he yeeld not to the worke of the holy Ghost for the leauing but of any one knowne sinne which fighteth against peace of conscience 3. So long as the power of mortification destroyeth thy sinfull affections and so long as thou art vnfainedly displeased with all sinne and doest
of endlesse reuolutions to beget and giue vs time I say vs who for the sinne of euery moment in it deserue eternity of punishment But that our hearts may bee more sensibly wrought vpon and more effectually affected with the dearenesse and preciousnesse of it let vs suppose that the Lord by diuine and extraordinarie dispensation should giue leaue to a damned soule to come into this life againe and would vouchsafe him but one houre of a new triall as it were and a second time of gracious visitation Oh how highly would hee prize how eagerly would hee apprehend with what infinite watchfulnesse endeauour and diligence would hee improoue that little short golden season And if therein he might haue but the happinesse to heare a Sermon Oh with what affectionate inflamed attention would hee listen vnto the Word of Life how would his heart breake and bleed within him and fall asunder in his brest like drops of water to heare Gods iust wrath and holy indignation thundred out and threatned against sinne With what insatiable grasping and deare imbracement would he labour to lay hold vpon Christ Iesus and his gracious promises In a word he would think that in demonstration of thankefulnesse for Gods fauour might hee be so happy as to haue it the spending of euery moment of all that great body of time which lies betweene the Creation and the worlds end if hee might liue so long in as holy pure strict precise heauenly manner as euer did the most mortified Martyr vpon earth were farre too little Shall we then triflingly passe and play away the time that is so precious And in my supposition the damned soule should bee sure of an houre But none of vs can possibly purchase securitie for very one moment after I haue spoken this word The time present is our onely time wee haue no more power and command ouer the time to come then ouer the time past Euen the next minute thou mayest be cut off by the stroake of death from all further time of repentance acceptation and grace for euer Nay yet further were it possible that any vncomfortable passion were incident to a glorified Saint in heauen he would be sorry and transported with extreme anger and indignation against himselfe That hee was not a more greedy ingrosser as it were and improouer of time for doing excellently vpon earth and that euery houre after his cōuersion was not crowned with some rarer and more remarkable exploit with some more speciall and noble seruice for the glorifying of that most bountifull and euer-blessed God who hath now honoured him with such vnspeakeable glory and that Crowne of ioyes so infinitely transcendent to the vtmost expectation of the most enlarged heart Howsoeuer therefore men of this world for the most part except they be continually exercised in variety of pleasing imployments and still entertained with fresh successions of new pleasures are sore troubled with time and tediously perplext how to passe it which is the reason that they deuise so many passe-times with much sollicitous and sensuall forecast plot and proiect to themselues aforehand many and many a merry meeting idle visitations feastings mutuall entertainments of meere complement and vanitie iouiall reuellings as they call them c. that they chaine together as it were by the Art of Epicurisme and with linkes of liberty continued occasions of company keeping and good-fellow meetings from the one end of the weeke to the other For solitarinesse and selfe-conuersing is a very torturing racke and the tide-time of melancholy to the waking consciences of gracelesse and guilty men Though I say this bee the custome and carriage of Satans Reuellers yet all Christians ought to haue time in deare and high esteeme in euery moment whereof should they lay downe ten thousand liues for His sake that pardons their sinnes and also doe him all the glorious seruice of all both the militant and Triumphant Saints it were infinitely too little for his loue Wherefore no marueile though well-aduised and watchfull they feele themselues rather pincht with want then prest with plenty of her golden offers and opportunities to doe good and bee euer addrest to entertaine and welcome euery houre with speciall attendance as a gracious Indulgence of his patient loue and long-suffering and suffering them to doe him yet more honour for which cause alone they long to liue before they goe downe into the pit and be seene no more And they should be so farre from being afraid of solitarinesse as to hold their time alone the only time for sweetest contemplations heauenly commerce neerer conuersing and communion with God 3. We that are earthly Angels by the noblenesse of Creation though by voluntarie degeneration incarnate deuils were put into and planted within the compasse and comforts of this great and curious Frame round about vs the goodly Workmanship of Gods owne Almightie hand wherein we haue the Sunne to serue vs and wee of this Kingdome by matchlesse and incomparable fauour the heauenly and healing beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine vpon vs through his glorious Gospel I say we were placed in this world not to serue our owne turnes to please our owne hearts to follow our own wayes to eate drinke and sleepe to temporize reuell or roote in the earth to play the Epicures Libertines Machiauelians to climbe into high roomes by all meanes lawfull and vnlawfull by briberie simonie flatterie base insinuations following the times or some fouler meanes and thereto domineere and tyrannize In a word to serue the deuill for a few and euill dayes to die and so to be damned No no a nobler taske and more excellent end is appointed and apportioned for the Prince and principallest of all earthly creatures Our being vpon earth this little inch of time is for businesse of another nature and for a farre more important affaire and of dearest consequence euen with humblenesse and truth to know obey our God to serue our brethren in loue and to saue our owne poore soules in the Day of Christ. This is that One necessarie thing in respect of which all other things though otherwise honest and excellent are but respectiuely necessarie and so farre as they further and are warrantably and comfortably subordinate and contributary to this end Nay to this the exquisite Quintescence and concurrence of all other the dearest and most desireable things vnder the Sunne are to be accounted but drosse and dung And yet for all this many of vs while wee yet abode in the darknesse and damnation of our naturall state spent many yeeres some twenty some thirtie some perhaps fortie wholly vpon hell in base and vnblessed courses quite crosse to the end of our Creation All that time a misery to be lamented euen with teares of blood was vtterly cast away vpon the kingdome of darkenesse fearefully lost vpon our owne lusts sinfull fashions and pride of life slauishly and wofully wasted in the deuils seruice Nay all that while
sweete voice of Christ Iesus rather then the murthering sophistry of Satan if in good maners thou wilt come when thou art called and not retire in a sinfull and cruell modesty thou shalt be presently lightened Yea but saith the Tempter thy heart hath been so strangely hardened and soakt in sinne heretofore now such an heâ—…sh cloud of darkenesse hath seized vpon it that there is no hope nor possibility But what saith the Word Seeke him that maketh the seuen starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning It is hee alone that can most easily change the dismall midnight of thy present spirituall misery into the glorious midday of sweetest peace and lightsomnesse of heart Yea but saith he further thou hast lien long vpon the Rocke of guilty horrour had much counsell and been vnder the hands of many spirituall physicians and yet no comfort comes And what then Heare what the Spirit of truth tels vs Since the beginning of the world men haue not heard nor perceiued by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what Hee hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Isa. 64. 4. Waiting patiently for the Lords comming to comfort vs either in temporall or spirituall distresses is a right pleasing and acceptable dutie and seruice vnto God which hee is woont to crowne with multiplyed and ouerflowing refreshings when he comes See Isa. 40. 31. Nay and shouldest thou die in this state of waiting if thy heart in the meane time sincerely hate all sinne heartily thirst for the mercy of God in Christ and resolue truely vpon new vniuersall obedience for the time to come thou shalt bee certainely saued because the Holy Ghost saith Isaiah 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him 6. That defects distractions failings in our spirituall exercises and vndertakings groaned vnder grieued for and striuen against by an vpright heart are so farre from nullifying grace that they should not bereaue vs of peace of conscience or interrupt our sweet communion and comfortable walking with our God 7. Not to confine vnderualue and extenuate the mercies of God promises of life the holy Spirits sauing worke vpon thy soule and the present graces thou possessest in truth c. These cautions premised let vs come to the examining and answering of some complaints and counterpleas against entertainement of comfort which are wont to arise in troubled consciences out of ignorance and misconceite of the mercifull wayes of God and the mysterie of his free loue through Christ and doe thou conceiue that proportionable soueraigne Antidotes and counter-comforts may bee collected also in abundance out of Gods blessed Booke against the rest or any reply whatsoeuer And to begin with the first cryes of a Christian in the pangs of his New birth I. A poore soule hauing wallowed long in vanity of villanies and vanities of lust and licentiousnesse is now by diuine blessing at this or â—…e other Sermon struck thorow by the Sword of the Spirit with penitent remorse and his heart broken into pieces by the hammer of the Law In this depth of heauiest distresse and bleeding case he casts his eyes vpon Iesus Christ lifted vp in the Ministerie as an Antitype â—…o the brazen Serpent for his comfortable binding â—…p and euerlasting cure Those Messengers of God who are able to declare vnto Man his vprightnesse assure him in the Word of life and truth and charge him in His name who was anointed by the Lord for that purpose and appointed by the Father of mercies to comfort all Mourners in Sion that now being truly cast downe vnder Gods mighty hand thirsting for the blood of Christ and sincerely resoluing vpon a new course for the time to come He would turne his legall terrours into Euangelicall weeping ioy put on beauty for ashes the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse That he might be called a Tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that hee might bee glorified Oh no saies he out of the deepe sence of his bottomelesse vilenesse The newes is too good to be true to wit that now the blessed Sonne of God and all the precious rich purchases of his vnualuable passion should belong vnto mee the sinfullest wretch that the earth beares who haue desperately spent my dayes and strength so long in the furious seruice of Satan and mine own sensuall lusts c. whereupon he refuses comfort and chooses rather to sinke againe and languish vnder the horrours of guiltinesse and feare Whereas he should incomparably more honour and please the God of all comfort by trusting his mercy sealing to his truth then by vnseasonable suspecting his iustice and power Here then hee wofully failes and forgets himselfe in a distrustfull vnder-prizing Gods incomprehensible greatnesse Almightie mercy vnlimited liberalitie and freenesse of his loue He is in this case not so much to consider what is fit for him to receiue as conuenient for the ability and bounty of so great and good a God as the mighty Lord of Heauen and earth to giue who as I told you before vpon other occasion doth all things like Himselfe If hee build he makes a world If he be angry with the world hee sends a floud ouer the face of the whole earth If hee goes out with the Armies of the Saints hee makes the Sunne stand still the Starres to fight the Seas to swallow vp the most dreadfull Armadoes If hee loue the precious hearts blood of his owne Sonne is not too deare If he deliuer any man Hee puls him out of the hand of the Prince of darknesse and frees him from euerlasting flames If any become his Fauourite through Christs mediation He wil make him a King giue him a Paradise and set a Crowne of eternitie vpon his head Earthly Princes at their pleasures ennoble those they loue with Dukedomes Marquesdomes Earledomes What then doe you thinke shall be done vnto the man whom the King of Heauen desires and delights to honour Let vs then I say in such cases consider not so much what is fit for vs silly wormes to receiue as for so great a God to bestow If wee can once bring hearts bruised and broken with the burden of our sinnes bleeding and weeping vnto his Mercy-seate Hee will thinke all the meritorious sufferings of his Sonne all the promises in his Booke all the comforts of his Spirit all the pleasures in his Kingdome little enough for vs. If wee looke vpon our selues sinful wretches we might iustly feare the extremest torments fiercest flames and lowest dungeon in hell infinitely rather then expect a Kingdome But Hee loues vs freely Hos. 14. 4. It is his pleasure to giue vs a Kingdome Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. If it be the good pleasure of the King of Kings to bestow a Kingdome vpon a truely humbled soule which hee makes in the
SOME GENERALL DIRECTIONS FOR A COMFORTABLE WALKING with God DELIVERED IN THE LECTVRE AT KETTERING IN NORTHhamptonshire with enlargement By Robert Bolton Preacherof Gods Word at Broughton in the same County The second Edition corrected and amended with a Table thereunto annexed AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Edmund Weauer and are to be sold at his shop at the great North doore of Pauls Church 1626. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND TRVLY NOBLE EDWARD Lord Mountague of Boughton a fruitfull increase of all heauenly graces and all watchfull preparation for the Glory that shall be reuealed Much Honored and Noble Lord ALthough the eminency of your other personall worth great Wisdome and noble parts a sufficient attractiue to euery honest heart by reason of the particular interest it hath in the common state of goodnes or your speciall bounty to my selfe which ought to stir vp an ingenuous minde to apprehend any opportunity of due and deserued acknowledgement or your publike deportment in the face of our Country so worthy and Honorable and managed with such true honesty graue moderation and noblenesse of spirit which cannot but draw from euery heart truely sound to our great Lord in Heauen and His Royall Deputy our highest Soueraigne vpon earth a great deale of reuerence loue I say though any of these seuerally might exact from me a more exact and able demonstration of the thankefull deuotions of my heart yet my Lord and you may beleeue mee there is another thing besides all these which was the strongest and most predominant motiue to quicken mee to this Duty and Dedication euen your sincere and inuincible affection to the Gospell of Iesus Christ His faithfull Ministers and most precious Wayes And this to tell you the truth is farre the fairest and most orient flower in the Garland of all your goodnesse and incomparably aboue all your Greatnesse were you aduanced euen to desert nay to the highest top of all earthly felicities and mortall honour For howsoeuer the world euer beside it selfe in point of faluation and starke blind in the right apprehension of Heauenly things doth ◅ote vpon guilded miseries stinging vanities golden setters and wickedly deemes pursuite of purity the height of folly yet I can assure you in the Word of life and truth the richest and rarest con◅luence of all humane happinesses the most exquisite excellencie and variety of the greatest worldly pompe and splendour that euer the Sunne saw since the first moment of its creation or shall looke vpon while it shines in Heauen is but dust in the ballance to one graine of grace it is but dung to an humble minde sauingly illightened with a forecast but of the least glimpse of that incomprehensible endlesse glory which shall shortly be reuealed It is all in the true valuation but as a vaine smoake which doth not onely vanish as it riseth and vtterly looseth it selfe at the highest but also drawes teares frō a mans eyes nay at last wrings the very heart-strings of euery impenitent soule with that extremest euerlasting horrour which would burst ten thousand hearts seriously and sensibly to thinke vpon before-hand It is not onely vanity but also vexation of spirit Let worldly wisdome say what it will and hold them melancholike and madde who by the helpe of the holy Ghost hold a constant counter-motion to the course of the world and corruptions of the time that they may keep a good conscience the richest treasure and dearest Iewell that euer the heart of man was acquainted with who infinitely desire rather to be religious then rich to bee good then great to enioy the fauour of God then the soueraignty and pleasures of all the kingdomes of the earth yet assuredly when all is said and truely summed vp it is onely the true feare of Gods blessed Name a zealous forwardnesse for his glory goodnesse and good causes at this day vnhappily and to the ruine of infinite soules called by the world pragmaticalnesse and Too much precisenesse which can truely beautifie and adorne both all other personall sufficiencies and indeed sanctifie and blesse all publike imployments and seruices of State For the first A Professor euen something Popish doth yet truely teach that Heroicall nobilitie is an illustrious eminency shining in a man by the heauenly infusions of supernaturall grace whereby he is made by adoption the sonne of God the Spouse of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost without which all other Nobilities are nothing not worth a button Suppose a faire and goodly horse to the eye as exquisitely featured colourd paced as that fained by Bartas to be managed by Cain yet if he wāted mettle he were worth nothing to a man of spirit Giue me the most magnificent glorious Worldling that euer trod vpō earthly mould richly crowned with all the ornaments and excellencies of nature art policy preferment or what heart can wish besides yet without the life of grace to animate and ennoble them hee were to the eye of heauenly Wisdome but as a rotten carkasse stucke ouer with flowers magnified dung guilded rottennesse golden damnation And that which is more dreadfull when the sunne of his short Summers day is set the hot gleame of transitorie prosperity past and the bitter tempestuous winters night of death approacheth from which all the Gold and Pearle of East West can no more deliuer him then can an handfull of dust I say then shall bee powred vpon his head that terrible showre of snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest His soule sinkes immediatly in a moment into the depth of remedilesse misery and is desperately plunged for euer into the bottome of the burning Lake His body descends into the graue as into a dungeon of rottennesse horror arrested as it were by the second death in the deuils name and at length haled and dragged vnto the terror of that great and last Day where no creature can rescue him no mountaine couer him from that vnquenchable wrath neuer-dying Worme which shall euer lastingly day and night feed vpon his soule and flesh Wheras now on the other side that poore neglected One who hath in truth giuen his name vnto Christ and his gainefull seruice perhaps by the World most disdainfully and contemptuously trampled vpon euen into the dust with the feet of cruelty and pride at least most certainly euer made extremely vile and contemptible by the villany of tongues and cruell mockings yet is such an One as the World is not worthy of in the meane time in the meaning of the holy Ghost a Crowne of glory in the hand of Iehouah as beautifull and amiable as the bloud of Christ and his righteous roabe can make him crowned full gloriously with Gods owne comelinesse which hee hath put vpon him designed from all eternitie in due time for so his sanctification now assures him to weare an euerlasting Crowne of blisse And when his pilgrimage is past
death is to him the day-breake of eternall brightnesse Vpon his last Bed his blessed soule shall finde that fresh-bleeding Fountaine for sinne and for vncleannesse set wide open vnto it by the hand of Faith ready now at its departure to raze out the last sinfull staine It may confidently in the Name of Christ cast it selfe into the open armes enlarged bowels and dearest embracements of the Father of all mercies It may feele the glorious presence of the sweetest Comforter presenting vnto it a foretaste of Heauenly ioyes It shall haue the last sweetnesse and triumphant truth of all the promises of life able to confront and confound the vtmost rage and very Powder-plot of all the powers of darknesse made good vnto it A mighty guard of blessed Angels shal attend vpon it waiting with longing and ioy to beare it triumphantly into the bosome of Abraham His bodie shall goe into the graue as into a chamber of rest and bed of Downe sweetly perfumed vnto it by the sacred body of the Sonne of God lying in the Graue locked there full fast with the barres of the earth and fenced with the omnipotent Arme of God as a rich Iewell in a Casket of gold vntill the Resurrection of the iust And then after their ioyfullest meeting and glorious re-vnion they shall both bee for euer filled with all those vnmixed pleasures blessed immortalities crowned ioyes which the dwelling place of God the glory of Heauen and the inexhausted fountaine of all blisse Iehouah himselfe blessed for euer can affoord Now let the scornefullest opposite to the power of godlinesse tell me in cold blood whether that honorable wretch or this honest man bee more truely noble and happy For the second So naturall saith Hooker is the vnion of Religion with iustice that we may boldly deeme there is neither where both are not For how should they be vnfainedly iust whom Religion doth not cause to be such or they religious which are not found such by the proofe of their iust actions If they which imploy their labour and trauaile about the publike administration of Iustice follow it onely as a Trade with vnquench able and vnconscionable thirst of gaine being 〈◊〉 in heart perswaded that Iustice is Gods owne Worke and themselues his Agents in the businesse the sentence of right Gods owne verdict and themselues his Priests to deliuer it for malities of iustice do but serue to smother right and that which was necessarily ordained for the common good is through shamefull abuse made the cause of common misery Full well did this learned man perceiue and rightly apprehend that the purity and power of Religion alone doth truely honour all Honours dignifie all dignities actuate with acceptation and life all morall vertues and endowments of art sweeten all gouernment strengthen all States settle fast all Imperiall Crownes vpon Princes heads That it is no humorous conceite but a matter of sound consequence that all either personall duties or imployments of State are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed That when Heauen is made too much to stoope to Earth Piety to Policy Publike good to priuate ends there authoritie is embittered inferiours plagued and too often Law and Iustice turned into Wormewood and rapine He truly intimates what a deale of hurt is done what a world of mischiefe is many times wrought insensibly and vnobseruedly when a wicked wit and wide conscience weld the sword of authoritie For it is easie and ordinary for a man so mounted by legall sleights putting foule businesses into faire language and by a dissembled pretence of deeper reach to compasse his owne ends either for promotion of iniquity or oppression of innocency especially sith he knowes himselfe backt with that Principle in Policy It is not safe to question or reuerse transactions of State though tainted perhaps with some impressions of miscarriage error And that it is holden a Solaecisme in State-wisdome and vnseemely for priuate innocency to contest too busily with passages of publike Tribunals These things I thus discourse and declare vnto your Lordship to represent vnto you the vanity of that honour which is not directly and sincerely subordinate to the Honour of God at the best it is but a breath and yet not able to blow so much as one cold blast vpon vngodly great Ones when being suddenly carried from their stately and sumptuous dwellings they shall bee cast into vnquenchable flames To let you see the excellencie and worth of those happy wayes to which it hath pleased the Lord of Heauen out of his speciall mercy to bend the eye of your Noble minde and that you may know what it is alone hath had power and the prerogatiue and shall for euer in whomsoeuer takes Gods part to make you both more truely Honourable in your Selfe and more faithfully seruiceable to our King and State both to cast a Diuiner lustre vpon your personal vertues and to make your managing of publike businesses many times most vnworthily swayed awry by that foule fiend Faction partialitie and priuate ends worthy conscionable and iust For which euery honest eye in our countrey that lookes vpon you blesseth you and shall mourne most bitterly for your absence from amongst vs when you shall be gloriously gathered to your Fathers So let all that truely loue the Lord Iesus His blessed Gospell and Seruants bee as the Sunne when he goeth foorth in his might and at last full sweetly set in the boundlesse Ocean of immortall blisse In these wayes of life my Noble Lord which in the sence and censure of Truth it selfe are wayes of pleasure and paths of sweetest peace it is the infinite desire of my heart and drift of this Treatise I now offer into your Honours hands that you would still aduance forward and doe more nobly still That you would improoue to the vtmost the height of your excellent Vnderstanding to a further and more full comprehension of the Mysterie of Christ which though it bee a Sealed Booke to the sharpest sight of the most piercing humane wisedome yet reueales to euery truely humble spirituall eye the rich and Royall treasures of all true sweetnesse contentment and peace That you would hold it your greatest honour and happinesse as it is indeed to grow still in fruitfulnesse in euery good Worke in feruency in spirit in puritie in Heauenly-mindednesse in precise walking c. with singular watchfulnesse and the more punctuall and frequent search and perusall of your spirituall state both because the depths and delusions of Satan are most intricate and infinite and because Not many noble c. 1. Cor. 1. 25. That you would hold on in that valiantnesse for the Truth and all good causes which ordinarily gathers vigour and puissance proportionably to the swelling fury of all aduersarie either mortall or infernall powers Euer patiently passing by with generous magnanimitie and braue
singularitie I meane it not in respect of any fantasticalnesse of opinion furiousnesse of zeale or turbulencie of faction truely so called but in respect of abstinence from sinne puritie of heart and holinesse of life Reasons 1. Gods holy Word exacts and expects from all that are new-borne and heires of Heauen an excellency aboue ordinary Pro. 12. 26. Matth. 5. 20. 47. Being taken forth as the precious from the vile Ierem. 15. 19. by the power of the Ministerie they must not onely goe beyond the hiest ciuill perfections of the exactest morall Puritane amongst the most honest Heathens Heb. 12. 14. but also exceed the righteousnesse and all the outward religious conformities of the deuoutest Pharises whose sufficiencies Luk. 18. 11 12. many thousands in these times come short of and yet hope to be saued or they can in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heauen But lest any bee proudly puft vp with sence of this singularitie and excellencie aboue his neighbour let him know that humilitie is euer one of the fairest flowers in the whole garland of his supernaturall and diuine worth and that selfe-conceitednesse would impoyson euen Angelicall perfection 2. They must vpon necessitie differ from a world of wicked men by a sincere singularitie of abstinence from the course of this world the lusts of men the corruptions of the times familiaritie with gracelesse companions the worldlings language prophane sports all wicked wayes of thriuing rising and growing great in the world c. 3. They make conscience of those duties and diuine commands which the greatest part of men euen in the noonetide of the Gospell are so farre from taking to heart that their hearts rise against them As to bee hot in Religion Reu. 3. 16. To be zealous of good workes Tit. 2. 14. To walke precisely Ephes. 5. 15. To bee feruent in spirit Rom. 12. 11. To striue to enter in at the straite gate Luke 13. 24. To plucke out their right eyes that is to abandon their bosome delights Matth. 5. 29. To make the Sabbath a delight Isa. 58. 13. To loue the Brotherhood 1. Pet. 2. 17. With an holy violence to lay hold vpon the Kingdome of Heauen Matth. 11. 12. 4. Experience and examples of all ages from the creation downeward clearely prooue the point At this time as you see the Saints of God were all harboured vnder one roofe and yet not all sound there Suruey the ages afterward The time of Abraham who was as a brand taken out of the fire of the Chaldeans The time of Elijah when none appeared to that blessed man of God The time of Esaiah who cryed chap. 53. 1. Who hath beleeued our report The time of Manasseh who built altars for all the host of Heauen in the two Courts of the House of the Lord The time of Antiochus when he commanded the Sanctuarie and holy people to bee polluted with Swines-flesh and vncleane beasts to be sacrificed the abomination of desolation to bee set vp vpon the Altar That darksome time when the glorious Day-Star Christ Iesus himselfe came downe from Heauen to illighten the earth The time of Antichrist when all the world wondred after the Beast Our times wherein of sixe parts of the earth scarce one of the least is Christian. And what a deale of Christendome is still ouer-growne with Popery and other exorbitant distempers in point of Religion And where the Truth of Christ is purely and powerfully taught how few giue their names vnto it And of those who professe how many are false-hearted or meerely formall 5. Me thinks worldly wisdome should rather wonder that any one is wonne vnto God then cry out and complaine Is it possible there should be so few Sith all the powers of darknesse and euery diuell in hell oppose might and maine the plantation of grace in any soule sith there are moc snares vpon earth to keepe vs still in the inuisible chaines of darknesse and sinne then there are starres in heauen sith euery inch euery little artery of our bodies if it could would swell with hellish venome to the bignesse of the greatest Goliah the mightiest Gyant that it might make resistance to the sanctifying worke of the holy Ghost sith our soules naturally would rather die and put off their immortality and euerlasting being then put on the Lord Iesus In a word sith the new creation of a man is holden a greater worke of wonder then the creation of the world 6. Lastly let vs set aside in any Country Citie Towne Family First all Atheists Papists and distempered exorbirants from the blessed Truth of doctrine taught in our Church Secondly all Whoremongers Drunkards Swearers Lyers Reuellers Worldlings Vsurers and fellowes of such infamous ranke Thirdly all meerely ciuill men who come short of Cato Fabricius and other honest Heathens and wanting holinesse shall neuer see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Fourthly all grosse Hypocrites whose outsides are painted with superficial flourishes of holinesse and honesty but their inward parts filled with rottennesse and lust who haue their hands in godly exercises when their hearts are in hell Fiftly all formall Hypocrites who are deluded in point of Saluation as were the foolish Virgins and that proud Pharise Luk. 18. 11. Sixthly all finall back-sliders of which some turne sensuall Epicures and plunge themselues into worldly pleasures with farre more rage and greedinesse by reason of former restraint by a temporarie profession others become scurrill deriders of the holyway some bloody goads in the sides of those with whom they haue formerly walked into the house of God as friends Seuenthly all vnsound Professors for the present of which you would little thinke what a number there is I say let these and all other strangers to the purity and power of godlinesse be set apart and tell mee how many true-hearted Nathaneels wee are like to finde Vses 1. Trie then the truth of thy spirituall state by this marke of a sober and sincere singularitie If thou still holdest correspondence with the world and conformitie to the fashions thereof if still thou swimmest downe the current of the times and shiftest thy sailes to the sitting of euery Winde if thine heart hanker still after the tastlesse fooleries of goodfellowship and follow the multitude to doe ill if thou be carried with the swinge and sway of the place where thou liuest to vphold by a boisterous combination lewdnesse and vanity to prophane the Lords day to scorne Profession oppose the Ministerie and walke in the broad Way In a word if thou doest as the most doe thou art vtterly vndone for euer But if with a mercifull violence thou bee pulled out of the world by the power of the Word and happily weaned from the sensuall insensible poison of all bitter-sweet pleasures and fellowship with vnfruitfull workes of darknesse If by standing on Gods side and hatred of all false wayes thou art become the Drunkards song as Dauid
of a compleate Christian 1. Honestie 2. Vprightnesse 3. Pietie And they receiue much excellency and lustre from a circumstance of time In his generations which were many and mainly corrupt Without any further vnfolding my Texts coherence and dependance vpon either precedent or following parts for Historicall passages are plainer and doe not euer exact the length and labour of such an exact resolution as other Scriptures doe I collect from the first point wherein I finde Gods free grace to bee the prime and principall cause of Noahs preseruation this Note Doct. The free grace and fauour of God is the first moouer and fountaine of all our good Consider for this purpose such places as these Ier. 31. 3. Hos. 14. 4. Deut. 7. 7 8. Rom. 9. 11 12 13. Ioh. 3. 16. Ios. 24. 2 3. Ephes. 1. 5. And it must needs bee so For it is vtterly impossible that any finite cause created power or any thing out of Himselfe should primarily mooue and incline the eternall immutable increated omnipotent will of God The true originall and prime motiue of all gracious bountifull expressions and effusions of loue vpon His Elect is His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His merum beneplacitum The good pleasure of His will And therefore to hold that election to life is made vpon foresight of faith good workes the right vse of free-will or any created motiue is not only false and wicked but also an ignorant and absurd Tenent To say no more at this time it robs God of his All-sufficiencie making Him goe out of Himselfe looking to this or that in the creature vpon which His will may bee determined to elect The Schoole-men tho otherwise a rotten generation of Diuines yet are right in this 1. That distinction which I learne from my Master in his heauenly Sermons published since his death doth leade vnto aright and truely inlighten this Head-spring of all our good 1. Some actions of Gods loue vnto vs saith he are so in Christ that they are wholly suspended on Him and His merits are the onely procuring cause of them For example Forgiuenesse of sinnes is an action of Gods loue vnto vs and yet this wholly depends vpon Christ and his merits so that His precious Blood must either procure this mercy for vs from God else they will neuer bee forgiuen and this and the like loue of God is both in Christ and for Christ. 2. There are some other actions of Gods loue which arise meerely and onely out of the absolute will of God without any concurrence of Christs merits As the eternall purpose of God whereby Hee hath determined to chuse some men to saluation this is an action of Gods loue meerely rising out of His absolute will without Christs merits For Christ is a Mediatour and all his merits are the effects of his loue not the cause of it And yet this loue though it be not for Christ yet is it in Christ Ephes. 3. 11. According to the eternall purpose which hee wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord that is in regard of the execution of it for euen this eternall purpose and all the actions of Gods loue which arise from his absolute Will are effected and brought to passe in and through Christ. 3. Wee may take an estimate of the absolute and infinite frankenesse of this vnconceiueable loue of God to his which reacheth from euerlasting to euerlasting by looking vpon that goodly faire sweete amiable creature described Ezechiel 16. In the beginning of the Chapter shee lies most filthy and foule tumbling in her owne blood pittied by no eye abhorred of all which loathsomnesse should rather haue begot loathing then loue auersion and hate then affection and liking yet God Himselfe doth there professe out of a melting pang and ouer-flowing abundance of His free grace that that time was vnto Him the time of loue Hee spred his skirt ouer her and couered her nakednesse In a word after she was dressed and adorned with Gods most skilfull mercifull hand she became a most louely thing First washed with water cleansed from blood anointed with oyle then cloathed with broidered worke shod with Badgers skinne girded about with fine linnen couered with silke decked with ornaments of siluer and gold with bracelets vpon her hands a chaine on her necke a iewell on her forehead earerings in her eares and a beautifull Crowne vpon her head fedde with fine flower honie and oyle so that she became exceeding beautifull and renowned through the whole World for her perfect comelinesse euen mine owne comelinesse which I put vpon her saith the Lord God Uses 1. All praise then is due vnto Iehoua the Author of all our good the Fountaine of all our blisse the Well-spring of immortalitie and life whereby we liue and moue and haue our being our naturall being the beeing of our outward state our gracious being the euerlastingnesse of our glorious state Were the holiest heart vpon earth enlarged to the vast comprehension of this great Worlds widenesse nay made capable of all the glorious and magnificent Hallelu-iahs and hearty praises offered to Iehoua both by all the militant and Triumphant Church yet would it come infinitely short of sufficiently magnifying admiring and adoring the inexplicable mysterie and bottomles depth of this free independant mercy and loue of God the Fountaine and first Moouer of all our good We may and are bound to blesse God for all the meanes instruments and second causes whereby it pleaseth God to conferre and conuey good things vnto vs but we must rest principally with lowliest thoughts of most humble and heartiest praisefulnesse at the Well-head of all our welfare Iehoua blessed for euer Wee receiue a great deale of comfort and refreshment from the Moone and Starres but wee must chiefly thanke the Sunne from the greater Riuers also but the maine Sea is the Fountaine Angels Ministers and Men may pleasure vs but Iehoua is the principall Let vs then imitate those Lights of Heauen and Riuers of the Earth do all the good wee can with those good things God hath giuen vs by his instruments and then reflect backe towards and returne all the glory and praise vnto the Sunne of righteousnesse and Sea of our saluation The beames of the Moone and Starres returne as farre-backe to glorifie the face of the Sunne which gaue them their beauty as they can possibly vntill they be reflected or determine by necessarie expiration the Sunnes eiaculatorie power being finite Let vs semblably euer send backe to Gods owne glorious Selfe the honour of all His gifts by a fruitfull improouement of them in setting forth His glory and by continuall feruent eiaculations of praise to the vtmost possibilitie of our gracious hearts And here I cannot hold but must needs most iustly complaine of the hatefull intolerable vnthankefulnesse of vs in this Kingdome the happiest people vnder the Cope of Heauen had we hearts enlarged to conceiue aright of Gods extraordinary loue and such miraculous mercies
as neuer Nation enioyed Walke ouer the World Peruse the whole face of the Earth from East to West from North to South which is aboue one and twenty thousand miles about both wayes and from one side of Heauen to another thou shalt not finde such another illightned Goshen as this Iland wherein we dwell Of sixe parts of the Earth fiue are not Christian and in Christendome what other part is so free from the reigne of Popery the rage of Schisme or the destroying Sword Or where besides doth the Gospell shine with such glory truth and peace Or in what nooke of the World are there so many faithfull Soules who cry vnto God day and night against the abominations of the times for the preseruation of the Gospell that Gods Name may bee gloriously hallowed His Kingdome come His will bee done in euery place and themselues serue him with truth of heart And yet we are too ready if wee haue not the height of our desires and our wils to the ful in stead of patience teares and prayers which best become the Saints to embitter all other blessings and to discouer most horrible vnthankefulnesse for them by repining grumbling and discontent I am sure by not reioycing as we ought in euery good thing which the Lord our God hath giuen vnto vs and by not improouing the extraordinarinesse of His mercies to our more glorious seruice of Him and more humbly and precisely walking before Him Giue me leaue therefore in short to reuiue and refresh your memories with representation of some generall heads onely of those innumerable speciall fauours with which Gods mercifull hand hath crowned this Kingdome for the stirring vp and enlarging our hearts to the entertainment and exercise of this most necessarie and most neglected dutie of praising Iehoua And here wee of this Nation may a great deale more iustly and rightly say then the French Chronicler in the Preface to his Story That we haue liued in a time of Miracles our Posteritie will hardly beleeue the wonders done in our dayes Was it not a miraculous mercy that such a glorious noone tide of the Gospell as wee haue enioyed all our life long should spring out of the darkest mid-night of damned Popery which vnhappily seized vpon the face of this Kingdome in the time of Queene Marie especially watched extraordinarily and most strongly guarded by all the policie of hell and power of the Pepe that the blood of those blessed Martyrs should bring forth since such a world of Gods sincere worship and so many thousands of gracious Soules who are alreadie crowned with euerlasting blisse That Queene Elizabeth that matchlesse Princesse and Pearle of the World should in those fierie times bee preserued in safetie as a sweete harmelesse Lambe amidst so many mercilesse Romish Wolues who implacably thirsted for her precious life Was it not a wonder that the sacred hand of that selfe-same crowned blessed Lady next vnder Gods Almightie One should in despite of all the Powers of Darknesse and Popish rage raise our true Religion as it were by miracle from the dead a thing which the World so little hoped to see that euen they which beheld it done scarcely beleeued their owne senses at the first beholding That afterward the Siluer line of her much-honoured life should be hid in the endless maze of Gods bottomlesse mercies from the fierce assaults of so many Popish Bulls such a prodigious varietie of murdrous complotments against her sacred Person and all those desperate Assasins of Rome who all her life long hunted full greedily after her Virgin blood And was not our deliuerance in Eightie eight a Miracle when the Sea fought for vs and her proud waues enlarged themselues to swallow vp quick their prouder burden There was a day as many of vs may remember which the Papists called The long-lookt-for Day the Day which should pay for all They meant the Day when Queene Elizabeth should die About which their false prophets were so confident and hopefull that they expected vpon the blood of that Day to haue built their Idolatrous Babel againe For they would needs foretell that it would bee a bloody Day By the vncertaintie of the next Heire said one of them in the late Queenes dayes our Countrie is in the most dreadfull and desperate case in the greatest miserie and most dangerous termes that euer it was since or before the Conquest and farre worse then any Countrie of Christendome by the certainty of most bloody ciuil and forren warres all our wealth and felicitie whatsoeuer depending vpon a few vncertaine dayes of Queene Elizabeths life Clouds of blood saith another hang in the Aire which at the death of Queene Elizabeth will dissolue and raine downe vpon England which then is expected as a prey to the ambition of neighbour-Nations I am sure the false prophet spake to this sense And what comes of all this when the Day came God euen wrought a miracle of mercy for the comfort of this Kingdome and further confusion of such tellers and foretellers of lyes For the Sunne set and no night followed the same mercifull hand at the same time crowned Queene Elizabeth with immortall glory and set the earthly Crowne of this Kingdome vpon King Iames his head without sheading so much as one drop of blood And was it not a miraculous mercy to haue such a King after such a Queene who hath alreadie next vnder that mighty God by whom Kings reigne continued the Gospell vnto vs and preserued vs from the destroying Sword now full twenty yeeres And what do you thinke were twenty yeeres Peace and the enioyment of the Gospell worth were it to be bought Who hath ennobled this Kingdome for euer by his excellent Writings in the cause of Religion against Antichrist which would haue created a great deale of honour to a priuate man minding nothing else How illustrious then doe they make our King The child vnborne will blesse King Iames for his premonition to all the Princes and free States of Christendome and that Royall Remonstrance against the rotten and pestilent Oration of the French Cardinal to the vtter and triumphant ouerthrow of it penned in that stile that none can possibly reach but a learned King his Golden pen hath giuen such a blow to that beast of Rome that hee will neuer be able to stand vpon his foure legs againe hee hath shot out of his Royall bow such keene arrowes taken out of the quiuer of Gods Booke which will hang in the sides of that skarlet Whore and make her laâ—…e as long as she liues Did hee not seale vs an Instrument of his hand as it were to testifie his inuincible cleauing to the Truth which he hath so excellently and vnanswerably defended with his Pen the same day hee gaue the Noble Princesse a second Elizabeth to the Palatine Hath he not most happily and seasonably stopped the hasty torrent of the Arminian Sect the domineering rage of bloody
pretence and purpose to sollicit them for saluation and preuaile with them about the best things and yet before thou be aware bee plunged and insnared in the woonted vnwarrantable delights of good fellowship pleasant passages of wit idle and impertinent follies and familiarities which thou wast accustomed to exchange and enioy with them in thy vnregenerate time So that in stead of the discharge of a Christian duty thou mayest both hurt thy selfe and harden them 3. As Physicians of the body arme and animate themselues with strong repercussiues preseruatiues and counterpoysons when they visit contagious and pestilentiall patients so in such cases be thou sure to furnish and fortifie thy selfe before-hand with prayer meditation the sword of the Spirit store of perswasiue matter strength of reasons and vnshaken resolution to repell and beate backe all noysome insinuations of spirituall infection 3. Into Christian company which thou shouldest prize thine only Paradise and Heauen vpon Earth the very flowre and festiuall of all thy refreshing time in this vale of teares euer bring 1. A cheerefull and lightsome heart Me-thinks though thou shouldest come amongst the Saints with a sad heart and something ouer-cast with mists and clouds of heauinesse and discomfort yet the presence and faces of those whom hereafter thou shalt meet in Heauen and there with incomparable ioy behold for euer clothed and shining with eminencie and eternitie of glory should disperse and dispell them all and infuse comfortable beames of heauenly lightsomnesse and spirituall mirth I know them who being cast sometimes full sore against their wils amongst profane company are quite out of their element all the while strucke dead in the place as they say as solitary as in the silentest Desart But let them come amongst Christians and they are quite other men as full of lightsomnes and life as full of heart and Heauen as if they had the one foot in the Porch of Paradise already-Sadnesse is not seasonable where such precepts as these haue place Be glad in the Lord. and reioyce yee righteous and shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart 2. A fruitfull heart full as the Moone with gracious matter to vphold edifying conference and sanctified talke Being forward and free without any hurtfull bashfulnesse or vaine-glorious aime both to communicate to others the hidden treasures of heauenly knowledge which thou hast happily digged out of the precious quarry as it were of the great mystery of Grace also by moouing of questions and ministring occasion mutually to draw from them with an holy greedinesse the waters of life for a reciprocall refreshing and quickning of the deadnesse and vnheauenlinesse of thine owne heart And here it will bee a profitable wisedome to take notice of and obserue each others singularitie of gifts and seuerall endowments and thereafter with wise insinuations to prouoke and presse them to powre out themselues in those things wherein they haue best experience and most excellency Some are more dexterous and skilfull in discussing controuersed points others in resoluing cases of conscience some in discouering the Deuils depths and treading the Maze of his manifold temptations others in comforting afflicted spirits and speaking to the heart of mourners in Zion c. I am perswaded many times many worthy discourses lie buried in the brests of vnderstanding men by reason of the finfull silence I think I may say so and barrennesse of those about them And therefore Christians ought to be more forth-putting actiue and fruitfull this way 3. An humble heart ready and reioycing to exchange and enioy common comforts soule-secrets heauenly consultations with the poorest and most neglected Christian. If thou bee haunted with the white Deuill of spirituall pride it is likely thou wilt bee either too prodigall and profuse and so ingrosse all the talke which is sometimes incident to new conuerts or counterfeits or else too reserued and curious and so say no more then may serue to breed an applause and admiration of thy worth which is a very filthy and fearefull fault There is no depth of knowledge no height of zeale no measure of Grace but may be further inlarged more inflamed blessedly encreased by conference with the poorest faithfull Christian See Rom. 1. 12. and 15. 24. how Paul that great learned and diuinely inspired Doctor of the Gentiles stood affected in this point V. But aboue all bee most busie with thy heart for it is the roote that either empoysons or ensweetens all the rest that is the fountaine which causes all the streames of thy desires purposes affections speeches and the whole current of thy conuersation to runne either muddy or cleere Ply therefore amongst others these three points of speciall and precious consequence for the present purpose with all seriousnesse and zeale 1. Captiuation and conformitie of the thoughts and imaginations of thy heart to the soueraignty and rules of grace If thy change in words actions and all outward carriage were Angelicall yet if thy thoughts were the same and vnsanctified still thou wert still a limbe of Satan Purity in the inward parts is the most sound and vndeceiuing euidence of our portion and interest in the power and purity of Christs sauing Passion and sanctifying Blood-shed See Ier. 4. 14. Isa. 55. 7. Now that thou mayest the better conquer and keepe the thoughts of thy heart in subiection and obedience vnto Christ be perswaded and acknowledge 1. The pestilencie of that wicked Prouerbe Thoughts are free It is true the immediate inuisible productions and proiects of the heart lie not within the walke of humane Iustice neither are liable to the censure of earthly Courts and Consistories But there is an All-seeing and Omniscient Eye in Heauen to which the blackest Mid-night is as the brightest Noone-tide Psal. 139. 12. which sees our secretest thoughts afarre off ver 2. and sets them in the light of his countenance Psal. 90. 8. Hence it is that many humble soules sensible of their secret prouoking the glory of Gods pure Eye are more grieued setting aside the ill of example and scandall ordinary attendants vpon open and visible miscarriages for the rebelliousnesse of their thoughts then the exorbitancie of their actions For the sting of these is something eased and lessened as they thinke by the absence of Hypocrisie and because the world sees the worst But concerning the other it cuts them to the very heart that they are not as well able to preserue their inward parts in puritie toward the All-searching Eye of that God who stretched foorth the heauens and laid the foundations of the earth as their words and actions in plausiblenesse towards man who shall die and the sonne of man which shall be made as grasse Whereas then the naturall man is woont to let his heart runne riot and at randome into a world of idle imaginations without remorse or restraint doe thou make thy sanctification sure vnto thy selfe by this infallible signe That thou sufferst the consideration of Gods
resembles the highest Region of the aire where there is no ouer-shadowing clouds nor tempestuous thunders but perpetuall fairenesse serenity and peace I haue the longer insisted vpon these morall instructions purposely to make Christians ashamed who besides the honest extractions of purerreason haue also rules of Religion heauenly remedies and yet are too often ouertaken with this mentall drunkennesse as some call it For you must know that all this while I meane hasty vniust and exorbitant Anger which misses in measure Obiect end season ablenesse or other circumstances For there is a sinlesse and holy Anger and therefore saith Paul Ephes. 4. 26. Be yee angry and sinne not Vpon the describing and limiting of which it is neither incident nor seasonable for me at this time to insist Now then in a second place for religious directions and more immediately drawne from diuine learning consider 1. That all thy wrongs and vnworthy vsages all thy iniuries and indignities crosses and vncomfortable accidents that shall euer any way befall thee are fore-appointed ordered and disposed by Gods wise and mercifull prouidence and that to thy spirituall and euerlasting good This very one thought that God is euer the principal Agent kept fresh and on foote in thy mind will be of soueraigne power to coole and beate backe any intemperate heate which might either rise in thine heart or rage in thy tongue against his instruments and cause thee many times when thou art chaâ—…ing ripe and ready to raue to lay thy hand vpon thy mouth and say vnto God sweetly with Dauid Psal. 39. 9. I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it And not like a child to beate the place that hurt it but rather to walke more heedfully or a foolish Curre to snarle and snatch at the stone neuer looking after the thrower or a mad man to bite the sword that sticks in his flesh but rather to pull it out softly and get to the Surgeon There was matter and malice enough in the mouth of Shemei to haue made Dauids royall heart naturally to rise with implacable indignation against that dead dogge vnkindnesse and crueltie enough in the hearts of Iosephs brethren to haue made him for euer vnreconcileable wrong and villany enough in the carriage of the Caldeans to haue set Iob on fire with rage and reuenge against them But these holy men by practise of the present point and from the strength of this consideration which I now commend for the restraint of choler procured a great deale of sweete peace and patience to their owne hearts pleasednesse and acceptation with God admiration and example to posteritie For they glanced by the meanes and the men and fastened their eyes vpon their Maker and the first Moouer Ioseph lookt beyond his Brethrens barbarous dealing with him and said The Lord sent me before you Iob beyond the Caldeans lawlesse outrages and said The Lord hath taken away Dauid beyond Shemeis dogged rancour and said The Lord hath bidden him Iesus Christ Himselfe blessed for euer looked beyond the Pharises Priests Iewes Iudas and the Souldiers to his Fathers Cup Ioh. 18. 11. This Cup which my Father hath giuen me shall I not drinke when he commanded Peter to sheathe his sword This Christian counsell passeth that which was giuen to Augustus when the obiects and occasions of choler are in thine eye or eare when thou art any wayes wronged belyed rayled vpon spurned at or trampled vpon by the feete of honoured insolency or dunghill malice before thou inwardly fret or break out into any impatient behauiour say first seriously and feelingly in thine owne heart This is from God for my good or with old Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1. Sam. 3. 18. And let it for euer snaffle nay sweetly compose the hastinesse and sowrenesse of thy corrupt nature in case of choler â—… Let the wonderfull patience of that mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth who is able with one word to cast all the creatures in the World into Hell nay euen with the breath of his mouth to turne Hell and Heauen and Earth and all things into nothing I say let his patience against the infinite intolerable and endlesse prouocations of his owne most obliged creatures who like so many desperate traitours liue and lye continually in open rebellion against so great a Maiestie bee a Patterne and Precedent vnto thee a silly worme dust and ashes earth or any thing that is naught of proportionable forbearance if there could be any proportion betweene infinite and finite towards thy fellow-creatures How many blacke and blasphemous mouthes are vncessantly open against his blessed Maiesty With what damned oathes doe they teare and re-crucifie the precious Body of his glorious Sonne which sits at his owne right hand With what lyes and slanders doe they reuile his Ambassadours and vilifie his Chosen How many gracelesse wretches doe wilfully and obstinately prophane his Sabbaths pollute his Sacraments and turne their backes vpon his Word How many doe dayly turne themselues into beasts by their swinish drunkennesse to the great reproch of mankinde and dishonour of their reasonable nature How many inclosing Nimrods and cruell Landlords doe grind the faces of the poore Nay plucke off their skins teare their flesh breake their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot and eate the flesh of Gods people In a word How many incarnate Deuils doe march vp and downe the earth with hearts and hands as full as Hell with all manner of mischiefe lewdnesse and rebellion So many and with such extreme insufferable audaciousnesse and impudency that as a learned Diuine speakes If but any tender-hearted man should sit but one houre in the Throne of God Almighty if it be fit so to suppose and look downe vpon the earth as God doth continually see what abominations are done in that houre he would vndoubtedly in the next set all the World on fire and not suffer his wrath to be pacified or the fire to be quenched And yet for all this our gracious God in the meane time though hee be armed with his owne vnresistable omnipotencie and a thousand Charets in the Whirlewinde though he haue euer in a readinesse all the Angels in Heauen all the Diuels in Hell all the Creatures in the World nay the very hands and consciences of prophane wretches and all that prouoke the eyes of his Glory with their pollutions to be the instruments and executioners of his iust wrath vpon their sinne yet I say our gracious God opposes his infinite patience against all these restlesse outragious prouocations Hee sweetly and fairely tempers and moderates in the meane time his most iust causefull indignation to see if the bountifulnesse of his forbearance long-suffering will leade them to repentance Be thou then for euer ashamed to take on for euery trifle to breake patience vpon euery triuiall prouocation to turne Lyon in thine owne house and
the most worthy Saints are wofully haunted with too many distractions and violent intrusion of idle vaine and impertinent thoughts euen in holy duties religious exercises and solemne vse of the ordinances which without extraordinarie watchfulnesse and wrastling on their parts would vtterly bereaue and robbe them of all the sweetnesse power and profit of those blessed meanes and by little and little quite transforme them into forme and perfunctorinesse If in the best then and heauenliest businesses the vanity of our owne mindes and malice of the Deuill presse vpon vs with such importunitie and restlesse assaults with what furious and impetuous incursions and vastations of conscience are they like to oppresse vs in our idle houres ill spent time and pursuit of pleasures Consideration whereof me thinkes should cause Christians who alone are truely sensible of the interruption and discontinuance of their sweet communion and societie with Christ and smart many times for the estrangement of their thoughts and affections from God onely to haue recourse to recreations in case of true neede for necessitie I say and seasonably euen as they vse physicke so may they expect Gods gracious protection from the hurtfull preuailing of those sensuall distempers and licentious ranging of their thoughts which are wont to enrage and empoyson the mindes and affections of carnall men all the while and to make account so often as they are haled by the cunning ensnarement of old companions the tyrannie of former custome or vnmortified yeeldingnesse of their owne deceitfull hearts to immoderation and excesse in this kinde so often to expose their hearts by Gods iust permission as a prey to temptation and vanitie Whereby they may bee in continuall danger either by little and little to bee drawne backe and drowned againe in the froth and fooleries of their disauowed pleasures which were an horrible thing or else at least to bring vpon themselues from time to time as they transgresse in this kinde much vnnecessarie discomfort and dissettlednesse in their Christian course dis-rellish in Religious exercises deadnesse of heart disacquaintance with heauenly comforts losse of that dearest Thing and earthly Paradise peace of Conscience which perhaps they shall hardly with much adoe recouer a long time after 6. Sixthly consider Chrysostomes precisenesse against wasting time this way The present time saith he is not for melting into 〈◊〉 but for lamentation and mourning And yet doest thou vainely mis-spend it in merry conceits The Deuill gnasheth the teeth roares and foames and flashes out fire against thy saluation and doest thou sit still and Iouially iest it out Doe wee play and sport our selues Beloued Wilt thou learne the conuersation of the Saints Heare what Paul saies Act. 20. 31. By the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares 2. Cor. 2. 4. Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote vnto you with many teares 2. Cor. 11. 29. Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not 2. Cor. 5. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle doe groane being burdened And the Apostle desiring that I may so speake euery day to depart this life Doest thou laugh and play Our time here is a time of warre of fight of watch and ward of harnessing of standing in the face and fury of the enemy and doest thou demeane thy selfe like a dauncer Doest thou not see the faces of Souldiers in the fight how sad they are how contracted how terrible with frownes how full of horrour Doest thou not behold the austore piercing intention of their eyes an extraordinarie excitation of heart leaping and panting in their brests c. His meaning imports thus much Doth an ordinarie Souldier in the field against a mortal man earthly enemy recollect and vnite all the spirits and powers of body and soule with all efficacie and earnestnesse for the encounter And shall a Christian Souldier that wrastles not against flesh and blood but against Principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places who is euery moment furiously assaulted and hunted euen like a Partridge in the Mountaines by the deuils open rage the ambushment of the World and the endlesse treacheries of his owne false heart trifle away his time and turne aside to toyes 4. No incrochers vpon heauenly comforts no diminishers of our delight in God no deuourers of spirituall ioy For this is a very deare and diuine thing to bee prized and preserued as a sweet and celestiall Iewell far more worth then heauen and earth which the world can neither giue nor take from vs neither must any stranger meddle with it Wee may take an estimate of its excellency by casting our eyes vpon 1. The intolerable bitternesse of the contrary I meane spirituall horrour which we see sometimes by wofull experience doth enrage the guilty consciences of some forlorne wretches with such restlesse furies and vnutterable anguish that at length extremest I know not whether madnesse or cruelty they lay violent and villanous hands vpon themselues In which case such an hell vpon earth is horrour of conscience they care not a button for the sweetnesse of life the rufull cries of their owne deare children the heauy lookes of their yoke-fellowes the abhorred infamy they bring vpon their owne names families kindred buriall posteritie Oh how they spurne at with a vile disdainefull contempt Pleasures Riches Honours Crownes Kingdomes Worlds of gold any thing euery thing as miserable comforters Nay it is so stinging that they will rather venture vpon that other Hell to which they are posting in a Coffin of blood a thousand thousand times more horrible then endure it any longer If sence then of diuine indignation taking secret vengeance vpon the guilty conscience of an impenitent Rebell puts him as it were into hellish flames aboue ground what an heauen vpon earth is a sweet feeling of Gods reconciled face and his euerlasting mercies through Christ sealed and set on by the holy Ghost and testimonie of a good conscience And how deliciously doth an humble soule so honoured with a foretaste and first-fruits as it were of eternall ioyes graspe the Lord Iesus in his ordinances and blisfully sunne it selfe in the loue and light of His countenance 2. The practise of the prophane in their insatiable restlesse pursuite of false ioyes and painefull pleasures which at best are but as crackling of thornes vnder a pot and flashes of lightning before euerlasting fire They hunt after them euen into hell and light a candle at the Deuill for lightsoâ—…nesse of heart by haunting Ale-houses Tauerneâ—… Brothel-houses Play-houses Conuenticles of good-fellowship sinfull and vnseasonable sports a thousand kinds of vanities and fooleries which are nothing but the Deuils Wakes and reuellings of Hell And all this little poore carnall mirth is purchased many times with much shame losse misery beggery rottennesse of body discredit damnation At what an high
through his pouertie might bee rich Shall the onely deare innocent Sonne of the All-powerfull and euer-blessed Lord and King of heauen and earth dis inrich as it were and disrobe his heauenly Highnesse of that Royaltie and Maiestie aboue and become so poore that whereas the Foxes haue holes and the birds of the ayre haue nests yet Hee not where to lay his head that through his pouerty and powring out his hearts blood hee might crowne vs with the inestimable riches of heauenly glory with ioyes and pleasures more then the starres of the firmament euen for euer and euer and shall not we Wormes and wretches most vnworthy the least bit of bread we put into our mouthes part with our superfluities sometimes both in respect of the necessity of nature and exigencie of estate as the Schoolemen speake to relieue the fainting soule of him for whom Christ died and which he would take as done vnto himselfe Matth. 25. 40. were it but a cup of cold water onely Mar. 9. 41. Monstrous vnthankfull cruelty mercilesnesse meriting without Gods singular mercy and turning mercifull our selues the fiercest flame in the dungeon of fire and brimstone 4. The last and euerlasting doome at that great and dreadfull Day must passe vpon vs according to our carriage in this kinde Then shall there be a seuere and sincere search and enquirie made after workes as the signes euidences and outward demonstrations of faith and the roote of grace in the heart or of vnbeliefe and rottennesse at the heart-roote and consequently as arguments of a righteous doome passed vpon the Sheepe and Goates That glorious sentence of absolution Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world which sounds out nothing but pleasures ioyes delights glories beauties felicities crownes kingdomes Angelicall entertainments beatificall-visions spirituall rauishments highest perfections vnutterable exultations of spirit sweetest varieties eternities shall be pronounced vpon the godly according to the effects and fruits of their faith to teach vs in the meane time what faith to trust vnto and rest vpon for iustification euen that which works by loue and at that day to let all the world see Angels men and deuils that the kingdome of Heauen is giuen onely to true-hearted Nathaneels honest Professours working beleeuers Now in the text for this purpose there is singled out with special choice an eminent Synechdochicall instance in one of the worthiest effects of faith and noblest fruit of grace euen the point I now presse and labour to perswade an open-hearted reall fruitfull bounty and loue to Gods people and distressed members of Christ Iesus for Christs and their goodnesse sake But that other doome of damnation Depart from me you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels which breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone stings and horrours woe and alasse flames of wrath and the Worme that neuer dyeth trembling and gnashing of teeth seas of vengeance torments without end and past imagination shall passe vpon the reprobates for omission and neglect of this noble dutie For mercilesnesse to the poore members of Christ vnkindnesse to Christians hard-heartednesse towards the houshold of faith is one of the ranckest bitterest weeds which growes out of a gracelesse heart a cleare pregnant euidence that all was naught and a notable remembrancer as it were to that high and euerlasting Iudge that his blessed Spirit neuer dwelt there How deeply then doth it concerne euery Christian to practise and ply vpon all opportunities that most gainefull art of almes-giuing which shall be so highly honoured at that great Day before that glorious vniuersall presence when euery mercilesse man shall cry to that Rocke this mountaine to fall vpon him and hide him from the wrath of that iust God which will flame vnquenchably and euerlastingly against all those who in this life haue shut vp their bowels of pitty against His poore and been dogged towards the dearely beloued of his Soule I know Bellarmine labours to empoyson this last passage with his false glosse and Popish sophistry The causall coniunction For Matth. 25. 35. as hee there cauils intimates and implyes workes meritoriousnesse I say no. For is there a Note of consequence and order not of the cause or any meritorious causality The causall coniunction in Grammar doth indeed serue to shew the reason of a former sentence but it doth not necessarily shew a reason from the cause of a thing but many times also from the effect and other kind of arguments And Logick also reacheth that there be diuers kinds of causes principall and lesse principall c. Bellarmine replyes Doth not Christ there speake in the same manner of the rewards of the godly and of the punishments of the wicked But no man can say that in these words Goe ye cursed c. that the cause is not rendred but onely the order and consequence implyed For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. I answer By the like fallacy also doe the Popish Impostors pleade for Iustification by Workes Euill workes damne therefore good workes saue Most falsely as appeares by that rule in the Topicks The consequence is of no validitie where there is not a perfect contrarietie Now betweene good and euill workes there is no perfect contrarietie for euill workes are perfectly euill against the Law of God but good workes are not perfectly good according to the Law of God By the same reason neither doth it follow Eternall death is the wages of sinne therefore eternall life is the wages of good workes 5. If thou lay out to the poore cheerefully seasonably liberally and yet but according to thy abilitie thou shalt become which besides the onely course of growing comfortably rich is also a Crowne of infinite honour Creditor euen to thy Creator Hee that hath pitie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and that which he hath giuen will he pay him againe Prou. 19. 17. And in the meane time for repayment in due time thou hast securitie infinitely aboue all exception a Bill vnder his owne hand euen his owne blessed Booke wherein to faile were to forfeit his Deity if I may so speake which is prodigious blasphemie to imagine Now what a keene spurre and inflaming motiue is this to bee mercifull that wee shall make God himselfe our Debter the euer springing Fountaine of Blisse and Lord of all goodnesse who doth all things like himselfe omnipotently bountifully aboue all expectation as becomes the mighty Soueraigne of Heauen and Earth If he worke he makes a world If he be angry he drownes the whole face of the Earth If he loue the hearts-blood of his dearest Sonne is not too deare If he stand vpon his peoples fide he makes the Sunne to stand still and the Starres to fight If he repay hee giues his owne All-sufficient Selfe with the ouerflowing torrents
canst euer possibly harme thine opposite 5. A great deale of spirituall good doth by accident accrue to the Christian by the malice of his enemies The raging and rayling enemies of Gods people serue as scullions to scowre the Lords Vessels of Honour as Shepheards Dogs to hunt Christs Sheepe into order and to purer pastures 1. Their narrow watching ouer his wayes to take him tripping and prying into all passages of his life vpon purpose to disgrace his profession should make him walk more precisely and to hold a continuall counter-watch ouer all his courses that hee giue no iust cause of offence or any true matter of cauill or calumniation Whence it is that Dauid prayeth Psa. 27. 11. Leade me in a plaine path because of mine enemies or those which obserue mee 2. Their hitting him in the teeth with the reproch of his former sinnes should serue as a remembrancer vnto him to reuise and renew more effectually and feelingly the great worke of his first repentance and to open afresh a fountaine of penitent teares or at least of new griefe hee can grieue no more for those particular sinnes which any dogged Shimei or slanderous Doeg brings into his mind vpon such occasion For it is the woont of ignorant enemies to Gods holy wayes to charge vpon his children euen with much bitternesse and insultation the faults and follies of their vnregenerate time Though God Almighty hath buried them for euer in his mercy yet they will neuer suffer them to dye out of their malice Though the blood of Christ hath couered them euerlastingly from the sight of God and search of Satan yet their base and dunghill spite will euer and anon rake into them againe to their disgrace Thus were Austin and Beza two great Lights of the Church in their times and so are many other moderne Worthies and Champions of Christ dayly dealt with In which case learned Austin sweetly replyed to the Donatists vpbraiding him in such an vnworthy fashion with the impiety and impuritie of his former life Looke said he how much they blame my fault so much I commend and praise my Physicion And blessed Beza to a fellow obiecting vnto him his youthfull Poems This man vexeth himselfe because Christ hath vouchsafed mee his Grace And King Dauid with whom I should haue begun when Shimei rayled vpon him and called him murtherer Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him And yet besides this I doubt not but vpon these occasions Dauids heart bled afresh for his bloody sinne Augustines for his former heresie and sensualitie Bezaes for the vanitie of his youth 3. Their blazing abroad some speciall visible scandalous infirmitie of his and yet to which he is haled and as it were hurried by the impetuousnesse of some sudden passion or violent temptation and which is one of his greatest griefes and much matter of mourning in secret should cause him to strengthen his watch and improoue all his spirituall valour against the assaults and insinuations of it 4. Their malicious fathering vpon him by false reports those faults he yet neuer fell into and yet to which hee may bee naturally much inclinable should furnish him with more then ordinarie care and courage wisdome and watchfulnesse to preuent the scandall of any such guiltinesse 5. Their slanderous laying to his charge the things hee neuer did nor euer like to doe which is also an hellish humour and deuilish tricke of prophanenesse against profession should leade him to a strict enquirie into his heart and life to find out some other sinne of which vpon that occasion God would haue him take notice and mortifie It may be thou art falsely charged with hypocrisie looke that thou bee not earthly-minded with pride looke that thou be not passionate with worldlinesse looke that thou be not luke-warme c. Thus haue I somewhat inlightned and insisted longer vpon this point purposely to stirre vp and quicken the spirits of all Gods people to a fruitfull constant exercise of Christian charitie and bounty towards their poore brethren to bee aswell plentifull in workes of mercy as precise in duties of pietie God loues mercy aswell as sacrifice nay in some cases hee preferres the other before this to be so much more mindfull and apprehensiue of all opportunities for a sincere discharge of this much vrged and honoured duty as the wicked are malicious and Pharises forward to charge vpon them the contrarie For you know that carnall men are extremely greedy of casting aspersions and disgraces vpon the innocencie of religious Professours No excellencie of parts singularitie of worth eminencie of zeale height of holinesse integritie and puritie of life can possibly priuiledge the best man that euer breathed the life of grace in the bosome of the Church from the scourge of tongues The only Worthies vpon earth of whom the world was not worthy were vexed with cruell mockings Paul that precious Pillar of Gods Church was called A pestilent fellow nay Christ Iesus himselfe in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily was said to haue a Deuill And no marueile though they deale thus with his Children that daily blaspheme the mighty Lord of heauen and earth blessed for euer Daily experience tracts them in fiue pestilent passages this way It is their woont with all their cunning and vpon all occasions 1. To lessen disgrace and disparage all they can the graces worth and good parts of good men 2. To report true things maliciously and vpon purpose to bring them into hatred and disestimation so Doeg dealt with Dauid 3. To charge vpon them with much credulity and confidence things they neuer did neuer knew neuer thought vpon or dreamed vpon 4. With whorish foreheads and very impudencie of hell to fasten vpon them by slanderous imputation those sinnes and vices in the contrary graces and vertues whereof they are many times very eminent and remarkable Elijah was slandered to be a troubler of the State whereas in truth hee was the strongest Pillar of the kingdome the very chariots and horsemen of Israel 5. Nay and which is yet more to father vpon them those faults wherein themselues hatefull hypocrites are grosly and notoriously guilty Tertullus tels Felix that Paul was a very plague for so is the Originall whereas not onely Paul was one of the best men vpon earth but also himselfe a cursed cutthroate of all goodnesse and furious opposite to the glorious Gospell His lewd Mistresse charged Ioseph with an assault vpon her chastitie whereas not onely he was most free that way but also her selfe notoriously naught Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel whereas not only that blessed Prophet was the very strength of that State but also himselfe by his abominable couetous Idolatrous villanies brought confusion and misery vpon the whole kingdome Now out of this cunning malicious humour carnall men lye at the catch and are most eager to apprehend any shadow of
originall corruption and by reason of his vnauoideable frailties and imperfections but yet comely as the curtaines of Salomon by the glory of his new creation and gracious beames that shine vpon his soule from the face of Christ. 3. The further the Moone is remoued from the Sunne the fairer she is and fuller of light The more an humble soule vpon sight of that holy Maiestie and purest eye ten thousand times brighter then the Sun which cannot look on iniquitie doth retire with lowliest thoughts into himselfe to abhorre himselfe in dust and ashes as most vile and farre worthier to be throwne into the lowest dungeon of the kingdome of darknesse then to bee honoured with the loue and light of his countenance is more beautifull and amiable in the eyes of God Fure as the Sunne The Moone shadowes out inherent fairenesse the Sunne resembles and represents our imputed puritie So that this Royall Robe the Sunne of righteousnesse the vnspotted Iustice of Iesus Christ doth glorifie the soule 1. With an entire vnstained beautie our inherent holinesse hath some spots and staines of imperfection like the Moone but that imputed for our iustification is much more spotlesse and orient then the Sunne 2 Vniuersally Wee are washed as it were from top to toe in the blood of Christ and couered wholly with his perfect righteousnesse 3. Constantly The exercise of spirituall graces and sence of inward comfort may sometimes ebbe and waâ—…e for a time but the Robe of Christs Royall Iustice once put on by the hand of Faith is sure and the same for euer Terrible as an armie with banners Besides this rich and royall attire all this abundance of spirituall fairenesse and beauty wee are to put on also leâ—…t hellish Harpies that I may so speake snatch away our delicious and diuine dainties that glistering Armour thicke seâ—… with heauenly Pearles described Ephes. 6. The glorious splendour whereof is able to dazle the deuils eyes to daunt his courage and driue him out of the field For hee well knowes it to bee tryed and of proofe worne by our Captaine Christ Iesus who foild him by the sword of the Spirit in that great combate in the Wildernesse Mat. 4. And it is that by which the weakest Christians shall shortly by the blessing of the God of Peace bruise Satan vnder their feet The summe is The heauenly attire of a sanctified soule is farre fairer and more amiable then the exquisite concurrence of all earthly beauties and visible glory Were the light of all the starres aboue collected into Sunnes which Astronomers say would make many and added vnto that great bright Body the Prince of all the lampes in heauen nay if besides there were an accession of all the orient splendour of all the Pearles and Iewels of all the Crystall and glistering things in this lower world and all compacted into one beautifull body it would be but as a lumpe of darknesse to the glory and fairenesse of a sanctified soule For the beauty and amiablenesse of an holy soule inflames the heart and affections of the Sonne of God with an extraordinarie pang of spirituall feruent loue Cant. 4. 9. whereas not all the glory of the world though represented to his eye with the fairest lustre and in the most refined forme could moue him euer a whit Matth 4. 8 9 10. Plato was wont to say if morall vertues could be seene with the outward eye they would stirre vp in the heart extraordinary flames of admiration and loue what vnspeakeable rauishments then would Christian graces enkindle were they visible to the carnall eyes They would be able to make Persecutors Professors to turne euen Drunkards into Puritans as they call them the most sensuall Epicure into a mortified Saint For the second Let thy spirituall appetite seed merrily vpon that sweetest place Isa. 25 6. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of Hosts c. Heere is prouided as wee may see a magnificent and glorious feast composed all of marrow and fatnesse of most refined and purified wines which shadow vnto vs spirituall delicacies those golden dainties digd out of the rich myne of the mysterie of Christ by the hand of Faith in the Word Sacraments Prayer Communion of Saints solemne humiliations sweet Soliloquies solitary conferences with our God feeling forethought of infinite ioyes thorow eternity c. Euery circumstance breathes out nothing but sweetnesse In this mountaine It is dressed in Mount Zion The perfection of beautie The ioy of the whole earth The glory of all Lands which represents vnto vs by way of shadow and type the ouerflowing glory of the Christian Church the very Heauen of all humane societies our onely Sunne in this inferiour world which though so much maligned yet were it remooued there would bee a little hell vpon earth and nothing left but a darke Midnight of villany and horror for incarnate Deuils to domineere in A feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Hereby is intimated the matter of the Feast and Royall prouision amplified with extraordinary Emphasis of words elegancy of phrase and iteration of the same sence with variety of expression which also argues its excellency It is not enough to haue said of fat things but there is added of fat things full of marrow and so proportionably of the wines to intimate the most exquisite refined flower of all delicacies and dainties The marrow of the fatnesse as if a man should say the spirit of the quintessence the Diamond of the Ring the sparkle of the Diamond c. And yet all this comes infinitely short of what the holy Ghost would shadow and shew vnto vs by the most sumptuous materials of earthly Feasts But aboue all that which makes the Feast most matchlesse is the Feast-maker Iehouah is the founder and furnisher of it The maker of heauen and earth makes it The Poets describing men of most ambitious appetites after choisest dainties say that they rob all the Elements to please their palates The Master of this Feast the euer-blessed Iehoua tells vs of his store and treasuries this way Psal. 50. 10 11. Euery beast of the 〈◊〉 is mine and the cattell vpon a thousand hills I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beasts of the field are mine But all these being but onely matter of corporall food are yet nothing to the spirituall sweetenesse of this heauenly Banqueâ—… The secret and sacred delight of those diuine dainties intended here by the holy Ghost being vnspeakable and glorious doth infinitely transcend the possibility of all creatures to contribute and the capacity of the largest naturall vnderstanding to conceiue So must be construed as a worthy Diuine sayes truly that Text 1 Cor. 2. Not of the ioyes of heauen which heere the spirituall man himselfe cannot tell what they shall bee but of the Gospels ioy of the Wine and
contempt all the vile raylings and contradictions of Satans Reuellers and Popish insolencie For vainely to affect the acclamations and applause of worthlesse men or to bee deiected vnmanlily with their vniust accusations and anger are both equally ignoble and most vnworthy a man of Honour and vertuous resolution Yours shall bee the Crowne and comfort when all Popery and prophanenesse shall lye buried in the dust and dungeon of Hell In a word the thirstie longing of my heart and heartiest prayer shall euer be That you may shine euery day more and more gloriously in all personall sanctitie plantation of godlinesse in your owne Family and where you haue any thing to doe and in an holy zeale for setting forward the affaires of God when and wheresoeuer you haue any power or Calling That when the last period of your mortall abode in this Vale of teares which drawes on apace shall present it selfe You may looke death in the face without dread the graue without feare the Lord Iesus with comfort and Iehouah blessed for euer with euerlasting Ioy. Thus let all the sauing blessings of our most bountifull heauenly Father through Iesus Christ by the Holy Ghost be plentifully and for euer vpon your Honourable Selfe and all your sweet and Noble Children Your Honours most truely in all seruices for the saluation of your Soule ROBERT BOLTON A Table of the generall heads as they lye in order in the Booke SEruants of God singular from others in Sanctitie Puritie c. pag. 2 Gods free grace the 〈◊〉 of all our good p. 9 His wonderfull mercies to vs our horrible ingratitude p. 12 Personall goodnesse brings comfort and blessings vpon posteritie p. 18 True sauing grace neuer lost p. 22 Câ—…tions and meanes of perseuerance 25. 27 Gods seruants must noâ—… sâ—…ue the times p. 28 Euery Christians duty to walke with God p. 29. The reasons 30 To the performing of this there are 1. Generall preparatiues 1. Abandon resoluedly thy beloued sinne See 1. What it is 35 2. What thine is 36 3. Thine owne imposture in exchanging it 38 2. Hatâ—… Hypocrisie 43. Many here guilty meere pretenders to Religion ibid. Particular calling not to be left 48 3. Build thy resolutions on that maiâ—… principle Selfe-dâ—…iall 51 4. Liue the life of faith 〈◊〉 in all 〈◊〉 53 5. Settle in thine heart a right conceit of the substance power and materials of Christianitie 157 6. Fortifie thy Spirit against the canker of worldly-mindednesse 60 7. Be infinitely rauisht with the loue of God The motiues 61 8. Prize inualuably the fruition of Gods pleased face 62 9. Watch ouer thy heart and keepe it in a spirituall temper 63 10. Meditate on thy future blisse 64 1. Obserâ—…e 〈◊〉 duties and our Carriage after them 69 3. Vse well thy solitariâ—… seasons of Meditation 71 4. And thy company 73. Here Danger of propâ—… company 74 How to conuerse with friends vnconuerted 86 5. Continually ply thy heart by 1. Captiuating it to grace 88 2. Watchfull guard ouer it 9â—… 3 〈◊〉 it toward Heauen 9â—… 6. Labour to represse thy raging passions as Anger the 〈◊〉 Morall 95 Religious 100 feare the Vanity tyraâ—…y of it 104 〈◊〉 10â—… 7. Order religiously thy tongue by Christian reproofe A duty 112 Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 114. who dogs 〈◊〉 115 Directioâ—… iâ—… it 118 Extremes fainthearted silence 119 〈◊〉 Zeale 119 Reasons eâ—…orcing it 120 Holding silence 1. From vncharitable 〈◊〉 differenced from the censures of holy men 130 2. Sâ—…dering false accusing 137 3. Vnsauourie communication Hereof Heaâ—…enly discourse 146 8. Manage conscâ—…bly eâ—…ry action thou vndertakest Circumstances requisite iâ—… a comfortable action â—…b particularly 149 1. Thy Recreations See they be not Costly 154 Cruell 155 Wasting of time most precious 157 Incrâ—…aching vpon heauenly comforts 168 Differences betweene ioy spirituall and carnall 170 2. Visitations of great Ones vnsanctified Dangerous 181 Herein cautions 185 3. Naturall actions thus against Gluttony 195 Drunkennesse 200 Excessiue sleepe 205 4. Ciuill affaires Generall Here Doe as thou wouldest be done by 207 Abhorre wrongfull and vnconscionable dealing 210 Desire not delight not immoderately in any earthly thing For This is thy bosome sinnes parent 225 Thou wilt finde thy selfe insatiable vnsatisfiable 219 Particular for Marriage 1. Enter vpon it conueniently 234 2. Vse it comfortably here are duties Common to both 237 Peculiar to the Husband 244 Wife 250 5. Workes of mercy as well Spirituall as 257 Corporall Motiues to almes-deeds 261 Gods children often falsly charged with coâ—…etousnesse worldlinesse occasions of this imputation 276 Earthly mindednesse infinitely vnbecomming an heire of heauen 289 6. Spirituallestate where carefully auoide two extreames 1. Self-admiration proud oâ—…er-prizing of our owne graces 294 Here 1. The mysterie of selfe-deceit opened 299 2. Worke of Grace in the true Conuert 308 3. Sanctified men may be assured of their spirituall safety 317. and how 4. Sound perswasion distinguished from delusion 329 5. Preseruatiues against ouerweening 341 2. Deiected distrustfull vndervaluing of Gods mercies our graces the promises of life Here Against the heauy sad pensiue walking of some Saints 354 Reall causes and motiues of their ioy 359 Conceits and occasions of discomforts remoued 380 FINIS SOME GENERALL DIRECTIONS FOR A COMFORTABLE WALking with God GEN. 6. 8 9. 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9. These are the generations of Noah Noah was a iust man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God IN this dreadfull and dismall story of the old Worlds degeneration and destruction falling away and final ruine here stands in my Text a right orient and illustrious Starre shining full faire with singularitie of heauenly light spiritual goodnes and Gods sincerer seruice in the darkest midnight of Satans vniuersall raigne and amidst the horriblest hell of the strangest confusions idolatrous corruptions cruelties oppressions and lust that euer the earth bore Noah I meane a very precious Man and Preacher of Righteousnesse to whose Family alone the true worship of God was confinde when all the world besides lay drowned in Idolatrie and Paganisme ready to bee swallowed vp into an vniuersall graue of Waters which was already fashioned in the clouds by the angry vnresistable hand of the all-powerfull God who was now so implacably but most iustly prouoked by those rebellious and cruell generations that Hee would not suffer His Spirit to striue any more with them but inexorably resolued to open the windowes or floudgates of heauen giuing extraordinarie strength of influence to the Stars abundance to the Fountaines of the great deepe commanding them to cast out the whole treasure and heape of their waters taking away the retentiue power from the clouds that they might powre downe immeasurably for the burying of all liuing creatures which breathed in the ayre Noah and his family excepted From whence by the way before I breake into my text take this Note Doctr. The seruants of God are men of
was and a by-word amongst the sonnes of Belial as was Iob If the world lowre and looke sowre vpon thee for thy looking towards Heauen and thy good-fellow companions abandon Thee as too precise If thy life be not like other mens and thy waies of another fashion as the Epicures of those times charged the righteous man when the booke of Wisedome was written In a word if thou walkest in the narrow way and be one of that little flock which liues amongst Wolues and therefore must needs bee little so that by all the Leopards Lions and Beares about thee I meane all sorts of vnregenerate men thou art hunted for thy holinesse as a Partridge on the mountaines at least by the poison and persecution of the tongue I say then thou art certainly in the hie way to Heauen 2. If the Saints of God bee men of singularitie in the sence I haue said then away with those base and brainelesse cauils against those who are wise vnto saluation What are you wiser then your fore-fathers then all the Towne then such and such learned men then your owne Parents Are you wiser then your Head may the Husband say c. Nay further to Noah it might haue been said by the wretches of those times Art thou wiser then all the world He out of the height of his heroicall resolution easily endured and digested the affronts and indignities of this kinde from millions of men But take thou these spitefull taunts and binde them in the meane time as a Crowne vnto thee and aduance forward in thine holy singularitie with all sweete content and vndauntednesse of spirit towards that glorious immortall Crowne aboue and let those miserable men whose eyes are hood-winkt by Satan and so blinded with earthly dust that they cannot possibly discerne the inuisible excellencies and true noblenesse of the neglected Saints follow the folly of their worldly wisdome and sway of the greater part to endlesse woe and then giue losers leaue to talke 3. Let euery one who in sinceritie of heart seekes to be saued euer hold it a speciall happinesse and his hiest honor to be singled out from the vniuersall pestilent contagion of common prophanenes and the sinfull courses of the greatest part and to be censured as singular in that respect Neither is this a singular thing that I now suggest but it hath been the portion of the Saints in all ages to be trod vpon with the feete of imperious contempt as a number of odde despised vnderlings whereas indeed they are Gods Iewels and the onely excellent vpon earth Behold saith Isaiah chap. 8. 18. I and the Children whom the Lord hath giuen me and for signes and wonders in Israel I am as a monster vnto many saith Dauid Psalm 71. 7. I am in derision dayly euery one mocketh mee saith Ieremy chap. 20. 7. We are made saith Paul a spectacle vnto the world and to Angels and to men 1. Cor. 4. 9. We are made as the filth of the world the off-scowring of all things v. 13. In Austins time those that made conscience of their waies durst not plunge into the corruptions of the times and play the good fellowes were scornefully pointed at not onely by Pagans but euen by vnreformed Professors Professors at large as we call them as fellowes that affected a precisenesse and purity aboue ordinary and others They would thus insult and scoffingly fly in the face of such an holy one You are a great man sure you are a iust man you are an Elias you are a Peter you come from Heauen c. In after-times if a man were but meerely ciuill ingenuous chaste temperate hee was made a by-word and laughing stocke to those about him They presently said Hee was proud singular beside himselfe Hypocrite c. Thus it was is at this time and will bee to the worlds end that euery stigmaticall Whoremonger beastly Drunkard ignorant Lozell scoffing Ismael and Selfe-guilty wretch will haue a bitter gird a dry blow as they say a scurrill gibe to throw like the Mad-mans fire-brand into the face of Gods people as though they were a company of odde humorous fellowes and a contemptible generation This I say euer was and euer will bee the worlds opinion of the wayes of God The children of darknesse euer harbour such conceits and peremptorily passe such censures vpon the children of light It is strange men are content to be singular in any thing saue in the seruice of God and saluation of their soules They desire and labour too to be singularly rich and the wealthiest in a Town to be singularly proud and in fashion by themselues to be the strongest in the company to powre in strong drinke They would with all their hearts be in honour alone and adored aboue others They would dwell alone and not suffer a poore mans house to be within sight They affect singularitie in wit learning wisedome valour worldly reputation and in all other earthly precedencies but they can by no means endure alonenesse and singularity in zeale and the Lords seruice In matters of Religion they are resolued to doe as the most doe tho in so doing they certainly damne their owne soules Math. 7. 13. Basest cowardlinesse and fearefulnesse fit for such a doome Reuel 21. 8. They are afraid of taking Gods part too much of fighting too valiantly vnder the Colours of Christ of being too busie about the saluation of their soules lest they should bee accounted too precise fellowes of an odde humour and engrossers of more grace than ordinarie It is one of Satans dreadfull depths as wide as hell and brimme-full with the blood of infinite soules To make men ambitious and couetous of singularitie in all other things but in godlinesse and Gods seruices not to suffer it in themselues and to persecute it in others Now in this Story of Noah so highly honoured with singularity of freedome from the sinfull contagion of those desperate times and happily exempted from that most generall and greatest Iudgement vpon earth that euer the Sunne saw an vniuersall drowning gloriously mounting vp vpon the wings of saluation and safety both of soule and body when a world of Giant-like Rebels sunke to the bottome of that new Sea as a stone or lead I consider 1. The cause of such a singular blessed preseruation which was the free grace and fauour of God But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord vers 8. 2. The renowne and honour of Noahs name in that he stands heere as the Father of the new world holy seede and progenitors of Iesus Christ These are the generations of Noah verse 9. 3. The description of Noahs 1. Personall goodnesse 2. Preseruation 3. Posteritie These two latter follow His personall description stands in the end of verse 9. Noah was a iust man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God Where wee finde him honoured with three noble Attributes which make vp the Character
corruptions of the times c. by all dearest meanes and vtmost endeauours to leaue them gracious when they goe out of this world And Godlinesse saith Paul hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come It giues right and full interest to all the true honour blessings and comforts which are to be had in Heauen or in Earth 3. Children are ordinarily apt out of a kindly instinct of naturall louingnesse from many and strongest motiues to imitate and follow their Parents either in basenesse or better carriage to Heauen or Hell 4. A father that truly feares God dare not for his heart heape vp riches or purchase high roomes for his children by wrong-doing or any wicked waies of getting whereupon both he and his fare farre the better and happily decline the flaming edge of those many fearefull curses denounced in Gods Book against all vnconscionable dealers Such as that Ecclesiast 5. 13 14. There is a sore euill which I haue seene vnder the Sunne namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt But those riches perish by euill trauell and he begetteth a sonne and there is nothing in his hand And Habac. 2. 9 10. Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on hie that hee may bee deliuered from the power of euill Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule Vses 1. Wouldest thou then haue thy little babes thou louest so dearely blessed vpon earth truly noble Gods fauourites meete thee in heauen Be holy thy Selfe Men are very carefull and curious to haue their seed-corne and breed of cattell choise and generous and will they not endeauour to nurture manage and conduct the immortall soules of their children with grace by godly education to the highest aduancement of which those noble natures are capable euerlasting blisse fruition of all heauenly ioyes world without end 2. This may also serue to reprooue and correct those couetous Bedlams that labour more to haue their children great than good rich than religious It is a madnesse of that kinde which wanteth termes to expresse it That a Man should goe to Hell himselfe and fit his children to follow him in seeking to establish his house and raise his posteritie by Sacriledge Simony Bribery Vsury Oppression Depopulation or any other course of cruelty and wrong For so they lay their foundation in fire-workes which is able to blow vp themselues and their posterity body and soule roote and branch 3. Let this fill the heart of the dying Christian with sweetest peace For whereas the bloody knife of prophane mens vnconscionable and cruell negligence in training vp their children religiously doth sticke full deepe in their soules and leauing this life they bequeath vnto them the curse of God together with their ill gotten goods he haply finds his conscience by reason of his former thirsty desire and sincere endeauour to doe his children good spiritually freed from the horrour of such bloud-guiltinesse and leaues them to that comfortable outward estate which no iniury or vsurie hath impoysoned and to that neuer-failing prouidence of our heauenly Father which then is wont to worke most graciously and bountifully for vs when wee renouncing the arme of flesh the fauour of man riches of iniquitie and all such broken staues of reede depend most vpon it If wee will needs bee our owne caruers for things of this life either by right or wrong fraud or faire dealing all is one so that wee may thriue and grow great in the world then are we iustly cast off from all mercifull care ouer vs and exposed to ruine and curse But if wee rest sincerely for our selues and ours vpon the all-powerfull Prouidence it will neuer faile nor forsake vs but euer exercise and improoue its sweetnesse and wisedome for our true and euerlasting good In the third Point a description of Noahs spirituall state which is the compleate Character of a true Christian consisting of three Attributes 1. Iustnesse 2. Sinceritie 3. Piety I collect from the first this note Doct. Euery truely religious Man is also a righteous and true-dealing man From the second this Doct. Sinceritie is the sinew and Touch-stone of true Christianitie But these two I haue so often pressed in the course of my Ministery that I will pâ—…sse by them at this time Looke what kinde of honestie to men that is which is not accompanied with Religion towards God the same is that Religion towards God which is not attended with honestie to men Unhonest religion irreligious honesty vnsincere religion and honesty are all in one predicament as they say and all out of the right path If thou haue respect onely to the commandements of the first Table and outward performance of religious seruices but neglect duties of the second and conscionable carriage to thy brethren Thou art but a Pharise and formall Professour If thou dealest iustly with thy neighbour and yet be a stranger to the mysterie of godlinesse canst not pray sanctifie the Lords Day submit to a sincere and searching Ministerie c. which the first Table enioynes Thou art but a meere ciuill man If thou put on a flourish and outward face onely of obedience and conformitie to both and yet be true-hearted in neither as did the Pharises Math. 23. 14 23. thou art but a grosse Hypocrite Beare thy selfe holily towards God honestly towards Man and true-heartedly towards both or thou art no Body in Christs Kingdome but still in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie Put on righteousnesse and true holinesse in this life or thou shalt neuer put on a Crowne of glory in the life to come In His generations which were many and mainely corrupt In that then Noah stood out and stucke vnto God thorow so many ages and against so wicked a world we may learne Doct. That constancie is euer an inseparable Attendant vpon true Christianitie But because a double constancie is heere implyed 1. One in respect of continuance of time 2. Another in respect of opposition to the corruptions of the times I may obserue two points Doct. 1. Grace once truely rooted in the heart can neuer be remooued See for this purpose Rom. 11. 29. Mat. 24. 24. 1. Ioh. 2. 19 27. Ioh. 10. 28. Rom. 8. 35. Luk. 22. 32. 2. Cor. 1. 21 22. Ephes. 4. 30 c. Reasons may be taken from 1. The dearenesse strength constancie inuiolablenesse of God the Fathers loue vnto His Children It is dearer then a Mothers to her sweetest Babe Isa. 49. 15. It is stronger then the mountaines Esa. 54. 10. It is as constant as the courses of the Sunne and Moone and Starres of the day and of the night Ier. 31. 35 36. and 33. 20 21. It is as sure as God Himselfe Psal. 89. 35 c. 2. Christs triumphant session and intercession at His Fathers
right hand Which may for euer with sweetest peace and freedome from slauish trembling assure vs of our rootednesse in Christ constancie in grace and euerlasting abode with him in the other World Hee that will rent vs from Christs mysticall Body being once implanted into Him by a liuely fruitfull Faith and blessedly knit vnto Him by His Spirit as fast as the sinewes of His precious Body are knit vnto His bones His flesh to his sinewes and his skinne to His flesh must pull Him out of heauen and remoue Him from the right hand of His Father What so furious or infernall power can or dare lay a finger on vs in this kinde Hee hath taken the poisoning power out of euery thing that should hurt vs or hale vs backe to hell He hath conquered captiuated carried in triumph and chained vp for euer all the enemies of our soules and enuiers of our saluation They may exercise vs in the meane time for our good but they shall neuer be able to execute their malicious wils or any mortall hurt vpon vs either heere or in the next life 3. The irreuocable obsignation of the blessed Spirit Eph. 1. 13 14. 4. 30. And who or what can or dare reuerse the Deede or breake vp the Seale of the holy Ghost Heere then as you see the blessed Trinity is the vnmooueable ground of our going on in grace 4. The lasting and immortall power of the Word once rooted in a good and honest heart Luke 8. 15. 1. Pet. 1. â—…3 5. The certainety and sweetnesse of promises to this purpose Ier. 32. 39 40. Zech. 10. 12. Ioh. 8. 12. 2. Sam. 7. 14 15. Psal. 89. 31 c. 6. The force and might of Faith 1. Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. 7. The efficacie of Christs Prayer Luk. 22. 32. Ioh. 17. 15 20. Rom. 8. 34. 8. The durable vigour of sauing graces Ioh. 4. 14. Rom. 11. 29. 9. The inabilitie nay impossibilitie of all causes or creatures to plucke out of Gods hand Ioh. 10. 29. or to draw any of His to a totall or finall falling away 1. It is not the Diuell himselfe can doe it 1. Iohn 5. 18. 2. It is not the world 1. Ioh. 5. 4. Ioh. 16. 33. 3. It is not the concurrent fury and vnited forces of all the powers of darknesse Math. 16. 18. 4. It is not sinne 2. Sam. 7. 14 15. Psal. 89. 31 c. 5. It is not weakenesse of Faith and other graces Mat. 12. 20. Esa. 42. 3. 6. It is not the imposture of false prophets Matth. 24. 24. 7. It is no creature or created power Rom. 8. 38 39. Vses 1. This Point thus confirmed doth confound that forlorne Tenent of the Popish Doctors which tels vs that a iustified and sanctified Man may fall finally and totally from grace In which I haue heretofore vpon other occasion in your-hearing punctually refuted those which I conceiued Bellarmines best Arguments I wil not then trouble you now with his Sophistry againe 2. This sweet and precious Truth may crowne the hearts of all those that are truly Christs with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Let new Conuerts and Babes in Christ who are woont to bee very fearefull and much troubled lest they should not hold out because vpon their first entrance into the wayes of Christianitie they are cunningly and concurrently encountred with so many oppositions From the Deuill which then rageth extraordinarily From the World which then tendereth moe and more alluring baites From the Flesh which naturally is very impatient of any spirituall snaffle From carnall Friends who cannot endure their forwardnesse From their old Companions who cry out They are turning Puritanes From the Times which lowre and looke fowre vpon their zeale Sometimes from the Father which begat them from the Mother which gaue them suck from the Wife which lies in their bosome from a world of enemies to grace I say in such a case let them graspe in the armes of their Faith the proofes and promises in the present Point and ride on because of the Word of Truth Let them sweetly with full assurance and vnconquerable resolution repose vpon that euerlasting encouragement for the finishing of their spirituall building which Zerubbabel receiued from the mouth of God Himselfe for successe of the materiall a Type of this Not by might and power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Who art thou O great mountaine before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine and hee shall bring foorth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace grace vnto it And that they may more comfortably and constantly go on let them cast their eyes betime vpon these and the like cautions at their very first giuing their names vnto Christ. 1. Propose such interrogatories as these to thine owne heart Art thou content to abandon thy bosome sinne the sensuall froth of former pleasures hereafter to delight in God as thy chiefest ioy Canst thou take vp thy crosse and follow Christ His Truth and holy tracke amidst the many by-paths that leade to hell and different opinions of multitudes of men Art thou willing to suffer aduersitie disgrace and discountenance with the righteous and contemned godly Ones Canst thou endure to haue things laid vnto thy charge thou neuer didst thoughtst or dreamdst on To become the Drunkards song a By-word to those that are vilâ—…r then the earth musicke at the feasts of those that sit in the gate c In a word for Christs sake to deny thy selfe thy worldly wisdome naturall wit carnall friends old companions pleasures profits preferments ease excellency of learning acceptation with the world outward state liberty life or what else thou canst name dearest vnto flesh and blood If thine heart answere not affirmatiuely I meane out of the resolution of a well-aduised regenerate iudgement for I know the flesh will grumble and reclaime thou wilt certainly fâ—…ll away or end in formality 2. Looke to thy repentance that it be sincere vniuersall constant from the heart-roote for all knowne sinnes to thy dying day 1. If some worldly crosse be the continued principall motiue 2. Or the humour of melancholy 3. If it bee confusedly onely for sinne and in generall 4. Or for some one speciall notorious sinne onely 5. Or for some lesser sinnes with neglect of greater as for tything Mint c. 6. If it be onely legall 7. But for some sinnes of what kinde soeuer leauing but so much as one knowne sinne not taken to heart 8. Or but for a time All will come to naught A foundation of godly sorrow leasurely aduisedly and sincerely laid at first will be for euer after a comfortable encouragement to Faith spirituall ioy well-doing and walking with God 3. Take the touch-stone of fruitfull powerfull and speciall markes to discerne and difference iustifying sauing Faith from all false and insufficient faiths For a temporarie may goe farre 4. Let knowledge and affection like two indiuiduall twins grow vp together in thee and mutually
and cunning traine of Satan may bee haled backe to commit his sweete sinne againe especially if it bee of some nature though it be a very heauy case and to bee lamented if it were possible with teares of blood yet hee neuer doth nor can returne to wallow in it againe or allow it After such a dreadfull relapse his heart bleeds afresh with extraordinarie bitternesse of penitent remorse hee abhors himselfe in dust and ashes as exceedingly vile cries more mightily vnto God in a day of humiliation for the returne of his pleased countenance repaires and fortifies the breach with stronger resolution and more inuincible watchfulnesse against future assaults and all assayes of re-entry But now the temporarie I talke of after his formall enforced forbearance engulphs himselfe againe with more greedinesse into the pleasures and sensualitie of his bosome sinne lies and delights in it againe as the very life of his life and hardens himselfe more obstinately in it as a thing impossible to leaue and liue with any comfort Vpon his returne the vncleane spirit râ—…ges more then before Thus to lend thee some light for a more full discouerie and thorow disintanglement out of its pleasing snares I haue intimated briefly what a beloued sinne is what thine may bee and how thou mayest bee deceiued about it For if thou wouldest truely taste how gracious and glorious the Lord is in a sweet communion with His blessed Maiestie if thou wouldest be intimately acquainted with the mystery of Christ wherein are hid infinite heauenly treasures and such pleasures as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man if thou wouldest euer bee fitly qualified to walke humbly with thy God in the way which is called Holy as thou must fall out for euer with all finne so must thou principally and impartially improoue all thy spirituall forces and aide from heauen vtterly to demolish and beate to the ground the deuils Castle to dethrone and depose from its hellish tyrannie ouer thee that grand impoisoner of thy soule and strongest barre to keepe out grace all acquaintance and sweetest entercourse with God thy bosome sinne Take notice by the way that sith wee concurrently and constantly teach that iustifying Faith doth purifie the heart from the raigne allowance of any lust or lewd course and plants by the power of the holy Ghost a sincere vniuersall new obedience and regular respect to all Gods commandements to all good workes of Iustice Mercy and Truth and that wee neither doe nor dare giue any comfort to any man of his being iustified and assured of Gods loue that goes on impenitently in any one knowne sinne against his conscience hating to be reformed I say sith it is thus take notice how vnworthily wrongfully the Antichristian Doctors hauing receiued foreheads from the Whore of Babylon deale with vs in this point Heare them speake So that their iustification meaning ours saith Fitzhâ—…rbert may according to their opinion stand with all wickednesse These words saith Arnoux meaning of the French Confession are set downe to assure the wickedst man that is of the righteousnesse of the Sonne of God By the application of Christs satisfaction by faith saith Lessius he meaning the Protestant is reputed iust before God though he finde no change of will at all within The skarlet Fathers in the Trentish Conuenticle say that Luther from iustification by faith alone collected not onely that good workes are not necessarie but also that a dissolute libertie in obseruing the Law of God and of the Church will serue the turne Bellar. also comes in with his videntur They seeme saith he altogether to thinke that a man may be saued although hee doe no good workes nor obserue Gods Commandements Which hee there onely seemes and assayes to proue but indeed playes the calumniating Sophister The iustifying faith of the Aduersaries saith hee in another place takes clearely away Prayer Sacraments Good workes and whatsoeuer God hath instituted for our saluation The Protestants saith Stapleton will haue certainty of grace to be in a man not onely without any respect necessitie consequence presence or conueniencie of good workes but also whatsoeuer sinnes being present The Rhemists also most slanderously affirme that wee condemne Good workes as vncleane sinfull hypocriticall Arnoldus also swels with malicious Popish poison and the rancour of a slanderous spirit when hee fathers vpon vs such falshoods as these as though we should teach that all men are bound to beleeue that they are elected to eternall life that we bid all wicked men be secure as those who can fall from saluation by no villanies Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan who â—…ittest with such extreme malice falshood in the foule mouthes of the Popish Proctours and Rabshakehs of Rome that they should with such prodigious lies and villanous slanders reuile the Lords Champions and traduce the glorious heauenly truth of our most holy and righteous Religion But to my purpose and to conclude the point Thou must either with a resolute and euerlasting diuorce abandon and abominate thy bosome sinne thy darling delight to the pit of hell whence it hath formerly receiued much enraged sensuall poison to the wofull wasting of thy conscience and the stronger and longer barring thee from grace or else thou must continue an euerlasting stranger from all communion and conuersing with God thou shalt neuer be able to meet him in his Ordinances with true reuerence and delight or looke him in the face with comfort at the last day II. Scorne with an infinite and triumphant disdaine to serue the mighty Lord of heauen and earth seruilely slauishly or formally for by-respects priuate ends or any thing saue his owne sweet gracious glorious Selfe Hate hypocrisie from the very heart-roote Which foule fiend painting her selfe more vnobseruedly in the warme Sun and shining prosperitie of the Gospels flourishing estate with an outward gilt and superficiall tincture doth with greater varietie and stronger imposture deceiue both mens owne soules and others in the glorious noone-tide thereof Nay this great Agent for the Prince of darknesse is so politicke and pragmatical that he preuailes too much many times euen in the declination of that glorious Sunne in the disacceptation and dampe of profession and forwardnesse For though at this day Professours of the gracious Way bee in greatest disgrace with the most and a drunkard a swaggering Good-fellow an Vsurer a sonne or daughter of Belial shall finde more fauour applause and approbation with the world then a man which makes conscience of his wayes so that it may seeme the greatest madnesse that may bee to make profession of Religion hypocritically yet euen in these times there are some causes in which the deuill takes occasion to cause some to play the Hypocrites notoriously 1. Some there may be who being weake and worthlesse yet vaine-glorious and ouer-greedy of reputation finding
and rare felicitie in pitching iust vpon the golden meane as they conceiue betweene prophanenesse and precisenesse infamous notoriousnesse and persecuted strictnesse But that Prouerbe in the meane time falls pat vpon their pates There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse And at length most certainely the iust execution of that terrible commination Reuel 3. 16. will crush their hearts with euerlasting horrour confusion and woe But I should be endlesse in the discouery of this hidden and hellish gulph of hypocrisie wherein thousands are swallowed vp euen in this glorious Mid-day of the Gospell For a man may assoone find out the way of an Eagle in the Ayre the way of a Serpent vpon a Rocke the way of a Ship in the midst of the Sea and the way of a man with a maid as to tracke the cunning and crooked footsteps of this foule fiend in the false hearts of Satans followers Only take notice that thou canst neuer possibly delight in God or euer comfortably come neere him if thou giue any entertainment vnto it in what forme soeuer it represent it selfe or whatsoeuer vizor it offers vnto thee though neuer so fairely varnished and guilded ouer with the Deuils angelicall glory III. Build and erect all thy resolutions and conclusions for Heauen and Gods seruice vpon that strong and purest pillar that maine and most precious Principle of Christianitie Selfe-deniall No walking with God no sweete communion and sound peace at his Mercy-Seate except for his sake and keeping a good conscience thou be content to denie thy selfe thy worldly wisdome naturall wit carnall reason acceptation with the world excellencie of learning fauour of great Ones credit and applause with the most thy passions profit pleasures preferment neerest friends ease libertie life euery thing any thing And feare no losse for all things else are nothing to the least comfortable glimpse of Gods pleased face From this Principle sprung all those noble resolutions and replies of Gods worthiest Saints and Souldiers That of Hester for the preseruation of the people of God Well saith she I wil goe in vnto the King which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish That of Micaiah sollicited strongly by the messenger to temporize in managing his Ministery with sutablenesse and conformity to the Kings pleasure and plausiblenesse of the false prophets As the Lord liueth what the Lord saith vnto mee that will I speake That of Nehemiah Should such a man as I flee As if he should haue said Tell not mee of fleeing my resolution was pitcht long agoe if need require to lay downe my life and lose my blood in the Lords battels That of Paul when his friends were weeping and wailing about him What meane you to weepe said hee and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus That of Ierome If my father stood weeping on his knees before mee and my mother hanging on my necke behind me and all my brethren sisters children kinsfolke howling on euery side to retaine me in sinfull life with them I would fling my mother to the ground despise all my kinred run ouer my father and tread him vnder my feet thereby to run to Christ when hee calleth me That of Luther dealt with earnestly and eagerly not to venture himselfe amongst a number of perfidious and blood-thirstie Papists As touching me saith he since I am sent for I am resolued and certainely determined to enter Wormes in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ yea although I knew there were so many Deuils to resist me as there are tiles to couer the houses in Wormes That of a most renowned Italian Marquesse Galeacius Carracciolus tempted by a Iesuite with a great sum of money to returne from Gods Blessing at Geneua to the warme Sunne in Italy Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the Gold in the world worth one dayes societie with Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit That of George Carpenter Martyr My wife and my children are so dearely beloued vnto me that they cannot bee bought from mee for all the riches and possessions of the Duke of Bauaria but for the loue of my Lord God I will willingly forsake them That of Kilian a Dutch Schoole-master to such as asked him if he loued not his wife and children Yes said he If the world were Gold and were mine to dispose of I would giue it to liue with them though it were but in prison yet my soule and Christ are dearer to me then all IV. Exercise thy selfe continually and bee excellent in that onely Heauen vpon Earth and sweetest Sanctuarie to an hunted soule the Life of faith Which to liue in some good measure is the duty and property of euery liuing member of Christ Iesus Loue therefore and labour to liue by the power of faith the life of saluation sanctification preseruation 1. Of saluation thus Let thy truely-humbled soule grieued and groaning vnder the burden of sinne throw it self into the meritorious and merciful armes of Iesus Christ wounded broken and bleeding vpon the Crosse and there let it hold and hide it selfe for euer in full assurance of eternall life by vertue of that promise Ioh. 3. 36. Hee that beleeueth on the Son hath euerlasting life For hauing thus laid hold vpon him He by his Spirit doth communicate first himselfe vnto thee then both the merit of his death for remission of thy sinnes and of his actiue obedience for thy right to saluation and happinesse and withall the power of his Spirit to quicken thee to the life of grace in this World and to raise vp thy body to the life of glory at the last day 2. Of sanctification If thou keepe thy faith the fountaine roote and heart as it were from which all thine other graces spring in life and vigour thou shalt pray more comfortably bee more couragiously patient heare the Word more fruitfully receiue the Sacraments more ioyfully passe the Sabbaths more delightfully conferre more cheerefully meditate more heauenly walke in all the wayes of new obedience with more strength and conquest ouer corruptions For ordinarily euery Christian shall finde the exercise of other graces to bee comfortable or cold according to the liuelinesse or languishing of his faith 3. Of preseruation both temporall and spirituall In crosses afflictions and all Gods outward angry visitations by the power of such promises as those Psal. 89. 33. and 50. 15. Heb. 12. 7 8 11. 1. Thes. 3. 3. Act. 14. 22. Luke 9. 23. Isai. 63. 9. In the course and carriage of thy particular Calling the duties and workes whereof if thou discharge with conscience diligence and prayer thou mayest goe on with comfort contentment and freedome from that torturing and racking thoughtfulnesse from those restlesse and cursed carkings of carnal worldlings
wherein they basely languish and lose their soules and leaue the successe issue and euent of all thy labours and vndertakings vnto the Lord whatsoeuer it may bee resting sweetly and euer relying vpon that gracious promise Heb. 13. 5. I will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee In ordering and guiding the affaires of thy family depend by faith vpon Gods blessing the strength and sinew of all sound comfort and true contentation that way See Psal. 127. In the losse of outward things for thy loue and seruice vnto God by beleeuing that Man of God 2. Chron. 25. 9. The Lord is able to giue thee much more then this Nay in the losse of all earthly things in euery kind see Habac. 3. 17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Oliue shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalles yet I will reioyce in the Lord I will ioy in the God of my saluation Consider also for this purpose Iobs patient blessing of God vpon the surprize and concurrence of an vniuersall misery Iob 1. 21. In pangs of the New-birth spirituall infancy weakenesses of faith prayer godly sorrow and other graces by those cordiall refreshing promises Reu. 21. 6. Math. 5. 6. Isa. 42. 3. and 40. 11. and 57. 15. In oppositions against the raising or restauration of spirituall buildings by the Ministery of the Word or in temptations against a mans personall progresse and holding out against Gods waies vnto the end by renouncing our owne strength disclaiming the arme of flesh and crying in euery encounter Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hoasts What art thou O great mountaine c In languishings and tremblings after relapse into some old or fall into some new sinne by such precious places as these 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Luk. 17. 4. 1. Sam. 12. 20. 1. Iohn 1. 9. From this last place a reuerend Diuine collects this comfort If we see our vnworthinesse and with broken hearts acknowledge it God is faithfull and iust to forgiue it bee it neuer so great But this is a iewell fit onely for the eare of a sincere Christian when out of the fearefulnesse of his distrustfull spirit he puts off all comfort though truely humbled after ensnarement in some more speciall affrighting sinne Let no swine trample vpon it In all kindes of temptations by the power of that promise 1. Cor. 10. 13. Nay euen amidst varietie of them by obeying that precept Iam. 1. 2. My brethren count it all ioy when you fall into diuers temptations In spirituall desertion by refreshing and resting thy sinking soule in the meane time vntill the Lord returne vpon that surest Rocke Isa. 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him Most blessed deare and sweetest Sanctuary If the Christian die in that waiting state he shall be certainely saued For the holy Ghost pronounceth him blessed In the deepe and almost despairing apprehensions of thine extreme vilenesse and as it were nothingnesse in grace by apprehending that most mercifull promise from Gods owne mouth Isa. 43. 25. In thy perplexed and troubled thoughts about returne after backsliding by those comfortable encouragements Ier. 3. 1 12 13 14 22. Hos. 14. 1 2 4. In doubts of losing the loue of God and life of Grace by consideration of those passages in Gods Booke where it appeares that the loue of God vnto his child in respect of tendernesse and constancy is infinitely dearer then that of a most louing mother to her little one Isai. 49. 15. stronger then the stony Mountaines and Rocks of flint Isa. 54. 10. as constant as the courses of the Sunne and of the Moone and of the Starres and of the day and of the night Ier. 31. 36. and 33. 20. nay as sure as God himselfe Psal. 89. 33 34 35. In the Haile stormes of slanderous arrowes and empoysoned darts of disgrace by cleauing to most glorious promises 1. Pet. 4. 14. Mat. 5. 11. In the valley of the shadow of death by an assurance of Gods mercifull omnipotent presence Psal. 23. 4. In the extremitie depth of such desperate distresses and perplexities wherein in thy present feeling thou canst see and find no possibilitie of helpe from Heauen or Earth God or Man but art both helpelesse and hopelesse as the Church complaines Lam. 3. 18. by such like places as those Isai. 33. 9 10. 2. Chron. 20. 12. Gen. 22. 14. Exod. 14. 13. Psal. 78. 65. In euery thing or any thing that shall or can possibly befall thee prosperitie or pouertie crosse or comfort calmnesse of conscience or tempests of terror life or death c. by extracting abundance of vnconquerable patience and peace of soule from those three heauenly golden conduits of sweetest comfort Rom. 8. ver 18 28 32. Thus in any trouble of soule body good name outward state present or to come thou mayest by the soueraigne power of faith working vpon the Word not onely draw out the sting and expell the poison of it but also create a great deale of comfort to thy truly-humbled soule and maintaine it in despite of all mortall or infernall opposition in a constant spirituall gladnesse For all those promises whereupon thy heauy heart in such cases may repose and refresh it selfe haue their being from the blessed name Iehoua see Exo. 6. 3. and therefore are as sure as God himselfe they are sealed with the bloody sufferings of his onely Sonne and therefore as true as truth it selfe and if thou be in Christ are all as certainely thine as the heart in thy body or blood that runnes in thy veines Nay and a little more for thy comfort the glory of Gods truth is mightily aduanced and himselfe extraordinarily pleased by thy more resolute stedfast and triumphant cleauing vnto them What a blessed sweete and heauenly life then is the life of faith V. Apprehend in thy minde and settle in thine heart a true estimate and right conceit of the substance and power marrow and materials of Christianitie Which doth not consist as too many suppose In outward shewes profession talking in holding strict points defending precise opinions contesting against the corruptions of the times in the worke wrought externall formes of religious exercises set-taskes of hearing reading conference and the like in some solemne outward extraordinarie abstinences and forbearances censuring others c. But in righteousnesse peace ioy in the holy Ghost in meekenesse tender-heartednesse loue in patience humilitie contentednesse in mortification of sinne moderation of passion holy guidance of the tongue in workes of mercy iustice and truth in fidelitie painfulnesse in our Callings conscionable conuersing with men in reuerence vnto superiours loue of our enemies an open-hearted reall fruitfull affectionatenesse and bounty to Gods people in heauenly-mindednesse selfe-deniall the life of faith in dis-esteeme of earthly things
neuer come neere the requitall of the least inch of His infinite loue towards thee which reacheth from euerlasting to euerlasting 1. He bore thee in the bosome of this His free loue from all eternitie and that so dearely that from the same eternity He decreed that His owne deare Sonne should die for thee 2. Hee brought thee out of the abhorred state of being nothing into the ranke of his reasonable and noblest creatures 3. Hee bought thee againe when thou hadst wilfully lost thy selfe with the hearts-blood of His onely Sonne 4. He preserues thee euery day from a thousand dangers a thousand deaths which might seize vpon thee both from within and from without 5 He will shortly crowne thee with euerlasting life fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore 3. Thirdly confider the vnquenchable impatiencie of Christs inflamed loue vnto thee now washed with His Blood and beautified with His grace Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast rauished my heart saith He to the Church and by consequent to euery true Christian my sister my spouse thou hast rauished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy necke Now loue is of that alluring nature that many times it will draw loue from a man when there is no louely part in the partie louing What a deale of loue then doth the Soueraigne Lord of all goodnesse the well-spring of all beauty excellencie and sweetnesse exact at our hands especially sith wee are his meere creatures in respect both of our naturall being outward state gracious state and state of glory See how His spirituall amiablenesse is shadowed by outward beauties Cant. 5. 10. VIII Prize the fruition of Gods pleased face a neerer communion and acquaintance with His blessed Maiestie the loue and light of His countenance and thereupon a free and frequent accesse with an humble boldnes vnto the throne of Grace at a far higher and more vnualuable rate than heauen and earth as a very reall fruitfull fore-taste of eternall ioyes For to say no more at this time If thou hold an holy familiaritie with thy God and He looke pleasedly vpon thee thou shalt graspe Iesus Christ more sweetly and feelingly in the armes of thy Faith partake more plentifully of the ioyfull freedome presence and communication of His comforting Spirit be garded more strongly and narrowly by His glorious Angels sucke more sweetnesse and heauenly Manna out of the Ministerie and other His blessed Ordinances walke in safetie amongst the creatures like an vnconquerable Lyon Thou shalt bee in a league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee when thou goest thy gate shall not be straite and when thou runnest thou shalt not fall when thou sleepest thy sleepe shall be sweet thou shalt dwell safely and none shall make thee afraid Thou shalt neuer more be afraid of any euill tidings or of destruction when it commeth when thou passest thorow the waters thy God shall bee with thee and thorow riuers they shall not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee c. And if at any time thou bee seized vpon with any crosse or calamitie from any of the creatures any trouble or temptation from man or Deuill any lowring or crueltie from the iniquitie of the times or persecuters of the Truth yet the refreshing beames of Gods pleased face shining vpon thy heart through the darknesse of such discomforts will sweetly mitigate reuiue and infinitely make amends for all The poyson and curse of them shall neuer come neere thy soule The Lord in the meane time like an Eagle flutttering about her nest will most tenderly defend and protect thee Esa. 31. 5. and at length most certainly come like a yong Lyon roaring on his prey for thy rescue and glorious enlargement Isa. 31. 4. IX Labour by a constant watch to keepe thy heart in a spirituall temper still and still sweetly content and fruitfully conuersant in the Mystery of Christ and Secrets of His Kingdome which thou shalt more easily doe If thou first reioyce in God his Word Graces as thy chiefest ioy and greatest aduantage 2. By all earthly things be drawne to the loue of heauenly For though God hath appointed but one Sabbath in seuen dayes for his more solemne publike worship yet to a Christian euery day is sanctified to be a rest from all the deeds of the flesh wherein he is to walke with his God and shew forth the religious keeping of his heart and good conscience in euery action of his whole life so making euery passage of his particular Calling a part of Christian obedience and dutie vnto God 3. Let the noblenesse of thine inlarged Spirit as infinitely disdaine to be any wayes vpon any termes in bondage to the corruptions of the times so finde a farre sweeter rellish and take incomparably more contentment in the seruices of thy Lord and his holy Ordinances then in all his outward benefits and fauours of this life For as the best of these abused will most certainly at the Barre of God turne scourges and Scorpions to the worldling conscience and in the meane time there is no man so assured of his honour of his riches health or life but that hee may be depriued of either or all the very next houre or day to come so the other will prooue vnto the Christian hauing beene conscionably and constantly exercised in them as a rich stocke to bring in comfort patience and inward peace in his most neede and greatest extremity 4. Assoone as thou discouerest any spirituall weakenesse or decay any extraordinarie assault temptation deadnesse c. complaine betime cry mightily vnto God giue him no rest neither giue ouer seeking vntill hee returne vnto thy soule with power and life againe If ordinarie meanes will not preuaile presse vpon him with extraordinary if then he doe not reuiue thee with woonted quickning vigour waite with a patient wakefull longing of all the powers of thy soule and then all this while thy soule is still in its true spirituall temper and a most blessed state See Isa. 30. 18. 5. Decline watchfully all occasions of falling from thy first loue feruencie and heauenly-mindednesse as spirituall pride knowne hypocrisie desire to be rich discontinuance of thine intimatenesse with the godly neglect of thy particular Calling or dayly watch ouer thy heart vngodly company forme in religious duties coldnesse and customarinesse in the vse of the meanes c. 6. Suffer not thine affections to bee chained downe and set too much vpon those things which the common sort and greatest part of men seeke after insatiably and slauishly sinke vnder praise profit credit acceptation with the world fauour of great Ones mirth pleasures ease feare sorrow earthly contentment preferment wealth long life or any worldly thing but debase and dis-esteeme all other delights in respect of doing Gods will
take delight in the cruell tormenting of a dumbe creature Is it not too much for thee to behold with dry eyes that fearefull brand which only thy sinne hath imprest vpon it but thou must barbarously also presse its oppressions and make thy selfe merry with the bleeding miseries of that poore harmelesse thing which in its kinde is much more and farre better seruiceable to the Creator then thy selfe Yet I deny not but that there may bee another lawfull vse of this Antipathy for the destroying of hurtfull and enioying of vsefull creatures so that it be without any taint or aspersion of cruelty on our parts or needlesse tormenting of the silly beasts 3. Ingrossers of time Thousands there are who plunge themselues ouer head eares in courses of pleasure which they call recreations wherein they very vnworthily and wofully waste the fat and marrow as it were of deare and precious time the flower of their age the strength of their bodies emasculate and melt the vigour of their spirits into effeminatenesse sensualitie and lust drowne the faire and goodly hopes of their education the honour of their Families the expectation of the Countrey the improouement of their parts in froth and folly As though they were placed vpon earth as Leuiathan in the Sea onely to take their sport and pastime therein Louers they are of pleasures Mirth-mongers men of this world sworne Vassals to carnall loosenesse and riotous excesse They haue their fooles Paradise heere and therefore in the equitie of a iust and holy proportion must with the Rich man looke for their payment and torment hereafter But Gods children must make conscience of meddling at any time with recreations without true cause and a iust calling thereunto and hold them of the same account and consequence with sleepe and other temperate refreshings which serue onely to quicken the minde reuiue the body enlarge the breath that wee may returne with more lightsomenesse and alacritie to our worke and Callings The season then of comfortable recourse vnto these repaires and restoratiues is when wee haue truely wearied our bodies with some honest imployment or tired our minds in worthy and noble exercises or both And as we must not presse vpon them at our pleasure and preuent true need out of an hankering humour after sportfull vanities old haunts good-fellow meetings conformitie to the times or some such sensuall and inordinate attractiue so in the entertainment of them wee must receiue them as men doe honey with the tip of the finger not with a full hand By no meanes ought we to engage and as it were to engulfe our affections into their excesses and immoderation not suffer them so to insinuate as to steale away our hearts into a pleasing insensible thraldome so creating necessities of recreations which is an extreme misery and intolerable slauery wherein notwithstanding many truly vnworthy and vnnoble Gallants miserably languish and come to nothing prooue onely vnprofitable burthens of the earth and in stead of a blessing the very bane of the Countrey that bred them Let such considerations as these serue as so many curbes to restraine vs from an vnseasonable intrusion vpon them and so many keene spurres to poast vs out of them before we be limed and entangled by them 1. Time is short Our life is but a span long a bubble a thought a smoake a shadow a dreame the very dreame of a shadow or if you can name any thing more fading and fraile and yet vpon this moment depends eternitie As wee behaue our selues heere vpon earth either in conformitie to the wayes of God walking with him selfe-denyall c. or in fashionablenesse to the world seruing the times and our owne turnes c. so shal we fare euerlastingly in another life And either become most glorious and happie creatures crowned with an exquisite confluence and quintessence as it were of sweetest vnmixed eternall pleasures a very shadow whereof not the largest naturall hearts of deepest vnderstanding men from the Creation to the last day were they all vnited into one exactest height and excellency of conceit could possibly comprehend nay in this one circumstance at the least the Saints shall surpasse euen Angelicall felicitie they shall behold with incredible ioy their owne nature in that respect honoured and aduanced aboue the brightest Cherub shining for euer with infinite beauty and glorified splendour in the sacred Person of the Sonne of God or else fall irrecouerably into the mouth of inexplicable and remedilesse horrour and so become the forlorne and wofull Obiects vpon which shall bee exercised and executed the vnquenchable wrath of God and fiercest torments in hell with extremitie and euerlastingnesse nay and in this point more vnhappy than the very Deuils For since their Apostacie there was no meanes or possibilitie vouchsafed vnto them of recouery and returne to those euerlasting Mansions of glorie But the sonnes and daughters of Adam since their fall haue had the very Sonne of God himselfe with the deare and vnualuable cry of his owne hearts blood to meditate vnto and sollicite the Father of all compassions and mercy for restitution into fauour and plantation into the Angels roome And therefore as this thought Oh what vnhappy and accursed creatures were we who being crowned with the matchlesse transcendency of all felicities and glory would not hold our station and haue shined still I say as this thought will endlesly haunt the damned angels with vnconceiueable byting and anguish so not onely an answerable selfe-fretting torture from this conceit Alas that wee kept not Paradise will rent and teare the wofull hearts of the wicked in hell but also a further sting of that neuer-dying Worme not incident to the Apostate angels will extremely enrage them with restlesse gnawings of conscience and gnashing of teeth when out of the horrour of their hideous wofull yellings they shall cry out against themselues What wretches What beasts What madded Deuils were we who when the glorious Blood of Christ Iesus was so mercifully tendered vnto vs in the Ministery of the Word all our life long we turned our backes against such blessed and bleeding imbracements and cruelly cut the throates of our owne poore soules by impenitent continuance in sinne so loosing for a few bitter-sweet pleasures in this vale of teares for an inch of time fulnesse of ioy at Gods right hand thorow all eternitie 2. Time is precious If all this great massie bodie of the whole earth whereupon we tread were turned into a lumpe of gold it were not able to purchase one minute of time And were there no other circumstance to set an impression of high valuation vpon it yet this very one doth much ennoble it That all these faire and shining bodies aboue our heads and principally the Prince of all the lights of heauen that glorious and mighty Giant the prime and crowne of all corporall creatures doe tire waste as it were their celestiall vigours with the incredible swiftnesse
rate then and with what eagernesse and thirst is that true sweet vnmixed glorious ioy springing out of the Fountaine of comfort in an honest and holy heart to bee set and sought after 3. The differences betweene spirituall and carnall ioy in respect 1. Of Lastingnesse A spiritually merry heart is a continuall feast saith Salomon whereas the ioy of the hypocrite is but for a moment Iob chap. 20. 5. Carnall ioy is like lightning spirituall like the light of the Sunne While the Play lasts the sensualist laughs but hee falls into his dumps when all is done The Drunkard is merry whilest hee reuels it amongst his pot-companions in the Ale-house but when he comes home there is many times wofull worke Whilest the Gamester is at play he is well enough pleased but when hee hath made away all hee is ready to make away himselfe also A cunning and prosperous Worldling I confesse by Gods permission may patch together his pleasures all his life long but at furthest at death comes the deadly and euerlasting dampe whereas hee that walkes with God is contented and comfortable all the day and death is the day-breake to him of euerlasting brightnesse Carnall ioy I say is like lightning a flash and away leaues the minde in more extreme and deeper darknesse blasts the heart and affections with all spirituall deadnesse and desolations with many boyling distempers much raging wild-fire and vnquenchable thirst after sensualitie earthlinesse and Epicurisme and first or last it is euer certainly followed with renting and roaring of the spirit spirituall terrours thunders darknesse and damnation But godly ioy is like the light of the Sunne which though it may for a time bee ouercast with clouds of temptations mists of troubles and persecutions darknesse of melancholy yet it ordinarily breakes out againe with more sweetnesse and splendour when the storme is ouer but howsoeuer it hath euer the Sunne of righteousnesse and Fountaine of all comfort so resident and rooted in the heart that not all the darknesse and gates of Hell shall euer be able to displant or distaine it no more then a mortall man can pull the Sunne out of his Sphere or put out his glorious eye 2. Of puritie The edge and rellish of carnall ioy is euer much rebated and imbittered with many sowre sauces and enuenomed mixtures impatiencie of delay difficulty and danger in attainment vnanswerablenesse to fore-conceits and expectation many secret terrours fretting iealousies discontented indignations against their discontinuance and vanishing c. And besides those three ensuing indiuiduall stings which to an illightned conscience as inseparably and sensibly dogge them at the heeles as a shadow the body in the Sun-shine cut the very throat and burst the heart of all worldly pleasures 1. One of them is as it were naturall immediately attending all earthly mirth more melancholy and heauy-heartednesse afterward For as the Riuers of sweete water runne their course to die in the salt sea so the hony of all earthly pleasure euer endeth in the gall of griefe Voluptuousnesse euen in her dearest minions ordinarily expires with anguish and anger that it is gone The transitorie flashes of sensuall delight are like the light of a candle which leaue at the cloze a noisome vexing snuffe behinde And that sweetenesse which sensualists swallow downe so greedily turnes to grauell in their guts and at farewell fills their spirit with the returne of a more heauy melancholicke humour then before the receite 2. The other I call a temporarie sting for all the wayes of worldly pleasure are strowed also with needles and nettles that I may so speak which euer and anon pricke and sting her darlings as they plucke her fading flowres So that at best they are but like Beares robbing a Waspes nest who rauenously rifle the combes and with much adoe sucke out a little hony but in the meane time are soundly stung and swolne about head for their painefull pleasure In their seuerall walkes of a fooles paradise they hunt both vnreasonably and vnseasonably after transitorie delights but they are euen pained and payed home with a witnesse in the very pursuite For instance The couetous man accounts worldly wealth and an â—…oard of gold his heauen vpon earth but in heaping it together his heart is wofully rent and torne asunder with carking thoughtfulnesse restlesse rooting in the earth anxious and endlesse casting about and forecasting In a word with much care in gathering more feare in keeping and most griefe in parting from it So that for feeding his greedy eye vpon a little vanishing heape of yellow earth his heart is continually haunted with such vexing Harpies I meane wasting cares and false feares that dry vp euen his vitall moisture and cut his very heart-strings in pieces Good-fellow meetings and Ale-house reuellings are the drunkards delight but all the while hee sits at it hee is perhaps in a bodily feare of the Puritane-Constable when towards night he goes grunting homewards hee becomes a gazing and laughing stocke to children in the streets no sooner comes hee reeling into his own house but he wrings fresh cries and teares of shame and griefe from his wife and family for the reproach beggerie and miserie he brings vpon them And as hee goes on in this drunken good-fellowship and takes a pride and pleasure in powring in of strong drinke there many times insensibly grow vpon him many loathsome diseases and deformities of body Rheumes Dropsies Palsies a fearefull face spuing falling and neuer rising againe sometimes not euen out of a little gutter that would scarce choake a child The lasciuious wanton that wanders in the twilight in the euening in the black and darke night after the strange woman besides the dart which sticks fast and ranckles in his Liuer meetes in the meane time with rottennesse in his bones a consumption of his marrow a wound and dishonour and reproach that shall not bee wiped away The boisterous aspiring Nimrod out of a gluttonous desire of grasping offices and honors scrues himselfe vijs modis into some high place as his onely Paradise and when hee is gotten vp dances full merrily in golden fetters vpon his slipperie standing but couldest thou see into his inside thou shouldest behold his heart miserably fretting and vexing it selfe raging with many passionate distempers for the indignation of good men contempt of inferiours thwarting of competitors enuie of compeeres vnderminings of counter-factionists iealousies of Princes c. How many great mens hearts haue burst with the blasting frownes of a Kings forehead Nay and which is a Bedlam misery vpon the ambitious man hee is many times more grieued for an affront of some grand opposite because hee cannot haue his will of this or that man that stands in his way or for the neglect of some expected complementall respect and obseruance then pleased with all the other brauery and iollitie of his high roome This is cleare in Haman though hee was
carried along with addition of the fresh comforts from the Word and Sacraments thorow a fruitfull current and course of a Christian life is at last entertained into the boundlesse and bottomlesse Ocean of the endlesse ioyes of heauen 4. Of vnconquerablenesse against all created 〈◊〉 and assaults of earthly discomforts An oâ—…ce of sorrow 〈◊〉 a whole sea of worldly mirth The boisterousnesse and brauery of all carnall ioy vanisheth quite away and expires euen as a flowre when the heate riseth that is sent vpon it vpon the very first approach or presence of any either outward trouble or inward terror A prick of a needle much more a pang of the Stone or fit of the Gout is able to depriue a man of the pleasure of the worlds Monarchy One serious thought of death or the sight of one finne armed with Gods anger will put the proudest Niâ—…rod the greediest engrosser of all earthly delights into Belshazzars shiuering But now let the Christian whose heart is sweetly reposed vpon the Rocke of eternity be vtterly stript of all outward comforts let heauy accidents fall vpon him as thicke as one waue in the necke of another which befell blessed Iob yet he is still where hee was he hath made God his portion his onely Iewell and Ioy which he hath in Heauen or on Earth his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord and therefore when all earthly stayes and staues of reede shrinke in the wetting and are shattered to nothing he cleaues with an vnshaken and triumphant tranquillitie of minde to his Sunne and shield Psal. 84. 11. To his light and life Ioh. 8. 12. To his strong Tower of defence and exceeding great reward Gen. 15. 1. heare his sweete and noble resolution in this case Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the figtree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Oliue shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the fold and there shall bee no herd in the stalles yet I will reioyce in the Lord I will ioy in the God of my saluation While Iehoua is in Heauen his heart is in the Hauen though neuer so many stormes or tempests of the troublesome sea of this World beate vpon his house of clay Rob him of all earthly refreshments and lightsomnesse of this life and let but the light of Gods countenance shine vpon him which no darknesse nor dungeon nor Deuill in Hell can intercept and he is incomparably more merry then the Worlds choisest Minion Pleasures dearest fauourite or the brauest Belshazzar vpon earth in the very top and ruffe of his most iouiall reuellings and swaggering sensuality But it is not so with the earthly-minded man For howsoeuer he may digest with reasonable patience and carry well enough away all crosses and contradictions to his other worldly comforts while he doth yet wallow without interruption and disquiet in the sinfull pleasures of that selected way of death vpon which the more headstrong current of his corrupt nature hath cast him and the naturall bent of his carnall affections hath singled ouâ—… and made speciall choise of to follow and feede vpon with greatest delight which the Fathers call peccatum in delicijâ—… a mans bosome sinne yet cut him once short of the free and full enioyment of this his sensuall idoll and earthly god and you kill his heart quite and plunge him presently into desperate distractions For instance The couetous man while his heart may nessle securely vpon his golden heape will passe by without any great wound or passion the curses of the poore the grumblings of his conscience the comminations of the Ministry the cry of the whole Country against his oppressions vsury sacrilege and sinfull wayes of hoarding When hee comes home and finds his bags and bonds safe he blesseth himselfe in his heart against all threatned iudgements horrors curses confusions Thogh Iesus Christ himselfe should preach and presse them vpon him Luke 16. 14. with his golden wedge hee easily cuts asunder all scruples doubts exceptions reasons arguments obiections which any wayes oppose his couetous and cruell courses Hee pleases and applaudes himselfe against all censures and contradictions whatsoeuer to the contrary But let Gods angry hand in his iust iùdgement by fire robbery or some secret consumption snatch away his wealth and he is likely enough to goe out of his wits and in great hazard of hanging himselfe While the ambitious man is proudly mounted fits fast vpon the Seate of honour and is Idolized as it were and adored aboue others hee can easily enough ouerlooke with an imperious disdaine the indignation of good men emulation of great Ones the reproaches of the multitude and all other petty and priuate crosses but throw him downe from his high place turne him out of his offices and honours and how weary is he of the World how irâ—…esome to himselfe how prodigall of his life how impatient of the company of men While the wanton wallowes in the brutish pleasures of his abominable filth hee beares well enough away the weakening of his bodie the wasting of his goods the shame of his sinne losse of friends staine of reputation but beate him backe and bâ—…rie him from the house of the strange woman and you breake his heart banish him from his Minion and hee is ready to make away himselfe Woe sorrow contentions wounds without cause rednesse of eyes vndoing of wife and children houting at in the streets will well enough downe with the dâ—…unkard while hee may domineere vpon the Ale-bench but cut off the new wine and strong drinke from his mouth crosse him in his swaggering course confine him from his good-fellow meetings and you take away the very life of his life Thus euery vnregenerate man secures himselfe in some one sensuall Hold or other wherein the crowne of his carnall ioy consists of which bereaue him and you shall leaue him ioylesse heartlesse hopelesse and helpelesse But take from the true Christian if it were possible both Heauen and Earth and all the creatures and comforts of both yet you cannot take away his ioy God is the strength of his heart and his portion for euer Surely he shall neuer bee mooued his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord. Which sith it is so that spirituall ioy is such an vnualuable Iewell and carnall so cursed a vanity let euery Christian bee exceedingly carefull not to suffer the froth and filth of this to staine or lessen the glory and sweetnesse of the other But if he once perceiue any company or kind of recreation begin to steale away his heart from communion and comfort in his God let him abandon it as a canker and cut-throate of his spirituall happinesse and euer prize and preferre the ioy of the soule delights of Grace refreshings of the holy Ghost infinitely before all worldly pleasures carnall contentments ease or any earthly thing Thus much of recreations II. Let me adde a word or
very spectacle of commiseration to euery spirituall eye euen as that body is which adorned with a goodly feature and many other admirable beauties yet wanteth eye-sight the comfort of life whereby it walkes in perpetuall darkenesse and desperate danger Goodnesse though attended with contempt and disgrace is incomparably more amiable in the eye of an honest Cato much more of an holy Christian then all the vaine-glorious boisterous representations of any greatnesse or pompe Memorable and remarkable to this purpose was the magnanimitie and resolution of that holy Prophet 2. Kings 3. 14. As the Lord of hosts liueth before whom I stand Surely were it not that I regard the presence of Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah I would not looke toward thee nor see thee Miserable then is the vanity and vaine-glorious slauery of such as with great eagernesse and impotency hunt so ambitiously after high dependances and hold it a strange happinesse to insinuate into the bosome of the worlds Fauourites though it be by basenesse bribery an vniuersall obsequiousnesse and vile accommodations They many times with vaunting intimation also to others proudly applaud and please themselues for their accesse countenance and entertainement with Great men as though it argued in them some rare extraordinary sufficiencie and worth when as perhaps it is their owne flattering insinuations and intrusion their instrumentall agencie and imployment in some ill offices lewd seruices which brings them into such request and acceptation But let such know it is a thousand times more comfort and true credit to be receiued with Christian loue and armes of grace into the heart and affections of a good man then to be entertained with greatest brauery and worldly applause into grace and fauour with the greatest gracelesse One vpon earth For alas when a man hath done all he can to please the humours of vngodly great Ones by an vnconscionable satisfaction of their carnall desires and to gratifie them hath vnhappily grieued his owne conscience hee can at last when Gods dreadfull visitation and flaming vengeance shall seize vpon him for that sinne looke for no better reward and reply than that cold comfort and cutting answere which Iudas in the extremity of his anguish and horrour receiued from the High Priests and Elders Matth. 27. 4. That cursed man came vnto them ready out of the rage of his vexed conscience to teare his traiterous heart out of his body with his own bloody hands and threw the thirty pieces of siluer amongst them and cryed out I haue sinned in that I haue betrayed the innocent blood But what recompence doe they returne for his imployment in villany to serue their turne Their reply is What is that to vs See thou to that And such a man shall certainely in the day of distresse bee enforced to take vp some rufull complaint proportionable to Wolseyes heauy groane Had I beene as carefull to serue the God of heauen as my great Master on earth He had neuer left me in my gray haires And wee see in the meane time fauour is deceitfull and transitory euen in priuate men much more in great personages The volubility of whose nature is soone glutted and very variable for kinds of satisfaction A thousand experiences in all Stories and times teach vs how irregular and many times retrograde the reuolutions of highest fauours runne They haue their paroxysmes and declinations and euer at length their most certaine expiration and euerlasting period But on the other side consciousnesse of hauing held an vnfained fruitfull correspondence and communion with Gods people the onely excellent Ones by all neerest and dearest engagements and Obligations of a profitable and comfortable fellowship in the Gospell and mutuall entercourse of godly conference heauenly counsell spirituall encouragements consideration one of another confirmation in grace and well-grounded testification of meeting together in heauen will incomparably more refresh the trembling heart of a dying man than if he had been crowned all his life long with the Imperiall glory of all earthly kingdomes And in the meane time there is nothing in this world to be admired but the illustrious splendour of heauenly graces shed and shining from Gods mercifull Throne by his sanctifying Spirit into the soules of the Saints Neither any thing so to bee desired no such prerogatiue and Paradise in this vale of teares as a mutuall communicating of their diuine brightnesse and the sweete ioy issuing thence a very glimpse and earnest of euerlasting glory to the humble hearts one of another 4. When thou visitest others or thy selfe inuitest them take notice euer before-hand with as punctuall and special suruey as thou canst possibly of their humours dispositions carriages opinions and behauiours and thereupon premeditate and prepare conuenient and seasonable matter whereby thou maist more successefully addresse and apply thy selfe with all meekenesse of wisedome and patient discretion to insinuate interpose argue answere reprooue reply and so demeane thy selfe in thy whole discourse that through thy default neither the glory of God the honour of his Truth the reputation of Christianitie or thine owne conscience receiue any indignitie disgrace diminution or wound Would Christians take this counsell hold this course they would at such times not so often depart with spirituall discontent and so smitten with consciousnesse afterward of their silence omissions cowardlinesse and vnprofitablenesse in company For want of care and conscience in this point countrey people meet many times in their Conuenticles of goodfellowship at Ale-houses Bake-houses Gossippings as they call them c. as at a common Mart of Tale-telling back-byting disgracing their neighbours raging against Professors sawcily and vnseasonably medling with and miscensuring other mens matters yea and would you thinke it sometimes euen highest Mysteries of State reuiling the Ministerie especially if managed with manifestation of the Spirit and an holy impatiency to see the deuill domineere and reuell it in the blood of the peoples soules without contradiction When they come together at such times euery one opens his packe of tales for I haue told you heretofore that a Tale-bearer is compared to a Pedlar as the word in the Originall cleerely intimates who hauing furnished himselfe and filled his packe with variety of peddling and petty stuffes trots vp and downe for vent from house to house where he finds best custome and speall entertainement I say at such meetings it is their manner to open euery one his packe of false and slanderous tales which they haue raked and scraped together by their owne malicious surmises listnings whisperings pragmaticall inquisitiuenesse into other mens businesses or some odde idle Intilligencers whom they entertaine for that purpose and there out of an itching humor of talkatiuenesse and tattling they lay abroad such rotten wares to the empoysoning of the eares of those that heare them the defaming of their brethren farre better then themselues and certaine remonstration to their owne consciences that they are as yet the children of the deuill the
of conscience bee fearelesse and senselesse of the wrath of God the wrong of his neighbour and the wretchednesse of his owne soule yet if he desire as hee doth with a raging vnsatiablenesse like the graue or hell to thriue in his outward state and prosper in the world let him not meddle so much as with a sticke or a straw a pin or a point of another mans neither at any time put his hand to any wicked way of getting lest beside the losse of his soule at last and a world of miseries in the meane time hee misse the very marke so eagerly aimed at of making him and his great in the world For hope of which hee is cursedly content to part with all true contentment in this life and a Crowne of blisse in the Kingdome of heauen For this purpose and to perswade and presse this point vnanswerably let vs take a view in Gods Booke of the diuers waies how he is wont in wrath to deale with wrong-doers and vnconscionable dealers It comes to passe sometimes that the wicked worldling insatiable earth-worme God cursing his couetousnesse and cruelty may see an end of his wealth euen in this world according to that Ier. 17. 11. As the Partridge sitteth on egges and hatcheth them not so hee that gettethriches and not by right shall leaue them in the middest of his dayes and at his end shall be a foole Iob 20. 15 28. Hee hath swallowed downe riches and he shall vomit them vp againe God shall cast them out of his belly The increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath Or it is no strange thing to see him prosper by vnconseionablenesse and craft vsurious and other iniurious practises all his life long but then hauing scraped together his hoard of iniquity with a great deale of carking thoughtfulnesse and selfe vexation kept it with extreme feare slauish distrust and heart-gnawing iealousies parted from it with much anguish horrour and almost with as painfull diuorce as that of the soule from the body at last after the losse of it soule and all 1. He either leaues it to them who will liberally let flie abroad and enlarge those golden heapes which greedinesse had formerly confinde and strongly guarded with bolts and barres According to that Prou. 28. 8. He that by vsurie and vniust gaine increaseth his substance hee shall gather it for him that will pitie the poore See also Prou. 13. 22. Iob 27. vers 16 17. 2. Or it may be wholly scattered amongst meere strangers according to that Eccles. 6. 2. But a strange man shall eate it vp See also Psalm 39. 6. Eccles. 4. 8. and 2. 18 19. 3. Or being bequeathed to his owne children and blasted by Gods secret curse it may melt away in their hands as snow before the Sunne according to that Eccles. 5. 13 14. There is a sore euill which I haue seene vnder the Sunne namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt But these riches perish by euill trauell and he begetteth a sonne and there is nothing in his hand But howsoeuer whether ill gotten goods perish or prosper in the owners hands or his posteritie sure I am the ineuitable plague and iust vengeance of God cleaues inseparably vnto his soule and hunts that man to destruction whosoeuer he be that enricheth himselfe by wicked and wrongfull meanes without timely repentance and true restitution if he be able He that hath oppressed the poore and needy or hath spoyled by violence or hath giuen vpon vsury or hath taken increase the same reason is also of all indirect and vnlawfull getting shall he liue He shall not liue he hath done all these abominations hee shall surely die his blood shall bee vpon him Ezek. 18. vers 12 13. And maruaile not neither be mis-led though thou obserue sometimes wicked worldlings themselues their heires and heires heires to wallow also in that wealth which the Grandfathers got wrongfully For they are for all this but as so many sensuall earth rooting hogs fatted for the knife and haue this wofull brand set vpon them by the Spirit of God Psal. 17. 14. They are men of the world and haue their portion in this life But euer hold this as a terrible and true principle It is one of the greatest curses vnder the Sunne to prosper in our wayes and be out of the way to Heauen 3. Thirdly it is a ruled case and concurrent resolution amongst Diuines That if thou doest not restore being able whatsoeuer thou hast any waies got wrongfully and wickedly thou canst haue neither well grounded assurance of vnfained repentance nor true comfort of the pardon of that sinne A cutting conclusion against all cut-throat Vsurers Simonists Sacrilegians Bribe-takers Grinders of poore mens faces Hoarders by fraud Oppressors of all vnder them of the same trade by some Machiuillian tricke and the rest of that cruell crue How can he be said to repent soundly that lies still soaking in his sinne wittingly and willingly Now whosoeuer keepes still in his hands any thing wickedly got continues a wrong doer still and therefore doth it not faithfully but only faineth repentance Whereupon saith Austin If a man restore not ill gotten goods being able his repentance is not comfortable but counterfeite Dreadfull also is the doome of the said Father vpon all wrong-doers The sinne is not remitted except that which hath been vniustly taken be restored Either in act if thou be able or at least in vnfained affection if thy state be wasted What a bedlam folly is it then and cursed cruelty to thine owne soule to heape vp those riches of iniquity by basenesse and wrong which thou must afterward restore in the sense I haue said or else neuer enioy any comfortable assurance of a true conuersion or pardon of sinne Were he not a foolish thiefe that would keep his stollen goods both in the face of his accuser and Iudge Though in the meane time thou conceale thy cunning conueiances from the discouery and doome of humane iustice yet assure thy selfe besides the secret grumbling of thy selfe-accusing conscience the angry eye of God also sees cleerely and will shortly most certainely reuenge 4. Almesdeeds charitable erections of Colledges Hospitalls Free-Schooles and other inferiour bountifull contributions when God inables by good meanes the necessities of his Poore cry for reliefe and the sanctified heart with affectionate sincerity aimes at Gods glory are sweete-smelling sacrifices with which God is well pleased Philip. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 16. But if his slauish gifts and good deedes largesses and liberalities in this kinde be impoysoned with former fraud oppression and wrong though it bee well that the Church of God sometimes the backes and bellies of the poore bee better thereby yet to the impenitent and not restoring vsurer himselfe or any other wicked dealer in respect of acceptation with God and true comfort to his
owne heart they are no better then the cutting off of a Dogges necke or the sacrifice of a foole Ill gotten goods are for restitution not for distribution Lest any couetous cauiller thinke the point too harsh precise heare what the ancient Fathers say to this purpose Bernard God receiueth not any almes at the hands of an oppressor or vsurer Hierome Significantly saith the Prophet His owne bread lest men should turne bread gotten by oppression and Vsury into a worke of Mercy Austin When God shall begin to iudge those that liue now by fraud and giue almes of the spoyles of the oppressed will say Lord we haue kept thy Commandements and in thy name wee haue done workes of mercy we haue fed the Hungry we haue clothed the Naked and entertained Strangers To whom God will reply You tell me what you haue giuen but you tell me not what you haue taken away You recount whom you haue fed but why remember you not whom you haue vndone They reioyce whom you haue clothed but they lament whom you haue spoyled c. A man is filled with bread whom thou feedest with spoyle but the Lord will blesse not thee but him whom thou hast vndone c. Chrysostome But what is the excuse of many I haue indeed been an Vsurer say they but I haue also been good to the poore A sweete piece of matter sure But God accepts not such sacrifices It were farre better to giue nothing to the poore at all then giue in that manner That wealth which is wonne by thy iust labours is many times quite mard with such wicked mixtures c. The very Heathen man tells vs That the poore are not to be fed like the Whelpes of wilde beasts with blood and murther rapine and spoile but that which is most acceptable to the receiuers they should know that that which is giuen vnto them is not taken from any body else Nay one of the bloodiest men that euer breathed Selymus a Turkish Emperour yet vpon his bed of death replyed thus to his Bassa moouing him with the wealth taken from the Persian Merchants to build an Hospitall for reliefe of the poore Wouldest thou Pyrrhus that I should bestow other mens goods wrongfully taken from them vpon workes of charitie and deuotion for mine owne vaine glory and praise Assuredly I will neuer doe it nay rather see they bee againe restored vnto the right owners Which was done forthwith accordingly to the great shame saith the Author of many Christians who minding nothing lesse then restitution but making ex rapina holocaustum doe out of a world of euill gotten goods cull out some small fragments to build some poore Hospitall or mend some blinde way A poore testimony of their hot charitie Wretchedly then doe they delude the World and deceiue their owne soules who vainely thinke that some workes of mercy at last when they must needs leaue all will expiate and recompence the cruelties and vnconscionable dealings of their whole life before Zacheus penitent Proclamation consisted of two branches Luk. 14. 8. As well for restitution as distribution He that would find the same mercy must follow the same methode 3. Let thy desire and delight neuer fall or be fastened immoderately vpon any earthly thing though neuer so excellent delicious or amiable For exorbitancy and errour this way brings many times 1. A losse of the thing so doted vpon 2. Sometime a crosse 3. Euer a curse 1. For the first our righteous and holy God when hee â—…ees the current of his creatures affections to bee carried inordinately and preposterously from the Fountaine of liuing waters vpon boken Cisternes that can hold none from the bottomlesse treasury of all sweetest beauties dearest excellencies amiable delights vpon painted shadowes from the Rocke of eternitie vpon a staffe of Reede I meane from the Creator vpon the creature He wisely and seasonably in the equitie of his Iustice and out of the iealousie of his owne Glorie takes away that earthly Idoll that the occasion of such irregular affection remoued he may draw the heart in which he principally takes pleasure to his owne glorious Selfe the onely Load-Starre of all sanctified loue and boundlesse Ocean of happinesse and blisse Nay it may be said in the sweetenesse of his mercy also when he sees vs distracted and as it were desperately mad with making too much of any transitorie thing so that our mind doth still runne and rest vpon it as our onely heauen vpon earth He snatches the edge toole out of our hands lest we make away our selues spiritually and withdrawes the beloued vanitie from before our eyes lest we grow starke blind in the mysteries of Faith and matters of Heauen by too much gazing vpon the fading beauty of any baser earthly obiect Thus the immoderate partiall affection of Parents may become many times occasionall and accessary to the vntimely taking away of a sweete faire and towardly child Whereby our gracious God iustly intimates vnto them their intolerable vnthankefulnesse of his mercy and extreme indignitie to his Maiesty in wickedly preferring in their loue a creature before their Creator and mercifully teaches them that the flowre and seruour of their best and dearest affection is onely due and should bee wholly deuoted to the greatest Good God himselfe and those truest vnutterable euer-during delights prepared for the Blessed in his Word here and in the World to come hereafter 1. Cor. 2. 9. Conceiue proportionably of other things immeasurably desired and delighted in If thou dotest vpon a good wit thou mayest be stricken with distraction if vpon abundance of learning or much worldly wisedome thou mayest be infatuated at least at some speciall times when thou wouldest gladly doe the best or in some important businesse which most concernes thee if vpon some highplace thou mayst with Haman Shebna and thousands moe be throwne down into the gulph of calamitie and woe contempt and scorne if vpon a faire house it may be leuelled with the ground by the flames of Gods wrath if vpon a beautifull face it may bee disfigured with the Poxe or other deformities if vpon a hoard of gold it may be disperst by fire robbery desolations of warre nay if euen vpon thy graces with an ouerweening conceit of selfe-excellency selfe-opinion selfe-sufficiency if they be onely generall graces thou mayst bee quite stript of them if sauing thou mayst bee cast into a dampe and desertion for a time in respect of all comfort sense vse and exercise c. 2. For the second though God may permit thee to possesse still that outward worldly comfort vpon which the fury of thine affection is so fastened and thine heart graspes with such greedinesse and excesse yet in this case thou mayest iustly expect a crosse either 1. In the thing doted vpon With what a deale of cutting discomfort and gashes of bitter griefe did Absalom dandled in Dauids affection with too much indulgence rent his Fathers
comfortable entercourse and blissefull Communion which it enioyes in part with the blessed Trinity by the Word Sacraments and other his holy Ordinances appointed and sanctified for that purpose vntill it remooue from an house of flesh into the Empyrean heauen And then 1. The vnderstanding is first filled with finall and euerlasting contentment by a cleere glorious sight of God which they call Beat ficall vision when we shall see him face to face know him as we are knowne 1. Cor. 13. 12. see him as hee is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. For as the Sunne of this world by his beames and brightnesse illâ—…ghteneth the eye and the ayre that wee may see not onely all other things but also his owne glorious face so God blessed for euer the Sunnes Creator the Imperiall Sunne of the world aboue in whose presence the vnited splendour of ten thousand of our Sunnes would vanish away as a darkesome moate and lumpe of vanitie doth by the light of his holy Spirit so irradiate the mindes of all the blessed that they are thereby enlarged and inabled not only to behold eminently in him the beauty goodnesse and excellency of all creatures in a farre more admirable and orient manner then in their owne beings but also his owne face essence will and counsels perfections and attributes incomprehensible greatnesse and Maiesty 2. Secondly the will also is then fully and for euer satisfied with a perfect inward eternall communion with God himselfe Oâ—…r sweet glorified Sauiour being God and man by his humane nature assumed vniteth vs to God and by his diuine nature assuming vniteth God vnto vs so that by this secret and sacred communion we are made in an admirable and blessed manner partakers and as it were possessours of God himselfe and communicate with him in all his goodnesse perfections excellencies and happinesse O bottomlesse depth and dearest confluence of all ioyes pleasures sweetnesses delights vnconceiueable vnutterable infinite This is the supreme end of our Creation and Redemption the very flower quintessence and sinew as it were of our So ueraigne good By this act of blessednesse we are filled with all the fulnesse of God He becomes vnto vs All in all so that thereby we liue his very life in purity eternity sincerest pleasures highest perfection though not to the height of his infinitenesse for wee are but creatures yet in proportion to our capacitie and vtmost possibility which is a felicitie aboue measure and past imagination In these two acts thus exercised about an infinite Obiect God himselfe doth Blessednesse essentially and formally consist but principally in the fruition of God by a full immediate and compleate communion with him and most blessed participation of all his glory and All-sufficiency And therefore Aquinas and all his followers come short in placing our highest blisse onely in the act of the vnderstanding the Vision of God I am woont to expresse and illustrate it thus though there be an infinite distance and disproportion in the things compared It would mightily delight a man really and in person with ease and safetie to passe ouer and view the circuite of the whole earth and all the wonders of the world all the great cities renowned men magnificent courts rich mines spicie Ilands Chrystall mountaines coasts of Pearles rockes of Diamond c. of which Geographers write and Trauailers talke but if besides as he passed along he should haue sure and euerlasting possession giuen of them all what an immeasurable materiall addition would it make vnto his speculatiue delight And with what strange amazement and admiration of his making for euer and marueilous happines would it rauish his heart Euen so proportionably but aboue all degrees of comparison though a boundlesse Ocean of endlesse sweetnes and inexplicable ioy arise in the soule from the sight of God yet this blissefull communion whereby we possesse and enioy him in a neere excellent vnspeakable maner partake with him in all his excellencies perfections and felicities doth crowne as it were our Crowne of glory and actuate that heart-rauishing contemplation with the very life of euerlasting life and soule of heauenly ioyes and highest blisse Thus and in this manner doe the restlesse wanderings and infinite appetite of these aspiring sparkes of heauen our immateriall and immortall spirits come to finall rest and euerlasting repose When at last they shall graspe in the armes of their desire that chiefest Good the most glorious Deitie and bathe themselues freely and fully in that euer-during Welspring of Immortality and Life But now set aside the fruition of this Obiect infinite both in excellency and endlesnesse the onely aime and end of the soules endlesse aspirations And though thou shouldest crowne a man compleately with the worth of this whole world the admirable splendour of the Empyrean heauen the beauty of a shining Sunne-like body the rich and royall endowments inherent in a glorified soule the sweetest company of Saints and Angels the comfort of eternity yet his soule would still be full of emptinesse and appetite and vtterly to seeke for the surest Sanctuary and supremest solace to settle her vnsatisfied longings vpon Onely once admit it to the face of God by Beatificall Vision and to fruition of the most glorious and euer-blessed Trinity by immediate communion and so consequently to those Torrents of pleasures and fulnesse of ioy flowing thence and then presently and neuer before its infinite desire expires in the bosome of God and it lyes as it were downe softly with sweetest peace and full contentment in the imbracements of euerlasting blisse The other innumerable inestimable ioyes in heauen are I deny not transcendent and rauishing but they are but all accessories to this Principall drops to this Ocean glimpses to this Sunne Well then if this bee the onely way to the soules eternall welfare then those vnhappy soules which runne a contrary course and seeke for satisfaction in any creature or created comfort stand deseruedly still vpon the racke of restlesse discontentment and are iustly cursed with the gnawing rage of vnsatiablenesse and must needs be so For besides 1. That the furious torrent of our sensuall corruption being once on foote after worldly pleasures and swelling by a continuall infusion of hellish poyson doth with an impetuous headstrongnesse beare and breake downe all bonds and bankes of moderation and stint and will neuer be restrained from its vnsatiable rage if God helpe not vntil it be swallowed vp in the bottomlesse gulfe of misery and horrour for it is the natiue property or rather poyson of inordinate affection not onely to drinke deepe of sinfull delights but to carouse to be drunke nay to adde vnquenchable thirst vnto drunkennesse sucking them in with fresh supply of endlesse greedinesse as the Horse-leach corrupt blood till it burst againe 2. That the infinite desire of the soule confined to a creature or any worldly comfort is payned and pinched as a foote wedged in a straight shooe it being no competent or proportionable
satisfaction to its expectation and large capacitie Hence it is that giue Rome to Caesar as they say and he will ambitiously pursue the Soueraigntie of the whole earth Let Alexander conquer the world and he will aske for moe let those be subdued he would climbe vp the staires of his vast desires towards the starres if hee could aspire thither hee would peepe beyond the heauens c. No rest vnto mans soule but in Gods eternall rest 3. That there being no proportion betweene spirits and bodies thou maiest aswell vndertake to fill a bag with wisedome a chest with vertue as thine immortall soule with gold siluer riches high roomes this whole materiall world or any earthly thing See Eccles. 5. 10. 4. I say Besides these three causes of vnsatisfiablenesse God himselfe doth iustly put that property and poyson into all worldly things doted vpon and desired immoderately that they shall plague the heart that pursues them by filling it still with a furious and fresh supply of more greedinesse longings iealousies and many miserable discontentments So that they become vnto it as drinke vnto a drunkard a man in a dropsie or burning feauer serue onely to inflame it with new heate and fierie additions of insatiable thirst and inordinate lust No maruaile then though the working heart of euery naturall man vnreconciled to God be like the raging sea that cānot rest That roaring Element to which the Spirit of God resembles a wicked man must needes bee a much troubled and very restlesse creature sith it is continually tossed turmoyled with variety of contrary and confused motions that of estuation reuolution reflectiō descension and agitation by the windes semblably if thou couldest see the inside of the greatest gracelesse Monopolist and ingrosser of all the most desireable excellencies vnder the Sunne glistering in the highest Emperiall Throne vpon the earth thou shouldest behold his heart for all that rent asunder with many raging distempers and tempestuous whirlewindes of contrary lusts a very hiue of vnnumbred cares sorrowes and passions boyling incessantly with irkesome suspitions false feares insatiable longings secret grumblings of conscience torturing distractions and tumultuations of hell By the way let me tell you that this immoderate desire inordinate delight which I speake of glued to some speciall sensuall obiect which naturall corruption singles out and makes chiefest choice of to follow and feed vpon with greatest contentment and carnall sweetnesse become the parents of euery mans bosome sinne If it fall in loue with honours and greatnesse it breeds and brings forth ambition which is an vnquenchable thirst after visible glory and a gluttonous hunting after high roomes As it inhabiteth the highest and haughtiest spirits and is superlatiue and transcendent in its obiect and aspirations so of all the stormy perturbations which rent and rage in the heart of man it is most tempestuous and desperate Ventrous it is to climbe vp any staires of basenesse bribery blood to tread vpon the ruines of the noblest innocency vpon the mercilesse desolations of dearest friends and neerest kindred to domineere for a while though it be damned euerlastingly afterwards as it is too cleere in the Turkish Emperors and in that great Master of mischiefe and Machiauelisme Richard the third of this Kingdome who with a bloody hand pressed out the breath of those two orient Princes in the Tower his Nephewes and naturall Lords It is victorious ouer all other affections and masters euen the sensuality of lustfull pleasures as appeares in the greatest Warriours and ancient Worthies amongst the Heathen who tempted with the exquisitenesse and variety of choisest beauties yet forbore that villany not for conscience sake and feare of God whom they knew not but lest they should interrupt the course and stop the current of their warlike reputation ambitious designes and atchiuements of state But whatsoeuer other pestilent properties empoyson it it neuer failes to ingender in the heart which harbours it as its proper Thunder-bolt and blasting feares cares iealousies enuies enraged thirst of rising still impatiencie of competition vncapablenesse of satiety which is most for my purpose For the proud and ambitious man enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot bee satisfied Hab. 2. 5. Who can fill the bottomlesse pit of hell or stop the vnsatiable iawes of death neither can the greedie humour of an haughtie spirit the aspiring insolencie of a boisterous Nimrod be possibly stayed or stinted no not with the top and variety of highest honours though hee should alone and absolutely be crowned with the Soueraignitie of the whole earth and command the felicities of this wide world If it fall in loue with riches it breeds and brings forth couetousnesse the vilest and basest of all the infections of the soule in the most contemptible and dunghill disposition For this kyte-footed corruption wheresoeuer it seizeth and domineeres blasts and banisheth all noblenesse of spirit naturall affection humanity discretion reason wisedome manlinesse mutuall entertainements entercourse of kindnesse and loue and turnes all euen the soule it selfe into earth and mudde It drawes by a cunning reserued basenesse all occasions circumstances aduantages witte policy euen friends and acquaintance nay religion conscience and all to bee seruiceable and contributary to a greedy wolfe and raging gangren of hoarding vp Gold and worldly pelfe In a word it makes a man with a Bedlam cruelty to contemne himselfe body and soule for a little transitory trash wilfully to abandon both the comfortable enioyment of the short time of this present mortality and all hope of the length of that blessed eternity to come And as the obiect of it is most earthly base and incompetent so of all other vile affections it is most sottishly and senselesly vnsatisfiable For how is it possible that earth should feed or fill the immateriall and heauen-borne spirit of a man It can not be and the Spirit of God hath said it shall not be Eccles. 5. 10. 4. 8. He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer The eye is not satisfied with riches Hence it is that the deepelier and more eagerly the dropsie heart of the couetous man doth drinke of this golden streame the more furiously still it is inflamed with vnsatiable thirst nay certaine it is that if he should purchase and possesse a Monopoly of all the wealth in the world were he able to empty the Westerne parts of Gold and the East of all her Spices and precious things should hee enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heauen to another and heape vp his hoard to the starres yet his heart would be as hungry after more riches as if he had neuer a penny and much more If it fall in loue with beauty and the swaggering brauery of good fellowship it begets lust and sensuality which make their minions madde with bitternesse and malice against the very least glimpse of holinesse or any religious restraint enrage them
her selfe and cheerefull walking If hee to whose company and conditions shee is now so neerely and necessarily confined and as it were enchained proue dogged shee holds her selfe vtterly vndone for any outward contentment 2. Let him dwell with her according to knowledge 1. Pet. 3. 7. 1. By a wise discouery at the first and timely acquainting himselfe with her disposition affections infirmities passions imperfections and thereupon with all holy discretion apply and addresse himselfe in a faire and louing manner to rectifie and reforme all hee can and to beare the rest with patience passing by it without passion and impatiency still waiting vpon God by Prayer in his good time for a further and more full redresse and conformity One of the rankest rootes of distastes and discontentment in the Marriage-state is the neglect of a punctuall obseruation of each others properties of taking the right measure of each others manners vpon purpose that with mutuall patience and forbearance they may support each other in loue and louingly beare one anothers burthens Memorable is that speech and may bee a fit medicine against marriage-iarres which a reuerend man receiued from an husband being asked how such a cholericke couple could so consort together Thus saith he when her fit is vpon her I yeeld to her as Abraham did to Sara and when my fit is vpon me she yeelds to me and so we neuer striue together but asunder 2. By a prouident discreet and patient ordering guiding and managing businesses abroad and family affaires without that carking impatiencie preuention and distrust of Gods prouidence without that clamour boysterousnesse and confusion with which worldlings are woont to trouble their owne houses It is incredible to consider the vast and vnualuable difference between the comforts calmenesse and many sweet contentments of an houshold gouerned by the patient wisedome of an heauenly-minded man and the endlesse brawlings bitter contestations about trifles disorders domesticall hurlyburlies c. which haunt that family where a cholericke couetous and hairebrained husband doth domineere This latter is like the middle region of the ayre continually torne and rent with fresh commotions thunders and many tumultuous stirres which rise at first from a thing of nothing a thinne inuisible fume drawne out of the earth So earthly things vainer then the most vanishing vapour doe ordinarily raise in such Nourceries of disquietnesse and noise a world of needlesse troubles passionate distempers and selfe-vexations But the former is like the highest part of the aire full of calmenesse tranquillitie and constant light the Sunne of righteousnesse shining still vpon it with the blessed beames of patience contentment and spirituall noblenesse of minde doth from time to time dissolue and driue away all mists of worldly mourning stormes of bitternesse and brawling matter of such sencelesse and brainelesse molesting one another and doth with a sweete and kindly heate refresh and support the heart against all chollericke encounters and crosse accidents by vertue of such heauenly and healing cordials as these which were wont to calme and repell the most tempestuous assaults vpon the afflicted Saints Iob 1. 21. 1. Sam. 3. 18. 3. But aboue all by leading his wife in the way of life and path that is called Holy This is the flower and crowne of all his skill to be a blessed and manly guide vnto her towards euerlasting happinesse For want of this wisedome and wil many a poore soule lies bleeding vnto eternal death vnder the bloody and mercilesse hand of an ignorant prophane or Pharisaicall husband which perhaps may haue knowledge enough and too much to thriue in the world to prosper in his outward state to prouide for posterity nay to oppresse ouer-reach and defraud his brother But no wit no vnderstanding no braines at all to teach and tell his wife one foote of the right way to heauen wise to do euill as the Prophet speakes Ier. 4. 22. But to doe good no knowledge at all No holy habit or heart to pray with her to instruct and incourage her in the great mystery and practise of godlinesse to keepe the Sabbath holy and daies of humiliation to reade Scriptures repeate Sermons and conferre of good things with her c. from which he is so farre that although it be the strongest barre to keepe her from grace and the bloody cut-throate of both their soules he will needes perswade her that all this is too much precisenesse And yet heare Chrysostome Let them both goe to the Church and afterward at home let the husband require of the wife and the wife of the husband those things which were there spoken and read or at least some of them And in the same Sermon Teach her saith he the feare of God and all things will flow in abundantly as out of a fountaine and thine house will be replenished with innumerable good things 4 By a conscionable and constant care also for the conuersion and saluation of their children and seruants Euery husband and head of Family is as it were a Priest and Pastour in his owne house and therefore if he take not a course to catechize them pray with them prepare them for the Sacrament and to bring them vp in the nurture and admonition of the Lord as the Apostle counsels Ephe. 6. 4. to restraine them all hee can from lewde courses ill company the corruptions of the time but suffer them to haue their swinge in their youthfull rebellions vnhallowing the Lords Day Alehouse-hauntings stubbornnesse against the Ministery c. vntill many times they swing in an halter as they say Let them then know that all those sinnes they so runne into by such grosse neglect and default are set vpon his score and he must be exactly countable and full dearely answer for them at that great and last Day Nay let mee further tell him that which will make his eares to tingle and heart to tremble if it bee not of Adamant and his heartstrings turned into Iron sinnewes Those his children and seruants which by his impenitent omissions and vnconscionablenesse in this kinde haue perished in their sinnes will curse him for euer hereafter amongst the fiends in hell They will follow thee vp and downe in that euer-burning Lake with direfull bannings and hideous outcries crying out continually Woe vnto vt that euer we serued such a wicked and wretched master that had no care of the saluation of our soules tooke no course to saue vs out of these fiery torments Euen thine owne deare children in this case will yell in thine eares world without end Woe and alasse that euer wee were borne of such accursed parents who had not the grace to teach vs betime the waies of God to keepe vs from our youthfull vanities and to traine vs vp in the paths of Godlinesse Had they done so wee might haue liued in the endlesse ioyes of Heauen whereas now damned soules we must lie irrecouerably in these euerlasting flames Oh will they say it
of al pleasures and glory through all eternitie 6. Nay the way to thriue and fare well in the World if our most wise God thinke it fiâ—… is to bee compassionate this way If thou draw out thy soule to the hungry saith the Prophet and satisfie the afflicted soule then shall thy light rise in obscuritie and breake forth as the morning and thy darknesse bee as the noone-day and thy health shall spring forth speedily the Lord shal guide thee continually and satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered Garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not Thine horne shall be exalted with honour and thou shalt not want It will be then a profitable Inquisition amongst others when a man findes himselfe to goe backward in his estate Gods secret displeasure to blow vpon his wealth or afflict his body with painefull diseases c. to examine well whether he was not ordinarily woont rather to shut vp his bowels of compassion then to powre out his soule to the poore In a third place take notice of the order of those obiects vpon which thy Christian loue is regularly and seasonably to be directed and thy workes of mercy discharged The Catalogue of them runneth thus as I conceiue The publike State wherein thou liuest and whereof thou art a member challengeth the first place and precedencie If it liued a naturall life as thou doest and thou haddest but one morsell of bread which would onely sustaine the life of one of you thou wert to perish that it might flourish for it is euer better that one member should bee cut off then the whole body consumed In the next place stands thy selfe then thy wife then thy parents then thy children and family then the household of faith then thy naturall kinred sprung lately from the same progenitors then thy neerest neighbours and common friends then thy countrymen then strangers then thine enemies For as thou wouldest be holden a child of the Highest Luk. 6. 35. thou must loue thine enemies and relieue them too Prou. 25. 21. Rom. 12. 20. And because our naughty hearts doe naturally rise and swell against them with much enraged anger disdaine and contempt ponder seriously vpon these points as counterpoysons to keepe out these foule fiends and preserue thine affections euer calme and vnstained this way and in an holy charitable temper and disposition to doe them good 1. First he that becomes a bloody goad in thy side for thy blessed profession and because thou followest goodnesse is starke mad and vtterly besides himselfe in matter of saluation Hee is as a dead man without all sense of spirituall selfe-murder now it is extreme weakenesse to euen thy wit as they say with a Bedlam and barbarous inhumanitie to wreake thy spite vpon the dead and basely to vexe a liuelesse carcase with brauing insultations 2. Thou shouldest most wilfully forsake thine owne mercie and iudge thy selfe more then infinitely vnworthy of euerlasting life of any part or portion in the rich glorious eternall purchases of His meritorious death if thou couldest not frankely forgiue the greatest wrong of thy greatest enemy vpon this ground onely because Iesus Christ hath freely powred out the dearest and warmest blood in his heart to purchase for thee a worme and wretch and while thou wast yet his desperate enemy pardon and saluation from the endlesse woes and damnations of Hell 3. Thirdly the mercifull patience of God himselfe in forbearing and bearing with infinite wrongs and dishonours done vnto his great Maiestie euery day may be a matchlesse patterne and precedent to vs wofull sinners and worse then nothing easily to pardon and patiently to passe by all the prouocations of our fellow creatures How many blasphemous mouthes are continually open against the Maiestie of Heauen With what damned oathes doe they teare and recrucifie the precious body of his glorified Sonne that fits at his owne right hand With what monstrous lyes and hatefull slanders doe they disgrace his Ambassadours and vilifie his chosen Nay where shall you find one of those who haue sincerely giuen their names vnto Christ whose neglected innocency is not trampled vpon with the feet of pride and contempt and whose guiltlesse fame lyes not bleeding vnder the mercilesse strokes of intemperate tongues How many sonnes and daughters of Belial doe horribly and with an high hand prophane his Sabbaths pollute his Sacraments and turne their backs vpon his Word How many euery where turne themselues into barrels and beasts euen into sincks nay and sometimes into Sodomites Hab. 2. 15. by their swinish drunkennesse How many inclosing Nimrods and Machiauellian Landlords grind the faces of the poore pluck off their skins teare their flesh breake their bones chop them in pieces as for the pot and eate the flesh of Gods people In a word How many incarnate deuils walke vp and downe the Earth with hearts and hands as full as Hell with all manner of mischiefe lewdnesse and rebellion And yet wee see in the meane time our gracious God beares patiently with these many and prodigious prouocations Though hee be armed with his owne vnresistable omnipotency haue euer in a readines all the Angels of Heauen all the creatures vpon Earth all the Deuils in Hell nay the very hands and consciences of such stubborne Rebels to be the instruments and executioners of his iust wrath vpon their sinne yet doth hee sweetly and fairely temper and moderate his indignation to see if the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering will leade them to repentance If Almighty God then whose Maiesty blessed and glorious for euer is chiefly wrongged euen by thy wrongs also whose mildnesse and mercy is most shamefully abused with the horrible ingratitude and intolerable contempt of such as hate to be reformed bee so wonderfully patient be not thou peruerse but rather heape coales of fire vpon thine enemies head by kindnes and loue that thou mayest be the charitable child of thy Father which is in Heauen who suffers his raine to fall as well vpon heaths and weeds as vpon flowers and fruit-trees 4. By harbouring heart-burning and angry thoughts in thy brest against those thou art tempted to hate thou wofully hardenest thine own heart which is an vnualuable hurt and depriuest thy selfe all the while thou art so dogged of the blessing benefit and comfort of all the ordinances not onely of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as ignorant people suppose but also of Prayer hearing the Word singing of Psalmes conference c. 1. Tim. 2. 8. Matth. 5. 23 24. Iam. 1. 20. Now what extreme madnesse is it and Bedlam cruelty to thine own soule by cherishing and keeping warme in thy bosome such a base dunghill Viper as reuengefull spite to cast the whole Frame of thy spirituall building into combustion and to make God thine enemy whereby thou hurtest thy selfe incomparably more then thou
occasion or rather then faile to make matter in their owne spitefull braines or take it vp from the lying oracle of some frothy Ale-bench wherby to staine the honour of Profession with the vnworthiest imputations of couetousnesse hard-heartednesse vnmercifulnesse whereas themselues meere men of this world are as couetous as the skinne will hold fast nailed and glued vnto the earth neuer in their life lift vp a ioyfull thought towards heauen neither dare thinke seriously vpon the world to come without a great deale of slauish sadnesse and secret terrour And in their grasping of worldly goods they care not a button for conscience make no account at all of that most certaine strict account at Gods dreadfull Tribunall but only how to carry matters smoothly and plausibly in the eyes of men and dawbe ouer their vniust dealings with close conueyances and trickes of wit I goe not about heere to Apologize for any vncharitable counterfeits or those most odious outside-Christians who put on the glory of an Angell in outward profession that they may play the deuils more vnobseruedly in Vsurious practises oppressions and vnconscionable griping weare a cloake of zeale in conformitie to the externall formes of obedience to the first Table vpon purpose to couer their crueltie and inhumanitie in vndermining and ouer-reaching their brethren and to prey the more inuisibly vpon the simplicitie of those whom they deceiue by Seeming But yet I must tell you that many times euen some of Gods owne best Children are full falsly and fouly charged by foule-mouthed worldlings themselues with worldlinesse couetousnesse and imputations of that nature who by Gods mercy are so farre from doting vpon earth and the fading glory thereof that in their retired aduised thoughts they would not loose the loue and light of Gods countenance and testimonie of a good conscience to winne the whole world they would not exchange their comforts of godlinesse and interest in a Crowne of life for ten thousand worlds were they all turned into one inualuable Pearle They feele themselues incomparably more comforted and kindly refreshed at the heart roote with one thought of heauen and that endlesse ioyfull rest aboue through all eternitie then with a world of earthly contemplations though all composed of gold pleasures possessions honours Diadems and all the glorious and most desireable treasures vnder the Sunne And who in respect of any vnconscionablenesse wrongs iniustice or wicked wayes of getting might with sinceritie of heart proportionably to their states and callings take vp Samuels protestation Behold here I am witnesse against mee before the Lord and before his Anoynted Whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I defrauded whom haue I oppressed or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it And sincere thoughts resolutions and protestations to this purpose are cleere euidences of vnearthly-mindednes Blessed Iob doth pregnantly illustrate this point His owne friend chargeth him with inhumanitie couetousnesse and cruelty and thereupon inferreth that Gods afflicting hand was heauy vpon him How much more thinke you would the children of fooles and children of villaines viler then the earth of whom hee elsewhere complaines vexe him slanderously Is not thy wickednesse great saith Eliphaz Iob 22. 5. c. and thine iniquities infinite For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought and stripped the naked of their cloathing Thou hast not giuen water to the weary to drinke and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry Thou hast sent widowes away empty and the armes of the fatherlesse haue beene broken Therefore snares are round about thee and sudden feare troubleth thee Wheras in deed and truth righteous Iob was right nobly minded tender-hearted charitable bountifull as appeares by his confident contestation to the contrary Iob 31. 16 c. If I haue withheld the poore from their desire or haue caused the eyes of the widdow to faile or haue eaten my morsell myselfe alone and the fatherlesse hath not eaten thereof If I haue seene any perish for want of cloathing or any poore without couering If his loynes haue not blessed me and if hee were not warmed with the fleece of my Sheepe if I haue lift vp my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my helpe in the gate then let mine arme fall from my shoulder blade and mine arme be broken from the bone Thus many times an imputation of worldlinesse hard-heartednesse vnhospitalitie c. is layd vpon Gods children without all cause truth or conscience occasioned as I conceiue for I desire to discouer vnto you a depth of Satans malice in this point partly from the parties accusing and slandering partly from the parties accused and slandered Occasions ministred by prophane men are such as these 1. First They many times when they finde their consciences disquieted their former courses controlled their carnall humours crossed and contradicted and themselues much diseased and disturbed in the securefull pursuit of their sensuall pleasures by the searching power of a conscionable Ministerie or when they plainely see that their vnzealousnesse lukewarmnesse and formalitie in Religion is censured and condemned by the forwardnesse and zealous carriage and conuersation of the Saints they seeke by all meanes and labour might and maine to bee meete with those Ministers which so vexe them with their faithfull Preaching and those godly Christians which silently disgrace them with their gracious life and zealous exercise of Christianitie And therefore sith many times by Gods goodnesse they cannot finde any visible or conspicuous matter or miscarriage to charge them with truely because the Saints lie not in grosse and notorious sinnes such as are swearing drunkennesse lying vncleannesse Sabbath-breaking idlenesse the vanities of goodfellowship c. as themselues are woont therefore I say they audaciously diue into their hearts with vnhallowed censures and lay vnto their charges those inuisible errours which none can see but Gods All-seeing Eye from which they cannot be cleered and acquit but onely by their owne consciences and his highest Tribunall So that they take order that such imputations though groundlesse and false yet shall be sure to cleaue to the good name of Gods Children as certainely without redresse or remedie as they were deuised without truth or charitie Wee may see this cleerely in the present point and the slander of hypocrisie which is also the ordinarie portion of the best from men of the world When prophane opposites vnto grace pry curiously into all the wayes of Gods Child and can finde nothing so faulty in his outward carriage or reprooueable in the ordinarie course of his life as they expect and desire yet left they should not shew themselues the right children of Satan the Accuser of the Brethren they will be medling one way or other they will bee nibling at his good name with some such speeches as these Well well though he be an excellent Pulpit man or a forward
by some one speciall markable act of bounty and contribution or for some few seasonable ostentations of good fellowship and kinde nature gets the start and precedency in opinion and reputation with the World from many a gracious Christian who beares in his bosome a constant habituall tender-heartednes to all true necessities and as occasion shall exact opens his heart his hands and his house most ioyfully and compassionately to refresh and comfort the needfull exigents of any true-hearted Nathaneel And the Worldling doth the rather and more easily carry it because in the dispersing of his doles and largesses hee many times makes choise of such tale-bearing Trumpetters who knowing his Pharisaicall humour are likeliest to blaze his bounty most abroad in the World whereas the Christian singles out specially for such purposes the distressed Saints from whom hee expects no more but a secret and silent blessing of God in their hearts for his goodnesse conueyed vnto them by such an Instrument Thus I haue discouered vnto you a mysterie of Satans malice and the cunning despitefulnesse of prophane men who labour many times out of pure malice wilfull mistakings to fasten vpon Gods children imputations of worldlinesse hard-heartednesse cruell dealing and such like The occasions as I haue largely told you are such as these Vpon the Worldlings part 1. His hearty desire to disgrace Christians whom sith by the Grace of God hee finds free from open grosse sinnes presently growes to such speeches as these Why but are not such and such giuen to the world as well as other men c. 2. He dare enlarge his conscience to courses of vnlawfull getting and therefore it is more easie for him to open his hand now and then to some boysterous flourishes of liberalmindednesse especially sith thereby hee hopes to repaire his reputation for his other indirections 3. He is commonly Pharisaicall in an ambitious exercise and more publike acting of his deeds of charitie and therefore whatsoeuer hee doth that way is for the most part carried abroad with speciall and remarkable noyse and notice 4. He would gladly still the cryings of his guilty conscience and seeme to himselfe to redeeme the sinnes of his soule by a more bountifull disbursement of outward things Vpon the Christians part 1. He is most subiect to wrongs and weakenings in his outward state both by the violent encroachments of profest opposites and couetous insinuations of false friends 2. He dare not for any gold or good vndertake any vnwarrantable and scandalous course of gaining 3. He finds himselfe bound in conscience to faithfull diligence in his Calling and Christian prouision for his Familie 4. He spends the best and most of his bounty and charitie vpon the houshold of Faith But in this point as I said before I apologize for none but those whom their owne consciences and the mercifull Tribunall of God doe acquite Let Christians looke vnto it the World is very watchfull and greedy with great curiositie and cunning to apprehend the least shadow of any occasions for the blaspheming of the wayes of God and the disgracing of his children And therefore euer and anon you shall heare the spirit of prophanenesse crying out and complaining You see these fellowes which make such show of forwardnesse and puritie what they are none so couetous none so vncharitable none so vnmercifull and cruell in their dealings as they none so hard-hearted to the poore c. Now although such bitter speeches as these are often the meere euaporations of pure malice and â—…low from no other ground in the world but onely from the gall of gracelesse men yet let all those which truely feare God take heed how they giue iust occasion thereunto Assuredly it were farre better for him whosoeuer he be that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea then that by the continuance of his cruell and vnconscionable dealings in the world he should minister iust occasion to any rayling Rabshakeh to reuile the seruants of the Liuing God or to slander that holy Profession Me thinkes this one preseruatiue should be powerfull enough to keepe the heart of euery Christian from doting vpon the world or suffering it to bee possessed thereof It is this Euery Christian by a fruitfull faith may bee assured of a Crowne of life either by assurance of adherence or euidence or both Now if but once a day hee should take a serious suruay of the glory euerlastingnesse and vnutterable excellencies of that Immortall Crowne me thinkes it were able so to dull the edge and dissolue the drossinesse of all earthly desires that they should neuer more be able to heate or harden his heart with immoderate or delightfull repose vpon the vexing vanities of any worldly thing I say it againe Me thinkes if a man doe but once a day cast the eye of his Faith vpon that Crowne of life which our deare Redeemer holds for vs in his hand ready to set vpon our heads when we shall be dissolued from this vale of teares the goodly glory thereof should be able to dispell these mists of fading vanities and hurtfull â—…umes of honours riches and earthly pleasures which this great dunghill of the World heated by the fire of mens inordinate lusts doth euaporate and interpose betwixt the sight of their soules and the blisse of Heauen Worldlinesse earthly-mindednesse couetousnesse doth infinitely vnbecome an heire of Heauen Be fired then and frighted from all inclinations and bent that way by such considerations as these 1. It is a most base and dunghill distemper which eates vp not onely all Religion and honestie manlinesse and reason naturall affection and discretion but euen humanity also and friendlinesse So that a man had almost as well conuerse with a Caniball for any ingenuous and conscionable dealing as with a truely couetous caitife 2. Shall the immortall comprehensiuenesse of the diuine and excellent Soule which is able to peruse and passe ouer Heauen and Earth in a moment is capable of the mystery of Christ and the eternall vision of God be vnworthily confined to a piece of ground an heape of white and yellow clay A vile imprisonment and inexpiable wrong to so noble a Nature 3. It is a deuouring Gangrene an insatiable Wolfe which the more it hath euer the more hungry it is It is as fire which encreaseth by that nourishment which is giuen vnto it The barren wombe the Hoâ—…eleeches daughter the graue is nothing to this gulfe and it holds the heart continually vpon the racke of selfe-vexation and carking For three rauenous Vultures seize vpon it successiuely and gnaw in their turnes with incredible torment care feare griefe in getting keeping leauing 4. All Gods blessed ones in all ages embracing the promises of life in the armes of their faith willingly confessed themselues to bee pilgrims and strangers here vpon earth looking for a Citie in another Country which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God And
good reason besides Religion that they should grow into such resolutions for all things here below are full of transitorinesse mortality and change Vanity of vanities all is vanity but aboue is constancy and eternitie of all excellencies perfections and pleasures Besides that thou shalt haue there a Body brighter then the Sunne a Soule replenished with vnutterable delights the glorious company of Christ Iesus Angels Saints Christian Friends the vision and fruition of God blessed for euer wherein consists the Crowne and Life of all celestiall ioyes I say to say nothing of these but euen the space of one foot vpon the pauement of the Empyrean Heauen is incomparably more worth then the great Body of the whole Earth were it all turned into Gold and beset with as many vnualuable Pearles as it is now with piles of Grasse 5. Nature saith a meere Moralist seemeth in the first birth of Gold and wombe from whence it proceedeth after a sort to haue presaged the misery of those that are in loue with it For it hath so ordered the matter that in those Countries where it groweth there growes with it neither Grasse nor Plant nor any thing that is worth any thing as giuing vs to vnderstand thereby that in those minds where the desire of this metall growes there cannot remaine so much as a sparke of true honour and vertue 6. God is not onely a Father but also All-sufficient Why shouldest thou then feare want that fearest him He prouides euery day for millions of Fowles Will Hee then bee wanting to a Man to a Christian to His owne Child Christ himselfe pressing reasons to this purpose tells vs that our heauenly Father cloathes the Lilly aboue Solomons Royalty and feedes the Fowles of the aire which neither sow nor reape nor gather into barnes What a cursed vaile then of base distrust darkens thine hard heart that thou shouldest either carke or deale vnconscionably 7. One two houres fire will disperse and consume the hoard of an hundred yeeres heaping together And where art thou then Thine heart then is seized vpon at once with vnutterable anguish and the very horror of Hell for the losse of thine Heauen vpon Earth and with cryes of blood and furies of conscience for thy couetous cruell vsurious iniurious courses for many yeeres Thus many a worldling spins a faire thread to strangle himselfe both temporally and eternally 8. The Sunne is a very glorious and contented creature and yet it harbours no golden Mine in its faire and refulgent Body The blessed Angels are full of all felicities and yet they haue no siluer they want no happinesse and yet they want gold Heauen the chiefe and Royall Seate of Blessednesse is empty of these treasures there grow no Minerals the Veine of siluer and gold is not to be found there The Sonne of God himselfe infinitely the most happy Creature I speake in respect of his Humanitie that euer issued out of the hands of God were there any such great matter or excellency in riches had neuer said of himselfe The Foxes haue holes and the Birds of the Aire haue nests but the Sonne of Man hath not where to lay his head Could a Bearing-mantle of cloth of gold an empearled Cradle delicious fare euery day thousands a yeere make a man truly happy the right and Royall Heire of all things would neuer haue chosen a Stable for his Birth-chamber A Manger for his Cradle Barley-bread for the entertainement of his Followers a lesse fixed habitation for himselfe then the poorest Bird c. 9. The Sunne and Moone are farre more glistering and glorious then the burnisht gold of Ophyr and the poorest man hath as large a prospect and part in them as the vastest Incloser or most griping Vsurer but much more benefit by them then the rich worldlings by their golden heapes For he is comfortably warmed and refreshed with the influence of their heate and light but they if the Deuill did not hoodwinke them might see euery time they looke thereon that rust cleauing to their vnrighteous Mammon which hereafter shall eate their flesh as it were fire 10. One Starre doth incomparably exceed in beauty and worth a golden earth and if thou be truly Gods and haue thy foote already vpon the Moone as thou oughtest thou shalt hereafter tread euerlastingly vpon thousands of them Disdaine then in the meane time to let thy heauenly spirit dote vpon those baser hoards of shining earth which are making themselues wings to flie away as an Eagle toward Heauen for riches are like transitorie streames which posting by the side of a Citie no man can stay Were it not a sencelesse and brainelesse endeauour and expectation for a Towne to hope and assay to keepe with them the hasty current of a mighty Riuer which none of an hundred Townes before could hold And doest thou expect any constancy of abode with thee of that thicke clay which hath passed thorow so many hands before Neither is it so much thine as the Worlds A Dog followes two men it is not knowne to whom he belongs vntill they bee parted Vpon the arrest of death thy wealth leaues thee euerlastingly and cleaues vnto the World and therefore it was worldly wealth 11. Moderation and conscionablenes in getting may by the mercy of God draw from His bountifull hand a more speciall extraordinarie gracious prouidence and blessing vpon posterity whereas contrary carriage may bring an heauy curse The Prophet who was husband to her who came crying to Elisha for comfort 2. King 4. 1. did feare God saith the Text. Whereby he was happily restrained from all wicked wayes of gaining and growing into wealth Durst he haue enlarged his conscience proportionably to the corruptions of those times and shifted his Sailes according to the sitting of euery wind as pillow-sowers vnder mens elbowes and preachers of smooth things are woont I see no reason but he might haue been aduanced to Iezabels table as well as the foure hundred flattering false temporizing prophets and by seruing the time also haue risen and enricht both himself and his But this honest man would rather die in debt leaue his wife and children in extreme pouerty and expose his two sonnes as bondmen to the Creditour then to put his hand to any manner of iniquitie in getting or to raise an outward rotten estate vpon the ruines and bloody desolations of mens precious soules And what followes Rather then the wife and children of such a man shall want God will haue the Prophet doe a Miracle for their supply and comfort as appeares in the Story But now on the otherside Gehazi in the very following Chapter 2. King 5. will needs by Bribing make himselfe and his children for euer And what is the issue He puls thereby an horrible curse both vpon himselfe and his posteritie The Leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee and vnto thy seed for euer Vers. 27. Thou haddest better
defray the charge Otherwise to beginne and not able to make an end were but to lay a ground-worke of his disgrace and scorne in the losse of his cost and paines A Prince which would wisely make Warre must first haue a true triall of his owne and dexterity to discouer his enemies strength otherwise to bid him battaile were but to incense him more and thrust a title into his hands to defeate him of all hee hath Hee that seriously sets himselfe to seeke God in truth and to saue his soule indeed must cast vp his reckonings before-hand what will be required at his hands and consult with his owne heart whether willing to forgoe all such contentments hopes pleasures preferments worldly comforts which are incompatible with a good conscience and the path that is called holy and to endure all those troubles and indignities from the angry world which ordinarily are wont to crowne the heads of all Christs Souldiers else most certainely he will shrinke in the wetting Hee must resolue by the inuincible noblenesse of his Christian courage to digest the hate and opposition of dearest friends neerest kindred the raylings and reproaches of men most abiect and contemptible in respect of those whom they reuile he must bee content to become the drunkards song table-talk to those that sit in the gate and the byword of basest men viler then the earth c. In a word he must prize and preferre his sweetest Sauiour His truth cause and seruice infinitely before the whole world Now besides my blessed change thus qualified and this glorious worke of the Holy Ghost vpon my soule by the helpe of God I haue stood at the staues end with the darling pleasure and minion delight of my former damned time euer since I was new borne I haue euer since made conscience of all sinne and to performe all holy duties I haue had respect to all Gods Commandements and all his Ordinances I haue loued dearely my blessed Lord and all things that belong vnto him His Titles Attributes creatures workes of Iustice and Mercy His Word Sacraments Sabbaths Ministers Seruices Children Presence Corrections Comming I haue since delighted in the Saints the onely excellent Ones vpon earth whom I heartily hated before I haue dayly with as great earnestnesse and feruency as my poore dull heart could possibly complained and cryed vnto my God in Prayer against mine owne sinnes passionate distempers rebellious risings the malice of Satan the allurements of the world corruptions of the times the cruelties of strange iniections and horrible temptations my many and often faylings frailties and imperfections Vpon due and impartiall examination I haue happily ridde mine hands of all that consuming pelfe which any way crept into mine estate by wicked wrongful meanes in the dayes of mine iniquitie For scarce any man in the state of nature but deales falsly in one kind or other I haue desired and endeauoured to adorne my profession as well with workes of iustice mercy and truth as by the outward acts of pietie Herein I haue exercised my selfe to haue alwayes a good conscience void of offence toward God and toward man c. And in all these passages and particulars both of my conuersion and conuersation had I onely reposed vpon the outward act and rested in the worke wrought I had vtterly fainted and beene quite vndone in the day of aduersitie But truth of heart was the touchstone and sinceritie is the sinew of all my assurance and comfort this way I haue beene I confesse yet full sore against my will and the hearty desire of my soule haunted and hindred in passing thorow the pangs of my new birth and managing my Christian businesses with the violent intrusion and insinuating mixture of many imperfections distractions temptations wants weakenesses infirmities and faylings priuie pride secret hypocrisie distrusts and deadnesse of mine owne naughty heart I was much wanting by reason of the naturall rebellion of mine hard heart to those workings of the Law and Gospell mentioned before I haue come farre short of that sorrow for sinne which I desired and of that heauenly-mindednesse in performing holy duties which was required But then I haue from time to time grieued and groaned vnder those too many frailties and defects as vnder an heauy burthen I haue many a time bitterly bewailed them in secret they haue made mee walke more humbly before my God and towards men I haue continually complained heartily against them at the Throne of Grace I haue sincerely desired and endeauoured after all those meanes which might restraine and mortifie them and made conscience to discouer and decline their vnwelcome insinuations and so I haue gone on still in the holy Path with sincerity of heart and in obedience vnto God still vpholding mine heart with consideration of the sweet and mercifull disposition of my dearest heauenly Father who euer if the heart be vpright and truely humble takes the will for the deed and accepts vs according to that which we haue and not according to that which we haue not And therefore I am most sure neither by the helpe of God shall all the deuils in hell driue me from this hold that they are all buried for euer in the righteous and meritorious blood of my blessed Sauiour And so I hold vp my head still against all contradiction of carnall reason naturall distrust Satans cruell suggestions being well assured That hearty humiliation and grieuing vnder weakenesse in well-doing is as true a fruit of sanctification and marke of true conuersion as spirituall abilitie to doe well It is not so much the muchnesse and quantitie as the truth of grace not so much the exactnesse of the outward act in performing holy duties as sincerity of heart which qualifies a broken hart for comfort in the promises of life and assurance of Gods loue Though I know well there was neuer any who tasted truely grace but hee sincerely thirsted and endeauoured after more Neuer did any man well in the worship and seruices of God who did not bewaile his wants and faylings therein and truely desire and labour to doe better It is the propertie of Pharises and formall professours to conceiue that they are spiritually rich enough already and haue need of nothing but the better the Christian is the more sensible hee is and heartily complaining of his spirituall pouertie naughty heart and manifold imperfections Heere now then may wee see in this Discourse of the true Conuert comforting himselfe in the point of his spirituall estate other kind of stuffe sincere matter sounder grounds more speciall workings of the holy Ghost then any one of the fore-mentioned deluded Ones was euer practically and experimentally acquainted with Neither is this all The true Christian hath yet more noble immediate and demonstratiue euidences to strengthen his heart in the assurance of Gods euerlasting loue vnto him through Christ and present possession of his fauour For with submission to better
wrangling fellow should lay claime vnto thy land thou wouldest not in such a case and controuersie consult with an ignorant neighbour hee perhaps out of his weakenesse and want of skill might raise doubts and dangers where there were none and put thee into a greater fright but thou wouldest haue recourse to some learned at the Law who vnderstandingly searching and surueying thine Euidences and finding no flaw would put thee out of all feare When in time of temptation thou art terrified and affrighted with renewed scruples and distractions about thy spirituall well-being doe not in any wise aduise with carnall reason which is starke blinde in the mystery of Christ much lesse with that euill One who is a sworne enemy to thy soule and father of lyes They may tell thee thou hast no sence no feeling therefore all is naught but to the Word and to the Testimonie let thy trembling heart cleaue to the impregnable truth of those sweetest promises Matth. 11. 28. Reuel 21. 6. Ioh. 7. 37. Isa. 55. 1 c. and thou art safe for euer For a more full impression of this comfortable point I would haue you to refresh your memories with a reuise of those foure estates of faith which I haue heretofore distinguished vpon purpose for the weakest Christians sake and know that the reflexed act of the lowest degree and least measure then mentioned might vpon good ground if hee doe not wilfully and wickedly refuse to be comforted fill his fearefull spirit as full with vnspeakeable glorious ioy as the Sunne is of light and the sea of waters These things laid together and well weighed may confect a precious and soueraigne Antidote against the slauish terrours causelesse feares and heauy walking of many which are true of heart distressed in conscience about their spirituall state who while they labour and long with insatiable greedinesse and I blame them not for a sensible assurance and feeling apprehension of Gods fauour doe too much neglect and disregard that comfort which their faith might affoord them vpon good ground in that notwithstanding their present distracting amazements and perplexity of spirit they are able still to commit their soules vnto Christ as a faithfull Redeemer and their euerlasting strength In this point I haue let some passages fall by the way which may serue to discouer and dissolue the vanity and weakenesse of that Dilemma wherein Bellarmine playes the wilfull egregious Sophister it runs thus The Protestants teach saith he that a man is iustified by speciall faith whereby he perswadeth himselfe that he is iust Now then he reasoneth thus When I begin to beleeue that I am iust I am either iust or vniust If iust then I am not iustified by faith by which I beleeue my selfe to bee iust because this faith is after my iustification If vniust then this faith is false and so a man should be iustified by a lye To this horned Argument wee answer thus There are sundry acts of speciall faith for my purpose at this time take notice of two 1. A fiduciall assent resting vpon the merit of Christ an affiance dependance adherence reliance or if there bee any other word expressing that act of an humbled soule whereby it casteth and reposeth it selfe onely vpon Gods promise in Christ for the obtaining of remission of sinnes and euerlasting life In this act the poore soule illightened and affrighted with sight and sence of its sinne and misery and seeing an infinite impossibility of satisfying God for the one or freeing it selfe from the other by any meanes or merit in heauen or earth but onely by the propitiatory mediation of Iesus Christ it throwes it selfe into his armes grasping fast about him hides it selfe in the clifts of this Rocke from the stormes of Gods fiercest and fiery indignation apprehends in him plentifull redemption and all-sufficiencie of saluation and therefore plyes him with strong cryes and teares for mercy bespeakes him in all termes of confidence and affiance My Lord and my God my hope my fortresse my rocke my strength my saluation saue me or I sinke hold mee fast or I am lost for euer You may see sometimes a little infant vpon apprehension and approach of some sudden danger how heartily and hastily it runnes into the mothers armes for succour and safety euen so a truely wounded soule pursued by the terrours of the Law and frighted with the dreadfull sight of Gods frowning countenance flyes with speed into the bosome of its blessed Redeemer clings inseparably vnto his bleeding wounds for euerlasting protection and there rests vpon the freenesse of his Loue merit of his Passion and truth of his Promise as vpon a Rocke of Eternitie neuer to bee remooued not the concurrent rage of all the Deuils in hell or powers of darknesse being euer able to make a diuorce By this act wee are accepted for iust before the Throne of Grace for Christs sake and sufferings 2. An act of certification which quickned by the Spirit of Grace when God pleaseth for his own glory and good of his Child reflecteth vpon the soule with a comfortable assurance that we are already in the armes of Christ and His for euer The least glimpse whereof a true heart would not exchange for all the Kingdomes vpon earth The first act makes vs iust The second findes vs iust and so certifies truely not by a lye as lying companions and Satans Sophisters calumniate It is the saying of an excellent Diuine both for depth of learning and height of Holinesse To beleeue that my sinnes are now pardoned and that I am saued this is not the first act of faith but followes when now a man doth see himselfe to be iustified in Christ. 2. By a secret application of the promises of the Gospell in forme of an experimentall Syllogisme thus Whosoeuer beleeues and repents is the Child of God But I beleeue and repent therefore I am the Child of God The maior or first proposition is cleare and euident in the very letter and by the immediate sense of Scripture See Iohn 3. 36. Acts 10. 45. 13. 39 c. But how doe you know the minor or second proposition to be certainely so By the certainty of internall vision whereby we as clearely see our faith as our life will thought knowledge c. as appeares in the forecited place of Austin In his opinion I say Faith is as visible to the internall eye of a sanctified mind as is a mans life and will Nay we are woont to discerne with a more eager eye and obseruation a Stranger then an ordinary Domestick Our life and will are inbred faith is aduentitious By the testimony of a renewed conscience which is as a thousand witnesses Now had I a thousand honest witnesses at the barre before an vpright Iudge to prooue my cause and iustifie my right against the outfacings and periuries of a Knight of the Poast as they say well knowne to be an infamous stigmaticall
A sound and vndeceiuing perswasion that thou art euerlastingly lockt in the armes of Gods mercy and loue grounded vpon the Word seconded and set on by the Spirit is a most rare and rich Iewell which doth infinitely out-shine and ouerweigh in sweetenesse and worth any rocke of Diamond Cristall Mountaine or this great Creation were it all conuerted into one vnualuable Pearle and therefore is infinitely enuied and assaulted mightily on all sides It is continually hunted like a Partridge on the Mountaines by naturall distrust the policy of Satan and all the powers of darkenesse There is not a wicked spirit but is transported with implacable indignation against that heauen vpon earth and therefore rages and roares about thee still to rob and bereaue thy humble brest of such an heauenly Iemme Besides the two maine ends and generall aimes of all the malice and machinations of those apostated angels 1. the dishonour of God and 2. the discomfort of mens soules In this poynt they are peculiarly enraged with extreme hellish anger to see a mortall man a childe of Adam crowned by Gods mercifull hand euen in this life with right and interest and as it were an earnest penny of the Inheritance with the Saints in light and of those blessed Mansions of glory and rest of which by their Apostacy and pride they haue vnhappily and euerlastingly depriued themselues Neither onely so but they imploy also their Agents enuious to the grace of God and thine owne fearefull heart to charge falsely many times vpon thee Hypocrisie and delusion left that white stone giuen thee by the holy Ghost the splendor and sweetnesse whereof none knoweth but hee that hath it should fairely shine vpon thy sad soule with that lightsomenesse and comfort as it both may and ought Whereupon it must needes follow that if thy perswasion be well grounded and assurance true it will be accompanied and often exercised with feares iealousies doubts distrusts varieties of temptations Satans firiest darts iniected scruples contradictions of flesh and blood cauils of carnall reasons want of comfortable feelign c. which will many times necessarily driue thee to cry mightily to God and complaine at the Throne of grace against all this hellish ordnance and assaults of thy vnbeleeuing heart by the wrastling of faith to warme thy â—…oule with meditation vpon the promises to re examine and reuise thy grounds to confirme thy watch to resort for counsell strength and comfort to the quickening meanes experience of former sweet feelings and motions of the Spirit to truly iudicious Diuines experienced Christians dayes of humiliation bookes of best rellish to a spirituall taste c. But now on the contrary side his presumptuous confidence and groundlesse conceit lyes in the Pharises bosome with much quietnesse and security without doubting difficulty contradiction or any such adoe The reason is his carnall heart is well enough content and meddles not because it still feedes vpon the delights of his darling sinne without disturbance Satan is too subtill to interpose tempt or interrupt in such a case For he well knoweth that his foundation is falsehood his hope of heauen but a golden dreame and therefore in policy he holds his peace that hee may hold him the faster Take notice by the way that that very thing which makes many a truehearted Christian to doubt of himselfe and of the soundnesse of his spirituall state should put him out of all doubt euen often exercise with doubts temptations multiplyed attempts against his faith and assurance of Gods loue prayed against humbly resisted and opposed with cleauing vnto the tenderheartednes of Christ truth of his promises though for the present he hath little or no feeling no such ioy and peace in so beleeuing And that very thing vpon which the deluded Ones doe build and many times boast themselues to wit that they are vntroubled vntempted in point of faith and pretended assurance may returne an infallible remonstrance to their own consciences that they are certainely deceiued For doubtlesse that faith which is neuer assaulted with doubting is but a fancy Assuredly that assurance which is euer secure is but a dreame Many a Pharise stands by the bedside of the sincere Professor visited with affliction of conscience and many heauy temptations secretly and sinfully pleasing himselfe in the vnblessed calmenesse of a groundlesse confidence and in his freedome from such terrors and spirituall troubles when as himselfe is like an Oxe fatting in the greene pastures of impunity and outward prosperity for the day of slaughter But the afflicted party is as precious gold purifying in the Lords refining furnace that hee may afterward come out and shine more gloriously 4. In that heart to which the Spirit of God testifies that we are His children Ro. 8. 16. doth the same Spirit create many feruent eiaculations strong cryes vnutterable groanings verse 26. The testimony of the Spirit is euer attended with the Spirit of prayer That glorious glimpse shining into the soule and assuring it of saluation is so sweete so heauenly so rauishing so transcendent and incomparably aboue all earthly ioy that it warmes the spirit of a man with quickning life liberty to powre out it selfe in the presence of his Lord and his God before the Throne of Grace sometimes in more hearty triumphant and as it were winged prayers at other times in those which are more faint and cold yet edged with infinite desires that they were more feruent and therefore by the way as it were mingled and perfumed with the soueraigne satisfactory incense in the Golden Censer which the Angell of the Couenant holds in his hand are graciously accepted of him which by an excellency and title of highest honour is stiled the Hearer of Prayers or at least with vnexpressable groanes and inward wrastlings for preseruation recouery enlargement of that same comfortable assurance it selfe and of all other holy graces and fruits of the Spirit purity of heart conquest ouer corruption neerer communion with God spirituallmindednesse and such other heauenly guests amongst whom it is woont to dwell with delight and represent it selfe more comfortably But now on the other side euery deluded Pharise is a meere stranger to the power of Prayer His presumption and groundlesse confidence is but a weede which will grow of its owne accord and therefore is not sensible of any necessity neither feeles any want of constant prayer from a broken heart vniuersall obedience or the holy precisenesse of the Saints to support it 5 An assurance of Gods Loue vpon sure ground doth mightily quicken keene and spurre forward the ingenuous Christian to more holinesse hatred of sinne resolution in good causes watchfulnesse ouer his heart walking with God Hauing these promises saith he let me cleanse my selfe from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Hauing this hope I will labour to purifie my selfe euen as He is pure To
heauenly gifts emplanted in his Childrens hearts and then thereby so enuenomes and blasts them that they lose not onely their owne natiue splendour and gracefulnesse but also their fruitfull communication to others and comfortable acceptation with God I say when he sees a man extraordinarily enriched with spirituall graces hee seekes might and maine to make him swell with priuy pride and to puffe him vp with an ouerweening conceit of his owne worth that so the Christian himselfe may want the comfort of them his brethren the fruit of them and God the glory of them When the strong man can no longer keepe goodnesse out of the soule but the holy Ghost with a mercifull violence breakes in vpon him and dwels there his next endeauour is to abuse euen Grace it selfe as an vnhappy instrument to weaken and wound it selfe nay so subtill is he and endlesse in his attempts that if he cannot make a man proud of any thing else hee will labour to make him proud that he is not proud and to glory vainely because hee is not vaineglorious The originall and breeding of this canker in the sanctified soule I haue discouered in my Discourse of true happinesse page 25. and there made tender of some corrosiues and counterpoysons against it To which at this time I adde these When thou beginnest with an ouerweening conceit to admire thy selfe immoderately aboue that which is meet cast thine eye 1. Vpon the purity and piercing of Gods all-seeing Eye ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and purer then purity it selfe which sees sinne to be infinitely more sinfull and loathsome then thou canst possibly whereby His holy Iustice is incensed with infinite indignation and vnquenchable seueritie against it Witnesse the turning into Deuils irrecouerable destruction and euerlasting downefall of so many glorious creatures the top and masterpiece as it were of all Gods handyworke shining once so fairely in the highest heauen and neerest vnto his Emperiall Throne The curse which fell vpon Adam and all his posterity for eating the forbidden fruit The confusions which came vpon the first world by the flood The burning of Sodom with fire and brimstone from heauen The fearefull reiection of his owne ancient people The horrours of a guilty enraged conscience which is a hell vpon earth and damnation aboue ground The euerlasting fire which is prepared for reprobate men and angels c. Neither doth this brightest Eye onely see all thy sinnes in their natiue foulenesse but also in their truest number Thou perhaps for want of more spirituall eye-salue beholdest them but as starres in a gloomie euening but assure thy selfe He sees them as moates in the Sunne and as Starres in the clearest winters midnight Methinkes this mortifying meditation should rather make thee grow into further detestation of sinne then admiration of thy selfe 2. Vpon the incomprehensible perfections and absolute purenesse of Gods most holy nature the splendour whereof doth dazle the clearest eyes of the brightest Seraphims doth drowne as it were all Angelicall glory as the Sunnes presence the light of lesser starres much more doth it vtterly darken the materiall beauty of all the lights in heauen Were the Sunne which is made all of brightnesse and the euer-springing fountaine of fresh shining beames presented before that vnapproachable Light which besets Gods sacred Throne it would vanish away as a darkesome moate and lumpe of vanity Where then would a fraile sinfull man in a house of flesh appeare Behold saith Iob hee put no trust in his seruants and his Angels hee charged with folly how much lesse on them that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the Moth chap. 4. 18 19. Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heauens are not cleare in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquitie like water chap. 15. 15 16. Behold euen to the Moone and it shineth not yea the starres are not pure in his sight how much lesse man that is a Worme and the sonne of man which is a Worme chap. 25. 5 6. A glimpse as it were of that highest glory shining euerlastingly in that purest increated Essence God blessed for euer did make righteous Iob to abhorre himselfe and repent in dust and ashes Holy Isaiah to cry Woe is mee for I am vndone And so if thou also turne thine eye from the vanity of selfe-admiration toward the infinite Sunne of absolute and incomprehensible purity and then reflect vpon thy selfe as he that hath gazed too much vpon our visible Sunne looking downe againe seeth nothing thou shalt behold the nothingnesse of thine ouerweened worth and nothing but darknesse and deformitie and so shalt finde infinite more matter of humiliation and abhorring thy selfe in dust and ashes then of selfe-estimation and conceitednesse 3. Vpon the cleere Cristall of Gods pure Law which can discouer vnto thee the least spot that euer stained so much as any one of thy thoughts shines with that perfect light that it would guide aright euery step which thou makest in the way which is called Holy and is of that latitude for prohibition of sinne and leading to purity and exact pleasing of God that though wee may see an end of all perfection yet it is exceeding broad And therefore though such as hate to be reformed especially if their consciences be waking and working are drawne to a particular and punctuall suruey of themselues and all their wayes in this pure Cristall euen as a Beare to the stake a Bankerout to his counting booke an Elephant to the vnmudded water a foule face to the Looking-glasse They are well enough content to heare the Commandements read restraining their vnderstandings onely to the grosse acts Thou shalt not kill c. and perhaps iustifying themselues Pharisaically thereabouts but come to the holy strictnesse of Christs exposition Whosoeuer looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie with her already in his heart c. and it strikes full cold to their impure hearts and causeth them to cry out against the men of God Why doe you torment vs before our times I say though it bee thus with the vnregenerate by reason of their guilty and gauled consciences yet let it bee thy delight who art blessed with an euerlasting impregnable protection by the blood and merit of Iesus Christ from the curse and rigour of the Law to peruse thy selfe punctually by this heauenly Looking-glasse for the discouerie of thy defects and aberrations and to diue with searching and serious meditation into this adored depth of perfection and puritie to see how farre thou comest short and then thou shalt finde infinite more cause to presse hard towards the marke then to looke vpon that which is behind or proudly to prize any thing that is past Onely I aduise when thou setst thy selfe thus solemnely to rip vp thy conscience and ransacke thy heart to the roote to
bring it downe and into the dust for increase of humiliation and lowlinesse in thine owne eyes as thou holdest out in the one hand the cleare Cristall of Gods pure Law to discouer the crookednesse of thy vile naturall disposition the villanies and skarlet abominations of thine vnregenerate time the daily spots staines which light vpon thy soule c. hold out also in the other hand or rather lay hold vpon Christ Iesus by the hand of faith hanging bleeding and dying vpon the Crosse for those very same sins that thereby thou maist vtterly quench all Satans fiery darts preuent drawing towards despaire nay preserue thy spirit in sweetest peace and vnconquerable comfort against if it be possible the least distrustfull intrusion of any slauish terrour 4. Vpon the holiest men that euer breathed the life of grace vpon earth and the most renowned in the Church thorow all generations for all spirituall sufficiencies and excellencies and thou shalt find them euer most humble in their owne conceits vilest in their own eyes nothing in their owne account Me thinks holy Pauls heauy complaint O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Heauenly Dauids continuall cry I am a worme and no man There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne My sinne is euer before me c. Blessed Bradfords abasing himselfe who was one of the worthiest Martyrs and the Heauenliest minded man that euer breathed out his last in the flames and ascended to heauen in a fiery chariot as himselfe spake at the stake I am as dry as a stone saith hee as dumbe as a nayle as farre from praying as he that neuer knew any taste of it He sometime subscribed in this manner to those Letters which were full of spirituall life diuinest streines and demonstration of the Spirit The most miserable hard-hearted vnthankefull sinner Iohn Bradford A very painted Hypocrite I. B. c. I say Me thinkes the humble deportment of these and all truely holy Ones should rather make thee sinke yet lower in thine owne conceit then swell with the poyson of Pharisaicall selfe-conceitednesse 5. Keepe in a readinesse and in fresh remembrance such considerations and cooling cards as it were as these when thy heart begins to swell vaine-gloriously That thou haddest thine hand in that fire-worke which blew vp all mankind I meane in Adams transgression that brought forth such a bloody sea of sinne and sorrow into the World such a world of miseries and mischiefes vpon all the sonnes and daughters of Adam all tortures vpon earth and torments in Hell thorow all eternity That thou camest into this world a sinke a Sodom a very hell of all filth and impuritie of all corruption and crookednesse euen a little Deuill for darkenesse and damnation That thou wofully lost and mis-spentst many yeeres perhaps the best of thy time strength of youth flowre of thy age in Satans seruice and vpon thy owne abominable lusts That now vpon thy conuersion the meere worke of Gods free grace thou being honored with part in Christs Passion with the presence of the blessed Spirit dwelling in thee with the highest aduancement of being Gods Fauourite the dearely beloued of his soule yet the best Sabbath that thou passest ouer the holyest duty that thou performest is distained and distempered with so many imperfections distractions frailties and failings That while thou yet inhabitest a house of flesh thou hast inherent in thy bowels secret seeds and inbred inclinations to all sinne Blesse the sanctifying Spirit for thy priuiledge and preseruation euen to Atheisme selfe-murder Sodomy despairing of Gods mercy familiarity with wicked spirits sinne against the Holy Ghost c. That whereas thousands about thee goe on in their sinnes and perish euerlastingly thy selfe it may bee before thy change worse then most of them yet now beeing sanctified thou mayest bee assured thy name was writ in Heauen from all eternitie and therefore from euerlasting thou layest in the bosome of Gods loue and from the same euerlasting had the Lord Iesus set apart to shead his blood in the fulnesse of time for the saluation of thy soule and haue patience but a little and euerlasting refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord thou shalt shine as the brightnesse of the firmament for euer and euer And in all this who made thee to differ Thou wast framed of the same mould made as it were of the same cloth onely the sheeres going betweene with those that perish It was onely Gods free grace the good pleasure of his will These and the like considerations layde together should infinitely rather mooue thee with all humble reuerence to adore the bottomlesse depth of Gods free loue vnto thee then conceitedly to magnifie thy selfe aboue thy brethren or proudly insult ouer those that are without to praise thy God with a neuer satisfied admiration of his vnconceiueable bounty then to plague thy soule and as it were empoyson thy graces with an humour of pride 6. Thou must shortly bee strictly accountable at the iust Tribunall of God for the vse and imployment of all the good things hee hath giuen vnto thee of thy life and euery moment of it of thy goods and euery farthing of them of euery word thou euer spokest of euery thought that euer sprung out of thy heart of euery Sermon thou euer heardst of euery Sabbath thou hast solemnized of euery line thou hast writ of euery glance of thine eye of euery iourney thou hast made c. of thy wit memory learning of thy strength courage credit of thine honour power and high place In a word of euery benefit or any good thing in any kinde thou euer receiuedst from the bountifull and blessed hand of Almightie God And the moe and more excellent and extraordinary endowments and gracious indulgences haue beene vouchsafed thee from the euer-springing Fountaine of all good the more exactly must thou bee answerable and in proportion accountable for more Wherefore sith the graces of saluation incomparably excell and outshine all other humane abilities all excellencies of nature art policie learning or what else can bee named admirable in the eyes of men God lookes that wee should keepe those heauenly Iewels especially orient bright and shining communicate them most frankely and abundantly to our brethren and with all watchfulnesse and wisdome vpon all opportunities imploy them to our Masters greatest and most glorious aduantage Now there is nothing more hinders the fruitfull improouement of them then Pride Nothing makes them more passable and profitable then Humility A proud man puft vp with an opinion of his good parts doth ordinarily out of an itching ambitious humour single out such seasons for discouerie of himselfe and ostentation of his gifts when hee may winne most applause from men and shew himselfe vaine-gloriously and thereupon is more rare dainty and reserued in exercising his talent But a downeright humble Christian is in this kinde
molestations vnnecessarily causelesly For so might yee roote vp your Rose-trees because a worme sometimes breeds in the sweetest bud So might yee extinguish Monarchies from the face of the earth because they sometimes degenerate into tyrannies So might yee conceiue ill of Peter and the rest of the Apostles because Iudas prooued naught c. 2. Sometime hee suffers him to fall into some grosse sinne in the face of the World and before the watchfull eye of scornefull enemies the infamy and scandall whereof being once on wing flye abroad as swift as the Eagles of the Heauens ouer a whole Countrey ouer a Kingdome the Deuils and their drunken trumpetters are speedy Dromedaries to carry such newes and this concurrent cry resounds from all places with much wicked triumph and insultation You see now what these professors are One so famous for his forwardnesse is fallen into such a grosse sinne and so notoriously They are euen all alike c. Which by accident and in the euent redounds too often to the inexpiable disgrace of our holy profession the strengthening of the stubborne the staggering of the strong the stunting of those which are comming on the hindering of the weake the hardning of the wicked the chaining of the scorner farre faster to his chaire of pestilence Woe vnto him by whom such offence doth come except by a remarkeable repentance and recouery after blessed Dauids example hee reestablish himselfe in the hearts of Gods people and stop the mouthes of the aduersaries who are equally guilty of impenitency as of farre perhaps grosser impieties Austin doth excellently expresse and to the life the wylinesse of the wicked and humour of the world vpon such vnhappie occasions There was as it seemes some such scandalous accident befell in his family Whereupon hee writes an Epistle to the Ministers Seniours and whole Citie of Hippo and heartily intreates them all that themselues would not therefore either faint in that Christian course and holy profession or fall foule with suspicions and censures vpon all for the faults of a few for there is no societie so happy which is not stained with some villany Although saith he discipline be exercised in my family with a watchfull eye yet I am a man and liue amongst men and therefore cannot presume that mine house should bee better then the Arke of Noah then the house of Abraham then the house of Isaac then the house of Iacob then the house of Dauid c. In all which some were naught nay then the family of Iesus Christ in which there was a traitour and a thiefe Lastly then Heauen it selfe from which the Angels fell But that which I would principally haue you take notice of in that Epistle and for which I specially mention it is Austins emphaticall elegant and effectuall expressing the eager itching ambitious humour of the wicked to father and fasten the faults of some vpon the whole generation of the iust Instant saith he Satagunt ambiunt I cannot expresse their full significancy in English but part of his meaning is They euery way and infinitely labour that when some professors of holinesse haue foulely fallen indeed or be only so slandered the World would beleeue That they are all such Doe you not thinke in his time the World did thus insult and exclaime or in the like manner vpon Lots fall Here now you see Puritan Lot who could not indure the good fellowship of the Sodomites he is now himselfe seized vpon by Incest They are all such I will awarrant you In Dauids time What Dauid a man so precise that he professeth a lyer shall not tarry in his sight Psa. 101. Hath he taken away another mans wife You see now what they all are c. Proportionably in these times and it will be the humour of those that hate to be reformed to the worlds end so to calumniate if any who haue giuen their names vnto Christ be detected nay or suspected of any notorious scandalous crime it is a sufficient warrant for the wicked to raise a generall cry and to proclaime euery where They are all alike And good fellowes as they call them will thinke themselues wronged if the World thereupon doe not conceiue the onely difference betweene them and forward Professours to be that these carry things more cunningly and haue an art in concealing their miscarriages We say they are plaine-dealing men and appeare as we are we are flesh and bloud and must haue our pleasures and therefore refresh our selues at many merry and Iouiall meetings we sweare sometimes and drinke and game and to tell you true doe a great deale worse but without hypocrisie whereas these demure holy Ones beare themselues more reseruedly weare a vizor in their visible conuersation but assure your selues sinne in secret as well as we Iust as Austin saith in the forecited place The wicked watch and obserue and if they spie any of the betrer side to fall they would presently haue the World to thinke That the rest are all such onely they are not euer discouered Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan who so infatuatest the iudgements and blindes the vnderstandings of men otherwise of good parts and very worldly wise whom thou wofully hoodwinkest and hardnest to their endlesse ouerthrow 1. That they should wickedly and absurdly condemne all for some whereby they barre themselues euerlastingly from the loue of the Brotherhood 2. That they should erect Tribunals in other mens consciences which is Gods Royall prerogatiue and so miscensure their hearts to their own hardening 3. That they should not be able to discerne betweene being haled and hurried as it were into some sinne against the generall purpose of a mans heart and practise of his life by the violence of some temptation passion or impetuous sudden insnarement which hee after heartily bewailes with much bitternesse of spirit and exemplary repentance willing if God were so pleased to redeeme the scandall of his fall with the shedding of his blood taking occasion thereupon to walke more warily and to doe more nobly in the seruice of his God all the dayes of his life and a resolued delightfull wallowing in variety of lusts pleasures and grosse sinnes without any repentance or reformation at all I conclude the whole point and a good part of my meaning in the words of an excellent Writer not much altered I not onely hold it lawfull to reioyce in those good things wherwith God hath blessed vs in any kind whatsoeuer especially the sauing gifts of the holy Ghost but a note of much vnthankefulnesse to entertaine them with a sullen and vnfeeling disposition Yet all humane affections and endowments wherein due reuerence to God is wanting are no better then obscure clouds hindring the influence of that blessed Light which clarifies the soule of man and predisposeth it vnto the brightnesse of eternall felicitie So that insolent ioy and ouerweening which a man in the pride of his vaine imagination conceiueth of
meane time his Royall Throne here vpon Earth Isai. 57. 15. what can Man or Deuill or any distrustfull heart say against it And why shouldest thou being such an one be so vnmannerly and vnthankfull nay so vnnecessarily cruell to thine owne heauy heart as not to open the euerlasting doore of thy soule by the key of Faith to let the King of glory knocking with his hand of mercy come in and crowne it with grace and glory with comfort and euerlasting peace II. But alas sayes hee my sinnes are moe then any mans Now when I am searching into the sinke of them I can finde neither banke nor bottome Vnnumbred swarmes of grosse impieties and iniquities thorow my whole life of abominable impurities and pollutions which haue continually defiled my mind heart and affections armed with seuerall stings of terrour doe so restlesly presse vpon my wounded conscience and oppresse it that I cannot I dare not thinke vpon or looke towards any comfort Let them bee what they are and adde thereunto all the sinnes which haue are and shall bee committed by all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the World excepting sinne against the holy Ghost and yet in an hart truly humbled vnder them heartily hating them all cōming with a sincere spirituall hunger at Christs Call to bee disburdened of them they can make no more resistance against the mercies of God then a little sparke of fire against the mighty Sea rhrowne into the midst of it nay infinitely lesse For all these sinnes would still be finite both in nature and number but Gods mercies are euery way infinite Now betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite there is no proportion and so no possibilitie of resistance Whence it is that the Prophet inuiting his people to repentance Esa. 55. 7. by assuring them of Gods sweet mercifull and gracious disposition lest any too fearefull and deiected spirit vndervaluing Gods mercy should thinke thus within it selfe Bee it so yet alas my sinnes are so many and such a sonne of Belial haue I been and so endlesly prouoked the glory of his pure eye that I can expect no mercy the pollutions of my youth haue been so prodigious and infectious that I haue no face to presse vnto his Throne of Grace c. God himselfe doth there purposely preuent the obiection and speaking to our capacitie which cannot comprehend infinity replyes to this sence Oh say not so Stay all such despairefull thoughts doe not cast the incomprehensiblenes of my mercy in the narrow mould of thy finite shallow conceite doe not so vnworthily abridge and confine the vnlimited and boundlesse compassion of the mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes For as the Heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Many a bruised reede would not exchange the comfort which the weakest faith may extract out of this sweetest place for all the Kingdomes of the earth For he saith not that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his wayes and thoughts of mercy are as farre aboue ours as the Heauens are aboue the Earth Indeed as himselfe is aboue man which is infinitely But take notice by the way that the mercies of God doe exercise this infinite vnresistable power onely in truly humbled beleeuing soules heartily hating and sincerely set against all sinne I say so lest any impenitent should peruert this precious point or trample vpon this Pearle For as in such a soule no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse can possibly withstand or stand before Gods infinite mercies so not one drop of all those infinite merceis belongs vnto any that goes on willingly and delightfully hating to bee reformed in any one knowne sinne or that he might know and wilfully forbeares to bee informed As the vnualuable blood of Christ turnes the very scarlet sinnes of the truly broken beleeuing heart into whitest snow so it will neuer wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any vnhumbled Pharise Let none therefore that goes on still in his trespasses take vp any vaine confidence or mis-grounded conclusion of false comfort from hence by misconceiuing thus Is it so that the infinitenesse of Gods mercy cannot bee resisted by the greatnesse or multitude of sinnes being euer finite both in their number and nature how is it possible then that I should misse of those infinites mercies Why may not I comfortably hope that my sinnes also shall be swallowed vp in that bottomlesse Sea I will tell thee why As the power of God though it be infinite yet is limited by his will so the mercies of God though they bee infinite are regulated by his truth He is able to make millions of Worlds moe but yet wee see his Will was but to create one His mercies transcend with immeasurable distance the height of Heauen and depth of Hell and are indeed as Himselfe infinite but his Truth hath told vs that none shall haue part in them but those alone who repent and beleeue Gods Truth reuealed in his Word must euer confine the current of his compassions and is the touchstone to try and qualifie those to whom his mercies belong See then what kind of people are partakers of Gods infinite mercies by the testimony of that Word of Truth by which we must be iudged at the last Day Prou. 28. 13. Luke 4. 18. Isai. 61. 1 2 3. Psal. 15. Ezek. 18. 21. Psal. 147. 3. Isai. 55. 7. Psal. 34. 18. Salomon saith in the cited place Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy How then can he expect any mercy who takes them not to heart but lyes in them still III. Of the pardonablenesse of my other sinnes saith another I could bee reasonably well perswaded but alas there is one aboue all the rest which now vpon discouery and remorse I finde to be full of ranke and hellish poyson of such a deepe and damnable die to haue strooke so desperately in the dayes of my lewdnesse at the very face of God himselfe and farre deepelier into the heart of Iesus Christ then the speare that pierced him bleeding vpon the Crosse and thereupon at this present stares in the eye of my newly awaked and wounded conscience with such horror and grieslinesse that I feare mee diuine iustice will thinke it fitter to haue this most loathsome inexpiable staine rather at length fired out of my soule with euerlasting flames if it were possible that eternall fire could expiate the sinfull staines of any impenitent damned soule then to bee fairely washed away in the meane time with His blood whom I so cruelly and cursedly pierced with it Oh! this is it that lies now vpon my heart like a mountaine of Lead farre heauier then Heauen and Earth and enchaines it with inexplicable terrour to the dust and