totalis of all our comforts The Grecians set the summa totalis of their bills of accompt in the top of the page as we do in the bottome Christ and riches Christ and honors Christ and liberty is the totall sum of all we enjoy Let us make Jesus Christ our Generalissimo Commander in chief Primate Supreme All in all set him above all 1. Above all comforts and outward contents Like those brave Germane Ladies in a fiege who when the Emperor at the surrender of the Town gave them liberty to carry with them what they could but excepted the men who were to stand to his mercy left all their gold and silver with their rich jewels and took up their Husbands and carryed them out with them Let us leave all so we may enjoy Christ Let Ziba have all saith Mephibosheth to David so that the King return Let the men of the world have all the wealth though we be impoverished let them have all the honour and friends though we be disgraced and forsaken so Jesus Christ may rule in us and rejoyce over us and be all in all to us 2. Set Jesus Christ above all the men and means of any good Men are apt to make idols of such as have been instruments of their outward peace and happinesse Christ will admit of no corrivals he will be all or none When Tiberius the Emperour of Rome sent to the Senate and required that the Image of Christ might be set up in the Capitoll they returned this answer from their Priests that if he were set up all the other Images of their gods must down if Jesus Christ be set up all our Idols must fall our Dagons will fall before the Ark. 3. Set Jesus Christ above all your duties parts gifts and abilities Your selfishnesse proves often your greatest prejudice Like the viper in Paul's bundle of sticks which he brought in to make a fire and warm his fingers with would sting you to death did not God in mercy prevent the mischief If you compose your selves with such sparks you shall lie down in sorrow if God be not more gracious to you In all your duties therefore it is best to do as Joaâ— did when he had won Rabbuh he sent to David to take the Crown and good reason for all the men and means the money and ammunition were David's So here all your sufficiency is from Christ you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you Let him therefore go away with the Crown Be not like proud Haman whom nothing could content but the royall apparell the royall horse and crown Christ will part with any thing to you but his crown but his glory take heed of usurping that What part or member of the body soever is used in getting the victory by the consent of all the head is crowned However you speed let Christ have the crown When Caesar and Bibulus were Consuls Caesar did all Bibulus did nothing being over-awed by Caesar whereupon the Wits of Rome would in jest subscribe their Letters Julio Caesare consulibus Do you so if through the grace of Christ you can bear afflictions patiently perform duties fruitfully pray with heart confesse with sorrow beg with life hear with fruit say we can do all things by Jesus Christ assisting us â— Observe how all good things are 〈◊〉 upon you continued to you by the Promise certainly All providences to a grâ—cious heart are but as so many fulfillings of promises Carnall men have nothing but by common providence but whatever this man hath he enjoys by speciall promise so that his peace is the peace of promise his liberty the liberty of promise his deliverance the deliverance of promise Labour therefore to see every comfort you have 〈◊〉 in your Journal conveyed to you in and by a promise Thus did Joshua who when the people were setled in the Land of 〈◊〉 told them that they knew in their 〈◊〉 and souls that not one thing had failed of all the good things which the Lord their God had spake concerning them all was come to passe It is good to observe how Gods judgements are executed upon transgressors according to his Word and to say as Jehu did when the fiercenesse of Gods wrath was poured out upon Ahab and Jiâ—â—hel This is the burthen that the Lord laid upon him and this is the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah the Tishbitâ— When we see Adâ—ltâ—rers brought to shame and a morsel of â—â—â—ad say This is according to the Word of thâ— Lord who hath said Whoremongers 〈◊〉 adulterers God will judge When ye see swearers and blasphemers and perjured persons punished with a stroke from heaven say This day is this Scripture fulfilled in our eyes God will not hold them guiltlesse that take his name â—vain But it is far more comfortable to see all good things bestowed according to a promise and to be able to say as David Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy Word So did Solomon when he sate upon the throne of his Father David Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath fulfilled with his hand that which he spake with his mouth And again in the same prayer The Lord hath performed his word that he hath spoken for I am risen up in the room of my Father David and am set on the throne of Israel as the Lord hath promised We talk much of Providences and indeed we are apt to make Providences to serve our turns as Jonah though a Prophet and a good man when he was sent to Nineveh and not willing to go upon that Embassage but to Joppa and finding a ship going to Tarshish Oh surely thought he here 's a providence God would have me now go rather to Tarshish so providence leads me and indeed this is a great part of the Religion of our time here was a providence and there was a providence yea a continned series of providentiall actings but no man asks Where is the Precept requiring or the Promise encouraging He that walks by common providence without a speciall Precept to guide him or singular Promise to comfort him walks by a dark 〈◊〉 and will finde that his successes will prove but pitfalls in the conclusion and will â—â—ll short of an happy issue according to that saying Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putat But let every wise man observe how his successefull proceedings are fruits of a Promise So did the Virgin Mary God hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our Forefathers Abraham and his seed for ever So did Zachariah God hath raised up for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 born of salvation in the house of his servant David as he spake by the mouth of his holy 〈◊〉 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate
these things in upon you if he see them good for you and as many wayes to take them from you if he perceive they prove hurtfull to you He that can blesse a little can blast a great deal He can raise you up on high and bring you downe again Job one while was the greatest man in all the East and in a short time stript of all and again the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more then his beginning who gave him twice as much as he had before You are but Tenants at will to the great Landlord of all the earth and all you have are but moveables To be ble to bear extremities of heat and cold â—iscovers a strong constitution such were â—â—r Henry the fifth King of England and 〈◊〉 Adolphus King of Sweden of whom 〈◊〉 is reported in the History of their Lives â—nd Wars that no weather of heat or â—old or wind or storms came amisse to â—hem I am sure it is an argument of a â—ery gracious heart that is strong in the Lord and in the power of his might to be able to bear comfortably severall conâ—itions even in their extremes This may be seen in Joseph who of all the twelve Patriarchs is only mentioned with honour amongst those famous believers in Heb. 11. To day he is his Fathers darling the Son of his love and none greater in that family then he to morrow he is sold for a slave by his owne Brethren and carried into Aegypt Now he is advanced by Potiphar one of the prime Peers of that Kingdome and none greater in that house then he By and by a jealous Husband at the complaint of his beastly Mistris casts him into prison where the irons entred into his soul Not long after that he is advanced by King Pharaoh to great honour even as high as Subjection could permit or Soverâ—ignty endure for onely in the throne the King would be above him And in all these turns and changes Joseph kept his integrity In the Countrey and in the Court in the Prison and at the Palace Joseph was sincere and faithfull neither did his low estate deject him nor the high sail of honor and greatnesse overwhelme him but he kept upright in both Now as affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground as Eliphas told Job but from on high So promotions come neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another CHAP. V. The manner how a Journall or Diary is to be used according to the rules of Practise AND thus far of the rules of Observation We come now to the rules of Practice which are to be followed for the better improvement of such a Journall or Diary and they are these twelve 1. Look often into this Journall and read it over Of all imployments in the world a studious is the most ingenuous wherein the understanding judgement and memory the most noble faculties of the soul are principally imployed Of all studies he â—tudy of History seems to be most excelent Hence even the Scripture it self is for great part Historicall that the hearts of â—eople might be the better taken with it and â—elight in it Of all Histories the History of mens Lives is the most pleasant Such History amongst many commendations that may be given to it this is not the least that it can call back Times and give life to those â—hat are dead like a Landskip give a lively discovery of the actions of the Grandees in former ages But of all Histories of Lives should think the History of a mans owne Life even out of common principles of self-love must needs be most acceptable To be able to read our Lives even from the wombe to this present moment from the cradle within some few dayes of the grave would surely be a study as profitable as delightfull It seems that Jacob had some skil in the art of memory though he wrote not such a story who when he prayed unto God that he might be delivered from the hands of his Brother Esau that he might the better prevail with God he argues from the experience he had of his former goodnesse and gives him a brief narrative of his life in some particular passages of providence With my staffe I came over this flood Jordan and now I am become two bands And questionlesse this duty was taught every Israelite who when they came yeerly to offer their basket of first-fruits to the Lord did use to run over a short history of their Fathers lives wherein their condition had been wrapped up in these words A Syriâ—n ready to perish was my Father and he went downe into Aegypt and so journed there with a few and became there a Nation great mighty and populouâ— And the Aegyptians evill intreated us and laid upon us hard bondage and when we cryed unto the Lord God of our Fathers the Lord heard our voyce and brought us out of Aegypt into this Land c. It is reported of Aâ—ashuerosh that one night when he could not sleep he sent for the Book of the Chronicles of his owne Kingdome and they were read before him Now of all the parts of that History that which concerns things done in the time of his Reign was principally chosen wherein was written what good service Mordecai did him in discovering the treason of Bigthan and Teresh against him which probably was most acceptable to him as may appear in the sequel in that History Tamerlane the most victorious Emperour of the Tartars the night before he sought that fatall battle with Bajazet the Turkish King having cast himself upon a rich carpet in his pavillion called for a Book wherein was contained a history of the Lives of his Ancestors which he used often to read for this end that he might the better imitate that which was worthily done by them and learn also to decline such dangers as they by their over fight had faln into And surely such Histories of our Fathers are but next dore to our owne and may provoke us to look into our owne lives with more care and caution And I am assured to read a story of our owne lives would be a study next that of the holy Scripture as pleasant and profitable as any 2. When you have read over this Journall and seen what you have cast up also all your wants and see what at present you stand in need of When Israel and his family went down into Aegypt it was fair weather all the way they had rich provision for their journey Joseph his Son came out to meet him in great state and they were received into Goshen the best of all the Land of Aegypt But when Israel went out of Aegypt towards Canaan they met with many storâ—â—â— their wants were great their enemies mighty their dangers grievous a red Sea a howling Wildernesse
petitionary Prayer that excellent piece of Divine worship excels it as far as it is better to give then to receive 3. It is the most proper homage and service to God therefore by God styled Glorifying him Psal 50. 23. Who though he be in his name exalted above all blessing and praise yet it suits him best to receive and is the highest we can give and therefore is called A blessing of Goa on our part so much as man a worme so far the lesse can blesse him that is so infinitely the greater Some Divines make the third part of Divinity Gratitude Thankfulnesse It 's not only to continue in eternity the only service when believing confessing and mourning for sin shall be no more but here in this world it 's ever needfull as salt to every sacrifice for all things at all times Ephes 6. I will praise the Lord at all times whilest I have any being saith David Thou art my praise said weeping Jeremy Paul in sufferings above many in Doxologies above all The Church consuming saw mercy to blesse God for Job blessed God taking away as giving Jesus Christ who lived under the Crosse and died under the Curse yet had oft Father I thank thee in his blessed lippes 4 It 's most profitable to our selves as a sinfull oath is fitly called a word compassed about with death so this blessing with life and many blessings the showres of heavenly blessings descend upon the ascending of these vapors we give for our selves in thanksgiving as the Italian forme of begging is Do good for your selves we are the greatest receivers We manifest Gods goodnesse herein but procure our own yea blesse our selves in blessing him Now this Treatise is a help to this heavenly exercise A sacred Ephemerides The Annales Chronicles of the glorious Acts of the King of glory The Court Rolles and Register-book for Conscience to keep Courts by Which Records well kept and diligently read would not only procure rest as his Chronicles did to him in Esther to our souls in this restlesse night of our life and as by past bounty did cause David to return to rests in the plurall Psal 116. 7. But might also stir us up to honour our deliverer the God of our mercies and salvations as Ahasuerus advanced Mordecai This Book affords wood call thou to God for the Lamb and fire for this sacrifice the matter and heads in it are fuell for our Faith and Thankfulnesse We have our State Diurnals relating the Nationall affaires Tradesmen keep their shop books Merchants their Accompt books Lawyers have their books of presidents Physitians their Experiments Some wary husbands have kept a Diary of dayly disbursements Travellers a Journall of all they have seen and hath befallen them in their way A Christian that would be exact hath more need and may reap much more good by such a Journall as this We are all but Stewards Factors here and must give a strict account in that great day to the high Lord of all our wayes and of all his wayes towards us This Journall is now in our generation so ungratefull and unmindfull of Gods judgements and mercies a word in season running on its wheels We must be holy Antipodes to sinfull times We like froward children either cast away what we have if not all we desire or dote on what we have received and neglect to return acknowledgement and observance our owne glory we seek not the glory of God that gives all Many earthly Lords in these dayes of overturning losing their Rentals have lost their Quit-rents The most high heavenly Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest sufferer and loser in our dayes he hath lost his quit-rents of Praise and Thanksgiving from men yea he hath lost and suffered in his name glory day worship law government offices officers well and timely then ought his Stewards and Bailiffs to demand and call for by new rentals those old Quit-rents and arrears long agoe due which if denyed we may well fear his â—raining for his right and taking forfeit of all Satan that cunning wrastler hath â—witched us or rather bewitched us in â—ur present age from one side and exâ—eam to another the whole fabrick of â—eligion which we expected to be repaired and reformed is almost quite cast down many are fallen from Formality to Prophanenesse from Superstition to Atheisme which was the Prophesie of Worthy Mr. Greenham of these dayes long since expressed in his works when he instanceth of a Papist that fell to Familisme and thence to Atheisme in his dayes Many by idolizing some prescribed formes now cast off all formes of prayer and too many from Cathedrall chanting are come to reject that sweet heavenly Gospel service of singing of Psalms yea so far from keeping a Diary of by-past mercies that they slight and omit dayly blessing of God in their families and at their meals for their dayly bread and present mercies though contrary to Scripture precepts and presidents as if their food suited not their stomachs unlesse it were profane like themselves that is not sanctified by the Word and Prayer The sacrifice of Thanksgiving was to be eaten on the same day as one well notes and in well ordered families singing Psalms as Prayers hath been a dayâ—ly exercise T was a grave and just reproof of a right Reverend Father in this City present with his Brethren on their days of Humiliation and Prayer he commended their large Confessions and Petitions but discommended their failing in Thanksgiving And 't was well answered by another to one complaining of many wants and weaknesses Be thankfull be thankfull We look more after our priviledges by Christ then our duty we are to practise towards him like Tenants not so ready with their Rents as to see their Covenants from the Landlord be made good to them But Ingratitude is a sin condemned by the light of nature the Heathen had their Hymns to their Gods Lycurgus made no law against it man in requiting kindnesses being a law to himselfe In Athens a servant ungratefull after manumission his Master had an action against him and might reduce him to bondage The unthankfull and unholy goe together in the Word and are parallel with the evill Unthankfulnesse is the grave the hell of benefits the curse of blessings a wind that dries up mercies Let nothing be lost saith our Saviour Bernard applies it to favour from God Nor only mercies and signall works of gracious providence but judgements great changes overturnings and the sins of the age are to be registred in this Christian Journall as this Author well mixes the ingredients of this Diary As we have two ears to hear the rod threatning as the Word promising so two eyes to see sins and sufferings blessings and mercies Some would have us note the works and operations of God wherein God hath exceeded to them but we must also consider wherein they and
seasonably found out for it was about the time the company brake up he had perished I was then at the house an eye-witnesse of that deliverance Another example I shall give you of a Man A certain English Captain in the Wars of France under Henry the fourth whom Queen Elizabeth assisted against his own subjects being quartered in a Town lately taken from the enemy carryed himself with that civility toward his Landlord as became an ingenuous Gentleman and yet with that fidelity too as suited with the honor of his command in chief that he won very much respect from the Master of the family Insomuch that some time after the enemy having taken the Towne again beaten the Kings party slain many and wounded more even unto death at the end of the day when the Armyes were retired the Townsmen came out to cut throats and to take the pillage By providence this Landlord before mentioned came to this Gentleman sorely wounded and ready to dye whom he bestrides and drawing his sword protests he would there dye rather then his friend should suffer any further harm And so by the help of others he brought him home to his own house where by chirurgery and good diet with all carefull attendance he recovered This story I heard the Gentleman relate to me and others Thus God creates deliverances and indeed preservation from danger is nothing else but a continued creation There is scarce any thing in the wayes of God more remarkable then Deliverances And indeed it is necessary that God should take the charge of us at all times for our dangers are so many and great that none are wise enough or strong enough to deliver us but the Lord. 4. All the instruments all the men and means that God hath in providence at any time used for our good must not be forgotten As 1. What Parents we have had how godly they were and how religiously tender they were of our eternall welfare what care they took of us what cost they bestowed upon us what prayers they made for us what pains they took with us in correcting in instructing us for our temporall and eternall good 〈◊〉 is a very rich priviledge to come of godly and religious parents to be heirs of so many promises which they daily laid up for us and so many prayers that they continually made in our behalf is a very rich portion The Jews would often boast that Abraham was their Father and Moses chose rather to owne him yea though he suffered with his posterity then to be called the Son in law to Pharaob's daughter and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Solomon keeps an account of this mercy I was my Fathers Son that is I was his darling his beloved Son and I was tender and dear in the sight of my Mother And thus he taught me and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words c. The like honorable mention he makes of his Mother The words of King Lemuel the prophesie that his Mother gave him Lemuel is a name given to Solomon as Mercer observes upon the place He is called also Jedidiah because the Lord loved him and here Lemuel by his Mother because she had dedicated him to the Lord. 2. Remember what Schoolmasters we have had Dr. Andrews Bishop of Winchester was so thankfully affected with the care that Mr. Mulcaster had of him whilest he was his Scholar that when he came to great preferment in the Church he placed his picture over his study dore Mr. Calvin did so far acknowledge the love and care of Miturinus Corderâ—â—s his Schoolmaster that he dedicated his Commentary upon the first Epistle to the Thessalonians to him And Persius had so honorable an esteem of his Master Cornutus that he writes his fifth Satyr to him and expresseth his thankfulnesse to him in very high language Hinc ego centenas ausim deposcere voces Vt quantum mihi te sinuoso in pectore fixi Voâ—e traham pura c. 3. What noble Mecaenâ—s what bountiful Benefactor we have had by whose cost and kindnesse our good education hath been furthered and our comfortable maintenance enlarged St. Augustine thankfully acknowledged that by the liberall contribution of Romenian a noble Gentleman his studies in the Liberall Arts were much cherished and advanced 4. To conclude It will be of singular use to put into our Diary what Times we have lived in what Ministers we have lived under what Callings we were of what Wealth was bestowed on us what places of Authority and Command were committed to us Plato when he was ready to dye gave God thanks for three things 1. That he was made a Man 2. That he was born in Greece 3. That he lived in the time of Socrates Blesse we God that such a Kinsman brought us up in our younger yeers that such a Scholar was our Tutor in the University such an one relieved us such a friend preferr'd us The Lord give mercy to Onesiphorus saith Paul to Timothy for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain When he was at Rome he sought me out diligently The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy from the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministred unto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well Yea let not the meanestor lowest instrument of our good under God be forgotten Who hath despised the day of small things Even a Raven may sometimes bring bread and meat to a poor Prophet and a poor Widow sustain a Messenger of God A wicked Physitian or a drunken Chirurgeon may instrumentally under God save our lives Even a cypher as very a nothing as it is if joyned to 10 make it 100 if added to 100 makes it 1000. Poor despised David that stood but as a cypher in Kings Saul's account his Brothers judgement in the name of the Lord slays Goliah and wrought a great salvation for Israel The Lord Cromwell K Henry the Eights favourite did not onely remember Friscobald the rich Florentine that was so bountiful to him in his travel but he considered a very poor man and gave him maintenance to his dyiug day whose Father had given him many a meals meat 5. And finally mark what returnâ— what answers God gives to your prayers and set them down with a Selah as most remarkable pledges of his love Moses did so who having fasted and prayed for the people who had made them a Moltencalfe and he received a gracious answer writes that down the Lord heard me at that time also It seems Moses took speciall notice of such answers to prayer for he records a like passage when God separated the Tribe of Levi for his service he prayed and the Lord saith he heard me at that time also Hannah did so she told Eli that she had received a man-childe from the Lord by prayer for this childe I prayed saith she and the Lord hath given me the
us to perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy covenant Go you and do likewise see how Promises run out into Providences As when we see a sincere course of life blessed say This is according to Gods Word who hath said No good thing shall be wanting to them that walk uprightly When you see the children of honest godly parents prosper you may see the promise that day fulfilled which saith The righteous walks in â—his integrity and his children are blessed after him Now that we may do this that we may the better discern in what channel by what promise such a comfort flowes in to us soure things would be skilfully attended 1. Endevour to sort the promises and 〈◊〉 know their several kinds Some are absolute some conditionall some are generall some are particular made to some persons some for this life some for the life to come Godlinesse saith the Apostle hath the promises 〈◊〉 this life and of that which is to come Some promises are encouragements as 1 Cor. 5. 20 Some are comforts as 1 Cor. 10. 13. Some bring rewards as Psal 84. 11. Some contain priviledges as Joh. 1. 12. Tradesmen soâ—â— their commodities by which they live so should believers promises to which they trust and from which they have all 2. Be sure you understand the language of the Promise Take heed that the Promise give not an uncertain sound nor let the promise be a Barbarian to you Let the promise be cleered to you Christ was very near to Mary Magdalen when he appeared to her after his reâ—urrection but she thought he had been the Gardener As for example Touch no unclean thing and I will receive yoâ— This promise is neer to us but few underderstand what it saith Touch not that is be not married to your lâ—sts be not wedded to your wills but be divorced from every evill way Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture another text will open it It is not good saith the Apostle as the case standeth for a man to touch a woman that is to be married Take another instance He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy that is he that for saketh his sins 〈◊〉 the young married woman leaves her Father and Mother and is joyned to her Husband that is she leaves them in regard of communion with him for she must now live with her Husband in regard of subjection to them for her desires must be subject 〈◊〉 her Husband and he must rule over her So the soul leaves his sin in regard of communion with it subjection to it as formerly and now saith to Christ as Paul did when converted What wilt thou have me do How few understand the language of that promise Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Where there are five negatives in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will never never never never never leave thee With the Latines two negatives do more strongly affirm with the Grecians they do more firmly deny That you may thus understand the language of the promise Let 〈◊〉 word of Christ dwell plentifully with you nay in you in all wisdome The good word of the Lord should be your Vade mecum your companion you should have the promise alwayes with you as Saul his spear and his cruse of water at his beds head Let it lead you walking watch with you sleeping talk with you waking By this means it will be cleared to you 3. Endevour to understand well the extent of Promises their latitude and what their boundaries are that is know how much they dish out unto you how far they will go with you If the promise will go but a mile do not compel it to go twain Some promises are made to particular persons and will not reach you as the promise to Abraham of a childe in his old age Sometimes a particular promise will go farther as that to Joshua I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Which St. Paul makes use of as a good motive to young married persons to take heed of covetousnesse and be content For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee No good thing shall be wanting to those that walk uprightly is a promise that must be confidered with boundaries and limits This shall be fulfilled in Gods time in Gods measure after his manner and by his means and according to your capacity secundum modum recipientis the head is more capable of blood and spirits then the little finger a Pottle-pot will hold more then a Pinte Some man can use abundance of honor and wealth better then you can it may be a low and a mean condition 4. Be skilfull in the method of applying promises A methodicall way is a successeful way Therefore be sure you make good the main promise and then the rest will follow I will be thy God is the main promise the summe of all promises Can you say as David Thou art my God You may say then The Lord is my rock my fortresse my deliverer Can you say as the Psalmist I am thine You may then say Save me sanctifie me deliver me provide for me according to thy Word God that by promise hath given us his Son cannot but fulfill every promise to us according to our necessity There can be no limit in that love no bound nor bottome in that bounty If Pharaoh will give Jacob and his family Goshen the best of all the Land of Aegypt to dwell in he will provide for them wagons and victuals for the way If you be justified by the death of Christ you shall certainly be saved by his life So the Apostle argues Primitive acts of Gods grace are engaging acts there was no reason that a sinner should be justified but there is a great deal of reason that a justified person should be saved if God will take you as his owne he is bound to make you as his own for ever 3. Observe how all those good things mentioned in your Journall are dispensed to you by the creatures sensibly There is a vast and infinite distance betwixt God and man majesty and meannesse and therefore we enjoy him and receive good from him by men and means All things both in heaven and earth are at his command All creatures are his and for our service not onely the cattle of a thousand hills are his but the strength of those hills are his also In all which observe Gods wisdome and goodnesse in this threefold choyce 1. His wisdome and goodnesse in the choyce of the instruments Why this man and that means rather then any other God often chooseth where man leaves and leaves where man chooseth He is wiser then the wisest and better then the best Of all the Sons of Jacob who would have thought of Joseph the youngest and sold by his Brethren that he should
but our Saviour Christ saith Beware of men though more modest and moderate yet if but men they will deceive and peradventure persecute you The most intimate bosome friend may prove an Achitophel if but a man As you should not fear them too much so do not trust them too far not fear them though they be made rich and the glory of their houses be made great for men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye if laid in the ballance they are altogether vanity All the Nations saith the Prophet are as the drop of a bucket and are counted as small as the dust in the ballance All nations before God are as nothing and are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity What then is one mighty man Ten hundred thousand times lesse then a drop A drop may wet but it cannot drown be not afraid of him then will you be afraid of nothing of a vanity of a drop Neither do you trust them too far Trust ye not in a friend saith Micah put no confidence in a guide keep the dores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome And why so ch 7. v. 4. The best of them is a briar the most upright is sharper then a thorny hedge And in v. 6. The Son dishonoureth the Father the Daughter riseth up against her Mother the Daughter in law against her Mother in law and a mans enemies are the men of his owne house Thou sayst saith Ratshaketh to Hezekiah I have counsell and strength for the war but they are but vain words Thou sayst such a Prince is my friend and such a great man is my kinsman but they are but vain words For he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall enjoy them not himself knows much lesse thou What was Canaan the better for the Sons of Anak or Basâ—â—â— for their Og or the Philistines for their Goliah So what art thou the better for thy mighty friends It is true where goes the bucket there goes the rope as the Spaniard hath it in his proverb the rope depends on the bucket But if thy friend fail where are all thy hopes But above all trust no mans judgement solely in matters of Religion because a man of note for great learning and piety I will not pin my faith upon any mans sleeve saith Sir Tho. More because I know not whither he will carry it What if a very godly man I never saw that Christian yet but I might see something of a man in him enough of the old man in the new man to trouble the best man Grosse errors have been maintained by good men to the prejudice of publick peace Even Peter a good man advised Christ not to go up to Jerusalem but to favour himself and when he was at Antiocb he dissembled and many of the Iews dissembled likewise with him yea Barnabas was brought into the dissimulation also When mens parts are great their graces eminent their names high and their power large we are in danger to be biassed by their counsels To conclude this passage remember this advice one gave to his friend it may do you good that have much to do with men 1. Have communion with few 2. Be intimate with one 3. Deal justly with all 4. Speak evill of none It is somewhat singular but I am sure very safe to have one as our intimate and bosome friend Alexander had his Ephestion and David in the Wildernesse a Jonathan and in the Court his Hushai called the Kings friend Yea even Christ himself had John if I may not say his Favourite yet certainly the Disciple whom Jesus loved above the rest And he is a wise man that will not put all into his Creed that he puts up in his Pater-noster nor will shew every man his minde or his money he may converse with Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars unto God the things that are Gods Give faithfulnesse to men but trust in God And I am sure to speak evil of none unlesse we have a calling to deal justly with all with whom we have any dealing will bring us much comfort living great peace dying and a good report when we are gone hence and shall be seen no more CHAP. VI. More rules of the same kinde that concern our practice 10. IN the tenth place when you have read over your Journall and made such use of it as hitherto I have shewed you ask your owne hearts these three questions The first concerns God the second our neighbour and the third our selves 1. Ask your own hearts this question What honor do I bring to God for all this Do herein as Ahashuerosh did when he had read in the Chronicles of his time what good service Mordecai had done him in discovering a treason he asked those about him What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for all this So do you upon a survey of all the good things God hath vouch safed to you and yours Hitherto the Lord hath holpen me he hath preserved me from many dangers supplyed me with many comforts assisted me in many straights afforded me many friends But what honor hath God from me for all this I live upon him but do I live to him I have all from him but do I anything for him My â—lmes are in his hands but are his praiâ—â—â— in my mouth He is never weary I see of doing me good but am not I weary of doing him service Can I say with St. Paul His I am and him I serve He is the alpha of all my happinesse why should not he be the omega of all my thankfulnesse But may not my conscience answer as those Servants about Ahashuerosh did concerning Mordecai There hath been nothing done for him Nay have I not requited him evill for the good he hath doneme If any spirit be grieved it shall be his if any day be neglected it shall be his if any commandements be broken they shall be his if my honor be called for and I be reproached if my liberty be threatned and I be imprisoned if my wealth or ease be required and I be endamaged or troubled How hardly comes any thing from me for God that hath done all for me So that God may say to me as David sometimes complained of Nabal the unthankful churle In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wildernesse so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him and he hath requited me evill for good In vain have I kept your house from firing at such a time your family from infection at another time your person from danger in such a journey your eyes from tears and your feet from falling many atime and you have requited me evill for good Say rather to God as Elisha to the good Shunamite who had provided a chamber and all things convenient for him Thou hast been carefull for