the Lord giue mercy to his House and Posteritie for it Also I know few like-minded who will faithfully care for our matters as he did and where men earthly minded seeke their owne that is seeke that and that onely which is nothing worth when they haue it he sought in his life and found in his death that which is Iesus Christ Phil. 2.20.21 But what neede I to embalme him being dead with my report who liuing had so good report of all who knew him and the grace in him and dying sweetly in the peace of his Master and his good conscience like that boxe of oyntment which being very precious the woman powred on Christs head in his breaking by death cast forth that name that is better then the best oyntment Eccles. 7.3 Mark 14.3 A name of a right good sauour such as hath filled the house and may be an ornament and crowne of reioycing to the House and Stocke hee came of For you that now liue the Heire of his House and I trust of his good minde in good things You are to remember as I hope you forget not that your life is in that age and time wherein you may as in the morning sow your seed Eccles. 11.6 the good seed of the doctrine of saluation in the field of your owne heart and furrowes of those that are of your familie and proper charge I beseech you let not your hand rest and bee diligent to take heed to your selfe and them for all necessarie instruction in the way of life so tilling them spiritually for GOD and his true feare that your whole House may bee as the field of the righteous which the Lord will blesse and the name of it may be The Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 So did your good Father in the middes of You whiles he liued and so good Sir doe you constantly in the mids of your owne House by his example who now is gone Hee learned of Abraham who commaunded his householde after him in such matters Genes 18.19 and learne You of Him that the blessing of Abraham may follow You and Yours I write not doubtingly and I haue good confidence in the Lord that you are so minded In which good meaning and intention of yours to a worke so full of spiritual consolation and godlinesse you must looke for aduersaries The more truelie you feare God the more you shall finde what enmitie is against it Looke for this in euery good purpose vnder the Sunne The world that is not of the fashion of Heauen Rom. 12.2 will be against you The flesh that is all for it selfe Rom. 13.14 will lust against the Spirit and the good motions of the Spirit in you Galat. 5.17 and the Deuill the Centurion of the band will pursue you with his armies of temptations on your right hand and on your left Ephes. 6.12 But Hee that is with you is stronger then all these and as long as Michael is your leader and his Angels your fellow-Souldiours what can doe you hurt if God be on your side what matter who be against you Rom. 8.31 If you loue the loue of Christ with all your heart who or what shall separate you from it who or what shall make you to forsake it vers 35. Neither the worlds iniuries nor the fleshes allurements nor all the mallice of the enemie ouer all which you are more then Conquerour through him that hath loued you verse 37. shall be able to take Christ from you or the holy Spirit of Christ out of you by whom you are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes. 4.30 Striue therefore forward cheerefully in this narrow way of life fight the good fight of Faith to the end whet your heart vpon the Word and make the Statutes of IEHOVA your Meditation and Counsellours pray in your holy Faith holde that you haue with increaseâ— get ground of the commune enemie daily and that by doing well while you haue time This matter requireth your earnest meditation and deepest thoughts and therefore against all incumbrances and impediments of spirituall life already remembred or further spoke of by Saint Iohn as the lusts of the eyes the lusts of the flesh and pride of life 1 Iohn 2.16 put forth your selfe couragiously in the name of the Lord of Hostes who will order the whole battell for you and finish it to your euerlasting victory and ioyfull triumph ouer all powers earthly and infernall How ill they proceede that doe not so striue I haue endeuoured to shewe in the meditations that follow concerning the sinne and punishment of the prodigall sonne perswading my selfe that of Him you haue nothing in you but his repentance and grace to come home to your heauenly Father where you haue with Him young and ignorantly in anything and who hath not in many things declined from obedience to God or the wayes of his truth These I tooke to taske the beginning of this last Sommer at what time the Lords storme fell that caused so generall a feare I would it had effected a like generall amendement in vs. For the now comming forth of them the Apostle who saith Be instant in season and out of season 2 Timoth. 4.2 shall answere for me if any shall thinke them vnseasonable Besides how can that bee or be iudged with any colour of soundnesse vnseasonable that teacheth vs to remember what GOD would not haue forgotten namely his wonderfull workes which hee made the last two moneths of May and Iune to be remembred Psal. 111.4 Or if all his workes must praise him Psal. 145.10 why should not those praise him in the Gate which he wrought so fearefully and so lately among vs And is it euer too late and vnseasonable to shew to the world how graciously and how strangely the Lords late mercies got the better hand of his other fearefull workes by taking his frownes from the skie and by putting a more louing countenance vpon it in the blessed weather that ensued I call it the Lords mercie or not the least of those mercies that are ouer all his workes Psal. 145.9 For did our repentance or any worke of ours seeke and finde that comfortable alteration at Gods hands Or did not the greatest number desire a better and more kindely season and complaine of a season so generally hurtfull and intemperate with sinne in their right hand was one Sabbath for all that power of thunder that so cracked about our eares and pouring Raine that so fell vpon the Earth that is in such abundance that it made Brookes and Riuers to rise and the water to stand in the Furrowes lesse prophaned in Towne and Countrie I doubt not but some stood as Aaron in that breach and gappe with their Censer of seruent Supplication to the Lord by whom in all likelihood hee was entreated and who sought and found him in due time Psal. 32.6 Yet what was that to the generall inconformitie that still beareth sway And heere who can but prophecie for
that resteth in the heart Luk. 16.15 The Pharisees would pray euery where with great deuotion and fast euery weeke with great stricknesse and blow a Trumpet to their liberalitie and almes deedes that they might haue testimonie and receiue the prayse of zealous and good men from the world yet the Lord had them in vtter detestation which could not haue beene if there had beene any true loue in these things Vses A reproofe to those who are as one calleth Hypocrites signes without the things signified or Pottes seething in their scumme Hos. 2.10 Good men care not so good be done who haue the prayse but Hypocrites desire not so much to be doers of good as to haue glory for well doing therefore sayth the Tribe of Ephraim Why were not we called Iudg. 8.1 The godly abstayne from euill because it is euill and forbidden the vngodly if they forbeare to doe euill doe it for other ends as because the world may know it or hee that taketh vengeance for euill workes the ciuill Magistrate may heare of it and so it is like they shall be punished with shame or stripes Vpright men when they commit any sinne though neuer so secretly are not without feare because the Lord is priuie to it that knoweth the heart but the hypocrite so hee may keepe his credit with men careth not to keepe his sinne too and so feareth not God but Man or if his actions be straight that Mâ—n seeâ— he cares not how crooked his heart is that God sees Psa. 51.4 An admonition aboue all things to looke to the heart when eyther we serue God or doe seruice one to another by loue Pro. 4.23 Of the wise builder it is said that he digged deepe and layd the foundation on a Rocke Luk. 6.48 So of the sound hearted Christian it may be sayd that knowing how much loose earth is in him and that the heart is deceitfull aboue all things Ier. 17.9 when he meaneth to doe good duties to God and his Neighbour he entreth farre into himselfe searching his heart and bewayling his sinne that his building may be on a rocke and not on the sand for he purgeth away the leauen of hypocrisiâ— that hath infected his nature the loose and vnfast earth of a hollow and false heart he casteth forth and whatsoeuer may seeme contrary and offensiue to the worke of sound repentance he laboureth to be rid of in his entrance to reformation The Hypocrite contrarily makes quicke worke all his building is aboue ground and hee careth not how well hee doth any thing so he doe some thing he looketh not to his heart that it bee in order but to his outward wayes that they may not shame him If he leade a ciuill life and pertake of the word and Sacraments hee thinketh he hath done enough and that he is a Christian good enough But will a good builder meeting with an ill foundation build vpon it nay will he not throw out all that shall endanger his foundation And shall we lay a good worke vpon an vnsound heart To pray is a good action but will we lay the good action of prayer vpon the rubbish of an vncleane soule to God and vncharitable minde to our brother To receiue the Sacrament is a good worke but will wee lay the good worke of receiuing it vpon a foundation of malice or spirit of bitternes when we come together to eate of one bread and to drinke of one Cup To heare the word is a good dutie but will we doe the good dutie of hearing with deceitfull affections when we make shew to heare whatsoeuer the Lord will say vnto vs will wee not take hâ—ede how we heare Let vs therefore when we enter vpon any good way endeauour with an vpright sound heart to proceede therein else had it beene better neuer to haue entred or begun seeing wee haue set no surer in the path of grace A comfort to those whose hearts are sound in matters though their best works be mixed with the infimities of men for this that we desire vnfainedly when wee haue done amisse that wee had or could haue done better is imputed to vs for vprightnesse If sinne hang on vs and we would faine cast it off if we finde vnbeliefe and would gladly haue faith if we be troubled with hardnes and would be softned if we be humbled because we cannot bee humbled enough and haue great sorrow because we cannot be sufficiently sorry for our many sinnes let not our defects discourage vs but let this small measure of grace enbolden vs to enter before the throne of grace for a greater measure which God will not deny to those that prepare their whole heart to seeke him though in a person not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chr. 30.19 and for perfection the Lord lookes not for it at our hands in this vaile of frailâ—ie The place followeth wherein the Prophet promiseth to walke in his vprightnes In the midst of mine house THe place where the Prophet will rightly order his way or vprightly walke is his priuate house or more priuate chamber Where his meaning is that he will be no changeling and that among his household-people where few behold him he will be the same that hee is abroad where many eyes see him Yea he will doe wisely in his chamber as if he were vpon the tribunall and be godly at home as if hee stood in the temple Here also by the midst of his house he meaneth the priuatest roomes of it as his priuie-chamber or bed-chamber and euen in these hee promiseth to doe nothing that shall be vncomely From whence this doctrine ariseth That Christians should carry themselues in their houses or alone by themselues as if they were in open place Many will pretend holinesse and professe honestie while the are ouer-looked by two good Tutors Open-place and Day-light but otherwayes when they be priuate or alone they giue themselues to wantonnes to worke all vncleanenes euen with greedynesse Eph. 4.19 Then because they are not vnder the eye of men they perswade themselues that the Lord shall not see them and that the God of Iacob will not regard them Psal. 94.7 and thus they flatter themselues in an euill way while their iniquitie is found worthy to be hated Iob speaking of thieues saith that they digge through houses in the darke making darknes the couer of their sinne Iob 24.16 So the eye of the Adulterer is sayde to waite for the twylight making that kinde of light a kinde of Bawde to his lewde life vers 15. And of the Murtherer it is sayde vers 14. that he riseth early or at breake of day to kill the poore making the morning as the shadow of death wherin to murther the innocent So they doe that in darknesse that they would not dare to doe in the light But Christians will walke vprightly as well at breake of day as at noone-day and vpon their
this trespasse pull away their hand and set it to iustice for the putting out of the remembrance of Romane Amalecke from England Deut. 25.19 For what peace as Iehu saide to Iehoram whiles the whore domes of Iezabel and her witchcrafts are in such number 2 Kin. 9.22 That is whiles Iezabel of Rome in her children of spirituall fornication among vs is vsed with such vnreasonable and dangerous clemencie what hope of peace or expectation of safetie for good men The reason is as full and strong seedes throwne into a ground fit for them and cherished with conuenient moisture and the comfortable gleames of the Sunne cannot but grow ranklie and bring foorth hearbs or weedes of their owne kinde so trayterous seedes laide vp in the fat soyle of Papists watered with wealth and indulgence and shined vpon with the cheerefull glimpses of opportunities cannot but bring forth fruite of their owne qualitie to wit Treason against Princes and perâ—urbation of States professing true Religion Our owne experience hath dearely taught vs that to haue vsed some of them with more rigour had beene a beneficiall and mercifull sharpnesse Cant. 2.15 1 Sam. 15.22.23 Eccles. 8.11 Num. 33. â—5 2 King 13.14.15.16 and 1 King 20.42 2 Chro. 15.16 Now as these ought not to be boren with as they are so good Subiects should bee cherished by good Magistrates They that doe well should bee without feare of the power and haue praise of the same Rom. 13.3 Their Soueraignes mercie should preserue them and they should haue their portion in the common comforts of his fauour This is the good Subiects hope but take this hope from him and what is his life but a life of sorrow and paine or of death which were better And this hope they take from them who enclose the Kings fauour by corrupt iustice or make a Monopolie of their Princes grace that should be toll-free Or that pull their Soueraignes Sâ—nne out of the firmament but threatning them with the Kings sword when they should vse his sword for their defence and comfort Againe Dauids song heere is of mercie and iudgement that is of profitable matter From whence wee learne that the songs of Christians should be profitable and edifying songs therefore Saint Paul exhorteth the Ephesians and vs in them to songs that containe spirituall Musicke and which make melodie not to a carnall eare but to God in the heart Eph. 5.19 And writing of the like argument to the Colossians he willeth them to teach themselues others in a Psalme and to sing not Psalmes of wantonnesse but Psalmâ—â— of praise to the Lord with reuerence Colos. 3.16 Such was the song of Moses and Miriam Exod. 15.1.2 c. of Esay and Solomon Esa. 5.1.2 c. Cantic Salom. and such be all the Psalmes of Dauid The Reasons When we sing we must sing vnto God and therefore to him not wantonly but with grace in our hearts Secondly whatsoeuer we doe we must doe it to the praise of God 1 Corinth 10.31 Singing is an action and therefore when we sing we must sing to Gods glory Thirdly when Christ sung he sung a Psalme Mark 14. 26. not any vaine song but a Psalme of praise and wee should bee followers of Christ so many as Christ hath redeemed Vse The Vse as it reproueth those who either of bashfulnes or in contempt abstaine altogether from singing so it condemneth such as sing carnall and prouoking songs songs that serue for nothing but to set an edge of wantonnes vpon the hearers or to satisfie loose mindes with a kinde of contemplatiue fornication rather then to build them forward to vertue and the power of godlinesse by a gracious Psalme which may bee spoken likewise of all Poems and Meters that â—re penned and sung with such an artifiâ—iall â—â—â—tonnes and exquisite voice that â—hey seeme no better and they are as â—hey seeme then so many sacrifices and â—â—ities made and sung to the honour of the 〈◊〉 They that made them did but make them to abuse and disgrace the â—orthy facultie of Poetrie with vncleane â—â—meâ— and to send them as so many filâ—hie Bawdes into the world to enâ—ise by â—hem to materiall follie and wantonnes â—ffâ—â—minate soules So much for the ditieâ—r â—r song the Person followeth to whom 〈◊〉 will sing To thee O Lord will I sing THe Person to whom the Prophet solemnely promiseth to sing this diâ—ine ditie of mercy and iudgement is the Lord not doubting howsoeuer others should accept of it but that God would like it well enough it being sung with a â—racâ— vnto him as if hee should haue â—aid Though others mislike the song and though it be harsh in a carnall â—are yeâ— Lord seeing it is melodious in thine and pleasing to thee I will offer it 〈◊〉 seeke not to please men and it is my comfort that I can doe any thing that will pleasâ— thee The Doctrine from hence is Weâ— must not regard what men approoue or condemne in the matters of God and 〈◊〉 precise seruice but what God â—â—â—selfe alloweth or doth mislike Noahs the 〈◊〉 was mocked by the wâ—rld of wicked men 〈◊〉 his time yet did he beare it and for it obtaine mercie to be called the Preachâ—â— of righteousnes to all ages 2 Pet. 2.5 Dauid who for his humble sinceritie and reuerend demeanour toward the Arkeâ— going to Ierusalem was scorned of Mâ—â—chol was yet had in high estimation by the Maides of Honour attending vpon Michâ—l 2 Sam. 6.14.16 He cared not what shee minded his care was to approoue himselfe to Gods minde He was vile it was before God and hee would bee viler Paul spake the words of truth and sobernessâ— though Festus iudged such words to be madnes and him that spake â—hem madde and besides himselfe Act. 26. â—4 25 But he passed little to be iudged of â—im or of mans iudgement knowing that â—e that iudged him was the Lord 1 Cor. â— 3.4 And what careth Michiah what â—ure hundred flattering men say to the â—ing what the Lord saith vnto him that â—â—ll hee speake 1 King 22.6.14 Hee â—ake to God and not to Nabuchadâ—ezarâ—ought â—ought it to be great precisenesse in Shaâ—ach Meshach and Abednego that â—â—ey onely were not readie when they â—â—ard the sound of thâ— Cornet Trumpet â—â—d other Instruments of Musicke to fall â—â—wne and worship his golden Image Dan. â— 14.15 But 〈◊〉 were not carefull nor â—â—garded to answere the King in that â—â—atâ—â—â— vers 16â— for God had made the 〈◊〉 to bow to him and they would not â—â—ffer the knee that hee made to bowe â—o an Image therefore that that seemed â—isorder to the King seemed and was oâ—edience to God They sung to him and â—hat which they sung pleased him resolâ—ing to obay the King vnder God not aâ—ainst God which made them to refuse as they did and to answere as wee hâ—uâ— heard The Reasons Gods wisedome is incomparably great and who is like him in knowledge Now is God incomparably wise
hauing them haue care to vse them wel Secondly a good man will make choyse of his company which he vseth seldome and shall he be carelesse of the Familie which hee must vse daily Thirdly hee that hopes for benefit by his Orchyard will not runne to euery hedge to fet Grafts from it but will prouide himselfe of the best Grafts and Sciences to make Trees of them and to plant them in his Orchyard Will a man care thus for his Orchyard what good Plants hee doth set in it and in the planting of his Familie will hee be carelesse what Seruants and Officers he doth bring into it If such complaine of vntrusty Seruants and euill Ministers whom can they blame but themselues for doe men gather Grapes of Thornes Mat. 7.16 and can we from a wilde hedge of vnruly people fet the Graffes Sciences of good Officers and good Seruants in a Familie or should we not set them from the Trees of righteousnes in well gouerned houses Hee that setteth Thornes and Bryers and Brambles in his ground must not wonder if it beare Hips and Hawes and Sloes and is it maruell that they who plant their houses with vnfaithfull people should haue vnfaithfull Seruants and who care not to choose the good should light vpon the bad Vses A reproofe to those Masters that haue no regard of grace and Religion in the Seruants which they receiue into couenant but inquire onely what wages they will take and what worke they can doe where if they can doe sufficient worke and will take reasonable wages they seeke no farther be they Papists Atheists Drunkards abhominable Swearers and Swaggerers the worst in a Countrey they will receiue them though they be vnfaithfull to God if they will be faithfull to them which they shall seldome see and though they walke ill if they worke well they will sooner put Christ away then such Here also those great Men are reproued who take so little care to prouide themselues of good followers for though they be good themselues yet if they whom they trust in matters be not good or if they be not trustie bearers vvhom they send abroad as Messengers of their good edge to many their goodnesse is but to themselues and they to whom they wish it are neuer the better for it If then Christian Lord you would haue your credit and true honour communicated you must see that they be faithfull whom you put in place about you For euill officers about great persons as Iuie clasping to the Tree about which it groweth eate out the heart of their Honour and discredit them with the people of whom they should be honoured And though their cisternes were full of honourable courtesies able to refresh a multitude of wearie soules yet should but a few drinke of their fountaines the passages being stopt with earth or with the corrupt mindes of men as vile as earth Therefore as you loue your honour when you finde such Wormes and Cankers of true Nobilitie about you abandon them But must godly Gouernours be so carefull to chuse religious persons whom they must admit to seruice and places about them then it is their dutie to call vpon those whom they keepe in their seruice for duties of religion and the seruice of God The law is plaine in this Exod. 20.10 where it is required not onely that the Masters themselues but that the Masters their Seruants should enter together into the house of God to keepe his Sabbaths and to doe him seruice in the face of the assembly And it is great reason that men should be as carefull of Gods worke as they are of their owne worke and if they will not keepe one that is not true vnto them no reason that they should be Masters of one that is vnfaithfull to God The Queene of the South she her seruants came together to Salomon to heare his wisedome 1 King 10.1.2 How then will it he answered if Masters in Christian Israel shal refuse to bring not from the furthest parts of the earth but from their houses at hand not to Salomon whose wisedome was mortall and limited but to the true Salomon Iesus Christ in whom is all wisedome and treasures of knowledge without measure Colos. 2.3 and not Heathen Seruants but Christians bound in like bonds as their Masters are of promise in their baptisme to forsake the Deuill and all his workes I say if such Masters shal refuse to bring comming themselues such Seruants to such a Salomon to be taught of him what will they answere to him who hath bought their soules as deere as theirs when in wrath he shall bring them to iudgement and in that great iudgement make them to answere not for themselues onely but for all these and for the poorest Kitchen-boy among those whom they shall wilfully suffer to perish by not caring to bring him or to make him come to the waters of life drawne out of the Welles of saluation that he may liue for euer Many complaine of bad Seruants But doe they who make the complaint consider that the greatest fault is in themselues as because their choise was naught and their gouernment as bad after they had chosen You haue taken heere a briar and there a bramble and thorne and set them in your Orchyard and doe you complaine of a bad Orchyard and that you haue neither Apples nor Peares nor Plummes as others haue So you would haue a good family when your care is not to graft it with good Seruants For haue you cared to make your Seruants the Seruants of God that they might be good Seruants to you Haue you set them about Gods worke on his day as you are carefull to set them about your owne worke on other dayes Abraham did so and had good Seruants and they that would haue good Seruants as Abraham had must be good Masters such as Abraham was Now the persons whom the Prophet would make choise of to be in his Court and to serue in the Kingdome are called the faithfull of the Land And that wee may further know what these are he calleth them such as walke in the perfect way that is as walke in the way of Gods word with purpose of heart though imperfectly He saith not they that are perfect in the way but they that walke in the perfect way though sometimes they may trip as they goe yea stumble and fall From whence it is plaine that there is no state of perfection here But the point and thing that I obserue is they that are to be imployed in a publike State or priuate house must be men of conscience and religion fearing God Because Princes and great persons cannot doe all themselues but must haue some to deale for them and vnder them therefore Iethro his counsell to Moses was to prouide some among all the people whom he might appoint to be Rulers ouer thousands rulers ouer hundreds rulers ouer fifties and rulers ouer tennes by whose