which so hurt his face that he bled again he left his singing and clapt both his hands on his face but afterwards he put his hands abroad and sung again m Idem vol. 3. p. 537. And when George Roper came to the stake where he was to be burned he leaped at it for joy Some have blessed God for setting the Crowne of Martyrdome upon their heads n Idem vol. 3. p. 850. When Alice Driver who was burned at â—pswich had the Iron chain put about her Neck O said she here is a goodly Neckerchief blessed be God for it Id. vol. 3. p. 888. Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this said John Noye when he came to the stake to be burned Others have both fervently desired to glorifie God in those fires and grieved that God would not suffer them to be made a burnt sacrifice as that precious Jewel our Bishop Jewel did Thus we see the pious gracious faithful Servants Subjects and Souldiers of Jesus Christ are not only desirous to raign with him but they are also ready to suffer for him And for such Lambs and such only as do copy out the holy Life of Jesus Christ and write it in their owne in those golden characters of sanctity constancy humility meeknesse patience charity prayer obedience c. did this Lambe of God Jesus Christ die Redemptor noster pro bonis misericorditer incarnatus est Nihil igitur haec Margarita ad porcos canes The Prayer MOST deare and yet most dreadful Jesus who art a God of might and Majesty as well as mercy of justice as we as pity a Lyon as well as a Lamb a Saviour and a Soveraign and at once the Creator Husband Brother and Redeemer of thine Elect Be pleased blessed Jesus to grant that those who own thine own name wear thy Livery and have Covenanted with thee to be thy Servants may be careful watchful zealous conscientious and willing to honour their Master thy sacred and most excellent Majesty to obey thy commands to imitate thy holy Life and to accept thee on thine own terms joyfully thankfully heartily even as a Lord King Prophet to govern command teach them as well as a Priest and Saviour to sacrifice and die for them Let them consider what it will cost them to buy this precious field this inestimable jewel what they must do to be real Christians and to get a saving Interest in Jesus Christ That they must sell all that they have part readily and resolvedly with the World with their sins their Isaacs Idols yea their Lands Liberties and Lives also if he who is the Lord and giver of them require us to surrender them to and for his own use and glory That they must take Christ as in a matrimonial Covenant and be not only chast obedient pleasing faithful constant to him but also that they must honour and esteem him above all other things admit no corrival into their affection with him rejoyce in his presence mourn for his absence grieve when he 's offended by them and angry with them forsake all for him cleave stedfastly to him and neither for either love of life or fear of death leave dishonour or deny him That they must be mortify'd Self-denying sincere Christians That they must not expect to be carryed on Beds of Down or to have their way green smooth easy soft or strawed with flowers to Heaven That they must run without fainting loytering or tyring to the end of the Race if they would obtain the prize That they must cheerfully couragiously bear Christs crosse or else they shall never triumphantly wear a Crown That they must not only sweep sweeten cleanse and open the dusty dirty-filthy sin-lockt houses of their hearts with the beesome of repentance and the hands of Faith and Love to entertaine him but they must also welcome him set him at the upper end of the Table in the highest seat esteem affect him above and beyond all other persons or things whilest they live on earth or else when they die he will never open the narrow Gate of Life to let them into Heaven That if they be not good and holy in the Kingdome of Grace they shall never be great or happy in the Kingdome of Glory That if their sins and lusts which Lord it over them revel in them captivate them and are dear and sweet unto them be not hated crucified and forsaken by them the Lord Jesus Christ though he was crucified for sinners and died to purchase Life for transgressors who were spiritually dead will never save them That therefore we may resolve and labour to get into that Arke Jesus Christ where safety and salvation only are to be found make us I beseech thee speedingly really savingly sensible of the want the worth the excellency All-sufficiency and the necessity of a Jesus that so we may court seek and value thee in and from whom alone is all fulnesse sweetnesse happinesse above all things And let O most gracious God all our sins be laid upon the Head set upon the Account of that Scape-goat Jesus Christ that so they may be carried into the Wildernesse of forgetfulnesse Take away O Lord our filthy Garments from us and clothe us with change of Raiment impute the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to us that so being found in the Garments of our elder Brother we may receive from our heavenly Father the Blessing of Grace here and that wherewith thou crownest thy own freely given and yet by Christ dearly purchased Grace eternal Glory hereafter Grant this O Lord for his sake who died to satisfie thy dreadfull Justice who shed his heart-bloud to quench the fire of thy flaming consuming wrath to pay our debts to purchase our pardon to redeem us from eternall slavery and misery and to save our undone Souls Amen In Christo per Christum solum modo Vita Libertas Foelicitas et beata Aeternitas III. Of the Holy Ghost THE Holy Ghost is the third Person in the glorious blessed a Deus est indivise â—â—us in Triniâ—e et inconfuse trinus in unitate undivided b Sacramentum hoc venerandum non scrutandum quemodo pluralitas sit in unitate unitas it plura litate Scâ—utaâ—i hoc temeritas est credere pietas nosse verò vìta aeterna Incomprehensible Trinity proceeding from both the Father and the Son and yet Coessentiall Coeternall and Coequal with them The opera officia the works and Offices of the Holy Ghost are these 1. It illuminates our blind understandings and teacheth us to know what we are by nature together with the necessity and felicity of being born again It teacheth us also to know the danger deformity and misery of sin the infinite and undeserved love of God and Christ to undone man and the means both to escape eternal death and to obtain immortal glory 2. It regenerates us making us that were profane holy barren fruitfull rebellious
penitent And let O Lord all thy chastisements be so sanctified unto us that our understandings may be enlightened our judgements rectified our souls humbled our corruptions mortified our consciences purified our lives reformed that thy dreadful wrath may be appeased thy unsupportable judgements removed thy tender mercies evidenced and thy loving kindnesse which is better then life vouchsafed and continued unto us Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Afflictio illuminat decet purgat eurat XVI Of Patience PAtience 't is a * Job 1. 21. Job blessing God for the losse of blessings an * 1 Sam. 3. 18. Eli kissing the Rod that drew bloud from him with that sharp lash that heavy stroke the threatned ruine of his house and posterity with the mouth of submission saying It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good a Cedrenus in vit Mauritii Camerar It 's a holy good Mauritius who when he was not only deposed from his Empire and succeeded by one of the worst yea basest of all his subjects Phocas but also compelled to be a sad and mournfull Spectator of the bloudy butchery of all his five sweet innocent Children he meekly and joyfully kissed the hand that beat him saying Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments 'T is a Lamb that will be both shorn and killed without crying It 's a grace that keeps the soul in a calm holy contented frame in every condition 'T is an Isaac bound and ready to be sacrificed without murmuring A stone-wall that both blunts and repels the piled arrows of the sharpest sufferings 'T is a fountain without mud and clear though stirred or troubled with the hand and rod of affliction A face without a srown and peevish tear in the greatest pain disappointment grief torment 'T is a writ of restitution when distrust frowardnesse discontentment or rash anger have ejected a man out of his right mind and Christian behaviour whereby he is again peaceably and quietly restored unto himself In your patience possesse your Souls 'T is a stream that keeps within the banks of †Psalm 39. 9. silence with David and * Philip. 4. 11. 12. an holy contentation of mind with Paul when the stormy impetuous winds of affliction poverty sicknesse or persecution doe blow upon it 'T is cooling Physick that preserves the soul from falling into the dangerous fever of an angry murmuring against Gods crossing providences 'T is one like the Camell kneeling down to take up his burden It makes a man like wheat fall down in a silent submission and a willing resignation of himself to the will and pleasure of God when he 's winnowed with the fan of adversity 'T is a clear Skie in the worst weather An Anvile unbroken with the hardest strokes of injury calamity or Tyranny b Et non sentire mala sua non est hominis et non ferre non est vir Seneca 'T is the golden meane betwixt the extreams of stupidity and repining 'T is Jonah in a Whales belly without fretting 'T is the Cradle wherein passion is rockt asleep 'T is the earnest the bond of a liberall remuneration c Hug. Grocius of the Law of War and peace ex Terâ—ul For so bounteous a rewarder of patience is God that if you commit your injury to him he is a revenger if you grief an healer if your death a reviver How great is the power of patience to have God himself a debtor to it Patience 't is a Joseph relieving maintaining providing for the soul in the Egypt of this world when afflicted with the forest famine 'T is a childe descended of a Royall family being the Daughter of that Queen mother Meeknesse 'T is an Abraham prepared resolved contented to forsake and want all countrey friends land if God will have it so 'T is a Dove without Gall A tree without knots A spirit even and planed A fresh spring and sweet water in the saltest sea of tribulation A But that receives all darts without pain hurt and death A bush burning yet not consumed Patience 't will make a man like * Esay 39. 8. Hezekiah willingly consent and as it were set his hand to Gods Deed of gift of all his yea and his posterities temporal mercies to enemies and aliens with a Good is the word and righteous is the work of the Lord. 'T is a Christians Sandale and shooe wherewith he both can and doth tread upon the nettles and bryers of injuries and reproaches without either smart or hurt and also wherewith he walks upon Gravel and thistles indureth crosses losses and troubles without fainting * Prov. 3. 15. fretting or †tyring The Prayer O LORD if thou wert as prone to revenge as we are to rebell Or if thou shouldest be as ready to destroy us as we are forward to displease and dishonour thee showers of Fire and Fury instead of dews of Grace and Mercy would daily yea hourly fall from Heaven upon our heads But such O thou God of Patience though thou art angry with the wicked every day is thy wonderfull Long-suffering towards us though we daily vex and grieve thee that thou art graciously pleased to warn us to wait on us to wooe us to strive with us and to offer both favour and forgivenesse to us O let us resolve and indeavour to learn of Christ to imitate him and to transcribe into our own actions and behaviour that Golden Copy which our blessed Saviour hath set us by being like him meek and lowly in heart And since thy holy Word assures us that a froward mouth and heart are hatefull and abominable unto thee O let us never give thee any rest till thou hast adorned us with the precious the glorious Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit That so we may lie silently under thine angry hand when corrected bear injuries affronts revilings petiently and Christianly when they are done or offered unto us wait without fretting contentedly the Lords own time and leisure for comfort and deliverance when we are afflicted distressed oppressed And though we should be wrongfully or suddainly deprived either of all our sublunary mercies or of those which we most value affect and desire that so we may possesse our souls in patience and not be angry or froward at Gods sharpest dealings with us because how great or many soever our miseries are or may be they are lesse and fewer then our iniquities deserve Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Patientia tacet adjuvat exonerat XVII Of Baptism 'T Is a Moses leading and carrying Infants out of Egypt into the Canaan of Gods true Church It 's the hand that ingrafts them into the true Vine Jesus Christ that so they may become living and fruitfull Branches and escape everlasting burning 'T is their Matriculation in the Acadamy of Christianity The Oath of Allegiance which they take to be loyall Subjects to the King of peace and righteousnesse
weep and gnash his teeth without all possibility of ease or end An Hypocrite then is both a self-destroyer and a self-deceiver Patroclus exultabat Armis Achillis sensit Hector nihil aliud esse quam Patroclum For although with his glittering shewes of piety like a Jugler he may delude the eyes of men yet he cannot cast a mist before * Jerem. 17. 10. nor draw a curtain betwixt the the All-seeing eye of God and his soul because the Lord both searches tries knows and weighs the heart and spirit and the darkest angles together with those darling corruptions that lurk the closest in them What was said of Cicero Linguam omnes fere mirantur pectus non ita is true of an Hypocrite most men may admire his tongue even whilest God abhorreth his heart that may be most eloquent and pious while this is most unclean impious n Speed He is like Tiberius aliud ore aliud mente omnia dissimulans And like o Guicciardine Pope Alexander the 6th who was so cunning a dissembler that he never spoke as he meant And therefore he is abominable to God who loves and requires truth in the inward parts being non corticis sed cordis Deus the God of the heart and not of the bark An Hypocrite deals with Christ as * Ruth 1. 14. 17. Orpah did with Naomi he kisses and leaves professes and forsakes him And therefore God will both reject him eclipse or rather kill his Joyes in * Job 20. 5. a moment * Matth. 22. 13 14 15 16. and inflict eternall woes †upon him But a sincere Christian carries himself towards his Saviour as Ruth did to Naomi he forsakes all for him cleaves stedfastly to him and resolves nothing shall part divide or divorce him from him and therefore God will both own honour and crown him with felicity and glory to all eternity For that with Galba the Emperour of Rome once said to his Souldiers may both most comfortably and truly be affirmed of Christ and all true Nathaniels Zachary's and Elizabeths I mean all sincere Christians viz. ego vestor vos mei Jesus Christ is and * Hosea 2. 19. will be theirs faithfully yea everlastingly and they are his most intirely cordially constantly My beloved is mine and I am his saith the spouse of Christ her Husband The Prayer O LORD since thou hast acquainted those that enjoy thy Gospell wherein thy will and their own duties comforts priviledges and happinesse are revealed to them that a double heart is an evil heart Let us not I beseech thee be contented much lesse well-pleased or resolved like Solomons Harlot to have that Child divided betwixt thee and our Lusts Vnder the Law thou didst command that the Altar upon which thy people sacrificed unto thee should be made of whole Stones But under the Gospell thou requirest that the Spirits of those who serve and seek thee be contrite fleshie tender yet intirely devoted to thee O Let not blessed God our hearts who sit under the droopings of the Sanctuary be stonehard barren sensless dead hearts but take them into thine own hands O Lord and mould fashion form and frame them so that they may be soft broken and yet wholly only and sincerely thine And that so thou mayst delight in them take possession of them set up thy glorious Throne and dwell in them O let us remember that sincerity will be our Comfort in the midst of our sorrows and a welspring of Joy peace gladnesse hope and happinesse to us hath in life and death whereas Hypocrisie will both bring us unto and leave us in eternal woes and horrour Let us also consider that the paint of Hypocrisie and the varnish of formality will not cannot either hide our loathsome deformity from the 〈◊〉 pure All-seeing eye or abide and stick on when we shall appear before our God by death and judgment who is a consuming 〈…〉 us not therefore O thou that requirest truth in the inward parts to content our selves with shewes of goodnesse and a form of Godlinesse but grant that we may labour to get the life and power of Religion into our hearts to depart from all iniquity to walk in all the Commandements of our God without reproof and cordially to serve the Lord that so living here without Guile we may dye in the Lord and after death riegn with the God of truth in Glory Amen Sinceritas pietatis est medulla anima Gratiae Antidotum contra desperationem XV. Of Afflictions T Is the * Esay 48. 10. Ier. 9. 7. Furnace into which God casts his people to refine them his enemies to consume them It 's a comfortable pillar of fire to lead his Israel towards Canaan but a fearfull flame like that from Heaven upon Nadab and Abihu to destroy the wicked 'T is a Scullion a file to make Christians bright and clean 'T is the gall and Wormwood that God layeth upon those breasts of the world power pleasure honour profit to wean his children from it 'T is the hand the friend that pulleth them out and will not suffer them to dabble soile drown themselves in the puddles sinks or streams of earthly vanities carnall pleasures or creature comforts 'T is the Kings professor of Divinity in the Academy of the World 'T is the a Scholacrucis â—ehola lucis Calamitas virtutis est occasio Seneca dedivin provident School of Christ where a Christian learns to take out lessons of patience humility submission to Gods will contempt of the World Repentance and dependence upon God It gives a tongue to the heart and as the extream danger Croesus was in by Cyrus and his enemies in the battle made his till then dumb Son cry out b Rex est caeve ne â—ccidas Heyl. Geogr. p. 528. O do not kill King Croesus maketh men and women both to break open and knock off all the doores locks barres and obstructions of speech and also to * Hosea 5. 15. cry out for mercy acceptance forgivenesse deliverance safety and salvation although they had never before spoken one word to God by prayer for the lives of their indangered wounded dying souls What the barren women of Rome did foolishly conceive of and vainly expect from the Priests of Mars when they danced stark naked up and down the streets with whips in their hands to keep off Doggs from biting them namely that if they were lashed by them it would make them fruitfull Christians find it experimentally to be most true of the Rod of God for it makes them * Psal 119 67â— 71. bring forth fruit meet for repentance Affliction like Aloes is bitter in tast but sweet in operation for it kills sin that Cancer that cruell deadly worm which doth so dangerously wound so grievously pain and so intolerably torment the Soul 'T is to an Israelite a Jordan but a Red sea to an Egyptian A child of God may say of Troubles as
false and wicked principles and in hardening them by their examples counsels and doctrines whom they have caused to wander from the way of truth and life Lastly to name no more if God permit such men to get power into their hands they do often if not alwaies persecute with extreamest rigour and remorselesse cruelty those of contrary Judgments though they be most innocent Orthodox and holy Witnesse those scarlet Theaters on which they acted in Germany which are and will be crimson monuments of their fury tyranny and impiety till time shall be no more The Church of God in St. Augustines time before his conversion used to pray Ab Augustini logica libera nos Domine And for my part I am fully perswaded that it is the Duty of Gods people heartily and fervently to joine togâ—ther in this Petition to the Lord From a toleration of an indulgence to or a connivence at all or any men that will to make themselves ministers and preachers Good Lord deliver us Because it will be high time for Religion to make her Will for the Gospell to take shipping to land in another Land and for Christians to provide an Arke to save themselves from perishing either in a deluge of superstition profanenesse Atheisme or else in a Red sea of persecution when it may be truly said of such men g When Galba came first to the Empire there was great confusion and licentiousnesse in the State whereupon a Senator said in full Senate It were better to live where nothing is lawfuâ—l then where all things are lawful Leigh Choice Observat p. 120. Quod libet id licet his c. The Jewes did highly esteem accounting barrennesse a curse and the Romanes did liberally reward those parents who had many Children h Camerar lib. 6. p. 415. And t is said that the chief reason why the Electors chose Rodolph Emperor of Germany was his plenteous off-spring So the Lord doth also both love honour and crown those spirituall fathers pious and rightly ordained Ministers that beget with the immortall seed of the word quickened by the spirit of life Sons and Daughters unto God for they shall * Dan. 12. 3. shine for ever and ever in the firmament of Glory And he doth blesse their labours But as for these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i Luther super Epist ad Galatas see also Jerem 23. 32. Nunquam fortunat Deus laborom eorum qui non sunt vocati quanquam quaedam salutaria afferunt tamen nihil aedificant saith Luther k Perphyr in â—jus vita Pythagoras when any of his Scholars deserted his Schoole in eorum usitatis sedibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuisse dicitur quo significaret eos moraliter obiisse When those who have formerly professed themselves to be the Scholars and Disciples of Christ doe not only desert his School the Temple but also inveigh against and abandon both his ordinances and Ministers their spirituall teachers well may Christians set their Coffins in their seats for it 's much to be feared that they are spiritually departed and dead but however t is most certaine that they are fallen into a dangerous swoon of Apostasie I shall therefore conclude with these hearty and fervent petitions The Prayer EIther convince revive convert and reclaime all such O Lord and suffer them not is keep any longer a splint in their wounds to hinder their cure by adding l Mallâ—â— sâ—mpâ—r errarc quam semel errasse vide i. obstinacy to errouâ— perseverance in evill to ignorance impiety to iniquity or else never suffer most gracious God the wall of thy vineyard Church-Government according to the pattern in the Mount thine own Word and Will to be broken down by fraud or force for Foxes or wild Bores * Pictos agnos adorant vivos devorant Jesuits Apostates Hypocrites Persecutors seducers and temporizers to have free ingresse into it to root up the Vines therein or to pull off the Grapes thereof Nor the door of Christs Garden to be thrown off of those hinges orders and Ordination by the hands of power or policy for wild beasts Hereticks and popish Priests to enter therein to tread down thy Roses and Lillies or to crop or kill thy best fruit-trees Godly Ministers and truly gracious Christians Nor that Crystall pure sweet healing Fountain that spirituall bath and Spaw which cures all the maladies and diseases of the Soul in that Garden the Holy Scriptures to be muddyed defiled corrupted or poysoned by those nor any other unwashed diseased beleapered invenâ—â—d hands or feet till the stream of time shall fall into and lose it self in the boundlesse Ocean of Eternity m Platâ—â— Timeo And since there are two diseases of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 madnesse and ignorance and that by wofull experience it 's found that the most of these Leaders and teachers and also their Favourites and followers do labour under and are distempered either with both or one of them be pleasâ—d blessed God who art the great and good Physitian of the Soul and dost see their waies either to heal them by giving repentance to them and making them wise to Salvation or else according to thine own * 2 Tim. 3. 9. promise let their folly be made known to all men and let them proceed no further that so the banks of truth and piety may never be broken down nor over-flowed by the furious filthy and deadly streams of error idolatry heresie and profanenesse And Lastly since Distraction is the inlet of Destruction Division of Desolation to the greatest richest most flourishing and most prosperous Nation For he that is Wisdome it self Jesus * Matth. 12. 15. Christ hath told us so and the spirit of Truth hath also assured us that their †â—ames 3. 14 â—5 Wisdome who love contention and delight in strife is earthly sensuall devilish So that carnall policy makes such men like Children to stand upon their heads and to kick with their heels against Heaven and also seriously cunningly and unweariedly both to contrive plot and endeavour their own as well as others ruine witnesse Haman Absalom and many others Let O Lord piety for this is the best yea the only reall prudence and policy sit at the Helme of that Royall and impregnable Ship thy truly catholick Church and of this sinfull shaking divided unsetled reeling and rebellious Nation in particular once a beautiful Rachel but since a blear-ey'd Leah once a fair and lovely Sarah but since a foul and leprous Miriam yet still blessed be thy Name a true member thereof Let truth and righteousnesse as her hands guide and steer her by the Compasse of thy Holy Word Let O Lord peace and unity be her sailes and let the sweet and pleasant Gales of brotherly lâ—ve tranquillity and Christian charity fill them Let whatever Jonas whatever abomination or accursed thing it is that raises the overturning Tempests of thy wrath and fury
against her or any part of her be cast over-boord by her vigilant and valiant Pilots pious orthodoxe and zealous Magistrates * O quâ—m beati erunt in illo die judcii Magistratus illi qui subditos non modo honestis legibus judiciis disciplinâ— rexerunt sed etiam omnium maxime in hoc studium incubucrunt ut incorrupta Religio apud suos exculta sit doctrina coelestis per fidos eruditos et constantes Ministros sit tradita ingens hominum multitudo per spiritum et verbum renata in conspectum Christi prodeat quae tali Magistratui aeternas gra ias agat E contra quam infelices qui c. Religionem per varâ—as corruptelas passi sunt adulterare sayes one And an Heathen could say In nauâ—ragio Rector laudandus quem obruit more clavum tenentem Senec. ad Petil. c. 6. and Ministers that Pirates strangers and enemies the profest cruel subtle and secret adversaries opposers and underminers of thy Glory Gospel ordinances and Ministers may neither be inriched by her woful wrack nor pleased with the birth and sight of those grievous miseries and overwhelming calamities which too often proceed from her contentious and disagreeing Children but let the desires and designs O Lord of Sions enemies be blasted and frustrated And let blessed God all those spiritual Merchants those heavenly Mariners thy Saints thy faithful Souldiers and Servants that are resolved or shal resolve to venture all their treasures their souls lives and worldly interests in that Arke thy Church and to imbarque themselves in her for a voyage to the Holy Land to that new and glorious Jerusalem which is above Let them dear God I once more humbly beseech thee be crowned with a calm with quietnesse serenity and safety in their passage over the brackish boysterous dangerous Ocean of life and when they shall put into and cast Anchor in the port of Death then let them find that they are safely arrived at the Isles of Paradise the Kingdome of Heaven Glory and Felicity Amen Qui pugnat sine mandato poenam accipit non mercedem Qui praedicat sine vocatione peccat non prodest XXII Of a good and a bad Conscience A Good Conscence 't is the suburbs of Heaven 'T is the Sanctuary of the Soul when it 's pursued by sin Satan fear or temptation 'T is Heaven in hell riches in poverty honour in disgrace health in sicknesse in bonds liberty and light in darknesse 'T is Balm that healeth all woundâ— A medicine infinitely more precious then all the Benedicta Medicamenta of Physitians for it cures all spirituall maladies and antidotes the mind against all temporall miseries T is the best Mithridate to expell all troubles from the heart T is Gods temple Christs Bed-chamber and the Spirits Mansion for the highest Heavens and the humblest purest holiest heart are the two places of Gods most glorious * Esay 57. 15. Residence 'T is the souls soft Bed whereon it resteth quietly and sweetly with a pillow of Gospel promises and the left hand of Christ under its head his right hand also imbracing it when it 's either troubled dejected or distressed T is an admirable Soveraign Balsome against the stinging perplexing fears and all the dreadfull dismaying apprehensions of sin Gods wrath Satan Death judgment and Hell 'T is an Ark that keepeth the Soul safe and preserves it from sinking under the heaviest burden of sin or sorrow in the greatest deluge of inward or outward troubles 'T is a ship with Christ in it Heaven in a little volume 'T is divine love and speciall mercy printed usually upon the soul by the Spirit of God in the presse either of Gods ordinances or afflictions in great and golden characters with notes of choicest favour tenderest mercies and free grace upon it T is a Kingdome of fortified rich safe and happy 't is the daughter of faith and repentance and the Mother of all reall ineffable endlesse Joy comforts pleasures 'T is a serene skie with the Sun and Moon of Faith and repentance fixed and shining in the â—irmament of the Soul together with the brightest sparkling stars of all other saving graces which beautifie bespangle it and make a glorious constellation therein 'T is a feast in a famine an haven in a storm life in death 'T is an invincible fort in a Leaguer when the outworks City and Castle of health riches liberty are taken 'T is a Paradise with a tree of Life in it 'T is the Vialactea in a Laetitia bonae conscientiae paradisus est â—nimarum gaudium angelorum hortus deliciarum ager benedictionis templam Sclomonis aula Dei habâ—tac ulum spiritus heavenly heart The vena porta of * 2 Corinth 1. 12. gladnesse joy and a consolation to the spirit here and the beginning of that matchlesse felicity which will out-live time and run parallel with the longest line of eternity 'T is a Dove that brings an Olive branch of peace to a Noah a righteous person in the greatest inundation of perplexity and sorrow of heart 'T is the way to a life without fear or trouble 'T is a John lying in the bosome of Jesus 'T is a transcript a true copy of eternall felicity 'T is a consolatory epistle written with the bloud of Jesus Christ by the finger of the Holy Ghost sent by love and read by faith to a languishing mourning drooping bleeding Soul 'T is ipsum coelum saith Augustine a continuall feast saith Solomon Yea it is a Goshen in Aegypt an Angell in a Dungeon an harbour in a Tempest an Heaven upon earth and the day-star of Glory 'T is an immarcescible Crown A treasure which once got can never be lost for what that b Cicere parâ—dâ—x ad sinem Prince of Orators saith of vertue is most true of a good conscience Nec eripi nec surripi potest â—nquam Neque naufragio neque incendio amittitur nâ—â— tempestatum nec temporum permutatione mutatur But a bad conscience it 's the souls inquisition and strappado It 's the epitome or abridgment of eternall torments 'T is the gloomâ—e evening to the black day of Damnation 'T is the terrible Harbinger of that dreadfull furious cruell train and troop of dismall intolerable unconceiveable woes and plagues which are marching â—ay at the door to take up their everlasting Quarters and abode in the miserable Soul 'T is secretum ftagellum an hell in the soul before the Soul be in Hell 'T is the lightening of those horrors which the thunder of that confounding â—â—ntence Goye cursed into Hel-fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels c. will suddainly inflict upon the for ever undone impenitent sinners Perillus his brasen Bull when hottest was a Down-bed warmed to the scorching anguish of an evill Conscience Nam urit caedit lancinat et eo gravius quia sine morte The stinging of the most venemous Serpent is pleasure and delight to the agonies
with wonder love and thankfulnes◠meditate of and acknowledg the unparallel'd unspeakable * Solus pro nobis suscipit sine malis meritis paenam ut nos per illum sine bonis meritis consequeremur gratiam Aug. affection and compassion of Jesus Christ in dying not only to redeeme Captives but which is much more to purchase pardon for those who were implacable enemies to him and bloudy Rebells in armes against him And lastly they will abhorre and loath all sin and express their detestation thereof by never committing delighting or living in those impieties transgressions and abominations which Jesus Christ hates which cost him so much anguish griefe trouble and which brought him to so horrible so painfull and so ignominious a death They being those Jewes that crucified him that Crown of Thorns which wounded his head who is the head of his Church and members those hands and whips that scourged him those nails that fastned him to the Crosse and that speare which pierced his very heart and kill'd the Lord of life Nor yet is this all the duty we are to performe all the tribute we are to pay or all the gratitude or praise which wee must express and return to Jesus Christ for we are most justly and strongly obliged not only to avoid carefully to oppose resolutely to strangle impartially and to hate implacably all sin though never so dear sweet or profitable to us but we must also carefully conscionably sincerely constantly strive and resolve to tread in the steps of Christ to make him our rule and to measure our conversation by the straight line of his most holy †life it being the summe of all religion to imitate him whom we worship * Matth. 11. 29 Et frustra appellamur Christiani si imitatores non simus Christi qui ideo se viam dixit esse ut conversatio magistri esset forma discipuli et illam humilitatem eligeret servus quam sectatus est Dominus If he be not our Exemplar he will not be our Saviour If we will not learne of him here we shall not live with him hereafter Besides the great the unavoydable danger which we incurre and the insupportable miseries which we are sure to bring upon our selves by refusing to walk in those paths of piety and Righteousnesse which Christ hath chalked out for us we have many and great incouragements to follow him in those blessed waies which he hath troden before us For we can never ingage with such a Captaine nor choose such a Husband nor follow such a Guide nor serve such a Master nor imitate such a pattern as Jesus Christ Because he is a Captain invincible a Husband most rich wise faithfull great honourable a guide infallible a most munificent loving bountiful master and a pattern unmatchable Verbi verba sunt nobis documenta Verbi facta sunt nobis exempla The words of this word who is * John 1. 1. God the Word are our instructions and the actions of this Word are our examples This glorious this gracious Jesus is the good the great Shepherd of our soules he speaks to his flock his people as * Judges 7. 17. Gideon did to his little Army looke on me and do likewise and his sheepe will not only hearken to his voyce but obey him also This King of Saints saith to his Subjects as i Edward the 3d. g Speed Cronic p. 704. King of England did to his souldiers when he entred into a Foord in the River Some notwithstanding a thousand horse and ten thousand foot were sent thither by the French to impeach his passage over it he that loves me let him follow me they will cheerfully couragiously march after him for they are such Cordelyons that the greatest dangers cannot affright them nor Enemies though Anakims Gyants both in power might malice and cruelty discourage or dispirit them nor sufferings and torments though never so sharp bitter or painful disswade or deter them Nay death it self though presenting it selfe in its grimmest hue and most ghastly shape cannot dismay or appale them for their Captain is their Bridegroome and rather then they will not injoy him they will meete and celebrate their Nuptials to him in a flame They will embrace him with hands and armes burning for him as well as with hearts fired with Love unto him Yea they will welcome both miseries and death when they are the messengers to invite them unto and the means to hasten effect and solemnize their longed for marriage to Jesus Christ h Fox book of Martyrs vol. 3 p. 140. As Mr. Sanders did who being brought to the stake to be burned kissed it saying Welcome the Crosse of Christ welcome everlasting life i idem vol. 2. p. 554. and as Anthony Person did too who being brought to the place of Execution with a cheerfull countenance he embraced the post to which he was to be bound in his armes and kissed it saying Now welcome mine own sweet wife for this day shalt thou and I be married together in the love and peace of God And rather then they will either desert or dishonour their Captain or his Cause they will freely constantly undauntedly sacrifice their lives in it and prefer death for Christ before life yea and all the world too without him as another faithful Souldier of his k Fox book of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 200. Stephen Knight did who being come to the place where he was to be burned he kneeled down and said Thou seest O Lord that where I might live in worldly wealth to worship a false God and honour thine enemies I choose rather the torment of the body and losse of this life and have counted all things but vile dust and dung that I might win thee which death is dearer to me then thousands of gold and silver And which is yet more they not only have and will meekly willingly invincibly carry the crosse of Christ but like the blessed * Mercatura est quadam amittere ut majora lucreris Tertul. Apostles they have heretofore * Acts. 5. 41. do at present and wil◠hereafter rejoyce also that they were and are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ But that which is more then all that which I have yet said or these have done or suffered for their husband and Generall is this some of them have exalted yea sung in the midst of such tortures torments and miseries as have caused palenesse to sit upon the faces trembling to seize upon the joynts and sighs terrors griefe amazement and horrour to fill and wound the hearts of their Spectators persecutors Executioners even whilst they were joyfully suffering of them l Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 390. Master Denley sung a Pslame in the midst of the fire when it was kindled and he was burning in it and having a Faggot thrown at him by one of the tormentors at the command of cruel Doctor Storie
into his presence injoy his Favor and live for the just shall live by his faith him God doth love and will honour but all Vashti's * Esther 1. 11. all unbelievers shall be rejected divorced from Christ though Hypocrisie Morality wealth or greatnesse may make them like her very fair to look on who is the head and Husband of his Church and people for ever Faith 't is a tree that bears those golden Apples those rare sweet pleasant precious fruits love to God and his Saints purity and humility of heart and affections peace of conscience victory over the world charity joy in the Holy Ghost courage and constancy in the confession and profession of the truth c. These are the Daughters that rise up and call their Mother blessed These are the Jewels that adorn and the Royall train which attends the Kings Daughter who is all glorious within yea and makes that Palace that heart where she resides and keeps Court all glorious too for the God of glory the Lord of glory and the Spirit of glory do all take up their abode in a beleeving Soul Faith 't is a Stephen beholding a living Christ in heaven through a thick and violent shower of stones when the body is dying upon earth 'T is a brasse wall a * Ephes 6. 16. shield wherewith a beleever both repelleth and quenches all the fiery darts of the Devill Hostem visibilem feriendo invisibilem vincis credendo Our visible enemies may be subdued by striking and fighting but our invisible Adversary the Devill cannot be conquered but by beleeving 'T is that heavenly David which overcomes that spirituall Goliah Satan and all those uncircumcised Philistins sin the world temptations our carnal hearts corrupt affections filthy lusts and our disorderly unruly passions those wild horses which carry us headlong into sin and run away with the soul towards Hell 'T is a divine Apelles that draws the Image of God defaced by sin to the life again upon the Soul 'T is the salt which maketh all our Sacrifices both savory and acceptable because * Heb. 11. 6. without faith it 's impossible to please God Justifying faith works by love and lover runs down the several Chanels †We must love God above all things Apprenativè 2 Intensivâ— 3. Adâ—quatè First of Love to God Amat enim non immerito qui amatus est sine merito Amat sine fine qui sine principio se cognovit amatum And his love to God he demonstrates by yielding a willing sincere constant and universall obedience to all his Commandements For Quicquid propter deum fit aequaliter fit True obedience doth neither deny nor dispute Gods commands but obeyeth them all both equally and cheerfully 2. Of charity to the poor because he that 's freely through grace made a member of Christ cannot but both pity and relieve Christs members The sense of Gods undeserved mercy and bounty to himself will melt his heart into Compassion and open his hand to distribute unto those that are in want 3. Of praying and sorrowing for those that are profane The wicked like those who are infected with the plague desire and delight to corrupt and destroy others incourage them to sin and accompany them in sin But those that love God do so love their Brethren in the flesh also that they both mourn for their iniquities and earnestly heartily cry to the Lord to convince convert pardon and save them 4. Of forgiving enemies freely cordially fully since no man was ever either so malitious against or injurious to another as man was to his maker and Saviour yet Christ did not only forgive him but dyed also to make an atonement for him and to reconcile God and him and therefore for Christs sake in obedience to his command and to expresse his conformity to his Redeemer he will pardon his worst greatest and most implacable adversaries yea and love even those that hate him 5. Lastly of sympathizing with afflicted Christians If one string on a musicall instrument be but touched all the rest will expresse their fellow-feeling thereof in a sound If the head ake the tongue will complain if a finger be burnt the eye will weep And all those whom God hath comforted in their own sorrows will mourn for others calamities and grieve for the afflictions of Joseph Certainly then those are but dead and rotten members which are not sensible of nor affected with the maladies and miseries of their brethren Love 't is the weight which moves all the wheeles of the soul in duty Amor meus pondus meum Eo feror quocunqne feror said holy Augustine 'T is the spring of all wel-pleasing services to God e Curtius Alexander the great had two Friends Hephestâ—onâ— and Parmento Hephesten loved Alexander Parmenio the King God hath two sorts of Friends good men and bad men A worldly wicked man loves God as a King able to protect promote honour provide for him Nam amici ficti fortunae sunt amici non sui But a true believer loves Christ as a Lord Husband Prophet with a heart not only willing but resolved to be guided commanded instructed by him and to be loyal dutifull obedient chast faithfull unto him The one follows Christ for loaves forbâ—y base low carnal ends aimes designs the other to honour serve please praise him The one because he 's great and bountifull the other because he 's good and holy the one withers shrinks repines forsakes God when he is nipt with the frost of adversitie or threatned with the storms of persecution being like a tree that seeds and loses both its fruit and leaves in the cold sharp winter of tryals dangers and like a Mushroome without root But the other like a Palm-tree is not only green in the winter of Affliction but he will also rather then he will want deny or dishonour Christ goe through flames and flouds to serve obey meet injoy him Faith and Love are like a pair of compasses whilst saith stands firmly fixed with the center which is God nam Circumferentia fidei est verbum dei Centrum fidei deus verbum Love walks the round and puts a girdle of Mercy about the loins There may be a shew of charity without faith but there can be no shew of Faith without Charitie d Rainold Orat p. 320. Cato Vticensis being asked by one Quem maxime amaret Respondit fratrem my Brother Being asked the same question a second and a third time still answered Fratrem my Brother and nothing else Aske a true Believer whom he most really intirely loves both his tongue heart and life will answer My elder Brother Jesus Christ Socrates said often he had rather have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kings favour then the Kings gold or silver A true beleever had rather injoy the love of God the light of his countenance and a sweet Communion with Christ then ten thousand worlds and saies with e
Melch. Adam in vit Luth. Luther Mallem ego cum Christo ruere quam cum Caesare stare For Christ is the loadstone to which the needle of his heart doth willingly constantly restlesly though tremblingly turn Nothing can keep disswade or withhold him from him neither enemies troubles dangers nor devills for his love is strong as death and love alone over-powers all powers * Genes 8. 9. Christ alone is the Ark wherein his soul like †Noahs Dove in the Deluge can find rest Faith and love are to the soul of a gracious praying Christian wherein Amalek and Israel the flesh and Spirit are up in Arms and will continue fighting all the day during the time of this natural life as * Exod. 17. 11 12 13. Aaron and Hur were to Moses the Servant of the Lord. For although Amalek may yea doth sometimes prevail against Israel Corruption against Grace And although as Moses hands were heavy a Christians Spirit may be faint or weary with so long so sharpe a conflict yet he like Moses being set upon a stone resting trusting and relying upon that chief corner-stone that precious stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands Jesus Christ and being also like Moses hands steady fixt and constant being upheld by faith and love as Moses hands were by Aaron and Hur in crying to and begging of the Lord both strength assistance and victory untill the going down of the Sun till death he obtains under the great Captain of mans Salvation through whom Christians are more then conquerors Jesus Christ a comfortable happy glorious Victory over Amalek and his people Satan temptations sin corruptions and all its deadliest enemies The Prayer MOST Holy Lord God thou hast not only given unto Christians a glimpse of the Felicity and Glory of Heaven by revealing to them what it is so far as they are capable to apprehend it for they can never comprehend it till they enjoy it and are crowned with it But thou hast also chalked them out the way that leads to it offered them an infallible guide to conduct them in it and promised yea assured them if they will accept thy gracious offer to give them both Leggs and strength to carry them unto it Thou O Lord art truth it self inable us stedfastly to believe thee Thou art Goodnesse it self grant that we may ardently intirely love thee And since without these graces in reality we can neither please nor enjoy thee Crown us with them I beseech thee for these are such sweet Flowers as did never grow since Adam by his fatall fall sowed it all over with venemous Weeds in the Garden of Nature that so being regenerated quickened inflamed and inabled by thee we may come boldly unto thee rely confidently upon thee set our Affections sincerely on thee delight chiefly in thee and rest eternally blessed with thee Grant this for his sake in whom thou canst deny thy people nothing Jesus Christ the Sonne of thy Love Amen Per fidem in Christo corona in Caelo XII Of Repentance 'T Is the Souls return from travailing in the foraign Countrey of sin 'T is a Vagabond prodigall * Luke 15. 17. First come to his right mind being before no better then a mad-man out of his wits and then coming home to his Heavenly Father upon the feet of †Idem v. 21. confession and sorrow for it 's not only far more infamous to commit sin then to confesse it because nihil pudori esse debet poenitenti nisi non faterl true penitents should blush at nothing but at the concealing of their crimes but it 's also very dangerous not to acknowledge or to excuse our offences Quicunque enim sibi se excusat accusat deo because either to extenuate our faults or to plead our own innocency will both aggravate our sins and provoke the Lord to punish us for our wickednesse Since the surest way for transgressors to be found guilty and to be condemned * Prov. 28. 13. is to †hide their sins and to justifie themselves for wounds that bleed inward and poyson that is not vomited up are most deadly Repentance is an Augustins a Christians retractation It makes the soul a Solomon wise and happy living as well as speaking or writing an Ecclesiastes 'T is an * 1 Kin. 20. 32. 34. Aramite with importunity submission and supplication begging the Life of Benhadad the soul of the mercifull King of Israel God Almighty An humble hearty particular ingenuous * Prov. 28. 13. confession of all sin a sound humiliation and godly sorrow for all sin a reall detestation of and an irreconcilable hatred to all sin a resolute resistance and constant opposition against all sin an holy jealousie and Christian vigilancie at all times in all places in all company and in all our callings and imployments over our consciences affections hearts tongues lives souls and bodies to fly and decline all occasions of all temptations unto sin a pious care when through frailty temptation corruption or securitie our souls are become black â—oul and deformed by sin to a Gods children fal but it 's the property of the Devils child to lye stil Mr. Philpot. Humanum est cadere â—ace rebelluinum resurgere Christianum perseverare in peecato diabolicum August bath them in and to wash them with tears of godly sorrow til they be white and clean to be afraid of fullying of defiling them again Inanis enim est ista poenitentia quam sequens culpa coinquinat A conscientious care to do no wrong to our neighbors or if we have willingly knowingly injurd any man to give him ful satisfaction for non tollitur peceatum nisi restituatur ablatum b I have read of one Pyâ—rhus that when he perswaded the Sultan Selimus to give the wealth and treasure which he had taken from the Peâ—sian Merchan S unto an Hospital for the maintainance of the poor Nay rather said Selimus let it be restored to the right owners and accordingly restitution was made thereof unto them It would certainly be very much for the glory of God the honour of the Gospel the comfort of those that profess themselves to be Christians and the good of their posterity if they would write after and copy out the honest example of this Turk herein but if this be called or esteemed foul because a Mahomitan set it I shall present them with one equally fair and necessary written by a good Christian I mean pious and conscientious Zaccheus Luke 19. 8. And also with one Royal precedent one noble pattern of our own viz. King Henry 7th who in his last Will and Testament willed that Restitution should be made of all such Moneys as had unjustly been levied by his Officers Speed Chron. p. 993. Go thou then and do like these who ever thou art that art grown rich or great by unjust gain and means and then the Lord wil pardâ—n honor bless thee But if
it be not animated by striving and resolving to please Gâ—od in all things in all his actions to honour God and so though he shoot many Bowes short yet he both reaches and hits the mark the white because his heart aimes chiefly ultimately in all his services waies and works at Gods glory who requires not of us in this world perfection but integrity He 's alwaies afraid of sinning and that prevents his both offending and suffering b Probus Mater timidi non solet flere * Vis in timore esse securus securitatem time He fears falling and by that means stands fast upon an hill of Ice the world Qui semper timet securus Hâ— will not endure a Rimmon in his heart because he knows that God like Alexander will have no Co-partner nor corrival Aut Caesar aut nullus That inscription which the Common-wealth of Venice hath politically written in their Magazine c Burt. Melanch Felix civitas quae tempore pacis de bello cogitat he hath religiously ingraved in his memory and mind and therefore 't is both his resolution and care in health to provide for sicknesse in a calm to prepare for a storme in Life for death He strives and aspires to be greater stronger higher in grace and Gods favour every day then other and gives this which was Pompeys for his Motto Ego cupio praecellere et esse supremus He can neither rest nor be quiet till like Saul he be grown taller then worldly morall hypocriticall men by the shoulders neck and head in honesty vertue piety And never as t is said of the Crocodile gives over * Psalm 92. 13. 14. Job 17. 9. growing in goodnesse and godlinesse till his death What Alexander the great said to one of his Captains named Alexander Recordare nominis Alexandri see thou do nothing that will smut stain or darken the fair the illustrious name of Alexander He being like the Ermin to whom nothing is so troublesome as to be soul for it will rather dye then be soyled indeavours carefully to observe and conscionably to perform and therefore he labours to keep himself unspotted from the world to get and to keep a pure heart and clear hands to be undefiled in Gods Law and to wash his heart from all wickednesse He doth as really endeavour never to commit sin as he doth unfaignedly desire never to be damned for sin He doth think speak and act at all times in all duties and places as under the eye and in the presence of God because he knows d Seneca Epist ad Luc 83. p. 711. Sic certe vivendum est tanquam in conspectu vivamus sic cogitandum tanquam aliquis in pectus intimum inspicere possit potest Quid enim prodest ab homine aliquid esse secretum Nihil deo clausum interest animis nostris cogitatiocibus nostris intervenit And also because he knows that although man can make no through lights to look clearly into the heart yet it lies unbowelled dissected unto his all-seeing eye to whom all things even the most dark hidden and undiscernable are both naked opened and transparent He makes God his center and so enjoyes both rest happinesse and stability in the midst of all either national or personal overturnings and shakings e Let their money perish with them who esteem all the gold in the world worth one days society with Jesus Christ and his holy spirit said that noble and pious Marquesse of Vico Gealacius Caraciolus when a Jesuit offered him huge sums of money to forsake his Religon and to turn Papist again videte jus vitam He like an Eagle disdains to pursue flies earthly enjoyments and sublunary comforts because like flies they are only to be seen and found in the sun-shine and summer of prosperity but flye away and hide themselves in the dark cloudy dayes and winter of adversity spirituall desertion and death Thou art not said Cleopatra to Mark Anthony to fish for Gudgeons and Trouts but thou art to angle for Castles and Towers and Forts and Cities When the heart of a true Nathaniel like Dinah begins to gad abroad to hanker and thirst inordinately after creature-comforts he considers and tells his Soul Soul thou wert not created by an omnipotent power nor sent into the world by an omniscient holy just glorious and dreadful God to fish for Gudgeons or Trouts for pleasure wealth honour or greatnesse to love and mind such poor contemptible empty treacherous worthlesse things as these burby faith and prayer holinesse hope and perseverance in a constant course of sanctification to angle to seek wait and labour for the impregnable Castle of a good Conscience for the strong rich and beautifull Forts of vertue and piety for the Citie of Heaven and for the Towers of glory felicity and immortality He desires and delights in the society of the brethren the people and servants of God because he sees the superscription of Caesar upon them the Image of Christ lively and truly drawn and stamped by the Spirit of God upon their souls And also because he doth experimentally find that f Socrates Bonorum conversatio est virtutis exercitatio he gets good by good company He doth with an ardent zeal and pious care set up the worship of God in his family because he knows that the prisons stink but yet not so much as those sweet houses where the fear and true honour of God is wanting As that blessed Martyr g Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 156. Bishop Hooper said And he desires to serve God who is the purest of Spirits with spirituall puritie If the candle of the Lord shine upon his Tabernacle so that his riches or honours increase he notwithstanding both longs and seeks for higher and better things and sayes as Luther did when many of the great ones of Saxony sent very rich gifts unto him Lord thou shalt not put me off so for he will not take or accept outward things for his portion or inheritance nor exchange Heaven for earth He is the Epistle the letter of Christ wherein men may run and read saving grace written by the finger of the Holy Ghost therefore he is exceedingly yea constantly carefull to keep both his heart and life fair and free from the spots of vice and the stains of sin That King of Rivers in Germany the rhine crosseth the muddy lake of Constance with a clean cours and keeps his streams both pure and clear So a sincere Christian keeps himself free from the corruptions sins and pollutions of the world and like Lot in Sodom he is grieved for but not defiled with the crimes vices and filthy conversation of the wicked for though he be in the world yet he is not of the world He mourns for the abominations of the land wherein * Psalm 119. 158. idem ver 136. and of the ungodly amongst whom he lives He rejoyceth in the
thinks I hear as it were some sweet instrument of Musick sounding in my ears Job 34. 29. Thus when God gives quietnesse who then can make troubles when he comforts speaks peace and gives Joy to his people who or what can make them sad unhappy or disconsolate It 's true Gods jewells may yea often do lye in a black Cabinet in a mournful condition for a time yet like diamonds in a dark night they do then sparkle and give a resplendent lustre for their graces like Sun-beams dart and shine through the thickest clouds of grief and misery Like Ballâ— they rise the higher by being stricken down with the hand of Correction And although they be loaden or pressed with a laden a very ponderous burden of inward or outward troubles yet they make good that impresse which the noble family of the Columni gave when they were banished by Pope Alexander the 6th A bending branch with this inscription Flecti potest frangi non potest They are Oaks proud stubborn obdurate sinners not Osiers meek humble penitent Saints that are torn blasted and consumed by Thunder and lightning by judgments vengeance and fiery wrath from Heaven The worst evills that befall them cannot hurt them n Marsil Ficin Epistolar lib. 4. Mala non patitur nisi malus And which is more they do them good for God takes the venome out of them and so makes them not only safe but healthfull also and necessary for them Christians therefore should yea must be Not only patient submissive and contented under chastisements saying with him ut fiat voluntas Domini quotidie oramus cum facta est voluntas Domini feramus But Joyfull also as the blessed Apostles and those that were spoyled for the name of Christ were when for a good cause a good conscience a good God and a gracious Saviour they were both scourged and plundered saying with another Placent mihi dolores per quos nihil in mundo placet They should be thankfull and say with Iob when all the beautifull and pleasant plumes of riches honour prosperity health and and his dearest creature-comforts were pluckt away from him by the just yet mercyfull hand of God but violent and unjust hands of cruell enemies who stript and left him naked and distressed * Job 1. 28. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Christians should labour to be soundly humbled for the * Lamen 3. 2â— 30. provoking procuring cause of all their sorrows and sufferings their transgressions They should seriously consider that there are two Oceans to drown those Egyptians their sins in Gods wonderfull mercy and the infinite merits of Jesus Christ and so by a lively faith keep their souls both from despairing and mourning They should by servent prayer seek to get the afflicting hand of God sanctified unto them that so his Rod as well as his Staffe may comfort them They must not only clear and justifie God in his severest dispensations towards them bat also acknowledge his mercy in that he doth but whip them with a rod whereas they have deserved to be scourged with Scorpions and because he doth lay but the little finger of his displeasure upon them whereas he might justly have smitten them with the hand of his wrath Christians must resolve to swallow that poyson no more to run into that fire no more that is to commit those crimes and iniquities no more which did so much indanger the lives of their Souls and whereby they did so much both dishonour and displease the Lord. They must be sure when they come safe to land * Psalm 76. 11 10. to perform those vows and promises which they made to God when they were tossed and distressed in the Sea of adversity Lastly Gods people must adore and admire the wisedome and goodnesse of that God who both can and doth make the Lyon of affliction to afford and give the honey of spirituall consolation and the sweet meat of saving grace to the souls of his people it being a most sadly experimented truth that if man should enjoy a Paradise all his dayes in this World he would then seek no further but sit down contented and say of it as Peter once did of Mount Tabor It 's good for me to be here Because that if our lives be not made bitter and sowr by tribulations neither Holynesse Christ nor Heaven will be either dear or desirable to our souls And though the Lord do afflict his Children yet the sharpest the longest calamities and sorrows which they can possibly endure on this side their graves are but a drop a moment of pain distresse trouble misery and griefe to that Ocean of Joy and eternity of Blisse which they shall surely enjoy after their death 2 Corinth 4. 17. * Our light afflictions which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory â— â—ips Epist 63. saith blessed Paul O felices inter omnes miserias hoc uno Christiani quod via nobis per haec ad aliam vitam in qua nec gaudiorum nec modum ullum esse scimus nec finem Adversity sanctyfied is a sharp but a sure way to felicity and glory Like honey it both purgeth and heales a Christian And as affliction hath a sting wherewith it pains and wounds so like that Serpent the Scorpion such is the compassionate goodnesse of the Lord it hath also in its own Bowels an antidote wherewith it doth both ease preserve and cure a Child of God and so becomes his Balsam not his Bane The Prayer O LORD thou art both Wisdome Love and Goodnesse it self 'T is pity therefore as well as anger compassion as well as indignation that moves thee to strike chasten frown upon and afflict thy people Thou knowest that even the best and most dutifull of all thy children are apt to become wilde wanton forgetfull stubborn unthankfull sickly and diseased if thou lay up thy rod and feed them fat with Mercies And thou seest that prosperity makes them to gather dust and to grow both mouldy and rusty but that Adversity makes and keeps them faire bright and clean O let the consideration therefore of thine infinite Wisdome make us quietly willingly contentedly silently to submit unto all thine angry dispensations to bear thine indignation and to kisse thy correcting Hand And let O Lord the serious meditation of thy wonderfull Love and Goodnesse make us both joyful and thankfull for those sharp but safe yea necessary Corrosivâ—s the soundest hearts having some proud flesh in them and for those painfull but purgative healing comfortable potions and pledges of thy fatherly care and tender compassions towards us Let us all when we are afflicted consider and remember that it 's for sinne we suffer and that our transgressions are the source of our punishments that so when we are chastised for our faults we may not murmur but mourn repine but repent nor be peevish but patient submissive
very strangely if not irecoverably distempered and sick Heu quam periculâ—sus est iste morbus quum et infirmitates suas amat medicos suos odio habet aegrotus Certainly that malady is mortall which makes the patient love his disease and hate his Doctor And thus to disesteem oppose and hate the faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ is a sin in the highest form of those crying crimes which wil shorten the life of our peace cloud if it do not totally eclipse the glorious sun of the Gospell amongst us †2 Chron 36. 16. and * provoke the Lord to consume and destroy the Land with the Inhabitants thereof Let us then if we will not love them nor be liberall to them and thankfull for them for Gods their own nor our souls sake yet be just to them and pay them their dues for very shame †Levit. 72 30. 1 Cor. 9. tithes are the Lords He hath reserved them to himself and therefore man cannot either lawfully or safely alienate them Nor did ever any man yet that purchased a Lordship or Lands except the Estate he bought were impropriate the rise and age whereof I mean of Impropriations is known almost to every man claime or pretend any right or title to the tenth part of what he bought And yet further Tithes have been setled upon the Ministers of England and confirmed unto them by sixty Acts of Parliament saies Mr. Prynne and which is yet more they were confirmed and payd unto them before the Conquest by the Saxons and all along since the Conquest down to these times wherein the malice and power of Satan the avarice of some self-seeking Christians and the both envy and subtilty of Jesuits those implacable enemies to and restlesse underminers of the Gospel and Ministers of Jesus Christ have stirred up some seduced people to declaime against them as a burden and grievance and to petition the Magistrates to take them away notwithstanding their undoubted right unto them See for your fuller and better satisfaction herein the 8th Chapter of Mr. Seldens History of Tithes p. 195. And yet further Tithes were instituted and payd both before the Law under the Law and under the Gospell too See D. George Carletons Tithes proved to be due by a Divine Right D. Will. Sclater his Ministers Portion Mr. Prynns Gospell plea c. since the Labourer is worthy of his wages Since Tithes is their unquestionable right both by the Lawes of * I know it is either hellish malice or pernicious basenesse or ignorance of the work and burden of Ministers that makes their maintenance so generally incompetent and their very livelyhood subsistence so envyed and grudged at M. Baxter Saints everlasting rest p. 91. God and men and since riches gotten by sacriledge are alwaies put into a bag with holes And therefore it was a saying among the Jews Decima ut dives fias Let then all such as have or do so defraud their pastors alwaies remember and seriously consider That it 's unpardonable Felony to rob Embassadors And let them frequently and impartially view and weigh what God himself sayes in * Malach. 3. 8. Malachi the last of the Prophets who is therefore elegantly styled Fibula legis Evangelii the button or claspe of the Law and Gospell ye have robbed me saith the Lord wherein say they that were guilty of Sacriledge have we robbed thee God himself is pleased to answer and resolve them thus In Tithes and offerings And if the conscience of their duty cannot perswade them to hate this crimson crime yet let the fear of Gods fierce wrath and heavy curse dissiwade and deterre them from being guilty of it Since it 's most certain that God will both apprehend and arraign all such Sacrilegious theeves and also that without true repentance they are then sure to be cast to be denyed the benefit of their clergy and to be condemned without mercy Lastly let such cankers and caterpillars of the Ministry consider that that dangerous odious felony will not inrich them nor will that unjust gain be enjoyed by them for others will be as ready and resolved to require yea to compell the payment of their Tithes to them as they are willing and desirous not to pay them to their Ministers whose just dues and rights they are o August Sermo 219. de tempore If thou wilt not give thy Tithes Dabis impio militi quod non vis dare Deo Sacerdoti Hoc tollit Piscus quod non accepit Christus saith St. Augustine Thou shalt be sure to give that to an impious Souldier which thou wilt not give to God and a religious Minister The Exchequer takes that away which Christ hath not received And what greater folly or madnesse can there be in the world then for men to sin ruine and wilfully to pull down Gods anger judgments and curses upon themselves to please or profit others The Prayer O LORD it is thy sweet gracious and precious promise that thou wilt be with thy Ministers to the end of the World Be pleased therefore I most humbly earnestly and heartily beseech thee to own honour blesse multiply protect and continue them in spite of all opposition both from earth and Hell And as thou hast assured us that the gates of Hell shall never prevaile against thy Church So neither suffer O Lord the Agents Factors and Emissaries of Satan the implacable enemies of truth holinesse reformation ordinances and righteousnesse to ruine or root â—ut thy Ministers lest thy Church lie buryed under the rubbish filth and straw of Atheisme idolatry heresie ignorance and profanenesse Preserve and shield them good God from contempt opposition and persecution Let their feet be beautiful in our eyes their voice melodious to our Ears and their message most welcome pleasant acceptable to our hearts that bring publish and preach the glad tidings of Salvation unto us Bring not a fatall dreadfull eclipse upon us by causing the Sun to go down upon our Prophots Let not O Lord those stars fall out of thy right hand but let them be as the Signet upon thy finger and as the Apple of thine eye near and dear unto thee And since in the darker times of the Law thou didst require and command that thy Priests should be holy and without blemish O grant that in these brightest days of the glorious Gospell thy Ministers may be holy heavenly harmlesse and blamelesse Make them O Lord carefull to feed their stocks both with holy doctrines and with religious examples that so they may be not only preachers but patterns too of vertue and piety to their people Grant this inward purity and outward Beauty to our Pastors O Lord for his sake who is the greatâ— Shepherd both of their and our Souls Jesus Christ Amen Sacerdotes pii sunt dotes preciosissimae XXI Self-calling Of Self-making preachers or rather Praters and Seducers THey are bloudy Empericks whose Medicines murder whose potions poyson
for givenesse because he sins willingly even at that very time when he seems earnestly to beg of the Lord the pardon of his sins and so doth not please or serve but mock God For the God of love and life doth infinitely hate and will not hear those that love hatred and live in it But he will avenge himself severely upon all those that desire and delight to revenge themselves implacably upon others 64. 'T is midnight with an impenitent transgressor when he hath the brightest noontide of prosperity And 't is a serene a shining Noontide with a Saint when he is in the cloudiest midnight of adversity 65. A Saint is a great gainer though he lose all that he hath in the world But a wicked man is a great loser though he gain all that the world hath in it 66. He is mercifully cruell to his own Soul that spares the lives of those Amalekites his Sinnes But he is both cruelly merciful and merciful without any cruelty to his soul that kils them all without mercy 67. He that would live when he dies must kill by mortification all his deadly sins in his life And he that would never die * Mortibus viâ—imus Senec. must die daily 68. The sins of others will increase his sorrow that doth not sorrow for others sins 69. He that would be married to Jesus Christ must get his heart divorced from an inordinate love of worldly things because Christ Jesus will give him a Bill of Divorce that loves the things of the world inordinately For he that makes earth his Heaven or Paradise by suffering a sinful love thereof to enter into his Soul his Soul shal never enter into the Paradise of Heaven 70. He that hath a saving interest in Christ shall be full and rich even when he is empty wantful and deprived of all creature-comforts But he that wants a saving interest in Christ will be poor and empty in the midst of his fullest injoyments and greatest plenty 71. His Soul is sick to death that neither is nor ever yet was heart-sick with grief for the sins of his Life which will be without true repentance the death of his Soul nor love sick for the great and good physitian of the soul Jesus Christ who is both lovely and loving to those only that are sick of love for him 72. His sins are most both odious and hainous that after he hath repented of them returns again with delight to the commission of his hainous sinnes Because he hath laid God in one and put the Devill into the other Scale of the ballance and suffered the Devill to weigh down the Lord. He hath also heard God and the Devill argue and plead and after a full hearing he doth deliberately by wilful relapsing decree for Satan against his Saviour And so he doth both undervalue dishonour and provoke God and also repent that he did repent God will therefore most certainly judge him for his sins without mercy that gives so sinful a judgment against the God of mercy 73. It 's reported that when Caesar saw M. Brutus come running upon him amongst those that murdered him he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou my son The sins of Gods Children do grieve and offend Christ more then the iniquities of his Enemies Because a contempt or an injury from a friend doth both dishonour him more highly and wound him more deeply then an affront or an abuse from a professed Adversary 74. He is a bad Magistrate that is not good for nothing And as pious Governors do clothe a Nation with the Robâ—â— of Joy and gladnesse So wicked Rulers do put it into Sackcloth and mourning 75. He that undermines the Church of God doth at once labour sweat and weary himself to dig a hole down to hel for his Soul to fall irrecoverably into the bottomlesse pit And he that persecutes the people of God by shedding their innocent crying bloud puls up a sluce to let in a crimson deluge to drown him 76. Never did any wicked men attempt to pull down God from his Throne by setting up themselves their lusts interests and idols above him or his glory but the God of glory pulled or rather tumbled them down headlong for that wicked attempt Either by humbling their proud presumptuous hearts or else by destroying their persons or blasting their cursed designes or which is yet more dreadful by damning their rebellious Souls 'T is then a fearful thing not to fear falling into the omnipotent Arms and the angry hands of that terrible God who both can and will with one irresistable blow kil and confound the offender and with one frown or stroke send him at once both to his Grave and Hâ—ll 77. A pious Christian though he hates no mans person is yet the worst most inexorable and invincible enemy of all mortall creatures to the ungodly whose works and waies his Soul doth loath and detest For by his faithful prayers he can prevail with God to infatuate their Counses dispirit their stout hearts blast their designs wither their flourishing hopes to break the Arme of their power and to rescue himself and those that fear God out of the Jawes of Enemies dangers and death 'T is therefore a stupendious astonishing madnesse in wicked men to hate those whom God loves to destroy those for whose sakes themselves are preserved to hope to build themselves houses upon earth by pulling the pillars thereof to condemn them that shall one day be their Judges and to plot and presume to plant themselves or their Posterities in the World by supplanting and rooting out the upright * Prov. 2. 1. who shall dwell in the Land whereas the * Prov. 3. 33. wicked * in whose house the curse of the Lord is shall be cut off from the earth †Prov. 2. 22. For if Cedars vinâ—â— olive and orenge trees be cut down then brambles briers and barren Fig-trees will certainly suddainly miserably be cursed burned and consumed 78. He is the worst malignant and Incendiary in a State that is a wicked man For he not only hates goodnesse and good Christians but he also both kindles the fire of Gods wrath against it and keeps it burning and flaming by casting continually the oyle of sinne upon it 79. Those Governours and great ones who are so bewitched with the fading dying and killing glories of this World as for the Love of them to slight Heaven neglect the great Salvation offered them and to reject Jesus Christ their pomp will end in pain their honour in Infamy and their Glory in eternal misery 80. He that slights opposes robs and wrongs the Ambassadours of Jesus Christ Gods faithful Ministers doth dishonour displease and bid defiance to their Master the Lord of Hosts He must therefore without repentance restitution and submission expect to receive neither peace pardon nor quarter but death without mercy that steals from or fights against the God of bounty Justice and Mercy and
rejects both the offers and the offerers of peace 81. He is an intollerable Traitor in and to a Common-wealth that hates and persecutes the Children of God For as it is Treason by the Laws of men not only to murder a Prince but also to stab or malitiously to deface his picture So it is spirituall Rebellion too not only to fight against God himself but also wilfully to wound and to destroy those that bear his Image his holy Servants 82. He that would have his shamefull sins for ever hidden must not be ashamed but resolved to lay them open and fully to discover them For concealing reveales but confessing covers them And he that desires never to be accused arraigned or condemned for his guilt must freely acknowledge himself to be guilty and most worthy to be eternally condemned An open bosome an unbared breast is a sure shield and Armour of proof against the deadly Arrowes of the Lords most dreadful wrath 83. He that will lose his Soul to preserve his Life shall save neither But he that is willing to perish to save his Soul shall save his Soul from perishing 84. He that is undone for Christ is truly rich and happy But he that is rich and prosperous without Christ is really undone poor and miserable 85. He that doth not in the time of this Life make Gods glory and the enjoyment of Heaven his chiefest ends shall neither enjoy the God of Glory nor the joyes of Heaven at his end 86. He that would never want must be poor in Spirit And he that would alwaies rejoice must mourn daily for he that did never grieve shall ever lament 87. He that is rotten at core that hath an unsound aâ— unsincere heart will like an Apple be speck'd without For a Leprous Soul will have some spot or other upon the Face of the Life And an Hypocritical Spirit will have foul hands which at one time or other will work Wickednesse â—lain its seeming purity and discover its artificial its borrowed paint and its real deformity 88. He that desires never to leave God nor to be left and finally forsaken of God must not only resolve but seriously endeavour both to depart from evil and to do good For sincerity is the root of couragious constancy but Hypocrisie is the true Mother of timerous Apostasie And it 's most certain that he who will not leave his Rimmon or Mammon his sweet sinne and his secret Lust to please Christ will never lose or lay down his Relations Lands Liberty or Life to enjoy and glorifie Christ 89. He that opens the door of his heart to let in sin or Satan shuts it and turns the key against his Saviour and Soveraign whose power made it whose Love prevailed with him to let his own heart be pierced on the Crosse to unlock it If then a Sinner will not suffer the hand of mercy to unbolt it the arme of wrath will most certainly break it to pieces If the fire of infinite unexpressible Love cannot melt it the flames of endlesse intolerable Anger will burn it If the precious bloud of Christ do not soften this Adamant it will sink it to the bottome of Hell For those whom goodnesse doth not win vengeance will destroy 90. The Life of a Saint is a publique Mercy his Death a common Calamity The end of his dayes is the Autumn of all his misery and the Spring of his endlesse Glory and felicity So that what Suetonius saith of Titus Vespasiaâ— may more yea most truly be said of him when he is cut down with the Sythe of death viz. That he was taken away to the greater losse of Mankinde then of himself Optima Eloquentia est bona vita He is most eloquent whose Life is most Holy and Innocent FINIS Soli Dea Gloria The Table 1 Of God pag 1. 2 Of Jesus Christ and a Christians Duty unto Christ 7. 3 Of the Holy Ghost 19. 4 Of Sin and sinners 23. 5 Of the World and the brightest Jewel in it's Crown Soveraignty 24. 6 Of Loyalty and Rebellion 42. 7 Of Riches 46. 8 Of covetousnesse and covetous persons 51. 9 Of Pleasure 61. 10 Of Health 65. 11 Of saving faith and sincere Love 67. 12 Of Repentance 74. 13 Of Prayer 80. 14 Of sincerity and hypocrisie together with some Characters of both sincere and Hypocriticall Christians 84. 15 Of Affliction 92. 16 Of Patience 102. 17 Of Baptisme 105. 18 Of the Sacrament of the Lords supper 109. 19 Of preaching 113. 20 Of Godly learned and of ungodly unlearned Ministers 116. 21 Of self-calling self-making preachers or rather Anabaptistical praters and seducers 124. 22 Of a good and a bad Conscience 132. 23 Of Life 137. 24 Of Death 144. FINIS A little dark PICTURE of the Great Glorious Unparallel'd Loyalty Piety and Policy of the Renowned Restorer of Monarchy Liberty Tranquillity and Prosperity to ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND The Lord Generall MONK THe World hath bred brave Hero's whose bright Name Darkens the Sun and fils the Trump of Fame Whose fragrant memory is still i'â—h Bloom And n'er shall wither till the day of Doom Whose acts at once astonish fire indear All noble souls that them do know or hear Those are the root and sourse whence that Renown Did grow and flow which justly doth them Crown With honour love and praise whereby they all Survive with glory their own Funeral Such vertuous great Worthies there have been But they dy'd childlesse sure for we have seen Nothing but dwarfs in this base Iron age Except in Treason Avarice and Rage Wherein such horrid Monsters have been known As n'er before in all the world were shown Until our true Saint GEORGE did rise and kill That hideous viprous brood who plotted still In their inchanted Castle to enslave Torment and keep us till we found our grave A dismall darknesse hath this sinful Land Ore spread e're since by a curâ—â— cruel hands That glorious * King Charles the first Light was quencht whose happy rayes While we enjoy'd him turn'd our nights to dayes That orifice at which we all have bled Almost to death our martyr'd Soveraigns head MONK now hath stopped by his pious Art And healed with his faithful Loyal Heart Twelve years we 've had nor day peace Law nor Spring He gives us all by bringing home our King The City gates he broke and threw aside T'unhinge Rebellion that great CHARLES might ride With Love and Safety there from whence did spring His hurt his help losse gain joy suffering Our bane is now our balm Such is his skill We 're now preserv'd by that which did us kill The bloudy Sword by his just loyal vote Hath made rank poyson our best antidote Some say there is a Phoenix but we see A Fable is become a truth in thee Thou art the healer honour Atlas love Of three expiring Kingdomes As above A Crown of blisse attends thee so below Prayers praises thanks which really we owe Thy