open to receav advice from us as conceiving that we neither are forward to crosse his designe nor caried against him or it in passion contempt or unadvisednesse CAP. XXI Of Thoughts MEn say Thoughts are free and pay no tribute and this is true being understood of mens Custom-houses where they cannot be searched but as they bewray themselvs by some outward signe either word or work But so much the more watchfull we had need to be in our selvs over those close commodities lest we willingly feed a filthy though secret sinck within us which in time will shame us before men as it stinks in the mean while where it is in the Nostrils of God and men for it Besides if we do evill in word or deed men may help us either by contrarie examples or friendly reproofs or hatefull upbraydings or just punishments but against sinfull and unsanctified thoughts we have no help but from God alone and our selvs by his grace to whom alone they are known Everie thought of evill is not an evill thought but onely such as to which we adjoyn either consent of will or at least delight of affection For besides the thoughts of or about evill which are either in pure speculation or naturall consideration of the thing or with aversenesse of affection from the matter thought on there are thoughts meerly by suggection from Satan who being a Spirit and having such affinitie of nature with our Spirits and Souls can unite himself in his suggestions with our imagination after a manner by us unconceavable and offer unto us thoughts of great evill which yet we may by grace so resist as that they are to be accounted his sin and our crosse onely who are constrained to bear such temptations as we are compelled oftentimes to hear and bear the ill counsell of wicked men his Instruments with sin in them and grief in our selvs but without our sin if we no way hearken unto them yea with commendation both in the one and other in the victorie of Faith which we obtain over them Indeed we are too readie to receav such suggestions as tinder is to take fire specially being subtilely fitted by Satan to our speciall inclinations and occasions and so must be more carefull either to prevent them by nourishing in our selvs an abhorring of them or to quench them if they arise by the stream of Holy meditations running in our hearts They whose words and deeds are faultie and evill and yet plead their good hearts towards God are like malefactours who being convinced of theft or the like naughtinesse by plain evidence to their faces do appeal to the testimonie of such persons for their purgation as they know cannot be found If the hearts of such men could be seen of others as their works and words are they would appear worse then they as they do to God who seeth them There is no evill in the mouth or hand which was not in the heart first as the stream in the Fountain Neither can the flesh be corrupted except the mind be corrupt first Men judg of our thoughts by our words and actions but God of our words and works by our thoughts accounting the thing whether good or evill as done in his sight if once it be resolved on in the purpose of the heart Thus Abraham offered up Isaack by Faith and Iudas did that which he meant to do And as God judgeth of us and of our doings so ought we to do our selvs The thoughts of the righteous are righteous And by these good and evill men are best and trulyest differenced one from another Whereas all outward works ly common and are many of them oft exercised equally by good and bad No outward works are so good but Hypocrites have done them at times And few or none so evill but some godly haue at some times by temptation faln into them But how alike soever the outward faces of such sinfull actions be the difference is great in the heart of the doer and is so seen of God to be at the verie time of the doing and by after and better fruits in their time so manifested unto men afterwards to have been at that time when in the outward evill act no such difference could appear But our onely comfortable course and that by which our hearts are assured before the Lord is to provide that in them may run constantly so strong a stream of holy purposes and setled thoughts as may both overbear the contrarie current of our flesh and lusts and also carrie with it our outward man to all good and godly practises CAP. XXII Of Speech and Silence MAn is endowed above beasts especially with reason and with speech to uttet it without which his reason how deep and profound soever were little more profitable unto others nor many times to himself neither then a Spring hidden in the ground Hence the tongue is called the Index of the mind and as by the Index we know what is in the Book so do we by the speech what is conceaved in the heart Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And so readie is the passage from the heart to the tongue as that what is conceaved in the one is usually brought forth by the other neither doth any outward thing so soon bewray a man as his words Though Iacob brought his Brother Esaus hands and neck and meat and sauce and smell to his Father Isaak yet could he not bring his tongue and voyce And though a man put upon his hands the Gloves of dissimulation and the Shoes upon his feet and mask his face never so cunningly yet can he hardly so tip his tongue but in a short time a wise man will discover him discern whether he be good or bad specially whether he be wise or simple Great is the affinitie between the heart and mouth And so the Second Person in Trinitie is not called the Work but The Word of God Salomón in his Proverbs compares the speech of a wise and righteous man to a Tree of Life and to a Fountain of Life and to many other pleasant and profitable things Which must teach both them that speak to preserv pure that Fountain and to prune dig about and manure with all diligence that Tree that it may bring forth fruit to the hearers And so must it teach them that hear not to neglect that benefit but to admit and receav the words of truth and wisdom as seed by which they also may conceav and bring forth good fruit A word spoken in due season is like Aples of Gold in pictures of Silver And so a wise man must provide that his words be not onely Gold for their worth but also framed to silver-like opportunitie There being a time when nothing a time when something but no time when all things are to be spoken That which is generally spoken of a blessed
equall order of God is perverted everie where by mans iniquitie and they who are lesse able must still be adding to the greaters heap so as if accounts were diligently kept it would be found in most places of the World that the meaner sort bestow more on the better able then these of them When I consider what good the rich and mightie otherwise in the World might easily do if they had hearts answerable and how little they do for the most part it seems horrible unthankfulnesse and iniquitie in them and matter of indignation against them But then on the other side when I consider how little good I my self do in my meannesse and others my likes to that which I should and might do if I did my utmost I finde reason to be most angry at my self and mine own unprofitablenesse and to be glad and thankfull that so much good is done by the other as is In benefits and good turns done and receaved it is the best and right order that he who doth them should forget and conceal them and he remember and speak of them that receavs them And therefore the first of the three Graces is so ordered as ever to look forward for the doing of more good and never backward to upbraid with good done which where it is used takes away the grace of the kindnesse and is as unpleasing as the after-upbraiding of meat in the stomack eaten with delight The other two ever look towards the first to signifie in how continuall remembrance benefits receaved should be born Which accordingly to acknowledg with thankfulnesse is a ready way to procure further good as from God who specially delights in a thankfull heart and would have a reflux of his blessings to keep them sweet as waters are by flowing to and fro so likewise from such men as either are or would seem to be like unto God in goodnesse and bountie To use to speak much of mens unthankfulnesse even where their hath been great fault that way for benefits receaved both argues a minde not so free in well-doing as is meet and that looks too much for thanks from men and too little for reward from God and is withall a course for a man to quench his own charitie and forwardnesse in other mens unthankfulnesse It is a more blessed that is both a more comfortable thing and that wherein a good work is more properly performed to give then to take to do then to receav good and so all good men should strive both to be able and willing so to do Yet should a good and wise man as God sends occasion be indifferent to either Neither can he in truth do kindnesse as he ought that is not willing to receav kindnesse as he needs It comes partly from a suspitious but specially from a vain-glorious heart that some who are forward in affoarding kindnesse can yet scarse though there be just occasion have the like fastened upon them Such desire to be too like unto God who doth good to all but receavs none back again from any But the verie greatest must remember that he is not God but man and so stands need of other men The head cannot say to the foot I have no need of thee Besides to refuse a kindnesse offered is to shame it as a ball ill sent and let fall to the ground Neither hath a true Christian any cause to be ashamed of his condition in receaving good from others seeing that as in doing good he is in Gods place so in receaving it in Christs stead CAP. VI. Of Equabilitie and perseverance in well-doing WHatsoever is done for God saith one is done equally and the Apostle more fully The grace of God teacheth us to denie ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly in our selvs justly towards others and holily towards God True goodnesse is comly and well proportioned in all the parts whereas the counterfeit is still at jar in it self and like the patches of a beggers cloak A wise man should be a wise man at all times and in all things and so should a good man be a good man Otherwise when a good thing is done specially if it be not ordinarie the goodnesse seems rather to arise from some other motiue from without then from within the person doing it Besides what strange thing is it to see a Stone fall downward or a Spark fly upward So nor to see a fool do foolishly or a lewd person like himself But for a wise man to do foolishly or a good man wickedly is not onely hatefull but monstrous He that hath not in him all Christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all For as in the first birth the whole person is born and not some parts so is it in the work of regeneration the whole person is born again though not wholy There is but one Spirit both of Faith and Hope and Love and Humilitie and Patience which all have that are Christs and If any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his This Spirit though God but drop as it were into some and pour into others with a full hand so as one Christian far exceeds another in degree of graces yet are the habits of all graces and that as I conceav equally one with another though not equall to those in other men infused at once into the same mens hearts by that Spirit but so as in time by diuers occasions and means both the habits or graces themselvs and the excercise of them inward and outward have their different encrease in the same persons till ech have attained to the degree of grace allotted to him and serving for the preparing of him for the glorie prepared for him of God Perseverance in good is not any particular grace or vertue but the consummation and store-house of all vertue and goodnesse Evill men stand need of all graces the good onely of this of perseverance without changing to the end that they loose not the things which they have done or suffered but that they may receav a full reward and in due season reap if they faint not Where I speak of the necessitie of not changing I mean that changing which is either to the contrarie reigning evill or to a totall want of true goodnesse Otherwise even Nature which works most necessarily may have its most naturall work interrupted and changed for a time and yet not be destroyed witnesse the fire in Nabuchadnezars furnace which though it retained in it both the nature and heat of fire yet did not burn the three Confessours which were cast into it How oft do men though remaining in nature reasonable Creatures perform acts plainly unreasonable and brutish thorough ignorance or appetite How much more is it possible that a man though not wholy destitute of Gods grace may through the remainders of his corruption advantaged
a flipperie way bids him hold him fast by his hand lest he fall which he also puts forth unto him yea wherewith he takes hold of the Childe that so by communicating his strength with him he may stand and not fall The Lord that saith unto his Seek ye my face and gives them a heart to answer Thy face Lord do we seek gives ech of them also when he warns them to stand fast and not to fall away and the like to answer effectually Lord by these thy Commandements thy Seruant is warned to stand fast and to beware lest I fall away as hypocrites do And whensoever God either promiseth unto men or purposeth in himself absolutely an event touching any his good work in or by them he withall both purposes and promises and accordingly affords them both means conuenient and skill and will to use them and therewith an answerable blessing upon them for infallible successe In regard of this grace of perseverance the truly godly haue an advantage above Adam in innocencie He receaved to himself at the first his portion of grace and goodnesse from God being made after his Image and full freedom and power both to use and encrease it But instead thereof he soon mispent and lost all by transgression God therefore as a gracious and wise Father hath prouided better against our misgouernment and made Christ Iesus our Head and Feoffer of trust for our state of grace that he in whom dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily might still furnish and supply us as we have need lest we having all put into our own hands as Adam had should mispend and cast away all as he did And so the same Christ our Lord and Head partly by his mediation and intercession with the Father partly by the continuall supply of his Spirit assisting us in our weaknesses and recovering us in our falls and partly by his Divine power restraining the enemies of our Saluation most faithfully preservs us in the grace of God not suffering the living members of his body to be plucked from it nor the habitation of his holy Spirit wholy and for ever to be possessed by his and his elects enemie Satan The Scriptures speak of mens falling from the grace of God as they do of their receiving it When the Apostles entitle particular Churches or persons Saints sanctified in Christ partakers of the heavenly calling and such as in whom God will perfit the good work begun in them untill the day of Christ as it is meet to speak and judg of them all they do not so judg and speak in respect of the inward truth of the things as certainly being in their hearts which they neither did nor could ordinarily know for God onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men the things of a man no man knoweth save the Spirit of a man which is in him but according to the outward appearance and profession made in word and deed So when they speak of the falling away of particular Churches or persons from God they are to be understood as they mean and mean as they know that is according to the outward appearance and profession which men formerly have made and then do make leaving to God and mens selvs which onely know them the inward and hidden things of the heart which too many causlesly make shew of sometimes deceaving themselvs and sometimes others and sometimes both till the time of revelation of hidden things come And whereas weak Christians might unhappily stumble at the revolt from Faith and holynesse formerly professed by many as if there were not that stablenesse satisfaction and comfort in the Gospel and grace thereof which it promiseth the Lord in great wisdom and mercie removes this stone of offence out of their way by intimating plainly that those Apostates were never truly and throughly made partakers of the Gospels grace from the former profession whereof they had unfaithfully declined Thus the Holy Ghost teacheth that the ground what shew soever it made in which the seed sown was either withered by persecution or choaked by worldly cares or pleasures and which brought not forth fruit to the harvest was never good but either stonie or thornie ground that they whose Faith was overthrown were not vessels to honour but to dishonour nor truly built upon the steadie foundation of God nor of them who had the seal of his Spirit nor were of his known ones that those who fell away and crucified to themselvs the Son of God afresh were but formerly as the earth which drinks in the rain which comes oft upon it and yet brings not forth hearbs but thorns and briers that they who bring in damnable errors and they who follow their pernitious waies both the one and other departing from the holy Commandment delivered unto them and turning the grace of God into wantonnesse were at their best but as dogs though having for a time cast up their stomack and vomited and as Swine washed from their mire and as Iude saith ungodly men of old ordained to that condemnation and crept in to wit into the Churches unawares and to conclude that they which went out from the Apostles and Churches by heresies and profanenesse were not to wit truly and indeed of them before Thus Gods wisdom and mercie provides a shield of Faith against the fierie darts of mens hypocrisie and perfidiousnesse wherewith otherwise the tender hearts of weak Christians might be deeply wounded by Satan CAP. VII Of Religion and the differences and disputations thereabout ONely men of all Earthly Creatures are capable of Religion which is also so naturall unto all men how barbarous soever that rather then any Countrey Citie or Family would want whereon to bestow their devotions they would worship they know not what yea which is more that which they do know not onely to be base and vile as stocks and stones but also hurtfull and evill As then Religion in the generall is naturall and false Religion of corrupt nature so is true and Christian Religion by supernaturall revelation For how can that worship of God please him which is not according to his will And who knoweth Gods will but by revelation of his Spirit But vain men are readie to deem God like themselvs imagining that the things which please them please him as well Herevpon the Heathens have devised to themselvs Gods and Goddesses of Theft Murther and all manner of filthinesse And even Christians in name at least because the Kings and Lords of the Earth account themselvs honoured by their Subjects when they entertain them with pompous shews and pageants of wittie devise are readie fondly to imagine that their wittie specially stately devises and fancies please the Lord himself as they do them and therein denie unto him his two properties of simplicitie in the things and power in appointing them But if we will give God his
wherein men make a will of God which is not and so a God willing which is not or els in an act of worship in it self though neither professed nor judged such by him that performs it Such mens actions reprove both their intention in heart and profession in word and can not be excused by either from Idolatrous This sin in Gods people is usually compared by the Holy Ghost to the whoredom of a Wife and Gods anger at it to the Husbands jealousie in that case And as Adulterie most directly impeacheth the mariage bond and so procures the Bill of Divorce so doth Idolatry the Churches Covenant with the Lord and provokes to sequestration from him Yet herein two rules must be held The former that not onely speciall Idolatry but even all or any other wickednesse with profane obstinacie adjoyned separates from God Secondly that all sin whatsoever is founded upon a kind of Idolatry In sins of omission we acknowledg not God for our God as we ought in doing what he commands In sins of commission we make some other thing our God as our riches if we trust to them as to God or our belly if for it we do what God forbids the doing of CAP. XII Of Heresie and Schism IT is an ancient and receaved saying that Heresie ariseth from want of Faith and Schism from want of Love which also hath its truth being rightly understood Yet if we mark we shall find the Scriptures to speak something otherwise of both the one and other then men commonly understand We usually call obstinate Errour in the foundation Heresie but the Scriptures many times seem rather to place it in the peruersnesse of the will and affections whether the matter be great or small then in the errour of the judgment the word also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying any election or choise of will which a man makes or Sect which he followeth whether good or bad whether in matters of greater or smaller moment Besides men are oftens accounted Heretiques with greater sin through want of charitie in the Iudges then in the judged through defect of Faith Of old some have been branded for Heretiques for holding Antipodes others for holding the originall of the Soul by traduction others for thinking that Marie the Mother of Christ had other Children by her Husband Ioseph the first being a certain truth and the second a Philosophicall doubt and the third though an errour yet neither against foundation nor post of the Scriptures building As there are certain Elements and foundations of the Oracles of God and of Christian Faith which must first be layed and upon which other truths are to be built so must not the foundation be confounded with the wals or roof nor errours lightly be made fundamentall or unavoidably damnable Yea who can say with how little and unperfit Faith in Christ both for degree and parts God both can and doth save the sincere in heart Whose Salvation depends not upon the perfection of the Instrument Faith but of the Object Christ. As on the contrarie there are some vulgar and common errours though lesse severely censured which are apparently damnable as by name for a man to beleev and expect mercie from God and salvation by Christ though going on in affected ignorance of or prophane disobedience to Gods Commandments And for Schism The Scriptures note it as sometimes made from the Church but most commonly in it From it by the ten Trybes sequestring themselvs from Iudah and Ierusalem the onely place where the Lord had promised to dwell by his solemn Church presence and after Christ by certain of the Hebrews forsaking the assemblies of the Christians The former was from the onely true instituted and ministeriall Church in the World which was then one individuall and not many as now and that by Idolatry The latter from all Christian Churches and persons by totall defection from Christ himself The other Schisms mentioned were made in the Church either through the carnall lusts bearing two great sway of envie strife and uncharitablenesse whilst the stronger despised the weaker and the weaker judged the stronger or by Heresie and prophanenesse of manners of which the Apostles Peter Iude and Iohn speak That which is commonly called Schism ariseth if it be affected from the conceipt of Faith and want of Love but may fall out upon simple errour of judgment or scrupulositie of conscience By occasion whereof a person may seqester himself eyther in or from some particular Church in some inferior courses of religion from them towards whom he yet bears much more true and hearty Christian affection then the most of them do who unite with them therein And if onely an uncharitable heart make an uncharitable person before God and a proud heart a proud person then he who upon due examination and certain knowledg of his heart findes and feels the same truly disposed to union with all Christians so far as possibly he can see it lawfull though through errour or frailtie he may step aside into some by-path that way yet hath that person a Supersedeas from the Lord in his bosom securing him from being attached for a schismaticall person and so found in the Court of Heaven what blame soever he may bear from men upon Earth or correction from God for his failing upon infirmitie therein No man can endure to be withdrawn from nor easily dissented from by another in his way of Religion in which above all other things he makes account that he himself draws nearest unto God Therefore to do this causlesly for not the seperation but the cause makes the Schismatick though out of errour or scrupulositie is evill more to do it out of wantonnesse of mind or lust to contend or affectation of singularitie most of all to do it out of proud contempt or cruell revenge against others CAP. XIII Of Truth and Falshood TRuth is either naturall or morall Naturall Truth stands first in the conveniencie and agreement of the notions of the mind with the thing conceaved and secondly of the means of manifesting it especially speech with the thing to be manifested Morall Truth stands in the conveniencie and agreement of a person with himself namely of his heart with his tongue and speech The same consideration is to be had of Truths contrarie in its kind which is Falshood Whereupon also it comes that a man may sin and speak falsly not onely in speaking that which he knows or may know to be false for what end soever he speak it yea though it be that he may not deceav but also in speaking that which is true in it self if he know it not that he might or so as he may deceav by it All truth by whomsoever spoken is of God and of his Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth in some its manner and degree of working Whereupon it followeth that nothing true in right reason and sound Phylosophy
zealous heart towards God good thoughts and speeches of other men good doings unto them God will provide that others shall mete the like measure to him again in thinking and speaking well of him As the whitenes of the Ethiopians teeth is the more remarqueable by reason of the blacknes of his whole body so are the few vertuous doings of some persons the more noted and they the more famous for the same by reason of their contrarie course in evill Things eyther rare in themselvs or not expected from such or such persons are most observed so are the commendable actions in them whose ordinarie course in evill gives men litle cause to look for better And by this means it comes to passe that divers specially great men who have many trumpetters of their few vertues and scarse any that dare so much as see their vices get often times a greater name of just mercifull and pious for some one or a few works of those kyndes like the Ethiopians teeth though in a course of injustice and impietie then many others do by the constant practise of those and other vertues Seeing honour and respect is in the hand of the honouring and not of the honoured we are for the right valuation of mens credits in the world to have speciall regard to the persons that honour others whether by praysing them or otherwise For fools will prayse men lightly and at a venture flatterers having linguas venales for their own advantage vayn and leaud persons such as are like themselvs in praysing of whom they prayse themselvs by reflexion But to be praysed by them who themselvs are prayse-worthy is both a reward of vertue and a blessing of God But above all things we must remember that whatsoever eyther we think or speak of our selvs or others of us onely he whom the Lord commendeth is approved without or against whom he that would be commended of men shall not be defended of men when God judgeth him nor delivered by men when God condemneth him And what doth it advantage him that runns a race that the standers by approve of his running if the Agonothetes or Iudges of the course disalow him And what will it avayl any if all men and Angels should extoll him never so highly and even clap their hands at him in admiration of his excellencie if God the judg of all and by whose sentence he is eternally happie or miserable should condemn him and cast him of as unworthy Let our mayn care then be that wee may alwayes be accepted of God And for acceptance with men let us not neglect it for that were desperatenes nor yet set our mynds too much upon it lest to procure or keep it we loose favour in a better place Let us rayther fear with the Apostle lest any think of us above that which indeed there is cause and if we be approved or happen to be praysed by any let us with the godly Father considering both our wants and other things amisse take thereby occasion of blushing in our selvs and with another of begging at Gods hands that he would make us answerable to the good that any think or speak of us CHAP. XXXIX Of Contempt and Contumelie COntumelie hath a sting as the saying is and is hard to be born eyther by wise or good men how mean otherwise soever Even the worm being troden upon will turn again neyther can any esteem eyther so highly of another or so meanly of himself as to think he deservs to be contemned by him And therefore Ionathan though both wise godly and humble-mynded being reviled by king Saul his father scarse kept himself within the bounds of due respect eyther to a Father or king Many sayth one can better endure paynfull stripes then contumelious words And hence it is that povertie is more greivous unto many then other ordinarie crosses because it brings with it more contempt in the eyes of others Now although the fear of God in a person should in all equitie procure him honour and respect from all yet as the phylosopher advised in his time Wouldst thou take up the study of wisdom prepare thy self to become a laughing stock to many c. so in ours and all ages must Gods most faythfull servants much more arm themselvs against contemptuous and contumelious caryages by many if against any other temptation following therein the Holy Apostle who approved himself to God in honour and dishonour yea the son himself the author and finisher of our fayth who for the joy set before him not onely indured the crosse but also despised the shame And this the more carefully we must do because the divel will never fayl to stir up his cruell instruments to ply the servants of God with the most sharp and byteing rods of contempt and vilitie in the middest of theyr other most greivous afflictions as is to be seen in Christ our Lord and David his type that they finding themselvs despised in those their calamities which should move compassion towards them in all mens eyes might even be broken in their hearts and so through deâ—payr fall from their stedfastnes as many do not being sufficiently rooted in Gods promises by faith whereby to bear this sore-pressing temptation Many buy at a dear rate the use of a few contemptuous speaches and that not onely at the hands of superiours and equals but oft times of meaner persons then themselvs with whom they loose more love and respect by one contumelious passion then they can recover by many freindly actions Yea men so impatient are all of contempt are better satisfied and contented with a respective denyall of a benefit then with a contumelious graunt of it yea I add further with a playn injurie of some kinde then with a favour so sauced because in some injuries persons are thought worthy to be mynded though not for good towards them in the other case worthy to be despised even by them from whom they receav good He that despiseth the poore eyther such in estate or naturally impotent in minde or in body despiseth God that made him so at which he is alwayes as truely displeased in a measure as he was at the children upon whom he sent a shee-bear to teare them in pieces for mocking at the prophets bald-head though he do not so visibly manifest his anger He that despiseth a man for the grace of God appearing in him which is too frequent in ours and all evil dayes despiseth and almost despyteth the verie spirit of God which made him so But he that despiseth a wicked and vile person in liew of his vilenes despises the divell and sin that made him so And albeit the followers of Christ should not come near a proud or disdaynfull spirit yet ought they to get and mainteyn in themselvs a kinde of spirituall highnes of minde by which vileny
do nothing simply evill to please men for that were to prefer them before God nor betray the truth to gratifie them so better scandall arise then truth forsaken yet are we not onely to do or leav undone things of indifferent nature wherein we have libertie for the preventing of offence and so to depart from our own right but withall both to do divers things which out of the case of offence were sin as Paul circumcised Timothy and for a time also to forbear both the publishing and practising of some truth to the which in time we do ow testimony both wayes Others on the contrarie are so full of charitie towards men and fear of offending them as that for and sometimes under pretence thereof they will both adventure to do many things which God plainly enough forbids and neglect the practise of other things commanded them and all Christs disciples in his gospell Many pretend the weaknes of others where in truth they shew their own weaknes others that they would do such and such things to which indeed both conscience of God and duty to men bindes them but for offence And what is this offence many times Surely oftens nothing els but the waspishnes of some peevish and imperious persons caryed against others with hatred or contempt or envy or divers of those passions But this is not to respect the weak in fayth but the strong in passion To be offended at good things in men which is the propertie of an evill minde is to be offended at God in men To be offended at things indifferent is to be offended as it were at men in men But to be offended at evill in men in due manner and measure is to be offended at the divell in men In this last case no man should think much at due opposition and reproof seeing it is not properly against him but against Sathan in him Readines to take offence and exception at and against other men in their faylings shews eyther weaknes of understanding in the offended when they discern not eyther of mens temptations under which they lye or what they may and ought to bear in their brethren Or it shews pride which makes men eyther out of envy apt to bark at others upon every small occasion or to despise them in their wants and weaknesses through over-valuation of their own excellencie whereas on the contrarie they should support them that they sinck not under the burden of their infirmities or els it comes from hypocrisy out of which many seek to cover both from other mens eyes from their own also their proper beam-like corruptions by quarreling at the moats in their brothers eye I never knew any more forward to take offence then such as were most apt to give it nor any more hardly brought to bear with saylings at the hands of others then such as stood in greatest need to have both God and men to bear with no small things amisse in themselves Oh hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own ey and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers ey None should plead his own offence against a thing but his reason nor say this should not be done because it offends me but it offends me because it should not be done being contrary to the word of God To say to another do not this because it offends God shews love to God and do not this because it offends others love to men But to say do it not because it offends me without rendring further reason against it is from playn self-love and is an absurd and insolent request and motion All should take care not to offend one another but none should look much not to be offended by others for that is to nourish weaknes in himself and to provide trouble and disquietnes for himself before hand CHAP. XLVI Of Temptations GOD tempts a man and Sathan tempts him and one man tempts another Gods temptations are as he is good and for good and no other thing but so many tryals of the fayth patience love wisdom and obedience of his creatures not that he might know them for he understands the thoughts a far of but that they might have use make manifestation of the grace of the heart in outward acts that others might know them and they themselves or that by accident as they speak the contrarie vices of unbeleif impatiencie and the like might be discovered where they lye hid which is good also It is good on Gods part and for his church that mens naughtines where it is should in its time be discovered Where also we gather it to be our Saviours meaning to teach his disciples and us all in them to pray against temptations as they are provocations unto sin but not as they are moderate tryals of fayth and therewith that our heavenly father would so sweeten the bitternes of them with the sprinklings of the sence of his love in Christ as that they may not be excessive or intollerable Sathans temptations on the contrarie are as he is evill and for evill and sin eyther outwardly by fitting of objects or stirring up of instruments or provyding of furtherances of evill of all sorts or in regard of the heart and soul by suggestion of evill thereto together with the so disposing and stirring up of the humours of the body as that they may be ready instruments for the myndes inordinate passions And albeit he cannot compell eyther the understanding to assent or the will to consent or the affections to liking and so not the body to the acting of evill yet being a spirit he is undoubtedly able to unite himself in his suggestions with our spirits after an unknown manner and the same also verie perswasive specially with such as upon whom he is by the Lord in anger let loose for the punishment of former sins by latter So we read that Sathan filled the heart of Annanias entred into the heart of Iudas works in the children of disobedience and blyndes the minde of the unbeleevers Notwithstanding all which his both power and mallice seing he can doe nothing to hurt but by the permission of God and power which he hath from him and that justly given though on his part unjustly used we are still to remember the good counsayl by one given us which is never to fear the power of the divell more then the offence of God This were to fear the exequutioner more then the judg Though a man cannot be drawn away but by his own concupiscence yet may he be tempted otherwise and be compelled to suffer temptations which is humayn and divelish onely to be overcome of them by assent consent or liking And where none of these three is there is the divels sin and but mans crosse as one sayth in the temptation If the thought of evill arising in the heart be such as unto which
that we pray to the intent to inform God but our selvs both what our wants are which we desire supply of and from whom also we expect it nor yet to move God to doe that which before he purposed not as one man is moved by the importunity of another but to move our selvs and make our own hearts beleev the performance of that which God before both purposed and promised for therefore David found in his heart to pray unto God to establish his house because God had revealed unto him that he would build his house And if we look for this honour at our childrens hands that they should ask of us such things as they want and as we purpose to bestow upon them how much more is it agreeable to our duty and Gods right that we by prayer begg at his hands all good things both purposed and promised by him afore hand By this all things are sanctified to our use which are sanctified in themselvs by the word of God by it we have spirituall right to our dayly bread in what aboundance and by what naturall or civill right soever we possesse it before by it we obteyn many good things of all sorts at Gods hands unto which we could atteyn by no art or industry or other help as the favorites of kings get more by begging then any other can do by any other facultie Besides as by conversing with men we do by litle and litle learn their manners and have bred between them and us a certain mutuall affection so by our conversing with God in prayer we learn the manners of heaven and feel encrease both of love in us to God and of God to us Lastly by prayer we obteyn with the good things prayed for the confirmation of our fayth in Gods goodnes towards us whereof he giveth us testimonie in hearing and granting our requests put up unto his majestie And in this respect a good thing receaved by prayer hath a double good in it God is to be invocated not onely with the heart and with the tongue but as one speaks with the hand also as Asa and the men of Iudah prayed to God and fought with their enemies And for us to ask any thing at the hands of the Lord which withall we do not offer our selvs ready instruments to effect and bring to passe is to tempt Gods power and to abuse his goodnes To pray for that which we desire not is to mock with his majestie as Austin confesseth of himself that in his youth he begged of God chastitie and continencie but was affrayd lest he should be heard too soon of him All things live by heat and the life of prayer stands in the heat of earnest and fervent desire And how should we make account that God should hear us if we hear not our selvs or look that God should be mindefull of us if we our selvs mynde not with intention of thought and desire what we ask of him I sayth the Father prayed when I was litle with no litle affection that I might not be beaten in the school But how many grown men pray but with litle if any affection that they may not be beaten in hell Our prayers must be earnest as well for small things as great temporall as eternall but with difference of degrees of earnestnes according to the degrees of goodnes or necessity of the things prayed for But as for fayth our very degree should be the same whatsoever the thing be which we pray for according to Gods will seeing the truth of his promise upon which our fayth resteth is the same in all things small and great and alwayes infallible We ought as wel and as much to beleev a small thing as a great if God have promised it and as he hath promised because his truth and power are as great in performing all things though with different degrees of his love He hath not absolutely promised temporall good things in the particulars and so sometimes denyes them in love to his children as seeing them unfitting for them and sometimes again he grants the desires of his enemies in wrath and indignation as he did of the rebellious Israelites desiring quayls Besides if the Lord should not sometimes grant unto his that ask them the good things of this life even plenteously men would think they belonged not to him If he should grant them to all and alwayes it would be thought that for them and them alone he were to be served and so in serving him men should not be godly but covetous But above all things we must take heed we ask nothing evill of God for that were to transform and turn him what in us lyes into Sathan himself Whosoever sayth one will bring his enterprizes to good effect must begin with prayer to God and end with praysing of him And he that begins not his work in that manner specially being of any difficultie or weight is in danger if it succeed rayther to end in his own prayses then in Gods And if it succeed not he may thank his own prophanenes in passing by God And as we are to pray upon all occasions so specially in the time of trouble as children are alwayes running to their fathers but cheifly when they get hurt or fear danger Then even hypocrites are forced to God and this partly out of a naturall desire of releif and partly by a naturall perswasion of the power and goodnes of the creatour by which he is able and willing to help his distressed creature and so Ionahs maryners in the extremitie of the storm went every one to his God But as God is a sanctuarie to flye unto for his faithfull servants in the time of need whither he leads them by his holy spirit given them so is it not fayth but impudency for hypocrites and such as in their quiet prosperous estate have not hearkned to God speaking to them in his word and works to presse upon him in their affliction for help and succour without true and unfeyned repentance and sorrow as well yea more for sin then punishment accompanying it And though they call upon him he will not answer though they seek him early they shall not finde him And if he that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poore shall crye himself and not be heard how much more he that stops his ears against the Lord calling and crying unto him in his word The prayers of such are abhominable and sin And how miserable must his state needs be unto whom that becomes sin by which the godly obteyn remedy against sin and all other miseryes A readines to pray earnestly to God for good things the same improved accordingly is a kinde of pawn from heaven to him that hath it that he shall receav the good things prayed for both because all true prayer is by the teachings
and in them the last onely reigns To fear sin more then punishment which they of the last sort do is to love God more then our selvs On the contrarie to fear punishment more then sin which the second disposition leads to is to love our selvs more then God considering that by sin God is offended and we by punishment and that sin in the committing of it seems good to us and ill to God and that punishment in the exequuting of it is good in respect of Gods justice though evill to our sense The holy fear of God the Scriptures put many times for the whole service of God as being a generall vertue diffusing it self into all the parts thereof For we must trust to God with fear love him with fear obey him with fear and in conscience and consideration of his excellencie our own frailtie work out our salvation with fear and trembling that is do all things tending thereunto with that affection of heart And considering our boldnes as king Saul sayth of himself to step aside to our destruction it is worthily advertised by the wise man that he is blessed who feareth alwaies that is who sets himself in Gods sight continually making him the judg of all his wayes and works out of a serious consideration within himself unto what sin and miserie for sin he is exposed poore creature as he is Besides this fear of God is called the beginning of wisdom and that partly because the true reverence of his Majestie in the heart makes a man carefull and studuous to know and do the things which please him and to avoyd the contrarie as also for that God blesseth such an affection with good understanding and reveals his secrets to them that fear him Whereas on the other side a prophane heart is commonly punished with a foolish head and minde void of discerning specially in particulars what is good or evill God would have them that hearken unto him not onely safe but also secure and quiet from fear of hurt and evill For which purpose the Scriptures so oft both exhort them not to fear and propound arguments of encouragement unto them Not to exempt their hearts wholly from fear for that were to exalt them above the condition of mortall and frayl men but so far to bring that unruly passion under the regiment of fayth as that by it a man be not drawn to do any thing evill and unlawfull nor to forbear any requisite good in his place nor to be divided in his heart nor to shame himself nor to discourage others in that which is good It is wisdom for us so farr to fear an evill as to quicken our carefull use of all good means to escape it or being a crosse inevitable to prepare us the more patiently to bear it as not comeing unlooked for In which regard Christ spake to his disciples before hand of their approaching persequutions that when they came they should not be offended And further to fear evill is an evill both of sin and punishment and that of unbeleif specially if being hindred by fear we dare not doe that which apperteyns to our calling or be driven by it to do that which becomes not pietie Otherwise to be fearfull of heart and yet not to be overcome by it more commends a man then if he were without fear This fear though it be something excessive if not extream hath this good in it that it makes a man the more circumspect and causeth him to call his wits and other helps about him as men in danger use to doe It helps in deliberation and preparation though it hinder something in exequution But and if it once get dominion over a man and rule in him there is no such cruell and tyrant-like master within or without him It makes him cruell and a tyrant to others from whom it may any way be suspected that danger can come unto him and provokes to the oppression of whatsoever is in his way Neyther yet doth it exercise lesse tyranny over the fearfull himself It bereavs him of the use of understanding drives sleep from his eyes which sorrow procures disables the tongue from speaking and all the other parts of the body from doing their office by withdrawing the blood and spirits from them to the affrighted heart And whereas men by serious consideration and thought of things in hand are holpen against most other affections the objects of fear the more they are mynded and thought upon are the more terrible Some have through extreamitie of fear become grey-headed in a week or two as one M. Baâ—ning of â—ondon as I have heard and some in one night as is testified of the Duke of Mantuaâ—s â—â—â—sman Fâ—aâ—â—â—s us Gonzaga unto whom being committed to prison vpon suspicion of reason thought and care in one night brought grey hayr by subduction of nourishment And if we would further and in another and worse kinde take knowledg of this tyrants cruelty in constreyning even good men to do evill we may see Abraham for fear denying his wife David his reason Peter his master Christ in his person and many continually in his truth lesse or more He is a man that can overcome excessive fear by reason but a child of God that can overcome iâ— by true and sound fayth in Gods good providence over him Some though lambs amongst lyons yet are lyons amongst lambs feirce and terrible towards their underlings which cannot or dare not resist them and like the young ruffian in the Poet thaâ— shâ—wed his courage in beating a sillâ—-woman and poore bond slave that durst not strike again Such beleev not or forget that they have a mayster in heaven whose terrours if they knew with the Apostle they durst not in such sort be terrible unto others There are many governers in families and common wealths who if difference arise between them of the last sort and their subjects or between them of the first and their wives children and servants will dominere marveylously and be so stout and stern as if they were made of iron and steel Whereas on the contrarie if they have to doe with such as stand upon even ground with them specially such as have a liâ—le the higher ground they shâ—w all cowardize and base fear suffering them even to play with their noses Such a one was Reâ—oboam who spake â—oâ—ghly to the people under him but had no courage against the king of Egipt and so litle against Ieroboam that rebelled against him as that his own son Abijah taxed him of tendernes that is feeblenes of heart after his death Such another also was Naball so evill that none of his servants or family or others of whom he was secure might speak to him but perceaving himself to have been in danger though it were over by David whom and whose men he had rated and reviled in his druncken securitie at the very
pressed with great burdens of temptations in a kinde of abjectnes of minde to moulder away and make their gold litle better then drosse by undervaluing Gods goodnes towards them Such are unthankfull to God uncomfortable in themselvs and unprofitable unto others in comparison Besides there is an humble hypocrisy when men so subjâ—ct themsâ—lvs to others specially superiours as they reverence their viâ—es or suffer their reason more if their fayth and consciences to be captived to their lusts And hence comes the worshiping of Angels and other poynts of will worship in which the shâ—w of â—isdom in the inventers imposers and of humilitie in the followers bear â—wâ—y Lastly there is a desperate humilitie when out of an evill and accusing conscience a man knows and judges himself out of Gods favour and a vile person But now the most of this humilitie hath joyned with it no small pride That of the first kinde is very rare and the infinitely more common and dangerous disease is the overswelling of the heart through excesse of self-love and presumption Self-love disposeth a person to think himself and to desire to be thought of others to have the excellency which he hath not Herewith the minde is easily corrupted and vayn man induced to presume of that goodnes in himself which he wants and to be lifted up with that which he hath Many by stouping loose of their bodily height but few stoop too low in conceipt of themselvâ— Yet as Christ Iesus ceased not to be God though he humbled himself to the taking upon him the form of a servant so neyther is any man eyther in truth or account of God or good men the lesse but much the more excellent for his lowly appearance to himself or others Yea as the same Christ our Lord stepped from the shamefull crosse to the height of his glory and exaltation so he that will make any high building in christianitie must first think of and lay this low foundation of humilitie This lowlynes of minde is the mother of meeknes as Christ insinuates saying Learn of me for I am lowly and meek The humbly-mynded if a crosse come or injurie be offered bears them moderately as thinking moderately of himself yea meanly in regard of his sins and the miserie to which they expose him The proud through want of consciousnes hereof if he be a litle crossed is feirce and violent â—ove dignas concipit iras What He A man of his worth so to be used specially by such a one And as the boar wheâ—s and sharpens his â—uskes in his own foam so doth a proud person whet and sharpen his heart hands and tongue to indignation and revenge in the froathy and foamish imagination of his own worth Seeing that in evill dayes the meek and milde in spirit following Christs example who was as a lamb dumb before the shearer not opening his mouth are in danger not onely to be shorn but to be flayed also the most in the wisdom and lust of the flesh think it better to â—owl with the wolves and to byte too then by departing from evill specially by bearing wrongs patiently to make themselvs a pray But here fayth steps in and leads the meek to Gods promises that he shall inherit the earth and that God will arise to judgment to save all the meek of the earth and that he will see and hear and in due time right the wrongs of meek Moses though he passe them by and as a deaf man hears not But for the violent and self-avenger he puts himself out of Gods protection and goes upon his own hazzard As the stommack swels eyther with good meat excessively used or with winde and ill humours so there is â—carse any thing eyther so good or so evill but mans corrupt heart takes occasion of prydeing and puffing up its self by it The prophet speaks of some who boasted in evill and the Apostle of others whose glorying was in their shame If former ages have been bold ours is impudent this way in which it is hard to say whether the pride which persons take in good or in evill be greater Many shame not to boast of the evils practised by them which modest men are ashamed to hear of and some of the evils which they never did nor dare nor can doe thereby to get credit with vayn persons If pride in good be hatefull it is abhominable in evill specially when men bely themselvs to get matter of glorying in mischief as Austin confesseth he in his youth had done Fools glory in their moâ—ley coats and therein shew why they wear them But worse then mad are they who glory in sin and are lift up for that which cast the Angels from heaven Adam out of Paradise and Nabuchadnezzar out of his kingdom amongst the beasts of the feild and which will cast all into hell that delight in it As wicked men pride themselvs in their evils so are the good in danger to be enamoured of their goodnes And as he that beseigeth a cittie if he can neyther obteyn it by composition nor take it by assault nor constreyn it by hunger will in the last place if he can undermine and blow it up with gunpouder So our and Gods enemy Sathan when he cannot corrupt or destroy Gods servants otherwise attempts and that oft successively the lifting them up with vayn conceiptednes of themselvs and their own worth The holy Apostle was in danger to be exalted above measure with the number of revelations for the preventing whereof he needed a messenger of Sathan to buffet him So God for the keeping and driveing of pride from his servants sometimes brings great afflictions upon them and humbles them thereby and sometimes he doth this by suffering them to fall into other sins to remedy that greater sin of pride as men use to drive out a greater pin with another somewhat smaller How close doth this corruption cleav unto us and how dangerous is it withall for the purging out of which the Lord useth such a medicine There are in this pride many strange touches some being proud in and some of their humilitie Of the first sort were they who being vaynly puffed up by their fleshly mindâ— in voluntarie humblenes worshâ—ped Angels From a touch of this kinde Peter was not free when he so refrâ—ctâ—rily refused to suffer Christ to wash his feet There is also danger of being proud of not being proud nor â—oftie in caryage apparaell or contempt of inferiours and of being called rayther goodman then mayster and rayther mayster then Sir knight Besides all these many will goe on their tiptoes though barefoot being proud of no man knows what eyther within or without them and none more then they There want not also amongst the rest who put out pride to usurie that by forbearing it a while and uâ—ing for it humble and submissive appearances they might after