haue the mastery yet there will rest so many and so strong rebellions desires in the corrupt part of the heart as will breake forth bee it neuer so strongly guarded with faith and the feare of God though they preuaile not so much to hurt as to exercise euen the most righteous man in resisting them An Hypocrite may shew himselfe in outward behaviour a good Christian. HAppy is the man that hath a perfect heart renewed and purged from that originall corruption which it hath by nature for it maketh that true and essentiall difference which distinguisheth a sincere Christian from a counterfeit An Hypocrite may seeme by outward exercise of Religion and holy duties to be a very righteous man as Cain who was as forward in his sacrifice as Abel was The Pharesee in his prayer seemed to abound in the outward practice of fasting in almes-giuing and paying tythes yet an Hypocrite An hypocrite may look like a true Christian haue the habit of a Christian speake like a Christian verbally pray like a Christian and in outward holinesse make shew to be a christian and yet harbor within him a false filthy and a heart full of corruption and iniquity which hee learneth of his master the Deuill who can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light God loueth a cleane heart BEware therefore whosoeuer thou art that thou shew not more forged holinesse without than thou hast sincerity in thy heart for God cannot allow of a counterfeit conuersation Hee loueth a pure and cleane heart if that be well seasoned and in good order the actions will appeare by a truely sincere not by a counterfeit course of life The markes of a pure heart IF thou couet to heare the Word preached if thou hunger and thirst for righteousnesse if thou pray often faithfully and fervently if thou loue the godly vnfainedly and desire to doe good vnto all cheerefully Surely thy heart is well prepared to keepe all thy thoughts imaginations desires thy tongue and all the senses of thy body in good order and to set all other things in order before thou dye Lastly examine the Affections of thy heart To examine how the heart standeth principally affected AFfection is the highest degree of loue lust and hatred and one of these doth commonly possesse euery heart which whoso doth dilligently examine hee shall be able to judge whether his heart be right with God or ouerruled by Sathan Although the Prophet Ieremy saith that the heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it None indeed can know the heart of another man nor how it standeth affected but by his outward behauiour and conuersation which hee may dissemble to men but God will examine and finde out his most inward euill and ungodly affections how cunningly soeuer they be dissembled for hee seeth not as man seeth man looketh vpon the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the most secret affections of the heart But a man that is not partiall and loues not to deceive himselfe in his own vaine imaginations by little search may finde how and whereunto his owne heart is most affected And happy is hee that findeth his heart affected as were the Iewes at the preaching of John Baptist By whose eager loue and desire of the Word euen the Kingdome of God suffered violence And through their violent affections they seemed to take it by force there was such forwardnesse and zeale in them to heare the Word as they vsed a godly striuing to get it which godly and violent affection God himself approueth There is nothing in the world that we ought so to affect and desire as to heare the word the Gospell of Christ our Saviour preached whereby we apprehend such loue in him towards us as cannot but draw our uttermost loue and affection againe towards him in whom wee haue assurance that our soules shall be saued in the day of judgement the end of all happinesse Euery man commonly affecteth his owne Countrey best and they are but two Heaven and Earth and as wee stand affected to either of these wee shall finde and feele how we are againe affected of them To affect them both no man can and to be affected of both is impossible Hee that hates the light cannot but affect darkenesse and hee that imbraceth this world and the things in it cannot truely affect heauen and heauenly things no man can serue two masters God and Mammon The men affecting this world are in part knowne by the things they are obserued to loue and seeke in this world They that set their affections vpon this worlds honours and seeke ambitiosly as Absolom did to the dethroning of his father to reigne as king They that affect and hunt after pleasures to fulfill their beastly lusts the drunkard that riseth early to follow strong drinke the whoremaster the couetous person the enuious the proud cannot these know themselues and bee knowne of others to affect the world and the lusts of the flesh more then heauen and the saluation of their owne soules Such are the infinite vanities that lurke in mens heartes that steale away their affections from God and godlines As where one truely affecteth the best things many affect those things wherein there is not onely no profit but deadly danger as some their neighbours wiues as Dauid some their neighbours lands as Achab some the beautie of women as Sichem some pride popularitie and vaine glory as Herod some gurmondy as the Glutton in the Gospell some the increase of riches and reuenewes as the rich man mentioned by Christ and common vsurers some through the force of their vnresistable affection to haue their lust of Women being preuented haue not only become distracted and crased in their braines but pricked on by the instigation of Sathan haue been their owne hangmen and executioners vnfit to name any though many such haue beene of late memory Nay some which is strange to consider both men and women haue fallen so farre in loue with the beautie and feature of their owne Persons as they haue diued so deepe into conceit of their owne excellencie as hath carryed them to more frensie wherein many haue beene knowne to haue perished desperately Some againe are partiall in their affections towards their children seeming to affect one intirely and to disrespect another meerely wherein there may bee cause in regard of Vertue or Vice but if it proceed onely of carnall respects it is reprouable Jsaac loued Esau more than hee loued Iacob Ioseph affected Manasses aboue Ephraim Abraham affected his sonne Jsmael so intirely as hee would haue preferred him before his promised seed Isaac O that Ismael might liue in thy sight Thus doth blind affection often incounter the light euen of diuine reason And yet wee see strongest carnall affections variable what a man affecteth to day he loatheth tomorrow what he tenderly embraceth now hee reiecteth within a while The affection of Ammon towards his sister Thamer was most hot and
to spend nor giue and when her louers haue as they thinke been much beholden to her for her bounty in fulfilling their corrupt desires then she begins to shew herselfe in her likenesse picking their pockets and rifles them of al that she gaue them dispossessing theÌ„ of their great reuenewes disrobes them and deplumes them of their peacocks attire and brings not a few of them to pouerty and shame and casts them off as the harlots did the prodigall sonne And if she be so kind to some as to suffer them to be seene to ruffle and florish long dandling them in her lap of lasciuiousnesse yet at last she sends them to their graues stript of all and turnes them away as poore men naked as they came to her only with a silly sheet to couer their nakednesse vnseemely to be seene of men O shut thine eyes therefore make scorne to bestow the time of casting one looke with delight vpon the best things she offers thee necessaries excepted being so vncertaine and so certainly dangerous How to imploy our inward sight BEtter it is for thee and to thy more solide comfort and true content through faith to be assured to see thy Redeemer in his glory hereafter for euer than to be here as it were bewitched with the inchantments of the deceiuing things thine eyes doe here see which doe so fasten carnall affections to earthly things that thou canst haue no time to looke vp from whence thy redemption if thou be one chosen of God comes and where are hid the vnspeakable treasures that the Lord reserueth purchased by Christ for them that haue their eyes fixed on him by faith The carnall eye a hinderance to the spirituall CLose vp then thy greedy eye that is so pragmaticke a promotor of all deceiuable obiects to the heart that ingrosseth all that is offered vnto it that delighteth it And commonly shutteth out the most excellent inuisible things because the naturall eye sees only things visible in the world and hinders the spirituall eye from beholding the things of heauen Mischiefes proceeding from the carnall eye THis carnall eye makes the heart an Idolater by coueting a murtherer by enuying a theefe by desiring an adulterer by lusting a glutton by longing And this by the abuse of the eye and consent of the heart abusing and disordering the whole body the house of the soule and the soule it selfe Aboue all seeke the illumination of the inward eye LEaue then the fulfilling of the lusts of thy corporall eye which only seeth by the light of nature and seeke by faithfull prayer the illumination of thine inward eye whereby thou maist apprehend spirituall and heauenly things The sight of the spirituall eye THis internall eye is inlightened through the spirit by the word preached and vnderstood whereby we see God our Creatour as we see his works by our naturall eye we see Christ Jesus his Sonne proceeded froÌ„ God the Father we see him suffering not onely many grieuous abuses iniuries lying in his humanity among the Iewes but his bitter ignominious death vpon the Crosse But also our Redemption and Saluation in and by him By the same eye of a liuely faith we see and apprehend his merits we see him stand a mediator for vs at the right hand of his Father interceding betweene vs sinners and our offended God and in whom we are imputed righteous Things only seene by a spirituall eye through faith LAbor to see and apprehend this great mystery of our Redemption and Saluation which none can see by his quickest eye of naturall wisedome no it is foolishnesse to the naturall man to thinke that God could haue a Sonne made flesh to be conceiued in the wombe of a Virgin without man to bee borne into the world according to the course of men to dye and within three dayes to rise againe by his owne power being God and immediately after to appeare in the same humane shape and to eate bread and in the same body to ascend into the heauens and there to remaine a glorified body and that in the same body hee shall come againe accompanied with Millions of Angels to iudge aswell them that remaine aliue at his comming as them that are already turned into dust in their graues burned to ashes perished in the seas and deuoured by beasts And that their bodies that haue dyed fiue thousand yeeres since euen Abel and all that haue dyed since being vtterly consumed that euen their bodies now dust shall rise againe and be re-united to the soules of the righteous to be eternally glorified with Christ and his Elect And of the wicked to be eternally tormented with the Diuell and his angels The cause why men couet not that spirituall illumination THese things are hid from the eye of nature and naturall reason and apprehension and that is the cause that many wanting that spirituall eye of heauenly illumination doe apply their carnall eyes to the things here below that doe not onely not profit them but grieuously endanger him They haue neither the will nor the knowledge how to seeke as they are commanded The Kingdome of Christ and the righteousnesse thereof wherein consisteth the assurance of all them that shall be partakers of that Heauenly Kingdome with Christ found of them that seeke it in the word of truth and apprehended by the eye of a liuely faith which is 〈…〉 of the same Ieâ—us Christ. Hearing of the Word the meanes of spirituall illumination VSe therefore the meanes to attaine vnto this celestiall illumination heare the Word attentiuely pray feruently lifting vp thine eyes to heauen seeke holinesse and purity for the pure in heart haue onely the promise to see God here by the eye of faith and hereafter euen with these eies by which we now behold his creatures Striue with a continuall holy violence to bee enlightned from heauen Then shalt thou see to set not onely this outward sense of seeing in order and thy domestick family and goods but the rest of thy senses thy whole body and soule in order perfectly and religiously before thou dye Touching the examination and ordering of thine eares HAuing considered briefly the reformation and ordering of thy tongue eyes it behoueth thee likewise to examine how thou hast formerly vsed or abused thine eares Organs and instruments of hearing likewise placed neere the intellectiue part of thy head the chiefe outward part of thy body The eare is not so apt to heare as the eye to see ANd although the eare be not so actiue in motion to heare as the eye is to see that can in a moment turne it selfe to many and seuerall obiects nor so fluent as the tongue that moues it selfe in what and in what diuers discourses the minde moues it vnto yet the eares through their passiue and penetrable quality are apt to entertaine things which may moue the heart to conceiue and stirre vp the will to affect as euill things as the eye or tongue The eare
seruice of God from thy selfe the head to thy meanest seruant be moderate in attiring thy wife she will accept it if she be modest educate thy children in obedience to God so shall they not offend thee couer the naked The poore are the bests guests a rich man can entertaine LEt the poorest children of God be some times as the fruitfull vines about thy house and as oliue branches round about thy table Thou shalt find them in the end most beneficiall guests that thou shalt entertaine either to meate or â—arbor for thou dost not so much feed and clothe and lodge them as Christ himselfe in them who is heere amongst vs poore naked sick hungry in prison thirsty harborlesse and miserable and woe be to the rich that see him and shew him no compassion The rich ought to haue respect to the poore HOw can they that haue riches in abundance food plentifull apparell superfluous gold and siluer and all that their hearts can desire and more if religious reason were ruler passe by and see a poore naked hungry and as it were a starued Christian and not to be moued with compassion especially yong forsaken children and old and impotent men and women As for the sturdy counterfeits and idle striplings able for seruice let their reward be the whip And vntil thou begin to sauour of this righteous course to guide thy house aright doe else what thou wilt in giuing and bequeathing thy house will not be set in order when thou dyest which will be a fearefull end Thus much concerning the setting of thy domestike estate in order it may not be vnnecessary to examine the house of thy soule the body and the members thereof Touching thy body the house of thy soule I Haue before spoken of thy setting of thy worldly estate and domestike family lands and goods in order before thou dye The chiefe care ought to be to set and keep the house of the soule the body in order IT is fit to consider how to set thy corporall house which is the habitatioâ— of thy sâ—uâ—e the senses and members of the sâ—mâ— in order And that aboue and before the disposing of thy worldly estate For as the boâ—â— is mâ—re worth thâ—n raiment of more value than possessions siluer or gold so is the well ordering of the same to be preferred before all that thou enioyest or canst enioy in the world Wherein the well-being of the soule consisteth THe well-being of the soule which is the principall part of thee consisteth in the right gouernment of thy body and bodily members for if thy carnall members and corporall senses haue been or are defiled with the vanities whereunto they are particularly inclined thy soule which lodgeth in it cannot be but also infected and polluted and therefore oughtest thou to hâ—ue an especiall regard to the well-ordering of thy corporall parts Many dwell in faire houses that haue fowle bodies and soules THou dwellest it may be in a house of ingenious architect adorned within and without with sundry varieties to delight thine eye thine eare and all the senses of thy body as many in deed or in desire it may be as Salomon had superfluous to name more superfluous to couet when yet it may be the house wherein thy soule liueth and without whom thou canst not liue though it be outwardly adorned with most costly attire like a painted sepulcher is of it selfe and through thine abusing it and the members of it a poore weake and tottering building seeming outwardly beautifull yet alas vnder most glorious and rich couerings most ragged rent and rotten wether beaten and deformed through the tempests of thy blusterous tongue the extrauagancy of thy polluted eyes and the vnrulinesse of the rest of thy senses beating vpon thy poore soule that dwelleth in this fraile body of thine with restles vngodly stormes of forbidden vaulties that bring the whole house out of order We must examine how we haue vsed or abused our senses and members of our bodies ANd for as much as the head the principall part of this weake building is the place wherin the chiefe organs and instruments of speaking hearing seeing smelling tasting and eating doe consist examine first how thou hast kept these in order and whether thou haue formerly giuen them the reines of licentious liberty to follow the vanities whereunto naturally they are seuerally inclined If so then is this thy whole house vtterly out of order and meerly deformed being by creation free from any actuall pollution or corporall blemish or defect a most comely and beautifull building complete and vniforme in euery part from the meanest to the most eminent member Our bodies are compleat and beautifull houses OBserue from the sole of thy foote to the very haire of thy head and see whether thou couldest imagine to place any member in better order than God hath placed them for in a perfect body there is no defect in any part though many times blemished by abuse of the members and senses How our bodies are blemished THe head it selfe the guide and gouernour of all the rest is oftentimes disordered and euen infatuated by drunkenesse the face disfigured the eyes bleared and blinded the feete gouted and many times the whole body dropsied through the abuse of the senses and brought all out of order being the very temple of God and wherein the soule dwelleth thy most precious part bought with no lesse a price than the very bloud of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ. A man can neuer dye in hope that hath to the end defiled his body HOw then can a man whose body and members are thus defiled and made as it were a den of detestable vncleanesse grieuing the spirit that dwelleth in it without reformation dye in any hope of future happinesse though he doe set a faire formall face vpon the setting of his domestike estate in some order by a silly will before he dyes and to leaue the body the house of his soule and his soule it selfe in so manifest a danger For the superficial disposing and bequeathing of his domesticke estate and to leaue his better part out of order is but as a pharisaicall washing of the outside of the cup leauing it filthy and foule within It is a manifest argument that the partie who hath the sore breaking out in his body as Hezekiah had and the tokens appeare as they commonly doe hath the plague and is vnlike to escape death Signes that a mans house body and soule are out of order SO manifest it is that he that aboundeth in corruption and the filth of his heart breaketh forth and sheweth it selfe by his disorderly and dissolute conuersation by his inordinate walking by the prophanesse of his speech by the wantonesse of his eyes by lending his eares with delight to vngodly discourses by the pollution of his hands and by the swiftnesse of his feete to follow vanities that he is full of spirituall pestilence and carnall contagion Altogether vnfit
corruption of that part that must futurely together with it either suffer torment or receiue glory And therfore caÌ„not but mislike the misleading eye which moueth the corrupt heart to couet only carnall and perishing things when the soule it selfe thirsteth for spirituall tending to the saluation of both The bodily members senses bring the soule most out of order Nothing brings the soule out of order so much as the disorder of the body the house wherein it dwelleth the vnruly eye and the other vntamed senses and the inordinate members of the body seduced through the peruersenesse of the vnstable will carry the senses and all the parts of the body into forbidden things And therfore Dauid prayed Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanity Endeauour therfore to subiect thy corrupted will to thy regenerate will that being guided by the prescribed will of God the eye and euery part of thy soule body may together worke to the well setting and setling of thy whole house in order The vnruly eye is to be restrained LOoke well to thine eyes for they are vnruly lest they draw thee to transgresse Christs commands to plucke out the eye that offends at least make a couenant with them as Iob did neuer to suffer them to wander after their lusts nor to be seduced or allured by the beauty of any whatsoeuer forbidden fruit The eye the originall instrument of our woe REmember what Sathan presented to the eye of our mother Eue and she to our father Adam the first mortall fruit that euer the eye saw or the mouth tasted since which time we haue been forbidden to behold with carnall delight the beauty of infinite fruits which before were good but since become likewise mortall by the tasting of the first for as the first had not been mortall if not forbidden so nothing makes things vnlawfull but forbidding Not to delight our eyes with worldly things BE not therefore delighted with the beholding of the glittering and forbidden things of the world lest thou be snared as Dauid was with the nakednesse of Bersheba And as Ahab was with Naboths vineyard for such was the force of their concupiscences as to obtaine their lusts they made way by bloud Let not therefore thine heart walke after thine eye nor thine eye after the things delightfull forbidden As vpon a woman to lust after her as Dauid did nor after thy neighbours lands as Ahab did nor after the wedge of gold as Achan did nor after goodly garments as Gehezi did who all receiued their seuerall punishments The nature of the eye IT is the nature of the eye to prie here and there like a priuy theefe after delightfull pleasing and profitable things though forbidden neuer satisfyed with seeing being rauisht with so many pleasing obiects that peruert the heart as the heart being brought out of order by the senses bringeth all the house of the soule the body out of order with it Pray for spirituall sight SEt not then thine affection with delight vpon all the things thy carnall eye seeth but pray that thine inward and spirituall eye may be once so inlightened that thou maist take thy true pleasure in the contemplation of that most glorious inheritance which God hath prepared for his elect in heauen which is eternall and bring thy carnall eye in subiection to thy spirituall And pray as Paul teacheth for the illumination of thine inward eyes Sathan worketh more euill by the eye than by all other the senses THe things thou here beholdest be they neuer so beautifull and pleasing to thy carnall sense they are but vanishing and betraying shadowes wherewith Sathan practiseth to tempt thee as he did Eue Dauid Ahab c. For he worketh more mischiefe by alluring the eye than by working vpon all other of the senses of the body he maketh the eye enuious and scornefull to looke vpon the poore and needy And therefore hadst thou need to haue a most speciall care to keep it single from wandring after wickednesse for if thou didst well consider what thou losest by the greedy desires which thine insatiable eye doth administer vnto thy corrupt and couetous heart thou wouldest turne thine affections cleane from this flattering worlds vanities and shun the allurements of Sathan and only cast thy spirituall eye vpon and seeke after the things that are aboue where Christ our Redeemer is gone before to draw the eyes of all true beleeuers after him and them vnto him to be partakers of the ioyes that are with him vnspeakable and glorious which thou canst neuer see nor truly couet to see vnlesse thou cast off thy superfluous delight in beholding these inferiour deceitfull and flattering things below and be fed euen here with a feruent desire to cleere thy spirituall eyes daily with that precious eye-salue the word and spirit of God which setteth before the eyes of thy soule though but as in a glasse obscurely al the glory that the children of God only and none other after this life shall fully and cleerely see and that euen with these our eyes kept here cleane and vndefiled as becoÌ„meth saints We must looke vpon worldly things as if we saw them not TAke heed therefore loue not the world nor the things in the world so as to set thine eyes vpon them as things worthy to be loued but vse them as if thou vsedst them not Looke vpon them as if thou sawest them not without any carnal affection or delight For as Sathan promised to our parents to make them as Gods Earthly Gods dye like other men SO doth he couet to make thee beleeue that if thou wilt imbrace the world thou shalt become rich and glorious in the world euen to be numbred and reputed among such as are called Gods in the world And when thou shalt be thus falsely deified thou shalt goe to thy graue and consume like other men The world a harlot and Sathan her pandor THe world as a harlot flatâ—â—rs men with a beautifull and strumpetlike forehead alluring theÌ„ through the broakage of her pandor Sathan to cast their eyes vpon her to wooe her And she as the Deuill did to Christ sheweth them her great possessions promising to make them great and rich in siluer and gold and some she perswades not to go like drudges and base fellowes in the world for then they are no fit Cor-riualls for her entertainment if the peasant become not in the habit of a gentleman the gentleman to equalize a Knight and the Knight to exceed a Lord she will not looke vpon them nay if men and women imbrace not euery new fashion garments that they see that she either frames at home in her shop of pride or brings from forraigne phantastikes she will cast the eye of disdaine at them and hold them bastards and none of her legitimate children When men thinke themselues most beholden to the world then she rifles them and sends them to their home naked SOme againe she persuades to goâ— basely and neither
Wisedome suspects the thoughts of the heart ANd therefore doe many though well grounded in Christianity suspect euery motion that proceeds from their hearts fearing to be deceiued by the deceitfulnesse of them And therefore endeauour to trie them by the touchstone of the word whether they bee sound or sinnefull which is an argument of a good heart The most godly thinke other mens hearts words and works better than their owne THe best man is so farre from iustifing his owne heart to bee cleane as although other commend his words which should be the true messengers of the heart and praise his works that seeme worthy of praise yet hee thinketh euery mans heart wordes and workes better more cleane and more vpright than his Yet such is the naturall pride and securitie of many that they dreame through the grosse corruption that lurkes in their hearts that they are very excellent and innocent creatures of sound and vnpolluted hearts despising others in respect of themselves as the Pharisee did the Publican and yet in heart prophane and wicked Many men deceiue themselues by flattering their owne hearts THere is no man that can rightly iudge his owne heart though hee may as many doe make a faire outward show as if his heart were according to his outward behauiour when yet it is full of hypocrisie spitefull Ambitious full of vices and vncleane desires This man perswadeth himselfe that as long as the world doth hold him holy and innocent how corrupt soeuer his heart be within hee standeth with God as hee doth with men If men iustifie him God cannot nor will condemne him a note of a corrupt heart As no man knoweth his owne heart so much lesse another mans by his outward conuersation BEE not deceiued thou that canst not truly iudge of thine owne heart dost thou thinke that other men can Thou wilt say by the fruits the tree is knowne thy heart is the tree and thy outward workes the fruit if then men see thy good workes they cannot but approue thy heart to bee seasoned accordingly But thinke that man seeth and iudgeth according to the outward shew onely and that there is one alone that seeth and iudgeth the very heart and reines and therefore whether thou iudge thine owne or other mens hearts by thine or their workes thinke of others as of necessity if thou deale impartially with thy selfe thou shalt find in thy selfe a heart corrupt filthy and inclinable to things thou art ashamed to reueile and affraid to commit and were it not for the shame of the world or for feare of punishment thou couldest find in thy heart to commit them and thinkest thou that all men are not of like condition with thee as touching the naturall corruption of their hearts Who then can say his heart is cleane though he may seeme vpright before men Selfe-loue a vice of vices IF therefore thou diligently consider that Vice of all vices Self-loue wherewith euerie man by nature is infected consequently thy selfe thou wilt confesse thy heart to bee vncleane and that it is farre more inclinable to think and conceiue euill than good and more prone to produce sinne than to imbrace sanctity And yet to thinke thy selfe through selfe-loue holy and thy heart cleane Many men couet to couer the filthinesse of their hearts by a disguised conuersation IT is the common fault of most men to please themselues with a conceit that if they can speake well if they can conceale their hidden inclinations and walke disguised so as men cannot see nor perceiue the filthy thoughts and desires that lurcke in their hearts by their outward actions they are as sincere men as any are though for the gaining of a little peâ—fe in the world they will lye sweare and forsweare when the heart if it could speake would accuse them to bee lyers to their faces As if their hearts were truly seene their consciences strictly examined they could not but confesse How then can other men know us according to our inward hearts when we our selues suspect them and for shame seeke to couer and conceale the filthinesse of them with the cloake of hypocrisie to make them seeme full of integrity being indeede full of impiety Our thoughts and purposes of heart ought to be tried by the word and commandements of God NAy It may bee indeed that a man may simply thinke his heart cleane walking honestly and ciuilly before men and find no cause of suspition in himselfe why hee should not bee thought to bee the same indeed that hee seemes to bee and thus no doubt doe many men flatter themselues for want either of true search of their hearts or for not trying their thoughts purposes imaginations and desires by the word of God For there is no man so senselsse but hee can conceiue the most apparent thoughts and purposes of his own heart though concealed to others were hee an Atheist And therefore if there bee in him any sparke of the knowledge of the Word of God especially of the ten Commandements he may be able as soone as any purpose of heart arriseth to examine the equity or iniquitie of it by the same Word And as he findeth it allowable to put it in execution or forbidden to abandon it The most righteous man hath corruption in his heart IT is impossible but that the best man vpon serious examinatioÌ„ of the inclination of his heart shal find it corrupt though many through a slender and sleight search seeme to find nothing amisse Paul knew nothing by himselfe yet did hee not as most men doe iustifie himselfe for in another place he cries out against the corruption of his heart being an elect vessel of Christ saying That which I should doe I doe not but that I should not doe that I doe Many vnfelt sinnes lurcke in the best heart WHereby it appeareth that the best men haue many faults which they themselues can take no knowledge off neither obserue they them in themselues And therefore had all men need to pray as Dauid did Cleanse my heart oh God from my secret faults Many sinnes lye hid in the heart not obserued by him that harbours them yet many men flatter as it were their hearts omitting to rip them up and to try them to the quicke And therefore their hearts flatter them and forbeare as they thinke to condemne them But these are sicke and feele it not their hearts are hardned against the time of a more serious examination when their consciences shall witnesse against them to their finall condemnation the corruption of their hearts Wee ought not to be partiall in the examination of our hearts BEE not partiall therefore but search thy heart in time search it to the bottome call all things as neere as thou canst what thou hast thought spoken or determined if thou find by the strict rule of the Law that it hath bin inclinable to euill and that thou haue committed sinne through the corruption thereof thinke that
violent And yet when his filthy lust was fulfilled hee hated her far more than he seemed to loue her before It is the nature of the corrupt affections of the heart to alter and turne as the wind How many proud men and women haue wee seene obserued or heard off that haue set their affections so egerly vpon new fashions garments women especially who haue beene striken either by the suggestions of Sathan laying their pride before the eyes of their weak consciences to driue them to dispaire or in the mercie of God who hath called them to reformation haue to day worne their proudest attire and that in great conceited glorie that the next day haue especâ—ally cast them all into the fire and consumed them The like change alteration of affectioÌ„s falleth out often between dearest affectionate friends sworne brothers but in euil of whom one hath beene the butcher of the other How dearely doe many times men and their wiues affect one the other one seemeth the better to see the other their loues seeme so mutually intire as there were no possibility that euer a word should passe amisse or in displeasure betweene them and yet within a while they haue falne together like wool-cards tongues fists and nailes haue walked wherâ— before sweetest words seemed not sweet enough The like inconstancy may bee obserued daily amongst our selues in men so hot in religion and following the word as they seeme to affect nothing else and sorrow much if they heare but one Sermon in a day were it possible they would heare tenne such appearance hath their zeale yet when the world offers them some extraordinary commodity or aduancement they will with Demas relinquish Pauls preaching and embrace the world The seede of the word sowne in their hearts fals among thornes that choke it There is no affection truely constant that hath its beginning from any of the outward senses because their obiects bee in themselues inconstant What sees the eye What heares the eare What pleaseth the taste What outward thing affects the mind But things vanishing and variable And therefore as the obiect beginnes to alter so doth the affection But he that affecteth Christ he that aboue all things truely desireth the sincere milke of the Word Hee that thinkes nothing so deare nothing so pretious nothing so delightfull nothing so commodious as the assurance of his glory to come Hee will affect nothing in comparison of it Hee will disaffect Father Mother Wife Children Lands and Life it selfe in regard of it On this he thinks and meditates day and night here is his treasury and vpon it hee sets his whole affection Hee longeth to enioy it as a bride her bridegroome He neuer thinkes his affection perfect enough hee striues by hearing reading meditating on the Word to inflame his affection more and more and stands in continuall feare lest some inferiour delight should worke the least extenuation of it And therefore when he findeth any thing delighting any of his outward senses hee presently suspects it checks it and casts it off as an infected garment knowing that as long as that hangs about him it presseth down his deare affection of things aboue namely of Christ the anchor and finisher of his faith to vnprofitable things below The heart thus affected is euen here rauished as it were with the loue of Heauen heauenly thingâ— reiecting all transitory vanities The purchase of lands the triall of Oxen nor the marrying of a wife shall not hinder or diminish this his heauenly affection What may bee the reason then why most men affect the inferiour fickle and vanishing things that leade to destruction and seeke not nor delight in heauenly the end whereof is glory Surely no other reason but that which lead Eue to affect the Apple because it was faire and beautifull to her eye and pleasing to her taste which made her quite forget the happy estate wherin she was before she tasted it The hearts of carnall men are carryed away and moued for want of the knowledge of the Word of Grace to affect as Eue did things faire to the eye sweet to the taste pleasing to the â—are and profitable to the purse and all but for vaine-glory among worldly men which maketh them to forget not only what they were but which is more dangerous what they shall bee and yet rather than they will giue ouer these worldly trifles yea in respect of good things indeed which are heauenly being more base than dung they will aduenture the losse of heauen and run headlong to hell Some may say if it be not lawfull for men here to affect earthy things but to the indangering of the losse of heaven mens cases are hard It is not denyed but as it is permitted to men to enioy the necessary vse of many earthly things so it is lawfull also moderately to affect one pleasing or profitable thing aboue or before another prouided that they carry not the whole heart with them as the word affection may import which belongeth onely to GOD whom we ought to loue with our whole hearts which is that uttermost extent of affection due to none in the highest degree but to God and his Christ. What profit canst thou reape by thy so louing and affecting things here below which aboue all other ought to bee thy wife that lyeth in thy bosome thy children who are of thine owne flesh and blood thy neighbours as thou art commanded and thy fellow members of Christ These are thy neerest and dearest yet ought not these so farre possesse thy heart as if thou lose any of them thou shouldest grudge at him that gaue them as many weake men and women doe as though their children husband or wife were given either to other in perpetuity And when they dye to shew their affection through immoderate griefe and sorrow to bee more strongly knit vnto these mortall creatures that are not theirs but lent them then to God himselfe This is no vertue but a vice of the heart neither can it be truely called naturall affection though it proceed of nature not of grace for euen naturall affection ought to haue this limitation namely to extend no further than natural life for when the life of him wee doe affect is ended naturall affection should cease Dauid no doubt did intirely affect his son whom he had by Barsheba and shewed the same affection towards him while he was sicke and aliue but as soone as the childe was dead he cast off his affection and sorrow and left mourning for him that he so intirely loued when he was aliue Such affections therefore as are set vpon the transitory and uncertaine things of this life may bee truely termed foolish if they passe the bounds of diuine reason for they onely savour of the corruption of nature and cannot returne any sollid comfort to the heart of the affectionate Where affection is grounded onely vpon carnall opinion without true and illuminate judgement it is like fire
bee burning lights burning as being zealous in feruency and lights also as being conspicuous and eminent for charity sanctity and all holy graces of thy spirit Thy Vrim and Thummim being on them as vpon thy holy ones let them be sound for doctrine and holy for life and conuersation preaching let them practice and by practice let them preach and teach the things which concerne thy kingdome Open and let open vnto them the dore of vtterance that they may teach thy word freely and boldly Take away all differences contentions from amongst them make them examples to those that beleeue in soundnesse of doctrine and integrity of conuersation And because the rule of my life depends vpon thy word in their mouthes blesse them with all graces fit for their calling that I may giue thanks vnto thee for them finding thy blessing vpon mee through their labours and may praise thy name for euermore Amen A Prayer for Sunday Night O Euerlasting and euerlouing Father mercifull Lord God creator guider and preseruer of all men and all things who creating man after thâ—ne Image in wisdome knowledge and vnderstanding enriching him with all gracious abilities helpes and fâ—rtherances for the working out of his owne saluation with feare and trembling giue me a reuerence of thy maiesty and a feare of thy most holy name which is so dreadfull and terrible that being by thy grace forewarned I may fly from thy wrath to come and at this present come before thee in all confidence of thy goodnesse to implore thy grace and the manifestation of thy fauour Looke downe from heauen thine holy habitation and behold with the eye of thy loue and tender compassion mee poore soule that distrusting mine owne righteousnesse goe out of my selfe calling vpon thee in the words of the Publican and saying O God bee mercifull to me a sinner Write not bitter things against mee neither suffer me to possesse the sins of my youth Forgiue and forget all my transgressions and cast mine iniquities as farre from thy presence as is the east from the west And pardon good Lord I humbly beseech thee the faults and frailties which haue escaped this day in the sanctifying of thy Sabbath whether they bee sinnes of omission or commission wash them all away in the blood of thy Sonne sanctifie me by the Word thy word of truth that this day hath sounded in my eares grant that like good seed sowne in good ground it may take root downeward and bring forth fruite vpwards to the glory of thy great name the praise of thy grace and credit of the Gospell O let thy word be euer in my minde to meditate of it in my mouth to speake of it and in my life and conuersation to practice it By it worke in my heart Faith Hope Charity and al other supernaturall graces which accompany saluation open mine eyes that I may see thy Law and incline mine heart that I may loue the truth and louing the same may yeeld obeâ—ience vnto it doing thy will on earth or at least endeauouring to doe it as the Angels in heauen willingly without murmuring speedily without delaying constantly without ceasâ—ng and vniuersally without omitting what thou commandest and commendest in thy word So shall I not be distracted with foolish feares nor dispaire of thy mercy but euer hope and trust in thee and finde grace to helpe mee at a time of neede Grant this O Father for thy Christ my Iesus thy Sonne my Sauiours sake who euer liueth and raigneth with thee one true immortall euerlasting God to whom with thy blessed Spirit and thee O holy and heauenly Father be ascribed of me and all thine all honour and glory world without end Amen Monday A morning Prayer O God my God and Father of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ whom no man knoweth but by thine especiall gift grant that to the rest of thine exceeding benefits towards me this which is the greatest that can be bestowed vpon mankinde may be added also namely that as thou hast raised vp my body from sound and sweet sleepe the image of a corporall death so also thou wouldest deliuer my minde and affections from the sleep of sinne and from the darkenesse of this world and after death restore the same body to life as well as thou hast called it from naturall sleepe And seeing thou hast brought mee to the beginning of this day which is the first day of the weeke bee thou as this night past and euer heretofore present with me and president in me Lèt thy holy Spirit be my counsellour and instructor my God and my guide to lead mee into all truth Helpe me by the assistance of the same Spirit to watch ouer my thoughts words and works that I may neither think speak nor do any thing which is not warranted by thy word but that setting thee and thy law before my eyes I may come to the knowledge of thy will in all reuerence and humility of soule submit my selfe thereunto that ordering my life and conuersation thereby and walking according to this rule peace may be upon me as vpon the Israel of God Let mee neither oppresse nor defraud my brother in bargaining buying and selling false weights and ballances or the like dishonest meanes but guide me so by thy grace that my conscience may euer cheere mee vp through a delightfull apprehension of thy blessefull fauour To this end order thou my paths and establish my goings in the way of peace grace and saluation Cause thou mee to walke before thee and be vpright make me to provide things honest before thee and men behaue my selfe as in thy sight and doe vnto others as I would bee dealt withall my selfe Let no sin inordinate lust or vnruly passion haue dominion ouer me but helpe thou mee to leade captiuity captiue to kill and crucifie my lusts and sinfull affections and wage warre with my corruptions vntill through Christ which strengtheneth mee I shall proue more then conqueror Grant this vnto mee for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for Monday night O Lord my God and gracious Father in Iesus Christ I doe here in all humility prostrate and cast downe my selfe before the foot-stoole of thy throne of grace to offer vnto thee this mine euening sacrifice of prayer praise and thanksgiuing who diddest offer vp thy Sonne vpon the crosse to be a propitiation and meritorious sacrifice for the sinnes of the world Lord heare me and helpe me and be mercifull unto mee my sinnes are great but thy mercies are greater my trespasses finite but thy compassions infinite neuer faile though I faile of my duty towards thee yet thou art good and gracious vnto such as seeke thy face and fauour humbling themselues and powring out their soules before thee Wherefore I humbly beseech thee that as the heavens are higher then the earth so thou wouldest extend thy mercy beyond my deserts Indue me with faith sanctify me with all other
bones which thou hast broken may reioyce and seeing we haue neede of patience send this our brother or sister such competency of patience and constancy that he may continue thy faithfull souldier and seruant vnto his liues end worke in him a sense and feeling of sinne and true sorrow for the same which may cause repentance vnto saluation neuer to bee repented of If it be not thy good pleasure to raise him from his bed of languishing and set him vpon his feet againe prepare his heart for death and his soule for heauen washing away his sinnes in the bloud of Christ and imputing vnto him the righteousnesse of Christ that he appearing before thee without either spot or wrinkle may haue confidence of seeing his euer-liuing and euer-louing redeemer not with other but with â—hese his eyes weane his affections from the loue of this world and set them on those things which are aboue that being absent from the body hee may inioy thy presence of glory for euer Repaire in this thy seruant thine owne Image and renue it in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse that thou maiest know and acknowledge him for thine owne and raise him vp from the graue vnto the resurrection of life and for euer satisfie him with thine Image and change him into the same from glory to glory Amen A thanksgiuing for recouery from sicknesse OMnipotent Lord God the author of life who bringest downe vnto the graue and raisest vp againe I doe here confesse to the glory of thine infinite mercy that if thou haddest not blessâ—d and sustained mee in my sickenesse I should haue gone the way of all flesh but it was thy goodnesse to spare mee and deliuer mee from dangers thy name bee glorified for this thine vnualuable fauour and mercifull kindnesse And I humbly beseech thee to giue me grace to expresse my reall thankfullnesse by my sincere obedience and to serue thee more carefully and conscionably then heretofore I haue done and the shorter my dayes are the more â—o redeeme the time that by repenting me truely of my sinnes and calling on thee for grace by eschewing euill and doing good more especially vnto the household of faith I may haue the testimony within my selfe that thou hast not ordayned mee vnto wrath but to obtaine eternall life and saluation through Iesus Christ my Lord and only Sauiour Amen A morning prayer for a family O Eternall and all-seeing God who art iust in thy iudgements true in thy promises wonderfull in thy maiesty and infinite in thy mercy who hast the heauens for thy throne and the earth for thy foot-stoole and the creatures of both at thy becke The heauens are full of the maiesty of thy glory and cannot containe the same looke downe therefore from thence vpon vs thy seruants who now prostrate our selues before the footstoole of thy throne of grace humbly beseeching thee for Iesus Christ his sake to be mercifull vnto vs miserable sinners One deepe calleth vnto another the depth of misery vnto the depth of mercy haue mercy therefore vpon vs O Lord and in the multitude of thy mercies doe away all our offences Wee confesse that we are not worthy to speake of thee much lesse to speake vnto thee wee being so vile and miserable thou so glorious and admirable yet being assured that in forgiuing sinnes and helping poore afflicted soules the neuer drawne dry fountaine of thy mercy doth appeare we thine vnprofitable seruants are emboldened to present our selues this morning before thee to offer vp vnto thee a liuely sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiuing who diddest offer vp thy Sonne vpon the Crosse to be a propitiation for our sinnes O let this lifting vp of our hearts and hands bee a morning sacrifice pure and acceptable in thy sight Let not the greatnesse of our sinnes with-hold thy implored mercy but wash vs from all vncleannesse and remoue thy iudgements due vnto vs for them as farre from thy presence as is the East from the West Bury them in the graue with Christ raise vs vp by the power of thy Spirit vnto newnesse of life that we may walke in all holy obedience before thee this day and that endeuouring to keepe our faith and a good conscience voide of offence wee may now and in the houre of death be and remaine alwaies thine Defend vs from all euill and sense vs against the assaults of Satan watch ouer vs by the eye of thy good prouidence and cause thy Angels to pitch their tents about vs for our safety and continuall preseruation Into thy hands we here commit our soules and bodies our cogitations and actions to be guided by thee forgetting thee at any time doe thou in mercy remember vs and forgiue our trespasses make vs to see our sinnes in the glasse of thy Law to mourne for them in the closets of our hearts and confesse them in the bitternesse of our soules Teach vs to cast off the ragges of iniquity and by faith to put on the robes of righteousnesse helpe vs to manage the sword of the Spirit the shield of faith the helmet of saluation that wee may bee able to fight against the wiles of the deuill the vanities of the world the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life Be fauourable to Sion build vp the walls of Ierusalem more particularly preserue and enlarge these Churches of great Britaine France and Ireland feed them as thy flocke foster them as thy family dresse them as thy vineyard and decke them as thy spouse Defend the Kings maiesty from all enemies preserue his body in health his soule in soundnesse his heart in truth his life in honour his honour from vnderminers Blesse our gracious Queene Mary and grant that with Mary shee may chuse the better part which can neuer be taken from her Let thy good Spirit be with our hopefull Prince Charles and the Lady Mary sanctifie and season them with grace and make them thy darlings and beloued ones Blesse the Lady Elizabeth and her children and for the daies wherein they haue suffered aduersity send them abundance of peace and prosperity Blesse the counsellors of state all schooles of good Learning all thy ministers and maiestrates with all our kindsfolke in the flesh and friends in the Spirit to whom thou hast any wayes made vs bounden O Lord enable vs to requite them or lay it on thine owne account to restore it vnto them and their posterities And here we yeeld thee from the Altar of our hearts all possible thanks for that thou hast created vs when we were nothing predestinated vs vnto the Adoption and chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world and hast called vs by the working of thy spirit in the preaching of the Gospel hast freely iustified vs by Faith in Christ we thanke thee likewise for our preseruation this night past and for bringing of vs this day to see the light Now Lord awake our soules from sinne and carnall security that we