solaces in theâ—â— dayes of tears what joy shall there bâ—â— in that day of marriage if our goale 〈◊〉 containe so great matters what shaâ—â— our Countrie and Kingdome doe O my Lord and God thou art a greâ—â— God and great is the multitude of thâ— magnificence and sweetnesse And 〈◊〉 there is no end of thy greatnesse nâ— number of thy wisdom nor measure 〈◊〉 thy benignity so is their neither â—nd numbers nor measure of thy rewarâ— towards them that love and faithfully serve thee Hitherto St. Austin Anotheâ— way to conjecture of this felicity is to consider the great promises which Goâ— maketh in the Scriptures to honor and glorifie man in the life to come whosoever shall honour me saith God I will gloryfie him And the Prophet David as it were complaineth joyfully that Gods friends were so much honoured by him which he might with much more cause have said if he had lived in the new Testament and had heard that promise of Christ that his Servants should sit down and banquet and that himself would serve and minister unto them in the Kingdom of his Father But now to come to that point of this felicity which doth appertain to the soul as the principal part it is to be understood that albeit there be many things that do concur to this felicity for the accomplishment perfection of happynesse yet the fountain of aâ—l is but one onely thing called by Divines the sight of God that maketh us happy This only sight of God is our happinesse If we would enter into these considerations no doubt but we should be more inflamed with the love of this felicity prepared for us then we are and consequently should strive more to gain it then wâ— do And to the end thou mayst conceive some more feeling in the matter gentle Reader consider a little with me what a joyfull day shall that be at thy house when having lived in thâ— fear of God and archieved in his service the end of thy peregrination bâ— the meanes of death to passe froâ— misery and labour to immortality anâ— in that passage when other men begin to feare thou shalt lift up thâ— head in hope according as Christ promiseth for that the time of thy salvation cometh Tell me what a day shall that be when thy soule stepping forth of prison and conducted to the Tabernaclâ— of Heaven and shall be received theâ— with the honourable Companies anâ— Troopes of that place with all thosâ— blessed spirits mentioned in Scriptureâ— as Principalities Powers Vertueâ— Dominations Thrones Angels Archangels Cherubines and Seraphines also with the holy Apostles anâ— Disciples of Christ Patriarks Prophets Martyrs Innocents Confeâ—sors and Saints of God All which shall triumph at thy Coronation and glorification What joy will thy soule receive at that day when shee shall be presented in the presence of these States before the Seat Majestie of the blessed Trinity with recitall and declaration of all thy good works and travels suffered for the love service of God When there shall be laid down in that honourable Consistory all thy vertuous deeds al thy labors that thou hast taken in thy calling all thy almes all thy prayers all thy fasting all thy innocence of life all thy patience in injuries all thy constancie in adversities all thy temperance in meats all thy vertues of thy whole life When all I say shall be recounted there al commended all rewarded shalt thou not see now the value profit of a vertuous life shalt thou not confess that gainful honorable is the service of God Shalt thou not now be glad bless the hour wherein first thou resolvedst thy self to leave the service of the world to serve God Shalt thou not think thy selfe to be beholden to him that perswaded thee unto it Yes verily But yet more then this when as being so neere thy passage here thou shalt consider into what a port and haven of security thou art come and shalt looke backe upon the dangers which thou hast passed and wherein other men are yet in hazzard thy cause of joy shall greatly be increased For thou shalt see evidently how infinite times thou wert in danger to have perished in that journey if God had not held his provident hand over thee Thou shalt see the dangers wherein other men are the death and damnation whereinto many of thy friends and acquaintance have fallen the eternall paines of Hell incurred by many that used to laugh and be merry with them in this world All which shall augment the felicity of this thy blessed estate And now for thy selfe thou mayest be secure thou art out of all danger for ever and ever There is now no more need of feare of watchings of labour of care thou mayest lay down all armour now better then the Children of Israel might have done when they had gotten the Land of promise for there is no more Enemy to assault thee there is no wily Serpent to beguile thee All is peace all is rest all is joy all is security Thy onely exercise must be now to rejoyce to tryumph to sing Hallelujah to the Lambe which hath brought thee to this felicitie and will keep thee in the same world without end But now to draw towards an end in this matter though there be no end in the thing it selfe let the Christian Reader consider whereto he is borne and whereof he is in possibilitie if he will He is born heire apparent to the Kingdome of heaven a Kingdome without end a Kingdome without measure a Kingdome of blisse the Kingdome of God himself he is borne to be joynt heire with Jesus Christ the Sonne of God to raigne with him to triumph with him to sit in judgement with him to judge the very Angels with him What more glory can be thought upon except it were to become God himselfe All the joyes all the riches all the glory that heaven containeth shall be powred out upon him who wil not esteeme of this royall Inheritance Especially seeing that now we have so good opportunity to the obtaining thereof by the benefit of our redemption and grace purchased to us therein Tell me now Gentle Reader why wilt thou not accept of this his offer Why wilt thou not accompt of this his Kingdome Why wilt thou not buy this glory of him for so little a labour as he requireth There is not the wickedest man in the world but taketh more travell and pains in going to Hell then the most painefull servant of God in obtaining of heaven Follow thou not their folly then deare brother for thou shalt see them suffer greevously for it one day when thy heart shall be full gald thou hadst no part among them Let them goe now and bestow their time in vanitie in pleasures in delights of the world Let them build Pall ces purchase Dignities and peeces and patches of ground together Let them hunt after Honours and build Castels in the Ayre the day will
down and wonder at the unspeakable love and bounty of God expressed towards us in these three Petitions for by the first we are assured of eternity by the second of a Kingdom by the third to be like the Angels or if we like it better to say by the first we are informed what we shall be as Angels by the second what we shall have a Kingdom by the third what we shall do the will of God These are blessings worthy to come from a heavenly Father these are rewards which worthily become a bountifull Master And now let the swine flesh and blood go murmure against God that he is a hard Father and a bad Master and that there is no profit in serving him because he gives them not the mire of the world to wallow in as though he had no other way to expresse his favours but by clods of earth But do thou ô my soule meditate upon these Petitions and in them upon these blessings and in these upon the infinit love and bounty of God and think how happy thou art to have such a Father how much thou art bound to love such a Master and think not much to love him with thy whole heart seeing he hath blessings to bestow upon thee which cannot enter into thy heart Think not much to submit thy self wholly to his will seeing his will is to give thee beauty for ashes the oyle of gladnesse for mourning that we shall ever find it a most happy thing for us to say Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven But why do we say thy will be done in earth which is done in earth already and that by creatures which one would think we are never able to do it He hath set bounds to the Sea which it must not passe and the Sea as raging as it is and provoked by all the Rivers of the earth that come running into it as it were for the nonce to make it passe its bounds yet keepes it self precisely within the limits He hath appointed the earth to stand still and not for to move and the earth though but hanging in the Ayre and nothing at all to hang upon yet offers not so much as once to stir He hath charged the Trees to bring forth fruit and the Trees though almost even killed with could of winter and threatned with the tempests of the spring yet takes heart to come forth and seeme to rejoyce they can do as they are bidden The very beasts though never so wild and savage yet observe the properties of their kind and none of them incroach upon the qualities of another And why all this but only to do the will of God and that which may seeme more strange The flowers come out of the durty earth and yet how neate and cleane out of the unsavory earth and yet how fresh and fragrant out of the sower earth and yet how mellifluous and sweete out of the duskish earth and yet how orient and virmillion out of the unshapen earth and yet in what dainty shapes in what curious formes in what inamilings and diapers of beauty as if the earth would show that for all her being cursed she had somthing yet of Paradice left And why all this but only to do the will of God And why then should there be complaining as though the will of God were not done in earth O wretched man it is only thy self that is out of tune in this harmony Man that should be best is of all the worst that should be cleanest is of all the fowlest that should be most beautifull is of all the most deformed most full of graces yet most void of grace of most understanding to direct his will yet of least will to follow the direction of understanding Man indued with celestiall qualities yet leaves them all to incroach upon the qualities of every beast upon the obcaenity of swine in drunkennesse upon the greedinesse of Cormorants in covetousness upon the craftinesse of Foxes in fraud upon the cruelty of Tygers in malice as if he would strive to exceede his first parents in transgressing and try whether God had any greater punishment left then casting out of Paradice That if Christ would have served us in our kind and as we deserve he needed not to have gone for paterns to heaven he might have found paterns good enough for us amongst the meanest Creatures of the earth And as he tould the Pharisees that the Queen of the South should rise up in judgement against them so he might have told us the flowers the trees the beasts shall all rise up in judgement against man That we have more need to say O that my head were waters and mine eyes a Fountain of teares that I might weep day and night Then after trees and beasts have done Gods will to come after them all but with only saying Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven O God so frame our wills that they may be fit links to be fastned to this Chaine of thy will that as one link drawn on drawes on another so our spirits being guided by thy grace may be guides to our flesh and that our flesh as living by thee may live to thee knowing that though the way of thy will may be troublesome in the going yet the journey shall be comfortable in the ending and though it be the secret of thy will that in doing it we shall meete with many crosses yet it is the purpose of thy will that by doing it we shall purchase many joyes and therefore can have no cause to make us a fraid to say Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven And now having thought these Petitions to be for such most proper let us conforme our selves according to them When we say Hallowed be thy Name let us lift up the voyces of our hearts as if we were now joyning with the Angels in singing their Hallelujah When we say Thy Kingdome come let us raise our thoughts as now offering to set our hands to the Petition of the Saints in heaven When we say Thy will be done let us fix our minds wholly as in the solemnity of dedicating of our selves to God with all the faithfull upon earth When we say Give us this day our daily bread let us humble our selves as being in state of other Creatures and are glad to joyne with them in their common suit When we say Forgive us our trespasses let us think our selves enrolled in the company of Penitents and as the greatest sinners chosen speakesmen to present their supplication And when we say Leade us not into temptation let us acknowledge our selves in the number and weaknesse of little Children and are glad to joyne with them in crying for help that the Angell of Infants which alwaies behold the face of God may be imployed by him to work our deliverance But what should be the cause that in the three latter Petitions we seem
to be altogether for our selves as appeares by our saying Give us Forgive us Deliver us but in the three former there is no mention of us at all as though we were no parties to them at all Is it not that we are or ought to be more jealous of Gods honour than carefull of our owne benefits And therefore when we say Hallowed be thy name we dare not say of us least we should make God a Musick of too few voyces And when we say Thy Kingdome come we dare not say to us least we should assigne his Kingdom too small a Territory And when we say Thy will be done we dare not say by us least we should stint God in the number of his servants But we say Hallowed be thy name and stop there that so no mouth may be stopped from hallowing it We say Thy Kingdome come but name not whither that so it may be intended to come every whither We say Thy will be done in earth but tell not by whom in earth that so it may be done by all in earth Many would desire to know and prize it at a great rate how theâ— might get the knowledge to be assured when their sins are forgiven and yet it is a knowledge easily to be had and every man may tell himselfe for if thou findest in thy heart a loathing of thy former sins and a resolution to continue in amendment of life and specially a fixed charity to forgive others thou mayest be assured thou art in the favour of God and all thy sins past are forgiven thee but if thou continuest to take delight in thy former sins and art unresolved in reforming thy courses and especially if thou findest in thy self a desire of revenge and art implacable towards others thou mayest then be assured thou art still in the state of Gods displeasure thy sins are not yet forgiven for these things are not only the signes but the certaine effects of Gods forgiving of us when we confesse and be grieved for our owne trespasses to him and are compassionate and relenting to the trespasses of others to us There is no deed so acceptable to God as to take all thankfully which he laies upon us for not to murmure or not to cast our eyes upon vanity are in themselves any great matters but when a man murmures not in adversity which gives so many causes of impatience or when a man casts not his eyes upon vanity in prosperity which ministers so many occasions of alurements this is a man after Gods owne heart and this is one to whom the Devill may say as he said to Christ Art thou come to torment us before the time but the difficulty of doing this and the danger of not doing this gives us all just cause to say Leade us not into temptation O my Soul if thou canst not be strong enough to resist sinne be humble to confesse it with contrition dissolve into teares for that which is past resolve upon amendment in that which is to come and if thou canst do this thou shalt finde it the true balme of Gilead and though thy sins were as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snow And more to speak of hallowing Gods name it may not be unfit to consider the three first Petitions as they are only hallowings or Hallelujas for observing the difference of the songs we shall perceive the difference of the singers The first when we say Hallowed be thy name is the Hallelujah of Angels and we may truly say is the song of songs not only because it is sung without ceassing but because it shall be sung without ending and is both the cause and the effect both the signe and the substance of our eternal happiness The second when we say Thy Kingdom come is the Hallelujah of the â—aints in Heaven and is an asspiring to the first but an asspiring in a very near degree near in distance though remote in existence for they are in assurance of attaining and do but tarry the time but the time will not be till time will not be The third when we say Thy will be done is the Hallelujah of the Saints on earth and is an asspiring to the second but an asspiring in a remote degree for while they are in the world they are subject to all the rubs of the world while they live in the flesh to all infirmities of the flesh yet they have a confidence though no assurance or an assurance though but in confidence and therefore are remisse but not dejected bould but not presumptuous not out of heart not out of feare And may it not here be observed that as we begin in saying Hallowed be thy name so we end in acting the hallowing it and our first and last words are all for his glory who is the first and the last And these three Attributes seeme to answer to our three first Petitions Hallowed be thy name for thine is the glory Thy Kingdom come for thine is the Kingdom Thy will be done for thine is the power And we seeme to sing not only in the first an unisone with the Angels but in all the three the same ditty with the Saints in Heaven for their Hallelujah is Thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory and honour and power and ours here Thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory That having sung the song of Saints and Angels here on the earth we may be admitted into the quiere of Saints and Angels in Heaven and sing eternally thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen And now ô my soule consider how perfect a prayer this is where are the Petitions of men and Angels the Petitions of the Church millitant and triumphant the Petitions of innocent Inphants penitent sinners and faithfull beleevers And then hearken what musick it makes in Gods eares how pleasing where the songs are all of Christs own setting how mellodious where they are all such sweet singers how lowd where there are so many voyces especially when this quire of singers which hitherto have sung their parts apaâ—t shall all joyne their voyces together in that sacred Antheme For thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory And so end all in that which â—s the end of all and is it selfe withâ—ut end the gloâ—y of God The children of God begotten a new by the Holy Ghost can never fall from being like him that begat them and therefore doe they much dishonour God who in words doe professe they are his Sonnes and yet in their actions they resemble the Image of Sathan It were a great blemish to a godly man to be wrongfully suspected to be the father of a wicked Son much more is God dishonoured by such as would seeme to be but are not of his seed For they that are of God indeed cannot but in some measure resemble him
is the very nature of God and without end or measure as his Godhead is so also his justice is And these two are the two Armes as it were of God imbrasing and kissing one the other as the Scripture saith Therefore as in a man of this world if we had the measure of one arme we might easily conjâ—cture of the other so seeing the wonderfull examples dayly of Gods infinite mercy towards them that repent we may imagine by the same his severe justice towards them whom he reserveth to punishment in the next life and whâ—n for that cause he calleth in the Scriptuâ—es Vessels of his fury oâ— Vessels to shâ—w his fury upon A third reason to perswade us of the grâ—atâ—esse of these punishments may be the marvellous patience and long-suffering of God in this life As for example in that he suffereth divers men from one sin to another from one day to another from one year to another to spend all in dishonour and dispite of his Majestie adding offence to offence and refusing all perswasions allurements good inspirations or other means of friendship that his mercy can devise to offer for their amendments and what man in the world could suffer this or what mortall heart could shew such patience But now if all this should not be requited with severity of punishment in the world to come upon the obstinate it might seeme against the Law of Justice and equitie and one arme in God might seeme longer then the other Paul doth touch this reason in his Epistle to the Romans where hee saith Dost thou not know that the benignity of God is used to bring thee to repentance And thou by thy hard and impenitent heart dost hoord up vengeance unto thy selfe against the day of wrath and appearance of Gods just judgement which shall restore to every man according to his works He useth heare the words of hoording up of vengeance to signifie that even as the covetous man doth hoord up money to money dayly to make his heap great so the unrepentant sinner doth hoord up sinne to sinne and God on the contrary side hoordeth up vengeance to vengeance untill his measure be full to restore in the end measure against measure as the Prophet saith and to pay us home according to the multitude of our abominations This God meant when he said to Abraham that their iniquities was nâ—t yet full up Also in the Revelation of St. John when he used this conclusion of that Booâ—e He that doth evill let him doe yet more evill and he that lyâ—th in filth let him yet become more filthy for behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to his deeds By which words God signifieth that his bearing and tollerating with sinners in this life is an argument â—f his greater severity in the life to come Which the Prophet Dâ—vid also declareth when talking of a carelesse sinner he saith The Lord shall scoffe at hâ—m foreseeing that his day shall come This day no doubt is to be understood the day of account and punishment after this life for so doth God more at large declare himselfe in another place in these words And thou Son of man thus saith the Lord God The end is comâ— now I say the end is come upon thee and I will shew in thee my furie and I will judge thee according to thy wayes I will lay against thee all thy abominations and mâ—â—e eye shall not spare thee neither will I take any mercie upon thee but I will put thine own waies upon thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affliction commeth on the end is come the end I say is come that watched against thee and behold it is come crushing is come upon thee the time is come the day of slaughter is at hand shortly I will powre out my wrath upon thee and I will fill my fury in thee I wil judge thee according to thy waies and I will lay all thy wickednesse upon thee mine eye shall not pitty thee neither will I take any compâ—ssion upon thee but I will lay thy waies upon thee and thine abominations in the middest of thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of God himselfe Seeing then we nâ—w understand in generall that the punishments of God in the life to come are most certain to be great and severe tâ— all such as fall into them for which câ—â—se the Apostle saith It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living Gâ—â— Let us consider somewhat in particular what manner of pains and punishmens they shall be And first of all touching the place of punishment appointed for the damned commonly called Hell The Scripture in divers places and Languages used divers names but all tending to expresse the grivousness of punishment there suffered As in Latine it is called Infernus a place beneath or under ground as most of the old Fathers doe iâ—terpret But whether it be under ground or no most certaine it is that it is a place most opposite to heaven which is said to be above And this name is used for to signifie the miserable suppressing and â—urling down of the damned to be troden under the feet not only of God but also of good men for ever for so saith the Scripture Behold the day of the Lord cometh burning like a furnace and all proud and wicked men shall be straw to that furnace and you that feare my name shall tread them downe and they shall be as burnt Ashes under the soles of your feet in that day And this shall be one of the greatest miseries that can happen to the proud and stout Potentates of the world to be thrown down with such contempt and to be troden under feet of them whom they so much despised in this world The Hebrew word which the Scripture useth for Hell is Sheol which signifieth a great ditch or dungeon in which sence it is also called in the Apocalips Lacus irae Dei The Lake of the wrath of God And again A Poole burning with fire and brimston Also in the Gospel it is called utter darknesse And Job saith of iâ— there dwelleth no order but everlasting horror Having now in some part declared the names and thereby also in part the nature Iâ— remâ—ineth now that we consider what manner of paines men suffer there For declaration whereof we must noâ—e that as Heaven and Hell are contrary assigned to contrary persons for contrary causes so have they in all respects contrary properties conditions and â—ffâ—cts in such sort as whatsoever is spoken of the felicity of the one may seâ—ve to inferre the contrary of tâ—e other As when Saint Pâ—ul saith That no eye hath seen nor eare heard nor heart conceived the joyes that God haâ—h â—â—epareâ— fâ—r them that shalâ— be saved We may inferre that the paine of the damned must bâ— as great A
because thou hast not refused to doe it I sweare to thee saith he by my selfe that I will multiply thy seed as the starres of heaven and the sands of the Sea and among them also one shall be Christ the Saviour of the world Was not this good pay for so little paines King David one night began to think with himselfe that he had ow a house of Cedar and the Arke of God lay but under a Tent and therefore resolved to build a House for the said Arke which onely cogitation God took in so good part as he sent Nathan the Prophet unto him presently to refuse the thing but yet to tell him that forsomuch as he had determined such a matter God would build a house or rather a Kâ—ngdome to him and his posteritie which should last for ever and from which he would never take away his mercy which promise we see now fulfilled in Christ what should I recite many like examples Christ giveth a generall note hereof when he calleth the workmen payeth to each man his wages so duly as also when he saith of himself Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me by which place is evident that God suffereth no labour in his service to be lost or unpaid And albeit he payeth also and that abundantly in this life yet as by those two examples appeareth he deferreth his chiefe pay unto his coming in the end of the day that is after this life in the resurrection of the just as himselfe saith in another place of this payment then reserved for Gods servants in the life to come We are now to consider what and what manner a thing it is and whether it be worth so much labour and travell as the service of God requireth or no. And first of all if we will beleeve the holy Scripturs calling it a Kingdome an heavenly Kingdome an everlasting Kingdome a most blessed Kingdome We must needes confesse it to be a marvellous great reward For that worldly Princes doe not use to give Kingdoms to their servants for recompence of their labours and if they did or were able to doe it yet could it be neither heavenly nor everlasting nor a blessed Kingdome Secondly if we credit that which St. Paul saith of it that neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor heart of man conceived how great a matter it is Then must we yet admit a greater opinion thereof for that we have seen many wonderfull things in our dayes we have heard more wonderfull we may conceive most wonderfull and almost infinit How then shall we come to understand the greatnesse and value of the rewards surely no tongue created either of man or Angel can expresse the same No imagination conceive no understanding comprehend it Christ himself hath said no man knoweth it but he that injoyeth it and therefore he calleth it hidden Manna in the same place notwithstanding as it is reported of a learned Geometrician that finding the length of Hercules foote upon the hill of Olimpus drew out his whole body by the proportion of that one part so we by some thing only set down in Scripture and by some other Circumstances agreeing thereunto may frame a conjecture of the matter though it come far behind the thing it self I have shewed before how the Scripture calleth it a heavenly and everlasting and a most blessed Kingdom whereby is signified that all must be Kings that are admitted thither To take effect it is called in other places a Crown of glory a Throne of Majesty a Paradice or place of pleasure a life everlasting St. John the Evangelist being in his banishment by speciall priviledge made privy to some knowledge and feeling thereof as well for his own comfort as for ours taketh in and to describe it by comparison of City affirming that the whole City was of pure gold with a great and high wall of the precious stone called Jaspis This wall had also 12. foundations made of 12. distinct precious stones which he there nameth also 12. gates made of 12. rich stones called Margarites and every gate hath an entire Margarite The streets of the City were paved with gold interlaid also with pearles and precious stones the light of the City was the clearnesse and shining of Christ himself siting in the midst thereof From whose seate proceeded a River of water as cleare as Cristall to refresh the City and on both sides of the bankes there grew the tree of life giving out continuall and perpetual fruit There was no night in that City nor any defiled thing entred there but they that are within shall raign saith he for ever and ever By this description of the most rich and precious things that this world hath St. John would give us to understand the infinite value glory and majesty of this felicity prepared for us in heaven though as I have noted before it being the princely inheritance of our Saviour Christ the Kingdom of his Father the eternall habitation of the holy Trinity prepared before all worlds to set out the glory and expresse the power of him that hath no end not measure either in power or glory we may very well think with St. Paul that neither tongue can declare it nor heart can imagine it O miserable Children of men that are born to so rare and singuler a dignity and yet cannot be brought to consider love or esteem of the same Other such considerations there be to shew the greatnesse of this felicity is that if God hath given so many pleasures and comfortable guifts in this life as we see are in this world being a place of bannishment a place of sinners a vail of misery and the time of repenting weeping and wailing what will he do in the life to come to the just to his friends in the time of joy and marriage of his Son This was a most forceable consideration with good St. Augustine who in the secret speech of his soule with God said thus O Lord if thou for this vile body of ours give us so great and innumerable benefits from the Firmament from the Ayre from the Earth from the Sea by light by darknesse by heate by shadow by dewes by showers by winds by raines by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by multitude of hearbes and variety of plants and by the ministry of all thy Creatures O sweet Lord what manner of things how great how good and how innumerable are those which thou hast prepared in our heavenly country where wâ— shall see thee face to face If thou do 〈◊〉 great things for us in our prison whâ—â— wilt thou give us in our pallace If thâ—â— givest so many things in this world tâ— good and evill men together whâ—â— hast thou layd up for good men onlâ— in the world to come If thine enemieâ— and friends together are so well provided for in this life what shall thâ— only friends receive in the life to comâ—â— If there be so great
in vanity which this Kingdom likes not and therefore cannot abide to abide there neither but vanish away And indeed these are the out places this Kingdom loves to be within us as Christ saith The kingdome of God is within you And we have no place within us fit to make a seat of a Kingdom but only our heart and this indeed hath no back doore to let it out as the eare hath nor no Percullis to keep it out as the eye hath but it hath a large entrance and a boundless circuit and therefore most fit to give this Kingdom entertainment And yet as fit as it is God will not have it unless we give it him and he will not have it so neither unless we give it him all for it is against his nature to have a Partner and he cannot abide to heare of Moyties either he must have all or he hath nothing at all To be a peice for God and a peice for the world is to be all for the world To conclude God at all is to exclude him from all Wherefore O my Soul mangle not thy heart in giving it to God but give it him all and think thy selfe happy that he will take it all For the more he possesseth it the freer he maketh it the more he dwelleth in it the fairer he builds it the more he reigneth in it the more richer he adornes it O my Lord God that thou wouldest come and dwell in my heart as the owner of it and reigne in my heart as the King of it I should not then envie the Pallaces of Princes nor the Kingdoms of the Earih seeing I should have within my selfe a Pallace and a Kingdome not only to equall but far to exceed them O what happinesse will this Kingdom bring and wherein doth happinesse consist If in dainty fare we shall all eat and drink with Christ at his Fathers Table If in fine cloathes we shall all be cloathed in long white Robes If in curious musick we shall heare the quire of Angels continually singing If in knowledge we shall know as we are know If in dominion we shall judge the Angels If in joy our joy shall be full and none shall be able to take it from us If in glorious sights we shall see the blessed face of God which is the glory of all sights and the sight of all glory O happy Kingdom ô happy comming ô happy we to whom it shall come that we can never be attentive enough in praying never earnest enough in longing that this Kingdome may come The next is Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven It is a fearefull thing to make this Petition to God if we doe not withall make it a rule to our selves that all the actions of our life may be squared by it And therefore O my soule if matter of profit be offered to thee lay it to this Rule whether it be to the will of God or no for if it be not what great advantage soever it make shew of account it but losse If matter of honour be offered unto thee lay it to this Rule whether it be according to the will of God or no for if it be not what great advancement soever it pretend account it but shame If matter of pleasure be offered unto thee lay it to this Rule whether it be according to the will of God or no for if it be not what pleasing suggestion soever it hath account it but misery It was conceived by Ahab that it would be for his profit to buy Naboths Vineyard but when he would not lay it to this Rule he paid for his purchase with his bloud to doggs It was pretended to Pharaoh that it would be for his honour to pursue the Israelites but when he would not lay it to this Rule he perished himselfe and all his Host in the red Sea It was suggested to Salomon that it would be for his pleasure to entertaine the love of strange women but when he would not lay it to this Rule God laid it to his charge both raising up adversaries against himselfe and renting the Kingdom from his Sonne to his servant We must therefore endeavour to make it a Rule to our selves first and then we may safely make it a Petition to God otherwise if we say Thy will be done and intend not to doe it we shall but turne the Petition from active to passive Gods will into his anger and draw it downe to be done upon us in earth as it was done upon the Angels in heaven Many can say this Petition devoutly enough so long as they understand it not but when they are tould how Christ said it Not my will but thy will and thereby come to know that for praying to doe Gods will is to pray against doing their owne wills against their unlawfull lusts against their covetous desires against their ambitious designes against their malicious practises and such like Then it stricks cold to their hearts Their tongues cleave to the roofe of their mouthes and they could wish the Petition might never be made But he that understands it and yet stands to it he that speaks it more from his heart then with his tongue he that is resolved to say it because he saith as he is resolved this man makes it a prayer for himselfe and an Hallelujah to God and shall reape the fruit of both in the due time to the other it proves but as the Sacrifice of fooles and if it make a noise it is but as the tinkling of a Cymball Musick at which God stops his eares onely the Devill makes himself meery O Lord God let it be the pleasure of thy will that I may take pleasure in doing thy will for unlesse it be thy pleasure it can never be my will for though we may be good followers yet we are no good beginners therfore though it please thee to say turne unto me and I will turne unto you as though we should begin first yet we are faine to returne it back and say Turne us O Lord and we shall be turned For we God knowes are too unweldy to turne us of our selves it must be done by strong hand and none hath strength enough to doe it but thou O God who art the God of strength And if we would strive as much with the Angels for holinesse as we doe with men for place and dignity we should finde God as ready to take our parts as he was to take our Nature and by such a help of such a helper we should be able to make good our saying Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven O Lord God If I cannot be like thee in holinesse yet let me be like the Angels in obedience and if I cannot attaine to neither let me at least aspire to both and what I want in power and performance make me to supply with Vowes and Payers And here now seemes a fit place to sit
under earth in the evening of the day and in the morning to find a resurrection to his glory why think I may not the Sonnes of Heaven buried in the earth in the evening of their dayâ—â— expect the morning of their glorious resurrection Each night is but the past dayes funerall and the morning his resurrection Why then should our funerall sleepe be other then our sleepe at night why should we not as well awake to our resurrection as in the morning I see the night is rather an intermission of day then a deprivation and death rather borrowes our life of us then robs us of it since then the glory of the Sun finds a resurrection why should not the Sons of glory since a dead man may live again I will not so much looke for an end of my life as waite for the coming of my change A bad great one is a great bad one for the greatnesse of an evill man makes the mans evill the greater It is the unhappy priviledge of authority not so much to act as teach wickednesse and by a liberall cruelty to make the offendors sin not more his own then others Each fault in a leader is not so much a crime as a rule for error And their vices are made if not warrants yet presidents for evill To sin by prescription is as usuall as damnable and men run post in their journey when they go to the Devill with authority when then the vices of the rulers of others are made the rule for vises to others the offences of all great ones must needes be the greatest of all offences either then let me be great in goodnesse or else it were good for me to be without greatnesse My own sins are to heavy for me why then should I load my self with others offences There is no security in evill society where the good are often made worse the bad seldom better for it is the peevish industry of wickednesse to find or make a fellow 't is like they will be birds of a fether that use to flock together For such doth their conversation make us as they are with whom we use to converse I cannot be certain noâ— to meete with ill company but I will be carefull not to keep with evill company I would willingly sort my self with such as shall teach or learn goodnesse And if my Companion cannot make me better nor I him good I will rather leave him ill then he shall make me worse It iâ— the apish nature of many for to follow rather example then precepts but it would be the saffest course of all to learn rather by precept then example For there is many a good Divine that caâ—not learn his own teaching It is easier to say this do thâ—â— to do it when therefore I see good Doctrine with an evill liâ—e I may pitty the one but I will practice the other The good sayings belong to all the evill actions only to their Authours I see corruption so largely rewarded that I doubt not but I should thrive in the world could I get but a dispensation of my Conscience for the liberty of trading A little flattery would get me a great deal of favour and I could buy a world of this worlds love with the sale of this little trifle honesty Were this world my home I might perhaps be trading but alas these Marchandize yeild lesse then nothing in heaven I would willingly be at quiet with the world but rather at pâ—â—ce with my Coâ—science the love of men is good whilst it lasteth the love of God is better being everlasting Let me trade then for those heavenly Marchandize If I find those otheâ— in my way they are a great deal more theâ— I looke for and within little more then I care for As faith is the evideâ—ce of things not seen so things that are seen are the perfecting of faith I believe a tree will be green when I see him leafelesse in winter I know he is green when I see him flourishing in Summer It was a fault in Thomas not to believe till he did see It were a madnesse in him not to believe when he did see Beleefe mâ—â—y times exceedes Reason not oppose it and faith be often above sence not against it Thus whiles faâ—â—h doth assâ—â—â— me that I eat Christ effectually sence must assure me that I tast bread really For thouâ—h I oâ—tentimes sâ—e not tâ—ese thiâ—gs thâ—t I beliâ—vâ— yet I m st still believe those things that I see The Crosse is but a signe of Christ crucified Christ crucified the substance of the Crosse the signe without the substance is as nothing the substance without the signe is all things I hate not the signe though I adore but the substance I will not blaspheame the Crosse of Christ I will not worship but Christ crucified I will take up my Crosse I will love my Crosse I will beare my Crosse I will imbâ—ace my Crosse yet not adore my Crosse All knees shall bend in reference to his name mine never bow in Idolatry to his Image As the giver of all things so each receiver loveth a chearefull giver for a bargen is valued by the worth of the thing bought but a guift by the mind of the party giving which made the widdowes mite of more worth then the riches of superfluity I see then he gives not best that gives most but he gives most that gives best If then I cannot give bountifully yet I will give freely and what I want in my hand supply by my heart he gives well that gives willingly When I see the Larkers day-net spread out in a faire morning and himself whirling his artificiall motion and obsâ—rves by the reflecting luster of the Sun on the whirling instrument not only the merry Larke and fearfull Pigion are dazled and drawn with admiration but stowter birds of pray the swift Merlin and towring Hobby are intised to stoope and gazing on the outward forme lose themselves Me thinks I see the Devills night-nets of intising Harlots fully paralleld spread out for us in the vâ—gor of our youth which with rowling eyes draw on the lustfulnesse of affection and betray the wantonnesse of the heart and wich their alluring glanses often make to stoope within the danger of their fatall nets not only the simple and carelesse but others also men otherwise wary and wise who coming within the pull of the net lye at the mercy of that mercilesse Fowler to their certain destruction Hence I resolve when I see such glasses to shun such motions as assured that these Glassâ—s have Nets adjoyning those Nets a Fowler attending that Fowler a death prepared for me then which I cannot dye a worse I may by chance I must of necessity at some time come within their view I will at no time come within their danger I cannot well live in this world nor at all in the better world if I be caught in their fatall Nets As oft as I heare the Robin-red-breast