the glory of the World comes to the Funeral all Israel all at once in the same 〈◊〉 they come from far they 〈…〉 wings of the 〈…〉 all Mourn 〈…〉 to bury him in his own Town at his own House What can be done more in Samuel's Honour To be Buried is an Honour buried in ones own Countrey much in his own place more but to be so buried as Samuel was in such a place by such a People with so many Tears so great a Solemnity this is Samuel's Happiness and the Saints Honour You see then our third Doctrine An Holy and Profitable Life ends in a Happy and Honourable Death Life is Deaths Seed-time Death Lifes Harvest As here we sow so there we reap as here we set so there we gather of Holiness Happiness and of a blessed Life a Death as blissful He that spends himself upon God and Man shall at the last have all the Honour that Heaven and Earth can cast upon him So Samuel found it so Jacob few men comparable to him in Holiness as few so Honourably Buried So Asa Hezekiah Josiah David c. but especially for Josiah and Hezekiah those great Reformers those Profitable Members the Text takes special notice of their Obsequies Josiah having received his Deaths-wound abroad is brought home in his Chariot and much Honour attends him to his 〈◊〉 he is Buried amongst his Fathers and 〈…〉 nay all Judah and the Neighbouring Towns are Mourners Vse And is this so Then here we see what course must be taken if we will arrive at Honour Men may dream to meet with Honour in many paths they may think to make their Name famous by other means But when they have tyred themselves in seeking this in by-paths as the young Students Elijah's Body they must with them seek in Heaven if ever they will find A Godly fruitful Life hath a fairer prospect towards Honour than all the Advantages in the World besides Be one as poor as Onesimus yet if Onesimus that is Profitable his Name out-lives him Be one as great as King Jehoram or Jehoiachim if he idle out his Life he lives undesired he dyes unlamented What we hear spoken we see executed in all Ages Consult with your own Experience and tell me whether the Names of Idolaters Drunkards Adulterers Swaggerers be not rotten and accursed in despite of all Monuments Titles Offices Policies Favours whatsoever When in the mean time the Righteous notwithstanding all slanders clamours imputations and aspersions is of blessed Name and Memory And if so feed upon the Wind no longer build Babels no more lay no more Foundations in Hell whilst you think to erect a Building by flattery baseness dependency lying swaggering c. but go to the Lord of Honour for lasting Honour Pray much Read much Hear much Honour him in all the passages of his Worship and you have his word for your Preferment And as for men be to them as Jehoiada was profitable and they shall be to you as Israel to him Merciful Ah the fruitful liver finds Mercy in his death his Conscience favours him and heartens him upon death it self The Angels of God those Officers of Heaven comfort him and fetch him in all state to his Crown the Lord of Glory receives him with all Honour and puts upon him the Glory of Heaven the Saints departed regard him as a part of themselves of Christ the Saints living honour his Name and follow him to Heaven with their Loves and Affections The wicked have a world of Commendations for him and the blind Balaam can say O that my end may be like his Thus Honour and Happiness and nothing else abide us hereafter if now we can lay forth our selves to God and Mans Advantage But for the wicked who bestow themselves in the World like Drones in the Hive who either have no Calling or do no Service and towards God so demean themselves as if they were his betters scorning his Children scoffing at his Word trampling upon his Name his Sabbaths his Worship let them never deceive themselves their Names shall rot they shall find no favour in Death their Consciences shall brawl them out of all quiet Men shall rifle into their lives their whoredoms treacheries villanies shall flie thorow the world every Drunkard shall sit upon them every rake-hell judge them censure them and deride them In the mean time whilst that the Name is thus torn below the Soul is brought before the Judge Convicted Committed to Hell covered with shame delivered up to everlasting contempt O then be not cursed but blessed be Happy be Honoured be well thought of in Life well spoken of after Death be Righteous be Humble be Serviceable this is the way as Heaven tells us a Samuels Life will draw on a Samuels Death nothing else In a second place let this afford comfort to fruitful Members and faithful Christians Let them know that the World will change ere-long the wicked who have now the applause must down the godly who are as yet under shame shall one day shine as so many glorious Suns in the highest Heavens Yield then beloved to the Worlds Sons let them have the place give them leave to speak the time will come when Honour shall know its home and Innocency have its Crown All the wiles in the World shall not keep the wicked from contempt nor all the wits in Hell the Godly from Honour Samuels Name may be over-cast and clouded for a time but in the end his light will shew it self Whilst he is present he is not valued but this is Samuels Honour when gone he is mist when dead he is lamented all Israel strives to do him all Honour Blessed be that Life that ends in so glorious a death thrice happy that Man whom Angels God and all Men do strive to Honour A true Christian may travel in life under Troubles and Contempts but marke his end and you shall find as Peace so Honour When he is Buried a true and honourable Funeral is Solemnized men mourn not in the Face but in the Heart respect him not in shew but in truth their Consciences Reverence him their Souls find a miss of him the Angels of Heaven man him in a goodly Train to Heaven the Saints on Earth follow him with greatest Affections to his Grave Seven nay thrice seven Years after the Funeral he is not forgotten Thus are the men whom the great King loves Honoured And now shall Men and Women bear with patience the absence of dearest Friends when it is for their outward preserment And when Christ would Marry a Child prefer a Friend advance our Acquaintance should we stand off No If this be the worst that Death can do to the Godly to strip him of his Rags and cloath him with Robes to free him from all contempts and possess him of greatest Honours to redeem him from all shame and to Crown him with Glory in the Hearts Mouths Consciences of Men in the face of Heaven and
Judgment shall be to us no day of wrath but a day of Redemption Thus we have seen the Point proved Now it remains to apply it And first this serveth then to condemn such as nip the bud so soon as ever it peeps forth and quench every spark that at any time appeareth yea wilfully set themselves to repell all good motions hasting to their cursed Company to chase away those which they call profanely qualms of Devotion sweet inspirements of Gods Holy Spirit So some have some kind of Remorse wrought at some times upon the hearing of a Sermon and seem to be much grieved and are a while perplexed but they soon quench this grief being not willing to torment themselves before the time and therefore run into merry Company and drink down sorrow not being willing to be overmuch disquieted with this melancholy And therefore in the next place let it serve for Admonition to thee and me and to us all that we beware how we suffer that blessed heat to slake which by Gods grace begins to be enkindled in our Hearts Suffer not that coal that holy motion which the Lord hath cast into thy bosom to die within thee but blow it up lay on more fuel add daily more and more matter to it and tremble to lose the least measure of Gods gracious gifts Be frequent in Spiritual exercises as in Hearing Reading Meditation Christian Conference Prayer and the like Let no means be neglected that God hath ordained for the working of establishment A second Doctrine that may hence be gathered is this Where spiritual life and new birth is once begun there will be a growth and an increase in Grace There will be no standing at a stay but a proceeding by degrees After a rising there will be a going First then let this serve for Examination Try thy self hereby see what growth of Grace is in thee what increase of Faith Love Zeal Patience and what strengthning of the inward man Doth Grace get more strength every day than other Doth it grow to some bigness Doth it shoot up in tallness and stature Surely then it is out of Question that Grace is true Grace and thou art made partaker of the New Birth But doth it remain still Infant-like and feeble without any stirring or shewing of it self Then hast thou cause to fear it is but the counterfeit and not true Grace indeed the withering of the blade is a shrewd sign of a stony ground Secondly this may serve to Reprove such as stand at a stay and go not forward but are like the George on Horse-back ever riding but never go a step further Where you leave them this Year there you may find them the next This is a fearful sign and a most uncomfortable thing In the third place let this Admonish every one to grow in Grace Let us forget that which is behind and endeavour to that which is before let us press hard towards the Mark for the price of the high calling of God Let us not be evermore as smoaking Flax or bruised Reeds or as new set Plants but let us abound more and more To my Father Not to my Brother or Fathers Servants or to my Harlots But to my Father Hence learn Relief is to be sought for only at Gods hands in time of Misery and Distress To him are we to betake our selves and to none but him Let this serve to Reprove such as betake themselves to other helps in time of Misery seeking to be relieved either by Saints or Angels in Heaven or by Conjurers Witches or such like unlawful means here upon the Earth This was King Ahaziah's sin who being sick sent Messengers and said unto them Go enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron whether I shall recover of this Disease contrary to that charge which God doth give his People Regard not them that have Familiar Spirits neither seek after Wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Secondly let this teach us to betake our selves unto the Lord when sorrows and griefs assails us Seek help from him and that by means yet only by such Lawful means as he hath warranted in his Word and beware of trusting in the means that God hath warranted It is Lawful to seek to the Physitian and use of his help yet to trust in the help of the Physitian more than in the help of God and to seek first and rather to the Physitian than unto God is sinful And say unto him Father He doth here fore-think what he should speak when as he comes into his Fathers presence for as yet he was not From his Practise learn Not to come into Gods presence without preparation but consider what to say and what to seek before you speak Be not rash saith the Wise man with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God We must confer with our own Hearts and prepare them before we come into the Lords presence To this doth the Prophet Hosea seem to exhort Israel Take unto you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him And so our Saviour in his direction for Prayer sets not down the Petitions abruptly but beginneth with a Solemn Preface to shew that before we Pray there ought to be a disposition of our selves and compossng of the Affections to the Duty So Psal 108.10 57.7 8. The Reasons of this Solomon gives in the place before cited For first God saith he is in Heaven As if he should say God is full of Majesty and Wisdom He is both Lord and Judge it is not a Man nor an Earthly Power that you have to deal with but that God who hath the Angels attending on him and a thousand times ten thousands of Angels administring unto him at whose feet all Kings on Earth cast down their Crowns and Scepters Secondly thou art upon the Earth i. e. a weak unwise unworthy Creature infinitely inferiour in degree unto thy Creator And therefore it becomes not thee to speak unto him but with the greatest Fear Reverence and Advisedness And therefore First this serves to Reprove many who rashly come into Gods presence without any preparation or due meditation of what they are to say or crave Small is the number indeed of such as do Pray but smaller is the number indeed of such as prepare themselves to Pray In the Second place let this Admonish us to prepare our selves before we come to appear before the Lord to call upon his Name whether in Publick or Private You know Goodly Buildings have some Magnificence in the Gate and great Personages have seemly Ushers to go before them who by their uncovered Heads command reverence and way So should Holy Duties be undertaken Exod. 19.10 1 Sam. 16.5 2 Chron. 19.3 And thus much may be spoken of this point We are now to speak of the words themselves which he devised to speak Father I have sinned c. In these words of his acknowledgment
thy Passions be so great that thou must place them somewhere let me Advise thee to consult thy own heart study thy own imperfections where thou shalt find matter enough to work upon for thy better advantage Arraign thy Passions before Heaven as Traitors to God and Man Humbly sollicite the Lord to Metamorphize thy hatred in love to himself thy Envy in Charity to thy Neighbour and thy Malice against the suggestions of Satan that so overcoming thy self through his grace thou maist be made a Pious Zealot of his Glory 28. Of Anger Anger is an Inflammation of the spirits raised from the hot Furnace of Choler the symptoms are a frowning Brow a sparkling Eye and a virulent Tongue which picks the Lock of discreet silence and sets at Liberty a multitude of Faults which was covered with Love speaking what it should forget to the dis-repute of Friends and Familiars it banisheth Patience breaks the bands of Affection and distempereth the whole course of Nature so that it may well be called a short Madness till brought into a better temper by the Manacles of Moderation Corrected by discretion Impatient Man if thy fiery Temperature be so predominant that thou canst not master this blind Passion think on that Divine Vengeance due unto thee for thy Transgression let it fright thee out of thy Cholerick Nature as Piander was affrighted with a clap of Thunder which made him think that the gods were angry with him Let the same consideration imprison thy thoughts but with better Illumination that Gods Judgments are ready to seize upon thee for this thy Frenzie and pray thou unto him to change the complexion of thy heart into a holy Zeal against thy Passions so maist thou be angry and sin not 29. Of. Back-biting The Back-biter is a secret Coward which Wounds at a distance the poyson of Asps is under his Lips which he vents by the Engine of a false Tongue not daring to look his Enemy Truth in the face The Tale-bearer and Prater are of the same Linage Children of Mischief who delight to Fish in troubled Waters Trumpeters of Folly sounding a false Alarm in seditious Ears which are as foul Channels only fit for the reception of stinking Waters a smooth brow gives them Entertainment but an Angry Countenance drives them away saith Solomon as the North Wind drives away Rain for where Wood faileth the fire goeth out where there is no Tale-bearer strise ceaseth Give me O Lord what wilt thou give me that harmless spirit the spirit of Meekness that I dip not my Tongue in this Gall of bitterness and that my Ears be not spunges of foul detraction to nourish prejudice against my Neighbour prevent me also I pray from the mirery aspersions of evil Men who whet their Tongues like Swords and shoot out their Arrows bitter words they encourage themselves in Mischief and the way of Peace they will not know 30. Of Lying A Lyar is much conversant in the Black Art in that he is continually hammering out Lyes upon the Anvil of his dark Heart He is like an irregular Clock which retails falshood by Minutes telling them out in gross by a lying Alarum Amongst all the Societies of Men a Lyar is a most odious Creature in that he out-faces Truth by a down-right Lye as Gehazi his Master Thy Servant went no whither Or else by Mental Reservation and fallacious Equivocation as the Devil at Delphos Aio te Aeacidae Romanos vincere posse or else he will palliate his Design with a gloss of Scripture as Satan to our Saviour He will give his Angels charge over thee so cunning a Factor is the Lyar to beget Proselytes to the Father of Lyes winning belief from unsettled Judgments not able to distinguish Light from Darkness Truth from Error Great God who art the searcher of Hearts discover I beseech thee unto me by the light of Truth the dark inventions of my deceitful Heart set a Watch before my Mouth that my Tongue run not counter to the Balance of Truth but order thou my Conversation by the square of uprightness that I deceive not my self by lying Vanities or my Neighbours by ambiguous Truths 31. Of Swearing The common Swearer is a black-mouthed Cannon fired by his own Passions thundring out Dammes as so many Bullets against the Battlements of Heaven as if he would Quarrel with his Maker for his preservation It is matter of amazement were not God infinitely Merciful that he break not in pieces like an over-charged Gun and that he opens not a way to let down speedy Vengeance upon himself Of all the sins that Man commits there is the least Profit or Pleasure in Oaths unless it be for the confirmation of a Lye for the compassing of a wicked Design mask'd under the guise of Truth or to set a gloss of unsanctified Rhetorick upon a Ranting Speech framed by that grand Artist the Devil Tremble thou then O Profane sinner at this thy Character consider the Mercy and Long-sufferance of God who will not that thou shouldest perish prevent in time by thy unfeigned Repentance the Judgments of God which thy Oaths as Messengers to Heaven invokes to thy destruction Since Satan and thy own evil Nature hath conspired together to make thee Blaspheme the Name of God earnestly intreat him to set a watch before thy Lips that thou offend not with thy Tongue and to mold thy Heart into a better temper that thou be not obnoxious to thy sober Brother or such an Enemy to thy self as to hasten Ruine to thy own soul 32. Of Drunkenness Drunkenness is a sleepy Potion which seizeth the faculties of the Soul locking them up in a Lethargy of sin depriving them of their Natural Function to the support both of the outward and inward Man whereby they come to lose their Active Vertues it stifles the Understanding with fumes of Wine banishing from it the power of Reason which distinguisheth a Man from a Beast it prompts the Will to all kind of Wickedness and drowneth that Noble Register the Memory in the sink of Brutality forgetting what it should remember and remembring what it should forget Consider then O Man with detestation this staggering sin of Ebriety what a Protean Disguise it puts upon thee that couldst thou see thy Monstrous hew in the Glass of discretion how thou art reeling headlong in the way to Hell was enough to fright thee into a sober temper But while thou art snorting in this deathful sin in this Swinish security without infinite Mercy thou maist awake in Hell 33. Of Covetousness Covetousness is not unfitly called the Root of all Evil a sour Root indeed slipt from the Crab-tree-stock of our fore-Parent Eve it generally grows in the ground of all mens hearts but Rich Soyls are the most natural for it in that it receives the greatest Nourishment from them as a thirsty Humour from a Dropsical Body It bears all sorts of evil Fruits which are desirable for Profit and Delight It is
we may see what it was especially that touched him to the quick namely this that he had abused and wronged the love and kindness of so good a Father This was that which made him so much to insist upon the name of Father I will go to my Father I will say Father The misery that he was in as his want of Bread and other Necessaries no doubt was grievous yet all this troubled him not so much as this that he had carried himself so undutifully towards so gracious a Parent Let this then be noted That nothing is so grievous to a true Penitent as this that by committing of sin he hath offended God This was that which most troubled David and went nighest to his Soul that he had sinned against the Lord and offended his Majesty by his committing of evil Against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight The Reason of this the Apostle St. Paul giveth They have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear but they have received the spirit of Adoption Which Spirit doth make them love the Lord and fear to offend and exceedingly grieve when he is offended As it is with a true Lover towards his Beloved Now for the Uses and first we may see here a difference between the sorrow of the Godly and of the Wicked Both grieve both mourn Ahab as well as David Judas as well as Peter Yet the sorrow of the one is Godly and bringeth Life the sorrow of the other Worldly and bringeth Death And therefore for thy further establishment know if thou dost truly grieve these things shalt thou find in thee First thou wilt grieve for sins of all sorts Original and Actual of Ignorance and of Knowledge of Commission and of Omission Secret and Open for less as well as for bigger whatsoever is sin thou wilt mourn for because Gods Law is by it broken and so his Majesty is offended Secondly If thou grievest because God is offended then wilt thou grieve also for the sins of others as well as for thy own because God is dishonoured by the one as well as by the other Thirdly if thy sorrow be right it will be a Proportional Sorrow A Sorrow answerable to the sin as we see in Manasses his sin was great and his Contrition was great 2 Chron. 33.12 So in Peter his sorrow was great for denying his Master Mat. 26.75 Fourthly If thy Sorrow be Godly and is for sin as it is an offence against God thou wilt then be more desirous to be rid of sin than of any other cross whatsoever yea as heartily desirous never to commit it as thou art desirous that God would never impute it Now in the Second place this may serve for the Reproof yea for the terror of many who rest in a counterfeit and unsound Repentance For doth a true Penitent grieve more for Gods cause than for his own Is he more grieved for the offence against God than for any manner of respect unto himself Then surely such are far from true Repentance who were it not for fear or shame could be content to live in sin and tumble in it all their days And before thee That is in thy sight as afterwards Verse 21. This did add much unto his sorrow and did very much aggravate his fault Two Points are here to be observed The first is this That Gods Eye is on all mens Actions The second is this The forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same To come then to the Reasons First God is every where present he can be shut out of no place as man can or as the Sun can because he is infinite in Nature Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Am I a God at hand and not afar off And therefore it cannot otherwise be but he must needs behold our doings and our actions Psal 139.7 Acts 17.27 Secondly It is he that made the Eye and shall he not see It is he that made the Ear and shall he not hear He giveth knowledge and shall he not know Can any thing be hid from him from whom they have their being The work is known unto the worker the Art unto the Artificer the Pot unto the Potter And shall not the Creature be known unto the Creator Thirdly He it is that chastiseth the Nations as the Prophet speaks in the same Psalm Verse 10. shall not he correct He shall be the Judge every one shall be Judged by him according to his works Now albeit he shall not want Witnesses at that day yet it is fitting that himself should have knowledge of the Actions of all men seeing he will not reprove after the hearing of his Ears Isa 11.3 These Reasons shall suffice instead of many Now for the Uses Vse 1. And first this may serve for Terror to all such as live in sin what greater terror to a Thief than to have the Judge an Eye-witness of his Villany So what greater terror to the wicked than this to have the Lord behold their doings Oh think on these things you lurking Dans close Enemies of the Church whose sleep departs from you till you have caused some to fall The Lord seeth your Plots and cunning Devices your close Practises against his Church and People But he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh you to scorn the Lord will have you in derision Take notice of this also you Adulterers and Whoremongers who say in your Hearts Who seeth us We are compassed about with darkness we need not fear Behold the Lord himself who shall be thy Judge he seeth thy Villany and looketh thee in the Face in the Act doing Vse 2. Secondly this serveth to set forth Gods wonderful Patience and long-suffering For is all sin in his Eye Then wonder at Gods forbearance who seeing so many and outragious sins daily committed yet for all that spares us Some are Swearing some Tipling some Cheating some Whoring when his Eye is on them All our Impurities Impieties he doth plainly behold yet he forbears and doth not strike Wonder at this wonder at it Oh you Sons of Men and let it teach you to Repent Vse 3. A Third Use may serve to stir us up and encourage us to well-doing what lazie Servant will not put forth his strength when his Masters Eye is on him So who is it were he well perswaded that the Lord is a spectator and beholder of his doings would not put forth his strength to the Lords work Were this well considered how couragious should we be both in the Duties of our general and special Callings The second Doctrine hence to be observed is this That the forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same The Reasons of this Point are these First we sin against the means that ought to keep us from sin and this doth aggravate the sin
for less as well as for bigger whatsoever is sin thou wilt mourn for because Gods Law is by it broken and so his Majesty is offended Secondly If thou grievest because God is offended then wilt thou grieve also for the sins of others as well as for thy own because God is dishonoured by the one as well as by the other Thirdly if thy sorrow be right it will be a Proportional Sorrow A Sorrow answerable to the sin as we see in Manasses his sin was great and his Contrition was great 2 Chron. 33.12 So in Peter his sorrow was great for denying his Master Mat. 26.75 Fourthly If thy Sorrow be Godly and is for sin as it is an offence against God thou wilt then be more desirous to be rid of sin than of any other cross whatsoever yea as heartily desirous never to commit it as thou art desirous that God would never impute it Now in the Second place this may serve for the Reproof yea for the terror of many who rest in a counterfeit and unsound Repentance For doth a true Penitent grieve more for Gods cause than for his own Is he more grieved for the offence against God than for any manner of respect unto himself Then surely such are far from true Repentance who were it not for fear or shame could be content to live in sin and tumble in it all their days And before â—â—ee That is in thy sight as afterwards Verse 21. This did add much unto his sorrow and did very much aggravate his fault Two Points are here to be observed The first is this That Gods Eye is on all mens Actions The second is this The forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same To come then to the Reasons First God is every where present he can be shut out of no place as man can or as the Sun can because he is infinite in Nature Do not I sill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Am I a God at hand and not afar off And therefore it cannot otherwise be but he must needs behold our doings and our actions Psal 139.7 Acts 17.27 Secondly It is he that made the Eye and shall he not see It is he that made the Ear and shall he not hear He giveth knowledge and shall he not know Can any thing be hid from him from whom they have their being The work is known unto the worker the Art unto the Artificer the Pot unto the Potter And shall not the Creature be known unto the Creator Thirdly He it is that chastiseth the Nations as the Prophet speaks in the same Psalm Verse 10. shall not he correct He shall be the Judge every one shall be Judged by him according to his works Now albeit he shall not want Witnesses at that day yet it is fitting that himself should have knowledge of the Actions of all men seeing he will not reprove after the hearing of his Ears Isa 11.3 These Reasons shall suffice instead of many Now for the Uses Vse 1. And first this may serve for Terror to all such as live in sin what greater terror to a Thief than to have the Judge an Eye-witness of his Villany So what greater terror to the wicked than this to have the Lord behold their doings Oh think on these things you lurking Dans close Enemies of the Church whose sleep departs from you till you have caused some to fall The Lord seeth your Plots and cunning Devices your close Practises against his Church and People But he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh you to scorn the Lord will have you in derision Take notice of this also you Adulterers and Whoremongers who say in your Hearts Who seeth us We are compassed about with darkness we need not fear Behold the Lord himself who shall be thy Judge he seeth thy Villany and looketh thee in the Face in the Act doing Vse 2. Secondly this serveth to set forth Gods wonderful Patience and long-suffering For is all sin in his Eye Then wonder at Gods forbearance who seeing so many and outragious sins daily committed yet for all that spares us Some are Swearing some Tipling some Cheating some Whoring when his Eye is on them All our Impurities Impieties he doth plainly behold yet he forbears and doth not strike Wonder at this wonder at it Oh you Sons of Men and let it teach you to Repent Vse 3. A Third Use may serve to stir us up and encourage us to well-doing what lazie Servant will not put forth his strength when his Masters Eye is on him So who is it were he well perswaded that the Lord is a spectator and beholder of his doings would not put forth his strength to the Lords work Were this well considered how couragious should we be both in the Duties of our general and special Callings The second Doctrine hence to be observed is this That the forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same The Reasons of this Point are these First we sin against the means that ought to keep us from sin and this doth aggravate the sin exceedingly and make sin out of measure sinful Secondly we rob God of his Honour and give not that unto him which is his right we would pluck out his Eyes that he should not see or at least judge him to be blind To think God seeth us not is a kind of Atheism for after a sort we deny him to be God And am no more worthy to be called thy Son See how he humbleth and abaseth himself even to the uttermost I am not worthy to be thy Son nay not worthy of the name of a Son make me but as an hired Servant and I shall think my self most happy Oh rare Humility yet greatly necessary because God is good to such But as for the Proud he beholds them afar off But to come to the Lesson and this it is Where there is true Repentance there is a sight and sense of a mans own unworthiness And it stands with good Reason for the Affections must needs follow the temperature of the Mind so that as the conceit of Holiness and Happiness doth puff up a Man in Pride and Presumption so the true sight and sense of his sinful and wretched estate must needs cast him down with shame and sorrow Let us then examine our Repentance by our Humility Hast thou truly Repented Then thou art truly Humbled and cast down with a sight and sense of thy sins and transgressions But in the second place I must fall from Exhorting to Lamenting for certainly there is but small store of true Repentance upon the Earth there is so little Humility among Men and Women Thirdly this may serve for Terror to all such who as yet have not this mean and base esteem of themselves Let all such know they are void of Grace I have Gods Word for my Warrant Behold saith the
Faith embrace thee as a strong Hold Hope wait upon thee as a sure Defence Charity relieve thee in thy distressed Members and Patience bear thy Cross as her Crown of Glory 6. Of Self-denial There is nothing brings more Honour to God and Credit to Man than the Grace of Self-denial which is a Character of Gods own Teaching but few will take the pains to Learn it because they must first be untaught self before they can be taught the Art of Self-denial Men generally are apt to study Men and study Books both Divine and Moral to increase Humane knowledge and set up the Interest of Ambition and Covetousness that when Times change and Religion and Ambition come in competition they will steer their Devotions to all Winds to shelter them from the storms of Ship-wrack whereas a gracious Heart will endeavour to study that Chymical Wisdom to draw out the Spirit of Self-denial from the Limbeck of Heaven which indeed is the Quintessence of all the Graces and makes a Soveraign Antidote against all Malignant Tumors of Self-love it combates the passions of the Heart it allayeth the flateous Humours of Pride and Vain-glory it suppresseth the Earthy Vapours of Avarice which poysoneth the Heart and intoxicates the Brain it bridles intemperate Appetites which run like a Torrent having the wind of Satans Temptations and our own passionate inclinations to split the Ship of our Souls upon the Rock of Eternal Misery Preserve me O my God from such disasters by this Mysterous Vertue of Self-denial render me I beseech thee a Disciple capable of this Science teach me effectually to spell my frailty in this golden Alphabet place it as a Frontlet before the eyes of my Soul that I may continually read the out-strayings of my Heart with regret of spirit that I may change my Affections from the love of the World to the love of thy self that when the Bark of my Soul shall put ashore it may safely arrive at the Haven of Heaven 7. Of Patience Patience under the Cross is like Gold under the hand of the Finer when sufficiently tryed in the Fire of Affliction and ordered by the hand of Heaven becomes a Glorious Crown for a faithful Christian Lord if my Earthy heart be so impatient that it needs Refining purifie it I pray thee of its drossie quality that it may be brought into a better temper and be made tractable to thy gracious Designs 8. Of Contentment Contentment is a meek submission of a gracious Spirit to the will of God in every condition it puts the Heart into a Holy frame willing to subject and lay it self low to the frowns and stroke of Justice as well as to the smiles of Mercy Good is the Word of the Lord saith Old Eli. If the Lord say he takes no pleasure in me saith David let him do to me what he pleaseth Learning with Paul in every condition to be content This gracious disposition is like Wax capable of any impression or as Clay in the hand of the Potter which may be molded into any form or fashion Where there is a suitableness between the disposition and the condition a man will suffer all things endure all things with contentment Take from him as one saith his Wealth his Treasure is in Heaven cast him into Prison his Conscience is free take away his good Name his Innocency will vindicate him against all aspersions banish him his Countrey Jerusalem above is his City of Refuge Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum seriunt ruinae vultus Though the Foundation of the Earth should shake he will not be moved It is the mind and apprehension that makes every condition better or worse Restraints and Confinements to some are as bad as Death but to others sweet Captivities places of more Liberty for the Service of God witness the rejoycings of Paul and Silas He that hath Christ dwelling in his Heart by Faith may truly say with the Philosopher Omnia mea mecum porto my Treasure is a hidden Treasure I carry all within me and that all I shall carry to Heaven with me Gracious Lord who hath the hearts of all men in thy hands to order and dispose of them to thy own design impress I beseech thee with the seal of thy spirit upon my heart this lovely Grace of Contentment that I may bear thy Cognisance in every condition mold it I pray thee to such an Holy temper as my submission to thy will may answer thy expectation If thou cast me into the Mold of Affliction let me come out thy contented Patient if thou take from me all that I have give me thy self and I shall enjoy all things Christus meus omnia If Christ be not wanting Contentment feels no want 9. Of Peace Peace is a gracious Acquiescence of the Soul in God it is one part of that joyful Tidings proclaimed by the Herald of Heaven Glory to God on Earth Peace good-will towards men yea it is that Royal Legacy left by the King of Glory to his Apostles My Peace I leave with you as it was his dying bequest so it was his reviving salute after his Resurrection Peace be unto you This is that Peace which passeth all understanding which keeps our Hearts in the knowledge and love of God It causeth a cessation of all our Lusts which War against God and our Souls it Uniteth God and Man together in a happy Union and sweet Communion in the Court of Conscience it puts an end to all strife and begets an harmonious Agreement between man and man Blessed Saviour who art the great Peace-maker between God and Man who stilleth the raging of the Sea and the madness of the People I beseech thee bridle the floods of my Passions that they run not over me with noise calm with the word of Peace the boisterous billows of my warfaring Members that they swell not over the banks of my soul sending forth mire and dirt And since there is a necessity of War in my heart Lord convert the enmity thereof against sin and Satan that the end of this War may be Peace 10. Of Love Love is a holy flame derived to us from the Altar of God who is Love it self whose property is to beget the like so we come to love God who first loved us Philosophy tells us that Love is grounded upon similitude Nature instructs sensible Creatures to love their young and God teacheth Parents to love their Children because parts of themselves and Children by a reflective relation to love their Parents as Authors of their being How much more ought we to love God who created both Soul and Body Our Love being but a part of his parental Affection who offered himself a Sacrifice for us through the flame of his Affection Assimulate O my God the soul of thy servant unto thee and let the fire of thy spirit burn up the pile of my sins purifying my heart and kindling my Affections that I may offer up
my soul a zealous Holocaust to the flame of thy Altar 11. Of Chastity This single Grace of Chastity will admit of no Cor-rival but God himself in her Virgin-heart in which she erects a Temple of Love for the Lords delight scourging out all uncleanness with the rod of Sorrow dedicating it wholly to the Service and Honour of the Lord where Love and Beauty God and the Soul are espoused together in holy affection and sweet communion Give me O Lord what wilt thou give a clean heart truly devoted to thy service Though the stains of impure Cogitations and verbal Transgressions may unwillingly and unwarily break in to defile thy Temple O may the rod of Repentance drive them out but shield it I pray thee from that great abomination of desolation those deathful wounds of actual pollution to make it a stink of all iniquity but deck and adorn it with the graces of thy spirit that it may be made a beautiful habitation for thy honours reception 12. Temperance Temperance is as a comly Matron which walks soberly and warily in the wholesom path of Mediocrity between excess and defect her actings are to the health both of Body and Soul avoiding in order to Food and Raiment Superfluity and Sordidness being fed with Frugality and clothed with Decency as to the Soul her Religion very Orthodox running a most even course between blind Zeal and open Profaneness like the Sun in its Aequinox between the Winter and the Summer Solstice hating Enthusiasm Papism and Atheism with other giddy opinions coyned out of the Mint of inconsiderate Brains which begetteth nothing but Division Contention and Disaffection Most holy Lord who art holiness it self and delightest in the beauty of holiness pious hearts as mansions where thy honour will please to dwell square my Religion to the straight rule of thy word and so fashion my Devotion as may be most agreeable to thy own mind neither ceremoniously superstitious or irreverently rude but zealously affected in a decent and orderly manner as may be most sutable to piety and the honour of thy Majesty 13. Of Obedience and Disobedience A good natured Child will grieve that he hath offended his indulgent Father whereas a more rugged disposition will not come into the School of Obedience without much swinging Make me O Lord a child of Obedience by the smiles of thy mercy rather than by the frowns of thy Justice draw me by the silken twines of thy Affections and not by the ruff Cords of thy Corrections but if I be so ill-natured that the rays of thy love will not mollifie my hard heart let the awful stripes of thy fear make it tender so shall thy rod and thy staff comfort me 14. Of Gratitude and Ingratitude Thankfulness is the tribute of our Affections which we pay as a Rent-charge to the great Lord of Heaven and Earth by which we acknowledge his property in us and our Loyalty to him for all his blessings both for Soul and Body and nothing can out us of Possession discard us of our freedom or cancel the obligation of his love to us but Ingratitude that monster in nature which was one of the grand sins which ejected Adam out of his Garden of Paradice into a wilderness of Sin transformed Nebuchadnezar from a man to a Beast till he returned better manner'd and smote Herod in his Judgment-seat because he gave not God the glory Great God! in whose hands are all the Corners of the earth and the fulness thereof in whatsoever possession of thy blessings thy goodness please to place me as Tenant for life O may I esteem it far beyond my deservings that I may learn to be thankful And suffer not I pray thee my nature so ill to degenerate into Ingratitude as to alienate thy affections from me to out me of the Eden of thy favour and let me not be so blockishly dull as not to acknowledge thy property or so arrogantly peccant to rob thee of thy honour lest deservedly I incur thy righteous displeasure but ingratiate my heart I beseech thee with so good a nature as I may render my self a more perfect Creature to give thee thy dues belonging to thy honour and my self the comfort of thy gracious dispensations towards me 15. Of Mercy and Justice Mercy and Justice are the righteous Ballances of Heaven poized by the Hand of Truth which weighs to every one the Rewards of Life and death Mercy is filled with promises of life Justice with wages of death Faith lays hold on the Scale of Mercy through the merits of a Saviour Infidelity draws down Justice as a Recompence for Iniquity So righteous art thou O Lord in thy ways and just in thy Judgments who dispensest to every one after their deservings Merciful Father though the magnitude and multitude of my Transgressions be so heavy to draw down the Ballance of thy Indignation upon me yet being Counterpoized with thy Sons merits in the Ballance of Mercy they shall be found too light to condemn me and my Faith of sufficient weight to save me 16. Of Faith Faith is the Souls Optick which discovereth things afar off as if near at hand though darkly as in a Glass yet far surpassing all the Opticks of Astrology which takes the dimensions of the Orbs according to the sense whereas Faith maketh search into Heaven seeth God Almighty with all his Attributes in the beauty of Holiness Jesus Christ his Son sitting at his right hand interceeding for us the Holy Ghost proceeding coming down like fire to baptize the Saints with all the Heavenly Quires of Saints and Angels singing Allelujah to the King of Glory yea it discovereth Hell afar off with all its monstrosity the reward of our Iniquity seeth Satan compassing the Earth in persuite of the Mother and her Child to devour them but overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Thus O my Soul with this Optick of Faith thou mayest survey all the wonders of God making things invisible to the eye of sense visible to the eye of Reason Thus beholding thee O my God in thy glorious perfections in thy marvelous works in thy gracious Attributes let me experiment thy spirit of grace quickning thy wisdom teaching thy power supporting thy love comforting thy Justice tenderly chastising and thy mercy saving me let the light of thy countenance the splendor of thy Majesty so dart upon my soul through this Glass of Faith that thou mayest be in love with thy own beauty Faith again may be said to be the compass of the Soul which centers one part upon God the other upon the heart of man rounding a Sphear of a new Creation with circles of love through which she draws a Diameter by the Rule of the word which is as a Jacobs Ladder by the hand of an Angel to convey the Graces of God to man and the Prayers of man unto God Scale O my soul by this Ladder of Faith the Battlements of Heaven contend with thy Maker and
out of the narrow tract of life into the broad way of death O may the rod of thy love drive it in that I may walk with more caution having my feet shod with the preparation of thy Gospel 49. Of Life Natural Objects of instability instructs us of our frailty a bubble a vapor a shadow a flower are all Emblems of our Mortality which make their appearance like Philips Page to mind us that we are but men every day liable to the stroke of Death Yea man himself may read his nullity in his own Mirror for how many comes upon the Stage of this World and suddenly returns off as if they would only shew they had a being as if Nature gave them breath presently to bequeath it to death Some with Heraclitus acts a Lacrimae from the Womb to the Tomb others with Democritus a longer Commedy of much Vanity whose Exit oftentimes produceth a sad Catastrophe making more hast out of the World by the pangs of a sudden Death then they came into it by the Throes of their Birth so fragil and uncertain is our condition Muse we then our souls on these animate and inanimate Idea's of our short-lived Being What a curious Fabrick is that Chrystaline Hemesphere the Bubble as if nature composed it on purpose to remonstrate unto us by its sudden non-entity our Fragility A Vapor which is the exstract of all the Elements how soon is it reduced to its first Principles to shew us our speedy return to our original dust The Vmbra of the Gnomon how insensibly doth it steal away our time instantly hiding it self among the Clouds till it receive a second Being from the Sun which shadows forth unto us our vanishing condition to our earthly Bed till the Son of Righteousness reanimates us to eternal Happiness or Misery That Golden Flower of Affection the Marigold enough to dazel the eye of the Beholder doth emblemize unto us in the space of a day our Infancy Youth and Old Age. But admit we some of our Temperaments be so good that the storms of sickness doth not violate us in the Bud or sudden death deflower us in our full blown Glory yet considering the Sun of our life is in its verticle point of its Declination the whole being but a span shortned by every days succession and that upon a moment dependeth Eternity Let us not be such Enemies to our selves to neglect so great an opportunity of a more permanent life but learn we to busie our thoughts upon that heavenly Decree of our Mortality and daily to live the life of Grace as every day expecting the Dissolution of the life of Nature that so when the ship of our life shall run upon the ground of our Grave we may purchase to our selves a new life which shall triumph over time in a Kingdom of Glory 50. Of Death Alexander Questioning Diogenes why he pored upon a pile of dead mens Bones Answered to find out his Father Philip's Skull if possible he could difference if from others A Reply as suitable as his research both enough to flag the Plumes and darken the splendour of the Young Gallants Glory for Objects of Mortality seriously contemplated are but dusty Characters wherein we may read our own nothingness rebate the swelling Humours of Honour Beauty and Valour seeing Death makes no difference between Persons and Qualities between Royal and Plebean Dust the Worms no difference between Nereus and Thersites Beauty and Deformity the Earth no difference between Noble and Ignoble Rich and Poor being all retaken into the Womb that bore them unless it be the Addition of a Golden Epitaph upon a Marble Cover-lid to Emblemize their past Greatness if not their Goodness whereas poor Irus goes more silently to his Bed of Earth than rich Croesus not burdened with such thick Clay Gaze we not then on these gilded Vanities which like Basilisks Wounds us to death let not our Passions Soveraignize over our Affections to make us neglect the fruition of our future felicity and consequently incur everlasting Misery but muse we our Souls upon our Death-day as our second Birth-day upon our Corruption as a new Generation to a new Life that so we may not forget our return home laden with the Rich Treasure of Heaven the Works of Faith Repentance and Obedience with which we must encounter yea Conquer both Death and our selves 51. Of Hell To omit the vain Disputes where Hell is and to pretermit the fabulous Fancies of the Poets concerning Hell that the burning Mountains of Vesuvius and Aetna are the Entrances to it and Pliny pressing too near to search the secrets of Vesuvius was stifled to Death Sure I am where Heaven is not there is Hell the certainty of it prepared for the Damned Devils and Reprobate Sinners the Word of God declares unto us Tophet is prepared of old the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a river of Brimstone doth kindle it It is that Gehenna wherein is continual weeping and knashing of Teeth that firy Gulf which never goes out where there is no Society but what will augment our Misery the Devil his Angels and Reprobate men where the Worm of Conscience is ever gnawing the fire of Gods wrath ever burning where all the Senses according to their several Properties are gulft in misery Those wanton Eyes which were ravish'd with every Beauty are afflicted with hideous Objects of gashly Ghosts Those Ears which once were nothing but spunges of Folly are now affrighted with the noise of howling Devils That dainty Nose wholly delighted with sweet Odours and rich Perfumes is stuft with the noysom stench of burning Sulphur That curious Palate which could relish nothing but what was far fetch'd and dear bought the richest of meats and drinks is miserably bitten with hunger and scorched with thirst The Understanding which would not know God and his Will is wrack'd with the knowledg of Eternal Torment The Will which ran like a Torrent into the Sea of Delights is there overwhelmed in the Ocean of Misery The Memory made to be the Key of Knowledg is grievously tortured with the remembrance of lost Felicity Thus every Sense Faculty and Member is everlastingly wracked tormented afflicted Known unto thee O God are all thy works which Praise thy Name yea Hell it self which thou madest for thy righteous Judgment doth shew forth the same As thou art God Almighty so thou art infinite in every place thou art in Hell by thy Judgments in Earth by thy Grace and in Heaven by thy Glory Hell speaks thy Justice Earth thy Mercy Heaven thy Goodness Thou art as well just in thy Goodness as good in thy Justice O then I pray thee that I may prevent thy Justice by my Goodness and that thy Justice may crown my Goodness which to obtain while I am in this middle Sphere between Hell and Heaven let the one I beseech thee in a holy fear fright me from sin which leads
Earth Let 's never frown upon Friends departure but rather see if possible the Messenger of this good tidings and bless the Lord for our advancement in theirs Indeed beloved we weep too fast when tears deny sight of Mercies In the death of Samuel there is gain to him as well as loss to us both should be remembred I know many present to be sensible of the one I shall be wrongful to conceal the other Truth it is there is fallen a great Man in Israel But how fallen Like Abner upon a violent Hand Or dyed he like a Fool Was he unsensible of his Estate Were his Hands his Mouth his Heart tyed Was his end without Honour No Brethren he died in a ripe Age when the Lord had made the most of his Life he died in Peace he died with hopes of Life in his heart with words of Grace in his lips and his Sun did set in the highest point in greatest brightness time place manner company Men Angels God and all conspired together to do him all Honour in his death Bless the God of all spirits for this all ye that are Interessed in the same Profession and Religion Bless the Lord for this that he so died in such a place in such a time in such a sort as the Devil hath received a foil and Religion grace and honour by it And thus Israel hath done his part in Mourning in Burying Samuel at his House at Ramah And now the more particular Application of all this brings me directly to the sad occasion of this present Meeting even to lament the fall of that Choice and Excellent Person Mr. John Dunton in whose Death the Almighty testifies against us and even fills us with Gall and Wormwood I know you come hither to mourn so fully prepared for it that although I am but a dull Oratour to move Passion I may serve well enough to draw out those Tears wherewith your Hearts and Eyes are so big and full There is no need to call for the Mourning Women that they may come and for Cunning Women that they may take up a wailing to help your Eyes to run down with Tears and your Eye-lids to gush out with Waters The very looking down upon this Bier and the naming of the Man whose Corps is here placed and a very little speech of his Worth and our miserable Loss is enough to make this Assembly like Rachel not only to lift up a voice of Mourning but even to refuse to be Comforted Dearly Beloved I must needs confess I am this day called to speak of a Man so eminent and excellent so wise and gracious so good and useful whose Works so praise him in every Gate that if I should now altogether hold my Tongue the Children and Babes I had almost said the stones would speak upon whose Herse could I scatter the sweetest Flowers the highest Expressions of Rhetorick and Eloquence you would think I fell short of his worth you would say his very Name expresseth more than all my words could do Should I say of him as they of Titus that he was Amor Deliciae generis Humani Should I say of his Death as once the Sicilians upon the Grecians departure Totum ver periit ex anno Siciliano should I say he was not only as one of David's Thirty Worthies but one of the three one of the first three even the first and Chief of them the only Man in these Parts who Preach'd as he liv'd should I say our whole Land groaneth at his Death as the Earth at the fall of a great Mountain I might do it without Envy in this great Assembly Yea should I write a whole Book in his Commendation and Publish it many of you would say as a Philosopher once did who falling on a Book Entituled Encomium Herculis said with Indignation Et quis Lacedaemoniorum eum vituperat He thought it time ill spent to praise him whom none could blame And I believe your selves are resolved to make some such Monument of your high Esteem of him that after-ages as well as the present shall know you valued him above my words I know large Encomiastical praises of the Dead unless their Lives were Eminent in Goodness and free from any notable blot are much condemned by the most Judicious and godly Divines as a thing of very evil consequence because they often prove Confections of Poyson to the Living for many whose Lives speak nothing for them will draw the Example into consequence and be thereby led into hope that they may Press a Hackney Funeral Sermon to carry them to Heaven when they dye On the other hand it may be said that though common Graves deserve no Inscription yet Marble Tombs are not without some Epitaph Heroical and Vertuous Examples should not go with a common Pass but with a Trumpet Since then it must be so jacta est alea I shall impose upon my self this Law not to Build his Monument of common stones nor trouble my self and you to gather such Flowers to cast upon his Grave as grow in common Fields nor descend or stoop to any thing which is not worthy of your highest Imitation First then For his Personal Endowments he was certainly 1. A Person of a very sweet Nature and Temper so affable and Courteous and chearful that he gained upon all that conversed with him and if any tax'd him with any Pride or Moroseness or distantialness in his carriage it must be only such as did not know him he had so winning a way with him he might bid himself welcom into whatsoever House he enter'd Pride and Moroseness are bad qualities for a Man of his Employ and make men afraid of the ways of God for fear they should never enjoy a good day after 2. A Person of a very great Gravity and could carry a Majesty in his Face when there was occasion and make the least Guilt tremble in his presence with his very Countenance I never knew a Man better loved nor more dreaded God had given him such a spirit with power that his very frowns were darts and his reproofs sharper than swords he would not contemn familiarity but hated that familiarity that bred contempt 3. A Person of a very large Charity He had large Bowels and a large Heart a great dexterity in the opening of the bowels of others as well as his own to works of Mercy that I think I may say there is not a Church in England that hath more often and more liberal Contributions for poor Ministers and other poor Christians than this hath according to the proportion of their abilities 4. A Person of a wonderful Patience Notwithstanding the many Weaknesses and Infirmities which for a long time have been continually without ceasing as it were trying their skill to pull down his frail Body to the dust and at last effected it yet I never heard an impatient word drop from him When I came to visit him and asked him How do