which hee shall rain upon him in stead of his meat Thus then it is cleere that mans life and good estate dependeth not upon the abundance of outward things but onely upon the blessing and providence of God Prov. 10.12 For his blessing onely maketh rich and it doth bring no sorrow with it Psal 37.16 For better is a little to the just then great abundance to many of the wicked Prov. 25.26 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord then great treasure and trouble therewith Better is a little with righteousnesse Prov. 16.8 then great revenues without equity Thus then I conclude this point Man liveth not by bread but by a blessing on bread not by outward means but by a blessing upon meanes For how can bread being a dead thing and having no life in it selfe give life to others Phil. I do not well understand the meaning of these words By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Theol. Thereby is meant the decree ordinance and providence of God which upholdeth all things even the whole order of nature For the Scripture saith Hee spake Psal 33.9 and it was done hee commanded and they were created In which words wee plainly see that God doth but speake and it is done hee doth command and all creatures are preserved For God doth all things 〈◊〉 a word Hee created all with his word hee preserveth all with his word hee speaketh and it is done His words are words of power and authority Whatsoever he saith whatsoever hee calleth for it must be done presently without any delay there is no withstanding of him Hee calleth for famine and behold famine Hee calleth for plenty and behold plenty Hee calleth for pestilence and behold pestilence He calleth for the sword and behold the sword All Angels all men all beasts all fishes all fowls all creatures whatsoever must obey him and be at his beck He is the greatest commander his word commandeth heaven and earth and the sea All creatures must bee obedient to his will and subject to his ordinance This is the cause why all things both in heaven earth and the sea doe keep their immutable and unvariable courses times and seasons even because hee hath charged them so to doe And they must of necessity alwayes at all times and for ever obey for the creatures must obey the Creator This â—ct of Parliament was made the first week of the world and never since was or can be repealed Phil. But to call you back againe to the point wee had in hand Resolve mee I pray you of this whether many of the deare children of God doe not in this life sometimes want outward things and are brought into great distresse Theol. 1 Kiâ—g 17. Yes certainely For Elijah did want 2 Câ—r â— 8 2 Cor. 11.25 and was in distresse Paul did want and was in many distresses The holy Christians mentioned in the Hebrewes did want Heb. 1â— 3â— and were in marvellous distresses Many of Gods dear ones have in all ages wanted and at this day also doe want and are greatly distressed But this is a most infallible truth that howsoever Gods children may want and be low brought yet they are never utterly forsaken but are holpen even in greatest extreâ—iâ—ie yea when all things are desperate and brought even to the last cast To this point most notably speaketh the Apostle saying 1 Cor 4.8 We are affl cted on every side but yet wee despaire not wee are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but wee perish not The Prophet Jeremie also saith Lâ—â— 3. The Lord will not forsake for ever but though hee send affliction yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies For hee doth not punish willingly or from his heart nor afflict the children of men The kingly Prophet saith Psal 94.4 Surely the Lord will not fail his people neither will hee forsake his inheritance The Lord himself saith For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee Iâ—a â—5 8 but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee So then wee may fully assure our selves and even write of it as a most undoubted and sealed truth that Gods children shall never be utterly forsaken in their troubles Phil. Sith the care and providence of God is so great for his children as you have largely declared what then I pray you is the cause why God suffereth his to bee brought into so many troubles and necessities Theol. Their profit and benefit is the cause and not their hurt For he loveth them when hee smiteth them Hee favoureth them when he seemeth to be most against them Hee aimeth at their good when hee seemeth to bee most angry with them He woundeth them that hee may heale them Hee presseth them that hee may ease them Hee maketh them cry that afterward they may laugh Hee alwaies meaneth well unto them hee never meaneth hurt Hee is most constant in his love towards them If he bring them into necessities it is but for the triall of their faith love patience and diligence in prayer If he cast them into the fire it is not to consume them but to purge and refine them If he bring them into great dangers it is but to make them call upon him more earnestly for help and deliverance He presseth us that wee might cry wee cry that wee may be heard wee are heard that we might be delivered So that here is no hurt done we are worse scared than hurt Even as a mother when her childe is way-ward threateneth to throw it to the Wolfe or scareth it with some poker or bul-begger to make it cling more unto her and be quiet So the Lord oftentimes sheweth us the terrible faces of troubles and dangers to make us cleave and cling faster unto him and also to teach us to esteeme better of his gifts when wee enjoy them and to bee more thankfull for them as health wealth peace liberty safety c. So then still we see here is nothing meant on Gods part but good as it is written Rom. 5. All things worke together for good to them that love God For Heb. 12 10. Heb. 12.14 even the afflictions of Gods children are so sanctified unto them by the Spirit 1 Thes 1.6 that thereby they are made partakers of the holinesse of God Gal. 6.14 Phil 3.10 Thereby they enjoy the quiet fruit of righteousnesse Thereby they attaine unto a greater measure of joy in the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 11.32 Thereby the world is crucified to them and they to the world Rom. 5.3 4. Thereby they are made conformable to the death of Christ Thereby they are kept from the condemnation of the world Thereby they learne experience patience hope c. So that all things considered Gods children are no losers by their afflictions but gainers It is better for them to have them than to
promise that as long as wee live we shall never want Let us therefore rejoyce and be merry For heaven is ours earth is ours God is ours Christ is ours All is ours As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.21 All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The world clap their hands and crow long before it be day saying All is theirs but the children of God may say and say truly All is ours For they have a true title and proper interest through Christ in all the creatures Many are their priviledges great are their prerogatives They are free of heaven and free of earth They are the onely free Denizens of the world Christ hath purchased them their freedome Christ hath made them free and therefore they are free indeed They are free from sinne free from hell free from damnation They are at peace with God Men and Angels They are at peace with themselves They are at peace with all creatures They are young Princes Angels fellowes descended of the highest house of the bloud royall of Heaven States of Paradise and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them being such young Princes as they are yea hee hath given a very strait charge to all his creatures to looke to them to see to them that they want nothing that they take no hurt so jealous so chary so tender is he of them Gen. 3.2 Jonah 2. 1 King 17. Jos 10. The Angels must comfort Jacob The Whale must rescue Jonas The Raven must feed Elias The Sun and Moone must stay for Joshua Exod. 14. The Sea must divide it selfe that Moses and his people may passe thorow The fire must not burne the three Children The Lions may not devoure Daniel Dan. 3. 6. All the creatures must change their nature rather then Gods children should not be holpen and delivered Oh therefore how great is the happinesse of Gods chosen Who can expresse it who can utter it They know not their owne happinesse it is hid from them Afflictions doe cloud it troubles doe over-shadow it crosses doe dim it and there is an interposition of the earth betwixt their sight and it But this is most certaine and sure that the best is behind with the children of God all the sweet is to come Their happinesse doth not appeare in this world 1 John â— 2â— Their life is hid with Christ in God When Christ shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glory It doth not yet appeare what they shall be but when he cometh they shall be made like unto him Col. 3.3 4. Their names are already taken and entred into the booke of life and one day they shall be crowned One day it shall be said unto them Come yee blessed c. One day they shall enjoy his presence where is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore Therefore let all Gods secret ones rejoyce sing and be merry For howsoever in this world they be contemned troden under the foot made no-bodies walk as shadowes being counted as the very rags of the earth and the objects of the world yet the time will come when their happinesse and felicity shall be such as never entred into the heart of man it is endlesse unspeakable and unconceivable Phil. I doe now plainly see that there is no cause why Gods people should be too heavie and dumpish in their afflictions I see that though they be not free from all afflictions yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions For no rod no crosse no chastisement is hurtfull unto them but all in the conclusion cometh to a blessed issue Theol. You have uttered a great and a most certain truth For there is no affection or triall which God imposeth upon his children but if they endure it quietly trust in his mercy firmly and tarry his good pleasure obediently it hath a blessed and a comfortable end Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the midst of their sorrowes They may with patience and comfort submit themselves to their Fathers corrections taking them patiently and even kissing his holy rod and saying in themselves Sith my Father will have it so I am content seeing it is his mind I am willing withall As old Eli said It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 let him do what he will And as David in like submission said in a certaine case Behold here am I let him doe to mee as it seemeth good in his owne eyes 2 Sam. 15.16 And againe hee saith I was dumb Psal 29. and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hast done it Behold here then the patience of Gods Saints and their humble submission unto his most holy will They know all shall end well and that maketh them glad to thinke of it I conclude then that the children of God are happie in what state soever they are happie in trouble Deut. 28. happie out of trouble happie in poverty happie in plenty blessed in sicknesse blessed in health blessed at home likewise and abroad and every way blessed But on the contrary the wicked are cursed in what state soever they are cursed in sicknesse cursed in health cursed in plenty cursed in poverty cursed in prosperity cursed in adversity cursed in honour cursed in dishonour For all things work together for their destruction Nothing doth them any good They are not any thing the better either for Gods mercies or judgements All weathers are alike unto them They are alwayes the same in prosperity and adversity they are no changelings And as we say A good yeer doth not mend them nor an ill yeer pair them Phil. You have long insisted upon this point Now proceed to the fourth sign of a mans damnation which is the contempt of the Gospel and lay open both the greatnesse of the sin and the danger of it Theol. This sinne is of another nature then the former It is a sinne against the first Table It toucheth the person of God himselfe For to contemne the Gospel it is to contemne God himselfe whose Gospel it is If to contemne the Ministers of the Gospel hee to condemne God and Christ as our Lord Iesus avoucheth how much more then Luke 10.10 to contemne the Gospel it selfe Therefore it is dangerous meddling with this sinne It is to meddle with edged tooles to meddle with Princes matters to touch the Ark to come neer the holy Mountaine which all were things full of great perill and danger Yea it is to spill the Sacrament It is Noli me tangere It is to raile at a King It is to spet God in the face It is high treason against the King of glory Therefore this sinne of all other can never be endured and may at no hand be borne withall For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes Can he put up the contempt of his
sure it is within these thirty yeers these things were not known nor heard of And what say you then to painting of faces laying open of naked brests dying of hair wearing of periwigs and other hair coronets and top-gallants And what say you to our artificiall women which will be better than God hath made them They like not his handy-work they will mend it and have other complexions other faces other hair other bones other brests and other bellies then God made them Theol. This I say that you and I and all the Lords people have great and just cause of mourning weeping and lamentation because such abomination is committed in Israel Davids eyes gushed out with rivers of teares 〈◊〉 9 because men kept not Gods lawes and an horrible feare came upon him because men forsook the law of God 〈◊〉 5 1. J remie did sigh in secret wishing that his head were full of water and his eyes a fountain of teares because of the sinnes of the people Nehemiah mourned for the transgression of Gods people Nâ—hem 1â— Lots just soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites and sâ—â—ll wee moâ—rne nothing at all for tâ—â—se things shall wee be no whit grieved for the pride of our land shall wee shed no teares for such horrible and intolerable abominations They are odious in the sâ—ght of God and men the aire stinketh of them It is Gods marvellous patience that the Dwell doth not carry them away quick and rid the earth of them or that fire and brimstone doth not come downe from heaven and consume them Antil You are too hot in these matters of attire you make more of them then there is cause Asun I con him thank Gods blessing on his heart I shall love him the better while I know him because he is so earnest against such shamefull and detestable pride Is it not a shame that women professing true religion should make themselves such pictures puppets and peacocks as they doe And yet I hear few Preachers in the pulpit speak against it Antil I marvell you should be so earnest in matters of apparell You know well enough that apparell is an indifferent thing and that religion and the kingdome of God doth not consist in these things Theol. I know right well that apparell in its own nature is a thing indifferent but lewd wanton immodest and offensive apparell is not indifferent For all such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them and maketh them sinfull and evill by câ—rcumstance For otherwise why should the Lord threaten by his Prophet that he would visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as were cloathed with strange apparell that is the fashions of other countries Zephan 1.8 Againe why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and mincing minions of Jerusalem for their pride and vanity in attire if there were no evill iâ— such kind of abuse The Lord saith thus in the third of Esay against those brave and gallant dames Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walk with stretched-out necks and with wandring eyes walking and mincing as they goe and make a tinkling with their feet therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Sion bald and the Lord shall discover their secret parts In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calls and the round tires the sweet balls and the bracelets and the bonnets the tires of the head and the slops the head-bands and the tablets the earings the rings and the mufflers the costly apparell and the veiles and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoods and the lawns And in stead of sweet savour there shall be stink and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing of the haire baldnesse and in stead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning in stead of beauty Then shall her gates mourn and lament and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground Thus we see how terribly the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of Jerusalem for their excessive and abominable pride And this may well be a mirrour for the proud minious of our age which assuredly may well fear the Lord will bring some such judgement upon them as he did upon the daughters of Jerusalem For their sin is as great in this kind as was the daughters of Sion and God is the same God now that he was then to punish it Antil Tush never speak so much of these matters of apparell for we must do as others do and follow the fashion or else we shall not be esteemed Theol. If you follow them not you shall be more esteemed of God of his Angels Saints and all good men As for all others if you esteem them more then these you shew what you are Antil Well for all that say you what you will pride is in the heart and not in the apparell For one may be proud of plain apparell as well as of costly And some are as proud of their falling bands and little sets as others are of their great ruffes Theol. You speak foolishly for how know you that Can you judge mens hearts and inward affections Can you say when mens and womens apparell is sober modest and Christian like that they have proud hearts and are proud of that attire You goe very farr indeed to judge the heart You ought to judge charitably of such as goe soverly and modestly attired even that their heart is according to their attire And for you wee may rather think your heart is vain light and foolish because your attire doth strongly argue it And as the Prophet saith The triall of your countenance testifieth against you you declare your sinnes as Sodom and hide them not Esay 3.9 Phil. I pray you then set downe some rules for apparell out of the Scriptures Theol. I may well set down what I will but surely most men and women will doe what they list For verily it may be thought that many of this age have forsworne God and his word and all goodnesse For they are come to this point let God say what he will they will doe what they list For as the Prophet saith They have made a covenant with hell and with death and are grown to an agreement Esay 28.15 And I doe verily think if God himselfe should come downe from heaven in his own person and disswade men and women from this vanity of apparell yet would they still use it as it were in despight of God and as it were to anger him the more For they are so extraordinarily enamoured and so immoderately delighted with it and doe so continually and altogether dote on it and are so wood-mad of it that they will have it though men and Angels and all the world say nay nay which is more though they should goe to the Divell quicke with it And therefore it is but
inward conversation with God by much prayer reading meditation and heavenly affections This indeed is to climbe up above the world and to converse in the chambers of peace O therefore that wee would seriously and throughly conceive and consider of this world as it is that wee would well weigh the vanity of it and the excellency of that which is to comâ— that so wee might loath the one and love the other despise the one and imbrace the other love God more then ever wee did and this world lesse For what is this world but vanity of vanities Antil You do exceedingly abase that which some make their god You speak contemptuously of that which most men have in greatest price and admiration You disgrace that which multitudes would grace You make light of that which numbers make greatest account of Let us therefore heare your reasons Shew us more fully what it is describe it unto us Theol. The world is a sea of glasse a pageant of fond delights a theatre of vanity a labyrinth of errour a gulfe of griefe a stye of filthinesse a vale of misery a spectacle of woe a river of teares a stage of deceit a cage full of Owles a den of Scorpions a wildernesse of Wolves a cabbin of Bears a whirle-winde of passions a fained Comedy a delectable phrensie where is false delight assured griefe certain sorrow uncertaine pleasure lasting woe fickle wealth long heavinesse short joy Phil. Now you have indeed described it to the full and layed it out as it were in orient colours And a man would think he were bewitched or stark mad which hereafter should set his minde on it But yet I am desirous to heare a little more of that which I asked you before wherein the strength and poyson of the world doth especially consist Theol. In this lyeth a great strength of the world that it draweth down the stars of heaven and maketh them fall to the earth as it is said of the Dragons taile Rev. 12. which is ambition covetousnesse and the love of this world For wee may wonder and lament to see how the love of these things hath wounded and over-borne many excellent servants of God both Preachers and Professours of the Gospel which thing doth plainely argue the strength of it For it is the strongest and the very last engine that Sathan useth to impugne us withall when none other will prevaile For when no temptation could fasten upon Christ hee bringeth forth this last weapon which never faileth Matth. 4. All these things will I give thee shewing him the glory of the whole world So then hee having experience of this that it never faileth thought to have overcome Christ himselfe with it Here therefore lyeth the very sting and strength of the world and the Divell For whom hath hee not taken with All these things will I give thee whom hath hee not wounded whom hath hee not deceived whom hath hee not overthrowne With this hee enticed Balaam with this he beguiled Achan with this hee overthrew Judas with this hee bewitched Demas with this in these our dayes hee deceiveth many of excellent gifts For assuredly hee is a Phoenix amongst men which is not overcome with this He is a wonderment of the world that is not moved with money Phil. I am now fully satisfied for this matter But one thing cometh often into my mind to wit that these miserable worldlings can have no sound comfort in their pleasures and profits because they have no comfort in God nor peace in their own consciences Theol. You say very true It is impossible that men loving this world should have any sound comfort in God For no man can serve two masters both God and riches Their case therefore is very dangerous and fearfull though they never see it nor feele it as I will shew you by a plaine example Put case one of these great rich worldlings should bee cloathed in velvet and cloth of gold in most stately manner and also should bee set at his table furnished with all the dainties of the world should bee attended and waited upon by many in most lordly and poâ—pous manner should sit in his goodly dining chamber all glittering like gold should have his first second and third service served in with minstrels and instruments of musick in most royall sort hee sitting in his chaire like a King in his throne yet for all this if a dagger should bee held to his heart all this while ready to stab him what pleasure what joy what comfort could he have in all the rest Even so whatsoever pomp and pleasures wicked worldlings have here below yet their guilty and hellish conscience is as it were a dagger held alwayes hard to their heart so as they can have no found comfort in any thing Or let mee give it you thus Put case a man hath committed high treason and were therefore apprehended arraigned and condemned to be hanged drawne and quartered what then can comfort a man in this case can mirth can musick can gold can silver can lands can livings No no none of all these can help him or give him any comfort For the continuall thoughts of death doe so gripe him at the heart that none of all these can doe him any good or any whit mitigate his griefe What then is the thing that can comfort him in this case Only a pardon sealed with the Kings broad seale and subscribed with his owne hand For assoone as hee hath got this his heavie heart reviveth and leaâ—eth for joy This then assuredly is the very case of all profane Atheists and worldlings who are not assured of the King of heaven his pardon for their sinne and then what joy can they have either in their meat drink goods cattell wives children lands revenues or any thing whatsoever For the dreadfull thoughts of hell doe estsoones crosse them inwardly and quite damp and dash all their mirth Their owne consciences will not bee stilled but in most terrible manner rise up and give evidence against them telling them flatly they shall bee damned how merry and jocond soever they seeme to bee in this world setting a good face on the matter For sure it is that inwardly they have many a cold pull and many heart-gripes And all their mirth and jollity is but a giggling from the teeth outward they can have no sound comforâ— within And therefore the wiâ—e King saith Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull Prov. 14.12 and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Job 27.20 Likewise saith the holy man Job Terrours of conscience come upon the wicked man like waters in the night a whirle-wind carrieth him away secretly Eliphas the Temanite avouched the same point Job 15.20 saying The wicked man is continually as one that travelleth of childe a sound of fear is in his ears c. Thus then we see that howsoever many carnall Atheists and ungodly persons seem outwardly to float aloft in
own person Can hee abide any to spet at his Scepter or to throw a stone at it No surely hee will not Therefore the holy Ghost saith Hee that despiseth Moses lawes dieth without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall hee be worthy Heb. 20.28 which treadeth under foot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the Testament as an unholy thing wherewith hee was sanctified Heb. 2.5 and doth despite the Spirit of Grace And againe If they were punished which obeyed not the word spoken by Angels how shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation Heb. 1â— If they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth how shall wee escape if wee turne away from him that speaketh from heaven Therefore our Saviour Christ saith That it shall be easier for Sodom in the day of judgment Luke 10.12 than for the contemners of the Gospel Moreover hee saith The Queene of the South shall rise up in judgement â—gainst all froward despisers of his word Mat. 12. For shee came from the uttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedom of Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here For Christ is greater than Solomon his doctrine and wisedome far more excellent And therefore their sinne is the greater which contemne it They shall never be able to answer it For the Spirit saith Prov. 13.13 Hee that despiseth the word shall bee destroyed S. Peter also telleth us 1 Pet. 3.9 that the old world and men of the first age are now in hell-fire because they both despised and were disobedient to the doctrine of Christ 1 Pet. 5.10 which though not personally yet in his divine Spirit he spake by Noah So then wee see cleerly God will never take it at our hands that his glorious Gospel should be so universally and openly contemned as it is Phil. You have spoken most truly and also shewed it out of the Scriptures that the contempt of the Gospel is a most hainous sinne yet for all that it is most lamentable to consider how little men esteeme it and how light they make of it Many regard it no more then an egge-shell they thinke it not worth a galley halfe-penny they will not goe to the doore to heare it they take it to bee a breath from us and a sound to them and so the matter is ended They esteeme it but as a noise or empty sound in the aire or as a voice a farre off which a man understandeth not they never felt the power of it in their hearts Therefore they preferre their sheep their farmes their oxen their profits their pleasures yea every thing before it they know it not to bee any such precious jewell as it is Although our Lord Jesus himselfe compare it to a hid treasure and a most precious pearle yet these filthy swine of the world tread it under feet for they know not the price of it Though Solomon the wise Prov. 3. saith All the merchandise of gold and silver pearle and precious stones are not to bee compared to it yet these beasts these dogs and hogs of the world contemne it They esteeme a cow more then Christs most glorious Gospel They are like Esops cocke which made more account of a barley corne then all the precious stones in the world they are like little children that esteeme their rattle more then a bagge of gold they are like the Gadarens which esteemed their hogs more then Christ and his Gospel they make nothing of it they thinke it not worth the while Many of them sit idle in the streets even upon the Sabbaths while the Gospel is preached in their Churches many are at cards and tables in the Ale-houses Many on the Sabbath sleep upon their beds all the Sermon while in the afternoon Many will heare a Sermon in the forenoon and they take that to be as much as God can require at their hands and that hee is somewhat beholden to them for it but as for the afternoon they will heare none then they will to bowls or tables These men serve God in the forenoon and the devill in the afternoon Some runne after whores and harlots on the Sabbath some runne to dancing and bear-baitings some sit upon their stalls some sit in their shops some by the fire side some sit idle in the streets some goe to the stole-ball and others look on O miserable wretches O cursed caitiffes O monstrous hell-hounds which so grosly and openly contemne the Gospel of Christ What will become of them in the end Assuredly their damnation sleepeth not A thousand deaths wait for them they lie open on all sides to the wrath of God And we may wonder at his marvellous patience that hee doth not throw downe balls of wilde-fire from heaven to consume and burne up both them their shops and houses and even make them spectacles of his vengeance for so notorious contempt of such sacred holy and high things Theol. You have spoken very truly zealously and religiously and I doe greatly commend you for it And I must needs affirme the same things for they cannot bee denied And for mine owne part I thinke the Gospel was never so openly contemned in any age of a people living under the profession of it and under a godly and Christian Prince as it is in this age For howsoever some make a shew of religion yet they have denied the power thereof They turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Jude 4. as St. Jude saith They make the Gospel a cloak for their sinnes They receive it and embrace it as it will best stand with their profits and pleasures their lusts and likings their credits and policies and not a jot further They will practise it at their leasure Tit. 1.16 These men professe they know God but by their works they deny him and are abominable disobedient and to every good worke reprobate This age is full of such carnall Protestants Phil. This age indeed aboundeth with many hollow-hearted hypocrites dissemblers and time-servers which howsoever they make a face and beare a countenance as though they loved the Gospel yet their heart is not with it Their heart is with Atheisme their heart is with Popery they have a Pope in their belly they bee Church-papists Howsoever now and then they come to the Church and heare a Sermon and shew a good countenance to the Preacher yet their heart goeth after covetousnesse The Lord complaineth of this by the Prophet saying Ezek. 33.32 This people will sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not do them For with their mouthes they make jests and their heart goes after covetousnesse God complaineth of this also by the Prophet Jeremie saying Will you steal murder Jer. 7.9 and commit adultery and sweare falsly and stand before me in this house whereupon my name is called and say Wee are delivered though wee have done
affection They will speak you faire when they would cut your throat They will shew you a good countenance when they would eat your heart with Garlick In outward shew they will carry themselves plausibly when their hearts are full of venome and malice This viperous brood doe but watch their times and opportunities till they can get a man upon the hip and then they will sting him and worke their malice upon him These fawning curs will not bark till they bite they will lurk and lye close till they spye their vantage and then they will shew themselves in their kinde then they will hoist a man and turne him over the perk if they can These men are like the waters which are most deep when they are most calme like a dangerous rocke hid under a calme sea or as the Heathens say like the Syrens song which is the Sailers wrack like the Fowlers whistle which is the birds death like the 〈◊〉 bait which is the fishes bane 〈◊〉 the Harpies which have Virgins faces and Vultures talons or like Hyena which speaketh like a friend and devoureth like a foe or as the Scripture saith like Joab the Captaine of the hoast 2 Sam. â—0 10 which spake kindly to Amasa another Captaine and kissed him when presently hee stabâ—d him or like unto the Herodians and Pharisees servants which came to our Lord Iesus with many fawning insinuations calling him good Master and telling him that hee was the plaine truth that hee taught the way of God truly he regarded no mans person and many good morrowes and all this geere when as in very deed their purpose was to entangle him in his words and to entrap him that they might catch advantage against him and so cut his throat and give him pap with a hatchet This is it which the wise mâ—n saith Pro. 29.5 A man that stattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet And againe Pro. 26.23 As silver drosse over-laid upon an earthen pot so are fawning lips and an evill heart And in another place hee saith Pro 26.25 Hee that beareth hatred will counterfeit with his lips but hee layeth up deceit in his heart When hee shall shâ—w his voice favourably trust him not For there are seven abominations in his hoâ—â— He will cover hatred by deceit 〈…〉 malice shall be discovered in the congregation In another place hee pronounceth a curse upon all these hallow-hearted hypocrites and meal-mouthed flatterers For Pro 27.4 saith hee Unto him that blesseth his friend with a loud voice betimes in the morning rising up early a curse shall be imputed Phil. You have very wâ—ll described the conditions of the men of this age which have faces countenances and tongues but no hearts which profâ—sse lying and dissembling which say Hee cannot live that cannot dissemble which have faire faces and false hearts which have forgotten that plâ—ine honesty is deep policie Theol. The holy Ghost often in the Proverbs of Solomon calleth all unregenerate men fooles or as it is in the Hebrew men without hearts Because they have no heart to God no heart to his word no heart to his children no heart to godlinesse no heart to any thing that good is They are without an honest heart an upright heart a plaine heart They are all in words nothing in deeds They promise mounraines and performe mole-hils They wil speak well of Religion and practise nothing They will give faire words to their friends and doe just nothing for them Phil. The world is full of these masked counterfeits and lying and dissembling did never more abound Theol. It is too true that lying and dissembling are most rise and over-common vices amongst all sorts of men but especially it doth overflow and superabound in shop-keepers and servants For both these make a trade and occupation of it they can doe no other but lye It cleaveth unto them as the naile to the doore Phil. I do certainly know some shop-keepers which to utter their bad wares and to blinde the eies of the simple do trade in lying all the day long from Sun to Sun from the opening of the shop and windowes to the shutting of the same And what is their life if customers come in apace but swearing lying dissembling and deceiving They will lye as fast as a dog will trot as wee say It is wonder that their shops and all their wares do not fire over their heads for their so common so lewd and so abominable lying and that against their owne knowledge against their conscience against God against their neighbour against heaven and earth men and Angels Theol. True it is we may marvel at the long-suffering of God in this behalfe But this is to be noted that God doth not immediatly punish all notorious sinners in this life but reserveth thousands to the judgment of the great day In this life he only culleth out some few whom he smiteth for the example of others that they might feare and tremble and learne by other mens harmes to beware Therefore even in this life wee see before our eyes some lyers some drunkards some whore-mongers some swearers some misers of the world some ruffians and cut-throats stricken downe by the revenging hand of God But whereas God smiteth one of these in this life hee letteth an hundred escape For if hee should punish all offenders in this life to what purpose should the judgement to come serve If hee should punish none then we should think there were no God or that hee were shut up idle in heaven and would do neither good nor evill nor once meddle in the matters of the earth as some Epicures have dreamed Therefore to avoid both these extremities God in his heavenly wisedome hath thought good to meete with some even in this world Phil. I am of this mind that the goods which men get by swearing lying and deceit will never prosper Theol. You are not therein deceived For God will blow upon all such kinde of evill gotten goods and they shall be put in a bottomelesse purse as the Prophet saith The holy Ghost in the book of the Proverbs hath many excellent sayings to this effect as chap. 13.11 Hag. 1.6 The riches of vanity shall be diminished but hee which laboureth with the hand shall increase them And againe Prov. 10. Hee that dealeth deceitfully shall become poore but the hand of the diligent maketh rich In another place he saith Pro. 14. â—7 The deceitfull man rosteth not that which hee hath caught in hunting That is hee shall not long enjoy or taste the prey which he hath gotten by fraud For either one trouble or other will come upon him that he shall not be able to possesse or take delight in the spoyle Therefore it is said The bread of deceit is sweete to a man but after his mouth shall be filled with gravell That is in the end the crafty person shall meete with many troubles For either his
Therefore the children of God may very fitly bee compared to a great piece of corke which though it be cast into the sea having many nailes fastned in it yet it beareth them all up from sinking which otherwise would sink of themselves What shall we say then or what shall wee conclude but that the ungodly are more beholden to the righteous than they are aware of Phil. I do thinke if it were not for Gods children it would goe hard with the wicked For if they were sorted and shoaled out from amongst them and placed by themselves what could they looke for but wrath upon wrath and plague upon plague till the Lord had made a finall consumption and swept them like dung from the face of the caâ—â—â— Theol. Sure it is all creatures would frowne upon them The Sun would unwillingly shine upon them or the Moone give them any light The starres would not be seene of them and the Planets would hide themselves The beasts would devoure them The fowles would pick out their eyes The fishes would make warre against them and all creatures in heaven and earth would rise up in armes against them Yea the Lord himselfe from heaven would raine downe fire and brimstone upon them Phil. Yet for all this it is a wonder to consider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous and almost in every thing oppose themselves against them and that in most vivulent and spitefull manner They ruile and slander seoffe and scorne mock and mow at them as though they were not worthy to live upon the earth They esteeme every pelting rascall and preferre every vile varlet before them And though they have their lives and liberty their breath and safety and all that they have else by them yet for all that they could be content to eat their heart with garlick so great so fiery so burning and hissing hot is their fury and malice against them Theol. They may very fitly be compared to a Moth that fretteth in pieces the same cloth wherein she is bred or to a certaine worme or canker that corrodeth and eateth thorow the heart of the tree that nourisheth her or unto a man that standeth upon a bough in the top of a tree where there is no more and yet with an axe choppeth to off and therewithall falleth down with it and breaketh his neck Even so the fooles of this world doe what they can to chop asunder the bough that upholds them but they may know easily what will follow Phil. I see plainly they be much their owne foes and stand in their owne light and indeed know not what they doe For the benefit which they receive by such is exceeding great and therefore by their maligning of them they doe but hold the stirrup to their owne destruction Theol. Now to apply these things to our selves and to returne to the first question of this argument may we not marvell that our Nation is so long spared considering that the sins thereof are so horrible and outrageous as they be Phil. We may justly marvell at the wonderfull patience of God and wee may well thinke that there be some in the land which stand in the breach being in no small favour with his Highnesse sith they doe much prevaile Theol. The mercifull preservation of our most gratious King who is the breath of our nostrils the long continuance of our peace and of the Gospell the keeping back of the sword out of the land which our sins pull upon us the frustrating of many plots and subtill devices which have beene often invented against our State yea and the life of his Majesties most royall person make me to thinke that there be some strong pleaders with God for the publike good of us all Phil. You may well thinke so indeed for by our sins wee have forfeited and daily doe forfeit into Gods hands both our King our Country our Peace our Gospell our lives our goods our lands our livings our wives our children and all that we have but only the righteous which are so neere about the King and in so high favour doe step in and earnestly intreat for us that the forfeitures may be released and that we may have lease in parley of them all againe or at least a grant of further time But I pray you Sir are not wee to attribute something concerning our good estate to the policie of the Land the Lawes established and the wisdome and counsell of our prudent Governours Theol. Yes assuredly very much as the ordinary and outward meanes which God useth for our safety For though the Apostle Paul had a grant from God for the safety of his owne life and all that were with him in the ship yet he said Acts 28.31 Except the Mariners abide in the ship wee cannot be safe Shewing thereby that unto faith and prayers the best and wisest meanes must be joyned We are therefore upon our knees every day to give thankes unto God for such good meanes of our safety as hee hath given us Phil. Well then as the prayers of the righteous have been hitherto great meanes both for the hindering and turning away of wrath and the continuance of favour so shew I pray you what is the best course to be taken and what in sound wisdome is to be done both to prevent future dangers and to continue Gods favours and mercies still upon us Theol. The best and surest course that I can consider or conceive of is to repent heartily for sins past and to reforme our lives in time to come to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is neer to forsake our owne wayes and our owne imaginations and to turn unto him with all our hearts with weeping with fasting and with mourning as the Prophet Joel chap. â— adviseth For our God is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill All the Prophets doe counsell us to follow this course and doe plainly teach that if we all from the highest to the lowest doe meet the Lord with unfeigned repentance and offer him the sacrifice of a contrite spirit undoubtedly hee will be pacified towards us and be mercifull to our transgressions This is most plainly set downe in the seventh Chapter of Jeremy where the Lord saith thus to his people â—er 7. If you amend and redresse your wayes and your workes If you execute judgement betwixt a man and his neighbour and oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow and shed no innocent bloud in this place neither walke after other gods to your destruction then will I let you dwell in this place even in the Land which I gave unto your fathers for ever and ever So likewise he saith by the same Prophet Jer. 22.5 Execute yee judgement and righteousnesse and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor and vexe not the fatherlesse the widow or the strangers doe
hope for as of that which wee have but wee are sure of that which wee have which is the 〈◊〉 of grace therefore wee are sure 〈◊〉 wee looke for which is the crowne of glory Many other places of the holy Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but I suppose these may suffice Phil. As you have shewed this by the Scriptures so also shew it more planly by evident reason out of the same Theol. How can a man in truth call God his Father when hee saith Our Father which art in heaven and yet doubt whether hee is his Father or no For if GOD indeed be our Father and we his children how can we perish how can we be damned Will a Father condemne his owne children shall the children of GOD be condemned No no Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Againe Rom. 8.33 â—4 Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who can condemne It is therefore most certaine and sure that all such as doe in truth call God their Father and have God for their Father shall be saved Againe how can a man say in truth and feeling that he beleeves the forgivenesse of sinnes and yet doubt whether he shall be saved For if he be fully perswaded that his sinnes be forgiven what letteth why he should not be saved Moreover as certainly as we know we are called justified and sanctified so certainly we know we shall be glorified But we know the one certainly and therefore the other Asun I will never beleeve that any man can certainly know in this world whether hee shall be saved or damned but all men must hope well and be of a good beliefe Theol. Nay we must goe further then hope-well We may not venture our salvation upon uncertaine hopes As if a man should hope it would be a faire day to morrow but hee cannot certainly tell No no wee must in this case being of such infinite importance as it is grow to some certainty and full resolution Wee see worldly men will be loth to hold their lands and leases uncertainely having nothing to shew for them They will not stand to the curtesie of their land-lords nor rest upon their good wils They will not stay upon uncertaine hopes No they are wiser then so For the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Luke 16. They will be sure to have something to shew They will have it under seale They will not slay upon the words and promises of the most honest men and best land-lords They cannot be quiet till they have it in white and black with sound counsell upon their Title and every way made as sure unto them as any Law of the land can make it Are then the children of this world so wise in these inferiour things and shall not wee be as wise in matters of ten thousand times more importance Are they so wise for earth and shall not wee be as wise for heaven Are they so wise for their bodies and shall not wee be as wise for our soules Shall we hold the state of our immortall inheritance by hope-well and have no writings or evidences no seale no witnesses nor any thing to shew for it Alas this is a weake Tenure a broken Title a simple hold indeed Asun Yet for all that a man cannot be certaine Theol. Yes Saint John telleth us we may be certaine For hee saith Hereby we know we dwell in him 1 Joh. 4.13 and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit He saith not we hope but we know certainly For he that hath the Spirit of God knoweth certainly he hath it and he that hath faith knoweth that he hath faith and he that shall be saved knoweth he shall be saved For God doth not worke so darkly in mens hearts by his Spirit but that they may easily know whether it be of him or no if they would make a due tryall Againe the same Apostle saith 1 Joh. 5. â—6 He that beleeveth in the Son of God hath the witnesse in himselfe That is he hath certaine testimonies in his owne conscience that he shall be saved For we must fetch the warrant of our salvation from within our selves even from the worke of GOD within us For looke how much a man feeleth in himselfe the increase of knowledge obedience and godlinesse so much the more sure he is that he shall be saved A mans owne conscience is of great force this way and will not lye or deceive For so saith the wise man Pro. 27.19 As water sheweth face to face so doth the heart man unto man That is the mind and conscience of every man telleth him justly though not perfectly what he is For the conscience will not lye but accuse or excuse a man being in stead of a thousand witnesses 1 Cor 2.11 The Apostle saith No man knowes the things of man but the spirit of man that is in him And againe the Scripture saith Pro. 2â— 29 Mans soule is as it were the candle of the Lord whereby he searcheth all the bowels of the belly So then it is a cleere case that a man must have recourse to the worke of Gods grace within him even in his owne soule and thereby he shall be certainly resolved one way or other For even as Rebecca knew certainly by the striving and stirring of the twins in her wombe that she was conceived and quick of childe so Gods children know certainly by the motions and stirring of the holy Ghost within them that they have conceived Christ and shall undoubtedly be saved Phil. I pray you let us come to the ground-worke of this certainty of salvation and speak somewhat of that Theol. The ground-worke of our salvation is laid in Gods eternall election and in respect thereof it standeth fast and unmoveable as it is written 2 Tim. 2.16 1 Thes 5.24 The foundation of God standeth fast And againe Hee is faithfull that hath promised 2 Tim. 2.13 Though wee cannot beleeve yet hee abides faithfull So then as we know it certainly in our selves by the consequence of election so it standeth most firme in respect of God and his eternall and immutable decree And a thousand infirmities nay all the sinnes of the world nor all the Divels in hell cannot overthrow Gods election For our Lord Iesus saith John 6.34 All that the Father hath given mee shall come unto mee And againe John 6.39 This is the Fathers will that hath sent mee that of all which hee hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day And in another place our Saviour Christ saith John 10.17 My sheep heare my voice and I know them and they follow mee and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand
particularly and by name Antil Christ dyed for all men and therefore for me Theol. But all men shall not be saved by Christ How therefore do you know that you are one of them that have speciall interest in Christ and shall be saved by his death Antil This I know we are all sinners and cannot be saved by any other than by Christ Theol. Answer directly to my question How do you know in your selfe and for your selfe that you are one of the elect and one of those for whom Christ died Antil I know it by my good faith in God because I put my whole trust in him and in none other Theol. But how know you that you have faith or how shall a man know his faith Antil I know it by this that I have alwayes had as good a meaning and as good a faith to God-ward as any man of my calling and that is not book-learned I have alwayes feared God with all my heart and served him with my prayers Theol. Tush now you go about the bush and hover in the aire answer mee to the point How doe you know certainely and 〈◊〉 that Christ dyed for you particularly and by name Antil You would make a man mad You put mee out of my faith you drive mee from Christ But if you goe about to drive me from Christ I will never beleeve you For I know we must be saved onely by him Theol. I goe not about to drive you from Christ but to drive you to Christ For how can I drive you from Christ seeing you never came neere him How can I drive you out of Christ seeing you were never in him But this is it that deceiveth you and many others that you thinke you beleeve in Christ because you say you beleeve in Christ as though faith consisted in words or as though a man had saith because hee saith so If every one that faith he hath faith therefore hath faith and every one that saith hee beleeveth in Christ doth therefore beleeve then who will not have faith who will not beleeve But in very deed your faith and the faith of many others is nothing else but meere imagination But all this while you have not answered my question touching your particular knowledge of Christ Antil I can answer you no otherwise then I have answered you And I thinke I have answered you sufficiently Theol. No no you faulter in your speech your answer is not worth a button you speak you wot not what you are altogether befogged and benighted in this question But if there were in your heart the true knowledge and lively feeling of God then I am sure you would have yeelded another and a better answer then you would have spoken something from the sense and feeling of your own heart and from the worke of Gods grace within you But because you can yeeld no found reason that Christ died for you particularly and by name therefore I suspect you are none of them which have proper interest in him and in whom his death takes effect indeed Phil. I think this question would gravell a great number and few there be that can answer it aright Theol. It is most certaine I know it by lamentable experience that not one of a hundred can soundly and sufficiently answer this question none indeed but onely those in whom the new worke is wrought and do ty the inward worke of the Spirit feele Christ to be theirs I have talked with some which are both witty sensible and learned who notwithstanding when they have beene brought to this very point and issue have stuck sore at it and staggered very much And howsoever they might by wit and learning shuffle it over and in a blundering sort speak reason yet had they no feeling of that which they said and therefore no assurance and consequently as good never a whit as never the better It is the sanctifying Spirit that giveth feeling in this point and therefore without the feeling of the operation of the same spirit it can never be soundly answered Thus then I doe close up this whole matter As the Vine-branch cannot live and bring forth fruit except it abide in the Vine no more can wee except wee abide in Christ and be truly graffed in him by a lively faith None can have any benefit by him but they onely which dwell in him None can live by Christ but they which are changed into Christ None are partakers of his body but they which are in his body None can be saved by Christ crucified but they which are crucified with Christ None can live with him being dead but those which die with him being alive Therefore let us root downward in mortification that wee may shoot upward in sanctification let us die to sinne that we may live to righteousnesse let us die while wee are alive that wee may live when wee are dead Asun If none can be saved by Christ but onely these which are so qualified as you speake of then Lord have mercy upon us then the way to heaven is very strait indeed and few at all shall be saved For there be few such in the world Theol. You are no whit therein deceived For when all comes to all it is most certaine that few shall be saved which thing I will shew unto you both by Scripture reasons and examples Asun First then let us heare it proved by the Scriptures Theol. Our Lord Iesus saith Mat. 7.10 Enter in at the strait gate For it is the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat because the gate is strait and the way narrow that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Againe hee saith Many are called Mat. 20.16 but few chosen In another place we reade of a certaine man which came to our Saviour Christ asked him of purpose whether few should be saved To whom our Saviour answered thus Luke 13.14 Strive to enter in at the strait gate For many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able In which answer albeit our Saviour doth not answer directly to his question either negatively or affirmatively yet doth hee plainly insinuate by his speeches that few shall be saved For first hee bids us strive earnestly noting thereby that it is a matter of great griefe against the World the Flesh and the Divell Secondly hee affirmeth that the gate is very strait noting that none can enter in without vehement crowding and almost breaking their shoulder-bones Lastly hee saith that many which seeke to enter in shall not be able noting thereby that even of them that seek many shall step short because they seeke him not aright Esaias also saith Except the Lord of hosts had left us a seed Esay 1.9 wee had beene as Sodome and had beene like to Gomorrah The Apostle also alledgeth out of the Prophet Rom. 9 28. Esay 10.22
foole for flattering himselfe in security and promising unto himselfe long life Moreover hee plainely told him that the same night hee should make a hellish and miserable end Note I pray you how Iesus Christ the fountaine of all wisedome câ—lleth this man a foole and yeeldeth a reason thereof to wit because hee gathered riches to himselfe and was not rich in God hee had great care of this life and none at all for that which is to come So then it followeth that all such are right fooles indeed and may be chronicled for fooles how wise soever they be taken and reputed in the world which have much care for their bodies and none for their soules great care for this life and little for that which is to come well let all such profane worldlings as dreame and dote of long life and therefore deferre the day of their repentance and conversion unto God take heed by this mans example that they reckon not without their host and he suddenly snatcht away in the midst of all their pleasures and jollitie â—â—s Job saith Job 22.13 Some die in their full strength being in all ease and prosperity Their breasts run full of milke and their bones run full of marrow Wee see therefore how dangerous a thing it is for men to flatter and â—ooth up themselves with hope of long life Phil. Proceed to the seventh gate which is Conceitednesse Theol. This is indeed a very broad gate into hell For the Scripture saith Prov. 16.12 Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit There is more hope of a foole than of such a one And againe The foole is wiser in his owne eyes Prov. 26. â—6 then seven men that can give a sensible reason The holy Ghost wee see affirmeth that such as are puft up with an overweâ—ning of their owne gifts are farthest of all other from the Kingdome of Heaven For they despise the wisedome of God to their owne destruction They hold scorne to be taught they will say they know as much as all the Preachers can tell them For what can all the Preachers say more then this Wee are all sinners wee must bee saved by Christ wee must do as wee would be done to There is no more but doe well and have well c. Alas poore soules they looke â—loft they are desperately hoven up with conceitednesse not knowing that they are poore Rev. 3.17 naked blind and miserable These men trust altogether to their owne wit learning policie riches and great reputation in the world And because all men crouch to them and clap their hands at them therefore they swell like Turkiâ—â—-Cocks set up their feathers and draw their wings upon the ground with a kind of snuffe and disdaine of all men as if they were the onely wights of the world Moreover when men doe praise them for their naturall gifts soothe them and applaud them then it is a wonder to see how they streake themselves as though they would forthwith take their flight and mount unto the clouds But let all insolent and conceived men hearken unto the woe that is pronounced against them by the eternall King of glory saying Woe unto them that are wise in their owne eies Esay 5.21 and prudent in their owne sight Againe let them hearken to the counsell of God which saith Trust unto the Lord with all thine heart Pro. 3.5 but leane not unto thine owne wisedome Be not wise in thine owne eyes but feare God and depart from evill These silly conceited fooles thinke that because they have the cast of this life and can cunningly compasse the things of this world and goe through stitch with them therefore they can compasse heaven also by their fine wits and deepe devices but alas poore wretches they are greatly and grossely deceived For the wisedome of the world is foolishnesse with God and hee cotcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse 1 Cor. â— 19 And againe the Lord saith 1 Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the understanding of the prudent Let not these men therefore stand too much in their owne light let them not trust to their owne policies for they are all but as an ice of one nights freezing which will deceive them that trust unto it Let them therefore become fooles in themselves that God may make them wiâ—â— Let them denie themselves that God may acknowledge them Let them be humbled in themselves that God may exalt them For assuredly there is no use after this life of the most exquisite wisedome of flesh it endeth all when wee end Eccles 2.16 For how dieth the wise man â—â—ven as dieth the foole saith the holy Ghost And where all worldly wisedome endeth there all heavenly wisedome beginneth Thus therefore we see what a wide gate into hell Conceitednesse is and how many enter in thereat Phil. Now let us understand of the eighth gate into hell which is Ill Company Theol. The Spirit of God foreseeing the great danger of this and knowing how ready wee are to be carried away with ill company doth give us most earnest warning to take heed of it as a most dangerous thing Prov. 4.14 Enter not saith hee in the way of the wicked and walke not in the way of evill men Avoid it goe not by it turne from it and passe by The reason hereof is yeelded in another place where it is said Prov. 13.20 A companion of fools shall be made worse Let men therefore take heed of ill company for many thereby have beene brought to the gallowes and have confessed upon the ladder that ill company hath brought them unto it and therefore have admonished all by their example to take heed and beware of lewd company Moreover the Scripture saith Hee that followeth vaine companions shall be filled with poverty Prov. 18.19 And again in the same chapter Hee that keepeth company with banquetters shameth his father Let us therefore say with David Psa 119.63 I am a companion of all them that feare God and keepe his commandements And on the contrary let us say with him Psal 2.6 I have not haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with the dâ—ssemblers I hate the assembly of the evill and have not accompanied with the wicked Let us therefore by Davids example shun the company of the wicked for as a man is so is his company It is the surest note to discerne a man by For as all unlike things are unsociable so all like things are sociable Herein let us beware wee deceive not our selves with vaine words and an opinion of our owne strength as if wee were as strong as Christ and could not be drawne away with any company No no wee are more apt to be drawne than to draw to be drawne to evill by others then to draw others to good therefore God saith by his Prophet Jer. 15.16 Let them returne unto thee
keepe his Sabbaths Avoide all the signes of condemnation and labour after all the signes of salvation Above all things take heed of sinne for that is the very out-throat of the soule and of all goodnesse Tremble therfore and sin not for if you sin mark what followeth Six great dangers in sinne God seeth His Angels beare witnesse The Conscience pricketh Death threatneth The Divell accuseth Hell devoureth You see then that sinne is no scar-crow or jesting matter Every sinne that a man committeth is as a thorne thrust deep into the soule which will not be got out againe but with many a sigh and many a sorrowfull Oh oh Every sinne is 〈…〉 Iron â—er 17.1 and the point of a Diamond upon the conscience and shall in the last day when the Booke shall be opened accuse us and give in evidence against us Note this If a man commit sin with pleasure the pleasure posseth away but the conscience and sting of the 〈◊〉 abideth and tormenteth deadly but if a man doe well though with labour and painfulnesse the paine passeth away yet the conscience of well-doing remaineth with much comfort But the best end of sinne is alwaies repentance if not in this life then with we and was when it is doe late Therefore take heed in time take heede I say of sin for Six most hurtfull effects of sinne Sinne hardens the heart Heb. 3.13 Sin gnawes the conscience 1 Sam. 25. Sin fights against the soule 1 Pet. 1.11 Sinne brings forth death James 1.15 Sinne makes ashamed Rom. 6.21 Sin procures plagues of body and soule Deut. 28. Behold therefore the evill effects of sinne For this cause Zophar the Naâ—mathite speakes very wisely to Job saying Job 11. When thou shalt life thy face out of thy sin thou shalt be strong and shalt not feare thou shalt forget all sorrow thou shalt remember it as the waters that are past Where Zophar pleinely sheweth that the avoiding of sinne is our strength and the committing of it our woâ—â—â—ing according to that of Solomon Proâ— 2â— 1â— The way of the Lord is the strength of the upright man Therefore wâ—â—â—e in the way of God and take heede of the wayes of sinne for God punisheth every sin his way some one way and some another and no sin can escape unpunished For because God is just therefore hee must needs punish sin in all men though in divers manners as the wicked in their owne persons the godly in Christ Beware of it therefore and flatter not your selfe in your sins Remember how every disobedience and every transgression hath had a just recompence of reward Nâ—â—â— how God in all ages hath pâ—â—â—hed the breakers of his â—â—w â—â—od 32.10 God hath in all ages matched the cause with the effect that is sin with the punishment of sin The Israelites for breaking the first Commandement in making other gods were often smitten by the hand of God â—â—v 10.2 Nadab and Abibu the sons of Aaron for the breach of the second Commandement in offering strange fire upon Gods Altar were consumed with fire Numb 15. Hee that blasphemed and transgressed the third Commandement was stoned to death Num. 15.52 Hee that brake the fourth Commandement in gathering stickes on the Sabbath was likewise stoned Absalom transgressing the fift was hanged in his owne haire 2 Sam. 18. Gâ—â— 4.15 Cain transgressing the sixt in slaying his brother Abel was branded with the marke of Gods wrath Gen. 34.26 Sichem the son of Hamor transgressing the seventh in defiling Dinah the daughter of Jacob was slain by Simeon and Levi the sons of Jacob. Jos 7.25 Achan sinning against the eighth Commandement in stealing the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment was stoned to death Ananias and Sapphira sinning against the ninth in lying and dissembling Act â—5 6 were suddenly smitten with death Ahab transgressing the tenth Commandement 1 〈◊〉 21.24 in coveting and discontentment was devoured of dogges Or if you will have originall sinne therein onely forbidden then infants are therefore punished with death Rom. 5.14 Thus wee see there is no dallying with God but if wee sin wee are as sure to be jerkt for it as the coate is on our backe Therefore let us not deceive our selves nor make light of sinne for sin is no scar-bug and wee shall one day finde it so And howsoever wee make light of some sins yet in very deed all sin is odious in the sight of God yea all sin is hainous and capitall in this respect that it is against a person of infinite being it is against God himselfe it is against the highest Majestie For the greatnesse of the person offended doth inhaunse and increase the greatnesse of the sinne As for example If a man rail at a Justice of Peace he shall be stocked if he cast at one of his Majesties privy Councell he shall be imprisoned but if hee raile at his owne Majestie hee shall be hanged So then you see how a sin is increased by the dignity of the person offended Now then sith all mortall Princes are but dust in the sight of God and hee is a person of infinite and incomparable Majestie how hainous and how slagitious a thing is it in any wise or after any sort to sin against his most royall and sacred person Well then to grow to some conclusion this I doe advise you as to shunne all vice so to embrace all vertue as to put off the old man so to put on the new man Remember often and alwaies what shall become of you after this life where you shall be forty yeers hence in Hell or Heaven Looke well to that in time and therefore to live that you may live alwaies Consider often is your serious cogitation Nine profitaâ—le consideratiions What you have been What you are What you shall be What God hath done for you What he doth What he will do Gods judgements past Gods judgements present Gods judgements to come Awake at last and take care for your salvation Sâ—â—â—s no longer in sinne lest yes perish eternally For verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judges the earth Psal 58 1â— And this is the best counsell I can give you Asun Your counsell is very good I pray God give me grace to follow it and so to live that I may please God and go to heaven in the end Theol. You must take heede you speake not these words of course and for fashion sake having no settled purpose in your heart to follow those directions For there be numbers that can skill to give good words but they will doe nothing They thinke they highly please God with their good words and that God will take them for payment as though God regarded words They would faine goe to heaven but they will take no paines they will leave no sinnes they will not forget their lusts and pleasures They would
have the reward of Gods children This is most 〈◊〉 case but they will not doe the workes of Gods children They would have the sweete but they will none of the sowre They would have the Crowns but they will sight never a stroke They would faine come to Canaan but they are loth to travell that long and dangerous way which leadeth unto it Therefore those men being the sons of idlenesse will step short in the end of that they looke for Prov. 1â— 4 For the Spirit saith The sluggard lusts but his soule hath nought Wee must therefore leave bare words and come to deeds For our Lord Iesus saith Mat. 7. â—1 Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Where wee see Christ in plaine termes excludes out of his kingdome all those whose Religion consisteth only in good words and smooth speeches but make no conscience to practise the Commandements of God David having made some good preparation for the building of the Temple and perceiving his son Solomon to have stuffe provision enough to perfect and finish it doth most wisely encourage him to the worâ— in these words 1 Câ—â— 12.16 Up and be doing and the Lord shall be with thee Oh that men would follow this counsell of David that they would up and be doing and not fit still and doe nothing that they would leave words and countenances and set upon the practice of Gods Law and study with all care and conscience to be obedient to his will Then assuredly God would be with them and blesse them and much good would come of it For the Scripture saith Prov. 14.32 In all labour there is profit or increase but the talke of the lips onely bringeth want Phil. Most mens minds are so wholly drowned in the love of this world that they havâ— no heart to obey God nor any delight in his commandements Theol. The greatest part of men are like to the Gadarens which esteemed their Swine more than Christ As wee see in these our daies how many make more account of their kine and sheepe than of the most glorious Gospel of Christ They highly esteeme dung and contemne pearle They are carefull for trifles and regard not the things of greatest moment and therefore may very fitly be compared to a man who having his wife and children very sicke doth utterly neglect them and is altogether carefull for the curing of his hogs eares Phil. Wee are somewhat digressed from the matter wee had in hand I pray you therefore if you have any more matter of good counsell to give to Asunctus that you would presently deliver it Theol. I have little more to say save onely I would advise him often to remember and much to muse on these things The evill he hath committed Nine things much to be thought of The good he hath omitted The time he hath mispent The shortnesse of this life The vanity of this world The excellencie of the world to come Death then the which nothing is more terrible The day of judgement then the which nothing is more fearfull Hell fire then the which nothing is more intolerable Phil. This is short and sweet indeed You have touched some of these points before in this our conference But I am very desirous to heare somewhat more of the two last which yet have not been spoken of Theol. Sith you are desirous I will briefly deliver unto you that which I have received from the Lord. First concerning the day of judgement I finde in the volume of Gods booke that it shall be very terrible and breadfull For the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven Mat. 24 3â— with power and great glory St. Peter saith 2 Pet. 2.10 The day of the Lord shall come as a theefe in the night in the which the heavens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt up The Apostle tells us that at Christs coming the whole world shall be of a light â—â—re and that all castles towers goodly buildings gold silver velvets silkes and all the glittering hue glory and beauty of this world shall be consumed to powder and ashes 2 Pet. 3 7. For hee saith plainly The heavens and the earth which are now are reserved to fire against the day of Judgement and of the destruction of ungodly men Moreover hee strongly proves that as the world was once destroyed by water so the second time in the end thereof it shall be destroyed with fire The Apostle S. Paul witnesseth the same things for he saith 2 Thes â— 1 Christ shall come from Heaven with all his mighty Angâ—â—s in naming fire And in another place he notes the terrour of his coming to Iudgement saying 1 Thes 4.10 Hee shall come with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trumpet of God We see by experience that the coming of mortall Princes to any place is with great pomp and glory They have great traines and troups behind them and before them They are accompanied with many Nobles goodly Lords and gallant Ladies doe attend upon them The Sword-bearer Trumpetters and Harbengers goe before many slaunting and stately Personages follow after Now then if the coming of mortall Princes be so pompous and glorious how much more glorious shall the coming of the Sonne of man be in whose sight all mortall Princes are but dust The Scriptures doe affirme that his second coming unto judgement shall be with such resplendent and unspeakable glory that even the most excellent creatures shall blush at it For the Sunne shall â—e darkned 〈◊〉 24.29 the Moone shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven Meaning thereby that the most glorious and bright-shining Creatures shall be clouded and obscured by the unconceiveable brightnesse of Christs coming Moreover the 〈…〉 Christs coming is noted unto us in this that immediately before it the very Sea shall quake and tremble and in his kinde crie out For it is said that the Sea shall roare and make a noise in most dolefull and lugubrious manner and mens hearts shall faile them for feare Luk. 21.25 and for looking after those things which shall come on the world for the powers of heaven shall be shaken O what shall become of swearers drunkards whoremongers and such like in that day They shall seeke to creepe into an anger-hole to hide their heads They shal then cry Woe and alas that ever they were borne They shall wish that they had never been borne or that their mothers had borne them toads And as it is in the Apocalyps They shall say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on us and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of
fill you full of joy and peace in beleeveing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Antil The Sunne drawes low Asunetus it is time for you and mee to be going Phil. Indeed the night will approach by and by and therefore we must of necessity break off Theol. Sith it is so wee will here surcease and go no further Asun Sir I will now take my leave of you I can never be thankfull enough for all the good instructions and comforts which I have heard from you this day I hope I shall remember some of them whilest I live I do therefore praise God for you and for your counsell and for this day which I hope shall be the first day of my repentance and true conversion unto God Theol. The Lord for his infinite mercies sake grant it And I most humbly beseech the Almighty God to establish you with his free spirit that you may proceed and go forward in a Christian course unto the end Phil. I pray you good M. Theologus pardon my boldnesse for you see I have been very bold to propound many questions unto you wherein you have fully satisfied me to the great joy and comfort of my soule I do therefore praise God for you and I hope I shall never forget some things you have uttered But I will now commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build us further Theol. Farewell good Philagathus The Lord blesse you and keepe you in all your wayes and the God of heaven preserve us all and continue us in his feare unto the end All glory be given to God A Table containing all the principall matters handled in this Booke and directing to the Page where they are set down MAns naturall corruption pag. 5 Mans misery in nature pag. 6 Mans nature corrupted but not destroyed by Adams fall ibid. Some sparks of Gods image still remain after the fall pag. 7 Man in the state of nature cannot do any thing that pleaseth God pag. 8 Man naturally neither sees nor feeles his misery ibid. Man in nature is under the tyrannie of Satan and curse of the Law pag. 10 Man growne to yeeres living and dying in the state of nature perisheth for ever pag. 12 Man continueth cursed till he be borne againe ibid. None can be saved but onely the Regenerate ibid. Regeneration what pag. 13 The quality of Regeneration pag. 14 Remnants of sin after Regeneration ibid. Regeneration unperfect in this life pag. 15 Meanes of Regeneration pag. 24 Eight infallible signes of salvation pag. 30 Eight signes of damnation pag. 31 Nine manifest tokens of damnation ib. Pride described pag. 33 Pride of gifts condemned pag. 35 Pride in apparell condemned pag. 42 Rules of the Word for apparel pag. 52 53 54 Whoredome and the dangers thereof pag. 58 Excuses of whoredome pag. 59 The fearfull effects of whoredome pag. 60 The punishment of whoredome pag. 61 62 The causes of whoredome pag. 65 66 Remedies against whoredome pag. 69 Covetousnesse what pag. 70 Covetousnesse wherein it doth consist ibid. Foure notes to discerne the inward covetousnesse of the heart by pag. 72 The evill effects of covetousnesse pag. 74 The vanity of this world and all worldly things pag. 77 Excuses of covetousnesse pag. 94 Remedies against covetousness pag. 101 102 Gods providence for his children in the things of this life pag. 103 For the things of this life Gods blessing is all in all pag. 119 Outward meanes alone doe not uphold us pag. 120 Gods children sometimes are brought to great distresse pag. 123 Gods children alwaies sure to be delivered out of trouble pag. 128 The great priviledges of Gods children pag. 129 Contempt of the Gospel a grievous sin pag. 135 136 Contempt of the Gospel punished pag. 137 Contempt of the Gospel the sin of this Age. pag. 138 Contempt of the Gospel a sure signe of wrath to the Land pag. 147 Swearing and the punishment thereof pag. 154 Excuses for swearing pag. 163 Causes of swearing pag. 166 Remedies against swearing pag. 167 Lying flattering and dissembling ibid. Punishments for lying pag. 175 176 Excuses for lying pag. 177 Causes of lying pag. 178 179 Remedies against lying ibid. Drunkennesse and the evil effects thereof pag. 110 181 Excuses of drunkennesse pag. 184 Causes of drunkennesse pag. 185 Remedies of drunkennesse ibid. Idlenesse and the wofull effects thereof pag. 190 Causes of idlenesse pag. 197 Remedies against idlenesse ibid. Oppression a most horrible sin pag. 198 Many woes denounced against oppressours pag. 199 Sundry kinds of oppression pag. 200 201 Causes of oppression pag. 215 Remedies of oppression ibid. Sinne hurts men in their bodies goods and name pag. 216 Sinne brings great danger to the whole Land pag. 224 Nine predictions of wrath to the Land pag. 229 The prayers and teares of the faithfull keep back the wrath of God from the Land pag. 322 323 Prayers of the Elect of great force ibid. The wicked fare the better for Gods children pag. 242 The best course to prevent Gods judgements and to keep backe his wrath from our Land pag. 244 Ten speciall things concerning the continuance of our peace pag. 250 251 Nine signes of a sound soule pag. 252 Saint Peters eight markes of salvation ibid. Seven infallible tokens of salvation pag. 253 Assurance of salvation in this life proved pag. 254 255 Objections against the assurance of salvation answered pag. 259 The ground-worke of our salvation pag. 261 Some doubts may stand with the assurance of faith pag. 262 It is no presumption to be perswaded of our salvation pag. 265 The wicked cannot be assured of their salvation pag. 266 The security of salvation which the wicked brag of is vaine pag. 267 268 Nine things required of all that shall be saved by Christ pag. 271 272 Many say they hope to be saved by Christ but few can give a reason why Christ died for them particularly and by name pag. 273 Few shall be saved proved by Scriptures reasons and examples pag. 277 278 But few even in the visible Church shall be saved pag. 284 Objections against the small number of the Elect answered pag. 285 Objections of Atheists and unbeleevers answered pag. 286 Reading of the Scriptures much commended pag. 294 Deferring of repenting dangerous pag. 299 God no Authour of mans condemnation but himselfe pag. 300 Objections against Predestination answered pag. 301 302 Gods decree no cause of Adams fall pag. 305 The decree of reprobation proved pag. 306 Prescience in God what pag. 307 The decree of election proved pag. 308 The first motive of election is in God himselfe pag. 309 Fore-seen faith and fore-seen workes no motives of salvation ibid. Faith dependeth upon election not election upon faith pag. 311 A reason yeelded why there is no end of cavilling and objecting against the truth pag. 315 Nine bars out of heaven pag. 316 Nine gates into hell ibid. The ignorance of the world pag. 32â—
of their beards end where they began end with nothing as they began with nothing end with a winding sheet as they began with swadling clouts For what is become of the greatest Monarthes Kings Princes Potentates and Magnificoes that ever the World had Where is Cyrus Darius Xerxes Alexander Caesar Pompey Scipio and Hannibal Where are the valiant Henries and noble Edwards of England Are they not all gone downe to the house of oblivion Are they not all returned to their dust and their thoughts perish Though they were as gods yet have they dyed as men and are fallen like others Who now careth for them who talketh of them who feareth them who regardeth them do not beggers tread upon them Yet while they lived they were the lords of the world they were as terrible as lions fearefull to all men full of pomp and glory dignity and majesty They ploughed up all things they bare all before them and who but they But now they have given up the ghost Job 30.23 and are as Job saith gone down to the house appointed for all the living Their pomp is descended with them and all their glory is buried in the ashes They are now covered under a clod cast out into a vault made companions to toads and the worms do eat them and what is become of their souls is most of all to be feared Thus wee see how all flesh doth but make a vaine shew for a while upon this Theatre of misery fetcheth a compasse about and is presently gone For as the Poet saith Seriùs aut citiùs sedem properamus ad unam First or last wee must all to the grave As You have made a very good speech it doth me good to hear it I wonder all these things considered that men should be so wholly given to this world as they are I think the Divell hath bewitched them for they shall carry nothing with them when they die but their good deeds and their ill Theol. The drudges and snudges of this world may very fitly be compared to a Kings Sumpter-horse which goeth loaden all the day long with as much gold and treasure as he can bear but at night his treasure is taken from him hee is turned into a sorty dirty stable and hath nothing left him but his galled backe Even so the rich Cormorants and Caterpillers of the earth which here have treasured and hoorded up great heaps of gold and silver with the which they travell loaden thorow this world shall in the end be stript out of all let downe into their grave and have nothing left them but their galled consciences with the which they shall be tumbled down into the dungeon of eternall darknesse Phil. Wherein doth the sting and strength of this world especially consist Theol. Even as the great strength of Samson lay in his haire so the great strength of the world lyeth in her two breastes the one of pleasure the other of profit For shee like a notable strumpet by laying out of these her breasts doth bewitch the sons of men and allureth thousands to her lust For if shee cannot win them with the one breast yet shee gaineth them with the other if not with pleasure then with profit if not with profit then with pleasure Hee is an odde man of a thousand that sucketh not of the one breast or the other But sure it is which soever hee sucketh hee shall bee poysoned For shee giveth none other milke but ranke poyson The world therefore is like to an alluring Jael Judg. 4. â—1 which sitteth at her doore to entice us to come in and eat of the milke of her pleasures but when shee hath once got us in shee is ready even while wee are eating with her hammer and her naile to pierce thorow our braines Phil. I see plainely this world is a very strumpet a strong baite and a snaring net wherein thousands are taken It is very bird-lime which doth so belime our affections that they cannot ascend upward It is like the weights of a clocke hanged upon our soules which draw them downe to the earth it naileth us fast downe to the ground it mortereth us into clay it maketh us abominable unto God For I remember God made a law That whosoever goeth with his breast upon the ground Levit. 11. should be abominable unto us How much more these carnall worldlings which are fast sodred to the earth Theol. The Apostle Saint James seeing into the deep wickednesse of this world and knowing right well how odious it maketh us in the sight of God cryeth out against it terming it adultery and all worldings adulterers because they forsake Christ their true husband and whorishly give their hearts to this world James 4. O yee adulterers and adulteresses saith hee know ye not that the amity of this world is the enmity of God whosoever therefore will be made a friend to this world makes himselfe the enemy of God And who dare stand forth and say I will bee the enemy of God who therefore dares be a worldling for every worldling is the enemy of God what then will become of you O yee wicked worldlings Phil. It appeareth then plainely by the Scriptures that the excessive love of this world and unsatiable desire of having is a most dangerous thing and men doe they know not what in seeking so greedily after it Theol. The Heathen man will â—ise up in judgement against us for hee saith Sophocles Unsatiablenesse is the foulest evill among mortall men But many of our sea-gulfes and whirl-pools make no conscience of it They think it is no sinne they devour and swallow up all and yet are never satisfied They will have all and more then a l and the Divell and all The whole world cannot satisfie their mind but God must create new worlds to content them These men are sick of the golden dropsie the more they have the more they desire The love of money increaseth as money it selfe increaseth But the Scripture saith Hee that loveth silver shall not bee satisfied with silver Eccles 5.9 Oh therefore that wee would strive earnestly to get out of this gulfe of hell Apoc. 12.2 and tread the Moon that is all worldly things under our feet as it is spoken of the Church and that wee would set our affections on the things that are above and not on the things that are beneath that wee would flie an high pitch and soare alâ—ft as the Eagles looking downe at this world and all things in it as at our feet contemning it and treading the very glory of it under our feet that it may never have more power over us Phil. O happy and twice happy are they that can do so and I beseech the Almighty God to give us his holy Spirit whereby wee may be carried above this world into the mountaines of spices For how happy a thing is it to have our conversation in heaven that is to have an