full of milke and their bones runne full of marrow Ier. 5.28 they are waxen fat and shining But where grace entreth like a pinching frost it maketh the flesh wither and fall freezeth the very marrow and congealeth the fatnesse so that the body often is weake and pineth away Psal 39.11 3. That much goods and Grace are not inseparable companions These two meete not as the Sunne and Moone runne their course night and day in one and the same subiect Therefore saith our Lord Matth. 19.23 How hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdome of heauen and be saued Sometimes we grant they may but seldome It is said that Naaman the Syrian 2 Kings 5.1 was a mighty man and valiant but a Leper great for riches peraduenture valiant for body so that it may proue this at the least the former Doctrine But what rich or strong man amongst vs beleeues this report 4. That wicked persons often prosper Their Bullocke gendreth and faileth not Iob 21.8 9. c. Their Cow calueth and casteth not her Calfe They send foorth their children like sheepe and their Sonnes daunce Their Seede is established and they grow vp in wealth 5. That not to be afflicted is a marke of the wicked They haue no changes therefore they feare not God Psal 55.19 whereas the godly are chastened euery morning else bastards not sonnes Heb. 12.8 6. That peace in death is no sure signe of a better life They that liue like Lyons and dye like Lambs may not haue their names writ in the Lambes Booke of life But if a good life be the Antecedent this no bad but a desireable consequent this crosseth the iudgement of the common people Oh say some how quietly he dyed But I say how well hath hee liued Let vs then iudge men by their liues not by their deaths lest we acquit the guilty and condemne the innocent For all outward things come alike to all men iust or vniust This is one of those euils Eccles 9.1.2.3 that the wise man saw vnder the Sunne Againe from their Effects or Actions might many things be obserued as 1. That when wicked men haue most then they sinne most Hence it is that some hauing much money turne biting Vsurers and deuoure by oppression The bountifulnesse of God towards them doth not though indeede it ought leade them to repentance Rom. 2.4 And from the foure following accidents we note a foure-fold instruction First that notwithstanding the wicked be rich and strong yet they stand vpon a sandy foundation They are set on slippery places either vpon the Ice on the which if they slippe or it breake they be drowned spoyled or vpon a Quag-mire that is growne ouer with a thin skinne through which if they shrinke they sticke fast and are all be-mudded Secondly that wicked men shall dye certainly and suddenly Iob 12.2 in a moment the Text saith They spend their dayes in pleasure and suddenly goe downe to the graue Thirdly that prophane persons shall rise and come to iudgement And lastly that at the day of iudgement they shall haue their full torment Dan. 12.1 For they shall rise to shame and contempt eternall And thus we leaue them where God shall leaue them wishing their harmes may make vs to beware And so proceede we to the godly person of whom wee haue many things to say but because time will not permit vs we will omit them onely reducing them to these heads 1. A Conflict and 2. The Issue of it In this Combat note 1. Who they be that quarrell 2. The causes of it It is the Flesh and Spirit Faith and Infidelity that striue these twins are in euery regenerate person man or woman Sinne must not be counted as a meere priuation or nothing but we must conceiue of it as a strong man or corroborated habit Rom. 7.24 c. The ground of the quarrell groweth either from the fell opposition that is betwixt them for these are contrary one to the other Gal. 5.17 or the diuers condition of the wicked and the godly When the prophane man prospereth and the righteous are in aduersity it worketh strangely euen in the most sincere hearted Therefore the wicked are counted blessed For they that worke wickednesse Mal. 3.15 they are set vp and such as tempt God they are deliuered From this consideration this good mans steps had almost slipt and he embraced the world yet he hauing recourse to the word of God saw his owne folly and their miserable end so that though the combat for a time was fierce and the issue thereof doubtfull notwithstanding Faith preuaileth at the length and winnes the field triumphing with this confession Lord thou wilt guide me c. But before wee come to the words let vs obserue some things by the way And here we may see that 1. The prosperity of the wicked fretteth the godly There is a secret enmity betweene the seede of the Woman and the Serpents Also that 2. In the time of temptation the flesh will play its part Furthermore that 3. He that would see the present and future condition of good and bad must haue recourse to Gods word not flocke to the Stage or prophane History for they may deceiue this Booke cannot And so we come to the words in hand the which haue a double reading at the least Some reade them prayer-wise Lord guide me c. But I rather choose to reade them as a Confession being a speech of great reioycing and a declaration of the fruit of his faith that followed this great and terrible combat In the which we may obserue a double proposition and in either of them two principall things comprehended In the antecedent part this good man saith First that the Lord will guide him Secondly he acknowledgeth wherewith viz. by his counsell In the consâ—quent proposition hee confâ—sseth that he will also glorifie him and telleth the time when or order how after he had guided him by his counsell Thus you see the parts of it Now we come to shew you the meaning or sense of the words Thou that is GOD Father Sonne and holy Spirâ—t for all three consent in euery action done towards the creature what one doth all doe mediately or immediately yet in a diuers manner God the Father is said to guide by the word Christ by his example and the Spirit by immediate motions and irradiations iniected vpon mans vnderstanding yet with one ioynt consent all tend to one and the same thing There be Relatiue properties in the Deity that are peculiar to the distinct persons As the Father to beget the Sonne to be begotten and the Spirit to proceede but these wee speake of are internall not externall actions vpon the creature Shalt or wilt This word containeth in it the faith and confidence of the person how that hee did depend vpon God and assure himselfe that he would be his guide for future
time as well as for the present season Guide This word seemes to be borrowed from a Traueller and so all the Text is metaphorically set downe or by way of similitude the sense is that the Lord would direct quietly and securely conduct leade and gouerne him in these his spirituall trauels Mee That is Asaph Dauid Moses or some such Seer or faithfull person By thy counsell In Scripture counsell hath many acceptions which wee omit for in this place is meant the Lords counsell And it is two-fold secret or reuealed Iob 15 8. Who hath knowne the secret viz. counsell of God that is what things hee purposed with himselfe to bring to passe from all eternitie Quest How can counsell be ascribed vnto God for hee seeth at the first with one act what is best Respons 1 It 's true God doth so yet as we discerne and whilest wee behold things how successiuely they come to passe and are effected by secondary causes we acknowledge it to be in him and so attribute counsell vnto him Respons 2 Againe because the Lord doth all things in iudgment and with deliberation Gen. 1.26 Iob 12.13 I speake after the manner of men not rashly or ignorantly Now for the Reueiled counsell of God the which is here especially meant that may be double also being considered in his workes or in his word In his workes Isai 46.10 Prou. 19.21 and that of Creation Prouidence For in both doth the counsell of the most High declare it selfe But I vnderstand principally in this place to be meant the word and reueiled will of God both Law and Gospell the one was declared bâ—ing writ in Adams heart at the Creation the other part after mans fall in the meanes of his recouery and Redemption when indeede was manifested the depth of his counsell things that before they were reueiled past finding out after to man most wonderfull And in Scripture both the Law and the Gospell are called Gods counsell Ier. 23.22 Luk. 7 30. and as instrumentall causes of necessity to bring man to his eternall home And thus much for the first proposition And afterward that is when my change or time of dissolution commeth Iob 145.14 which is the end of this his pilgrimage Receiue me Take me into thy protection when I shall depart hence Into glory For the words Etymology it signifieth weight grauity Paul alludes to this 2 Cor. 4.17 Some reade In glory hauing respect to his person without spot or wrinkle For Reuel 21. vlt. 1 Tim. 3. vlt. No vncleane thing shall enter into the kingdome of heauen or into glory meaning heauen the glorious place of the blessed both may be meant And he hath no doubt relation too to the day of iudgement Phil. 3. vlt. when the body shall also be made glorious So that the plaine and full meaning of this parcell of Scripture is Lord I confesse that when I with the eye of flesh and blood viewed the prosperity of the vngodly how that they were lusty and strong abounding in all wealth liuing in great pleasure and had no bands in their death moreouer breaking forth into enuy malice oppression pride cursed speaking and to blaspheme thy Name it selfe and yet not plagued like other men who did liue in awe and feare of thy Maiesty carefull to keepe all thy commands and to approue their hearts to thee in all their proceedings I was sore troubled and wonderfully perplexed insomuch as I had almost fainted and publiquely proclaimed that I had and others of thy righteous seruants also cleansed our hearts in vaine and in innocency washed our hands to no purpose Thus brutish was I and full of infidelitie But at the last hauing recourse vnto thy word the Rule to decide all these things I then saw notwithstanding all their pompe pleasure and prosperity that they stood vpon a tickle foundation shall dye certainely suddenly rise againe and come vnto iudgement when they shall receiue their full punishment for their sinne And I also am verily perswaded that though I am naturally subiect to wander and goe astray yet thou wilt direct guide and safely leade me on in this my spirituall and perilous passage thy word reuealed to me being my refuge as heretofore and the meanes to conduct me next thy Maiesty vntill my abode here in this world shall be no more And hauing done this I am further assured that my soule without spot or wrinkle shall be receiued into thy heauenly kingdome where in peace and safty it shall remaine vntill that great day when all shall awake out of the dust and then shall soule and body be revnited changed into the glorious image of thy Sonne and for euer remaine in the mountaine of thy holinesse And now let vs proceede to some points of instruction We hauing heard of this great conflict betwixt the new man and the old flesh and spirit faith and infidelity yet corruption being at the last ouercome and conquered hence I gather this Doctrine that Doct. 1 True Faith may faint but it neuer faileth vtterly The degree of it probably may be decayed wasted the acts and effects of it certainely weakened decreased but the essence of it shall neuer be totally or finally consumed destroyed Iacob may wrastle with the Archangell his sinew shrinke thigh fall and his steps be found halting yet shall he be named Israel Gen 32.28 because he found fauour and preuailed with God Sampson by the deceipt of dauncing Dalilah may haue his head cut haire shorne and strength goe from him notwithstanding in tract of time his head shall grow his vigour returne his prayer be heard Iudg 16 hee kill the vncircumcised Philistims and haue his name enrolled for euer amongst the faithfull Heb. 11.32 Acts 7.32 The presence of God may make Moses the man of God to break out I quake and tremble Isaiah Woe is me I am vndone Manoah also Isa 6.5 Iudg. 13.21 We shall surely dye Notwithstanding all this they shall conquere ouercome passe to their iourneyes end in peace win the combat for the acts of faith be but for a time suspended the essence is not annihilated vtterly consumed Valiant Gedeon may cry aloud How can the Lord be with vs seeing all these euils be come vpon vs where be his miracles of old our fathers told vs off hath not God forsaken vs Yet Iudg. 6.13.14 shall he not anone heare a voice Goe in thy might for thou thou that thus doubtest fearest shalt saue Israel And may not iust Iob thinke himselfe to be the subiect of Gods wrath the very Butt of his iustice and in his owne feeling finde the arrowes of the Almighty drunke with his spirit Iob 6.4 But let him stay a little while the Bowe shall be â—â—â—ent the string slacked these peircing shafts shut vp in the Quiuer and his end become blessed Iam. 5.11 I might here make mention of Ieremiahs complaining and accusing the Almighty Ier.
day will be your greatnesse And seeing that you haue receiued much already from the Lord and haue a further promise of a glorious crowne and scepter doth it not stand with equity that such as you aboue all should take heart to your selues and with more cheerefulnesse runne the wayes of Gods commands For will not you your selues expect from them the best and most worke to whom you giue the greatest wages Besides consider what will your callings or riches profit you one day Mat. 1â— â—â— if you should loose your own soules Is it or wil it be any benefit to haue large possessions on earth and not a foot in heauen high callings and not to be called of God a wise disputer in this world and be dumbe before Christ at his comming cloathed with purple and fine linnen and fare delicately euery day and yet be found naked in the great day of the Lord Therefore be friends to the word procure it's liberty to runne and doe you and yours runne after it too for this shall one day be your best portion and great reward And you that are of the tribe of Leui and my brethren Let me exhort you as one vnfit to instruct you that you would quit you like men and be strong Preach in season and out of season pull out all the arrowes of Gods mercy and iudgement forth of the Quiuers of the Law and Gospell draw them betwixt the armes of power and a sound minde loose them from the finger of affection let them flie with a will and then intreat the Lord so to guide them that like the sword of Saul and bow of Ionathan they may neuer returne to your hands empty Be heard aboue seene below let your liues shine before your doctrine as the lightning doth precede the Thunder so will your words pierce the deeper and cause your people quake and shudder amidst the Congregation Haue care of the flockes ouer which the Holy Ghost hath made you ouer-seers for this wil be your ioy at your iourneys end when you can truely say I haue coueted no mans siluer or gold I haue deliuered the whole counsell of God Act. 20.26.27.28.33 and am free from the blood of all men And when Christ shall come who after a little while will come be able to present your flocke as a pure Virgine to him spotlesse Ephes 5.27 blamelesse He that doth this shall shine as the Sunne for euer and euer Dan. 12.3 but hee that is carelesse must vndergoe a heauy account a fearefull reckoning And in conclusion that which I haue said to one I say to all Learne learne this lesson set before you the glory prepared for you and though you finde rubs in the way out-skip them all for your death shall be better then the day wherein you are borne Heb. 12 2. c. and the time of Christs second comming of more worth then all the world Trauellers must not conceiue what they for the present are being in a strange countrey but what they shall be when they come vnto their friends and eternall home for that will cheere the sad heart refresh the decayed spirits cause a man to trusse vp the loines of his minde and be trudging Remember then that thou cast thine eye forward peepe within the vaile and stedfastly thinke on the royall entertainment at thy iourneyes end Vse 4 And shall they that are guided by Gods counsell be receiued vnto glory May we not then gather a ground of comfort to stay vs from immoderate mourning for the faithfull departed 1 Thes 4.13 c. I will therefore apply it to the present occasion Be of good comfort for your friend deceased she is not dead but sleepeth and is at rest from her labours her fight is well fought and she is diuiding the spoile But because of all things immoderate affection vpon the like occasion hath too much accompanied Gods best children I will as much as in me is giue you some preseruatiues to preuent or expell a hopelesse and not to be endured heartlesse mourning Why what is she tooke from and what is the world and all therein but Vanity and vexation of spirit Is it not a Sodom where men burne in lust an Egypt where Israel is burthened by the vnmercifull Taske-masters a Babylon where the faithfull Iew hangs his Harpe vpon the Willowes and singeth his Hebrew songs in a strange land Whereto shall I further liken it Why to an Hospitall where be both deafe dumbe lame and blinde a very Pesthouse where be many sicke of euery soare die of each disease Doth not the purple red and scarlet tokens of sinne that presage a certaine and a second death breake out daily amongst the inhabitants Truely it 's a very Bedlem pestered with fooles filled with madde and franticke fellowes who know not either their owne misery or can endure to be cured by the bottomelesse depth of Gods mercy In a word it 's a sinke a whirle-poole and colluvies of all vncleannesse Shall wee then grieue sigh and torment our selues that our friends are remoued from so bad and no better an habitation Take a strict view of this world in her greatest beauty being cloathed with greene white red and scarlet with all variety of the choisest colours the Rabbets and Lambes skipping and leaping in the pleasant valleyes the fishes swimming and playing in the siluer-hewed streames of the purest waters the birds singing and pruning themselues on the sprigs and tops of the hills and mountaines euery branch bearing fruit each hearbe and flower sending forth her sweetest smell of perfume yet will not one pinching frost Northren blast or scorching heate rent her purple Robe wither her tender face wrinckle her smoothest brow and spoile her cleane of her well-tempered complexion so that her rich attire and comely glosse will but carry a cold report to the inhabitants heart as Iosephs party-coloured coate torne and all be-blouded did to old Iacob his father being represented before him and be a meane to bring amaine his gray or gay haires vnto the Graue But alas we consider not how the fashion of this world goeth away we iudge better of it then she deserues by farre and so through mis-apprehension we pierce our selues through with needlesse sorrowes We send our sonnes from countrey to Court from England to Ireland in the naked expectation of some better preferment and yet weepe mourne and bawle that our friends are gone from earth to heauen and from forreiners in a poore cottage to be the chiefest subiects in a glorious kingdome Againe is not Heauen a house where be many mansions and shall the Lord thereof want inhabitants must such seats be empty not replenished why then should he not loose the end and fruit of his creation Dauids roome must not be voyde for euer but at the time appointed by his own person supplied We must all of vs in our turnes vp to this Ierusalem for Christ our High Priest
will not haue vs absent Heauen doth not admit a perpetuall vacuity Ionathan cannot excuse vs at the great feast day when our good King calleth for vs. Soone after the Creation men liued longer that the earth might be peopled Now towards the consummation they dye the sooner that the heauens may be with greater speede replenished Doe wee not see that a Father will sometimes part with his owne sonne to be his friends by adoption will not one kinde neighbour pull vp his tender plants to pleasure and supply the vaste ground of another and shall Eden lye waste the garden of our God shall he want sonnes when wee haue any that can content him or plants to replenish it What shall I more say Is not euery faithfull person a pillar or poste in that heauenly house that is aboue must they not then by death be cut downe out of the thicke forrest of this world hewne forth of the craggy Rocke here below and be carried and conuered from hence to heauen otherwise how should the Lords building and Christs misticall body be perfected When the materiall Temple was a making was not matter fetcht from farre And shall not the great Salomon aboue gather his spirituall stones and fetch his choifest timber from the foure ends of the world Hee that is about to build will hee not cut downe the most ancient Oke or Elmo what if they would keepe off the beames of the scorching Sunne shelter thee vnder their coole and much to be desired shade beate backe the blustring and bitter showres stormes Yet downe they must notwithstanding their profit pleasure or the which man naturally affects antiquity otherwise how should the building begun be perfected well edified Gods pleasant plants we grant on earth by their presence and prayers would yeelde the Church much comfort benefit but then the new Ierusalem would not at all be made perfect Mourne not therefore ouer-much for thy friends departed for this were to grieue ouer-much that Gods building goeth too fast forward And in conclusion yet something more may be added to take away immoderate passion Be not thy friends Trauellers sea-faring men are they not arriued and landed safe at the hauen of heauen Neuer did poore Mariner after hee had beene long absent in a strange land in danger of shipwracke amidst the terriblest storme pursued night and day by the cruell Pyrates reioyce more to step off the hatches to shore at his owne home then the faithfull soule hauing beene tossed in this world is to depart from the body to take possession in the highest heauens it 's naturall countrey And what can I more say Are not wee our selues come to the very brinke of lorden must wee not one day and that before long land at the Key of Canaan And shall not they and we then for euer in glory and peace remaine together Ponder this seriously beleeue it vnfainedly apply it particularly and then for thy friends departure if thou canst mourne immoderately NOw hauing spoke of the Text what I purposed I perswade my selfe it will be expected that I should say something in the praise of her whose Funerals at this present be celebrated the which I am vnwilling yet willing to doe vnwilling because it hath not beene my vsuall custome vpon the like occasion and therefore I may giue offence to some in the Congregation Againe it is to be feared that some Preachers imitate bad Lawyers let this be no preiudice to the best who for a fee will pleade and commend any cause speaking good of euill and euill of good making the heauens to lowre grow darke and shrowd themselues in a vaile of blackenesse more like to weedes of mourning then the persons attired with their suites of sorrow in the present assembly Yet I am willing to say somewhat first because I know for whom I am to speake it 's either God or his seruant departed God I assure my selfe as he would haue the name of the wicked to rot so would he that The memoriall of the righteous should remaine for euer And a true testimony is a good action vnto which he hath though not by way of merit annexed a reward why then should I in this thing be silent if my heart be vpright Now for the person departed I know in part with whom I haue to deale and all that I will say is either what I haue heard by the report of credible persons or haue knowne by my owne experience which is either concerning her publique carriage or priuate conuersation of both the which I haue not much though much might be said to vtter She in respect of her birth and pedigree shall of me receiue no praise though for any thing I know in that commendable we are all of one blood God little respects to commend that in any and they are most honourably as I perswade my selfe she was descended that are borne againe by the word and spirit and where the Lord is silent I wish to be silent also For her publique carriage I haue heard that which if I should at large relate would much returne to her commendation but it is so well to the most here present knowne that I omit all saue one thing which is that she was a Notary and tooke the Sermons which she heard by her owne penne I know not what some will iudge of this action but I hope the best cannot but giue it a Christian probation shee did this when as many by much meaner then shee come with their Fannes and Feathers whereas mee seemes a Goose-quill would farre better befit their fingers But a priuate life is least subiect to hypocrisie therefore I proceede to that I haue beene credibly informed that shee did in her Chamber repeate to her Maid-seruants the Sermons shee had heard and penned Catechise them in the principles of Religion and vpon euery fit occasion would labour to season them with the true feare of the Lord. Againe she spent hauing health three or foure houres in her priuate Closet euery day in Reading Meditating Praying and Writing But what was the subiect for otherwise to write is no great commendation Amongst other things all tending to good vses she hath left and that in no small volume diuers disputations that shee had with Separatists and Papists her answeres and what was her owne resolution in the controuerted opinions annexing her reasons Moreouer as one that expected the time of her change before it came she left vnder her owne hand what if it might stand with her husbands good pleasure she would haue performed as diuers gifts to seuerall persons both for cloath and coyne in value amounting to a large summe And her desire was that there might be no blacks worne for her at her Funerals except by her owne house at the most or in particular by her deare and especiall friend because she had rather haue them receiue some priuate gifts of remembrance and in that she would not follow the common custome of the world It was not couetousnesse I perswade my selfe but conscience that frustrated in that respect any mans expectation And thus hauing touched a few particulars I come in briefe to mention what my selfe can speak by experience And that is either in the time of her health or sickenesse In which former condition I not many times came into her presence because of the distance of our habitations But for her apparell it was so modest not with gold put about or broidered haire that a curious eye could not iustly picke a quarrell at it her speech was not much her words well composed and the matter such as to a iudicious Auditor might yeeld comfort and in some thing administer profitable edification In the time of her sickenesse I heard her neuer vtter one word that fauoured of impatience shee tooke all helpes willingly that might haue restored her if God had giuen the blessing to health and her former condition and in the receipt she would pray and desire others also that God would blesse it to her And she spake much in the commendation of the Gospell affirming that all things without that were worth nothing She left certaine Bibles to be deliuered to her daughters with this writ on them I haue said that my flesh shall perish and rot But the word of the Lord shall endure for euer And blessed shall you be if you constantly vnto the end delight to seeke and follow that with faithfull and true hearts She also gaue a gift to the Pastor of that place by which she said she would tye him to be as carefull ouer the poorest sheepe in his flocke as if he were the greatest Lord. Not long before her death she said that she hoped God would giue her power against the Enemie But alas we many of vs cannot tell what by Enemie is meant which phrase of hers stroke into me a deepe suspition that her change was neere at hand For I haue alwayes obserued that when Sathan most tempteth the truely-religious they seldome recouer of that sickenesse He hath great skill to discerne how Nature is weakened and therefore taketh the fittest time for his purpose She prayed with iudgement and affection not long before her desolution In the which petitions she vsed words and sentences worthy of admiration imitation She mentioned the King in particular remembred his kingdomes and subiects with others that for breuity I passe ouer as her friends kinsfolkes and children These things I my selfe saw and heard with many others that were worthy to be recorded and of the best practised At which time I absented my selfe out of the chamber neither after that heard I her voyce or saw her face for within a short space she departed From all which I wish we may for I am sure we ought to learne instruction Laus Deo FJNJS