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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64253	A treatise of contentment leading a Christian with much patience through all afflicted conditions by sundry rules of heavenly wisedome : whereunto is annexed first, A treatise of the improvement of time, secondly, The holy warre, in a visitation sermon / by T.T.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Treatise of the improvement of time.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Holy warre.	1641 (1641)	Wing T571; ESTC R26964	82,319	242

and contenteth it selfe with these Meditations First of Gods counsell providence permission and moderation of all these evils in the Church The Lord sleepes not as the servants in the Parable while the malicious man soweth these tares in his field but foretelleth that they must be so Matth 24. 10 11. Many shall be offended and many false Prophets and false Christs shall arise and seduce many Act. 20. 29. I know that after my departure shall enter grievous Wolves who shall not spare the flocke Matth. 18. 7. it is necessary that offences come 1 Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies among you Why what necessity God might hinder them Ans. Yea but a necessity in regard 1 of God who hath decreed not to hinder them 2 Of Man whose fr●ewill to evill determineth unto them 3 Of the end threefold As a punishment of sinne while the truth is not received in love 2 Thess. 2. 10 11. As a tryall of those that are sound 1 Cor. 11 19. That they which are approved may be made manifest And to stirre up the godly to watchfulnesse and sound study of Scriptures and Prayer Secondly the godly know that in the greatest confusions of the Church the Lord so moderateth disposeth of all these evils as that he gets himselfe glory and leads his children to glory also He bringeth light out of darknesse and good out of evill For he makes his truth shine in opposition to falshood He makes it triumph and carry victory against Satan and all his limbes Heretickes Apostates contemners yea that great Apostate and sonne of perdition Antichrist himselfe He makes all the children of wisedome to acknowledge that that truth is divine and from heaven which Satan and sinners of the world so oppugne in vaine and that it is defended by divine power not by the arme of flesh And for the godly themselves they cannot be seduced Mat. 24. 24. the foundation of God abideth sure greater is he that dwels in them then he that is in the world Ioh. 4. 4 Heresies schismes scandals apostasies may molest and grieve them but cannot overturne them because they are preserved by the power of God to salvation they are begotten of immortall seed and all that are begotten of God overcome the world 1 Ioh. 5. 4. and let Antichrist come into the world the Elect are fenced c. 4. 4. Little children ye are of God and have overcome them They are sealed marked and exempted from hurt Rev. 7. 3. Hurt not the earth nor sea nor trees till wee have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads So as God gives not scope to any of these evils to prejudice the faith of the Elect and onely those are deceived whose names are not written in the Booke of life Thirdly the godly looke not for a Church on earth without spot and wrinkle nor without combat the battell is not ended but with the world for it hath ever continued and beene renewed with the severall ages of the world In Paradise was a serpent a Divell the Patriarkes families not without their Cain Cham Ishmael Esau who were prophane Apostates Christs family not without a Iudas What scandals and divisions were in the Churches of Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus and other even in the Apostles dayes when the Church of the New Testament was a Virgin and in her prime witnesse the Epistles of the Apostles and history of the Actes And can we looke that now in the decrepit age of the Church in which the Lees of all corruption are settled and in which Christ himselfe prophesied scarcity of Faith and coldnesse of Love should bee more exempted from such molestation then those former servent and purer Ages Shall not Christs own Doctrine from his blessed mouth be exempted from murmuring dissention captious quarrelling and shall we looke that ours can Shall many at once take occasion of Apostasie from his Doctrine and shall wee disdaine that men fall off from ours Shall he come to his owne and they not receive him shall he which is above all testifie that hee hath seene and heard and no man receive his testimony Iohn 3. 31. and shall we think much if our testimony be not received Shall his Prophets and Apostles be smitten with the tongue and sword and shall wee thinke strange of it Ier. 18. 18. Acts 12. Fourthly the godly patiently wait the time wherein God will fully deliver them from all this molestation and danger of seduction They know Satan must have his time and wicked men their time but as in 2 Pet. 〈◊〉 9. the Lord knowes to deliver the just in temptation and then as Moses said of the Egyptians Those your enemies whom your eyes have seene this day ye shall never see more Thus the godly heart stayeth it self contented in God as knowing that the Church is as the Arke of Noah let floods and stormes fall let the windowes of heaven be open and let it raine as if heaven and earth would goe together let the waters rise and the waves and billowes beat and tosse it let the windes totter and shake it yet it shall rise as high as the waters God is the faithfull Pilot he guides the stearne and shall keepe it happily aloft notwithstanding the danger It is like the ship in which Christ was shaken and ready to sinke while Christ slept but hee will awake in due time and rebuke the Windes and Sea and save his Disciples CHAP. III. Of troubles in the Commonwealth borne with Contentment THe other kinde of publike calamities are the troubles tumults and confusions in the Countrey and Commonwealth disturbing publick peace such as are Oppression Warre Rebellion or any such common evill Against all which godlinesse teacheth Contentment and setleth the heart by these considerations 1 Because whatsoever the wicked doe by error or violence it is not without Gods providence or his righteous judgement He observes the oppression of the wicked to revenge moderate order it Eecles. 5. 7. If in a Countrey thouseest the oppression of the poore and defrauding of judgment and justice be not astonied for he that is higher then the highst regardeth God casts not off the care of that Countrey but his eye is upon it his eares are still open to heare the oppressions of wicked men and the cryes of the oppressed And hee is higherthen the highest both to reserve revenge for the wicked and to bring all into order again in his good time 2 Godlinesse teacheth to be content in publike evils inferred by Magistrates because it teacheth that subjects are bound in conscience to obey their Magistrates in suffering and patient bearing of wrongs and injuries 1 Pet. 2. 19. Servants must be subject not onely to the good but froward for this is praiseworthy if a man for conscience endure griefe suffering wrongfully Godlinesse looketh to Gods Ordinance not mans perverting of it saying God hath set up

frighted with the name of terrible things and at the sight of some disguised person but when they come to riper age and yeares of discretion contemne them Wee are frighted as the Midianites with the sound of broken pitchers voyces and lamps and cowardly fly before we see any apparent danger 2 It seeth the death of Beleevers not onely altered but sanctified by Christs death that it becomes of a curse a blessing and as a stage whereon a Christian manifesteth his faith fortitude love patience and constancy and openly triumpheth over death as his Head hath done before him 3 It seeth Christ in Heaven in glory who is our Head and Husband from whom while wee live here we are strangers and pilgrims separate from that happy society which wee shall enjoy with Him and all our fellow members in the Kingdome of Heaven Whereupon it doth desire his presence and is not onely contented but willing to bee dissolved and bee with Christ Paul considered that he was now absent from the Lord and desired to bee present Simeon having Christ in his armes said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Steven in the middest of the stones saw the Heavens open and the Son of man standing at Gods right hand and so slept quietly A sweet death if Christ be in sight Let him feare death that would not goe to Christ So of the second ground 3 It looketh upon death it selfe and seeth in it First the necessity of it It is appointed for all men once to dye a statute-law of Heaven inevitable Heb. 9. 27. And seeing it knowes it to be so it rather fits it selfe cheerefully to beare it then fearefully to decline it Quest How may that bee done Answ. 1 We must deal with this Giant and mighty Sampson who slayes heapes upon heapes as the Philistims did with him 1 Sift out where his strength lyes and finding it lye in his lockes cut them off The strength of thy death is thy sinne these are his strong lockes cut them off by repentance and death shall be too weak to hurt thee 2 Labour to dye in faith as the Saints Heb. 11. 13. all these dyed in faith Let thy faith fasten upon Christ as himselfe did in his extreme agony fixe his confidence upon his Father saying My God my God and Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Another necessity of death is because without it wee can never attaine immortality and eternall life The seed is not quickened unlesse it dye first neither can eternall life be had but by the passage of this wicket Wee have here no abiding City our houses are rather Innes in which wee sojourne our bodies Tabernacles ready for removall and shifting And the condition is that when this earthly house shall bee dissolved wee shall have a building eternall in the heavens Secondly godlinesse seeth the advantage and gaine by death that it is no detriment to the faithfull but a gaine as saith the Apostle Christ is my life and death is to mee advantage Phil. 1. 21. And it is a great gaine in two respects 1 Because it is an end of all evils and wretchednesse 2 Because it is a beginning of heaven and happinesse For the former 1 It is an end of misery sorrowes cares feares teares an end of sicknesse paine poverty shame persecution and the like for in death attended with teares God wipeth away all teares from the eyes of his children and then shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor wecping nor paine Rev. 21. 4. 2 It is an end of temptations by Satan The soule in this world is in the bonds and snares of temptations and the law of sinne in the members ministreth strength to Satan against our selves But in death the soul is loosed from that bondage and the body ceaseth to be an instrument either active or passive in sin What a gaine is it never to sin more against God yea to be wholly out of danger of sinning 3 It is an end of wicked mens molestation for death delivers the godly out of this evill world 〈◊〉 Lot out of Sodome whose righteous soule was vexed amongst them day by day They are safe from seducers and deceivers who in these last ages come so armed as if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect. They are got without the reach of Persecutors and those enemies their eyes shall never see more 4 It is an end of our owne pilgrimage and absence from the Lord wherein wee stand in so doubtfull and dangerous a battell not onely with enemies without us but within our owne bosome our owne covetousnesse wrath ambition voluptuousnesse lust envy and not a head can bee cut off from this Hydra but another riseth in the roome and no watch can be sufficient against them Now what man being absent from his owne house doth not long to dispatch his businesse so to returne home And thus the Saints 2 Cor. 5. 2. Wee sigh desiring to bee clothed with our house which is from heaven It is our haven and an end of our dangerous voyage upon the troubled sea of this world a passage from corruption and mortality to immortality and incorruption a sweet sleepe after our travell and labours and an end of all the toyles of our lives Ioh. 11. 11. our friend Lazarus sleepeth But more then this It is a beginning of happinesse the entrance to Heaven the Evening wherein the Labourers receive the penny of perpetuall joy and glory a repossessing of Paradise lost by the first Adam won againe by the second By it wee come to the company of Saints and the first borne written in heaven Wee come into the bosome of Abraham even to our deare friends who are gone before us to Heaven But above all wee come to Iesus Christ the Mediator into the house of our heavenly Father wherein he●e hath prepared us mansions whither the forerunner is for us entred in Even Iesus Heb. 6. 20. And wee have boldnesse to enter into the holy place by the new and living way which hee hath prepared for us through the vayle that is his flesh cap. 10. 20. And by Iesus Christ wee come to behold the face of God being made like unto Christ in holinesse and honour and shall for ever with him inherite the Kingdome prepared from the beginning of the World CHAP. XIX Of Grave and Iudg●ment and Contentment therein THe last personall evill which is horrible to nature is the grave and last judgement But godlinesse quieteth the heart against all such terrors thus First that by these two wee are raised as by two stayres to the fruition of full happinesse For whereas there be three degrees of life eternall The first when wee begin to repent and beleeve which is the beginning of it The second at the day of death which entreth the soule into eternall happinesse and prepareth the body to be partaker also of it The

brother which was a confluence of sins but in their Affliction and crosses they met with in Egypt they began to bethinke themselves what they had done and their sinne so many yeeres afore committed came fresh to their remembrance Wee have verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not heare him and therefore is this trouble come upon us 2 Conversion and amendment of life which is that blessed fruit of righteousnesse which Afflictions bring to them that are exercised Hebr. 12. 11. And this proceedeth from the hatred of sinne which the former consideration did manifest in the uglinesse of it Hence schola cruc●s est schola lucis justitia By lying under the crosse wee receive instruction and settle to reformation The second consideration working content in respect of our graces is that troubles in generall not onely beget graces but beautifie and cleare them The same fire which consumeth drosse purgeth gold The world is the Furnace the godly are Gold Tribulation is the fire which as it turneth chaffe into ashes so it cleanseth gold from drosse and ashes See 1 Pet. 1. 7. and Psal. 66. 10. Looke as starres shine brightest in the night but are not seene in Sun-shine so Gods graces which make little show while the Sunne of prosperity shines on us make a great shine and show when the night of trouble commeth Further how doth their faith and constancy gracethem in trouble as in Iob and Abrahams triall which if their troubles were not could not so bewray and commend themselves like Camomile troden and the Palme pressed but rising under the weight Besides that trouble fitteth them to much fruitfulnesse for the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the Vine That it may bring forth more and better fruit and so bee more profitable and beautifull Iohn 15. verse 2. And indeed as an earthen vessell is never fit for use before it bee burned in the fire so is it with us who are never fit to be vessels of honour till the fire of triall have purged formed and confirmed us Thirdly troubles exercise grace and so strengthen it As a man by wrestling is stronger and more expert so Affliction holds all graces on worke faith patience Prayer Meditation watchfulnesse against sinne holds the heart in the feare and love of God and of the love of the world You shall never see a Christian more Christian then in trouble as the three children never more glorious then in the Furnace CHRIST himselfe never more strong then on the Crosse and in the grave rising from under all the burden and curse of sinne Thus in respect of our sinnes and graces are Afflictions necessary Lastly if we consider our estate of glory and how trials conduce unto it we shall not want reason to bee contented under them for they are so farre from being prejudiciall to our glory as they are helpes and furtherances of the same for 1 Christian bearing of triall is made a note of such as shall partake in glory with whom it must not be better then with Christ himselfe who did weare a Crowne of thornes before his Crowne of glory And how can it be other seeing they testifie the love of God who loveth to the end Hebr. 12. 6. whom hee loveth he chasteneth They are markes of our Adoption for if ye be without correction whereof all are partakers ye are bastards and not sonnes They are markes of such as are in the highway to heaven which is all strawed with crosses and troubles Actes 14 22. Through many Afflictions wee must enter into heaven And they are markes of such as by drinking of Christs Cup are conformable to the Image of the Sonne of God Rom. 8. 29. Christ said to Zebede●● sonnes Ye shall drinke of the cup that I drinke of namely of trouble the nearer to Christ the sooner drinke it they that are farthest off that is his enemies drinke the dr●gs and bottome And therefore if you would know them as by an expresse marke see Revel. 7. 14. These are they that come out of great tribulation 2 To such onely is promised glory Iam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Revel. 2 10. Ye shall be tryed ten dayes but be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a Crowne of life 3 Glory is accomplished to such as endure trials for they cause an eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. And this is just with God to render to you which are troubled rest with us when Christ shall appeare 2 Thes. 1. 6 7. Now the godly heart out of these grounds to which many might be added fenceth it selfe and contenteth it selfe in all troubles in generall Hath my affliction such speciall goodnesse through Gods disposing to beget such excellent graces as humility knowledge obedience prayer patience repentance doth the Lord know and intend to beautifie purge and perfect his graces by the fire of Tribulation and make them shine and shew as jewels doth he exercise and hold in worke and so increase and strengthen his grace given by the same meanes Yea and more doth he further my glory with himselfe doth he testifie his love and lay in me the markes of my Adoption of my way to heaven and of conformity to his Sonne hath he promised and will hee accomplish that promise of glory to such as are troubled Why then should not I content my selfe and leane on the word in the hopefull expectation of that blessed end of my trouble See I not the Saints partners in the crosse with me I am 5. 10. Take the Prophets an example of enduring affliction Nay see I not my Lord Iesus consecrated by Afflictions shall not I contentedly partake in the sufferings of Christ shall I cast off or impatiently cary such light Afflictions which cause so great a weight of glory Would I fall out with my daily bread and are not these as necessary shall I measure Gods love by my outward estate did hee never love any of the Saints nor his deare Sonne of all whom none escaped many troubles CHAP. II. Of scandals heresies and the like conquered by Contentment NOw we come to more speciall troubles wherein we are also to see how godlinesse stayeth and contenteth the heart makes a godly man a Conquerour when many round about him sink into the gulfe of discontent and despaire Speciall troubles are either more publicke or more private Publické evils are either in the Church or in the Common-wealth In the Church are scandals heresies schismes Apostasie contempt of the light falling backe to Antichrist and this offendeth many they know not what or whom to beleeve and so fall from and are discontented with every Religion Against all which the godly heart fenceth

good Minister on these grounds 1 Wee are a sweet smell unto God both in those that are saved and in those that perish and the Prophet Esay herein comforted himselfe cap. 49. 4 5 though Israel be not gathered yet my worke is with the Lord c. 2 Wee are not Gods to convert nor change the heart and we being faithfull God accepts the will for the deed The barrennesse of a field shall never be attributed to the Husbandman that ploughes and tills it but to the stiffenesse stoninesse or badnesse of the soile If wee bestow faithfull paines and reveale the whole counsell of God we have planted and watered and done our part leave Gods part which is the successe unto him 3 We perhaps doe more good then we see in repressing some sinnes and sinners and convincing them by life and doctrine and in preparing them to grace The seed comes not up so soone as ever it is cast into the earth but lyes and dyes and rots a whole Winter and at length riseth up to a glorious harvest The Disciples heard many things of Christ but understood not nor remembred them till he was risen againe 4 Our Lord Iesus preaching among the Iewes as never man did and confirming the same by many powerfull miracles yet gained but a few of them as he complaines Esai 49. 4. I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength in vaint and the Prophets complained cap. 53. 1. Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed even to a very few if any at all The Apostles preached in many places and found nothing but hard measure from the world We are short of their power spirit and gifts and may bee better contented CHAP. XIII Of tryalls in our Estates and Cententment therein THe second sort of trialls concerning our selves which godlines fenceth the heart against respecteth our estates reduced to three heads namely the want or losse 1 Of wealth and riches 2 Of delights and pleasures 3 Of honors and preferments In the want or losse of riches godlinesse perswadeth contentment thus First it turneth up the eyes of the soule unto God and beholdeth in him many things all which afford sweet contentment as First his providence and over-ruling hand in which are the heavēs the earth and creatures It is he that layeth the lines for the sonnes of men but his eye especially is upon them that feare him to whom so long as he granteth them life hee will provide sufficient maintenance Secondly his affection to his children is such as cannot let them want what is fit for them For whom he chose to be his children before they were and those for whom he sent his Son being enemies will he withhold good things from them being reconciled Hence Christ perswadeth contentment Mat. 6. 31. your heavenly father knoweth what you stand in need of Marke the Evangelist saith not God knoweth but your heavenly Father by that loving name the more to strengthen and assure us that if wee who are evill can give to our children good things much more our heavēly Father will give good things to his children asking them of him Can a mother forget her childe c. Esa. 49. 15. no say as David the Lord is my shepherd I shal want nothing Ps. 23 1. Thirdly his unchangable truth which never faileth but standeth for ever He hath promised that no good thing shall be wāting to thē that feare him but he will increase their stock state in his time viz. whē it shal make for his glory their good Ioseph was made next man unto Pharaoh that without him none should lift up his hand or foot in al the lād but he must first be sold of his brethren accused of his mistresse bound fast in the prison where the irons entred into his soule Our Saviour Christ did not presently turne the water into wine at his mothers desire because his houre was not come If Gods houre be come thou shalt see thy water turned into wine thy want into wealth or else he will give great blessing on small meanes that the little which the just man hath shall be better then the abundance of the wicked Secondly it looketh up to Christ our head who was poor and had not where to lay his head when Foxes had their holes and Birds their nests Mat. 8. 20. And many of the faithfull were ever poore or else made poore as Heb. 10. 34. and 11. 37. Yea the stock of Christ the posterity of King David of whom Ioseph Mary came were brought to great poverty and yet it never impeached the promise or love of God to that family Yea Christ hath sanctified our want and poverty and as his Father loved him never the worse for it no more doth he his members Hee accepts not the person of the rich or poore because they are so but in every nation he that feares him and workes righteousnesse is accepted of him To him a godly poor man is in more request then wicked Kings Thirdly godlinesse maketh men esteem of wealth in the due place and value As the having of them cannot make a man the better man so the not having of them cannot make him much worse The want of them cannot hinder Gods Election nay hath not God chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith and heires of the Kingdome Iames 2. 5 It cannot hinder from the meanes of grace and life nay the poore receive the Gospel when not many rich not many noble receive it It hinders not salvation no poore Lazarus shall be in Abrahams bosome when Dives shall be in torment And even for this present life whereto riches be only servants godlinesse teacheth that mans life stands not in abundance Luke 12. 15. It is not bread but the staffe of bread which feedeth us the blessing of God maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrowes to it And if I have lost wealth I lose some movables my inheritance I hold and my enduring substance Fourthly godlinesse maketh the heart seeke for and purchase other wealth so much the more and content it selfe to make the Lord his portion that Christ is become his wealth that faith hope love and other graces are his goods the pearle is better then all Christ never comes alone yet if he did come naked hee were wealth enough The lines are fallen in a good ground if God be present What can be wanting to him that enjoyes God a Father in Iesus Christ Let God give me himselfe and heaven mine inheritance let him doe with his movables as he please Thus of wealth and riches Next in the want or losse of worldly pleasures and delights godlinesse contenteth the heart thus 1 Because the Disciple of Christ is knowne by a contrary colour Hee must daily take up his crosse and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh and lusts of it Gal. 5.