desperation and this observe we are cast down in the disappointing of our hopes in the same measure as we were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them Whence these perremptory presumers if ever they repent it is commonly as Francis Spira 〈…〉 One star is much bigger than the Earth yet seems many degrees lesse It is the nature of fear to make dangers greater helps lesse then they are Christ hath promised peace and rest unto their souls that labour and are heavy laden and to those that walk according to rule Matth. 11.29 Gal. 6.16 even peace celestial in the state of grace and peace eternal in the state of glory Such therefore as never were distressed in conscience or live loosly never had true peace Peace is the Daughter of Righteousness Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God But he who makes a bridge of his own shadow will be sure to fall into the water Those Blocks that never in their life were moved with Gods threatnings never in any straight of conscience never groaned under the burden of Gods anger they have not so much as entered into the porch of this house or lift a foot over the threshold of this School of repentance Oh! that we could but so much fear the eternal paines as we do the temporary and be but so carefull to save our souls from torment as our bodies In the mean time the case of these men is so much the worse by how much there fear is the lesse It faring with the soul as with the body Those diseases which do take away all sense of pain are of all others most desperate As the dead Palsey the falling-sicknesse the sleepy lethargy c. And the Patient is most dangerously sick when he hath no feeling thereof In like manner whilst they suppose themselves to be free from judgment they are already smitten with the heaviest of Gods judgments a heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 In a lethargy it is needfull the Patient should be cast into a burning Fever because the senses are benammed and this will waken them and dry up the besotting humours So in our dead security before our conversion God is fain to let the Law Sin Conscience and Satan loose upon us and to kindle the very fire of Hell in our souls that so we might be roused out of our security but thousands of these blocks both live and depart with as great hopes as men go to a lottery even dreaming of Heaven untill they awake in Hell For they too often die without any remorse of conscience like blocks or as an Ox dyes in a ditch Yea thousands that live like Laban dye like Nabal which is but the same word inverted whilst others the dear Children of God dye in distresse of conscience For it is not every good mans hap to dye like Antoninus Pius whose death was after the fashion and semblance of a kindly and pleasant sleep However Austin's rule will be sure to hold He cannot dye ill that hath lived well and for the most part He that lives conscionably dyes comfortably and departeth rich And so you see how it fares with the wickedest and worst of men Wherefore if you are truly sensible of your wretchednesse it is a good sign that you are in some forwardnesse to be recovered and really to become so good as formerly you but dream'd or imagined your self to be And indeed the very first step to grace is to feel the want of grace and the next way to receive mercy is to see your self miserable Therefore our 〈◊〉 and most diligent search should be 〈…〉 Sect. XXXVII Loose Libertine But is there any hope for one so wicked as I who have turned the grace of God into wantonesse applying Christs passion as a warrant for my licenciousnesse not as a remedy and taking his death as a licence to sin his cross as a Letters pattent to do mischief As if a man should head his drum of rebellion with his pardon For I have most spitefully and maliciously taken up arms against my Maker and fought against my Redeemer all my daies Convert Do but unfeignedly repent you of your sins and forsake your former evil waies and lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith my soul for yours God is very ready to forgive them be they never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Yea I can shew you your pardon from the great King of Heaven for all that is past the which you may read at large Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 to 29. and 33.11 Ioel 2.12 13 14. Yea read 1 Cor. 6.10 11. together with the story of Manasses Mary Magdelen the Thief and the Prodigal Son and you shall see presidents thereof Yea the very murtherers of the Son of God upon their serious and unfeigned repentance and stedfast believing in him received pardon and salvation And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus True every sin deserves damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it True Repentance is ever blest with forgiveness And know this that Gods mercy is greater than thy sin whatever it be you cannot be so infinite in sinning as he is infinite in pardoning if you repent yea sins upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I will put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44.22 And what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone As the former examples witnesse Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1.18 Yea whiter than snow For the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiâ—â—inesse and his original impurity useth these words Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did Christ come to call sinners to repentance and shall be not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that desires to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Only apply not this salve before the ulcer be searched to the bottom Lay not hold upon mercy untill you be throughly humbled The only way to become good is first to believe that you are evil and by accusing our selves we prevent Satan By judging our selves we prevent God Are we as sick of sorrow as we are of sin then may we hopefully go to the Physician of our souls who came into the world only to cure the sick and to give light to them only who sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death God does not pour the oyl of grace but into a broken and contrite heart Wouldst thou get out of the miserabâ—◠〈◊〉 of nature into the blessed estate of grace and of Satans bondsla 〈◊〉 me the child of God and a very
the heart may be quiet and cheerfull so St Paul as sorrowing and yet alwayes rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 Neither can it be solid comfort except it hath his issue from a good conscience Indeed we therefore are not merry enough because we are not Christians enough Now if all our sufferings are thus counterpoysed and exceeded with blessings have we any cause to be angry and impatient What saith Iob Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evill He was content to eat the crust with the crumme Indeed his wife like the wicked would only have fair weather all peace and plenty no touch of trouble but it is not so with the godly who have learnt better things Who will not suffer a few stripes from a Father by whom he receiveth so much good even all that he hath Diogenes would have no nay but Antisthenes must entertain him his Scholer insomuch that Antisthenes to have him gone was forc't to cudgell him yet all would not do he stirs not but takes the blowes very patiently saying Use me how you will so I may be your Scholer and hear your daily discourses I care not Much more may a Christian say unto God Let me enjoy the sweet fruition of thy presence speak thou peace unto my conscience and say unto my soul I am thy salvation and then afflict me how thou pleasest I am content yea very willing to bear it Yea if we well consider the commodity it brings we shall rather wish for affliction than be displeased when it comes Col. 1.24 For it even bringeth with it the company of God himself I will be with you in tribulation saith God to the disconsolate soul Psal. 91.15 When Sidrack Mishack and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace there was presently a fourth came to bear them company and that was God himself Dan. 3.23 to 27. And his presence makes any condition comfortable were a man even in hell it self Yea as when St Paul was rapt up to the third Heaven he was so ravished with the joy thereof that he knew not whether he had his body about him or not 2 Cor. 12.2 Whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth So Gods presence so ravisheth the soul that while a man suffers the greatest pain he knows not whether he be in pain or no. Yea God is not only with them to comfort them in all their tribulation 2 Cor. 1.4 but in them for at the same time when the Disciples were persecuted they are said to be filled with joy and with the holy Ghost Acts 13.52 And as our sufferings in Christ do abound so our consolation also aboundeth through Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 And lastly he doth comfort us according to the dayes we are afflicted and according to the years we have seen evil Psal 90.15 So that a Christian gains more by his losses and crosses than the happiest worldling by all his immunities as it was said of Demosthenes that he got more by holding his peace than other Lawyers did by their pleading And if so our sufferings require patience with thankfulnesse as it fared with Iob. Object But what ever others finde thy sufferings are not thus counterpoysed and sweetned Answ. What 's the reason get but the light of grace to shine in thy heart thy prison shall be an Heaven thy Keepers Angels thy chains thy glory and thy deliverance salvation Grow but heavenly minded and thou shalt be able to extract gain out of losse peace out of trouble strength out of infirmity out of tears joy out of sin holinesse out of persecution profit out of affliction comfort For godlinesse in every sicknesse is a Physician in every contention an Advocate in every doubt a Schoolman in all heavinesse a Preacher and a comforter unto whatsoever estate it comes making the whole life as it were a perpetuall hallelujah Besides we look for a Crown of glory even that most excellent and eternall weight of glory to succeed this wreath of Thorns but if we are never tryed in the field never set foot to run the race of patience how can we look for a Garland Ten repulses did the Israelites suffer before they could get out of Aegypt and twice ten more before they could get possession of the promised Land of Canaan And as many did David endure before he was invested in the promised Kingdom many lets came before the Temple was re-edified All men would come to Heaven but they do not like the way they like well of Abrahams bosome but not of Dives door But God seeth it 〈◊〉 for us to tast of that Cap of which his Sonne drank so deep that we should feel a little what sin is and what his love was that we may learn patience in adversity as well as thankefulnesse in prosperity while one scale is not alwayes in depression nor the other lifted ever high while none is so miserable but he shall hear of another that would change calamities with him CHAP. XXII That they are patient because patience brings a reward with it 6. BEcause Patience in suffering brings a reward with it In reason a man would forgive his enemy even for his own sake were there no other motive to perswade him for to let passe many things of no small moment as that if we forgive not we can do no part of Gods worship that is pleasing to him for we cannot pray aright 1 Tim. 2.8 We cannot communicate in the Sacrament but we make our selves guilty of Christs blood 1 Cor. 11.27 Matth. 5.24 We cannot be good hearers of the Word Iames 1.21 and that it makes a man captive to Satan Ephes. 4.26 27. and many the like If ye forgive men their trespasses saith our Saviour your heavenly Father also will forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. So he that will not be in charity shall never be in Heaven And why should I do my self a shrewd turn because another would Yea we desire pardon as we give pardon and we would be loath to have our own lips condemn us When we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive them that trespasse against us and do not resolve to forgive our brethren we do in effect say Lord condemn us for we will be condemned whereas he that doth good to his enemy even in that act doth better to himself It is a sigular sacrifice to God and well-pleasing to him to do good against evill and to succour our very enemy in his necessity but we may perchance heap coals of fire upon the others head Rom. 12.20 though we must not do it with an intent to make his reckoning more but our reckoning lesse Again Blessed is the man saith St Iames that endureth temptation viz. with patience for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life James 1.12 And this made Moses not only
when the seventy years are accomplished I will visit the King of Babel and that Nation for their iniquities and will make it a perpetual desolation c. Ier. 25.11 12. and 30 16. even the greater sinners may punish the lesse and prosper for a time Ezekiel 7. I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their Houses vers 24. When iniquity hath plaid her part vengeance leaps upon the Stage the Comedy is short but the Tragedy is longer We use rubbish to scoure our vessels when those vessels are cleared we fling away the rubbish Bridges that help men over the stream at last themselves rot and sink in When Balaams Asse had done speaking humana voce she lived an Asse and died an Asse So when God hath sufficiently afflicted the righteous by the rod of the wicked he will fling the Rod into the fire which is unquenchable Isa. 33.1 And it stands with the strength of reason for if God saith Saint Gregory strike so smartly those whom he spareth how heavie will his blows be on them whom he condemneth and with what severity shall Cast-awayes be pâ—nished when his own children are so visited and afflicted If Gods own Children who are as dear and near to him as the Apple of his eye or the signet on his right hand suffer fo many and grievous afflictions here what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell undoâ—btedly when the Patient is made whole he shall be preserved but the Plaister shall be thrown away For as God doth tâ—rn evil to good to them that love him so â—e turnes good to evil to those that hate him Again secondly if the wicked are punished for doing wrong to the wicked much more for wronging the just and innocent But wee have many examples of the former as that of Adonibeâ—eck who having cut off the Thumbs and great Toes of Seventy Kings 〈◊〉 were wicked like himself had also hiâ— his own Thumbs and Toes cut off Iudg. 1.5.7 And Moab of whom the Lord saith hee hath burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime therefore will I send a fire upon Moab and it shall devour c. Amos 2.1 2. If the greater Serpent devours the less there is a Dragon to devour him therefore the enemies of Gods Church have no hope to escape The everlasting punishments of the ungodly are deferred not remitted But all the evill thou doest to the godly is with thy tongue Answ. That 's bad enough the Serpents hissing betrays his malice and Ishmael's tongue made him a Persecuter as well as Doeg's hands hee did but stout Isaac yet Saint Paul saith hee persecuted him Gal. 4 2â— â—ham onely scoft at Noah yet it brought upon him his Fathers curse and Gods upon that The Athenians but scoft once at Silla's wife and it had well nigh cost the razing of their City he was so provoked with the indignity And whatever thou conceivest of iâ— let this fault bee as far from my soul as my soul from Hell For assuredly God will one day laugh you to scorn for laughing his to scorn and at last despise you that have despised him in us CHAP. 35. Other grounds of comfort to support a Christian in his sufferings And first that God is specially present with his servants in their afflictions takes notice of their sufferings and allayes their grief THis rub being removed and the pâ—ssage made clear proceed wee to other grounds of comfort which the Word of God affords in this case for the better upholding and strenghtening of a weak Christian in his sufferings Wherein that wee may not exceed I will select out onely five because instructions if they exceeâ—â—â—re wont like nails to drive ouâ— one another First wee shall bear the Cross with the more patience and comfort if wee consider that God is specially present with his servants in their afflictions takes notice of their sufferings and allays their grief The troubles of a Christian are very great for number variety and bitterness yet there is one ingredient that sweetens them all the promise of God I will bee with thee in trouble and deliver thee Psal. 91.15 And thou shalâ— not bee tempted above thy strength 1 Cor. 10.13 Again fear not for when thou passest through the water I will bee with thee and through the floods that they do not over-flow thee When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the â—lame kindle upon theâ— Isa. 43.1 2. Lo here are promises like Flaggons of Wine to comfort the distressed soul. Wherefore as Câ—sar said to the trembling Marriner 〈◊〉 not afraid for thou carriest Caesar so O Christian bee not afraid for hee that is in thee for thee with thee that guides thee that will save thee is the invincible King Iehova And upon this ground David was so comforted and refreshed 〈◊〉 his soul Psal. 94.19 that hee was able to say Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill Why For thou art with mee thy Rod and thy Staffe shall comfort mee Psal. 23.4 Yea our Enemies can no sooner assault us with their tongues but God coms in to our rescue If yee bee railed upon for the name of Christ saith Saint Peter blessed are yee for the Spirit of God resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 God is never so much injoyed of us as when we are in the deep with David Psal. 130.1 and when wee are worst of all bestead with Iehosaphat a Chron. 20.12 When did Iacob see a Vision of Angels but when hee fled for his life making the cold earth his bed and a stone his pillow or when was his heart so full of joy as now that his head lay hardest When was Paul wrapp'd into the third heaven to hear words from Christ not fit to bee uttered 2 Cor. 12.2.4 but as some of the learned conceive when hee was bereaved of his sight Stephen saw great happiness by Christ in his peace but under that shower of stones hee saw heaven it self open Act. 7. When wee are slain all the day long for his sake with the Martyrs then wee are given to see him with our eyes as Iob did who till that time had onely heard of him by the hearing of the ear Then wee come to know that the Lord hee is God with Manasses 2 Chron. 33.13 and that he is our hope and strength and refuge and a very present help in troubles ready to bee sound of all that seek to him 2 Chron. 15.4.15 Psal 9.9 10 and 46.1 The Israelites never fared so well as when they lived at Gods immediate finding and at night expected their morrows break-fast from the clouds When they did daily ask and daily receive their daily bread Yea even when they were wandering in a forlorn wilderness how did God as it were attend upon them in their distress to supply their wants They have no guide therefore God himself goes before them in a
sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore ô wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse then lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesâ—â— Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally ô the deepness of Gods love ô the unmeasurable measure of his bounty ô Son of God who can sufficiently express thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us § 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world then to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six dayes to finish it the Redemption of man cost him three and thirty years In the Creation of the World he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderful things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater then the making of the whole World In every new creature are a number of miracles a blinde man is restored to fight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meets with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with § 4. But the better to illustrate this love consider that salvation stands in two things First in freedome and deliverance of us from Hell Secondly in the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the Law merits the second The parts of our Iustification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse And to this would be added first Conversion which comprehends both Faith and Repentance Secondly Sanctification the Parts whereof are Mortification that is dying unto sin and Vivification which is living unto righteousnesse Thirdly Glorification begun and perfected which is freedome from all evil here and the perfection of all good and happiness in heaven § 5. What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and 〈◊〉 great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we finde our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breath in Fire to warm us Water to cool and cleanse us Clothes to cover us Food to nourish us Fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all Himself and his own Son to be injoyed of us So that whithersoever we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence We are bound to praise him above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoyes so much light or so many blessings as we above any creature c. God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castaways for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse for whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reason others are blinde deaf dumb are sick maimed imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For if the whole Heaven were turned into a Book and all the Angels deputed Writers therein they could not set down all the good which Gods love in Christ hath done us For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace mercie given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was faâ—â— asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwayes raised us Now if we are so bound to blesse God for his external temporal inferiour earthly perishing benefits what praise do we owe for the lasting fruits of his eternal love and mercy and how thankful should we strive to be which shall be the next thing treated of Now what should we render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies for favours bestowed and deliverances from danger binde to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings require retribution of thanks or wil bring distribution of plagues Neither could we possibly be unthankful if we seriously thought upon what God gives and what he forgives For in reason hath he contrived so many wayes to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him hath he done so much for us and shall we denie him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lambe cannot soften them stony bowâ—ls if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again
for his sake to bear a few scoffs and reproaches from the world it is evident we are but counterfeits such as Christ will be ashamed of before his Father and his holy Angels at the latter day Mark 8 38. For for the comfort of all that are single and honest-hearted notwithstanding all the scoffs and scorns of Atheists and careless worldlings all their perswasions and persecutions they shall both lose their labours and themselves too in the end Well may they intend and also do their utmost to flout us out of our Faith that so they may slay us with death eternal and speed thereafter As God that regards not so much what is performed as what was intended and measures what we do by what we meant to do as in the case of Abrahams offering up his son and those Iews who only thought they had killed Paul Acts 14 19. but they shall be no more able to hinder the salvation of any one 〈◊〉 God hath chosen to his Kingdome of grace and glory then Saul with his 〈◊〉 could hinder David from attaining the promised Kingdom of Israel 〈…〉 Rev. 13.8 The windes may well tosse the ship wherein Christ 〈…〉 overturâ— it If Christ have but once possest the affections there is no dispossessing him again The League that Heaven hath made Hell wants power to break Who can separate the conjunctions of the Deitie Whom God did predestinate saith Paul them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 They shall sooner blow up hell with trains of powder then break the chain of this dependent truth No power of men or devils is able to withstand the will of God it shall stand firmer then the firmament A fire in the heart overcomes all other fires without as we see in the Martyrs which when the sweet doctrine of Christ had once got into their hearts it could not be got out again by all the torments that wit and cruelty could devise CHAP. III. Convert BUt how should I a novice a punie a white-liver shake off this slavish yoke of bondage and fear in which Satan for the present holds me Minister By well observing what the Scriptures in this case hold forth for the encouragement of all that thus suffer I will commend to your serious consideration only six things and I pray minde them well for Virgil most excellently and profundly couples the knowledge of cause and the conquest of all fears together First observe that grievous temptations and persecutions do always accompany the remission of sins That all men as Austin speaks are necessitated to miseries who bend their course towards the Kingdom of Heaven neither can Gods love be enjoyed without Satans disturbance Yea the world and the devill therefore hate us because God hath chosen us If a convert comes home the Angels welcome him with songs the devils follow him with uprore and fury his old acquaintance with scorns and obloquie as you sufficiently finde Godly men are thorns in wicked mens eyes as Iob was in the devils because they are good or for that they are dearly beloved of God If a mans person and ways please God the world will be displeased with both whence we are so often foretold and forewarned of it that we may be the better forearmed and prepared to entertain it All that will love godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Ye shall be hated of all men and nations for my Names sake Matth. 10.22 and 24.9 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves Matth. 10.16 and many the like Wheâ—ce also those many and strong encouragements in the word which may serv◠〈◊〉 so many flaggons of wine to comfort and strengthen us against whatsoever we meet withall in the world Blessed are they that suffer persecution for 〈◊〉 teousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 5.10 Blessed are 〈◊〉 when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill a 〈◊〉 you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your 〈…〉 in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you 〈…〉 Rejoyce inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when 〈…〉 shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy For if ye 〈…〉 ed for the Name of Christ happy are ye For the spirit of glory and 〈…〉 upon you which on their part is evil spoken of but on your part is 〈…〉 12 13 14. Lo here is reward enough for all that men or devils 〈…〉 gainst us which hath made thousands even ambitious to imbrace the flames Your cruelty is our glory said the Martyrs in Tertullians time to their persecutors for the harder we are put to it the greater shall our reward be in Heaven It is to my loss said Gordius the Martyr if you bate me any thing of my sufferings See more Phil. 1.28 29. Rev. 2.13 And so much to shew that he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Cain doth not exercise as Gregory speaks For it is an everlasting rule of the Apostle He that is born after the flâ—sh will persecute him that is born after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 not because he is evill but because he is so much better then himself 1 Iohn 3.12 Because his life is not like other mens his ways are of another fashion Wisd. 2.15 CHAP. IV. SEcondly consider That as we are every where in the word forewarned of it so it is not our case alone for search the whole Bible over and you shall not finde one holy man mentioned without mention of something he suffered from ungodly men as it were easie to instance how Abel Lot Noah righteous men Abraham the father of the faithful Isaac Iacob Ioseph Patriarchs and Fathers of the Church meek Moses upright Samuel Iob that none-such all the Lords Priests Prophets Apostles yea the harmlesse Babes and our Saviour Christ himself did severally suffer from wicked and ungodly men Yea never man came to Heaven but first he past through this Purgatory God had one Son without sin but never any one without suffering Which makes our Saviour say Wo be to you when all men speak well of you that is when evill men speak well of you for so did the Iews of the false Prophets Luke 6 26. Wherefore marvel not though the world hate you as St. John speaks 1 Job 3.13 Neither count it strange as St. Peter hath it concerning the fiery triall which is amongst you to try you as though some strange thing were come unto you 1 Pet. 4.12 For Christ and his Crosse are inseparable Luke 14.27 Whence that distinction of Luther that a Christian is a Crosse-bearer He that will be my disciplâ— let him take up his crosse daily and follow me Luke 9.23 and 14.26 27. CHAP. V. THirdly No hope it should be otherwise since God from the beginning of the Creation hath
burthen Tarpeia for the desire she had of all the gold bracelets which the Sabines wore about their left armes when they went to besiege Room sold the Fort or Castle of the City wherein there was a great Garrison of which her Father Tarpeius was Captain to the Sabines and asking for reward of her treason Fatius the Sabines General according to his promise when she had opened them a gate in the night and let them in commanded his whole Army to do as he did who taking the bracelet which himself wore on his left arm and his target did hang them about her neck and so all the rest untill she being bowed down to the ground with the weight of them was pressed to death under the burthen And much after this manner does God deal with unmerciful misers and all wicked and ungrateful men As see the sad condition of a man to whom God gives riches in wrath it is so well worth your knowledge and observation that David was very inquisitive with the Lord about it Psal. 73.3 to 13. and likewise the Prophet Ieremy chap. 12. Righteous art thou O Lord wheâ— I speak with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken râ—â—â— they grow yea they bring forth fruit thou art neer in their mouth and far from their reines ver 1 2 3. Yea it is admirable to consider how the tabernacles of robbers do prosper how secure they are that provoke God and how abundantly God giveth into their hands Job 12.6 They increase in riches wax fat and sbine Jerem. 5.28 They are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart can wish yea there are no hands in their death Psalm 73. and many the like places But hear all and ye will never envy their prosperity neither will your teeth water after their dainties as what is ever the conclusion their felicity and happiness is no sooner mentioned but it followes And thou diddest set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into destruction they are brought into desolation in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrours Psalm 73.18 to the 21. verse Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the day of slaughter Ierem. 12.3 They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment they go down into hell Job 21.13 Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Psal. 55.19 But no greater judgement then thus to be free from judgements Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone saith God Hosea 4.17 And the like I will not visit your daughters when they are harlots nor your spouses when they are whores ver 14. and hereupon all they do is well But think it not an argument of Gods favour or dispensation that thou and thousands more do prosper in their wickedness that some eminent judgement is not executed speedily upon them while they are contriving their deep and divelish plots For though prosperous wickednesse is one of the devils strongest chaines yet there cannot be a greater unhappiness an heavier curse than to prosper in ill designs and ungracious courses Such a mans preservation is but a reservation as it fared with Sodom and her sisters which were preserved from the slaughter of the four Kings that God might rain down hell from heaven upon them And Sennacherib who escaped the stroak of the destroying Angell that he might fall by the sword of his own Sons Isai. 37.37 38. Wicked men are not wise enough to cosinder that usually God doth most afflict those whom he best affecteth dealing with his children as the good husband deales with his trees those in the garden he is ever and anon medling with them either lopping off the superfluous branches or scraping off the moss or paring of the root or digging and dunging about them so using all good meanes to make them fruitfull whereas he lets them alone which grow in the hedge-row or forrest till at the length he comes with his Axe and cuts them down for the fire Fatted ware you know is but fitted for the shambles God puts money indeed into these earthen boxes that have onely one chink to let in but none to let out with purpose to break them when they are full What was Haman the better for all he had when the King frowned upon him or the happier for being lift up the ladder when he was to come down again with a rope And for ought thou knowest this very night thou mayest loose both thy gold thy life and thy soul too And therefore what ever thou makest choise of let me rather beg with innocent Lazarus then abound with unjust Ahab or unmerciful Dives so shall my turn be soon over whilst theirs is to come and continue everlastingly But my purpose is not so much to shew you what will be the end of unmerciful and ungrateful men as how their riches proves a curse to them here That they had better be without their wealth than that God should give it them upon such termes as he does I shall demonstrate in these on particulars I pray mind them CHAP VI. FIrst How many are there that by an intolerable care and pains and greif and sting of conscience and losse of credit and undergoing many perils get great estates and when they have obtained all that heart can wish by a just judgement of God they have not power to partake of what they have or be a farthing the better for all As observe but what wise Solomon speaks Eccles. 6. There is an evill which I have seen under the sun and it is common among men a man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof ver 1 2. And again There is one alone and there is not a second yea he hath neither child nor brother yet is there no end of all his labour neither is his eye satisfied with riches neither saith he for whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good this is also vanity yea this is a sore travell Eccles. 4.8 Yea how many such could I nominate that are baser by being wealthier that are no other than rich beggers or beggers in the midst of their riches as Cain was a vagabond upon his own land upon whose estates there is â—et a spell insomuch that their wealth sayes to them in effect touch not tast not handle not It is the misers curse want in the midst of abundance hunger in the midst of plenty he freezes by the fires side and is like an unhappy boy that hath a great trusse ef points to play with and but one at his breeches to tye them together or rather he resembles a
argument the Apostle useth to incite the Corinthians to a liberal contribution â— Cor. 9 11. to 1â— insomuch that when we hold our peace or are sleeping in our beds the loynes of the poore shall bless us as it is Iob 31.20 and 29.12 13. Whereas on the contrary he that giveth not to the poore shall lie open to their curse according to that Prov. 28.27 and Deut. 15.9 and 14 15. the which curses of the poore he will hear and ratifie according to that Iob 31.16 to 29. Fourteenthly By the same meanes also we give them and others occasion of praising and glorifying God whilest by the experiment of this ministration they see our professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ as the Apostle speaketh â— Cor. 9. â—3 Wherefore let us strive to abound in this duty that whiles they injoy our bounty we may injoy their prayers 2 Tim. 1.18 and God may have their praises 2 Cor 9.15 And so much the rather for that of all men seldom is any great sin shame or punishment fastned on the charitable for how should he speed ill that hath the prayers of so many Fifteenthly it is no small pleasure and â—oy which a Christian taketh in performing these works of 〈◊〉 for 〈…〉 actions in themselves do even for the present fill their hearts with joy who rightly perform them But much more do they fill our hearts with joy as they are evident signes to assure us that we are indued with Gods saving graces and as they do being fruits of a lively faith ascertaine us of our future reward and the fruition of Gods presence where there is fulnesse of joy for ever more Yea the godly man gives with more joy and thankfulness of heart then the other receives the same as enough can bear me witness Yea Seneca an Heathen can testifie the same for he defines a benefit to be an action proceeding from love yeilding joy both to him that receiveth it and much more to him that yeildeth it Sixteenthly The inward habit of goodnesse and mercy in our hearts exercised in the outward actions of liberality bounty by our hands makes us to resemble God himself and that in such an attribute as he delighteth above all others to stile himself withall For howsoever he is infinite in glory power and all perfections yet most usually in the Scriptures he is called a God of mercy and compassion and hereby principally he maketh himself known unto Moses desiring to see him Exod. 34.6 Nor can we in any thing resemble God more then in this grace and therefore it is our Saviours exhortation that we be mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull Luke 6.36 Now God gives to all richly to injoy 1 Tim. 6.17 Yea blessed be God saies the Church that daily ladeth us with benefits that crowneth us with loving kindness and compasseth us about with new songs of deliverance Psalm 103. and 36 Therefore seeing mercy and goodness do make us above all other graces to resemble God and then the creature attaineth to greatest perfection and blessednesse when he is the likest and cometh nearest unto the excellency of the Creator And seeing we professe our selves to be children of our gracious and glorious God and we can no way grace our selves so much as by resembling our heavenly Father in those attributes wherein he most shineth and excelleth and nothing maketh us more like him then mercy and compassion let us hearken unto our Saviours injunction and imitate our Father in being bountifull as he is These are some of the spirituall blessings and benefits which God hath promised for reward to the mercifull in this life it would take up too much time to mention the many more that might be added therefore I will leave them and so proceed to those that are eternall concern the life to come which I would have you especially mind yea if it be possible pluck up all your senses into your Ears that you may the more mind and better remember for it is enough to ravish any Christian soul and to make him to stretch his estate upon the â—enters that he may be the more liberall in relieving Christs poore members for the greater the liberality the greater the recompence of reward Phil. 4.17.18 CHAP. XXIX That the merciful man who distributeth liberally to the poore on Earth in conscience and obedience to Gods Word shall be rewarded with the unvaluable gain and matchless profit of everlasting salvation is assured us here and shall be injoyed of us hereafter First at the Hour of Death Secondly at the day of Iudgement is fully declared Luke 14.13 14 16 9. Prov. 11.17 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Math 5.7 and 6.4 and 19.29 But take these two places for all Sell that ye have and give almes at no hand let the poore want what shift soever ye make rather sell then want to give provide your selves baggs which wax not old a treasure in the Heavens which faileth not where no thief approacheth neither mâ—â—h corrupteth Luke 12.33 34. this is the first the second is more full then that When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angells with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Maâ—th 25.31 to 41. See here the incomparableness and infinite difference between the work and the wages ye admire the love and bounty of God and bless his name who for the performance of so small a work hath proposed so great a reward and for the obtaining of such an happy estate hath imposed such an easie task Here is a Kingdom even the Kingdom of Heaven Which cannot be valued with many millions of worlds in recompence of a little meat drink and apparell who then that is in his right senses would not turn all his scraping into giving yea what can we think too much what not too little to give to attain eternity for this incorruptible Crown of glory 1 Pet. 5.4 for this Kingdom where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 A place where shall no evill be present nor good absent Matth. 6.20 In comparison whereof all the
debitor est qùam Deus homini are rather debtors to God then God to us We cannot so much as give him gratias thanks unless he first give us gratiam the grace of thankfulness God gives not onely grace asked but grace to ask We cannot be patient under his hand except his hand give us patience God must infuse before we can effuse The springs of our hearts must be filled from that ocean before we can derive drink to the thirsty For as the virtue attractive to draw Iron is not in the Iron but in the Adamant so all our ability is of God and nothing as our own can we challenge save our defects and infirmities Whence that of Austin Lord look not upon my Works but upon thy Works which thou hast done in me or by me which indeed he does even to the amazement and astonishment of all that are wise and truly thankful For mark it well first he gives us power to do well and then he recompenceth and crowneth that work which we do well by his grace and bounty Bernard reports of Pope Eugenius that meeting a poor but honest Bishop he secretly gave him certain jewels wherewith he might present him as the custom was for such to do So if God did not first furnish us with his graces and blessings wee should have nothing wherewith to honor him or do good to others Of thine own I give thee said Iustinian the Emperor borrowing it from the Psalmist 1 Chron. 29.14 The use whereof before we leave it would be this First hope we for but challenge not a reward for our well-doing yet not for it self but for what Christ hath done for and by us Let this be the temper of our spirits when we do any duty Do we the work give God the praise To us the use of his gifts to him the thanks and glory for ever Yea having received all we have from him and done all that we do by him what madness and folly is it not to refer the glory and praise of all to him as the Apostle argues Rom. 11.36 to which he adds as an injunction Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 O God if we do any thing that is good it is thine act and not ours Crown thine own work in us and take thou the glory of thine own mercies God bestoweth upon us many indowments to the end onely that we should imploy them to his honor and best advantage that gave them us For that he may be honored by our wisdom riches graces is the onely end for which he gives us to be wise rich gracious Matth. 25.27 30 1 Cor. 12.7 14.26 Rom. 12.6 Ephes. 4.11 12. Yea it is the onely end for which we were created Isa. 43. v. 7. therefore it hath alwaies been the aim end mark which all the Saints have ever indeavoured to hit though with several shafts as the same beams are many but the light one For whereas the ignorant ascribe the effects and events of things to Fortune the Atheist to Nature the Superstitious to their Idols the Politician to his plots the Proud-man to his own power and parts too many to second causes in all these the Servants of God look higher resolving all such effects to their first principle Digitus Dei the finger of God ascribing to Him the praise as I might abundantly shew from the Word could I stand upon it Yea even Titus the Emperor when he was praised for a victory that he had got made answer That it proceeded from God who made his hands but the instruments to serve him as Iosephus testifies The Godly as they do all by his poxer so they refer all to his glory CHAP. XLV BUt the Worldling hath neither heart nor brain so to do or once to cast an eye or have the least aim at God's glory even in their greatest undertakings or whatever they either receive or do but instead of giving glory to God they take it to themselves as Herod did Acts 12.23 ascribing the increase of their corn wine and oyl their honors successes c. either to the goodness and sharpness of their Wit and skill or to the greatness of their industry or of their power and authority saying with proud Nebuchadnezar Is not this great Babel which I have built by the might of my power c. Dan. 4.30 Have not I got all these goods victories preferments c. my self and by mine own wisdom and providence which the Prophet calls sacrificing to their own net and burning incense unto their drag Hab. 1.16 Even as it fared with the children of Dan Iudges 18. who ascribed the honor of their success to their Idols Or as it fared with Israel God gave them sheep and Oxen and they offered them up to Baal He gave them Ear-rings and Iewels for their own ornament and they turned them to an Idol Yea poor silly souls they are like Swine that feed upon Acorns without ever looking to the Oake from whence they fell Or the Horse that drinks of the Brook and never thinks of the Spring Christ rains down Mannah they gather it and eat it and scarce ever think from whence they had it at least the thought of his blessings is out of their minds as soon as the taste is out of their mouths As but one of those Ten that could lift up their voices for cure of their Leprosie return'd with thanks when they were cleansed so it is ten to one if any give glory to God Luck or wit or friend one thing or other still lies in their way and takes up Christ's glory and the thanks ere it can come at him Customary fruition hath made men scarce think themselves beholding to God But as he that having fed his body and asswaged his hunger and gives no thanks steals his meat so in all other things In visible benefits not to see the invisible giver is great infidelity and blindness and indeed if any thing infallibly proves an hypocrite it is when endsâ—are â—are the first movers of good duties Now what I have spoken of good men in this point I might shew of good Angels and glorified Saints in Heaven yea of Heathens and Idolaters yea I might add that not to be thankful nor to acknowledge what God our bountiful Benefactor bestows upon and does for us is to fall short of the very brute Beasts The Ox knows no Owner but man and him he does acknowledg and love according to his capacity Isa. 1.3 And it 's well known what strange things are recorded of Lyons Dogs Eagles yea how oft shall we see a Dog welcome home his Master with all possible expressions of love and thankfulness when perhaps his Wife entertains him with frumps and frowns And certainly had beasts the like knowledge with us of their Maker they would worship and serve him better then do their Masters but for proof of this enough Though
so doing he shall greatly increase his knowledge and lessen his vites In â— few dayes he may read it and ever after be the better for it But me thinks I am too like a carelesse Porter which keepes the guests without doors till they have lost their stomacks wherefore I will detain you no longer in the Porch but unlock the door and let you in THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION and how to husband it so that with blessing from above the weakest Christian may be able to support himself in his most miserable Exigents CHAP. 1. Why the Lord suffers his children to be so traduced and persecuted by his and their enemies and first That it makes for the glory of his power IN the former Treatise I have proved that there is a naturall enmity and a spirituall Antipathy between the Men of the World and the children of GOD between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman And that these two Regiments being the Subjects of two severall Kings Satan and Câ—rist are governed by Laws opposite and clean contrary each to the other whereby it comes to passe that grievous temptations and persecutions do alwayes accompany the remission of sins That all men as Austine speaks are necessitated to miseries which bend their course towards the Kingdom of Heaven For godlinesse and temptation are such inseparable attendants on the same person that a mans sins be no sooner forgiven and he rescued from Satan but that Lion fomes and roares and bestirs himselfe to recover his losse Neither can Gods love be enjoyed without Satans disturbance Yea the World and the Devil therefore hate us because God hath chosen us If a Convert comes home the Angels welcome him with Songs the Devils follow him with uproar and fury his old acquaintance with scorns and obloquie for they think it quarrel enough that we will no longer run with them to the same excess of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 That we will no longer continue miserable with them they envy to see themselves cashiered as persons infected with the plague will scoff at such of their acquaintance as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly It is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they rail at and persecute the good He that hath no grace himself is vexed to see it in another godly men are thorns in wicked mens eyes as Iob was in the Devils because they are good or because they are deerly beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the world will be displeased with both If God be a mans friend that will be his enemy if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Cain doth not exercise as Gregory speaks for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles He that is born after the flesh will persecute him that is born after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 not because he is evil but because he is so much better then himself 1 John 3.12 Because his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion Wisdom 2.15 I have also shewed the Original continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of this enmity and therein made it plain that as for the present they suit like the Harp and the Harrow agree like two poysons in one stomack the one being ever sick of the other so to reconcile them together were to reconcile Fire and Water the Wolfe and the Lambe the Windes and the Sea together yea that once to expect it were an effect of frenzie not of hope It remains in the last place that I declare the Reasons why God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted The godly are so patient in their sufferings With other grounds of comfort and Vses and first of the first The Reasons why God suffers the same are chiefly sixteen all tending to his glory and their spiritual and everlasting good benefit and advantage for the malignity of envy if it be well answered is made the evil cause of a good effect to us God and our souls are made gainers by anothers sin The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory are three 1 It makes for the glory of his Power 2 It makes for the glory of his Wisdom 3 It makes much for his glory when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children do the more shine through employment It makes for the glory of his power Moses having declared in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppress the children of Israel more and more still hardning his heart shews the reason of it in these words That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the land of Egypt That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh and bring out mine Armies even my people by great judgements that my power may be known and that I may declare my Name throughout all the World Exod. 7.3 4. 9.16 When that multitude of Ammonites and Moabites came to war against Iehosaphat and the children of Israel intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance and utterly destroy them to the dishonour of God the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction gained to himself such honour and glory That as the Text saith the fear of God was upon all the Kingdoms of the Earth when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel 2 Chron. 20.19 The judgement was upon some the fear came upon all it was but a few mens loss but it was all mens warning 1 Cor. 10.11 When the Lord brought again the Captivity of Sion saith the Psalmist then said they among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal. 126.1 2. God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church that their humiliation may be the greator in susteining and his glory may be greater in deliverance yea though there be legions of Devils and every one stronger then many legions of men and more malicious then strong yet Christs little Flock lives and prospers And makes not this exceedingly for our Makers for our Guardians glory Gods power is best made known in our weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 And our deliverance is so much the more wondred at by how much the less it was expected Impossibilities are the best advancers of Gods glory who not seldom hangs the greatest wâ—ights upon the smallest wiers as he doth those bottles of Heaven being of infinite weight and magnitude in the soft air where no man can make a feather hang and the massie substance of the whole Earth and Sea upon nothing Job 26.7 8. Yea the whole frame of the Heavens have no other Columnes or Supporters to lean upon than his mighty and powerful Word Gen. 1.6 7 8. For what we least believe can be done we most admire being done the lesser the means and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little means doth
serve God as our servants serve us of which many have too good cloaths others too much wages or are too fine fed to do work as â—sops Hen being over-fed was too fat to lay or perhaps too many under them as a Gentleman having but one servant thought him over-burdened with work and therefore took another to help him but having two one of them so trusted to the others observance that oft-times they were both missing and the work not done then he chose a third but was worse served them then before whereupon he told his friend When I had one servant I had a servant when I had two I had but half an one now I have three I have never an one Few men can disgest great felicity Many a man hath been a loser by his gains and found that that which multiplied his outward estate hath abated his inward and so on the contrary David was never so tender as when he was hunted like a Partridge 1 Sam. 26.20 Ionah was at best in the Whales belly Stevens face never shone so fair as when he stood before the Council Acts 6.15 Whilest the Romans had wars with Carthage and enemies in Affrick they knew not what vices meant in Rome Now if the winter of the one is found to be the spring of the other and the corruption of prosperity the generation of piety who will esteem those things good which make us worse or that evil which brings such gain and sweetness Before I was afflicted saith David I went astray but now I keep thy commandement Psal. 119.67 These evils do press us but it is to God and to holiness Yea how much lower our afflictions weigh us down on Earth so much the more earnestly our affections mount up to Heaven An Egge will swim in sâ—lt water but sink in fresh so we King David among so many publick and private calamities and disasters kept his head above water and stood upright in his heart to God But King Solomon his son even sunk in the midst of delights and pleasures Too much rankness layeth the Corn and Trees over-laden with Fruit are their own ruine Happy was he Iohn 9. in being born blinde whose gain of bodily sight made way for the spiritual who of a Patient became an Advocate for his Saviour who lost a Synagogue and found Heaven who by being abandoned of sinners was received of the Lord of glory God rarely deprives a man of one faculty but he more then supplies it in another The defect of corporal sight hath not seldome mended the memory for what is taken from one sense is divided amongst the rest When Zachary was dumbe Iohn Baptist the voice was a breeding Hannibal had but one eye Appius Claudius Timelon and Homer were quite blinde So was Mulleasses King of Tunis and Iohn King of Bohemia but for the loss of that one Sense they were recompensed in the rest they had most excellent memories rare inventions and admirable other parts Or suppose he send sickness the worst Feaver can come does not more burn up our blood than our lust and together with sweating out the surfets of nature at the pores of the body we weep out the sinful corruption of our nature at the pores of the conscience Yea the Authour to the Hebrews saith of Christ himself that though he were the Son yet as he was man He learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 As in humane proceedings Ill manners beget good Laws so in Divine the wicked by their evil tongues beget good and holy lives in the godly Whence Plutarch adviseth us so circumspectly to demean our selves as if our enemies did alwayes behold us Nothing sooner brings us to the knowledge and amendment of our faults then the scoffs of an enemy which made Philip of Macedon acknowledge himself much beholding to his enemies the Athenians for speaking evil of him for saith he they have made me an honest man to prove them liars even barren Leah when she was despised became fruitful So that we may thank our enemies or must thank God for our enemies Our souls shall shine the brighter one day for such rubbing the cold winde cleanseth the good grain the hot fire refines the pure gold Yea put case we be gold they will but try us If Iron they will scowre away our rust I say not that a wicked heart will be bettered by affliction for in the same fire that gold is made bright and pure dâ—oss is burnt and consumed and under the same flail that the grain is purged and preserved the husks are broken and diminished Neither are the Lees therefore confounded with the Wine because they are pressed and trodden under the same press or plank but I speak of affliction sanctified and of the godly Yet let not the wickedest man be discouraged for as when Christ called the blinde man the Disciples said Be of good comfort he calleth thee so I may say to thee that art burthned with any kind of affliction Be of good comfort Christ calleth thee saying Come unto me by repentance and amendment of life and I will ease thee of thy sins and sorrows here and hereafter only as the blinde man threw away his garment and followed Christ so do thou answer him I will forsake my sins and follow thee For if God like a prudent Prince makes offers and fames of war it is but to mend the conditions of peace But farewel I am for the already resolved to whom I say if the needle of affliction be drawn through us by reason of wicked mens malice it is but to convey with it the threed of amendment and their worst to the godly serves but as the thorn to the brest of the Nightingale the which if she chance to sleep causeth her to warble with a renewed cheerfulness For as blowes make balls to mount and lashes make Tops to go which oâ— themselves would fall so with their malice we are spurred up to duty and made persevere in it for commonly like Tops no longer lasht no longer we go Yea these very tempestuous showers bring forth spiritual flowers herbs in abundance Devotion like fire in frosty weather burns hottest in affliction Vertue provoked ads much to it self With the Ark of Noah the higher we are tossed with the flood of their malice the neerer we mount towards Heaven When the waters of the flood came upon the face of the earth down went stately Turrets and Towers but as the waters rose the Ark rose still higher and higher In like sort when the waters of affliction arise down goes the pride of life the lust of the eyes In a word all the vanities of the World But the Ark of the soul ariseth as these waters rise and that higher and higher even neerer and neerer towards Heaven I might illustrate this point by many observable things in nature We see Well-waters arising from deep Springs are hotter in Winter then in Summer because the outward
Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.22 Whom hast thou blasphemed And against whom hast thou exalted thy self Even against the Holy One of Israel Whom are you angry withal Doth the rain and waters or any other creature displease you Alas they are but servants if their Master bid smite they must not forbear they may say truly what Rabshakeh usurped Are we come without the Lord Isa. 1.36.10 Yea are we not sent of the Lord in loue and to do you good and to give you occasion of rejoycing afterward if you bear the Cross patiently and make that use of it which others do and the Lord intends Yea Saint Paul could rejoyce even in tribulation But alas these are so far from rejoycing with that blessed Apostle that they rave in tribulation and like some beasts grow mad with baiting or like frantick men wounded who finding ingredients prepared to dress them tear them all in pieces But let us not be like them if Satan robs us of a bag of silver let not us call after him and bid him take a bag of gold also If he afflict thee outwardly yet surrender not to him the inward rail not at the Hangman but run to the Iudge fret not with Ioash 2 Kings 6.33 but submit with Hezekiah Isai. 39.8 When Gods hand is on thy back let thy hand be on thy mouth If thou beest wronged call not thine adversary to account but thy self and let it trouble thee more to do ill then to hear of it be more sorry that it is true then that it is known Yea neither rage at the Chirurgion as mad-men nor swoun under his hand as Milk-sops but consider with whom thou hast to do The Lord the Lord strong merciful and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty but visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 34.6 7. And this if any thing will do It was before the Lord saith David and therefore I will be yet more vile Reproach in Gods service is our best preferment the Lord so noble the servant cannot be too humble even Bucephalus that disdained any other rider in all his trappings would kneel down to his Master Alexander and go away proud of his burthen Yea to go yet further let us with good old Eli who was a good son 〈◊〉 God though he had been an ill Father to his sons even kiss the very rod we smart withall and say It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good for whatsoever seemeth good to him cannot but be good howsoever it seems to us Yea let us receive his stripes with all humility patience piety and thankfulness resolving as that holy Martyr Iohn Bâ—adford who said to the Queen how much more did he mean it to the great King of Heaven and Earth If the Queen will give me liâ—e I will thank her if she will banish me I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her A man will easily swallow a bitter Pil to gain health The stomach that is purged must be content to paâ—t with some good nouâ—ishment that it may deliver it self of more evil humours and the Physician knows what is best for the Patient the Nurse better then the Infant what is good and fit for it Now the Tenant is more noble then the House therefore why are we not more joyed in this then dejected in the other since the least grain of the increase of grace is more worth then can be equalled with whole pounds of bodily vexation Yea let us take them as tokens and pledges of Gods love and favour who loves his Children so as not to make wantons of them They that would tame pamper'd Horses do add to their travel and abate of their provender as Pharaoh served the Children of Israel Which of us shall see pieces of Timber cut and squared and plained by the Carpenter or Stones hewn and polished by the Mason but will collect and gather that these are Stones and Timber which the Master would employ in some building If I suffer it is that I may reign And how profitable is that â—ffliction which carrieth me to Heaven Oh it is a good change to have the fire of affliction for the fire of Hell Who would not rather smart for a while then for ever It 's true these Waspes wicked men sting shrewdly but the Hornet Sathan would sting worse a great deal And not seldome doth the infliction of a lesse punishment avoid a greater Neither must any man think to be alwayes free from censures aspersions and wrongs nor sometimes from faults The very Heathen could say It is for none but God to feele or want nothing Indeed many are too apt to expect it and therefore can bear nothing like Minderides the Sybarite who was grieved for that some of the Rose-leaves which he lay upon were rumpled together But this is to vilipend and undervalue his kindnesse to make no repute nor reckoning of his deepest indulgencies whereas the contrary approves our sincerity beyond all exceptions Every man can open his hand to God while he blesses but to expose our selves willingly to the afflicting hand of our Maker and to kneele to him while he scourges us is peculiar to the faithfull 3. Vse 3. Thirdly if the sharp sufferings and bitter conflicts and sore travels of Gods children are usually the forerunners of a joyfull issue even the happy birth of saving repentance that the sharp pain of the Chirurgions cutting them is only to ease them of a more durable and dangerous yea a far heavier pain the stone of the heart If while their enemies go about to rob them they do but inrich them As that Sexton who in the night went to rob a Gentlewoman that had been buried the day before with a gold Ring and having opened the coffin loosed the sheet and chafed her finger to get it off she having been but in a swoone before her spirits returning she revived and for many years after lived comfortably If they may be resembled to the five loaves in the Gospel which by a strange Arithmetick were multiplied by Division and augmented by Substraction then let none dare to flatter or flesh themselves because their estate is prosperous especially in an evil way As it fared with Leah whoÌ„ we may hear thus chanting her happines God saith she hath given me my reward because I have given my maid to my husband Gen. 30.18 when she should rather have repented then rejoyced And the like with Micah Iudg. 17.13 and Saul 1 Sam. 23.7 and Dionysius when he found the windes favourable in his navigation after he had despoiled the Temple of all the gold therein Neither let such as suffer not censure their brethren that do as those
three mis-judged of Iob that he was an hypocrite and a greater sinner then others and God had cast him off or else it could not go so ill with him Or as the Iews censured our Saviour Isa. 53.3 4. And those Barbarians Saint Paul Acts 28.4 which is to condemne the generation of Gods children Psal. 73.15 But rather mistrust themselves which was the use our Saviour warned those to make of it who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Luke 13.1 to 6. And indeed he is blinde that judgeth of mans felicity by his outward prosperity or concludes of ones misery from his calamity Eccles. 9.1 2. The Sun of prosperity shines no lesse upon brambles in the wilderness then fruitfull trees in the Orchard The cold frost and snow of adversity lights upon Gardens aswell as the wilde waste Ahabs and Iosiahs end concur in the very circumstances the one destroyeth Religion the other restoreth iâ— yet both shot with an Arrow Saul and Ionathan though different in dispositions yet in their deaths they were not divided Zedekiah a wicked man had his eyes put out so had Samson the valiant Judge of Israel and Type of Christ. Moses and Aaron both were shut out of Canaan aswel as the malignant spies so that if we judge of mens persons by their outward conditions we must needs erre Yea usually God doth most afflict those whom he best affecteth dealing with his children as the good husband deals with his Trees those in the Garden he is ever and anon medling with them either lopping off the superfluous branches or scraping oft the mosse or paring of the root or digging and dunging them so using all good means to make them fruitfull whereas he lets them alone which grow in the Hedg-row or Forrest till at length he comes with his Axe and cuts them down for the fire He was not the best Disciple that had the bag and fatted ware you know is but fitted for the shambles God puts money indeed as some Hoorders do into these earthen boxes that have only one chinke to let in but none to let out with purpose to break them when they are full What was Haman the better for his honour while the King frowned on him or the happier for being lift up the ladder when he was to come down again with a rope And for ought thou knowest at least if thou takest not heed for prosperity is the more dangerous enemy of the two and skilfull to destroy thy preservation is but a reservation as it fared with Sodome and her sisters which were preserved from the slaughter of the four Kings that God might rain down Hell from Heaven upon them And Sennacherib who escaped the stroak of the destroying Angel that he might fall by the sword of his own sons Isa. 37.37 38. Say then one wo the wo of adversity as thou accountest it hath passed thee perhaps there is a second and a third worse behinde Revel 9.12 and 8.13 The Philosopher would see a mans end before he pronounc'd him happy Yea it may be that which thou account'st thy primest priviledge may prove to thee a snare and may be granted thee rather out of anger then love as the Devil lest Iobs tongue un-touched of all the rest but why in hope that therewith he would have cursed God or charged him with folly and cruelty so that we may say of prosperity as Antigonus did of his garment O noble rather then happie priviledge but of adversity O happy rather then noble favour 4 Vse 4. Fourthly if Affliction be so profitable and prosperity so dangerous as hath been shewn if it be our Isaacs use first to feel us by tribulation and then to blesse us then away with those foolish queries Why doth God this and why that why doth he punish the innocent and acquit the peccant why doth he permit so many and such notorious crimes why is he so severe towards his own so gentle to others Ask not saith Salvianus why one is greater another less one wretched another happy I know not Gods intent but it is sufficient satisfaction to me that this is done by God Why doth a Physician give more Wormwood or Hellebore to this sick party then to that even because either his disease or his constitution so requires it Neither let us value things as they seem or according to sense but rather when we are best pleased let us be most suspicious let us desire and chuse blessings as he chose his friend not him that would be plausible to his humour for a day but him that should be profitable to his minde during life Let us imitate Bees that pass over Roses and Violets to set upon Thyme If crosses are not toothsome let it suffice that they are wholesome 'T is not required in Physick that it should please but heal unless we esteem our pleasure above our health Experience tells us that those things for the most part which are least pleasing are most wholesome Rue is an herb most bitter to the taste yet in regard of the vertue which is in it we call Hearb of Grace And Mithridate though of all other Electuaries it be most distastful yet of all others it is the most wholesome The world hates thee and deals most spitefully with thee a good sign It hath always been the portion of good men to suffer at the hands of evil men as appears both by holy and humane Writers as for Divine Authority you know how it fared with the Prophets Apostles and our Saviour Christ himself whose whole life by reason of spiteful enemies was but one continued cross And as touching secular examples are infinite whereof a few In Athens we read of wife Socrates good Phocion just Aristides victorious Milliades but how unworthily were they dealt withall At Rome they had Marcus Cato the pattern of a wise and prudent man a lively emblem of Vertue how was he hated thrust down spit upon stript both of his Senatorship and Praetorship cast into prison c. Rutilius and Camillus were both exiled Pompeus and Cicero both yielded their necks to their Clients Who so often curst by the Popes with Bell Book and Candle as Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory though she out-liv'd seven of them But to leave examples and come to reason Is it not an evident sign that if the world hates thee thou art none of the World yea therefore it hates thee because thy practice shames the world and because thou discoverest and opposest her treasons and deceits Wicked men are like dogs in condition who will let a man amble a fair pace quietly but if he gallop through the Town though his errand be of importance and to the King perhaps they will bark and flie at him which is a token to them of perdition but to thee of salvation Phil. 1.28 yea it is an evident sign that they are of the stock of Ishmael and not the seed of Israel I
Help thou mine unbelief And he that doubtâ— not of his estate his estate is much to be doubted of doubting and resolution are not meet touch-stones of our success a presumptuous confidence commonly goes bleeding home when an humble fear returns in triumph As it fared between the Philistims and Israel 1 Sam. 17.10.11 The Philistims and Goliah were exceeding confident of the victory but Saul and all Israel much discouraged and greatly afraid yet Israel got the victory and the Philistims with their great Goliah were overcome ver 51.52 They that are proudly secure of their going to heaven do not so frequently come thither as they that are afraid of their going to hell As it is in this world for temporall things so for the World to come iâ— spirituall things Cantant pauperes lugent divites poor men sing and rich men cry Who is so melancholly as the rich worldling and who sings so merry a note as hee that cannot change a groat so they that have store of grace mourn for want of it and they that indeed want it chant their abundance But the hopes of the wicked fail them when they are at highest whereas Gods Children find those comforts in extremity which they durst not expect As there is nothing more usuall than for a secure conscience to excuse when it is guilty so nothing more coâ—mon than for an afflicted conscience to accuse when it is innocent and to lay an heavie burthen upon it self where the Lord giveth a plain discharge but a bleeding wound is better than that which bleeds not Some men go crying to heaven some go laughing and sleeping to hell Some consciences aswell as men lie speechless before departure they spend their days in a dream and go from earth to hell as Ionas from Israel towards Tarshish fast a sleep And the reason is they dream their case is passing good like a man which dreams in his sleep that hee is rich and honorable and it joyes him very much but awaking all is vanish'd like smoak Yea they hope undoubtedly to go to heaven as all that came out of Egypt hoped to go into Canaan and inherit the blessed promises when onely Caleb and Ioshua did enter who provoked not the Lord. And the reason of this reason is whereas indeed they are Wolvs the Devill and their own credulity perswades them that they are Lambs The Philosopher tells us that those Creatures which have the greatest hearts as the Sâ—tâ—g the Doe the Hare the â—oney and the Mouse are the most fearfull and therefore it may bee God refusing Lyons and Eagles the King of Beasts and Queen of Birds appointed the gentle Lamb the fearfull Dove for his sacrifices A broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51 17. And sure I am Christ calls to him onely wâ—ary and heavy-laden sinners Matth. 11.28 not such as feel no want of him Mark 2.17 and will fill onely such with comfort as hunger and thirst after righteousness not such as are in their conceit righteous enough without him Luk. 1.53 Matth. 15.24 And yet it is strange yea a wonder to see how many truly humbled sinners who have so render conscienceâ— that they dare not yield to the least evill for the worlds goods and refuse no means of being made better turn every probation into reprobation every dejection into rejection and if they bee cast down they cry outâ— they are cast away who may fitly bee compared to Artemon in Plutarch who when ever hee went abroad had his â—ervants to carry a Canopy over his head least the heavens should fall and crush him or to a certain foolish melancholly Bird which as some tell stands always but upon one leg least her own weight should sink her into the Center of the Earth holding the other over her head least the Heavens should fall Yet bee not offended I cannot think the worse of thee for good is that fear which hinders us from evill acts and makes us the more circumspect And God hath his end in it who would have the sins to dye but the sinner to live Yea in some respect thou art the better to bee thought of or at least the less to bee feared for this thy fear for no man so truly loves as hee that fears to offend as Salvianus glosses upon those words Blessed is the man that feareth alway And which is worth the observing this fear is a commendation often remembred in holy Scripturâ—â— as a speciall and God's Children as for example Iob saith the holy Ghost was a just man and one that feared God Job 1.1 Simeon a just man and one that feared God Luk 2.25 Cornelius a devout man and one that feared God Acts 10.2 And so of Father Abraham a man that feared God Gen. 22.12 Ioseph a man who feared God Gen. 42.18 The Mid-wives in Egypt feared God Exod. 1.17 So that evermore the fearing of God as being the beginning of wisdom is mentioned as the chief note which is as much as to say if the fearing of God once go before working of righteousness will instantly follow after according to that of the wise man Hee that feareth the Lord will do good And this for thy comfort when Mary Magdalen sorrowed and wept for her sins Luke 7 50. Christ tells her Thy faith hath made the whole intimating that this weeping this repenting faith is faith indeed And the like to the Woman with the bloody issue who presuming but to touch the hem of his garment fell down before him with fear and trembling Mark 5.27 to 35. And that humble Canaanite Matth. 15.22 to 29. And that importunate blind man Luke 18.38 to 43. As if this humble this praying faith were onely the saving faith Neither can thy estate bee bad for as Saint Ambrose told Monica weeping for her seduced Son Fieri non patest ut filius istarum lachrymarum pereat It cannot bee that the son of those tears should ever perish Wherefore lift up thy self thou timorous fainting heart and do not suspect every spot for a plague token do not dye of a meer conceit for as the end of all motion is rest so the end of all thy troubles shall bee peace even where the days are perpetuall Sabbaths and the diet undisturbed feasts But as an empty vessell bung'd up close though you throw it into the mid'st of the Sea will receive no water so all pleas are in vain to them that are deas'ned with their own fears for as Mary would not bee comforted with the sight and speech of Angels no not with the fight and speech of Iesus himself till hee made her know that hee was Iesus so untill the holy Spirit sprinkleth the conscience with the blood of Christ and sheddeth his love into the heart nothing will do No creature can take off wrath from the conscience but hee that set it on Wherefore the God of peace give you the peace of God which passeth all understanding Yea O Lord
inconsequences for Gedeon to argue Gods absence by affliction his presence by deliverances and the unlikely-hood of success by his own disability Iudg. 6.13.15 It is no argument that Christ is not in the Ship because tempests and storms arise The valiant man was herâ— weak weak in faith weak in discourse for rather should hee have inferred Gods presence upon their correction for wheresoever God chastiseth there hee is yea there hee is in mercy nothing more proves us his than his stripes hee will not bestow whipping where hee loves not fond nature indeed thinks God should not suffer the wind to blow upon his dear ones because her self makes this use of her own indulgence but none out of the place of torment have suffered so much as his dear Children If hee had said wee are Idolaters therefore the Lord hath forsaken us because wee have forsaken him instead of the Lord hath delivered us unto the Medianites therefore hee hath forsaken us the sequell had been as good as now it 's faulty for sins not afflictions argue God absent Yea commonly the measure of our sufferings is according to the measure of grace in us and Gods love to us Hee is a chosen vessell unto mee saith God to Ananias touching Paul therefore hee must suffer great things for my sake Act. 9.15.16 Iob for a righteous and upright man had no fellow by the testimony of God himself Iob 1.8 Yet the next news we hear of him Iob is afflicted in his Sons in his substance in his body from the crown of the head to the soal of the foot Saint Austin when God called him was far more assaulted by Satan than Alippius because God had endued him with greater learning and gifts and intended him an instrument of bringing more glory to his Name And lastly as Christ was annointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows Psal. 45.7 so hee was annointed with the oil of sadness above his fellows as was his back so was his burthen as were his parts so were his passions and his stroaks answerable to his strength Never any have had so bitter draughts upon earth as those he loves best and that of Saint Austin is a sure rule whom God smites not hee loves not If hee do not think thee worthy of his Rod he will never think thee worthy of his Crown Yea where he uses not the Rod he means to use the Sword Never was Ierusalems condition so desperate as when God said unto her My fury shall depart from thee I will bee quiet and no more angry Ezek 16.42 Thus not to bee angry was the greatest anger of all Never were the Iews more to bee pitied than when their Prophet delivered these words from the Lord Why should yee bee stricken any more Isa. 1.5 Not to â—e afflicted is to be forsaken And as the sick man is in small hope of his life when the Physitian giveth him over so his soul is in a desperate case whom God forbeareth to chastise for his sins As many there be who never knew what any sorrow meant unless it were such as Amnons such as Ahabs when they are crossed in their corruptions curbed in their lewd courses or restrained of their wicked wills But let them take it for a fearfull signe of som sore judgement to come Saint Ambrose Bishop of Millain as Paulinus relates took into a Rich mans house as hee travelled who that he might bid him throughly welcom entertained him both with great cheer and curteous discourses and amongst other matters told of his continued happiness and that hee never suffered any ill all his days but had all things as hee would and happiness so flowing in upon him that hee knew not what calamity meant which conference did so startle Saint Ambrose that presently hee took his leave telling his company that hee feared to stay in that place which never felt any disaster and was no sooner gon thence but suddenly the house fell down and proved a grave to all her inhabitants Polycrates King of the Samians never felt any ill all his life his hopes never fell short of his expectation he could not wish for the thing which was not fulfilled what hee willed hee did Yea having but once a King of excellent rarity that fell into the water this loss was recovered for the Fish was taken which had swallowed it and was presented to Polycratus but at length all this his happiness epilogized in a gallowes None more happy than great Pompey all his life yet at last hee was made to drink his own blood by the hands of the Executioner Who but Andronicus Emperour of the East for many years but at length hee was set upon a scabbed Chamelt with a Crown of Onions platted on his head and in great mockery carâ—ied in triumph through the City And dots not sacred Writ certifie how Haman whose command ere while almost reached to Heaven was instantly adjudged by the King to the Gibbet while Mordecai who was condemned to the â—alter was all of a suddain made second in the Kingdom Nevertheless as Haman rejoiced in his preâ—â—rment to the 〈◊〉 Banâ—â—â—t which was the 〈◊〉 way to his destruction so many 〈…〉 onely argument of Gods love and that they are in favour with him because they prosper in all their ways which would make a wise man the more suspicious for as Seneca that wise Roman saith he that hath been longest happy shall at length have his portion of misery and who so seemeth to bee dismissed is but deferred And commonly their change is not more dolefull than sudden for as it often hapneth that in very fair weather a storm doth arise and as I have read of certain Trees which on Munday have been growing in the Forrest and before Sunday following under sail on the Sea so the same hour hath seen the knee bowing to the head and again the head stooping and doing reverence to the knee as every age gives instance for else I might muster up a multitude of examples for proof of the point Or in case it seems better yet it is worse with them when their life and happiness shall end together as it fared with Belshazzar who was sitting at a Feast 〈◊〉 ly while on a sudden Death came like a Voyder to take him away And Pope Adrian who when hee was to dye brake out into this expression Oh my soul whither art thou going thou shalt never bee merry again Neither are men of this world whose bellies God filleth with his hid treasure upon occasion of their outward prosperity onely apt to bee brought into a fools Paradise of thinking themselvs to bee the speciall darlings of God but even the godly themselvs have oftentimes their eyes so dazled with the outward glittering and flourishing estate of the wicked that thereupon they are ready to say of them The generation of Gods children as it fared with David Psal. 73.15 But these are not sober thoughts yea they are rather the dreams
merit But if wee think of our deliverance from the fire of Hell â—his is cause enough to make us both pâ—tient and thankfull though the trifles weâ— delight in bee taken from us Lord take away what thou pleasest for thy glory and my good so long as thou savest mee from the fire of Hell and thy everlasting wrath Neither is there a better remedy for impatience than to cast up our receipts and to compare them with ouâ— deservingâ— if thou lookest upon thy sufferingâ— thou shalt find them far easier than thy sins have deserved nothing to what thy fellow Saints and Christ thy elder brother hath suffered before thee at a Lyons den or a fiery furnace not to turn tâ—ile were a commendation worthy a Crown do but compare thy own estate with theirs and thou shalt find cause to bee thankfull that thou art above any rather than of envy or malice that any is above thee to domineer and insult over thee Yea compare thine own estate with thine enemies thou shalt see yet greater cause to bee thankfull for if these temporary dolors which God afflicts his people with are so grievous to thee how shall thine and Gods enemies though they suggest to themselvs that God is all mercy as if hee wanted the other hand of his justice endure that devouring fire that everlasting burning Isa. 33.14 Psal. 68.21 Doth he make bloody wayls on the backs of his Children and shall bastards escape doth hee deal thus with his Sons what will hee do with his Slaves cannot all the obedience of his beloved ones bear out one sin against God as wee see in Moses David Zachary c. Where will they appear that do evill onely evill and that continually The meditation whereof may bee of some use to thee Thales beeing asked how adversity might best bee born answered By seeing our Enemies in worse estate than our selves CHAP. 39. That the more wee suffer here so it bee for righteousness sake the greater our reward shall be heareafter 5 FIâ—thly wee shall bear the Cross with more patience and comfort if with Moses wee shall have respect unto the recompence of reward which is promised to all that notwithstanding what they shall suffer persevere in well doing Great are our tryals but salvation in heaven will one day make amends when we shall have all tears wiped from our eyes when wee shall cease to grieve cease to sorrow cease to suffer cease to sin when God shall turn all the water of our tears into the wine of endless comfort Yea when our reward shall bee so much the more joyous by how much more the course of our life hath been grievous First see what promises are made to suffering Blessed are they which mourn saith our Saviour for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven ver 10. They that suffer here for well-doing shall bee Crowned hereafter for well-suffering Blessed shall you bee when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my sake fasly Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven ver 11.12 And nothing wee suffer here can bee compared either with those woes wee have deserved in Hell or those joyes wee are reserved to in Heaven When Maâ—cus Marcellus who was the first that saw the back of Hanniball in the field was asked how hee durst enter into battaile with him hee answered I am a Romane born and a Souldier and by him I shall make my â—â—own everlasting How much more should the hope of life immortall wâ—â—ch is the life of our lives mortall whet our sortiâ—ude and encourage us in the Christian warfare And so it hath done with thousands Origen was so earnest to suffer with his Father when hee was but sixteen years of age that if his Mother had not kept his cloaths from him hee would have run to the place where his Father suffered to profess himself a Christian and to have suffered with him which was a common thing with the Martyrs making all hast lest they should miss of that noble entertainment Yea it hath not onely been common for men in a bravado to encounter death for a small flâ—sh of honour but you shall see a hired servant venture his life for his new master that will scarce pay him his wages at the years end And can wee suffer too much for our Lord and Master who giveth every one that serveth him not Fields and Vineyards as Saul pretended 1 Sam. 22. Nor Towns and Cities as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar but even an hundred-fold more than wee part withall in this life and eternall mansions in Heaven Iohn 14 2. Therefore Bazil when hee was offered money and preferments to tempt him answered Can you give me money that can last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish And certainly nothing can bee too much to endure for those pleasures which endure forever Yea if the love of gain makes the Merchant refuse no adventures of Sea if the sweetness of honey makes the Bears break in upon th hives contemning the stings Who would not get heaven at any rate at any cost or trouble whatsoever But to go on Behold saith God it shall come to pass that the Devill shall cast some of you into prison that yee may bee tried and yee shall have tribulation ten days yet fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer For be but thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the Crown of life Rev. 2.10 And again Blessed is the man that endureth temtatation for when hee is tried hee shall receive the Crown of life Jam. 1. veâ— 12. A Crown without cares without rivals without envy without end Now if you consider it The gain with hardness makes it far less hard The danger 's great but so is the reward The sight of glory future mitigate the sence of misery present For if Iacob thought not his service tedious because his beloved Rachell was in his eye what can be thought grievous to him that hath Heaven in his eye Adrianus seeing the Martyrs suffer such grievous things hee asked why they would endure such misery when they might by retracting free themselvs to which one of them aleadged that text Eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. the nameing whereof and seeing them suffer so cheerfully did so convert him that afterwards hee became a Martyr too Lastly not to enlarge my self as I might in promises of reward Whosoever shall forsake Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake he shall receive an hundred-fold more and shall inherit everlasting life Matth. 19.29 This is â— treasure worthy our hearts a purchase worth our lives Wherefore eye not the stream thou wadest through but the firm Land thou tendest to And indeed who is there that shall hear these promises and compare
the seed-time with the Harvest look up from the root to the fruit consider the recompence of the reward and will not choose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Who will not bee willing to suffer with Christ that hee may also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Who will not suffer these light afflictions which are but for a moment when they cause unto us a far more excellent end eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.16.17 Was Lazarus for a time extream miserable hee is now in Abrahams bosom Yea blessed Lazarus thy sores and sorrows soon ceased but thy joies are everlasting Now mee thinks if thou but considerest that thy pain will shortly pass but thy joies shall never pass away it should prove a notable soveraign Cordiall to strengthen thee not onely against reproaches which attend thy profession but even against fire and faggot Who would not bee a Philpoâ— for a month or a Lazarus for a day oâ— a Stephen for an hour that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever nothing can bee too much to endure for those pleasures which endure for ever It is true If in this life onely wee had hope in Christ we were of all men the most miserable as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 15.19 But thou must consider that as this life is our Hell and the wickeds Heaven Ioh. 16.20 So the next life shall bee their Hell and our Heaven ver â—1 33 Prov. 16.4 As Dives was in Abrahams bosome when Lazarus was in torments so Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome when Dives was in torments Luk. 16. ver 23.25 And herein wee fare no worse than Cstrist Did not his Spirit pass from the Cross into Paradice Did not hee first descend into Heâ—l and then had his ascension Suppose thy sufferings bee great what then Assure thy sâ—lf that every pang is a prevention of the pains of Hell and every respite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes dost thou esteem Heaven worth It is true flesh and blood is so sensual that it feels a little pain in the finger a great deal more than the health of the whole body But let us better consider on it and behold at once the whole state of a Christian wee shall see his peace exceed his pain yea wee shall see both the torments present and the glory following Hope makes absent joies present wants plenitudes and beguiles calamity as good company does the way The poor traveller in thinking of his Inne goes on more cheerfully and the bond man in calling to mind the year of Iubilee When the Apprentice calls to mind that his years of covenant will now shortly expire and then hee shall have his freedom confirmed the very remembrance thereof maketh many labour some works seem more light and less grievous unto him neither doth hee afterwards repent it Did it ever repent Iacob when hee came to inherit his Fathers blessing that hee had indured a long exile and tedious bondage Or Ioseph when hee wâ—s once made Ruler in Egypt that he had formerly been sold thither and there imprisoned and hee had never been a Courtier if he had not first been a prisoner Or did it repent the Israelites when they came to inherit the Land of promise that they had formerly been forty years passing through a forlorn wilderness Or which of Gods servants did ever repent that they had passed the apprentiship of their service here and were now gon to be made free in glory If so let us do and suffer cheerfully patiently couragiously what God imposeth upon us knowing that after wee have swet and smarted but six days at the utmost then cometh our Sabbath of eternal rest which will make a mends for all knowing that death ends our misery and begins our glory and a few groans are well bestowed for a Preface to an immortall joy Let then our eyes bee continually on the joys which follow and not on the pain which is present the pain neglected and unregarded cannot bee very discomfortable But that there is reward promised to those which suffer in Christs cause is not all for our reward shall bee answerable to our sufferings the greater our sufferings are here the greater shall our reward bee hereafter Matth. 16.27 The deluge of calamities may assault us but they shall exalt us By our crosses sanctified weight is added to our Crown of Bliss for according to the measure of our afflictions God weigheth unto us of his graces that wee may bee able to bear them and according to the measure of our graces hee proportioneth our glory and future happiness Suffering for the Gospell is no inferiour good work and every one shall bee rewarded though not for yet according to his works Psal. 62.12 Rom. 2.6 Rev 22. ver 12. The Apostles tell Christ wee have left all and followed thee Matth. 19.27 Christ tels them when I sit on my Throne yee shall sit on Thrones with mee ver 28. They that turn many unto righteousness shall shine as the stars in the Kingdom of heaven Dan. 12.3 And they that suffer Martyrdom shall bee cloathed with long white Robes and have Palms in their hands Rev. 6.9.11 Now there bee three sorts of Martyrs Re intentione intentione non re re non intentione in both deed and intention as was Saint Steven in intention not deed as was Saint Iohn in deed not in intention as were the innocents But where the conflict is more hard the conquest obtained shall be more glorious for as Chrysostom speaks According to the tribulations laid upon and born by us shall our retribution of glory be proportioned And persecutors saith Bernard are but our Fathers Gold-smiths working to add pearls to the Crowns of the Saints Yea ever where more work is done there more wages is given and when the sight or conflict is sharper and the victory harder the glory of the triumph is greater and the Crown of reward more glorious Whence it was that those Saints in the Old Testament which were racked and tortured would not be delivered or accept of their enemies fair offers to the end they might receive a betâ—er resurrection and a more glorious reward Heb. 11.35 Neither would we wish our work easier or our burthen lighter if we looked up to â—he recompence of reward for it may bee well applied here which was misapplied in the triall of that holy man Ioh We do not serve God for nothing Though we must 〈…〉 him meerly for reward as hirelings nor for fear as servants but as children for love O that when we suffer most we would but meditate and look upon with the eie of faith the fulnesse of those joies and sweetnesse of those pleasures which having once finished our course we shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 being such as eie hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entered into the heart of man to conceive
1 Cor. 2.9 For certainly the remembrance thereof would even raise up our souls from our selves and make us contemne and sleight what ever our enemies could do as it did our fore-fathers much more to sleight reproaches which are such bug-bears to a great many And no marvel if that which hath made so many contemne fire and faggot make us contemne the blasts of mens breath But I hope enough hath been said in shewing that our enemies in stead of robbing inrich us and in lieu of hurting pleasure us sith they greaten our graces and augment our glory sith if the conflict be more shaâ—p the Crown will be more glorious Wherefore if our trials be small let us bear them with patience which makes even great burthens easie if they bee great and grievous let us bear them patiently too since great is the weight of glory that ensueth them whereas no suffering no reward yea if wee be not chastned here we shall be condemned hâ—reafter 1 Cor. 11.32 And whether had you rather rejoice for one sit or alwaies you would do both which may not be you would be both Dives and Lazarus have happinesse boâ—h here and hereafter pardon me it is a fond covetousnesse 〈◊〉 idle singularity to affect it What that you alone may fare better than all Gods Saints That God should strow Carpets for your feet onely to walk unto your Heaven and make that way smooth for you which all Patriarchs Prophets Evangelists Confessers and Christ himself have found rugged and bloody Away with this self-love and come down you ambitious sons of Zebedee and ere you think of sitting near the Throne be contented to be called unto the Cup. Now is your 〈◊〉 Let your Saviour see how much of his bitter petion you can pledge then shall you see how much of his glory he can afford you In all Feasts the coursest meats are tasted first be content to drink of his Vineger and Gall and after you shall drink new wine with him in his Kingdome Besides without some kinde of suffering how shall your sincerity be approved Even nature is 〈◊〉 and cheerful whiles it prospereth but let God withdraw his hand no sight no trust The mother of Micha while her wealth lasteth can dedicate a good part of her silver to the Lord but now she hath lost it shee falls a cuâ—sing Iudg. 17.1 2 3. Cataline whiles poor had many seeming 〈◊〉 but having feathered his nest you could hardly say whether he was most lavish of his money or of his modesty But to be equally good in a prospeâ—ous and adverse condition deservs praise When our resolution and practice is like that Maids in Plutarch who being set in the Market to be sold when a Chapman askt her Wilt thou be faithful if I buy thee said Yea that I will though you do not buy me Wee all are 〈◊〉 weary of receiving soon weary of attâ—nding we are ready to shrink from Christ so soon as our profits or pleasures shrink from us But if with the Needle of the Compasse in the midst of tempestuous weather we remain alwaies unmoveable and staied upon one point it is a signe the Loadstone of the Gospel hath changed our hearts and we are governed by Christ as the Needle is by the North-Pole Wherefore if God should not frame ouâ—ward things to thy minde do thou frame thy mind to endure with patience and comfort what he sends and this will be an Odour smelling sweet a Sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God yea herein thou shalt approve thy self with David a man after God's own heart and â—ou know that as David was unto God according to his heart so was God unto David according to his CHAP. 40. Application of the former grounds ANd so you have the residue of the grounds of comfort it remains that I should apply them For this Doctrine though it be better understood then practised as Cassandra was better known than trusted yet being both known applied and duly trusted to will like the Sun not onely delight our understandings with its contemplation but also warm and quicken our affections Wherefore is there any weak Christian so white-liver'd with Nicodemus that the reproaches and Persecutions which attend his profession make him ashamed of Christ or cause him to think that it is in vain to serve the Lord whereby he is frighted out of the narrow way that leadeth to life Let him draw near for I chiefly direct my speech unto him Are afflictions and persecutions so necessary and profitable as hath been shewed Doth not God onely gain glory by our suffeâ—ings but do they also bring us to repentance and amendment of life stir us up to praier wean us from the love of the world keep us alwaies prepared for our enemies assaults discover whether we are sincere or no make us humble improve all Christian graces in us Is God more specially present with us in afflictions Cannot our enemies diminish one hair of our heads without God's special leave and appointment Hath he promised that we shall not be tempted above our strength Are these stripes the chiefest tokens and pledges of God's love and adoption Were none of his children ever exempted from the like And lastly shall our momentany sufferings be rewarded with everlasting glory Yea shall our glory be increased as our sufferings have been more Then let them serve as so many restoratives to thy fainting spirit yea Lift up thy hands which hang down and strengthen thy weak knees Heb. 12.12 For I suppose thy fainting and drooping is from fear and thy fear from doubting and thy doubting from unbelief and thine unbelief chiefly from ignorance of these things and whence is thine ignorance of these but this Thou hast never been conversant in the book of God or if thou hast thou didst never seriously ponder these Scriptures which have formerly been rehearsed for hadst thou seriously considered them thou wouldst not have dared to make that an occasion of grief and prejudicâ— which the Spirit of God maketh the greatest cause of joy and confirmation that can be For what can be spoken more expresse direct and significant What demonstrations can be given more sollid What Fortifications or Bulwarks so strong and safe against the affronts of Satan and the World Thou saiest thou art persecuted for well-doing and therefore thinkest it a strange thing God saith it is and ever hath been common to all his children not Christ himself excepted Take notice of these things for it is the God of all truth and blessednesse that speaks them and apply them to thy self as if they were particularly spoken to thee by name even as when twenty be in a room where is a fair well-drawn picture every one thinks the picture looks upon him and have not more modestie or manners in leaving those dishes for thy letters than will do thee good Be not like a Monkey which looking in a glasse thinks he sees another Monkeys face and not his own
Eutrapilus sometimes did with his subjects who when he was minded to do a poor man a mischief would give him abundance of wealth whereas contrarily his children find themselvs crost with a blessing Possidonius tells us of Austin that when there was wait laid for his life through God's providence he mist his way whereby his life was preserved and his adversaries disappointed As when Isabel Queen of England was to repasse from Zealand into her owne Kingdom with an Army in favor of her Son against her Husband she had utterly been cast away had she come unto the Port intended being there expected by her enemies but Providence against her will brought her to another place where shee safely landed Yea this I have seen two men striving for the way one receiving a switch over the face draws his Rapyer to kill the other but by a providence in making the offer his saddle swaied to the horse-belly whereby in all likelihood the one was saved from killing the other from hanging for before he could make after him he was rid a mile And have not some been detained by a violent storme from coming home whereby they have been exempt from feeling the down-full of their house Sure I am the letting fall of my Glove in the dark once proved a means of saving me from drowning while another stepping before me found the danger to his cost And indeed how infinitely should we intangle our selveâ— if we could sit down and obtain our wishes Do we not-often wish that which we after see would be our confusion because we ignorantly follow the flesh and blinded appetite which looks on nothing but the shell and outside whereas God respecteth the soul and distributeth his savour for the good of that and his glory It is an argument of love in the Father when he takes away the Childs knife and gives him a book Wee crie for riches or liberty or peace they are knives to cut our fingers â—herefore God gives us his Word the riches of verity not of vanity Hee gives us that glorious liberty to be the Sons of God he gives us that peace which the world cannot give nor take away wherefore let the Christian understand God his Physitian Tribulation his physick being afflicted under the medicine thou criest the Physitian hears thee not according to thy will but thy weal thou canst not endure thy malady and wilt thou not be patient of the remedy No man would be more miserable than he that should cull out his own waies What a specious shew carried Midas his wish with it and how did it pay him with ruine at last Surely I have seen matters fall out so unexpectedly that they have tutored me in all affairs neither to despair nor to presume not to despair for God can help mee not to presume for God can crosse me One day made Marius Emperour the next saw him rule and the third he was slain of his Souldiers Well then if with Paul thou hast besought the Lord often that thy present affliction might depart from thee and canst not be heard in the thing which thou desirest know that thou art heard in that which is more conducible to thy profit and consequently rejoice more in that thy petition is denied than if it had been granted This was the use which Saint Paul made of Gods denial and he knew what he did though he had as much to boast and rejoice of as any one living yet saith he of myself I will not rejoice except it bee of mine infirmities that is afflictions reproaches persecutions inward temptations fears distrust c. But in these I will very gladly rejoice Why That the power of Christ may dwell in me Note his reason he had heard God say that his power was made perfect through weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.8 9. Neither had he onely cause to rejoice in his infirmities but all God's people have the same cause to rejoice for what the spirit of comfort speaks in this and in all the former places reciâ—ed do equally belong to thee for thy consolation with all the regenerate for whatsoever was written afore-time was written for thy learning and mine that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 And accordingly will a good hearer apply to himself whatsoever is written in the Word for as the stomach sends the strength of the meat into every member of the body so we should send to the eie that which is spoken to the eie and to the ear that which is spoken to the ear and to the tongue that which is spoken to the tongue and to the hand that which is spoken to the hand and so to the heart and every faculty and member of soul and body if we hear comfort we should apply it to fear if wee hear a promise we should apply that to our distrust if wee hear a threatning we should apply that to our presumption and so fill up the gap still where the Devil would enter And indeed had it not been for this Aqua coelestis David had surely fainted in his affliction Psal. 27. ver 13. 119.72 but this good Word from heaven fetch him again when he was ready to sink and indeed if Moses and the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles will not comfort us in this case then as Abraham told Dives in another case nothing will perswade nor prevail Believest thou the former Seriptures spoken by Christ and his Apostles I know that thou believest with some mixture of unbelief and art almost perswaded not onely to do but to suffer chearfully for well-doing But why dost thou not altogether believe that it is a blessed and happie thing thus to suffer Mat. 5.10 11 12. That thou hast great cause to rejoice and be glad that thou art counted worthy to suffer shame for Christs name Acts 5.41 Thou seest it is not for nothing that David acknowledgeth It was good for him that he was afflicted Psal. 119.71 that Iob blesseth the time that ever he was corrected Iob 42. That Ieremy praied for correction as a good thing Ier. 10.24 That a whole Church voted the same Lam. 3.27 It is not for nothing that Christ saith Blessed and happy are yee when men revile you and persecute you That Saint Iames saith Count it exceeding joy when yee fall into divers temptations Iames 1.2 It is not for nothing that Saint Paul saith I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in anguish for Christ's sake c. 2 Cor. 12.10 That Peter and Iohn when they were beaten and imprisoned departed from the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs name Act. 5.41 For even bearing the Crosse with Christ is as great a preserment in the Court of Heaven as it is in an earthly Court for the Prince to take off his own Roab and put it on the back of one of his servants as you may perceive by the Lord's speech
thou hast added mercy to mercy For we have been no lesse rebellious unto thee then thou hast been beneficiall unto us We do daily and hourely break all thy commandements adding unto that our originall corruption which we were conceived and borne in all manner of actuall transgressions by sins of Omission sins of Commission sinnes of Ignorance sinnes of Knowledg sinnes against conscience yea sinnes of Presumption and Willfulness and that in thought word and deed We have sinned against thy Law and against thy Gospel against thy mercies and against thy judgments against the many warnings and the abundance of meanes afforded by thee to reclaime us against the spirit of grace cotinually knocking at the doors of our hearts with infinite checks and holy motions Our eares have been alwaies open to the Tempter shut unto thee we have abused our eyes to wantonnesse our mouthes to filthynesse and our feet have been swift to all evill slow to ought that is good And as wee have committed one sinne on the neck of another so we have multiplyed and many times repeated them by filling often into the same wickednesse whereby our sinnes are become for number as the sands of the Sea and as the Stars of Heaven Yet 〈…〉 Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And seeing thou hast appointed Praier as one special means for the obtaining of thy grace unto which thou hast annexed this comfortable promise that where two or three be gathered together in thy Name thou wilt be in the midst of them and grant their requests and since our Redeemer hath assured us that whatsoever we shall ask thee in his name thou wilt give it us We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight Yea give us repentance never to be repented of and possess our souls with such a dreadfull awe of thy Majesty that we may fear as well to commit small sins as great ones considering that the least sin is mortall without our repentance thy mercy as wel fear to sin-in secret as openly since thereis nothing hid from thee as well condemne our selves for evill thoughts as evill deeds considering that the Law is spirituall binding the heart no lesse then the hands as well abstain from the occasions of sin as sin it self and consider that it is not enough to abstain from evill unlesse wee hate it also and do the contrary good And now O Lord since thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day we beseech the to defend and dierct us in the same and as thou hast blest us in our lying down and in our rising up so protect prosper us in our going forth in our coming home shield and deliver us from the snares of the Hunter who lieth in waite for our souls and is continually labouring our everlasting destruction And no lesse arm us against the allurements of the world wherein we shall meet with many provocations and temptations and that we may not lead our selvs nor be led into temtation give us wisdome to beware of men even of associating our selves with the vitious like Ioseph lest otherwise with David we be drawn to dissemble or with Peter to deny thee for sin is of a catching and infectious quality and our corrupt hearts are like tinder which will kindle with the least spark especially O Lord keep us from yeelding to their solicitations or following their customs of drinkâ—ing swearing slandering and making the worst construction of things of mocking and scoffing at religion or the religious let not custome and example any whit prevail with us without or against thy written Word lest we misse of the narrow way which alone leadeth unto life onely give us wisedome and grace to look upon thy Sons whole life see how he would speak and do before we speak or do anything then having thy word for our warrant and thy glory for our aime let no censures nor flowts of any discourage us Finally good Father we beseech thee inable us so to walk in thy fear that in mirth we be not vain in knowledg we be not proud in zeal we be not bitter instruct us by thy Word direct us by thy Spirit mollifie us by thy grace humble us by thy corrections win us by thy benefits reconcile our nature to thy wil teach us so to make profit of everything that we may see thee in al things al things in thee And in these our prayers wee are not mindfull of our selves alone but forasmuch as thou hast commanded us to pray one for another as being the members of one and the same mysticall body wee beseech thee to blesse thy whole Church Universall wheresoever dispersed and howsoever distressed or despised far and wide over the face of the whole earth and vouchsafe unto thy Gospell such a free and effectuall passage that it may sound throughout all Nations Yea wee humbly pray thee let it convert and reclaim the Turks Jews Infidels Indians Atheists Epicures Hereticks and Schismaticks Prevent all plots and projects against the Kingdome of thy Christ let thy Word and Spirit alone bear rule in all places Extend thy tender mercy O Lord to all Protestants beyond the Seas to all Christians under the Turks or other Infidels strengthen all such as suffer for thy cause and let thy presence with them counterpoyse whatsoever is laid upon them and inable them to continue constant in thy faith and truth to the end More particularly be good unto that part of thy Church planted here amongst us in this sinfull Land and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us be propitious to the Nobility Gentry and Communalty Blesse the Tribe of Levi all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments let their lips O God preserve knolewdg and their lives righteousnesse and for ever blesse thou their labours increase the number of those that are faithfull and painfull and reform or remove such as are either scandalous or idle and for a constant and continuall supply of their mortality blesse all
own sins that wee may not be so forward to censure others as wee have been heretofore Give us patience to beare thy Fatherly chastisements which through thy grace sanctifying them to us become both Medicines to cure us and Antidotes to preserve us from the sicknesse of sin considering that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy those joyes which shall be revealed unto us And as we are suiters unto thy Majesty for these thy blessings spirituall so likewise we humbly beg at thy mercifull hands all necessaries appertaining to our temporall welfare beseeching thee to blesse us in our persons with health strength and liberty in our estates with sufficiency and the right use of it considering that if wee spend what wee have upon our own lusts we may ask but wee shall not receive in our good names with an unreproveable report and so blesse and sanctifie unto us all the things of this life that they may be furtherances of us in the way to a better And seeing that it is in vain for us to labour except thy blessing go along with it neither can our endeavours succeed well except thou prosper them bless every one of us in our several places and callings and so direct us in all we shall take in hand that whatsoever wee do may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of our own soules when wee shall come to make our finall account unto thee for them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence Thy blessings are without number yet our sins strive with them which shall be more if we could count the numberless number of thy Creatures they would not be answerable to the number of thy gifts yet the number of our offences which we return in lieu of them are not much inferiour thereunto Well may we confesse with Iudas we have sinned and there stop but we cannot reckon their number nor set forth their nature We are bound to praise thee above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light or so many blessings as we above any Creaâ—uâ—e for all the Creatures were ordained for our sakes and yet Heaven Earth and Sea all the Elements all thy Creatures obey thy Word and serve thee as they did at first yea call upon us to serve thee onely men for whom they were all made ingratefully rebell against thee Thou might'st have said before we were formed let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggers Cripples or Bondslaves so long as they live and after that Cast-awaies for ever and ever but thou hast made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and onely Inheritance even to remain in blisse with thee for ever so that thousands would think themselvs happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse Why shouldest thou give us thy Son for a ransome thy holy Spirit for a pledge thy Word for a guide thy Angels for our guard and reserve a Kingdom for our perpetual inheritance Why shouldest thou bestow health wealth rest liberty limbs senses food raiment friends and the means of salvation upon us more then upon others whom thou hast denied these things unto We can give no reason for it but that thou art merciful and if thou shouldest draw all back again we had nothing to say but that thou wert just which being considered why should any serve thee more then we who want nothing but thankfulnesse Why should we not hate the Way to Hell as much as Hell it self and why should we not make every cogitation speech and action of ours as so many steps to Heaven yet if thou shouldst now ask us what lust is asswaged what affection qualified what passion expelled what sin reâ—pented of what good performed since we began to receive thy blessings to this day we must needs confesse against our selvs that all our thoughts words and works have been the service of the World the Flesh and the Divel yea it hath been the course of ouâ— whole life to leave that which thou commandest and to do that which thou forbiddest yet miserable wretches that we are if we could give thee our bodies and souls they should bee saved by it but thou wert never the richer for them Thus while we look upon our selvs we are ashamed to liâ—t up our eâ—es unto thee yea we are ready to despair with Cain yet when we think upon thy Son and the rich promises of the Gospel our fear is in some measure turned into joy while we consider that his righteousnesse for us is more then our wickednesse against our selvs onely give us faith we beseech thee and setâ—le it in thy beloved that we may draw virtue from his death and resurrection whereby we may be enabled â—o die unto sin and live unto righteousnesse and it sufficeth for all our iniquities necessities and infirmites It is true O Lord as wee were made after thine own Image so by sin we have turned that Image of thine into the Image of Satan but turn thou us again and we shall bee turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Son And what though our sins be great yet thy mercie is far greater then our sins either are or can be we cannot be so bad as thou art good nor so infinite in sinning as thou art in pardoning if we repent O that we could repent O that thou wouldest give us repentance for we are weak O Lord and can no more turn our selvs then we could at first make our selvs yea we are altogether dead in sin so that we cannot stir the least joint no not so much as feel our deadnesse
nor desire life except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custome to the life of grace Apt wee are to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodnesse yea to all the means thereof Wee are altogether of our selvs unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries but do thou fâ—ee our wills and set to thy helping hand in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections and we shall henceforth as much honor thee as by your wickednesse we have formerly dishonored thee Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls Reform and change our minds wills and affections which we have corrupted remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thee and direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to thy glory as thou hast directed our eternal salvation thereunto Let not Satan any longer prevail in causing us to defer our repentance since we know that late repentance is seldom sincere and that sicknesse is no fit time for so great a work as many have found that are now in Hell Neither is it reasonable thou shouldest accept of our feeble and decrepit old age when we have spent all the flower and strength of our youth in serving of Satan not once minding to leave sin until sin left us Yea O Lord give us firmly to resolve speedily to begin and continually to persevere in doing and suffering thine holy will Inform and reform us so that we may neither mis-believe not misâ—live subdue our lusts to our wills submit our wills to reason our reason to faith our faith our reason our wills our selvs to thy blessed Word and Will Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sins which corrupt our souls and darken our understandings separate them from us which would separate us from thee Yea remove them out of thy sight also we most humbly beseech thee as far as the East is from the West and in the merits of thy Son pardon and forgive us all those evils which either in thought word or deed we have this day or any time heretoâ—ore committed against thee whether they be the sins of our youth or of our age of omission or commission whether committed of â—gnorance of knowledge or against conscience and the many checks and motions of thy holy â—pirit And now O Lord seeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest and because wee can neither wake nor sleep without thee who hast made the day and night and rulest both therefore into thy hands we commend our souls and bodies beseeching thee to watch over us this night and preserve us from all our spiritual and bodily enemies from thievs fire and from all other dangers ☞ These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence We no sooner lived then we deâ—served to die neither need we any more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us but thou hast spared us to this hour to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance as our first Parents and wee have turned from thee by sin yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain and thy long-suffering to no end For whereas many have been won by thy Word wee would not suffer it to change us many have been reformed by the Crosse but we would not suffer it to purge us many have been moved by thy benefits but we would not suffer them to perswade us yea as if we had contracted with the Divel that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come â—hy blessings make us proud thy riches covetous thy peace wanton thy meats intemperate thy mercy secure and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebell against thee We have prophaned thy daies contemned thy ordinances resisted thy Word grieved thy Spirit misused thy Messengers hated our Reprovers slandered and persecuted thy people seduced our friends given ill example to our Neighbours opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named and the truth we professe whereas meaner mercies and far weaker means have provoked others no lesse to honour thee and the Gospel who may justly rise up in judgment against us Besides which makes ouâ— case far more miserable we can scarce resolve to amend or if we do we put off our conversion to hereafter when we were children we deferred to repent till we were men now we are men we defer untill we be old men and when we be old men we shall defer it until death if thou prevent us not and yet we look for as much at thine hands as they which serve thee all their lives Perhaps we have a form of godlinesse but thou who search stâ—â—he heart and triest the reins knowest that too often we deny the power of it and that ouâ— Religion is much of it hypocrisie our zeal envie our wisedom policie our peace security our life rebellion our devotion deadnesse and that we live so securely as if we had no souls to save Indeed thy Word and Spirit
may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience but we are constant in nothing but in perpetual offending onely therein we cease not for when we are waking our flesh tempts us to wickednesse if wee are sleeping it sollicites us to filthinesse or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day at night we pray unto thee but what is the issue of our praying First we sin and then we pray thee to forgive it and then return to our sins again as if we came to thee for no other end but to crave leave to offend thee Or of thy granting our requests we even dishonor thee and blaspheme thy name while thou do'st support and relieve us run from thee while thou do'st call us and forget thee while thou art feeding us so thou sparest us we sleep and to morrow we sin again O how justly mightest thou forsake us as we forsake thee and condemne uâ— whose consciences cannot but condemne our selvs But who can measure thy goodnesse who givest all and forgivest all Though we be sinful yet thou lovest us though we be miserably ingrateful yet thou most plentifully blessest us What should we have if we did serve thee who hast done all these things for thine enemies O that thou who hast so indeared us to serve thee wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls And because infidelitie is the bitter root of all wickednesse and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse nor are wee Christians indeed except we imitate Christ and square our lives according to the rule of thy Word Give us that faith which manifesteth it self by a godly life which purifieth the heart worketh by love and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Yea since if our faith be true and saâ—ing it can no more be severed from unfained repentance and sanctification then life can be without motion or the sun without light give us spiritual wisdom to try and examine our selvs whether we be in the faith or not that so we may not be deluded with opinion onely as thousands are Discover unto us the emptinesse vanity and insufficiencie of the things here below to do our poor souls the least good that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls considering that if we have him wee want nothing if we want him wee have nothing Finally O Lord give unto us and increase in us all spiritual graces inlighten our minds with the knowledge of thy truth and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good that we may esteem it our meat and drink to do thy blessed will Give us religious thoughts godly desires zealous affections holy endeavours assured perswasions of faith stedfast waiting through hope constancy in suffering through patience and hearty rejoicing from love regenerate our minds purifie our natures turn all our joies into the joy of the Holy Ghost and all our peace into the peace of conscience and all our fears into the fear of sin that we may love righteousnesse with as great good will as ever we loved wickednesse and go before others in thankfulnesse towards thee as far as thou goest in mercy towards us before them Give us victory in temptation patience in sicknesse contentment in poverty joy in distresse hope in troubles confidence in the hour of death give us alwaies to think and meditate of the hour of death the day of judgment the joies of heaven and the pains of hell together with the ransome which thy Son paid to redeem us from the one and to purchase for us the other so shall neither thy benefits nor thy chastisements nor thy Word return ineffectual but accomplish that for which they were sent until we be wholly renewed to the image of thy Son These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that of our selvs we are not worthy to list up our eyes to heaven much less to present our selves before thy Majesty with the least confidence that thou shouldest hear our praiers or accept of our services but rather that thou shouldest take these our confessions and accordingly condemne us to the lowest place in Hell for our continually abusing thy mercy and those many means of grace which in thy long suffering thou hast affoarded for our reclaiming Wee are the cursed seed of rebellious Parents wee were conceived in sin and born the children of wrath And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us so soon as thou gavest us being and so prevented our further dishonouring thee wee have instead of humbling our selves before thee our God and seeking reconciliation with thy Majestie done nothing from our infancy but added sin unto sin in breaking every one of thine holy Laws which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walk by and to keep us from sinning Yea there is not one of thy righteous precepts which we have not broken more times and ways then we can express so far have wee been from a privative holiness in reforming that which is evill and a positive holiness in performing that which is good which thou maist justly require of us being wee had once ability so to do if wee had not wilfully lost it for thou did'st form us righteous and holy had not wee deform'd our selves whereas now like Satan wee can do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who would not so sin but for us for we have an army of unclean desires that perpetually sight against our souls
the satisfying of his justice and also freeing us from the guilt and punishment of either And that with as much brevity as may stand with perspicuity First in general we must undoubtedly know that the sole perfection of a Christian is â—he imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not imputation of his own unrighteousnesse as appears by the whole current of Scripture of which a few Even the Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many Mark 10.45 As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15.21 22. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous c. Rom. 5.18 19. As by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the justifying of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the justification of life Rom. 5.18 Unto Iesus Christ that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 The blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sins 1 Joh. 1.7 he is the reconciliation for our sins c. 1 Joh. 2 1 2. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 He was delivered to death for our sins and is risen again for our justification Rom. 4.25 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we were healed 1 Pet. 2.24 He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we were healed Isa. 53.5 Neither is there salvation in any other for among men there is given none other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in me although he were dead yet shall he live John 11.25 You hath he quickned that were dead in trespasses and sins Ephes. 2.1 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Joh. 4.16 to 20. God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5 6. to 11 read to the end of the Chapter See more Iohn 1.29 Acts 13.39 Rom. 6.4 to 23. and 8.2 3. and 10. 3,4 1 Cor. 15.56 Col. 1.14 Gal 3.22 Heb. 9.28 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. 1 Joh. 3.8 Sect. XVIII As Christ was a sinner onely by the imputation of our sins so we are just onely by the imputation of his righteousness Our good works were they never so many and rare cannot justify us or deserve any thing at Gods hands it is onely in Christ that they are accepted and only for Christ that they are rewarded Yea the opinion of thine own righteousnesse makes thy condition far worse then the wickedest mans alive For Christ that came to save all weary and heavy laden sinners be they never so wicked neither came to save or once to call thee that hast no sin but art righteous enough without him As hear his own words to the proud Pharisees who had the same thoughts of themselves as thou hast They that be whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 9.13 and 10.6 and 15.24 and 18.11 Nor can any soul be so dangerously sick as thou who art least sensible of thy being sick Briefly until with Saint Paul thou renounceth thine own righteousness seest thy self the greatest of sinners art able to discern sin in every thing thou canst think speak or do and that thy very righteousness is no better then a menstruous cloth Isai. 64.6 thou canst have no part in Christ. And untill Christ shall become thine by Regeneration and a lively faith Thou art bound to keep the whole Law actually and spiritually with thy whole man thy whole life or else suffer eternal death and destruction of body and soul in Hell for thy not keeping it So that thou hast yet to answer and I pray mind it seriously for all the sins that ever thou hast committed who art not able to answer for one of the least of them For the wages of sin any sin be it never so small is eternal death Rom. 6.23 Gal. 2.16 19 20 21. Neither let Satan nor thy own deceitfull heart delude thee in thinking that thou hast faith when thine own words declare the contrary Nor would I ask any more evidence against thee in this then thine own mouth in saying that thou never doubtedst in all thy life for this makes it plain that thou never hadst faith nor ever knewest what saith means For he who never doubted never believed and Satan hath none so sure as those whom he never yet assaulted Sect. XIX But this being a main fundamental point which every man is bound to know I will more particularly and fully explain it as thus Man being in a most miserable and undone condition by reason of Original and actual sin and of the curse due to both being liable to all miseries in this life and adjudged to suffer eternal torments in hell-fire after death having no possibility to escape the fierce wrath of Almighty God who had already pronounced sentence upon him VVhen neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yeilded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God of his infinite wisdome and goodness did not onely find out a way to satisfie his justice and the Law but even gave us his own Son out of his bosome and his Son gave himself to die even the most shameful painful and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven VVherefore wonder at this you that wonder at nothing that the eternal God would die to redeem our worse then lost souls that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God who can sufficiently admire thy love or commend thy pity or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man
for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy selfe that thou shouldest dye to save us VVhich salvation stands in two things First in freeing and delivering us from Hell Secondly In the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the law merits the second The parts of our justification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse whereby we have freedom from all evill here and the perfection of all good and happinesse in heaven Insomuch that all those Millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall enjoy to eternity Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us with the price of his own precious blood For which see Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Hear this all you that care to be saved God will pardon all your sins he will give you an eternall crown of glory in heaven if you unfainedly repent and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation by a lively faith and that because he is just for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is eternal death Rom. 6.23 death in the person if not in the surety Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid their dept even to the utmost farthing as is evident by Isai. 53.4 5. 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 9.26 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 3.25 26. 1 Ioh. 1.7 9. and sundry other places As are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law Christ performed it for us VVetâ— we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul He was condemned for us and bore the curse of the Law he died in our stead an ignominious 〈◊〉 Did we deserve the anger of God he endured his Fathers wrathful displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his Father and set us at liberty He that deserved no sorrow felt much that we who deserved much might feel none And by his wounds we are healed Isai. 53.5 Adam eat the apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever we owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self-same punishments for he being God could not suffer the eternal torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his Person he being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth then if all the world should have suffered the eternal torments of Hell For it is more for one that is eternal to die then for others to die eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might be made the Sons of God and therefore was he both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man he had been too weak to satisfie God And so much for explication of the Third Principle mentioned in the beginning Sect. XX. But now comes the hardest part of my work to be performed For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental Principles never so clearly yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses that he will be never the better for what hath been told him yea he will decoct all even the mercy and goodness of God into poyson For what will such a one suggest to himself the Devil helping forward Let it be granted will he say that I were every way wretched and miserable a great sinner both originally and actually and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life and of that to come yet I thank God I am well enough so long as Christ hath paid my ransom and freed me from all by a new Covenant the tenure whereof is Believe and Live whereas at first it was do this and live to which I answer In Covenants and Indentures between party and party there are alwayes articles and conditions to be performed on the one side as well as promises to be fullfilled on the other as saith Pareus Now as God hath covenanted and bound himself by his word and Seal to remit thee thy sins adopt thee his child by regeneration and give thee the Kingdome of Heaven and eveâ—lasting life by and for his sons sake so Christ hath for and on thy behalf undertaken yea thou thy self didst for thy part bind thy self by covenant promise and vow in thy baptism that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works constantly believe Gods holy Word and obediently keep his Commandments the better thereby to expresse thy thankfulness towards him for so great a benefit 1 Pet. 3.21 Psal. 116.12 13 14. And we know that in Covenants and Indentures if the Conditions be not kept the Obligation is not in force VVhereby millions Magus like after the water of baptism which is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace go to the fire of Hell Yea except we repent and believe the Gospel threats and precepts aswel as promises that holy Sacrament together with the 〈…〉 to us our salvation will be an obligation under our own hand and seal against us and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation Therefore the main question is VVhether thou art a believer For although Christ in the Gospel hath made many large and precious promises there are none so general which are not limited with the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained repentance and each of them are so tied and entailed that none can lay claim to them but true believers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 As for instance Our Saviour hath made publick Proclamation Mark 16.16 That whosoever shall believe and be baptised shall be saved but mark what withal is added he that will not believe shall be damned Again God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.15 16. And that none may deceive themselves he addeth He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light John 3.19 20. And again As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Joh. 1.12 Again Heb. 5.9 He is said to be the Author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickedness and never submit themselves to be ruled by the scepter of
know what it is by effect and experience To have as expert a tongue and as quick a memory as Portius a perfect understanding great science profound eloquence a sweet stile To have the force of Demosthenes the depth of Thesius the perswasive art of Tully c. if withal he wants Grace and lives remissely With the Astronomer to observe the motions of the heavens while his heart is buried in the earth to search out the causeâ—f â—f many effects and let pass the consideration of the principal and most necessary With the Historian to know what others have done and how they have sped while he neglecteth the imitation of such as are gone the right way With the Law-maker to set down many Lawes in particular and not to remember the common Law of nature or Law general that all must die Or lastly with Adam to know the Nature of all the Creatures and with Solomon to be able to dispute of every thing even from the Cedar to the Hyssop or Pellitory when in the mean time he lives like Dives dyes like Nabal and after all goes to his own place with Iudas Alas many a Fool goes to hell with lesse cost less pains and far more quiet that is but raw knowledge which is not digested into practice It is not worth the name of knowledge that may be heard only and not seen Ioh. 13.17 Deut. 4.6 Good discourse is but the froth of wisdom the sweet and solid fruit of it is in well framed actions that is true knowledge that makes the knower blessed We only praise that Mariner that brings the ship safe to the haven What sayes Aristotle to be wise and happy are terms reciprocal And Socrates that learning saith he pleaseth me but a little which nothing profits the owner of it either to vertue or happiness And being demanded Who was the wisest and happiest man He Answered He that offends least He is the best schollar that learns of Christ obedience humility c. He is the best Arithmetitian that can add grace to grace he is the best learned that knows how to be saved Yea all the Arts in the world are artless Arts to this Sect. 45. THe best knowledge is about the best things and the perfection of all knowledge to know God and our selves Knowledge and learning saith Aristotle consisteth not so much in the quantity as in the quality not in the greatness but in the goodness of it A little gold we know is more worth than much dross a little diamond than a rocky mountain So one drop of wisdom guided by the fear of God one spark of spiritual experimental and saving knowledge is more worth than all humane wisdom and learning yea one scruple of holiness one dram of faith one grain of grace is more worth than many pounds of natural parts And indeed Faith and Holiness are the nerves and sinews yea the soul of saving knowledge What saith Aristotle No more than the knowledge of goodness maketh one to be named a good man no more doth the knowledge of wisdom alone cause any person properly to be called a wise man Saving knowledge of the truth works a love of the truth known yea it is a uniform consent of knowledge and action He only is wise that is wise for his own soul he whose conscience pulleth all he hears and reads to his heart and his heart to God who turneth his knowledge to faith his faith to feeling and all to walk worthy of his Redeemer He that subdues his sensual desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of reason and understanding and makes that understanding of his to serve him by whom it is and doth understand He that subdues his lusts to his will submits his will to reason his reason to faith his faith his reason his will himself to the will of God this is practical experimental and saving knowledge to which the other is but a bare name or title A competnet estate we know well husbanded is better than a vast patrimony neglected Never any meer man since the first knew so much as Solomon many that have known less have had more command of themselves Alas they are not alwayes the wisest that know most For none more wise and learned in the worlds account than the Scribes and Pharisees yet Christ calls them four times blind and twice fools in one chapter Matth. 23. And the like of Balaam 2 Pet. 2.16 who had such a prophetical knowledge that scarce any of the Prophets had a cleerer revelation of the Messiah to come And the same may be affirmed of Judas and Athitophel for many that know a great deal less are â—ar wiser Yea one poor crucified thief being converted in an hours time had more true wisdom and knowledge infused into him than had all the Rulers Scribes and Pharisees It is very observable what the High Priest told the Council as they were set to condemne Christ Ye know nothing at all he spake truer than he meant it for if we know not the Lord Iesus our knowledge is either nothing or nothing worth Rightly a man knows no more than he practiseth It is said of Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 that he knew no sin because he did no sin in which sense he knows no good that doth no good These things if ye know saith our Saviour happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13.17 And in Deut. 4.6 Keep the commandements of God and do them for this is your wisdom and understanding before God and man What is the national sweetness of Honey to the experimental taste of it It is one thing to know what riches are and another thing to be Master of them It is not the knowing but the possessing of them that makes rich Many have a depth of knowledge and yet are not soul-wise have a liberary of divinity in their heads not so much as the least Catechisme in their consciences full brains empty hearts Yea you shall hear a flood in the tongue when you cannot see one drop in the life Insomuch that in the midst of our so much light and means of Grace there be few I fear that have the sound and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified which was the only care and study of St. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 Sect. 46. ANd that I am not mistaken the effect shews For if men knew either God or Christ they could not but love him and loveing him they would keep his commandments Ioh. 14.15 For hereby saith St. John It is manifest that we know him if we keep his commandments 1 Joh. 2.3 But he that sayeth I know him and yet keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and there is no truth in him ver 4. What saith our Saviour This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 But how shall a man know whether he hath this knowledge Answ. St. John tells you in those last words mentioned
minde as the Iewes to this day believe that his Disciples stole him out of the Sepulchre Matth. 28.15 to the hardning of many in their Atheism and Unbelief For what should hinder When Naboth was proved to be a blasphemer of God and Susanna a whore upon oath and the same recorded to posterity when Ieremiah was reported to be an enemy to the State Paul a polluter of the Temple Steven a destroyer of the Law All the Disciples deceivers and Christ himselfe a wine-bibber a Sabbath-breaker a seducer of the people a Belzebub c. So we may perhaps under-goe the like in one kind or other as the Devils servants want neither wit nor malice to devise But what need it trouble us so long as it shall add waight to our Crowns For if we any way suffer for Christ be it but rebuke for his sake happy are we here and great shall our reward be in heaven Mat. 5.11 12. VVherefore let us never be ashamed of our Masters service nor of their censures No matter what Iudas saith touching Maries ointment so long as Christ approves of it Did our Saviour Christ forbear to heal on the Sabbath day because the Scribes and Pharisees took it ill no but rather did it the more Luke 6.7 to 12. and Luke 13.31 32. VVhen Peter and Iohn were charged to speak no more in the name of Iesus their answer was We cannot but speak that which we have heard and seen Acts 4.20 VVhen Michol scoft David and called him fool for his dancing before the Arke His answer was I will be yet more vile and more lowly in mine own eyes He knew that nothing could be more heroical then this very abasement And it is our very case Every scoffing Michol for none else will do it every drunken sot derides our holy profession but with God and the gracious we shall be had in honour Yea our very malicious and scoffing adversaries shall honour us by deriding us Their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour VVherefore let us imitate St. Austin who as he feared the praise of good men so he detested that of evill and ungodly men And take our Saviours counsel seek to justifie our judgements to the children of wisdome of whom she is justified and not to fools by whom she is daily crucified Neither let any think the better of such whom they extoll for the blinde eat many a flie § 61. Thirdly are the one regenerate the other carnall the one of this world the other chosen out of it the one children of light and of the day the other blinde and in darknesse the one Christs friends the other his enemies do the one live after the flesh the other after the spirit Gal. 5.25 1 Pet. 4.2 Then look we for no love from or peace with them Different dispositions can never agree There can be no amity where there is no sympathy Athens and Sparta could never agree for that the one was addicted to serve Minerva the other Mars Yea when it was said of Phocian and Demosthenes that they could never agree it was answered No how should they when the one drinks water and the other wine Much more may it be applyed to these when the holy Ghost sayes 2 Cor. 6. What communion between light and darknesse what peace between the Believer and the Infidel or unbeliever vers 14 15. And in another place Know ye not that the amity of the world is the enmity of God And that whosoever will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemy of God Jam. 4.4 And again He that is borne after the flesh will persecute him that is born after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 Yea Solomon tels us directly and in plain terms That a wicked man is abomination to the just and that he who is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Pro. 29.27 Even our very ways which God hath commanded us to walke in are abomination to them VVhence it is that the Naturall man can agree with all that be naturall be they civill or prophane Turkes or Iewes Papists or Atheists because all these agree with him in blindnesse and darknesse But with a sincere and holy Christian a practicer of piety he can never agree because his light is contrary to the natural mans darknesse Grace in the one is a secret disgrace to the other VVherefore to be without enemies or to have such our friends we may rather wish then hope yea once to expect it were an effect of frenzy not of hope Onely let not us by our offending God or jarring amongst our selves put weapons into their hands to wound us withal and then we are sure to have Christ who is able enough to vindicate all our wrongs to assist us and prevent our Enemies § 62. Fourthly If none be truly wise but such as have pass'd the second birth and that this wisdome which makes us differ cometh downe from the Father of lights and that we cannot have it except God vouchsafe to give it us it may teach us to be humble Job 42.6 And not like the Ape that is proud of his Masters jacket And thankefull for Heavenly notions grow not in us wee spin them not out of our own breasts Nor was there any thing in us that makes us differ we slept nigh half our time in ignorance and that wee ever awakened it was onely Gods infinite goodnesse and free grace VVhat cause have we then to blesse the giver And to become suiters to our Saviour in their behalf who are not yet awake That he will be pleased to open their eyes and remove that vail which is laid over their hearts in their hearing the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.14 15 16. And in the mean-time let us condole their disastres and drop some teares in pity and compassion for their great and grievous misery Fifthly and lastly If with God one spark of spiritual experimental and saving knowledge be of more worth then all humane wisdome and learning then strive we after that knowledge that will make us for ever blessed Let us so be learned that we may be saved Let us not in our hearing reading and communication do as little children that looke onely upon the babies in a Booke without regard to the matter therein contained But like men in yeares have more respect to the pith and solidity of the matter then to the phrase and to the profit of our souls then the pleasing of our senses Yea let us so minde what we either hear or read that if any vertue be commended we practice it if any vice condemned we avoid it if any consolation be insinuated we appropriate it if any good example be propounded wee follow it Yea so minde wee what we hear or read as if it were spoke onely to each of us in particular which to do is to be for every happy Good counsell for our young Gulls who will hear no other Ministers but such as flatter sinne and flout
the clock esteeming every minute a month and thy present misery unsupportable What then will it be to lie in stames of fire to which our fire is but ayre in comparison fire and brimstone kept in the highest flame by the unquenchable wrath of God world without end where thou shalt have nothing about thee but darkness and horrour wayling and wringing of hands desperate yellings and gnashing of teeth thy old companions in vanity and sin to ban and curse thee the Devils insulting over thee with cruelty and scorn the never-dying worm of conscience to feed upon thy soul and flesh for ever and ever O everlasting eternity a never-dying life an ever-living death Which yet is but just with God for if thou mightest have lived for ever thou wouldst have sinned for ever If God would everlastingly have spared thee thou wouldest have everlastingly hated and provoked him What then can be more equal then that thou shouldst suffer everlastingly O then bethink thy self of this word eternal and everlasting and ponder upon it yea do but indeed believe it and it will be enough to break thine hard heart and make it relent and repent and thereby prevent the wrath to come It will put thee to a demur What have I done what am I now about whether will this course tend how will it end what will become of me if I go on in chambering and wantonness surfeting and drunkenness strife and envying swearing prophaneness earthly-mindedness and the like For indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evil and continueth therein as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2.8 9. O then break off thy sins without delay and let there be an healing of thine errors Sect. 3. Neither is the extremity of pain inferiour to the perpetuity of it it is a place full of horrour and amazedness where is no remission of sin no dismission of pain no intermission of sense no permission of comfort its torments are both intollerable and interminable and 〈◊〉 neither he enda 〈…〉 The pangs of the first death are pleasant compared with those of the second For mountains of sand were lighter and millions of years shorter than a tithe of those torments Rev. 20.10 Iude 7. It is a death which hath no death it hath a beginning it hath no ending Matth. 3.12 Isa. 66 24. The pain of the body is but the body of pain the anguish of the soul is the soul of anguish For should we first burn off one hand then another after that each arm and so all the parts of the body it would be deemed intollerable and no man would endure it for all the profits and pleasures this world can afford and yet it is nothing to the burning of body and soul in hell Should we endure ten thousand years torments in hell it were grievous but nothing to eternity Should we suffer one pain it were miserable enough but if ever we come there our pains shall be for number and kinds infinitely various as our pleasures have been here every sence and member each power and faculty both of soul and body shall have their several objects of wretchedness and that without intermission or end or easâ— or patience to endure it Luke 12 5. 16.23 Matth. 3.12 5.22 22.23 The Schools affirm that the least torture in Hell exceeds the greatest that can be devised by all the men on earth even as the least joy in Heaven surpasseth the greatest comfort here on earth There is scarce any pain here on earth but there is ever some hope of ease mitigation or intermission of some relief or deliverance but in Hell their torments are easeless endless and remediless unsufferable and yet ineviteable and themselves left hopeless helpless pittyless It were misery enough to have the head-ach tooth-ach Collick gowt burning in the fire or if there be any thing more grievous Yea should all these and many more meet together in one man at one instant they would come infinitely short of the pains of Hell Yea they would all bâ— bar as the stinging of Antes to the lashes of those Scorpions but as drâ—pes to those Vials of wrath as sparks to that flame as Chrysostome speaks The Furnace of Babell was but a flea-biting to this tormenting Tophet prepared of old Isa. 30. He hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it vers 32. So that it were happy for reprobate spirits if they were in no worse condition than so many Toads or Serpents As consider If a dark dungeon here be so loathsome what is that dungeon of eternal of utter darkness If material fire be so terrible what is Hell fire Here we cry out of a burning feaver or if a very coal from the hearth do but light on our flesh O how it grieves us we cannot hold our finger for one minute in scalding lead but there both body and soul shall fry in everlasting flames and be continually tormented by infernal fiends whose society alone would be sufficiently frightfull Sect. 4. Now consider Is one hours twitches of tâ—â—â—orm of conscience here yoâ— one minutes tâ—â—ch of a tooth pulling out so unsufferable what is a 〈…〉 mented in that flame what think we shall that torment be when body and soul come to be united in torment since the pains of Hell are more exquisite than all the united torments that the earth can invent Yea the pains and sufferings of the damned are ten thousand times more than can be imagined by any heart under heaven and can rather through necessity be endured than expressed It is a death never to be painted to the life no pen nor pencil nor art nor heart can comprehend it Matth. 18.8 9 10. 25.30 Luke 16 23 24. 2 Pet. 2.4 Isa. 5.14 30 33. Prov. 15.11 Yea were all the land paper and all the water ink every plant a pen and every other creature a ready Writer yet they could not set down the least piece of the great pains of hell-fire Now add eternity to extremity and then consider hell to be hell indeed For if the Ague of a year or the Collick of a month or the Rack of a day or the burning of an hour be so bitter here how will it break the hearts of the wicked to feel all these beyond all measure beyond all time So that it is an evil and bitter thing to depart from the living God We poor mortals until God does bring us from under the power of Satan unto himself do live in the world as if hell were not so hot noâ— the Devil so black as indeed they are as if Hell and Heaven were the one not worth the avoiding the other not worth the enjoying but the heat of fire was never painted and the Devil is more deformed than represented on the wall There are unexpressible torments in Hell as well
against the spirit no law in our members to rebel against the law of our mindes Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three now abide but in Heaven Vision succeeds in the place of Faith attainment in the place of Hope and perfect fruition and delectation in the room of Châ—â—rity There Promises shall end in performances Faith in sight and 〈…〉 sion Hope in fruition and Possession yea time it self shall be swallowed 〈◊〉 in Eternity these are the Soulâ— Dowries in Heaven where God 〈…〉 in Abraham temperance in Ioseph strength in Sampson meekness in Moses wisdom in Solomon patience in Iob for it is rare to find all these graces compleatly to meet in any one subject but then and there he shall be omnia in omnibus all these in every of his servants God shall be all in all even the fulness of him that filleth all in all things as the Apostle speaks Ephes. 1.23 The onely knowledg of God shall fill up our understandings and the alone love of God shall possess our affections God shall be all in all to us he will fill up our rational part with the light of wisdom our concupiscible part or appetite with a spring of righteousness and the irascible part with perfect peace and tranquility as Bernard expresseth it That is a blessed state perpetual and unchangeable There is eternal Security and secure Eternity as Bernard speaks Or as Austin hath it There is blessed Eternity and everlasting Blessedness Let the end of our life then be to come to a life whereof there is no end unto whith the Lord in his good time bring us that we who now sow in tears may then reap in joy the which he will be sure to do if we but for a short time serve him here in righteousness and sincerity But otherwise look we not for eternal happiness but for everlasting misery For it is an everlasting Rule No grace no holiness here no glory no happiness hereafter To summe up all in a word there is no joy here comparable to that in Heaven all our mirth here to that is but pensiveness all our pleasure here to that but heaviness all our sweetness here to that is but bitterness Even Solomon in all his glory and royalty to that was but as a spark in the chimney to the Sun in the firmament Absaloms beauty to that is but deformity Sampsons strength to that is but infirmity Methusalahs age to theirs is but minority and mortality Hazaels speed and swiftness but a snails pace to their celerity Yea how little how nothing are the poor and temporary enjoyments of this life to those we shall enjoy in the next 1 Cor. 2.9 Yea Paradise or the Garden of Eden was but a wilderness compared with this Paradise And indeed if the Gates of the City be of Pearl and the streets of Gold what then are the Inner-rooms the dining and lodging Chaâ—â—â—â—s the Presence Chamber of the great Monarch of Heaven and 〈◊〉 what then may we think of the Maker and Builder thereof In fine that I might daâ—kly shadow it out sith the lively representation thereof is meerly impossible This life everlasting is the perfection of all good things For Fulness is the perfection of Measure and Everlastingness the perfection of Time and Infiniteness the perfection of Number and Immutability the perfection of State and immensity the perfection of Place and Immortality the perfection of Life and God the pâ—â—fection of All who shall be All in All to us meat to our taste beauty to our eyes perfumes to our smell musick to our ears And what shall I say more but as the Psalmist saith Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God Psal. 87.3 See Rev. 4.2 3. 21.10 to the end Sect. â— The glory of Heaven cannot be comprehended here onely God hath vouchsafed to give us some small glimpses in the Scripture 〈…〉 we may framâ— a conjecture considerable enough to make u◠〈…〉 of his fatherly condescension to stoop to our capacity in representing Heavenly things under earthly types shaddowing out the joyes thereof by whatsoever is precious and desirable in this life as Cities Kingdoms Crowns Pearls Iewels Marriages Feasts c. which supereminent and superabundant felicity St. Paul that had been an onely witness when he had been caught up into the third Heaven not able to describe much less to amplifie summes up all in these words A sure most excellent exceeding and eternal weight of transcendant glory 2 Cor. 4.17 12.2 But alas such is mans parvity that he is as far from comprehending it as his armes are from compassing it 1 Cor. 2.9 Heaven shall receive us we cannot conceive Heaven Do you ask what Heaven is saith one when I meet you there I will tell you For could this ear hear it or this tongue utter it or this heart conceive it it must needs follow that they were translated already thithâ—r 2 Cor. 12.2 4. Yea who can utter the sweetness of that peace of conscience and spiritual rejoycing in God which himself hath tasted If then the beginning and first fruits of it be so sweet what shall the fulness of that beatifical Vision of God be If the earnest penny be so precious and promising here what shall the principal and full crop and Harvest of happiness in Heaven be So that a man may as well with a coal paint out the Sun in all his splendor as with his pen or tongue express or with his heart were it as deep as the Sea conceive the Fulness of those Ioyes and Sweetness of those Pleasures which the Saints shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 In thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore For quality they are pleasures for quantity fulness for dignity at Gods right hand for Eternity for evermore And millions of years multiplied by millions make not up one minute to this Eternity 2 Cor. 4.18 John 10.28 The Eye sees much the Ear hears more the Heart conceives most yet all short of Apprehension much more of comprehension of those pleasures Therefore it is said Enter thou into thy Masters joy for it 〈◊〉 great to enter into thee Matth. 25.23 Neither will I any furtheâ— â—â—â—cise my self in things too high for me Psal. 131.1 For as St. Paul tells us the heart of Man is not able to conceive those joyes which being so how should I be able to express them in words And yet though we cannot comprehend this glory this far most excellent exceeding and eternal weight of transcendent glory yet may and ought we to admire the never enough to be admired bounty and goodness of God and our Redeemrr in crying out O the depth c O the sweetness of his love How unsearchable are his thoughts and intendments to man-ward once miserably forlorn lost and undone and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 CHAP. XXI Sect. 1. BUt for the better confirming of this
should we admire the love and bounty of God and bless his Name who for the performance of so small a work hath proposed so great a Reward And for the obtaining of such an happy state hath imposed such an easie task Yea more is Heaven so unspeakably sweet and delectable and Hell so unutterably dolefull Then let nothing be thought too much that we can either do or suffer for Christ who hath freed us from the one and purchased for us the other Though indeed nothing that we are able to do or suffer here can be compared with those woes we have deserved in Hell or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven And indeed that we are now out of hell there to fry in flames of fire and brimstone never to be freed that we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory hereafter in heaven we are onely beholding to him We are all by nature as hell-fire being onely reprieved for a timâ— But from this extremity and eternity of torment Iesus hath freed and delivered us O think then yea be ever thinking of it how rich the mercy of our Redeemer was in freeing us and that by laying down his own life to redeem us Yea How can we be thankfull enough for so great a blessing It was a mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Which being so 〈…〉 can any one in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerable and thankfull demeanour If a Friend had given us but a thousand part of what God and Christ hath we should heartily love him all our lâ—ves and think no thankâ— sufficient What price then should we set upon Iesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls Do we then for Christs sake what we would do for a Friends sake Yea let us abhor our selves for our former unthankfulness and our wonderfull provoking of him Hearken we unto Christs voyce in all that he saith unto us without being swayed one way or another as the most are Let us whom Christ hath redeemed express our thankâ—ulness by obeying all that he saith unto us whatever it shall cost us since nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures which shall endure for ever As Who would not obtain Heaven at any rate at any cost or trouble whatsoever In Heaven is a Crown laid up for all such as suffer for righteousâ—ess even a Crown without cares without rivals without envy without end And is not this reward enough for all that men or Devils can do against us Who would not serve a short apprentiship in Gods service here â—o be made for ever free in glory Yea Who would not be a Philpot for a moneth or a Lazarus for a day or a Steven for an hour that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever Nothing can be too much to endure fâ—r those pleasures that endure for ever Yea what pain can we think too much to suffer What little enough to do to obtain eternity for this incorruptible Crown of Glory in Heaven 1 Pet. 5.4 where we shall have all tears wiped from our eyes Where we shall cease to sorrow cease to suffer cease to sin Where God shall turn all the water of our afflictions into the pure wine of endless and unâ—xpressible comfort You shall sometimes see an hired servant venture his life for his new Master that will scarce pay him his wages at the years end and can we suffer too much for our Lord and Master who giveth every one that serveth him â—ot Fields and Vineyards as Saul pretended 1 Sam 22 7. c. nor Towns and Cities as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar but even an hundred-â—old more than we part withall here in this life and eternal Mansâ—ons in Heaven hereafter John 14.2 St. Paul saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth us a far most excellent and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparable and infinitive difference between the woâ—k and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary affliction eternal glory Suitable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and die in a moment but their unsufferable punishment is interminable and endless Their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternal Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life â—am 1.12 〈…〉 what folly is it then or rather madness for the small pleasure of some base lust some paltry profit or fleeting vanity which passeth away in the very act as the taste of a pleasant drink dieth so soon as it is down to bring upon our selves in another world torments without end and beyond all compass of conceit Fourthly Is it so that God hath set before us life and death Heaven and Hell as a reward of good and evil leaving us as it were to our choyce whether we will be compleatly and everlastingly happy or miserable with what resolution and zeal should we strive to make our calling and election sure nor making our greatest business our least and last care I know well thou hadst rather when thou diest go to reign with Christ in his Kingdom for evermore than be confined to a perpetual Prison or Furnace of fire and brimstone there to be tormented with the Dâ—vil and his Angels If so provoke not the Lord who is great and terrible of most glorious Majesty and of infinite purity and who hath equally promised salvation unto those which keep his Commandments and threatned eternal death and destruction to those who break them For as he is to all repentant sinners a most mercifull God Exod. 34.6 so to all wilfull and impenitant sinners he is a consuming fire and a jealous God Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4 24. There was a King who having no issue to succeed him espied one day a well-favoured and towardly youth he took him to the Court and committed him to Tutors to instruct him provâ—ding by his Will that if he proved fit for Government he should be crowned King if not he should be kept in chains and made a Gally-slave the youth was mâ—sled and neglected both his Tutors good Counsâ—l and his Book so as his Master corâ—ected him and said O that thou knewest what honour is prepared for thee and what thou art lâ—ke to loose by this thy idle and loose carriage Well thou wilt afterwards when 't is to late sorely rue this And when he grew to years the King died whose Councâ—l and Executours perceiving him to be utterly unfit for State Government called him before them and declared the Kings will and pleasure which was accordingly performed for they caused him to be fettered and committed to the Galleys there to toil and tug at the Oaâ—s perpetually where he was whipt and lasht
men scoff and scorn you and why is it But because you delight no less in goodness then they do in lewdness Because you in great love to their souls will be at the cost to give them Books thereby to convince them of their swearing and cursing and use the likeliest means to stop them in their way to destruction because you would draw them to heaven as they do many to hell A grievous fault if a wise man may have the judging of it As I pray consider of it you that have brains It s no fault in them to be perjured but for you to keep your vow and promise which you made in your baptism is both a crime and shame It hath ever been the worlds great quarrel we refuse to pledge them in their wicked customes and will rather obey God then men As wherefore was Cain wroth with his brother Abel and afterwards flew him but because his own works were evil and his brothers good 1 John 3.12 Wherefore was holy David had in derision hated standered contemned and made a by-word of the people a song of the drunkards But because he followed the things that were good and pleasing to God and in him put his trust Psal. 11.2 and 22.6 7 8. and 37.14 and 69.10 11 12. Why were all the just in Solomons time had in abomination and mockt of the wicked but because they were upright in their way and holy in their conversation Prov. 29.27 Or those numberless number of Martyrs Rev. 6.9 even killed but for the word of God and for the testimony which they maintaineâ—t That great Dragon the Devill and his subjects make war and are wroth with none but the woman and her seed which keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ Revel 12.17 Lot vexed himselfe because he saw men bad these because they are good not because Gods Law is broken but because others keep it better then themselves It is the cursed zeale of these men to maligne the good zeale of all men But Sect. 3. Secondly men hate scoffe and scorne you but who are they not such as these a crew of Drunkards Psal. 69.12 or a sort of vitious persons following their owne lusts 2 Pet. 3.3 Or a company of abject persons Psal. 35.15 like those enemies Acts 17. lewd fellows of the baser sort ver 5. A rout of prophane godlesse irreligious Atheists and ignorant fools that do no more know the power then Turks and Heathens know the truth of godlinesse Psal. 14.1 to 6. And it is a shrewd suspition that he who is a mocker is an Atheist It well becomes him to mocke at Religion that denies a God And its evident enough that he denies a God that mocks at godliness However take this for a rule As Cham was worse then Noah whom he derided and Ishmael worse then Isaac whom he mocked and Saul worse then David whom he persecuted And Iezebel worse then Naboth whom she defamed and murthered So they that are wont to jeere and persecute others have greater faults themselves and cause to be jeered and despised by others the which they know not how to cover but by disgracing of others And let them but spye as they are as Eagle-eyed to our faults as they are pur-blinde to their owne the smallest spot in a good mans face it shall excuse all the sores and ulcers in their bodies Again Sect. 4. Thirdly why do these and the Devill hate you but because God hath chosen you Why are you a thorne in their eyes as Iob was in the Devils but because you fare better then they As why did Cain envy and hate Abel but because the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect Gen. 4.4 5. Wherefore did Saul so hate and persecute David but because he was so praised and preferred of the people before himselfe And the Lord was with David and prospered him in every thing he tooke in hand 1 Sam. 18.7 8.12 13.28 29. Davids successe was Sauls vexation Yea he found not so much pleasure in his kingdome as vexation in the prosperity of David And so of his brother Eliabs envy and ill will to him 1 Sam. 17.28 And of the Elder brothers envy in the parable to his younger brother when his father so kindly entertained him Luk. 15.25 26 27 28. which is meant of the Iewes envying the Gentiles conversion Envy is sicke if her neighbour be well and the good mans honour is the envious mans torment As it fared between Haman and Mordecai and as hereafter the glory of Christ shall add to such Reprobates confusion when they are driven to confesse This is he whom we once had in derision But Sect. 5. Fourthly are you scoft scorn'd for goodness a great matter our Saviour Christ was far wose dealt withall Yea his whole life even from his Cradle to his Grave was nothing else but a continued act of suf 〈…〉 Saboth-breaker c. was scoft at scorned scourged crucified and what not Yeâ— he suffered in every place in every part In every place hunger in the Desart resistance in the Temple sorrow in the Garden contumelies in the Judgement Hall crucifying without the City c. In every part his eyes ran downe with teares his temples with blood his eares tingled with buffettings glowed with reproaches They afflicted his taste with gall spit in his face pierc't his head with thornes his hands and feete with nailes his side with a spear his heart was full of sorrow his soule with anguish his whole body was sacrificed as an offering for sinne And yet he suffered all for us to the end he might leave us an example that we should follow his steps Neither was it so much what he suffered as with what affection willingnesse and patience he suffered that did nobilitate the merit of his sufferings And the Disciple is not above his Master Matth. 10.24 25. Shall wee then thinke much to taste of that Cup of which our Saviour dranke so deep Christ wore a Crowne of Thornes for me and shall I grudge to weare this Paper cap for him said Iohn Huss when they put a cap upon his head that had ugly Devils painted on it with the Title of Heresie The Apostle gives a generall testimony of all the Saints in the Old Testament saying some endured the violence of fire some were wrack'd others were tryed by mockings and scourgings bonds and imprisonments some stoned some hewen in sunder some slain with the sword and the like being such as the world was not worthy of as you may read Heb. 11. Yea our Fore-fathers here in England most willingly under-went those fiery trials and shall any of Christs band shrinke under the burthen of an ayery tryall onely Neither have any of Gods Children from the first to the last been exempt from suffering what you do namely tongue-persecutiou And it is an everlasting rule He that is borne after the
flesh will persecute him that is borne after the spirit Gal. 4 29. When CHRIST was borne all Ierusalem was troubled and Herod cut the throats of all the children in Bethlehem Matth. 2.3 to 22. All was quiet at Ephesus before St. Paul came thither but then there arose no small strife about that way Acts 19.23 c. Again Sect. 6. Fifthly Are you scoft and scorned how can the world pleasure or honour you more First for Honour Reproach in Gods service is the best preferment For as in the Wars to have the hottest and most dangerous service imposed upon them by their Generall is accounted the greatest honour Neither will he confer the same upon any but the stoutest and most valiant So even bearing the Crosse with Christ is as great a preferment in the Court of Heaven as it is in an earthly Court for the Prince to take off his owne Robe and put it on the back of his servant as you may perceive by the Lords speech to Paul Acts 9.15 16. 23.11 And our Saviours words to his Apostles Acts 1.8 Yea sayes Father Latimer to suffer for Christ is the greatest priviledge that God gives in this world And the story of Iob is a book-case to prove it Yea the same Iob professes that if his adversary should write a Booke against him he would esteem it his crowne Job 31.35 36 37. Whence Moses esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.26 Whence Peter and Iohn when they were beaten and imprisoned departed from the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs Name Acts 5.41 They esteemed it a grace to be disgraced for him And so it hath been accounted by the best and wisest ever since They that reproach me saith St. Austine do against their wills increase my honour both with God and good men And another of the Fathers It is the highest degree of reputation to be evill spoken of for well doing It is no small credit with the vile to have a vile estimation Tertullian thought much the better of Christianity because Nero persecuted it Calvin made the reproaches and evill speeches of his enemies a matter of great joy to him To be disliked of evill men sayes Picus Mirandula is to be praysed for goodnesse their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour Never did Neckarchife become me so well as this chaine said Alice Drivers 〈…〉 a Rope was put about his fellowes neck Give me that Gold chaine and dub me a Knight also of that noble Order And shall we grutch to beare a few scoffs for CHRIST No but in our greatest streights and extremities let us acknowledge it a favour and give GOD thanks And indeed it is the sum of all Religion to be thankfull to GOD in the midst of miseries But if thou canst not beare a few ill words for thy Saviour without murmuring and impatience how wouldst thou endure wounds for him yea how wouldst thou afford him thine ashes and write patience with thine own blood Then Sect. 7. 2ly For profit Let a good man be scoft and scorned for a fault he will be the better for it to his dying day His enemies by their evill tongues shall beget in him a good and holy life For happily they shall bring to his remembrance sins forgotten wean him from the love of the world discover whether he be sincere or no make him humble exercise and improve his patience and all his other graces and augment his glory Yea his patient suffering shall be rewarded here as well as hereafter Deut. 23.5 2 Sam. 16.12 Blessed are they which suffer for righteousness for theirs is the kingdome of heaven Matth. 5.10 to 14. They that suffer here for well doing shall be crowned hereafter for well suffering And certainly nothing that we can suffer here can be compared with those woes we have deserved in Hell or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven By our crosses sanctified weight is added to our Crowne of blisse Our Enemies saith Bernard are but our Fathers Goldsmiths working to add pearls to the Crowns of the Saints Whence Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.26 And hence it is that the Holy Ghost calls upon us to rejoyce and be exceeding glad when men shall revile and persecute and say all manner of evill against us falsely for Christs sake and tels us we are blessed and happy for that the spirit of glory and of God does so much the more rest upon us which on their parts is evill spoken of but on our part is glorified 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Mat. 5.11 12. Phil. 1.28 29. Rev. 2.13 And this hath made thousands to embrace the very flames when they might easily have been freed by exchanging eternall happiness for temporary and transitory Your cruelty is our glory said the Martyrs in Tertullians time to their persecutors For the harder we are put to it the greater shall our reward be in Heaven It is to my losse said Gordius the Martyr if you bate me any thing of my sufferings Sect. 8. Now if in conclusion the most malicious practices of our worst and greatest Enemies by the blessing of God and our well hushanding of them prove no other in effect to us then did the malice of Josephs brethren Mistris and Lord to him then the malice of Haman to Mordecai and the Iewes Then Balacks malice to the Children of Israel Then the Devils spight to Job Then the malice of Achitophel Shimei to David Or then the Arians malice to Paphnutius all which made for their inestimable good benefit and advantage Then grutch not at it neither mutter at the matter but receive what ever comes with humility patience piety and thankefulness Yea if none but evill men do it and that because you do better or fare better then they and that what you suffer is nothing to what Christ the best of Saints have exceeded you in Let it make you no less joyfull then thankefull Yea let it cause you to cry out O the wonderfull and soveraign goodness of our God! that turns even our poysons into cordials And henceforth thinke it no shame but count it your glory Be not grieved when you have so much cause to rejoyce for it shews you to be borne of God your enemies to be the seed of the Serpent The worlds hating you shewes that Christ loves you and hath chosen you out of the world Yea this is to your Adversaries a sure token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Yea do not only beare with them but pitty and pray for them for they need no helpe to be miserable As who sets them on worke but he that will pay them with damnation though God offers them better wages Nor is it so much they as the Devill in and by them It is his
heaven earth nor hell could have yeelded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then The eternall God would dye viz. so far as was possible or necessary that we might not dye eternally Iohn 3.16 A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men o◠〈…〉 were his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan as now you doe not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto 3. § O my brethren bethink your selves It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breath the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloaths that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that cheer us the beasts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in hell there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in heaven hereafter we are only beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us shall we most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledge and conscience I wish you would a little think of it 4. § For favours bestowed and deliverances from danger bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings requires retribution of thanks or will bring distribution of judgments And certainly if a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient And in reason Hath God done so much for us and shall we denye him any thing he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our sins most of all this sottish and damnable sin in which there is neither profit nor pleasure nor credit nor any thing else to provoke or intice us unto it as in other sins for all you can expect by it is the suspicion of common Lyers by being common Sweaâ—ers Or that you shall vex others and they shal hate you Whereas if we could give Christ our Bodyes and Souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them Yea swearing and cursing are sins from which of all other sins we have the most power to abstain For were you forced to pay three shillings four pence for every oath and curse you utter as the Law enjoins or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin â— damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down Iames 5.12 you both could and would leave it which alone makes it altogether inexcusable And this know that the easier the thing commanded is the greater guilt in the breach of it and the lighter the injuncâ—ion the heavier the transgression as Austin speaks and Adams eating the forbidden fruit sufficiently proves So that it is evident you love this sin meerly because it is a great sin and blaspheme out of meer malice to and contempt of God which is most fearfull and as a man would think should make it unpardonable I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such if they would take notice of it Let them be confounded that transgresse without a cause Psal. 25.3 And no marvell that this fearfull imprecation should fall from the Prophetâ— mouth for that man is bottomlesly ill who loves vice meerly because 〈…〉 digious damnable wretch who rather then not die will anger God on set purpose Wherefore looke to it and think of it you cursing and cursed Swearers You swear away your salvation curse away your blessing Howling and Cursing shall be your chief ease in Hell to whom blasphemy was an especiall recreation on Earth 5. § Argue with all the world and they will conclude there is no vice like ingratitude And meer ingratitude returns nothing for good but you return evill yea the greatest and most malicious evill for the greatest and most admired love It was horrible ingratitude for the Iewes to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies inlightned their mindes of God became Man and lived miserably among them many years that he might save their souls though in killing him they did their utmost to sinke the only ship that could save them but you are more ingratefull to God and Christ then they were or can be exprest by the best Oratour alive For which read more in a Treatise intituled Gods goodnesse and Englands unthankfulnesse from Chapter 4. to Chapter 7. 6. § O that you would but consider that the Lord Iehovah who is a God great and terrible of most glorious majesty and infinite purity hears and beholds you in all places and in every thing you think speak or do who is a just Judge and will not let this cursed sin go unpunished then would you keep a narrower watch over your thoughts then any other can do over your actions yea you would assoon stab a dagger to your hearts as let such oaths and execrations drop from your mouths whereas now you swear and curse as if he that made the ear could not hear or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise drowned the old world râ—â—â—ed down fire and brimstone upon Sodome commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quick Corah and his companie he who smote Egypt with so many plagues overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their land for an inheritance to his people and can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soul into Hell for your odious unthankfulnesse yea it is a mercie beyond expression that he hath spared you so long Consider of it I beseech you lest you swear away your part in that bloud which must save you if ever you be saved yea take heed lest you be plagued with a witnesse and that both here and hereafter for God who cannot lie hath threatned that his curse shall never depart from the house of the Swearer as it is Zach. 5.1 to 5. And I doubt not but you are already cursed though you know it not That either he hath cursed you in your bodie by sending some foul disease or in your estate by suddainly consuming iâ— or in your name by blemishing and blasting it or in your seed by not prospering it or in your minde by darkning it or in your heart by hardning it or in your conscience by
terrifying it or will in your soul by everlastingly damning it if you repent not Wherefore take â—eed what 〈…〉 〈…〉 our smart hath a great controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because of swearing Hos. 4.1 2. Yea because of oaths the whole land even the three Nations now mourneth as you may see Ier. 23.10 Neither object that ye are so accustomed to swearing that you cannot leave it for this defence is worse then the offence as take an instance Shall a Thief or Murtherer at the Bar alledge for his defence that it hath been his use and custom of a long time to rob and kill and therefore he must continue it or if he do will not the Judge so much the rather send him to the Gallows Wherefore I beseech you by the mercies of God who hath removed so many evils and conferred so many good things upon you that they are beyond thought or imagination to leave it especially after this warning which in case you doe not will be a sore witnesse and rise up in judgment against you another day MEMB. 2. Swearer Did I swear or curse 1. § Messenger Very often as all here present can witnesse and Satan also who stands by to take notice reckon up and set on your score every Oath you utter keeping them upon Record against the great day of Assises at which time every Oath will prove as a daggers point stabbing your soul to the heart or as so many weights pressing you down to Hell Rev. 20.13 and 22 12. As also the searcher of hearts who himself will one day be a swift witnesse against Swearers Mal. 3.5 For of all other sinners the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vain as the third Commandement tels you Exod. â—0 7 2. § But wo is â—he it fares with common Swearers as with persons desperately diseased whose excrements and filth comes from them at unawares for as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senslessenesse to overspread the heart memorie and conscience that the swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworne hath no remembrance of his Oath much lesse repentance for his Sin Swearer Alas though I did swear yet I thought no harm 3. § Messenger O fool What Prince hearing himself abused to his face by the reproachfull words of his base and impotent Subject would admit of such an excuse that whatsoever he spake with his mouth yet he thought no ill in his heart And shall God take this for a good answer having told us before hand Deut. 28.58 59. That if we do not fear dread his glorious and fearful Name the Lord our God he wil make our plagues wonderful and of long continuance and the plagues of our posterity Besides how frequently doest thou pollute and prophane Gods Name and thy Saviours The Iews grievously sinned in crucifying the Lord of life but once and that of ignorance but the times are innumerable that thou doest it every day in the year every hour in the day although thy conscience and the holy Spirit of 〈…〉 thee that thou hast seldome remembred him but to blaspheme him and more often named him in thy Oaths and Curses then in thy prayers Swearer Surely If I did swear it was but Faith and Troth by our Lady the Masse the Rood the Light this Bread by the Crosse of the silver or the like which is no great matter I hope so long as I swore not by God nor by my Savior 4. § Messenger That is your grosse ignorance of the Scriptures for God expresly forbids it and that upon pain of damnation Iam. 5.12 First our Saviour Christ in his own person forbids it Mat. 5 34 35 36 37. I say unto you Swear not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his footstool nor by Ierusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thine head because thou canst not make one hair white oâ— black but let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evill And then by his Apostle Above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest you fall into condemnation James 5 1â— where mark the Emphasis in the first words Above all things swear not and the great danger of it in the last word condemnation 5. § If the matter be light and vain we must not swear at all if so weighty that we may lawfully swear as before a Magistrate being called to it then we must only use the glorious Name of our God in a holy and religious manner as you may see Deut. 6.13 Esay 45.23 65.16 Iosh. 23.7 Ier 5.7 Exod. 23.13 And the reasons of it are weighty if we look into them for in swearing by any creature whatsoever we do invocate that creature and ascribe to it divine worship a lawfull oath being a kind of Invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever we swear by that we invocate both as our witnesse surety and judge Heb. 6.16 and by consequence deifie it by ascribing and communicating unto it Gods incommunicable Attributes as his Omnipresence and Omniscience of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an Omnipotencie as being Almighty in patronising protecting defending and rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speak falsly all which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swearing by any of those things thou committest an high degree of grosse Idolatry thou spoilest and robbest God of his Glory the most impious kind of theft and in a manner dithronest him and placest an Idol in his room 6. § And as to swear by the creature makes the sin far more heinous so the more mean and vile the thing is which you swear by be it by my fay by cock and pie hares foot by this cheese and such like childish oaths which are so much in use with the ignorant and superstitious swarm the greater is your sin in swearing such an Oath because you ascribe that unto these basest of creatures which is only proper to God namely to know your heart and to be a discerner of secret things why else should you call that â—â—eature 〈…〉 of him as mark well what he saith Ier. 5.7 How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods And do you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the creature Will you believe the Prophet Amos if you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria that they shall fall and never rise again Amos 8.14 a terrible place
in ill designes and ungracions courses to go on in sin uncontrouled for he that useth to do evil and speeds well seldome rests until he come to that evil from which there is no redemption Besides Forbearance is no acquittance the wickedness of the Old World is as abundant in the New World yet is not the World drowned with water But why because God hath ordained for it a deluge of fire The sins of Sodome are practised every where in our City and Kingdome yet do the committters escape fire and brimstone on earth because they are reserved to fire and brimstone in Hell Do not many persecute the Church as violently as Pharaoh with Chariots and Armies who yet escape drowning there is a reservation of a deeper and bottomless Sea for them divers murmur at the passages of Gods providence in these times of retribution and Reformation who are not stung with fiery Serpents as the Israelites because they are reserved to a fiery serpent in Hell Many yea the most that can come by them take Bribes like Gehazi without a Leprosie because of that eternal Leprosie which waits for them How many a deceitful Executor and Trustee sayes and swears with a little inversion of Ananias his lie I received but so much I disbursed so much yet are not stricken with death temporal because they are reserved to death eternal Have not many Monopolists with us done as bad as those Philippians Act. 16.16.19 who compounded with the Devil for a Pattent to bring them in gain and yet grow rich and prosper and leave a great deal of substance to their heires whose gain will be found losse when Satan shall seize upon their bodies and soules and hurry them to Hell And so of other Sinners for the like is appliable to the whole Nation except some few despised ones and he is a rare man that does not either mis-believe or grosly mislive that is not a worshipper of one of these three the lust of the flesh voluptuousness the lust of the eyes covetousness or the pride of life ambition which is all the Trinity the world worships But of all the rest let all envious Cains scoffing Ishmaels reviling Goliahs bloody-minded Hamans and Doegs cursing Shimeis railing Rabshake's flouting Tobiahs and Sanballats cruel Herods all the like God-â—aters that carry an aking tooth against every good man they know and will even hate one for his being holy though poor ignorant souls they know it not look for a whole volume of plagues in the next life though they escape in this if they repent not For it hell-fire shall be their portion that obey not the Gospel how can they look to escape that oppose it Or if at the great day men shall be bid Depart into everlasting torments for not feeding clothing visiting what shall become of those that maliciously scoffe at Religion and persecute Christ in his members which is the depth of sin For he that despiseth traduceth or any way wrongs one that believes in Christ especially one of his Ambassadors of the Ministery strikes at the Image of God in him by whose Spirit he both speakâ— and acts And God takes it as if it were done to himself for proof of both seâ— Psal. 44.22 74.4 10 18 22 23. 83.2 5 6. 89.50 51. 139.20 Prov. 19. â— Rom. 1.30 9.20 Matth. 10.22 25.45 â— Sam. 17.45 Isai. 37.4 22 23 28. 54.17 Acts 5.39 9.4 5. Iob 9.4 1 Thes. 4.8 Iohn 15.20 to 26. Numb 16.11 1 Sam. 8.7 Mark 9.42 Ier. 17.18 Psal. 79.12 2 Kings 2.24 O that my old acquaintance the Formal Hypocrite and my feigned friend the Civil Iusticiary and my well-meaning neighbour the Loose Libertine with millions more would but seriously consider these Scriptures and he warned by them before the Draw-bridge be taken up For if the bountifulness and long-suffering of God do not lead us to repentance it will increase our condemnation Besides God owes that man a grievous payment whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together CHAP. IV. § 1. BUt admit mens unbelief impenitency and prophanenesse in such glorious times of light and means of grace as ours is were not enough to provoke God to inflict this heavy grievous judgement upon them how well do they deserve this and much more for their horrible and abominable ingratitude to so good a God so gracious a Saviour and Redeemer that hath done and suffered or would do more for them then can either be expressed or conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea As mark well what I the meanest of a million shall but paint or draw ouâ— as it were with a cole of his unspeakable goodnesse to sinners I will according to my slender ability but give you a drop to taste out of that ocean Touching what God and Christ hath done for us In the first place he gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledg of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse but this was nothing in comparison for when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this our selves when by sin we had turned that image of God into the image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not onely without asking but even against our wills so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal. 4.7 Here was a fathomless depth a wonder beyond all wonders § 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither heaven earth nor hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodness did not onely finde out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Son his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shameful painful and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 The very thought of which death before he came to it together with the weight and burthen of our sins put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to
in the former Part shewn and shall further amplifie in this As tell me may not God justly another day call Heaven and Earth to witness against us that he would have saved us yea did woo us to accept of salvation saying Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will you die ô people of England Ezek. 33.11 But we would not be converted nor saved As thus § 3 Whereas God hath offered us a pardon in tendering Christ unto us upon the condition of faith and repentance even his own Son to be a means of our reconciliation which is such a spectacle of unspeakable mercy as might ravish our souls with admiration We are so far from accepting it thankfâ—lly that we not onely refuse and contemn it but in a manner deride the offer of it our selves oppose the Gospel of glad tydings and persecute Christ in his Members either with hand or tongue or both We are so far from being holy our selves most of us that we hate holiness in â—thers For if any become Religious and conscionable and will not for company grievously sin against God wrong their bodies destroy their own soules and wilfully leap into Hell-fire with us we envy hate censure scoff at nick-name rail on and slander them that we may flout them out of their faith damp or quench the spirit where we perceive it is kindled discourage them in the way to heaven baffle them out and make them ashamed of their holy profession and religious course and consequently pull them back to the World that so we may have their company here in sin and hereafter in torment Nor do we so serve the most sincere onely in whom the graces of Gods Spirit do as apparently shiâ—â—t as the Sun at noon-day to the dazling of their eyes But we condemn all that have more religion then an Heathen or more knowledge of heavenly things then a childe in the wombe hath of the things of this life or more conscience then an Atheist or care of his soul then a Beast That live religiously and will not revel it with us in a shoreless excess for Round-heads and Puritans a name so full of the Serpents enmity as the egge of a Cockatrice is full of poison § 4. And in all which is worst of all we have caused others to do the same abominations by our evil example Yea worse yet then all this our abominable wickedness hath brought such a scandal upon our Religion and the Gospel that it is even abhorred of the Heathen and the great and glorious Name of God blasphemed among them Yea what else but the unchristian-like behaviour of Christians hath caused the Turks and Iews and many among our selves even to protest against their own conversion Or what else hath alienated the Indians from the Christian Religion making them to refuse the Gospel but this that they saw our lives more savage then those Savages themselves yea it hath made those poor souls resolve that whatsoever Religion the Christians were of they would be the contrary thinking it impossible that such beastly and bloody dâ—eds could proceed from any true Religion Or that he could be a good God who had such evill sons Whereas in the Primitive times more of them were won to the faith by the holy lives of Christians then by the Doctrine which they taught for it caused them to say This â—s a good God whose servants are so good CHAP. VI. § 1. ANd thus according to my scantling I have spread before you what God and Christ hath done for us and how we have again required him Though God who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins knows infinitely more by us and sees what strange monsters what ugly odious hideous fiends what swarms what litters what legions of noysome lusts are couched in the stinking styes of every one of our deceitful hearts and findes that if all our thoughts did but break forth into action we should not come far short of the Devils themselves And certainly if we shall compare the numberless number of our great and grievous abominations wherewith our Land is filled from corner to corner with the many means which God hath afforded for our reclaiming it will be found that no Nation under heaven did ever more provoke the Lord. Nor hath he ever strove more with any Nation to reclaim them then he hath done with us for when neither mercies nor any ordinary means would serve the turn he hath at several times visited us with several judgements to try what they would do But we have been so little moved therewith that instead of becomming better we have bin the worse for them as appears at this day and more audacious in declaring our sins as if with Sodom we took a pride in them to the great dishonour of our Redeemer and his Gospel and to the hardening of all that hear of it so that our horrid sins are grown up unto heaven in regard whereof we may justly be confounded and ashamed to lift up our eyes unto him who is a Lord so great and terrible of such glorious Majesty and infinite purity Now he that hath ears let him hear and he that hath wit let him consider and lay it to heart how thankful a people we are And not onely ye ô inhabitants of this our Jerusalem and Judah would I have to judge between Christ and his Vineyard what he could have done for us more then he hath done Isaiah 5.4 to 8. But heare ye also ô heavens and give eare ô earth be astonished at it and horribly afraid that this foolish people and unwise should so requite the Lord Jer. 2.11 c. Isai. 1.2 to 9. and Verse 15 to 25. Deut. 32.6 c. Oh my Brethren Englands unthankfulness hath striven with Gods goodness for the victory as Absalom strove with David whether the Father should be more kinde to the son or the son more unkinde to the Father We have been fatted with his blessings and then spurned at his precepts resembling the Leopard who wrongs them most that give him most fodder § 2. But why do I call it unthankfulness when our sin is many degrees beyond ingratitude it self For not to confesse a benefit is the utmost confine of unthankfulnesse meer ingratitude returnes nothing for good but we return evil yea the greatest and most malicious evil for the greatest and most admired love Argue with all the World and they will conclude there is no vice like ingratitude But we are more ingrateful to God then can be exprest by the best Oratour alive It was horrible ingratitude which the chief Butler shewed to Ioseph Gen. 41.9 which the nine Lepers shewed to Christ Luk. 17. 17 18. which the men of Succoth and Penuel shewed to Gideon Iudg. â— 6 8. which those five spies shewed to Micha Iugd. 18.14 18. It was worse which the Israelites shewed to Gideons seed Iudg. 9.17 18. which Michael Thraulus shewed to Leo the Emperour which Iustinianus shewed
the Devill The poore â—heaâ—s soul if ever it be saved costs no less a price than Christs precious blood yet half a crown yea six pence will make this Chuâ—â—e fell his By which means he swels in his estate from a Toad to an◠〈…〉 â—isease we call the Wolf which is ever eating yet keeps the body Lean. The Covetous Cormorant is like one of Pharaoh's lean and illfavoured kine 〈◊〉 though he devours much yet he is never the less hungry never the â—ore fat A moderate water makes the Mill go merrily but too much â—ill not suffer it to go at all The Covetous Miser is like the Indians who though they have all the Gold among them yet are the most beggerly people alive He is like Tantalus who stands up to the câ—â—n in water and hath all kinds of fruits hanging over his head but is not suffered to taste the one nor drink of the other Or like an Asse that is laden with gold and dainty cates but feeds upon thistles He scarce wears a good garment or eats a liberall meal or takes a quiet sleep but is ever tormenting himself to get that for getting whereof he shall be tormented As a proud man is ignorant in the midst of his knowledge so is he poor and needy in the midst of his wealth Yea whereas the Poor Begger wants many things the Rich Miser wants every thing His business will never give him leave to think of his conscience All his Religion is the love of money He goes to Church indeed but it is not to serve God but the State which he uses not as a means to save his soul but his silver To him all spirituall and eternall things seem incredible because they are invisible Nothing will sink into his head that he cannot see with his eyes or feel with his fingers And in case he cannot gain by being Religious his care shall be not to lose by it and that Religion will like him best that is best cheap and that will cost him least Any doctrine is welcome to him but that which beats upon good works only that he cannot indure No if another be at the charges to serve God this Churle like Iudas will cry out Why is this waste Nor shall any means ever convert him No Physick is strong enough to purge out this Humour Because if ever he should repent he must restore his ill gotten estate which to him is as hard an injunction as that of God to Abraham Gen. â—2 2 Or as that of our Saviour to the Young man Luke 18.22 and â—herefore what hope of his yielding Covetousnesse is Idolatry Eph 〈…〉 â—oll 3.5 and Money is the covetous mans god and will he part 〈…〉 No And so long as he keeps the weapon ill-got goods 〈…〉 â—nd will not pluck it out by restitution how is it possible he should be â—â—â—ed He may with that Rich man Luk. 10. have a good mind to Heavâ—â—â— reversion yet for all that he will not hear of parting with him He 〈◊〉 â—hereof he hath the present possession 〈…〉 then a Drunkard yet had I rather be a Drunkard then a Covetous Miseâ— Matth. 21.31 32. CHAP. 2. Now as this Merciless Miser is all for sparing so his Heir is all 〈◊〉 wasting He lives poorly and penuriously all his life that he may die rich Psal. 39.6 And what comes of it As he hath reapt that which another sowed so another shall thrash that which he hath reaped He hords up 〈◊〉 knowing who shall enjoy it and commonly they enjoy it who lay it out aâ— fast He takes only the bitter and leaves the sweet for others perhapâ— those that wish him hanged upon condition they had his means the sooner Or possible it is he may have children which if he have he loves them so much better then himself that he will voluntarily be miserable here and hereafter that they may be happy He is willing to go in a thred-bare coat to starve his body lose his credit wound his conscience torment his heart and minde with fears and cares yea he can finde in his heart to damne his own soul and go to hell that he may raise his house and leave his heir a great estate as thinking his house and habitation shall continue for ever even from generation to generation and call their lands by his name as the Psalmist shews Psalm 49.11 He is careful to provide his children portions while he provideâ— no portion of comfort for his own welfare either here or hereafter He provides for his childrens bodies not for their souls to shew that he begat not their souls but their bodies He leaves a fair estate for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part He desires to leave his children great rather then good and is more ambitious to have his sons Lords on earth then Kings in heaven But as he that provides noâ— for their temporal estate is worse then an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 So he that provides not for their eternal estate is little better then a devil which yet is the case of nine parts of the parents throughout the Land But observe how his children requite him again and how God requiâ—es him in his children for commonly they are such as never give him thanks 〈…〉 the least lament his Loss perhaps they mourn at his funeral yet 〈◊〉 for that he iâ— dead but because he died no sooner Nor is it any raâ—e 〈◊〉 for men to mourn for him dead whom they would by no means have still to be alive Yea for the most part it is but a fashionable sorâ—â—â— which the son makes shew of at his fathers death as having many 〈…〉 for that hour A sorrow in shew onely like that of Iacobs sons when theâ— had sold their brother Ioseph who profest a great deal of greâ—◠〈…〉 when inwardly they rejoyced Have ye not heard of a preâ—â—â— young heir that incouraged his companions with come let us 〈…〉 revel throw the house out at windows the man in Scarlet will 〈…〉 â—â—â—cious liquor into a Seeue that will hold no liquid substance which occasioned the Rhodians and Lydians to enact several laws that those 〈◊〉 which followed not their fathers in their vertues but lived viciously â—â—â—uld be disinherited and their lands given to the most verteous of that raâ—e not admiting any impious heir whatsoever to inherit as Varro well notes But it is otherwise in this case for in regard of Gods curse upon â—his unmerciful Muckworm if he have more sons then one the eldestâ—roves â—roves a prodigal and he inherits Every mans own experience can tell him that for the most part a scatterer succeeds a gatherer one that wasts vertues faster then riches and riches faster then any vertues can get them one that is as excessive in spending as the other was in scraping for as the father chooseth to fill his chests so the son is given to satisfie his lusts Nor could the one be more cunning at the
pride fourty years and five hundred or ten thousand pounds c. let them be in their right senses they cannot thin that God will take this for a good discharge of their Steward-ships though the devil may and will make them beleive that Christ will quit all scores between 〈…〉 father and them And thus I have made it plain that want and beggery is the 〈…〉 parent to riot and prodigality and that he who when he should not 〈…〉 too much shall when he would not have too littel to spend a 〈…〉 young gulls I have likewise shown that what the covetous 〈…〉 As O that the covetous Moule who is now digging a house in the earth for his posterity did but fore-see how his Prodigal son will consume whâ—â— he with so much care and industry hath scraped together for should he have leave hereafter to come out of hell for an hour and see it he would curse this his folly yea if possible it would double the pain of his infernall torment as it fares with Gnipho the Usurer who as Lucian feigneth lying in hell lamenteth his miserable estate that one Rodochares an incestuous Prodigal on earth consumed his goods Wastfully which he by unjust means had scraped together so carefully the which seemeth to have some affinity with the word of truth why else is Dives being in hell torments said to lift up his eyes and to see Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome parlying so seriously about his brethren whom he had left behind him Luke 16 23 c. Why else doth our Saviour say that the wicked shall gnash their teeth for vexation when they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of heaven and themselves thrust out of doors Luke 13.28 But that thou mayst the better foresee or at least fore-think what will follow I will shew thee thy case in sundry other persons Clodius son to Esophus the Tragedian spent marvelous great wealth which his father left him Epicharmus the Athenian having a large patrimony left him by his parents consumed it in six dayes and all his life time after lived a begger Apicius in banquetting spent great revenues left him by his parsimonius father and then because he would not lead a miserable life hanged himself Pericles Calias and Nicius by prodigall lavishing and palpable sensuallity spent in a short time very great patrimonies left them by their parents and when all their means was gone they drank each of them a poysoned potion one to an other and dyed in the place Again we read that Caligula in one year of his reign spent prodigally sixty seven millions of gold which Tiberius his Predecessor had gathered together as Tacitus tells us and whereas Iohn the 22. left behind him as Petrarch reports two hundred and fifty tun of gold insomuch that an odde fellow made this jest of him Erat Pontifex maximus 〈…〉 tumen maximus Pope Sixtus Quintus called of 〈…〉 by-word for selling our Kingdom to Philip of Spain Six 〈◊〉 through his intollerable covetousnesse left in his Exchequer five 〈…〉 his succersâ—r Gregory the fourteenth wasted four of them in ten 〈…〉 CHAP. 4. ANd so you have three Chapters taken out of the prevention of poverty In Gods goodnesse and Englands unthankfulnesse by the same Authour I find this ensuing Character of a Prodigall or Loose Libertine it is in Chapter the 9th where he is appointed to lead the Troop of Ignorant unbeleiving Ingrateful and wicked persons as Iudas led the Souldiers It begins and goes on as followeth Thou that art Openly profane dost so manifestly prove and profess thy self to be one of those ignorant unbelieving ingrateful and wicked wretches herein concern'd yea to be one of the children of disobedience whom Satan hath blinded that in respect of others I should think it needlesse to spend time in further proof thereof yet I would gladly say something to shame thee out of thy self wherefore briefly thus Thou art kept by the Devil in a snare and taken captive of him at his will he ruleth and worketh his pleasure in thee as being thy God and father and Prince and Master 2 Tim. 2.26 Joh. 8.44 and 14.30 2 Cor. 4.4 Thy odious qualities are these and the like thou doest banish all civility and give thy self over to sensuality and art neither afraid nor ashamed to let thy wickedest thoughts break forth into actions Yea thou thinkest thy self the honester man for it and boastest thou art none of those dissembling Hypocrites that seem to be what they are not Thou art a common Drunkard in stead of quenching thy thirst thou drownest thy senses Thou desirest not the reputation of honesty but of good fellowship Thou art a continual swearer and that of bloody oaths One of our Ruffians or sons of Belial who when thou art displeased with others will 〈◊〉 in thy Makers face and tear thy Saviours Name in peices even swearing away thy part in that blood which must save thee if ever thou beâ—st saved Yea if thou art never so little provoked curses with thee strive for number with oaths and lewd speeches with both Thou knowest no other dialect then roaring swearing and banning and in case thou arâ— reproved for it thou wilt say We take too much upon us as Câ—â—ah and his complices twitted Moses Numb 16 3. not knowing how strictly God commands and requires it Levit. 19.17 Heb. 3.11 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 3.18 to 22.2 Pet. 2.7 8 Whence as the Chief Priests answered 〈…〉 is that to us so thou wilt blaspheme God tear Christ in pieces and 〈…〉 22.1 We are much more bound to help our Neighbour himself from dropping into the bottomlesse pit of Hell And what know we but we may win our brother and so save his soul Matth 18.15 Again thou art an usual companion of Harlots thy summum bonum is a Punk and thou wilt rather burn in Hell then marry Thou art one of those that St. Peter speaks of thou hast eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease to sin Thou gazest upon every fair face and lustest after every beautiful woman â—hy speech is lewd and obscene thy discourse scurrility lascivious thy behaviour Thou art a frequent slanderer of thy Neigbour an open Sabbath-breaker Canst boast of sin and mischief and if need be defend it Like the Salamander thou art never well but in the fire of contention And art apt to quarrel yea kill a man for every foolish trifle be it but for the wall or refusing to pledge thee as if thy honour were of more worth then thy soul. Yea the Devil hath so blinded and bewitcht thee that thou thinkest every wrong or disgraceful word quarrel just enough to shed blood that true valour consists only in a brave revenge and being implacable that patience is but an argument of basenesse and therefore thou wilt raâ—her suffer a sword in thy bowels then a lye in thy throat I confesse thou wilt fight in no quarrel but a
outward blessings without his blessing upon them and then they wâ—â— better mist then had and will do them more hurt than good Eccles. 5.13 Or thirdly which is worst of all he bestowes riches upon them in wrath as he gave a King to the Israelites and Quailes of these severally and is order Onely it will be necessary that I first give you an account in breif how sordidly and ingratefully they deal with God that so you may the better see how God again requites and payes them back in their own coin without the least tincture of injustice or severity CHAP. II. GOD hath bestowed more blessings upon many men than they have hairs on their heads yea God hath given them far larger portions of this worlds wealth than he hath done to millions of their brethren they so grow and increase in substance as if they had found out the Philosophers â—tone and had the art to turn copper into gold or as if with Thales they had the faculty to fore-see what commodities will be cheap and what dear and the more God hath bestowed upon them the greater is their debt of thankfulness and the greater their duty of obedience But alass They are like the hog that â—cornes feed upon But never look up from what tree they come Or they more regard the gift than the giver as Martia Catoes daughter found it to fare with her Suitors who being asked why she did not marry mâ—de answer that she could not meet with a man that would love her more than hers Perhaps they will profess they love God and afford him a kind of verbil thanks so resembling the Elder-tree whose slour is more worth than all the tree besides Or Nazianzens Country of Ozizalâ— which abounded with gay floures but was barren of corn for their thanks is a meer complement and heir lip-love no other than self-love as any one may see by those few signs As observe but how easily they are moved at their own injuries how pâ—rlâ—n at Gods let their own credits or riches be troubled they rage little Lions let Gods honour be questioned they are as tame as Lambs If the aspersion of scandal lights upon their names there is sute upon sute from Court to Court all to begger the raiser of it let the Lords dreadful name be blasphemed they are so far from spending a penny that they will not spare a sillable like Ionah they are more moved for the losse of their gourd than for all Nineveh which could not be if they did in the least love God or were thankful as they say they do and are Yea â—r were well if this were the worst if they were onely negative if they did return nothing for all the loving kindness of God and good they haâ—â— received from him for they return evill as may not God say to these I meâ—â— all unholy and unmerciful rich men as â—arah spake to Abraham concerning Hagâ—r I have given thee mine handmaid and now I am despised in thine eyes And to 〈…〉 return that rich men make to God for as of 〈…〉 as Seneca observes so fares it between God and the ingrateful As our â—â—omacks are usually worst in summer so are our appetites to grace-wards weakest in time of prosperity and peace And as the Moon when she is fuller of light is still farthest from the Sun so the more wealth men have the farther commonly they are from God Too much rankness layeth the corn and trees overladen with fruit are their own ruine God hath thrown away a little white and red earth upon thee and thou art like some vain Whiffler that is proud of his borrowed chain It had been happy for many a man if God had permitted them to be poor still for as Saul was changed to another man presently upon his anâ—ynting so are men commonly upon their advancement and according to our ordinary proverb their good and their bloud rises together As if you observe what ever they were before if they be now but a little crossed they will swell like the Sea in a storm and be more troubled at an affront from their inferiour or equall than for death or hell Yea how many with their greatness have such great thoughts of themselves that God himself must not displease them for if an unseasonable shower doth but crosse their recreations they are ready to fall out with heaven and to quarrel with God himself like Mrs. Minkes riding to Ware as if they were wronged because he did not take his times when to rain and when to shine resembling therein the Horse that being over-much pampered will grow fierce and kick and not abide his rider Or the Mules Fâ—â—es who when she hath suckt her sill and hath enough of her damms milk casteth up her heels and kicks unkindly But he is a very quartellous cuâ—â— that barks at every horse and in the silent night the very moon-shine opens his clamourous throat Now how do we not then wonder and blesse our selves that such men injoy so much something any thing yet hear all and you will confess that others are more beholding to God whom he denies and keeps short of these bewitching balts of wealth and greatness But I have not told you one half of their base ingratitude for commonly when they have been fatted with Gods blessings they not onely spurn at his precepts but as if they studied to be superlative in their provoking of him they return the greatest and most malitious evill for the greatest and most admired love even hating God and his people Iohn 15.24 25. yea they most spightfully and malitiously fight on Satans and sins fide against Christ and persecute his members and the truth with all their might perswading and as far as they can inforeing others to do the same and all this against knowledge and conscience as I have upon another occasion made it plainly appear though the Devill so blinds them that there is no convincing them thereof Thus theis sin is many degrees beyond ingratitude it self it is a wickedness of that nature that there is no name significant enough to express it Yea to receive so many such good things at the hands of God and return such and so much evill is a desperate wickedness not to be endured CHAP. III. BUt observe what they get by it and how God even here payes them again in their own coin whereof I will give you several instances for God does not deal alike with all in this case but is various in these kinds of â—etallation If I be large upon this point consider of what consequence and concernment it is and you will not blame me for prolixity yea admit it should be supposed a digression yet would I hope to have thanks for it First How many are there to whom God gives abundance of wealth and after some few years for their abusing the same and their great unthankfulness taketh from them again even that which he had formerly given
He hordes up not knowing who shall injoy it and commonly they injoy it who lay it out as fast He takes onely the bitter and leaves the sweet for others perhaps those that wish him hanged upon condition they had his means the sooner Or possible it is he may have children which if he have he loves them so much better then himself that he will voluntarily be miserable here and hereafter that they may be happy He is willing to go in a thred-bare coat to starve his body lose his credit wound his conscience torment his heart and minde with fears and cares yea he can finde in his heart to damne his own soul and go to hell that he may raise his house leave his heir a great estate as thinking his house and habitation shall continue for ever even from generation to generation and call their lands by his name as the Psalmist shews Psalm 49.11 He is careful to provide his children portions while he provides no portion of comfort for his own welfare either here or hereafter He provides for his childrens bodies not for their souls to shew that he begat not their souls but their bodies He leaves a fair estate for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part He desires to leave his children great rather then good and is more ambitious to have his sons Lords on earth then Kings in heaven But as he that provides not for their temporal estate is worse then an infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 So he that provides not for their eternal estate is little better then a devil which yet is the cace of nine parts of the parents throughout the Land But observe how his children requite him again and how God requites him in his children for commonly they are such as never give him thanks nor in the least lament his loss perhaps they mourn at his funeral yet not for that he is dead but because he died no sooner Nor is it any rare thing for men to mourn for him dead whom they would by no means have still to be alive Yea for the most part it is but a fashionable sorrow which the son makes shew of at his fathers death as having many a day wisht for that hour A sorrow in shew onely like that of Iacobs sons when they had sold their brother Ioseph who profest a great deal of grief for his loss when inwardly they rejoyced Have ye not heard of a prodigal young heir that incouraged his companionâ— with come let us drink revel throw the house out at windows the man in Scarlet will pay for all meaning his father who was a Iudge but he adjudged the patrimony from him to one of his yonger sons more obedient And good reason he had for it for to give riches to the ryotous is all one as to pour precious liquor into a seeve that will hold no liquid substance which occasioned the Rhodians and Lydians to enact several laws that those sons which followed not their fathers in their vertues but lived viciously should be disinherited and their lands given to the most vertuous of that race not admiting any impious heir whatsoever to inherit as Varro well notes But it is otherwise in this case for in regard of Gods curse upon this unmerciful Muckworm if he have more sons then one the eldest proves a prodigal and he inherits Every mans own experience can tell him that for the most part a scatterer succeeds a gatherer one that wasts vertues faster then riches and riches faster then any vertues can get them one that is as excessive in spending as the other was in scraping for as the father choseth to fill his chests so the son is given to satisfie his lusts Nor could the one be more cunning at the rake then the other will be at the pitchfork The moneys which were formerly chested like caged birds will wing it merrily when the young heir sets them flying And as Cicero speaks he roituously spends that which the father had wickedly gotten The one would have all to keep the other will keep nothing at all the former gets and spends not the latter spends and gets not Yea the son being as greedy of expence as the father was in scraping he teddeth that with a fork in one year which was not gathered with a rake in twenty Yea how oft is that spent upon one Christmas revelling by the son which was fourty yeers a getting by the Father Which Diogenes well considered for whereas he would ask of a frugal Citizen but a penny of a Prodigal he would beg a talent and when the party asked him what he meant to desire so much of him and so little of others his answer should be Quoniam tu habes illi habebunt because thou hast and they will have I shall begg of thee but once thy estate will so soon vanish oâ— them often yea give me now a talent I may live to give thee a groâ—â— And at another time hearing that the house of a certain Prodigal was offered to sale he said I knew well that house was so accustomed to surfeting and drunkenness that ere long it would spue out the master Nay in all likelihood he foresees it himself and therefore as he makes short work with his estate so not long with his life as knowing that if he should live long he must be a begger As seldom but he shortens his days some way for he gives himself to all manner of vice gluttony and drunkenness chambering and wantonness pride riot contention c. He even banishes civility and gives himself over to sensuality and such a life seldom lasts long They may rightly be called spend-alls for they not onely spend all they have but themselves also instead of quenching their thirsts they drown both their bodies souls and estates in drink They will call drawer give us an Ocean and then leave their wits rather then the wine behinde them One cryes to his fellow do me reason but the drink answers I will leave thee no reason no not so much as a beast hath for these Nabals cannot abound but they must be drunk and surfet They have not onely cast off Religion that should make them good men but even reason that should make them men And saving only on the Sea they live without all compass as a ship on the water so they on the land reel too and fro and stagger like a drunken man Psal. 107.27 All their felicity is in a Tavern or brothell house where harlots and sicophants rifle their estates and then send them to robbe or teach them how to cheat or borrow which is all one for to pay they never mean and prodigallity drives them to repair their too great lavishness in one thing by too great covetousness and injustice in another The greatest mispenders for the most part are constrained to be as great misgetters that they may feed one vice with another Now as if they had been bred
he hath or â—akeâ— in hand but when he and what he hath is also â—ursed for 〈◊〉 â—â—hers sake For whereas the Holy Ghost saith of the just man His seed â—â—all be mighty upon earth his generation shall be blessed c. Psal. 112.2 and many the like Psal. 103. where God hath promised to bless and reward the children yea the childrens children for their fathers goodness vers 17. Isa. 58 10 11.12 Psal. 37.25 26 112.2 to 6. Of which I might give you examples not a few The children of Noah were preserved from drowning for their fathers sake Gen. 7.1 Mephibosheth fares the better for his fathers goodness the Kenites for Iâ—tbroes 1 Sam. 15.6 and that some hundreds of yeers after their Ancester was dead Phiâ—eas his seed for his sake Numb 25.11 12 13. Solomon for his father Davids sake 2 Sam. 1.2 Ishmael for Abrahams sake Gen. 17.20 And all Israel fared the better for Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake Deut. 4 37. 1 Kings 11.12 The loving-kindness of the Lord sayes the Psalmist indureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteousness upon childrens children Psal. 103.17 Exod. 20.6 And as God usually blesseth and rewardeth the children for their fathers goodness so on the contrary Exod. 20 5. Eternal payments God uses to require of the persons only temporary oftentimes of succession as we sue the Heirs and Executors of our Debtors God hath peremtorily told us that he will visit the iniquity of ungodly parents upon their children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5 As for the sin of Haman his teâ— sons were hanged Hester 9.13 14. And so for Sauls sin his seven sons were likewise hanged 2. Sam. 21.6 and thus for Achans sin all his sons and daughters were stoned to death and burned with fire by the Commandment of Moses who was in Gods stead Iosh. 7. Yea God hath peremtorily threatned Psal. 109. that the children of a cruel and unmercifully man shall be Vagabonds and beg their bread and that none shall extend mercy or favor unto them ver 7. to 17. God will make those children beggars for whose sakes the fathers have made so many beggars this is a truth which the father will not beleeve but as sure as God is just the Sonne shall feele As what common and daily experience have we thereof had men but the wit to observe it for hence it is that riches ill got shift masters so often As rare it is if the wealth of an Oppressor doth last to the fourth generation seldom to the second for commonly in this case as the father was the first that raised his house by his extream getting and saving so the son proves the last in overthrowing his house by excessive spending and lavishing as Tullius Cicero answered a Prodigal that told him he came of beggerly parents for no man when his means is gone will ever after trust him with a stock to begin the world again the case standing with him as it did with the unjust Steward who having wasted his masters goods for the time past could not bee trusted with the like for the time to come and whereas hitherto he hath with Esau rejected the blessing of prosperity it will be denyed him hereafter though he should seek it with tears and which is worse then all if death find him as is much to be feared as banquerout of spirituall as of worldly goods it will senâ— hâ—m to an eternal prison for what can wee think of them that do not only lose crusts crummes which our 〈◊〉 would have carefully gathered up Iohn 6.12 but even lavish when away whole patrimonies yea most wickedly spend them in riot and upâ—â— Dice Drabs Drunkenness Oh the fearful account which these unthâ—â—â— Baylifs will one day have to give up to our great Lord and Master wheâ— he shall call them to a strict reckoning of their talents he was condemâ—â—â— that encreased not the sum concredited to him what then shall become of him that lawlessely and lavishly spends and impaires it bringing 〈◊〉 such a reckoning as this Item spent upon my lusts pleasures and prâ—â—â— fourty years and five hundred or ten thousand pounds c. let them be 〈◊〉 their right sences they cannot think that God will take this for a 〈◊〉 discharge of their Steward-ships though the devill may and will maâ—â— them believe that Christ will quit all scores between him the fatâ—eâ— and them And thus I have made it plain that want and beggery is the heirâ—â— parent to riot and prodigality and that he who when he should not speâ—â—â— too much shal when he would not have too little to spend a good lesson for young gulls I have likewise showne that what the covetous hath bâ—â—gotten is as ill bestowed and worse imployed a good item for old Curmudgens to take notice of that so they may not starve their bodies and damn their souls for their sons to so little purpose As O that the covetous Moule who is now digging a house in the eaâ—â—â— for his posterity did but fore-see how his prodigal son will consume what he with so much care and industry hath scraped together for should he have leave hereafter to come out of hell for an hour and see it hee would curse this his folly yea if possible it would double the pain of his infernall torment as it fares with Gnipho the Vsurer who as Luciaâ— feigneth lying in hell lamenteth his miserable estate that one Rodochâ—res an incestuous Prodigal on earth consumed his goods wastfully which he by unjust means had scraped together so carefully the which seemeth to have some affinity with the word of truth why else is Dives being in hell torments said to lift up his eyes and to see Abraham a farre 〈◊〉 and Lazarus in his bosome parlying so seriously about his brethren whoâ— he had left behind him Luke 16.23 c. Why else doth our Savioâ—â— say that the wicked shall gnash their teeth for vexation when they shall 〈◊〉 Abraham Isaac Iacob in the Kingdom of heaven and themselves thrâ—â— out of doors Luke 13.28 But that thou mayst the better fore-see or at lest fore-think what 〈◊〉 follow I will shew thee thy case in sundry other persons Clodius son to Esophus the Trâ—gedian spent marvelous great wealâ—â—â— which his father left him Epicharmus the Athenian having a large pâ—trimony left him by his parents consumed it in six dayes and all his life time after lived a begger Apicius in banqueting spent great reâ—â—â—nues left him by his parsimonious father and then because he would 〈◊〉 lead a miserable life hanged himself Pericles Callias and Nicius by prodigall lavishing and palpable sensuallity spent in a shorttime very great â—â—trimonies left them by their parents and when all their means was gone they drank each of them a poysoned potion one to another and dyed 〈◊〉 the place Again we read that Caligula in one year of his reign spent prodigally sixty
man often but Covetousness is a fine and recovery upon the purchase then he is sure of him as when a Goaler hath lockt up his prisoners safe in a Dungeon he may go play Coveâ—ous men are blinde to all dangers deaft to all good instructions they are be sotted with the love of money as Birds are with their bain yea they resolve against their own conversion The Scribes and Pharisees who were covetous shut their eyes stopt their ears and barriâ—â—â—dâ—ed their hearts against all our Saviour did or said yea they sâ—oft at his preaching Luk. 1â— 24 and of all sorts of sinners that Christ preached unto â—e was never 〈…〉 but by them when he preached against covetousness Christianum dogma vertitur in scomma and what 's the reason but this rich worldlings think themselves so much the wiser as they are the richer These things considered no wonder that our Saviour expresly affirmeth that it is easier for a camell to go througâ— the eye of a needle then for a rich man that is a covetous rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven as well knowing that no Physick can be found strong enough to purg out this humor Well may they gnaw their tongues for sorrow when they shall be tormented with fire and boyl with great heat and blaspheme the God of Heaven for their pains and for their soars but repent of their works they will not as it is Revel 16.8 to 12. only others may make some good use of that evil they see in them at least learn to beware of covetousness I grant that to God who hath commanded us to use the means all things are possible for he is able even of stones to raise up children unto Abraham Mat. 3.9 but in respect of ordinary means it is no more possible for a covetous miserly muck-worm to be converted then it is for a dead man to be raised And therefore though I had rather be a Toade then a Drunkard yet had I rather be a Drunkard then a covetous Miser and should somewhat the more hope to go to Heaven Mat. 21.31 32. CHAP. XXIII AND so much of the tenth plague which God inflicts upon the miserly muck-worm I might give you many more for almost every thing becomes a deadly snare to such men even every thing they see or hear of each thought that comes into their minds yea the very Word of God the mercy of God and the merits of Christ become their bain and shall inhanse their damnation for as all things shall turn together for the best to those that love God so all things shall turn together for the worst unto them that hate God as they do Iohn 15.24 Rom. 1.30 But enough hath been said as I suppose to make good what I promised and to prove that the câ—uell and unmercifull Miser is never the better for his riches but the worse and how God bestows these outward blessings upon him rather in wrath then in love with the reasons thereof but as you have heard what it is not to be Rich and Happy so in the next place hear what it is to be so For to clear mens judgements and for the further and fuller discharge of what I promised in the beginning that also is to be discovered which when I have dispatcht I shall honestly acquaint you how of poor melancholy and miserable you may become rich happy and comfortable now as touching the former of these you are to know That a competency of earthly things is indeed and really the best estate in the world if we had but the wit to know when we are well which makes Agur pray Give me neither poverty nor riches but feed me with 〈…〉 〈…〉 30.8 9. He prayes against riches as well as poverty and that which we are to pray against we may not desire and what is it our Saviour teacheth us to pray but Give us this day our daily bread Maâ— 6.11 We are never so happily fed as when we wait upon God for our daily bread and are therewith content and lest our Saviours words should not be enough he teacheth us this lesson no less by his own practice then by precept for though he was owner of all things in the universe yet he would have no more then just what he needed as when he wanted money to pay tribute he sent for no more then he was to disburse presently Matth. 17.27 he might have commanded twenty pounds as well as twenty pence but he would not to shew that we should desire no more then will serve our turn A competent measure of wealth to retain an honest reputation in the world so that we â—either need to flatter nor borrow is sufficient He is rich enough saith Ierom that lacketh not bread and high enough in dignity that is not forced to serve I would saith another desire neither more nor less then enough I may as well dye of a surfeit as of hunger This worlds wealth that men so much desire May well be likened to a burning fire Whereof a little can do little harm But profit much our bodies well to warm But take too much and surely thou shalt burn So too much wealth to too much wo does turn It is a great skill to know what is enough and greater wisedome to care for no more if I have meat drink and apparrel I will learn therewith to be content if I had the world full of wealâ—h beside I could injoy no more then I use the rest could please me no otherwise then by looking upon as wise Solomon shews Eccles. 5.11 and why can I noâ— thus solace my self while it is anothers It was a dainty disposition of one that followed a great Lord who was often heard to say I bless God I have as much in effect as my Lord himself though I am owner of little or nothing for I have the use of his Gardens and Galleries to walk in I hear his Musick with as many ears I hunt with him in his Parks eat and drink of the same with him though a little after and so of other delights which my Lord enjoys And indeed what great difference is there save in the pride and covetousness of a mans mind for my part let me speak it to Gods glory and out of thankfulness I have no share with either of them in these delights I enjoy neither curious gardens nor delicious musick nor sumputous fâ—re my body will scarce permit me a cup of strong drink I do not know that I have been free from getting cold in my head more or less one whole day this thirty years my means will not afford me to keep either horse or maâ— except with the unjust Steward I should cozen my master yet I would not change my con 〈…〉 sâ—nds of my mind as preferring a retired life spent in conversing with Authors before all the honors pleasures and profits that others enjoy This is the gift of God Eccl. 5.15 to the end
rich Land-lord that envied his poor tenant because he heard him sing every day at his labour yet had scarce bread for his family while himself wanting nothing was full of discontent One advised him to convey cunningly into his Cottage a bag of money he did so the tenant finding this mass so great in his imagination left off his singing and fell to â—arking and caring how to increase it Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam The Land-lord fetcheth back his money the Tenant is as merry as ever he was Which shews that there is no riches comparable to a contented minde as Plutarch is of opinion That there are poor Kings and rich Coblers as wise Solon seemed to insinuate to the King when he was vaunting of his greatness For it was Iris a poor beggar that he told Croesus was the happiest man in his Dominions And when King Agis requested the Oracle of Apollo to tell him who was the happiest man in the world expecting to hear himself nominated the answer was Aglaion who was a poor Gardiner in Arcadia that at sixty years of age had never gone from home but kept himself and his family with their labour in a fruitful plot or garden as Livius relates Pyrrhus opened himself to his friend Cineas that he first intended a war upon Italy and what then said Cineas then we will attempt Cicile and what then then we may conquer Carthage and Affrica and what then said Cineas Why then quoth Pyrrhus we may rest and feast and sacrifice and make merry with our friends to which Cineas replied as every servant of God would do in the like case and may we not enjoy all this sweetness now and that without all this ado But natural men are mad men Yea were great men though good men but asked the question their consciences could not but acquaint us if they would speak out that true contentment seldom dwels high whiles meaner men of humble spirits enjoy both earth and heaven However not a few of them have freely acknowledged it as I have largely related in my second Part of Philarguromastix Wherefore be pleased ô God to give me a contented minde and then if I have but little in estate I shall have much in possession Fiftly mean ones with their poverâ—y misery ignominy are often saved whiles others with their honour and opulency go to hell When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Riches do so puff up some men that they even think it a discredit to their great Worships to worship God Nothing feeds pride nor keeps off repentance so much as prosperous advantage The Prodigal never thought of his father till he wanted husks We serve God as our servants serve us of whom many have too good clothes others too much wages or are too full fed to do work As a woman finding that her hen laid her every day an egg for all she was very lean had a conceit that if she were fat and lusty she would lay twice aday whereupon she fed and cram'd her thoroughly but in a short space she became so fat that contrary to her expectation she left laying altogether Who so nourisheth his servant daintily from his childhood shall after finde him stubbron Prov. 29.21 Sixtly they fix their affections upon heavenly riches and not upon the temporary and transitory riches of this world because in sicknesse when they stand in the greatest need of all they will not do them the least good Your gold will not bribe a disease your bags will not keep your head from aking or your joynts from the Gout a loathing stomach makes no difference between an earthen dish and one of silver Riches can no more put off the stone or asswage grief or thrust out cares or purchase grace or suspend death or prevent hell or bribe the Devil then a sattin sleeve can heal a broken arm Indeed the foolish Prior in Melanâ—thon rolled his hands up and down in a bason full of Angels thinking by this means to cure his Gout but it would not do Yea thou that placest thy happinesse and puttest thy confidence in a little white and red earth and dotest so upon the world tell me When the hand of God hath never so little touched thee what good thy great wealth will do thee Therefore ô vain desires and impotent contentments of men that place their happinesse in these things will not this your fair Herodias appear as a stigmatized Gipsie Will not all the toil and cost you haue been at to get riches appear as ridiculous as if a countryman should anoint his axle-tree with Amber-greece or as if a travaller should liquour his boots with Balsamum Yea your wealth will not only not save you from evils but help to make you more miserable and not only here but hereafter Psal. 49.6 7 8. Why then do you set so high a price upon them and so shamefully undervalue the riches of the minde which will much mitigate your grief and increase your comfort in what condition soever you are But Seventhly they little set by the wealth of this world because their riches may soon leave them When with the Spider we have exhausted our very bowels to contrive a slender web of an uncertain inheritance one puff of winde and blast blown upon it by the Almighty carries all away What sayes Solomon Prov. 23. Cease from thy wisdome wilt thou cast thine eyes upon that which is nothing for riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle and flyeth away Verse 4 5. and Ier. 17.11 Isaiah 33.1 Prov. 12.27 Yea all riches are uncertain but those that are evil gotten are â—ost uncertain as examples of all ages witnesse The first of these was verified in Iob who lived to see himself poor to a Proverb and fell from the want of all misery to the misery of all wants And Dionysius who fell from a Tyrant over men to be a Tutor over boyes and so to get his living And Perses son and heir who was fain to learn an Occupation the Black-smiths trade to relieve his necessity And Henry the Fourth that victorious Emperour who after he had fought two and fifty pitcht Battails became a Petitioner for a Prebendary to maintain him in his old age And Geliner that potent King of the Vandals was so low brought that he intreated his friend to send him a harp a spunge and a loaf of bread an Harp to consort with his misery a sponge to dry up his tears and a loaf of bread to satisfie his hunger Yea how many have we known in this City reputed very rich yet have broken for thousands There are innumerable wayes to become poor a fire a thief a false servant suretiship trusting of bad customers an unfaithful factor a Pyrate an unskilful Pilate God wines sands a cross gale a wind and many the like hath brought millions of rich men to poverty And yet this is the
things that may make them every way happy as that their prosperity shall be durable and lasting That with riches they shall have credit honour and promotion with long life added That they shall be happy and prosper in all they have or do as having God their Protector who with mercy is said to compass them about on every side Psal. 32.10 That they shall be freed from all fears and dangers and obtein victory over all their enemies together with death hell and the devil That they shall be freed from the Law and likewise from sin and the penalty thereof That they shall have peace external internal eternal And joy even the joy of the holy Ghost which is both glorious and unspeakable That they shall not only persevere but also grow in grace and true wisdom Thâ—t all things whatsoever shall make for their good That both their persons and performances shall be good and acceptable which before were wicked and abominable That by the prayer of faith they shall obtein of God whatsoever they shall ask in Christs Name and according to his Word And in fine all other good things that can be named whether temporal spiritual or eternal are by the promise of God entailed upon them that love him and keep his commandements and upon their seed as I could plentifully and most easily prove were it pertinent to the matter in hand Nor is all this that God hath promised to those that serve him so great a matter comparatively as that we need wonder at it or once question the same For If he spared not his own Son but delivered him to death for us how shall he not with him freely give us all things also Rom. 8.31 32. It is the Apostles argument Great yea too great things are they for us to receive but not too great for the great and good God of Heaven and earth to give all the fear is on our part whether we be such to whom the promise is made For all Gods promises are conditional And though of these outward good things he hath promised abundance yet it is upon the condition of faith and obedience as appears by all the fore-mentioned places so that if we be not wanting in out duty and obedience to God God will not be wanting in any good thing to us Nor can we look that God should make good his promises if we make them void by not observing the condition as that we may do by our distrusting him If we will not dare to trust God upon his promise so confidently as we would a friend or some great man that is able and honest Besides the Lord hath promised that there shall be no want to them that fear him and that no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal. 34.9 84.11 Where observe two things there shall be no want to such and such shall want no good thing so that he must be such an one to whom the promise is made and he must also be sure that it is good for him which is promised But oftentimes it is not good for a man to abound with earthly blessings as strong drinke is not good for weake brains Yea if any thing be wantiug to a good man he may be sure it is not good for him and then better that he doth want it then that he did enjoy it and what wise man will complain of the want of that which if he had would prove more hurtful then gainful to him as a sword to a mad man a knife to a childe drinke to them that have a Fever or the Dropsie No good thing will God with-hold c. and therefore not wants themselves which to many are also good yea very good things as I could reckon up many want sanctified is a notable means to bring to repentance to work in us amendment of life it stirs up to prayer it weans from the love of the world it keeps us always prepared for the spiritual combate discovers whether we be true believers or hypocrites prevents greater evils of sin and punishment to come It makes us humble conformable to Christ our head increaseth our faith our joy and thankfulnesse our spiritual wisdom and likewise our patience as I have largely shewen in The Benefit of Affliction To coonclude All good things were created for the good and therefore are they called goods because the good God created them for good men to do good withal Therefore as Jacob got the blessing so he gat the inheritance also to shew that as the faithful have the inward blessing so they have the outward blessing too when they will do them good and cause them to do good Yea in this case even as the sheaffs fell before Ruth so riches shall fall in our way as they did to Abraham and Lot and Iacob and Iob and Ioseph upon whom riches were cast they knew not how but as if God had onely said Be rich and they were rich straight But that this is the true and only way to wealth and happiness needs no more proof then that which is recorded of Solomon 1 Kings 3. 2 Chron. 1. where the Lord appearing to him in a dream said Ask what I shall give thee And he asking only an understanding heart to discern between good and evil that he might the better discharge that great place whereunto God had called him wherein Gods glory and the peoples good was his principal aime and end Heare what the Lords answer is Because this was in thine heart and thou hast not asked riches wealth or honour nor the life of thine enemies neither yet hast asked long life but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thy self that thou mightest judge my people over whom I have made thee King Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee and I will give thee riches wealth and honour such as none of the Kings have had that have been before thee neither shall there any after thâ—â— have the like c. Yea he was so surpassing rich that he gave silver in Ierusalem as stones and gave Cedars as the wilde fig-trees that grow abundantly in the plain 1. King 10.27 2 Chron. 1.7 to 13 14 15. Lo the true way to Wealth honour and happiness is to desire grace that we may glorifie God and do good for cleering whereof I 'le give you a similitude A man spies a fair apple on a tree hath a longing desire to it whereupon he falls a shaking the tree with all his might at length it not only comes down but many other come down to him together with it And so much to prove that the way to become rich is first to become godly If any shall ask why the godly are not alwayes nor oft rich notwithstanding these promises I answer that God not seldom withholds these outward blessings from his own people in great love only affording them all things that they have need of Our heavenly Father who knows us better then
hands c. Again when they sought Gods glory and were thankful mark the difference even from this very day will I bless you saith God Hag. 1.4 to 12 2 18 19. He that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another Holy David was a man after Gods own heart and therefore he ever mixeth with his prayers praises Bless the Lord ô my soul sayes he and forget not all his benefits Psal. 103.2 And being of a public spirit he discovers the secrets of this skill as when he saith Let the people praise thee ô God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God even our God shall give us his blessing Psal. 67.5 6 7. Wherefore be not like the Swine that feeds upon the Acorns without ever looking to the Oake from whence they fall Or the Horse that drinks of the Brook and never thinks of the Spring Yea since God is the fountain from which all our enjoyments flow let this be our continual determination He hath given us all the grace good and happiness we have and we will give him all the possible thanks and honour we can Yea teach us ô Lord to receive the benefit of thy merciful favour and to return thee the thanks and the glory And the like of Humility Blessed are the meek saith our Saviour for they shall inherit the earth Matth. 5.5 The reward of humility and the fear of God is riches and honour and life Prov. 22 4. If there be a hollow in a valley lower then another thither the waters gather And the more lowly we are in our own eyes the more lovely we are in Gods the more despicable in our selves the more acceptable in him as is seen in the example of the Publican Luke 18.13 14. And the Prodigal Luke 15.18 19 c. Nor can any thing make us more acceptable to God then the conscience of our own unworthiness when with Iacob we can say O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant For with my staff I passed over this Iordane and now I am become two bands Gen. 32.10 When with the Publican we can confesse I am not worthy to lift up mine eyes to heaven Luke 18.13 14. And with the Prodigal I am not worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. And with the Centurion I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof Luke 7.6 And with Iohn Baptist and Saint Paul the like I am not worthy I am not worthy This is the way to obtein what we would have at the hands of God who resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam 4.6 10. Prov. 29.23 15.33 18.12 unto him will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my words Isaiah 57.15 He hath filled the hungry with good things but the rich he hath sent empty away Luke 1.52 53. So that if thou expectest to have God bless and prosper thee then beware thou forgettest not at whose cost thou livest Beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is increased and all that thou hast is inlarged thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God and thou say in thine heart My power and the might of mine hand hath got me this wealth but on the contrary Remember that it is the Lord thy God that hath given thee power to get wealth and that it is only his blessing that makes rich This is Gods own counsel set home with a very strict charge to all that have not a minde to perish Deut. 28.10 to 20. Many are the examples I might give you of such as have been undone by their pride While Saul was little in his own eyes God made him head over the twelve Tribes of Israel and gave him abundance but when out of his greatness be abused his place and gifts God took them all away again And so it had like to have fared with Hezekiah when he but began to be puffed up with the wealth and precious things that God had given him 2 Kings 20.12 to 19. But most remarkable is the example of Nebuchadnezzar who when he ascribed all to himself saying Is not this great Babel which I have built with the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty was presently deprived of his Kingdom and all that he had and sent to graze with the beasts but when he was humbled to the very ground acknowledged the Author and ascribed all to the God of heaven he had his Kingdom and all else restored unto him Dan. 4. The way to obtein any benefit is to acknowledge the Authour and devote it in our hearts to the glory of that God of whom we receive all For by this means shall God both pleasure his servants and honour himself And indeed that he may be honoured by our wisdom riches graces is the only end for which he gives us to be wise rich gracious And who hath more interest in the grape then he that planted the Vine Who more right to the crop then he that oweth the ground and soweth the seed Therefore Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches Jer. 9.23 For we have not only received our talents from God but the improvement also is his meer bounty Of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.35 36. And so much of the fourth means to grow rich CHAP. XXXII FIfthly the next means which God in his Word hath appointed to this end is labour and industry in some lawful calling for it is the beating of the brain or the sweating of the brow not the bare talk of the lips or desire of the heart that makes rich according to the common Proverb Wishers and woulders are seldom or never good housholders The idle person sayes Solomon shall be clothed with rag◠and the sluggards poverty cometh upon him as an armed man but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10.4 12 27. The Greeks have a saying That plentifulness follows painfulness and that all things are made servants to care and industry Caius Furius by his painful dexterity and unwearied labour got more means out of one small field then his neigbours out of many great ones whereupon he was accused to the Magistrate as if by witchcraft he had conveyed the corn of other mens ground into his own but he came with all his goodly rustical instruments with his strong and lusty daughter and his well fed Oxen and spake thus to the Iudges See my Lords these be my witchcrafts and sorceries but I cannot shew you my watchings and sweatings
peace of God which passeth all understanding before your own misery and vexation And rather desire to go to Heaven with Lazarus than with Dives to those scorching flames observe these few things in order In the first place lay to heart the things formerly delivered consider that a competency of earthly things with content is the best estate in the world Yea that a poor and mean condition in case God be pleased to give grace and his blessing with that little he bestowes is far better and happier than to swimme in great wealth and aboundance Consider also and set before you the hainousnesse of this sinne and the 〈…〉 pany covetousnesse and how it is the cause of many heavy and grievous judgments here as well as depriving men of everlasting happinesse in Heaven and plunging them into eternal hellish torments hereafter Yea apply every word that hath been spoken to thy self and this will be a good meanes to make thee moderate thy greedy desire mortifie thy carnal affections and curb thine unruly and insatiable appetite after gain And without this all is to no purpose Little would 〈◊〉 have availed the Israelites that the Manna lay about their tents if they had not gone forth and gathered it beaten it baked and eaten it so let the meanes of salvation be never so plentifull if we bring it not home and make it ours by application and faith we are never a whit the better for the same Cloaths must be put on meat eaten a plaster applyed or they will never warm nourish or heal CHAP. III. Secondly though I inverte the order in setting the cart before the horse dote not so upon the world for while our mindes are so scattered among these visible things we forget how the state standâ— within us Besides I have shewn you that as nothing so alienates a mans love from his vertuous Consort as his inordinate affection to a filthy strumpet so nothing does so far separate and diminish a mans love to God and heavenly things as our inordinate affection to the world and earthly things The damps of the earth do not more quench fire than the love of the earth stiflles grace Neither trees nor grasse grow above where the golden Mines are below If the love of money be once entered into the heart no fruites of goodnesse can appear in the life Yea there is an absolute contrariety between the love of God and the love of money The Covetous man is like that Pompous Prelate who said he would not lose his part in Parris for his part in Paradice Or like Vlisses who so dearly loved his Countrey that he preferred his native soyl Ithaca before immortality Or the Child that more esteemes of an Apple than of his Fathers Inheritance For thus stands the case with them Man hath a precious Jewel to dispose of viz. his soul God and the world come to buy it the world steps in first and tempts him as once Saul his servants saying Hear now ye Benjamites will the son of Ishay will the son of Mary give every one of you fields and vineyards will he make you all Captaines over thousands and Captaines over hundreds 1 Sam. 22.7 Yea if a man will needs have present possession Satan will instantly give him bags of money as he dealt with Gehazi Achan Iudas Annanias and Saphira Balaam and in a thousand the like cases God comes and out-bids the world for he offers grace and peace and glory but withall he craves day for the greater part of it and gives nothing in hand but his promise his Word and some small earnest of the bargain Nay perhaps instead of bettering our condition he makes it worse for the incouragement that Christ gives is Whosoever will be my Disciple let him take up his cross daily and follow me 〈…〉 what he injoyes unjustly he must restore the same to the right owners though it be to the impoverishing of his estate As in case thou wouldst indeed and to purpose become rich happy and cheerfull If thou lovest not gold above thy salvation restore to every man thy evil-gotten goods For as humility is the repentance of pride abstinence of surfeit almes of covetousnesse love of malice so only restitution is the repentance of injustice This is the revenge that a Christian must take upon himself if he meanes to be saved 2 Cor. 7.11 For as the best charm for the tooth-ake is to pull out the tooth Or as they who have meal in their stomachs undigested or store of ill humours are eased only by vometing them up so if ever thou lookest to find ease in thy soul and conscience or to pacifie God be sure to vomit up all thy extortions by restitution For as it fared with those Marriners touching Ionas Ionah 1.15 they tremble pray unlade strike sayles fall to oares but all in vain the Vessel was sick and had taken a surfeit when she took in the fugitive Prophet all the losse of their goods cannot expiate the cause of this tempest there is a morsell that lyes undigested in the stomach throw out Ionas and all is quiet There are a world of men that bear the Name and wear the livery but have not the soules of Christians Others must pay them or they will use all kindes of extremity but they by their good wills will not pay what is lent them in their greatest need But a debtor that can pay and will not makes himself uncapable of pardon Indeed such men think to set all on Christs score and to say Dimitte nobis debitâ— nostra forgive us our debts is sufficient though they leave out the other part of the petition But God does not forgive spiritual debts where men have no care to pay temporal debts For he that dies before restitution dies in his sinne and he that dies in his sinne cannot be saved Nor is there a more infallible character of a wicked man in all the Book of God The wicked borroweth but payeth not again Psal. 37.21 Where is no restitution of things unjustly gotten there sin shall never be forgiven Non tâ—llitur peccatum nisi restituatur oblatum as St Augustin speaks and all Orthodox Divines hold in case the party have wherewithall For if a man have it not God will accept of the will for the deed Yea in this and all other cases he doth the will of God who does the best he can to do it But in case a man do it not so farre as he is able well may he gull his own soul but God will think it foul scorn to be so mockt As consider Repentance without restitution is as if a thief should take away thy purse ask thee pardon say he is sorry for it but keeps it still In this case wouldst thou not say he did but mock thee The Law of God under the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoever by unjustice or oppression thou hast taken from thy neighbour or master with a
16. 28.1 to 14. 2 King 6.25 to Chap. 7. vers 17. Psal. 34.9 10. 37.26 28 112.3 37.3 4 5. Luke 18.29 30. Mark 4.24 Hag. 1.2 Chapters Mal. 3.10 11 12. But if this weary not the Muckmonger it 's well Now this being the case namely that what God gives is chiefly hereafter little at present yea that we may look to be loosers by him at present whereas Satan and the world out-bid Christ in respect of outward condition and present pay thus it fals out or this is the issue The worldling cryes a bird in the hand is best hugges his money that he hath God he thinks is not so good a customer or he dares not trust him Yet will this man rather accept a reversion of some great Office or Estate though expectant on the tedious transition of seven years or on the expiration of anothers life which may prove to be sixty years or more than at present a summe of farre lesse value But what a strange folly is this rather to take the idle vanities of this world in hand than faithfully to wait upon Gods promise for an eternal Kingdom of glory in Heaven CHAP. IV. Thirdly The rarest of all remedies is Regeneration As what saith holy David Turn my heart unto thy Law and not to covetousnesse Psalm 119.36 As if a man could not be covetous that sets his heart upon heavenly things nor have any leasure to think upon good so long as he is covetous Let them seek after the earth sayes one that have no right to Heaven let them desire the present who believe not the future As Regeneration is the best physick to purge away melancholy so likewise of covetousnesse As may be seen in Zacheus who before he met with Christ knew nothing but to scrape but so soon as Christ had changed his heart all his mind was set upon giving and restoring Luk. 19.8 He was as liberal in almes and restitution when he was become a Convert as possibly he was unjust and unmercifull when he was an usurer And the like of all other sinnes Paul was not a more hot and fiery enemy to Christ when he was a Pharisee than he was a shining burning and zealous Preacher when he was an Apostle When any man is born anew and better never be born than not to be born again there will be new vertues arise in the room of old vices Heretofore thy soul hath been an Idolatrous Temple if the Ark of God that is his Holy Spirit once enter into it Dagon that is the works of darknesse will down and soon moulder away For both cannot stand together 1 Sam. 5.3 especially covetousnesse will be chasheired Yea God hath set Religion and covetousnesse at such variance that they cannot possibly reign in one person No man can serve God and Mam 〈…〉 not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Wherefore as we desire to have peace in the end let piety be our race 'T was Marcus Aurelius his dying counsel to his Sonne Commodus that if he would live quietly he should live justly if he would dye peaceably he should live uprightly Now if covetousnesse be once cashiered by Regeneration have a man much or little he will not be overmuch troubled at it The godly man hath sufficient though he have no wealth even as man in innocency was warm and comely though without cloathing A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty Psal. 37.16 The reason is the one hath his sight to see clearly his happinesse in having what is best for him and is content to be poor in outward things because his wealth and purchase is all inward The other by a just judgment of God is so blind that he cannot see when he is well but thirsts so after other mens goods that he takes no pleasure in his own His heart is glewed to the world or rather to his wealth and an object too near the eye cannot be seen yea be it but the breadth of a penny it will hide from the sight the whole half heaven at once Covetousnesse is like the Albugo or white spot in the eye that dimmes their understandings and makes fools even of Achitophels leaving them never an eye to see withall according to that of Moses A gift blindeth the eyes Exod. 23.8 And this for certain could the covetous chuâ—l but see what peace and rest and joy through contentation the godly man hath at the same time when he can say with Peter Silver and gold have I none he would be also a suter to godlinesse that he might have the dowry of contentation He would soon see that it is much better to be poor than evil that it is quieter sleeping with a good conscience than in a whole skin and that there is no comparison between want with piety and wealth with dishonesty As what canst thou say against it thou hast abundance of all things yet thou findest small peace joy or content in the world Get but godlinesse and thou shalt have true content of mind great peace of conscience together with joy in the Holy Ghost and Gods blessing upon all thou hast or takest in hand be thy condition in the world never so mean Thou hast hetherto like Satan compassed the whole earth never thought of compassing Heaven thou art as poor in grace and parts as rich in revenues Thy desires about this world have been insatiable but for heavenly things a small scantling hath been thought enough I believe that Christ dyed for me I am sorry for my sinnes I hope to be saved this is sufficient though thou dost all thy devotions more out of custom than of conscience as Simonides reports of Theodoricus But wilt thou prove thy self wise wilt thou do thy self good indeed the only way is to become godly For godlinesse is great gain if a man be content with that he hath 1 Tim. 6.6 And this I may be bold to affirm that if thou canst not say as Paul saith I have learned to be content godlinesse is not as yet come unto thine house For the compaâ—ion of godlinesse is contentation which when she comes will bring you all things Therefore as Christ saith If the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed John 8.36 So I say if godlinesse make you rich you shall be rich indeed Otherwise have you never so much it will no more satisfie your desire or quench your lust than fewel does the flame Yea as oyl kindleth the fire which it seems to quench so riches come as though they would make a man contented but they make him more covetous CHAP. V. As see how insatiable mens desires are of these transitory things by some examples Give Alexander Kingdom after Kingdom he will not rest till he have all Yea giving credit to that opinion of Democritus to wit that there were worlds infinite and innumerable he even wept to think that he was Emperour but of one only
we cannot miscarry if we trust to his Yet this is to be considered that God does not work upon us as upon blocks and stones in all and every respect passive but converts our wils to will our own conversion He that made thee without thy self will not justifie nor save thee without thy self Without thy merit indeed not without thine endeavour When those deadly waters were healed by the Prophet the outward act must be his the power Gods he cast the salt into the spring and said Yhus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death or barrennesse Elisha was the Instrument but far was he from challenging ought to himself Wherefore be sure to use that power which Christ shall give thee and then my soul for thine he will not be wanting on his part And amongst other thine endeavour exercise Prayer Omit not to beg of God for the grace thou wantest and praise him for what thou obtainest Abhor to attribute or ascribe ought to thy doing trust only to Christs obedience in whom only what we do is accepted and for whom only it is rewarded Now you are to know that as no Sacrifice was without Incense so must no service be performed without Prayer And Prayer is like the Merchants Ship to fetch in heavenly commodities It is the Key of Heaven as St Austin terms it and the Hand of a Christian which is able to reach from earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of the Lords Treasury Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name saies Christ believing he will give it you John 16.23 Matth. 21.22 Unto fervent Prayer God will deny nothing It is like Sauls Sword and Ionathans bow that never returned empty Like Ahimaaz that alwaies brought good tydings It is worth the obseâ—ving how Cornelius his serious exercise of this duty of Prayer brought unto him first an Angel then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himself Hast thou then a desire after that happinesse before spoken of seek first to have the asistance of Gods Spirit and his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost Wouldst thou have the love of God and the asistance of his Spirit ask it of him by Prayer who saith If any of you lack in this kind let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him James 1.5 Wouldst thou pray that thou maist be heard Ask in faith and waver not for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea tost of the wind and carried away Vers. 6. Wouldst thou have faith be diligent to hear the Word preached which is the sword of the Spirit that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable Cannon-shot that battereth and beateth down all the strong holds of sinne and Satan Rom. 10.17 Unto him therefore that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think I commend thee CHAP. XIV Lastly For conclusion of this point Wouldst thou be a contented and Happy man then strive to be a Thankefull man and when God hath the fruit of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much Wouldest thou become thankefull then bethink thy self what cause thou hast by calling to mind and considering what God and Christ hath done for thee As first That he is the Authour of thy natural life For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 Secondly Of thy spiritual life Thus I live saies Paul yet not I now but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Thirdly Of thy eternal life 1 Joh. 1. He is the way the truth and the life John 14.6 The resurrection and the life John 11.25 Or more particularly thus In the first place He gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledge of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse But this was nothing in comparison For when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this and our selves when by sinne we had turned that Image of God into the Image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not only without asking but even against our wils so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal 4.7 Here was a fathomlesse depth a wonder beyond all wonders 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse did not only find out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Sonne his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Crosse to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 The very thought of which death before he come to it together with the weight and burthen of our sinnes put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sonnes of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore O wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesus Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God! who can sufficiently expresse thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world than to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six daies to finish it the Redemption of man cost him
three and thirty years In the Creation of the world he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderfull things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater than the making of the whole world In every new creature are a number of Miracles a blinde man is restored to sight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meets with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we find our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breathe in fire to warm us water to cool and cleanse us cloathes to cover us food to nourish us fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all 〈…〉 we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castawayes for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only Inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse For whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reason others are blind deaf dumb are sick maimed imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace and mercy given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68.19 145.15 16. 75.6 7 Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was fast asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwaies raised us CHAP. XV. But the better to illustrate and set out this Love it will be good to branch it out into some more Particulars As First Call to mind all these external inferiour earthly and temporal benefits as that your being breathing life motion reason is from God That he hath given you a more noble nature than the rest of the creatures excellent faculties of mind perfection of senses soundnesse of body competency of estate seemlyness of condition fitnesse of calling preservation from dangers rescue out of miseries kindnesse of friends carefulnesse of education honesty of reputation liberty of recreations quietnesse of life opportunity of well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to his Spiritual favours though here on earth and strive to raise your affections with your thoughts Blesse God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your profession of the truth for the honour of your vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benefit of their prayers the aid of their counsels foot-steps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Peace Ioy conscionablenesse for any desire of more Then let your soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from Shame Death and Hell of the Intercession of her Saviour of the Preparation of her Place And there let her stay a while upon the meditation of her future Ioyes This or the like do and it will teach you where to beg blessings when you want them and whom to thank when you have them For as the Sea is that great Cistern to recieve the confluence of all waters as first from that large and vast pond water is derived into all parts of the earth by veines and springs those springs run into rivers and those rivers empty themselves again into the Sea so all blessings come from God and all praises must be returned to him If we have any thing that is good God is the giver of it If we do any thing well he is the Authour of it God is Alpha the fountain from which all grace springs and Omega the sea to which all glory runnes All blessings come from him like so many lines from the center to the circumference therefore we must return all praises to him like so many lines from the circumference to the center Rom. 11.36 1 Cor. 10.31 His wisdom he communicates and his justice he distributes and his holinesse he imparts and his mercy he bestowes c. 1 Cor. 1.30 31. but his glory he will not give to another Isai. 42.8 But this is not all yea what can we think of that can be thought sufficient to render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies For in reason hath he contrived so many waies to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him Hath he done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lamb cannot soften them stony bowels if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again Now the meditation of what God and Christ hath done for thee will wonderfully inflame thee with the love of God and thy Redeemer and withall make thee abhor thy self for thy former unthankfulnesse It will make thee break out into some such
Thrones and Kingdomes upon Earth are less then the drop of a bucket I say â—0 15 and 66.1 Yea how little how nothing are the poore and Temporary Injoyments of this life to those we shall injoy in the next 1 Cor. 2.9 Dost thou desire Beauty Riches Honour Pleasure Long Life or what ever else can be named no place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation nor so durable for lasting Rom. 8.18 Heb. 12.22 1 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 4 17 There O There one day is better then a thousand there is rest from our labours peace from our Enemies freedom from our sins there is no Death nor Dearth no pining nor repining no fraud sorrow nor sadness neither tears nor fears defect nor loathing Revel 7.16.17 and 14.13 and 21.4 Iob 3.17 But of this I have spoken at large in The whole duty of a Christian. Now all this is propounded as a recompence for such as give what they have have they but a very cup of cold water Matth. 10.42 Yea we cannot give so little to a disciple in the name of a disciple but it assures us of our right and title unto this eternall inheritance Heb. 6.10 Prov. 14.21 Col. 3.12 14. 2 Pet. 1.7 8 10.11 Phil 4.18 Matth. 5.7 Christ hath promised to make thee a great one in Heaven if thou but relieve one of his little ones on earth Almes is a seed which we cast into the earth as it were bâ—t we gather the crop in Heaven Whence the Apostle would have Timothy to charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the Lord who giveth us richly all things to enjoy And that they do good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves mark his reason a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. And hereupon it is that he telleth the Philâ—ppians he was glad that they had sent him a supply not so much for his own benefit as for their gain which should be great in the day of account Phil. 4.14.17 18. And this makes Solomon say that he who is mercifull doth good to his own soul Prov. 11.17 So that to distribute to the poore on earth is before hand to provide a rich treasure in Heaven And who then that believes this would not think himself happy in such an exchange Is not this the best Chimistry to turn Earth into Heaven is not this a good bargaine to part with vaine and uncertain things to partake of real and durable riches Believe it this is the best improvement and the most that can be made of these things Whereupon St. Austin thus exhorts Si vis esse mercator optimus faenerâ—tor egregius da quod non potes retinere ut recipias quod non poteris amittere da modicum ut recipias centuplum da temporalem possessionem ut consequaris hereditatem aternam Wouldest thou be a good Merchant a great Vsurer give that thou canst not keep that thou maist receive that which cannot be lost Give though but a little that thou maist receive a thousand sold give thy earthly goods that thou maist obtain eternall life though indeed this giving is rather a receiving then a giving a receiving of treasure for trash and for things that cannot be kept a treasure that cannot be lost as another hath it Nor do the poore so much gain by what we give them as we do The deeds of the charitable do far more profit the giver then the receiver and he who gives an almes doth himself a greater almes Neither is it so much given as laid up for we may truly say what I gave that I have what I kept that I lost as one caused it to be set upon his gravestone What the charitable man gives herâ— is but lent for he shall receive is again by Bill of Exchange in Heaven and that with unspeakable increase Yea it shall be a notable advantage to us at the hour of death for when all other riches shall fail what we have bestowed this way shall let us in to heaveÌ„ God freely cronwing his own grace in us Make your selves friends of the MaÌ„mâ—â— of unrighteousness that when ye faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Luke 16.9 The poore saith Gregory Niceâ— are appointed Porters to let their rich Benefactors into Heaven So that to give much is to keep much and that what would otherwise be lost by keeping the charitable man keeps by loosing And so proves richer under ground then even he was above it which makes one say He is not wise who knowing he must hence In worldly building maketh great expence But he that buildeth for the world to come Is wise expend he never so great a summe And another he shall depart a beggar out of this world who sends not a portion of his estate before him unto eternall bâ—isse Nay it manifestly proves that heaven is none of our Countrey if we will send none of our wealth thither before us Or rather that we thinke Heaven nothing worth when we will not give a little base pelfe to compasse it CHAP. XXX But if giving might not properly be called gaining why is it compared to sowing Experieence proves that if we keep our seed by us it will corrupt but cast it inâ—o the earth we shall have it againe with manifold increase A man treasures up no more of his riches then what he contributes in almes The â—oole in the Gospelâ— filled his barnes in fillinâ— the bellies of the poore he had done more wisely I confesse this is a point of Doctrine which the world will not receive let God say what he will but godly Chrysostome both affirmes and proves that the rich are more beholding to the poore then the poore to the rich The poor receive onely a single almes the rich have returned them an hundred-fold here and everlasting happinesse hereafter Mat. 5.7 25.35 Luke 16.9 wherein the prayers of their poore suppliants carry no small stroak For which see 2 Cor. 9.11 to 16. The poore are but the ground into which these seeds are cast But we are the Husbandmen who disperse and scatter them Now as the seed is chiefly for his benefit who soweth it and not for the benefit of the ground into which it is cast so the poor have but the present use and possession of this leed of almes-deeds but the benefit of the crop or harvest belongeth to those good Husbandmen who sow in these grounds the seeds of their beneficence Again the poor receive onely things transitory and but of small value but they that give thâ—ngs spirituall and eternall most inestimable and heavenly riches Why say we then we give to the poor when as it may more truly be said that we give unto our selves
rather then unto them Dan. 4.27 Prov. 11.24 Why then should we thinke the poor so mightily bound and beholding unto us for our scraps and superfluâ—us reliques or that we do such a meritorious businesse when we largely relieve them And not rather thinke our selves beholding unto them and to God for them seeing they are the occasions of such inestimable gaine for such trifling disbursements as Austine speaks And to speak rightly giving is not more an act of Charity then Christian policy since we shall not onely receive our own again bâ—â— have a far greater return then can be expected upon an adventure 〈◊〉 the East Indies Since we are more happy that there are poore upoâ— whom we may exercise our charity then they are that there are ricâ— who do relieve their wants though with never so great supply for aâ— Austine speaks if there were not some to receive thine alms thou couldâ—est not give Earth and receive Heaven Wherefore give thanks untâ— him who hath given thee means by such a small prise to procure 〈◊〉 thing so precious Besides we may boldly aver with Chrysostom That without poverty riches would be unprofitable As consider that if with Adam and Eve wâ— had a whole world but no body to make ready provision and to attend upon us nor do any thing for us what joy could great men take of their riches if there were not poore men to do mean offices for them what low imployments should the highest be forced to descend unto if there were no inferiours to perform them How then should not a considerate man love be liberall to them and exceedingly bless God for them and not do as dâ— the most scorne them and not think them worthy a familiar word era courteous look CHAP. XXXI And certainly he wants both grace and wit who does not admire the bounty and goodness of God in that he hath offered us the opportunity of such sowing such reaping yea O Lord what are we that thou shouldst give us plenty of all things here also which unto them thou hast denied so that every way it is as our Saviour tells us a more blessed thing to give then to receive which the Apostle would have us to remember Acts 20.34 35. Yet no reason can we alleadge on our behalf but O the depth Rom. 11.33 Wherefore do thou O my God and Redeemer inlarge my heart with thankfulnesse and implant this grace in my heart O make me liberall of my mony as thou wast of thy blood O let me have an heart to give Food and Rayment to those for whom thou gavest thy self a ransome Yea of all other graces inlarge my heart with Christian Charity and compassion since it is a grace so universally profitable and withall so amiable As O the loveliness and profitableness of this Christian grace For to do good to the poore is more then a treble good it pleasures them most of all pleasures the doer for it brings blessings upon their Soules Bodies Estates Names Posterity it increaseth their reward cause the poore to pray for and praise God for us and also others to glorifie him it is an odoâ—r that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God who will fulfill all our necessities through his riches with glory in Iesus Christ as the Apostle delivers it Phil. 4.16 to 20. VVhence that great praise of it 1 Cor. 13.13 Now abides Faith Hope and Charity but the chiefest of these is Charity Whence Sozomen calls it 〈◊〉 sure â—oaken of a most vertuous mind and Laâ—tâ—â—tius a principall vertue and Calvin the chiefest office of humanity amongst us and Aretius the most elegant ornament of a Christian life and the holy Ghost a never failing grace 1 Cor. 13.8 whence also it is so highly commended in the Saints in all ages As how is Abraham commended for his hospitality and almes deeds And Lot Cornelius of whose almes there was in the presence of God a memorandum made Acts 10.31 and Doxcas whose good works and almes-deeds were to be seen and shewn when she her selfe was not and the poore could not tell how with patience to take her death she had done so much good for them all the time of her life Acts 9.36.39 And those Christians Acts 11.29 30. for the care they had of the poor in the Apostles time Acts 2.45 Thus the Macedonians are highly commended and much honoured for their freenesse and forwardnesse in relieving of the poor brethren at Ierusalem as is seen upon record Rom. 15.26 And again 2 Cor. 8.1 â— c. And the like of the Philippians and many more whom I must passe over in silence CHAP. XXXII And as bounty is the most beneficiall grace and giving the greatest gaine in every respect For almes to the poore is like powring a paile of water into a dry Pump that fetcheth up much more then was put in So contrariwise to be unmercifull to the poor and hard-hearted or to wrong them whereby to enrich our selves is alike heynous sin and the ready way to want here and to find no mercy hereafter as might most plentifully be shewn Prov. 22.16 Iames 2.13 It is said Prov. 11. He that with-holdeth more then is meet shall surely come to poverty ver 24. And so Ver. 25 26. He that with-draweth hic corne the people shall curse him but blessings shall be upon the head of him that selleth corne And Prov. 28. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lacke but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse vers 27. And Prov. 22.16 He that oppresseth â—he poor to increase his riches and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to poverty Give then that you may never want hide not your eyes that you may not inherite many a curse But of this by the way onely for I would have you specially to take notice that if we shew no mercy here if we will not heare the suits of the poor when they crave of us for reliefe neither will God give us audience when we shall sue unto him hereafter According to that Prov 21.13 Who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himselfe and not be heard Yea he shall have judgement without mercy that shewes no mercy James 2.13 For whereas to those that have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sicke c. Christ shall say Come ye blessed of my Father c. Contrariwise to those that have not done these duties he shall say depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and ye gave me no drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not For inasmuch as ye did it not to my poore members ye did it not to me So these shall go away into everlasting punishment but
that it shall be so For he speaks far otherwise of the unmercifull as Psal. 109. Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg their bread I pray mind it let them seek their bread also out of desolate places Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the strangers spoile all his labour Let there be none to extend mercy unto him mither let there be any to favour his fatherlesse children Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their names be blotted out and the memory of them cut off from the earth Because mark the reason he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the poor and needy Vers 6. to 17. all which he speaks by the spirit of prophesie Though indeed we want not examples of this in every age Was not this fulfilled in Haman and is it not fulfilled daily in our experience For hence it is that riches ill got or I 'l kept shift masters so often But take some other instances out of the Scriptures of both kindes Ionathan is payd for his kindnesse to David in Mephibosheâ—h Iethro for his love to Moses in the Kenites 1 Sam. 15.6 some hundreds of years aftet he their Ancestor was dead The Aegyptians might not be unkindly dealt withall for their harbouring the Patriarchs though they afflicted their posterity But the Moabites and Ammonites were either to dye or not to enter into the congregation of the Lord to their tenth generation because they met not Gods Israel with bread and water in the wildernesse Deut. 23.3 4. God caused Soul to spare all the Kenites for that they had shewed mercy to Israel who otherwise had all of them been destroyed 1 Sam. 15 6. Another example you have in Iob 21.18 19 20. all which shewes that God usually blesseth and rewardeth the children for their fathers goodnesse The loving kindnesse of the Lord saith the Psalmist endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him and his righteousnesse upon childrens children Psal. 103.17 And so on the other side Eternall payments God uses to require of their persons onely temporary often times of succession as we sue the Heyres and Executors of our debtors Now if this be so that what the liberall man gives his seed shall inherit then the good provision that we should make for our Children coâ—sists not so much in laying up as in laying out and more in making provision for their soules then for their bodies I confesse it is the case of niâ—e parts of the Parâ—â—ts throughout the Lâ—â—d to provide for their childrens bodies not for their soules to shew that they begat not their soules but their bodies to leave faire estates for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part They desire to leave their children great rather then good and are more ambitious to have their sons Lords on earth than Kings in heaven But as he that provides not for their temporall estate is worse then an Infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 So he that provides not for their eternall estate is little better then a Devill The use which I would have you make of the premisses is this Let none refuse to give because they have many children but give the rather out of love to and for their childrens sakes that God who as you see hath ingaged himselfe may be their Guardian and provide and take care for them Or if not for their soules yet for thine owne For why shouldest thou love thy children better then thine owne person and in providing for them neglect thy selfe Yea why shouldst thou preferre their wealth before thine own soule and their flourishing estate in the world which is but momentany and mutable before the fruition of those joyes which are infinite and everlasting Will it not grieve and gall thy conscience another day to thinke that for getting or saving some trifles for thy posterity on earth thou hast lost Heaven or to remember that thy children ruffle it out in worldly wealth and superfluous abundance when thou shalt be stripped of all and want a drop of cold water to cool thy scorching soul in hell CHAP. XXXV Thus I might go on and inlarge my selfe upon this and add thereunto many other reasons First in regard of God Secondly in regard of Christ. Thirdly in regard of the poore Fourthly in regard of others I should also according to the order first proposed shew what are the ends to be propounded in our giving almes and lastly the severall impediments that hinder men from giving but I finde which when I fell upon it I did not foresee matter representing it selfe like those waters in Ezekiel Chap. 47. which at the first were but anckle deep and then knâ—e deep and then up to the loynes which afterwards did so rise and flow that they were as a River which could not be passed over Or like that little cloud which Elias his servant saw 1 Kings 18. Much hath been said of this subject bnt much more might be said for I could carry you a great way further and yet leave more of it before then behind But I am loth to tire my Reader or cause any to make an end before they begin as not seldome doth Addition in this case bring â—orth substraction and more writ cause lesse to be read Wherefore I will onely give you the sum of some few particulars briefly and leave the rest That little which I intend to deliver is First the neer communion that is between the poor and us with our head Christ. For besides the civill communion that is between all men as being of one fâ—â—sh the off-spring and generation of God Act. 1â— 28 9. The senâ—es of the same Father Adam and Noah and so brethren one with another and proceeding as so many flowers from one root many Rivers from one fountain many arteries from one heat many veines from one liver and many sinews from one braine And likewise of the same Country Common-wealth yea of the same City and Corporation yea perhaps neer Neighbours and parishioners every of which the Holy Ghost maketh a sufficient argument to move us to do these works of mercy in relieving the poor Isa. 5.8.6 7. There are many spirituall respects and divine relations which make a more neer communion between Christians one with another for we are elected to the same eternall life and happinesse we are not onely Gods workmanship created in Adam according to his owne glorious image but re created and restored unto the divine Image lost by Adam in Christ the second Adam we are redeemed in our soules and bodies with the same precious blood of Iesus Christ we are partakers of the same calling whereby we are chosen out of the world and gathered into the Church and communion of Saints that we may inheriâ— eternall gloâ—y together and that out of darknesse into maâ—vellous light and out of a desperate condition to be partakers
be forward to keep this Commandment of shewing mercy to the poor since in the keeping of it there is great reward Psal. 19.11 CHAP. LII AGain secondly if Bounty be the best and surest way to Plenty If such Gain comes by giving If this be the onely way to have our Barns filled and our Presses to burst with abundance If by giving to the poor for Christs sake our riches shall encrease and multiply like the Widows handful of meal or those Loaves and Fishes in the Gospel and that the more wee give the more wee have That liberallity will make a man lastingly rich as having Gods Word that such shall never want If we can no way be so liberal to our selves as by giving to the poor and in them to the possessor of all things It should methinks make rich men of all others put the same in practice since they are all for gain and looking after commoditie all for treasuring up all for themselves all for riches it being their onely summum bonum For no such way to encrease their Estates or benefit themselves can ever be found out this wil do it above what they are able any other way or what they were ever yet acquainted with How then should it take with them How should it not whet them on and make them put the same in practise For should you rich men plot and break your brains to study and contrive all the dayes of your lives how you may do your selves the greatest good this is the onely way It is fabled of Midas that whatsoever he touched it was turned into Gold but it may more truly be so said of the hand of Charity for that turneth a Cup of cold Water into a never failing Mine of Gold As thus if we but sow the seed of our Beneficence we shall not onely reap an earthly crop but have also an heavenly harvest which wil never fail us it wil return unto us a double Harvest the crop of all temporal and spiritual benefits in this life and of everlasting blessedness in the life to come This is the true Philosophers Stone yea it exceeds by far all that any report of it For the Lord will repay and reward us not onely with the true Treasure of spiritual graces and eternal glory but stooping to our infirmity even multiply and pay us with our own mony also even with the coyn of worldly blessings which is so currant among us And what greater gain can be imagined then to change Earth for Heaven transitory trifles for eternal treasures the bread of men for the bread of Angels rotten rags for glorious robes and a little drink yea a cup of cold water if the Well or River be our best Celler for the Water of Life which will infinitely delight and satisfie us without glutting or satiety Then is our Saviours words Luke 12.33 worth harkening to of all rich men where he saith Give alms provide your selves bags which wax not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not where no thief approacheth neither moth corrupteth And indeed it being so a man would think there needed no pressing or perswading any to this duty that have either grace or wit for who does not wish well to himself and his and yet no duty more neglected insomuch that I can never enough admire the little Charity of most rich men in these daies or pity their simplicity For the want of Charity is the strongest conviction of folly that can be Nor were it possible they should be so close-fisted if they were not as barren of Wit as they abound in wealth As observe but the depth of such an one he buies a Lease of seven years with an Inheritance that is everlasting There can be nothing more strange in my judgment then that covetous men who are all for themselves and for gain should so neglect the greatest gain and interest with infallible security that ever was heard of But Solomon gives the reason Prov. 17.16 for what he speaks there of a Fool is more true of a Covetous Uncharitable Rich man He hath a price put into his hand but he wants an heart to make use thereof As O the brave opportunities such have to be happy and to make their seed happy here and much more hereafter if they were wise and did but truly love themselves and their precious souls Whereas now like fools and mad men they will needs be more miserable then thousands that want those blessings wherein they abound yet so foolish and mad are most rich men as common experience does too wel teach us As wil they not lend a man on his Bond for six in the hundred sooner then accept God's hundred for one ensured on a Word so firm that one Iota of it shal not perish in the general fire of heaven and earth and how could this be were not these words of Christ Matth. 25.41 to the end and the great day together with the signs of God's love manifested on the Cross a meer tale that is told and of no concernment to us But CHAP. LIII THirdly If with what measure we mete to the poor it shall be measured to us again as it fared with Dives touching Lazarus Luke 16.20 25. If the sentence of Absolution or Condemnation at the day of judgment shal be pronounced either for or against us according as we have performed or omitted these works of mercy to those and onely those who have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sick c. Come yee blessed c. And contrarily to those that have not done these duties in relieving Christs members according to their abilities and the others necessities Depart ye cursed into everlasting Fire c. In what a case are all miserly and unmerciful muckworms Yea what wil become of most rich men in these dayes who being worth thousands wil let the poor starve rather then relieve them with any considerable supply I profess it is wonderful to me that ever such sordid self-lovers can looke for or expect to find the least mercy from God at the great Day of Retribution Certainly they must needs think there wil be no such Day of Iudgement as Christ speaks of or that he is a notorious Lyar and means not to be as good as his word For if they do in the least believe either of these yea if they did but come so near believing as to grant such a thing may be or it is possible they could not be such careless witless and wicked fools as to venture and hazard the salvation or damnation of their souls upon the doubtful event of such a weighty business O my Brethren bethink your selves before your Glasses be run out be perswaded be perswaded to love your money less and your selves and souls more And do not lose your souls to save your silver or if you do you wil one day dearly rue it I mean when you come in Hell As let me ask your Consciences but
bad one and sooner in thy Mistresses defence then in thy Makers Thou art of a reprobate judgment touching actions and persons esteeming good evil and evil good Prov. 17.15 and 29.27 Isa. 5.20 Thou doest stifle thy conscience and wouldst force thy self to believe if it were possible that in case men will not swear drink drunk conform to thy lewd customes and the like they are over precise and to forbear evil is quarrel sufficient for thee Thou speakest evil of all that will not run with thee to the same excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 making them a by-word to the people Job 17.6 and a song amongst thy fellow Drunkards Psal. 69. 〈◊〉 Thou art so desperately wicked that thou wilt mock thy admonisher scoffe at the means to be saved and make thy self merry with thy own damnation In stead of hating the evil thou dost and thy self for doing it thou 〈…〉 of it rejoycest in it boastest of it yea pleadest for it and applaâ—â—ed 〈…〉 self for thy wickednesse God is not in all thy thoughts except 〈…〉 him and to spend his days in the Devils service And rather 〈…〉 thy pleasure thou wilt hazard the displeasure of God Thou doest not 〈◊〉 but art stubborn and disobedient to thy parents a Rioter c. If they stand in need of thee thou wilt not nourish or maintain 〈…〉 they did thee in thy need Thou takest no care to provide for thy 〈…〉 Thou wilt borrow or run in debt with every one but never carest to pay or to satisfie any one except it be thy Hostesse for drink lest she should never more trust thee As good men by their godly admonition and vertuous example draw 〈◊〉 they can to Heaven so by thy subtile allurements and vicious example thou drawest all thou â—anst to hell For as if it were too little to damnthy own soul or as if thine own sins would not presse thee deep enough into hell thou doest all that possibly thou canst to entice and enforce others to sin with thee for thou doest envy hate scosf at nick-name rail on and slander the godly that thou mayest flout them out of their faith damp or quench the spirit where thou perceivest it is kindled discourage them in there way to heaven to make them ashamed of their holy conversation and religious course pull them back to the World that so thou mayest have their company here in sin and hereafter in torment Thou fearest a Gaol more then thou fearest hell and standest more upon thy sides smarting then upon thy soul. Thou regardest more the blasts of mens breath then the fire of Gods wrath and tremblest more at the thought of a Serjeant or Bailiff then of Satan and everlasting perdition Thou takest incouragement from the Saints falls and sins of Gods people to do the like when they should serve thee as Sea-marks to make thee beware Yea thou doest most sordidly take liberty and incouragement to go on more securely in thy evil courses because God is merciful and forbears to execute judgement speedily and to defer thy repentance because the Theif upon the Crosse was heard at the last hour Thou wilt boldly do what God forbids and yet confidently hope to escape what he threatens Thus I could go on to tell thee a thousand more of these thy wicked thoughts words and actions had I not already done it But because I would not present my other Readers with Cole-worts twice sod be perswaded to take view of them in my other small Tract entituled The odious despicable and dreadful condition of a Drunkard drawn to the Life though indeed even a Tyth of these are sufficient evidences to prove and to make thee confesse that thou art in a most damnable condition But stand thou by and let the civil Iusticiary and formall Hypocrue hold up their hands and hear their charge Here ends the Prodigals Character with which I will conclude FINIS The Prevention of Poverty Together with the Cure of Melancholy Alias Discontent Or the best and surest way to Wealth and Happiness being Subjects very seasonable for these Times wherein all are Poor or not pleased or both when they need be neither By Rich. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Florilegus Imprimatur Ioseph Caryl LONDON Printed by R. W. Leybourn and are to be sold by Iames Crumpe a Book-binder in Well-yard 1655. Of the Prevention of Poverty By R. Y. VErtue is distributive and loves not to bury benefits but to pleasure all she can And happy is he that leaves such a president for which both the present and future Ages shall praise him and praise God for him It was no small comfort I suppose to Cuthemberg Anaximenes Triptolemus Columbus and other the like whose happiness it was to finde out Printing the Dial the Plough to enrich the World with the best of Metals with the Loadstone and a thousand the like But had they smothered their conceptions as so many lights under a bushel and not communicated the same for the publick it had argued in them a great dearth of charity whereas now to the glory of God all men are the better for them Nor is any employment so honorable as for a man to serve his generation and be profitable to many When like the Moon we bestow the benefits received from God to the profit and commodity of others It is the Suns excellency that his bright rayes and beamns are dispersed into every corner of the Universe The Tragick Buskin as they say would fit all that should put it on Here is that will much benefit thee being made use of be thy condition good or bad rich or poor learned or unlearned mental or manual The which to conceal would argue in the Authour either too much lucre or too little love Even the Physician that hath a sovereigne Receipt and dieth unrevealing it robs the world of many blessings which might multiply after his death leaving to all survivors this collection that he once did good to others but to do himself a greater C. E. The Prevention of POVERTY Together with the Cure of MELANCHOLY Alias DISCONTENT Or the best and surest way to Wealth and Happinesse Being Subjects very seasonable for these Times wherein all are Poor or not pleased or both when they need be neither THE PREFACE SECT 1. WHen a Gentleman in Athens had his plate taken away by Ahashucrus as he was at dinner he smiled upon his friends saying I thank God that his Higness hath left me any thing So whatever befals us this should be our meditation It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 Or this He that hath afflicted me for a time could have held me longer he that hath touched me in part could have stricken me in whole he that hath laid this upon my name or estate hath power to lay a greater rod both upon my body and soul without doing me the least wrong And indeed if we but think of our deliverance from the
fire of Hell or that our names are writ in Heaven it is enough to make us both patient and thankful though the trifles we delight in be taken from us But most men are so far from this that if God does not answer their desires in every thing they will take pleasure in nothing they will flight all his present mercies and former favours because in one thing he crosses them Liâ—â— Ahab they are more displeased for one thing they want or rather fain and pretend they want or at least have no right unto than they are thankfull for a thousand things they enjoy though the least mercy they injoy is beyond their best merit They are ready to receive all while they return nothing but sin and disobedience wherein they more than abound for they have done more against God in one week than they have done for him ever since they were born Yea such sotts they are that if another displease them they will be revenged on themselves grow melancholy and discontent like foolish Children who will forbear their meat and gâ—â—w sick of the sullens if never so little crost Yea though men have all â—heir hearts can wiâ—h and might if they would and had but the wiâ— and grace be as happy as any men alive yet some small trifle shall make them weary of themselves and every thing else as it fared with foolish â—â—man Esther 5.13 More particularly if their purses grow light their â—earts grow heavy yea as if men did delight to vex themselves how many are there that of happy make themselves miserable or more miâ—serable than they need by looking upon miseries in multiplying glasses the opinion onely of being poor or fear that they may be so when they are old makes them never injoy a merry day when they neither want nor are like to doe and every man is so miserable as he thinks himself The raft of goods or evils does greatly depend on the opinion we have of them SECT 2. Thus millions are miserable melancholy discontent by their own concelt when thousands would think themselves happy had they but a piece of their happiness Which discontent or melancholy occasions more murmuring amongsts us than ever there was among those Israelitos in the wilderness an unthankfulness able to make or keep them poor and miserable and that everlastingly Indeed because judgement is not executed speedily Eccles. 8.11 they think it no sin at all such is their ignorance Otherwise they might know that as the Israelites was so their murmuring is against even the holy One of Israel as Isaiah affirmed of Sensâ—â—â—erib 2 King 19.22 And David of Goliah 1 â—am 17.36 45. The Lord sâ—yes Moses to the people when they grumbled for want of bread and also to Daâ—hau and Abiram heareth your murmuring against him and what are we your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord Exod. 16.8 Numb 16.15 21. Onely this is the difference multitudes of them were destroyed suddenly even fourteen thousand and seven hundred at a clap yea they had all been consumed in a moment for their murmuring had not Moses stood up in the gap and interceded for them Numb 16.41 to 50. and 32.10 to 14. and 26.64 65 and 11.12 33. and 14.12 22 23. and 21.5 6. Whereas millions among us do the like and are not stung with fiery Serpents as they were because they are reserved without repentance to a fiery Serpent in Hell Nor stricken with death temporall because reserved to death â—ternal But God is the same God still and as just now as ever though now under the Gospel instead of corporall judgements he inflicts many times spirituall as blindness of mind hardness of heart and finall impenitency the fore-runner of eternal destruction of body and soul in that burning lake Revel 19.20 For why is their ruine recorded but for our learning and warning â— Cor. 10 11. Neither is forbearance any acquittance yea to be let go on in a continual repeating of so great a sin under such meanes of light and grace uncontrouled is the greatest unhappiness the heaviest â—urle because such seldom rest untill they come to that evill from which there is no redemption God owes that man a greivous payment whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together O that men 〈◊〉 but seriously consider this before it proves too late â— and before the draw-bridge be taken up for favours bestowed and deliverances from dangers bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings require retribution of obedience or will bring distribution of judgements Yea argue with all the world and they will conclude that there is no vice 〈◊〉 ingratitude and meer ingratitude returnes nothing for good but these return evill for good yea the greatest evill for the greatest good being more ingrateful to God and Christ than can be exprest by the best Oratour alive Our Redeemer hath done and suffered more or would do did we not so daily provoke him for which read Gods goodness and Englands unthankfulness more for us than either can be exprest or conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea Yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination And were the whole Heaven turned into a Book and all the Angels deputed Writers therein they could not set down all the good which Gods love in Christ hath done us As consider if we are so bound to bless God for his external temporal inferiour earthly perishing benefits as food rayâ—â—nt friends fire air water health wealth life limbs liberty senses and a thousand the like what praise do we owe him for the lasting fruits of his eternal love and mercy and how thankful should we strive to be And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivers us as for the great and many mercies he hath bestowed upon us Neither could we possibly be unthankful if we seriously thought upon what God gives and what he forgives Besides which would also be thought upon what should we have if we did truly love and serve Christ who hath done all this for his enemies neglecting and dishounouring him SECT 3. Now can any one in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerable thankful demeanour yet as if all that Christ hath done for us were nothing to move us we are so far from being thankful that our whole life language and religion is nought else but one continued act of muttering and murmuring this is the case and it is the case of almost who not And is this a small matter Is it Gods unspeakable mercy that we are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed and do we complain for want of a