sincere profession of Religion and the shame and confusion of their enemies will make the glory of the Children of wisdom the more splendent and conspicuous Now the Saints are judged censured and condemned by the world Now they are reproached and vilified by the world but there is a time coming when the despised Saints shall sit upon throns and judge Angels and the whole world All ye that now scoff at the godly ye shall on that day tremble before them you that now despise them in your heart shall then lie and even lick up the dust of their feeâ— Christ will put such glory on all his Saints that the world shall admire at Christ in so doing 2 Thess 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe Oh! then how will the wicked cry out Behold how God doth honour and glorifie yonder men whom once we derided and daily mocked for their preciseness What glorious and blessed creatures are they become Oh that our heads were as high as their heels How are they Crowned with glory and we cloathed with shame they have Crowns of righteousness and immortality about their heads and we have chains of everlasting darkness about our heels Some have put this question whether the wicked shall then know the godly with whom they have lived upon earth Some answer It is more then probable that the children of Belial shall then know the children of wisdom with whom they lived whom they reproached mocked scoffed condemned for their holiness This very man whom I despised lo how he is glorified Oh what a difference is there now between me and him He is a glorious King and I a condemned Prisoner for evermore But it is overmuch boldness to assert that the wicked shall have a particular knowledge of those very godly men whose persons they had in derision for their holiness seeing it is enough to their great confusion to behold the whole army of glorified Saints in the Kingdom of heaven and their own consciences shall then witness to them that these were the Children of wisdom that justified wisdom that these were the righteous Servants of God and themselves were wicked and such as were the Servants of sin and Satan Yet it is not denied but their personal knowledge of the very men whom they did despise and condemn for their godliness would much conduce to the greater confusion of the children of disobedience That speech of Chrysologus is considerable Dives magis uritur Lazari gloria quam proprio incendio The rich man is more tormented with beholding the glory of Lazarus in heaven than with the sense of his own burning in hell This will aggravate the torment of the damned when they shall behold the transcendent glory of those very particular persons whom they vilified and had in derision But let us leave this question to the decision of the Great-day CHAP. XVI NOw to conclude let me excite all the Children of Wisdom to live by faith then will you justifie wisdom in the worst of times the futurity of your glorious reward requireth a continued acting of faith lest you draw back your hands from the plough and your hearts off from the ways of Wisdom for be sure He or they who resolve to justifie wisdom must expect to meet with high discouragements nothing can swallow up these discouragements but faith acted and exercised which like Moses's Rod easily devoureth all these Egyptian Serpents The world will discourage you from serving God Oh pity thy self said Peter to Christ so the world to thee Pity thy ease thy liberty thy estate thy pleasures thy honour Your worldly callings will hinder you from walking in the paths of Wisdom you will lose your time your profit if you spend so much time in religious duties All the wicked in the world will discourage you by their taunts and contempt What needs so much praying and hearing Lo we are set up and thrive in the world who do not as you do your very senses will discourage you from the Service of God you see and hear that no profit is gotten by serving God you see how they who serve not God grow rich and great in the world All within you and all without you will endeavour to pull you back from Wisdom's gates Wherefore you have great need to act faith continually faith must be a continual evidence to you of things not seen then will it cry to you Do you not see heaven the crown the kingdom the glory which is set before you See you not Christ condemning and putting to open shame and destruction all such as deny and condemn true Wisdom Unless faith be thus acted and you walk from day to day by faith you will never be faithful to the death It is faith acted which maketh a man as Chrysostom said of Job a man of Adamant a man of Flint a man invincible not to be moved There is nothing more stirreth men up to diligence in Gods service then the belief and expectation of a glorious reward Every man propoundeth to himself in all his undertakings Quid habebo What shall I have All the world godly men wicked men Judas said When he was betraying Christ What will you give me What shall we have said Peter to Christ because we have left all and followed thee Wherefore when men see no likelihood of rewards and do not believe there is any they despise to do service Unbelief is the râ—ot of all profaneness men of no Faith are men of no Religion their neglect of Prayer hearing the Word and other Pious Exercises are evident tokens of their unbelief that God cannot or will not reward them or rather that God is not It is the most monstrous contradiction in the world to believe there is a God and not to serve him to believe the rules and precepts of Wisdom and not to justifie it to believe there is an heaven for a reward and not to seek it It is men's unbelief that makes men have the Servants of God in contempt and to make a scorn of them and to count them fools and madmen for their holiness They do not for the present believe that the godly are the Sons of God heirs of heaven and shall be Kings of Glorious State hereafter they will wish they had lived their lives whom they poured scorn and contempt upon It is men's unbelief that is the root of Apostacy from the paths of Wisdom they march over into the tents of Devil and fight under his banner run from Christ and his Service to embrace this present evil world because they see no present good profit nor happiness in serving God FINIS
that must have their own will and way or else will do nothing or do it so that it were better they had done nothing thus under colour of obeying God they obey their own wills If others like themselves prescribe them a course of obedience and a fear towards God after the precepts of men here they will be very forward Blind obedience and a blind faith are the two paths in which they walk they fear not the ditch till they have fallen headlong into it Historians have observed that none have been so great innovators in matter of Religion as Usurpers of the Civil Power not have any been so great oppressours of the people in Civil affairs as those who intrench most upon the Divine Majesty in the things of God and none have been more willingly obeyed than the greatest oppressours for the statutes of Omri are kept and all the works of the house Ahab Micah 6.16 Omri who had been General and was after made King of Israel in the camp to be revenged on Zimri that slew his Master did worse than all the Kings that were before him anâ— afterwards Ahab his Son did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him These besides the golden Calves of Jeroboam worshipped Baal in which Idolatry the people readily trod in the steps of their Leaders although to their own destruction having now a liberty granted them to adore which of those Idols they pleased SECT V. V. THat pure Religion and strictness of conversation cannot be proud humorous singularity let them that say so be Judges themselves Take wicked profane loose men that scoff at holiness and condemn holy men let them I say be taken when they are most serious when they are best able to judge of things Do not take wicked men when they are in their passion when their lusts are stirring when they are in health when they are in a calm mood but take them when they are sick when they apprehend themselves going down to the Chambers of death and going to appear before the great Judge at his Tribunal take them then when Conscience is like to speak truth to them and mark such men at such times what they then wish and heartily desire and what in their Consciences they then most approve of Oh! then the most Swinish drunkard the greatest scoffer at Religion and purity will be on the godly man's side and could wish it were with them as it is with one such a poor godly man whom they derided for a proud humorous factious singular animal then conscience sets up a consistory for Christ and furnisheth all things requisite to true judgement and being rightly instructed tells him more than seven watchmen that sit in an high tower and will be sure to give in a true verdict Ecclus. 37.14 Therefore according to the judgement even of wicked men themselves when they are most themselves and best able to judge it cannot be an humour of singularity that acteth the godly man in the way of holiness against thousands of profane persons such would never approve of holiness then if they thought it were singularity CHAP. XIV Now let us consider the reasons why godly men had need to be singular against the multitude in purity of Religion and Conversation 1. BEcause the example of the multitude is dangerous and fallible the Pope and his Council the Devil and his adherents Most men do erre from God and his ways most people run post to hell the way of the multitude is the broad way and the end of that way is destruction the world walketh in darkness and at the end of their walk is the place of outer darkness therefore there is no safety to do as the most do to follow a multitude to do evil it will be no comfort to any one to be damned with the multitude Most men are yielding men carried away by every word and wind they consider not what is fit and warrantable to be done if they see others do so if they be pressed by others to do so they presently yield The multitude are for any Faith or Religion yea for any practice that others will perswade them to especially if plausible or such as carries not abhorrency in its forehead they count it their wisdom and their glory to do as their Company doth and to be as they are any fashion behaviour action faction course or custom except what is truly good will sute well with the disposition of the most 2. Because this strict or to use the worlds phrase thâ—â— singular way is one of the best evidences of a man's election to eternal life Gods people are a very small number in comparâ—son of the multitude a very little flock in respect of the Goats The going against the multitude the following Christ in strictness argues a man to belong to that very little flock because few do so and most go in the broad way Then again it is said the way is narrow and the gate is strait that leads unto life and few there be that enter in thereat a pure strict precise holy conversation is this narrow way There are many by-ways but one right way as in shooting a man may miss diversly either by shooting under over or wide on this side or on that but one way to hit the mark the Covetous with his great bags the ambitious with his high looks the drunkard with his full Cups cannot enter in at the strait Gate 3. Because every step of a mans life is either to heaven or to hell and every action is a drawing a man neerer heaven or hell the world thinketh not so they imagine not how fast they are posting to one of those two places but godly men know it and therefore they will have a main care of the steps of their conversation though the world be careless and little mind it till they are dropping into hell the godly will be careful of the smallest matters that concern their souls like thrifty worldlings that will not lose the least opportunity of the smallest gain but will lay hold upon it if the least profit present it self to them to covet the best gifts and to be greedy after grace is not blame-worthy but a desirable blessing and ambition to be above and to get beyond others in Spiritual advancements whereby God may more delight in us so the heart be not puffed up is not a blemish but an honour here is no fear of a nimium as one saith where no care is enough 4. Because a godly man worketh for Eternity therefore he worketh by God's Divine Eternal Rule not by the examples of most men All the conditions of man in this life are for Eternity every act of sin is for Eternity every holy action is for Eternity therefore it concerneth men to take heed to their ways the multitude thinks not so Apelles being asked why he was so curious in painting and spent so much time about a piece of work
hearts and lives This is to justifie God his image his holiness to justifie Christ in his members in owning them we own Christ as it was said of Lot in entertaining of strangers he entertained Angels into his house so in loving honouring delighting in Gods people for holiness sake we do it to Christ himself When men are ashamed of Paul the Prisoner of Christ when men regard not holiness nor esteem of men for their spiritual worth but deal with them as the malitious Pharisees with Christs Disciples cast them out of their Synagogues for believing in Christ this is not to justifie but to condemn and deny Christ in his members Scaliger tells us of a tree unto which when a man cometh ramos constringit it closeth her leaves and branches but when he departeth ramos pandit then it opeâ—eth her leaves and branches Many men are like this tree when godly men who have the reproach of Christ upon them come neer them and do desire their favour and help and their conditions be made known to them they shrink up themselves and are inwardly vexed counting it a disgrace to have such come neer them but when they are gone they begin to be pleasant This is an adulterous generation that are afraid to justisie Christ in his members so would they do even to Christ himself 4. We justifie wisdom when we live according to the Power and Putity of that Religion we Profess when our lives are a Grace or Ornament to Religion when we live according to those things we believe and make open profession to the world we do believe them we profess our selves to be the members of Christ let us justifie Christ our Head by our obedience to him we profess our selves the Spouse of Christ let our conversations justifie Christ our Husband we profess our selves the Sons of God let us justifie him to be our Father in all Holiness and Purity his Image in us must justifie it We profess Religion let us justifie Religion by expressing the Power of it in our lives and conversations that we may cleer Religion from the false imputations and slanders which the enemies of Religion and godliness cast upon it You know how apt the world is to blame Religion they are ready to say and do say none are worse than Professours of Religion their Religion is nothing but words and shews and empty forms we had rather deal with Papists or with any other than with these men they are so unconscâ—onable the world is full of those slanders let us justifie our Religion by walking as becometh the Gospel It is not our duties that do so much justifie Religion but it is our holy just pure unblameable and fruitful conversation this justifies our Religion and Christ by it this makes men to Justifie us and say God is in them of a truth it makes the Christian Religion lovely and beautiful even in the eyes of the profane If our Religion be only in words in duties in outward forms we condemn Religion and condemn Christ and Justifie the slanders which the wicked Rabble do cast upon the profession of Christianity 5. We justifie wisdom in justifying God in all his Divine-truths in his commands by pure and entire obedience to all as well as to any one command we condemn God in disobeying but one command in his promises by cleaving to God even then when to present sense Gods Providences seem to cross his promises we justifie Gods faithfulness and truth in his word in his thre tenings when we tremble at his word we justifie Gods justice in truths concerning hell when we leave such courses as hurry men thither we justifie God in truths concerning heaven by setting our faces hearts and courses upon and toward heaven in his truth concerning the day of judgement by loving and looking for the appearing of Christ when in all these we live as men that do believe there is an heaven and hell death and judgement to come but the children of disobedience do belye God in these things CHAP. VI. MOreover the Children of wisdom do justifie wisdom in the worst of times the children of this world take Religion to farm they will be tenants at their own will not at their Lord's they will hold it no longer than themselves please and throw up all in a bad year and when they think their bargain too hard they lay the key under the door go their way and leave their Lord to go look his rent when persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended and in time of such temptation they fall away Matth. 13.21 But to the children of wisdom Religion is their Free-hold their Fee-simple a purchase bought even of Christ himself who hath a good title and will not deceive the purchaser but though in the opinion of a worldling he sells dear yet such a peny worth as he that knows the worth of it will part with all that he hath for it rather than go without it When Christ and Religion are in a triumphing posture then will worldly professours take branches of Palm-trees and go forth to meet Christ and with the multitude cry Hosanna to the son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest but if once they find Christ to be apprehended and led away to the High-priests Palace and there to be spit on in his face and buffetted they will with Peter deny him and say we know not the man and if this be not enough they will bind it with an oath that the world may be satisfied they are none oâ— his company but the children of wisdom do receive the Gospel with much affliction If the Gospel be in a suffering condition they will be partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God 2 Tim. 1.8 when they took up Religion they were resolved that some trouble would meet them in that way and will now stick to it though they lose all that they have for it The Religion of worldlings is as the dew which is but sudor terrae the earths cold sweat that is soon licked up the Religion of the true Christian is as rain from heaven that sticks by the earth the one wets not a fleece the other watereth the ground the one serveth only for frogs snails and Grashoppers the other soketh the root and maketh it to bring forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed and receiveth a blessing from God Heb. 6.7 CHAP. VII The Reasons of the point 1 TAking wisdom for Gods way of Salvation in and through Christ there is great wisdom to justifie this Reas 1. Because the only wise God hath thought this to be the only way and means of Salvation The way of God is of all ways the most justifiable in the wisdom of God there is not the least shadow of folly Gods wisdom yea the whole glory of God cannot appear in any way more than in
Religion and holiness that they so slightly esteem it as unpleasant and unprofitable If there were folly in Wisdom if any thing unworthy a mans praise imitation love and liking there were some shew of Shrinking from it but who can charge the wisdom of God with folly who can espy spots or darkness in the Sun who can espy blame in Gods holiness or errour in his most glorious truth The Ephesians could stand for their Diana the Philistines for Baal zebub the God of Ekron wicked men can stand for their Lusts Worldlings for Mammon Hereticks can stand for their Errours and shall God have none in all the world to stand for him and justifie heavenly Wisdom CHAP. IX Use 1 THe first use of this point may be for terrour to all Pharisaical and other profane persons who condemn the wisdom of God himself preferring their own folly their lusts and ways above the wisdom of the only wise God their own righteousness above the righteousness of Christ himself Was there ever such an impiety heard of that men should sit like Judges and condemn God the the just Judge of all the world Christ the merciful Saviour the Holiness and Religion of Christ Innocence it self Here I will shew how moral and profane men do condemn wisdom 1. When men justifie themselves by their good works their civility their legal righteousness The Scribes and Pharisees were the Peevish Children that would neither dance nor mourn after John and Christ these did and all Moral men do condemn the wisdom of God in saving man by the righteousness of Jesus Christ this is to depose Christ and to set the Crown of Salvation upon their heads making themselves their own Saviours their menstruous clothes more glorious than the Robe of Christs righteousness their fig-leaves more than the garments of salvation which God hath made for them and put Christ out of his Office making a Christ of themselves what blaspemy is it of the Papists who place the Virgin Mary above Christ and most blasphemously pray to her to command her Son to do this or that for them Thou Mother of God command thy Son to hear me There is the like blasphemy found in the hearts of all civil moral men they do place their righteousness above Christs righteousness as if that should command God to open the gates of righteousness that they may enter in thereat O vain men be proud of your own folly and wrap your selves up in your rags and build as high a tower of duties as you can and lay stone upon stone duty upon duty good work upon good work the day is coming when God will justifie this wisdom and tumble you headlong O ye self-justitiaries with all your righteousness into hell your Tower of duties will be but a Babel of eternal confusion and not one stone not one duty shall be left upon another that shall not be a very abomination of desolation 2. We condemn wisdom when we backslide from our professed Religion abjure Christ in his truth set up errour instead of truth or follow profaness and embrace the world in stead of holiness and embracing Christ Is not this a justifying of profaness a justifying of errour and of the world and a condemning of Christ's Religion truth and holiness Now consider 1. This is an upbraiding of Christ as if he were not bountiful enough to engage the hearts of men to follow him as if Great Diana of the Ephesians were far more excellent than the Lord or the Jews Queen of Heaven were better than the blessed God of Heaven 2. It is an upbraiding of his truth as if the traditions of Scribes and Pharisees the vain janglings and disputes and errours of corrupt minds were better than the Oracles of God and the Counsels of God displayed in his word in justifying the errours and traditions of men what do we but condemn the Wisdom of God for foolishness it self yea my Brethren Backsliders do the greatest mischief in the world they do not only condemn Christ and Religion themselves but as the Scribes and Pharisees did suborn false witnesses to accuse him So backsliders do suborn others to condemn Christ and Religion they harden their hearts against Christ and his ways There are many in hell perhaps O Thou backslider that curse thee for their condemnation they had not spoken evil of Religion nor condemned godliness as they did had it not been for thy Apostacy 3. We condemn Christ when we will not suffer him to rule and reign over us as King and Lord when we draw away our neck from the yoke of his holy and righteous Law We put a Kingly Crown upon the head of Christ when we obey him and suffer our whole man to be ruled by his Spirit according to his word but disobedience is a deposing of Christ a depriving him of his Kingly Crown VVe will have no King but Caesar said the wicked Jews when Pilate condemned Christ to die and profane men cry we will have no King but our Lusts or the Devil rather our Lusts are his Law our fulfilling them is subjection and obedience to him Oh how many are there that perform one part of obedience to God and think that enough If they have some shew of godliness it is without justice and honesty they have no care of their word and promise if they have honesty it is without piety they make no conscience of prayer in their closet nor in their family they can dispence with it a week a month or two perhaps together if they have any good desires and purposes they come to nothing Whence that saying There are more good purposes in Hell than in heaven not as framed there but as carried thither for want of being effected upon earth Are there not many that are superficially good but really evil Abel and Cain both Sacrificed and both to the same God the Publican and the Pharisee both did the same Act they prayed and in the same place the Temple and to the same Lord yet was Cain rejected and the Pharisee not justified because though they performed the same act yet not with the same heart and will 4. A scandalous profession of Religion is a condemning of wisdom a scandalous conversation gives not only a lie to our profession but also it justifieth the foul aspersions which wicked men cast in the face of Religion and the Professours of it Strictness of Religion is termed by profane men hypocrisie It is said of Davids gross sins that he caused the enemies of God to blaspheme thus doth every loose professour he causeth the way of God to be evil spoken of Religion is ill reported of for his sake Chrysostom hath a comparison If an Oratour make an ill speech or an Artificer a bad piece of work Men will not condemn Rhetorick for his Duncery nor Art for the Workmans want of skill But it is otherwise in Religion if professours live ill then men presently blame religion as if that were
Father Father I know them not Christ will neither know them nor any of their religious Acts nor acknowledge any thing they have done for him As the Psalmist speaks of dead men They are forgotten and out of mind and their place shall be known no more so it is with such as shall condemn wisdom and deny Christ when they shall cry Lord Lord have we not done this He will be ashamed of such as call him Lord before his Father Chrysostome on that place I know you not said he had rather be stricken through with a thousand thunderbolts than to hear Christ say I know you not Christ will not own any good work or good duty of theirs who have condemned or denied him and his ways all their prayers shall be forgotten as if they had never prayed yea all their duties shall but aggravate their torment he will say to his Father Give double torment to those that have condemned wisdom and yet prayed to Thee in my name 5. Christ will accuse them before his Father These are the persons that would not feed me when I was hungry that when I was thirsty would give me no drink that being a stranger took me not in that when I was naked Matt. 25.40 41. cloathed me not that when I was sick and in prison visited me not these are the men that did basely condemn my ways and shamefully deny me before such and such men This is Judas that betrayed me into the hands of the Jews These are the persons that by their cowardise or covetousness betrayed my truth my worship my religion into the hands of sinners Brethren I know you abhor Judas his fact and would not for a world stand in Judas his coat before God at the day of Judgement Let me tell you to betray the truth of Christ to condemn true wisdom will be reputed as great a sin in that day Nay Christ will not only accuse such but he wil cast them out of his presence and destroy them before the blessed presence of his father he will cast them out from the presence and from communion with Angels and Saints into hell torments Depart ye cursed of God and Christ ye that condemned Religion Depart ye cursed of Angels and of your own Consciences into hell torments What is that worm there that never dieth but thy Conscience of denying and condemning Wisdom 6. Consider the hainousness of the fact what a sin it is to condemn Wisdom and Religion In denying Wisdom you deny Christ himself in condemning Religion you condemn him It is his religion his truth his worship his ways which you condemn therefore in condemning these you condemn Christ himself You condemn him whom God the Father hath justified and glorified and witnessed a good confession of him before men This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased you condemn Christ whom all the Angels adore it is their glory to be his Ministring Spirits in condemning him you condemn the infinite love of God for so God loved the world that he gave his son you deny the Lord of glory the Prince of life the King of Kings the only Saviour You reject the blood of Christ his blood which is more worth than rocks of Pearl than mountains of Gold yea more than if God had given an heaven full of Angels or a world of Creatures for you O what a great sin is it to condemn him who hath bought Thee with his own blood who suffered the wrath of God for us and purchased many glorious priviledges for us To deny or disown a friend that hath been kind and bountiful it is shameful for a Child to deny his Father it is unnatural but for a man to deny or condemn Christ who died for him condemn his redeemer and Saviour it is worse than unnatural if worse can be 7. Look upon the goodness of wisdom A man can have no better than God's truth to maintain and to acknowledge the word of life and salvation no outward means but the Gospel to bring us to Salvation to condemn these we condemn the means of salvation The men of Sodom shall rise up in judgement against the men of Bethsaida the men of Niniveh against the men of Capernaum because they repented at the preaching of Jonas the Bastards of Babylon shall rise up against the daughters of Zion in judgement the Papists shall rise up in judgement against many Protestants for they will not condemn nor betray the Cause of Anti-christ but these men put Christ to open shame and expose the wisdom of God to a world of contempt in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation CHAP. XI An use of exhortation to justifie Wisdom Vse 2 BE exhorted now my Brethren to justifie Wisdom thereby ye shall shew your selves to be the Children of Wisdom stand up in the defence of Christ and religion be not ashamed of him not of his Gospel be ready and willing to suffer any thing for his sake if thou art called thereunto rather die for him a thousand deaths suffer a thousand torments rather than deny him once if ever ye look to have Christ own you to have his Father own you and his holy Angels in all their glory to own you then beware of condemning wisdom plead for his truth justifie wisdom reliove the members of Christ boldly and freely testifie what ye hold and believe in matters of religion constantly affirm this is Christ's Doctrine this is Christ's Religion this and none else is the pure worship of God in Christ Witness a good Confession with your mouths what ye believe in your hearts of Christ and his Doctrine It is not an Arbitrary duty but necessary If an Arian should ask what believest thou concerning Christ Thou must answer I believe him to be very God though all the world were Arian or if a Papist should ask Thee concerning Christ in the Sacrament Thou shouldest answer I believe He is not there bodily Some think it enough if they believe Christ's truth and Religion in their hearts and as for outward affirmation and justification of it in plain words it is rather superfluous at least Arbitrary not necessary No this is not sufficient A man that believeth in his heart his mouth must shew forth his faith If he be perswaded in his heart that this is truth and that is truth he must testifie it in his words As the Apostles they believed in heart that Christ was the Messiah was the Christ and they did confess it with their tongues Thou art Christ the son of the living God This is Jesus the God of glory the Prince of life whom the Jews slew and hanged upon a tree S. Paul did believe the Resurrection and he did justifie the Doctrine of the Resurrection before a whole Council Act. 23.6 Many account it a peice of singular Wisdom either to silence or to dissemble the truth they had rather be accounted Wise and Wicked than Simple and Religious they had
an Ox to follow the drove It is the poorest argument in the world to do as the most do Seneca could say argumentum est turpissimum turba to plead you must do as the multitude do is the basest Argument of all other The multitude do resolve with Hushai but for a worse purpose to worship the rising Sun and Absalom shall now be as much esteemed and honoured by them as ever David himself was when at the highest 2 Sam. 16.18 Of any Religion they are ready to say as he of Absalom whom all the men of Israel shall chuse although with rejecting their true liege Lord his will I be and with him will I abide It was a couragious speech of Luther being urged with the Authority of the Fathers in a point of controversie Quid si mille Augustini mille Chrysostomi mille Hieronymi hoc asserant Ego tamen veritatem loquar What if a thousand Augustines a thousand Chrysostoms a thousand Hieroms do assert this or that yet notwithstanding I will speak the truth Godly men like the wise men will follow Christ as they did the Star leading them to his place their way is like the way of the Mariner guided by the heavens More syderum mortalibus iter perficere Senec. not by the course of the world as Seneca speaks of a good man CHAP. XIII SECT I. Singularity and private humour is the brand that the world puts upon godliness and upon godly men to be singular and humorous but I shall shew you that neither godliness is singularity and humorousness nor are godly men singular and humorous Now to justifie wisdom when the world goes a contrary way is neither singularity nor humour and here 1 COnsider what the profane multitude calleth singulatity because good men will not lie and swear as they do carouse and drink as they do and will not run with them to the same excess of riot therefore profane ones call this strictness preciseness singularity Profane persons are acted by the Devil that wicked Spirit that ruleth in the air and in their hearts and godly men are acted by the Spirit of God Now because God's people are not led by the Devil as they are into open profaness or secret wickedness therefore they are accounted strict singular precise because they follow the thing that is good and not that which is evil therefore they are singular The very light of nature and the morality of heathen men was bitter against the common course of the world one of the Pythagorean sacred rules was per viam publicam ne ingredere Trace not the common steps of the rude multitude Godly men chuse the green and clean way of wisdom and will not walk in the fowl and dirty way of the world is this singularity How many are there who by following the evil examples of the men of the world do come to be defiled therewith VVe read Genes 30.37 How Jacob put himself into a breed of spotted sheep He took rods of green Poplar and of the hasel and chesnut-tree and pilled white strakes in them and made the white appear which was in the rods and he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering trough's when the flocks came to drink that they should conceive when they came to drink when it was breeding time and conceiving before the party-coloured rods they brought forth party-coloured Lambs Such be the examples of evil that we see in the multitude before us they be like Jacob's party-coloured rods and these examples lying in our eye do make us many times to do like them Indeed the world is spotted as Jacob's Lambs were spotted there are both great and little spots to be seen upon it You may look upon some that have great spots upon them tainted with odious and great sins spots of adultery in their eyes spots of drunkenness in their faces spots of blasphemy upon their tongues spots of blood and oppression in their hands spots of pride and vanity upon their backs A man that professeth any religion would blush to have any of these spots seen upon him There are also spots of a lesser size such as are not so odious and foul as those be yet the children of wisdom must keep themselves from these too even from the least of them all The common Religion is the Pharisees Religion if there be no gross sin we can be accused of we thâ—nk all is well enough There be a kind of Serpents that be called Hemorrhoides of no great bigness for they be not a foot long yet if a man be stung with them he bleeds at his ears eyes nose mouth gives not over-bleeding till he dies such be the sins that the multitude count but little sins yet as little as they be they cost the shedding of Christ's blood and they will cost us the best blood we have unless we repent us of them the sooner There be two main evils in those same little sins that we speak of 1. Though they be little they be many what they want in weight they make up in number therefore saith S. Bernard Nemo contemnet quia parva sed timeaâ— quia plura No man will contemn them because they are little but let him fear them because they are many 2. Those same little sins they do always make way for greater entertain one such evil Spirit he will bring in seven with him worse than himself SECT II. II. COnsider that godly men are to be a peculiar People and they ought to be separate from the course of this world There ought to be an endeavour after the same gradual distance between a godly mans course and the course of the world as between the life of Angels and of Devils That phrase of the Apostle is remarkable Apeculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 A godly man must be a fiery zealot for holiness for strictness according to Gods word and must be Zealous against all manner of sin and the course and vanities of this present evil world he remembreth the exhortation that speaks to him and all Christians as unto Children Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if any praise to think on these things that is so to think of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to do them he laboreth in all good things to be best and to incorporate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into every branch of his calling and practice that he may be sound if not in name yet indeed an Aristarchus an Aristobulus the best Governour the best Counsellour the best Neighbour the best Christian He that striveth to have his name among the thirty of David's worthies must labour to be one of the first three or else he may be excluded the Catalogue of the thirty 1 Sam. 23. The Zealous man is like
answered Ego Aeternitati Pingo I paint to Eternity men will judge of my Painting said he an hundred years after I am dead A godly man will give Thee the like answer Thou wonderest at my strictness and frequency in holy duties Oh! I work to Eternity I preach I hear I pray for Eternity I live for Eternity my actions shall be judged many years after my death did you frequently and seriously think that all your actions are to Eternity how strict how holy how zealous how singular would you be CHAP. XV. Use How should this encourage the fearful and put heat and life into our dead frozen spirits to justifie wisdom to be bold for Christ in his cause and not to be dismayed for the threats and revilings of men but justifie wisdom and confess Christ come what will doth the world and do carnal friends suggest a thousand fears a thousand troubles and dangers to thee be not dismayed for all these Tell Souldiers of Pillaging and Plundering of Rich Spoil they regard not the difficulties of war they are not startled at cold hunger thirst nakedness wounds death but slight all for hopes of great spoils Put on O Christians with the like courage in Christs cause you have as ample a reward promised as heart can wish and God is faithful who will surely give it to you Consider this all ye that confess Christ now and justifie wisdom that Christ will confess and own you before men it was an honour to John Baptist when Christ justified him before men Mat. 11.9 10 11. What went ye out to see A Prophet Yea I say unto you and more than a Prophet for this is he of whom it is written Behold I send my Messenger before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee Verily I say unto you among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist What if the world now condemn you for a company of fools Christ will one day justifie you to be the true Children of wisdom and damn the wise generation of Carnal men for meer Ideots yea they that now condemn you shall then justifie you then will they say we fools count them wise we accounted their life madness and their end to be without honour but now they are numbred among the Children of God Sap. 5.4 5 6 7. and their Lot among the Saints therefore have we erred from the way of truth and the light of Righteousness hath not shined unto us and the Sun of Righteousness rose not upon us We wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and destruction c. Moreover Christ will own those that have stood for him as his Members Friends Subjects Servants as they have acknowledged him to be their God Lord King Master and will present them to his Father These are the Children the faithful Servants whom Thou hast given me It were great honour if a Prince should take a man by the hand and before the King and all his people should acknowledge him to be his faithful Servant So it will be a very heaven to be acknowledged by Christ at the last day Christ will testifie before his Father and the holy Angels what they have done for him what they have suffered for him Father behold these men that stand here before thee have suffered reproaches for my Name-sake they were hated reviled persecuted put to death for my sake When many thousands shamefully denied me and cowardly deserted my opposed cause and my persecuted Religion These men stood close to me esteeming the reproaches hatred imprisonments cruelties of the world for my sake greater riches than all the honours preferments treasures of all the Kingdoms of the earth and joyfully suffered all rather than my name should suffer As he will testifie what they have suffered so likewise what they have done for Christ These men fed me when I was hungry gave me drink when I was thirsty clothed me when I was naked visited me when I was sick and in prison O ye my blessed Angels Behold them and rejoyce over them and bid them wellcome into their heavenly Mansions The giving of a cup of cold water to a Disciple shall then be acknowledged how much more the giving away of thy estate thy liberty and the laying down thy life for Christ's sake Christ will also before Angels Saints Devils and wicked men and the whole world declare them the Blessed of his Father and glorifie them with the same glory wherewith he is glorified 1. He will declare them Blessed Come ye Blessed my Father Those that justifie and confess Christ in an evil time are looked upon by an evil and adulterous generation as unhappy lost miserable and undone men as the dross and off-scouring of the world Christ will then declare them to be the only happy and blessed men Come ye blessed blessed of God my Father Blessed of me your Saviour Blessed of all my holy Angels Blessed of all that are blessed yea so highly blessed that all the wicked themselves shall then envy at your blessedness ye were before blessed in the promise but now ye shall be blessed in the fruition you shall see the full accomplishment of the word and promise of God 2. Then will he glorifie them with his own glory Come ye inherit the Kingdom prepared for you heaven was made for you all heavens glory was prepared for you This glory this happiness these Mansions These Everlasting habitations were prepared for you my Throne and Kingdom is yours you shall sit down with me upon my Throne my inheritance is yours ye are joynt heirs with me you and I will divide the heavenly inheritance between us ye are fellow-kings with me you and I shall be happy glorious and rejoyce together as long as eternity lasteth Finally Christ will justifie them before their Enemies who now load them and the way of Christ with all the base calumnies their malitious hearts can imagine and their tongues can vent They condemn the generation of such as justifie wisdom as factious humourists as rebellious and enemies to Caesar though God's faithful Servants and Caesar's loyal Subjects The wicked make the godly unworthy to live so they are to be among a crooked generation they likewise condemn religion in power as hypocrisie and indiscretion Now the Lord will justifie them before their enemies Know ye O mine Enemies ye Children of Belial that these are my faithful Servants they are my dear Children they did but what I commanded them that which you termed hypocrisie in them was the pure religion and what you counted rashness and indiscretion in them was true Zeal and heavenly wisdom Then will Christ avenge them of their Enemies before their faces he will damn the revilers scoffers and opposers of his people before their faces and will cover those with shame and confusion that did put his people to open shame for their justifying of wisdom and for their confessing of his Name and their