meane time his Royall Throne here vpon Earth Isai. 57. 15. what can Man or Deuill or any distrustfull heart say against it And why shouldest thou being such an one be so vnmannerly and vnthankfull nay so vnnecessarily cruell to thine owne heauy heart as not to open the euerlasting doore of thy soule by the key of Faith to let the King of glory knocking with his hand of mercy come in and crowne it with grace and glory with comfort and euerlasting peace II. But alas sayes hee my sinnes are moe then any mans Now when I am searching into the sinke of them I can finde neither banke nor bottome Vnnumbred swarmes of grosse impieties and iniquities thorow my whole life of abominable impurities and pollutions which haue continually defiled my mind heart and affections armed with seuerall stings of terrour doe so restlesly presse vpon my wounded conscience and oppresse it that I cannot I dare not thinke vpon or looke towards any comfort Let them bee what they are and adde thereunto all the sinnes which haue are and shall bee committed by all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the World excepting sinne against the holy Ghost and yet in an hart truly humbled vnder them heartily hating them all cōming with a sincere spirituall hunger at Christs Call to bee disburdened of them they can make no more resistance against the mercies of God then a little sparke of fire against the mighty Sea rhrowne into the midst of it nay infinitely lesse For all these sinnes would still be finite both in nature and number but Gods mercies are euery way infinite Now betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite there is no proportion and so no possibilitie of resistance Whence it is that the Prophet inuiting his people to repentance Esa. 55. 7. by assuring them of Gods sweet mercifull and gracious disposition lest any too fearefull and deiected spirit vndervaluing Gods mercy should thinke thus within it selfe Bee it so yet alas my sinnes are so many and such a sonne of Belial haue I been and so endlesly prouoked the glory of his pure eye that I can expect no mercy the pollutions of my youth haue been so prodigious and infectious that I haue no face to presse vnto his Throne of Grace c. God himselfe doth there purposely preuent the obiection and speaking to our capacitie which cannot comprehend infinity replyes to this sence Oh say not so Stay all such despairefull thoughts doe not cast the incomprehensiblenes of my mercy in the narrow mould of thy finite shallow conceite doe not so vnworthily abridge and confine the vnlimited and boundlesse compassion of the mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes For as the Heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Many a bruised reede would not exchange the comfort which the weakest faith may extract out of this sweetest place for all the Kingdomes of the earth For he saith not that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his wayes and thoughts of mercy are as farre aboue ours as the Heauens are aboue the Earth Indeed as himselfe is aboue man which is infinitely But take notice by the way that the mercies of God doe exercise this infinite vnresistable power onely in truly humbled beleeuing soules heartily hating and sincerely set against all sinne I say so lest any impenitent should peruert this precious point or trample vpon this Pearle For as in such a soule no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse can possibly withstand or stand before Gods infinite mercies so not one drop of all those infinite merceis belongs vnto any that goes on willingly and delightfully hating to bee reformed in any one knowne sinne or that he might know and wilfully forbeares to bee informed As the vnualuable blood of Christ turnes the very scarlet sinnes of the truly broken beleeuing heart into whitest snow so it will neuer wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any vnhumbled Pharise Let none therefore that goes on still in his trespasses take vp any vaine confidence or mis-grounded conclusion of false comfort from hence by misconceiuing thus Is it so that the infinitenesse of Gods mercy cannot bee resisted by the greatnesse or multitude of sinnes being euer finite both in their number and nature how is it possible then that I should misse of those infinites mercies Why may not I comfortably hope that my sinnes also shall be swallowed vp in that bottomlesse Sea I will tell thee why As the power of God though it be infinite yet is limited by his will so the mercies of God though they bee infinite are regulated by his truth He is able to make millions of Worlds moe but yet wee see his Will was but to create one His mercies transcend with immeasurable distance the height of Heauen and depth of Hell and are indeed as Himselfe infinite but his Truth hath told vs that none shall haue part in them but those alone who repent and beleeue Gods Truth reuealed in his Word must euer confine the current of his compassions and is the touchstone to try and qualifie those to whom his mercies belong See then what kind of people are partakers of Gods infinite mercies by the testimony of that Word of Truth by which we must be iudged at the last Day Prou. 28. 13. Luke 4. 18. Isai. 61. 1 2 3. Psal. 15. Ezek. 18. 21. Psal. 147. 3. Isai. 55. 7. Psal. 34. 18. Salomon saith in the cited place Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy How then can he expect any mercy who takes them not to heart but lyes in them still III. Of the pardonablenesse of my other sinnes saith another I could bee reasonably well perswaded but alas there is one aboue all the rest which now vpon discouery and remorse I finde to be full of ranke and hellish poyson of such a deepe and damnable die to haue strooke so desperately in the dayes of my lewdnesse at the very face of God himselfe and farre deepelier into the heart of Iesus Christ then the speare that pierced him bleeding vpon the Crosse and thereupon at this present stares in the eye of my newly awaked and wounded conscience with such horror and grieslinesse that I feare mee diuine iustice will thinke it fitter to haue this most loathsome inexpiable staine rather at length fired out of my soule with euerlasting flames if it were possible that eternall fire could expiate the sinfull staines of any impenitent damned soule then to bee fairely washed away in the meane time with His blood whom I so cruelly and cursedly pierced with it Oh! this is it that lies now vpon my heart like a mountaine of Lead farre heauier then Heauen and Earth and enchaines it with inexplicable terrour to the dust and
was and a by-word amongst the sonnes of Belial as was Iob If the world lowre and looke sowre vpon thee for thy looking towards Heauen and thy good-fellow companions abandon Thee as too precise If thy life be not like other mens and thy waies of another fashion as the Epicures of those times charged the righteous man when the booke of Wisedome was written In a word if thou walkest in the narrow way and be one of that little flock which liues amongst Wolues and therefore must needs bee little so that by all the Leopards Lions and Beares about thee I meane all sorts of vnregenerate men thou art hunted for thy holinesse as a Partridge on the mountaines at least by the poison and persecution of the tongue I say then thou art certainly in the hie way to Heauen 2. If the Saints of God bee men of singularitie in the sence I haue said then away with those base and brainelesse cauils against those who are wise vnto saluation What are you wiser then your fore-fathers then all the Towne then such and such learned men then your owne Parents Are you wiser then your Head may the Husband say c. Nay further to Noah it might haue been said by the wretches of those times Art thou wiser then all the world He out of the height of his heroicall resolution easily endured and digested the affronts and indignities of this kinde from millions of men But take thou these spitefull taunts and binde them in the meane time as a Crowne vnto thee and aduance forward in thine holy singularitie with all sweete content and vndauntednesse of spirit towards that glorious immortall Crowne aboue and let those miserable men whose eyes are hood-winkt by Satan and so blinded with earthly dust that they cannot possibly discerne the inuisible excellencies and true noblenesse of the neglected Saints follow the folly of their worldly wisdome and sway of the greater part to endlesse woe and then giue losers leaue to talke 3. Let euery one who in sinceritie of heart seekes to be saued euer hold it a speciall happinesse and his hiest honor to be singled out from the vniuersall pestilent contagion of common prophanenes and the sinfull courses of the greatest part and to be censured as singular in that respect Neither is this a singular thing that I now suggest but it hath been the portion of the Saints in all ages to be trod vpon with the feete of imperious contempt as a number of odde despised vnderlings whereas indeed they are Gods Iewels and the onely excellent vpon earth Behold saith Isaiah chap. 8. 18. I and the Children whom the Lord hath giuen me and for signes and wonders in Israel I am as a monster vnto many saith Dauid Psalm 71. 7. I am in derision dayly euery one mocketh mee saith Ieremy chap. 20. 7. We are made saith Paul a spectacle vnto the world and to Angels and to men 1. Cor. 4. 9. We are made as the filth of the world the off-scowring of all things v. 13. In Austins time those that made conscience of their waies durst not plunge into the corruptions of the times and play the good fellowes were scornefully pointed at not onely by Pagans but euen by vnreformed Professors Professors at large as we call them as fellowes that affected a precisenesse and purity aboue ordinary and others They would thus insult and scoffingly fly in the face of such an holy one You are a great man sure you are a iust man you are an Elias you are a Peter you come from Heauen c. In after-times if a man were but meerely ciuill ingenuous chaste temperate hee was made a by-word and laughing stocke to those about him They presently said Hee was proud singular beside himselfe Hypocrite c. Thus it was is at this time and will bee to the worlds end that euery stigmaticall Whoremonger beastly Drunkard ignorant Lozell scoffing Ismael and Selfe-guilty wretch will haue a bitter gird a dry blow as they say a scurrill gibe to throw like the Mad-mans fire-brand into the face of Gods people as though they were a company of odde humorous fellowes and a contemptible generation This I say euer was and euer will bee the worlds opinion of the wayes of God The children of darknesse euer harbour such conceits and peremptorily passe such censures vpon the children of light It is strange men are content to be singular in any thing saue in the seruice of God and saluation of their soules They desire and labour too to be singularly rich and the wealthiest in a Town to be singularly proud and in fashion by themselues to be the strongest in the company to powre in strong drinke They would with all their hearts be in honour alone and adored aboue others They would dwell alone and not suffer a poore mans house to be within sight They affect singularitie in wit learning wisedome valour worldly reputation and in all other earthly precedencies but they can by no means endure alonenesse and singularity in zeale and the Lords seruice In matters of Religion they are resolued to doe as the most doe tho in so doing they certainly damne their owne soules Math. 7. 13. Basest cowardlinesse and fearefulnesse fit for such a doome Reuel 21. 8. They are afraid of taking Gods part too much of fighting too valiantly vnder the Colours of Christ of being too busie about the saluation of their soules lest they should bee accounted too precise fellowes of an odde humour and engrossers of more grace than ordinarie It is one of Satans dreadfull depths as wide as hell and brimme-full with the blood of infinite soules To make men ambitious and couetous of singularitie in all other things but in godlinesse and Gods seruices not to suffer it in themselues and to persecute it in others Now in this Story of Noah so highly honoured with singularity of freedome from the sinfull contagion of those desperate times and happily exempted from that most generall and greatest Iudgement vpon earth that euer the Sunne saw an vniuersall drowning gloriously mounting vp vpon the wings of saluation and safety both of soule and body when a world of Giant-like Rebels sunke to the bottome of that new Sea as a stone or lead I consider 1. The cause of such a singular blessed preseruation which was the free grace and fauour of God But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord vers 8. 2. The renowne and honour of Noahs name in that he stands heere as the Father of the new world holy seede and progenitors of Iesus Christ These are the generations of Noah verse 9. 3. The description of Noahs 1. Personall goodnesse 2. Preseruation 3. Posteritie These two latter follow His personall description stands in the end of verse 9. Noah was a iust man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God Where wee finde him honoured with three noble Attributes which make vp the Character
abominable and beastly wretches that wee were wee set our selues with sensuall rage against the very face of heauen lay in actuall high Treason and bore Armes in open Rebellion against that dreadfull Maiestie which might most iustly euery moment of that wofull time haue arrested vs with death arraigned vs at the Barre of his Iustice and throwne vs down into hell What manner of persons then I pray you ought wee to be in the short remainder of those few and euill dayes which are behind Euen to imploy and improoue the vtmost possibilitie of all our naturall acquired and gracious parts our credit calling outward state all our power means occasions aduantages to win and worke out glory vnto God enlargement of Christs Kingdome confusion to the deuils dominion conuersion of others comfort vnto our owne poore soules against our ending houre A fellow that hath loytered a great part of the day in his iourney or businesse and yet must needes reach home and finish his taske will toile and sweat at it towards night double his paines and put all his strength vnto it so we hauing not only been slacke in our businesse about Gods seruice and slow in the way to heauen but euen for many yeeres perhaps runne in a quite contrary course and done the deuils worke must now towards the night of our naturall life and the conclusion of the short span thereof spare no paines double our diligence presse hard to the Price of the high calling quit our selues like men and be strong with an holy violence lay hold vpon the Kingdome of heauen with all zeale courage and resolution labour to redeeme the time past for the dayes are euill and our particular doome for eternitie of ioyes or woes pleasures or paines drawes on apace and is euen at the doore And as consideration of former time cursedly misspent so a fore-conceit also of dreadfull times to come may iustly cause vs to make much of and husband well euery moment wee haue presently in our hands for treasuring vp an heauenly hoard of grace comfort patience and courage against the euill day Though the times as yet bee faire and calme happy and Halcyonian and the Candle of God shines still vpon this Kingdome with extraordinary prosperitie and peace there is no carrying into captiuitie or crying in our streets but euery man is quietly reposed vnder his owne Vine and there refresheth himselfe with the riches and comforts of a good and pleasant land yet as sure as the night followes the day a change will come If the glorious and Triumphant times of the daughter of Ierusalem that men called The perfection of beauty The ioy of the whole earth The glory of all lands were turned into a day of trouble and of treading downe and of perplexitie by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision breaking downe the walles and crying to the mountaines what may wee of this Land looke for if we still turne the grace of God into wantonnesse but at length to bee turned out of our houses of peace as the vnthankfullest and vnworthiest people that euer the Sunne of Heauen saw or the Sunne of Christs glorious Gospell did shine vpon so faire and so long But howsoeuer the Kingdome fare and God deale with vs in publike Onely let me tell you by the way that in the meane time wee stand by a miracle of Gods mercy and a prop of his extraordinarie patience yet euery one of our particular day and doome cannot bee farre off As yet perhaps the Almighty is with vs his prouidence protects our habitations no remarkable affliction hath taken hold vpon vs so that there is no mourning or spectacles of miseries in our families no crying O my father Abraham and O my sonne Isaac O my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne Absalom O Absalom my sonne my sonne And these houses of flesh it may be wherein wee dwell for a few and euill dayes are as yet in reasonable good repaire and it is euery way with vs as it was with Iob in the dayes of his youth when he washed his steps with butter and the rockes powred him out riuers of oyle yet wee may build vpon it as a Principle which neuer failed sinfull mortalitie that dayes of danger and distresse will haue their turne and time also Sorrow and sicknesse perplexitie and feare temptation disertion trouble of conscience the destroying Sword a fierie triall striuing vnto blood Marian times of most abhorred memory or some dreadfull visitation in one kinde or other may seize vpon vs we know not how soone But howsoeuer we escape in the meane time sure I am these fraile bodies of ours after a short while will fall in funder and moulder away into rottennesse and dust and our naked soules must stand at the iust Tribunall of the euerliuing God countable with exactnesse and truth for all things done in the bodie Farre bee it from vs then and euery one that at that last and great Day would not cry to this Rocke and that Mountaine to couer him like sonnes and daughters of confusion to trifle away time in this heate of our spirituall haruest but rather with doubled and extraordinarie resolution let vs gird vp the loynes of our mindes and with all fruitfulnesse and power improoue euery houre of this faire Day of our gracious visitation to treasure vp peace to our poore soules against the stormy winter night of death towards which euery winde driues vs and both sleeping and waking we are posting apace though we perceiue it not 4. Wee must bee countable for time At the dreadfull Barre of that last Tribunall as wee must bee exactly answerable euen for wandring vaine imaginations idle words and euery the very least errour of our whole life nay for not improouing all our gifts goods and graces to the best aduantage for Gods glory for misimployment of our wit vnderstanding memory affections health strength courage learning libertie authoritie policie or any other power or possibilitie which God hath put into our hands so must wee also giue vp a strict account for the expence of euery moment of time Now tell mee at that great and generall Audit whether of these two summes will sound more sweetly in our eares Item so many dayes in Recreation or so many dayes in Humiliation so many houres in Prayer or so many houres in playing at Cards so many weekes in Iouiall reuellings and merry meetings or so many weekes in watching ouer our wayes and walking with God c. A serious fore-conceit of the vnconceiueable comfort of the one and how cold the other will strike vnto our hearts might make vs easily grow into blessed Bradfords care and practise this way of whom it is reported That he counted that houre not well spent wherein he did not some good either with his pen study or in exhorting others c. and not to rush vpon recreations vnseasonably without necessity and warrantable calling 5. The holiest hearts of
comfortable entercourse and blissefull Communion which it enioyes in part with the blessed Trinity by the Word Sacraments and other his holy Ordinances appointed and sanctified for that purpose vntill it remooue from an house of flesh into the Empyrean heauen And then 1. The vnderstanding is first filled with finall and euerlasting contentment by a cleere glorious sight of God which they call Beat ficall vision when we shall see him face to face know him as we are knowne 1. Cor. 13. 12. see him as hee is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. For as the Sunne of this world by his beames and brightnesse illâ—…ghteneth the eye and the ayre that wee may see not onely all other things but also his owne glorious face so God blessed for euer the Sunnes Creator the Imperiall Sunne of the world aboue in whose presence the vnited splendour of ten thousand of our Sunnes would vanish away as a darkesome moate and lumpe of vanitie doth by the light of his holy Spirit so irradiate the mindes of all the blessed that they are thereby enlarged and inabled not only to behold eminently in him the beauty goodnesse and excellency of all creatures in a farre more admirable and orient manner then in their owne beings but also his owne face essence will and counsels perfections and attributes incomprehensible greatnesse and Maiesty 2. Secondly the will also is then fully and for euer satisfied with a perfect inward eternall communion with God himselfe Oâ—…r sweet glorified Sauiour being God and man by his humane nature assumed vniteth vs to God and by his diuine nature assuming vniteth God vnto vs so that by this secret and sacred communion we are made in an admirable and blessed manner partakers and as it were possessours of God himselfe and communicate with him in all his goodnesse perfections excellencies and happinesse O bottomlesse depth and dearest confluence of all ioyes pleasures sweetnesses delights vnconceiueable vnutterable infinite This is the supreme end of our Creation and Redemption the very flower quintessence and sinew as it were of our So ueraigne good By this act of blessednesse we are filled with all the fulnesse of God He becomes vnto vs All in all so that thereby we liue his very life in purity eternity sincerest pleasures highest perfection though not to the height of his infinitenesse for wee are but creatures yet in proportion to our capacitie and vtmost possibility which is a felicitie aboue measure and past imagination In these two acts thus exercised about an infinite Obiect God himselfe doth Blessednesse essentially and formally consist but principally in the fruition of God by a full immediate and compleate communion with him and most blessed participation of all his glory and All-sufficiency And therefore Aquinas and all his followers come short in placing our highest blisse onely in the act of the vnderstanding the Vision of God I am woont to expresse and illustrate it thus though there be an infinite distance and disproportion in the things compared It would mightily delight a man really and in person with ease and safetie to passe ouer and view the circuite of the whole earth and all the wonders of the world all the great cities renowned men magnificent courts rich mines spicie Ilands Chrystall mountaines coasts of Pearles rockes of Diamond c. of which Geographers write and Trauailers talke but if besides as he passed along he should haue sure and euerlasting possession giuen of them all what an immeasurable materiall addition would it make vnto his speculatiue delight And with what strange amazement and admiration of his making for euer and marueilous happines would it rauish his heart Euen so proportionably but aboue all degrees of comparison though a boundlesse Ocean of endlesse sweetnes and inexplicable ioy arise in the soule from the sight of God yet this blissefull communion whereby we possesse and enioy him in a neere excellent vnspeakable maner partake with him in all his excellencies perfections and felicities doth crowne as it were our Crowne of glory and actuate that heart-rauishing contemplation with the very life of euerlasting life and soule of heauenly ioyes and highest blisse Thus and in this manner doe the restlesse wanderings and infinite appetite of these aspiring sparkes of heauen our immateriall and immortall spirits come to finall rest and euerlasting repose When at last they shall graspe in the armes of their desire that chiefest Good the most glorious Deitie and bathe themselues freely and fully in that euer-during Welspring of Immortality and Life But now set aside the fruition of this Obiect infinite both in excellency and endlesnesse the onely aime and end of the soules endlesse aspirations And though thou shouldest crowne a man compleately with the worth of this whole world the admirable splendour of the Empyrean heauen the beauty of a shining Sunne-like body the rich and royall endowments inherent in a glorified soule the sweetest company of Saints and Angels the comfort of eternity yet his soule would still be full of emptinesse and appetite and vtterly to seeke for the surest Sanctuary and supremest solace to settle her vnsatisfied longings vpon Onely once admit it to the face of God by Beatificall Vision and to fruition of the most glorious and euer-blessed Trinity by immediate communion and so consequently to those Torrents of pleasures and fulnesse of ioy flowing thence and then presently and neuer before its infinite desire expires in the bosome of God and it lyes as it were downe softly with sweetest peace and full contentment in the imbracements of euerlasting blisse The other innumerable inestimable ioyes in heauen are I deny not transcendent and rauishing but they are but all accessories to this Principall drops to this Ocean glimpses to this Sunne Well then if this bee the onely way to the soules eternall welfare then those vnhappy soules which runne a contrary course and seeke for satisfaction in any creature or created comfort stand deseruedly still vpon the racke of restlesse discontentment and are iustly cursed with the gnawing rage of vnsatiablenesse and must needs be so For besides 1. That the furious torrent of our sensuall corruption being once on foote after worldly pleasures and swelling by a continuall infusion of hellish poyson doth with an impetuous headstrongnesse beare and breake downe all bonds and bankes of moderation and stint and will neuer be restrained from its vnsatiable rage if God helpe not vntil it be swallowed vp in the bottomlesse gulfe of misery and horrour for it is the natiue property or rather poyson of inordinate affection not onely to drinke deepe of sinfull delights but to carouse to be drunke nay to adde vnquenchable thirst vnto drunkennesse sucking them in with fresh supply of endlesse greedinesse as the Horse-leach corrupt blood till it burst againe 2. That the infinite desire of the soule confined to a creature or any worldly comfort is payned and pinched as a foote wedged in a straight shooe it being no competent or proportionable
corruptions of the times c. by all dearest meanes and vtmost endeauours to leaue them gracious when they goe out of this world And Godlinesse saith Paul hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come It giues right and full interest to all the true honour blessings and comforts which are to be had in Heauen or in Earth 3. Children are ordinarily apt out of a kindly instinct of naturall louingnesse from many and strongest motiues to imitate and follow their Parents either in basenesse or better carriage to Heauen or Hell 4. A father that truly feares God dare not for his heart heape vp riches or purchase high roomes for his children by wrong-doing or any wicked waies of getting whereupon both he and his fare farre the better and happily decline the flaming edge of those many fearefull curses denounced in Gods Book against all vnconscionable dealers Such as that Ecclesiast 5. 13 14. There is a sore euill which I haue seene vnder the Sunne namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt But those riches perish by euill trauell and he begetteth a sonne and there is nothing in his hand And Habac. 2. 9 10. Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on hie that hee may bee deliuered from the power of euill Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule Vses 1. Wouldest thou then haue thy little babes thou louest so dearely blessed vpon earth truly noble Gods fauourites meete thee in heauen Be holy thy Selfe Men are very carefull and curious to haue their seed-corne and breed of cattell choise and generous and will they not endeauour to nurture manage and conduct the immortall soules of their children with grace by godly education to the highest aduancement of which those noble natures are capable euerlasting blisse fruition of all heauenly ioyes world without end 2. This may also serue to reprooue and correct those couetous Bedlams that labour more to haue their children great than good rich than religious It is a madnesse of that kinde which wanteth termes to expresse it That a Man should goe to Hell himselfe and fit his children to follow him in seeking to establish his house and raise his posteritie by Sacriledge Simony Bribery Vsury Oppression Depopulation or any other course of cruelty and wrong For so they lay their foundation in fire-workes which is able to blow vp themselues and their posterity body and soule roote and branch 3. Let this fill the heart of the dying Christian with sweetest peace For whereas the bloody knife of prophane mens vnconscionable and cruell negligence in training vp their children religiously doth sticke full deepe in their soules and leauing this life they bequeath vnto them the curse of God together with their ill gotten goods he haply finds his conscience by reason of his former thirsty desire and sincere endeauour to doe his children good spiritually freed from the horrour of such bloud-guiltinesse and leaues them to that comfortable outward estate which no iniury or vsurie hath impoysoned and to that neuer-failing prouidence of our heauenly Father which then is wont to worke most graciously and bountifully for vs when wee renouncing the arme of flesh the fauour of man riches of iniquitie and all such broken staues of reede depend most vpon it If wee will needs bee our owne caruers for things of this life either by right or wrong fraud or faire dealing all is one so that wee may thriue and grow great in the world then are we iustly cast off from all mercifull care ouer vs and exposed to ruine and curse But if wee rest sincerely for our selues and ours vpon the all-powerfull Prouidence it will neuer faile nor forsake vs but euer exercise and improoue its sweetnesse and wisedome for our true and euerlasting good In the third Point a description of Noahs spirituall state which is the compleate Character of a true Christian consisting of three Attributes 1. Iustnesse 2. Sinceritie 3. Piety I collect from the first this note Doct. Euery truely religious Man is also a righteous and true-dealing man From the second this Doct. Sinceritie is the sinew and Touch-stone of true Christianitie But these two I haue so often pressed in the course of my Ministery that I will pâ—…sse by them at this time Looke what kinde of honestie to men that is which is not accompanied with Religion towards God the same is that Religion towards God which is not attended with honestie to men Unhonest religion irreligious honesty vnsincere religion and honesty are all in one predicament as they say and all out of the right path If thou haue respect onely to the commandements of the first Table and outward performance of religious seruices but neglect duties of the second and conscionable carriage to thy brethren Thou art but a Pharise and formall Professour If thou dealest iustly with thy neighbour and yet be a stranger to the mysterie of godlinesse canst not pray sanctifie the Lords Day submit to a sincere and searching Ministerie c. which the first Table enioynes Thou art but a meere ciuill man If thou put on a flourish and outward face onely of obedience and conformitie to both and yet be true-hearted in neither as did the Pharises Math. 23. 14 23. thou art but a grosse Hypocrite Beare thy selfe holily towards God honestly towards Man and true-heartedly towards both or thou art no Body in Christs Kingdome but still in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie Put on righteousnesse and true holinesse in this life or thou shalt neuer put on a Crowne of glory in the life to come In His generations which were many and mainely corrupt In that then Noah stood out and stucke vnto God thorow so many ages and against so wicked a world we may learne Doct. That constancie is euer an inseparable Attendant vpon true Christianitie But because a double constancie is heere implyed 1. One in respect of continuance of time 2. Another in respect of opposition to the corruptions of the times I may obserue two points Doct. 1. Grace once truely rooted in the heart can neuer be remooued See for this purpose Rom. 11. 29. Mat. 24. 24. 1. Ioh. 2. 19 27. Ioh. 10. 28. Rom. 8. 35. Luk. 22. 32. 2. Cor. 1. 21 22. Ephes. 4. 30 c. Reasons may be taken from 1. The dearenesse strength constancie inuiolablenesse of God the Fathers loue vnto His Children It is dearer then a Mothers to her sweetest Babe Isa. 49. 15. It is stronger then the mountaines Esa. 54. 10. It is as constant as the courses of the Sunne and Moone and Starres of the day and of the night Ier. 31. 35 36. and 33. 20 21. It is as sure as God Himselfe Psal. 89. 35 c. 2. Christs triumphant session and intercession at His Fathers
and cunning traine of Satan may bee haled backe to commit his sweete sinne againe especially if it bee of some nature though it be a very heauy case and to bee lamented if it were possible with teares of blood yet hee neuer doth nor can returne to wallow in it againe or allow it After such a dreadfull relapse his heart bleeds afresh with extraordinarie bitternesse of penitent remorse hee abhors himselfe in dust and ashes as exceedingly vile cries more mightily vnto God in a day of humiliation for the returne of his pleased countenance repaires and fortifies the breach with stronger resolution and more inuincible watchfulnesse against future assaults and all assayes of re-entry But now the temporarie I talke of after his formall enforced forbearance engulphs himselfe againe with more greedinesse into the pleasures and sensualitie of his bosome sinne lies and delights in it againe as the very life of his life and hardens himselfe more obstinately in it as a thing impossible to leaue and liue with any comfort Vpon his returne the vncleane spirit râ—…ges more then before Thus to lend thee some light for a more full discouerie and thorow disintanglement out of its pleasing snares I haue intimated briefly what a beloued sinne is what thine may bee and how thou mayest bee deceiued about it For if thou wouldest truely taste how gracious and glorious the Lord is in a sweet communion with His blessed Maiestie if thou wouldest be intimately acquainted with the mystery of Christ wherein are hid infinite heauenly treasures and such pleasures as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man if thou wouldest euer bee fitly qualified to walke humbly with thy God in the way which is called Holy as thou must fall out for euer with all finne so must thou principally and impartially improoue all thy spirituall forces and aide from heauen vtterly to demolish and beate to the ground the deuils Castle to dethrone and depose from its hellish tyrannie ouer thee that grand impoisoner of thy soule and strongest barre to keepe out grace all acquaintance and sweetest entercourse with God thy bosome sinne Take notice by the way that sith wee concurrently and constantly teach that iustifying Faith doth purifie the heart from the raigne allowance of any lust or lewd course and plants by the power of the holy Ghost a sincere vniuersall new obedience and regular respect to all Gods commandements to all good workes of Iustice Mercy and Truth and that wee neither doe nor dare giue any comfort to any man of his being iustified and assured of Gods loue that goes on impenitently in any one knowne sinne against his conscience hating to be reformed I say sith it is thus take notice how vnworthily wrongfully the Antichristian Doctors hauing receiued foreheads from the Whore of Babylon deale with vs in this point Heare them speake So that their iustification meaning ours saith Fitzhâ—…rbert may according to their opinion stand with all wickednesse These words saith Arnoux meaning of the French Confession are set downe to assure the wickedst man that is of the righteousnesse of the Sonne of God By the application of Christs satisfaction by faith saith Lessius he meaning the Protestant is reputed iust before God though he finde no change of will at all within The skarlet Fathers in the Trentish Conuenticle say that Luther from iustification by faith alone collected not onely that good workes are not necessarie but also that a dissolute libertie in obseruing the Law of God and of the Church will serue the turne Bellar. also comes in with his videntur They seeme saith he altogether to thinke that a man may be saued although hee doe no good workes nor obserue Gods Commandements Which hee there onely seemes and assayes to proue but indeed playes the calumniating Sophister The iustifying faith of the Aduersaries saith hee in another place takes clearely away Prayer Sacraments Good workes and whatsoeuer God hath instituted for our saluation The Protestants saith Stapleton will haue certainty of grace to be in a man not onely without any respect necessitie consequence presence or conueniencie of good workes but also whatsoeuer sinnes being present The Rhemists also most slanderously affirme that wee condemne Good workes as vncleane sinfull hypocriticall Arnoldus also swels with malicious Popish poison and the rancour of a slanderous spirit when hee fathers vpon vs such falshoods as these as though we should teach that all men are bound to beleeue that they are elected to eternall life that we bid all wicked men be secure as those who can fall from saluation by no villanies Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan who â—…ittest with such extreme malice falshood in the foule mouthes of the Popish Proctours and Rabshakehs of Rome that they should with such prodigious lies and villanous slanders reuile the Lords Champions and traduce the glorious heauenly truth of our most holy and righteous Religion But to my purpose and to conclude the point Thou must either with a resolute and euerlasting diuorce abandon and abominate thy bosome sinne thy darling delight to the pit of hell whence it hath formerly receiued much enraged sensuall poison to the wofull wasting of thy conscience and the stronger and longer barring thee from grace or else thou must continue an euerlasting stranger from all communion and conuersing with God thou shalt neuer be able to meet him in his Ordinances with true reuerence and delight or looke him in the face with comfort at the last day II. Scorne with an infinite and triumphant disdaine to serue the mighty Lord of heauen and earth seruilely slauishly or formally for by-respects priuate ends or any thing saue his owne sweet gracious glorious Selfe Hate hypocrisie from the very heart-roote Which foule fiend painting her selfe more vnobseruedly in the warme Sun and shining prosperitie of the Gospels flourishing estate with an outward gilt and superficiall tincture doth with greater varietie and stronger imposture deceiue both mens owne soules and others in the glorious noone-tide thereof Nay this great Agent for the Prince of darknesse is so politicke and pragmatical that he preuailes too much many times euen in the declination of that glorious Sunne in the disacceptation and dampe of profession and forwardnesse For though at this day Professours of the gracious Way bee in greatest disgrace with the most and a drunkard a swaggering Good-fellow an Vsurer a sonne or daughter of Belial shall finde more fauour applause and approbation with the world then a man which makes conscience of his wayes so that it may seeme the greatest madnesse that may bee to make profession of Religion hypocritically yet euen in these times there are some causes in which the deuill takes occasion to cause some to play the Hypocrites notoriously 1. Some there may be who being weake and worthlesse yet vaine-glorious and ouer-greedy of reputation finding
contempt of the world resolute hatred of sinne in approouing our hearts in Gods presence a sweete communion with him comfortable longing for the comming of the Lord Iesus c. Yet mistake me not thou must make a shew professe and talke if thou wouldest haue Christ Iesus to owne thee at that last and dreadfull Day Mark 8. 38. It is therefore an idle and brainelesse cauill of some lewd ignorant Lozels to say We can by no meanes endure these shewes Cannot a man bee religious to himselfe except he hang out his flag and let all the world know it For where the power of Religion is there will bee the shew also Painted fire shines not ascends not heates not but true fire is euer inseparably attended with these properties We cannot put a Candle in a Lanthorne but the light will shew it selfe thorow the hornes if true grace bee planted in the heart it will shine forth in our words gestures actions all carriages and our whole conuersation He that will take shewes from the substance of Religion let him take brightnesse from the Sunne glistering from Gold breathing from a liue-body Shew and profession of Christ before men is commanded as well as the substance and soundnesse of heart Rom. 10. 9 10. Thou must bee a patrone and in some good measure a practiser of precise points if euer thou wilt haue true peace and assurance of walking in the narrow path that leades vnto life as of walking precisely Ephes. 5. 15. Being feruent in spirit Rom. 12. 11. Striuing to enter in at the strait gate Luke 13. 24. Selfe-deniall 14. 26. Surpassing the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 5. 20. Laying violent hands and hold vpon the Kingdome of Heauen Mat. 11. 12. In a word of the way which is called holy and yet so spoken against euery where Act. 28. 22. For I meane only that precisenesse which is commended vnto vs and commanded by the blessed Spirit in Gods pure and holy Word I know all passages of sanctification are too precise and paradoxes intolerable and burdensome to flesh and blood and in the interpretation of worldly wisedome which notwithstanding are easie and sweet to mortified men Thou must stand at the staues end against the sinnes of the times and like the Eagle prune vp thy selfe against a storme or else thou art a temporizer Outward exercises of Religion are as it were the bodie without which the soule of Christianitie hath no existence Thou must be content to abridge and confine thy Christian liberty at any time according to opportunities and exigents for the enlargement of Gods glory the building vp of thy brother and snaffling thine owne rebellious nature Thou mayest and must iudge by the fruits It is Christs Rule Matth. 7 16. If therefore thou seest the abominable and vnsauory fruits of lying swearing drunkennesse Sabbath-breaking vsury scoffing at Religion c. hanging out in the fight of the Sunne thou mayest iustly censure the tree to be rotten and for the present fewell for the fire of Hell Thou mayest iudge no man rashly nor of his finall estate If we see a malefactour cast and condemned for some grieuous crime yet reprieued vnto the next Assize no man can say he shall be certainely hanged because a pardon may be procured and come from the King in the meane time it is so in the present case But thou mayest call a spade a spade a drunkard a drunkard an vsurer an vsurer Otherwise if thou dawbe and dissemble how shalt thou euer be able to escape liablenesse to that abomination Prou. 17. 15. He that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the iust euen they both are abomination to the Lord And to the sting of that woe Isai. 5. 20. Woe vnto them that call euill good and good euill that put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse that put bitter for sweete and sweete for bitter Yet know that speaking the euill thou certainely knowest by another must be seasonable charitable and discreete not out of humour spleene imperiousnesse at thy pleasure but for Gods honour the good of the party thine owne discharge vpon a warrantable calling c. according to those Rules I shall hereafter deliuer for guiding the tongue My meaning then in this point is that those greater matters be dearliest prized and principally plied proportionably to their worth and waight and yet these lesser things not neglected It is too true that those who are more fierce and forward about the ceremonials and circumstantials then truly hot and zealous in the essentials and substantials of Christianity prooue too often vaine-gloriously and proudly mounted vpon that foule hellish fiend Hypocrisie and posting apace towards some fearefull Apostacy or Anabaptisticall phrensie VI. Let thy spirit mindfull of its owne heauenly birth immortall nature and euerlasting home euer generously fortifie it selfe with victorious resolution against worldlinesse the canker and cut-throate of all heauenly-mindednes and hearty conuersation aboue Of all the foule fiends that haunt the hearts of carnall men there is none that holds a stronger opposition and counter-motion to walking with God then couetousnesse Ambition sensualitie and other wayes of death cut off their slaues with an accursed disacquaintance and estrangement farre enough from all comfortable accesse vnto the Throne of Grace but affections nailed and glued to the Earth haue this pestilent precedency that they hold the remotest point of declination from the warmth and influence of any sweete communion with the Sunne of righteousnesse and Gods glorious face All earthly-minded men ordinarily howsoeuer they may be outwardly restrained and reserued are secret deriders of the power of godlinesse holy strictnesse of the Saints and mysteries of Grace And the Pharises also saith Luke chap. 16. 14. who were couetous heard all these things and they derided him euen mockt and made themselues merry with the searching and heart-piercing Sermons of the Sonne of God Their hearts and hopes are wholly anchored vpon the Earth and lockt vp in their chests and therefore they dreame of no other heauen then their golden hoards heapes of wealth and present temporall happinesse Whereas notwithstanding one refreshing glimpse shining and shed into our hearts from Gods pleased face and well-grounded assurance of being His is infinitely more worth then all the Gold that euer the Sunne made or shall make while it stands in Heauen VII Let thy holy affections bee euer thorowly warmed and rauisht extraordinarily with the loue of God To which there are infinite inflaming motiues and Obligations 1 Hee being absolutely considered is immeasurably louely The most attractiue obiects of insatiable loue and al amiable excellencies are eminently and transcendently triumphant in him eternally Beauty Glory Worth Wisedome Greatnesse Goodnesse Holinesse Puritie any thing euery thing that is any wayes admirable and loue-worthy 2. Or consider Him in relation to thy selfe and shouldest thou euery moment thorow an interminable time lay down ten thousand liues for His sake thou couldest
neuer come neere the requitall of the least inch of His infinite loue towards thee which reacheth from euerlasting to euerlasting 1. He bore thee in the bosome of this His free loue from all eternitie and that so dearely that from the same eternity He decreed that His owne deare Sonne should die for thee 2. Hee brought thee out of the abhorred state of being nothing into the ranke of his reasonable and noblest creatures 3. Hee bought thee againe when thou hadst wilfully lost thy selfe with the hearts-blood of His onely Sonne 4. He preserues thee euery day from a thousand dangers a thousand deaths which might seize vpon thee both from within and from without 5 He will shortly crowne thee with euerlasting life fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore 3. Thirdly confider the vnquenchable impatiencie of Christs inflamed loue vnto thee now washed with His Blood and beautified with His grace Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast rauished my heart saith He to the Church and by consequent to euery true Christian my sister my spouse thou hast rauished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy necke Now loue is of that alluring nature that many times it will draw loue from a man when there is no louely part in the partie louing What a deale of loue then doth the Soueraigne Lord of all goodnesse the well-spring of all beauty excellencie and sweetnesse exact at our hands especially sith wee are his meere creatures in respect both of our naturall being outward state gracious state and state of glory See how His spirituall amiablenesse is shadowed by outward beauties Cant. 5. 10. VIII Prize the fruition of Gods pleased face a neerer communion and acquaintance with His blessed Maiestie the loue and light of His countenance and thereupon a free and frequent accesse with an humble boldnes vnto the throne of Grace at a far higher and more vnualuable rate than heauen and earth as a very reall fruitfull fore-taste of eternall ioyes For to say no more at this time If thou hold an holy familiaritie with thy God and He looke pleasedly vpon thee thou shalt graspe Iesus Christ more sweetly and feelingly in the armes of thy Faith partake more plentifully of the ioyfull freedome presence and communication of His comforting Spirit be garded more strongly and narrowly by His glorious Angels sucke more sweetnesse and heauenly Manna out of the Ministerie and other His blessed Ordinances walke in safetie amongst the creatures like an vnconquerable Lyon Thou shalt bee in a league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee when thou goest thy gate shall not be straite and when thou runnest thou shalt not fall when thou sleepest thy sleepe shall be sweet thou shalt dwell safely and none shall make thee afraid Thou shalt neuer more be afraid of any euill tidings or of destruction when it commeth when thou passest thorow the waters thy God shall bee with thee and thorow riuers they shall not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee c. And if at any time thou bee seized vpon with any crosse or calamitie from any of the creatures any trouble or temptation from man or Deuill any lowring or crueltie from the iniquitie of the times or persecuters of the Truth yet the refreshing beames of Gods pleased face shining vpon thy heart through the darknesse of such discomforts will sweetly mitigate reuiue and infinitely make amends for all The poyson and curse of them shall neuer come neere thy soule The Lord in the meane time like an Eagle flutttering about her nest will most tenderly defend and protect thee Esa. 31. 5. and at length most certainly come like a yong Lyon roaring on his prey for thy rescue and glorious enlargement Isa. 31. 4. IX Labour by a constant watch to keepe thy heart in a spirituall temper still and still sweetly content and fruitfully conuersant in the Mystery of Christ and Secrets of His Kingdome which thou shalt more easily doe If thou first reioyce in God his Word Graces as thy chiefest ioy and greatest aduantage 2. By all earthly things be drawne to the loue of heauenly For though God hath appointed but one Sabbath in seuen dayes for his more solemne publike worship yet to a Christian euery day is sanctified to be a rest from all the deeds of the flesh wherein he is to walke with his God and shew forth the religious keeping of his heart and good conscience in euery action of his whole life so making euery passage of his particular Calling a part of Christian obedience and dutie vnto God 3. Let the noblenesse of thine inlarged Spirit as infinitely disdaine to be any wayes vpon any termes in bondage to the corruptions of the times so finde a farre sweeter rellish and take incomparably more contentment in the seruices of thy Lord and his holy Ordinances then in all his outward benefits and fauours of this life For as the best of these abused will most certainly at the Barre of God turne scourges and Scorpions to the worldling conscience and in the meane time there is no man so assured of his honour of his riches health or life but that hee may be depriued of either or all the very next houre or day to come so the other will prooue vnto the Christian hauing beene conscionably and constantly exercised in them as a rich stocke to bring in comfort patience and inward peace in his most neede and greatest extremity 4. Assoone as thou discouerest any spirituall weakenesse or decay any extraordinarie assault temptation deadnesse c. complaine betime cry mightily vnto God giue him no rest neither giue ouer seeking vntill hee returne vnto thy soule with power and life againe If ordinarie meanes will not preuaile presse vpon him with extraordinary if then he doe not reuiue thee with woonted quickning vigour waite with a patient wakefull longing of all the powers of thy soule and then all this while thy soule is still in its true spirituall temper and a most blessed state See Isa. 30. 18. 5. Decline watchfully all occasions of falling from thy first loue feruencie and heauenly-mindednesse as spirituall pride knowne hypocrisie desire to be rich discontinuance of thine intimatenesse with the godly neglect of thy particular Calling or dayly watch ouer thy heart vngodly company forme in religious duties coldnesse and customarinesse in the vse of the meanes c. 6. Suffer not thine affections to bee chained downe and set too much vpon those things which the common sort and greatest part of men seeke after insatiably and slauishly sinke vnder praise profit credit acceptation with the world fauour of great Ones mirth pleasures ease feare sorrow earthly contentment preferment wealth long life or any worldly thing but debase and dis-esteeme all other delights in respect of doing Gods will
and quenched let a Christian but for a while abandon his holy conference and comfortable communion with Gods children and plunge himselfe into the company of those who are but cold and carelesse lazie and luke-warme Professors and he shall in very short time find his zeale to be very much cooled his forwardnesse abated the tendernesse of his conscience too much qualified with worldly wisedome much dulnesse of heart deadnesse of spirit drowzinesse and heartlesnesse in his affections to holy things and an vniuersall decay of his graces insensibly to grow vpon him In this respect many Christians doe themselues much wrong and afflict their soules with many vnnecessary spirituall miseries For they doe sometimes vnaduisedly by reason of kindred for old acquaintance aduantage and carnall contentment because of the worldly wisedome immunity from grosse sinnes and other good parts of the parties hold a too neere intimate and delightfull correspondence with such as are but onely ciuill men or Pharises at the best with whom spending most of their time and they wanting both heart and skill to vphold any holy conferences or to affoord any reciprocall or mutuall helpe in the feeling passages of sanctification are occasions to put Gods Children out of vse and vre with the language of Canaan from the embracement of many ioyfull considerations and exercise of those comfortable Meditations and holy conuersation aboue which Christian company would occasionally and seasonably put into them and keepe fresh and working in their mindes and by consequent bereaue them thereby of much zeale comfort feelings of Gods fauour ioyfull springings of heart boldnesse in their wayes cheerefulnesse in the exercises of Religion and that comfortable fruition of other prerogatiues of Christianity which many other of their brethren doe and they by the benefit of religious companions and delightfull conuersing with the Saints might plentifully enioy Apprehend this passage aright I say a Christian may be much worsened and weakened in his graces by companying too much and conuersing delightfully with the meere ciuill man or Whited Tombes For he may spend with such men whole weekes nay moneths and yeeres and haue not one word of sanctified discourse and holy talke ministred vnto him Scarce a word to bee had from them of the Word of God and way to heauen no conference of the secrets of Sanctification of perplexities of conscience of their euerlasting abode together in the Mansions of heauen Motions that way would bee very irkesome and tedious vnto them such talke would quickly beget silence melancholy sadnesse and a desire to breake off company Now the Christian by this meanes neither hauing his tongue exercised nor his eares much acquainted with edifying Christian discourse growes neglectiue of storing his memory with holy things vnzealous and cold in the apprehensions of heauen dull and heartlesse to godly duties If thus what infection then from notorious and lewd companions But aboue all in this point the fellowship of the Papist is most pernicious for by him a man is in danger both of hauing his vnderstanding and iudgement corrupted with heresie and his life and conuersation infected with impiety There are two steps and passages as it were out of the state of prophanenesse into the Paradise of Christianitie 1. Illumination of the vnderstanding with sauing knowledge 2. Sanctification of the heart with speciall grace Now the Papist labours to peruert and impoyson both For commonly you shall finde the Papist to be stigmatized and branded with a double marke Hee receiues one immediately from the Beast a brand of Idolatry And Satan commonly fastens vpon him another speciall marke some notorious and scandalous sinne in his conuersation as swearing lying vncleannesse the vanities of good-fellowship Sabbath-breaking or such like For we must know that Antichristianisme cannot produce sanctification and therefore you shall commonly finde euery Papist to lye in some raigning sinne howsoeuer formall deuotion is the highest perfection attainable in that Antichristian state By Popish company then a man is in danger of corruption both in his vnderstanding and conuersation By the lewd which yet make profession of Gods Trueth of infection with notoriousnesse in conditions By meere ciuill honest men and formall Professors of defection from zeale and forwardnesse at the least 2. As the Christian incurres by the company of prophane men euident hazard either of infection with their sinnes if they bee notorious or defection from zeale and forwardnesse if they be something more tolerable and formall so he is euery houre which hee is in their company without a warrantable calling and iust dispensation out of the Word and from a good conscience in great danger of being inuolued within the flames of the iust confusions and inwrapt within the compasse of those outward curses and plagues which Gods indignation inkindles and inflicts vpon wicked men All prophane men being vnreconciled to God are euery moment liable to all those miseries and fearefull iudgements which either man or deuill any of Gods creatures or his owne immediate hand can bring vpon them They are onely respited and reserued by Gods mercy and deferred onely vnto those opportunities and seasons which seeme best and fittest to his holy Wisedome Now if when they light vpon them as they may iustly at any time any of Gods Children bee found amongst them vnwarrantably and delightfully it is righteous with God that he receiue his portion amongst them at that time and bee fearefully infolded within the fury of the greatest temporall visitation It is righteous with God that if his owne Child will needs bee vnwarrantably familiar with his enemy that he also bee partaker of any temporall plague especially with his enemy euen to the losse sometimes of his naturall life Take then I beseech you the holy counsell of the blessed Apostle Eph. 5. 7. Bee not therefore companions with them And let his reason fright you out of their company Let no man deceiue you saith he with vaine words for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience For such things to wit fornication vncleannesse couetousnesse filthinesse foolish talking iesting and such like Take heed therefore of conuersing with the practisers of these vncomely things 2. Secondly there must very shortly bee an euerlasting separation betweene the Christian and prophane men at the farthest they must part vpon their death-beds and neuer see one another againe vnto the day of Iudgement and then they must shake hands for world without end For there is set betwixt them by Gods immutable and irreuocable Decree a vast and immeasurable gulfe which stands as fast and vnremooueable as God Almightie in his Throne of Maiestie so that they can neuer possibly meete Betweene vs and you saith Abraham to the rich man in hell there is a great gulfe fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to vs that would come from thence If it be so then that after an inch of
bee cast in their way I meane a seasonable reproofe ministred vnto them they trample it in the mire and with a bruitish basenesse tread it vnder foote because indeed they hate to be reformed and are sottishly and stubbornly resolued not to exchange these worldly pleasures which they haue in present possession and pursuite for the glory of an hundred heauens which Preachers so much talke of but they cannot taste of or tell when to come thither 2. Other Swine there are as it were both in practise and profession who besides their hating to bee reformed and obstinate resolution not to forgoe their present pleasures or forsake their former wayes are also possessed with a spirit of scoffing These are rather wild Boares for with a furious and Giant-like insolency and outrage they prouoke and challenge the mighty Lord of heauen about the truth of his Iudgements and Promises making a mocke of them Let all sensuall and Swinish wretches consider this and tr◅mble who with sinnefull greedinesse feed vpon earthlinesse and Epicurisme and hate to be reformed who wilfully wallow in the mud and filth of vanishing pleasures and will not be washed who many and many times come vnto continue at and depart from the house of God with a settled purpose and resolution not to suffer their hearts to bee mastered by the power of the Ministery or to change their old fashions say the Preacher what he will but to liue and end their dayes in their ordinary former courses of prophanenes and good-fellowship They may reade their doome and vengeance that dogs them at the heeles Psalm 50. 21 22. Cursed also is the condition of all you that are scoffers at godlinesse and good men You haue wearied your selues so long in walking and standing in wicked wayes that you are not set downe at rest in the chaire of scorners And therefore all those that stand on the Lords side are commanded by Christ there to leaue you in your damned case and to disquiet you no further And what an horrible depth of spirituall misery is this That you runne furiously towards the pit of hell and must haue no body to stay you not a man to call and cry vnto you to tell you that the fiery Lake is a little before you Though we haue thus much light from the natural properties of Dogs and Swine to descrie and delineate those fellows to whom by Christs commandement Pearles and holy things admonitions and reproofes are not to be vouchsafed yet Christians are sore troubled many times how to behaue themselues whē to speake when to hold their peace whom to repute Dogs and Swine whom not when vpon some vnauoidable necessitie or by the exigency of their Calling they are vnwillingly and vnawares plunged into the company of prophane wretches whose ordinary talke is the language of Hell oathes scurrill iests iesting vpon the holy conuersation of the Saints slandering good men disgracing the wayes of sinceritie and such other base and Bedlam-discourse But I do not see how any constant rules or immutable direction can be giuen for Christian carriage in this case it is so variable and clothed with such varietie of circumstances and constancy of alterations The aduice which I would giue in this point to the Christian is this when he is perplext what to do in this regard amongst prophane company let him consult with these bosome counsellours looke vnto his spirituall wisedome to his heart and to his conscience These must bee his guides and informers in these cases and they are counsellors euer at hand he carries thē in his bosom 1. His spirituall wisedome is to guide him in a right apprehension and discretion of circumstances and to define the opportunitie and seasonablenesse when hee is to interpose and in what manner to oppose against their furious and rotten speeches It must tell him secretly and suggest vnto him when the cause of God or the innocency of a good man calls specially vpon him for an apologie and at what time he hath a calling thereunto It must informe him how he must reprooue whether directly and downe-right or by intimation and indirectly whether personally or in the generall whether in a faire and milder manner or with a more bold and resolute spirit whether presently vpon it and in hot blood as it were or afterward to take occasion to censure the same sinne with aggrauation of the odiousnes and damnation of it whether only by discountenance or discourse by a silent disapplause which I think may be sufficient for some men at some times in some companies or with solemne protestation a professed opposition and dislike c. 2. Let him also looke to his heart That his reproofe spring not from any imperious humour of censuring and medling with his brethren from a proud veine of contradicting and controlling others out of a Scoical sowrenesse and commanding surlinesse from any purpose to disgrace and grieuethe partie from a formall affectation of Pharisaicall seuerity from a secret ambitious desire of purchasing an opinion and reputation of forwardnesse by being forward in finding faults or from any other by-respect but from an heart truly humbled with ◅ight and sence of its owne infirmities zealously thankfull vnto God for preseruing him from the like outrage and excesse in sinne graciously resolued into compassion and commiseration of the offender lifted vp in a secret supplication for the pardon of its owne sinne successe of the reproofe and saluation of the party all at once vnto the Throne of Grace c. 3. His conscience must guide and hold him in the right path and golden meane betweene two extremes which ordinarily in these cases men are very apt to incurre I meane faint-hearted silence and furious zeale 1. Men many times by reason of a sinfull irresolution and vnchristian cowardlinesse would gladly make all such offenders Dogs and Swine that thereby they might challenge the priuiledge of exemption from the discharge of that Christian dutie of reproofe Though their eares be filled with the oathes and blasphemies of those that are about them and grated vpon with gracelesse raylings against good men and foule disgracements of the wayes of God yet they neuer open their mouth as though there could bee any nobler obiect or exercise of their best eloquence and greatest courage then the iust defence of Gods glory and Christians innocency Oh! these are vile cowards in good causes and a kind of traitors to the state of Christianitie By such sinfull silence they labour to purchase a name of No-meddlers in other mens matters of mercifull men to their Brethrens infirmities of plausible companions of wiser and more moderete Christians But let them know that such No-medling is a kind of soule-murthering such mercifulnesse is crueltie such plausiblenesse is pernicious such wisedome is not that of the Serpent commended by Christ but the wilynesse of that great red Dragon suggested by Hell Nay some men are so strangely lewd and gracelesse that they can
by-standers to conceiue that howsoeuer they bee not so precise and forward or make so great a show as others yet they are fully as honest men as they and may perhaps step into heauen before them 3. To wreake their spite vpon the children of Light who are euer eye-sores and heart-sores to all sorts of sinners Hee meaning the righteous man saith the Author of the Booke of Wisdome though Apocryphal yet ancient is grieuous vnto vs euen to behold for his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion And it angers them at the very heart-roote to consider that whereas they hope and hold themselues sufficiently qualified for Heauen yet the righteous mans forwardnesse zeale and liuing of another fashion if ingenuousnesse dispell the mist of preiudice clearely remonstrates to their owne consciences and proclaimes aloud to all spiritually vnderstanding men that in truth and vpon tryall they are in the state of wretchednesse and of the family of Hell Hereupon it is that they labour might and maine with many disgracefull censures to dimme the glory of his goodnesse and if it were possible by publishing their owne malicious surmises others slanderous tales or spitefully aggrauated frailties to pull him backe at least in opinion of their fauourites and dependants to the same measure of infirmities and pitch of impietie with themselues But now the ends which humble Christians propose vnto themselues of iust dislikes and seasonable censures of vnsanctified men are briefly such as these 1. To preserue their thoughts innocent from accessarinesse to sinne by a secret inuisible allowance of it in other men and their tongues from cowardly silence when they haue a calling to disgrace it 2. Left a Knaue goe for an honest man and hypocrites deceiue true-hearted Nathaneels 3. Left the power of Christianitie wherein Gods glory is highly interessed suffer and be vnderualued For instance Thou hearest sometimes a fellow notoriously branded with some infamous sinne yet so spoken of by some dawbers with vntemperate morter or at least by ignorant worldlings as though his present condition were tolerable towards God and hopefull in respect of saluation by reason of some other good parts for which they praise him In this case if the vnderstanding Christian hold his peace the by-standers may be so farre scandalized and mistake as to conceiue and collect that a man may lye in a sweet sinne and yet liue in Gods fauour that the pleasures of the World and peace of conscience may consist together which are as incompatible as Heauen and Hell And why should not that silence be sinful which suffers an open knowne prophane man to carry away the reputation of one in the right way if there be time and place for a seasonable wise and charitable contradiction as well as that which suffers one which is true of heart to bee charged with hypocrisie 2. Secondly be silent from slandering backbiting falsaccusing Heere I will say nothing of downe-right forging and fastning a false crime vpon an innocent which is the most pestilent and palpable and other grosse kindes of this very foule sinne for so it is indeed howsoeuer to a carnall eye looking vpon it painted with the colours of commonnesse and selfe-loue thorow the false glasse of these corrupt times it appeares not so ougly The very Casuists and Schoolemen none of the precisest Diuines I am sure doe deseruedly vilifie it with a brand of hainousnesse farre aboue theft as they may well both for a greater breach of loue preciousnesse of obiect vnrecompensablenesse of losse difficultie of restitution concurrence of many sinnes consequence of much ill c I say I will bee heere silent of the grosser sorts of slander because of them Gods children are for the most part more easily sensible and ordinarily watchfull but let mee a little aduise and awake thee to further inspection of the present point lest sometimes euen in telling the truth thou bee intangled in the briars of this base sinne and iustly incurre the fault of a false accuser which thou maist many wayes For detraction to speake Logically doth not formally consist in the diminution of the truth but in the denigration of a mans good name 1. By discouering secret infirmities which loue that couereth a multitude of sinnes would haue concealed It is a base ambition and most vnworthy the noble magnanimitie of a Christian heart to hunt after and purchase an opinion of precedencie in graces and zeale by the disgrace of another perhaps euery way saue onely in the censurers owne ouer-weening conceit better and more worthy then himselfe When thou hearest a man worthily magnified for eminencie of parts and spirituall worth bee it farre from thee or any that euer tooke sinne truely to heart to come in with a But onely because out of a pang or rather predominancy of priuie pride thou wouldest gladly bee noted for a None-such and passe for the matchlesse Professour Let it euer bee the property and veine of vaine-glorious Pharises to raise their reputations and sometimes themselues but with execrable villany vpon the imaginary ruines of good mens innocencies and to hold euery insolent detraction from other mens sufficiencies and addition to their owne 2. By drawing out of other mens words actions and behauiours vpon the suspicious racke of a busie wit aimes insinuations and intentions which the Author neuer dreamed on and by fathering vpon them such enforced sinister sences and wrested crooked constructions which an ingenuous impartiall Expositour could neuer possibly extract It is the easiest thing of a thousand for a malicious minde to soile the glory of the brauest and most beautifull actions with ill and wrong interpretations and surmises of By-ends For the pride of a mans owne disdainefull nature and the deuill himselfe are ready mid-wiues at such monstrous conceptions and bastard births There is some truth in that hyperbolicall speech of him who said Let any man present mee with the most excellent and blamelesse action and I will oppose it with fifty vicions and bad intentions all which shall carry a face of likelihood Vpon this very point Tribunals of Iustice which hold more vpon policy than piety especially of priuate spleene embitter their Iudiciary power against the party too often strangely blinde the common peoples eyes and doe a great deale of wrong A wicked wit and wide conscience mounted on horsebacke amongst a number of Princes walking like seruants vpon the ground the Epidemicall disease of these worst and most vlcerous times vpon this aduantage many times worke a world of reuengefull villany But how soeuer it bee easie and too ordinarie for blacke tongues to blast and staine by wresting and wier-drawing the beauty of the best actions with malicious misconstructions yet it is villanous and base To let lawes of diuine loue alone euen the light of Reason led wise men to this resolution as appeares by their rules of Law That in doubtfull things we must euer pitch vpon the more
making Gods people as Musike at Feasts merry meetings and cursed conuenticles of Good-fellowship and such other rotten ribald and Bedlam talke which because they are the knowne and proper language of the sonnes of Belial the dung froth and damned euaporations of drunken wits Christians whom alone I labour to direct in this poynt are not in such danger of and therefore I haue nothing to doe with them at this time III. Pray for and practise an holy and discreete dexteritie to diuert and draw from prophane and wicked or too much worldly and ordinarie talke to more sauoury conference and heauenly discourse Me thinks it is great pitty that Professours should euer meete without some talke of their meeting in heauen or of the blessed meanes and wayes that leade thereunto before they part Yet many times such a deadnesse and dampe of zeale and heauenly-mindednesse haunts euen the holiest hearts in these vnhappie dayes of securitie and forme worldly matters Talke of others or some more remarkeable accidents and affaires abroad speculatiue curiosities some ceremoniall vnseasonable controuersies or other such like impertinencies in one kinde or other take vp and ingrosse euen from Gods children too much of many golden seasons which might preciously serue by their mutuall diuing with more Christian edifying discourse into the great mysterie of godlinesse and walkes of Christianitie to nourish and increase amongst them much spirituall warmth comfort and resolution against all vngodly oppositions and to build vp one another in their most holy Faith acquaintance with temptations experimentall knowledge more comfortable walking with God c. To confront this common mischiefe and Mar-conference at Christian meetings come vnto them prepared as I aduised before page 86 87. But if the company bee contrary-minded and vn-inured to the language of Canaan exercise and interpose all thy wit courage authoritie and eloquence to draw them from the dunghill of rotten talke and by a wise plausible diuersion and modestly ouer-ruling transition carry the current of their present discourse all thou canst towards some Heauenly good and spirituall end 1. To which end obserue and apprehend all opportunities and occurrences which may minister matter of digression into diuine talke and acquaint thy selfe with the Arte of abstracting sacred instructions from the booke of the Creatures and businesses in hand It was the practise of our blessed Sauiour Vpon mention of bread Matth. 16. hee prest vpon his Disciples a disswasion from the Leauen of the Pharises when he obserued Iohn 6. a number of people to throng about him for more miraculous bread hee digressed into a most heauenly discourse of the food of life Vpon occasion of drinke being denied him by the Samaritane woman Iohn 4. hee forgetting his wearinesse hunger and thirst labours to allure her to the well head of euerlasting happinesse 2. Haue euer in a readinesse some common heads of more stirring and quickening motiues to minde heauenly things as the cursed condition of our naturall state the incomparable sweetnesse of Christian wayes the vanity and vexations of all earthly things the vncertainty and miseries of this short life the euerlastingnesse of our second state in another world the sudden executions of Gods fierce wrath vpon some notorious ones euen in this life especially those which are freshest in memory and lateliest done the terrors of death the dreadfulnesse of that last and great Day drawing on apace the horrors of a damned soule c. Mention of these things many times will strike full cold to the heart of the most swaggering and sensuall Belshazzar the most raging and roaring companions and driue the most confident and domineering worldling into his dumps Talke then of these terrible things may by Gods blessing prepare and soften sometimes the hardest hearts for some thoughts of remorse and more heauenly impressions 3. But aboue all get into thine own heart an habit of heauenly-mindednesse by much exercise entercourse and acquaintance with God in powring out of thy soule euer and anon before him in renuing and recouering thy peace and comfortable accesse vnto him vpon euery fall and checke of conscience in often contemplation and foretaste of the inexplicable sweetnesse glorie and eternitie of those Mansions aboue in diuing into the secrets of his Kingdome by the helpe of humblenesse and godly feare vpon the most sweet and soule-fatting dayes of humiliation mortifying visitations of troubled and afflicted consciences often conferences with humblest and best experienced Christians c. By priuate imployment of thy soule in solemne reflections vpon it selfe fruitfully recounting with what varietie of traines it was long detained in the state of darknesse with what delayes and tergiuersations lets and assaults it met in its way to light what bitternesse and terrors it passed thorow in the pangs of its new-birth the tentations incident to its infancie in grace progresse and growth in seuerall graces and the whole body of Christianitie relapses desertions their discoueries recoueries with all the meanes and circumstances In a word by a punctuall obseruing how God deales with it euery day Be I say thus blessedly busied at home in thine owne heart and thou shalt finde thy selfe much more pregnant and plentifull in holy talke when thou commest abroad Wee are most apt and readiest to powre out our selues in publike according to our priuate prouisions and the most predominant discourses and contemplations of the minde The conferences of free and vnreserued spirits are ordinarily nothing else but the cloathing of their ordinarie mentall conceptions and heart-secrets with familiar formes of speech Men for the most part speake most and most willingly of those things they minde most I aduise thus in this point that thou mayst be habituated and heartened with resolution and delight in the art and exercise of putting forward good talke or of diuerting and drawing towards better in case of the contrarie Otherwise thou shalt neuer bee able to hold out with constancie and courage to crosse many times the generall mirth of the company to put worldly-wisemen out of their element of all earthly talke to draw worldlings which goes most against the haire to heare of heauenly things VIII Suruey thorowly before hand with the glorious Lampe of the Word of Life and Truth watch ouer narrowly with the illightened eye of a tender conscience and euer punctually manage and conduct with the particular light of spirituall prudence euery action thou vndertakest or that shall at any time passe thorow thy hand of what kinde soeuer it be whether naturall recreatiue ciuill of mercy Religion c. To which particulars before I descend let me commend vnto thee and premise this Principle concerning actions in generall Euery truly commendable and comfortable action consists of an absolute integritie of all concurrents and requisites Or thus That which is good and lawfull must be entire I meane it in that sence as our Diuines speake of sanctification which if sauing say they must be perfect and entire though
take delight in the cruell tormenting of a dumbe creature Is it not too much for thee to behold with dry eyes that fearefull brand which only thy sinne hath imprest vpon it but thou must barbarously also presse its oppressions and make thy selfe merry with the bleeding miseries of that poore harmelesse thing which in its kinde is much more and farre better seruiceable to the Creator then thy selfe Yet I deny not but that there may bee another lawfull vse of this Antipathy for the destroying of hurtfull and enioying of vsefull creatures so that it be without any taint or aspersion of cruelty on our parts or needlesse tormenting of the silly beasts 3. Ingrossers of time Thousands there are who plunge themselues ouer head eares in courses of pleasure which they call recreations wherein they very vnworthily and wofully waste the fat and marrow as it were of deare and precious time the flower of their age the strength of their bodies emasculate and melt the vigour of their spirits into effeminatenesse sensualitie and lust drowne the faire and goodly hopes of their education the honour of their Families the expectation of the Countrey the improouement of their parts in froth and folly As though they were placed vpon earth as Leuiathan in the Sea onely to take their sport and pastime therein Louers they are of pleasures Mirth-mongers men of this world sworne Vassals to carnall loosenesse and riotous excesse They haue their fooles Paradise heere and therefore in the equitie of a iust and holy proportion must with the Rich man looke for their payment and torment hereafter But Gods children must make conscience of meddling at any time with recreations without true cause and a iust calling thereunto and hold them of the same account and consequence with sleepe and other temperate refreshings which serue onely to quicken the minde reuiue the body enlarge the breath that wee may returne with more lightsomenesse and alacritie to our worke and Callings The season then of comfortable recourse vnto these repaires and restoratiues is when wee haue truely wearied our bodies with some honest imployment or tired our minds in worthy and noble exercises or both And as we must not presse vpon them at our pleasure and preuent true need out of an hankering humour after sportfull vanities old haunts good-fellow meetings conformitie to the times or some such sensuall and inordinate attractiue so in the entertainment of them wee must receiue them as men doe honey with the tip of the finger not with a full hand By no meanes ought we to engage and as it were to engulfe our affections into their excesses and immoderation not suffer them so to insinuate as to steale away our hearts into a pleasing insensible thraldome so creating necessities of recreations which is an extreme misery and intolerable slauery wherein notwithstanding many truly vnworthy and vnnoble Gallants miserably languish and come to nothing prooue onely vnprofitable burthens of the earth and in stead of a blessing the very bane of the Countrey that bred them Let such considerations as these serue as so many curbes to restraine vs from an vnseasonable intrusion vpon them and so many keene spurres to poast vs out of them before we be limed and entangled by them 1. Time is short Our life is but a span long a bubble a thought a smoake a shadow a dreame the very dreame of a shadow or if you can name any thing more fading and fraile and yet vpon this moment depends eternitie As wee behaue our selues heere vpon earth either in conformitie to the wayes of God walking with him selfe-denyall c. or in fashionablenesse to the world seruing the times and our owne turnes c. so shal we fare euerlastingly in another life And either become most glorious and happie creatures crowned with an exquisite confluence and quintessence as it were of sweetest vnmixed eternall pleasures a very shadow whereof not the largest naturall hearts of deepest vnderstanding men from the Creation to the last day were they all vnited into one exactest height and excellency of conceit could possibly comprehend nay in this one circumstance at the least the Saints shall surpasse euen Angelicall felicitie they shall behold with incredible ioy their owne nature in that respect honoured and aduanced aboue the brightest Cherub shining for euer with infinite beauty and glorified splendour in the sacred Person of the Sonne of God or else fall irrecouerably into the mouth of inexplicable and remedilesse horrour and so become the forlorne and wofull Obiects vpon which shall bee exercised and executed the vnquenchable wrath of God and fiercest torments in hell with extremitie and euerlastingnesse nay and in this point more vnhappy than the very Deuils For since their Apostacie there was no meanes or possibilitie vouchsafed vnto them of recouery and returne to those euerlasting Mansions of glorie But the sonnes and daughters of Adam since their fall haue had the very Sonne of God himselfe with the deare and vnualuable cry of his owne hearts blood to meditate vnto and sollicite the Father of all compassions and mercy for restitution into fauour and plantation into the Angels roome And therefore as this thought Oh what vnhappy and accursed creatures were we who being crowned with the matchlesse transcendency of all felicities and glory would not hold our station and haue shined still I say as this thought will endlesly haunt the damned angels with vnconceiueable byting and anguish so not onely an answerable selfe-fretting torture from this conceit Alas that wee kept not Paradise will rent and teare the wofull hearts of the wicked in hell but also a further sting of that neuer-dying Worme not incident to the Apostate angels will extremely enrage them with restlesse gnawings of conscience and gnashing of teeth when out of the horrour of their hideous wofull yellings they shall cry out against themselues What wretches What beasts What madded Deuils were we who when the glorious Blood of Christ Iesus was so mercifully tendered vnto vs in the Ministery of the Word all our life long we turned our backes against such blessed and bleeding imbracements and cruelly cut the throates of our owne poore soules by impenitent continuance in sinne so loosing for a few bitter-sweet pleasures in this vale of teares for an inch of time fulnesse of ioy at Gods right hand thorow all eternitie 2. Time is precious If all this great massie bodie of the whole earth whereupon we tread were turned into a lumpe of gold it were not able to purchase one minute of time And were there no other circumstance to set an impression of high valuation vpon it yet this very one doth much ennoble it That all these faire and shining bodies aboue our heads and principally the Prince of all the lights of heauen that glorious and mighty Giant the prime and crowne of all corporall creatures doe tire waste as it were their celestiall vigours with the incredible swiftnesse
of conscience bee fearelesse and senselesse of the wrath of God the wrong of his neighbour and the wretchednesse of his owne soule yet if he desire as hee doth with a raging vnsatiablenesse like the graue or hell to thriue in his outward state and prosper in the world let him not meddle so much as with a sticke or a straw a pin or a point of another mans neither at any time put his hand to any wicked way of getting lest beside the losse of his soule at last and a world of miseries in the meane time hee misse the very marke so eagerly aimed at of making him and his great in the world For hope of which hee is cursedly content to part with all true contentment in this life and a Crowne of blisse in the Kingdome of heauen For this purpose and to perswade and presse this point vnanswerably let vs take a view in Gods Booke of the diuers waies how he is wont in wrath to deale with wrong-doers and vnconscionable dealers It comes to passe sometimes that the wicked worldling insatiable earth-worme God cursing his couetousnesse and cruelty may see an end of his wealth euen in this world according to that Ier. 17. 11. As the Partridge sitteth on egges and hatcheth them not so hee that gettethriches and not by right shall leaue them in the middest of his dayes and at his end shall be a foole Iob 20. 15 28. Hee hath swallowed downe riches and he shall vomit them vp againe God shall cast them out of his belly The increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath Or it is no strange thing to see him prosper by vnconseionablenesse and craft vsurious and other iniurious practises all his life long but then hauing scraped together his hoard of iniquity with a great deale of carking thoughtfulnesse and selfe vexation kept it with extreme feare slauish distrust and heart-gnawing iealousies parted from it with much anguish horrour and almost with as painfull diuorce as that of the soule from the body at last after the losse of it soule and all 1. He either leaues it to them who will liberally let flie abroad and enlarge those golden heapes which greedinesse had formerly confinde and strongly guarded with bolts and barres According to that Prou. 28. 8. He that by vsurie and vniust gaine increaseth his substance hee shall gather it for him that will pitie the poore See also Prou. 13. 22. Iob 27. vers 16 17. 2. Or it may be wholly scattered amongst meere strangers according to that Eccles. 6. 2. But a strange man shall eate it vp See also Psalm 39. 6. Eccles. 4. 8. and 2. 18 19. 3. Or being bequeathed to his owne children and blasted by Gods secret curse it may melt away in their hands as snow before the Sunne according to that Eccles. 5. 13 14. There is a sore euill which I haue seene vnder the Sunne namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt But these riches perish by euill trauell and he begetteth a sonne and there is nothing in his hand But howsoeuer whether ill gotten goods perish or prosper in the owners hands or his posteritie sure I am the ineuitable plague and iust vengeance of God cleaues inseparably vnto his soule and hunts that man to destruction whosoeuer he be that enricheth himselfe by wicked and wrongfull meanes without timely repentance and true restitution if he be able He that hath oppressed the poore and needy or hath spoyled by violence or hath giuen vpon vsury or hath taken increase the same reason is also of all indirect and vnlawfull getting shall he liue He shall not liue he hath done all these abominations hee shall surely die his blood shall bee vpon him Ezek. 18. vers 12 13. And maruaile not neither be mis-led though thou obserue sometimes wicked worldlings themselues their heires and heires heires to wallow also in that wealth which the Grandfathers got wrongfully For they are for all this but as so many sensuall earth rooting hogs fatted for the knife and haue this wofull brand set vpon them by the Spirit of God Psal. 17. 14. They are men of the world and haue their portion in this life But euer hold this as a terrible and true principle It is one of the greatest curses vnder the Sunne to prosper in our wayes and be out of the way to Heauen 3. Thirdly it is a ruled case and concurrent resolution amongst Diuines That if thou doest not restore being able whatsoeuer thou hast any waies got wrongfully and wickedly thou canst haue neither well grounded assurance of vnfained repentance nor true comfort of the pardon of that sinne A cutting conclusion against all cut-throat Vsurers Simonists Sacrilegians Bribe-takers Grinders of poore mens faces Hoarders by fraud Oppressors of all vnder them of the same trade by some Machiuillian tricke and the rest of that cruell crue How can he be said to repent soundly that lies still soaking in his sinne wittingly and willingly Now whosoeuer keepes still in his hands any thing wickedly got continues a wrong doer still and therefore doth it not faithfully but only faineth repentance Whereupon saith Austin If a man restore not ill gotten goods being able his repentance is not comfortable but counterfeite Dreadfull also is the doome of the said Father vpon all wrong-doers The sinne is not remitted except that which hath been vniustly taken be restored Either in act if thou be able or at least in vnfained affection if thy state be wasted What a bedlam folly is it then and cursed cruelty to thine owne soule to heape vp those riches of iniquity by basenesse and wrong which thou must afterward restore in the sense I haue said or else neuer enioy any comfortable assurance of a true conuersion or pardon of sinne Were he not a foolish thiefe that would keep his stollen goods both in the face of his accuser and Iudge Though in the meane time thou conceale thy cunning conueiances from the discouery and doome of humane iustice yet assure thy selfe besides the secret grumbling of thy selfe-accusing conscience the angry eye of God also sees cleerely and will shortly most certainely reuenge 4. Almesdeeds charitable erections of Colledges Hospitalls Free-Schooles and other inferiour bountifull contributions when God inables by good meanes the necessities of his Poore cry for reliefe and the sanctified heart with affectionate sincerity aimes at Gods glory are sweete-smelling sacrifices with which God is well pleased Philip. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 16. But if his slauish gifts and good deedes largesses and liberalities in this kinde be impoysoned with former fraud oppression and wrong though it bee well that the Church of God sometimes the backes and bellies of the poore bee better thereby yet to the impenitent and not restoring vsurer himselfe or any other wicked dealer in respect of acceptation with God and true comfort to his
canst euer possibly harme thine opposite 5. A great deale of spirituall good doth by accident accrue to the Christian by the malice of his enemies The raging and rayling enemies of Gods people serue as scullions to scowre the Lords Vessels of Honour as Shepheards Dogs to hunt Christs Sheepe into order and to purer pastures 1. Their narrow watching ouer his wayes to take him tripping and prying into all passages of his life vpon purpose to disgrace his profession should make him walk more precisely and to hold a continuall counter-watch ouer all his courses that hee giue no iust cause of offence or any true matter of cauill or calumniation Whence it is that Dauid prayeth Psa. 27. 11. Leade me in a plaine path because of mine enemies or those which obserue mee 2. Their hitting him in the teeth with the reproch of his former sinnes should serue as a remembrancer vnto him to reuise and renew more effectually and feelingly the great worke of his first repentance and to open afresh a fountaine of penitent teares or at least of new griefe hee can grieue no more for those particular sinnes which any dogged Shimei or slanderous Doeg brings into his mind vpon such occasion For it is the woont of ignorant enemies to Gods holy wayes to charge vpon his children euen with much bitternesse and insultation the faults and follies of their vnregenerate time Though God Almighty hath buried them for euer in his mercy yet they will neuer suffer them to dye out of their malice Though the blood of Christ hath couered them euerlastingly from the sight of God and search of Satan yet their base and dunghill spite will euer and anon rake into them againe to their disgrace Thus were Austin and Beza two great Lights of the Church in their times and so are many other moderne Worthies and Champions of Christ dayly dealt with In which case learned Austin sweetly replyed to the Donatists vpbraiding him in such an vnworthy fashion with the impiety and impuritie of his former life Looke said he how much they blame my fault so much I commend and praise my Physicion And blessed Beza to a fellow obiecting vnto him his youthfull Poems This man vexeth himselfe because Christ hath vouchsafed mee his Grace And King Dauid with whom I should haue begun when Shimei rayled vpon him and called him murtherer Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him And yet besides this I doubt not but vpon these occasions Dauids heart bled afresh for his bloody sinne Augustines for his former heresie and sensualitie Bezaes for the vanitie of his youth 3. Their blazing abroad some speciall visible scandalous infirmitie of his and yet to which he is haled and as it were hurried by the impetuousnesse of some sudden passion or violent temptation and which is one of his greatest griefes and much matter of mourning in secret should cause him to strengthen his watch and improoue all his spirituall valour against the assaults and insinuations of it 4. Their malicious fathering vpon him by false reports those faults he yet neuer fell into and yet to which hee may bee naturally much inclinable should furnish him with more then ordinarie care and courage wisdome and watchfulnesse to preuent the scandall of any such guiltinesse 5. Their slanderous laying to his charge the things hee neuer did nor euer like to doe which is also an hellish humour and deuilish tricke of prophanenesse against profession should leade him to a strict enquirie into his heart and life to find out some other sinne of which vpon that occasion God would haue him take notice and mortifie It may be thou art falsely charged with hypocrisie looke that thou bee not earthly-minded with pride looke that thou be not passionate with worldlinesse looke that thou be not luke-warme c. Thus haue I somewhat inlightned and insisted longer vpon this point purposely to stirre vp and quicken the spirits of all Gods people to a fruitfull constant exercise of Christian charitie and bounty towards their poore brethren to bee aswell plentifull in workes of mercy as precise in duties of pietie God loues mercy aswell as sacrifice nay in some cases hee preferres the other before this to be so much more mindfull and apprehensiue of all opportunities for a sincere discharge of this much vrged and honoured duty as the wicked are malicious and Pharises forward to charge vpon them the contrarie For you know that carnall men are extremely greedy of casting aspersions and disgraces vpon the innocencie of religious Professours No excellencie of parts singularitie of worth eminencie of zeale height of holinesse integritie and puritie of life can possibly priuiledge the best man that euer breathed the life of grace in the bosome of the Church from the scourge of tongues The only Worthies vpon earth of whom the world was not worthy were vexed with cruell mockings Paul that precious Pillar of Gods Church was called A pestilent fellow nay Christ Iesus himselfe in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily was said to haue a Deuill And no marueile though they deale thus with his Children that daily blaspheme the mighty Lord of heauen and earth blessed for euer Daily experience tracts them in fiue pestilent passages this way It is their woont with all their cunning and vpon all occasions 1. To lessen disgrace and disparage all they can the graces worth and good parts of good men 2. To report true things maliciously and vpon purpose to bring them into hatred and disestimation so Doeg dealt with Dauid 3. To charge vpon them with much credulity and confidence things they neuer did neuer knew neuer thought vpon or dreamed vpon 4. With whorish foreheads and very impudencie of hell to fasten vpon them by slanderous imputation those sinnes and vices in the contrary graces and vertues whereof they are many times very eminent and remarkable Elijah was slandered to be a troubler of the State whereas in truth hee was the strongest Pillar of the kingdome the very chariots and horsemen of Israel 5. Nay and which is yet more to father vpon them those faults wherein themselues hatefull hypocrites are grosly and notoriously guilty Tertullus tels Felix that Paul was a very plague for so is the Originall whereas not onely Paul was one of the best men vpon earth but also himselfe a cursed cutthroate of all goodnesse and furious opposite to the glorious Gospell His lewd Mistresse charged Ioseph with an assault vpon her chastitie whereas not onely he was most free that way but also her selfe notoriously naught Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel whereas not only that blessed Prophet was the very strength of that State but also himselfe by his abominable couetous Idolatrous villanies brought confusion and misery vpon the whole kingdome Now out of this cunning malicious humour carnall men lye at the catch and are most eager to apprehend any shadow of
occasion or rather then faile to make matter in their owne spitefull braines or take it vp from the lying oracle of some frothy Ale-bench wherby to staine the honour of Profession with the vnworthiest imputations of couetousnesse hard-heartednesse vnmercifulnesse whereas themselues meere men of this world are as couetous as the skinne will hold fast nailed and glued vnto the earth neuer in their life lift vp a ioyfull thought towards heauen neither dare thinke seriously vpon the world to come without a great deale of slauish sadnesse and secret terrour And in their grasping of worldly goods they care not a button for conscience make no account at all of that most certaine strict account at Gods dreadfull Tribunall but only how to carry matters smoothly and plausibly in the eyes of men and dawbe ouer their vniust dealings with close conueyances and trickes of wit I goe not about heere to Apologize for any vncharitable counterfeits or those most odious outside-Christians who put on the glory of an Angell in outward profession that they may play the deuils more vnobseruedly in Vsurious practises oppressions and vnconscionable griping weare a cloake of zeale in conformitie to the externall formes of obedience to the first Table vpon purpose to couer their crueltie and inhumanitie in vndermining and ouer-reaching their brethren and to prey the more inuisibly vpon the simplicitie of those whom they deceiue by Seeming But yet I must tell you that many times euen some of Gods owne best Children are full falsly and fouly charged by foule-mouthed worldlings themselues with worldlinesse couetousnesse and imputations of that nature who by Gods mercy are so farre from doting vpon earth and the fading glory thereof that in their retired aduised thoughts they would not loose the loue and light of Gods countenance and testimonie of a good conscience to winne the whole world they would not exchange their comforts of godlinesse and interest in a Crowne of life for ten thousand worlds were they all turned into one inualuable Pearle They feele themselues incomparably more comforted and kindly refreshed at the heart roote with one thought of heauen and that endlesse ioyfull rest aboue through all eternitie then with a world of earthly contemplations though all composed of gold pleasures possessions honours Diadems and all the glorious and most desireable treasures vnder the Sunne And who in respect of any vnconscionablenesse wrongs iniustice or wicked wayes of getting might with sinceritie of heart proportionably to their states and callings take vp Samuels protestation Behold here I am witnesse against mee before the Lord and before his Anoynted Whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I defrauded whom haue I oppressed or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it And sincere thoughts resolutions and protestations to this purpose are cleere euidences of vnearthly-mindednes Blessed Iob doth pregnantly illustrate this point His owne friend chargeth him with inhumanitie couetousnesse and cruelty and thereupon inferreth that Gods afflicting hand was heauy vpon him How much more thinke you would the children of fooles and children of villaines viler then the earth of whom hee elsewhere complaines vexe him slanderously Is not thy wickednesse great saith Eliphaz Iob 22. 5. c. and thine iniquities infinite For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought and stripped the naked of their cloathing Thou hast not giuen water to the weary to drinke and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry Thou hast sent widowes away empty and the armes of the fatherlesse haue beene broken Therefore snares are round about thee and sudden feare troubleth thee Wheras in deed and truth righteous Iob was right nobly minded tender-hearted charitable bountifull as appeares by his confident contestation to the contrary Iob 31. 16 c. If I haue withheld the poore from their desire or haue caused the eyes of the widdow to faile or haue eaten my morsell myselfe alone and the fatherlesse hath not eaten thereof If I haue seene any perish for want of cloathing or any poore without couering If his loynes haue not blessed me and if hee were not warmed with the fleece of my Sheepe if I haue lift vp my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my helpe in the gate then let mine arme fall from my shoulder blade and mine arme be broken from the bone Thus many times an imputation of worldlinesse hard-heartednesse vnhospitalitie c. is layd vpon Gods children without all cause truth or conscience occasioned as I conceiue for I desire to discouer vnto you a depth of Satans malice in this point partly from the parties accusing and slandering partly from the parties accused and slandered Occasions ministred by prophane men are such as these 1. First They many times when they finde their consciences disquieted their former courses controlled their carnall humours crossed and contradicted and themselues much diseased and disturbed in the securefull pursuit of their sensuall pleasures by the searching power of a conscionable Ministerie or when they plainely see that their vnzealousnesse lukewarmnesse and formalitie in Religion is censured and condemned by the forwardnesse and zealous carriage and conuersation of the Saints they seeke by all meanes and labour might and maine to bee meete with those Ministers which so vexe them with their faithfull Preaching and those godly Christians which silently disgrace them with their gracious life and zealous exercise of Christianitie And therefore sith many times by Gods goodnesse they cannot finde any visible or conspicuous matter or miscarriage to charge them with truely because the Saints lie not in grosse and notorious sinnes such as are swearing drunkennesse lying vncleannesse Sabbath-breaking idlenesse the vanities of goodfellowship c. as themselues are woont therefore I say they audaciously diue into their hearts with vnhallowed censures and lay vnto their charges those inuisible errours which none can see but Gods All-seeing Eye from which they cannot be cleered and acquit but onely by their owne consciences and his highest Tribunall So that they take order that such imputations though groundlesse and false yet shall be sure to cleaue to the good name of Gods Children as certainely without redresse or remedie as they were deuised without truth or charitie Wee may see this cleerely in the present point and the slander of hypocrisie which is also the ordinarie portion of the best from men of the world When prophane opposites vnto grace pry curiously into all the wayes of Gods Child and can finde nothing so faulty in his outward carriage or reprooueable in the ordinarie course of his life as they expect and desire yet left they should not shew themselues the right children of Satan the Accuser of the Brethren they will be medling one way or other they will bee nibling at his good name with some such speeches as these Well well though he be an excellent Pulpit man or a forward
by some one speciall markable act of bounty and contribution or for some few seasonable ostentations of good fellowship and kinde nature gets the start and precedency in opinion and reputation with the World from many a gracious Christian who beares in his bosome a constant habituall tender-heartednes to all true necessities and as occasion shall exact opens his heart his hands and his house most ioyfully and compassionately to refresh and comfort the needfull exigents of any true-hearted Nathaneel And the Worldling doth the rather and more easily carry it because in the dispersing of his doles and largesses hee many times makes choise of such tale-bearing Trumpetters who knowing his Pharisaicall humour are likeliest to blaze his bounty most abroad in the World whereas the Christian singles out specially for such purposes the distressed Saints from whom hee expects no more but a secret and silent blessing of God in their hearts for his goodnesse conueyed vnto them by such an Instrument Thus I haue discouered vnto you a mysterie of Satans malice and the cunning despitefulnesse of prophane men who labour many times out of pure malice wilfull mistakings to fasten vpon Gods children imputations of worldlinesse hard-heartednesse cruell dealing and such like The occasions as I haue largely told you are such as these Vpon the Worldlings part 1. His hearty desire to disgrace Christians whom sith by the Grace of God hee finds free from open grosse sinnes presently growes to such speeches as these Why but are not such and such giuen to the world as well as other men c. 2. He dare enlarge his conscience to courses of vnlawfull getting and therefore it is more easie for him to open his hand now and then to some boysterous flourishes of liberalmindednesse especially sith thereby hee hopes to repaire his reputation for his other indirections 3. He is commonly Pharisaicall in an ambitious exercise and more publike acting of his deeds of charitie and therefore whatsoeuer hee doth that way is for the most part carried abroad with speciall and remarkable noyse and notice 4. He would gladly still the cryings of his guilty conscience and seeme to himselfe to redeeme the sinnes of his soule by a more bountifull disbursement of outward things Vpon the Christians part 1. He is most subiect to wrongs and weakenings in his outward state both by the violent encroachments of profest opposites and couetous insinuations of false friends 2. He dare not for any gold or good vndertake any vnwarrantable and scandalous course of gaining 3. He finds himselfe bound in conscience to faithfull diligence in his Calling and Christian prouision for his Familie 4. He spends the best and most of his bounty and charitie vpon the houshold of Faith But in this point as I said before I apologize for none but those whom their owne consciences and the mercifull Tribunall of God doe acquite Let Christians looke vnto it the World is very watchfull and greedy with great curiositie and cunning to apprehend the least shadow of any occasions for the blaspheming of the wayes of God and the disgracing of his children And therefore euer and anon you shall heare the spirit of prophanenesse crying out and complaining You see these fellowes which make such show of forwardnesse and puritie what they are none so couetous none so vncharitable none so vnmercifull and cruell in their dealings as they none so hard-hearted to the poore c. Now although such bitter speeches as these are often the meere euaporations of pure malice and â—…low from no other ground in the world but onely from the gall of gracelesse men yet let all those which truely feare God take heed how they giue iust occasion thereunto Assuredly it were farre better for him whosoeuer he be that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea then that by the continuance of his cruell and vnconscionable dealings in the world he should minister iust occasion to any rayling Rabshakeh to reuile the seruants of the Liuing God or to slander that holy Profession Me thinkes this one preseruatiue should be powerfull enough to keepe the heart of euery Christian from doting vpon the world or suffering it to bee possessed thereof It is this Euery Christian by a fruitfull faith may bee assured of a Crowne of life either by assurance of adherence or euidence or both Now if but once a day hee should take a serious suruay of the glory euerlastingnesse and vnutterable excellencies of that Immortall Crowne me thinkes it were able so to dull the edge and dissolue the drossinesse of all earthly desires that they should neuer more be able to heate or harden his heart with immoderate or delightfull repose vpon the vexing vanities of any worldly thing I say it againe Me thinkes if a man doe but once a day cast the eye of his Faith vpon that Crowne of life which our deare Redeemer holds for vs in his hand ready to set vpon our heads when we shall be dissolued from this vale of teares the goodly glory thereof should be able to dispell these mists of fading vanities and hurtfull â—…umes of honours riches and earthly pleasures which this great dunghill of the World heated by the fire of mens inordinate lusts doth euaporate and interpose betwixt the sight of their soules and the blisse of Heauen Worldlinesse earthly-mindednesse couetousnesse doth infinitely vnbecome an heire of Heauen Be fired then and frighted from all inclinations and bent that way by such considerations as these 1. It is a most base and dunghill distemper which eates vp not onely all Religion and honestie manlinesse and reason naturall affection and discretion but euen humanity also and friendlinesse So that a man had almost as well conuerse with a Caniball for any ingenuous and conscionable dealing as with a truely couetous caitife 2. Shall the immortall comprehensiuenesse of the diuine and excellent Soule which is able to peruse and passe ouer Heauen and Earth in a moment is capable of the mystery of Christ and the eternall vision of God be vnworthily confined to a piece of ground an heape of white and yellow clay A vile imprisonment and inexpiable wrong to so noble a Nature 3. It is a deuouring Gangrene an insatiable Wolfe which the more it hath euer the more hungry it is It is as fire which encreaseth by that nourishment which is giuen vnto it The barren wombe the Hoâ—…eleeches daughter the graue is nothing to this gulfe and it holds the heart continually vpon the racke of selfe-vexation and carking For three rauenous Vultures seize vpon it successiuely and gnaw in their turnes with incredible torment care feare griefe in getting keeping leauing 4. All Gods blessed ones in all ages embracing the promises of life in the armes of their faith willingly confessed themselues to bee pilgrims and strangers here vpon earth looking for a Citie in another Country which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God And
as vpon the vnblessed grounds of their Antichristian doctrine cannot possibly build any true perswasion of being in Gods fauour so they are bound out by the tenour of their hereticall Tenent from thinking it lawfull to entertaine any vnwauering certainety that way 6. Nay further some out of a Pharisaicall pretence of humility and modesty but in truth from the secret suggestion of a guilty conscience which ministers vnto them more then matter enough of true and iust doubting are notable wranglers for Papisticall doubting Thus you see some there are also who doe not assure themselues of future happinesse either vpon true or false grounds Yet I am perswaded the greatest part of those who liue within the sound of the Gospell are ordinarily confident without cause and secure of their saluation when as in truth triall They haue no surer interest or better claime to the kingdome of heauen then the foolish Virgins and the rest of that deluded ranke which I mentioned a little before Let a Minister of some great Congregation wherein there are very few Professors which is no hard thing to find and where there is no profession especially the Gospell being peaceably preached there can ordinarily be no power of Christianity shewes there may be indeed without substance but not the power of godlinesse without visible appearance as appeares in the Preparatiues I say let him interrogate and aske the rest of his people one after another bee they hundreths or thousands what conceits they hold of themselues for the world to come what they thinke will become of them after this life what their present iudgement is of their spirituall estate And I thinke he shall scarce meet with any who will not in some kinde or other discouer some groundlesse confidence of his wellbeing that way Their answer ordinarily would be to this purpose We thanke God we haue a good faith to Godwards We haue beleeued in Christ euer since we may remember We hope God will be mercifull though we be not Scripture-men nor so forward as others or such followers of Sermons c. yet we looke to be saued aswell as the best of them all c. Vpon the matter and in summe Wee doubt not but wee shall goe to heauen And if their Minister should reply But I pray you tell mee you that are so confident Doe you beleeue and repent and make conscience of all our wayes c Yea would they say with all our hearts else it were pittie we should liue When as God knowes it is neither so nor so their poore frozen flinty hearts neuer yet melted before the Ministery of the Word were neuer truely touched with remorse for their innumerable sinnes neuer warmed with any sauing worke of the holy Ghost but euer thus farre meere strangers to the mysterie of Christ. Those that are true of heart are not woont to contest for the integrity but euer to complaine of the naughtinesse and vntowardnesse of their hearts And therefore if they become not new men in the meane time the vaile of their selfedelusion and vaine confidence will most certainely at last be frighted and fired from their blinded mindes with that terrible and dreadfull doome Depart from me I know you not Chrysostome in one of his homilies to his people of Antioch teaching them not to trust in multitude speakes thus vnto them How many doe you thinke are there in our citie which be in the state of saluation It will vexe which I am about to speake yet I will speake it There cannot amongst so many thousands an hundred bee found which are in that state Nay and I doubt whether all those Now had this good Father at the same time demanded of those many thousands besides what they conceiued of themselues for saluation doe you not thinke he would haue found them all well conceited of themselues Would not they with much bitternesse and heate haue exagitated his censure as too peremptory and vnmercifull and beene ready to retort Howsoeuer you dote vpon the Disciples you draw after you and onely approoue and applaud the Ioanites for so they were called because his name was Iohn yet we hope to doe as well as they and come to heauen as soone as the precisest of those you haue in so high esteeme Heere then let me a little illighten and open in a word as I promised the Mystery of this spirituall Selfe-deceit For which purpose know that Satan first discouers in our corrupt nature and crooked dispositions a very pregnant ground whereupon to practise this notable imposture I meane the originall poyson of naturall presumption whereby we are all apt to bee fearelesse and sencelesse of our present spirituall misery and hand ouer-head to catch at any vaine shadow of counterfeit confidence for our future welfare Secondly hee obserues in the partie he intends to delude the most plausible matter and selfe-pleasing apprehensions which may make the fittest medium to mis-inferre a false conclusion for his spirituall safety Lastly by some flashes of his personated Angelicall light he sets vpon it the glimmering flourish of a presumptuous impression and so seales vp the deceiued soule with the spirit of slumber and groundlesse security Now the insufficient matter rotten grounds false mediums as we call them in the Schooles which Satan by his Sophistry doth cunningly and cruelly abuse to cast many thousands into a pleasing golden dreame of imaginary spirituall safetie and Selfe-deceit and into a fooles Paradise of a soule-coozening conclusion are such as these 1. Measuring a mans selfe by himselfe himselfe perhaps formerly grosly ignorant and notoriously lewd by himselfe now growne ciuill somewhat illuminated with diuine knowledge but yet neither holy nor euer truely humbled 2. Comparing himselfe with others who are Satans outragious reuellers in respect of his morall moderation and something more ciuill carriage 3. Arguing Gods speciall loue and sauing fauour from his outward prosperous state and blessings in temporall things So the fatting Oxe might thinke with himselfe I shall surely liue because I feed in this greene rich Pasture 4. Concluding from crosses that hee is a sonne and not a bastard that he hath his punishment heere as they say c. whereas they are but the iust effects of Gods secret curse blowing vpon his counsels dealings and vndertakings for his couetousnesse vnconscionablenesse hatred to bee reformed and except hee truly turne in the meane time will prooue the very foretastes and pieces as it were of hellish torments 5. Sometimes nothing but selfeloue serues the deuils turne to locke vp a carnall heart in this security and causelesse confidence especially in some extremely ignorant people who easily beleeue that which they desire and haue no other ground of their going to heauen but because they would haue it so 6. Common conceits and corrupt Notions compounded of grosse ignorance and Popish folly that a mans good meanings and good doings as they ignorantly speake nay and as some haue said his
A sound and vndeceiuing perswasion that thou art euerlastingly lockt in the armes of Gods mercy and loue grounded vpon the Word seconded and set on by the Spirit is a most rare and rich Iewell which doth infinitely out-shine and ouerweigh in sweetenesse and worth any rocke of Diamond Cristall Mountaine or this great Creation were it all conuerted into one vnualuable Pearle and therefore is infinitely enuied and assaulted mightily on all sides It is continually hunted like a Partridge on the Mountaines by naturall distrust the policy of Satan and all the powers of darkenesse There is not a wicked spirit but is transported with implacable indignation against that heauen vpon earth and therefore rages and roares about thee still to rob and bereaue thy humble brest of such an heauenly Iemme Besides the two maine ends and generall aimes of all the malice and machinations of those apostated angels 1. the dishonour of God and 2. the discomfort of mens soules In this poynt they are peculiarly enraged with extreme hellish anger to see a mortall man a childe of Adam crowned by Gods mercifull hand euen in this life with right and interest and as it were an earnest penny of the Inheritance with the Saints in light and of those blessed Mansions of glory and rest of which by their Apostacy and pride they haue vnhappily and euerlastingly depriued themselues Neither onely so but they imploy also their Agents enuious to the grace of God and thine owne fearefull heart to charge falsely many times vpon thee Hypocrisie and delusion left that white stone giuen thee by the holy Ghost the splendor and sweetnesse whereof none knoweth but hee that hath it should fairely shine vpon thy sad soule with that lightsomenesse and comfort as it both may and ought Whereupon it must needes follow that if thy perswasion be well grounded and assurance true it will be accompanied and often exercised with feares iealousies doubts distrusts varieties of temptations Satans firiest darts iniected scruples contradictions of flesh and blood cauils of carnall reasons want of comfortable feelign c. which will many times necessarily driue thee to cry mightily to God and complaine at the Throne of grace against all this hellish ordnance and assaults of thy vnbeleeuing heart by the wrastling of faith to warme thy â—…oule with meditation vpon the promises to re examine and reuise thy grounds to confirme thy watch to resort for counsell strength and comfort to the quickening meanes experience of former sweet feelings and motions of the Spirit to truly iudicious Diuines experienced Christians dayes of humiliation bookes of best rellish to a spirituall taste c. But now on the contrary side his presumptuous confidence and groundlesse conceit lyes in the Pharises bosome with much quietnesse and security without doubting difficulty contradiction or any such adoe The reason is his carnall heart is well enough content and meddles not because it still feedes vpon the delights of his darling sinne without disturbance Satan is too subtill to interpose tempt or interrupt in such a case For he well knoweth that his foundation is falsehood his hope of heauen but a golden dreame and therefore in policy he holds his peace that hee may hold him the faster Take notice by the way that that very thing which makes many a truehearted Christian to doubt of himselfe and of the soundnesse of his spirituall state should put him out of all doubt euen often exercise with doubts temptations multiplyed attempts against his faith and assurance of Gods loue prayed against humbly resisted and opposed with cleauing vnto the tenderheartednes of Christ truth of his promises though for the present he hath little or no feeling no such ioy and peace in so beleeuing And that very thing vpon which the deluded Ones doe build and many times boast themselues to wit that they are vntroubled vntempted in point of faith and pretended assurance may returne an infallible remonstrance to their own consciences that they are certainely deceiued For doubtlesse that faith which is neuer assaulted with doubting is but a fancy Assuredly that assurance which is euer secure is but a dreame Many a Pharise stands by the bedside of the sincere Professor visited with affliction of conscience and many heauy temptations secretly and sinfully pleasing himselfe in the vnblessed calmenesse of a groundlesse confidence and in his freedome from such terrors and spirituall troubles when as himselfe is like an Oxe fatting in the greene pastures of impunity and outward prosperity for the day of slaughter But the afflicted party is as precious gold purifying in the Lords refining furnace that hee may afterward come out and shine more gloriously 4. In that heart to which the Spirit of God testifies that we are His children Ro. 8. 16. doth the same Spirit create many feruent eiaculations strong cryes vnutterable groanings verse 26. The testimony of the Spirit is euer attended with the Spirit of prayer That glorious glimpse shining into the soule and assuring it of saluation is so sweete so heauenly so rauishing so transcendent and incomparably aboue all earthly ioy that it warmes the spirit of a man with quickning life liberty to powre out it selfe in the presence of his Lord and his God before the Throne of Grace sometimes in more hearty triumphant and as it were winged prayers at other times in those which are more faint and cold yet edged with infinite desires that they were more feruent and therefore by the way as it were mingled and perfumed with the soueraigne satisfactory incense in the Golden Censer which the Angell of the Couenant holds in his hand are graciously accepted of him which by an excellency and title of highest honour is stiled the Hearer of Prayers or at least with vnexpressable groanes and inward wrastlings for preseruation recouery enlargement of that same comfortable assurance it selfe and of all other holy graces and fruits of the Spirit purity of heart conquest ouer corruption neerer communion with God spirituallmindednesse and such other heauenly guests amongst whom it is woont to dwell with delight and represent it selfe more comfortably But now on the other side euery deluded Pharise is a meere stranger to the power of Prayer His presumption and groundlesse confidence is but a weede which will grow of its owne accord and therefore is not sensible of any necessity neither feeles any want of constant prayer from a broken heart vniuersall obedience or the holy precisenesse of the Saints to support it 5 An assurance of Gods Loue vpon sure ground doth mightily quicken keene and spurre forward the ingenuous Christian to more holinesse hatred of sinne resolution in good causes watchfulnesse ouer his heart walking with God Hauing these promises saith he let me cleanse my selfe from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Hauing this hope I will labour to purifie my selfe euen as He is pure To
heauenly gifts emplanted in his Childrens hearts and then thereby so enuenomes and blasts them that they lose not onely their owne natiue splendour and gracefulnesse but also their fruitfull communication to others and comfortable acceptation with God I say when he sees a man extraordinarily enriched with spirituall graces hee seekes might and maine to make him swell with priuy pride and to puffe him vp with an ouerweening conceit of his owne worth that so the Christian himselfe may want the comfort of them his brethren the fruit of them and God the glory of them When the strong man can no longer keepe goodnesse out of the soule but the holy Ghost with a mercifull violence breakes in vpon him and dwels there his next endeauour is to abuse euen Grace it selfe as an vnhappy instrument to weaken and wound it selfe nay so subtill is he and endlesse in his attempts that if he cannot make a man proud of any thing else hee will labour to make him proud that he is not proud and to glory vainely because hee is not vaineglorious The originall and breeding of this canker in the sanctified soule I haue discouered in my Discourse of true happinesse page 25. and there made tender of some corrosiues and counterpoysons against it To which at this time I adde these When thou beginnest with an ouerweening conceit to admire thy selfe immoderately aboue that which is meet cast thine eye 1. Vpon the purity and piercing of Gods all-seeing Eye ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and purer then purity it selfe which sees sinne to be infinitely more sinfull and loathsome then thou canst possibly whereby His holy Iustice is incensed with infinite indignation and vnquenchable seueritie against it Witnesse the turning into Deuils irrecouerable destruction and euerlasting downefall of so many glorious creatures the top and masterpiece as it were of all Gods handyworke shining once so fairely in the highest heauen and neerest vnto his Emperiall Throne The curse which fell vpon Adam and all his posterity for eating the forbidden fruit The confusions which came vpon the first world by the flood The burning of Sodom with fire and brimstone from heauen The fearefull reiection of his owne ancient people The horrours of a guilty enraged conscience which is a hell vpon earth and damnation aboue ground The euerlasting fire which is prepared for reprobate men and angels c. Neither doth this brightest Eye onely see all thy sinnes in their natiue foulenesse but also in their truest number Thou perhaps for want of more spirituall eye-salue beholdest them but as starres in a gloomie euening but assure thy selfe He sees them as moates in the Sunne and as Starres in the clearest winters midnight Methinkes this mortifying meditation should rather make thee grow into further detestation of sinne then admiration of thy selfe 2. Vpon the incomprehensible perfections and absolute purenesse of Gods most holy nature the splendour whereof doth dazle the clearest eyes of the brightest Seraphims doth drowne as it were all Angelicall glory as the Sunnes presence the light of lesser starres much more doth it vtterly darken the materiall beauty of all the lights in heauen Were the Sunne which is made all of brightnesse and the euer-springing fountaine of fresh shining beames presented before that vnapproachable Light which besets Gods sacred Throne it would vanish away as a darkesome moate and lumpe of vanity Where then would a fraile sinfull man in a house of flesh appeare Behold saith Iob hee put no trust in his seruants and his Angels hee charged with folly how much lesse on them that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the Moth chap. 4. 18 19. Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heauens are not cleare in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquitie like water chap. 15. 15 16. Behold euen to the Moone and it shineth not yea the starres are not pure in his sight how much lesse man that is a Worme and the sonne of man which is a Worme chap. 25. 5 6. A glimpse as it were of that highest glory shining euerlastingly in that purest increated Essence God blessed for euer did make righteous Iob to abhorre himselfe and repent in dust and ashes Holy Isaiah to cry Woe is mee for I am vndone And so if thou also turne thine eye from the vanity of selfe-admiration toward the infinite Sunne of absolute and incomprehensible purity and then reflect vpon thy selfe as he that hath gazed too much vpon our visible Sunne looking downe againe seeth nothing thou shalt behold the nothingnesse of thine ouerweened worth and nothing but darknesse and deformitie and so shalt finde infinite more matter of humiliation and abhorring thy selfe in dust and ashes then of selfe-estimation and conceitednesse 3. Vpon the cleere Cristall of Gods pure Law which can discouer vnto thee the least spot that euer stained so much as any one of thy thoughts shines with that perfect light that it would guide aright euery step which thou makest in the way which is called Holy and is of that latitude for prohibition of sinne and leading to purity and exact pleasing of God that though wee may see an end of all perfection yet it is exceeding broad And therefore though such as hate to be reformed especially if their consciences be waking and working are drawne to a particular and punctuall suruey of themselues and all their wayes in this pure Cristall euen as a Beare to the stake a Bankerout to his counting booke an Elephant to the vnmudded water a foule face to the Looking-glasse They are well enough content to heare the Commandements read restraining their vnderstandings onely to the grosse acts Thou shalt not kill c. and perhaps iustifying themselues Pharisaically thereabouts but come to the holy strictnesse of Christs exposition Whosoeuer looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie with her already in his heart c. and it strikes full cold to their impure hearts and causeth them to cry out against the men of God Why doe you torment vs before our times I say though it bee thus with the vnregenerate by reason of their guilty and gauled consciences yet let it bee thy delight who art blessed with an euerlasting impregnable protection by the blood and merit of Iesus Christ from the curse and rigour of the Law to peruse thy selfe punctually by this heauenly Looking-glasse for the discouerie of thy defects and aberrations and to diue with searching and serious meditation into this adored depth of perfection and puritie to see how farre thou comest short and then thou shalt finde infinite more cause to presse hard towards the marke then to looke vpon that which is behind or proudly to prize any thing that is past Onely I aduise when thou setst thy selfe thus solemnely to rip vp thy conscience and ransacke thy heart to the roote to
originall corruption and by reason of his vnauoideable frailties and imperfections but yet comely as the curtaines of Salomon by the glory of his new creation and gracious beames that shine vpon his soule from the face of Christ. 3. The further the Moone is remoued from the Sunne the fairer she is and fuller of light The more an humble soule vpon sight of that holy Maiestie and purest eye ten thousand times brighter then the Sun which cannot look on iniquitie doth retire with lowliest thoughts into himselfe to abhorre himselfe in dust and ashes as most vile and farre worthier to be throwne into the lowest dungeon of the kingdome of darknesse then to bee honoured with the loue and light of his countenance is more beautifull and amiable in the eyes of God Fure as the Sunne The Moone shadowes out inherent fairenesse the Sunne resembles and represents our imputed puritie So that this Royall Robe the Sunne of righteousnesse the vnspotted Iustice of Iesus Christ doth glorifie the soule 1. With an entire vnstained beautie our inherent holinesse hath some spots and staines of imperfection like the Moone but that imputed for our iustification is much more spotlesse and orient then the Sunne 2 Vniuersally Wee are washed as it were from top to toe in the blood of Christ and couered wholly with his perfect righteousnesse 3. Constantly The exercise of spirituall graces and sence of inward comfort may sometimes ebbe and waâ—…e for a time but the Robe of Christs Royall Iustice once put on by the hand of Faith is sure and the same for euer Terrible as an armie with banners Besides this rich and royall attire all this abundance of spirituall fairenesse and beauty wee are to put on also leâ—…t hellish Harpies that I may so speake snatch away our delicious and diuine dainties that glistering Armour thicke seâ—… with heauenly Pearles described Ephes. 6. The glorious splendour whereof is able to dazle the deuils eyes to daunt his courage and driue him out of the field For hee well knowes it to bee tryed and of proofe worne by our Captaine Christ Iesus who foild him by the sword of the Spirit in that great combate in the Wildernesse Mat. 4. And it is that by which the weakest Christians shall shortly by the blessing of the God of Peace bruise Satan vnder their feet The summe is The heauenly attire of a sanctified soule is farre fairer and more amiable then the exquisite concurrence of all earthly beauties and visible glory Were the light of all the starres aboue collected into Sunnes which Astronomers say would make many and added vnto that great bright Body the Prince of all the lampes in heauen nay if besides there were an accession of all the orient splendour of all the Pearles and Iewels of all the Crystall and glistering things in this lower world and all compacted into one beautifull body it would be but as a lumpe of darknesse to the glory and fairenesse of a sanctified soule For the beauty and amiablenesse of an holy soule inflames the heart and affections of the Sonne of God with an extraordinarie pang of spirituall feruent loue Cant. 4. 9. whereas not all the glory of the world though represented to his eye with the fairest lustre and in the most refined forme could moue him euer a whit Matth 4. 8 9 10. Plato was wont to say if morall vertues could be seene with the outward eye they would stirre vp in the heart extraordinary flames of admiration and loue what vnspeakeable rauishments then would Christian graces enkindle were they visible to the carnall eyes They would be able to make Persecutors Professors to turne euen Drunkards into Puritans as they call them the most sensuall Epicure into a mortified Saint For the second Let thy spirituall appetite seed merrily vpon that sweetest place Isa. 25 6. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of Hosts c. Heere is prouided as wee may see a magnificent and glorious feast composed all of marrow and fatnesse of most refined and purified wines which shadow vnto vs spirituall delicacies those golden dainties digd out of the rich myne of the mysterie of Christ by the hand of Faith in the Word Sacraments Prayer Communion of Saints solemne humiliations sweet Soliloquies solitary conferences with our God feeling forethought of infinite ioyes thorow eternity c. Euery circumstance breathes out nothing but sweetnesse In this mountaine It is dressed in Mount Zion The perfection of beautie The ioy of the whole earth The glory of all Lands which represents vnto vs by way of shadow and type the ouerflowing glory of the Christian Church the very Heauen of all humane societies our onely Sunne in this inferiour world which though so much maligned yet were it remooued there would bee a little hell vpon earth and nothing left but a darke Midnight of villany and horror for incarnate Deuils to domineere in A feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Hereby is intimated the matter of the Feast and Royall prouision amplified with extraordinary Emphasis of words elegancy of phrase and iteration of the same sence with variety of expression which also argues its excellency It is not enough to haue said of fat things but there is added of fat things full of marrow and so proportionably of the wines to intimate the most exquisite refined flower of all delicacies and dainties The marrow of the fatnesse as if a man should say the spirit of the quintessence the Diamond of the Ring the sparkle of the Diamond c. And yet all this comes infinitely short of what the holy Ghost would shadow and shew vnto vs by the most sumptuous materials of earthly Feasts But aboue all that which makes the Feast most matchlesse is the Feast-maker Iehouah is the founder and furnisher of it The maker of heauen and earth makes it The Poets describing men of most ambitious appetites after choisest dainties say that they rob all the Elements to please their palates The Master of this Feast the euer-blessed Iehoua tells vs of his store and treasuries this way Psal. 50. 10 11. Euery beast of the 〈◊〉 is mine and the cattell vpon a thousand hills I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beasts of the field are mine But all these being but onely matter of corporall food are yet nothing to the spirituall sweetenesse of this heauenly Banqueâ—… The secret and sacred delight of those diuine dainties intended here by the holy Ghost being vnspeakable and glorious doth infinitely transcend the possibility of all creatures to contribute and the capacity of the largest naturall vnderstanding to conceiue So must be construed as a worthy Diuine sayes truly that Text 1 Cor. 2. Not of the ioyes of heauen which heere the spirituall man himselfe cannot tell what they shall bee but of the Gospels ioy of the Wine and
place of Dragons This alone stings desperately keepes mee from Christ and cuts mee off from all hope of Heauen I am afraid my wilfull wallowing in it heretofore hath so reprobated my mind seared my conscience and hardened my heart that I shall neuer be able to repent with any hope of pardon And why so Is this sinne of thine greater then Manassehs familiaritie with wicked spirits Then Pauls drinking vp the blood of Saints Then any of theirs in that blacke Bill 1. Cor. 6. 10. 11. who notwithstanding were afterward vpon repentance washed sanctified and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Then Eâ—…s transgression who opened the floodgate to al the sins which shall bee committed from the Creation to the end of the World and to all those torments which shall flame in Hell thorow all eternitie Then that horrible sin of killing Christ Iesus And yet the murderers of that Iust and holy One vpon their true compunction of heart were saued by that precious blood which they had cruelly spilt as water vpon the ground But be it what it will a scarlet sinne a crimsin sinne a crying sinne and adde vnto it Satans malicious aggrauations and all that horrour which the deiectednesse of thy present afflicted spirit and darkenesse of thy melancholike imagination can put vpon it yet Pauls precious Antidote Rom. 5. 20 holds triumphantly Soueraigne aswell against the hainousnesse of any one sinne as the confluence of many Where sinne abounded grace ouer-abounded It is indeed a very heauy case and to bee deplored euen with teares of blood that thou shouldest euer haue so highly dishonoured thy gracious God with such an horrible sinne in the dayes of thy vanitie and thou oughtest rather chuse to bee â—…orne in pieces with wilde Horses then commit it againe yet if thy heart now truely wounded with horrour and hate of it will but cleaue to the truth and tenderheartednesse of Iesus Christ in his promises and fall into his blessed and bleeding armes stretched out most louingly to â—…ase and refresh thee as the hainousnesse of it hath abounded heretofore His grace will now abound to the same proportion and much more Nay I will shew thee a Pearle In this case by accident Gods mercies shal be extraordinarily honoured in pardoning such a prodigious prouocation because they are thereby as it were put into it and their dearenesse sweetnesse and infinitenesse improoued to the greater height and excellency and the blood of Christ made as it were more orient and illustrious and the honour and preciousnesse of it aduanced by washing away such an hainous hellish spot If we bring broken beleeuing hearts towards his Mercy-seate it is the Lords Name to forgiue all sorts of offences iniquitie transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 7. It is His Couenant to sprinkle cleane water vpon vs that we may be cleane and to cleanse vs from all our filthinesse and from all our Idols Exek 36. 25. euen from Idolatry the highest villany against the Maiestie of Heauen So that a Papist vpon repentance may be saued It is His promise not onely to pardon ordinary sinnes but those also which be as scarlet and red like crimsin Isai. 1. 18. It is his free compassion to cast all our sinnes into the depths of the sea Mich. 7. 19. Now the sea by reason of his vastnesse can drowne as well Mountaines as Molehills the boundlesse Ocean of Gods mercies can swallow vp our mightiest sinnes much more It is his mercifull power to blot out our sinnes as a cloud Isai. 44. 22. Now the strength of the Summers Sunne is able to scatter the thickest Fog as well as the thinnest Mist nay to driue away the darkest midnight the vnresistable heate of Gods free loue shining thorow the Sun of Righteousnes vpon a penitent soule to dissolue to nothing the desperatest worke of darkenesse and most horrible sinne farre more easily But this mysterie of mercy and miracle of Gods free loue is a Iewell onely for truely humbled soules and the sealed Fountaine Let no stranger to the life of godlinesse meddle with it Let no Swine trample it vnder his feete FINIS a Haec iustorum simplicitas deridetur quia ab hâ—…ius mundi sapientibus puritatis virtus â—…atuitas câ—…editur Greg. in â—…ap 12. Iob cap. 16. b Et quid diuitiae perâ—…untes transitoriae facultates nisi 〈◊〉 aeter na diligentibus sunt â—… Greg. in 1 Reg. cap. 2. c Non debet pro magno habeâ—…i honor humanus quia nullius est ponderis fumus August de Ciâ—…it Dei lib. 5. cap. 17. d Cùm coeperit Deo quisque viâ—…ere mundum contemnere iniurias suas nolle vlcisci nolle hîc diultias non hîc quaerere foelicitatem terrenam contemnere omnia Dominum solùm cogitare viam Christi non deserere non solùm à Paganis dicitur insanus sed quod magis dolendum est quia intus multi dormiunt vigilare nolunt à suis à Christianis audiunt Dictum est de ipso Domino quod insaniret August in Psal. 84. e Nobilitas Heroica est eminentia quaedam notabilis c. per quam homo fiâ—… per adoptionem Filius Dei fit Sponsa Christi sit Templum Spiritus Sancti sine quâ nobilitates caetâ—…rae nihil sunt nhiil proficiunt Gers. Tractat. De nobilitate Psal. 11. 6. f Cùm coeperit homo Christianus cogitare proficere incipit pati linguas aduersaâ—…tium Quicunque illas nondum passus est nondum proficit quicunque illas non patitut nec conatur proficere August in Psal. 119. g Heb. 11. 36 38. h Isa. 6. 2 3. i Ezech. 16. 14. zech 13. 11. g Lib. 5. Sect. 1. Prou. 3. 17. a Câ—…los 1. 1â—… b Rom. 12. 11. c 1. Iob. 3. 3. d Phil. 3. 20. Colos. 3. 2. e Ephes. 5. 15. f Iob 30. 8 9. Psal. 35. 15 16. and 69. 12. I am verò illud quale quà m sanctum quòd si quis ex Nobilibus ad Deum conuerti coeperit statim hâ—…norem nobilitatis amittit aut quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est vbi religio ignobilem facit Statim enim vt quis melior esse tentauerit de eâ—…ioris abiectione calcatur ac per hoc omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne vises habeantur Ita seculum totum iniquitatibus plenum est vt aut mali sint qui sunt in illo aut qui boni sunt multotum persecutione crucientur Si honoratior quispiam religioni se applicueâ—…it illicò honoratus esse defistit Si fuerit splendidissimus fit vilissimus Si fuerit totus honoris fit totus iniuriae Si bonus est quispiam quasi malus spernitur Si est maluâ—… quasi bonus honoratur Nihil itaque mirum si deteriora quotidâ—…è patimur qui deteriores quotidiè fumus Saluianus De verâ—… iudicio prouidâ—… tia Dei Lib 4. pag. 128 129. g
of a compleate Christian 1. Honestie 2. Vprightnesse 3. Pietie And they receiue much excellency and lustre from a circumstance of time In his generations which were many and mainly corrupt Without any further vnfolding my Texts coherence and dependance vpon either precedent or following parts for Historicall passages are plainer and doe not euer exact the length and labour of such an exact resolution as other Scriptures doe I collect from the first point wherein I finde Gods free grace to bee the prime and principall cause of Noahs preseruation this Note Doct. The free grace and fauour of God is the first moouer and fountaine of all our good Consider for this purpose such places as these Ier. 31. 3. Hos. 14. 4. Deut. 7. 7 8. Rom. 9. 11 12 13. Ioh. 3. 16. Ios. 24. 2 3. Ephes. 1. 5. And it must needs bee so For it is vtterly impossible that any finite cause created power or any thing out of Himselfe should primarily mooue and incline the eternall immutable increated omnipotent will of God The true originall and prime motiue of all gracious bountifull expressions and effusions of loue vpon His Elect is His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His merum beneplacitum The good pleasure of His will And therefore to hold that election to life is made vpon foresight of faith good workes the right vse of free-will or any created motiue is not only false and wicked but also an ignorant and absurd Tenent To say no more at this time it robs God of his All-sufficiencie making Him goe out of Himselfe looking to this or that in the creature vpon which His will may bee determined to elect The Schoole-men tho otherwise a rotten generation of Diuines yet are right in this 1. That distinction which I learne from my Master in his heauenly Sermons published since his death doth leade vnto aright and truely inlighten this Head-spring of all our good 1. Some actions of Gods loue vnto vs saith he are so in Christ that they are wholly suspended on Him and His merits are the onely procuring cause of them For example Forgiuenesse of sinnes is an action of Gods loue vnto vs and yet this wholly depends vpon Christ and his merits so that His precious Blood must either procure this mercy for vs from God else they will neuer bee forgiuen and this and the like loue of God is both in Christ and for Christ. 2. There are some other actions of Gods loue which arise meerely and onely out of the absolute will of God without any concurrence of Christs merits As the eternall purpose of God whereby Hee hath determined to chuse some men to saluation this is an action of Gods loue meerely rising out of His absolute will without Christs merits For Christ is a Mediatour and all his merits are the effects of his loue not the cause of it And yet this loue though it be not for Christ yet is it in Christ Ephes. 3. 11. According to the eternall purpose which hee wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord that is in regard of the execution of it for euen this eternall purpose and all the actions of Gods loue which arise from his absolute Will are effected and brought to passe in and through Christ. 3. Wee may take an estimate of the absolute and infinite frankenesse of this vnconceiueable loue of God to his which reacheth from euerlasting to euerlasting by looking vpon that goodly faire sweete amiable creature described Ezechiel 16. In the beginning of the Chapter shee lies most filthy and foule tumbling in her owne blood pittied by no eye abhorred of all which loathsomnesse should rather haue begot loathing then loue auersion and hate then affection and liking yet God Himselfe doth there professe out of a melting pang and ouer-flowing abundance of His free grace that that time was vnto Him the time of loue Hee spred his skirt ouer her and couered her nakednesse In a word after she was dressed and adorned with Gods most skilfull mercifull hand she became a most louely thing First washed with water cleansed from blood anointed with oyle then cloathed with broidered worke shod with Badgers skinne girded about with fine linnen couered with silke decked with ornaments of siluer and gold with bracelets vpon her hands a chaine on her necke a iewell on her forehead earerings in her eares and a beautifull Crowne vpon her head fedde with fine flower honie and oyle so that she became exceeding beautifull and renowned through the whole World for her perfect comelinesse euen mine owne comelinesse which I put vpon her saith the Lord God Uses 1. All praise then is due vnto Iehoua the Author of all our good the Fountaine of all our blisse the Well-spring of immortalitie and life whereby we liue and moue and haue our being our naturall being the beeing of our outward state our gracious being the euerlastingnesse of our glorious state Were the holiest heart vpon earth enlarged to the vast comprehension of this great Worlds widenesse nay made capable of all the glorious and magnificent Hallelu-iahs and hearty praises offered to Iehoua both by all the militant and Triumphant Church yet would it come infinitely short of sufficiently magnifying admiring and adoring the inexplicable mysterie and bottomles depth of this free independant mercy and loue of God the Fountaine and first Moouer of all our good We may and are bound to blesse God for all the meanes instruments and second causes whereby it pleaseth God to conferre and conuey good things vnto vs but we must rest principally with lowliest thoughts of most humble and heartiest praisefulnesse at the Well-head of all our welfare Iehoua blessed for euer Wee receiue a great deale of comfort and refreshment from the Moone and Starres but wee must chiefly thanke the Sunne from the greater Riuers also but the maine Sea is the Fountaine Angels Ministers and Men may pleasure vs but Iehoua is the principall Let vs then imitate those Lights of Heauen and Riuers of the Earth do all the good wee can with those good things God hath giuen vs by his instruments and then reflect backe towards and returne all the glory and praise vnto the Sunne of righteousnesse and Sea of our saluation The beames of the Moone and Starres returne as farre-backe to glorifie the face of the Sunne which gaue them their beauty as they can possibly vntill they be reflected or determine by necessarie expiration the Sunnes eiaculatorie power being finite Let vs semblably euer send backe to Gods owne glorious Selfe the honour of all His gifts by a fruitfull improouement of them in setting forth His glory and by continuall feruent eiaculations of praise to the vtmost possibilitie of our gracious hearts And here I cannot hold but must needs most iustly complaine of the hatefull intolerable vnthankefulnesse of vs in this Kingdome the happiest people vnder the Cope of Heauen had we hearts enlarged to conceiue aright of Gods extraordinary loue and such miraculous mercies
as neuer Nation enioyed Walke ouer the World Peruse the whole face of the Earth from East to West from North to South which is aboue one and twenty thousand miles about both wayes and from one side of Heauen to another thou shalt not finde such another illightned Goshen as this Iland wherein we dwell Of sixe parts of the Earth fiue are not Christian and in Christendome what other part is so free from the reigne of Popery the rage of Schisme or the destroying Sword Or where besides doth the Gospell shine with such glory truth and peace Or in what nooke of the World are there so many faithfull Soules who cry vnto God day and night against the abominations of the times for the preseruation of the Gospell that Gods Name may bee gloriously hallowed His Kingdome come His will bee done in euery place and themselues serue him with truth of heart And yet we are too ready if wee haue not the height of our desires and our wils to the ful in stead of patience teares and prayers which best become the Saints to embitter all other blessings and to discouer most horrible vnthankefulnesse for them by repining grumbling and discontent I am sure by not reioycing as we ought in euery good thing which the Lord our God hath giuen vnto vs and by not improouing the extraordinarinesse of His mercies to our more glorious seruice of Him and more humbly and precisely walking before Him Giue me leaue therefore in short to reuiue and refresh your memories with representation of some generall heads onely of those innumerable speciall fauours with which Gods mercifull hand hath crowned this Kingdome for the stirring vp and enlarging our hearts to the entertainment and exercise of this most necessarie and most neglected dutie of praising Iehoua And here wee of this Nation may a great deale more iustly and rightly say then the French Chronicler in the Preface to his Story That we haue liued in a time of Miracles our Posteritie will hardly beleeue the wonders done in our dayes Was it not a miraculous mercy that such a glorious noone tide of the Gospell as wee haue enioyed all our life long should spring out of the darkest mid-night of damned Popery which vnhappily seized vpon the face of this Kingdome in the time of Queene Marie especially watched extraordinarily and most strongly guarded by all the policie of hell and power of the Pepe that the blood of those blessed Martyrs should bring forth since such a world of Gods sincere worship and so many thousands of gracious Soules who are alreadie crowned with euerlasting blisse That Queene Elizabeth that matchlesse Princesse and Pearle of the World should in those fierie times bee preserued in safetie as a sweete harmelesse Lambe amidst so many mercilesse Romish Wolues who implacably thirsted for her precious life Was it not a wonder that the sacred hand of that selfe-same crowned blessed Lady next vnder Gods Almightie One should in despite of all the Powers of Darknesse and Popish rage raise our true Religion as it were by miracle from the dead a thing which the World so little hoped to see that euen they which beheld it done scarcely beleeued their owne senses at the first beholding That afterward the Siluer line of her much-honoured life should be hid in the endless maze of Gods bottomlesse mercies from the fierce assaults of so many Popish Bulls such a prodigious varietie of murdrous complotments against her sacred Person and all those desperate Assasins of Rome who all her life long hunted full greedily after her Virgin blood And was not our deliuerance in Eightie eight a Miracle when the Sea fought for vs and her proud waues enlarged themselues to swallow vp quick their prouder burden There was a day as many of vs may remember which the Papists called The long-lookt-for Day the Day which should pay for all They meant the Day when Queene Elizabeth should die About which their false prophets were so confident and hopefull that they expected vpon the blood of that Day to haue built their Idolatrous Babel againe For they would needs foretell that it would bee a bloody Day By the vncertaintie of the next Heire said one of them in the late Queenes dayes our Countrie is in the most dreadfull and desperate case in the greatest miserie and most dangerous termes that euer it was since or before the Conquest and farre worse then any Countrie of Christendome by the certainty of most bloody ciuil and forren warres all our wealth and felicitie whatsoeuer depending vpon a few vncertaine dayes of Queene Elizabeths life Clouds of blood saith another hang in the Aire which at the death of Queene Elizabeth will dissolue and raine downe vpon England which then is expected as a prey to the ambition of neighbour-Nations I am sure the false prophet spake to this sense And what comes of all this when the Day came God euen wrought a miracle of mercy for the comfort of this Kingdome and further confusion of such tellers and foretellers of lyes For the Sunne set and no night followed the same mercifull hand at the same time crowned Queene Elizabeth with immortall glory and set the earthly Crowne of this Kingdome vpon King Iames his head without sheading so much as one drop of blood And was it not a miraculous mercy to haue such a King after such a Queene who hath alreadie next vnder that mighty God by whom Kings reigne continued the Gospell vnto vs and preserued vs from the destroying Sword now full twenty yeeres And what do you thinke were twenty yeeres Peace and the enioyment of the Gospell worth were it to be bought Who hath ennobled this Kingdome for euer by his excellent Writings in the cause of Religion against Antichrist which would haue created a great deale of honour to a priuate man minding nothing else How illustrious then doe they make our King The child vnborne will blesse King Iames for his premonition to all the Princes and free States of Christendome and that Royall Remonstrance against the rotten and pestilent Oration of the French Cardinal to the vtter and triumphant ouerthrow of it penned in that stile that none can possibly reach but a learned King his Golden pen hath giuen such a blow to that beast of Rome that hee will neuer be able to stand vpon his foure legs againe hee hath shot out of his Royall bow such keene arrowes taken out of the quiuer of Gods Booke which will hang in the sides of that skarlet Whore and make her laâ—…e as long as she liues Did hee not seale vs an Instrument of his hand as it were to testifie his inuincible cleauing to the Truth which he hath so excellently and vnanswerably defended with his Pen the same day hee gaue the Noble Princesse a second Elizabeth to the Palatine Hath he not most happily and seasonably stopped the hasty torrent of the Arminian Sect the domineering rage of bloody