praesens huic erant dieculae but this will be but an ill account when the rods shall for the delay be turned into Scorpions and from easie shall become intolerable Better it is to suffer here and to stay till the day of restitution for the good and the holy portion for it will recompense both for the suffering and the stay But how if the portion be bad It shall be bad to the greatest part of mankinde that 's a fearfull consideration the greatest part of men and women shall dwell in the portion of Devils to eternall ages So that these portions are like the Prophets figs in the vision the good are the best that ever were and the worst are so bad that worse cannot be imagined For though in hell the accursed souls shall have no worse then they have deserved and there are not there overrunning measures as there are in heaven and therefore that the joyes of heaven are infinitely greater joyes then the pains of hell are great pains yet even these are a full measure to a full iniquity pain above patience sorrowes without ease amazement without consideration despair without the intervals of a little hope indignation without the possession of any good there dwels envie and confusion disorder and sad remembrances perpetuall woes and continuall shriekings uneasinesse and all the evils of the soul. But if we will represent it in some orderly circumstances we may consider 1. That here all the troubles of our spirits are little participations of a disorderly passion A man desires earnestly but he hath not or he envies because another hath something besides him and he is troubled at the want of one when at the same time he hath a hundred good things and yet ambition and envie impatience and confusion covetousnesse and lust are all of them very great torments but there these shall be in essence and abstracted beings the spirit of envie and the spirit of sorrow Devils that shall inflict all the whole nature of the evill and pour it into the minds of accursed men where it shall sit without abatement for he that envies there envies not for the eminence of another that sits a little above him and excels him in some one good but he shall envie for all because the Saints have all and they have none therefore all their passions are integral abstracted perfect passions and all the sorrow in the world at this time is but a portion of sorrow every man hath his share and yet besides that which all sad men have there is a great deal of sorrow which they have not and all the Devils portion besides that but in hell they shall have the whole passion of sorrow in every one just as the whole body of the Sun is seen by every one in the same Horizon and he that is in darknesse enjoyes it not by parts but the whole darknesse is the portion of one as well as of another If this consideration be not too Metaphysicall I am sure it is very sad and it relies upon this that as in heaven there are some holy Spirits whose crown is all love and some in which the brightest jewell is understanding some are purity and some are holinesse to the Lord so in the regions of sorrow evill and sorrow have an essence and proper being and are set there to be suffer'd intirely by every undone man that dies there for ever 2. The evils of this world are materiall and bodily the pressing of a shoulder or the straining of a joynt the dislocation of a bone or the extending of an artery a bruise in the flesh or the pinching of the skin a hot liver or a sickly stomach and then the minde is troubled because its instrument is ill at ease but all the proper troubles of this life are nothing but the effects of an uneasie body or an abused fancy and therefore can be no bigger then a blow or a cousenage then a wound or a dream only the trouble increases as the soul works it and if it makes reflex acts and begins the evill upon its own account then it multiplies and doubles because the proper scene of grief is open'd and sorrow peeps through the corners of the soul. But in those regions and daies of sorrow when the soul shall be no more depending upon the body but the perfect principle of all its actions the actions are quick and the perceptions brisk the passions are extreme and the motions are spirituall the pains are like the horrors of a Devill and the groans of an evill spirit not slow like the motions of a heavie foot or a loaden arme but quick as an Angels wing active as lightning and a grief then is nothing like a grief now and the words of mans tongue which are fitted to the uses of this world are as unfit to signifie the evils of the next as person and nature and hand and motion and passion are to represent the effects of the Divine attributes actions and subsistence 3. The evill portions of the next world is so great that God did not create or design it in the first intention of things and production of essences he made the Kingdome of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the foundation of the world for so it is observable that Christ shall say to the Sheep at his right hand Receive the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world but to the Goats and accursed spirits he speaks of no such primitive and originall design it was accidentall and a consequent to horrid crimes that God was forced to invent and to after create that place of torments 4. And when God did create and prepare that place he did not at all intend it for man it was prepared for the Divill and his Angels so saith the Judge himself Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which my Father prepared for the Devill so some copies read it God intended it not for man but man would imitate the Devils pride and listen to the whispers of an evill spirit and follow his temptations and rebell against his Maker and then God also against his first design resolved to throw such persons into that place that was prepared for the Devill for so great was the love of God to mankind that he prepared joyes infinite and never ceasing for man before he had created him but he did not predetermine him to any evill but when he was forced to it by mans malice he doing what God forbad him God cast him thither where he never intended him but it was not mans portion he designed it not at first and at last also he invited him to repentance and when nothing could do it he threw man into anothers portion because he would not accept of what was designed to be his own 5. The evill portion shall be continuall without intermission of evill no dayes of rest no nights of
chastise our errors and discover our follies it will make us ashamed of trifling interests and violent prosecutions of false principles and the evill disguises of the world and then our nature will return to the innocence and excellency in which God first estated it that is our flesh will be a servant of the soul and the soul a servant to the spirit and then because faith makes heaven to be the end of our desires and God the object of our love and worshippings and the Scripture the rule of our actions and Christ our Lord and Master and the holy Spirit our mighty assistance and our Counsellour all the little uglinesses of the world and the follies of the flesh will be uneasie and unsavory unreasonable and a load and then that grace the grace of faith that layes hold upon the holy Trinity although it cannot understand it and beholds heaven before it can possesse it shall also correct our weaknesses and master all our aversations and though we cannot in this world be perfect masters and triumphant persons yet we be conquerors and more that is conquerors of the direct hostility sure of a crown to be revealed in its due time 2. The second great remedy of our evill Nature and of the loads of the flesh is devotion or a state of prayer and entercourse with God For the gift of the Spirit of God which is the great antidote of our evill natures is properly and expresly promised to prayer If you who are evill give good things to your children that aske you how much more shall your Father from heaven give his holy Spirit to them that aske it That which in S. Luke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Spirit is called in St. Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good things that is the holy Spirit is all that good that we shall need towards our pardon and our sanctification and our glory and this is promised to Prayer to this purpose Christ taught us the Lords Prayer by which we are sufficiently instructed in obtaining this Magazine of holy and usefull things But Prayer is but one part of devotion and though of admirable efficacy towards the obtaining this excellent promise yet it is to be assisted by the other parts of devotion to make it a perfect remedy to our great evill He that would secure his evill Nature must be a devout person and he that is devout besides that he prayes frequently he delights in it as it is a conversation with God he rejoyces in God and esteems him the light of his eyes and the support of his confidence the object of his love and the desires of his heart the man is uneasie but when he does God service and his soul is at peace and rest when he does what may be accepted and this is that which the Apostle counsels and gives in precept Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoyce that is as the Levites were appointed to rejoyce because God was their portion in tithes and offerings so now that in the spirituall sense God is our portion we should rejoyce in him and make him our inheritance and his service our imployment and the peace of conscience to be our rest and then it is impossible we should be any longer slaves to sin and afflicted by the baser imployments of the flesh or carry burdens for the Devill and therefore the Scholiast upon Juvenal observed well Nullum malum gaudium est Notrue joy can be evill and therefore it was improperly said of Virgil Mala gaudia mentis calling lust and wilde desires the evill joyes of the minde Gaudium enim nisi sapienti non contingere said Seneca none but a wise and a good man can truly rejoyce The evill laugh loud and sigh deeply they drink drunk and forget their sorrowes and all the joyes of an evill man is only arts of forgetfulnesse devices to cover their sorrow and make them not see their death and its affrighting circumstances but the heart never can rejoyce and be secure be pleased and be at rest but when it dwels with holinesse the joyes that come from thence are safe and great unchangeable and unabated healthfull and holy and this is true joy and this is that which can cure all the little images of pleasure and temptation which debauch our nature and make it dwell with hospitals in the region of diseases and evill sorrowes St. Gregory well observed the difference saying that Corporall pleasures when we have them not inkindle a flame and a burning desire in the heart and make a man very miserable before he tasts them the appetite to them is like thirst and the desires of a feaver the pleasure of drinking will not pay for the pain of the desire and when they are enjoyed they instantly breed satiety and a loathing But spirituall rejoycings and delights are loathed by them that have them not and despised by them that never felt them but when they are once tasted they increase the appetite and swell it to bigger capacities and the more they are eaten the more they are desired and cannot become a wearinesse because they satisfie all the way and only increase the desire because themselves grow bigger and more amiable And therefore when this new and stranger appetite and consequent joy arises in the heart of man it so fils all the faculties that there is no gust no desire left for toads and vipers for hemlock and the deadly night-shade Sirenas hilarem navigantium poenam Blandásque mortes gandiúmque crudele Quas nemo quondam deserebat auditas Prudens Ulysses dicitur reliquisse Then a man can hear the musick of songs and dances and think them to be heathenish noises and if he be engaged in the society of a woman singer he can be as unconcerned as a marble statue he can be at a feast and not be defil'd he can passe through theatres as though a street then he can look on money as his servant nec distant aera lupinis he can use it as the Greeks did their sharp coins to cast accounts withall and not from thence take the accounts of his wealth or his felicity If you can once obtain but to delight in prayer and to long for the day of a Communion and to be pleased with holy meditation and to desire Gods grace with great passion and an appetite keen as a Wolf upon the cold plains of the North If you can delight in Gods love and consider concerning his providence and busie your selves in the pursuit of the affairs of his Kingdome then you have the grace of devotion and your evill nature shall be cured 3. Because this great cure is to be wrought by the Spirit of God which is a new nature in us we must endevour to abstain from those things which by a speciall malignity are directly opposite to the spirit of reason and the spirit of grace and those are drunkennesse and lust He that
Priests Nobles and Learned the Crafty and the Easie the Wise and the Foolish the Rich and the Poor the prevailing Tyrant and the oppressed Party shall all appear to receive ther Symbol and this is so farre from abating any thing of its terror and our dear concernment that it much increases it for although concerning Precepts and Discourses we are apt to neglect in particular what is recommended in generall and in incidencies of Mortality and sad events the singularity of the chance heightens the apprehension of the evill yet it is so by accident and only in regard of our imperfection it being an effect of self-love or some little creeping envie which adheres too often to the infortunate and miserable or else because the sorrow is apt to increase by being apprehended to be a rare case and a singular unworthinesse in him who is afflicted otherwise then is common to the sons of men companions of his sin and brethren of his nature and partners of his usuall accidents yet in finall and extreme events the multitude of sufferers does not lessen but increase the sufferings and when the first day of Judgement happen'd that I mean of the universall deluge of waters upon the old World the calamity swell'd like the floud and every man saw his friend perish and the neighbours of his dwelling and the relatives of his house and the sharers of his joyes and yesterdaies bride and the new born heir the Priest of the Family and the honour of the Kindred all dying or dead drench'd in water and the divine vengeance and then they had no place to flee unto no man cared for their souls they had none to goe unto for counsell no sanctuary high enough to keep them from the vengeance that raip'd down from heaven and so it shall be at the day of Judgement when that world and this and all that shall be born hereafter shall passe through the same Red sea and be all baptized with the same fire and be involv'd in the same cloud in which shall be thundrings and terrors infinite every Mans fear shall be increased by his neighbours shriekes and the amazement that all the world shall be in shall unite as the sparks of a raging furnace into a globe of fire and roul upon its own principle and increase by direct appearances and intolerable reflexions He that stands in a Church-yard in the time of a great plague and hears the Passing-bell perpetually telling the sad stories of death and sees crowds of infected bodies pressing to their Graves and others sick and tremulous and Death dress'd up in all the images of sorrow round about him is not supported in his spirit by the variety of his sorrow and at Dooms-day when the terrors are universall besides that it is in it self so much greater because it can affright the whole world it is also made greater by communication and a sorrowfull influence Grief being then strongly infections when there is no variety of state but an intire Kingdome of fear and amazement is the King of all our passions and all the world its subjects and that shrieke must needs be terrible when millions of Men and Women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out and the noise shall mingle with the Trumpet of the Archangell with the thunders of the dying and groaning heavens and the crack of the dissolving world when the whole fabrick of nature shall shake into dissolution and eternall ashes But this generall consideration may be hightned with four or five circumstances 1. Consider what an infinite multitude of Angels and Men and Women shall then appear it is a huge assembly when the Men of one Kingdome the Men of one Age in a single Province are gathered togother into heaps and confusion of disorder But then all Kingdomes of all ages all the Armies that ever mustered all that World that Augustus Caesar taxed all those hundreds of Millions that were slain in all the Roman Wars from Numa's time till Italy was broken into Principalities and small Exarchats all these and all that can come into numbers and that did descend from the loins of Adam shall at once be represented to which account if we adde the Armies of Heaven the nine orders of blessed Spirits and the infinite numbers in every order we may suppose the numbers fit to expresse the Majesty of that God and the terror of that Judge who is the Lord and Father of all that unimaginable multitude Erit terror ingens tot simul tantorúmque populorum 2. In this great multitude we shall meet all those who by their example and their holy precepts have like tapers enkindled with a beam of the Sun of righteousnesse enlightned us and taught us to walk in the paths of justice There we shall see all those good men whom God sent to preach to us and recall us from humane follies and inhumane practises and when we espie the good man that chid us for our last drunkennesse or adulteries it shall then also be remembred how we mocked at counsell and were civilly modest at the reproof but laugh'd when the man was gone and accepted it for a religious complement and took our leaves and went and did the same again But then things shall put on another face and what we smil'd at here and slighted fondly shall then be the greatest terror in the world Men shall feel that they once laugh'd at their own destruction and rejected health when it was offered by a man of God upon no other condition but that they would be wise and not be in love with death Then they shall perceive that if they had obeyed an easie and a sober counsell they had been partners of the same felicity which they see so illustrious upon the heads of those Preachers whose work is with the Lord and who by their life and Doctrine endeavoured to snatch the Soul of their friend or relatives from an intolerable misery But he that sees a crown put upon their heads that give good counsell and preach holy and severe Sermons with designs of charity and piety will also then perceive that God did not send Preachers for nothing on trifling errands and without regard but that work which he crowns in them he purposed should be effective to us perswasive to the understanding and active upon our consciences Good Preachers by their Doctrine and all good men by their lives are the accusers of the disobedient and they shall rise up from their seats and judge and condemn the follies of those who thought their piety to be want of courage and their discourses pedanticall and their reproofs the Priests trade but of no signification because they prefer'd moments before eternity 3. There in that great assembly shall be seen all those Converts who upon easier terms and fewer miracles and a lesse experience and a younger grace and a seldomer Preaching and more unlikely circumstances have suffered the work of God to prosper upon their
fools but will order their actions according to these notices For if they doe not believe these things where is their Faith If they doe believe them and sin on and doe as if there were no such thing to come to passe where is their Prudence and what is their hopes and where their Charity how doe they differ from beasts save that they are more foolish for beasts goe on and consider not because they cannot but we can consider and will not we know that strange terrors shall affright us all and strange deaths and torments shall seise upon the wicked and that we cannot escape and the rocks themselves will not bee able to hide us from the fears of those prodigies which shall come before the day of Judgement and that the mountains though when they are broken in pieces we call upon them to fall upon us shall not be able to secure us one minute from the present vengeance and yet we proceed with confidence or carelesnesse and consider not that there is no greater folly in the world then for a man to neglect his greatest interest and to die for trifles and little regards and to become miserable for such interests which are not excusable in a Childe He that is youngest hath not long to live Hee that is thirty forty or fifty yeares old hath spent most of his life and his dream is almost done and in a very few moneths hee must be cast into his eternall portion that is hee must be in an unalterable condition his finall Sentence shall passe according as hee shall then bee found and that will be an intolerable condition when he shall have reason to cry out in the bitternesse of his soule Eternall woe is to mee who refus'd to consider when I might have been saved and secured from this intolerable calamity But I must descend to consider the particulars and circumstances of the great consideration Christ shall be our Judge at Doomes-day SERMON II. Part II. 1. IF we consider the person of the Judge we first perceive that he is interested in the injury of the crimes he is to sentence Videbunt quem crucifixerunt and they shal look on him whom they have pierced It was for thy sins that the Judge did suffer such unspeakable pains as were enough to reconcile all the world to God The summe and spirit of which pains could not be better understood then by the consequence of his own words My God my God why hast thou forsaken me meaning that he felt such horrible pure unmingled sorrowes that although his humane nature was personally united to the Godhead yet at that instant he felt no comfortable emanations by sensible perception from the Divinity but he was so drenched in sorrow that the Godhead seemed to have forsaken him Beyond this nothing can be added but then that thou hast for thy own particular made all this in vain and ineffective that Christ thy Lord and Judge should be tormented for nothing that thou wouldst not accept felicity and pardon when he purchased them at so dear a price must needs be an infinite condemnation to such persons How shalt thou look upon him that fainted and dyed for love of thee and thou didst scorn his miraculous mercies How shall we dare to behold that holy face that brought salvation to us and we turned away and fell in love with death and kissed deformity and sins and yet in the beholding that face consists much of the glories of eternity All the pains and passions the sorrowes and the groans the humility and poverty the labours and the watchings the Prayers and the Sermons the miracles and the prophecies the whip and the nails the death and the buriall the shame and the smart the Crosse and the grave of Jesus shall be laid upon thy score if thou hast refused the mercies and design of all their holy ends and purposes And if we remember what a calamity that was which broke the Jewish Nation in pieces when Christ came to judge them for their murdering him who was their King and the Prince of life and consider that this was but a dark image of the terrors of the day of Judgement we may then apprehend that there is some strange unspeakable evill that attends them that are guilty of this death and of so much evill to their Lord. Now it is certain if thou wilt not be saved by his death you are guilty of his death if thoa wilt not suffer him to save thee thou art guilty of destroying him and then let it be considered what is to be expected from that Judge before whom you stand as his murtherer and betrayer * But this is but half of this consideration 2. Christ may be crucified again and upon a new account put to an open shame For after that Christ had done all this by the direct actions of his Priestly Office of sacrificing himself for us he hath also done very many things for us which are also the fruits of his first love and prosecutions of our redemption I will not instance in the strange arts of mercy that our Lord uses to bring us to live holy lives But I consider that things are so ordered and so great a value set upon our souls since they are the images of God and redeemed by the Bloud of the holy Lamb that the salvation of our souls is reckoned as a part of Christs reward a part of the glorification of his humanity Every sinner that repents causes joy to Christ and the joy is so great that it runs over and wets the fair brows and beauteous locks of Cherubims and Seraphims and all the Angels have a part of that banquet Then it is that our blessed Lord feels the fruits of his holy death the acceptation of his holy sacrifice the graciousnesse of his person the return of his prayers For all that Christ did or suffer'd and all that he now does as a Priest in heaven is to glorifie his Father by bringing souls to God For this it was that he was born and dyed that he descended from heaven to earth from life to death from the crosse to the grave this was the purpose of his resurrection and ascension of the end and design of all the miracles and graces of God manifested to all the world by him and now what man is so vile such a malicious fool that will refuse to bring joy to his Lord by doing himself the greatest good in the world They who refuse to do this are said to crucifie the Lord of life again and put him to an open shame that is they as much as in them lies bring Christ from his glorious joyes to the labours of his life and the shame of his death they advance his enemies and refuse to advance the Kingdome of their Lord they put themselves in that state in which they were when Christ came to dye for them and now that he is in a state that he may rejoyce over them
follies and infirmities SERMON XI Part II. IF it be possible to cure an evill nature we must inquire after remedies for all this mischief In order to which I shall consider 1. That since it is our flesh and bloud that is the principle of mischief we must not think to have it cured by washings and light medicaments the Physitian that went to cure the Hectick with quick-silver and fasting spittle did his Patient no good but himself became a proverb and he that by easie prayers and a seldome fast by the scattering of a little almes and the issues of some more naturall vertue thinks to cure his evill nature does fortifie his indisposition as a stick is hardened by a little fire which by a great one is devoured Quanto satius est mentem potius eluere quae malis cupiditatibus sordidatur uno virtutis as sidei lavacro universa vitia depellere Better it is by an intire body of vertue by a living and active faith to cleanse the minde from every vice and to take off all superinduced habits of sin Quod qui fecerit quamlibet inquinatum ac sordidum corpus gerat satis purus est If we take this course although our body is foul and our affections unquiet and our rest discomposed yet we shall be masters of our resolution and clean from habituall sins and so cure our evill nature For our nature was not made evill but by our selves but yet we are naturally evill that is by a superinduced nature just as drunkards and intemperate persons have made it necessary to drink extremely and their nature requires it and it is health to them they dye without it because they have made to themselves a new constitution and another nature but much worse then that which God made their sin made this new nature and this new nature makes sin necessary and unavoidable so it is in all other instances Our nature is evill because we have spoil'd it and therefore the removing the sin which we have brought in is the way to cure our nature for this evill nature is not a thing which we cannot avoid we made it and therefore we must help it but as in the superinducing this evill nature we were thrust forward by the world and the Devill by all objects from without and weaknesse from within so in the curing it we are to be helped by God and his most holy Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must have a new nature put into us which must be the principle of new counsels and better purposes of holy actions and great devotion and this nature is deriv'd from God and is a grace and a favour of heaven The same Spirit that caused the holy Jesus to be born after a new and strange manner must also descend upon us and cause us to be born again and to begin a new life upon the stock of a new nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Origen From him it first began that a divine and humane nature were weaved together that the humane nature by communication with the celestiall may also become divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not only in Jesus but in all that first beleeve in him and then obey him living such a life as Jesus taught and this is the summe totall of the whole design As we have liv'd to the flesh so we must hereafter live to the spirit as our nature hath been flesh not only in its originall but in habits and affection so our nature must be spirit in habit and choice in design and effectuall prosecutions for nothing can cure our old death but this new birth and this is the recovery of our nature and the restitution of our hopes and therefore the greatest joy of mankinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a fine thing to see the light of this sun and it is pleasant to see the storm allayed and turned into a smooth sea and a fresh gale our eyes are pleased to see the earth begin to live and to produce her little issues with particolour'd coats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is so beauteous as to see a new birth in a childlesse family And it is excellent to hear a man discourse the hidden things of Nature and unriddle the perplexities of humane notices and mistakes it is comely to see a wise man sit in the gates of the City and give right judgement in difficult causes But all this is nothing to the excellencies of a new birth to see the old man carryed forth to funerall with the solemn tears of repentance and buryed in the grave of Jesus and in his place a new creation to arise a new heart and a new understanding and new affections and excellent appetites for nothing lesse then this can cure all the old distempers 2. Our life and all our discourses and every observation and a state of reason and a union of sober counsels are too little to cure a peevish spirit and a weak reasoning and silly principles and accursed habits and evill examples and perverse affections and a whole body of sin and death It was well said in the Comedy Nunquam ita quisquam bene subductâ ratione ad vitam fuit Quin aetas usus semper aliquid apportet novi Aliquid moneat ut illa quae scire credas nescias Et quae tibi put as prima in experiundo repudies Men at first think themselves wise and are alwaies most confident when they have the least reason and to morrow they begin to perceive yesterdayes folly and yet they are not wise But as the little Embryo in the naturall sheet and lap of its mother first distinguishes into a little knot and that in time will be the heart and then into a bigger bundle which after some dayes abode grows into two little spots and they if cherished by nature will become eyes and each part by order commences into weak principles and is preserved with natures greatest curiosity that it may assist first to distinction then to order next to usefulnesse and from thence to strength till it arrive at beauty and a perfect creature so are the necessities and so are the discourses of men we first learn the principles of reason which breaks obscurely through a cloud and brings a little light and then we discern a folly and by little and little leave it till that enlightens the next corner of the soul and then there is a new discovery but the soul is still in infancy and childish follies and every day does but the work of one day but therefore art and use experience and reason although they do something yet they cannot do enough there must be something else But this is to be wrought by a new principle that is by the Spirit of grace Nature and reason alone cannot do it and therefore the
bosome and he sighes deeply Ah tum te miserum malique fati Quem attractis pedibus patente portâ Percurrent mugiléque raphanique The boyes and the pedlers and the fruiterers shall tell of this man when he is carryed to his grave that he lived and dyed a poor wretched person The Stags in the Greek Epigram whose knees were clog'd with frozen snow upon the mountains came down to the brooks of the vallies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoping to thaw their joynts with the waters of the stream but there the frost overtook them and bound them fast in ice till the young heardsmen took them in their stranger snare It is the unhappy chance of many men finding many inconveniences upon the mountains of single life they descend into the vallies of marriage to refresh their troubles and there they enter into fetters and are bound to sorrow by the cords of a mans or womans peevishnesse and the worst of the evill is they are to thank their own follies for they fell into the snare by entring an improper way Christ and the Church were no ingredients in their choice but as the Indian women enter into folly for the price of an Elephant and think their crime warrantable so do men and women change their liberty for a rich fortune like Eriphyle the Argive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she prefer'd gold before a good man and shew themselves to be lesse then money by overvaluing that to all the content and wise felicity of their lives and when they have counted the money and their sorrowes together how willingly would they buy with the losse of all that money modesty or sweet nature to their relative the odde thousand pound would gladly be allowed in good nature and fair manners As very a fool is he that chooses for beauty principally cui sunt eruditi oculi stulta mens as one said whose eyes are witty and their soul sensuall It is an ill band of affections to tye two hearts together by a little thread of red and white 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they can love no longer but untill the next ague comes and they are fond of each other but at the chance of fancy or the small pox or childebearing or care or time or any thing that can destroy a pretty flower But it is the basest of all when lust is the Paranymph and solicits the suit and makes the contract and joyn'd the hands for this is commonly the effect of the former according to the Greek proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At first for his fair cheeks and comely beard the beast is taken for a Lion but at last he is turn'd to a Dragon or a Leopard or a Swine That which is at first beauty on the face may prove lust in the manners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Eubulus wittily reprehended such impure contracts they offer in their maritall sacrifices nothing but the thigh and that which the Priests cut from the goats when they were laid to bleed upon the Altars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said St. Clement He or she that looks too curiously upon the beauty of the body looks too low and hath flesh and corruption in his heart and is judg'd sensuall and earthly in his affections and desires Begin therefore with God Christ is the president of marriage and the holy Ghost is the fountain of purities and chast loves and he joynes the hearts and therefore let our first suit be in the court of heaven and with designs of piety or safety or charity let no impure spirit defile the virgin purities and castifications of the soul as St. Peters phrase is let all such contracts begin with religious affections Conjugium petimus partúmque uxoris at illi Notum qui pueri qualisve futura sit uxor We sometimes beg of God for a wife or a childe and he alone knows what the wife shall prove and by what dispositions and manners and into what fortune that childe shall enter but we shall not need to fear concerning the event of it if religion and fair intentions and prudence manage and conduct it all the way The preservation of a family the production of children the avoiding fornication the refreshment of our sorrowes by the comforts of society all these are fair ends of marriage and hallow the entrance but in these there is a speciall order society was the first designed It is not good for man to be alone Children was the next Increase and multiply but the avoiding fornication came in by the superfetation of the evill accidents of the world The first makes marriage delectable the second necessary to the publick the third necessary to the particular This is for safety for life and heaven it self Nam simulac venas inflavit dira cupido Huc juvenes aequum est descendere The other have in them joy and a portion of immortality the first makes the mans heart glad the second is the friend of Kingdomes and cities and families and the third is the enemy to hell and an antidote of the chiefest inlet to damnation but of all these the noblest end is the multiplying children Mundus cum patet Deorum tristium atque inferûm quasi patet janua propterea uxorem liberorum quaerendorum causâ ducere religiosum est said Varro It is religion to marry for children and Quintilian puts it into the definition of a wife est enim uxor quam jungit quam diducit utilitas cujus haec reverentia est quòd videtur inventa in causa liberorum and therefore St. Ignatius when he had spoken of Elias and Titus and Clement with an honourable mention of their virgin state lest he might seem to have lessened the marryed Apostles at whose feet in Christs Kingdome he thought himself unworthy to sit he gives this testimony they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might not be disparaged in their great names of holinesse and severity they were secured by not marrying to satisfie their lower appetites but out of desire of children Other considerations if they be incident and by way of appendage are also considerable in the accounts of prudence but when they become principles they defile the mystery and make the blessing doubtfull Amabit sapiens cupient caeteri said Afranius love is a fair inducement but desire and appetite are rude and the characterismes of a sensuall person Amare justi boni est cupere impotentis to love belongs to a just and a good man but to lust or furiously and passionately to desire is the sign of impotency and an unruly minde 2. Man and wife are equally concerned to avoid all offences of each other in the beginning of their conversation every little thing can blast an infant blossome and the breath of the south can shake the little rings of the Vine when first they begin to curle like the
and our faces and our heads may as well be anointed and look pleasant with wit and friendly entercourse as with the fat of the Balsam tree and such a conversation no wise man ever did or ought to reprove But when the jest hath teeth and nails biting or scratching our Brother * when it is loose and wanton * when it is unseasonable * and much or many * when it serves ill purposes * or spends better time * then it is the drunkennesse of the soul and makes the spirit fly away seeking for a Temple where the mirth and the musick is solemne and religious But above all the abuses which ever dishonoured the tongues of men nothing more deserves the whip of an exterminating Angel or the stings of scorpions then profane jesting which is a bringing of the Spirit of God to partake of the follies of a man as if it were not enough for a man to be a foole but the wisdome of God must be brought into those horrible scenes He that makes a jest of the words of Scripture or of holy things playes with thunder and kisses the mouth of a Canon just as it belches fire and death he stakes heaven at spurnpoint and trips crosse and pile whether ever he shall see the face of God or no he laughs at damnation while he had rather lose God then lose his jest nay which is the horror of all he makes a jest of God himselfe and the Spirit of the Father and the Son to become ridiculous Some men use to read Scripture on their knees and many with their heads uncovered and all good men with fear and trembling with reverence and grave attention Search the Scriptures for therein you hope to have life eternall and All Scripture is written by inspiration of God and is fit for instruction for reproofe for exhortation for doctrine not for jesting but he that makes that use of it had better part with his eyes in jest and give his heart to make a tennisball and that I may speak the worst thing in the world of it it is as like the materiall part of the sin against the holy Ghost as jeering of a man is to abusing him and no man can use it but he that wants wit and manners as well as he wants Religion 3. The third instance of the vain trifling conversation and immoderate talking is revealing secrets which is a dismantling and renting off the robe from the privacies of humane entercourse and it is worse then denying to restore that which was intrusted to our charge for this not onely injures his neighbors right but throws it away and exposes it to his enemy it is a denying to give a man his own arms and delivering them to another by whom he shall suffer mischief He that intrusts a secret to his friend goes thither as to sanctuary and to violate the rites of that is sacriledge and profanation of friendship which is the sister of Religion and the mother of secular blessing a thing so sacred that it changes a Kingdome into a Church and makes Interest to be Piety and Justice to become Religion But this mischief growes according to the subject matter and its effect and the tongue of a babbler may crush a mans bones or break his fortune upon her owne wheel and whatever the effect be yet of it self it is the betraying of a trust and by reproach oftentimes passes on to intolerable calamities like a criminal to his scaffold through the execrable gates of Cities And though it is infinitely worse when the secret is laid open out of spite or treachery yet it is more foolish when it is discovered for no other end but to serve the itch of talking or to seem to know or to be accounted worthy of a trust for so some men open their cabinets to shew onely that a treasure is laid up and that themselves were valued by their friend when they were thought capable of a secret but they shall be so no more for he that by that means goes in pursuit of reputation loses the substance by snatching at the shadow and by desiring to be thought worthy of a secret proves himselfe unworthy of friendship or society D' Avila tels of a French Marquesse young and fond to whom the Duke of Guise had conveyed notice of the intended massacre which when he had whispered into the Kings ear where there was no danger of publication but onely would seem a person worthy of such a trust he was instantly murder'd lest a vanity like that might unlock so horrid a mysterie I have nothing more to adde concerning this but that if this vanity happens in the matters of Religion it puts on some new circumstances of deformity And if he that ministers to the souls of men and is appointed to restore him that is overtaken in a fault shall publish the secrets of a conscience he prevaricates the bands of Nature and Religion in stead of a Father he turns an Accuser a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he weakens the hearts of the penitent and drives the repenting man from his remedy by making it to be intolerable and so Religion becomes a scandall and his duty is made his disgrace and Christs yoke does bow his head unto the ground and the secrets of the Spirit passe into the shames of the world and all the sweetnesses by which the severity of the duty are alleviated and made easie are imbittered and become venemous by the tongue of a talking fool Valerius Soranus was put to death by the old and braver Romanes ob meritum profanae vocis quòd contra interdictum Romae nomen eloqui fuit ausus because by prating he profan'd the secret of their Religion and told abroad that name of the City which the Tuscan rites had commanded to be concealed lest the enemies of the people should call from them their tutclar gods which they could not doe but by telling the proper relation And in Christianity all Nations have consented to disgrace that Priest who loves the pleasure of a fools tongue before the charity of souls and the arts of the Spirit and the noblenesse of the Religion and they have inflicted upon him all the censures of the Church which in the capacity of an Ecclesiasticall person he can suffer These I reckon as the proper evils of the vain and trifling tongue for though the effect passes into further mischief yet the originall is weaknesse and folly and all that unworthynesse which is not yet arrived at malice But hither also upon the same account some other irregularities of speech are reducible which although they are of a mixt nature yet are properly acted by a vain and a loose tongue and therefore here may be considered not improperly 1. The first is common Swearing against which St. Chrysostome spends twenty homilies and by the number and weight of arguments hath left this testimony that it is a foolish vice but hard to be cured infinitely unreasonable
sorrows for their damnation 5. We may consider that this infinite multitude of men and women Angels and Devils is not ineffective as a number in Pythagoras Tables but must needs have influence upon every spirit that shall there appear For the transactions of that court are not like Orations spoken by a Grecian Orator in the circles of his people heard by them that croud nearest him or that sound limited by the circles of aire or the inclosure of a wall but every thing is represented to every person and then let it be considered when thy shame and secret turpitude thy midnight revels and secret hypocrisies thy lustfull thoughts and treacherous designes thy falshood to God and startings from thy holy promises thy follies and impieties shall be laid open before all the world and that then shall be spoken by the trumpet of an Archangell upon the house top the highest battlements of Heaven all those filthy words and lewd circumstances which thou didst act secretly thou wilt find that thou wilt have reason strangely to be ashamed All the wise men in the world shall know how vile thou hast been and then consider with what confusion of face wouldst thou stand in the presence of a good man and a severe if peradventure he should suddenly draw thy curtain and finde thee in the sins of shame and lust it must be infinitely more when God and all the Angels of heaven and earth all his holy myriads and all his redeemed Saints shall stare and wonder at thy impurities and follies I have read a story that a young Gentleman being passionately by his mother disswaded from entring into the severe courses of a religious and single life broke from her importunity by saying Volo servare animam meam I am resolved by all means to save my soul. But when he had undertaken a rule with passion he performed it carelesly and remisly and was but lukewarm in his Religion and quickly proceeded to a melancholy and wearied spirit and from thence to a sicknesse and the neighbourhood of death but falling into an agony and a phantastick vision dream'd that he saw himself summon'd before Gods angry throne and from thence hurryed into a place of torments where espying his Mother full of scorn she upbraided him with his former answer and asked him Why he did not save his soul by all means according as he undertook But when the sick man awaked and recovered he made his words good indeed and prayed frequently and fasted severely and laboured humbly and conversed charitably and mortified himself severely and refused such secular solaces which other good men received to refresh and sustain their infirmities and gave no other account to them that asked him but this If I could not in my extasie or dream endure my Mothers upbraiding my follies and weak Religion how shall I be able to suffer that God should redargue me at Dooms-day and the Angels reproach my lukewarmnesse and the Devlls aggravate my sins and all the Saints of God deride my follies and hypocrisies The effect of that mans consideration may serve to actuate a meditation in every one of us for we shall all be at that passe that unlesse our shame and sorrowes be cleansed by a timely repentance and cover'd by the Robe of Christ we shall suffer the anger of God the scorn of Saints and Angels and our own shame in the generall assembly of all mankind This argument is most considerable to them who are tender of their precious name and sensible of honour if they rather would chuse death then a disgrace poverty rather then shame let them remember that a sinfull life will bring them to an intolerable shame at that day when all that is excellent in heaven and earth shall be summon'd as witnesses and parties in a fearfull scrutiny The summe is this All that are born of Adam shall appear before God and his Christ and all the innumerable companies of Angels and Devils shall be there and the wicked shall be afrighted with every thing they see and there they shall see those good men that taught them the waies of life and all those evill persons whom themselves have tempted into the waies of death and those who were converted upon easier termes and some of these shall shame the wicked and some shall curse them and some shall upbraid them and all shall amaze them and yet this is but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of those evils which shall never end till eternity hath a period but concerning this they must first be judged and that 's the second generall consideration We must appear before the Judgement seat of Christ and that 's a new state of terrors and afrightments Christ who is our Saviour and is our Advocate shall then be our Judge and that will strangely change our confidences and all the face of things 2. That 's then the place and state of our appearance Before the Judgement seat of Christ For Christ shall rise from the right hand of his Father he shall descend towards us and ride upon a cloud and shall make himself illustrious by a glorious Majesty and an innumerable retinue and circumstances of terror and a mighty power and this is that which Origen affirms to be the sign of the Son of Man Remalcus de Vaux in Harpocrate divino affirms that all the Greek and Latine Fathers consentientibus animis asseverant hoc signo Crucem Christi significari do unanimously affirm that the representment of the Crosse is the sign of the Son of Man spoken of Mat. 24. 30. And indeed they affirm it very generally but Origen after his manner is singular hoc signum Crucis erit cum Dominus ad judicandum venerit so the Church used to sing and so it is in the Sibyls verses O lignum felix in quo Deus ipse pependit Nec te terra capit sed coeli tecta videbis Cum renovata Dei facies ignita micabit The sign of the Crosse is that sign of the Son of Man when the Lord shall come to Judgement and from those words of Scripture They shall look on him whom they have pierced it hath been freely entertain'd at the day of Judgement Christ shall signifie his person by something that related to his passion his crosse or his wounds or both I list not to spin this curious cobweb but Origen's opinion seems to me more reasonable and it is more agreeable to the Majesty and Power of Christ to signifie himself with proportions of his glory rather then of his humility with effects of his being exalted into Heaven rather then of his poverty and sorrowes upon Earth and this is countenanced better by some Greek copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is commonly read the sign of the Son of man in Heaven that is say they the signe of the Son of man imprinted upon a cloud but it is in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the signe of the Son
of man who is in the heavens not that the signe shall bee imprinted on a cloud or in any part of the heavens but that hee who is now in the heavens shall when he comes down have a signe and signification of his own that is proper to him who is there glorified and shall return in glory and he disparages the beauty of the Sun who inquires for a Rule to know when the Sun shines or the light breaks forth from its chambers of the East and the Son of man shall need no other signification but his infinite retinue and all the Angels of God worshipping him and sitting upon a cloud and leading the heavenly Host and bringing his Elect with him and being clothed with the robes of Majesty and trampling upon Devils and confounding the wicked and destroying Death but all these great things shall be invested with such strange circumstances and annexes of Mightynesse and Divinity that all the world shall confesse the glories of the Lord and this is sufficiently signified by St. Paul We shall all be set before the throne or place of Christ's judicature For it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall cenfesse to God that is at the day of Judgment when wee are placed ready to receive our Sentence all knees shall bow to the holy Jesus and confesse him to be God the Lord meaning that our Lords presence shall be such as to force obeysance from Angels and Men and Devils and his addresse to Judgement shall sufficiently declare his Person and his Office and his proper glories This is the greatest Scene of Majesty that shall be in that day till the Sentence bee pronounced But there goes much before this which prepares all the world to the expectation and consequent reception of this mighty Judge of Men and Angels The Majesty of the Judge and the terrors of the Judgement shall bee spoken aloud by the immediate forerunning accidents which shall bee so great violences to the old constitutions of Nature that it shall break her very bones and disorder her till shee be destroyed St. Hierom relates out of the Jews books that their Doctors use to account 15 days of prodigie immediately before Christ's coming and to every day assigne a wonder any one of which if wee should chance to see in the days of our flesh it would affright us into the like thoughts which the old world had when they saw the countreys round about them cover'd with water and the Divine vengeance or as those poor people neer Adria and the Mediterranean sea when their houses and Cities are entring into graves and the bowells of the earth rent with convulsions and horrid tremblings The sea say they shall rise 15 cubits above the highest Mountaines and thence descend into hollownesse and a prodigious drought and when they are reduc'd again to their usuall proportions then all the beasts and creeping things the monsters and the usuall inhabitants of the sea shall be gathered together and make fearfull noyses to distract Mankind The birds shall mourne and change their song into threnes and sad accents rivers of fire shall rise from East to West and the stars shall be rent into threds of light and scatter like the beards of comets Then shall bee fearfull earthquakes and the rocks shall rend in pieces the trees shall distill bloud and the mountains and fairest structures shall returne unto their primitive dust the wild beasts shall leave their dens and come into the companies of men so that you shall hardly tell how to call them herds of Men or congregations of Beasts Then shall the Graves open and give up their dead and those which are alive in nature and dead in fear shall be forc'd from the rocks whither they went to hide them and from caverns of the earth where they would fain have been concealed because their retirements are dismantled and their rocks are broken into wider ruptures and admit a strange light into their secret bowels and the men being forc'd abroad into the theatre of mighty horrors shall run up and downe distracted and at their wits end and then some shall die and some shall bee changed and by this time the Elect shall bee gathered together from the foure quarters of the world and Christ shall come along with them to judgment These signes although the Jewish Doctors reckon them by order and a method concerning which they had no revelation that appeares nor sufficiently credible tradition yet for the main parts of the things themselves the holy Scripture records Christs own words and concerning the most terrible of them the summe of which as Christ related them and his Apostles recorded and explicated is this The earth shall tremble and the powers of the heavens shall bee shaken the sun shall bee turned into darknesse and the moon into bloud that is there shall bee strange eclipses of the Sun and fearfull aspects in the Moon who when she is troubled looks red like bloud The rocks shall rend and the elements shall melt with fervent heat The heavens shall bee rolled up like a parchment the earth shall bee burned with fire the hils shall be like wax for there shall goe a fire before him and a mighty tempest shall be stirred round about him Dies irae Dies illa Solvet sêclum in faviliâ Teste David cum Sibyllâ The Trumpet of God shall sound and the voice of the Archangell that is of him who is the Prince of all that great army of Spirits which shall then attend their Lord and wait upon and illustrate his glory and this also is part of that which is called the signe of the Son of Man for the fulfilling off all these praedictions and the preaching the Gospel to all Nations and the Conversion of the Jews and these prodigies and the Addresse of Majesty make up that signe The notice of which things some way or other came to the very Heathen themselves who were alarum'd into caution and sobriety by these dreadfull remembrances Sic cum compage solutâ Saecula tot mundt suprema coëgerit hora Antiquum repetens iterum chaos omnia mistis Sidera sideribus concurrent ignea pontum Astra petent tellus extendere littora nolet Excutietque fretum fratri contraria Phoebe Ibit Totaque discors Machina divulsi turbabit foedera Mundi Which things when they are come to passe it will be no wonder if mens hearts shall faile them for feare and their wits bee lost with guilt and their fond hopes destroyed by prodigie and amazement but it will bee an extreme wonder if the consideration and certain expectation of these things shall not awake our sleeping spirits and raise us from the death of Sin and the basenesse of vice and dishonorable actions to live soberly and temperately chastly and justly humbly and obediently that is like persons that believe all this and such who are not mad men or
shall have three sorts of accusers 1. Christ himself who is their Judge 2. Their own conscience whom they have injured and blotted with characters of death and foul dishonour 3. The Devill their enemy whom they served 1. Christ shall be their accuser not only upon the stock of those direct injuries which I before reckoned of crucifying the Lord of life once and again c. But upon the titles of contempt and unworthinesse of unkindnesse and ingratitude and the accusation will be nothing else but a plain representation of those artifices and assistances those bonds and invitations those constrainings and importunities which our dear Lord used to us to make it almost impossible to lye in sin and necessary to be sav'd For it will it must needs be a fearfull exprobration of our unworthinesse when the Judge himself shall bear witnesse against us that the wisdome of God himself was strangely imployed in bringing us safely to felicity I shall draw a short Scheme which although it must needs be infinitely short of what God hath done for us yet it will be enough to shame us * God did not only give his Son for an example and the Son gave himself for a price for us but both gave the holy Spirit to assist us in mighty graces for the verifications of Faith and the entertainments of Hope and the increase and perseverance of Charity * God gave to us a new nature he put another principle into us a third part of a perfective constitution we have the Spirit put into us to be a part of us as properly to produce actions of a holy life as the soul of man in the body does produce the naturall * God hath exalted humane nature and made it in the person of Jesus Christ to sit above the highest seat of Angels and the Angels are made ministring spirits ever since their Lord became our Brother * Christ hath by a miraculous Sacrament given us his body to eat and his bloud to drink he made waies that we may become all one with him * He hath given us an easie religion and hath established our future felicity upon naturall and pleasant conditions and we are to be happy hereafter if we suffer God to make us happy here and things are so ordered that a man must take more pains to perish then to be happy * God hath found out rare wayes to make our prayers acceptable our weak petitions the desires of our imperfect souls to prevail mightily with God and to lay a holy violence and an undeniable necessity upon himself and God will deny us nothing but when we aske of him to do us ill offices to give us poisons and dangers and evill nourishment and temptations and he that hath given such mighty power to the prayers of his servants yet will not be moved by those potent and mighty prayers to do any good man an evill turn or to grant him one mischief in that only God can deny us * But in all things else God hath made all the excellent things in heaven and earth to joyn towards holy and fortunate effects for he hath appointed an Angell to present the prayers of Saints and Christ makes intercession for us and the holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groans unutterable and all the holy men in the world pray for all and for every one and God hath instructed us with Scriptures and precedents and collaterall and direct assistances to pray and he incouraged us with divers excellent promises and parables and examples and teaches us what to pray and how and gives one promise to publique prayer and another to private prayer and to both the blessing of being heard * Adde to this account that God did heap blessings upon us without order infinitely perpetually and in all instances when we needed and when we needed not * He heard us when we pray'd giving us all and giving us more then we desired * He desired that we should aske and yet he hath also prevented our desires * He watch'd for us and at his own charge sent a whole order of men whose imployment is to minister to our souls and if all this had not been enough he had given us more also * He promised heaven to our obedience a Province for a dish of water a Kingdome for a prayer satisfaction for desiring it grace for receiving and more grace for accepting and using the first * He invited us with gracious words and perfect entertainments * He threatned horrible things to us if we would not be happy * He hath made strange necessities for us making our very repentance to be a conjugation of holy actions and holy times and a long succession * He hath taken away all excuses from us he hath called us off from temptation he bears our charges he is alwaies before-hand with us in every act of favour and perpetually slow in striking and his arrowes are unfeathered and he is so long first in drawing his sword and another long while in whetting it and yet longer in lifting his hand to strike that before the blow comes the man hath repented long unlesse he be a fool and impudent and then God is so glad of an excuse to lay his anger aside that certainly if after all this we refuse life and glory there is no more to be said this plain story will condemn us but the story is very much longer and as our conscience will represent all our sins to us so the Judge will represent all his Fathers kindnesses as Nathan did to David when he was to make the justice of the Divine Sentence appear against him * Then it shall be remembred that the joyes of every daies piety would have been a greater pleasure every night then the remembrance of every nights sin could have been in the morning * That every night the trouble and labour of the daies vertue would have been as much passed and turned to as very a nothing as the pleasure of that daies sin but that they would be infinitely distinguished by the remanent effects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Musonius expressed the sense of this inducement and that this argument would have grown so great by that time we come to dye that the certain pleasures and rare confidences and holy hopes of a death-bed would be a strange felicity to the man when he remembers he did obey if they were compared to the fearfull expectations of a dying sinner who feels by a formidable and afrighting remembrance that of all his sins nothing remains but the gains of a miserable eternity * The offering our selves to God every morning and the thanksgiving to God every night hope and fear shame and desire the honour of leaving a fair name behinde us and the shame of dying like a fool every thing indeed in the world is made to be an argument and an inducement
too some were not and very many are and some that sight against a just possessor of a country pray that their wars may be prosperous and sometimes they have been heard too and Julian the Apostate prayed and sacrificed and inquired of Daemons and burned mans flesh and operated with secret rites and all that he might craftily and powerfully oppose the religion of Christ and he was heard too and did mischief beyond the malice and effect of his predecessors that did swim in Christian bloud but when we sum up the accounts at the foot of their lives or so soon as the thing was understood and finde that the effect of Agrippina's prayer was that her son murdered her and of those lustfull petitioners in St. Iames that they were given over to the tyranny and possession of their passions and baser appetites and the effect of Iulian the Apostate's prayer was that he liv'd and died a professed enemy of Christ and the effect of the prayers of usurpers is that they do mischief and reap curses and undoe mankinde and provoke God and live hated and die miserable and shall possesse the fruit of their sin to eternall ages these will be no objections to the truth of the former discourse but greater instances that if by hearing our prayers we mean or intend a blessing we must also by making prayers mean that the man first be holy and his desires just and charitable before he can be admitted to the throne of grace or converse with God by the entercourses of a prosperous prayer That 's the first generall 2. Many times good men pray and their prayer is not a sin but yet it returns empty because although the man be yet the prayer is not in proper disposition and here I am to account to you concerning the collaterall and accidentall hinderances of the prayer of a good man The first thing that hinders the prayers of a good man from obtaining its effect is a violent anger a violent storm in the spirit of him that prayes For anger sets the house on fire and all the spirits are busie upon trouble and intend propulsion defence displeasure or revenge it is a short madnesse and an eternall enemy to to discourse and sober counsels and fair conversation it intends its own object with all the earnestnesse of perception or activity of designe and a quicker motion of a too warm and distempered bloud it is a feaver in the heart and a calenture in the head and a fire in the face and a sword in the hand and a fury all over and therefore can never suffer a man to be in a disposition to pray For prayer is an action and a state of entercourse and desire exactly contrary to this character of anger Prayer is an action of likenesse to the holy Ghost the Spirit of gentlenesse and dove-like simplicity an imitation of the holy Jesus whose Spirit is meek up to the greatnesse of the biggest example and a conformity to God whose anger is alwaies just and marches slowly and is without transportation and often hindred and never hasty and is full of mercy prayer is the peace of our spirit the stilnesse of our thoughts the evennesse of recollection the seat of meditation the rest of our cares and the calme of our tempest prayer is the issue of a quiet minde of untroubled thoughts it is the daughter of charity and the sister of meeknesse and he that prayes to God with an angry that is with a troubled and discomposed spirit is like him that retires into a battle to meditate and sets up his closet in the out quarters of an army and chooses a frontier garrison to be wise in Anger is a perfect alienation of the minde from prayer and therefore is contrary to that attention which presents our prayers in a right line to God For so have I seen a lark rising from his bed of grasse and soaring upwards singing as he rises and hopes to get to heaven and climbe above the clouds but the poor bird was beaten back with the loud sighings of an eastern winde and his motion made irregular and unconstant descending more at every breath of the tempest then it could recover by the libration and frequent weighing of his wings till the little creature was forc'd to sit down and pant and stay till the storm was over and then it made a prosperous slight and did rise and sing as if it had learned musick and motion from an Angell as he passed sometimes through the aire about his ministeries here below so is the prayers of a good man when his affairs have required businesse and his businesse was matter of discipline and his discipline was to passe upon a sinning person or had a design of charity his duty met with the infirmities of a man and anger was its instrument and the instrument became stronger then the prime agent and raised a tempest and overrul'd the man and then his prayer was broken and his thoughts were troubled and his words went up towards a cloud and his thoughts pull'd them back again and made them without intention and the good man sighs for his infirmity but must be content to lose that prayer and he must recover it when his anger is removed and his spirit is becalmed made even as the brow of Jesus and smooth like the heart of God and then it ascends to heaven upon the wings of the holy dove and dwels with God till it returnes like the usefull Bee loaden with a blessing and the dew of heaven But besides this anger is a combination of many other things every one of which is an enemy to prayer it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the severall definitions of it and in its naturall constitution It hath in it the trouble of sorrow and the heats of lust and the disease of revenge and the boylings of a feaver and the rashnesse of praecipitancy and the disturbance of persecution and therefore is a certain effective enemy against prayer which ought to be a spirituall joy and an act of mortification and to have in it no hears but of charity and zeal and they are to be guided by prudence and consideration and allayed with the deliciousnesse of mercy and the serenity of a meek and a quiet spirit and therefore S. Paul gave caution that the sun should not go down upon our anger meaning that it should not stay upon us till evening prayer for it would hinder our evening sacrifice but the stopping of the first egressions of anger is a certain artifice of the Spirit of God to prevent unmercifulnesse which turns not only our desires into vanity but our prayers into sin and remember that Elijah's anger though it was also zeal had so
can we think that the grace of Chastity can be obtain'd at such a purchase that grace that hath cost more labours then all the persecutions of faith and all the disputes of hope and all the expence of charity besides amounts to Can we expect that our sinnes should be washed by a lazie prayer Can an indifferent prayer quench the flames of hell or rescue us from an eternall sorrow Is lust so soon overcome that the very naming it can master it Is the Devill so slight and easie an enemy that he will fly away from us at the first word spoken without power and without vehemence Read and attend to the accents of the prayers of Saints I cryed day and night before thee O Lord my soul refused comfort my throat is dry with calling upon my God my knees are weak through fasting and Let me alone sayes God to Moses and I will not let thee go till thou hast blessed me said Jacob to the Angell And I shall tell you a short character of a fervent prayer out of the practise of S. Hierome in his Epistle to Eustochium de custodiâ virginitatis Being destitute of all help I threw my self down at the feet of Jesus I water'd his feet with tears and wiped them with my hair and mortified the lust of my flesh with the abstinence and hungry diet of many weeks I remember that in my crying to God I did frequently joyn the night and the day and never did intermit to call nor cease from beating my brest till the mercy of the Lord brought to me peace and freedome from temptation After many tears and my eyes fixed in heaven I thought my self sometimes encircled with troops of Angels and then at last I sang to God We will run after thee into the smell and deliciousnesse of thy precious ointments such a prayer as this will never return without its errand But though your person be as gracious as David or Job and your desire as holy as the love of Angels and your necessities great as a new penitent yet it pierces not the clouds unlesse it be also as loud as thunder passionate as the cries of women and clamorous as necessity And we may guesse at the degrees of importunity by the insinuation of the Apostle Let the marryed abstain for a time ut vacent orationi jejunio that they may attend to Prayer it is a great attendance and a long diligence that is promoted by such a separation and supposes a devotion that spends more then many hours for ordinary prayers and many hours of every day might well enough consist with an ordinary cohabitation but that which requires such a separation cals for a longer time and a greater attendance then we usually consider For every prayer we make is considered by God and recorded in heaven but cold prayers are not put into the account in order to effect and acceptation but are laid aside like the buds of roses which a cold wind hath nip'd into death and the discoloured tawny face of an Indian slave and when in order to your hopes of obtaining a great blessing you reckon up your prayers with which you have solicited your suit in the court of heaven you must reckon not by the number of the collects but by your sighs and passions by the vehemence of your desires and the fervour of your spirit the apprehension of your need and the consequent prosecution of your supply Christ pray'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with loud cryings and S. Paul made mention of his scholars in his prayers night and day Fall upon your knees and grow there and let not your desires cool nor your zeal remit but renew it again and again and let not your offices and the custome of praying put thee in mind of thy need but let thy need draw thee to thy holy offices and remember how great a God how glorious a Majesty you speak to therefore let not your devotions and addresses be little Remember how great a need thou hast let not your desires be lesse Remember how great the thing is you pray for do not undervalue it with thy indifferency Remember that prayer is an act of Religion let it therefore be made thy businesse and lastly Remember that God hates a cold prayer and therefore will never blesse it but it shall be alwaies ineffectuall 3. Under this title of lukewarmnesse and tepidity may be comprised also these Cautions that a good mans prayers are sometimes hindred by inadvertency sometimes by want of perseverance For inadvertency or want of attendance to the sense and intention of our prayers it is certainly an effect of lukewarmnesse and a certain companion and appendage to humane infirmity and is only so remedyed as our prayers are made zealous and our infirmities passe into the strengths of the Spirit But if we were quick in our perceptions either concerning our danger or our need or the excellency of the object or the glories of God or the niceties and perfections of Religion we should not dare to throw away our prayers so like fools or come to God and say a prayer with our minde standing at distance trissing like untaught boyes at their books with a truantly spirit I shall say no more to this but that in reason we can never hope that God in heaven will hear our prayers which we our selves speak and yet hear not at the same time when we our selves speak them with instruments joyned to our ears even with those organs which are parts of our hearing faculties If they be not worth our own attending to they are not worth Gods hearing If they are worth Gods attending to we must make them so by our own zeal and passion and industry and observation and a present and a holy spirit But concerning perseverance the consideration is something distinct For when our prayer is for a great matter and a great necessity strictly attended to yet we pursue it only by chance or humour by the strengths of fancy and naturall disposition or else our choice is cool as soon as hot like the emissions of lightning or like a sun-beam often interrupted with a cloud or cool'd with intervening showers and our prayer is without fruit because the desire lasts not and the prayer lives like the repentance of Simon Magus or the trembling of Felix or the Jewes devotion for seven dayes of unleavened bread during the Passeover or the feast of Tabernacles but if we would secure the blessing of our prayers and the effect of our prayers we must never leave till we have obtain'd what we need There are many that pray against a temptation for a moneth together and so long as the prayer is servent so long the man hath a nolition and a direct enmity against the lust he consents not all that while but when the moneth is gone and the prayer is removed or becomes lesse active then the temptation returnes and forrages and prevails and seises upon
all our unguarded strengths There are some desires which have a period and Gods visitations expire in mercy at the revolution of a certain number of dayes and our prayer must dwell so long as Gods anger abides and in all the storm we must out cry the noyse of the tempest and the voices of that thunder But if we become hardned and by custome and cohabitation with the danger lose our fears and abate of our desires and devotions many times we shall finde that God by a sudden breach upon us will chastise us for letting our hands go down Israel prevailed no longer then Moses held up his hands in prayer and he was forced to continue his prayer till the going down of the Sun that is till the danger was over till the battell was done But when our desires and prayers are in the matter of spirituall danger they must never be remitted because our danger continues for ever and therefore so must our watchfulnesse and our guards Vult n. Deus rogari vult cogi vult quâdam importunitate vinci sayes S. Gregory God loves to be invited intreated importun'd with an unquiet restlesse desire and a persevering prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Proclus That 's a holy and a religious prayer that never gives over but renewes the prayer and dwels upon the desire for this only is effectuall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hears the persevering man and the unwearied prayer For it is very considerable that we be very curious to observe that many times a lust is sopita non mortua it is asleep the enemy is at truce and at quiet for a while but not conquered not dead and if we put off our armour too soon we lose all the benefit of our former war and are surprised by indiligence and a carelesse guard For God sometimes binds the Devill in a short chain and gives his servants respite that they may feel the short pleasures of a peace and the rest of innocence and perceive what are the eternall felicities of heaven where it shall be so for ever But then we must return to our warfare again and every second assault is more troublesome because it finds our spirits at ease and without watchfulnesse and delighted with a spirituall rest and keeping holiday But let us take heed for whatsoever temptation we can be troubled withall by our naturall temper or by the condition of our life or the evill circumstances of our condition so long as we have capacity to feel it so long we are in danger and must watch thereunto with prayer and continuall diligence And when your temptations let you alone let not you God alone but lay up prayers and the blessings of a constant devotion against the day of tryall Well may your temptation sleep but if your prayers do so you may chance to be awakened with an assault that may ruine you However the rule is easie Whatsoever you need aske it of God so long as you want it even till you have it For God therefore many times defers to grant that thou mayst persevere to aske and because every holy prayer is a glorification of God by the confessing many of his attributes a lasting and a persevering prayer is a little image of the Allellujahs and services of eternity it is a continuation to do that according to our measures which we shall be doing to eternall ages therefore think not that five or six hearty prayers can secure to thee a great blessing and a supply of a mighty necessity He that prays so and then leaves off hath said some prayers and done the ordinary offices of his Religion but hath not secured the blessing nor used means reasonably proportionable to a mighty interest 4. The prayers of a good man are oftentimes hindered and destiture of their effect for want of praying in good company for sometimes an evill or an obnoxious person hath so secured and ascertained a mischief to himself that he that stayes in his company or his cratfick must also share in his punishment and the Tyrian sailers with all their vows and prayers could not obtain a prosperous voyage so long as Jonas was within the Bark for in this case the interest is divided and the publick sin prevails above the private piety When the Philosopher asked a penny of Antigonus he told him it was too little for a King to give when he asked a talent he told him it was too much for a Philosopher to receive for he did purpose to cousen his own charity and elude the others necessity upon pretence of a double inequality So it is in the case of a good man mingled in evill company if a curse be too severe for a good man a mercy is not to be expected by evill company and his prayer when it is made in common must partake of that event of things which is appropriate to that society The purpose of this caution is that every good man be carefull that he do not mingle his devotion in the communions of hereticall persons and in schismaticall conventicles for although he be like them that follow Absalom in the simplicity of their heart yet his intermediall fortune and the event of his present affairs may be the same with Absaloms and it is not a light thing that we curiously choose the parties of our Communion I do not say it is necessary to avoid all the society of evill persons for then we must go out of the world and when we have thrown out a drunkard possibly we have entertain'd an hypocrite or when a swearer is gone an oppressor may stay still or if that be remedied yet pride is soon discernible but not easily judicable but that which is of caution in this question is that we never mingle with those whose very combination is a sin such as were Corah and his company that rebelled against Moses their Prince and Dathan and Abiram that made a schisme in Religion against Aaron the Priest for so said the Spirit of the Lord Come out from the congregation of these men lest ye perish in their company and all those that were abused in their communion did perish in the gain saying of Corah It is a sad thing to see a good man cousened by fair pretences and allured into an evill snare for besides that he dwels in danger and cohabits with a dragon and his vertue may change by evill perswasion into an evill disposition from sweetnesse to bitternesse from thence to evill speaking from thence to beleeve a lye and from beleeving to practise it besides this it is a very great sadnesse that such a man should lose all his prayers to very many purposes God will not respect the offering of those men who assemble by a peevish spirit and therefore although God in pity regards the desires of a good man if innocently abused yet as it unites in that assembly God will not hear it to any purposes of blessing and holinesse unlesse we
is like the compassion we have in other mens miseries we are not concerned in it and it is not our case and our hearts ake not when another mans children are made fatherlesse or his wife a sad widow and just so are our prayers for their relief If we thought their evils to be ours if wee and they as members of the same body had sensible and reall communications of good and evill if we understood what is really meant by being members one of another or if we did not think it a spirituall word of art instrumentall onely to a science but no part of duty or reall relation sure we should pray more earnestly one for another then we usually doe How few of us are troubled when he sees his brother wicked or dishonorably vicious Who is sad and melancholy when his neighbour is almost in hell when he sees him grow old in iniquity How many days have we set apart for the publick relief and interests of the Kingdome How earnestly have we fasted if our Prince be sick or afflicted What almes have we given for our brothers conversion or if this be great how importunate and passionate have we been with God by prayer in his behalf by prayer and secret petition But however though it were well very well that all of us would think of this duty a little more because besides the excellency of the duty it self it would have this blessed consequent that for whose necessities we pray if we doe desire earnestly they should be relieved we would when ever we can and in all we can set our hands to it and if we pity the Orphan children and pray for them heartily we would also when we could relieve them charitably but though it were therefore very well that things were thus with all men yet God who takes care for us all makes provision for us in speciall manner and the whole Order of the Clergy are appointed by God to pray for others to be Ministers of Christs Priesthood to be followers of his Advocation to stand between God and the people and present to God all their needs and all their desires That this God hath ordained and appointed and that this rather he will blesse and accept appears by the testimony of God himself for he onely can be witnesse in this particular for it depends wholly upon his gracious favour and acceptation It was the case of Abraham and Abimelech Now therefore restore the man his wife for he is a Prophet and he will pray for thee and thou shalt live and this caused confidence in Micah Now know I that the Lord will doe me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest meaning that in his Ministery in the Ministery of Priests God hath established the alternate returns of blessing and prayers the entercouses between God and his people And thorough the descending ages of the synagogue it came to be transmitted also to the Christian Church that the Ministers of Religion are advocates for us under Christ by the Ministery of Reconciliation by their dispensing the holy Sacraments by the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven by Baptisme and the Lords Supper by binding and loosing by the Word of God and Prayer and therefore saith St. James If any man be sick among you let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him meaning that God hath appointed them especially and will accept them in ordinary and extraordinary and this is that which is meant by blessing A Father blesses his childe and Solomon blessed his people and Melchisedec the Priest blessed Abraham and Moses blessed the Sons of Israel and God appointed the Leviticall Priests to blesse the congregation and this is more then can be done by the people for though they can say the same prayer and the People pray for their Kings and Children for their Parents and the Flock for the Pastor yet they cannot blesse him as he blesses them for the lesse is blessed of the greater and not the greater of the lesse and this is without all contradiction said S. Paul the meaning of the mysterie is this That God hath appointed the Priest to pray for the People and because he hath made it to be his ordinary office and imployment he also intends to be seen in that way which he hath appointed and chalked out for us his prayer if it be found in the way of righteousnesse is the surer way to prevaile in his intercessions for the people But upon this stock comes in the greatest difficulty of the text for if God heareth not sinners there is an infinite necessity that the Ministers of Religion should be very holy For all their ministeries consist in preaching and praying to these two are reducible all the ministeries Ecclesiasticall which are of divine institution so the Apostles summ'd up their imployment But we will give our selves continually to prayer and to the ministery of the Word to exhort to reprove to comfort to cast down to determine cases of conscience and to rule in the Church by the word of their proper Ministery and the very making lawes Ecclesiasticall is the ministery of the word for so their dictates passe into lawes by being duties injoyn'd by God or the acts or exercises or instruments of some injoyn'd graces To prayer is reduced administration of the Sacraments but binding and loosing and visitation of the sick are mixt offices partly relating to one partly to the other Now although the Word of God preached will have a great effect even though it be preached by an evill Minister a vicious person yet it is not so well there as from a pious man because by prayer also his preaching is made effectuall and by his good example his Homilies and Sermons are made active and therefore it is very necessary in respect of this half of the Ministers office The preaching of Word he be a good man unlesse he be much perishes to the people most of the advantages are lost But then for the other half all those ministeries which are by way of prayer are rendred extremely invalid and ineffectuall if they be ministred by an evill person For upon this very stock it was that St. Cyprian affirmed that none were to be chosen to the Ministery but immaculati integri antistites holy and upright men who offering their sacrifices worthily to God and holily may be heard in their prayers which they make for the safety of the Lords people But he presses this caution to a further issue that it is not only necessary to choose holy persons to these holy Ministeries for fear of losing the advantages of a sanctified Ministery but also that the people may not be guilty of an evill communion and a criminall state of society Nec enim sibi plebs blandiatur quasi immunis à contagione delicti esse possit cum sacerdote peccatore communicans the people cannot be innocent if they
farre greater and his terrors are infinitely more intolerable and therefore although he came not in the spirit of Elias but with meeknesse and gentle insinuations soft as the breath of heaven not willing to disturb the softest stalk of a violet yet his second coming shall be with terrors such as shall amaze all the world and dissolve it into ruine and a Chaos This truth is of so great efficacy to make us do our duty that now we are sufficiently enabled with this consideration This is the grace which we have to enable us this terror will produce fear and fear will produce obedience and we therefore have grace that is we have such a motive to make us reverence God and fear to offend him that he that dares continue in sin and refuses to hear him that speaks to us from heaven and from thence shall come with terrors this man despises the grace of God he is a gracelesse fearlesse impudent man and he shall finde that true in hypothesi and in his own ruine which the Apostle declares in thesi and by way of caution and provisionary terror Our God is a consuming fire this is the sense and design of the text Reverence and godly fear they are the effects of this consideration they are the duties of every Christian they are the grace of God I shall not presse them only to purposes of awfulnesse and modesty of opinion and prayers against those strange doctrines which some have introduc'd into Religion to the destruction of all manners and prudent apprehensions of the distances of God and man such as are the Doctrine of necessity of familiarity with God and a civill friendship and a parity of estate and an unevennesse of adoption from whence proceed rudenesse in prayers flat and undecent expressions affected rudenesse superstitious sitting at the holy Sacrament making it to be a part of Religion to be without fear and reverence the stating of the Question is a sufficient reproof of this folly whatsoever actions are brought into Religion without reverence and godly fear are therefore to be avoided because they are condemned in this advice of the Apostle and are destructive of those effects which are to be imprinted upon our spirits by the terrors of the day of Judgement But this fear and reverence the Apostle intends should be a deletery to all sin whatsoever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes the Etymologicum whatsoever is terrible is destructive of that thing for which it is so and if we fear the evill effects of sin let us flie from it we ought to fear its alluring face too let us be so afraid that we may not dare to refuse to hear him whose Throne is heaven whose Voice is thunder whose Tribunall is clouds whose Seat is the right hand of God whose Word is with power whose Law is given with mighty demonstration of the Spirit who shall reward with heaven and joyes eternall and who punishes his rebels that will not have him to reign over them with brimstone and fire with a worm that never dies and a fire that never is quenched let us fear him who is terrible in his Judgements just in his his dispensation secret in his providence severe in his demands gracious in his assistances bountifull in his gifts and is never wanting to us in what we need and if all this be not argument strong enough to produce fear and that fear great enough to secure obedience all arguments are uselesse all discourses are vain the grace of God is ineffective and we are dull as the Dead sea unactive as a rock and we shall never dwell with God in any sense but as he is a consuming fire that is dwell in the everlasting burnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reverence and caution modesty and fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in some copies with caution and fear or if we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be fear of punishment as it is generally understood by interpreters of this place and is in Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the expression is the same in both words and it is all one with the other places of Scripture Work out your salvation with fear and trembling degrees of the same duty and they signifie all those actions and graces which are the proper effluxes of fear such as are reverence prudence caution and diligence chastity and a sober spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so also say the Grammarians and it means plainly this since our God will appear so terrible at his second comming let us passe the time of our sojourning here in fear that is modestly without too great confidence of our selves soberly without bold crimes which when a man acts he must put on shamelesnesse reverently towards God as fearing to offend him diligently observing his commandements inquiring after his will trembling at his voice attending to his Word revering his judgements fearing to provoke him to anger for it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Thus far it is a duty Concerning which that I may proceed orderly I shall first consider how far fear is a duty of Christian Religion 2. Who and what states of men ought to fear and upon what reasons 3. What is the excesse of fear or the obliquity and irregularity whereby it becomes dangerous penall and criminall a state of evill and not a state of duty 1. Fear is taken sometimes in holy Scripture for the whole duty of man for his whole Religion towards God And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God c. fear is obedience and fear is love and fear is humility because it is the parent of all these and is taken for the whole duty to which it is an introduction The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome a good understanding have all they that do thereafter the praise of it endureth for ever and Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man and thus it is also used in the New Testament Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2. Fear is sometimes taken for worship for so our blessed Saviour expounds the words of Moses in Mar. 4. 10. taken from Deut. 10. 20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God so Moses Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve said our blessed Saviour and so it was used by the Prophet Jonah I am an Hebrew and I fear the Lord the God of Heaven that is I worship him he is the Deity that I adore that is my worship and my Religion and because the new Colony of Assyrians did not do so at the beginning of their dwelling there they feared not the Lord that is they worshipped other Gods and not the God of Israel therefore God sent Lions among them which slew
ab Epicuro soluti non metuimus Deos said Cicero and thence came this acceptation of the word that superstition should signifie an unreasonable fear of God It is true he and all his scholars extended the case beyond the measure and made all fear unreasonable but then if we upon grounds of reason and divine revelation shall better discern the measure of the fear of God whatsoever fear we find to be unreasonable we may by the same reason call it superstition and reckon it criminall as they did all fear that it may be call'd superstition their authority is sufficient warrant for the grammar of the appellative and that it is criminall we shall derive from better principles But besides this there was another part of its definition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the superstitious man is also an Idolater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that is afraid of something besides God The Latines according to their custome imitating the Greeks in all their learned notices of things had also the same conception of this and by their word Superstitio understood the worship of Daemons or separate spirits by which they meant either their minores Deos or else their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their braver personages whose souls were supposed to live after death the fault of this was the object of their Religion they gave a worship or a fear to whom it was not due for when ever they worship'd the great God of heaven and earth they never cal'd that superstition in an evill sense except the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the◠that beleeved there was no God at all Hence came the etymology of superstition it was a worshipping or fearing the spirits of their dead Heroes quos superstites credebant whom they thought to be alive after their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Deification or quos superstantes credebant standing in places and thrones above us and it alludes to that admirable description of old age which Solomon made beyond all the Rhetorick of the Greeks and Romans Also they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way intimating the weaknesse of old persons who if ever they have been religious are apt to be abused into superstition They are afraid of that which is high that is of spirit and separate souls of those excellent beings which dwell in the regions above meaning that then they are superstitious However fear is most commonly its principle alwaies its ingredient For if it enter first by credulity and a weak perswasion yet it becomes incorporated into the spirit of the man and thought necessary and the action it perswades to dares not be omitted for fear of an evill themselves dream of upon this account the sin is reducible to two heads the 1. is Superstition of an undue object 2. Superstition of an undue expression to a right object 1. Superstition of an undue object is that which the Etymologist cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worshipping of idols the Scripture addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrificing to Daemons in St. Paul and in Baruch where although we usually read it sacrificing to Devils yet it was but accidentall that they were such for those indeed were evill spirits who had seduced them and tempted them to such ungodly rites and yet they who were of the Pythagorean sect pretended a more holy worship and did their devotion to Angels But whosoever shall worship Angels do the same thing they worship them because they are good and powerfull as the Gentiles did the Devils whom they thought so and the error which the Apostle reproves was not in matter of Judgement in mistaking bad angels for good but in matter of manners and choice they mistook the creature for the Creator and therefore it is more fully expressed by St. Paul in a generall signification they worshipped the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides the Creator so it should be read if we worship any creature besides God worshipping so as the worship of him becomes a part of Religion it is also a direct superstition but concerning this part of superstition I shall not trouble this discourse because I know no Christians blamable in this particular but the Church of Rome and they that communicate with her in the worshipping of Images of Angels and Saints burning lights and perfumes to them making offerings confidences advocations and vowes to them and direct and solemn divine worshipping the Symbols of bread and wine when they are consecrated in the holy Sacrament These are direct superstition as the word is used by all Authors profane and sacred and are of such evill report that where ever the word Superstition does signifie any thing criminall these instances must come under the definition of it They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cultus superstitum a cultus Daemonum and therefore besides that they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proper reproof in Christian Religion are condemned by all wise men which call superstition criminall But as it is superstition to worship any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides the Creator so it is superstition to worship God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise then is decent proportionable or described Every inordination of Religion that is not in defect is properly called superstition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Maximus Tyrius The true worshipper is a lover of God the superstitious man loves him not but flatters To which if we adde that fear unreasonable fear is also superstition and an ingredient in its definition we are taught by this word to signifie all irregularity and inordination in actions of Religion The summe is this the Atheist cal'd all worship of God superstition the Epicurean cal'd all fear of God superstition but did not condemn his worship the other part of wise men cal'd all unreasonable fear and inordinate worship superstition but did not condemn all fear But the Christian besides this cals every error in worship in the manner or excesse by this name and condemns it Now because the three great actions of Religion are to worship God to fear God and to trust in him by the inordination of these three actions we may reckon three sorts of this crime the excesse of fear and the obliquity in trust and the errors in worship are the three sorts of superstition the first of which is only pertinent to our present consideration 1. Fear is the duty we owe to God as being the God of power and Justice the great Judge of heaven and earth the avenger of the cause of Widows the Patron of the poor and the Advocate of the oppressed a mighty God and terrible and so essentiall an enemy to sin that he spared not his own Son but gave him over to death and to become a sacrifice when he took upon him our Nature and became a person obliged for our guilt Fear is the great bridle of intemperance the modesty of the spirit and the restraint of
that would confine them to reason and sober counsels that would make them labour that they may become pale and lean that they may become wise but because Riches is attended by pride and lust tyranny and oppression and hath in its hand all that it hath in its heart and Sin waits upon Wealth ready dress'd and fit for action therefore in some temptations they confesse how little their souls are they cannot stand that assault but because this passion is the daughter of Voluptuousnesse and very often is but a servant sin ministring to sensuall pleasures the great weaknesse of the flesh is more seen in the matter of carnall crimes Lust and Drunkennesse Nemo enim se adsuefacit ad vitandum ex animo evellendum ea quae molesta ei non sunt Men are so in love with pleasure that they cannot think of mortifying or crucifying their lust we doe violence to what we hate not to what we love But the weaknesse of the flesh and the empire of lust is visible in nothing so much as in the captivity and folly of wise men For you shall see some men fit to governe a Province sober in their counsells wise in the conduct of their affaires men of discourse and reason fit to sit with Princes or to treat concerning peace and warre the fate of Empires and the changes of the world yet these men shall fall at the beauty of a woman as a man dies at the blow of an Angell or gives up his breath at the sentence and decree of God Was not Solomon glorious in all things but when he bowed to Pharaoh's daughter and then to Devils and is it not published by the sentence and observation of all the world that the bravest men have been softned into effeminacy by the lisping charms and childish noyses of Women and imperfect persons A faire slave bowed the neck of stout Polydamas which was stiffe and inflexible to the contentions of an enemy and suppose a man set like the brave boy of the King of Nicomedia in the midst of temptation by a witty beauty tyed upon a bed with silk and pretty violences courted with musick and perfumes with promises and easie postures invited by opportunity and importunity by rewards and impunity by privacy and a guard what would his nature doe in this throng of evils and vile circumstances The grace of God secur'd the young Gentleman and the Spirit rode in triumph but what can flesh do in such a day of danger Is it not necessary that we take in auxiliaries from Reason and Religion from heaven and earth from observation and experience from hope and fear and cease to be what we are lest we become what we ought not It is certain that in the cases of temptations to voluptuousnesse a man is naturally as the Prophet said of Ephraim like a Pigeon that hath no heart no courage no conduct no resolution no discourse but falls as the water of Nilus when it comes to its cataracts it falls infinitely and without restraint And if we consider how many drunken meetings the Sunne sees every day how many Markets and Faires and Clubs that is so many solemnities of drunkennesse are at this instant under the eye of heaven that many Nations are marked for intemperance and that it is lesse noted because it is so popular and universall and that even in the midst of the glories of Christianity there are so many persons drunk or too full with meat or greedy of lust even now that the Spirit of God is given to us to make us sober and temperate and chaste we may well imagine since all men have flesh and all men have not the spirit the flesh is the parent of sin and death and it can be nothing else And it is no otherwise when we are tempted with pain We are so impatient of pain that nothing can reconcile us to it not the laws of God not the necessities of nature not the society of all our kindred and of all the world not the interest of vertue not the hopes of heaven we will submit to pain upon no terms but the basest and most dishonorable for if sin bring us to pain or affront or sicknesse we choose that so it be in the retinue of a lust and a base desire but we accuse Nature and blaspheme God we murmur and are impatient when pain is sent to us from him that ought to send it and intends it as a mercy when it comes But in the matter of afflictions and bodily sicknesse we are so weak and broken so uneasie and unapt to sufferance that this alone is beyond the cure of the old Philosophy Many can endure poverty and many can retire from shame and laugh at home and very many can endure to be slaves but when pain and sharpnesse are to be endured for the interests of vertue we finde but few Martyrs and they that are suffer more within themselves by their fears and their temptations by their uncertain purposes and violences to Nature then by the Hang-mans sword the Martyrdome is within and then he hath won his Crown not when he hath suffered the blow but when he hath overcome his fears and made his spirit conqueror It was a sad instance of our infirmity when of the 40 Martyrs of Cappadocia set in a freezing lake almost consummate and an Angell was reaching the Crowne and placing it upon their brows the flesh fail'd one of them and drew the spirit after it and the man was called off from his Scene of noble contention and dyed in warm water Odi artus fragilémque hunc corporis usum Desertorem animi We carry about us the body of death and we bring evils upon our selves by our follies and then know not how to bear them and the flesh forsakes the spirit And indeed in sicknesse the infirmity is so very great that God in a manner at that time hath reduced all Religion into one vertue Patience with its appendages is the summe totall of almost all our duty that is proper to the days of sorrow and we shall find it enough to entertain all our powers and to imploy all our aids the counsels of wise men and the comforts of our friends the advices of Scripture and the results of experience the graces of God and the strength of our own resolutions are all then full of imployments and find it work enough to secure that one grace For then it is that a cloud is wrapped about our heads and our reason stoops under sorrow the soul is sad and its instrument is out of tune the auxiliaries are disorder'd and every thought sits heavily then a comfort cannot make the body feel it and the soule is not so abstracted to rejoyce much without its partner so that the proper joyes of the soul such as are hope and wise discourses and satisfactions of reason and the offices of Religion are felt just as we now perceive the joyes of heaven
reputation against piety the love of the world in civill instances to countenance enmity against God these are the deceitfull workers of Gods work they make a schisme in the duties of Religion and a warre in heaven worse then that between Michael and the Dragon for they divide the Spirit of God and distinguish his commandements into parties and factions by seeking an excuse sometimes they destroy the integrity and perfect constitution of duty or they do something whereby the effect and usefulnesse of the duty is hindred concerning all which this only can be said they who serve God with a lame sacrifice and an imperfect duty a duty defective in its constituent parts can never enjoy God because he can never be divided and though it be better to enter into heaven with one foot and one eye then that both should be cast into hell because heaven can make recompence for this losse yet nothing can repair his losse who for being lame in his duty shall enter into hell where nothing is perfect but the measures and duration of torment and they both are next to infinite SERMON XIII Part II. 2. THe next enquiry is into the intention of our duty and here it will not be amisse to change the word fraudulentèr or dolosè into that which some of the Latin Copies doe use Maledictus qui facit opus Dei negligentèr Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently or remissely and it implyes that as our duty must be whole so it must be fervent for a languishing body may have all its parts and yet be uselesse to many purposes of nature and you may reckon all the joynts of a dead man but the heart is cold and the joynts are stiffe and fit for nothing but for the little people that creep in graves and so are very many men if you summe up the accounts of their religion they can reckon dayes and months of Religion various offices charity and prayers reading and meditation faith and knowledge catechisme and sacraments duty to God and duty to Princes paying debts and provision for children confessions and tears discipline in families and love of good people and it may be you shall not reprove their numbers or find any lines unfill'd in their tables of accounts but when you have handled all this and consider'd you will find at last you have taken a dead man by the hand there is not a finger wanting but they are stiffe as Isicles and without flexure as the legs of Elephants such are they whom S. Bernard describes whose spirituall joy is allayed with tediousnesse whose compunction for sins is short and seldome whose thoughts are animall and their designes secular whose Religion is lukewarm their obedience is without devotion their discourse without profit their prayer without intention of heart their reading without instruction their meditation is without spirituall advantages and is not the commencement and strengthning of holy purposes and they are such whom modesty will not restrain nor reason bridle nor discipline correct nor the fear of death and hell can keep from yeelding to the imperiousnesse of a foolish lust that dishonors a mans understanding and makes his reason in which he most glories to be weaker then the discourse of a girle and the dreams of the night In every action of Religion God expects such a warmth and a holy fire to goe along that it may be able to enkindle the wood upon the altar and consume the sacrifice but God hates an indifferent spirit Earnestnesse and vivacity quicknesse and delight perfect choyce of the service and a delight in the prosecution is all that the spirit of a man can yeeld towards his Religion the outward work is the effect of the body but if a man does it heartily and with all his mind then religion hath wings and moves upon wheels of fire and therefore when our blessed Saviour made those capitulars and canons of Religion to love God and to love our neighbors besides that the materiall part of the duty love is founded in the spirit as its naturall seat he also gives three words to involve the spirit in the action and but one for the body Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind and lastly with all thy strength this brings in the body too because it hath some strengths and some significations of its own but heart and soule and mind mean all the same thing in a stronger and more earnest expression that is that we doe it hugely as much as we can with a cleer choice with a resolute understanding with strong affections with great diligence Enerves animos odisse virtus solet Vertue haâ—es weak and ineffective minds and tame easie prosecutions Loripedes people whose arme is all flesh whose foot is all leather and an unsupporting skin they creep like snakes and pursue the noblest mysteries of Religion as Naaman did the mysteries of Rimmon onely in a complement or for secular regards but without the mind and therefore without Zeal I would thou wert either hot or cold said the Spirit of God to the Angell or Bishop of Laodicea In feasts or sacrifices the Ancients did use apponere frigidam or calidam sometimes they drank hot drink sometimes they poured cold upon their graves or in their wines but no services of Tables or Altars were ever with lukewarm God hates it worse then stark cold which expression is the more considerable because in naturall and superinduc'd progressions from extreme to extreme we must necessarily passe through the midst and therefore it is certain a lukewarm Religion is better then none at all as being the doing some parts of the work designed and neerer to perfection then the utmost distance could be and yet that God hates it more must mean that there is some appendant evill in this state which is not in the other and that accidentally it is much worse and so it is if we rightly understand it that is if we consider it not as a being in or passing through the middle way but as a state and a period of Religion If it be in motion a lukewarm Religion is pleasing to God for God hates it not for its imperfection and its naturall measures of proceeding but if it stands still and rests there it is a state against the designes and against the perfection of God and it hath in it these evills 1. It is a state of the greatest imprudence in the world for it makes a man to spend his labour for that which profits not and to deny his appetite for an unsatisfying interest he puts his moneys in a napkin and he that does so puts them into a broken bag he loses the principall for not encreasing the interest He that dwells in a state of life that is unacceptable loses the money of his almes and the rewards of his charity his hours of prayer and his parts of justice
he confesses his sins and is not pardoned he is patient but hath no hope and he that is gone so far towards his countrey and stands in the middle way hath gone so far out of his way he had better have stay'd under a dry roof in the house of banishment then to have left his Gyarus the Island of his sorrow and to dwell upon the Adriatick So is he that begins a state of Religion and does not finish it he abides in the high-way and though he be neerer the place yet is as far from the rest of his countrey as ever and therefore all that beginning of labour was in the prejudice of his rest but nothing to the advantages of his hopes He that hath never begun hath lost no labour Jactura praeteritorum the losse of all that he hath done is the first evill of the negligent and luke-warm Christian according to the saying of Solomon He that is remisse or idle in his labour is the brother of him that scattereth his goods 2. The second appendant evill is that lukewarmnesse is the occasion of greater evill because the remisse easie Christian shuts the gate against the heavenly breathings of Gods holy Spirit he thinks every breath that is fan'd by the wings of the holy Dove is not intended to encourage his fires which burn and smoke and peep through the cloud already it tempts him to security and if an evill life be a certain inlet to a second death despaire on one side and security on the other are the bars and locks to that dore he can never passe forth again while that state remains who ever slips in his spirituall walking does not presently fall but if that slip does not awaken his diligence and his caution then his ruine begins vel pravae institutionis deceptus exordio aut per longam mentis incuriam virtute animi decidente as St. Austin observes either upon the pursuit of his first error or by a carelesse spirit or a decaying slackned resolution all which are the direct effects of lukewarmnesse But so have I seen a fair structure begun with art and care and raised to halfe its stature and then it stood still by the misfortune or negligence of the owner and the rain descended and dwelt in its joynts and supplanted the contexture of its pillars and having stood a while like the antiquated Temple of a deceased Oracle it fell into a hasty age and sunk upon its owne knees and so descended into ruine So is the imperfect unfinished spirit of a man it layes the foundation of a holy resolution and strengthens it with vows and arts of prosecution it raises up the walls Sacraments and Prayers Reading and holy Ordinances and holy actions begin with a slow motion and the building stays and the spirit is weary and the soul is naked and exposed to temptation and in the days of storm take in every thing that can doe it mischief and it is faint and sick listlesse and tired and it stands till its owne weight wearies the foundation and then declines to death and sad disorder being so much the worse because it hath not onely returned to its first follies but hath superadded unthankfulnesse and carelesnesse a positive neglect and a despite of holy things a setting a low price to the things of God lazinesse and wretchlesnesse all which are evills superadded to the first state of coldnesse whither he is with all these loads and circumstances of death easily revolv'd 3. A state of lukewarmnesse is more incorrigible then a state of coldnesse while men flatter themselves that their state is good that they are rich and need nothing that their lamps are dressed and full of ornament There are many that think they are in their countrey as soon as ever they are weary and measure not the end of their hopes by the possession of them but by their precedent labour which they overvalue because they have easie and effeminate souls S. Bernard complains of some that say Sufficit nobis nolumus esse meliores quà m Patres nostri It is enough for us to be as our forefathers who were honest and usefull in their generations but be not over-righteous These men are such as think they have knowledge enough to need no teacher devotion enough to need no new fires perfection enough to need no new progresse justice enough to need no repentance and then because the spirit of a man and all the things of this world are in perpetuall variety and change these men decline when they have gone their period they stand still and then revert like a stone returning from the bosome of a cloud where it rested as long as the thought of a childe and fell to its naturall bed of earth and dwelt below for ever He that says he will take care he be no worse and that he desires to be no better stops his journey into heaven but cannot be secure against his descending into hell and Cassian spake a hard saying Frequentèr vidimus de frigidis carnalibus ad spiritualem venisse fervorem de tepidis animalibus omninò non vidimus Many persons from vicious and dead and cold have passed into life and an excellent grace and a spirituall warmth and holy fires but from lukewarm and indifferent never any body came to an excellent condition and state of holynesse rarissimè S. Bernard sayes very extremely seldome and our blessed Saviour said something of this The Publicans and the Harlots goe before you into the Kingdome of heaven they are moved by shame and punished by disgrace and remarked by punishments and frighted by the circumstances and notices of all the world and separated from sober persons by laws and an intolerable character and the sense of honour and the care of their persons and their love of civill societie and every thing in the world can invite them towards vertues But the man that is accounted honest and does justice and some things of Religion unlesse he finds himselfe but upon his way and feels his wants and groans under the sense of his infirmities and sighs under his imperfections and accounts himself not to have comprehended but still presses towards the mark of his calling unlesse I say he still increases in his appetites of Religion as he does in his progression he will think he needs no counsellor and the spirit of God whispers to an ear that is already fill'd with noyses and cannot atrend to the heavenly calling The stomach that is already full is next to loathing and that 's the prologue to sicknesse and a rejecting the first wholesome nutriment which was entertained to relieve the first naturall necessities Qui non proficit vult deficere said S. Bernard He that goes not forward in the love of God and of Religion does not stand still but goes for all that but whither such a motion will lead him himself without a timely care shall feel by an intolerable experiment In
may not give it to him unlesse he knowes by other means to pay the debt but if he can do both he hath his liberty to lay out his money for a Crown But then in the case of provision for children our restraint is not so easie or discernible 1. Because we are not bound to provide for them in a certain portion but may do it by the analogies and measures of prudence in which there is a great latitude 2. Because our zeal of charity is a good portion for them and layes up a blessing for inheritance 3. Because the fairest portions of charity are usually short of such sums which can be considerable in the duty of provision for our children 4. If we for them could be content to take any measure lesse then all any thing under every thing that we can we should finde the portions of the poor made ready to our hands sufficiently to minister to zeal and yet not to intrench upon this case of conscience But the truth is we are so carelesse so unskil'd so unstudied in religion that we are only glad to make an an excuse and to defeat our souls of the reward of the noblest grace we are contented if we can but make a pretence for we are highly pleased if our conscience be quiet and care not so much that our duty be performed much lesse that our eternall interest be advanced in bigger portions We care not we strive not we think not of getting the greater rewards of Heaven and he whose desires are so indifferent for the greater will not take pains to secure the smallest portion and it is observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the least in the Kingdome of heaven is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as good as none if a man will be content with his hopes of the lowest place there and will not labour for something beyond it he does not value it at all and it is ten to one but will lose that for which he takes so little pains and is content with so easie a security He that does his almes and resolves that in no case he will suffer inconvenience for his brother whose case it may be is intolerable should do well to remember that God in some cases requires a greater charity and it may be we shall be called to dye for the good of our brother and that although it alwaies supposes a zeal and a holy fervour yet sometimes it is also a duty and we lose our lives if we go to save them and so we do with our estates when we are such good husbands in our Religion that we will serve all our own conveniences before the great needs of a hungry and afflicted brother God oftentimes takes from us that which with so much curiosity we would preserve and then we lose our money and our reward too 3. Hither is to be reduced * the accepting and choosing the counsels Evangelicall * the virgin or widow estate in order to Religion * selling all and giving it to the poor * making our selves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven * offering our selves to death voluntary in exchange or redemption of the life of a most usefull person as Aquila and Priscilla who ventur'd their lives for St. Paul * the zeal of souls * St. Paul's preaching to the Corinthian Church without wages remitting of rights and forgiving of debts when the obliged person could pay but not without much trouble * protection of calamitous persons with hazard of our own interest and a certain trouble concerning which and all other acts of zeal we are to observe the following measures by which our zeal will become safe and holy and by them also we shall perceive the excesses of Zeal and its inordinations which is the next thing I am to consider 1. The first measure by which our zeal may comply with our duty and its actions become laudable is charity to our neighbour For since God receives all that glorification of himself whereby we can serve and minister to his glory reflected upon the foundation of his own goodnesse and bounty and mercy and all the Allellujahs that are or ever shall be sung in heaven are praises and thank givings and that God himself does not receive glory from the acts of his Justice but then when his creatures will not rejoyce in his goodnesse and mercy it followes that we imitate this originall excellency and pursue Gods own method that is glorifie him in via misericordiae in the way of mercy and bounty charity and forgivenesse love and fair compliances There is no greater charity in the world then to save a soul nothing that pleases God better nothing that can be in our hands greater or more noble nothing that can be a more lasting and delightfull honour then that a perishing soul snatched from the flames of an intolerable Hell and born to Heaven upon the wings of piety and mercy by the Ministery of Angels and the graces of the holy Spirit shall to eternall ages blesse God and blesse thee Him for the Author and finisher of salvation and thee for the Minister and charitable instrument that bright starre must needs look pleasantly upon thy face for ever which was by thy hand plac'd there and had it not been by thy Ministery might have been a footy coal in the regions of sorrow Now in order to this God hath given us all some powers and ministeries by which we may by our charity promote this Religion and the great interest of souls Counsels and prayers preaching and writing passionate desires and fair examples going before others in the way of godlinesse and bearing the torch before them that they may see the way and walk in it This is a charity that is prepared more or lesse for every one and by the way we should do well to consider what we have done towards it For as it will be a strange arrest at the day of Judgement to Dives that he fed high and sufferred Lazarus to starve and every garment that lies by thee and perishes while thy naked brother does so too for want of it shall be a bill of Inditement against thy unmercifull soul so it will be in every instance in what thou couldst profit thy brother and didst not thou art accountable and then tell over the times in which thou hast prayed for the conversion of thy sinning brother and compare the times together and observe whether thou hast not tempted him or betrayed him to a sin or encourag'd him in it or didst not hinder him when thou mightest more frequently then thou hast humbly and passtonately and charitably and zealously bowed thy head and thy heart and knees to God to redeem that poor soul from hell whither thou seest him descending with as much indifferency as a stone into the bottome of a well In this thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a good thing to be zealous and put forth all your strength for you
and to be of an unsetled dwelling and the Nation of the Jews in the bosome and society of which the Church especially did dwell were to be scattered and broken all in pieces with fierce calamities and the world was apt to calumniate and to suspect and dishonour Christians upon pretences and unreasonable jealousies and that to all these purposes the state of marriage brought many inconveniences it pleased God in this new creation to inspire into the hearts of his servants a disposition and strong desires to live a single life lest the state of marriage should in that conjunction of things become an accidentall impediment to the dissemination of the Gospell which cal'd men from a confinement in their domestick charges to travell and flight and poverty and difficulty and Martyrdome upon this necessity the Apostles and Apostolicall men published Doctrines declaring the advantages of single life not by any commandement of the Lord but by the spirit of prudence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the present and then incumbent necessities and in order to the advantages which did accrew to the publick ministeries and private piety There are some said our blessed Lord who make themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven that is for the advantages and the ministery of the Gospell non ad vitae bonae meritum as St. Austin in the like case not that it is a better service of God in it self but that it is usefull to the first circumstances of the Gospell and the infancy of the Kingdome because the unmarryed person does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is apt to spirituall and Ecclesiasticall imployments first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy in his own person and then sanctified to publick ministeries and it was also of ease to the Christians themselves because as then it was when they were to flie and to flie for ought they knew in winter and they were persecuted to the four winds of heaven and the nurses and the women with childe were to suffer a heavier load of sorrow because of the imminent persecutions and above all because of the great fatality of ruine upon the whole nation of the Jewes well it might be said by St. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such shall have trouble in the flesh that is they that are marryed shall and so at that time they had and therefore it was an act of charity to the Christians to give that counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do this to spare you and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for when the case was alter'd and that storm was over and the first necessities of the Gospel served and the sound was gone out into all nations in very many persons it was wholly changed and not the marryed but the unmarryed had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trouble in the flesh and the state of marriage returned to its first blessing non non erat bonum homini esse solitarium and it was not good for man to be alone But in this first intervall the publick necessity and the private zeal mingling together did sometimes over-act their love of single life even to the disparagement of marriage and to the scandall of Religion which was increased by the occasion of some pious persons renouncing their contract of marriage not consummate with unbeleevers For when Flavia Domitilla being converted by Nereus and Achilleus the Eunuchs refused to marry Aurelianus to whom she was contracted if there were not some little envie and too sharp hostility in the Eunuchs to a marryed state yet Aurelianus thought himself an injur'd person and caus'd St. Clemens who vail'd her and his spouse both to dye in the quarrell St. Thecla being converted by St. Paul grew so in love with virginity that she leap'd back from the marriage of Tamyris where she was lately ingaged St. Iphigenia denyed to marry King Hirtacus and it is said to be done by the advice of St. Matthew And Susanna the Niece of Diocletian refus'd the love of Maximianus the Emperour and these all had been betrothed and so did St. Agnes and St. Felicula and divers others then and afterwards insomuch that it was reported among the Gentiles that the Christians did not only hate all that were not of their perswasion but were enemies of the chast lawes of marriage And indeed some that were called Christians were so forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats Upon this occasion it grew necessary for the Apostle to state the question right and to do honour to the holy rite of marriage and to snatch the mystery from the hands of zeal and folly and to place it in Christs right hand that all its beauties might appear and a present convenience might not bring in a false Doctrine and a perpetuall sin and an intolerable mischief The Apostle therefore who himself had been a marryed man but was now a widower does explicate the mysteriousnesse of it and describes it's honours and adornes it with rules and provisions of Religion that as it begins with honour so it may proceed with piety and end with glory For although single life hath in it privacy and simplicity of affaires such solitarinesse and sorrow such leasure and unactive circumstances of living that there are more spaces for religion if men would use them to these purposes and because it may have in it much religion and prayers and must have in it a perfect mortification of our strongest appetites is therefore a state of great excellency yet concerning the state of marriage we are taught from Scripture and the sayings of wise men great things and honourable Marriage is honourable in all men so is not single life for in some it is a share and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a trouble in the flesh a prison of unruly desires which is attempted daily to be broken Celibare or single life is never commanded but in some cases marriage is and he that burns sins often if he marries not he that cannot contain must marry and he that can contain is not tyed to a single life but may marry and not sin Marriage was ordained by God instituted in Paradise was the relief of a naturall necessity and the first blessing from the Lord he gave to Man not a friend but a wife that is a friend and a wife too for a good woman is in her soul the same that a man is and she is a woman only in her body that she may have the excellency of the one and the usefulnesse of the other and become amiable in both it is the seminary of the Church and daily brings forth sons and daughters unto God it was ministred to by Angels and Raphael waited upon a young man that he might have a blessed marriage and that that marriage might repair two sad families and blesse all their relatives Our blessed Lord though he was born of a malden yet she was vail'd under the cover of marriage and she was
marryed to a widower for Joseph the supposed Father of our Lord had children by a former wife The first Miracle that ever Jesus did was to doe honour to a wedding marriage was in the world before sin and is in all ages of the world the greatest and most effective antidote against sin in which all the world had perished if God had not made a remedy and although sin hath sour'd marriage and stuck the mans head with cares and the womans bed with sorrowes in the production of children yet these are but throws of life and glory and she shall be saved in child-bearing if she be found in faith and righteousnesse Marriage is a Schoole and exercise of vertue and though Marriage hath cares yet the single life hath desires which are more troublesome and more dangerous and often end in sin while the cares are but instances of duty and exercises of piety and therefore if single life hath more privacy of devotion yet marriage hath more necessities and more variety of it and is an exercise of more graces In two vertues celibate or single life may have the advantage of degrees ordinarily and commonly that is in chastity and devotion but as in some persons this may fail and it does in very many and a marryed man may spend as much time in devotion as any virgins or widowes do yet as in marriage even those vertues of chastity and devotion are exercised so in other instances this state hath proper exercises and trials for those graces for which single life can never be crown'd Here is the proper seene of piety and patience of the duty of Parents and the charity of relatives here kindnesse is spread abroad and love is united and made firm as a centre Marriage is the nursery of heaven the virgin sends prayers to God but she carries but one soul to him but the state of marriage fils up the numbers of the elect and hath in it the labour of love and the delicacies of friendship the blessing of society and the union of hands and hearts it hath in it lesse of beauty but more of safety then the single life it hath more care but lesse danger it is more merry and more sad is fuller of sorrowes and fuller of joyes it lies under more burdens but it is supported by all the strengths of love and charity and those burdens are delightfull Marriage is the mother of the world and preserves Kingdomes and fils Cities and Churches and Heaven it self Celibate like the flie in the heart of an apple dwels in a perpetuall sweetnesse but sits alone and is confin'd and dies in singularity but marriage like the usefull Bee builds a house and gathers sweetnesse from every flower and labours and unites into societies and republicks and sends out colonies and feeds the world with delicacies and obeys their king and keeps order and exercises many vertues and promotes the interest of mankinde and is that state of good things to which God hath designed the present constitution of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Single life makes men in one instance to be like Angels but marriage in very many things makes the chast pair to be like to Christ. This is a great mystery but it is the symbolicall and sacramentall representment of the greatest mysteries of our Religion Christ descended from his Fathers bosome and contracted his divinity with flesh and bloud and marryed our Nature and we became a Church the spouse of the bridegroom which he cleansed with his bloud and gave her his holy Spirit for a dowry and heaven for a joynture begetting children unto God by the Gospel this spouse he hath joyn'd to himself by an excellent charity he feeds her at his own table and lodges her nigh his own heart provides for all her necessities relieves her sorrowes determines her doubts guides her wandrings he is become her head and she as a signet upon his right hand he first indeed was betrothed to the Synagogue and had many children by her but she forsook his love and then he marryed the Church of the Gentiles and by her as by a second venter had a more numerous issue atque una domus est omnium filiorum ejus all the children dwell in the same house and are heirs of the same promises intituled to the same inheritance Here is the eternall conjunction the indissoluble knot the exceeding love of Christ the obedience of the Spouse the communicating of goods the uniting of interests the fruit of marriage a celestiall generation a new creature Sacramentum hoc magnum est this is the sacramentall mystery represented by the holy rite of marriage so that marriage is divine in its institution sacred in its union holy in the mystery sacramentall in its signification honourable in its appellative religious in its imployments It is advantage to the societies of men and it is holinesse to the Lord. Dico autem in Christo Ecclesiâ It must be in Christ and the Church If this be not observed marriage loses its mysteriousnesse but because it is to effect much of that which it signifies it concerns all that enter into those golden fetters to see that Christ and his Church be in at every of its periods and that it be intirely conducted and over-rul'd by Religion for so the Apostle passes from the sacramentall rite to the reall duty Neverthelesse that is although the former discourse were wholly to explicate the conjunction of Christ and his Church by this similitude yet it hath in it this reall duty that the man love his wife and the wife reverence her husband and this is the use we shall now make of it the particulars of which precept I shall thus dispose 1. I shall propound the duty as it generally relates to Man and Wife in conjunction 2. The duty and power of the Man 3. The rights and priviledges and the duty of the Wife 1. In Christo Ecclesia that begins all and there is great need it should be so for they that enter into the state of marriage cast a dye of the greatest contingency and yet of the greatest interest in the world next to the last throw for eternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life or death felicity or a lasting sorrow are in the power of marriage A woman indeed ventures most for she hath no sanctuary to retire to from an evill husband she must dwell upon her sorrow and hatch the egges which her own folly or infelicity hath produced and she is more under it because her tormentor hath a warrant of prerogative and the woman may complain to God as subjects do of tyrant Princes but otherwise she hath no appeal in the causes of unkindenesse And though the man can run from many hours of his sadnesse yet he must return to it again and when he sits among his neighbours he remembers the objection that lies in his
but strangely prevailing almost as much without remedy as it is without pleasure for it enters first by folly and grows by custome and dwels with carelesnesse and is nurs'd by irreligion and want of the fear of God it profanes the most holy things and mingles dirt with the beames of the Sun follies and trifling talke interweav'd and knit together with the sacred name of God it placeth the most excellent of things in the meanest and basest circumstances it brings the secrets of heaven into the streets dead mens bones into a Temple Nothing is a greater sacriledge then to prostitute the great name of God to the petulancy of an idle tongue and blend it as an expletive to fill up the emptinesse of a weak discourse The name of God is so sacred so mighty that it rends mountains it opens the bowels of the deepest rocks it casts out Devils and makes Hell to tremble and fills all the regions of Heaven with joy the name of God is our strength and confidence the object of our worshippings and the security of all our hopes and when God had given himselfe a Name and immur'd it with dread and reverence like the garden of Eden with the swords of Cherubims and none durst speak it but he whose lips were hallowed and that at holy and solemn times in a most holy and solemne place I mean the High Priest of the Jews at the solemnities when he entred into the sanctuary then he taught all the world the majesty and veneration of his Name and therefore it was that God made restraints upon our conceptions and expressions of him and as he was infinitely curious that from all the appearances he made to them they should not depict or ingrave an image of him so he tooke care that even the tongue should be restrained and not be too free in forming images and representments of his Name and therefore as God drew their eyes from vanity by putting his name amongst them and representing no shape so even when he had put his name amongst them he took it off from the tongue and placed it before the eye for Jehovah was so written on the Priests Mitre that all might see and read but none speak it but the Priest But besides all this there is one great thing concerning the Name of God beyond all that can be spoken or imagined else and that is that when God the Father was pleased to pour forth all his glories and imprint them upon his holy Son in his exaltation it was by giving him his holy Name the Tetragrammaton or Jehovah made articulate to signifie God manifested in the flesh and so he wore the character of God and became the bright image of his person Now all these great things concerning the Name of God are infinite reproofes of common and vain swearing by it Gods name is left us here to pray by to hope in to be the instrument and conveyance of our worshippings to be the witnesse of truth and the Judge of secrets the end of strife and the avenger of perjury the discerner of right and the severe exacter of all wrongs and shall all this be unhallowed by impudent talking of God without sense or feare or notices or reverence or observation One thing more I have to adde against this vice of a foolish tongue and that is that as much prating fils the discourse with lying so this trifling swearing changes every trifling lye into a horrid perjury and this was noted by St. James But above all things swear not at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye may not fall into condemnation so we read it following the Arabian Syrian and Latin books and some Greek Copies and it signifies that all such swearing and putting fierce appendages to every word like great iron bars to a straw basket or the curtains of a tent is a direct condemnation of our selves For while we by much talking regard truth too little and yet bind up our trifles with so severe a band we are condemned by our owne words for men are made to expect what you bound upon them by an oath and account your trifle to be serious of which when you faile you have given sentence against your selfe And this is agreeable to those words of our blessed Saviour Of every idle word you shall give account for by thy words thou shalt be condemned and by thy words thou shalt be justified But there is another reading of these words which hath great emphasis and power in this article Swear not at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you may not fall into hypocrisie that is into the disreputation of a lying deceiving cousening person for he that will put his oath to every common word makes no great matter of an oath for in swearing commonly he must needs sometimes swear without consideration and therefore without truth and he that does so in any company tels the world he makes no great matter of being perjured All these things put together may take off our wonder at St. James expression of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all things sweare not it is a thing so highly to be regarded and yet is so little considered that it is hard to say whether there be in the world any instance in which men are so carelesse of their danger and damnation as in this The next appendage of vain and trifling speech is contention wrangling and perpetuall talke proceeding from the spirit of contradiction Profert enim mores plerumque oratio animi secreta detegit Nec sine causâ Graeci prodiderunt ut vivat quemque etiam dicere said Quintilian For the most part a mans words betray his manners and unlocks the secrets of the mind And it was not without cause that the Greeks said As a man lives so he speaks for so indeed Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Aristides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that it is a signe of a peevish an angry and quarrelling disposition to be disputative and busie in Questions and impertinent oppositions You shall meet with some men such were the Sceptics and such were the Academics of old who will not endure any man shall be of their opinion and will not suffer men to speak truth or to consent to their own propositions but will put every man to fight for his owne possessions disturbing the rest of truth and all the dwellings of unity and consent clamosum altercatorem Quintilian calls such a one This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an overflowing of the heart and of the gall and it makes men troublesome and intricates all wise discourses and throws a cloud upon the face of truth and while men contend for truth error drest in the same habit flips into her chaire and all the litigants court her for the divine sister of wisdome Nimirùm altercando veritas amittitur There is noyse but no harmony fighting but no victory talking but no learning all are teachers and all
endevour by all meanes and in all their owne measures and capacities to lay up treasures of notices and instructions in their brothers soul that by some argument or other they may be met withall and taken in every corner of their conversation Adde to this that the duty of a man hath great variety and the souls of men are infinitely abused and the persuasions of men are strangely divided and the interests of men are a violent and preternaturall declination from the strictnesses of vertue and the resolutions of men are quickly altered and very hardly to be secured and the cases of conscience are numerous and intricate and every state of life that hath its proper prejudice and our notices are abused by our affections and we shall perceive that men generally need knowledge enough to over-power all their passions to root out their vitious inclinations to master their prejudice to answer objections to resist temptations to refresh their wearynesse to fixe their resolutions and to determine their doubts and therefore to see your brother in a state of ignorance is to see him unfurnished and unprepared to all good works a person safe no longer then till a temptation comes and one that cannot be saved but by an absolute unlimited predestination a favour of which he hath no promise no security no revelation and although to doe this God hath appointed a speciall Order of men the whole Ecclesiasticall Order whom he feeds at his owne charges and whom men rob at their owne perill yet this doth not disoblige others for every Master of a family is to instruct or cause his family to be instructed and catechised every Governour is to instruct his charge every Man his Brother not alwayes in person but ever by all possible and just provisions For if the people dye for want of knowledge they who are set over them shall also die for want of charity Here therefore we must remember that it is the duty of us all in our severall measures and proportions to instruct those that need it and whose necessity is made ready for our ministration and let us tremble to think what will be the sad account which we shall make when even our families are not taught in the fundamentals of Religion for how can it be possible for those who could not account concerning the stories of Christs life and death the ministeries of their redemption the foundation of all their hopes the great argument of all their obediences how can it be expected that they should ride in triumph over all the evills which the Devill and the World and their owne follies daily present to them in the course of every dayes conversation And it will be an ill return to say that God will require no more of them then he hath given them for suppose that be true in your own sense yet he will require it of thee because thou gavest them no more and however it is a formidable danger and a trifling hope for any man to put all the hopes of his being saved upon the onely stock of ignorance for if his ignorance should never be accounted for yet it may leave him in that state in which his evills shall grow great and his sins may be irremediable 2. Our Conversation must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to comfort the disconsolate and then this men in present can feel no greater charity For since halfe the duty of a Christian in this life consists in the exercise of passive graces and the infinite variety of providence and the perpetuall adversity of chances and the dissatisfaction and emptynesse that is in things themselves and the wearynesse and anguish of our spirit does call us to the trial and exercise of patience even in the dayes of sunshine and much more in the violent storms that shake our dwellings and make our hearts tremble God hath sent some Angels into the world whose office it is to refresh the sorrowes of the poore and to lighten the eyes of the disconsolate he hath made some creatures whose powers are chiefly ordain'd to comfort wine and oyle and society cordials and variety and time it selfe is checker'd with black and white stay but till to morrow and your present sorrow will be weary and will lie downe to rest But this is not all The third person of the holy Trinity is known to us by the name and dignity of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and God glories in the appellative that he is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort and therefore to minister in the office is to become like God and to imitate the charities of heaven and God hath fitted mankinde for it he most needs it and he feels his brothers wants by his owne experience and God hath given us speech and the endearments of society and pleasantness of conversation and powers of seasonable discourse arguments to allay the sorrow by abating our apprehensions and taking out the sting or telling the periods of comfort or exciting hope or urging a precept and reconciling our affections and reciting promises or telling stories of the Divine mercy or changing it into duty or making the burden lesse by comparing it with greater or by proving it to be lesse then we deserve and that it is so intended and may become the instrument of vertue And certain it is that as nothing can better doe it so there is nothing greater for which God made our tongues next to reciting his prayses then to minister comfort to a weary soul. And what greater measure can we have then that we should bring joy to our brother who with his dreary eyes looks to heaven and round about and cannot finde so much rest as to lay his eye-lids close together then that thy tongue should be tun'd with heavenly accents and make the weary soul to listen for light and ease and when he perceives that there is such a thing in the world and in the order of things as comfort and joy to begin to break out from the prison of his sorrows at the dore of sighs and tears and by little and little melt into showres and refreshment This is glory to thy voyce and imployment fit for the brightest Angel But so have I seen the sun kisse the frozen earth which was bound up with the images of death and the colder breath of the North and then the waters break from their inclosures and melt with joy and run in usefull channels and the flies doe rise againe from their little graves in walls and dance a while in the aire to tell that there is joy within and that the great mother of creatures will open the stock of her new refreshment become usefull to mankinde and sing prayses to her Redeemer So is the heart of a sorrowfull man under the discourses of a wise Comforter he breaks from the despairs of the grave and the fetters and chains of sorrow he blesses God and he blesses thee and he feels
his life returning for to be miserable is death but nothing is life but to be comforted and God is pleased with no musick from below so much as in the thanksgiving songs of relieved Widows of supported Orphans of rejoycing and comforted and thankfull persons This part of communication does the work of God and of our Neighbors and bears us to heaven in streams of joy made by the overflowings of our brothers comfort It is a fearfull thing to see a man despairing None knows the sorrow and the intolerable anguish but themselves and they that are damned and so are all the loads of a wounded spirit when the staffe of a mans broken fortune bowes its head to the ground and sinks like an Osier under the violence of a mighty tempest But therefore in proportion to this I may tell the excellency of the imployment and the duty of that charity which bears the dying and languishing soul from the fringes of hell to the seat of the brightest stars where Gods face shines and reflects comforts for ever and ever And though God hath for this especially intrusted his Ministers and Servants of the Church and hath put into their hearts and notices great magazines of promises and arguments of hope and arts of the Spirit yet God does not alwayes send Angels on these embassies but sends a man ut sit homo homini Deus that every good man in his season may be to his brother in the place of God to comfort and restore him and that it may appear how much it is the duty of us all to minister comfort to our brother we may remember that the same words and the same arguments doe oftentimes more prevaile upon our spirits when they are applyed by the hand of another then when they dwell in us and come from our owne discoursings This is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the edification of our needs and the greatest and most holy charity 3. Our communication must in its just season be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must reprove our sinning brother for the wounds of a friend are better then the kisses of an enemy saith Solomon we imitate the office of the great Shepheard and Bishop of souls if we goe to seek and save that which was lost and it is a fearfull thing to see a friend goe to hell undisturbed when the arresting him in his horrid progresse may possibly make him to return this is a course that will change our vile itch of judging and censuring others into an act of charity it will alter slander into piety detraction into counsell revenge into friendly and most usefull offices that the Vipers flesh may become Mithridate and the Devill be defeated in his malicious imployment of our language He is a miserable man whom none dares tell of his faults so plainly that he may understand his danger and he that is uncapable and impatient of reproof can never become a good friend to any man For besides that himself would never admonish his friend when he sins and if he would why should not himself be glad of the same chairty he is also proud and Scorner is his name he thinks himself exempt from the condition and failings of men or if he does not he had rather goe to hell then be call'd to his way by an angry Sermon or driven back by the sword of an Angell or endure one blushing for all his hopes and interests of heaven It is no shame to be reproved but to deserve it but he that deserves it and will doe so still shall increase his shame into confusion and bring upon himselfe a sorrow bigger then the calamities of war and plagues and hospitals and poverty He onely is truely wise and will be certainly happy that so understands himself and hates his sin that he will not nurse it but get to himselfe a Reprover on purpose whose warrant shall be liberty whose thanks shall be amendment whose entertainment shall be obedience for a flattering word is like a bright sun-shine to a sore Eye it increases the trouble and lessens the sight Haec demum sapiet dictio quae feriet The severe word of the reproving man is wise and healthfull But because all times and all circumstances and all persons are not fit for this imployment et plurima sunt quae Non audent homines pertusâ dicere laenâ Some will not endure that a pore man or an obliged person should reprove them and themselves are often so unprofitable servants that they will rather venture their friends damnation then hazard their owne interest therefore in the performance of this duty of the usefull communication the following measures are fit to be observed 1. Let not your reproofe be publick and personall if it be publick it must be in generall if it be personall it must be in private and this is expressely commanded by our blessed Saviour If thy Brother offends tell it him between him and thee for when it comes afterwards in case of contumacy to be declared in publick it passes from fraternall correption to Ecclesiasticall discipline When Socrates reproved Plato at a feast Plato told him it had been better he had told him his fault in private for to speak it publickly is indecency Socrates replyed and so it is for you publickly to condemne that indecency For it is the nature of man to be spitefull when he is shamed and to esteem that the worst of evils and therefore to take impudence and perseverance for its cover when his shame is naked And for this indiscretion Aristomenes the Tutor of Ptolemy who before the Corinthian Embassadors reproved the King for sleeping at the solemne audience profited nothing but enraged the Prince and was himself forc'd to drink poyson But this warinesse is not alwayes necessary For 1. a publick and an authoriz'd person may doe it publickly and may name the person as himself shall judge expedient secuit Lucilius urbem Te Lupe te Muti genuinum fregit in illis Omne vafer vitium Lucilius was a censor of manners and by his office he had warrant and authority 2. There are also some cases in which a publick reproofe is prudent and that is when the crime is great but not understood to be any at all for then it is Instruction and Catechism and layes aside the affront and trouble of reproofe Thus Ignatius the Martyr did reprove Trajan sacrificing at the Altar in the sight of all the Officers of the Army and the Iews were commanded to reprove the Babylonians for Idolatry in the land of their Captivity and if we see a Prince in the confidence of his pride and carelesnesse of spirit and heat of war spoyle a Church or rob God it is then fit to tell him the danger of Sacriledge if otherwise he cannot well be taught his danger and his duty 3. There are some circumstances of person in
willing to make use so thankfull for their care so great valuers of their skill such lovers of their persons no man is put to it to persuade men to be Physitians because there is no need to persuade men to live or to be in health if therefore men would as willingly be vertuous as be healthfull as willingly doe no evill as suffer none be as desirous of heaven as of a long life on earth all the difficulties and temptations against this duty of reproving our sinning brother would soon be conceal'd but let it be as it will we must doe it in duty and piety to him that needs and if he be impatient of it he needs it more Et per hujusmodi offensas emetiendum est confragosum hoc iter it is a troublesome imployment but it is duty and charity and therefore when it can with hope of successe with prudence and piety be done no other consideration ought to interpose And for the other part those I mean who ought to be reproved they are to remember that themselves give pensions to Preacher on purpose to be reproved if they shall need it* that God hath instituted a holy Order of men to that very purpose* that they should be severally told of all that is amisse* that themselves chide their children and their servants for their good and that they may amend* and that they endure thirst to cure their dropsies* that they suffer burnings to prevent the gangrenes* and endure the cutting off a limbe to preserve their lives * and therefore that it is a strange witchcraft and a prodigious folly that at so easie a mortification as the suffering of a plain friendly reproofe they will not set forward their interest of heaven and suffer themselves to be set forward in their hopes of heaven dura fatemur Esse sed ut valeas multa dolenda feras And when all remember that flattery and importune silence suffer the mighty to perish like fooles and inconsiderate persons it ought to awake our spirits and make us to attend to the admonitions of a friend with a silence great as midnight and watchfull as a widows eyes It was a strange thing that Valentinian should in the midst of so many Christian Prelates make a law to establish Polygamy and that no Bishop should dare to reprehend him The effect of it was this that he had a son by a second wife the first being alive and not divorc'd and he left him heir of a great part of the Empire and what the effect of that was to this soul God who is his Judge best knows If now at last it be inquir'd whether every man is bound to reprove every man if he sins and if he converse with him I answer that if it should be so it were to no purpose and therefore for it there is no commandement every man that can may instruct him that wants it but every man may not reprove him that is already instructed that is an act of charity for which there are no measures but the others necessity and his own opportunity but this is also an act of discipline and must in many cases suppose an authority and in all cases such a liberty as is not fit to be permitted to mean and ignorant and inferiour persons I end this with the saying of a wise person advising to every one concerning the use of the tongue aut lucrentur vitam loquendo aut tacendo abscondant scientiam if they speak let them minister to the good of souls if they speak not let them minister to sobriety in the first they serve the end of charity in the other of humility THE END ERRATA PAg. 10. l. 35. r. entertained that at p. 6. l. 30. seen r. scene 29. 21. dear r. clear 152. 4. terrour r. fervour 71. 40. the bowed r. they bowed 87. 41. reverend r. reverenc'd 112. 27. r. illius pejora prioribus 100. 1. one r. once 102. 21. that flies r. he that flies 142. 16. r. true or false 98. 45. if it be turned r. if it be not turned 283. ult r. get a Genius 309. 40. still r. till 334. 5. r. his soul. 33. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lege forsan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 52. 29. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 140. 9. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 200. ult lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In margin p. 225. 5. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Florus Rom. 4. 10. Lucan l. 1. Rom. 2. 5. In Psal. 103. * In Ierem. hom 13. in Luk. hom 14. Lactantius lib. 7. instit c. 21. Hilarius in Psal. 118. octer 3. in Mat. can 2. In Psal. 118. serm 3. Heb. 4. Psal. 74. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Revel 8. 3. Rom. 8. 26. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Ioel 1. Mat. 12. 36. Iob 31. 14. Eph. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. Xenoph. 1. Mat. 25. 34. 41. Hymn 5. lib. Cathemer Lib. 2. cap. 65. 1. 2. Rev. 14. 11. Rev. 20. 14. Job 27. 9. Ps. 6. 6. 18. Prov. 1. 28. Isa. 1. 15. Ier. 14. 12. 10. Vide etiam Ps. 34. 6 Micah 3 4. 1 Pet. 3. 12. Iam. 2. 13. Psal 22. 29. See 2. Sermon of lukewarmnesse and zeal Ezek. 14. 14. 1 Ioh. 5. 16. Chap. 42. 7 8. Eccles. 5. 2. Gen. 20. 7. Iudg. 17. 13. Iames 5. 14. Heb. 7. 7. Act. 6. 4. Lib. 1. ep 4. Ad Demo. a 1. q. 1. c. sacrosancta a Homil. 53. b In scholiis ad hunc locum c Lib. 6 A. D. 108. Biblioth d Ep. 16. Biblioth pp. tom 3. n. 19. e Decret 1. q. 1. ad c. eos qui. f Lib. 6. regist 5. in decretis l. 7. c. 120. g De dignit sacerd c. 5. h Can. 9. orat 4. de sacerd i 1. in ep 20. hom 1. part 2. ep 27. k Ep. 9. tom 3 ad Michael imperater d. in 4 dist 13. Collat. 9. cap. 32. Ierem. 5. 1. Vers. 25. 2. 7. Deut. 4. 24. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Deut. 10. 12. Psal. 111. 10. Eccles. 12. 13. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Ionah 1. 9. King 17. 25. Mat. 5. ad v. 10. Ioh. 1. 17. Rom. 6. 14 15. Rom. 6. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 22. 1 Pet. 4. 19. Apud Eurip. in Phoenissis 1 Cor. 10. 12. * Heb 6. 6. Heb. 10 26. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Mat. 9. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 18. 2 Ep. 1. 3. Act. 3. 26. 1. Exod. 23. 20. 21. Ier. 2. 36. Ephes. 4. 17 18. Mat. 12. 45. vide 2 Pet. 2. 10. Lib. de nat Deorum Eccles. 12 5. * 1 Cor. 10. 20. * 4. 7. ◠Rom. 11. 25. Eurip. Revel 21. 8. Eph. 2. 3. Plutar. Lactantius Euripides Ephes. 4. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 4. Luk. 11. 13. Mat. 7. 11. Phil. 4. 4. Ephes. 5. 18. Trinummus 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 3. Dan. 4. 27. Prov. 18. 9. His qui sacris visis abeunt ad inferos Homines beati sunt solis quia vivere Contingit illic istis turba caetera