tell us that the love of some worldly matter hinders our confidence darkens our knowledge and clouds our understanding so that we cannot see God as he is let us remove it and stand up from the dead that Christ may give us light The Papists abuse of Scripture by Traditions c. IT was a very malicious plot of the Philistines to stop the Wells of Abraham and to fill them up with earth that so the memoriall of them might be quite dam'd up whereby Isaac his Son might not have the least inkling that ever they belonged to his Father and so they make a challenge to them as their own Thus the Papists have as much as in them lies stopped up the veines of the springs of life which flow every where in the sacred word of God with the earth of their own Traditions false glosses and unfit Allegories all this to Monopolize the Bible to their own use shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven neither entring themselves nor suffering others to enter therein Who fit for Government in point of temporall estate VVHen Servius Sulpitius Galba and Aurelius the Consull did strive in the Senate which of them should be sent into Spain against Viriatum the Senators differing amongst themselves and waiting which way Scipio would encline he said I give my voice that neither of them be sent his reason was this alter nihil habet alteri nihil sat est the one hath nothing and the other will never have enough intimating thereby that it was a dangerous thing to put the Government either into the hands of a rich wretch or a wretched poor man And most true it is that the ballance of Iustice whether it be in the hands of a covetous rich man or a man of a low estate it will be very apt to tite on one side Necessitas cogit ad turpia poverty is a great temptation to corruption and Riches an incentive to oppression one therefore qualified like Agur in his prayer that hath neither Poverty nor Riches but a competent estate is fit for the management of great affairs and the most likely to do justice according to the merits of the cause before him The unthankfull Husbandman condemned THe Heathens when they went to plow in the morning they laid on one of their hands to the stilts of the plough and they lifted up the other to Ceres the Goddess of Corne this did they do by the dim light of Nature What a sad thing then is it in such times of light that so many Husbandmen manuring the ground should be but as so many fungi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sprung up out of the ground like Toad-stools affixi glebae filii terrae having their minds fixed to the Earth never elevating them higher then the Oxe which laboureth with them but had they hearts to look up to God and to eye him in the wayes of his providence O beatâ—s Agricolas how happy would they be The providence of God to be eyed at all times WHen Lazarus was dead his two Sisters Martha and Mary came to Christ with a doleful noyse and pittifull complaint Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed saith one Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed said the other Ioh. 11. 21 32. And is not this the note and common language of the world when a Man is dead if such a Phisitian had been here if he had been let blood if he had not taken such a potion or eat of such meat or lived in such a â—oggy air if he had not done thus or thus or so and so he might have been a live man to this day not considering with Iob that the dayes of Man are determined and his bounds appointed which he cannot passe the time the place and every circumstance of his dissolution is decreed from all Eternity that one Man dyes in the field another in his bed one at Sea another on the shore one in this manner another in that this and all this it is fore-ordained in Heaven the hand of God is in all and he it is that having brought us into the World at his pleasure will take us hence at his own appointment To make Christ our Lord and Master IT is said of Mr. George Herbert that divine Poematist that to satisfie his Independency upon all others and to quicken his diligence in Gods service he used in his ordinary speech when he made mention of the blessed name of Iesus to add my Master And without all doubt if men were unfeignedly of his mind their respects would be more to Christ's command to Christ's will to Christ's pleasure could they but lift up their eyes to God to him that dwells in the Heavens then as eyes of servants look unto the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hands of her Mistress so would their eyes wait upon and their hearts be in a dutiful frame of obedience unto the commands of Christ their Lord and Master A wanting Ministery will soon become a contemptible Ministery PLutarch in his Moralls tells us of a Laconian who seeing a Collector going about and gathering the Peoples devotions for the use of their Gods O sayes he I will now make no more reckoning of the Gods so long as I see them go a begging and to be poorer then myselfe And this will be the case of the service of the great God of Heaven if ever we live to see that the Ministers maintenance shall depend upon the Peoples courtesie or that ever the off all 's of any repining Labans revenues or churlish Nabals purse become the stay of the Ministerial function This may be so by Gods permission yet great pitty it is that ever it should be so but if it must needs be so then take another story by the same Author of one Philippus a Priest amongst the Heathen so poor that he begg'd for his living and yet he would go about and tell how happy he should be When quoth one will this be When I am dead saies he Then poor fellow quoth the other thou art too blame thou dyest not quickly that thou maist be happy And thus it will be with the poor despised distressed Ministers of the Gospel of Iesus Christ The Lord is our portion say they and we shall be happy but when sayes the World When we dye say the Ministers Why then sayes the World ye are too blame that yeâ— dye not quickly to be happy in Heaven whom the World hath taken an order with never to he happy upon Earth this will be the voice of the Sons of Belial who have an evill will at Sion and had rather put a Church into their purse then any way empty their purse towards the Churches maintenance God to have the glory of all THat Martial King Edward the third outwent his fame and was accompted to have done
been without them Gen. 6. Thus when Men send out lusts to seek them wives and unclean spirits to woo for them When Men send out Ambition to make their houses great and Covetousness to joyn house to house and land to land When Men send out flattery lying and deceiptfull speeches and do not send out Prayers and loud cryes unto Almighty God to direct them in their choyce they may thank themselves if they meet with wives but not such meet helps as God otherwiâ—e intended for them The heighth of Patience QUeen Ann Bullen the Mother of the blessed Q. Elizabeth when she was to be beheaded in the Tower thus remembred her thanks to the King From a private Gentlewoman he made me a Marquiss from a Marquiss a Queen and now he hath left no higher degree of earthly honour for me he hath made me a Martyr Here was Patience in the highest degree such a Patience as had its perfect work and came up to its full growth when punishment becomes preferment when for Christs sake and his Gospels persecution shall be held an honour and misery a dignity ipsamque crucem coronam and the very Cross a Crown This is the Patience of the Saints The prevalency of a good Example JUstin Martyr confesseth that he left Philosophy and became a Christian Scholler through the admiration that he had to behold the innocent and godly lives of the Primitive Christians hearing them pray unto God for the good and welfare of those who to the utmost of their power endeavoured and wrought their ruine Thus forcible thus effectuall thus prevalent is the Example an holy life When Men and Women live so chastly walk so circumspectly and order themselves so holily so meekly so blamelesly that Men that are even strangers to a godly life are strongly wrought upon and very much affected with and won to Christ by their religious and gracious conversation Faults in manners and Errours in Doctrine to be distinguished in the matter of Reproof IT is observable that Almighty God hath in old time dispensed with some precepts of the second Table concerning our duty to Men as in bidding Abraham to kill his Son Isaac contrary to the sixt Commandement and in suffering the Fathers to have many Concubines contrary to the seventh Commandement and in advising the Children of Israel to rob the wicked Egyptians of their Jewels contrary to the eighth Commandement But he who cannot deny himselfe as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 2. 13. never dispensed with any Precept of the first Table concerning his own true honour worship and holinesse Thus it is that there must be a difference put betwixt Faults in manners and Errours in doctrine for principles of faith are like a Mathematicall point which admits of neither ademption nor addition to be patient in suffering a private wrong onely concerning our own Persons is commendable yea Noble But when once the quarrell is made Gods and the Churches injurias Dei dissimulare nimis est impium it is too great impiety for any man to bear In such a case the Prophet Eliah called for fire from Heaven upon his Enemies In such a case St. Paul in the sight of the whole Church of Antiochia withstood Peter to his face In such a case God assisting me saith Luther I am and ever shall be stout and stern herein I take upon me this title Cedo nulli I give place to none And in such a case renowned Iewel sweetly to the same purpose I deny my learning I deny my Bishopwrick I deny my selfe onely the faith of Christ and truth of God I cannot deny with this faith and for this faith I trust I shall end my dayes Judgement-day the terrors of it to the wicked IT is reported of Zisca that valiant Captain of the Bohemians that he commanded that after his decease his skin should be flead from his body to make a drum of it which they should be sure to use when they went out to battail affirming that as soon as the Hongarians or any other of their enemies should come within the sound of that Drum they would never be able to abide it Now if Zisca's Drum and the beating thereof was so terrible to the poor Hongarians how fearfull shall the sounding of the last Trumpet be to the wicked when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from Heaven with his mighty Angels to judge the quick and the dead Saul was astonished when he heard Iesus of Nazareth but calling unto him Herod was affrighted when he thought that Iohn Baptist was risen again The Carthagenians were troubled when they saw Scipio's sepulchre The Saxons were terrified when they saw Cadwallon's image The Philistims were affraid when they saw Davids sword The Israelites were appalled when they saw Aarons rod The Romans were dashed when they saw Caesars bloudy robe Iuda was ashamed when he saw Thamars signet and staffe Baltazar was amazed when he saw the hand-writing on the wall And all the Enemies of God and goodnesse look they never so high wax they never so bigge in this World shall be then confounded when they shall see Christ appearing in judgement Christ seen more clearly under the Gospel than under the Law AS a King in his progress coming to some great City divers of his train ride before him and many more come after him yet all come to the same place but those that are before do not see what entertainment is made in the way so wel as they that come behind Thus it is that Christ is seen more clearly under the Gospell than under the Law The Patriarks and the Israel of God saw somewhat of Christ as they were before him but not one half which we see that are behind Moses was then under a cloud but his face is now unveyled It was a good observation of an acute Preacher now with God then lying on his death-bed O how happy said he are the Peopl of this age that see more of Christ than ever their Predecessors did more than the Patriarks and People of old They had onely Moses Psalms and the Prophets but we the Books of the new Testament setting out Christ before us Not to give occasion that Religion be ill-spoken of WHen a Pagan beheld Christians receiving the blessed Sacrament and observed with what reverence and devotion they demeaned themselves in that holy businesse he was inquisitive what that action meant It was answered by one of them That God having first emptied their hearts of all their Sins as pride envy covetousnesse contention luxury and the rest did now enter into them himself with a purpose to dwell there He was silent for the present but followed and watched them whom he saw to be Communicants in that action for two dayes together And perceiving some of them to fall into quarrells uncleanness
not to encroach or intermeddle with that which belongs to others for the saying of that Roman Generall to the Souldier that kept the Tents when he should have been fighting in the field Non amo nimiùm diligentem will be one day used of God if he call us to one profession and we busie our selves about another if he set us on foot and we will be on horse-back if he make us subjects and we must needs be superiours God will not be pleased with such busie-bodies A Blessed thing to have God for our Lord. IT is an usual saying He cannot likely want Money that is Master of the Mint and he can never be poor that hath my Lord Mayor for his Uncle Much lesse then can that man want ought that is good who is possessed of God who is Lord of lords and King of kings the very fountain of all good In regard whereof David having prayed for many temporall blessings in the behalfe of his people that their Sons might be tall and hardy like goodly young Cedaers c. Psalm 144. At last he winds up all with this Epiphonema or conclusion Blessed be the people that are in such a case v. 15. but on the neck of it he cometh as with an Epanorthoma or a Correction of his former speech yea rather blessed are the people that have Jehovah for their God that have the Lord for their portion A good Christian to be Heavenly minded IT is noted that the Creatures which are nearest the Earth take most care to get store of provision those which are more remote are less busied but those who live next the Heavens have their hearts least upon it What hoardeth like the Emmet or Pisemire which is an earthly thing and hath its dwelling thereupon Prov. 6. 8. But the birds of the air which fly next to heaven as Christ himselfe doth teach do neither sow nor reap nor carry into barnes Math. 6. 26. Then let the meditations of every good Christian mount higher then their wings can reach that though they live with men yet their love may be with God Sursum corda was the language of the ancient Liturgies and it is well back'd by the Apostle Let your conversation be in Heaven from whence ye expect a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Phil. 3. 20. The reward of Heaven will make amends for all A Man in his journey sees afar off some great mountain so that his very eye is weary with the foresight of so great a distance yet his comfort is that time and patience will overcome it and that every step he takes sets him nearer to his journies end and being once there he shall both forget how long it then seemed and please himselfe in looking back upon the way that he hath measured It is just thus in our passage to Heaven our weak nature is ready to faint under the very conceit and length of the journey our eyes do not more guide than discourage us Many must be the steps of grace and true obedience that must insensibly bring us thither onely let us move and hope and Gods good grace will perfect our salvation And when we are once come to the top of that holy Mount meminisse juvabit all the weary steps and deep sloughs that we have past through all the pangs that we have felt all the sorrowes that we have undergone all the difficulties that we have met with in the way shall either be forgotten or contribute to our happinesse in the remembrance of them Extream folly not to be mindful of Death IF a Travailer comming into an Inne having but a penny in his purse should sit down and call for all sorts of provision and dainties till such time as the reckoning were inflamed to such a height as his slender stock could no wayes compass what would be thought of such a man Surely in the judgement of all men he would be esteemed a fool or a mad-man and such are most of us whilst we are in this world How foolish and mad is the practice of every man that liveth in his sins bathing himself in the pleasures of this world never thinking how he shall meet God at the last day of judgement and there come to an account of all his doings That which sounded alwaies in S. Hieroms ears ought to ring in the ear of every good Christian Surgite moâ—tui venite ad judicium In all thy doings remember thy end and so thou shalt never do amiss A good name once lost very hardly recovered again THere is a fable how that Reputation Love and Death made a covenant to travail all the world over but each was to take a several way when they were ready to depart a mutual enquiry was made how they might find each other again Death said they should be sure to hear of him in Battels Hospitals and in all parts where either famine or diseases were rife Love bad them hearken after him amongst the children of poor people whose Parents had left them nothing at Marriages at Feasts and amongst the professed servants of vertue the onely places for him to be in They long expected a direction from Reputation who stood silent but being urged to assign them places where they might find him He sullenly answered His nature was such that if once he departed from any Man he never came to him more And it is most true that honour or credit or a good name being once lost seldom or never returns again a crack'd credit will hardly be sodred anew and Credit is said to be a good fore-game but a bad after one very hardly and with much difficulty to be recovered The best Christian is the best Artist MAny there are that are accompted deep Schollars great Linguists profound Philosophers good Grammarians excellent Mathematitians sharp Logicians cunning Polititians fine Rhetoritians sweet Musitians c. these for the most part spend all their time to delight themselves and please others catch usually at the shadow and lose the substance they study the circumstance of these Arts but omit the pith and marrow of them whereas he is the best Grammarian that hath learnt to speak the truth from his heart the best Astronomer that hath his conversation in heaven the best Musitian that hath learnt to sing the praises of his God the best Arithemetitian that numbreth his dayes He that amendeth his life and groweth every day better and better is cunning in the Ethicks He that traineth up his Family in the fear of God is best seen in the Oeconomicks who so is wise to salvation prudent in giving and taking good counsell is the best Polititian and he is a good Linguist that speaks the Language of Canaan Thus the best Christian is the best Artist Magistrates Ministers and People to be peaceably minded IT was a good speech of Alphonsus King of Arragon That if he had lived in
to endure nor lay any more upon him then what he shall be able to bear The Law bringing Mento the sight of themselves THe Swans of Thames and Po beholding with a retorted neck their goodly feathers think themselves Rarae aves interris but when their black leggs and feet are become the object of their sight then they find that they are nigris Cygnts simillimae So when Men behold their lives in what they are commendable or tolerable the Pharisee himselfe is not more proud then they when they hear of the two Tables of Gods Commandements they can carry them as easily as Sampson did the Gates of Azzah But when they look into the glass of the Law of God they find their strength to be but as other Mens then goes the hand to the breast and the word from the mouth O God be merciful to me a sinner Away then as Luther once said with those Antinomian conceits that the Law need not be taught in the times of the Gospel It is confessed That Christ is the end of the Law What end Finis perficiens non interficiens an end not consuming but consummating as himself said I came not to destroy the Law but to teach and do it Mat. 5. 17. The painfull Preachers poverty the idle Impropriators plenty BEes make the honey and drones suck the Hive It is said in Iob ch 1. v. 14. The Oxes were ploughing and the Asses feeding by them What Oxen plough the ground and Asses reap the Harvest This is somewhat preposterous yet so it is That laborious Oxen painful Preachers spend their time in plowing and preaching and lazy Asses idle Impropriators eat up all their labours being alwayes feeding Great revenues belong to the contemplative covent while the devout and active Preacher is a Mendicant the diligent Preacher lives in want of necessaries whilst the lazy Impropiator swells in all aboundance Every Man to be perswaded of his own death TWo Ships meeting on the Sea the Men in either ship think themselvs stand still and the other to be swift of sayl whereas they both sayl onwards toward the Port intended but the one faster then the other Even so Men are as Ships see we an old Man with a staffe in his hand stooping downward Alass poor old Man say we he cannot live long Hear we a Passing-bell toll There 's one going out of the world Visites we a sickâ—friend We think he can hardly live till morning Thus we think all other Men are a dying and we onely stand at stay Whereas God knows it they may go a little before and we are sure to follow after Iohn out-runs Peter to the Sepulchre but Peter is not far behind him Let every Man then be thus perswaded of himselfe that he shall and must dye None can be so sottish as to be perswaded that they shall never dye yet which is a sad thing there is none so old but thinks he may live one year longer and though in the generall he say All must die yet in the false numbring of his own particular days he thinks to live for ever The great danger of any one Sin unrepented of MAny Planks well pinn'd and calk'd make the Ship to float one and but one leak not stopped will sink it One wound strikes Goliah dead as well as three and twenty did Caesar One Dalilah will do Sampson as much spight as all the Philistins One wheel broken spoyls all the whole Clock One vein's bleeding will let out all the vitals as well as more One fly will spoil a whole box of Oyntment One bitter herb all the pottage by eating oâ—e Apple Adam lost Paradise One lick of honey endangered Ionathans life One Acâ—an was a trouble to all Israel One Ionah if faulty is lading too heavy for a whole ship Thus one sinne is enough to procure Gods anger and too much for one Man to commit And if God then take an accompt of one sin let Men have a care of all sin Curses usually fall on the Cursers own head DIogâ—â—es warned the Bastard when he saw him throwing stones at randome among the People to take heed he did not hit his own father Such is the condition of all cursing Men such whose tongues run with great speed on the Devills errand whose Maledictions are shot out of their mouths just like fools bolts not regarding where they light whereas many times they fall upon their friends their children and very often upon themselves or like ill made pieces which while Men discharge at others they recoyl in splinters upon their own faces so that if every curse should stick a visible blister on the tongue as it doth insensible ones on the Soul How many Mens tongues would be too big for their mouths and their mouth sas an open Sepulchre full of rottennesse and putrefaction To be alwayes prepared for Death IT is reported of Sir Iohn Burgh a brave Souldier and a Gentleman of a good Family who receiving a mortall wound in the Isle of Rees and being advised not to fear Death but to prepare himselfe for another world answered I thank â—od I fear not Death these thirty years together I never rose out of my bed in the morning that ever I made account to live till night A religious and Christian-like practise well worthy imitation that every day when a Man awaketh he should commend himselfe to Gods protection whether he live or dye for at the Evening none knoweth whether that nights bed shall be his grave or that nights sleep shall be his death Therefore before his eyes do sleep or his eye-lids take any slumber or the temples of his head takes rest make his peace with God for all his sinnes that whether he live or die he may live and dye to the Lord and Iesus Christ may be to him advantage The sad condition of Man falling away from God COmets and Meteors that hang in the ayr so long as they keep aloft in the firmament of Heaven they glitter and shine and make a glorious and caelestiall lustre in the eyes of all beholders but if once they decline from that pitch and fall down to the Earth as many times they do they vanish and disappeare and come to nothing Such is the case betwixt a Man and his God as long as a Man holds in good tearmes with God and sets his affections upon things above so long will God cast his favour upon him and he shall sbine as a light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation But if once he decline from that pitch and fall down from a godly conversation into an earthly idle ungodly disposition 't is a venture but his prosperity will fall away and his latter end grow worse than his beginning The madnesse of Ministers Magistrates c. not to be guided by that Counsell they give to others IT is fabled of a
c. or such as it may be are driven to and fro by Sea and Land as having no abiding place of rest or safety where to repose themselves yet here 's their hope here their comfortable assurance that maugre the malice of Men and Devils they shall be either in Heaven or under Heaven though they have no abiding place on Earth below yet they have one prepared for them eternally in the Heavens above The not growing in Grace reproved LOok but upon a company of Ants or Pismires how busie they are about a Mole-hill how they run to and fro and weary themselves in their severall movings yet never grow great but as to the slender proportion of their bodies are still the same And such are many Christians in these dayes many Professors in our times who go from one Ordinance to another and yet make little progresse or encrease in Religion such as run from one Church to another from one Preacher to another and it may be from one opinion to another but never grow up to the true Grace and in the true knowledge of the Lord Iesus Whilst we are here in this World to provide for Heaven hereafter THere is mention made of a Nation that use to chuse their Kings every year and whilst they are in their annuall government they live in all abundance of State have all the fulnesse their hearts can wish but when the year is once over all their pomp and glory is over too and they banished into some obscure remote place for ever One King hearing this being called to rule over that Nation made such use of his time that in the year wherein he raigned as King he was not lavish in spending his Revenues but heaped up all the Treasure he could get together and sent it before him to that place whither he should be banished And so in that year of his Goverment made a comfortable provision for all his life time afterwards Thus it is that God hath given to every one of us a time to live here in this world and but a little time at the most it may be not a week not a day not an hour It will be then the greatest part of our wisdome that whilst we are here in the way to salvation and suck at the breasts of those Ordinances that may feed us to eternall life and draw at those Wells called in Scripture The wels of Salvation now to lay up for the time of our banishment before we go hence and be no more seen and be sure that whilst we are in this world to provide for Heaven hereafter As we are called Christians to bear up our selves like Christians ALexander the great when he was invited to run a Race amongst the common Multitude He gave them this answer Were I not the Son of a King I did not care what company I kept but being the Son of a Prince I must employ my selfe in such company as is sâ—table to my birth and breeding Thus stood he then upon the honour of his Family and would not disgrace his Princely nature so farre as to be familiar amongst the vulgarrabble And thus must every one of us do We have each of us a race to run for so the waies of Christianity are called We are as Alexander was Kings and Princes in all Lands Now so it is that Sin as a Vagabond and loose Companion would seek to converse with us The Devills aim is that we should mixe our selves with such lusts and such sins as he presents unto us Lust would have our hearts and Sin would have our affections both of them strive to be familiar with us But let us answer them from a noble and generous mind as Alexander did That we will not so abase and dishonour our selves as to mix or joyn our selves with the base and common things of this World but stand upon the honour of our spirituall birth and do nothing that may any way be dishonourable to the excellency of our high Calling in Christ Iesus To take especial care for the Soul's safety IT is observable that if Merchants venture a great or most part of their Estates at Sea where there may be hazzard in the voyage they will run speedily to ensure a great part of their Commodities And thus should all of us do â—his bodie of ours is the ship the Merchandize and freight in this ship is no lesse then our most precious soulâ—s Glory caelestiall is the Port whereat she would arrive but many dangers there are in the way storms and Tempests of Temptations are on every side she may chance to run upon the Rocks of Presumption or sink into the quick sands of â—ispair What is theâ— to be done By all meanes go to the ensuring Office let us run to the Testimony of Christs spirit in our own spirits by the Word to evidence and make it out clear unto us That the Ship shall be safe the Commoditie brought secure to the Haven that ship body and soul and all shall anchor safely in Heaven there to rest with Christ in glory for evermore Idlenesse the very inlet to all Temptations IT was the speech of Mr. Greenham sometimes a painfull Preacher of this Nation That when the Devill tempâ—ed a poor soul she came to him for advice How she might resist the Temptation and he gave her this answer Never be idle but be alwayes well employed For in my own experience I have found it when the Devill came to tempt me I told him that I was not at leasure to hearken to his Temptation and by this means I resisted all his assaults Thus must all of us do when the Devill comes to tempt any of us say I am not at leasure to lend an ear to thy Temptation I am otherwise employed I am in the work of my God busied in the work of my lawfull Calling and taken up with the thoughts of Gods blessings thereupon then he will never be able to fasten upon thee for so it is that he never gets advantage of any Man or Woman but either when they are out of Gods way or idle or have their hands in some sinfull action then it is that they do even tempt the Tempter to tempt them and lay themselves open to a world of sinne and wickednesse Action the very life of the Soul WHilst the stream keeps running it keeps clear but if it comes once to a standing water then it breeds Frogs and Toads and all manner of filth The Keyes that Men keep in their pockeâ—s and use every day wax brighter and brighter but if they be laid aside and hang by the walls they soon grow rusty Thus it is that Action is the very life of the Soul Whilst we keep going and running in the wayes of Gods Commandements we keep clear and â—ree from the Worlds pollutions but if we once flagge in our diligence
be entertained therein SCipio being made General of the Romane Army was to name his Questor or â—râ—asurer for the Wars whom he thought fit it being a place in those daies as is now in these of great importance One that looked upon himself to have a special interest in Scipio's favour becomes an earnest suiter for it but by the delay mistrusting he should be answered in the Negative importun'd him one day for an answer Think not unkindnesse in me said Scipio that I delay you thus For I have been as earnest with a friend of mine to take it and cannot as yet prevail with him Intimating hereby that high preferments offices of charge and Conscience are fittest for such as shun them modestly rather then such as seek them greedily And without all doubt he that hunteth after any place or dignity whether in Church or Commonweal that doth omnem movere lapidem leave no stone unmoved no means unattempted no Friend unsolicited doth but declare himself as one byass'd to his own not the publique Interest and so a Man unfitting whereas he that lyes dormant till Preferment awaken him that humbly carrieth an inferiour condition till he hear the Governours voice Friend sit up higher Luk. 14. 10. is the onely Man fit to be entrusted Prayer and endeavour to be joyned together THe Pagans in their fabulous Legend have a story of Hercules whom for his strength they counted a God how a Carter forsooth had overthrown his Cart and sate in the way crying Help Hercules O Hercules help me At last Hercules or one in his likenesse came to him and laid on him with a good cudgel saying Ah thou silly lazy Fellow callest thou to me for help and dost nothing thy self Arise and set to thy shoulder and heave thy part then pray to me for help and I will do the rest Thus in the matter of Prayer unto God we must do somewhat on our parts It is not as we say lying in a ditch and crying out God help us that willâ—bring us out Shall a Scholler pray to God to make him learned and never go to his book Shall a Husbandman pray for a good Harvest and throw his Plow into the hâ—dg No no as a reverend B. said once in a Sermon before Q. Elizabeth It is not a Praying to God but a tempting of God to beg his blessing without doing our endeavour also Men to be ready to die for Christ. IT is reported of an able Ministâ—r now with God that riding with an intimate Friend by Tyburn which he had not know or not observed before demanded what that was and answer being made This is Tyburn where many Malefactors have lost their lives he stopped his horse and uttered these words with great affection O what a shame is it that so many thousands should die here for the satisfaction of their â—usts and so few be found willing to lay down their lives for Christ Why should not we in a good cause and upon a good call be ready to be hanged for Iesus Christ it would be everlasting honour and it is a thousand times better to dye for Christ to be hanged to be burnt then to dye in our beds And most true it is that it were every way more glorious to die for Christ then to live without him such was the Christian temper of the blessed Apostle that he was not onely willing to be bound but to dye for the Lord Jesus And after him those Primitive Christians How ambitious were they of Martyrdome in the cause of Christ And of late in the times of that Marian persecution How many cheerfully and willingly laid down their lives mounting Eliah-like to Heaven in Fiery Charriots And so must every good Christian be ready to do to dye for Christ willingly to endure the Crosse and not to shrink back for any torment whatsoever The generality of Men not enduring to hear of Death DOctor Rudd then B. of S. Davids preaching before Q. Elizab. An. 1596. on Psalm 90. vers 12. O teach us to number our dayes c. fell upon some sacred and mystical Numbers as three for the Trinity three times three for the Heavenly Hierarchy seven for the Sabbath and at last upon seven times nine for the grand Climacterical year but the Q. perceiving whitherto it tended began to be much troubled in her mind which the B. discovering betook himself to treat of some more plausible Numbers as of the Number 666 to prove the Pope to be Antichrist and of the fatal number 88 blessing God for hers and the Kingdoms deliverance not doubting but that she would passe her Climacterical year also Sermon being ended the Q. as the manner was opened the VVindow but she was so far from giving him thanks that she said plainly He should have kept his Arithmetick for himself and so went away for the time discontented though upon second thoughts she was pacified And thus it is that the generality of Men and Women cannot endure to hear of Death or to entertain any thoughts of their latter end you shall have them cry out upon the miseries of this wretched life and yet when Death appears be it but in the bare apprehension thereof they do as little Children who all the day complain but when the Medicine is brought them are nothing sick at all or as they who all the week run up and down the house with pain of their teeth and seeing the Barber come to pull them out feel no more torment Wit how to make a right use thereof IN the Levitical Law there are directions for the usage of a Captive taken to Wife When thou goest forth to ward against thy Enemies and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thy hands and thou hast taken them Captive And seest amongst the Captives a beautifull Woman and hast a desire unto her that thou wouldst have her to thy Wife Then thou shalt bring her home to thy house and she shall shave her head and pare her nails And she shall put the rayment of her Captivity from ofâ— her and shall remain in thy house and bewail her Father and Mother a full moneth and after that thou shalt go in unto her and be her husband and she shall be thy Wife Thus by way of Allusion this Captive-Woman is Witt as yet unsanctified Witt without VVisdome Wit as they say Whither wilt thou When speeches are witty whilest the behaviour is wicked when deeds are incongruities whilest words are Apothegms VVhat must then be done shave the hair pare the nails take off the abuse of Witt pare off such evils as usually are concomitant 1. Blasphemy as in jesting with the sacred Scriptures 2. Lasciviousnesse as in wanton discourses 3. Insolence as in trampling on Men of weaker parts 4. Contention as in making Policy to eat ouâ— Piety this being done Wit is become Wisdome then marry her and use
Weak ones his little ones sins of weaknesse and infirmity which if once admitted will soon unbolt the dores of the heart let in all the rest of their Company and so make a surprisall of the Soul and endanger it to all Eternity Not to admit of delayes in Religious performances EXcellent is that comparison of St. Ambrose If saith he I should offer thee gold thou wouldst not say I will come to morrow and fetch it but thou wilt be sure to take it out of hand yet Redemptio animae promittitur nemo festinat the Redemption of our pretious Souls more worth then thousands of gold and silver is daily offered and no man hastneth to lay hold thereon How true may this speech of the Father be returned upon the cunctators such as procrastinate in the matters of Religion For Earthly things no Man will take time till to morrow but is very hot in the pursuit never resting till he have one way or other compassed them yet for spirituall things such as accompany salvation most Mens states are Weak and like Men ready to break are taking order for two three four six Monthes time and so as far from making satisfaction as ever Humility appeaseth the wrath of God incensed IT is recorded of an English King Edward the first that being exceeding angry with a servant of his in the sport of Hauking he threatned him sharply The Gentleman answered that it was well there was a River betwixt them Hereat the King more incensed spur'd his horse into the depth of the River not without extream danger of his life the water being deep and the banks too steep and high for his ascending yet at last recovering land with his sword drawn he pursues the servant who rode as fast from him but finding himself too ill-horsed to out-ride the angry King he reyned lighted on his knees and exposed his neck to the blow of the Kings sword The King no sooner saw this but he puts up his sword and would not touch him A dangerous water could not hold him from Violence yet satis est prostrâsse his servant's submission pacified him Thus whilst Man flies stubbornly from God he that rides upon the wings of the wind posts after him with the sword of Vengeance drawn but when poor dust and Ashes humbles it self and stands to mercy the wrath of God though ever so much incensed is soon appeased A faint-hearted Christian described A Certain Colliar passing through Smithfield and seeing some on the one side hanging he demands the cause answer was made For denying the Kings supremacy on the other side some burning he asking the cause was answered For denying the reall presence in the Sacrament Some quoth he hanged for Papistry and some burnt for Protestancy Hoyte on a Gods name â—hil be nere nother Such an one is every timerous faint-hearted Christian another Gallio a new Nichodemus that would fain steal to Heaven if no body might see him one that owes God some good will but dares not shew it his Religion is primarily his Prince's subordinately his Landlord's Whilst Christ stands on the battlements of Heaven and beckens him thither by his Word his heart answers Lord I would fain be there but that there is a Lyon or a Bear some trouble in the way All his care is for a ne noceat let him but sleep in a whole skin then omnia bene whether right or wrong all 's one to him The Devills hard dealing with the ensnared Sinner IT is not unknown how the Spanish Index deals with Velcurio who commenting on Livy saith That the fifth age was decrepit under the Popes and the Emperours The Index favourably takes out the Popes and leaves the Emperours wholly obnoxious to the imputation Thus the Devill winds out himself at the last from the wicked refusing to carry the burthen any longer but leaves it wholly to their supportation he that flattered them before with the paucity of their sins now takes them in the lurch and over-reckons them he that kept them so long in the beautiful Gallery of Hope now takes them aside and shews them the dark Dungeon of despair and ingrossing all their iniquities in great text-letters hangs them on the curtain of their beds feet to the wracking amazement of their distracted and distempered Souls The great Folly of costly Apparel LOok upon a Man that dwels but in a borrowed house expecting every hour when he shall have warning to avoid he doth not trouble himself to bestow any cost either in repairing or trimming up thereof because he hath no time in it no Lease for tearm of years to come Such is the condition of every living Man his body is but as it were an House lent unto the Soul from whence it looketh daily and hourly to depart Why should he then be so carefull to cloath this body with rich and brave Apparell when God knows how soon it must be laid down in the Earth there to rot and perish and in the mean time neglect to adorn and beautify his pretious Soul with Heavenly graces which is immortal How the wounded Sinner is to be cured THere is a story nothing worth but for the Morall of a great King that married his daughter to a poor Gentleman that loved her But his grant had a condiâ—ion annexed unto it that whensoever the Gentlemans side looked black or he lost his Wedding Ring he should not onely lose his Wife but his life also One day pursuing his sports he fell into a quarrel where at once he received a bruise on his left breast and lost his Ring in the scuffle The Tumult over he perceived the danger whereinto his own heedlesnesse had brought him and in bitternesse of Soul shed many tears In his sorrow he spied a book which opening he found therein his Ring again and the first words he read was a Medicine for a bruised side it directed him to those hearbs whereof a plaister applyed would not fail to heal him He did so was cured was secured Thus applied The great King of Heaven marries to Man poor Man hiâ— own daughter Mercy or eâ—eâ—lasting kindness but threatens him that his side musâ— not look black his heart must not be polluted with spiritual Idolatry nor must he lose his wedding Ring love to God and his Saints least he forfeit both Gods mercy and his own salvation Man in pursuit of Worldly affairs quarrels with his Neighbours and scuffles with Contention So his heart gets a bruise looks black with hatred And Charity his wedding Ring is lost in these willfull turbulencies and Vexations What should we do but mourn Lo God in his goodnesse directs him to a book the holy Gospell then the spirit helps him to his Ring again his former love and to heal his bruise prescribes him these speciall herbs of Grace Repentance Thankfulness and Meekness which being well applied will keep his Ring of
protection but if he stray out of them he exposeth himself to danger God's time the best time for deliverance THe Physician turns the hour-glasse and resolves the physick shall work so long the impatient Patient 〈…〉 and thinks every hour two till he be refreshed but the other knowes the fittest time and will not till then afford any comfort at all Thus the children of God cry out in the midst of their heavy pressures How long Lord how long Shall the rod of the wicked lye alwaies upon the back of the righteous But he hath turned the glasse he will not hearken to their cry they must stay their time he knowes best when and how to deliver them had they but so much Faith as to believe it or Patience to wait for it The difference betwixt Spirituall and carnall Prayers in respect of Answer CHildren shoot arrowes on purpose to 〈◊〉 them and never so much as look where they light but Men when they shoot aime at the mark and go after the arrow to see how neer it falls So wicked carnall men when they have said not made their prayers to Almighty God it is but Opus operatum they have no more regard of them But God's children when they upon the bended knees of their â—ouls dart out their Prayers when they pour out their requests unto him they look after their Prayers eye them up into Heaven observe how God entertains them and wait for a happy return at his good will and pleasure God's knowledge and Man's knowledge the difference in event of things IN a sheet Almanack and man may uno intuntu at one view see all the months in the year both past and to come but in a book Almanack as he turneth to one month so he turneth from another and can but look onely on the present This is the true difference betwixt the knowledge of God and Man he looketh in one instant of time to things past present and future but the knowledge of Man reacheth onely to a few things past and present but knoweth nothing at all of things that are to come that 's God's peculiar so to do and a piece of Learning too high for any mortall man to attain unto Riches Honours Preferments c. transitory THe great Conquerour of the world caused to be painted on a Table a Sword in the compasse of a Wheel shewing thereby that what he had gotten by the Sword was subject to be turned about by the wheel of Fortune Such is the condition of all things here below whether they be Riches Honours or Preferments there is no more hold to be had of them than Saul had of Samuel's lap they do but like the Rainbow shew themselves in all their dainty colours and then vanish away and if by chance they stay with us as long as death they do but like Saint Paul 's friends bring us to the grave as they brought him to the ship and there leave us So uncertain deceitfull unconstant are the things of this world to the owners thereof The Church of God still on the decaying hand THe Church of Christ saith St. Hilary is aptly resembled to a Ship for as the Ship is small in the fore-deck broad in the middle little in the stern so the Church in her beginning was exceeding little in her middle age flourishing but in her old age her company will be so small and her beliefe so weak that when the Son of man shall come to judge the â—ons of men he shall scarce find faith on the earth A good Neighbour a great blessing to all men especially a Minister of Gods Word THemistocles intending to sell a Farm as Plutarch hath it caused the Cryer to proclaim that it had amongst other commodities A good Neighbour as being assured that this one circumstance would be advantagious to the sale and much induce the Chapman to purchase it And surely he that hath a good Neighbour hath a good morrow but a Minister that liveth amongst such hath got a rich Benefice he may acknowledge with David rebus sic stantibus that his Lot is fallen into a fair ground and blesse God that he is not a brother to the Dragons and a companion to the Estriges of the times nor constrained to his great grief to dwell with Meshecâ— and to have his habitation amongst the tents of Kedar Christ fully revealed in the New Testament THe bunch of grapes that the Spies of the children of Israel carried from the land of Promise it is Luther's observation was born by two strong men upon a pole or staffe he that went before could not see the grapes but he that was behinde might both see and eat them So the Fathers Patriarcks and Prophets of the Old Testament did not in like manner see the bunch of Grapes that was the Son of God made man as they that came behinde the Evangelists Apostles Disciples under the New Testament both saw and tasted it after Iohn had shewed this Grape Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The danger of trusting to worldly greatnesse in time of distresse AS a passenger in a storm that for shelter against the weather steppeth out of the way betaketh him to a fair spread Oak standeth under the boughes with his back close to the body of it and findeth good reliefe thereby for the space of some time till at length commeth a suddain gust of winde that â—eareth down a main arme of it which falling upon the poor passenger either maimeth or mischieveth him that resorted to it for succour Thus falleth it out not with a few meeting in the world with many troubles and with manifold vexations they step asiae out of their own way and too too often out of Gods to get under the wing of some great one and gain it may be some aid and shelter thereby for a season but after a while that great one himself comming down headlong and falling from his former height of favour or honour they are also called in question and so fall together with him that might otherwise have stood long enough on their own legs if they had not trusted to such an arm of flesh such a brâ—ken staffe that deceived them Riches cannot follow us out of this World RIches though they have alas Aquilinas great Eagle's wings to flie away from us whilst we are here in this world yet have nâ— Passerinas quidem not so much as little Sparrowes wings to fly after us and follow us when we go hence Nihil attulisti nihil hinc atâ—olles We brought nothing into this world neither shall we carry any thing hence Naked came we 〈…〉 world and 〈◊〉 naked must we return again Not to be over hasty in the desire of Justice for wrongs sustained AS one that hath been either robbed
the holy Ghost Christian people of all conditions of both sexes have been causlesly and cruelly destroyed But how shall the Nations ever be able to make recompence what compensation can there be for such effusions of Christian Protestant blood God of his infinite goodnesse forgive that debt which they of themselves are no way able to satisfie To joy in the light of the Gospell PRocopius reports that neer to the Pole where the night endures many months together the Inhabitants in the end of such a long night when the Sun begins to appear get up to the tops of the Mountains striving who should have the first sight of that desired Creature and so no sooner do they see it but they deck themselves in their best apparell and with mutuall embraces of joy congratulate each other saying â—cce Sol Behold the Sun the Sun appeareth How then should we rejoyce in the happy light of the Gospell How should we live and love together when after such a long Egyptian night of popery and superstition the Sun of Righteousnesse is risen unto us It was once light onely in Goshen and all Egypt dark besides In Iury onely was God known But now Ecce sol light is come into the world Lux mundi non lux modii the Sun of the Gospell is so full that it is but opening the casements of our hearts and it flowes in upon us Let us rejoyce and be glad thereat Censurers condemned HEnry the 7 th in derision of Star-gazers asked one who had before prophecied of his death this quâ—stion What shall beâ—ide me this Christmas The cunning man forsooth answered he could not tell What then I pray thee quoth the King shall become of thee To this he answered likewise that he knew not Well then said the King I am then more learned in thy Science than thy self for I know that thou shalt be committed to prison and there lie fast all this Christmas for a jugling companion What this â—â—lly man could not tell by the influence of the Stars as concerning the bodies of men there is an hypocriticall generation of censurers of others but justitiaries to themselves that can tell what will become of the souls of themselves and others This man is a poor carnall man that man is a pretious Saint one man is damned already another man is in heaven As for their selves they know their place in Heaven as perfectly as their pew in the Church which they have a key to But the blessed Spirit of God hath long since branded this wicked censorious generation and checks them plainly Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth And so shalt thou Grace in the heart cannot be smoothered TAke a River let it be dam'd and stopped up yet if the course of it be naturall if the vent and stream of it be to go downward at length it will overbear and ride triumphantly over Or let water that is sweet be made brackish by the comming in of salt-water yet if it naturally be sweet at the length it will work it out So it is with every man look what the constant stream of his disposition on is look what the frame of it is that which is most naturall and inward to a man though it may be dam'd up and stopt in such a course for a while yet it will break through all at the last and though there be some brackish some sinfull dispositions that may break in upon a man yet he by the grace of God will wear them out because his naturall disposition the frame of his heart runs another way Impossible but that a true Christian will be a thankfull Christian. IF a man being wearied through a tedious and long journey should rest himselfe at the foot or bottom of some Tower or Castle and should be exceedingly tormented at the same time with hunger and thirst and that one in that Tower or Castle should reach unto him as much meat and drink as he desired could he possibly contain himself but that he must needs look up to see who it is that thus relieved his necessity So it is not possible but that a true Christian that lives daily upon the almes-basket of God's providence should be a thankfull Christian and cast up his eyes to Heaven that he may see who it is that thus liberally furnisheth him in the time of his so great extremity A factious spirited Man unfit for the work of the Ministry MArtianus Bishop of the Novatians at Constantinople having ordained Sabbatius a Jew Priest and finding him afterward to be a turbulent man Utinam super spinas c. saith he O would to God I had laid my hands on bryers rather on such a man's head And it is to be feared that many now in these daies have just cause to beshrew their fingers for ordaining them whom they have no sooner put into the Ministry but they become the Ringleaders of faction and schism against that very Authority which ordained them Bitter Spirits no gracious Spirits PLiny tells of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt that in her wanton bravery at a supper made for Marcus Antonius she dissolved a Pearl in vinegar and drank it off and prepared another both which were valued neer five thousand pounds But oh the many pretious Pearls of patience humility love brotherly kindnesse c. worth many thousands of gold and silver that are dissolved by the vinegar-sournesse of mens spirits in these sad distracted times in these sharp dissentions that are amongst us We must not be carelesse hearers of the Word AS market-folk returning from the market will be talking of their markets as they go by the way and be casting up of their penny-worths when they come home reckon what they have taken and what they have laid out and how much they have gotten So should we after we have heard the Word publickly confer privately of it with others at least meditate on it by our selves and be sure to take an account of our selves how we have profited that day by the Word that hath been spoken to us and also by other religious exercises that have been used of us And as the market-man counteth that but an ill market-day that he hath not gained somewhat more or lesse so may we well account it an ill Sabbath day to us whereon we have not profited somewhat whereon we have not encreased our knowledge or been bettered in our affection whereon we have not been either informed in judgment or reformed in practise whereon we have added nothing to our Talent Protestant Religion the onely comfortable Religion to die in AS an eminent Prelate of the Church of Rome said of the Doctrine of Iustification by faith onely that it was a good supper-doctrin though not so good to break-fast on So it must be acknowledged of
any so safely as the dead for you cannot humour them into danger nor melt away your self into flattery Such jewells ought not to be locked up in a â—offin as in a cabinet but to be set out to the view of all men Men though differing in judgment must not differ in affection THere is mention made of two Rivers in the East Sava and Danuby that run along in one chanell theescore miles together without any noise and yet they keep themselves apart the colours of the waters remaining distinct all along And why should not Men go along close together in love though in somethings their judgments and practices be apparently different one from another Opinionum varietas opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men may go to heaven with the variety of opinions but with the difference of affection they shall never see God in the face to their comfort A man dead in sin is a senslesse man IF a man be naturally dead bring a candle into the room set it on the table he sees it not let the Sun shine in his face he perceives not the beauty or feeles the warmth thereof offer him rich presents he receives them not he hath not an eve to see them nor a heart to desire them nor a hand to reach out unto them Thus it is with one that is spiritually dead let the Sunshine of the Gospell put out never so clear he sees it not because he is in darknesse though he live under plentifull means and rich dispensations yet he is blind and sottish offer unto him the rich pearls of the Gospell those rich treasures of grace in Christ Iesus yet he hath no heart to them no hand of faith to lay hold upon them so blind so sottish is he so stupiâ— and senslesse that though these rich treasures these graces these pearls of the Gospell be conveyed unto him in earthen vessells in a plain and familiar manner yet he doth not he cannot apprehend them judgments do not affright him and mercies do not allure him Antinomians compared to Thieves THieves when they come to rob and steal the first thing that they do is to put out the candle that they may pilfer the more securely Thus the Antinomians that they may cry up their Idoll of Christian liberty with more ease and vent their doctrines of pleasing domnation more freely they set themselves against the Law and would banish it out of the Church and thus carnall and prophane men too labour to abolish it that they may sin the more securely and with greater liberty Not to censure others but look to our selves SOcrates at a banquet falling at odds with one of his familiars and openly rebuking him Plato could not hold but said unto him How much better had this been spoken privately And had you not done better to have told me so privately quoth Socrates Plato could see Socrates's fault of unseasonable reprehension but his own he could not perceive Thus look but amongst such as call themselves holy brethren but indeed rank Protestants devout dissemblers and you shall finde that they are not halfe so forward in examining themselves as in finding fault with other and they are not halfe so curious in their own as they are captious and cruell over other mens lives they can readily accuse others of blacknesse and spirituall deformities saying They are wicked he is naught they are Antichristian rotten-hearted c. such a one hath a Pope in his belly when at the same time they have but little God knowes of Christ in their hearts They can gaze at the moâ—e in their brother's eye but care not for pulling out the beam that is in their own sight They cannot bear with a few infirmities of their brethren no not of their fathers but their own fowl enormities they can easily conceal and continue The least of sins to be prevented BY the want of one nail the iron shoo is lost and the shoo being lost the Horse falleth and the Horse falling the Rider perisheth Such are the dangers that he incurreth that neglecteth small things the neglect of the lesser maketh way but for the greater evill and he that setteth light by small things falleth by little and little One God and three Persons demonstrated THe light of the Sun the light of the Moon and the light of the Air for nature and substance are one and the same light and yet they are three distinct lights The light of the Sun being of it self and from none the light of the Moon from the Sun and the light of the Aire from them both So the Divine Nature is one and the Persons three subsisting after a divers manner in one and the same Nature God knowes his own People however distressed TAmar may so disguise her selfe walk in an unaccustomed path so as Iudah may not know her Isaac through the dimnesse of his sight may blesse Iacob and passe Esau. Tract of time may make Ioseph to forget or be forgotten of his brethren Solomon may doubt to whom of right the child belongeth And Christ may come to his own and not be received But the Lord knoweth who are his and his eye is alwaies over them time place speech or apparell cannot obscure or darken his eye or ear he can discern Daniel in the den Ioh though never so much changed on the dunghill let Ionah be lodged in the Whales belly Peter be put into close prison or Lazarus be wrap'd in raggs or Abel rolled in blood yet can he call them by name and send his Angels to comfort them Ignorance and forgetfulnesse may cause love and knowledge to be estranged in the Creature but the Lord is not incident to either for his Eye as his Essence is every where he knoweth all things For the abuse of a thing the use is not to be taken away LYcurgus saith Plutarch was not so well advised when seeing the Lacedemonâ—ans drink too much and fall to drunkennesse and so to further sin he commanded to cut down their vines and would not suffer any to grow in that Commonwealth It had been better saith he to have diggâ—d Wells neer to the Vines and so to have allayed and asswaged the strength and Licorishnesse of Wine with Water Thus it is that certainly if our Fonts if our Communion-Tables Pulpits Seats Temples have been abused in time of Popery with a multitude of supersâ—titious Ceremonies and needlesse Innovations what shall we therefore use them â—o more rather let us use them no more so Wâ—at shall we therefore give them over that were extream folly rather let us use them better Christ did not condemn Mâ—ses chair for the life of a Pharisee but preached where they had preached though they were notorious hypocrites though he denounced so many woes against them as against none more
that remembereth the Lord as the Lord hath remembered him that nameth his blessings by their names as God the stars and calleth them to mind in that number and order that God hath bestowed them upon him if not to remember them in particular which are more then the hairs of his head yet to take their view in grosse and to fold them up in a generall sum with David What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits Though he forget his own and his father's house though the wife of his bosom and the fruit of his loyns yea though his memory be so treacherous unto him that be forget to eat his bread it is no matter he remembereth all in all and his memory hath done him service enough in reaching this object God the Lord. Carelesse Churchmen condemned TUlly charged some dissolute people for being such sluggards that they never saw the Sun rising or setting as being alwaies up after the one and a-bed before the other So some negligent people never hear prayers in the Church begun or Sermon ended the Confession being past before they come and the Blessing not come before they are passed away The pretious life of Man to be preserved THere arose a sedition at Antioch for that Thedosius the Emperour exacted a new kind of tribute upon the People In that commotion the People brake down the Image of the Empress Placilla who was lately dead The Emperour in a great rage sent his Forces against the City to sack it When the Herald declared so much to the Citizens one Macedonius a Monk endued with heavenly knowledge and wisdome plaid a prudentiall part sending unto the Herald an answer to this effect Tell the Emperour these words That he is not onely an Emperour but a man also and therefore let him not look onely upon his Empire but upon himself also for he being a man commands those also who are men Let him not then use men so barbarously who are made to the image of God He is angry aud that justly that the brazen image of his wife was thus contumeliously used and shall not the King of Heaven be angry to see his glorious Image in cruelty handled Oh what a difference is there betwixt the reasonable soul and the brazen image We for this Image are able to set up an hundred but he is not able for all his power to set up one hair of these men if he kill them These words being told the Emperour he suppressed his anger and drew off his Forces This Monk like another Moses stood in the gap and preserved the People Happy had this angry age been if it had had such another Had but the generation of men formerly sprung up with serious consideration laid their hands more upon their hearts and lesse upon their swords they would not have been so ready to break down the Image of God in Man nor sheathe their swords in each others bowels as they have done The Churches complaint for want of Maintenance AS the old Patriark Iacob said of his children when Benjamin was sent for by Ioseph into Aegypt Ye have bereaved me of my children Joseph is not and simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin also all these things are against me So may the poor Church of England complain and say Ye have taken away my Tithe and my Glebe and many other profits are not and now ye will take away the rest of my revenue all these things may the poor despised Church of England say are against me unlesse putting up that prayer of the Patâ—iark she prevail in it with God Now God almighty give me favour in the eyes of the men that they may send back that that is taken away already and let that alone that yet remaineth Ministers and Magistrates to be diligent in their places THomas Becket sometimes Archbishop of Canterbury an evill man and in an evill cause but with words not impertinent to his place had he well applyed them answered one who advised him to deal more moderately with the King Clavum teneo ad somnum me vocas Sit I at the stren and would you have me to sleep Thus it must be wâ—th Ministers and Magistrates the one is not to keep silence but to lift up his voice like a Trumpet the other is not to bear the sword in vain And why because the one steereth the Rudder of the Church the other sitteth at the Helm of State both of them jure divinâ— having their warrants immediately from God so to do To blesse God for our Memories STaupitius Tutor to Martin Luther and a godly man in a vain ostentation of his memory repeated Christ's Genealogy by heart in his Sermon but being about the captivity of Babylon I see saith he God resisteth the proud and so betook himself to his Book again Let no man therefore abuse his memory to be sin's register nor make advantage thereof for wickedness but be thankfull to God for the continuance of their memories whereas some proud people have been viâ—ited with such oblivion that they have forgotten their own names Christ is the true Christians All in All. DO you ask me where be my Jewells My Jewells are my Husband and his triumphs said Phocion's Wife Do you ask me where be my Ornaments My Ornaments are my two Sons brought up in vertue and learning said the Mother of the Gracchi Do you ask me where be my Treasures My Treasures are my Friends said Constantius the father of Constantine But ask a child of God where be his jewells his treasures his ornaments his comfort his delight and the joy of his soul he will answer with that Martyr None but Christ none but Christ Christ is all in all unto me Blessings turn'd into Curses WHat Tully reporteth amongst his wonders in Nature that in one Country In agro Narniensi siccitate lutum fieri imbre pulverem Drought causeth durt and rain raiseth dust may be truly applyed unto us that abundance of grace hath brought forth in us abundance of sin and as sin took occasion by the Law to wax more sinfull so iniquity hath never been more rife amongst us but through the rifenesse of the Gospell So far is it that we are become true Israelites with Nathanael or but half nay almost Christians with Agrippa that we are rather down-right Atheists no Christians at all Young Ministers to be well principled THe Naturall history marketh that the Whelps of the Lions who have the sharpest pawes do so prick the matrix of the dam that they are whelped the sooner and so never come to a full strength and vigour So fareth it with young men who in confidence of their parts hasten out of the Universities before they be furnished with any gifts or abilities at all Therefore as Christ bad his Disciples stay at Ierusalem till the holy Ghost came down so
Sea tumultuous then to lanch forth and 〈◊〉 up sail for a Voyage into far Countries And yet such is even the skill of evening-repenters who though in the morning of youth and soundness of health and perfect use of Reason they cannot resolve to weigh the Anchor and cut the Cable that withdraws them from seeking Christ nevertheless they feed themselves with a strong perswasion that when their wits are distracted their senses astonied all the powers of the mind and parts of the body distempered then forsooth they think to leap into heaven with a Lord have mercy upon me in their mouths to become Saints at their death however they have demeaned themselves like devils all their life before The Saints knowledge of one another in Heaven MRs. Willet made a quaerie unto her Husband Dr. Willet then lying on his death-bed touching the mutual knowledge that the Saints in glory have one of another such another question being proposed to Luther a little before his death he resolves her with the words of Luther unto which Chemnitius and many others do subscribe That as Adam in the estate of innocency when God first presented Eve unto him whom he had never seen before asked not whence she came but said This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Even so the Saints of God in Heaven beatifically illuminated with knowledge beyond Adam's in his first condition shall know not onely those whom here they knew not but even those whom before they never saw Satan tempteth by degrees IT is observed of the Crocodile that he cometh of an egge no bigger then a Goose-egge yet he groweth till he be fifteen cubits long Pliny saies thirty he is also long lived and which is much encreaseth as long as he liveth This setteth forth the manner of the encreasing of Sathans Kingdome and how cunningly he disposeth of his temptations First he beginneth with small matters and so by degrees to greater from thought to consent from consent to action from action to custom from custom to a habit of sin Iudas is first inured to theft and trained up in another false trick as in repining at the box of ointment poured on Christ at the length he is brought to betray his Master Thus was the gradation of Peters sin first lying then cursing after swearing c. National Iudgements call for National Repentance SUppose that the Sea should break forth in this Land as such a thing might soon come to passe were not the waters thereof countermanded by God's Prerogative Royal it is not the endeavour of a private man can stop it What if he goes with a Faggot on his back and a Mattock on his shoulder and a spade in his hand his desire is more commendable then his discretion it being more likely the Sea should swallow him then he stop the mouth of it No the whole Country must come in Children must bring earth in their hats Woemen in their aprons Men with Hand-barrows Wheel-barrows Carts Carrs Wains Waggons all must work lest all be destroyed So when a general deluge and inundation of God's anger seizeth upon a whole Kingdom when he breaks in upon a Nation like the breaking forth of waters it cannot be stop'd by the private endeavours of some few but it must be an universal work by a general Repeâ—tance all must raise banks to bound it till this be done no hope of Peace no hope of Reconcilement at all How Christ's sufferings are made ours AS the Burgess of a Town or Corporation sitting in the Parliament-House 〈◊〉 the person of that whole Town or place and what he saith the whole Town saith and what is done to him is done to the whole Town Even so Christ upon the Cross stood in our place and bare our persons and whatsoever he suffered we suffered and when he dyed all dyed with him all the faithful dyed in him and as he is risen again so the faithful are risen in him A Worldly-minded man speaketh of nothing but worldly things WHen a clock within is disordered and the wheels out of frame the hammer and bell must needs give an uncertain sound so when our hearts are inwardly disordered and corrupted with worldliness and prophanenesse our speech outwardly accordeth with them The door-keeper said unto Peter Thou art surely a Galilean thy speech bewraieth thee And whosoever he be that hath his mind taken up and chiefely delighted with the Worlds musick hath his tongue also tuned to the same key and taketh his joy and comfort in speaking of nothing else but the World and worldly things if the World be in his heart it will break out at the lips A worldly-minded man speaketh of nothing but worldly things Censurers not to be regarded LAnquet in his Chronicle relateth that in Frizland there was a phantastical Prophet named David George who calling himself God's Nephew said Heaven was empty and that he was sent to chuse the children of God that the great work of Election was left unto his disposal to appoint such as he thought fit to be saved Thus in our time there be many such Prophets electing and damning whom they please deifying this man and devilifying that man but sure it is they have no more authority to make devils then the Pope hath to make Saints As then a number of his Saints are in Hell so questionless many of their devils are glorious Saints in Heaven The certainty of God's will and purpose THe Wheels in a Watch or a Clock move contrary one to another some one way some another yet all serve the intent of the work-man to shew the time or to make the Clock to strike So in the World the providence of God may seem to run crosse to his promises one man takes this way another runs that way good men go one way wicked men another yet all in conclusion accomplish the Will and center in the purpose of God the great Creator of all things A wicked man believes not there is a Hell till he be in it TOstatus observeth out of Pliny that the Mole after he hath long lived under ground beginneth to see when he dyeth oculos incipit aperire moriendo quos clausos habuit vivendo he beginneth to open his eyes in dying which he alwaies had shut whilst he lived This is the true State of a wicked earthly-minded man he neither seeth Heaven nor thinketh of Hell tell him that the wicked shall be turned into hell and all that forget God it is but as brutum fulmen a meer scare-crow he feareth not God nor man all his life-time till he approacheth to judgement and then too soon he beginneth to feel that which he could not be brought to believe The World 's dangerous allurements THere is a kind of Serpent called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which when she cannot overtake the fleeing Passingers doth with her beautiful
better way then to come to him with Christ in our armes to present our suits by him We have so far provoked the Almighty by our sins that he may justly fall on us with a back-blow that we never yet dreamt of And who in Heaven or Earth can or dare treat for our peace but Christ our Peace-maker Ille oculus est per quem Deum videmus c. saith Ambrose He is our eye with which we see God our hand by which we offer to him and our mouth by which we speak unto him The Vanity of heaping up Riches IT is a great deal of care and pains that the Spider takes in weaving her web she runneth much and often up and down she fetcheth a compass this way and that way and returneth often to the same point she spendeth her self in multitudes of fine threads to make her self a round Cabinet she exenterateth her self and worketh out her own bowels to make an artificial and curious piece of work which when it is made is apt to be blown away with every pusse of wind she hangeth it up aloft she fastneth it to the roof of the house she strengthneth it with many a thread wheeling often round about not sparing her own bowels but spending them willingly upon her work And when she hath done all this spun her fine threads weaved them one within another wrought her self a fine Canopy hanged it aloft and thinks all 's sure on a sudden in the twinckling of an eye with a little sweep of a Beesom all falls to the ground and so her labour perisheth But here is not all Poor Spider she is killed either in her own web or else she is taken in her own snare haled to death and trodden under foot Thus the silly Animal may be truly said either to weave her own winding sheet or to make a snare to hang her self Just so do many Men wast and consume themselves to get preferment to enjoy pleasures to heap up riches and encrease them and to that end they spend all their wit and oftentimes the health of their bodies running up and down labouring and sweating carking and caring And when they have done all this they have but weaved the Spiders web to catch flyes yea oftentimes are caught in their own nets are made instruments of their own destruction they take a great deal of pains with little success to no end or purpose The way to God is a cross-way to the World A Man that walks by a River if he follow the River against the stream it will at length bring him to the Spring-head from whence it issueth but if he go along with the stream it will drill him on to the salt Sea So he that is cross-grained to the humours of the World that swims against the stream of sensual delights and pleasures that well improveth these outward things to God's glory shall at the length be brought to God the sweet fountain of them all but if he sail with wind and tide in the abuse of the good Creatures of God they will carry him down like a Torrent into the mare mortuum of perdition How to know God's dwelling-place Heaven WHen in our travel we chance to cast our eye upon some goodly structure of inestimable value we presently conceive it to be the pallace of a Prince So when we see the frame of Heaven so full of wonders where Stars are but as dust and Angels are but servants where every word is unspeakable and every motion is a miracle we may safely conclude it to be the dwelling of him whose name is Wonderful The dissolution of all ages past is to be a Memento for Posterity ONe Guerricus hearing these words read in the Church out of the book of Genesis Chap. 15. And all the dayes that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he dyed All the dayes of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he dyed And all the dayes of Enos were nine hundred and five years and he dyed And all the dayes of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years and he dyed c. Hearing I say these words read the very conceit of death wrought so strongly upon him and made so deep an impression in his mind that he retired himself from the world and gave himself wholly to devotion that so he might dye the death of the godly and arrive more safely at the haven of felicity which is no where to be found in this world And thus should we do when we look back to the many ages that are past before us but thus we do not Like those that go to the Indies we look not on the many that have been swallowed up by the waves but on some few that have got by the Voyage we regard not the millions that are dead before us but have our eyes set on the lesser number that survive with us and hence it comes to pass that our passage out of this world is so little minded National knowledge of God no true knowledge LOok upon a common beggar he knows the road-way from place to place can tell you the distance from Town to Town nay more can inform you of such a Noble-mans such a Knights such a Gentlemans house though it stand a great way off from the Road of such a Farmers and such a Yeomans house though it be in never so obscure a Village yet all this while hath no setled home no abiding place of his own Such is the knowledge of every Christian except a true Christian he can tell you of the pleasures that are at the right hand of God in the highest Heavens can talk and prate of God discourse of goodnesse but all this while is not good himself nor can make our unto himself any assurance of Interest in those heavenly things which he so much talketh of A formal specious Christian no true Christian. RAchel was very fair a goodly Woman to see to beautiful to the eye O but she was barren that mar'd all So there are many in the world such as make specious shews of Religion such as vvould seem to be Saints O but they are barren they are fruitless sap-less leave-less Christians they would seem to honour God but not with their substance they would seem to be religious but they will not refrain their tongues they would seem to be charitable but they will not part with a penny they have all form but little or no power of gâ—dliness many goodly blossoms of profession no râ—al fruits of confession appearing outside specious not true not real Christians Order both in Church and State commanded and commended GOd is not the God of confusion but of order Confusion is from the Devil Order is from God especially in the Church which St. Paul resembles to our body wherein the parts are fitly disposed and every one keepeth his place The eye
in the Word of God without any special urging of his Supream power but when it comes with a sic dicit dominus then the point is of great regard and if it be often ingeminated it giveth us to understand that we must take special notice of every clause of it In all our doings we should have our eye upon Eternity ZEuxis the famous Painter was observed to be very slow at his work and to let no piece of his go abroad into the World to be seen of men till he had turned it over and over this side and that side again the again to see if he could spie any fault in it And being upon a time asked the Reason why he was so curious why so long in drawing his lines and so slow in the use of his pensil he made this answer I am long in doing what I take in hand because what I paint I paint for Eternity As for our parts we write we read we sing we pray we labour whatsoever we say whatsoever we do whatsoever we think all is transmitted to Eternity all to be viewed by a most judicious and all-seeing eye so that no fault can escape and being viewed and considered they are to be committed either to be eternally punished or eternally rewarded VVe must labour therefore to be perfect so to live to God that we may live with God so to live on Earth that we may live in Heavan so to live for Eternity that we may live to all Eternity At the time of death to be mindful onely of Heaven CHrist perceiving his death to be neer at hand withdrew himself and would walk no more openly among the Jews And David being at the last cast of his life saith Remitte mihi ut refrigerer c. Give me leave O Lord to dispose of my self and to render thee an account of my life before I go hence and be seen no more These are Lectures of Mortality read to all of us in this world That when we are about to die we should have nothing else to do but to die we should bid these sublunary things Adieu and sequester our thoughts from the VVorld and retire into our selves to see how the case stands betwixt God and our own soules A tongue nimble to evil slow to goodness is reproveable PLiny in his Natural History maketh mention of a certain people in the Indies upon the River Ganges called Astomi that have no mouth but do onely feed upon the smell of herbs and flowers c. The truth of this may be uncertain but most sure it is that there is such a generation amongst us that when they should speak well they are like men possessed with a dumb devil they have no mouth no lips no tongue at all but if it be to blaspheme God and the King to backbite and slander their Neighbour they have tongue enough and to spare A Minister is to distinguish his Auditors SChool-masters range their Scholars into forms and though themselves be never so learned yet they read unto their several forms no deeper points then they are capable of if they should do otherwise well might they shew their learning they would shew no discretion neither would the Scholars be the better for that which they should teach them Even so Ministers must remember to distinguish their Auditors to feed some with milk some with strong meat to catechize the youth plainly and briefly to build on those that are elder and riper in years and judgement with more learning and more full instruction Hopes of Heaven are the good mans encouragement SYmphorianus a Christian young man after that he was almost scourged to death as he was dragged to death at Augustodunum met his mother upon the way But how not tearing the hair from her head or rending her cloaths or laying open her breasts or making grievous lamentation as the manner of foolish women is to do but carrying her self like an heroick Christian Lady called to her Son and said Son my Son I say Remember life eternal look up to Heaven lift up thine eye to him that raigneth there Life is not taken from thee but exchanged for a better At which words of his Mother the young man was so exceedingly animated that he went willingly to execution and cheerfully laid down his head upon the block and was decolled This is the case of every man living we go not so fast as Symphorianus did we are not yet under the fiery tryal but we are fair for it we are all going and we have not far to it Now the noble Army of Martyrs which are gone before us they call unto us from Heaven and say as the Christian and couragious mother said to her Son Remember life eternal look up to heaven see who is there the Judge of all the world that will do righteous things The brevity of our life may moderate our life IF a company that are bound out for some long Voyage should strive who should be Master and who Masters mate and who should have this or that Office they were not too much to be blamed But vvhen they are almost at home vvithin sight of Land vvhen they shall begin to strike sail to tack in all and go ashore then if they shall fall a quarrelling for places and use all the means they could make it vvere a ridiculous thing and folly So it is vvith us Time vvas vvhen the world vvas in beginning and then vvhen a man came into the world by the course of Nature he might vvell say I have a matter of six or seven or eight hundreth years to go on in my Pilgrimage before I shall end my journey and then if a Man should bestovv a little time to think vvith himself Well if I can but live to see my self the â—ather of a thousand children and so might come to people a Country c. then if a man should greet the VVorld he might be excused But novv since God hath contracted the time of our age so that as soon as vve begin our Voyage vve are ready to strike sail presently that vve have but a little time to continue here and a great deal of work to do for hereafter and novv to stand striving vvho shall be greatest vvho shall rule all to cry out of afflictions just vvhen vve are going ashore vvhen vve have as it vvere one foot in our graves is extreamly folly and madnesse Sacramental bread and wine better then ordinary THere is much water in the VVell or Spring-head it comes to us in leaden pipes or woodden troughs Now what is the leaden pipe or woodden trough more then another Nothing at all It is the water in the pipe or trough that makes them esteemed above others It is true they can do more then others but if you look upon them in the use i. e to convey the water into us then they
cause quoth he wherefore your fellow was condemned to death and therefore you must dye and to the third You Centurion because you have not learned to obey the voice of your General shall dye also for company Excogitaverat quomodo tria crimina faceret c. He devised how he might make three faults because he found not one But the just Iudge of all the world needs not do so with us no beating of his brains to invent an accusation against us he needs not draw three faults into one or find one where there is none there 's matter enough within us to condemn us our thoughts our words our deeds do yield him cause enough to pronounce the sentence of death upon us The giving up of our selves an acceptable Sacrifice to God IT is reported of Aeschines when he saw his fellow Scholars give great gifts to his Master Socrates he being poor and having nothing else to bestow did give himself to Socrates as confessing to be his in heart and good will and wholly at his devotion And the Philosopher took this most kindly esteeming it above all other presents and returned him love accordingly Even so the gratious disposition of our heavenly Father taketh in far better part then any man can take it the laying down of our souls the submitting of our selves unto his direction the melâ—ing of our wills down into his Will The Widows two mites were welcome into his Treasury because her heart was full though her purse were empty He accounteth that the best sacrifice which is of the heart External things do well but Internal things do far better Heaven worth contending for IF a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchase in Spain Turkey or some other parts more remote would be not adventure the dangers of the Seas and of his Enemies also if need were that he might come to the enjoyment of his own Well behold Iesus Christ hath made a purchase for us in Heaven and there is nothing required on our parts but that we will come and enjoy it Why then should we refuse any pains or fear any thing in the way nay we must strive to get in It may be that we shall be pinched in the entrance for the gate is strait and low not like the Gates of Princes lofty roof'd and arched so that we must be fain to leave our wealth behind us and the pleasures of this life behind us yet enter we must though we leave our skins nay our very lives behind us for the purchase that is made is worth ten thousand Worlds not all the silks of Persia â—ot all the spices of Egypt not all the gold of Ophir not all the Treasures of bot\â—h Indies are to be compared to it Who therefore would not contend for such a bargain though he sold all to have it Adoption of God's children known by their Sanctification FIre is known to be no painted or imaginary fire by two notes by heat and by the flame Now if the case so fall out that the fire want a slame it is stil known by the heat In like manner there be two witnesses of our adoption or sanctification Gods spirit and our spirit Now if it so fall out that a man feel not the Principal which is the spirit of adoption he must then have recourse to the second VVitness and search out in himself the signs and tokens of the sanctification of his own spirit by which he may certainly assure himself of his adoption as fire may be known to be fire by the heat though it want a flame The danger of Worldly mindedness IT is seen by experience that a man swiming in a River as long as he is able to hold up his head and keep it above water he is in no danger but safely swimeth and cometh to the shore with good contentment but if once his head for want of strength begin to dive then shaketh he the hearts of all that do behold him and himself may know that he is not far from death So is it in this wretched world and swimers of all sorts if the Lord give us strength to keep up our heads i. e. to love God and Religion above the world and before it and all the pleasures of it there is then no danger but after a time of swiming in it up and down we shall arrive in a firm place with happiness and safety but if once we dive and the head go under water if once the world get the victory and our hearts are set upon it and go under it in a sinful love and liking of it O then take heed of drowning Gods delight in a relapsed Sinners repentance AS a Husbandman delights much in that ground that after long barrenness becomes fruitful As a Captain loves that Souldier that once fled away cowardly and afterwards returns valiantly Even so God is wonderfully enamoured with a sinner that having once made shipwrack of a good Conscience yet at last returns and swims to Heaven upon the plank of Faith and Repentance Vnworthy Communicants condemned CHildren when they first put on new shooes are very curious to keep them clean scarce will they set their foot on the ground for fear to dirty the soles of their shooes yea rather they will wipe them clean with their Coats and yet perchance the next day they will trample with the same shooes up to the ancles Alas childrens play is our earnest On that day we receive the Sacrament we are often over-precise scrupling to say or do those things which lawfully we may But we who are more then curious that day are not so much as careful the next day and too often what shall I say go on in sin up to the ancles yea our sins go over our heads Psal. 28. 5. A sense of the want of Grace a true sign of Grace IT is the first step unto Grace for a man to see no Grace and it is the first degree of Grace for a man to desire Grace as no man can sincerely seek God in vain so no man can sincerely desire grace in vain A man may love gold yet not have it but no man loveth God but is sure to have him Wealth a man may desire yet be never the neerer for it but grace no man ever sincerely desired and missed it and why It is God that hath wrought this desire in the heart and he will never frustrate the desire that himself there hath wrought Let no man say I have no Faith no Repentance no Love no fear of God no sanctifying no saving grace in me Doth he see a want of these things in himself yes that is it which so grieves him that he cannot love God stand in awe of him trust in his mercy repent of sin as he should yea but doth he seriously and unfeignedly desire to do thus yes he desires it above all
are very rare Companions The event of War uncertain A Murath the first Emperor of the Turks after he had got the field against the Christians at Cassova came to view the dead bodies which lay on heaps like Mountains on a sudden one of the Christian Souldiers that lay sore wounded amongst the dead seeing Amurath raised himself as well as he could and in a staggering manner made towards him falling for want of strength divers times in the way which when the Captains saw they would have put him back but Amurath commanded him to approach thinking that he would have done him honour and have kissed his feet but the Souldier being drawn nigh him suddenly stab'd him in the belly with a short dagger that he had under his coat and thus the Conqueror was conquered and died presently Did not the poor wounded Chaldeans such as were thrust through and through with the sword gasping for life rally again to the ruine of their enemies And thus when God seeth his time even a few poor despised men wounded and half dead even sinking in despair of better times at such uncertainty runs that alea Martis that die of War may recover the battel that was lost and cry Victoria having spoiled the spoylers strucken down the chiefest and the strongest and the choisest men that before prevailed and had the upper hand No true comfort but in God WHen a man walketh in the Sun if his face be towards it he hath nothing before him but bright shining light and comfortable heat but let him once turn his back to the Sun what hath he before him then but a shadow And what is a shadow but the privation of light and heat of the Sun yea it is but to behold his own shadow defrauding himself of the other Thus there is no true wisdom no true happiness no real comfort but in beholding the countenance of God look from that and we lose these blessings and what shall we gain a shadow an empty Image instead of a substantial to gain an empty Image of our selves and lose the solid Image of God yet this is the common folly of the world men prefer this shadow before that substance whereas there is not the least appearance of any true comfort but in God onely Heart and tongue to go together IT is well worth the observation what is written of the Peach namely that the Egyptians of all fruits did make choice of that principally to consecrate to their Goddesse and for no other cause but that the fruit thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is like to ones heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the leaf like to ones tongue What they did like Heathens let us do like Christians for indeed when the heart and the tongue go together then is the Harmony at the sweetest and the service best pleasing both to God and Man All Creatures subject to Gods pleasure GOd is in Heaven he doth whatsoever he will There is not any in the Heaven or Earth or Sea be it body or spirit which is not at his deâ—otion and waiteth not at his beck the greatest do him homage the smallest do him service what is greater then the Heaven yet if Ioshua pray unto him that ever-wheeling body shall cease his diurnal motion The Sun shall stand still in Gibeon and the Moon in Ajalon That which cometh forth as a Giant and rejoyceth to run his course to satisfie Hezekiah and to confirm his faith shall flie back as a Coward ten degrees at once as then it appeared by the Dyal of Ahaz What is ruder or more unfit to be dealt withal then the Earth yet at his pleasure he shaketh both Earth and Sea What is more pure a more excellent and subtile essence then the Angels yet he hath bound up four of them in the River of Euphrates and although they be prepar'd at an hour and at a day and at a moment and at a year to slay the third part of men yet these Angels cannot stir until that they be loosed by his special commandement Unconceivable is his Majesty unestimable is his power the highest things and the lowest the greatest and the weâ—kest do obey him The inconsiderate Multitude WE see by experience that dogs do alwayes bark at those they know not and that it is their Nature to accompany one another in those clamours And so it is with the inconâ—iderate multitude who wanting that vertue which we call honesty in all men and that especial gift of God which we call Charity in Christian men condemn without hearing and wound without offence given led thereunto by uncertain report onely which K. James truly acknowledgeth for the father of all lies The great goodness of God in sending his Son Iesus Christ to save sâ—â—ners WIcked Haeman procured letters from Ahasâ—uerosh for the destruction of the Iews men women and children all that were in his dominions this done Hester the Queen makes request to the King that her people might be saved and the letters of Haman reversed she obtains her request freedom was given and letters of joyful deliverance were dispatched with speed to all those provinces where the Iews inhabited whereupon arose a wonderful joy and gladness amongst that people and it is said that thereupon many of the people of the land became Iews But now behold a greater matter amongst us then this There is that Chirographum that hand-writing of Condemnation the Law and therein the sentence of death of a double death of body and soul and Sathan as wicked Haman accuseth us and seeks by all means to make good his charge against us But yet behold not any earthly Hester but Christ Iesus the Son of God is come down from his Father in heaven hath taken away this hand-writing of condemnation cancelled it on the Cross and is now ascended into Heaven and there sits at the right hand of his Father and makes requests for us and in him is his Father well pleased and yieldeth to his request on our behalf let us then as the Persians the people of that Country became Iews in life and conversation become Christians turn to Christ embrace his doctrine and practise the same unfeigâ—edly Wantonness in Apparel reproved SUrely if it be a shame for a man to wear a paper on his hat at VVestminster-Hall to shew what he hath done it is then as reprâ—achful to wear vain garments on ones back As for a man to be like a fantastical Antick and a woman like a Bartholomew baby what is this but to pull all mens eyes after them to read in Capital letters what they are vain foolish ridiculous It were to be wished that such back-papers Apparel in excess might be as odious in the eyes and hearts of men and women as those hâ—t-papers be at VVestminster and elsewhere for certainly the one tellas foul tales as the others do and could
they hear them and not take in one Sermon before the other be well concocted they would soon find another manner of benefit by Sermons than the ordinary sort of many forward Christians do Outward formality onely in the service of God condemned MEn put on clean linnen their best cloths and how often do they look in a glasse to see that all be handsome before they show themselves in the Church to their neighbours and it is hoped that they which will not come slovenly before their neighbours will not appear sordidly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth and withall remember that that God that approveth this outward decency requireth the inward much more He will have us lift up to him not onely clean but pure hands also A neat outside and a slovenly inside is like a painted Sepulchre full of dead mens bones And it is to be feared that most of our Churches in the time of Gods service are full of such Tombs There are a generation that are clean in their own eyes but are not washed from their filthinesse Conversion of a sinner wrought by degrees LIttle children of whom â— travail again in birth c. saith the Apostle Gal. 4. 19. untill Christ be formed in you So that conversion is not wrougâ—t simul semel but by little and little in processe of time In the generation of Infants first the brain heart and liver are framed then the bones veins arteries nerves and sinews and after this flesh is added and the Infant first begins to live the life of a plant by growing and nourishing then it lives the life of a beast by sense and motion and thirdly the life of a man by the use of reason Even so God outwardly prevents us with his Word and inwardly he puts into us the knowledge of his will with the beginnings or seeds of faith and repentance as it were a brain and a heart from these beginnings of faith and repentance arise heavenly desires from these desires follow asking seeking knocking And thus the beginnings of faith are encreased and men go on from grace to grace from one degree of virtue unto another till they be tall men in Christ Iesus Not to be ashamed of the profession of Christ. ST Augustine in his Confessions relates an excellent story of one Victorinus a great man at Rome that had many great friends that were Heathens but it pleased God to convert him to the Christian religion and he came to one Simplicianus and tells him secretly that he was a Christian. Simplicianus answers Non credam nec deputabo te inter Christianos c. I will not believe thee to be a Christian till I see thee openly professe it in the Church At first Victorinus derided his answer and said Ergone parietes faciunt Christianum What! do the church-walls make a christian But after wards remembring that of our Saviour He that is ashamed of me before men c. Mar. 8. 38. he returns to Simplicianus and professeth himself openly to be a christian And let this Text of Christ alwaies sound in our ears also and that of the Revelation where the fearsul such as Nicodemus nocturni adoratores such night-walkers in religion such as are faint-hearted in the profession of Christ are put in the fore-front of those that shall go to hell before murtherers whore-mongers adulterers c. Man to be Sociable IT is to be observed that the farthest Islands in the world are so seated that there is none so remote but that from some shore of it another Island or continent may be discovered as if herein Nature invited Countries to a mutuall converse one with another Why then should any man court and hug solitarinesse why should any man affect to environ himself with so deep and great reservednesse as not to communicate with the society of others Good company is one of the greatest pleasures of the nature of Man for the beams of joy are made hotter by reflection when related to another Were it otherwise gladnesse it self must grieve for want of one to expresse it self to Ministers to live according to that Doctrine which they teach others THere was a ridiculous Actour in the city of Smyrna which pronouncing Oâ— Coelum O Heaven pointed with his finger towards the ground which when Polemo the chiefest man in the place saw he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a great chafe saying This fool â—ath made a solectsm with his hand he hath spoken fals Latin with his finger And such are they who teach well and do ill that however they have Heaven at their tongues end yet the Earth is at their fingers end such as do not onely speak fals Latine with their tongue but false Divinity with their hands such as live not according to their preaching But He that sits in the Heavens will laugh them to scorn and hisse them off the stage if they do not mend their action Englands Ingratitude to God SCipio Affricanus the elder had made the city of Rome being at that time exanguem moriturum in a deep consumption and ready to give up the ghost Lady of Affrick At length being banished into a base country-town his will was that his Tomb should have this Inscription on it Ingrata patria ne ossa mea quidem habes Unthankfull country thou hast not so much as my bones Thus many and mighty deliverances have risen from the Lord to this land of ours to make provocation of our thankfulnesse yet Ingrata Anglia ne ossa mea quidem habes may the Lord say Ingratefull England thou hast not so much as the bones of thy Patron and Deliverer thou hast exited him from thy thoughts burried him in oblivion there is scarcely a footstep of gratitude to witnesse to the World that thou hast been protected The Papists blind Zeal discovered RHenanus reporteth that he saw at Mentz in Germany two Cranes standing in silver upon the Altar into the bellies whereof the Priests by a device put fire and frankincense so artificially that all the smoak and sweet perfume came out of the Cranes heaks A perfect emblem of the Peoples devotion in the Romish Church the Priests put a little fire into them they have little warmth of themselves or sense of true zeal and as those Cranes sent out sweet perfumes at their beaks having no smelling at all thereof in themselves so these breathe out the sweet perfumed incense of prayer and zealous devotion whereof they have no sense or understanding at all because they pray in an unknown tongue Saints in glory what they hear and see ST Auguctine was wont to wish three things First that he might have seen Christ in the flesh Secondly that he might have heard St. Paul preach Thirdly that he might have seen Rome in its glory Alas these are small matters to that which Austin and all
mans case c. Kings and corrivalls inconsistent THe grand Signior when he perceived with what acclamations of all the people his son Mustapha was entertained upon his return from Persia he commanded him presently to be slain before him and this Oracle to be pronounced by the Priest Unus in coelo Deus unus in terris Sultanus One God in Heaven one Sultan on the Earth And it is true that two Suns in one Hemisphear have ever been portentous The Crowns of Kings and Princes will not admit of Rivalls That Kingdome can never stand where are two supream and uncontrolable commanders Easie to come into trouble hard to get out WHen Francis the first King of France was consulting with his Captains how to lead his Army over the Alps into Italy whether this way or that way Amarill his Fool sprung out of a corner where he sat unseen and bad them rather take care which way they should bring their Army out of Italy back again Thus it is easie for one to interest and embarque himself in anothers quarrell to be engaged for anothers debt facilis deâ—â—ensus c. But how to be disengaged how to come off hic labor hoâ— opus est there lies the difficulty Divisions usher in destruction WHen Cyrus came near Babylon with his great Army and finding the River about it over the which he must passe so deep that it was impossible to transport it that way he suddainly caused it to be divided into many chanells whereby the main river sunk so on the suddain that with great facility he passed it over and took the City That Maxim in Philosophy Omne divisibile est corrupâ—â—bile holds in all States and Societies The divisions amongst the Trojans brought in the Grecians the divisions amongst the Grecians broâ—ght in Philip the divisions of the Assyrian Monarchy brought in the Persian of the Persian brought in the Macedonian of the Macedonian brought in the Roman of the Roman brought in the â—urk Lastly the divisions among the Britans of this Nation brought in first the Saxons next the Danes and last of all the Normans and who shall come next invited by our uncivill civill distâ—actions God knowes So true is that Axiom of Christ A Kingdom divided within it self cannot stand When sins are at the heighth then comes destruction A Fisher-man when in a clear water he seeth a fish come to his hook nible at the bait bite it and swallow it down then he giveth a jerk with his angle-rod and striketh him So Almighty God oft-times permits wicked purposes and enterprises to hold on till they come to a streight line till they are upon the very height and then he turns and overturns them In foriâ—as â—â—ydram he breaks the pitcher at the door cutteth down the ear of corn when it is â—ull launceth the sore when it is ripe When the sins of the Amorites are full then comes judgment when the sins of a People or Nation are at the height then comes destruction The Tongue is the Hearts Interpreter THe strokes in musick answer to the notes that are pricked in the rules The Anatomistsâ—each â—each that the heart and tongue hang upon one string And hence it is that as in a Clock or Watch when the wheel is moved the hammer striketh So the words of the mouth answer to the motions of the heart and when the heart is moved with any perturbation or passion the hammer beats upon the bell and the mouth soundeth Psal. 45. 1. Rom. 10. 10. Luk. 6. 45. The reason why so many are tongue-tyed in their devotions to God is because they are hide-bound in their hearts they cannot bring forth without because they have no sâ—ock within their words stick in their mouths because they have no form in their hearts Gods Power Wisdom c. To be seen in all the Creatures IT is most strange yet most true which is reported that the Arms of the Duke of Rhoan in France which are Filsills or Lozenges are to be seen in the wood or stones throughout all his Country so that break a stone or lop a bough of a tree and one shall behold the grain thereof by some secret cause in Nature diamonded â—r streaked in the fashion of a Lozâ—nge Yea the very same in effect is observed in England for the resemblance of Starrs the Arms of the worshipfull Family of the Shugburies in Warwick-shire are found in the stones within their own Manour of Shugbury But what shall we say the Armes of the God of Heaven namely Power Wisdom and Goodnesse c. are to be seen in every creature in the world even from Worms to Men from sensible to insensible creatures there 's not the least pile of grasse that a man can tread upon but sers out a Deity unto us and tells us There is a God of power wisdom and goodnesse c. Great safety in attending to the Ministry of the Word ALl the Adventurers in the great ship called Argonavis bound for Colchis to fetch the golden Fleece when they were assaulted by the Syrens endeavouring to enchant them with their songs found no such help in any thing against them as in Orpheus's pipe We are all adventurers for a golden Crown in Heaven and as the Grecians so we are way-laid by Syrens the world the â—â—esh and the devill evill spirits and their incantations from which we cannot be safe but by attending to the Word of God by listening to the Preachers of the Gospell who when they pipe unto us out of the Word our hearts should be so taken up with that coelestiall musick that nothing else whatsoever should have the least entertainment Hypocrifie discovered OTtocar King of Bohemia refused to do homage to Rodolphus the first till at last chastised with war he was content to do him homage privately in a Tent which Tent was so contrived by the Emperours servants that by drawing a cord all was taken away and so Ottacar presented on his knees doing his homage to the view of three Armies then in the field Thus God at last shall uncase the closest dissembler to the sight of Men Angells and Devills having removed all veiles and pretences of religion and piety No goat in a sheep-skin shall steal on his right hand Here it is that men may go with their cloaks muffled over their faces but then they shall be dismantled here the graves are covered but then they shall be laid open here the glossing hypocrite may passe for a reall honest man but there he shall be discovered and made known what he is indeed To speak well of the Dead CHarles the Emperour when the Spanish souldiers would have digged up the bones of Luther Sinite ipsum inquit quiescere ad dâ—em resurrectionis judicia omnium c. Let him rest saith he till the resurrection and the finall judgment if he were an
a man cuts down his chiefest timber-trees it is an argument that he intends to part with his land And hath not God of late cut down many of the tallest Cedars in this our Lebanon And what can we expect such and so many are our wickednesses but that he will either part with or depart from this sinfull Nation of ours It is high time therefore to lay hold upon him by faith saying Help Lord for there is not one godly man left c. Psal. 12. 1. Neutrality in Religion dangerous THere is mention made of a kind of bastard-Eagle that hath one leg like the Goofe close at the foot the other open and armed with talents like that of the ordinary eagle with the close foot she swimmeth on the water and dives for fishes there with the open foot she soareth into the air and seizeth on her prey there But so it is that participating thus of two severall natures her strength is weakened and she her self made at last a prey to every ordinary crow Thus fares it with all Neuters all Hermophrodites all Ambo-dexters in Religâ—on such as have one close foot for sea and land for the world and worldly things and another open-foot for the aire above for heaven and heavenly things so that they may not be seen to float on the sea of this world altogether they take themselves to their wing and will seem to be religious and make some small fluttering up of their hearts towards Heaven but all in vain for being divided in their thoughts the act of their souls being not set upon the onely object God and the powers and faculties thereof not contracted to Himward no marvell if they wax faint in their duty and weak in all holy performances so that the devill like the ordinary crow set upon them conquer them and lead them captive at his will The Devill most busie in time of Prayer IT is an usuall custom that two being at law together when the suit comes to tryall the Plantiff by his Counsell labours all that he can to hinder the Defendant that the Judge may not hear him speak out what he is to say in his own defence So the devill the common plantiff and accuser of all mankind when he sees us upon our knees in addresses unto God who is the Judge of all the earth pleading for our selves by prayer and seeking the favour of God in the remission of our sins by the merits of his Son Christ Iesus then doth he stir most to interrupt us by weakening our evidence by throwing strange thoughts into our hearts so distracting our devotions that we may not be heard in what we pray for Sense of sin is from God onely AS when the pool of Bethesda was troubled the poor Cripples that lay there for cure did absolutely conclude that it was not any naturall motion of the water but an Angell that came down at a certain season and did it So when the heart of a sinner is troubled for his sin let him know for his comfort that this shaking of his soul ariseth not from any principle of corrupt nature that will defend it self nor from the devill he will not destroy his own Kingdom but from some seeds of grace sown in the heart which the Spirit of God greatly breathing upon the soul is thereby made sensible of sins and transgressions committed Leud Ministers what they are like unto LEud debauched Ministers whose doctrin and lives are as distant as the two Polar Lines cosmographically described on the Globe terrestriall are like those statuae Mercuriales on the road that point out unto a man which is the way to London but move not a foot thitherward themselves like those Carpenters that built the Ark to save others and were drowned themselves or like Porters of great mens gates that let in others but lodge without themselves So that what was said of Christ falsly and malitiously may be spoken of them really and truly He saved others himself he cannot save For 〈◊〉 as another by his good life sets a seal to his doctrin he by his bad life puts a lie upon the truth his words prove unprofitable because his life is abominable Not to admit of impediments in our way to Heaven A Certain Heathen making an Oration as he was sacrificing to his god in the midst of his devotion word was brought him that his onely son was dead whereat being nothing at all moved he made this answer Scio me genuisse mortalem I did not get him to live for ever and so went on with his businesse Thus when we are entring into the sight of Gods favour it may so please him to try us by afflictions there may newes come of a ship wrack'd at sea of a chapman broke in the country of the death of friends and allies c. Yet ought we not for all this to leave off our course in the service of him but rather whatsoever comes crosse make it as it were a Parenthesis an ornament not remora an hinderance in our progresse to Heaven But one sure way to Heaven THe Phrygian Fabulist hath a story of a Fox and a Cat as they wâ—re discoursing their evasions in the midst of danger I saies the Fox have many holes to earth in if hindred of one I have another to run to Let me alone to shift for my self to save my life and sleep in a whole skin Well saies the Cat I must do as well as I can I have but one way to save my life and that 's to climb for it As they were thus conferring the toiles were laid the dogs began to open the hunt was up and the Fox for all his cunning for all his tricks and devices was torn in pieces by the hounds whilst the Cat getting up into a tree secured her self from danger Thus there may seem to be many waies to Heaven but there is one onely true safe way There 's many a man in these daies that thinks to go to God by the way of two Religions one at home another abroad one publick another private And whilst he is thus divided and halting betwixt two the Hunt is up that roaring Lion the devill laies hold upon him and devoures him Whereas the true reall well-affected Christian cleaving close unto one God one Faith one Baptism gets upon that scala coeli and so by prayer and meditation climbs up to Heaven where the enemies gun-shot shall never be able to reach him Love of the World enmity to God THere 's no one sublunary thing in the World can make an Eclipse of the body of the Sun but the interposition of the Earth betwixt it and the Moon So there 's nothing can eclipse the Sun of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus but the Earth the love of earthly things the love of this world being Enmity to God If then our Conscience
of the bulk and body the spreading fairnesse of the branches the glory of the leaves and flowers the commodity of the fruits proceed from the root by that the whole subsisteth So Faith seemes to be but a sorry grace a vertue of no regard Devotion is acceptable for it honours God Charity is noble for it does good to men Holinesse is the Image of Heaven therefore beautious Thankfulnesse is the tune of Angels therefore melodious But ad quid fides what is faith good for Yes it is good for every good purpose the foundation and root of all graces All the prayers made by Devotion all the good works done by Charity all the actuall expressions of Holinesse all the praises founded forth by Thankfulnesse come from the root of Faith that is the life of them all Faith doth animate Works as the body lives by the soul. Doubtlesse faith hath saved some without works but it was never read that works saved any without faith The Ministers partiality in the reproof of sin condemned THere is mention made of a sort of people called Gastromantae such as speak out of their belly so hollow that a stander by would think that some body else spoke in the next room unto them Just such are those byas'd Ministers the trencher Chaplains of our daies that when they speak of sin especially in great ones they may be said to speak out of their bellies not out of their hearts a dinner or a great parishioner or a good Dame will make them shoot the reprehension of sin like pellets through a Trunk with no more strength than will kill a sparrow Hence is it that there are so many no-sins so many distinctions of sins that with a little of Iesabels paint Adams weaknesse in regard of his wife is called tendernesse Abraham's lye equivocation Lots incest and adultery good nature Noahs drunkenness the weakness of age Aaron Solomons idolatry policy oppression justice treason religion faction faith madnesse zeal pride handsomenesse and covetousnesse good husbandry whereas sin should be set out in his right colours and the sinner pointed out as Nathan did David Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. To be charitable Christians and why so IF a man should at his own proper cost and charges build a fair Bridge upon some River in a convenient place thereof leading the ready way to some City or Market-town can it be thought amisse if he should demand a small kind of tribute or pontage for horse or man that should passe over whether it were to keep the Bridge in repair that so posterity might have the benefit thereof or for the acknowledgment of so great a benefit or for the satisfaction of the builder Surely it could not Thus Christ Iesus our blessed Saviour and Redeemer hath with the price his own most precious bloud built a bridge of mercy to pass over and is himselfe become a new and living way for all repentant sinners to walk in there being no other way no other bridge for passage into Heaven It is but just then that something should be done on our parts not that he hath any need but because he looks for it some tribute something by way of acknowledgement something as a Toll-penny for the reliefe of his poor distressed Members with this assurance That Eleemosyna Viaticum in Mundo thesaurus in Caelo What we lay out in this world by way of Charity shall be doubled in the next by way of Retribution Regeneration the necessity thereof ONe bargain'd with a Painter to paint him a Horse running as it were in a full careere The Painter having done his work presents it with the heels upward Why said the Man I bespake the Picture of a running Horse but thou hast brought me a horse kicking up his heels O but quoth the Painter turn the frame set the picture right and then you shall find it to be a running horse such an one as you bespake Such is every son of Man in his naturall condition his head and his heart is all downward groveling on the Earth whilst his heels are kicking at Heaven but let the Table be once turned let but God come into his Soul by the operation of his blessed spirit then there will be a renewing of the mind then that Tongue which ere-while was set on fire in Hell wil become a Trumpet of Gods glory those hands which were once reached out to do wickedly will now work that which is honest those feet which were swift to shed bloud will now walk in the paths of peace instead of an itching ear there will be an attentive ear instead of a wanton eye there will be a covenanting eye not to look upon a strange woman there will be a new will new affections new qualities a new disposition all new A man of Learning speaks little VVHen a Rabbi little learned and lesse modest usurped all the discourse at Table one much admiring him asked his friend in private Whether he did not take such a Man for a great Scholar to whom he plainly answered For ought I know he may be learned but I never heard Learning make such a noyse So when a modest Man gave thanks to God with a low and submiss voyce an impudent criticall Gallant found fault with him that he said Grace no louder but he gave him a bitter reply Make me but a fool and I shall speak as loud as you but that will marre the Grace quite Thus it is that the Sun shews least when it is at the highest that deep waters run most silent But what a murmur and bubling yea sometimes what a roaring do they make in the shallows Empty Vessels make the greatest sound but the full ones give a soft answer Profound knowledge sayes little and Men by their unseasonable noyse are known to be none of the wisest whereas a Man of parts and learning sayes little Death the end of all MAn is as it were a Book his birth is the Title-page his Baptism the Epistle Dedicatory his groans and crying the Epistle to the Reader his Infancy and Child-hood the Argument or Content of the whole ensuing Treatises his life and actions are the subject his sinnes and errours the faults escaped his Repentance the Correction As for the Volums some are in folio some in quarto some in Octavo c. some are fairer bound some plainer some have piety and godlinesse for their subject othersome and they too many mere Romanees Pamphlets of wantonness and folly but in the last page of every one there stands a word which is Finis and this is the last word in every Book Such is the life of Man some longer some shorter some stronger some weaker some fairer some coorser some holy some prophane but Death comes in like Finis at the last and closes up all for that is the end of all The incorrigible Sinners stupidity IT is reported of Silkworms
mad-man that talking with a lean meagre Cook he understood from him what dainty dishes he dressed for his guests and hearing that they were all fat and fair liking and thrived with it he asked him Why he did not feed on those meats himself that he might be fat too The Cook answered That for his part he had no stomack But the mad-man replies Take heed how thou come near Bedlam if the Corrector find you your punishment will be very sharp for certainly you are madder then ever I was Thus it is no better then madnesse for Ministers Magistrates and others in place of eminency to give light to others and walk themselves in darknesse to distribute portions of meat to the Family and starve their own souls to rescue others from the enemy and suffer themselves to be taken to forwarn others of the pit whereinto themselves run headlong to give good counsell to others and not to be guided by that counsell themselves Christ nothing but Love all over IT is the observation of Sr. Walter Rawleigh that if all the pictures and patterns of a mercilesse Prince were lost in this world they might all again be painted to the life out of the story of K. Henry the eighth But on the other side the Iewes had such an high esteem of Esdras that if mercy love and knowledge had put out their candle at his brain they might light it again Behold yet a greater then Esdras Christ Iesus himself If all our love were extinguished at his love we might easily rekindle it Not a word that he spoke not a work that he did not a passion that he suffered but was an argument a character of his love He brought love he bought love he exercised love he bequeathed love he died in love He is all love Needfull Requisites to make up a profitable Hearer of Gods Word IT is said of that Princely Iosiah King Edward the sixth that his carriage in the publick service of God was such that he constantly stood up at the hearing of Gods Word took Notes which he afterwards diligently perused and wrought the Sermon upon his affection by serious meditation Thus it is not a bare sitting under the Ordinance a meer formall hearing of the Word thinking as too many do that when the Sermon is ended all is done But there must be attention of body intention of mind and retention of memory which are indispensably required of all Wisdom's schollars and are the most needfull requisites to make up a profitable hearer of Gods Word Friendship to be made with God in Christ Iesus THe men of Tyre and Sidon two rich and antient Cities of Phoenicia on the costs of Syria when they heard that Herod was displeased with them and intended to make war upon them they made friendship with Blastus the Kings Chamberlain and sought by all means possible to get into favour with him again And why Becâ—â—se said they our lanâ—s are nourished by the lands of the King And this is our case our lands our lives our liberties and all that we have are nourished and sustained by the King of Heaven therefore when we know that he is displeased with us as justly he may for as David saith we provoke him every day then let us do as they did as they made a friend of Blastus so let us make friendship with Jesus Christ and desire him to help us into Gods favour and protection Heaven Men desirous to be there but will not take pains to come thither SAbellicus in his History brings in C. Flaminius playing upon Philoxomenes that he had pulchras manus pulchra crura sed ventrem non habuit he had goodly arms and strong thighs but he had no belly He meant that Philoxomenes had brave and valiant souldiers fair Troops of Horse and foot but wanted that which is the sinews of War he had no money to pay them It may be inverted upon us for we are all belly full of appeâ—iâ—e and desire to happinesse but we have neither hands nor feet we will neither move nor labour to attain to that happiâ—essâ— we have fat desires but lean endeavours fain we would be in Heaven but we will take no pains for it nor seek the way to it we make account to go up to Heaven in a whirlwind or as Passengers at Sea be brought to the Haven sleeping to win Heaven without working to be crowned without striving to dine with the Devill and sup with Abraham Isaac and Iacobin the Kingdom of Heaven by all means we must die the death of the righteous but by no means live the life of the godly nay if death do but offer to prefer us to Heaven we will none of it we thank him heartily we refuse him with deprecations and fortifie our selâ—es against him with antidotes and preservatives So that it may very well be put to the question Where is our desire for Heaven when we rather die necessitatis vinculo quam voluntatis obsequio instead of looking for it we look from it and then onely preâ—end a faint desire to it when we can make no other shift but that we must needs ventâ—â—e on it To be Charitable to the poor and needy THe Iewes at this day though outed their own Country and destitute of a Leviticall Priesthood yet those that will be reputed religious amongst them distribute the tenth of their increase unto the poor being perswaded that God doth blesse their encrease the more for their usuall proverb is Decima ut dives â—ias pay thy Tithes that thou maist be rich Nay saies Philo the Jew They came so willingly to give up their Tithes unto God as if they had been to have received a gratuity from men If then there be such devout Iewes that having neither house nor home Priest or Temple and without Christ in the world so charitable to the poor then how much more suitable will it be for Christians that live in Gospell-times to relieve the poor members of Iesus Christ to honour the Lord wiâ—â— their substance freely expending it in pious and charitable uses whereby their barns shall be filled and they made great gainers in the end Why God suffereth the dearest of his Children to want outward things IT is written of the Pine-tree that if the bark be pulled off it will last a long time else it rots So God sees that many a man if he had his bark 〈◊〉 him if he had the wealth of the world about him a penny in his purse and a friend at Court it would rot him corrupt him and make him worse therefore God is fain to bark him and peel him to keep him naked and bare and poor that his soâ—l may prosper the better For indeed many times it so falls out and a man shall find it so that his soul prospers best when his body prospers â—orst Men to be
such as make low accompt of Mens lives that destroy where they might build hopes of amendment and down with root and branch where they need but pare the leafe such in discharge of their place are govern'd more by Custome then Conscience who take dark circumstance and lame surmise for evidence rashly giving sentence and as precipitately proceeding to Execution Graces of Gods spirit not given in vain THe Husbandman the more he improves his ground the greater crop he looks for the completer the Souldier is armed the better service is required of him The Scholler that is well instructed must shew great fruits of his proficiency Thus the Earthly part of Man soaks in the sweet showers of Grace that fall upon it The bleffed Spirit of God puts upon us that Panoplia that whole Armour of God And the same Spirit teacheth us all things leads us into all Truth and brings all things to our Remembrance which Christ hath spoken for our good Shall we then being thus manured thus armed thus instructed not bring forth fruits in some measure answerable to so great Indulgence Shall such blessings of God be received in vain It must not be we may read these and the like expressions in Scripture Occupy till I come Give an accompt of thy sâ—ewardship To whom much is given much is required What 's the meaning Cum crescunt dona rationes etiam crescunt donorum We must give an accompt as well of Graces received from God Whether they be those summer Graces of Prosperiâ—y Joy and Thansgiving or those winter Graces of Adversity Patience and Perseverance or the Grace of Humility which is alwayes in season as of Sins of what kind soever committed against him Sacriledge justly rewarded to take heed of committing it IT was a suddain and sad end that befell Cardinall Wolsey whilst he sought more to please his Soveraign then his Saviour And the revenging hand of God pursued his five chiefe Agents that were most instrumentall for him in his sacrilegious enterprise One of them killed his fellow in a Duell and was hang'd sor it a third drowned himselfe in a well a fourth fell from a great Estate to extream beggery Doctor Allen the last and chiefest of them being Arch-bishop of Dublin was cruelly slain by his Enemies Utinam his similibus exemplis c. saith the Author of this story I would men would take heed by these and the like examples how they meddle with things consecrated to God for if divine Justice so severely punished those that converted Church-goods though not so well administred to better uses doubtlesse And why but because they did it out of selfish and sinfull self-interested Principles and â—nds What shall become of such as take all occasions to rob God that they might enrich themselves Spoliantur Ecclesiae Scholae c. was Luthers complaint of old Parishes and Churches are polled and robbed of their maintenance as if they meant to starve us all The comfortable Resurrection of Gods poore despised People WHen we see one in the streets from every dunghill gather old pieces of rags and durty clouts little would we think that of those old rotten ragges beaten together in the Mill there should be made such pure fine white Paper as afterwards we see there is Thus the poor despised Children of God may be cast out into the world as dung and dross may be smeared and smooted all over with lying amongst the pots they may be in tears perhaps in bloud both broken-hearted and broken-boned yet for all this they are not to dispair for God will make them one day shine in joy like the bright stars of Heaven and make of them Royall Imperiall Paper wherein he will write his own name for ever Conversion of a sinner matter of great rejoycing IT is observable that Abraham made a feast at the weaning of his Son Isaac not on the day of his Nativity not on the day of his Circumcision but on that day when he was taken from his Mothers breast from sucking of Milk to taste of stronger meat This made a festival in Abrahams family and may very well make a feast in ever true Repentant sinners heart Nascimuâ— carâ—ales allactamur spirituales We are all of us conceived and born in sinne and with our Mothers milk have sucked in the bitter juyce of corrupt Nature but when it comes so to passe that by the speciall illumination of Gods holy Spirit shining into our hearts that we are weaned from the things of this World and raised up to those things which are at Gods right hand that we are new Creatures new Men c. This hath alwayes been matter of great rejoycing to the Angels of Heaven and must needs be the like to every sinner that is so converted Childrens Christian instruction the great benefit thereof IT is reported of the Harts of Scythia that they teach their young ones to leap from bank to bank from Rock to Rock from one turfe to another by leaping before them which otherwise tâ—ey would never practise of themselves by which meanes when they are hunted no Man or beast can ever overtake them So if Parents would but exercise their Children unto Godlinesse principle them in the wayes of God whilst they are young and season their tender years with goodnesse dropping good things by degrees into their narrow-moutn'd vessels and whetting the same upon their Memories by often repeating Sathan that mighty Hunter should never have them for his prey nor lead them captive at his Will they would not be young Saints and old Devils as the prophane Proverb hath it but young Saints and old Angels of heaven The joyes of Heaven not to be expressed St. Augustine tells us that one day while he was about to write something upon the eighth verse of the Thirty sixth Psalm Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures And being almost swallowed up with the Contemplation of Heavenly joyes one called unto him very loud by his name and enquiring who it was he answered I am Hierom with whom in my life time thou hadst so much conference concerning doubts in Scripture and am now best experienced to resolve thee of any doubts concerning the joyes of Heaven but onely let me first aske thee this question Art thou able to put the whole Earth and all the waters of the Sea into a little 〈◊〉 Canst thou measure the waters in thy fist and mete out Heaven with thy span or weigh the Mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance If not no more is it pâ—ssible that thy understanding should comprehend the least of those joyes And certainly The joyes of Heaven are inexpressible so sayes St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye may see farre it may reach the Stars but not the joyes of Heaven the ear may extend it selfe a great
and in the end uncomfortable singularities To take heed of strife vain-glory and pride in their own conceits to have such humble judgments as that they can be willing to learn any though unwelcome Truth to unlearn any though darling Error have such humble lives and purposes as that they can resolve to obey with duty whatsoever they are not able with reason to gainsay And thus it is that War may be in the Church but not Contention and jarring Difference of Judgment hath and ever will be in the Minds of Men And why so THere was never any Instrument so perfectly in tune in which the next hand that â—ouched it did not amend some thing Nor is there any Iudgment so strong and perspicatious from which another will not in somethings find ground of Variance See we not in the ancient Churches those great lights in their severall Ages at variance amongst themselves Ireneus with Victor Cyprian with Stephen Ierome with Austin Basil with Damasus Chrysostome with Epiphanius Cyril with Theodoret. Desired it may be Desired it may be but hoped it cannot That in the Church of God there would be no noyse of Axes and Hammers no diâ—â—erence in judgments and conceits For while there is corruption in our Nature narrownesse in our Faculties sleepinesse in our Eyes difâ—iculty in our Profession cunning in our Enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard things in the Scripture and an envious Man to superseminate there will still be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that will be differently minded In this hard necessity therefore when the first evil cannot be easily avoided our Wisdome must be to prevent the second that where there is not Perfection yet there may be Peace that dissentions of Iudgments break not forth into dis-union of hearts but that amidst the variety of our several conceits we preserve still the Unity of Faith and Love by which onely we are known to be Christ's Disciples Men not to be Censurers of one another IT was an old trick of the Gentiles as Gregory Nazianzen Arnobius and Minutius tell us to object illiteratenenesse unto the Christians But a very unfit way certainly it is for Christian Men amongst themselves to refute adverse opinions or to insinuate their own by their mutual undervalewing of each others parts and persons to censure every one for dull and bruitish who in judgment Varieth from their own conceits If then they must needs be censuring let them look to what is wanting in themselves and to what is usefull in their brethren The one will make them humble the other charitable and both peaceable The joyful coming of Christ Jesus in the Flesh. WHen Solomon was made King they did eat and drink with great gladâ—â—â—â— before the Lord 1 Chron. 29. 42. And at the solemn Inaugurations of such Kings and Princes the Trumpets sound the People shout the Conduits run wiâ—e Honours are dispensed gifts distributed prisons opened Offenders pardoned Acts of Grace published nothing suffered to eclipse the beauty of such a Festivity Thus it was at the coming of Christ Iesus in the Flesh Wisemen of the East brought Presents unto him rejoycing with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10 11. The glory of God shines on that day and an Heavenly hoast proclaim that joy Luke 2. 9 14. Iohn the Baptist leapeth in the Womb Mary rejoyceth in God her Saviour Zachary glorifieth God for the Horn of salvation in tâ—e house of David Simeon and Hanna blesse the Lord for the glory of Israel And after when he came to Ierusalem the whole Multitude spread garments strewed branches cryed before him and behind him Hosanna to the Son of David Hosanna in the highest Matth. 21. 9. And the Psalmist Prophesying long before of it said This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Psal. 118. 24. Hard to be drawn from Custome in Sin WAter may be easily dam'd up but no art or industry can make it run backward in its own channel It was by a Miracle that the River Iordan was driven back And it is very near if not altogether a Miracle that a Man accustomed to do evil should learn to do well That the Tyde of Sin which before did run so strong should be so easily turned That the Sinner which before was sailing Hell-ward and wanted neither wind nor tide to carry him should now alter his course and tack about for Heaven Hic labor hoc opus est this is a work indeed and that a hard one too To see the Earthly Man become Heavenly to see a Sinner move contrary to himself in the wayes of Christ and Holinesse is as strange as to see the Earth fly upward or the bowl run contrary to its own byass The commodity and discommodity of Learning AS the juice of the same Earth is sweet in the grape but bitter in the Wormwood Or as the same odour is a refreshment to the Dove but a poyson to the Scarabaeus So the same Learning qualified with Charity piety and meeknesse may be admirably usefull to edifie the Church which with Pride contempt and corrupt judgment may be used unto harmfull purposes as the Philosopher speaks Nothing is more dangerous then Wickednesse in armour Hence is it that Satan hath usually set on work the greatest Witts in sowing Errors in the Church as Agrippina gave Claudius poyson in his delicatest meat Or as Thieves use to pursue their prey with the swiâ—test horses so the Devill made choyce of Licentius a Man of rare parts but a corrupt mind Wherein Satan would fail of his end if Men would make no other use of their Gifts and Learning then to make them as engines and Instruments for the more happy promoting of Piety and pure Religion Holinesse an excellent thing ALexander coming with his Army against Ierusalem Jaddus the high Priest went out of the City to meet him adorned with his Priestly robes an upper garment of Purple embroydered with gold and a golden Plate on the fore-side wherein the Name of God was written The sight was so grave and solemn that the Emperour fell to the ground as reverencing the Name that was thereon inscribed Thus it is that in Holinesse there is such a sparkling luster that whosoever behold it must needs be astonished at it Nay even those that oppose it cannot but admire it Holinesse is an excellent thing a beautiful thing it carries a gracefull Majesty along with it wheresoever or in whomsoever it is truly and sincerely professed The least Man in the Ministery not to be contemned AS in a building some bring stones some timber others morter and some perhaps bring onely nails yet these are usefull these serve to fasten the work in the building Thus the Church of God is a spiritual building some Ministers bring stones are more eminent and useful others Timber others lesse they have but
warrantable search of Divine truth busie themselves about sounds of words and incoherent Scripture-sentences When partly from depravednesse of mind partly from ignorance partly from instability suddennesse and haste they take a snatch and run away with that which looks somewhat like the sense of Scripture and so deceive their own Souls crying out like the Mathematician in Athens I have found I have found it when indeed they have found nothing to the purpose nor any thing to the true information of themselves or others in the wayes of God and goodnesse The Subtile-Hypocrite THâ—re is mention made of Parrhasius and Xeuxis a pair of excellent Painters in those times that being upon tryall of their skill how to excell each other in the matter of their Art Xeuxis drew out a bunch of grapes so fair and well colour'd that the birds came and pecked at them to the great admiration of the beholders even as if they had been of a naturall and lively growth And the expectation was great what it could be that Parrhasius should draw to out-do so exquisite a piece of Workmanship He thereupon falls to his pensill and makes upon his Table the resemblance of a white sheet tack'd up with four nayls one at each corner so artificially that being offered to view Xeuxâ—â— bade him take away the sheet that they might see the excellency of his Aâ—t that was behind it Whereupon it was adjudged That Parrhasius had gone beyond him in so doing And but good reason too For the one had onely deceived silly birds but the other had put a trick upon a knowing Artist himself And so it is with the close reserved Hypocrite such is his subtilty that he doth not onely delude silly birds poor ignorant Souls but knowing Men experienced Christians and if it were possible the very Elect themselves He can compose his forehead to sadnesse and gravity whilest he bids his heart be wanton and carelesse and at the same time laugh within himself to think how smoothly he hath cozened the believing beholder The danger of immoderate Zeal against those of another judgment And how so THere is in the Nature of many Men a certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heat and activeness of spirit which then principally when conversant about Objects divine and matters of Conscience is wonderfull apt without a due corrective of Wisedome and knowledg to break forth into intemperate carriage and to disturb Peace It was Zeal in the women that persecuted S. Paul and it was Zeal in S. Paul who persecuted Christ before he knew him For as the Historian saith of some Men that they are sola socordia innocentes bad enough in themselves yet do little hurt by reason of a flegmatique and torpid constitution indisposing them for action So on the contrary men there may be Nay without all doubt some there are who having devotion like those Honourable Women not ruled by knowledg and Zeal like Quicksilver not allaied nor reduced unto usefullnesse by Wisedome and mature learning may be as Nazianzene saith they were in his time the causes of much unquiet Insomuch that Truth it self hath been stretched too far so that by a vehement dislike of Errour on the one side Men have run into an Errour on the other as Dionysius Alexandrinus being too servent against Sabellius did lay the grounds of Arrianism And Chrysostome in Zeal against the Manichees did too much extoll the power of Nature And Illiricus out of an hatred of the Papists lessening Originall Sin ran another extream to make it an essentiall corruption c. The All-sufficient Goodnesse of Christ Iesus ALl the good things that can be reckoned up here below have onely a finite and limited benignity some can cloath but cannot feed others can nourish but they cannot heal others can enrich but they cannot secure others adorn but cannot advance all do serve but none do satisfy They are like a beggars coat made up of many pieces not all enough either to beautify or defend But Christ is full and sufficient for all his People He ascended on high that he might fill all things Ephes. 4. 10. that he might pour forth such abundance of Spirit on his Church as might answer all the conditions whereunto they may be reduced Righteousnesse enough to cover all their Sins Plenty enough to supply all their wants Grace enough to subdue all their lusts Wisedome enough to resolve all their doubts Power enough to vanquish all their Enemies Vertue enough to cure all their diseases Fullnesse enough to save them and that to the utmost Over and besides there is in Christ something proportionable to all the wants and desires of his People He is bread Wine Milk living waters to feed them Ioh. 6. 5 7 37. He is a garment of Righteousness to cover and adorn them Rev. 13. 14. A Physitian to heal them Matth. 9. 12. a Counsellour to advise them Esay 9. 6. a Captain to defend them Heb. 2. 10. a Prince to rule a Prophet to teach a Priest to make attonement for them an Husband to protect a Father to provide a Brother to relieve a Foundation to support a Root to quicken an Head to guide a Treasure to enrich a Sun to enlighten and a Fountain to cleanse So that as the one Ocean hath more waters then all the Rivers of the World and one Sun more light then all the Luminaries in Heaven so one Christ is more all to a poor Soul then if it had the all of the whole World a thousand times over Men easily taken off from their Holy Profession upon removall of Iudgment condemned JOsephus tells us that the sons of Noah for some years after the floud dwelt on the tops of high Mountains not daring to take up their habitation in the lower ground for fear of being drownd by another floud yet in processe of time seeing no floud came they ventured down into the plain of Shinar where their former modesty we see ended in one of the boldest proudest attempts against God that the Sun was ever witnesse to The building of a Tower whose top should reach up to Heaven They who at first were so maidenly and fearfull as not to Venture down their Hills for fear of drowning now have a design to secure themselves against all future attempts from the God of Heaven himself Thus it is oft seen that Gods Iudgments leave such an impression in Mens spirits that a while they stand aloof from their sins as they on their hils afraid to come down to them but when they see fair weather continue and no clouds gather towards another storn then they can descend to their old wicked practises and grow more bold and Heaven-daring then ever O how nice and scrupulous are they while the smell of Fire is about them and the memory of their distresse fresh they are as tender of sinning as one that comes out of
but the work made him had quite lost him the Kings favour Thus it is that God is jealous of his honour he cannot endure that the Creature should have any share primarily therein but as derived and participated onely let every Man then especially such whose greatnesse makes them too apt to take too much unto them selves ascribe all unto God give all the glory to God and when they begin to give unto God never give over giving till they have given all that they are all that is his due all honour and glory praise power and dominion for evermore Man to be thankfull unto God upon consideration of the Creatures IT was a divine saying of Epictetus that Heathenish Philosopher admiring the singing of birds Si luscinia essem c. If I had been made a Nightingale I should have sung like a Nightingale now that I am made a Man a reasonable Creature shall I not serve God and praise him in that station wherein he hath set me Thus he an Heathen and thus we Christians are to consider the Creatures leading the way unto the duty of thankfulnesse First what they are mutually to each other and then what they are to us and lastly what they are to God in their kind ever thankfull so that it is conceived that one of the foulest and shamefullest things that the Creatures shall lay to mans charge at the day of Judgment is that all other Creatures from the Creation have been obedient to God without the least digression onely Man for whom and for whose service all else were made hath failed in his service and proved rebellious and unthankfull Riches the danger of them being not well used IN an Artichock there is a little picking meat not so wholesome as delicious and nothing to that it shews for more then the tenth part is unprofitable leaves and besides there 's a core in the midst of it that will choak a Man if he take not good heed Such a thing is Wealth that Men so covetously desire It is like some kind of Fish so full of bones and unseen that no Man can eat of them without great danger The Rich Mans Wealth is very troublesome to the outward Man like a long garment that is too side if he tread upon it he may chance to catch a fall a fall into much discontent and envy of the World But to the Soul Riches if not well imployed prove very pernitious making a Man vainly confident thinking that he is so walâ—'d and moated about that he is out of all Gunshot when he is more open to danger then a poorer Man then they make him proud And Pride saith S. Bernard is the Rich mans cosen it blows him up like a bladder with a quill then he growes secure and so falls into suddain ruine Mortification the great necessity thereof SOme Physitians hold that in every two years there is such store of ill humours and excrementitious matter ingendred in the body of Man that if not by Physick purged out a vessel of one hundreth ounces will scarce contain them so that according to this accompt in a short time the whole body would be morbus complicatus nothing but diseases If it be so then in the Body What shall we think of the Soul Certainly there 's a World of Wickednesse and superfluity of naughtinesse even a bed of spirituall diseases daily gathered and got together in the Sin-sick Soul purged therefore it must needs be by the practice of Mortification according to that of the Apostle Mortiâ—ie therefore your Earthly members not as those Religious Roman Bedlams that whip and lash their bodies but to dead that body of Sin that it may not have dominion over us nor reign in our mortal bodies The excellency of Vnity in Church and Common-weale PLiny writes of a certain stone called Lapis Tyrrhenus that grandis innatat comminutus mergitur While it is whole and entire it swims aloft but if it be broken into pieces every piece and parcel sinks to the bottom So the Church and Common-weal by Unity float and swim aloft and are supported and kept above water but if they crumble into sects and factions and divide into parts and parties like those that fled to Franckford in Q. Maries dayes or that uncommunion-like Sacramentarian difference that made Strigelius wish himself in his grave they are near unto destruction For Unity is the life and Soul of both Church and State Daunum et Populus est tolle unum et turba est a disgregation rather then a Congregation Confusion rather then Order or Government Love the great want thereof to be deplored AS in the dayes of Deborah there was neither Spear nor Shield As in the dayes of Saul there was no Smith in Israel As in the dayes of Solomon there was no Manna to be found As on the Mountains of Gilboa no rain In Gilead no Balm No flowers in Bashan in Sichem no corn being sowed with salt In Tyrus no ships In Cimmeria no light So in England no Love or which is to be deplored but a little We have plenty of all things but of Love If there be an hundred Men in a Town or place scarce two love together and agree as they should and in this worse then Devills seven of them could agree in Mary Magdalen and a Legion in another which is seven thousand six hundred twenty two as Vegetius and Varro affirm but scarce seven Men of seven hundred love as brethren It cannot be said with S. Paul As touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you For most Men in our dayes are either brethren and not good fellowes or else good fellowes and not brethren The composition is rare there be few Philadelphians in the World Schismaticks are all for the brotherhood and nothing for Fellowship on the contrary wicked Atheists are all for Fellowship and nothing for Brotherhood So that such are the divisions that are to be found in the midst of us not as Labans sheep into three Companies some white some black some speckled but into threescore if possible into more so that there is little Love and lesse agreement but God it is to be hoped will make us Friends in Heaven where all Injuries shall be forgotten Alms-giving how to be regulated SElymus the great Turk as he lay languishing his incurable disease still increasing leaning his head in the lap of Pyrrhus the Bassa whom of all others he most loved I see said he O Pyrrhus I must shortly die without remedy Whereupon the great Bassa took occasion to talk with him of many great matters And amongst others that it would please him to give order for the well bestowing of the great wealth taken from the Persian Merchants in divers places of his Empire perswading him to bestow the same upon some notable Hospital for relief of the Poor
we sing Laudate Dominum omnes gentes Praise the Lord all ye Nations Then the Name of Christ was an oyntment kept close in a box but now it is an oyntment poured out And lastly then the Church was a Garden enclosed a Fountain sealed up but now it is a springing Well that overflowes the World to renew it as Noah's floud did to destroy it The Company of Wicked Men to be avoided IT was once the Prayer of a good Gentlewoman when she was to die being in much trouble of Conscience O Lord let me not go to Hell where the Wicked are For Lord thou knowest I never loved their Company here the same in effect though not in the same words was that of holy David Lord gather not my Soul with Sinners Thus if Men would not have their Souls gathered with Wicked Men hereafter they must take heed of joyning with them here Can God take it well at any Mans hands to go and shake hands with his Enemies God himself will not so much as reach out his hand to the Wicked Why then should any of us do so Can we be in any place where we see God dishonoured and sit still as though not concerned therein Certainly the sight of Sin wheresoever or by whomsoever it is committed should cause horror in the Soul it should make us forbear coming into such wretched Company Time mis-spent to be carefully redeemed IT is observable that when Men have mis-spent their youth in Riotous living neglected all means of thriving and prodigally wasted their Estates but coming to riper years and being beaten with the rod of their own experience in the sight of their folly do not onely desist from their former lewd courses but are sorry and ashamed of them and set themselves with so much the more care and diligence to recover and repair their decay'd estates and with the greater earnestnesse use all good means of thriving And he that being to travell about important businesse nearly concerning his life and estate if he have over-slept himself in the Morning or trifled out his time about things of no worth when he sees his error and folly he makes the more haste all the day following that he may not be benighted and so coming short of his journey be frustrate of his hopes And thus must every good Christian do labouring with so much the more earnestnesse after the spiritual riches of Grace and assurance of his Heavenly hope by how much the longer he hath neglected the spiritual thriâ—t And traâ—elling so much the more speedily in the wayes of God by how much the longer he hath deferred his journey and loytered by the way fearing as the Apostle speaketh lest a promise being left of entring into Gods rest he come short of it Heb. 4. 1. Sacriledg the heavy Iudgments of God depending thereon POmpey the Great who is noted by Titus Livius and Cicero to be one of the most fortunate Souldiers in the World yet after he had abused and robbed the Temple of Ierusalem he never prospered but velut unda sâ—pervenit undam as one wave followeth another so ill successes succeeded to him one on the neck of another till at last he made an end of an unhappy life by a miserable death Many more Examples of the like nature are recorded to posterity To what purpose To forewarn them of the heavy Iudgments that depend upon all Sacrilegers that as the Aâ—k of God could find no resting place amongst the Philistines but was removed from Asdod to Gath from Gath to Ekron and so from place to place till it came to it 's own proper place so shall it be with the goods of Gods Church of what nature soever being wrung out of the Churche's hands by violence Quae malignè contraxit Pater pejori fluxu refundet haeres That which the Father hath so wickedly scraped together the Sonne shall more wickedly scatter abroad and so it shall passe and repasse from one to another untill it be far enough from him and his for whom it was collected so tâ—at the out-side of all his goodly purchase will be the Iudgment of God against himself and the curse of God to remain upon his Posterity Nothing but Eternity will satisfie the gratious Soul WHen there were severall attempts made upon Luther to draw him back again to the Romish side one proposed a summe of Money to be offered unto him No that will not do sayes another Illa bestia Germanica non curat argentum c. That German beast cares not for money nor any temporal thing whatsoever and so they ceased any further tampering that way Such was the Christian resolution of those Fourâ—y Martyrs under the persecution of Liciâ—ius the Emperor Anno 300. that when Agricolaus his chief Governour and one of the Devil 's prime Agents set upon them by severall wayes to renounce Christ and at last tempted them with money and preferments they all cryed out with one consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O Eternity Eternity Give money that may last â—or 〈◊〉 and glory that may never fade away Nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified will serve S. Paul's turn And thus it is that nothing but Eternity will satisfie the gratious Soul Let all the World the things of Heaven and Earth present themselves to the Soul by way of satisfaction it will say What are ye Temporal or Eternal If temporal away with them but if they bring Eternity along with them if the Inscription of Eternity be set on them then it closes with them and is satisfied in the sweet enjoyment of them The Ranters Religion IT is reported of the Lindians a People in the Isle of Rhodes who using to offer their Sacrifices with curses and execrable Maledictions thought their unholy holy-Rites were prophaned if that in all the time of the solemnity vel imprudenti alicui exciderit verbum bonum any one of them at unawares should have cast out or let fall one good word Such is the irreligious Religion and desperate carriage of a wretched crew called Ranters whose mouthes are fill'd with cursing and blasphemous speeches and that in such an â—orrid and confused manner as if Pythagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to be credited a Man would think Rabshekah's Soul had been transported into their bodies their Dialect being alike Divellish their language semblable Flatterers to be avoided WHen Xerxes with his multitudinous Army marched towards Greece and asked of his Friends What they feared most and one said That when the Greeks heard of his coming they would fly away before he could come near them another said He feared the ayr had not room enough for the arrowes of his Army another feared All Greece was not sufficient to quarter his Souldiers in And then Damascerus the Philosopher said He feared that all those Parasites would deceive him And no
Iohn even Christ himself will begin to preach What if a Sulpitius die at Rome a Tully is left behind What though a good King a good Minister a good Magistrate be removed he chears up himself that as good may succeed however he lies down with patience expecting the event If God take away his estate in this World manet altera caelo he looks for a better in Heaven If he be traduced by Men he shall be cleared by God If he lose his life here he shall find it hereafter Men upon hearing of the joyes of Heaven to be much taken therewith THe Gaules an ancient People of France after they had once tasted of the sweet wine of the grapes that grew in Italy inquired after the Country where such pleasant liquor was and understanding of it they made towards the place and never rested till they came thither where such pleasant things grew Thus when the Minister hath endeavoured to lay open the rich and pretious things of God and brought unto our Souls some of the clusters of Canaan and some of that Wine which is to be drunk in the Kingdom of Heaven let it be our parts to close in with him in the pursuit after such good things and not to let out Hearts rest till we come to taste the sweet and enjoy the benefit thereof Order to be in the Church of God AS there is an Order in God himself even in the blessed Trinity where though the Persons be co-eternal and co-equall and the Essence it self of the Deity indivisible yet there is the first second and third Person And as in God so in the whole Creation Angels have their Orders Thrones and Dominions Principalities and Powers and an Arch-angel that at the last shall blow the Trumpet So it is amongst the Saints the Souls of Just men perfected all of them have enough none of them want yet there 's a difference in the measure of their glory because every one hath his own Reward according to his labour Stars are not all of one Magnitude one differs from another in glory As for things below some have onely a being some being and life others being life and sense and others besides all these have Reason and Understanding All Arts and Sciences before they can be learned must be reduced into Order and Method A Camp well disciplined is a perfect pattern of good Order Nay there is a kind of Order even in Hell it self a place of disorder and confusion And shall then God and Belial Angels and Men Saints and Devils Heaven and Earth be all in Order and the Church out It cannot be The Church is to be as an army with banners to consist of Governors and governed some to teach and some to hear Ordine quisque suo all in decency and in Order How the Humane nature may in some sort be said to excell the Angelical A Chain that is made up of coorse gold may in some sense be said to outvalue that which is made up of â—iner not in respect of the Nature and perfection of the gold but because there is a very rich Iewell fixed unto it So the Angelical nature may in respect of its pure and undefiled quality be said to excell that which is humane yet the humane in another way excells it because there is that sparkling Diamond of the Divine Nature fastned unto it Verbum caro factum The Word made Flesh the Son of God made like unto the Son of Man in all things Sin onely excepted passing by the Angels taking the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. Mention of the joyes of Heaven to be a winning subject upon the Souls of Men. IT is reported of Adrianus an Officer unto Maximinianus the Tyrant that seeing the constancy of Martyrs in suffering such grievous things for the cause of Christ was very earnest to know what was that which caused them so willingly to undergo such exquisite torments One of them there being at that time two and twenty under the Tormentors hands made answer in that text of St. â—aul Eye hath not seen ear hath not heâ—rd neither hath it entred into the heart of Man to conceive what is laid up for them that love God Upon the hearing whereof Adrianus was converted to the Christian faith and sâ—aled the profession thereof with his bloud Thus ought the very mention of the joyes of Heaven to be as a winning argument to work upon the Souls of Men not to â—it down contented with the greatest things in the World if they once appear in competition with the things of Heaven Shall Mens hearts stirre when they hear of Gods wrath and dreadfulnesse of his displeasure against Sin And shall not their hearts burn within them for joy when they hear of the goodnesse of God and of the Riches of the grace of God and of the wonderfull thoughts that he hath for the everlasting good of Mankind Reverence to be used in the Worship of God WHen Moses had received the Law from the mouth of the Law-giver himself and had published the same and finished the Tabernacle of the Ark and Sanctuary he musters up all the Tribes and Families of Israel from twenty years of age upwards The number of the whole Army was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty Men of War besides Women and Children and strangers that followed out of Egypt these he divides into four grosse and mighty Battailions In the midst of them the Tabernacle as it were a portable Temple was carried being surrounded by the Levites and the Levites by the other Tribes so that not onely the Pagans and Heathens were forbidden accesse unto it but the sentence of death passed upon every Soul of the Israelites themselves that durst be so bold as to approach it such who were not Levites to whom the charge was wholly committed So sacred was it and with such reverence guarded and regarded that two and twenty thousand Priests were dedicated to the service and attendance thereof which was performed with such dutifull observance in the preserving and laying up of the holy vessels the solemn removing together with the prudent and provident defence of the same that it might well procure all due reverence to the holy things of God and encrease zeal and devotion in such as drew near unto him This was their devotion to the Ark of God then and afterwards to the Temple and ought to be continued amongst all good Christians to the house of God the house of Prayer now in times of greater light But which is to be lamented whereas most of our Châ—rches have two doors Superstition crept in long since at the one and Prophanesse hath of later dayes shouldered in at the other so that had there been more fear and Reverence in the hearts of Men towards the worship of God and the parts
Men take heed then how they multiply their cups as in that Feast of Ahashuerus at Shushan where every Man drank as much as he lift but content themselves with Timothy's Modicum prescribed by S. Paul One cup is enough two are too much and three too little but How may that be When a Man hath taken off three he is fit if possible for three hundred and then ab hilaritate ad ebrietatem lubricus est gradus He shall find to his sorrow that from mirth to madnesse the step is very slippery The great pains that Wicked Men take to go to Hell IT is observed of Antiochus Epiphanes one of the Kings of Syria that he was a most cruel Persecutor of the Church and undertook more troublesome journeys and went upon more hazardous designs meerly to trouble vex and oppose the Church of the Iews then ever any of his Predecessors did about any other conquest or noble enterprize that he travelled more miles to do mischief as he that compareth their journeys then any of the Saints did to do good And thereupon concludes the Story of him with this general truth concerning all wicked Men That they go with more pains to eternal death then the Saints to eternal rest that they toyl themselves more and suffer more hardship to work out their own damnation then the godly do to work out their Salvation Thus it is that a Wicked ungodly Man is said to travell with pain all the dayes of his life and wearying himself in the way to Hell doing the Devils drudgery And whereas a good Man is mercifull to his beast he is unmercifull to himself and tires himself more then a good Man will tire his beast For he that will follow Sin and serve his own lusts especially the lust of Pride and oppression serveth a hard Master one that will make him sweat for it and pay him home at last with eternal death so that the work of Sin is bad enough but as to the Sinner the wages is worse Proper Names of Men not to be so much regarded as Appellative A Poor Shepherd in Germany when divers observing the Cardinal of Colein and admiring his pomp as a Prince whereas his calling was but a Bishop O sayes the Shepherd Cum damnatus fuerit Rex quid fiet de Episcopo If the great Duke should go to Hell for pride What would become of the humble Bishop Thus as with Titles so is it with the Names of Men It is not the proper Name but the Appellative not the Nominal but the Reall that makes a good Construction in Gods grammer Abraham is a good Name but the Father of the Faithfull is a better Moses a good Name but the servant of God much better David a good Name but a Man after Gods own heart far better so it may be said of S. Iohn he had a good Name but to be the beloved Disciple of Iesus Christ was much beyond it Paul a good Name but to be a chosen vessell of the Lord much more So that Grace is not tyed to Names Theodorus Theodosius Dorotheus Theodatus Deodatus Adeodatus all signifying the gift of God may well be given to our Children but it is the Grace of God that maketh happy No Man hath the mystery of his Fortune written in his Name Names are not Propheticall much lesse Magicall yet the Civill use of them is for distinction Nomen quasi Notamen and the Religious use of them hath by good antiquity been alwaies observed in the Sacrament of Baptism Excessive drinking condemned A Nacharsis had a saying that the first draught of Wine is for thirst the second for nourishment the third for mirth the fourth for madnesse Whereupon Calisthenes being pressed to quaffe off a great Bowl of Wine which bowl they called Alexander gravely replyed That he would not for drinking of Alexander stand in need of Aesculapius i. e. he would drink no more then what should do him good And it were heartily to be wished that all Men were of his mind but so it is that now adayes a drunken health like the Conclusion in a Syllogism must not be denyed yea such and so excessive is the custom of high drinking that S. Basil makes it a wonder How the bodies of Drunkards being by Nature framed of Earth do not with so much moysture dissolve into clay and water Books of Piety and Religion testimoniall at the great day of Iudgment IT is usual in Scripture to ascribe a testimony to the more notable circumstances and accidents of humane life as to the rust of hoarded money to the solemn publications of the Gospel the dust of the Apostles feet And so downward in the Primitive times when grown persons were baptized they were wont to leave a stole or white garment in the vestry for a Testimony and witnesse of their Baptism Wherefore when one Elpidophorus had revolted from the Faith the Deacon of the Church came and told him O Elpidophorus I will keep this stole as a Monument against thee to all Eternity And thus it is that Books of Piety and devotion being publique Monuments are much of this Nature a testimony likely to be produced in the day of Iudgment not only against the Authors but the Persons into whose hands they shall happen to be perused in case on either side there be any defection in Iudgment or manners from the Truths therein expressed Atheistical Wicked Men at the hour of Death forced to confesse Gods Iudgments IT is the report of a Reverend Divine now with God concerning an Atheist in England A young Man sayes he was a Papist but soon fell into dislike of their superstition He became a Protestant but that did not please him long England could not content him he reels to Amsterdam there he fell from one sect to another till he lighted upon the Familists The first Principle they taught him was this There is no God as indeed they had need to sear up their Consciences and dam up all natural light that turn Familists hereupon he fell to a loose life committed a Robbery was convicted condemned and brought to die At the Execution he desired a little time uttering these words Say what you will surely there is a God loving to his Friends terrible to his Enemies And thus it is that the lewdest Reprobates the most wretched Atheists that spit in the face of Heaven and wade deepest in bloud are forced at the time of Death when they see the hand-writing of Gods Iudgments upon the wall to confesse there is a God who is just in all his wayes and wondrous in all his works Fleshly-lusts the danger of them IT is said of the Torpedo a kind of dangerous Sea-fish that it is of so venomous a Nature that if it chance to touch but the line of him that angles the poyson is thereby
recorded of one Sir William Champney in the Reign of King Henry the third that living in Tower street London he was the first Man that ever builded a Turret on the top of his house that he might the better overlook all his Nâ—ighbours but it so hapned that not long after he was struck blind so that he which would see more then others saw just nothing at all A sad judgment And thus it is just with God when Men of towring high thoughts must needs be prying into those Aâ—cana Dei the hidden secrâ—ts of God that they should be struck blind on the place and come tumbling down in the midst of their so curious enquiry At the Ascension of Christ it is said that he was taken upo in a Cloud being entred into his presence Chamber a curtain as it were was drawn to hinder his Disciples gazing and our further peeping yet for all that a Man may be pius pâ—lsator though not temerarius scrutator he may modestly knock at the â—ounsel door of Gods secâ—ets but if he enâ—er further he may assure himself â—o be more bold â—hen welcome Gods comfortable appearance to his People in the hour of Death MAster Dering a little before his death being raised up in his bed and seeing the Sunshine was desired to speak his mind said There is but one Sâ—n that giveth light to the whole World but oâ—e Righteousnesâ—e one Communion of Saints As concerning Deaâ—h I see such joy of spirit that if I should have pardon of life on the one side and sentence of Death on the other I had rather choose a thousand times to dye then to live And another one Mr. Iohn Holland lying at the point of Death said What brightnesse do I see and being told it was the Suâ—shine No saith he My Saviour shines Now farewell World welcomâ— Heaven the Day-star from oâ— high hath visited me Preach at my Funeral God dealeth comfortably and familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God he knoweth but I see things that are unutterable Thus it is that the People of God have the comfortable appearance of him self at the time of their dissolution the door of Heaven standing then as it were a charr they are ravished with the very glimpse of those things that are at Gods right hand Whether they look up to God wâ—om they have offended or downward upon Hell which they have deserved backward upon Sins committed forwards upon Iudgments to be feared the Spirit helpeth their Infirmities Christ intercedeth for them and God standeth by with the arms of his Mercy ready open to receive them A good Man denominated from the goodnesse of his Heart IT is one of Aristotles axiomes that the goodnesse or badnesse of any thing is denominated from its Principle Hence it is that we call that a gooâ— Tree that hath a good root that a good house that hath a good foundation that good Money that is made of good Mettal that good cloth that is made of good â—ool But a good Man is not so called because he hath good hands a good head good words a good voice and all the lineaments of his body similar and composeâ— as it were in a Geometrical symmetry but because he hath a good Heart good affections good principles of Grace whereby all the faculties both of Body and Soul are alwaies in a posture of readinesse to offer up themselves a living and acceptable Sacrifice unto God Almighty Faith and Repentance to be daily renewed and encreased AS the natural life of Man doth consist upon that which by the Physitians is called Humor radicalis and Calor naturalis Natural heat and radicall moysture for indeed all life is sustained by motion and motion is between contrarieties So in the life spiritual there must be of necessity two contrary qualities Repentance continually to put off our own Unrighteousnesse and Faith to put on Christ's the one to work upon the other so to preserve life by motion Not to sit down with those Anabaptistical and fanatick spirits that limit a certain time for sorrow and Repentance for the best of us all are but leaking Vessels and we must ply the Pump daily for fear of drowning as long as there is excesse of evill and defect of good within us Repentance must be renewed and Faith increased daily Death onely being the end and complement of our Repentance and Mortification even as our Râ—surrection shall be the period and ultimate of our Faith and Vivificatiâ—n To be much more carefull of the Soul than body IT was provided in the old Law that the weight of the Sanctuary should be double to the ordinary weight and that the shekell of the Sanctuary should be worth as much again as that of the Common-wealth which was valued at Fifteen pence And all this to hint out unto us that God must have double weight in matters that appertain unto him in the salvation of our Souls double care double diligence that is twice as much care of our Souls as of our bodies begging oftner for Spiritual then temporal things hence is it that there is in the Lords prayer but one Petition for Earthly things and two for Heavenly linked as it were together but one for daily bread and two for pardon of sins and Graces to fight against them The Crown of Perseverance S. Chrysostome makes mention of the Women of Corinth who had a custome to set up lights or tapers at the birth of every child with proper names and look what name the taper bare which lasted longest in the burning they transferd that name to the Child But the Lord doth put up a perpetual burning lamp to be as a Monument for all those that shall persevere in well-doing to the end It is not enough to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh It is not for him that runneth but for him that runneth so that runneth to the end that persevereth that the Crown is reserved It is he that shall eat of the hidden Manna he that shall have the white stone and in the stone a new name written which no Man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Rev. 2. 17. How to discover our thoughts in Preparation to Prayer IN the Levitical Law things that crept upon all four were forbidden yet if they had feet to leap withall they were judged to be clean Even so howsoever some of our thoughts are taken up about the things of this World our trades and businesse yet if we have leggs to leap up with that we can raise up our hearts to God and better things when we come to pray and prostrate our selves before him it is not to be condemned they may passe for clean well enough But if they alwayes creep on the ground if never raised higher then the Earth if no good
Vice and all kind of vanity a Temple fit for the Holy Ghost to duell in a Vessell and preserver of the Graces of Gods holy Spirit Discretion the guide of all Religious actions THere is a story how divers ancient Fathers came to S. Anthony enquiring of him What Virtue did by a direct line lead to perfection that so a Man might shun the snares of Sathan He bade every one of them speak his opinion One said Watching and Sobriety Another said Fasting and Discipline A third said Humble prayer A fourth said Poverty and Obedience And another Piety and works of Mercy but when every one had spoke his mind his answer was That all these were exâ—ellent Graces indeed but Discretion was the chief of them all And so without all doubt it is being the very Auriga Virtutum the guide of all Virtuous and Religious actions the Moderator and Orderer of all the Affections For whatsoever is done with it is Virtue and what without it is Vice An ounce of Discretion is said to be worth a pound of Learning as Zeal without Knowledg is blind so Knowledg without Discretion is lame like a sword in a Mad-man's hand able to do much apt to do nothing Tolte hanc et virtus vitium erit He that will fast must fast with Discretion he must so mortifie that he do not kill his Flesh He that gives Alms to the poor must do it with Discretion Omâ—i petenti non omnia petenti to every one that doth ask but not everything that he doth ask so likewise pray with discretion observing place and time place lest he be reputed an Hypocrite time lest he be accounted an Heretick And thus it is that Discretion is to be made the guide of all Religious performances Humility exalted THe Naturalists do observe that the Egyptian Fig-tree being put into the Water presently sinks to the bottom but being well soaked with moysture contrary to the nature of all other wood bwoyes it self up to the top of the Water So we may say of humble-minded Men they keep the lowest place and degree in every thing but when in such places they are sooked with the waters of grace and devotion with the waters of tears and compunction of heart with the waters of pitty and compassion of other Mens miseries then do they after death especially swim up to that incomparable weight of glory which God hath assured to the poor in spirit Ioâ— 22. No Worldly thing must hinder the Service of God IT was a good saying out of a Wicked Man's mouth When Balaac put hard upon Balaam to curse the People of God No sayes he I cannot do it If Balaac would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot do it I cannot go beyond the Commandement of God to do either good or bad of my own mind but what the Lord saith that will I speak And thus it is that when a Man is put upon any sinfull design such as shall not be agreeable to the Word of God nor suit with the dictates of his own Conscience let him desist with that resolution of Ioseph How can I do this great Wickednesse and so sin against God Avoid Sathan away with Riches Honours Preferments c. if they once appear to dis-engage me from the service of my God If not onely a house full of gold and silver but all the Kingdoms of the World were to be at my dispose I would forgoe them all forsake them all that I might stick close unto the service of so good a Master as God is Every Man is to make himself sure of Heaven and Heavenly things IT is related of a Man that being upon the point of drowning in a great River he looked up and saw the Rainbow in the Clouds and considering that God had set it there as a sign of his Covenant never more to drown the World by water makes this sad conclusion to himself But what if he save the whole World from a deluge of Waters and suffer me to be drown'd here in this River I shall be never the better for that when I am once gone all the world is gone with me Thus it is in the matter of Heaven and Heavenly things as in the point of Calling and Election whereas it is said That many are called but few chosen so that if a Man cannot make out unto himself that he is none of the Many so called and one of the few that shall be certainly saved he must needs be but in a sad condition What is the bloud of Christ though in it self sufficient to save ten thousand Worlds if it be not efficient in the application thereof unto his Soul He shall be never the better for it What if the Gospel come to him in Word onely and not in power not in the Holy Ghost and full assurance it would do him little good What are Promises if he be not Heir of them VVhat are Mercies if he be no sharer in them VVhat is Heaven if he have no Evidence for it And what is Christ though all in all in himself yet nothing nay the further occasion of damnation to him if he he not in him The deaths of Faithful Magistrates Ministers c. to be lamented IT is reported in the Life of S. Ambrose That when he heard of the death of any holy Minister of Christ he would weep bitterly The like may be read of Philo the learned Iew That when he came to any Town or Village and heard of the death of any good Man there dwelling he would mourn exceedingly because of the great losse that that place and the whole Church of Christ had received thereby How much more cause have we then of this Nation to lament our sad Condition who have in few years lost so many Reverend learned and Godly Ministers Magistrates and others Needs must we languish when the breath of our nostrils is expired needs must the Church be in a tottering estate when her props and supporters are taken away and such a one is every good Magistrate in his place every painful Preacher in his Parochial charge every child of God in the Precinct where he dwells And if the taking away of any of these be not matter of sorrow I know not what is Antinomian madnesse IT is said of Lycurgus that being cast into a phrensy by Dionysius in that distemper thinking to have cut down a Vine with the same hatchet slew his own Son So the Antinomist being possest with a spiritual phrensy which he calls Zeal when he lifts up his hatchet to cut off some errours which like luxuriant branches have sprung up about the Law cuts down at unawares the very Law it self both root and branch making the observation of it arbitrary in respect of Salvation or as a Parenthesis in a sentence where the sense may be perfect without it For under colour
of advancing Gods free Grace in Mans salvation and affecting Christian liberty they abrogate the whole Moral Law as if it were worthy of no better entertainment among Christians then Iehojakim gave to Ieremies prophecies when he cut the roul in pieces and threw it into the fire to be consumed The Devills policy to root out Learning IT is said of Iulian the Apostate that he might the better root out the name of Christianity he did disgrace the Orthodox Bishops cast an odium upon the honour and office of Priesthood make away Church-maintenance and Church-priviledges forbad Christian Schools and places of Learning for instruction of their youth permitted not the Christians to meet together not to have any benefit of Law any share in Government or any degree of dignity and all this that he might the better advance his own wicked designes Thus the Devill by such and the like artifices projecteth the dishonours of Learning and Learned men that so in the dark of Ignorance and decay of Arts he may form and compleat the modell of his own Diabolical Kingdome that having put out the eye of good instruction he may seduce the poor silly People as Captives at his Will The excellency of a good Name THere is mention made by S. Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a certain art of drawing of Pidgeons to their Dove 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Countries by anoiâ—ting the Wings of one of them with a sweet ointment and it being sent abroad doth by the fragrancy of that ointment as it were dequoy invite and allure others to that house where it self is a domestick Thus as a good Name is bonum Utile a second Patrimony and bonum Honestum one of the requisites that makes up a compleat Christian so it is bonum Iucundum better then a pretious ointment then an ointment poured forth drawing all good Men after the savour thereof so that a Preacher well-reported of shall not want Hearers A Physitian of good report shall not want Patients The Lawyer that hath a good report shall not want Clients Nor the Schoolmaster Schollers Nor the Tradesman customers Nor the poor Man friends such is the attractive faculty of a good Name Cant. 1. 3. Wicked Children a great grief to their Parents S. Augustine reports of his mother Monica that as often as her Children did sin against God so often she did as it were travell in birth of them again every evill report she heard did as it were cause a new throw Nay it is verily thought the pains and pangs of Childbirth are not so tedious to the Mother as those after-pains that are caused by the leud conversation of their ungratious Children For those pains though they be sharp they are soon over and there is some comfort in the midst of them that a Child is coming into the World But when a good Eunice a careful Mother shall do her best endeavour to train up her Children in the fear of God acquainting them with the holy Scriptures which are able to make them wise to Salvation and yet at last shall find all her labour lost her hopes frustraâ—e her Children carried away with leud and vicious Company into all manner of loose conversation this must needs bring her gray head with sorrow to the grave Prov. 10. 1. Gods Omniscience PIerius in his Hieroglyphicks wittily resembles God by the picture of an eye standing upon the top of a staff the staff being an Emblem of 〈◊〉 power anâ— scepter wherewith he governs And the eye as an expresse of his all-searching Knowledge whereby he dives and pierceth into the secrets of all hearts Thus it is that no man can entertain a sinfull thought though slumbring upon his bed nor effect a wicked purpose though bolted in his lodging when the windows are closed and the Curtains drawn but ad Lunae lumina visus erit the eye of Heaven sees it knows it and writes it down in the book of Accompts yea and at the last day will summon and warn that Soul to a reckoning for it The lawfull use of humane Learning in Sermons QU. Elizabeth of ever blessed memory having heard Dr. Thomas Dove B. of Peterborough preach before her at her Mannour of Richmond he being a moâ—â— eloquent and facetious Scholler said That she thought verily the holy Ghost was descended again in this Dove And surely whatsoever others may think of humane Learning as Rhetoricall figures and tropes and other artificiall ornaments of speech taken from prophane Authours to be but paintings fitter for wanton strumpets then habits for chaste Matrons more beseeming the stage then the Pulpit yet let such know that Iudith did attire her head as well as Iesabell and that seeing now the extraordinary gifts of Tongues and Miracles are ceased and that knowledg is not infusa but acquisita Eloquence may serve as an Handmaid and Tropes and Figures as Iewells and Ornaments to adorn the chaste Matron Divinity God the onely searcher of the secrets of the Heart A Ram King of Syria by the advice of his Councell secretly layeth an ambuscado for the hoast of Israel but God revealed the whole plot to Elisha the Prophet and he to the King of Israel whereby they all escaped there being not a word spoken in their Enemies bed-chamber not a thought or intimation of a thought but God discloseth it for their good And thus though the Heart of Man be seated in a darksome Closet wall'd round about with flesh swadled up and covered with the richest hangings of Natures wardrobe so charily attended so shrowded with vails that though he bear it in his bosome feed it with his own goods study to delight and please it though it be his own yet if he would give a world for the sight of it he could not have it yet neither is the Heart so close imprisoned but God beholds it nor a thought so privily conceived but he descries it nor a spark of Lust so softly blown and kindled but he discerns it nor the smallest seed of Ungodlinesse so warily covered but he reveals it The Devill 's cunning to deceive IT was antiently said of Eucrates a crafty Companion that would do any thing for advantage Vias novit quibus efâ—ugiat Eucrates Eucrates has more tricks then one there 's no trap will easily catch him So may we say of that subtle Serpent the Devil whose Agent every Godlesse Man is that mille habet nocendi artes he hath a thousand wayes to deceive he can either fingere personam as when he appeared in Samuels mantle or sumere personam when he gave that fatall rout to all Mankind so it may make for his Hellish improvement he can transform himself into any shape whatsoever nay he knoweth how to be an Angell of light to deceive if it were possible the very Elect. Men seeking after high Preferment not fit to
vervells upon her leggs and a dark hood upon her head Et quare capititium quare compedes saith the Father Why is she hood-wink'd why fettered lest she should fly away he would not by any means have her out of call but that she might be alwayes within the lure Thus God deals with his children there cannot be a more evident sign of his love then when he chastiseth them nor a greater evidence of his hatred and rejection then when he gives Men over to do what they list to go on and prosper in all wicked and licentious courses When he lets Men neglect all duties without controlement he makes it manifest that his purpose is to turn them out of service and when he lets them feed at will in the pleasant pastures of Sin it is more then probable that he hath destinated them to the slaughter God not the Author of Sin AS a Man that cutteth with a dull knife is the cause of cutting but not of the ill cutting and hackling of the knife the knife is the cause of that Or if a Man strike upon an Instrument that is out of tune he is the cause of the sound but not of the jarring sound that 's the fault of the untuned strings Or as a Man riding upon a lame horse stirres him the Man is the cause of the motion but the horse himself of the halting motion Thus God is the Author of every action but not of the evill of that action that 's from Man He that makes Instruments and tools of Iron or other metal he maketh not the rust and canker which corrupteth them that 's from another cause nor doth that Heavenly Workman God Almighty bring in sin and iniquity nor can he be justly blamed if his Creatures do soyl and besmear themselves with the foulnesse of sin for he made them good Gen. 1. 10. Iâ—h 34. 11. Psalm 5. 4. The appropriation of Faith is all in all IN Gedeon's Camp every Souldier had his own Pitcher amongst Solomon's men of Valour every Man wore his own sword The five wise Virgins had every one oyl in her lamp Luther was wont to say That there lay a great deal of Divinity couched up in Pronouns as meum tuum suum mine thine his Thus Faith appropriated is all in all a bird shall assoon fly with anothers wings as thy Soul mount to Heaven by anothers Faith Whosoever will go to God whether it be in Prayer or in any Religious performances he must have a Faith of his own it must be fides tua thy Faith It is not enough to say Lord Lord but to say with David my Lord with Iob my Redeemer with the blessed Virgin my Saviour not to say Credimus but Credo not We believe but I believe in God Every Man must profesâ—e and be accomptant for his own Faith When a Man believes his own Reconciliation by the merits of Christ Iesus and strengthens this belief by a desire of pleasing God this is Fides sua the right appropriation of Faith Gods Judgment and Mans not concurrent IT is observable that when the Moon is lightest to the Earth she is darkest to Heaven And when lightest to Heaven the darkest to Earth Thus they that seem best to the World are often the worst to God they that are best to God seem worst to the World and Men most glorious to the World are obscurest to the Divine approbation others obscure to the Worlds acknowledgment are principally respected in Gods favour The Samaritans were condemned by the Iews yet nine Iews are condemned by one Samaritan The Iews thought that if but two Men were saved in the world the one should be a Scribe the other a Pharisee but Christ saith that neither of them both shall come into the Kingdom of Heaven Samuel was mistaken in Eliab Abinadab and Shammah for the Lord had chosen David Isaac preferreth Esau but God sets up Iacob All this to justifie That Gods Iudgment is not as Mans judgment his thoughts not as Mans thoughts neither are his wayes as Mans wayes Esay 55. 8. The uncharitable Christian described DIogenes a witty beggar would usually walk in a place where earthen Statues were erected in honour of some that dyed for their Country To them he would pray to them reach out his hand bow and begg being asked the Reason he answered Nihil aliud quam repulsam meditor I think of nothing but a repulse or denyal We have many such living Statues in these strait-laced times of ours meer Idols that have mouthes and speak not eyes and pity not hands and give not the Poor are sure of nothing but a repulse They are just like St. Peter's fish it had money in the mouth but not a hand to give it like Dives his doggs they can lick a poor Man with their tongues else give him no relief The Papists will rather lose a penny then a Pater-noster these will give ten Pater-nosters before one penny They give the words of Nephthali pleasant words but no meat as if the poor were like Ephraim to be fed with the wind or as if their words were Verbum Domini the Word of God that men might live by it The great danger and disgrace of lying under the guilt of one eminent Sin WHen one commended Alexander for his many noble acts another objected against him that he killed Calisthenes He was valiant and successefull in the Wars true but he killed Calisthenes He overcame the great Darius so but he killed Calisthenes His meaning was that this one unjust act poysoned all his better deeds And there was Naaman the Syrian a Man plentifully commended 2 Kings 5. 1. When he was cured and converted by Elisha First hee 's charitable offers gold and garments but he excepts bowing in the house of Rimmon he is devout and begs earth for sacrifice but excepts Rimmon he is Religious and promiseth to offer to none but the Lord yet excepts Rimmon This Rimmon like the Fly in the Alablaster-box spoyled all the good intentions Thus one spot in the Face spoyls all the beauty one Vice in the Soul disgraceth a great deal of Virtue O such a Man is an honest Man a good Man but Let every Man take heed this is that but which the Devill ayms at 'T is true we must hate all sin and every sin sowrs but to the repentant Christian it shall not be damnable Rom. 8. 2. there is in all corruption to most affliction to none damnation that are in Christ One Sin may disgrace us and sowr us but to our comfort upon true Repentance we are madâ— sweet again by the all-perfuming bloud of our Saviour The sinfulnesse of Sin THere was a great Prince intending travel into a far Country left his daughter to the tuition of a Servant Him he made chief and set under him a Controâ—â—er and five serviceable Guardians The
to use her endeavours to gather and to glean it and bear it out too when shee had gleaned it Thus God gives grace and the knowledg of his Truth as Boaz gave Ruth corn not but that he can if it so please him give knowledg by immediate Revelation and Grace by immediate infusion yet he will have us to use the means of hearing reading conference c. and so leave the issue of all our labours and endeavours to his good Will and pleasure The great benefit of Hearing and practising Gods Word AS we see in the siege of some strong hold when Men have been long coop'd up and have not had meat to eat they have come out like so many dead carcases as it were so many Sceletons so weak so poor with such gastly looks as it were enough to scare any Man with the sight of them But now eating mends all this upon eating follows strength to walk and strength to work upon eating follows fatnesse and goodnesse of Complexion And thus it is upon eating of the Word when Men with râ—adinesse and forwardnesse receive the Word of God and practise what they hear then it is that they have strength in their Souls to walk in the wayes of God then it is that they grow up as Calves of the stall full of good fat and flourishing and then it is that they have fair and good complexions their Wisedome and other Graces cause their faces to shine in the fair and lovely carriage of their lives and conversations Meditation the difficulty in the first entrance thereupon AS in the heating of an Oven the Fewel is set on fire yet not without some pains to blow it up into a flame but afterwards when the Oven begins to be somewhat hot the Fewel will catch and kindle of it self and no sooner is it thrown in but it is all in a blaze on a sodain Such is the difficuâ—â—â— of Meditation at the first When there is but as it were a little spark of Love in the heart it will cost a Man some pains to blow it up into a Flame but afterwards when the heart is once heated with those flames of Love then it will enflame all the thoughts and set the affections on fire In so much that the duty of Meditation will not be onely easie and delightfull but so necessary that a Man cannot tell how to avoid it Sathan's subtilty to ensnare THere is a story of an excellent Painter that to shew the rarily of his Art drew a white line so small that it could hardly be discerned Whereupon another that was looked on as a very able Artist to shew that he could excel him drew a black line through the middle of it so exactly that it required an exquisite sight to discern either Thus it is that the Devill slily insinuateth into and craftily worketh upon the hearts of the sons of Men the thread of his Policy being so finely spun the train of his subtilty so privily laid and the black line of his Temptations made so small that it is almost impossible to discover the secret destruction that runs through the plausibility thereof Purity of Heart no comfortable sight of god without it AS the eye that hath dust in it without or thick vapours stopping the nerves within cannot see except it be cleansed from the one and purged from the other And as the Glasse on which there is a thick mist does not represent ones face clearly before it be wiped off So neither can we see God in his Creatures in his Word in his Sacraments or in those secret inward and sweet manifestations of comfort and joy whereby he often reveals himself even in this life to them that love him so long as there is any impurity cleaves to us The pure in Heart are the onely ones that shall see God Matth. 5. 8. It is not Learning nor a clear understanding not Religious education not any one of these not all of these together but holinesse and purity of Heart that fits a Man for such a blessed Sight at God is Active Christian the best Christian. PLutarch speaks of two Men that were hired at Athens for some publique work whereof the one was full of tongue but slow at hand and the other blanck in speech yet an excellent Workman Being called upon by the Magistrates to expresse themselves and to declare at large how they would procâ—ed When the first had made a large speech and described it from point to point the other seconded him in few words saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye Men oâ— Athens What this Man hath said in words that will I Make 〈◊〉 in true performance And as he was adjudged the better Artisan so is the Man of action the better Christian It is not the Man of words but the Man of deeds not the learie but the fruitfull not the discoursing but the doing Christian that shall be blessed here in this world and happy in that which is to come The good Christians Hope at the death of a Child of God AS Papinius Statius reports of the old Arcadians That mourning all night for the setting of the Sun they were comforted notwithstanding at the break of day when they saw him in his sphere again And as the People enraged at the death 〈◊〉 â—omulus were quieted by and by with Proculus his newes that he saw him in glory riding up to Heaven So it is that such as are without Hope are extreamly troubled at the death of their intimate Friend and acquaintance as if he were lost and they should never see him again but the good Christian remaines full of Hope at the death of any Child of God well knowing that Mors janua vitae he had no way but by this Mortality to cloath himself with Immortality and that as he is gone before into glory they shall both meet in Heaven with comfort Blessing of God attendant on People listning to the doctrine of their own Minister PHysitians say That the Mothers milk though not so weighty as anothers if no noxious humour be tasted in it is more proper for the Child then any strangers can be because it is more natural And certainly it would not be an error if a Man should say as much of the milk which the Minister gives to his own Flock and that a People conscientiously lying at the breasts of their own Minister if the milk he gives be wholesome the doctrine preached be sound and Orthodox may expect the blessing of God for their nourishment though it hath not so much lushiousnesse to please the curious raster so much of Rhetorick to tickle the itching car as some others have State of Nature an absolute state of impotency IF a Ship that is lanch'd rigg'd and with her sayls spread cannot stirre till the wind comes fair and fills them much lesse
things from Man whose breath is in his nostrils Isay 2. 22. Afflictions though grievous yet profitable SUppose that a Man were driven to great straights in the want and need of these outward things as not knowing at present which way to turn himself so that walking sad and solitary in the streets some Friend of his taking notice of his condition should from a Chamber-window or the like place throw down a bag of money unto him and by the fall thereof should hurt his hands or break his head so that the poor Man not perceiving at present what his matter was should be much daunted and grieved at the multiplying of his sorrows but after some small time having recollected himself and finding the bag not to be filled with stones but silver whereby he should be enabled to pay his debts and have somewhat to spare for the better maintenance of himself and Family Would he not soon forget the breaking of his head love his Friend never the lesse and fall into a serious and hearty thanksgiving that ever he was so happily wounded Thus it is that there is no Affliction so grievous but it brings comfort with it there is no persecution be it never so bitter but brings a bag of Gold joy unspeakable to Gods people and though it may somewhat hurt them in the fall yet by that time they have picked out the Gold tasted of the comfort thereof they will love God the more and cry out with David It is good for me that ever I was afflicted Psalm 119. The excellency of divine Meditation LUther relates a story of two Cardinals riding to the Councel of Constance by the way they heard a Shepheard weeping and bewailing himself bitterly One of the Cardinalls moved with compassion turned aside out of the way to comfort him as his necessity should require and he found him looking on an ugly Toad and he told him he could not but weep in consideration of the goodnesse of God and his own unthankfulnesse that God had not made him such a Creature as that Toad with which the Cardinal was so affected that he fell off his Mule in a swound and coming to himself again he continually cryed out Well said S. Augustine Indocti rapiunt coelum c. The unlearned take Heaven by violence and we with all our learning wallow in the delights of Flesh and bloud Thus it is that the meditating Christian makes out some spiritual advantage upon all that he hears and sees if he see nothing of God in those things which the World counts great he looks upon them as nothing as Honour a bubble Wordly pomp a Fancy the Rich man a lye There 's not a beast of the Field a Fish in the Sea a Foul of the Ayre no not the least pile of grasse that he treads on but affords him a meditation And as to the matter of Providence there 's not the falling of a Sparrow the turning of the wind the changing of Counsells the alteration of affections or the answer of the Tongue bâ—t he takes notice of them in a way of Spirituall improvement God onely to be worshipped as the great Creator of Heaven and Earth IT is the observation of one well skil'd in the Iewish learning that there is onely one verse in the Prophecy of the Prophet Ieremy which is written in the Chaldee tongue all the rest being in the Hebrew viz. So shalt thou say to them Cursed be the Gods who made neither Heaven nor Earth and this so done by the Holy Ghost on purpose that the Iews when they were in captivity and solicited by the Chaldeans to worship false Gods might be able to answer them in their own language Cursed by your gods we will not worship them for they made neither Heaven nor Earth Thus it is that God onely is to be worshipped as the great Creator of all things God must have the glory in all being the maker of all The whole scope of Psalm 147. 148. tend to this effect that God must be praised because he is Creator of all things Let any make a World and he shall be a God saith S. Augustine hence is it that the holy Catholique Church maketh it the very first Article of her Creed to believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth and particular Churches abroad begin their publique devotions thus Our help be in the name of the Lord who hath made both Heaven and Earth Let us then with the four and twenty Elders fall down before him and say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive honour glory and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. The Religious Hypocrite discovered IT is observeable that the Eagle soareth on high little intending to fly to Heaven but to gain her prey And so it is that many do carry a great deal of seeming devotion in lifting up their eyes towards Heaven but they do it onely to accomblish with more ease safety and applause their wicked and damnable designes here on Earth such as without are Cato's within Nero's hear them no Man better search and try them no Man worse they have Iacob's voice but Esau's hands They professe like Saints but practise like Sathans they have their long prayers but short preyings They are like Apothecaries gally-pots having without the title of some excellent preservative but within they are full of deadly poyson Counterfeit holinesse is their cloak for all manner of Villanies and the Midwife to bring forth all their Divellish designs Men by Nature hardly brought to the Confession of their sins IT is said of the Elephant that before he drink in the River he troubleth the Water with his feet that so he may not see his own deformity And it is usual with such as are well struck in years not so much to mind the Looking-glasse least therein they behold nothing but hollow eyes pale checks and a wrinkled front the ruines of a sometime more beautifull Visage Thus it is that Men by Nature are hardly drawn to the confession of their sins but every Man is ready to hide his sins by excusing them with Aaron by colouring them with fair pretences as did the Iews by laying them on others as Adam did or by denying them with Solomons harlots they are ready to decline Sin through all the cases as one said wittily In the Nominative by Pride In the Genitive by Luxury In the Dative by Bribery In the Accusative by Detraction in the Vocative by Adulation In the Ablative by Extortion but very loath to acknowledg them in any case very hardly brought to make any Confession of them at all Not to murmure under Affictions And why so SUppose a Man to have a very fair house to dwell in with spatious Orchards and Gardens set about with brave tall Trees both for use and