thee dispayre of the protection of that arme which hath thus afflicted thee But thus much for thy better encouragement and further comfort take alonge with thee these severall consolations many in Comforts for poore afflicted soules the right use of them have come off clearely and my life for thine they will make thee also in this combat victorious First to bee afflicted is the coate of a true Christian the very Portion of Gods owne Afflictions are the Saynts Liveryes Elect why doth the Devill labour to sinke downe the afflicted man into the pit of dispayre no man seeketh to obtayne that which hee already possesseth it is playne that the afflicted are not registâ—ed in the black roles of damnation because the Devill doth so much endeavour to enter them therein the Dragon in the Revelation did not fight with his owne souldiers Rev. 12. the Devill rayseth not warres against those of his owne Regiment if hee should his kingdome Luk. 11. 8. 12. would not long stand all his ayme is at the disconsolate soule he there thinkes to get over because the hedge is low but hee is deceaved calamity is the true Christians Coate and the crosse his Cognizance by it hee is known under what Captayne hee is in what hand hee is listed whether hee bee a Christian and if a Christian Souldier whether one of Christs own Souldiers and all this by the crosse and more then this in hoc signo vinces by this signe shalt thou overcome It was the hard-ship of Christâ— thy Captayne to endure the crosse that thou mighst weare the Crowne hee lay not in Pavilionibus fed in praesepio not in a Pavilion but in a Manger dost thou then looke for a bed of downe in a field of warre dost thou thinke to he sleeping in the tent whilst thy Captayn is fighting in the froâ—t it will not bee let the trumpets sound cry out unto the Church militant â—eamus nos ut moriamur oumâ—illo come let us goe and wenter our lives with him thou art a member of that head Christ Jesus the Captayne of thy salvation hee fights and so must thou doe too follow him thy Leader set thy eye upon him Christ's corrections the Christians instructions behold his wonds make them thy study let his scarres nayles and lashes bee thy contemplation and in this schoole let thy whole lesson bee scirt Christâ—â—â— crucifixâ—m to know Christ Jesus and him only crucified no man wil looke for heaven at a cheap rate that sees his Saviour bleeding can the servant bee greater then his Lord or the Sâ—â—ldier Nil desperandum Christâ— duce greater then his Captayn follow him then through the Desert with Moses seeke him with the three children in a fiery furnace O how God delights to see Job upon the dung hill scraping himselfe with a Posheard Niniveh in sackcloath and ashes a true Christian tempted that hee may be tryed currected that hee may be amended and afflicted that his soule may be eternally saved Consider how large the Spirit of God hath beene in the probate of this pâ—ynâ— that Afflictions are the portion of Gods Etect As many as I Rev. 3. 19. Exod. 3. 7. â—â—vâ— sayth God himselfe I â—ebuke and châ—sten and in another place I have seene the afflictions of my People a Rebuke then is the signe of Gods God trieth those that belong to him love not his anger and the Israelites did undergoe much affliction and yet for all that they ceased not to be Gods people they were afflicted but not rejected corrected but not confounded but why doth God thus afflict his people That he may refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold Zach. 13. 9 is tryed and how is gold tryed but in the fire and how Gods children but in the furnace of affliction God never reveales himselfe but by the way of tryall if it be in God appeareth in tryalls the giving his word it is to try how men will conform themselves unto it if in taking it away it is to try how they will deport themselves in the losse of it if he heape on Riches honours Preferments it is to â—ry whether they will be puf't up or not if he come with a backblow of Adversity it is for a tryall of Patience Object but why doth God try man thus doth he not search the very reynes and hearts doth he not know whereof man is made probat non ut ille sciat sed ut home seipsum sciat Augusti ∣ nus Answ he doth not try that he may know man but that man may know himselfe A loving indulgent Father bids the child put his finger into the flame of a Candle not but that he knoweth there is heate there but he would have the child to know it to be soe also God knoweth that afflictions will scorch but he would have man also to be sensible thereof agayne probat sayth another Ambros non ut inveniat hominem sed ut homo seipsum inveniat God knowes that the heart Jerem. 17. 19. of man is deceitfull above all things that it is full of intricate Labyrinths and winding Meanders God knowes very well that man is little better in his natural condition then a Vagabond Rogue that had rather ramble any way then with a Passeport to his owne Country rather surfet here with the pleasures of sinne for Heb. 11. 25. Luk. 19. 22 a season then to take up the crosse and follow him into life eternall God knowes all this and much more but he doth try man that he may know it also that being thus lost he may find himselfe againe Object but what needes all this tryall Answ If man were all gold then there were no neede of tryall if all drosse the tryall were to noe purpose but man is part gold part drosse part Spirit part Flesh and therefore must be tryed doth the Goldsmith cast a peece of Plate into the melting poâ— that it may be consumed Doth God put his children into the fire of affliction that they Gods especiall favour in the tryall of his children may be confounded no right precious in the eyes of the Lord are the lives of all his sayâ—ts he doth it that they might be tryed and purifyed from the drosse and corruption of sinne so to rise more gloriously out of the flames then when at first they were put into them that in the end being thus tryed thus cleansed and thus purified they may bee vessels of honor here and vessels of Rom. 9. 21 glory hereafter In the second place doth not God the sonne that great Captayne of mans salvation Math. 16. 24. bid him take up his crosse and follow him hee that desires the benefit of Christ gloryfied must first undergoe the hardship of Christ crucified this was the point wherein S. Paul and Barnabas confirmed the An injunction from Christ to take up the crosse faith and patience
which is to come be impositae set upon the head of S. Paul and not upon his head only but upon all their heads that shall with him fight the good fight of faith then shall be imposed the golden Crowne of Christs approbation Euge bone serve well done thou good and faithfull servant enter into thy Maisters joy joy unspeakeable there is no diving into the depth of it the felicity cannot be imagined the blessings cannot be numbred so incomparable that they admit No joy like that of heaven of no equality the tongve may expresse much the eare may heare more then the eye can see and the heart of man conceive more then all of them yet put all together they cannot apprehend the greatnesse of those joyes eternall here only it is bare Earth that is enioyed under the first Adam but in the second Adam Christ Jesus there 's Earth enlarged every thing that wee enjoy is an essentiall heaven our meate and drinke is manna our cloathing white Robes our Company Angels the Place Heaven there the King is verity the lawes Charity the honor Equity the Peace Felicity the life Eternity there 's joy without sadnesse health without sicknesse light with out darknesse life without death ease without labour wealth without wam an Ocean of all selicity without the least drop of misery Joyes of Heaven in utterable many and glorious things are spoken of thee ô thou City of God whilst I am thus describing the Kingdome of heaven oh that I might with the holy Apostle be taken up into the third heaven and whilst that I shall endeavour to blazon out the blisse of that caelestiall place oh that the light of that glory might shine into my sinfull soule that my thoughts being winged with the contemplations of Angels I might in some sort comprehend the excellency of that glorious place which farre surmounteth every humane estimate oh that I were to parley with those blessed Spirits above those vessels of glory the Saints departed tell mee oh tell mee ye noble Army of Martyrs what is that joy whereof ye are now made partakers that my soule being ravished with the glory thereof my pen might distill the Nectar of comfort to enflame the hearts of all those that shall at this time joyne with mee in this sweete meditation but alas how shall he that ever was in darkenesse be able to describe that light that is so inaccessible how can he that is of the Earth measure the heavens no more surely then he which is a slave by birth and base by his continuall habitation is able ingeniously to describe the mâ—jestick state of Princes if Nichodemus understand not the manner of Regeneration how shall he be able to conceive the excellency of glorification of the infinite happinesse in that coelestiall life how shall I then speake Earthly Jerusalem was pourtrayed by Ezekiel upon a tile so cannot the heavenly Ezech. 41 be the joyes prepared for the Elect do exceedingly surpasse all humane apprehension obtayned they may be valued I am sure they cannot he in Tully said truly that it is an easier matter to know what God is not then to tell what he is Tully de Nat. deorum lib. 1 so may I say it is much easier to tell what is not in heaven then what is there S. Augustine wrote two and twenty bookes of the City of God how shall I then bring into the last gasp of these my Meditations the unity the plenty the beauty the holinesse the felicity thereof when he himself confessed after all his endeavours all that can be sayd is but a drop to the Sea and a sparke to the fire what is this world to heaven a man may go Sr. Fr. Drake round about it in three yeares and odde dayes it is lesse then a poynt in comparison what is an acre of Land to the world the light of a candle to that of the sunne the life of a child to the yeares of Methusalah what 's the conceyt of a foole to the expeience of Noah who saw two worlds such is the world to heaven such our life to Eternity a thousand yeares in heaven are but as one day O while I write of those joyes eternall how am I silenced faine would I declare them but cannot conceive them I am in a maze when I beginne to thinke of them what then shall I say what shall I write Haven is a place of Rest a City of excellent beauty a Jerem. 6. 16. Rev. 2. 1. 4. 15. Luk. 22. 30 2 Pet. 5. 4 rare Paradice of Pleasure a kingdome of Majesty a crowne of glory and life everlasting O ioy unspeakeable O happinesse unconceiveable O pleasures indurable O triumphs admirable what shal not such a prize as this make thee to fight why dost thou stand still hath the glimmering pleasures and delights of the fading world so benumbd thy limbs and bewitched thy senses that thou can'st not see paine from pleasure misery from majesty deceits from delights for such and no better is the worlds cheifest ioy compared with that of heaven buckle on thy Armour labour very earnestly to conquer subdue thy owne corruptions the words allurements and the Devils temptations he that will reigne must conquer and he that will conquer must fight valiantly then for thy comfort S. John hath chalked out thy way to the Heavenly Jerusalem he hath Rev. 21. found twelve gates in it open day and night to entertaine departing soules repairing thither in the true faith there shalt thou be entertained by the Patriarches Abraham Isaack and Jacob by the Prophets Moses and Elias by the Kings David Hezekiah and Josias by the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul by S. Stephen and the noble Army of Martyrs by the innumerable society of Saints and Angels a multitude of Heavenly Souldieâ—s shall giue a volley of acclamations at thy entertainment then shall be great ioy in heaven then shall the wedding garment be The Christian Souldiers welcome to Heaven put upon thy body the Ring upon thy finger a crowne upon thy head thus shalt thou be led out to the supper of the Lambe God the Father shall take thee by the hand God the Sonne shall place thee at his owne right hand and God the holy ghost shall fill thee with the graces of his spirit thus shalt thou see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liâ—ing and thus shall it be with all those that have fought the good fight finished their course kept the faith they shall with S. Paul and all these heavenly spirits receive the Crowne of Righteousnesse which God the Righteous Judg shall give them in that day Thus I haue set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that thou and thy seede may live here 's the horror ofhel Deut. 30. 19. for thy terror the ioyes of heaven for thy encouragement if the intollerable paines of the one will not enforce thee let the unspeakeable happinesse of the other allure thee to fight O the Joyes of the heavenly Canaan O the Riches of those Diamonds that are set in that Crowne which shall impale the brow of every Conquerer loose not then the hold of such a Crowne for a rappe on the fingers vincenti dabitur doe but overcome and thou shalt surely have it to shut up all looke behind thee there is hâ—ll looke before thee there is heaven if thou goest backeward hell will receive thee and if thou stand still hell will overtake thee but if thou runne forward Jehovah will crowne thee which he grant for his mercye's sake for Christ Jesus sake the Captayne of thy salvation and hereunto let all the Church militant throughout the whole face of the Earth say AMEN AMEN Glory be to God on high FINIS Mens workes had faults since Adam first offended And those in these are thus to bee amended ERRATA Epist Dedicat. line 12. read these ibid. l. 34. r. your Counsell Epist Reader l. 10. read I put ibid. l. 43. read from tâ—â—t Pag. 7. line ult read thus pag. 16. lin 21. r. estis p. 18. l. 23. r. him p. 30. l. 15. r. thy wages ibid. l. 18. r. â—et p. 31. l. ult r. hard pag. 32. l. 23. r. Confession p. III. l. 4. r. wine p. 121. l. 14. r. him pag. 125. l. 7. r. inveneris p. 145. l. 3. r. keepe thy selfe p. 162. l. 14 r. forth IMPRIMATUR Octob. 4. 1638. GUIL BRAY.
whosoever he is that he is the very Picture of death he is in a spirituall lethargy dead in sinnes and trespasses yet sees it Ephes 2. 1. not feeles it not he sees not the hand writing upon the wall which made Belshazers knees Dan. 55. knock one against another hee sees not the hand writing in the scripture that the wages Rom. 6. 23 of sinne is death and thus it is with the drunkard he takes much pleasure in his Cups but if he did but consider that there was mors in olla death in the pot he would not take off his cups so roundly what is this more then to live in pleasure and wantonnesse to bee lovers of pleasures more then 2 Tim. 3. 4 lovers of God how sweete a name too do they give their pleasures sweete pleasures for my part I do wonder what they do or can sweeten can they sweeten death here or can they sweeten death hereafter can they sweeten the paynes of hell Solomon had as much pleasure as the world could afford hee had costly houses fayre Vineyands gardens Orchards hee had much cattel and much coyne hee had also men servants and mayde servants hee had men singers and women singers what his eyes delighted in hee witheld not from them but what was the issue of all this goodly pleasure hee looked on all his workes that his hand had wrought and that this was also vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sunne Set Eccles 2. 11 then thy cheefest delight and pleasure in God at whose Right hand are pleasures and fulnesse of pleasures for ever Ps 16. 11. more Now I will shew thee the second impediment or hinderance in the way to salvation and that is golden Profit this it quid non mortalia pectora cogit is which draweth away many from the consideration of goodnesse their owne happinesse how many are there that like the foole in the Gospell sing Requiems to their soules and why because they have goods layd up for many yeares his goods were the ground of all his mirth his profit was the cause of all his pleasure but God made him a foole upon Record for Luk. 12. 19. his labour Thou foole this night shall thy soule bee taken from thee c. yet strange it Per marâ— per terras currit mercator ad Indos is to see what suing what running what riding what sayling what swimming and all to get a little profit which is no sooner had but presently betakes it selfe to it's wings and flyeth away but Prov. 23. 5. this is not to use the world as though they used it not not to 1 Cor. 7. have the conversation witbout covetousnesse not to have the 1 Pet. 1. 15 conversation in heaven from whence there is expectation of a Saviour Object I but sayth the carnall Philip. 3. 20. minded man if I should pray and follow this heavenly calling so much I should soone become a beggar Answer To stop this fond and fooish Objection and plea for advantage of sinne let him first tell me what advantage sinne hath at any time procured hee that winneth the whole world and looseth his owne soule hath but a poore Math. 16. 26. bargayne of it cannot a man live unlesse hee spend his whole life in carking and caring for the things of this world cannot a man have time for God and his calling too Religion must bee the unum the one thing of this life but not the unicum the only thing of this life to doe that and nothing else a man may serve God in Carking care forbidden the performance of his calling no man is forbidden to follow his calling but hee is desired to give God a place with it There is a great difference betwixt the Church bell and the market bell the market bell ringes but once yet at the sound of it what running is there to the market by troupes happy is hee that gets thither first but for the Church that may ring Peale after peale one Peale after another yet much a do to get a man to the Church and if his body bee rung into the Chureh yet a thousaud to one but his mind is gonne a wollgathering after the things of the world the very Math. 6. 21 desires of his heart are upon the world the world is his treasure and there his heart is Phil. 3. 8. also but it is otherwise with a child of God all things with None but Christ None but Christ is the Godly mans note him are but dung and drosse in comparison of Christ Jesus hee lives in this world but not according to this world hee lives in the flesh but not according to the lusts of the flesh hee so useth the Creature that hee alwayes hath an eye on the Creator but let thy conversation bee in heaven from Philip. 1. 23. whence thou expectest a Saviour first in thy meditations on God and heavenly things secondly in thy affections desiring to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ which is best of Act. 23. 1. all Thirdly in thy practise living in a good conscience toward God and towards men though thy hand bee upon the Helme yet let thy eye bee upon the starres thy heart being thus planted in heaven thy hands thy head thy foote will become the happy instruments of Gods glory and all that is within thee praise his holy name This Enemy the world being thus layd open and discovered The Christian Soldier in battle agaynst the world stand ready armed and take unto thee the sword of the spirit which is the word of God take this I say into thy hand and strike with it If the world seeke to allure thee to pleasure hit him home with that saying of Solomon hee that loveth Pleasures shall bee a poore man Prov. 21. 17. and 1 Tim. 5. 6 agayne with the Apostle hee that liveth in pleasure is dead while hee liveth and at hin agayne with that of Job My delight must be in the Almighty Rom. 6. that the wages of sinne is death and therefore thou must not thou mayst not thou darest not doe this great trespasse and so sinne agaynst God but if the world shall still persist to tempt thee reach him with Gods promises which hee hath made to these that take pleasure in him that hee that delights in him he will give him his hearts desire Psalm 37. 4. If the world come upon thee agayne with profits and riches tell him that the treasures Prov 10. 2 of wickednesse profit not but Righteousnesse delivereth Esay 44. 9. from death Prov. 10. 2. and agayne that delectable things Math. 6. 26 shall not profit Esay 44. 9. and what were it for thee to winne the whole world and to loose thy owne soule But if for all this the world shal stil assault thee at him boldly tel him that Godlinesse
thy selfe with verity and thou shalt easily withstand his hipocrysie put on the breast-plate of Righteousnesse and thou shalt soone oppose his Viciousnesse take up the helmet of salvation and so thou shalt evince distrust dispayre which all of them end in damnation thou art not now to wrestle agaynst flesh and bloud but against principalityes Ephes 6. 12 and powers against the Prince of darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places thy Enemy is spirituall and thy weapons must not bee caruall 1 Cor. 10. 4. doe thou but beginne to fast and pray hee 'l soone bee cast out Math. 17. 21. Anthony the Abbat being demanded of his schollars with what armes hee used to resist the Devill sayd The crosse of Christ and Athanasius in vitaejus a stedfast faith its his passion are as a brazen wall against the fiery darts of hell and the Devill himselfe confessed thus Examples of holy men in conquest of the Devill much of a learned man Tume semper vinâ—is c. Thou art still too hard for mee when I goe about to râ—yse thee in thy owne conceyte thou throwest thy selfe downe in all humility when I endevour to cast thee downe with dispayre thou lifâ—est thy selfe up by a lively faith in Christs merits so that let mee doe what I can thou surely goest beyond me follow not then his coÌ„mands since another being demanded how hee could be so patient in the midst of so many grosse affronts offered O sayd hee I doe not like thâ— dogge â—â—â—â—e and bite the stone that was throwne at mee but seize upon the party that threw it I doe not whine and whimper under the crosse that is layd upon mee but blesse God by whose permission Siquis abinimico laesus in Diaboli caput â—ffun dat Bas it is thus imposed how ever I revenge my selfe upon sinne and Sathan who were the onely occasion thereof I set all upon the Devils score but never strike tallyes with him till I am fully revenged another man strikes mee an innocent shall I therefore strike a third who offended mee not shall I presently in the vent of my passion fly in the very face of God and offend him no no I will leave Revenge to him to whome it appertayneth who will one day in the fulnesse of his wrath pay home that grand Enemy of mankind who thus seduc'd mee this hath beene the constant practice of former times and thus it should bee now but alas the sunne sets blushing at the folly of too many in this Sted fast faith in Christ a sure defence against the Devils assaults case there is too much way given to the Devill Is then a steadfast faith in Christ an impenetrable bulwarke against the Devils assaults is humility by his owne confession a â—ure way to goe beyond him follow not then his commands since hee commands to sinne bee not bound to his trade since hee trades to deceive bee not a child in his goverment since hee is a Father of lyes lastly bee not a subject in his kingdome since hee is a Prince of darknesse but seeke to avoyde him as thou John 12. 11 wouldst avoyd the end which is endlesse damnation Being thus prepared for the Battle acquaynted with the power and malice of the Adversary as also the mayne The Devils ayme to obscure God's word wayes how to foyle him by the Examples of Religious men in times past I will now put the sword into thy hand that sword of the spirit the powerfull word of God but how doth the Devill strive to take off the edg of this sword Theeves when they steale put out the Candle this theefe doth strive to obscure the word for feare of discovery how doth hee goe about to roule a stone to stop this Fountayne of living waters Jerem. 2. 13 how doth bee labour to obliterate these antient Records of thy salvation lastly how doth hee endeavour to falsifye this last will and Testament of thy heavenly Father Heb. 9. 13. but all in vayne this sword hath a double edge it cannot be blunted this word is lux mundi not lux modii it was formerly light onely in Goshen when all Egypt was darke besides the Israelites onely had it when all the world besides had it not the Heathens had some examples of this light it shone unto them through some chinks onely but it is now sol mundi all about our Horizon wee have it in a full Godsword shineth in fulnesse of light Meridian this Church of ours God bee blessed for it excels the state of all other Churches whatsoever they had it in expectation we in active exhibition they longingly desired to see it but mist it but now it knocks at our doores it is but opening the windowes and it comes in upon us such a sunny light as this is can never bee obscured this spirituall Fountayne is Puteus inexhaustibilis never to bee drawne dry that which can make Rivers to flow out of the Joh. 7. 38. bellyes of beleevers must needes be full hither it is that all beleevers come to bathe and refresh themselves it is not like that poole of Bethesda scanted Joh. 5. 7. Joh. 20. 25. â—â—r want of roome here 's room enough not for a finger as Thomas put in but for the whole man to turne himselfe round such a Fonntayne as this then cannot easily bee sâ—opped Lastly these Records of thy salvation this last will of Christ Jesus thy saviour are written with the bloud of the Lambe and kept in the Roles of heaven so that heaven itself and earth shall passe away Math. 24. 35. but not one jot of them shall fall to the ground is it so then 1 Cor. 16. 13. take up the sword of the spirit stand fast quit thy selfe like a man and if in the first place the Devill shall dishearten thee by laying thy sinnes to thy charge let him know Math. 24. 35. 1 Cor. 16. 13 that the accusar of the faithfull is cast out Revel 12. 10. If hee charge thy conscience with many hainous sinnes aske him who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen Rom. 8. 33. The onset I but saith hee thy sinnes are so many that they cannot be pardoned answer him that the blood of Christ is able to cleanse thee from all thy sinnes 1 Joh. 1. 7. I do confesse will he reply that many sins may be pardoned The Combaâ—â—gainst the Devill yetnot thine because thou livest in crying and notorius sinnes the very guilt whereof doth cry to Heaven for vengeance bid him avoyd and tell him with St Paul that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners whereof thou art cheefe 1 Tim. 1. 15. as for the guilt of thy sinues though they were as red as Scarlet yet God will make them as white â—â— snow Esay 1. 28. Being thus foiled out at his owne weapon then hee will begin to
he did but confesse and the iniquity of his sinne was forgiven consolamini populum meum saith God himselfe comfort yee comfort yee my people and speâ—kâ— comfortably to Jorusalem and cry unto her that her warfâ—re is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned Esay 40. 1. here 's comfort upon comfort but wherein lyes it first in speaking comfortably unto her then telling her that her warfare is ended but the cheifest comfort of al was that her sinnes were pardoned but what man is it that hath this comfort hee that sitteth downe in the dust who is it that shall bee Job 5. 9. thus refreshed the heavy and Math. 4. ult weary laden whose sinnes shall bee thus pardoned the Penitent mans who shall find ease to their soules those that are in affliction nay let but the wicked for sake his way and God Esay 53. 7. will abundaâ—tly pardon him too shall the wicked upon his repentance bee abundantly pardoned then much more he that suffereth for Righteousnesse Math. 5. sake hee is the vessell that God will powre consolation into it is hee that shall be anoynâ—ed with the oyle of gladnesse it is hee only that in the end of a paynfull harvest shall bring home his she aves rejoycing consider then seriously Ps 126. 5. these things with thy selfe see now whether these afflictions that God hath laid upon thee have brought thee on thy knees for mercy if they have here 's comfort in thy troubles here 's refreshment for thy heavy heart here 's ease to thy penitent soule lastly here 's pardon and that in abundance for all thy sinnes committed what can I say more to make thee happy here 's mercy abounding and comforts surrounding sinnes forgiven and the pardon sealed with the blood of the Lambâ— Christ Jesus which shall never bee disanulled but this is not all the pardon of sinne is but an entrance into the perfection of grace which brings in the fifth consolation That God Fifth consolation will perfect the work of grace in all his children What by our selves is defiâ—ient in God is sufficient God will perfect the great work of deliveverance that which was before imperfect is now through him made perfect who is perfection it self God commanded Israell that they should not feare any thing for saith he I am thy Lord and God I will strengthen thee yea I will helâ—e thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse here 's a Esay 41. 10 11 12. gradation of encouragement till all end in perfection here 's a procession from strengthning to helping from helping to upholding man through sinne lyes groveling on the ground with his mouth in the dust God omnipotent steps in and gives him strength having some strength to rise he helpes him up sets him on his legs againe but doth God then leave him to stand to himselfe Alas he would then soone fall no God will perfect the worke begun layes his hand under him and daily by his protection upholds him causing him to grow from strength to strength till be become a perfect man in Christ Jesus Esay that Evangelicall Prophet beginnes one of his Chapters with a divine Rapture Cautate coeli cxulta terra c. Sing O Heavens and be joyfull ô Earth and breake forth into joy ô mountaines let that heavenly quire of Angels chaunt out the prayfes of God let all the Creatures on the face of the earth make up the consort nay if there be any place on the earth nigher to heaven then the mountaines fuller of light then the mountaines if any mountaine better then that of holy Syon let them all come and take a part in this coelestiall song what 's the reason of all this musicall harmony why this general rejoycing God hath comforted his people and will have mercy on his afflicted yet for all this Syon is not contented the Lord ' saith Syon hath forgotten mee thou art deceived O Syon can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yes she may witnesse the exposall of divers spurious issues but yet for all that saith God I will not forget thee for a woman to forget her child is unnaturall but I that am supernaturall will not forget thee let what will come that can come if thou beest forsaken of thy freinds forgotten of thy acquaintance lost to the Gods anger is but for a moment world yet I will bee thy fast friend I will never forsake thee never forget thee I will stick close to thee till I have perfected the great love I have conceived towards thee what though for a small moment I forsake thee yet in great mercy I will gather thee in a little wrath I may Esay 54. 78 hide my face from thee but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on bee here 's wrath but it is a little wrath and that terminated but for a moment what then God will perfect the comforts of his children with everlasting kindnesse and mercy for a little wrath and momentary punishment he will bestow ever lasting kindnesse and favour for ever The Lord saith David will perfect that which concerneth mee the mercyes of the Lord endure for ever forsake not the worke Psal 138. 8. of thine owne hands what is that which God will perfect in David his everlasting mercies when is the time it must be done even in afflictions forsake not the worke of thine hands this it was that made St. Paul fillip off adversity to glory in his infirmity what 's the Reason God saith he is made perfect in my weakenesse here 's Gods 2 Cor. 12. 9 strength made perfect in weakenesse man at the lowest ebbe of misery made the subject of Gods perfection there may be comforts in misery Mans extremity Gods opportunity by the accesse of friends by wholsome counsell c. but miserable comforters are they all and imperfect there 's a mixture in them of carnall corruption every good gifts and every perfect gift comes from above Jam. 1. 17. God is the perfect Operator it No perfection in any earthly thing is he that perfecteth that gracious worke in the heart such perfection cannot be found in nature Philosophy cannot do it Morality cannot Lypsius in his booke de constantia may perswade thy unsetled affections Seneca in his booke de tranquilitate animae may allay thy raging passions Boetius in his booke de consolatione may somewhat raise thy drooping soule these volumes alas are too litle to cover thy No booke so perfect as that of Gods word nakednesse looke for perfection in the word of God there 's holes enough in that rocke to hide thy selfe there 's the true fountaine of purity and perfection it is Gods own word who is perfection it selfe and without all doubt he wil be as good as his word he will make his strength knowne 2 Cor. 12. 9 in
he quite forgot the day of his martirdom holy S. Hilary having spent 70 yeares in devout contemplation was yet afraid of the Judgment-day the Remembrance Job 23. 15. of that day was Jobs trouble and terrour if these be in such a case ad quos Index to whom the Judg appeares in mercy what shal they doe contra quos against whom he comes in Iudgment if starres of such a magnitude beginne to twincle what dimnesse will there be then in those of a lesser body if such pillars shrinke under the burthen what will become of slender tressles surely they'lbe crush't in pieces if this be done in the sappy greene tree what will be done in that which is more zere dry my advice shall be that of Moses to the Israelites be ready on the third day and on the third day when it was morning there was thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the Mount and the sound of the Trumpet exceeding lowd so that all the People that were in the Campe were afraid though there be many dayes Exod. 19. 15. assigned to Man yet there are three dayes in especiall his birth life and death that of his ingresse into the world progresse in the world egresse out of the world but this last day is the third day looke to that day aboue all dayes stand ready for it then it is that God who formerly came as a loving Father will appeare as the great Judg both of heaven and earth then shall be heard the thunderings of accusations then shall be seene the very flashy lightning of hell fire in the consciences of most men then shall the thick Cloud of their sinnes interpose betwixt them and the throne of grace the Trumpet shall sound the aire shall rattle the noise shall be the awakening of all flesh in so much that the very elect who are within the campe of Gods predestination shall be afraid what then will become of them which are without the Campe such as never tooke up armes against the common Enemy they shâ—ll then stand amazed at the barre being accused by the Heavens and the Earth and all the Creatures therin coÌ„tained convicted by a Jury of Heavenly Earthly Inhabitants the blessed Saints and Angels their consciences pleading guilty in stead of a Conscintia mille testes thousand witnesses then doth the Devill sinne the world and the flesh cry out for sentence to be pronounced against the Offenders at the barre which is no sooner desired but performed Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels a sentece most fearefull because intolerable because irrevocable intolerable because of the quality of the punishment pinching cold scorching heat more greevious then the cursed water to the suspected woman that caused her thigh to rot her belly to swell and made her detestable to all the People ibi erit fletus c. there shall be Num 5. 18. weeping for the fire that shall never be quenched gnashing of teeth for the worme that never Paines of hell intollerable dyeth if wee be sick here in this life wee may haue soft beds to lie on Phisitions to advise our health friends and kindred to come by way of comfortable visits though all these faile yet there is to be had a good and gracious God to haue mercy on us one that will lay his hand under our heads and comfortably support us but there 's no soft beds but fire the most cruell of all other elements to wallow in and not a drop of cold water to coole the scorched tongue no Phisition to advize but Devils to torment no God to haue mercy on us but hell and dispaire to seaze upon us thus shall it be with them that forget God miserable shall they be at their first ingresse into hels torments there to heare the yelling the howling the crying of damned spirits there 's no comfort no solace no ease no helpe but horror and vexation on every side Bern. Med. cap. 19. alwayes burning yet never consumed alwayes dying and never dead the best sights and cheefest companions shall be Legions of damned ghosts and furies the dyet and fare shall be pinching hunger and famine the drinke shall be lakes of fire and brimstone Rev. 14. 10 mingled with the pure wine of Gods wrath and to make up the meale there shall be musick too curses shall he the Hymnes houling the tunes blasphemy the ditties lachrymae the notes lamentation shall be the song and shricking the straines sighs sobs and teares shall bee the dolefull descant and division the Purple Rayments shall there be flames of fire the hand shall there be seared the heart wounded the eyes blinded the eares dulled the feet scorched and Paena sensus all the body utterly confounded this shall be the state of the body in that day but shall the soule go free No It was to the body as Simeon to Levi a brother in iniquity and shall therefore participate of punishments with the body The memory shall call to mind that which is past the understanding shall consider that which is present and doth shall joyne together to disquit themselves then shall it be thought upon how many good motions have beene neglected how often God knocking at the doore hath beene disregarded what joyes are Paena damni lost what sorrowes are found how easily they might have beene avoyded and how impossible it is to abtayne the least mitigation this of all is the greevous punishment of the damned in hell hitherto I have shewed but the skirts and suburbs of hell but this is the entrance within the walls and the very gates of hell that punishment of the body was paena sensus a payne sensible enough but this of the soule paena damni though it be but a privative punishment yet it hath a miserable positive effect if ever misery deserved weeping of eyes if ever losse deserved Horresco referens gnashing of teeth this is the misery that there shall be No losse like the losse of Gods favour never any comfortable fight of the blessed face of God and this is the losse that there shall be an exclusion from all society with saints and Angels if when the Arke of God was taken old Eli was so overtaken with griefe that he fell backward and dyed what a losse shall they be at that have lost the presence 2 King 14. of God Adam did but Gen. 2. 15. see the apple to be good for the taste but to be turned out of Paradise he found it very distastfull what greater griefe even in this life then to live in Mâ—sheck and Psalm 84. sojourne in the tents of Kedar it was Davids well day so to do can the Israelites be merry in their Captivity there 's no musick with them Psalm 127 they cannot sing under a strange king their harpes hang upon the willowes as sad and silent as themselves
are their thoughts are upon Jerusalem they cannot forget Syon It was the greatest griefe that ever Tully had to be banished from his native Country though he met with many friends in Greece yet still did he cast his eye towards Italy here was some comfort to meet with a friend in Roma relinqaenda est c. trouble but miserable is the case to be sent with Ovid from Rome to Scythia from heaven to hell from the company of Saints and Angels to the society of Devils and damned spirits this is the losse of all losses and then for aggravation of the punishment to see others sporting themselves toyling the Saints rejoycing themselves mourning their concord their owne discord them exalted above the highest heavens their selves cast downe into the nethermost hell and therefore unto them who in old time were condemned ad lapidiciv as this was some comfort that they neither saw so much their owne misery nor the happinesse of others thus shall the wicked be turâ—ed into hell and all they that forget God but how long shall this state of the damned continue for ever that must needs be a long day that hath no end Eternity of punishment is the hell of hell to all men in misery there is some hopes of an end The marriner when he hath The paines of hell end lesse beene long weatherbeaten hopes for a safe arrivall the Prisoner after much durance for a Goale delivery the Apprentice after a hard service for a freedome the Souldier after much bickering lookes for victory but in hell nulla res nulla spes no hope no comfort at all the bondage there is not like that of Israel in Egypt Exod. 12. 40. to last onely 430 yeares nor like that of the Captivity in Babilon to last but 70 yeares but like that of Israel in Syria never to returne againe from thence there 's no Redemption the greatest crosse that can befall a man in this life is to be cast in prison to loose lands and goods to want the Company of wife and children yet he lives in hope to come out at last or that God will raise up some comfortable supply of mony meate or good counsell but in hell there 's no hope of any end of Punishment if a barne were full of corne and a bird should every yeare fetch one Kernell there were some comfort that in time it would be emptied if a Mountaine twenty miles about should have one shovel fâ—â—ll every yeare taken away it would at last though long first be made a Molehill but hellish torments never have an end their yeares never come out the longer they continue the lesser hope when as many yeares are expired as men in the world starres in heaven as many thousand yeares as there are stones and sands by the sea shore yet still there be ten thousand more to come for the misery shall last as long as God himselfe forever and ever world without end Is that day of the Lord so 1. Cor. 15. terrible in judgment then judge thy selfe betiâ—es that thou maist not in that day be judged is that place of the damned so horrible the society of Devils so comfortlesse the paines to be endured so remedilesse so endlesse what then remaines but to buckle on thy Armour set the world the flesh and the Devill at defiance beate them off keepe them at a distance they are all of them marked out for judgment the world shall with the frame thereof be consumed neither flesh nor blood shall enter into the Kingdome of beaven as for the Devill he is bound in everlasting chaines of darkenesse till the judgement of the great Jude 7. day then shall both he and they and all such as adhere unto them or march under their colours in this life taste of the fulnesse of Gods wrath in torments for evermore joyne thy selfe therfore unto the Church militant strive not so much to know what manner of fire that of â—ell is as how to shun it in all thy doings remember thy end and Eccles 7. then thou shalt never doe amisse in this thy spiritual warfare follow closse thy leader Christ Jesus the Captaine of thy salvation and in all thy prayers joyne in the huâ—ble voyce of the Church In all time of tribulation in all time of wealth in the houre of death and in the day of judgement good Lord deliver mee Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly If the certainty of death Letany and the uncertainty of the houre doth not move thee to buckle on thy Armour yet let the horrors of that great and terrible day and the judgements to be denounced against all faint-hearted Renegado's inforce thee to enter the field if none of these will do it looke up wards there 's a Crowne layd up for every Conqueror let that allure thee this if any thing will doe it Reward is the PluÌ„met that sets all Actions a going especially the Reward of Heaven a crowne of life not that Heaven is a Reward in a proper but analogicall sense it is a great dignation when God doth call that a Reward which is his owne free gift if a man should fulfill all the Commandements yet heaven is more then he hath deserved if saith Macarius I should play the souldier in the Christian combat yet the Reward is far above the tryall if a man should afflict his body a thousand yeares yet one day in heaven goeth farre beyond all his troubles heaven is therefore not of debt but of grace non Remuuer at iâ— laborumsed merces liberalit at is if it be of grace it is no more of workes Rom. 11. 6. doth God then propose heaven as the wages of his bountifull grace what will not a man do to enjoy it what toyle will not the husband-man undergo for a plentifull crop at harvest will not the Souldier march up to the very mouth of a Canon enter a breach lye upon the cold ground pâ—r dieu stand Sentinell exposed to wind and weather and all this to get renowne and credit but what is a good harvest to the Labourer or credit to the Souldier things meerely momentary here to day gone to morrow but whosoever he be that shall but fight the Christian fight and therein vanquish the world the flesh and the Devill with all their temptations provocations and assaults here 's a Heaven is the Conquerors Reward kingdome and Crowne too prepared for him which as it is immutable so it is immortall even a Kingdome Luk. 1. 33. eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. â— Kingdome whereof there shall be no end a Crowne of Righteoâ—sâ—esse no earthly thing comes within the 2 Tim. 4. 8 compasse of it they are not to be found in the texture of this Crowne it is Eternity that makes it up temporals come in only by way of superaddition it is in this life reposita layd up onely for S. Paul but it shall in that