on them then they become Christs Bread and Gods Wine and the Table Gods Table too not the bread of the buttery but of the Sanctuary not the wine of the grape but of the Vine Christ Iesus sealing unto us the pardon and remission of our sins So that in the right receiving thereof we must make it a work not dentis but mentis not so much to look on the Elements what they are but what they signifie look through the bush and see God through the Sacrament and see Christ Iesus to our comfort Worldly things their suddain downfall AMongst many other significant devices some beyond the Seas have the picture of a man with a full blown bladder on his shoulders another standing by and pricking the bladder with a pin the Motto Quam subitò hinting thereby the suddain downfall of all worldly greatnesse How soon is the Courtiers glory eclipsed if his Prince do but frown upon him and how soon the Prince himself become a Peasant if God give way unto it How soon are the windy hopes of sinfull men let our upon the least touch of Gods displeasure Riches honours preferments if God be but pleased to blow upon them are suddenly reduced to nothing Magistrates called to do Justice at all times IT was a piece of good counsell that Mordecai gave unto Hester she was fearfull to go in to the King because he had made a Law That whosoever came into the inner Court without his leave should be put to death But what saies Mordecai What is it that troubles thee why dost thou shrink for fear Who knowes whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this So it may be truly said of all Magistrates of all that are in place of Government whether it be in Church or Common-wealth that they are in their places for such a time as this that occasiones Dei nutus occasions are Gods beckonings As it is said of a King of Persia that he would many times alight off his horse onely to do justice to a poor body a good coppy for Magistrates to write by to be ready to do justice and judgment at all times upon all occasions while they have time that is while they have season They may have time to live in but they may out-live the season to do good in to work for God and act for Christ to relieve the oppressed and therein not to be over-poysed by any power or byas'd by any respects whatsoever All Knowledge but in part AMong the Romans Nasica was called Corculum for his pregnancy of wit among the Grecians Democritus Abderita was called not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Wise but Wisdom it self among the Britans Gildas was call'd Gildas sapiens Gildas the sage among the Iewes Aben Ezra was called Hechachan they said of him That if Knowledge had put out her candle at his brain she might light it again and that his head was the throne of wisdom Before him among the Israelites Achitophel was the man his counsell an Oracle Here now was a pack of wise men but why Nilus should overflow in the Summer when waters are at the lowest or why the Loadstone should draw Ironâ—o â—o it or incline to the Pole-star which of them with all their knowledge can give a reason of either And as in human so in divine knowledge the most acute and judicious have and must acknowledge their ignorance and deplore their errours in divers points We know but in part Then if he that learned his Divinity among the Angels yea to whom the holy Ghost was an immediate Tutor did know but in part it is well with us if we know but part of that part To be deliberate in our Prayers unto God IT is observable that when a man is to swim over some River having thrown himself into the water he passeth as far as he can by the strength of his first stroke and then being as it were at a stand he fetcheth another stroke and so a third and a fourth till he come to the place where he would be So in the marter of prayer in our addresses unto God we must do as that godly Martyr of Christ Mr. Iohn Bradford was said to do not to ramble from one petition to another till he had brought his heart into a perfect frame of prayer so that every passage of prayer had its full work As for instance In the Lords prayer when a man shall say Thy kingdome come and then shall be thinking with himself O but if it should now come what a case am I in that am thus unprovided Then in the midst of these thoughts say Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaver letting the tongue go on whilst the heart is on somewhat else this is an errour a green wound easie to be cured being one good thought in stead of another which is to be done by serious and deliberate attendance and carefull dwelling on one particular till another be presented Merit-mongers confuted THose of the old World to get them a name upon earth made Brick of their own devising and built them a Babel a Tower that must reach up to Heaven and when they had all done they had but brick for stone and slime for morter and the end was confusion And such there are who to get them a name and an opinion of being more holy than other men Touch me not I am of purer mold than thou art make brick of their own pure naturalls and inherent righteousnesse to build up a Babel of Merit that shall gain them the Kingdom of Heaven And when they shall have all done it is but the brick and slime of mortall corruption and they can prognosticate to themselves no fairer end than that of Babel was Confusion Humility occasioned by the consideration of our former and present condition JAcob humbles himself when his brother Esau came against him he knew himself to have been poor and in a low condition O Lord saies he I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant For with my staffe I passed over this Iordan and now I am become two bands And are there not many in this great City that came hither with a stick in their hands a freez-coat on their backs and a little spending mony in their purses poor servants then God wot but now they have gotten two bands wife and children mony and trading The consideration of these things how God hath dealt with them from time to time in the time of â—icknesse and sorrow in the time of health and prosperity how he hath brought them from one condition to another from a condition of want to a condition of plenty and from a condition of abundance to a condition of want again I
kind of moving 〈◊〉 body that he bended too much forward and stood not upright that he was nothing ripe and ready in his delivery that he could be no Scholar because he was so plain spoken that almost any man might make as good a Sermon that it differed little from ordinary talk that he enforc'd nor followed his exhortations with vehemency and earnestnesse of spirit and that his words had no life in them to stir up the attention or move the affections of the hearers that none of them would give a penny for his maintenance and that they would have another kind of Preacher than he or they would have none Here now was the same Sermon preached but here not the same People that heard it the first Sermon Cryed up the second cryed down yet still the same Sermon the Preacher much commended at the first delivery and as much discommended at the second yet still the same Preacher Hence is it that the generality of the people are not to be looked on as fit and competent judges of the Preacher and his Doctrin for they are usually led by passion not by discretion so that oft-times they commend they know not what and discommend they know not whom How it is that at the second comming of Christ to Judgment the frame of the World shall not be consumed but repairednew AS when that gold or silver is cast into the furnace and so tryed in the fire the substance remaineth but the drosse is that which onely perisheth So in the last day the fire of the Iudgment shall consume and abolish the corruptible and drossy quality of the Creature but the substance being subtilized and refined shall abide and continue What though that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fashion of the world passe and be skowred away by the fire of that generall conflagration yet the matter and substance shall remain The heavens indeed shall passe away with a noise or rushing or shrink together like a skroul of parchment the Elements like lead shall melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up Yet the World shall not be consumed to nothing but onely trans-changed into a new form and converted to a Sabbaticall and better use God out of the very ashes of it will produce a new world even a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein shall dwell righteousnesse 1 Pet. 3. 13. To be warned by the miseries of others AS some School masters have used that disciplin to correct the children of great persons whose personall correction they finde reason to forbear by correcting other children in their names and in their sight and have by this means so wrought upon good natures that they have amended what was amisse at present and taken more care for the future Thus the Iewes were by God corrected in the punishment of the Egyptians for the ten plagues of Aegypt were as Moses ten Commandements to Israel And so it is that other mens harms ought to be our arms Every judgment that falls upon a another should be as Catechism to us by way of instruction When Iudgements are abroad in the world shall not the People learn Righteousnesse Shall the Lion roar and the beasts of the Forrests not tremble Shall Gods hand lie heavy upon others and we stand by as idle spectators nothing at all minding what is done Shall our very next Neighbours house be on fire and we look on as Men unconcerned in the danger It cannot it must not be there is without all doubt the same combustible stuffe the same if not greater sins lodged in our hearts and the same punishments hovering over our heads it is therefore high time to look about us Repentance not to be put off till old Age. WInter-Voyages are very dangerous and uncertain by reason of the North-wind which is then let loose upon the Earth And sure he were not wise that might take his journey in the Summer yet by delaying his opportunity would expose himselfe to the durty deepnesse of the way and inclemency of the weather in winter Now so it is that old Age is mans Winter witnesse that Snow which covers his head more cold lasting then the Russian frosts which the raging Dog-star can scarcely thaw And Youth is his Summer wherein the better temper of the ayr the clearnesse of his sky wherein are fewer clouds lesse storms to hinder his prospect to Heaven promise a successfull voyage Can it be thought then that God who preceded all time will take it well at our hands to be put back unto the last minute of time How can he that requires the first fruiâ—s of our Lands be content with the latter harvest of our lives How can he that expects a sacrifice of sweet smell but distaste our unsavory zeal when for a fragrant flower we present him with a dry stalk and withered branch the lees of our old age for the vintage of our youth yet by the way this is not to prejudicate a gray-headed Repentance though the younger must needs be preferred That may be true but this more safe A Man may hope well of the one but believe better of the other In all Deliverances spiritual and temporall to give God the Glory THeodosius being told of the wonderfull over-throw of the Usurper Iohn his Adversary he and all his followers resorted to the Temple where they passed over the day with praise and thanksgiving acknowledging that God by his arm had cast down that Tyrant And Fl. Heraclius being delivered from Cosâ—oe the King of the Persians and Kingdom freed from Tyranny did in the heighth of his Triumph at Bizantium openly praise God for his delivery And the more to shew his thankfulesse did cause to be stamped on his coyn with his own Image these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Glory be to God in Heaven because he hath broken the Iron doors and hath delivered the holy Kingdom of Heraclius And thus must all of us do if we be freed from persecution from a sword-power from a Government Tyrannicall let us confesse with David that Salvation is of the Lord If we be brought from the jawes of death and the gates of the grave or recovered from some mortall disease let us say with Hezekiah The Lord was ready to save me Or if like so many brands suatch'd out of the fire we be brought from the deep of destruction the very gulf of Hell let us acknowledge with Ionah That Mercy and Salvation is of the Lord In all deliverances spirituall and temporall let God still have the glory Self-conceitednesse in matters of Religion condemned IT was in the Leviticall Law so ordered by God that he which had a blemish of white in his eye was debarred from the Priest-hood and compared to the Owl of whom the Naturalists yield the reason that she cannot see in
willing to empty our selves that we may be the sons of God Pride the vanity thereof VAlerius Maximus an eminent Observer of Times and Persons sayes That Alexander the Great had three ill qualities First That he looked upon his Father though otherwise well enough qualified as a Man of no dâ—sert at all Secondly Though he was a Macedonian born yet he put himself into the Persian garbe because more rich and costly then his own Thirdly His conquest had so swelled him that he would be no longer a Man but he must be a God forsooth and no lesse then the Son of Iupiter Such is the nature of Pride and natural condition of all proud Men whether it be in relation to things spirituall or temporall that they think no Man good enough to be their fellow Stand further off sayes one I am holier then thou Keep your distance sayes another I am Richer greater c. then thou Let a Man be but once got upon a Foot-cloath how bigg doth he look upon inferiour passengers And if he have purchased a little more Land then his Neighbours you shall see it in his garb if he command it is imperiously if he salutes it is with a surly and silent nod He thinks with the Pharisee he is not like other Men he looks upon himself as a Gyant and upon all the World besides as dwarfs as if made for nothing but to be laughed at when himself is but a Man and God knowes a foolish one too whom a little trash can aâ—â—ect so deeply not remembring that as the King so the beggar as dyeth the wise Man so the fool and that the Rich and the Poor shall both meet together in the grave Eccles. 7. 15. More Teachers then Learners A Certain King desirous to know What Professors he had most in his Kingdom one of his Courtiers answered Physitians That 's impossible said the King But to make it good the King being disguised he went along with him the next day amongst a Multitude of People and feigning himself not well but troubled with such and so many diseases that he could not tell what to do without remedy Then every one began to tell him What was good for such and such a disease some one thing some another none heard his complaint but prescribed a remedy and he was a Fool that was not then a Physitian So it is now amongst us He is no body that is not a Teacher Teaching Coblers teaching Tradesmen teaching Souldiers all Teachers and Preachers all got into the upper form when their place is in the lower they are up in the Mount with Moses when they should stand below with Aaron amongst the People they are teaching others when it is fit they should be taught themselves their foolish heads like over-seething pots casting out the froth of their own shame Prosperity of the Wicked not to be envied at WHen a Souldier was to die for taking a bunch of grapes against the Generaâ—'s command and going to Execution he went eating his grapes one of his Fellows rebuked him saying What are you eating your grapes now The poor Man answers I prethee Friend do not envy me these grapes for they do cost me dear so they did indeed for they cost him his life Thus let no Man envy the Prosperity of the wicked not fret at the Men of this World who live in pleasure and wallow in the sensual delights of this life they know no better they seek after no better things there 's little cause why any Man should grudge what they have for they must give a sad accompt of what they have received and pay dear at the last even without Gods preventing Mercy the losse of their immortal Souls to all Eternity To be Watchfull in the performance of holy Duties IT is said of the Cranes that roosting by the Water-side one of them is alwayes upon the Watch with a stone in her claw so that upon the approach of their Enemy down falls the stone into the water wherewith being awakened they take themselves to flight for farther safety And that natural Musick-Master the Nightingale being to delight her self with her Night-songs and fearing lest that by sleep she should endanger her self to birds of prey le ts her breast against a thorn to keep her waking And thus must we be watchfull over our selves in all things especially in the performance of holy duties whether it be in Prayer when we speak unto God or in Hearing when God speaks unto us or in Sacramental actions wherein God offâ—reth himself freely unto us or when we be about to sing the songs of Sion then it is that we must use all good means to keep us waking because we are every hand-while apt through our sluggishnesse to take a nap and thereby to endanger our Souls to those ravenous and hellish Fowles who take their chief delight in the works of darknesse and are ready to seize upon us if they find us sleeping Magistraâ—es Ministers c. to be Men of courage ELvidius Priscus being commanded by Vespasian either not to come into the Senate or being there to speak nothing but what he directed made answer That being a Senator it was sit he should go into the Senate and being there it was his duty to speak in his Conscience what he thought to be true and then being threatned if he did so he should die further added That he never as yet told him that he was immortal and therefore said he Do what you will I will do what I ought And as it it in your power to put me unjustly to death so it is in my power to die resolvedly for the Truth Here now was a brave spirited Heathen sit for Christian imitation For he can never be a Faithfull Man that is afraid to speak his mind Men of publique employment for the Peoples good must and ought to stand up for the Truth to be Men of courage Men of resolution not fearing the frowns of any whatsoever not ecchoing out the dictates of others but freely speaking their own thoughts without any fear at all To be Temporate in meat and drink DAniel was afraid of taking liberty to his Flesh in eating the Kings meat Mean was the provision of Iohn the Baptist his fare was locusts and wild honey and yet there was not a greater born of a woman before him A few loaves and a little bread was Basil's provision And Ierome reports of Hilarion that he never did eat any thing before the Sun went down and that which he did eat at any time was very mean nay Ierome himself lived very abstemiously with cold water and a few dry'd Figgs for to eat any thing so much as boyled was accompted Luxury And to make up the Messe S. Augustine hath such an expression concerning himself as this Hoc me dâ—cuisti Domine c. Thou
and Men in authority 308. Kings Princes Rulers c. to hearken to good Counsel 520. Kings Princes c. subject to death as well as the lowest of the people 526. The greatnesse of them no protection from death 526. The state of Kingdoms and Common-wealths best known by the administration of Justice 3. A Kingdome divided within it self cannot long stand 195. The Kingdom of Christ a peaceable Kingdome 247. Kingdoms and Common-wealths their successions from God 309. How it is to know whether a Man belong to Heaven or not 4. God knowes his own People however distressed 46. Impossible for a Man to know all his sins 57. Impossible to know God perfectly in this World 96. How to know Gods dwelling place Heaven 100. How to know whether we are more troubled for sin then for worldly sorrow and trouble 356. Knowledg very usefull in the matter of Reformation 4. Gods knowledg and Mans knowledg the difference of them in the event of things 5. Zeal and knowledg must go hand in hand together 15. Difference betwixt a spiritual and carnall Man in point of knowledg 58. The Saints knowledg of one another in Heaven 68. Windy Knowledg and windy doctrine go together 82. Notional knowledg of God no true knowledg 100. Minister of all men to be men of knowledg c. 134. Experimental Knowledg the onely knowledg 156. 437. The confidence of much knowledg an argument of no knowledg 159. Knowledg not to be reserved 168. Knowledg and practice must go together 173. The great danger of concealed knowledg 192. Knowledg without practice reproved 213. Christians and their knowledg to be communicative 227. Man losing himself in the pursuit after knowledg extraordinary 238. True knowledg never rests on the Creature till it center in God the Creator 259. Knowledg in political affairs very uncertain 267. All knowledg but in part 268. The keys of Knowledg much abused by those that keep them 509. To have a perfect Knowledg of God impossible 532. The knowledg of God through Faith in Christ the way to true happinesse 534. Wherein the true Knowledg of Christ consisteth 556. L. LAughter of the Wicked but from the teeth outward 52. How it is that the Law is said to be the strength of Sin 491. How it is that Christ is said to be end of the Ceremonial law 534. The work of the law preceding the work of the Gospel 559. The Law of God abused by Libertinism 487. Law of God a perfect Law 19. The Law Gods Rhetorick in the delivery of it Man's duty to attend it 133. How to behold our selves in the glasse of Gods Law 246. 630. The Law of God bringing Men to the sight of themselves 297. Multiplicity of Law-Sâ—its condemned 588. Good Lawes and good Men are the pillars of State 150. Lex Talionis 157. 416. Good lawes obeyed are the support of a Common-wealth 175. The great danger of Law suits 207. The tedious length of Law-Suits 213. 524. The known laws of any Nation to be the rule of obedience 293. How it is that Men may be said to learn of little children dumb thews c. 409. Practice of the law abused 430. The downfall of piety and Learning to be deplored 118. Not to admire our own Learning or parts 168. University Learning to be countenanced by men in Authority 219. The necessity of humane Learning 240. Learning and honesty to go together 249. A Man of Learning speaks little 263. The Devills plot to root our Learning 276. 576. Excellency of the Knowledg of Jesus Christ above all humane learning whatsoever 363. The commodity and discommodity of learning 366. Knowledg and learning to be owned in whomsoever they be found 412. The right use of humane learning 421. No Man too good to learn 447. No Man so old but he may learn something 471. The right use of humane learning in Divinity 483. 577. The necessity thereof 484. Much learning to be found in few expressions 567. Impossible to arrive at a full perfection of learning in this life 568. Liberty the cause of licentiousnesse 504. Christian liberty abused by the Sectarian party 27. How it is that Men are so much mistaken in the thoughts of long life 375. Consideration of the shortnesse of life to be a Memento for death 430. The Life of Man subject to all sorts of calamity 61. The pretious life of Man to be preserved 62. An ungodly life will have an ungodly end 101. The brevity of our life may moderate our life 104. The life of Man miserable 219. Changing of this life for a better no matter of grief 280. Man's great vanity in proposing to himself long life 334. The great difference betwixt life spirituall and life natural 370. The uncertainty of Mans life 602. Like to like 234. How to be made like unto Christ 260. Likenesse to be a motive to lovelinesse 414. God must be loved for himself onely 16. Love for the most part is but complemental 8. Want of Love is the cause of all our sorrows 36. Love the bond of all perfection 49. The Love of Gods children is a sincere love 75. The wonderful Love of a true Christian to Christ Jesus 106. The strength of a true Christians Love to Christ 112. Want of Love to be deplored 132. 401. Great engagement to love one another 152. Love to Christ how to be recovered when once lost 236. Christ nothing but Love all over 299. Love to be preserved with all Men 313. The abundant love of Christ in dying for our sins 360. Love Peace and Unity the best supporters of Kingdoms Common-wealths c. 375. The Love of God the onely true love 409. The true love of God will cause familiarity with God 447. How it is and why God loves us 536. The exceeding Love of God to Mankind 550. The Love of Riches very dangerous 571. True brotherly love scarce to be found 613. The difference betwixt true and feigned love unto Christ 650. How our love to the Creature is to be regulated 666. Christians ought to be loving one to another 58. No Man a loser by giving himself up to Christ 38. God being once lost not easily found again 185. The losse of a faithful Ministery not to be sleighted and why so 258. Losse of the Soul irrecoverable 505. The good Man's comfort in matter of worldly losse 464. Not to repine at the losse of Friends and children 522. 670. Losse of good Men not laid to heart condemned 659. Simplicity of Men to be more affected with the losse of things eternal 677. Not to mourn for any outward losses because all is made up in Christ 55. A sad thing to lose both body and Soul together 111. Not to mourn excessively for the losse of any Worldly enjoyment and why so 356. To beware of the lusts of the Flesh 141. The lyars reward and punishment 443. M. A Good Magistrate or Minister is the support of the place where he lives 111. The great comfort of such 539.
yet Thus it is betwixt Christ and the damned soul Christ is a most just Judge no Tyrant no Tiberius and yet if one of the damned after a thousand years burning in hell should beg and entreat for a speedy death he would answer after the same manner Nondum tecum in grattam redii you and I are not yet friends if after thousands and millions of years the request should be renewed the answer would continue still the same Stay you and I are not yet friends So just and right a thing it is that he that would not by Repentance accept of mercy when it was offered should by punishment be tormâ—nted and have justice without mercy for ever God and his Attributes are answerable IT is well known that the title of Augustus hath been given to such Caesars as did not enlarge but diminish the Empire of Pater patriae to those that were so far from being Fathers that they were plain Tyrants of Pontifex maximus given to them which were so far from serving the Gods that they did sacrilegiously Canonize themselves for Gods and yet propter spem the Senate gave them these titles and by flattery they did amplifie in the rest He that had but a small conquest encreased his style as if he had conquered a whole Kingdome as appears in the titles of Germanicus Illyricus Britannicus c. nay the Eastern Monarchs were very fond this way claiming kindred of the Gods of the Stars and what not which might amplifie their Majesty In a word hope and flattery are the best ground whereupon all worldly mens titles are built especially great mens and Kings most of all But it is not so with the King of Heaven the truths in him are answerable to the titles that are given him the Attributes proportionable they are not given him propter spem but rem He is that which he is called neither is there in them any flattery yea his titles do come short of they do not exceed those perfections that are in him So that we may not measure the style of God as we do the stylâ—s of mortal Kings but conceive rather more then less when we hear them Prosperity of the wicked is destructive I Have seen the wicked saith David in great power and spreading himself like a green Bay-tree And why like a green Bay-tree because in the Winter when all other Trees as the Vine-tree Fig-tree Apple-tree c. which are more profitable Trees are withered and naked yet the Bay continueth as green in the Winter as the Summer So fareth it with wicked Men when the children of God in the storms of persecutions and afflictions and miseries seem withered and as it were dead yet the wicked all that time flourish and do appear green in the eyes of the World they wallow in worldly wealth but it is for their destruction they wax fat but it is for the day of slaughter It was the case of Hophni and Phinees the Lord gave them enough and suffered them to gâ— on and prosper in their wickednesse but what was the reason because he would destroy them Justifying faith accompanied with good works IT is evident to all except others be made keepers of their Reason as now they are of their Liberties that the eye alone seeth in the body yet the eye which seeâ—h is not alone without the other senses that the Fore-finger alone pointeth yet that finger is not alone on the hand that the Hammer alone striketh on the Bell yet the hammer that striketh is not alone in the Clock that the heat alone in the fire burneth yet that heat is not alone without light that the Helm alone guideth the Ship and not the Tackling yet the helm is not alone nor without the â—ackling In a compound Electuary Rubarb onely purgeth choler yet the Rubarb is not alone there without other Ingredients Thus we are to conceive that though faith alone doth justifie yet that faith which justifieth is not alone but joyned with charity and good works St. Bernard's distinction of Via regni and Causa regnandi cleareth the truth in this point Though good works are not the cause why God crowneth us yet we must take them in our way to Heaven or else we shall never come there It is as impious to deny the necessity as to maintain the merit of good works Talkers and not doers of Religion are to be condemned IT is a custom in Germany that in the evening when a candle is first lighted or brought into a Room they say Deus det vobis lucem aeternam God grant light eternal And it is usual in many parts of this Kingdom to say God grant us the light of Heaven The custom is good and the words warrantable but were the light of Heaven more in our hearts and less in our tongues there woâ—â—d be fewer works of darkness in our lives and conversations We speak of the light of Heaven and wish for the light of Heaven and we talk of new lights to heaven but all this is like that silly Actor in the Comedy that cryed out with his finger pointed to the Earth and his eye to Heaâ—en Encoelum ôterra Heaven is in our mouth but Earth in our hearts We are Heteroclitâ—s in Religion not reas but nominals in profession The endeavours of Christ are for peace IT is too usual with men the wiser they are the more to be turbuleâ—t and disquieters of the State and the more power they have the more to tyrannize and lord it over their fellow Subjects For such men do seldom suffer themselves to be guided or governed by the Counsels and dictates of others and run head-long of themselves swayed by a kind of impulsive providence and so care not but to please their own fancy no matter whom they displease besides But it is not so with Christ he that is Wisdome it self that is wonderful for Counsel mighty for Power bends both his wisdom and his power and his counsel to work peace that peace which is the portion of his people the inheritance of his Church which none can partake of but those that are true members thereof Study of the Tongues to be encouraged DAvid made a Statute in Israel that they who tarryed by the stuffe should part alike with those who went to battel The Professors of the Tongues are they who keep the stuffe and they should be as well rewarded as they who go into the field and fight in the Ministery The anger or wrath of God best appeased when the sinner appeareth with Christ in his armes THemistocles understanding that King Admetus was highly displeased with him took up his young son into his armes and treated with the Father holding that his darling in his bosom and thereby appeased the King's wrath God is at this time offended with us and hath a controversie with us there is no
again and so was recovered out of all the extremities in which he lived before In this life we are just such as those poor men of Israel rifled plundered spoiled in a manner and condition every way straitned now Death is our Iubilee and when the Trumpet begins to sound life is then loss Death is the good mans advantage then it is that he enjoyes a better state than ever he had before What though Death be to the wicked as the Rod in Moses hand that was turned into a Serpent yet to the godly it shall be like that of Eliah a wand to waft them into a better life then it is that the funeral of their vices shall be the resurrection of all their gracious actions The greatest of Men subjects of Mortality IT is with Men as with Letters that have great and glorious superscriptions Right Honourable Right Worshipful c. but when opened there is nothing but a little black ink and dust upon them So though men have great places and offices whether it be in Church or State and make a great outward show in the world yet within there is but a little black blood and dusty flesh to cover it dust they were and to dust they must return again Death strips us of all worldly outward things IT is with us in this world as it was in the Iewish fields and vineyards pluck and eat they might what they would vvhile they were there but they might not pocket or put up ought to carry vvith them Deut. 23. 24. Or as with Boyes that having gotten by stealth into an Orchard stuffe their sleeves and their Pockets full with Apples and Pears well hoping to get out vvith them but when they come to the Door they find one that searcheth them and taketh all their fruit away from them and so sendeth them away empty vvith no more fruit then they brought in Or as poor men that being invited to a rich mans boord have the use of his Plate to drink in and silver spoons to eat with whilst they are there but if any of them dares to be so bold as to put up a piece of Plate or a spoon there is search made by the Porter e're they are let out for what is missing among them and so they are turned out as they came in In like manner it is with us in regard of these temporall blessings we have free liberty to use them while we are here but vvhen we are to go hence there is one vvaiting on us that will be sure to strip us and suffer nothing to pass with us unlesse it be some sorry sheet or a sear ragge to rot with us such as vve shall have no sense of nor be any whit at all the betteâ— for than if vve vvere vvholly vvithout them The worth of a true Christian. WHen Henry the fourth that late King of France vvas told of the King of Spains ample Dominions As first he is King of Castile and I quoth Henry am King of France he is King of Navarre and I am King of France he is King of Naples and I am King of France he is King of the Sicilia's nova Hispania of the Western India's and I am King of France he thought the Kingdom of France equivalent to all those So let the soul of every good Christian solace it selfe against all the wants of this mortall Pilgrimage in this that it is a member of the Church one hath more learning or wit yet I am a Christian another hath more honour or preferment in the world yet I am a Christian another hath more silver and gold and riches yet I am a Christian another hath larger possessions yet I have an inheritance in heaven I am a Christian Were but this consideration of the true Christians worth laid in the ballance of the Sanctuary it would weigh down all temporary conceits whatsoever Magistrates to be advised in point of Iustice. IT is said of Lewis the King of France that when he had through inadvertency granted an unjust suit as soon as he had read that verse in the Psalm Blessed is he that doth righteously at all times recalled himselfe and upon better thoughts gave his judgement quite contrary Hence it is that an act of justice ought to flow from mature deliberation and advised attendency especially there ought to be consideration when it concerns the life or death of a man In getting the things of this World Gods way is the best way AS the Israelites travailing through the Wildernesse towards the Land of promise Numb 9. 22 23. which to have gone the next way had not been a journey of many dayes yet were they many years about it they were to go as God led them as they saw the cloud go before them and not to take that way that seemed best or most compendious in their own eyes So must we observe Gods wayes in our trade at home and traffick abroad in our walking towards wealth we must keep the way that God leads us go no other way then we can see him going before us follow the line of his Law though it seem to lead us in and out backward and forward as it were treading in a Maze and not take those wayes that seem gainer and nearer in our own eyes and much more compendious then the other though we might compass wealth with a word or two with the bow of a knee onely one way whereas we must travail and toyl and moyl much e're we come by it the other way though we might attain to it in a day or a week the one way whereas we are like to stay many weeks many moneths nay many years it may be e're we come at it the other way yet this way must we keep and resolve to forsake all the world with our Saviour Math. 4. 10. If it be offered to entice us out of it The Israelites when they went out of Gods precincts they went withall out of Gods protection and so fell before their foes Numb 14. 44. So those that make more haste then good speed to be rich that balk Gods path and step out of Gods way to get wealth shall surely come to evil Psalm 28. 20. How to judge of an Hypocrite THere can be no difference betwixt a gliding star and the rest the light seems alike both while it stood and whiles it fell but being once fallen it is known to be no other then a base slimy Meteor gilded with the Sun-beams and now a man may tread upon that with his foot which before his eye admired had it been a sâ—ar it had still and ever shined now the very fall argues it a false and elementary apparition Thus â—ur charity doth and must mislead us in our spiritual judgements if we see men exalted in their Christian profession fixed in the upper Region of the Church shining with appearances and outsides of Grace we
or Figure-flinger do but hit in one thing of twenty he is presently cryed up for a Cunning man but let the Physitian work six hundred cures yet if through the impatience of his Patient he fail but in one that one fail doth more turn to his discredit then his many eminent cures did formerly get him praise Thus doth the world deal with men in the matter of censure If a worldly minded man have but an outward gift of strength of speech or of any other naturall endowment he is accounted filius gallinae albae one of the white boyes of the time a precious man a man of excellent parts c. though he be at the same time in ordine ad spiritualia an Idolater a prophane person c. But let the child of God be truly zealous for God honest and holy in life and conversation yet if there be but one infirmity in him as who is free or if he have through weaknesse fallen into some one sin that one infirmity against which he striveth or that one sin for which he is grieved shall drown all the graces in him be they never so eminent never so great and the World is ready to give him up for a wicked man an Hypocrite c. The godly and ungodly their different motions in goodness A Violent motion is quick in the beginning but slow in the end a stone cast upward is then most weak when it is most high but a natural motion is slow in the beginning quicker in the end For if a Man from a high Tower cast a stone down-ward the nearer to the center the quicker is the motion And therfore when a man at his first conversion is exceeding quick but afterwards waxeth every day slower and slower in the wayes of goodnesse his motion is not natural and kindly but forced otherwise like a constant resolved Christian the longer he lives and the neerer he comes to the mark the more swiftly doth he run the more vehemently doth he contend for that everlasting Crown which he shall be sure to attain at his Races end Self-conceited Men blameâ—worthy Men. St. Hierome observeth â—hus much of Petrus Abaelardus and his followers that he was used to say in point of Controversie Omnes sane Patres sic dijudicant at ego non c. Indeed the stream of all the Fathers run this way but I am of another judgement So what S. Augustine affirmeth of some in his time Nisi quod faciant nihil rectè judicant is too too true in this self-conceited time of ours Men wade so far in a vein of singularity that they think nothing well done but what they doe themselves how do they dote upon the issue of their own empty brains and thus admiring themselves vvhom do they not censure hating the persons of their superiours and scorning the opinions of their elders Great Men to be merciful Men. AS the Snow which falls upon the Mountains being dissolved into water by the beams of the Sun descending into the valley maketh it to give her encrease but being deprived of the Sun's heat remaines congealed useless and unprofitable So they which are in high places as it were Mountains in Court or Country upon whom the favour of God and the King shine most ought not to be frozen in Charity not to be bound up to themselves but to be publique spirited men to have the bowels of Piety and pitty melt within them for the good of their inferiour brethren A Rich Man is Gods Steward A Begger upon the way asked something of an honourable Lady she gave him six pence saying This is more then ever God gave me O sayes the Beggar Madam you have abundance and God hath given you all that you have say not so good Madam Well saies she I speak the truth for God hath not given but lent unto me what I have that I may bestow it upon such as thou art And it is very true indeed that the poor are Gods Almesmen and the Rich are but his Stewards into whose hands God hath put his Monies to distribute to them in the time of necessity An Orthodoxal Christian hath a like esteem of all Gods Ordinances WHen at the taking of new Carthage in Spain two Souldiers contended about the murall Crown due to him who first climed up the wall so that the whole Army was thereupon in danger of division Scipio the Generall said He knew that they both got up the wall together and so gave the scaling Crown to them both Thus a good Orthodoxal Christian doth not clash Gods Ordinances together about Precedency he makes not odious comparisons betwixt Prayer and Preaching Preaching and Catechizing Prayer publique and private premeditate and extemporary but compounds all controversies about Gods Ordinances by praising them all practising them all and thanking God for them all Gods two hands of Mercy and Judgement THere is mention made of a Load-stone in Aethiopia which hath two corners with the one it draweth-to with the other it puts the Iron from it So God hath two arms the one of Mercy the other of Iudgement two hands the one of Love the other of wrath with the one he draweth with the other he driveth the one stroaketh the other striketh and as he hath a right hand of favour wherewith to load the Saints so he wants not a left hand of fury wherewith to dash the wicked in pieces A Wife to be subordinate to her Husband AS Tertullian saith of a King that he is solo Deo minor hath in his Kingdom none above him but onely God so is a Woman in a Family solo marito minor she should command all in the house but her Husband she may be similis but not aequalis honoris she may partake in the same kind of honour but not in the same degree of honour as Man doth otherwise if it come to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the rule of a woman actum est de â—amilia farewel all good order Why Because women have more of the heart then the head their affections out-step their discretion they are commonly more witty then wise so that wisdom requiring the pondering of circumstances the forwardnesse of their affections will not suffer them to pause so long hence it is that their resolutions are rash and wilfull which cannot prognosticate any good event Happily some woman may be as wise as Abigail and some man as silly as Nabal yet then neither doth Man lose his Prerogative nor Woman acquire a title above him deal with him she may per viam consilii but not imperii counsel him she may command him she may not The fiery triall on the Church of God VVHen the Romans immortalized any of their Emperours they did it with this Ceremony They brought one to swear that they saw him go to Heaven out of the fire intimating That the fiery trial had passed
those times when the Roman Common-wealth was almost consumed with mutuall and civill jars he would have built a Temple Iovi positorio wherein men should have deposited and layen down all heart-burnings all quarrells before they entred the Senate How necessary were such a place for the Magistrates Ministers and People of these times For Magistrates before they come into any places of publique judicature where they may meet and lay down all private thoughts all prejudicate opinions that so Iustice and Iudgement may be duly and conscionably administred For Ministers before they preach in publique where they may teach themselves the lessons of self-denial and self-seeking that so the Kingdom of Iesus Christ may be advanced For People before they touch the Mount before they come to hear the word preached or to partake of the blessed Sacrament where they may lay aside all carnall and worldly thoughts all prejudices of the Ministers and Ordinances that so the word of God and the professors thereof be not evil spoken of That Magistrates Ministers and People may be so peaceably minded that the God of peace may delight to dwell amongst them How it is that we may hate our Enemies IT was a true Norman distinction that William the first made when he censured one that was both Bishop of Bayens and Earl of Kent And his Apology to the Plaintiffe Pope-ling was this That he did not medle with the Bishop but with the Earl Thus in the matter of hatred and envy We must hate our enemies as David did his How is that Odio perfecto with a perfect hatred love their persons but hate their vices medle not with them as they are friends or acquaiutance but abhominate their uncleannesse c. Riches ill gotten never prosper SAlis onus unde venerat illuc abiit saith the Latin Proverb The burthen of Salt is returned thither from whence it came The occasion was this A Ship laden with Salt being torn by wrack let the Salt fall into the Sea from whence it was first taken So for the most part Goods gotten by spoil or plunder are usually lost in the same way Vespasian's Officers that by rapine and exaction filled themselves like spunges after they were full were squeezed by the Emqerour And it is dayly seen that the spoiler is himselfe spoiled and that which was gathered by the hire of a Whore returneth to the wages of an Harlot Mich. 1. 7. The excellent connexion of the Scriptures of God THe Heathen said That there were three things impossible to be done Eripere Iovi fulmen Herculi clavam Homero versum to pull Iupiters Thunder-bolt out of his hand Hercules Club out his hand and a Verse from Homer for they thought there was such a connexion between Homers Verses that not one Verse could be taken away without a great breach in the whole Work But this may much more be said of the Scriptures of God there is such a coherence such a connexion such a dependance that if you take away but one Verse the whole will be marred all the Books of Scripture being like a chain linked together except the Book of Solomons Proverbs which is like a bag full of gold Rings every verse being one entire and distinct sentence God the onely delight of his children LEt Iacob but hear that Ioseph his son is yet alive he hath enough If the King come home with freedom honour and safety Ziba may keep the Land let him take all Mephiâ—oshtch is satisfied Could but the son of Hamor match with Dina his Circumcision shall be endured and though the daughters of the Country be denyed him yet shall he be well contented Give but Rahell children and she will not dye And let Simeon see his Saviour and he will dye Thus let God's children enjoy but him the subject of their affections tide life tide death come what can come whatsoever befals them they are contented he is the onely object of their love and he it is in whom their soul principally delighteth wherefore in the enjoyment of him they have all they would have A faint-hearted Christian described SOme freshwater Souldier standing upon the shore in a fair day and beholding the Ships top and top-gallant in all their bravery riding safety at Anchor thinks it a brave thing to go to Sea and will by all means aboard but being out a league or two from the Harbour and feeling by the rocking of the Ship his stomack begin to work and grow sick and his soul even to abhor all manner of meat or otherwise a storm to arise the wind and the Sea as it were conspiring the sinking of the Vessel forthwith repents his folly and makes vows that if he but once be set ashore again he will bid an eternal farewel to all such Voyages And thus there be many faint-hearted Christians to be found amongst us who in calm dayes of Peace when Religion is not over-clouded by the times will needs join themselves to the number of the people of God they will be as earnest and as forward as the best and who but they yet let but a Tempest begin to appear and the Sea to grow rougher than at the first entry the times alter troubles raised many cross minds of opposition and gain-saying begin to blow they are weary of their course and will to shore again resolving never to thrust themselves into any more adventures they would have Christum but not Christum crucifixum Christ they would have by all means but Christ crucified by no means if the way to Heaven be by the gates of Hell let who will they will not go that way but rather sit down and be quiet Diligence in our callings commendable PLiny relateth of one Cressinus who from a very little piece of ground gathering much wealth and much more then his neighbours could from a greater quantity of land was thereupon accused of Witch-craft But to defend himself he brought into the Court his servants and their instruments of labour and said Veneficia mea Quirites haec sunt My witch-crafts O ye Romans are these these servants and these working tools are all the witch-craft that I know of I say not to my servants go and do this or that but come let us go do it and so the work goes on Well it is the deligent hand that maketh rich It is diligence and industry that makes any man excellent and glorious and chief in any condition calling or profession Seest thou a man diligent in his way he shall stand before Princes Different measures of Grace in different persons AS Abimelech's Souldiers some cut down greater branches some lesser according to the proportion of their strength And as St. Paul's Mariners some were saved on boards some on broken pieces of the Ship Even so amongst Christians some in their approaches unto God carry a greater some a lesser confidence
use it as an occasion served and Rachel that other holy woman did not desire the Mandrakes so much to hold in her hand or to smell to as to be made apt thereby to bring forth the fruit of her womb And we must not come to the Well-spring of life and when we have filled our pitchers spill all presently on the ground nor we must not so much labour to know the Word that we may subtilly dispute or discourse of it as to practise it that we may shew the fruit of it in the amendment of our lives and conversations Dulness and drousiness in the service of God reproved IT is reported of Constantize the great that when divine service was read he would help the Minister to begin the prayer and to read the verses of the Psalms interchangeably and when there was a Sermon if any place of special importance were alleadged that he would turn his Bible to imprint the place the better in his mind both by hearing and seeing it and being as it were revished with those things which he heard he would start up suddenly out of his Throne and Chair of State and would stand a long while to hear more diligently and though they which were next him did put him in mind to remember himself yet he heard the word so attentively that he would not give any ear at all unto them How wonderfully should this confound us that are every way inferiour when we hear Emperors mighty Kings shew such a good heart in hearing of the word of God to be so chearful in the service of God and we in the mean time to have such lumpish and dull spirits as to be never a whit moved or affected with the same that though Christ talk with us never so comfortably in the way yet our hearts are not so much as warmed within us though he putteth his hand to the hole of the door yet we will not list up the latch to let him in and though our well-beloved speak yet we will not hearken unto him A good man bettered by Afflictions SPring water smoaketh when all other waters of the River and the Channel are frozen up that water is living whilst they are dead All experience teacheth us that Well-waters arising from deep springs are hotter in Winter than in Summer the outward cold doth keep in and double their inward hear Such is a true Christian in the evill day his life of Grace gets more vigour by opposition he had not been so gracious if the times had been better I will not say He may thank his Enemies but I must say He may thank God for his Enemies Christ compared to an Eagle CHrist is not unfitly compared to an Eagle in three respects First because as the Eagle fluttereth over her young ones and safeguards them from any that would annoy them so doth Chris carefully protect his Church that the Gates of Hell nor the deepest Counsells of her Enemies shall not prevail against her Secondly as the Eagle stirs up her nest and taketh up her young ones enforcing them to look towards the Sun thereby trying her generous and degenerating brood even so doth Christ make triall of true and counterfeit Christians he rejects them as counterfeits that have but owl light such as hate the light but those which can look upon the Sun of Righteousnesse and delight in beholding of him they go for true Christians Thirdly The Eagle hateth the Serpent and wheresoever he seeth him renteth him with his Beak And Christ the seed of the woman did break the Serpents head The Hypocrites discovery of himselfe THere are a sort of Men that call themselves Christians professe that they know God and that their hope is in Heaven but no sooner doth any vanity come in the way any temporal commodity present it selfe but their hearts quickly betray where their Treasure is just like the Iuglers Ape of Alexandria which being attired like a reasonable Creature and dancing curiously to his Masters Instrument deceived all the Spectators untill one spying the fraud threw a handful of Dates upon the Stage which the Ape no sooner espied but he tore all his Vizard and fell to his Victuals to the scorn of his Master which gave an occasion to the Proberb An Ape is an Ape though he be clad never so gaily And most sure it is that an Hypocrite will at last shew himselfe an Hypocrite for all his specious shew and goodly pretences The Churches condition under the two Testaments St. Paul resembleth the different conditions of the Church under the two Testaments to the different conditions of a child when he is in his nonage though he be heir and when he is come to his full age While he is in his nonage though he be heir yet he is kept in awe and under a Pedagogue but when he cometh to full age his Father affords him a more cheerful Countenance and a more liberall maintenance Even so under the Law the Church was kept under and scanted of Grace but under thâ— Gospel she is more free and endued with a more plentifull measure of Gods holy spiriâ— The Kingdom of Heaven an everlasting Kingdom MOrtal Kingdoms are not lasting and while they last they continue not uniform Are not everlasting they have their Climacterical years and commonly determine within certain periods The Politicians write of it Bodine by name and he out of othâ—rs and the stories are clear and experience daily sheweth it to be so Iustin hath calculated the three first Monarchs but Sleidan all four and we see their beginning and ending And as they are not lasting so while they last they continue not uniform The Planters of great States are commonly Heroical men but the Proverb is Heroum â—ilii noxae The Parents were never so beneficiall as the children are misâ—hâ—evous oppressing by Tyranny or wasting by Vanity worldly peace breedeth plenty plenty breeds pride and pride breeds war wherewith cometh Ruine This being the condition of mortall Kingdoms how blessed is that Kingdom of Heaven which shall have no end the words are short but they are full The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it this is typified in David and Saul the Kingdom of the one was tempâ—rall of the other eternal The Angel repeats the same promise The Psalms do often urge it so do the Prophers Esay especially they all concur in this that it shall have no end Gods Lawes obeyed are the support of a Common-wealth IT fareth with the body politick as it doth with the body naturall if the humours keep their proportion we have health no sooner do they swerve from it but they begin a disease which maketh way to puâ—refaction and so to dissolution wherefore we apply physick to reduce them again into a due temper Even so while good Lawes sway our carriage towards our selves towards our neighbours each man doth well the
infest the whole and like a breach made in the walls of a city besieged they will let in the enemy to destroy it Nay though there should be a Kingdom of Saints if differences and distractions get within that Kingdome they will like the worm in Ionah's Gourd eat up all the happinesse of it in one night Not to continue angry THe English by command from William the Conquerour alwaies raked up their fires and put out their candles when the Curfew-bell was rung some part of which laudable custome of those times remaineth yet in the ringing of our eight or nine a clock bell Let it then mind us thus much that the Sun go not down upon our wrath let it not carry newes to the Antipodes in another world of our revengefull nature but rather quench all sparks of anger rake up all heat of passion that may arise within us The great State of Heaven WHen Cyneas the Ambassadour of Pyrrhus after his return from Rome was asked by his Master What he thought of the City and State He answered and said That it seemed to him to be Respublica Regum a State of none but great Statesmen and a Common-wealth of Kings Such is Heaven no other than a Parliament of Emperours a Common-wealth of Kings every humble faithfull soul in that Kingdom is Co-heir with Christ hath a Robe of honour and a Scepter of power and a Throne of majesty and a Crown of glory Every man to be active in his place HE is not worthy to be a Member of a State by whom the State is no whit bettered The Romans well understood this when they instituted their Censors to enquire into every mans course of life and to note them carbone nigro with a character of infamy that could not give some good aâ—count of their life It is a thing pittifull to consider how many there are in this Land of ours whose glory is their shame the very drones and cumber-grounds of their country the Chronicle of whose life was long since summed up by the Poet Nos numerus sumus fruges consumere nati no better than cyphers if you respect the good they do But let them know that God will have no mutes in his Grammer no blanks in his Almanack no dumb showes on his Stage no false lights in his House no loyterers in his Vineyard How to get into Heaven AS Socrates told a lazy fellow that would fain go up to the top of Olympus but that it was so far off Why said he walk but as far every day as thou dost about thine own house and in so many daies thou shalt be sure to be at Olympus Thus let but a man employ every day so many serious thoughts upon the excellent glory of the life to come as he now employeth daily on his necessary affairs in the world nay as he looseth daily on vanities and impertinencies and his heart will be at Heaven in a very short space The strength of Imagination demonstrated IMagination the work of phancy hath produced reall effects sad and serious examples of this truth may be produced but a merry one by the way A Gentleman having led a company of children beyond their usuall journey they began to be weary and joyntly cryed to him to carry them which because of their multitude he could not do but told them he would provide them horses to ride on then cutting little wands out of the hedge as nâ—gs for them and a great stake as a gelding for himself thus mounted phancy put mettall into their leggs and they came cheerfully home The heavenly Conquerour the happy Conquerour IN the severall Kingdomes of the world there are severall Orders of Knights as of Malta of the Garter of the golden fleece of S. Iohn of Ierusalem of S. Saviour of S. Iames of the Holy Ghost and divers others and most of these have been found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 white-liver'd Souldiers carpet-Knights that either never drew sword nor saw battle or fled from their colours But in the Kingdom of Christ there is found but onely one sort of Knights and that 's the Order of S. Vincent such as stood their ground such as never returned from battle without the spoil of their ghostly enemies such whose Motto was here below Vincenti dabitur and now they are more than conquerours in heaven above Ignorance of Gods minde will not excuse at the last THe people of Siena having wilfully rebelled against Charles the fifth their Emperour sent their Ambassador to excuse it who when he could find no other excuse thought in a jest to put it off thus What saith he shall not we of Siena be excused seeing we are known to be fools To whom the Emperour's Agent replyed Even that shall excuse you but upon the condition which is fit for fooles that is to be kept and bound in chains Thus shall it be with those that sit under plentifull means of grace rich Gospell-dispensations so that it is but opening the casements of their hearts and the light of Gods countenance will fully shine upon them yet remain unfruitfull barren empty-saplesse livelesse christians and think that ignorance shall at the last excuse them Preposterous Zeal reproved WE chuse the best Lawyers for our causes the best Physicians for our bodies but to supply the defect of our souls to guide our judgment and conscience aright in the waies of God we trust we know not whom The humour of such cannot be better resembled than to the distempered appetite of girles that have the green-sicknesse their parents provide for them wholsome diet and they get into a corner and eat chalk and coales and such like trash So they that may have in the Church grave and sound instructions for the comfort of their souls in Conventicles feed upon the raw and indigested meditations of some ignorant tradesman The danger of Stage-plaies ZEuxis the curious Painter painted a boy holding a dish full of grapes in his hand done so livelily that the birds being deceived flew to peck the grapes But Zeuxis in an ingenious choler was angry with his own workmanship Had I said he made the boy as lively as the grapes the birds would have been afraid to touch them Thus two things are set out to us in Stage-plaies some grave sentences prudent counsells and punishments of vitious examples and with these desperate oaths lustfull talk and riotous acts are so personated to the life that Wantons are tickled with delight and feed their palats upon them It seems the goodnesse is not pourtraied out with equall accents of livelinesse as the wicked things are otherwise men would be deterred from vitious courses with seeing the wofull successe that followes after But the main is wanton speeches on Stages are the devills ordinance to beget badnesse But it is a a question whether the pious speeches spoken there be Gods
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
manner 1. An labor an requies 2. Sic transit gloria mundi 3. Praeterit iste dies 4. Nescitur origo secundi Which may be thus Englished Whether we rest or labour work or play The world and glory of it passe away This day is past or near its period grown The next succeeding is to us unknown And most sure it is whether we sleep or wake the Ship of our life goes on whether we do well or ill live frugally or prodigally our time with the whole World and glory of it is transitory and continually wheeling about like the minutes to the hour or the hours to the time of the day in the Clock so that time past is irrecoverable time to come uncertain and all the time we can reckon of is the present time this moment of time whereupon dependeth Eternity Mortalitie's Memorandum THe noble Lord Chancellor Egerton comming down the stairs at York-house to go to Westminster-hall in the Term-time observed to be written upon the wall belike by some one or other that feared oppression by some mignty adversary these three words Tanquam non reversurus as though he should never return again hinting thereby unto his Lordship to do justice And it may serve for a good memorandum to all good Christians to make them the more wary and watchfull of their actions when they go abroad out of their houses chambers or lodgings even for this reason because they may happen not to return again there would be condiscension in the Plantiff's heart reconciliation in the Defendant truth in the Lawyer conscience in the Judge plain dealing in the Tradesman in every man and womans heart an avoiding of evill doing Did they but think on these few words Tanquam non reversurus and consider whether they would speak or do thus and thus if they were presently to die or whether thus and thus behave themselves abroad if they were not to return again to their homes Worldly men are easily taken off from the service of God THere is a pretty story of a company of People that met at the market together amongst whom there was one that played excellently upon the Harp so that all crouded to hear him as being ravished with the musick But no sooner did the market-bell ring but they were all gone onely one stayed behinde that was thick of hearing to whom the Harper was much beholding and told him that he much honoured his musick by staying to hear it when the rest were gon at the ringing of the market-bell VVhat the market-bell hath that rang said the deaf man Nay then farewell I must be gon too Thus it is with too too many of us If the Exchange-bell or the Market-bell ring but once yet at the sound of them what running is there happy is he that can get thither first but for the Church-bell that may ring again and again yet nondum venit tempus much ado there is to get men and women to Church and when their bodies are wrung in thither it is a thousand to one but their minds are roving abroad in the world Let the Charmer charm never so sweetly the Preacher instruct never so comfortably their ears the spirituall ears of their souls are like the deaf Adder so stopped that they will not listen at all to his Doctrine though never so sound and Orthodoxall The reverence of Man more than God a true signe of a decaying State or Kingdom AMyris being sent by the Sybarites to the Oracle of Delphos to consult how long their Common-wealth should stand it was answered That it should continue ever untill they reverenced man more than the gods He seeing one day a slave beaten by his Master and flying to the Alâ—ar of Refuge yet his Master spared him not there then the slave fled to the Tomb of his Masters father and then his Master spared him Which when Amyris perceived presently he went and sold all that he had and went to dwell at Peloponesus For now I see said he that men are more reverenced than the gods But certainly if that the reverence of Man more than God be a true signe of a decaying State or Kingdom then this of ours must needs be in a sinking condition What crying up is there of the Acts and Ordinances of men and in the mean time what sleignting and contempt of Gods VVord and Commandements What mean those base complyances with men when God is set by as not worthy of our notice What but to bring down heavy judgments upon such a People or Nation The honour and dignity of the Ministry and why so THere is a story how the Castle of Truth being by the King of Ierusalem left to the guard and keeping of his best servant Zeal The King of Arabia with an infinite Hoast came against it begirt it round with an unresistible siege cuts off all passages all reliefs all hopes of friends meat or ammunition Which Zeal perceiving and seeing how extremity had brought him almost to shake hands with Dispair he calls his Councill of War about him and discovers the sadnesse of his condition the strength of his enemy the violence of the sâ—ege and the impossibility of conveying either messages or letters to the great King his Master from whom they might receive new strength and encouragement Whereupon the necessity of the occasion being so great they all conclude there was no way but to deliver the Castle though upon very hard terms into the hands of the Enemy But Zeal staggers at the resolution and being loth to lose Hope as long as Hope had any thread or hair to hold by he told them he had one friend or companion in the Castle who was so wise so valiant and so fortunate that to him and to his exploits alone he would deliver the management of their safety This was Prayer the Chaplain to the great King and the Priest to that Colony Hence Prayer was called for and all proceedings debated He presently arms himself with Humility Clemency Sincerity and Fervency and in despight of the enemy makes his way through came to the King his Master and with such moving passions enters his ears that presently forces are levied which returning under the conduct of Prayer raise the siege overthrow the King of Arabia make spoile of his Camp and give to the Castle of Truth her first noble liberty Which performed Zeal crowns Prayer with wreaths of Olive Oak and Lawrell sets him on his right hand and saies for his sake Divinity shall ever march in the first rank of honour And certainly Ministers of Gods VVord such as apply their spirits most to the glory of God and the publick good especially such Divines as are Timothies in their Houses Chrysostoms in their Pulpits and Augustins in Disputations such as are just in their words wise in their counsells such as are vigilanâ— diligent and faithfull in the execution of their
found himselfe there And it is true that omnis homo Hypocrita every Man is an Hypocrite Hypocrisie is a lesson that every Man readily takes out it continues with age it appeares with infancy the wise and learned practise it the duller and more rude attain unto it All are not fit for the Wars Learning must have the pick't and choycest wâ—â—s Arts must have leasure and pains but all sorts are apt enough and thrive in the mystery of dissimulation The whole throng of Mankind is but an horse-fair of Cheaters the whole world a shop of counterâ—eit wares a Theater of Hypocriticall disguises The justice of God what it is and how defined IN the Raign of King Edward the first there was much abuse in the alnage of all sorts of Drapery much wrong done betwixt Man and Man by reason of the diversity of their measures every Man measuring his cloath by his own yard which the King perceiving being a goodly proper Man took a long stick in his hand and having taken the length of his own arm made Proclamation through the Kingdom that ever after the length of that stick should be the measure to measure by and no other Thus Gods Iustice is nothing else but a conformiâ—y to his being the pleasure of his Will so that the counsell of his Will is the standard of his Iustice whereby all Men should regulate themselves as well in commutative as distributive Iusâ—ice and so much the more Righteous than his Neighbour shall every Man appear by how much he is proximate to this Rule and lesse Righteous as he is the more remote Iustification by Christ the extent of it AS the Sun by his beams doth not onely expell cold but works heat and fruitfulnesse also Thus in the Iustification of a sinner repenting there 's a further reach then â—ollere peccata the taking away of sin there is also infusion of grace and virtue into the sinners heart The father of the Prodigall did not onely take off all his Sons rags but put on the best he had and a Ring on his finger And to say truth our Iustification doth not consist onely in the taking away of sin but in the imputation of Christs Righteousness and obedience for though the act be one yet for the manner it is two-fold 1. By privaâ—ion 2. By impâ—tation How is it that the proceedings of God in his Justice are not so clearly disâ—erned TAke a streight stick and put it into the water then it will seem crocked Why because we look upon it through two mediums air and water there lies the deceptio visus thence it is that we cannot discern aright Thus the proceedings of God in his Iustice which in themselves are streight without the least obliquity seem unto us crooked that wicked men should prosper and good men be afflicted that the Israelites should make the bricks and the Egyptians dwell in the houses that servants should ride on horse-back and Princes go on foot these are things that make the best Christians stagger in their judgements And way but because they look upon Gods proceedings though a double medium of Flesh and Spirit that so all things seem to go cross through indeed they go right enough And hence it is that Gods proceedings in his justice are not so well discerned the eyes of Man alone being not competent jugdes thereof Resolution in the cause of God very requisite IOhn Duke of Saxony who might have had the World at will if he would not have been a Christian resolved rather to pass by much difficulty nay rather death it selfe then â—o desert the cause of God which afterward he did heroically maintain against all opposition in three Imperiall Assemblies And when it was told him that he should lose the favour of the Pope and the Emperour and all the world besides if he stuck so fast to the Lutheran cause Here are two wayes said he I must serve God or the World and which of these do you think is the better And so put them off with this pleasant indignation Neither would he be ashamed to be seen which way he chose to go for when at the publique Assembly of the States of the Empire it was forbidden to have any Lutheran Sermons he presently prepared to be gone and profest boldly He would not stay there where he might not have liberty to serve God Thus must every good Christian be throughly resolved for God and for the truth which he takes up to profess Resolution must chain him as it did Ulisses to the Mast of the Ship must tye him to God that he leap noâ— over-board and make shipwrack of a good Conscience as too too many have done It is Resoluâ—ion that keeps Ruth with her Mother it makes a Man a rocky promontory that washes not away though the Surges beat upon him continually Resolution in the waies of God is the best aggioâ—ta of a Christian and a resolved Christian is the best Christian. To be carefull in the censure of others IT is reported of Vultures that they will fly over a Garden of sweet flowers and not so much as eye them but they will seize upon a stinking carrion at the first sight In like manner Scarabs and Fâ—yes will passe by the sound flesh but if there be any gall'd part on the horses back there they will settle Thus many there are that will take no notice at all of the commendable parts and good qualities of others but if the least imperfections shall appear there they will fasten them they will be sure to single out of the croud of Virtues and censure but let such know that Aquila non capit muscas the Eagle scorns to catch at flyes so that they discover what dunghill breed they are come of by falling and feeding upon the raw parts of their brothers imperfections without any moderation at all Prejudice in Judgement very dangerous THe mad Athenian standing upon the shore thought every Ship that came into the Harbour to be his own Pythagoras Schollars were so trained up to think all things were constituted of Nombers that they thought they saw Nombers in every thing Thus prejudice in judgement and prejudicate opinions like coloured Glass make every thing to seem to be of the same colour when they are looked through And it is most true that when Men have once mancipated their Iudgements to this or that error then they think every thing hits right whether pro or con that is in their fancy all the places of Scripture that they read all the doctrinall parts of Sermons that they hear make for their purpose and thus they run into monstrous absurdities and dangers inevitable The Hypocrite Characteristically laid open HYpocrites are like unto white Silver but they draw black lines they have a seeming â—anctified out-side but stuff'd within with malice worldiness intemperance like window cushions made up of
universally received the truth of the Gospell so to the last it may continue constant for the truth that every man would stand up for the truth fight and die for the truth and happinesse it will be found in the end thus to suffer for so good a friend as truth is to continue truth's friend who ever he be that shall become an enemy therefore Kingdom of Christ a peaceable Kingdom A Captain sent from Caesar unto the Senators of Rome to sue for the prolonging of his Government abroad understanding as he stood at the Councill-chamber-door that they would not condiscend to his desire clapping his hand upon the pummel of his sword well said he seeing you will not grant it me this shall give it me So when the Citizens of Messana despising Pompeys jurisdiction alleadged ancient orders in old time granted to their Town Pompey did answer them in choller what do you prattle to us of your Law that have swords by your sides And thus it is that Mahomet dissolveth all Arguments by the sword and thus all Tyrants and Potentates of the World end all their quarrels and make their Enemies their foot-stool by the sword But the Scepter of Christs Kingdom is not a sword of steel but a sword of the Spirit He ruleth in the midst of his Enemies and subdueth a People unto himself not by the sword but by the word for the Gospel of peace is the power of his arm to Salvation Recreation the necessity thereof IT is reported of a good old Primitive Christian that as he was playing with a Bird two or three youths as they were passing by observ'd it and one of them sayes to the other See how this old man playes like a child with the bird which the good Man over-hearing calls him to him asks him what he had in his hand A bow saies he What do you with it and how do you use it said the other whereupon the young Man bent his bow and nock'd his Arrow as if he had been ready to shoot then after some short time unbent his bow again Why do you so said the holy Man Alas sayes the young Man If I should alwaies keep my bow ready bent it would prove a slug and be utterly disabled for any further service Is it so said the good old Man Then my son take notice that as thy bow such is the condition of all human Nature should our thoughts and intentions be alwaies taken up and the whole bent of our minds set upon the study of divine things the wings of devotion would soon flagge and the arrows of Contemplation fly but slowly towards heaven And most true it is that there is Otium as wel as Negotium a time of taking pleasure as well as a time of taking paine neque semper arcum tendit Apollo the bow that stands alwaies bent will become unserviceable And let but the frame of this body of ours want its naturall rest the roof will be soon on fire Recreation is a second Creation when weakness hath almost annihilated the spirits it is the breathing of the Soul which otherwise would be stifled Lawfull Recreation such as that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Philosophers strengthens labour and sweetens rest and the blessing of God may be expected therein as well as in doing the work of our Calling The great benefit of Devotion at bed time OVens that have been baked in over-night are easily heated the next morning The Cask that was well seasoned in the Evening will smell well the next day The Fire that was well raked up when we went to bed will be the sooner kindled when we rise Thus if in the Evening we spend our selves in the examination of our hearts how we have spent the time past and commit our selves unto the good guidance of God for the time to come we shall soon find the spirituall warmth thereof making us able and active for all good duties in the morning and by adding some new fuel to this holy fire we shall with much facility and comfort cause it to burn and blaze in all Christian and religious duties To accept the event of things with Patience THe Censurers of the World by way of Apologue being met together consulted about the redress of divers enormities One with the countenance of Heraclitus was ever weeping for the disorders another with the face of Democritus was ever laughing at the absurdities a third of a more pragmatical spirit was busie where he had no thanks They all studied and plotted how to reform the ataxie of things and to bring the World into some peace and order Princes were implored Philosophers consulted Physitians Souldiers the eminent in all Professions were convented many stratagems were devised still the more they projected to stil the worlds troubles the more troublesome they made it One would have it this way another that the next differs from both a fourth opposeth them three a fifth contradicteth them all So that there was nothing else but crossing one another Physitians with their Recipes Commanders with their Precipes Iesuites with their Decipes all the rest with their Percipes could do no good at all At last a Grand-father in a religious habite presented them an hear◠of such soveraign vertue that when every one had tasted of it they were all calm and quiet presently The herbs name he called Bulapathum the herb Patience And let but this be our dyet continually and we shall find a strange alteration in our selves No troubles abroad nor discontents at home shall break our peace if we be but armed with patience The Church and People of God are thrown upon sad times Blessings are not denyed though they be not presently granted Some while God is not fit to give the time for his greater glory is not yet come Another while we are not fit to receive the time of our preparedness and capacity is not yet come The Lord looks to be waited on Psalm 27. 14. To be carefull in the prevention of Danger THe Boare in the Fable being questioned Why he stood whetting his teeth so when no body was near to hurt him wisely answered That it would then be too late to whet them when he was to use them and therefore whetted them so before danger that he might have them ready in danger Thus as Demosthenes advised the Athenians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they would not expect till evill came but prevent it and to deal with dangers as Men do with Serpents and vipers of which though happily they never have been stung or bitten yet seeing any of them they tarry not till it sting or bite but before harm done forthwith seek to kill it to crush the Scorpion at the first appearance not waiting and gaping after event the School-master of fools as Fabius calls it but ante bellum auxilium and ante tubam tremor to be affected with
God and having no other foundation but what was laid in Christ Iesus suffers Martyrdom whilst Denton for all his great shew plaid the Renegado and turned like a weathercock with the time But it so fell out that he which would not willingly burn for religion was afterwards unwillingly burned in the saving of his own house then on fire Thus it is a very dangerous thing for any man to rely upon his own strength the danger of self-confidence is very great it hath but one foot to stand on and therefore apt to stumble and catch a fall whereas a child of God just like a little child will desire the hand of Gods good guidance if he be to passe over the bridge of any difficulty whatsoever The Devills plot to root out Learning SAd was the condition of the Israelites under the tyrannicall government of the Philistins when they voted that there should be no smith in Israel lest they should make them swords and spears nay when the lawfull use of plowes coulters axes and mattocks instruments of husbandry were to be laid aside except they would come to their forges to whâ—t them Such is and hath been the Devills policy and of his instruments such as Iulian and the like in all ages to put out if possible the eyes of Learning and to dam up the fountains of good literature left men should make them swords and spears furnish themselves with arguments and reasons to confute and convince the Iesuiticall doctrines the Athesticall practises and Schismaticall opinions of such as are the grand sticklers and promoters of his diabolicall Kingdom Ministers of Gods Word to be constant in the preaching thereof ERnostus Duke of Luneburg caused a burning Lamp to be stamped on his coin with these four letters A. S. M. C. by which was meant Aliis Serviens Meipsum Contero By giving light to others I consume my selfe Now if he thought this to be the duty of a secular Prince how much more of a spirituall Prophet one that is set apart for the holy fâ—nction of the Ministrey to spend his strength in Gods service to preach in season and out of season never to give over but to run the race with cheerfulnesse being constant unto the end knowing that his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. The Heart of Man author of all good and bad actions A Pollodorus dream't one night that the Scythians took him and flea'd off his skin with an intent to boyl him and as they were lifting him into the Caldron his Heart said unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is I that have brought thee to this sorrow I am the cause of all the michief that hath befallen thee And it is most true that the heart of man is the forge where all our actions are hammered out at large It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks either good or bad The Centurion had not readier servants at command then the heart hath upon all occasions the eye ear tongue hands feet knees all of them move and are at the hearts devotion Custom of sin no excuse for the committing of sin IT is said of a prisoner that standing at the Bar indicted for Fellony was asked by the Judge what he could say for himself Truly my Lord saies he I did mean no hurt when I stole it is an evill custom that I have gotten I have been used to it ever since I knew any thing Why then saies the Judge if it be thy custom to steal it is my custom to hang up thieves So if it be any mans custom to swear upon every sleight occasion it is Gods custom not to hold them guiltlesse that take his Name in vain Is it any mans custom to whore and be drunk it is Gods custom to judge them Whatsoever the sin be there 's no pleading of custom to excuse it as that they meant no harm it was against their will c. All the fig-leaves that can be gathered and sewed never so close will not hide their nakednesse from the eyes of Heaven God will certainly bring them to judgment Peoples ingratitude to their Minister condemned WHen Homer had spent many lines in dispraising the body of Thyrsites he briefly describes his mind thus That he was an enemy to Ulysses a wise and eloquent man And there can be no more said of a bad man than this That he is an enemy to his Pastor that 's enough to brand him Vaeilli qui minxerit in Foâ—tem There is a curse pronounced against him that shall pollute the fountain cast aspersions on the Minister who like David is tuning his Harp to drive away their melancholly and they like Saul dart their Javelins the whilst at his body Whilst he is studying to apply the warm blood of Iesus Christ to their hearts they are endeavouring to vex the best blood in his heart he is taking care how to save their souls and they ingratefull men are troubled how they may vex and perplex his very thoughts which are meerly intended for their good Self-seeking men reproved IT is said of Hadrian the sixth that having built a stately Colledge at Lovain he set this Inscription on the front in golden letters Trajectum plantavit Lovanium rigavit sed Caesar dedit incrementum Utrecht planted me for there he was born Lovain watered me for there he was bred but Caesar gave the encrease who from the â—erula brought him to the Crosier of a Schoolmaster made him Pope of Rome A merry Passenger reproving his folly under-wrote Hic Deus nihil secit Here was no room for God to do any thing Thus God may be said not to be in all the thoughts of self-seeking men they do not with those Antients preface to their works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but intervert a great part of the price with that ill couple turning Gods glory into shame loving vanity seeking after lies such as in the Originall will deceive their expectations of which sort by a specialty is that smoak of popular applause which the higher it mounts the sooner it vanisheth and comes to nothing The true cause of Christian thankfulnesse PLato looking through the dim spectacles of Nature gave thanks unto God for three things First That God had created him a Man and not a Beast Secondly That he was born a Grecian not a Barbarian Thirdly That not onely so but a Philosopher also But Christians that are better bred and taught turn the stream of their thanks into another manner of channell First That God hath created them after his own Image Secondly That he hath called them out of the common croud of this world and made them Christians Thirdly and more especially That amongst those that bear the name of Christ he hath made them faithfull ones like a few quick-sighted men amongst a company of blind ones
had a man in his Kingdome that durst deal so plainly and faithfully with him Thus did but all Men especially Ministers Preachers of the Word such as are immediately employed by God seriously take notice of his Omnipresence and continually remember how his eye is alwaies upon them O how diligent how confident how abundant would it make them in the work of the Lord how faithfull how couragious how unbyassed how above the frownes and smiles of the greatest of the Sons of Men c. The consideration of Gods omnipresence to be a disswasive from Sin IT is well known what Ahashuerus that great Monarch said concerning Haman when coming in he found him cast upon the Queens bed on which she sate What saith he will he force the Queen before me in the house There was the killing emphasis in the words before me will he force the Queen before me What will he dare to commit such a villany and I stand and look on Thus it is that to do wickedly in the sight of God is a thing that he looks upon as the greatest affront and indignity that can possibly be done unto him What saith he wilt thou be drunk before me swear blaspheme before me be unclean before me break my Laws before me this then is the killing aggravation of all sin that it is done before the face of God in the presence of God whereas the very consideration of Gods Omnipresence that he stands and looks on should be as a bar a Remora to stop the proceeding of all wicked intendments a disswasive rather from Sin then the least encouragement thereunto Courts of Iudicature to be free from all manner of Injustice IT is said of that famous Athenian Judicature where once Dionysius sate as a Judg and thereupon called The Areopogite that they did excell so much in authority that Kings laid down their Crowns when they came to sit with them that they were of such integrity that they kept their Court and gave judgment in the night and in the dark that they might not behold the persons whâ— did speak least they should be moved thereby they onely did hear what was said Here it was that the Pleader must not use any proeme nor make any Rhetoricall expression to move the affections so that the People did bear as much reverence to the sentences and decrees promulged there as they did to their sacred Oracles Such was the strictness such the Iustice of that though then Heathen Councill that it may very well serve as a miroir to look in as a pattern for the imitation and as a coppy for the most Christian Courts of Iudicature to write by For were but Causes evenly weighed in the ballance of Justice there would not be so much complaining of the often titing on the one side or the other as now there is Were men but Christian Lawyers they would not be so often looked on as Heathen Orators Were Laws but justly put in execution the sword would not so often be born in vain neither would great ones bear down those that are lesse nor mighty ones confound the mean but all would be subservient to the Supream serviceable and respectfull one to the other Ministers advised in the method of Profitable Preaching AS the Physitian himself gives not health but onely gives some helps to bring the body into a fit temperament and disposition so far as to help and strengthen Nature So the Preacher cannot be said to give knowledg but the helps and motives by which natural light being excited and helped may get knowledg And as he is the best Physitian that doth not oppresse nature with a multitude of medicines but pleasantly with a few doth help it for the recovery of health So he is the best Preacher not that knoweth how to heap up many mediums and Arguments to force the understanding rather then to entice it by the sweetnesse of light but he that by the easy and gratefull Mediums which are within reach or fitted to our light doth lead Men as by the hand unto the Truth in the beholding or sight of which Truth onely knowledg doth consist and not in use of Arguments hence is it that Arguments are called Reasons by a name of relation to Truth And why so but because they are a means for finding out of Truth and discovery of Errour Fear of Hell to be a restraint from the least Sin THe passage in Scripture is well known how Nebuchadnezzar erected a Golden Image with this terrible commination That whosoever would not fall down and worship it should be cast into the fiery Furnace This now was so terrible to every one that heard it that unlesse it were three or four there were none that did resist the very fear of a Fiery Furnace made them do any thing And shall not then the fear of those eternall flames the fear of that great day wherein God shall reveal all wrath without any mercy to the Wicked man shall not this turn him out of the wayes of Sin shall not this make him with bitternesse bewail his former lusts and to hate those bitter-sweets of pleasure which er'st he so much delighted in saying with Ionathan I have tasted a little honey and I must dye I have had a little pleasure of Sin and I must be damn'd for evermore Daily amendment of life enjoyned to the making up of the new Creature IT is said of Argo the then Royal Soveraign of the Asiatique Seas that being upon constant service she was constantly repaired and as one plank or board failed she was ever and anon supplied with another that was more serviceable insomuch that at last she became all new which caused a great dispute amongst the Philosophers of those times whether she were the same ship as before or not Thus it is that for our parts we have daily and hourly served under the commands of Sin and Sathan made provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof drawn iniquity with cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cartrope and daily like Ephraim increased in wickednesse insomuch that there are not onely some bruises and brushes but as it were a shipwrack of Faith and all goodnesse in the frame of our pretious Souls What then remains but that we should dye daily unto Sin and live unto Righteousnesse put in a new plank this day and another to morrow now subdue one lust and another to morrow this day conquer one Temptation and the next another be still on the mending hand and then the question needs not be put Whether we be the same or not For old things being put away all things will become new we shall be new Men new Creatures we shall have new hearts new spirits and new songs in our mouthes be made partakers of the new Covenant and at last Inheritors of the new Ierusalem Gods great patience
mischief on their beds and committing all uncleannesse even with greedinâ—sse ofâ—en escape great dangers in their drunkennesse and other outrages yet in the â—nd some Fearful and Exemplary Iudgment overtakes them Youth to be seasoned with Grace not giving the least way to the Devill THere was an Abbot of this Land which desired a piece of ground that lay conveniently for him The owner refused to sell it yet with much perswasion was contented to let it The Abbot hired it for his Rent and covenanted onely to farm it for one Crop He had his bargain and sowed it with Acorns a Crop that lasted three hundred years Thus Sathan begs but for the first crop let him sow thy youth with Acorns they will grow up with thy years to sturdy Oaks so bigg bulked and deep-rooted that they shall last all thy life Sin hath a shrewd title when it can plead prescription And Sathan thinks his Evidence as good as eleven points at Law when he hath once got possession let him be sure of thy Youth he will be confident of thy Age Poma dat Autumnus he well knowes that the blossoms in the Spring are the Fruit in Autumn and that in thy Youth thou art not Cloath but Wooll so that the deepest Purple sins are those which are died in the Wooll Let thy Soul therefore like Gedeon's fleece drink up betimes the dew of Grace Judg. 6. 37. For younger years well led are as the sweetnesse of a Rose whose smell remains in the dry leaves Take then the first opportunity of Gods gracious motions and monitions or if thou have omitted the first embrace the second or if many have passed by unanswered of thee embrace the present Invitation and even now with Faith and Repentance turn unto God thy Maker A good Conscience the best Friend WOrldly Friends are uncertain they go and come and stand afar off when they should be most near they love not in time of trouble they are loath to come to a sick Man's bed side or if so they cannot abide to hear his groans And by no means to see a dead Man at the most they can but follow one to the grave and there leave him But a good Conscience will make one's bed in sicknesse and cause him to lye the softer will stand by him when he groans and do him comfort will hearten him upon Death when it 's coming and say Thy Redeemer liveth will whisper to him when departing and say Thy Warfare is accomplished will lodge the body in grave as in a bed mann the Soul to Heaven and make it able to look God in the face without any terrour yea so fast a Friend is a good Conscience that when Riches Husband Wife Parents Friends Breath Life nay Patience Hope Faith have left us in some measure it will stick close unto us Christians to be carefull that they may find comfort in Death ORators though in every part of their speech they use great care and diligence yet in the close of all they set forth the best of their art and skill to stirre up the affections and passions of their Hearers that then they may leave at the last the deepest impression of those things which they would perswade Thus ought all of us to do our whole life being nothing else but a continued and perswasive Oration unto our God to be admitted into his Heavenly Kingdom but when we come to the last act and Epilogue of our age then it is that we must especially strive to shew forth all our art and skill that so our last words may be our best words our last thoughts our best thoughts our last deeds our best deeds whereby stirring up as it were all the affections of God and even the bowels of Compassion unto us we may then as the Sun though alwayes glorious yet especially at its setting be most resplendent when we draw near unto our Western home the house appointed for all living Purity and the Heart of Man seldome meet together IT is observed of the word Conscientia that it ever had ill luck in the Church and could never be found at once in full syllables Conscientia altogether may be called Devotion take away the first syllable it is Scientia Knowledg cut off the next it is Entia Means or Worldly maintenance First in the time of Prophanenesâ—e there was Sci and Entia Learning and Living Knowledg and Maintenance but Con was left out Devotion was wanting they were ungodly Men In the next Age there was Con and Entia Devotion and Exhibition a Rich and Religious yea a superstitious number but Sci Knowledg was wanting they were none of the learned'st Clerks In the third Age Con and Sci Learning and Devotion were both lost and onely Entia was left they had the Honors and Mannors the fat of this Land But now in this last Age it is come quite round We have and not long since in a better measure had Con and Sci a Learned and Religious Clergy onely Entia is taken from them their livelihood and subsistence is by sacrilegious hands exhausted The like Fortune hath a Pure Heart in the VVorld Purenesse goes one way and the Heart another way and these two have much ado to meet There is no lack of Hearts every Man hath one some have more then one And for Purenesse it abounds proud Dames will have pure houses pure cloaths pure meat c. Hypocrites will have pure eyes pure tongues pure habits garbs and gestures And the Prophane sort are all for brave Hearts they make a pish at Purenesse This is the Devils plot to keep purenesse and the Heart asunder Purity will do well in nothing without the Heart the Heart can be happy in nothing without purity It is great pity two such sweet Companions should be kept asunder The God of all purity bring them together Sin of the meanest Man in a Nation may be the destruction of it EVery particular individual Man is a part of the City and Kingdom wherein he was born be it never so ample as a lâ—ttâ—r is part of a word Some be like to Câ—pital or Text-letters as great Men some to smaller characters as Men of low degree some be like to Vowels as Men in Authority some to mutes and liquids as the Vulgar sort All Men go to the making of a City or Kingdome as all letters go to the making up of words And as in a Word if one letter be amisse though but a Mute it may indanger to marre the word though not so much as if a Vowell be defaced So in a City or Nation if any one Man be blotted with Sin let it be but a mean Man it may bring a destruction to that place yet not so soon as if a Man of higher place were blurred with iniquity The Secure carelesse Sinner IT is said of those that are taken with the Phrenetique disease that by
them if he stay a Fortnight or a Moneth he may pull up another but it will be somewhat harder If he stay a year or two till it have taken deep root then he may pull and pull his heart out his labour is all in vain he shall never be able to move it And thus it is that one Sin one offence if we labour to pull it up in time it may be forgiven it may be taken away And if we let that one go on to two or three yet with unfeigned Repentance with bleeding tears with uncessant out-cryes to a gracious God they may be raced out and wiped away but with greater difficulty but if a Man give up himself unto Sin accustome himself to do evill so that it take deep root in the heart and be settled in the Soul he shall never be able to pull it up nor arise from the death of Sin which hath so fast seized on him Sectarian subtilty Diabolical delusion AS common Drunkards when they get in a temperate Man upon their Ale-house-bench entice him tempt him tole him on first to taste then to pledg them then when he is well whitled and come on cup after cup this health and that health till he be fully fudled and his brains intoxicated Thus the subtile Sectarians are modest at the first and very Maiden-like they will not force upon their Proselytes a full carouse of their Circean cups but by degrees by little and little they wind into their hearts and privily bring in damnable heresies They do not violently rush but slily creep into houses and there they begin at the apronstrings with illiterate Mechanicks silly women such as are led more by aâ—â—ection then Iudgment then they let fall an apple to see if Atalanta will take it up some general received Truth but withall secretly foyst in some â—rronious opinion or poysonous principle scatter some sparks of their mild-sire to see whether they will heat or enflame And having their methods and wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rules to go by they grammer and ground their deluded Followers 〈…〉 admission in general and Fundamental principles of their black art but let them not see at what they drive acquaint them not at the first dash the mystery of Iniquity the depths of Sathan Rev. 2. 24. Men not to be proud of their Lands and Livings WHen Socrates saw Alcibiades proud of his spatious Fields and wide Inheritance he calls for a Map of the World looks for Greece and finding it asks Alcibiades Whereabout his Lands lay When he answered They were not set forth in the Map Why saith Socrates are thou proud of that which is no part of the Earth And to speak truth Why should any Man bear himself high upon the greatnesse of his Revenue the largenesse of his demesnes For if the dominion of a King be but a poor spot of Earth What a nothing must the possession of a Subject be some small parcell of a Shire not worthy the name of a Chorographer And had he with Lycinius as much as a Kite could fly over yea if all the whole Globe were his six or seven foot would be enough to serve his turn in the Conclusion Repentance to be Universall IF a Ship spring three leaks and onely two be stopped the third will sink the Ship And if a Man have two grievous wounds in his body and take order to cure onely one that which is neglected will kill him Even so if we having divers lusts which fight against our Souls do mortifie but some of them 't is to no purpose If the guilt of many Sins lye upon us as in many things we sin all and we repent but of some of them it will not avail us any thing Hence is that Counsel of Solomon Let all thy wayes be ordered He that will make a true search must search all his wayes and try all his thoughts words and deeds repent of all Sin For he that favours himself in any one Sin be it never so small that Man hates no Sin perfectly what shew soever he makes to the contrary Wicked Men see the miseries but not the Joyes of Gods People AS a Man standing upon the Sea-shore sees a great heap of waters one wave riding on the back of another and hears too especially if it be in stormy weather the lowd roarings thereof but all this while though he see the waters he doth not see the wealth the gold and silver the infinite Riches that lye buried in the bottom thereof So it is that Wicked Men see the want but not the wealth of Gods People their conflicts but not their comforts they easily take notice of the miseries and troubles that usually attends upon the bodies of the Children of God but they cannot possibly discover the joyes and rejoycings of the Spirit that are in their Souls neither indeed can they For they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Magistrates and great Men not to raise themselves by the ruine of the Church IT is reported of Sabbacus a King of Ethiopia who being by dreams admonished that he could not possesse himself of the Kingdom of Egypt otherwayes then by Sacriledge and the slaying of the Priests He chose rather to lay aside his claym and advantages of Warr which he had gotten and to refer the Government of that Kingdom to twelve wife Men who erected to that Prince's piety one of the stateliest Pyramides of Egypt which yet remains How much more will it become Christians in any way of power and Magistracy not to make their way upon the spoyles nor lay the Foundations or to carry on the Fabrick of their greatnesse and dominion upon the carcasses and ruines of any much lesse of the Church and Church-men such as are able true and faithful Ministers of the true God and the Lord Iesus Christ. How it is that the sweet fruits of Grace come to grow on the bitter root of Nature IT is a question put by Plutarch How it comes to passe that the Fig-Tree being of that extream bitternesse the root the branches the leaves the stock and stem being all of them so bitter the fruit should be so sweet and pleasant to the taste The like may be proposed How it is that the sweet fruits of the Spirit should ever grow upon the bitter stock of Nature how Man by Nature being in the very gall of bitternesse should ever become a sweet smelling favour in the nostrils of his God Surely no otherwise but that by Faith an Repentance being ingrafted into the stock Christ Iesus he sucks in juicy sweetnesse from thence and so is made a Tree of Righteousnesse in Gods Garden How it is that Afflictions lye oft-times so heavy IT is said of Hagar That when her bottle of Water was spent she sate down and fell a weeping as if she had been utterly undone her provision and
that one slender word all the greatness of the rest is included the King being the Fountain of Honour from whence all their glory is derived Thus it is that if all the created goodnesse all the Priviledges of Gods children all the Kingdomes of the Earth and the glory of them were to be presented at one view they would all appear as nothing and emptiness in comparison of the excellency and fullness that is to be found in Christ Iesus The Ministers joy in the conversion of Souls IF it cannot but delight the Husbandman when he seeth his plants grow his fruits ripen his Trees flourish If it must needs rejoice the Shepheard to behold his sheep sound fat and fertile If it glad the heart of a Schoolmaster or Tutor to observe his Schollers thrive in Learning and encrease in knowledg It must needs be matter of abundant joy to any Minister of the Gospell when People are brought to Fellowship with God in Christ Iesus when they are as it were snatched out of the slavery of sin the jaws of Death and Hell and brought into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God then it is that he may be said to reap the fruits of his labours in the great comfort of his own Soul Gods pardoning other Repentan◠Sinners a great motive to perswade us that he will pardon us also IF one should come to a Physitian of whom he hath had a large report of his skill and should meet with hundreths by the way such as were at that time his Patients and all of them should tell him how he hath cured and healed them of their severall infirmities this must needs encourage him to go on with confidence of his skill that he will recover him also So should every Repentant Sinner run to Christ the great Physitian of his Soul because so many thousands have been healed so many great Sinners have been forgiven such as Manasses Mary Magdalen S. Paul c. This may be a great motive to perswade us all that upon Repentance he is and will be ready to forgive us also according to that of the Apostle He hath shewed Mercy unto me that others might believe in God Men to be carefull in the triall of their Faith Whether it be sound or not IF one be told that his Corn is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his Money is counterfeit that the deeds and Evidences upon which his Lands and whole estate depend are false it must needs affect him much and make him look about him to see if these things be so or no. And shall not Men look then to the Faith they have upon which depends the eternall Welfare of their immortall Souls seeing God accepteth none except it be sound effectuall lively and accompanied with good works such a Faith as worketh by love purifieth the heart and shews it self in fruits worthy amendment of life 1 Thes. 1. 3. Men not to be ashamed of their Godly Profession though the Wicked speak evill of them SUppose a Geometrician should be drawing of lines and Figures and there should come in some silly ignorant fellow who seeing him should laugh at him Would the Artist think you leave off his employment because of his derision Surely no For he knows that he laughs at him out of his ignorance as not knowing his Art and the grounds thereof Thus let no Man be ashamed of his godly Profession because Wicked Men speak evill of it And why do they so but because they understand it not it is strange to them they see the actions of Godly Men but the rules and principles that they go by they know not and hence is it that they throw dirt in the face of Religious profession but a Wife man will soon wipe it off again God ordering all things for the good of his Church PUt the case all were turned upside down as it was in the confused Chaos wherein Heaven and Earth were mingled together and the waters overcoming all the rest yet as when the Spirit of the Lord did but move upon the Waters many beautifull Creatures wee produced and the Sea divided from the rest so that those waters which then seemed to spoil all serve now to water all without which 〈◊〉 cannot possibly subsist Even so were the Church in never so confused 〈◊〉 yet God will in his great Wisedome so order the things that seem to undo us that they shall make much for us and bring forth something of speciall use for the Churches good something to water and make fruitfull the house and People of God Sin the godly Mans hatred thereof IT is said of the Dove that she is afraid of every Feather that hath grown upon on Hauk and brings as much terrour upon her as if the Hauk were present such a native dread is as it seems implanted in her that it detests and abhors the very sight of any such feather So the Godly man that hath conceived a detestation against Sin cannot endure any thing that belongs to it or that comes from it No not the least motion or inclination though it bring along with it never so fair pretences never so specious shews shall have the least welcome or entertainment Vanity of the Creature without God TAke a beam of the Sun the way to preserve it is not to keep it by it self the being of it depends upon the Sun take the Sun away and it perisheth for ever but yet though it should come to be obscured and so cut off for a while yet because the Sun remains still therefore when the Sun shines forth again it will be renewed again Such a thing is the Creature compared with God If you would preserve the Creature in it self it is impossible for it to stand like a broken glasse without a bottom it must fall and break It is well known that the being of an accident is more in the subject then in it self insomuch that to take away the subject the very separation is a destruction to it So it is with the Creature which hath no bottom of it self so as the sepaeration of it from God is the destruction of it as on the contrary the keeping of it close unto God though in a case that seems to be the ruine of it is its happinesse and perfection How it is that God is to every one of his Children alone IT is observed That a Mathematicall point hath no parts it is one indivisible For let a thousand lines come to one point every one hath the whole and ye◠there is but one that answers all because it is indivisible and every one hath all So it is with God though there be many thousands that he loves dearly yet every one of them hath the Lord wholly For that which is infinite hath no parts and therefore he bestowes himself
of the inferiour Members be cut off yet the body may live and do indifferently well but if the Head be taken off if the King be set aside actum est de Republica that Kingdome that People cannot long stand Christ the proper object of the Soul THere is no Agent that takes any rest or contentment but in its proper Object If a man had all the Musicall raptures and melodious Harmony in the whole World before him he could not hear it with his eyes because it is the proper object of the Ear If never so triumphant shews or Courtly Masques he could not see them with his Ears because they are the proper Object of the Eye So it is with the Soul of Man if it were possible that all the treasures pleasures honours preferments and delights which the World doth affect were presented and tendered to the Soul yet would they not afford unto it any true satisfaction because they be not the proper Object and Center of the Soul it is the Lord onely or as a godly Martyr said once None but Christ can compasse the Soul about with true content and comfort Sathans aim at those that have most of God and Religion in them PIrats and such as are Robbers at Sea slightly passe by smaller Vessels that are but poorly fraighted whilst ships that are richly laden and furnished with Merchantable commodities become the object of their greedy thoughts at whom they make the strongest opposition and for the gaining of whom rather then fail they will hazard their lives to the utmost of danger imaginable Thus it is that Sathan that Arch-Pirate lets poor silly ignorant Souls alone such as by their own defaults are but as so many empty Vessels floating on the Sea of this World Oh but when he spies out a rich Soul laden with the fruits of the Spirit that hath much of god Christ and Heaven in it there it is that he bends all his Forces and against such a Soul it is that he raiseth all his strength that so if possible he may bring it under his more then miserable subjection Sin to be abhorred as the cause of Christs Death AFter Iulius Caesar was treacherously murthered in the Senate-house Antonius brought forth his coat all bloudy cut and mangled and laying it open to the view of the People said Look here is your Emperours coat and as the bloudy-minded Conspirators have dealt by it so have they also with Caesars body whereupon they were all in an uproar crying out to slay those Murtherers then they took the Tables and stools that were in the place and set them on fire and ran to the houses of the Conspirators and burnt them down to the ground But behold a greater then Caesar even the Lord Iesus himself all bloudy rent and torn for the Sins of the World How then when we look on Sin as the cause of his death and seriously consider that Sin hath slain the Lord of life should our hearts be provoked to be revenged on Sin How should we loath and abhor it as having done that mischief that all the Devills in Hell could never have done the like A lesser Sin given way unto makes way for the committing of greater IT is S. Augustines story of Manicheus that being tormented with flies was of opinion that the Devill made them and not God Why then said one that stood by If the Devill made flies then the Devill made Worms True said he the Devill did make worms But said the other If the Devill did make worms then he made birds beasts and Man He granted all And thus saith the good old Father by denying God in the fly he came to deny God in Man and consequently the whole Creation And thus it is that the yeilding to lesser Sins draws the Soul to the commission of far greater as in these licentious dayes of ours is too too apparent How many have fallen First to have low thoughts of the Scripture and Ordinances of God then to slight them afterwards to make as it were a Nose of Wax of them and in conclusion to cast them quite off lifting up themselves their Christ-dishonouring and Soul-damning opinions above them so that falling from evill to evill from folly to folly and as it is in all other cases of the like Nature from being naught to be very naught and from very naught to be stark naught till God in his most just Judgment sets them at nought for ever Men to prefer suffering before Sinning IT is reported of that eminent servant of God Marcus Arethusus who in the time of Constantine had been the cause of overthrowing an Idoll-Temple but Iulian coming to be the Emperour commanded the People of that place to build it up again all were ready so to do onely the good Bishop dissented whereupon they that were his own people to whom he had formerly preached and who as in all probability any one would have thought might have learn't better things fell upon him strip't off all his cloaths then abused his naked body and gave it up to children and School-boyes to be lanched with their penknives but when all this would not do they caused him to be set in the Sun having his naked body anointed all over with honey that so he might be bitten and stung to death by Flies and Wasps and all this cruelty they exercised upon him because he would not do any thing towards the re-building of that Idol Temple Nay they came so far that if he would give but an half-penny towards the charge they would release him but he refused all though the advancing of an half-penny might have been the saving of his life and in doing thus he did but live up to that principle that most Câ—ristians talk of and few come up unto And thus it is that all of us must chuse rather to suffer the worst of torments that Men and Devills can inflict then to commit the least Sin whereby God should be dishonoured our Consciences wounded Religion reproached and our Souls endangered Discretion a main part of true Wisedome A Father that had three Sons was desirous to try their discretions which he did by giving to each of them an Apple that had some part of it rotten The first eats up his Apple rotten and all The second throws all his away because some part of it was rotten But the third picks out the rotten and eats that which was good so that he appeared the wisest Thus some in these daies for want of Discretion swallow down all that is presented rotten and sound together Others throw away all Truth because every thing delivered unto them in not Truth but surely they are the wisest and most discreet that know now to try the Spirits whether they be of God or not how to chuse the good and refuse the evill The difference betwixt true and feyned
we do it will make us like a wall of brasse to beat back all the arrows of strong perswasion that can be shot against us like an Armour of proof against all the Anakims and Zanzummins Scyllas and Syrens temptations on the right hand and on the left like the Angell that roled away the stone from before the dore of the Sepulchre it will enable us to remove the great mountains of opposition that lye in our way or else to stride over them yea like the ballast of a Ship will keep us steddy in the cause of God and his Church who would otherwise be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like those mentioned by the Apostle men of double minds unsetled and unstable in all our wayes Gods omniscience necessarily demonstrated from his omnipresence SUppose we in our thoughts a Sphere of infinite greatnesse and efficacy whose center were every where and circumference no where it must necessarily follow that whatever thing or things be besides this Sphere must needs be within it encompassed by it and contained in it and all things existing within this Sphere it will follow That there can be no action nor motion but this Sphere will perceive it Such is God a Sphere of infinite being who filleth all things that he hath made as spirits bodies things above and below things in Heaven and Earth all that encompasseth all things is above all things and susteyneth all things neither doth he â—ill them on the one side and encompasse them on the other side But by encompassing doth fill them and by filling doth encompasse them and by susteyning them he is above them and being above them he doth sustain them then must it needs be that God that thus filleth encompasseth and susteineth all things doth also know all things To be Zealous for the honour of Jesus Christ as he is the eternal Son of God IN the dayes of Theodosius the Arrians through his connivence were grown very bold and not onely had their meetings in Constantinople the chief City of the Empire but would dispute their opinions etiam in foro and no man could prevail with the Emperour to lay restraints upon them because saith the Historian he thought it nimis severum et inclemens esse At length comes to Constantinople one Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium a poor Town an honest Man but no great Politician for the World he petitions the Emperour to restrain the Arrians but in vain Next time he comes to the Court finding the Emperour and his son Arcadius whom he had lately created joynt-Emperour standing together he doth very low obeysance to the Father but none to the Son yet coming up close to him in a familiar manner stroaketh him on the head and saith Salve mi fili God save you my child The Emperour taking this for a great affront being full of rage bids turn the Man out of dores As the Officers were dragging him forth he turning to the Emperour saith Ad hunc modum existima ò Imperator c. Make an accompt O Emperour that thus even thus is the Heavenly Father displeased with those that do not honour the Son equally with the Father Which the Emperour hearing calls the Bishop back again asks him forgivenesse presently makes a law against Arrianism forbids their meetings and disputations constitutâ paenâ Here was a blessed artifice by which the Zeal of this Emperour was suddenly turned into the right channel and he was taught by his tendernesse over his own honour and the honour of his Son to be tender over the honour of God and his Son Christ Iesus Now so it is that much of Arrius is at this day in England and more then ever was since the name of Christ was known in England yet it is much hoped and heartily wished for that as there hath been some actings for God that men may no longer impunâ— wickedly and pertinaciously blaspheme his glorious essence and attributes so to shew the like Zeal for the glory of his eternall Son and spirit This being the will of God that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father Politicians spoyled in the height of wicked designs AS the Potters clay when the Potter hath spent some time and pains in tempering and forming it upon the wheel and now the Vessell is even almost brought to its shape a Man that stands by may with the least push put it clean out of shape and mar all on a sudden that he hath been so long a making So it is that all the plots and contrivances of leud and wicked Men all their turnings of things upside down shall be but as the Potters clay For when they think they have brought all to maturity ripenesse and perfection when they look upon their businesse as good as done on a sodain all their labour is lost the designs they travell so much withall shall be but as an abortive birth for God that stands by all the while and looks on will with one small touch with the least breath of his mouth blast and break all in pieces Consideration of Gods omnipresence a strong motive to Christian confidence THere is a story of that holy Martyr of Jesus Christ B. Latimer that having in a Sermon at Court in Henry the eighth's dayes much displeased the King he was commanded next Sunday after to preach again and make his recantation according to appointment he comes to preach and prefaceth to his Sermon with a kind of Dialogisme in this manner Hugh Latimer doest thou know to whom thou art this day to speak to the high and Mighty Monarch the Kings most excellent Majesty c. that can take away thy life if thou offend therefore take heed how thou speak a word that may displease But as it were recalling himself Hugh Hugh saith he dost know from whence thou comest upon whose message thou art sent and who it is that is present with thee and beholdeth all thy wayes Even the great and mighty God that is able to cast both body and Soul into Hell for ever therefore look about thee and be sure that thou deliver thy message faithfully c. and so comes on to his Sermon and what he had delivered the day before confirms and urgeth with more vehemency then ever Sermon being done the Court was full of expectation what would be the issue of the matter After dinner the King calls for Latimer and with a stern countenance asked him How he durst be so bold as to preach after that manner He answered That duty to God and his Prince had enforced him thereunto and now he had discharged his Conscience and duty both in what he had spoken his life was in his Majesties hands Upon this the King rose from his seat and taking the good Man from off his knees embraced him in his arms saying He blessed God that he