g Angusta est juslitia ad legem justum esse See Isid Pelâ—s lib. 2. â—p 138. Love constraines more under the Gospel then feare restrained under the Law Ibid could say It is but a narrow and scanty justice which extendeth no further then mans Law Few offenders there are which come within the Magistrates circuit and they that come are not all taken some and they not a few break out of the cob-webbe by force and some by favour But the Law of God is perfect and exceeding broad it reacheth to all persons and to the words and actions and thoughts too of all the sonnes of Adam not a syllable can passe not a thought stray not a desire swerve from the right way but it falleth within danger and is lyable to the penalties Thence it is that the greatest and hardest work of a Christian is least in sight which is the well-ordering of his heart And a good Christian begins his Repentance where his sinne begins in his thoughts which are the next issue of his heart God counts it an honour when we regard His All-seeing eye so much as that we will not take liberty to our selves in that which is offensive to Him no not in our hearts wherein no creature can hinder us It is an argument that we feare as we ought before the God of Heaven when we forbear the doing of that which if we should do it were not possible that man should understand or condemne it as h Lev. 19. 14. is the cursing of the deafe which the Deafe man heares not and the putting a stumbling block before the blinde which the blinde perceiveth not But the Lord heares and He sees for He made the Eare and the Eye and Him shalt thou feare for His eyes behold His eye-lids try the children of men i Psal 11. 4. And this is the Law which stands charged upon us and through Him by whom we can do all things we can keep the fame Law with our whole heart in an acceptable manner checking the first motions of sin discerning not beams onely but moats also light and flying imaginations and abasing our selves for them and by degrees casting them out as hot water the scum and as the stomack doth that which is noysome And because they presse upon the true Christian as Flies in Summer incumbring alwayes over powring him sometimes therefore is he moved to renew his interest daily in the perfect righteousnesse of His Saviour The deceitfulnesse of his heart still inciting and drawing back from God and His perfect Law and his readinesse to break covenant makes him the more watchfull over his heart and carefull to binde himself daily as with new cords To k Jude 2 â— build himself up in his most holy faith to pray in the holy Ghost and to keep himself in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life for it is a standing Rule That Gods commands are not the measure of our power but the Rule of our duty the summe of our debt the matter of our prayers the scope of our strife l Mousine Seâ— Hist of World B. 2. Ca. 4. Sect. 13. p. 240. But we must ever note this which is that there is in the heart of every true Christian a disposition answering every Iota and tittle of Gods m Salv. dâ— Eccles Cathol â— Law They have the same Spirit in their hearts which is in the Law so soone as that Spirit made a change in them they could not but then exceedingly love the Law and where love n Chrys in Rom. cap 4 â— Si amor est vincit omnia c. Chrysost de past bono Seâ—m 40. Haec omnia dura videbuntur â—i qui non amaâ— Christum Amemus Christum facile videbitur omne difficile Brevia putabimus universa quae long a sunt Nâ—si vim fecâ—ris coeâ—orum regna non capies Hier Ad Eustochium Ep. 17. l. 2. p. 207. Prima regula in cultu Dei ut ipsum diligamus non potest Deus verè dâ—ligi quin sequatur hunc affâ—ctum membra omnia omnes partes c. Cal in Dan. c 9. v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in c. 29. Gen. Hom. 55. is that great Commander there is diligence and activenesse in all the wayes of obedience joy also and peace in obeying For in case they are opposed and persecuted for their love and ready obedience they have gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse all armour of proofe whereby they are made resolute and patient to beare according to their wise choice affliction rather then Job 36. 21. iniquity For this we must adde to the rest and note it God communicates His common gifts diversly and scatteringly this man hath the gift of tongues that man a gift of prophecie one man hath this another that he that is lowest cannot say but the Lord hath dispenfed unto him some grace and he that is highest cannot say he hath all But now for these graces which make a man well pleasing to God they are all freely bestowed these as one said love neighbour-hood M. G. are in a continuall conjunction They are freely bestowed and altogether as it were in one lumpe not scatteringly as the Sporaaes Islands in the Sea scattered here and there here a little eye of Land and there all Sea again Sponsa Christi â—â—ca est Testamenti c. Hâ—er ep 17. li. 2. p. 205. this man hath not faith and that man hope one hath not love and another patience But he that hath one he hath all and he that hath not all hath none These graces put or spring forth together though all may not have equall growth nor shew themselves alike operative It is certain he that hath a grounded hope hath a lively â—aith an unfained love he hath patience meeknesse gentlenesse or if any of these be missing there is weeping and mourning and hanging down the head for the lack of this grace as there was when there was a Tribe lacking in Israel o Judg. 21. 3. There is no chasme or gaping in the life of a true Christian It cannot be that he should be one while like firme land which cannot be moved and then again as weake as water or like the raging Sea which fometh out mire and dirt it cannot be that he should one while glory in the Name of Christ and another while defile pollute and dishonour that worthy Name by which he is called These gifts of the Spirit though many yet are called in the singular number a Fruit because they have but one root and do put forth like grapes in clusters and come or draw together like the rings in a Chaine It is a report concerning our Spice that all proceeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galat. 5. 22. from one Tree one kinde is the root another the bark a third is the fruit inclosed within a fourth so they say but
accountable too how patient he hath beene under wants how hee hath humblâ—d himselfe under the Almighty Hand And how dependant upon that hand If there bee a straite and the Meale be at the bottome here is an hint of a glorious dependance upon Him that multiplyed the oyle and the meale and the Loaves And with the fewer loaves though the power was the same fed the more And the more was remaining upon Him That doth cloath the Lillies feed the Ravens makes a path in a wildernesse causeth water to flow out of a Rocke or in a parched ground filled the Valley with water when they saw neither winde nor raine a 2 King 3. 17. It is good and safe to depend here Infinite power and goodnesse can never bee at a losse nor faith which lookes thereunto can be at stand Faith makes up a life without the creature It cheeres the countenance without oyle b Famem vera fides non timel Hier. lib. 2. ep 18. p. 221. refresheth the spirit without wine glads the heart strengthens it without the bread of men It is certain a soul that hath such a dependance is never fatter better liking then when his pasture is shortest like a wildernesse It is fattest in the winter as some creatures are when there is no greene thing but ground trees and all are all covered Then this soul can pick meat when the heaven is brasse and the earth iron Then even in such a time the soul can live rejoyce and joy in the Lord the God of Salvation Habb 3. 18. This is the onely way which will lead thee through the snares which are in wants that thou shalt not be intangled with them not put forth thy hand unto wickednesse If thou canst finde no way God can make a way only thy part is if meanes be short to trust the more And to lengthen thy hope Hope we say is an inheritance for a King and this God will provide makes Gods children confident It is good to be in a depending condition then we roule our selves upon God The depending soul can best track the wayes of Gods providence and seeth how wise and admirable they are whereas the fulnesse of outward means obscureth the lustre of that track and draweth the heart unto them from a providence And now I need not bid thee use all lawfull means for dependance on a providence doth establish the means and us in the use of them It is unreasonable to think that God will feed us from Heaven when we may gather our meat from the earth He worketh not extraordinary in a fruitfull land where the plough can go I mean in that place and time when our hands can work As we must not trouble our selves about Gods charge as it is usuall so to do So we must not neither neglect our own charge which is to give all faithfull endeavour and having done it then stand still rest and wait for His blessings who hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And now we are upon thy duty and charge heare some lessons which may be of use for thy better discharge thereof Therefore the chief lesson follows for it makes all easy Let the law of the Lord be never out of thy minde nor His word when houshold employments admit vacation for she that is married careth for the things of the world how she may please her husband be out of thy hand That 's an holy word saith Clemens d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proâ—rept p. 41. which makes holy as He is and like Him Tongues there are but one is enough for a woman and work enough to use that one well Other learning there is too but like nuts e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 199. I referre to thy sex it nourisheth not This word makes f 2 Tim. 3 â— Lactan. lib. 3. cap. 25 perfect and throughly furnisheth All necessary truths are plain there and nothing dark g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protrept p. 42 to him or her that will come to the light by earnest h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Matt. Hom. 25. prayer asking of Him who is the Father of lights who leades into all truth And if He joyn himself to our charriot we shall go on and encrease mightily for it is in the strength and with the encrease of God I can but point at what I would say For thy instruction this is the chief Take counsell from this word and from this Great counsellour then thou shalt be taught indeed to answer thy worthy name worthily and all those relations thou standest in as becometh first to children The chief burden of our charge as they are the chief of our possessions The rules are what was mentioned before I shall not recall 1. Thou must not set thy heart upon them as was said but keep a watchfull eye over them thereby keeping them in awe and begin betimes sit close here children are like a wilde asse colt if thou dost not over-rule them they will overthrow thee and themselves It is a pretty observation I know not how true That great mens children learn nothing by order and rule but to mannage their horse well and the reason why they are so carefull therein is because they know their horse is neither flatterer nor Courtier he will not stick to cast First part p. 253. them as soon as a meaner person if they hold him not strait in and themselves close to his back It is so here if thou doest not sit close upon them upon servants also holding a strait hand neither slacked nor strained if not they will runne headlong What ever honour is due none will be payed unlesse it be honourably commanded I mean with authoritie and with a countenance commanding a respect and a reverence Let this bridle loose once and they will let loose the bridle before thee i Job 30. 11. Essrenatè in me invâ—cti sunt quâ—si immissis vel excussis habenis Trem. first part that is they will speak unreverently and scornfully as if they were not children nor thou their Mother and the order will be inverted the childe will be above and the parent shall be below And therefore hold fast here Thus much or this little rather for I have spoken to it before that thou mayest maintain thy authoritie over them if thou loosest that thou wilt adventure thy comfort in them Covet after the best callings but be not ambitious to make them great here below It had been a good ambition in the Mother if it had been spirituall to be an earnest sutour for the preferment of her children to Christs's kingdome k Hoc praecipuum est uti piè sanclâ—que vivant dixit uxor Calv. epist 101. No preferment in the world comparable Do thy best here Grace is a sure commoditie and however the world go the trade of godlinesse cannot fail Make sure of that for thy self
which our selves and friends are weary of We had a male in our flock that is we had strength of body and minde and then of that best or male we should have offered unto the Lord But now that our best or male is spent now that we have cast away our precious stock of time and parts upon the service of sinne and Satan how can we now thinke that our torne blinde and lame sacrifice can be accepted how can we think the Lord will accept a corrupt thing against which He hath denounced a curse c Mal. 1. 14. It is not the Lords time He heareth not those persons who d Prov. 28. 9. Prov. 1. turn away their care from hearing his Law we must heare God first if we look that God should heare us at the last If He cryeth and He cannot be heard We shall cry and we shall not be heard for the Lord hath spoken it more then once e Zach. 7. 13. Quid enim justius c. Sal. De Gob. lib. 3. pag. 86. Non aâ—divimus non audimur ibidem All our stretching and crying and howling will be in vain We should have stretched and inclined our eares and have lifted up our voice on high when Gods time and ours was I mean the ordinary time that he hath appointed to be called upon and we are commanded to seek Him in What time is that it is called the Day of Salvation the acceptable Day And when is that time The Apostle answers Now is the accepted time now is the Day of Salvation now this present time f 1 Cor. 6. 2. And it is but a day Time is all the yeare long but your sowing time and your reaping time both these have their seasons Time is all the day long but tide-time hath See first Part. pag. 71. its appointed houre and we observe it as the poore man the stirring of the water Now this present time while the male is in the flock while breath is and strength is while the season is of knocking and opening Now is the time when we must seeke Now the time when God usually opens There is a pretty fiction touching the shell-fish and the Serpent And because it instructs us touching a speciall point of practise we thus read it The Shell-fish and the Serpent sometime lived together and conversed the Shell-fish very harmelesly with the Serpent the Serpent very crookedly with the Shell-fish After many faire means and thereby prevailing nothing the Shell-fish watched his opportunitie and while the Serpent slept gave him a blow on the head which is deadly The Serpent feeling himself wounded to death began to stretch out himself it is the manner of all creatures so to do but most remarkable in the Serpent because he lyeth in a ring and goeth in folds or doubles The Shell-fish observing the Serpent so stretching out and straightning himselfe told him Thou shouldest have done so before Thou shouldest have walked even and straight with Me when we conversed together so it might have benefitted thee but now nothing at all This is a fiction but it tels us our folly in good eatnest and instructs us in a speciall point of wisdome we have this property of the Serpent we are content to walk crookedly all our life in the crooked wayes of sinne and Death our owne wayes and we doubt not but to make all straight and even when we dye But ordinarily it profiteth us not our Thoughts deceive us and that is a fruit of our folly Our wisdome is to set all straight and even before hand to put our soules in order and our feete in straight pathes while there is yet Time this hath been the wisdome of the Saints If we read the sacred Register we shall observe all along That they whose yeares are numbred to be many were fruitfull in their lives and faithfull in their Deaths their Old age was their crowne of glory for it was found in the way of righteousnesse And for that great and waighty worke Their setting their house in order Their making all straight and even This was not a worke to be done then when strength and heart and breath faileth but already done When they came to that point there was no more to be done but to close the eye and fall asleep quietly in the Lord. Remember Lord said that good King when death was in his eye Remember how I have walked in truth g 2 Kin. 20. 3. how I have done the thing which is good in thy sight He assureth and giveth large testimony touching the Time past I have I have It was not large promises concerning the time to come when it was threatned That time should be no more as the manner of the most is I will doe thus and thus hereafter if thou wilt be pleased to spare me now many have said so and so promised and recovered and falne backe strangely to commit greater abominations For that is a Time as the learned Knight noteth h Hist. of the world 2. B. Chap. 3. Sect. 4. pag. 212. When we remember God perforce and when we stand upon no condition with Him It was not what he would doe but what he had done Remember Lord how I have walked how I have done I have sought a good fight I have kept the faith i 2 Tim 4. 6 7. said Paul the Aged when the time of His departure was at hand That is not a time to fight when commonly the heart faints the head is light the backe pained the sides weakned that is the time to have the Crowne put on which we have so long striven after a Time to have our sanctification perfected which before we have heartily laboured in It is not the Time to fight but to overcome and to be more then conquerers I have fought that good fight I have kept the faith When when was Paul such a Champion so valiant for the Truth contending for the Faith and keeping it when was this when his bow abode in strength then he played the Soldier so fighting so contending And hence Pauls ground of confidence Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne Thus touching the wisdome of the Saints They have understanding of the times And they know what they ought to doe k 1 Chron. 12. 32. that is they doe all in season Two lessons I shall draw hence for the Childs use and instruction and then anend First from hence I would give warning and put in a Caveat against some bold and presumptuous words and for ever hereafter prevent them We heare some and it is ordinary To wish for Death in a Passion before they have well thought of it and prepared for it if we may beleeve them they are well content to dye in a discontent They wish for that which they never before thought of in sobriety and good earnest Know they what they say doe they consider what death is and the consequence of the same when
yet hath learnt so much as hath been said That the Lord giveth wisdome that His word or law instructs to discretion This mans case is not to be despaired of though it be towards the last houre for while breath is within the nostrils for ought we know there is a doore of grace and mercy open But yet this is a very sad and lamentable case For the longer a man walks on in the wayes of ignorance the more unwilling and unable he will be to return and be reformed custome in sinning exercising still more and more tyranny his understanding will be more darkned his judgement more perverted his will more stubborn his memorie more stuffed with sensuall notion his affections will become more rebellious his thoughts more earthly his heart more hardened his conscience more seared And so much considering the season that gray hairs are mingled with the black no time for delay now when before it be long there shall be no more time We must account that the long suffering of the Lord is salvation t 2. Pet. 3. 15. And let the conclusion hereof be an earnest prayer to the God of all grace that as His promise was unto His Church to v Joel 2. 25. restore the yeares that the locusts had eaten the Cankerworm and the Caterpiller So he would restore unto us the yeares which the ignorance of childehood the vanities of youth the negligence of age have consumed There is another period of this age the burden whereof is II. labour and sorrow Barzillai lived to those yeares full fourescore and what saith he I x 2. Sam. 19. cannot taste what I eat or what I drink a question in the sacred tongue is a strong affirmation I heare not the voice of singing wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden how long have I to live a question we should often put to our selves which would answer all solicitations from the world and flesh and put them to silence how long have I to live That is how very short is the remnant of my mortalitie yet a very little while y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 37. and I must hence what should I think of now but of my death and of my grave what are pleasures or earthly contentments unto me so feelingly spoke that old man The many decayes infirmities that accompany this age are fully set down by the preacher Eccles 12. Amongst those many one expression there is very full and significant as our English renders it verse 5. The grashopper shall be a burden In the Originall the words imply no more but the curvature of the back which with men of such yeares stands bent like a Grashopper and that makes an old mans gate the more burdensome The words may imply also according to the common construction that every thing even the lightest to an old man is burdensome If he creep up to his bed and down from it though to repaire his decayes yet even this is burdensome even delights to others to him are tiresome he takes no delight in the Grashopper nay it is a burden that is saith Tremellius that pleasant season of the yeer when we heare the Grashopper yeelds no pleasure to him none at all he hath quite lost his taste and relish now in those things which to others are pleasurable c. And yet if the grave meet us not in our way hitherto as commonly it doth before we come so farre and prevent our expectation it is larger in nothing then in the issue of this age and in the account we hope to give up at that time This is our greet folly For how bad stewards soever we have been of our fore-past time yet at this time we hope to lay our reckonings even and so to give up our account with joy Though we have turned from God all our dayes yet we have a sure and certain hope in our conceit that we shall turn unto Him and He will turn unto us at this time when indeed we are not able to turn our selves upon our bed And naturally for it is but Nature seeking its own preservation naturally I say and usually men do make fair offers essayes and promises this way at such a time as this when they see themselves dropping into the grave But we must note as one before us and for our use z B. Andrews on Psal 78. verse 34. that this time is the time when all Hypocrites Atheists tag and rag come in and seek Him For who is it that will not look out for a dwelling when he sees his old house dropping down upon his head Who will not cry out for mercy mercy when he seeth the doore shutting upon him and if he speaks not now he must hold his peace for ever Who will not desire that earnestly to live for ever with the Lord now that he sees he must die So true it is that this is the time when all even the worst of all do seek unto God and will turn unto Him But we must note also that this is not our time nor is it the time when God usually opens unto us 1. It is not our time to seek when we are not in case to seek any thing else It is not our time to turn to Him when we are not able to turne our selves in our bed not our time to rise earely to seek Him so we must if in an ordinary way we look to finde Him when we are not able to rise at all not our time to enquire after Him when breath faileth us and we are not able to speake three words together What ever our words are and â—ow pious soever whatever offers we make towards heaven it will be suspected to be slavish and extorted for feare of the Pale horse and that which follows It is not to be doubted but at such a pinch as this something we would say and something we would do which might do our selves good But what or how can we do to purpose when our strength is gone our spirits spent our senses appaled the shadow of death upon our eyes This time is not our time 2. Nor is it Gods time to heare In the Law the Lord forbad that torne flesh should be offered unto Him it was allotted for the dogs a Exod. 22. 31. Mal. 1. v. 13. But such a like sacrifice are our prayers and our praises at such a time as this as torne flesh broken divided and interrupted they must needs be when our heart within us is as Lead and our sighes beat as thick as a swift pulse The Lord ever refused the torne blind and the lame for a sacrifice It was not beseeming our Governour b Mal. 1. v. 8. a man like our selves In case to Him it was offered he would not accept of the same much lesse will God accept our torn divided sacrifice our refuse our Lees or dregs bottome dotage That which was dogs meat that