is added because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing lying killing stealing and whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud Therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off Here then wee see what it is that will incense God against us and cause us all to mourne So likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Amos that for the cruelty and oppression of the poore he would plague the whole Land Amos 3.8 Shall not the Land tremble for this saith the Lord and every one mourne that dwells therein Againe the Lord saith by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 7.19 1. Doe they provoke mee to anger and not themselves to the confusion of their owne faces Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold mine anâ—â—r and my wrath shall be poured upon this place upon man and beast upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground and it shall burne and not be quenched Jer. 2â— 5 Againe the Lord saith If yee will not heare these words I sweare by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste and I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar-trees and cast them into the fire Likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 5.7 saying Because you have not walked in my Statutes nor kept my Judgements therefore behold I even I come against thee and will execute judgement in the midst of thee even in the sight of the Nations and I will doe in thee that I never did before neither will I doe any more the like because of all thine abominations For in the midst of thee the fathers shall eat their sons and the sons shall eat their fathers Againe by the same Prophet the Lord saith Ezek. 7.23 27. The Land is full of the Judgement of bloud and the Citie full of crueltie Wherefore I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the pompe of the mighty to cease and the holy places shall be defiled When destruction cometh they shall seeke peace and not have it Calamity shall come upon calamity and rumour upon rumour Then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the Ancient The King shall mourne and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the Land shall be troubled I will do unto them according unto their waies and according unto their judgement I will judge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Last of all the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy Heare O earth Behold Jer. 4.19 I will cause a plague to come upon this people even the fruit of their owne imaginations because they have not taken heed to my words and to my Law but cast it off Almost innumerable places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the Prophets but theâ— may suffice to prove the maine point to wit that the just God doth punish whole nations and kingdomes for the sins and rebellions thereof Phil. Sith all these sins for the which the Lord did execute such universall punishments upon his owne people doe abound and over-flow in the Land may wee not justly feare some great plague to fall upon us And the rather because our transgressions doe increase daily and grow to a full height and ripenesse so as it seems the harvest of Gods vengeance draweth neere and approacheth Theol. We may indeed justly feare and tremble For if God spared not the Angels that sinned how shall hee spare us If he spared not his owne people what can we looke for If he spared not the naturall branches how shall hee spare us that are wilde by nature Are we better then they Can we looke to be spared when they are punished Are not our sinnes as many and as great as theirs Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect Is the Arme of the Lord shortned Or is not God the same just God to punish sin now that hee was then Yes yes assuredly And therefore we have great cause to mourne and lament to quake and tremble because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging over our heads Thus did Jeremy Jer. 4.19 Amos 5.6 Hab. 3.16 thus did Amos thus did Habakkuk when they plainly saw the imminent wrath of God approaching upon the people of Israel and Judah Phil. I thinke wee may the rather doubt and feare because the punishment of these fore-named vices is neglected by the Magistrate For commonly when they that beare the sword of Justice doe not draw it out to punish notorious offendors and malefactors the Lord himselfe will take the matter into his owne hands and be revenged in his owne person which is most dreadfull and dangerous For Hâ—b 10 3â— it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Theol. You have spoken a truth For if those which are Gods Deputies and Vicegerents in the earth doe their duties faithfully in punishing vice and maintaining vertue in smiting the wicked and favouring the godly then assuredly evill shall be taken out of Israel Gods wrath prevented and his judgements intercepted as it is written Psal 109.32 Phineas stood up and executed judgement and the plague was stayed But if they for feare favour affection gaine flatterie bribery or any other sinister respect will be too sparing and remisse in punishing of grosse offenders and be rather ready to smite the righteous then doe they exceedingly provoke Gods wrath against the Land and against themselves Phil. One thing I do greatly lament that there be either none at all or very slender censures either by the Civill or Ecclesiasticall authority for divers of these fore-named vices as pride covetousnesse oppression lying idlenesse swearing c. Theol. It is a thing to be lamented indeed For where doe we see a proud man punished a covetous man punished an oppressor punished a swearer punished a lyer punished an idle person punished Now because they know they cannot or shall not be punished therefore they are altogether hardened and imboldened in their sins as the Wise man saith Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evill Phil. One thing I doe much muse at wherein also I desire to be further satisfied viz. what is the cause that under so godly a Prince so many good lawes and so much good preaching and teaching there should notwithstanding be such an excesse and over-flowing of sin in all estates Theol. The causes hereof are divers and manifold But I will nominate foure especiall ones in my judgement The first is mans naturall corruption which is so strong as almost nothing can bridle it The second is ill presidents and
with faith in those that heard it And again Heb. â— 1â— They could not enter in because of unbeliefe Here we sâ—e that unbeliefe did bar out the old people from entring into the Land of Promise which was a figure of Gods eternall Kingdome And sure it is that the same unbeliefe doth barre out thousands of us For many will beleeve nothing but their owne fantasies They will not beleeve the Word of God especially when it is contrary to their lusts and likings profits and pleasures Though things be manifestly proved to their faces and both the Chapter and the Verse shewed them yet will they not beleeve or though they say they beleeve yet will they never goe about the practice of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will say another when God saith yee they will say nay and so give God the lye Some againe will say If all be true that the Preachers say then God help us Thus you see how infidelity doth bar men out of Heaven and cast them into Hell Phil. Let us heare of the second gate which is Presumption of Gods mercy Theol. This is set downe in the 29. Chapter of Deuteronomie where the Lord saith thus When a man heareth the words of this curse and yet flattereth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkenness to thirst that is one sinne to anotâ—er the Lord will not be mercifull unto him but the wrath of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him and the Lord shall put out his name from under Heaven Here we see how the mighty God doth thunder downe upon such as goe-on in their sins presuming of his mercie and saying in their hearts If I may have but a Lord have mercy upon mee three houres before death I care not But it is just with God when these three houres come to shut them up in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart as a just plagne for their presumption Therefore the Prophet David seeing the grievousnesse of this sinne prayeth to be delivered from it Psal 19. Keep me O Lord saith he from presumptuous sins let them not reigne over mee Let all men therefore take hood of presumptuous sins For though God be full of mercy yet will hee shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy But they shall once know to their cost that justice goeth from him as well as mercy Phil. Let us come to the third gate which is the Example of the multitude Theol. This is proved in the 23. of Exodus verse 22. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evill In another place the Lord saith Levit. 18.3 After the doing of the Land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not doe and after the manner of the Land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall ye not doe neither walke in their ordinances Against this Law did the children of Israel offend when they said in the stubbornnesse of their heart to the Prophet Jeremie The word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord wee will not heare but we will do whatsoever goeth out of our mouth and we will do as we have done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem Jer. 44.16 Note here how they doe altogether refuse the Word of the Lord and how they follow the example of the multitude Wee see in these our dayes by lamentable experience how thousands are violently carried downe the stream and for defence of it some will say Do as the most men do and the fewest will speak ill of you Which is a very wicked speech For if we will follow the course of the most we shall have the reward of the most which is eternall perdition Let us therefore take heed of bending with the sway for the sway of the world doth weigh down all things that can be spoken out of the Word of God and openeth a very wide passage into hell Phil. Proceed to the fourth gate into hell which is the Long custome of sinne Theol. This is noted by the Prophet Jeremy to be a very dangerous thing For hee saith Jer. 13.23 Can the Black moore change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may yee also doe good which are accustomed to doe evill Noting thereby that it is as hard a matter to leave an old custome of sinne as to wash a Black-moore white or to change the spots of a Leopard which because they are naturall is most impossible So when men through custome have made swearing lying adultery and drunkennesse as it were naturall unto them oh how hard it is to leave them For custome maketh another nature and taketh away all sense and feeling of sin Phil. Let us heare of the fifth gate which is the Long escaping of punishment Theol. This is avouched by the Wise man in these words Ecclâ—s 8.11 Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe evill Where hee sheweth that one cause why men are so hardened in their sinnes is because God winketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediatly after they have sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raine fire and brimstone upon another and cause the earth to swallow up a third then men would feare indeed But it hath beene shewed before that God taketh not that course but though he meet with some in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall never come to their answer even as an old theefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwaies so escape and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts But let men take heed For as the Proverb saith Though the Pitcher goeth long to the Well yet at last it cometh broken home So though men escape long yet they shall not escape alwaies for there will come a day of reckoning a day that will pay it home for all Thus you see how impunity leadeth numbers to destruction that is when men are let alone and neither smitten by the hand of God nor punished by the Law of the Magistrate Phil. Let us come to the sixth gate which is the Hope of long life Theol. This is affirmed by our Lord Iesus concerning that rich worldling who when hee felt the world come in upon him with full streame said he would pull dâ—wne his barnes and build greater and say to his soule Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many yeares Luke 12.19 live at ease eat drinke and take thy pastime But our Saviour calleth him
and deceits that are in it and of it I pray you let us now proceed and first of all tell mee by what means the new birth is wrought Theol By the preaching of the word as the outward meanes 1 Pet. 1 2.3 John 1â— 3 Acts 10.44 Ephes 4.3 and the secret worke of the spirit as the inward means Phil. Many hear the word preached and are nothing the better but rather the worse what I pray you is the cause of that Theol. Mens own incredulity and hardnesse of heart because God in his wrath leaveth them to themselves and depriveth them of his spirit without the which all preaching is in vain For except the spirit doe follow the word into our hearts Act. 16.14 wee can finde no joy taste nor comfort therein Phil. Cannot a man attain unto regeneration and the new birth without the word and the spirit Theol. No verily For they are the instruments and means whereby God doth work it Antil Why may not a man have as good a faith to God-ward that heareth no Sermons as hee that heareth all the Sermons in the world Theol. Why may not he which eateth no meat be as fat and as well liking as hee that eateth all the meat in the world For is not the preaching of the word the food of our souls Antil I like not so much hearing of Sermons and reading of the Scriptures except men could keep them better Theol. Faithfull and honest hearers do therefore hear that they may be more able to observe and do For a man cannot do the will of God before he know it and hee cannot know it without hearing and reading Antil I marvell what good men doe get by gadding to Sermons and poring so much in the Scripture or what are they better then others There are none more full of envie and malice then they They will doe their neighbour a shrewd turn as soon as any body and therefore in mine opinion they be but a company of hypocrites and precise fools Theol. You judge uncharitably Full little doe you know what they feel or what good Gods people get by hearing of the word For the work of the spirit in the hearts of the elect is very secret and altogether hid from the world John â— 8 as it is written The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whither it goeth or whence it cometh so is every man that is born of the spirit And againe The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Amil. Tush tush what needs all this adoâ— If a man say his Lords prayer his ten Commandements and his Beleefe keep them and say no body harme not doe no body harm and doe as hee would be done to have a good faith to God-ward and be a man of Gods beliefe no doubt hee shall be saved without all this running to Sermons and pratling of the Scripture Theol. Now you powr it out indeed you thinke you have spoken wise y. But alas you have bewrayed your great ignorance For you imagine a man may bee saved without the word which is a grosse errour Antil It is no matter say you what you will and all the Preachers in the world besides as long as I serve God and say my prayers duly and truely morning and evening and have a good faith in God and put my whole trust in him and doe my true intent and have a good mind to God-ward and a good meaning although I am not learned yet I hope it will serve the turn for my soules health For that God which made mee must save me It is not you that can save me for all your learning and all your Scriptures Theol. You may very fitly be compared to a sick man who having his brain distempered with heat raveth and speaketh idly he cannot tell what For the holy Ghost saith Pâ—o. 18.9 Hee that turneth away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abominable And again Prov. 13.15 He that destroyeth the word shall be destroyed So long therefore as you despise Gods word and turn away your ear from hearing his Gospel preached all your prayers your fantasticall serving of God your good meanings and your good intents are to no purpose but most odious and loathsome in the sight of God as it is written My soule hateth your new moons Esa 1.14 and your appointed feasts they are a burthen unto mee I am weary to beare them When you stretch out your hands I will hide mine eye from you and though you make many prayers I will not hear For your hands are full of bloud And again the Lord saith by the same Prophet He that killeth a bullock Esa 66.3 is as if he slâ—w a man hee that sacrificeth a sheep as if hee cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud hee that remembreth incense as if hee blessed an idol Where you see the Lord telleth you his mind touching thâ—se matters to wit that all your prayers services good meanings c. are abominable unto him so long as you walk in ignorance profanenesse disobedience and contempt of the Gospel For hee saith in the words immediately going before To him will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Asun I grant indeed for them that are idle and have little to do it is not amisse now and then to hear a Sermon and read the Scriptures but wee have no leasure we must follow our businesse we cannot live by the Scriptures they are not for plain folk they are too high for us wee will not meddle with them They belong to Preachers and Ministers Theol Jâ—â—â— 10. Christ saith My sheep heare my voice and I give unto them eternall life If therefore you refuse to heare the voice of Christ you are none of his sheep neither can you have eternall life And in another place our Lord Iesus saith John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word Ye therefore hear it not because ye are not of God Saint Paul writing to all sorts of men both rich and poore high and low men and women Colos 3.1 young and old exhorteth that the word of Christ may dwell plenteously in them all in all wisdom You see therefore that the Apostle would have all sorts of people that have souls to save to bee well acquainted with the Scriptures Therefore you may as well say you will not meddle with God with Christ nor with everlasting life as to say you will not meddle with the Scriptures Asun Well I cannot read and therefore I cannot tell what Christ or what Saint Paul may say but this I am sure of that God is a good man worshipped might he be hee is mercifull and that we must be saved by our good prayers and good serving of God Theol. You speak foolishly and
your owne axe and kill your owne childe with it Therefore that reason is naught Albeit therefore wealthy men and women have great plenty of all things so as they need not labour yet let them be profitably employed some way or other let them exercise themselves in one good thing or other If they can find nothing to doe let them give themselves much to private prayers and reading of the Scriptures that they may be able to instruct and exhort others Or else let Ladies and Gentlewomen doe as that good woman Dorcas did that is buy cloth cut it out worke it sew it make shirts smocks coats and garments and give them to the poore when they haue so done For it is said of Dorcas that shee was a woman full of good workes Act. 9.36.39 and almes-deeds which she did She was a mercifull and tender-hearted woman she was the poore mans friend she clothed the poore and naked she knew it was a sacrifice acceptable to God Oh that the wealthy women of our Land would follow the example of Dorcas But alas these dayes bring forth few Dorcases Phil. As you have shewed us the causes of the former evils so now I pray you shew the causes of this also Theol. The causes of idlenesse are Evill examples Causes of idlenesse Bad education Living out of calling Phil. Shew us also the remedies Theol. The remedies are Good education Remedies against idlenesse Labour in youth Good examples Diligence in a lawfull calling Phil. Now then let us come to the last signe of damnation which is oppression And I beseech you good Sir speak your mind of it out of the Scriptures Theol. It is so infinite a matter that I know not where to begin or where to make an end of it It is a bottomelesse sinke of most grievous enormities I shall enter into a Labyrinth where I shall not know how to get out againe But sith you are desirous to heare something of it this I say That it is a most cruell monster a bloudy vice a most ugly and hideous fiend of hell The Scriptures in very many places doe â—ry our upon it arraigning it adjudging it and condemning it downe to hell They doe also thunder and lighten upon all those which are stained and corrupted with this vice calling them by such names and giving them such titles as are taken from the effects of this sinne and most fit for oppressors as namely Isa 3.15 Amos 8.6 Micah 3.2 that They gâ—ind the faces of the poore that They plucke off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones that They eat them up as they eat bread These are they which strive to devoure all like savage beasts and to get the whole earth into their hands Psal 14.4 either by hook or by crook by right or by wrong by oppression fraud and violence These Caterpillers and Cormorants of the earth are like unto the Whale fish that swalloweth up quicke other little fishes They are like a Lion that devoureth other beasts They are like the Falcon which seizeth plumeth and preyeth upon other fowles These greedy Wolves devoure all and swallow up the poore of the Land Therefore the Prophets of God doe thunder out many great woes against them First the Prophet Esay saith chapt 5.8 Woe unto them that joyne hoâ—se to house and field to field till there be no place for the poore to dwell in that they may be placed by themselves in the midst of the earth Secondly the Prophet Jeremy saith Jer. 12.13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers without equity Thirdly the Prophet Micah saith Mich. 2.2 Wo unto them that covet fields and take them by violence and so oppresse a man and his house even a man and his heritage Fourthly Hab. 2.12 the Prophet Habakkuk crieth out saying Woe unto him â—hat buildeth a Towne with bloud and erecteth a Citie by iniquity Sa nt James also most terribly threatneth these kind of men saying Goe to now yee rich men James 5.1 2 weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire Lastly S. Paul saith flatly 1 Cor. 8.10 that Extortioners shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Thus we sâ—e how many fearfull woes and threats are denounced from heaven against the pestilent cut-throats of the earth Phil. And all little enough For they are steeped in their sinne and the staine of it is soked into them as it will hardly ever be washed out True it is that you said that these cruell oppressing bloud-suckers are the most pernicious and pestilent vermine that creep upon the face of the earth and yet I thinke there were never moe of them then in these dayes For now the wicked world is full of such as doe sundry waies bite pinch and nip the poore as we see by every dayes lamentable experience But you can speake more of it then I therefore I pray you lay open the sundry kinds of oppression used in these daies Theo. The sundry kinds of oppressions There is oppression by usury Oppression by bribery Oppression by racking of Rents Oppression by taking excessive fines Oppression in bargaining Oppression in letting of leâ—ses Oppression in letting of houses Oppression in letting of grounds Oppression in binding poore men to unreasonable covenants Oppression in thrusting poore men out of their houses Oppression in hiring poore mens houses over their heads Oppression in taking of fees Oppression by Lawyers Oppression by Church-officers Oppression by engrossers Oppression by fore-stallers Oppression of the Church Oppression of the Ministery Oppression of the poore Oppression of widowes Oppression of Orphans And thus we see how all swarmes with Oppressions and nothing but Oppressions Oppressions Phil. In truth this is a most cruell and oppressing age wherein wee live yea a very Iron age It seemes that the great ones mind nothing else they are altogether set upon oppression they dote and dreame of it they find sweet in it and therefore they are mad of it As Solomon saith Oppression maketh a wise man mad It seemes therefore that this vice is of such marvellous force that it can bereave men of their wits and make them starke mad of getting goods by hooke or by crooke they care not how not from whom so they have it Yet no doubt the most wise God hath enacted many good lawes for the suppressing of this evill and threatneth the execution of them in his owne person and especially his Law doth provide for the safety of the poore the fatherlesse the widow and the stranger But you Master Theologus can repeat the Statutes better then I because you are a professed Divine therefore I pray you let us heare them from you Theol. In the 22. chapter of Exodus God made this Law following You shalt
accept you have mercy upon you receive you to favour grant you a generall pardon for all your rebellions and admit you into the number of his faithfull and loyall subjects Phil. I conceive by divers speeches which you have alledged that goods got by oppression and cruelty will never prosper long For oppressors coine their money upon their neighbours skins How then can it be blessed Theol. You have spoken a truth For as it hath been shewed before that those goods which are got by swearing and lying are cursed so all these that are got by oppression and violence are more cursed Therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy As the Partridge gathers the young which she hath not brought forth Jer. 17.11 so hee that gathers riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a foole and his name shall be written in the earth Phil. Would to God our Magistrates and Governours would take speedy order for the remedying of these things and for the redressing of such grievous enormities as are among us or that they themselves would step in and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressour Theol. Job was an excellent man for such matters For it is said of him Job 29.27 that He brake the jawes of the unrighteous man and pluck't the prey out of his teeth Where we see how Job was a meanes to deliver the innocent and to pull the Lambe out of the Lions clawes Moreover Job 29.25 it is written of him in the same Chapter that the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him and that hee caused the widowes heart to rejoyce that he was the eye to the blind the feet to the lame and the father to the poore and when he knew not the cause he sought it out diligently O what a notable man was this O that we had many Jobs in these daies Wise Solomon doth most gravely advise us all to follow Jobs example in this behalfe Pro. â—4 12 Deliver saith he them that are oppressed and drawne to death for shouldest thou withdraw thy selfe from them which goe downe to the slaughter Would to God this counsell were well weighed and practised amongst us Phil. I marvell much with what face these cruell oppressors can come before God in his holy Temple to pray and offer up their sacrifices unto him For we see many of them though they have such fowle hands and fowle hearts as wee have heard yet for all that will most impudently presume to come to the Church and pray or at least when they are laid in their beds at nights and halfe sleep then will they mumble over their praiers or be pattering some Pater-nosters Theol. Alas alas poore soules all that they do in matters of Gods worship is but hypocrisie and dissimulation For in truth they are not for God they love him but from the teeth outward their mouths are with him but their heart goes after covetousnesse and their hands are full of bloud And therefore God doth both abhorre them and their prayers For saith he Isa 1.15 Though they stretch out their hands yet will I hide mine eyes from them and though they make many praiers yet will I not heare them For their hands are full of bloud Moreover the holy Ghost saith Pro. 28.9 He that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his praier is abominable Psal 66.18 David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not heare my praier Our Lord Iesus also affirmeth Joh. 9.31 that God heares not sinners that is stubborne and carelesse sinners So then we may cleerly sâ—e by all these testimonies of holy Writ what â—ccount God makes of the praiers of oppressors and all other profane and ungodly men namely that he doth hate them and abhorre them as loathsome and odious in his sight Phil. Now in conclusion shew us the causes of oppression Theol. The causes are these Causes of oppresâ—ion Cruelty Covetousnesse Hard heartednesse An evill conscience The Divell Phil. Let us heare also the remedies Theol. The remedies be these Remedies of oppression Pity Contentation Tender affections A good conscience Much prayer Phil. Now Sir you have at large uttered your mind concerning these grosse corruptions of the world and have plainly and evidently proved them to be the deadly poyson of the soule so also I pray you satisfie us in this whether they be not hurtfull also to the body goods and name Theol. I have dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them and therefore they can never be enough spoken against For the whole world lyeth in them 1 John 5. as Saint John testifieth If men therefore could be recovered of these diseases no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace and wee should have a most flourishing Church and Common-wealth but as long as these doe lye in the way there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be poured upon us or that ever we shall come to have an inward conversation with God For these vices blind our eyes burthen our hearts Jer. 5. â—5 and as the Prophet Jeremy saith hinder good things from us But touching your petition I must needs grant that as these vices are the very bane of the soule and most certaine signes of condemnation so are they very dangerous to the body goods and name yea and to the whole land both Church and Common-wealth Phil. Shew us out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body Theol. The Lord our God saith that if wee will not obey him nor keep his commandements but break his covenant hee will appoint over us hastie plagues consumptions Levi. 26.16 and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heavie So also hee saith that if wee will not obey his voice to observe all his commandements and ordinances that then hee will make the pestilence cleave unto us Levit. 28.21 untill hee have consumed us that hee will smite us with the Feaver with the botch of Egypt with the Emrods with the Scab and with the Itch that also hee will smite us with madnesse and with blindnesse and with astonishment of heart So then you see what great evills the Lord threatens to inflict upon our bodies in this life for these and such like sinnes But on the contrary the holy Ghost saith Pro. 5 7. Feare God and depart from evill so health shall be to thy navell and moisture to thy bones Phil. What evill do these forenamed sins bring upon us in our goods and outward estate Theol. They cause God to curse us in all that wee set hand unto as plentifully appeareth in the forenamed chapter where the Lord saith thus If thou wilt not obey the commandements of the Lord
peace and publike good Theol. These few then briefly I take to be the things which belong to our peace Ten things concerning our peace Let Solomon execute Joab and Shimei Let Achab and Eliah stay the Priests and Prophets of Baal Let Aaron and Eleazer minister before the Lord faithfully Let Jonas be cast out of the ship Let Moses stood fast in the gap and not let downe his hand Let Josuah succeed him Let Cornelius feare God with all his houshold Let Tabitha be full of good works and almesdeeds Let Deborah judge long in Israel prosper and be victorious Let us pray that the light of Israel may not be quenched And this I take to be the summe of all that belongs to our peace Phil. The summe of all our conference hitherto as I remember may be reduced unto these few heads First mans naturall corruption hath beene laid open Secondly the horrible fruits thereof Thirdly their evill effects and workings both against our soules and bodies goods name and the whole Land Lastly the remedies of all Now therefore I would grow to some conclusion of that which you touched by the way and made some mention of namely the signes of salvation and damnation and declare unto us plainely whether the state of a mans soule before God may not by certaine signes and tokens be certainly discerned in this life Theol. Besides those which beforâ— have beene mentioned wee may odde these nine following Nine signes of a sound soule Reverence of Gods Name Keeping of his Sabbaths Truth Sobriety Industry Compassion Humility Chastity Contentation Phil. These indeed I grant are very good signes but yet all of them are not certaine for some of them may be in the reprobates Theol. What say you then to Saint Peters signes set downe in the first chapter of his second Epistle which are these eight Saint Peters eight signes of salvation 2 Pet. 1.8 Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse Love Saint Peter saith If these be in us and abound they will make us neither idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Which is as much as if hee had said They will make us sound and sincore Professors of the Gospel Phil. All these I grant are exceeding good signes and evidences of a mans salvation but yet some of them may deceive and a hole may be picked in some of these Evidences I would therefore heare of some such demonstrative and infallible Evidences as no Lawyer can finde fault with For I hold that good Divines can as perfectly judge of the assurances and evidences of mans salvation as the best Lawyer can judge of the assurances and evidences whereby men hold their lands and livings Theol. You have spoken truly in that And would to God all the Lords people would bring forth the Evidences of their salvation that wee might discerne of them Phil. Set down then which be the most certaine and infallible Evidences of a mans salvation against which no exception can be taken Theol. I judge these to be most sound and infallible Assured faith in the promises Seven infallible signes of salvation Act. 16.31 Pro. 1.20 Job 1.41 Rom. 8.14 Job 4. â— 1 Thes 4.5 Rom. 5.1 Col. 1. â—3 Mat. 24.13 Sincerity of heart The Spirit of adoption Sound Regeneration and Sanctification Inward peace Groundednesse in the truth Continuance to the end Phil. Now you come neere the quick indeed For in my judgement none of these can be found truly in any reprobate Therefore I thinke no Divine can take exception against any of these Theol. No I assure you no more then a Lawyer can finde fault with the Tenure of mens lands and fee-simples when as both the title is good and strong by law and the evidences thereof are sealed subscribed delivered conveyed and sufficient witnesse upon the same and all other signes and ceremonies in the delivering and taking possession thereof according to strict law observed For if a man have these forenamed evidences of his salvation sure it is his title and interest to heaven is good by the Law of Moses and the Prophets I meane the word of God God himselfe subscribeth to them Iesus Christ delivereth them as his owne deed the holy Ghost sealeth unto them yea the three great witnesses which beare record in the earth that is water bloud and the spirit do all witnesse the same Phil. Now you have very fully satisfied mee touching this point And one thing more I doe gather out of all your speech to wit that you doe thinke a man may be assured of his salvation even in this life Theol. I doe thinke so indeed For hee that knoweth not in this life that he shall be saved shall never be saved after this life For St. John saith 1 John 3.2 Now we are made the sons of God Phil. But because many doubt of this and the Papists do altogether deny it therefore I pray you confirm it unto us out of the Scriptures Theol. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.2 Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed wee have a building given us of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heavens Marke that hee saith both hee and the rest of Gods people did certainly know that Heaven was provided for them Rom. 8.15 16. For the spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God And againe the same Apostle saith from henceforth is laid up for mee the crown of righteousnesse â— Tim. 4.8 which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that love his appearing Here wee see that he knew there was a crowne prepared for him and for the Elect. And the same Spirit which did assure it unto Paul doth assure it also to all the children of God For they have all the same Spirit though not in the same measure Saint John saith also Herein wee are sure wee know him 1 John 2.3 if we keep his commandements In which words St. Iohn telleth us thâ—â— much thâ—â— if wee do unfainedly endeavour to obey God there is in us the true knowledge and feare of God and consequently we are sure we shall be saved Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.10 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Wherefore should the Apostle exhort us to make our election sure if none could be sure of it In the second of the Ephesians the Apostle saith flatly that in Christ Jesus wee doe already sit together in heavenly places His meaning is not that wee are there already in possession but wee are as sure of it as if wee were there already The reasons hereof are these Christ our head is in possession Therefore he will draw all his members unto him as he himselfe saith John 12.22 John 24.13 Secondly wee are as sure of the thing which wee
The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion pag. 334 The meanes to get out of ignorance pag. 346 347 Ignorance a most dangerous thing pag. 348 The charge of Ministers exceeding weighty and most carefully to be looked unto pag. 353 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance pag. 357 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captivity of Sathan pag. 358 359 Preaching a matter of absolute necessity unto eternall life pag. 363 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their souls pag. 364 Satans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching utterly unprofitable pag. 365 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man pag. 367 Six great dangers of sin pag. 368 Six most fearfull events of sin pag. 369 God in all ages hath severely punished the transgressors of his Law pag. 370 371 Every sin though never so little in our eyes is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite Majesty pag. 371 Nine profitable considerations pag. 372 If men would leave words and fall to doing great good would come of it pag. 374 Nine things much to be thought upon pag. 376 The description of Christs comming to judgment pag. 376 377 The terror the suddennesse the end the manner and the use of Christs second coming described pag. 378 379 The torments of hell with the extremity perpetuity and remedilesnesse thereof described pag. 389 The ignorant man upon the hearing of the day of judgement and hell fire laid open is pricked in his conscience bewailes his former life repents earnestly for his sin and ignorance and desires spirituall physicke and comfort of the Preacher pag. 398 The Preacher ministers unto him much spirituall comfort and doth in ample manner lay open unto him all the sweet promises of the Gospel and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken-hearted sinners pag. 402 403 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached unto him and thereupon gathers great inward peace converts unto God with all his heart and exceedingly blesseth God for the Preachers counsell pag. 422 FINIS A Morning Prayer to be used in private Families O Lord our God and heavenly Father we thy unworthy children do here come into thy most holy and heavenly presence to give thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings toward us especially for that thou hast preserved us this night past from all the dangers and fears thereof hast given us quiet rest to our bodies and brought us now safely to the beginning of this day and dost now afresh renew all thy mercies upon us as the Eagle reneweth her bill giving us all things abundantly to enjoy as food raiment health peace liberty and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subject to in this life every minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafing unto us many good things not onely for necessity but even for delight also But above all dear Father wee praise thy name for the blessings of a better life especially for thy most holy Word and Sacraments and all the good wee enjoy thereby for the continuance of the Gospel amongst us for the death of thy Sonne and all that happinesse which wee have thereby also because thou hast chosen us to life before wee were and that of thy meere goodnesse and undeserved favour toward us and hast called us in thine appointed time justified us by thy grace and sanctified us by thy Spirit and adopted us to be thine owne children and heires apparent to the great Crowne O Lord open our eyes every day more and more to see and consider of thy great and marvellous love to us in all these things that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be drawne yet neerer unto thee even more to love thee feare thee and obey thee that as thou art enlarged towards us in mercy so we may be enlarged towards thee in thanksgiving and as thou dost abound towards us in goodnesse so we may abound towards thee in obedience and love And sith deare Father thou art never weary of doing us good notwithstanding all our unworthinesse and naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towards us even as it were force our hearts and compell us to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiving in our mouthes Wee pray thee O most mercifull God to forgive all our unthankfulnesse unkindnesse profanenesse and great abusing of all thy mercies and especially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospel together with all other the sinnes of our life which we confesse are innumerable and more then can be reckoned up both in omission of good things and commission of evill We most humbly entreat thee to set them all over to the reckoning which thy Son Christ hath made up for them upon his Crosse and never to lay any of them to our charge but freely forget all and forgive all Naile down all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ bury them in his death bathe them in his bloud hide them in his wounds let them never rise up in judgement against us Set us free of the miseries that are upon us for sin and keep back the judgements to come both of soule body goods and good name Be reconciled unto us in thy deare Sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating unto us our old and abominable iniquities but accept us as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to us and our sins to him Let his righteousnesse satisfie thy justice for all our unrighteousnesse his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfection Moreover wee humbly beseech thy good Majesty to give us the true sight and feeling of our manifold sins that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardened in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be even weary of them and much grieved for them labouring and striving by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our hearts with true repentance for all sinne Let not us take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoever we fall through frailty as wee fall often let us never fall finally let us never lye downe in sin nor continue in sin but let us get up on our feet againe and turne to thee with all our hearts and seek thee whilest thou maist be found and whilest thou dost offer grace and mercy unto us O Lord increase in us that true and lively faith whereby wee may lay sure hold on thy Sonne Christ and rest upon his merits altogether Give us faith assuredly to beleeve all thy great and precious promises made in the
that they may draw it out to punish the wicked and to defend the godly and that they may with all good care and conscience discharge the duties of their places Increase the number of faithfull and zealous Ministers in this Church Send thy Gospel to those places where it is not and blesse it where it is Remember them in thy mercy O Lord that are under any crosse or affliction whatsoever be comfortable unto them heale up their wounds bind up their sores put all their teares into 〈◊〉 bottle and make their bed in all their sorrowes and put such a good end to all their troubles that they may redound to thy glory and the furtherance of their owne salvation In the meane time give them patience and constancie to beare whatsoever it shall please thy mercifull hand to lay upon them Last of all in a word wee pray theâ— blesse the Magistracie Ministry and Commonalty Blesse all the people doe good to all that are true and upright in their hearts And so deare Father we do commit and command our selves our soules and bodies into thy hands for this day and the rest of our life praying thee to take care and charge of us Keep us from all evill watch over us for our good let thine Angels encamp about us let thy holy hand be over us and keep us in all our waies that we may live to thy praise and glory here on earth keeping faith and a good conscience in all our actions that after this life wee may be crowned of thee for ever in thy Kingdome Grant these things good Father to us here present and to all thine absent praying thee in speciall favour to remember an our friends and kinsfolkes in the flesh all our good neighbours and well-willers and all those for whom wee are bound to pray by nature by deserts or any duty whatsoever for Jesus Christs sake our onely Mediatour to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be given all praise and glory both now and for evermore Amen An Evening Prayer to be used in private Families O Eternall God and our most loving and deare Father wee thy unworthy children do here fall down at the foot of thy great Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are altogether unworthy to come neere thee or to look towards thee because thou art a God of infinite glory and wee are most vile abominable sinners such as were conceived and borne in sin and corruption and such as have inherited our Fathers corruptions and also have actually transgressed all thy holy Statutes and Lawes both in thoughts words and deeds before wee knew thee and since secretly and openly with our selves and with others our particular sins are moe then can be numbred for who knoweth how often hee offendeth but this wee must needs confesse against our selves that our hearts are full of pride covetousnesse and the love of this world full of wrath anger and impatience full of lying dissembling and deceiving full of vanity hardnesse and profanenesse full of infidelity distrust and selfe-love full of lust uncleannesse and all abominable desires yea our hearts are the very sinkes of sinne and dunghils of all filthinesse And besides all this we doe omit the good things we should doe for there are in us great wants of faith of love of zeale of patience of contentment and of every good grace so as thou hast just cause to proceed to sentence of judgment against us as most damnable transgressours of all thy holy commandements yea such as are sunk in our rebellions and have many times and often committed high treason against thy Majestie and therefore thou maist justly cast us all downe into Hell fire there to be tormented with Sathan and his Angels for ever And wee have nothing to except against thy Majesty for so doing sith therin thou shouldest deale with us but according to equity and our just deserts Wherefore deare Father wee doe appeale from thy justice to thy mercy most humbly intreating thee to have mercy upon us and freely to forgive us all our sinnes past whatsoever both new and old secret and open knowne and unknowne and that for Jesus Christs sake our onely Mediatour And wee pray thee touch our hearts with true griefe and unfeigned repentance for them that they may be a matter of continuall sorrow and heart-smart unto us so as nothing may grieve us more then this that wee have offended thee beâ—ng our speciall friend and Father Give us therefore deare Father every day more and more sight and feeling of our sinnes with true humiliation under the same Give us also that true and lively faith whereby we may lay sure hold on thy Son Christ and all his merits applying the same to our owne soules so as we may stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for us particularly as well as for others Give us faith good Father constantly to beleeve all the sweet promises of the Gospel touching remission of sin and eternall life made in thy Sonne Christ O Lord increase our faith that wee may altogether rest upon thy promises which are all Yea and Amen Yea that wee may settle our selves and all that wee have wholly upon them both our soules bodies goods names wives children and our whole estate knowing that all things depend upon thy promises power and providence and that thy Word doth support and beare up the whole order of nature Moreover we entreat thee O Lord to strengthen us from above to walke in every good way and to bring forth the fruits of true faith in all our particular actions studying to please thee in all things and to be fruitfull in good workes that wee may shew forth unto all men by our good conversation whose children we are and that we may adorne and beautifie our most holy profession by walking in a Christian course and in all the sound fruits and practice of godlinesse and true religion To this end we pray thee sanctifie our hearts by thy Spirit yet more and more sanctifie our soules and bodies and all our corrupt naturall faculties as reason understanding will and affections so as they may be fitted for thy worship and service taking a delight and pleasure therein Stirre us up to use prayer watchfulnesse reading meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may profit in grace and goodnesse from day to day Blesse us in the use of the meanes that we may daily dye to sinne and live to righteousnesse draw us yet neerer unto thee helpe us against our manifold wants Amend our great imperfections renew us inwardly more and more repaire the ruines of our hearts aide us against the remnants of sin Enlarge our hearts to run the way of thy Commandements direct all our steps in thy Word let none iniquity have dominion over us Assist us against our speciall infirmities and master-sins that we may get the victory over them all to thy
glory and the great peace and comfort of our owne consciences Strengthen us good Father by thy grace and holy Spirit against the common corruptions of the world as pride whoredome covetousnesse contempt of thy Gospel swearing lying dissembling and deceiving O deare Father let us not be overcome of these filthy vices nor any other sinfull pleasures fond delights wherewith thousands are carried head-long to destruction Arme our soules against all the temptations of this world the flesh and the Divell that wee may overcome them all through thy help and keep on the right way to life that wee may live in thy feare and dye in thy favour that our last dayes may be our best dayes and that wee may end in great peace of conscience Furthermore deare Father we intreat thee not onely for our selves but for all our good brethren thy deare children scattered over the face of the whole earth most humbly beseeching thee to blesse all them to cheere them up and glad them with the joy of thy countenance both now and alwayes Guide them all in thy feare and keep them from evill that they may praise thy Name In these dangerous dayes and declining times wee pray thee O Lord raise up nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto thy Church Raise up also faithfull Pastours that thy cause may be carried forward Truth may prevaile Religion may prosper thy Name onely may be set up in the earth thy Sons Kingdome advanced and thy will accomplished Set thy selfe against all adversary power especially that of Rome Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme curse and crosse all their counsels frustrate their devices scatter their forces overthrow their armies When they are most wise let them be most foolish when they are most strong let them be most weake Let them know that there is no wisdome nor counsell power nor policie against thee the Lord of hosts Let them know that Israel hath a God and that thou which art called Jehovah art the onely Ruler over all the world Arise therefore O most mighty God and maintain thine owne cause against all thine enemies smite thorow all their loines and bow downe their backes yea let them all be confounded and turned backward that beare ill will unto Sion Let the patient abiding of the righteous be joy and let the wicked be disappointed of their hope But of all favour wee intreat thee O Lord to shew speciall mercie to thy Church in this Land wherein wee live Continue thy Gospel amongst us yet with greater successe purge thy House daily more and more take away all things that offend Let this Nation still be a place where thy Name may be called upon and an harbour for thy Saints Shew mercy to our posterity deare Father and have care of them that thy Gospel may be left unto them as a most holy inheritance Defend us against forraigne invasion keep out Idolatry and Popery from amongst us Turne from us those plagues which our sins cry for For the sins of this Land are exceeding great horrible and outrageous and give thee just cause to make us spectacles of thy vengeance to all Nations that by how much the more thou hast lifted us up in great mercy and long peace by so much the more thou shouldest presse us downe in great wrath and long warre Therefore deare Father woe most humbly intreat thee for thy great Names sake and for thy infinite mercies sake that thou wouldest be reconciled to this Land and discharge it of all the horrible sins thereof Drown them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Christ as it were in a bottomlesse gulfe that they may never rise up in judgement against us For although our sins be exceeding many and fearfull yet thy mercie is farre greater For thou art infinite in mercy but wee cannot be infinite in sinning Give us not over into the hands of the Idolaters lest they should blaspheme thy Name and say Where is their God in whom they trusted But rather deare Father take us into thine owne hands and correct us according to thy wisdome for with thee is mercie and deep compassion Moreover wee most heartily beseech thy good Majestie to blesse our most gracious Soveraigne King Charles Queene Mary Prince Charles and the rest of the Royall Progenie We beseech thee also to blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellors counsell them from above let them take advice of thee in all things that they may both consult and resolve of such courses as may be most for thy glory the good of the Church and peace of this our Common-wealth Blesse the Nobility and all the Magistrates of the Land giving them all grace to execute judgement and justice and to maintaine truth and equitie Blesse all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel increase the number of them increase thy gifts in them and so blesse all their labours in their severall places and congregations that they all may be instruments of thy hand to enlarge thy Sons Kingdome and to win many unto thee Comfort the comfortlesse with all needfull comforts Forget none of thine that are in trouble but as their afflictions are so let the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit be unto them and so sanctifie unto all thine their afflictions and troubles that they may tend to thy glory and their owne good Give us thankfull hearts for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall for thou art very mercifull unto us in the things of this life and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life Let us deeply ponder and weigh all thy particular favours toward us that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be gained yet neerer unto thee and that therefore we may both love and obey thee because thou art so kind and loving unto us that even thy love towards us may draw our love towards thee and that because mercy is with thee thou maist be feared Grant these things good Father and all other needfull graces for our soules or bodies or any of thine throughout the whole world for Jesus Christs sake in whose Name wee further call upon thee as he hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer to be used at any time by one alone privately O Lord my God and heavenly Father I thy most unworthy childe do here in thy sight freely confesse that I am a most sinfull creature and damnable transgressour of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements that as I was born and bred in sin and stained in the womb so have I continually brought forth the corrupt and ugly fruits of that infection and contagion wherein I was first conceived both in thoughts words and workes If I should goe about to reckon up my particular offences I knew not where to begin or where to make an end For they are more then the haires of my head yea far more then I can possibly feele or know For who knoweth the height and depth