and fieriest darts of the Devill for he knowes full well that that is the arme and power of GOD unto us for all sound comfort and spirituall well-being and therefore he is most furious to weaken us there with infinite gaine-sayings and temptations of our inbred insidelity native ignorance diffidence wisdome of the flesh our owne sense and feeling and a world of oppositions continually He is driven many and many a time to the Throne of Grace with prayers teares and strongest wrastlings for auxiliary forces and renewed strength O how often doth he resort with extremest thirst and dearest longings to all the blessed Fountaines that feed his faith the person of CHRIST His meritorious bloud the Promises GODS freest love His sweetest name the covenant of grace all the Ordinances those Ones of a thousand who are able to discover both the depths of the Devill and the mysteries of Evangelicall mercy c. and for all this is glad many times to say unto his GOD Though Thou slay me yet will I trust in Thee LORD I believe helpe Thou mine unbeliefe c. The difference then stands thus They hold it the easiest thing of a thousand but he finds it the hardest matter in the world To believe 3. Aske them what it hath wrought upon them and they cannot give an account of any alteration to any purpose or sanctification at all Imaginary Faith is but an idle Idea a naked Notion a meere fancy a groundlesse presumption and true dreame and therefore it is not active or productive of any reall effects or true religiousnesse But now saving â—…aith doth ever beget a blessed change in the whole man body soule spirit calling company converâ—… â—… â—…f any man be in CHRIST he is a new creature Old things are passed away Behold all things are new It is ever attended with those three great works of grace 1. An universall repentance and returne from all sinnes from grosse ones in practice and action and from the most unavoidable infirmities at least in allowance and affection 2. An universall sanctification in all the parts and powers of body and soule though not in height of degree yet without exception of parts 3. An universall obedience to all GODS commands though not to perfection yet in sincerity and truth and with an heavenly traine of glorious graces love hope vertue knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnesse charity joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse meeknesse c. And even in the lowest ebbe and greatest weakenesse it is ever wont to discover it selfe at least by poverty of spirit hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse striving against doubting bitter complaints for want of former feelings industrious seeking to be setled in believing earnest and greedy longing after grace highly prizing the LORD IESVS and preferring Him infinitely before all the pleasures profits and felicities of this life resolving rather to die ten thousand deaths than to returne any more to folly selfe-deniall contempt of the world care to search out the sin that may possibly hinder comfort and be rid of it continuall watchfulnesse and holy jealousie lest we should be deceived and faithfull labouring to subdue corruption 4. Fourthly aske them How they prize the object they apprehend imaginarily for it is no better and it is but thus If you were able to assure them of wallowing in all worldly pleasures with constant health and immortality upon earth they would with all their hearts part with all their hope of heaven hereafter For they are yet but carnall though selfe-confident But now the divinenesse and excellency of spirituall delights which justifying Faith doth extract from the Objects about which it is exercis'd doth so affect and ravish the heart of the true Believer that well advised in cold bloud and out of temptation he holds all the corporall felicities of ten thousand worlds even world without end in comparison of them but as drosse and dung and dust in the ballance Our part in the person of CHRIST with the purchases of His dearest bloud and possession of the Deity blessed for ever by His meanes do more than infinitely transcend the utmost of all earthly contentments rais'd above the highest possibility by the most inventive and strongest imagination and to be enjoyed thorow a thousand eternities The second sort which are a generation of more understanding men stand thus for their spirituall state and thus fearefully couzen their own soules and come short of salvation They assay indeed to be religious give up their names to Profession and would go to heaven with all their hearts so farre as the way holds with enjoyment of temporall happinesse and therefore they put on a forme of godlinesse and faire out-side furnish themselves with an artificiall habit of talking well take part in all companies with the better side follow and frequent Sermons with good forwardnesse set up prayer and other religious exercises in their families put themselves upon daies of humiliation leave many sinnes do many things hold an universall outward conformity to all the ordinances and divine Duties at the instance of the Ministry And if they be of ability countenance godly Preachers stand for them and entertaine them into their houses with much affectionatenesse and bounty especially such as perhaps by reason of too much charity unacquaintednesse with their wayes lothnesse to be accounted too pragmaticall and rough or something comply with them in a false conceipt of their spirituall well-being c. But presse them further over and besides all this to the heart and life of religion to the power and pith of godlinesse crucifying of their corruptions strangling their lusts mastering their passions parting with all sinne unfashioning them to the times abandoning for ever their darling pleasure deniall of themselves contempt of the world daily walking with GOD delight in the way of holinesse an holy keeping of the LORDS day fruitfulnesse in all good workes living by faith an uncowardly opposition to the iniquities of the present c. which they well know wil be necessarily accompanied with Drunkards songs railings of the basest discountenance from ungodly greatnesse the worlds deadliest enmity speaking against every where c. O then you strike them starke dead on the nest as they say These are hard speeches very harsh grating and ungratefull to their eares and go to their very hearts and therefore in such Points as these pressing more precisenesse you may as well remoove a mountaine of brasse with your little finger as stirre them an inch Say what you will and preach out your heart as they say they will no further Thus farre as they go already shall either serve their turne for salvation or they will venture their soules with thousands that are worse than themselves They pitch upon a safe wise moderate and discreet temper of religion as they conceive and call it and neither desire or endeavour to go any further or grow any better A faire day
a net full of the fury of the LORD And in the morning they shall say would GOD it were even and at even they shall say would GOD it were morning for the feare of their heart wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall sâ—…e Then though too late will they lamentably cry out and complaine What hath pride profited us Or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a Poste that hastâ—…th by And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water and when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path-way of the keele in the waves Or as when a bird hath flowne thorow the aire there is no token of her way to be found but the light aire being beaten with the stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them is passed â—…horow and therein afterwards no signe where she went is to be found Or like as when an arrow is shot at a marke it parteth the aire which immediately commeth together againe so that a man cannot know where it went thorow Even so we in like manner assoone as we were borne began to draw to our end and had no signe of vertue to shew but we consumed in our owne wickednesse For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thin froth that is driven away with the storme like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarieth but a day If a Minister who labours industriously all his life long to worke upon such as sit under him every Sabbath Of which some all the while preferre some base lust before the LORD IESVS others will not out of their formality to the forwardnesse of the Saints do what he can or presse he them never so punctually and upon purpose I say if it were possible that he might talke with any of them some two houres after they had been in hell Oh! How should he find the case altered with them How would they then roare because they had dis-regarded his Ministry What would they not give to have a grant from GOD to trie them in hearing but one Sermon more How would they teare their haire gnash the teeth and bite their nailes that they had not listened more seriously and taken more sensibly to heart those many heavenly instructions spirituall discoveries secret but well understood intimations that their state to GOD-ward was starke naught by which he sought with much earnestnesse and zeale even to the wasting of his bloud and life to save the bloud of their soules And yet for all this you will not be warned in time charme the charmers never so wisely But some of you sit here before us from day to day as senslesse of those things which most deeply and dearely concerne the eternall ruine or welfare of your precious soules as the seaâ—…es upon which you sit the pillars you leane unto nay the dead bodies you tread upon others looking towards heaven afarre off and professing a little sit before us as though they were right and truly religious and they heare our words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse And loe we are unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they heare our words but they do them not They are friends to the better side may go farre and even suffer somtimes in good causes c. But let us once touch them in point of commodity about their enclosures immoderate plungings into worldly affaires detaining Church-dues usury and other dishonest gaine and base niggardise If out of griefe of heart for their shaming Religion exposing the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST to blasphemy and â—…dening others against Profession we meddle with their fashions their pride their worldly-mindednesse and conforming to the world almost in every thing save onely some religious formes If we presse them more particularly upon danger of damnation to more holy strictnesse precisenesse and zeale knowing too well by long observation and acquaintance that they never yet passed the perfections of formall Professours and foolish Virgins Alas We then find by too much wofull experience if they politikely bite it not in that this faithfull dealing doth marvellously discontent them and these precious Balmes do break their heads with a witnesse and make the bloud run about their eares whereupon they are wont to fall upon us more foule such true Pharisees are they than would either the drunkard or good-fellow the Publicans and harlots do in such cases they presently swelling with much passionate heat proud indignation disdaine and impatiency to be reform'd have recourse to such weake and carnall cavils contradictions exceptions excuses and raving that in nothing more do they discover to every judicious man of GOD or any who doth not flatter them or whom they do not blinde with their entertainments and bounty or delude with painted pretences and art of seeming their formality and false-heartednesse And yet as they are characteriz'd Isa. 57. 2. They seeke the LORD daily and delight to know his waies as a nation that did righteousnesse and forsooke not the ordinance of their GOD they aske of Him the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to GOD They may have divine Ordinances on foot in their families entertaine GODS people at their Tables fast and afflict their soules upon dayes of humiliation as appeares in the fore-cited Chapter Verse 3. Heare the word gladly with Heroâ—… and with much respect and acceptation observe the messenger c. But they will not stirre an inch further from the World or nearer to GOD say what he will let him preach out his heart as they say They will not abate one jot of their over-eager pursuit after the things of this life or wagg one foot out of the un-zealous plodding course of formall Christianity no not for the Sermons perhaps of twenty yeares and that from him who hath all the while laboured faithfully so farre to illighten them as that they might not depart this life with hope of heaven and then with the foolish Virgins fall utterly against all expectation both of themselves and others into the bottomlesse pit of hell O quà m multi cum hac spead aeternos labores bella descendunt How many saith one go to hell with a vaine hope of heaven whose chiefest cause of damnation is their false perswasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Well be it either the one or the other the besotted sensualist or selfe-deluding formalist could we speake with them upon their beds of death their consciences awaked or the day after they were damned in hell we should find them then though in the meane
time they suffer many sowre apprehensions to arise in their hearts against us in a much altered tune and temper Then would they with much amazednesse and terrible feare yell out those now too late hideous complaints We fooles counted his life madnesse c. we wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction c. What hath pride profited us c. Then would they curse all dawbers and justifie all downe-right dealers contempt of whose counsell would now cut in peeces their very heart-strings with restlesse anguish and horrour and mightily strengthen the never-dying worme whereby the enraged soule will thrust its owne hands as it were into its owne bowels and teare open the very fountaine of life and sense to feed upon it selfe For the worme of conscience say Divines is onely a continuall remorse and furious reflexion of the soâ—…le upon its owne wilfull folly and thereby the wofull misery it hath brought upon it selfe 2. This may serve to stirre up all the sonnes and daughters of wisdome to hoard up with all holy greedinesse instead of earthly pelfe transitory toyes and shining clay the rich and lasting treasures of divine wealth and immortall graces For these heavenly jewels purchased with CHRISTS bloud and planted in the heart by the omnipotent hand of the HOLY GHOST will shine comfortably upon our soules with beames of blessednesse and peace amid all the miseries and confusions the darknesse and most desperate dangers of this present life nay in the very valley of the shadow of death their splendour and spirituall glory will not onely dissolve and dispell all mists of horrour which can possibly arise from the apprehension of hell the grave those last dreadfull pangs or any other terrible thing but also illighten conduct and carie us triumphantly thorow the abhorred confines of the King of feare upon the wings of joy and in the armes of Angels to unapproachable light unknowne pleasures and endlesse blisse It may be as yet thou standest upright without any changes unstir'd in thy state by any adverse storme supposing thy mountaine so strong that thou shalt never be mooved Thus long perhaps the Allmighty hath beene with thee His candle hath shined upon thy head and His patient providence rested with all favour and successe upon thy Tabernacle so that hitherto thou hast seene no dayes of sorrow but even washed thy steps with butter and the rocke hath powred thee out rivers of oyle c. Yet for all this the day may come before thou die that thou maist be stript of all and become as poore as Iob as they say by fire robbery suretiship ship-wracke the destroying sword desolations of war or by the hand of GOD in some other kind Even A day an houre a moment saith one is enough to over-turne the things that seemed to have beene founded and rooted in adamant Labour therefore industriously before-hand so to furnish and fortifie thine heart with patience noblenesse of spirit Christian fortitude the mightinesse of Iobs faith Cap. 13. 15. And his manifold integrities Cap. 31. That if such an evill day should come upon thee and who can looke for exemption when he lookes upon Iobs affliction thou maist with an unrepining submission to GODS good providence and pleasure take up his sweetest resolution and repose Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD Though as yet by a miracle of rarest mercy calmnesse and serenity rest upon the firmament of our state yet who knowes how soone especially sith many of GODS dearest servants beyond the seas have lyen so long in teares and bloud some dismall cloud and tempestuous storme may arise out of the hellish â—…ogs of our many hainous sinnes and crying abominations and breake out upon us and that with greater terrour and farre more horribly by reason of the unexpectednesse and our present desperate security Though the Sun of the Gospell and glory of a matchlesse Ministry shine yet full faire among us in the Meridian of our peace and prosperous daies yet little know we how soone and suddenly it may decline and set in a sea of confusion calamity and woe And therefore hoard up greedily in the meane time and while the Sun shines a rich treasury of saving knowledge grace and good life that if need require thou maist then resolutely reply with blessed Paul against all contradictions and temptations to the contrary I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die for the name of the LORD IESVS Though at this present thou doest perhaps with much sweet contentment enjoy thy GOD comfortably and His pleased face many heavenly deawes of spirituall joy glorious refreshings and abundance of spirituall delights fall upon thy soule from the Throne of mercy every time thou commest neare Him Thou canst say unto thy Dearest out of thy present feeling I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine and in some good measure keepe a part with the Saints of old in such victorious and triumphant Songs as these Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rocke for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth c. We will not feare though the earth be remooved and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea though the waters thereof roare and be troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof Selah I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers c. Yet for all this that onely wise GOD of thine may hereafter for some cause seeming good to Himselfe and for thy good with-draw from thee the light of His countenance and sense of His love and leave thee for a time to the darknesse of thine owne spirit and Satans â—…orest temptations c. Ply therefore in this prosperity of thy soule all blessed meanes the Ministry Sacraments Prayer Conference Meditations humiliation-dayes holinesse of life clearenesse of conscience watching over thy heart walking with GOD sanctified use of afflictions experimentall observation of GODS dealings with thee from time to time workes of justice mercy and truth c. Thereby so to quicken fortifie and steele thy faith that in the bitterest extremity of thy spirituall distresse thou maist be able to say with Iob Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him Iob 13. 15. A thousand crosses moe calamities and troubles may over-take thee before thou takest thy leave of this vale of teares It will be thy wisdome therefore now in this calme to provide for a storme to treasure up out of GODS Booke many mollifying medicines and soveraigne antidotes against all slavish and vexing fore-thought of them in the meane time and their bitternesse when they shall come upon thee Thou maist be assured if thou be a sonne thy
All-powerfull GOD scorne with infinite disdaine to feed upon Earth or any earthly things which are no proportionable object either for divinenesse or duration for so noble a nature to nestle upon But let them ply and fat themselves all the dayes of their appointed time with their proper native and celestiall food At that great Supper made by a King at the mariage of a Kings sonne Luke 14. 16. Mat. 22. 2. And therefore must needs be most magnificent and admirable At that Feast of fat things that Feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Isa. 25. 6. The founder and furnisher whereof is the LORD of Hosts He that made Heaven and Earth makes it and therefore it must needs be matchlesse and incomparable At the Well-head of Wisdomes richest Bounty who hath killed her beasts mingled her wine and furnished her table Prov. 9. 2. In and by these and the royallest â—…east that can be imagined are shadowed but infinitely short and represented unto us but nothing to the life all those inexplicable divine dainties delicates sweetnesses those gracious quicknings rejoycings and ravishments of spirit which GOD in mercy is wont to communicate and convey thorow all the ordinances and meanes of grace to truly humbled soules for a mighty increase of spirituall strength and invincible comfort O how deliciously may a heavenly hungry heart feed and fill it selfe 1. In the powerfull Ministry unfolding all the sacred sense and rich mines of GODS owne meaning in His blessed booke 2. In the precious promises of life by the applications and exercise of Faith 3. In the LORDS Supper by making the LORD IESVS surer to our soules every time and every time by feasting afresh upon His body and bloud spiritually with exultations of dearest joy and sweetest glimpses as it were of eternall glory 4. In fruitfull conferences and mutuall communications of gifts graces prayers duties with GODS people which the LORD doth usually and graciously water with the deawes of many sweet and glorious refreshings and quickning much increase of Christian courage and an holy contentation in the good way 5. In meditations upon the mystery of CHRIST the miracles of mercy upon us for our good all our life long and the eternity of joyes and blisse above 6. Upon the LORDS Day when showers of spirituall blessings are accustomed to fall from the Throne of grace all the day long upon those who sincerely endeavour to consecrate it as glorious unto Him 7. Upon those soule-fatting daies of humiliation which who ever tried either secretly privately or publikely either by himselfe alone with his yoke-fellow in his family or congregation and found not GOD extraordinary according to the extraordinarinesse of the exercise About the last IVDGEMENT Consider 1. How cuttingly and how cold the very first sight of the Son of Man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory will strike unto thine heart who hast refused to turne on His side and take His part all the time of thy gracious visitation Then wilt thou begin with extremest griefe and bitternesse of spirit to sigh and say within thy selfe Oh! He that I now see sitting downe upon yonder flaming white and glorious Throne is that IESVS CHRIST the mighty GOD the Prince of Peace that sweetest Lambe whose precious bloud was powred out as water upon the earth to save His people from their sinnes And He it was who so fairely invited and wooed me as it were by His faithfullest Messengers and intreated me with termes of dearest love all my life long but even to leave my lusts and biâ—… the Devill adieu and He even He would become my all-sufficient and everlasting Husband and now as at this time have set an immortall crowne of blisse and glory upon my head with His owne all-mighty hand But I alas like a wilfull desperate wretch did not onely neglect so great salvation forsake mine owne mercy and so judge my selfe unworthy of everlasting life but I also a bloudy butcher to mine owne soule all my few and evill dayes basely and bitterly oppos'd His blessed kingdome the purity power and holy precisenesse thereof as quite contrary to my carnall heart and that current of pleasures and worldly contentments into which I had desperately cast my selfe I indeed wretchedly and cruelly against mine owne soule persecuted all the meanes which should have sanctified me and all the men which should have sav'd me Happy therefore were I now if I could intreat the greatest Rocke to fall upon me or be beholding to some mighty mountaine to cover me there to lie hid everlastingly from the face of Him that sâ—…teth on the Thâ—…one and from the wrath of the Lambe O that I now might be turned into a beast or bird or stone or tree or aire or any other thing Blessed were I that ever I was borne if I could now be unborne That I might become nothing and in the state I was before I had any being Ah that my immortall soule were now mortall that I might die in hell and not lie eternally in those fiery torments which I shall never be able either to avoid or abide Let us then betime in the name and feare of GOD kisse the Son lest he be angry at that Day and so we perish everlastingly Let us now while the day of our visitation lasts before the Sun be sâ—…t upon the Prophets addresse our selves unto Him 1. With hearts burdened and broken with sight of siâ—…ne and sense of divine wrath Mat. 11. 28. 2. Prize Him infinitely and above all the world Matth. 13 46. 3. Sell all part with all sinne Ibid. Out of Egypt quite leave not an hoofe behind Exod 10. 26. 4. Take Him as our Husband and LORD whereby we become the sonnes of GOD Iohn 1. 12. 5. Take his yoke upon us and learne to be meeke and lowly Matth. 11. 28. 6. Enter into the way which is called the way of holinesse Isa. 35. 8. 7. And there continue Professours of the Truth and of the power of the Truth and of the power of the Truth in truth For otherwise thou mayest be a Professour and perish eternally That CHRIST may owne thee at that Day Many professe the Truth and not the power of the Truth some professe both the Truth and the power of it but are false-hearted Where then shall the non-Professour appeare Nay the Persecuter of the Sect which is spoken against every where Acts 28. 22. 2. That thou must presently passe to an impartiall strict the highest and last Tribunall which can never be appeal'd from or repeal'd there to give an exact account of all things done in the flesh For every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every glance of thine eye every moment of thy time every omission of any holy duty or good deed every action thou hast undertaken with all the circumstances thereof every office thou hast borne and
the discharge of it in every point and particular every company thou hast come into and all thy behaviour there every Sermon thou hast heard every Sabbath thou hast spent every motion of the Spirit which hath been made unto thy soule c. Let us then while it is called To Day call our selves to account examine search and trie thorowly our hearts lives and callings our thoughts words and deeds let us arraigne accuse judge cast and condemne our selves and prostrated before GODS Mercy-Seat with broken and bleeding affections lowlinesse of spirit and humblest adoration of His free grace upon the same ground with the Aramites 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sack cloth on our loines and ropes on our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life Let us there give our mercifull GOD no rest untill we have sued out our pardon by the intercession of the LORD IESVS c. And then we shall find the reckoning made up to our hand and all matters fully answered before-hand And which is a Point of unconceiveable comfort He that was our Advocate upon earth and purchased the Pardon with His owne hearts bloud shall then be our Iudge 3. That all the beastly and impure abominatitions of thine heart all thy secret sinnes and closet-villanies that no eye ever looked upon but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun shall all then be disclosed and laid open before Angels Men and Devils and thou shalt then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed Thou now acts perhaps securely some harefull and abhorred worke of darknesse and wickednesse not to be nam'd in thine owne heart or one way or other in secret which thou wouldst not for the whole world were knowne to the world or to any but thy selfe or one or two of thy cursed companions curbed by their obnoxiousnesse but be well assured in that Day at that great assize thou shalt in the face of heaven and earth be laid out in thy colours to thine eternall confusion Never therefore go about or encourage thy selfe to commit any sinne because it is mid-night or that the doores are lockt upon thee because thou art alone and no mortall eye seeth thee neither is it possible to be reveal'd And yet I must tell thee by the way secret villanies have and may be discovered 1. In sleepe 2. Out of horrour of conscience or in time of distraction For suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as it was committed untill that last and great Day yet then shall it out with a witnesse and be as legible in thy fore-head as if it were writ with the brightest starres or the most glittering Sun beame upon a wall of Crystall 4. In what a wofull case thy heavy heart will be and with what strange terrour trembling and desperate rage it must needs be possest and rent in peeces when thou shalt heare that dreadfull sentence of damnation to eternall torments and horrour pronounced over thine head Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone vengeance and woe bites deeper and terrifies more than ten thousand Scorpion stings To depart from that glorious presence were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse nor onely so but into fire and that must be everlasting fed continually with infinite rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fiercenesse by the unquenchable wrath of the most just GOD thorow all eternity And in that horrible dungeon and fiery lake thou shalt never have other company or comforters but wicked devils and they insulting over thee everlastingly with much hellish spite and stinging exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation all thy life long and losing heaven for some base lust and believing their lies If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodome with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out cries How infinitely transcendent to all possibility of conceipt expression or beliefe will the confusions and tremblings of that Day be when so many millions of men shall be drag'd downe with all the Devils of hell to torments without end and past imagination There was horrible scryking when those five filthy cities first felt fire and brimstone drop downe upon their heads when those rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs go downe quicke into the pit when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shal be in heaven or earth in this world or the world to come will be then when all the forlorne condemned reprobates upon sentence given shal be violently and unresistably haled downe to hell and pulled presently from the presence not onely of the most glorious GOD the LORD IESVS Angels and all the blessed Ones but also of their Fathers Mothers Wives Husbands Children Sisters Brothers Lovers Friends Acquaintance who shall then justly and deservedly abandon them with all detestation and derision and forgetting all nearenesse and dearest obligations of nature neighbourhood alliance any thing rejoyce in the execution of divine justice in their everlasting condemnation So that no eye of GOD oâ—… man shall pitie them neither shall any teares prayers promises suits cries yellings calling upon rocks and mountains wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing c. be then heard or prevaâ—…e iâ—… their behalfe or any one in heaven or earth be found to mediate or speake for them to reverse or stay that fearefull doome of eternall woe but without mercy without stay without any farewell they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast downe into the bottomlesse pit of easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments which then shall finally shut her mouth upon them Oh! What then will be the guawings of the never dying worme what rage of guilty consciences what furious despaire what horrour of mind what distractions and feares what bitter looking backe upon their mis-spent time in this world what banning of their brethren in iniquity what cursing the day of their birth and even blaspheming of GOD Himselfe blessed for ever what tearing their haire and gnashing of teeth what wailing and wringing of hands what desperate roaring what hideous yellings filling heaven and earth and hell c. No tongue can tell no heart can thinke Be fore-warned then in a word To thirst long and labour infinitely more to have IESVS CHRIST in the meanetime say in the Ministry to thy truly humbled soule I am thy salvation than to be Possessour iâ—… it were possible of all the riches glory and pleasures of moe worlds than there are starres in
to heare him preach whose plaine but very sound and substantiall preaching meeting at once in him with a curious palate and unsanctified heart quite turned his stomacke against that good man that he thought him to speake in his owne phrase a barren empty fellow and a passing meane scholler I have heard many of late much of Mr. Boltons temper in goodnesse at that time but inferiour in learning speak the like of Mr. Perkins but the eminent learning of that man famous abroad as well as at home is so farre above their reach that to traduce his worth is to question their owne And that late learned Bishop of Salisbury in the defence of his booke against the cavils of Dr. Bishop hath in many places amply commended his learning So that the precious name of Mr. Perkins shall like an ointment powred forth fill all the quarters of this land with a fresh and fragrant sweetnesse when nothing shall survive of his Detractors but their unsavoury and unlearned spight against so holy a man And Mr. Bolton himselfe when GOD changed his heart which I will next write of he changed his opinion of Mr. Perkins and thought him as learned and godly a Divine as our Church hath for many yeares enjoyed in so young a man But I proceed When he was of Brasen-nose Colledge he had familiar acquaintance with one Mr. Anderton his country-man and sometime his schoole-fellow a very good scholler but a strong Papist and now a Popish Priest and one of the learnedest amongst them This man well knowing the good parts that were in Mr. Bolton and perceiving that he was in some outward wants tooke this advantage and used many arguments to perswade him to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and to go over with him to the English Seminary telling him he should be furnished with all necessaries and should have gold enough one of the best arguments to allure an unstable mind to Popery Mr. Bolton being at that time poore in minde and Purse accepted of the motion and a day place was appointed in Lancashire where they should meet and from thence take shipping and be gone Mr. Bolton met at the day and place but Mr. Anderton came not and so he escaped that snare and soone after returned to Brasen-nose where falling into the acquaintance of one Mr. Peacocke Fellow of that House a learned and godly man it pleased GOD by his acquaintance to frame upon his soule that admirable workmanship of his repentance and conversion to eternall life but by such a way of working as the LORD seldome useth but upon such strong vessels which in his singular wisdome he intendeth afterward for strong incounters and rare imployments The first newes he heard of GOD was not by any soft and still voice but in terrible tempests and thunder the LORD running upon him as a gyant taking him by the necke and shaking him to peeces as he did Iob beating him to the very ground as he did Paul by laying before him the ugly visage of his sins which lay so heavy upon him as he roared for griefe of heart and so affrighted him as I have heard him say he rose out of his bed in the night for very anguish of spirit And to augment his spirituall misery he was exercised with fowle temptations horribilia de DEO terribilia de fide which Luther called Colaphum Satanae for as he was parallell with Luther in many things as I shall shew anon so was he in these spirituall temptations which were so vehement upon Luther that the very venome of them dranke up his spirits and his body seemed dead Vt nec calor nec sanguis nec sensus nec vox superesset that neither speech sense bloud or heat appeared in him as Iustas Ionas that was by and saw it reporteth of him but this sharpe fit of Luthers lasted but for one day but Mr. Boltons continued for many moneths but yet GOD gave him at length a blessed issue and these grievous pangs in his spirituall birth produced two admirable effects in him as well as in Luther which many times ensue upon such hard labour an invincible courage and resolution for the cause of GOD in the which he feared no colours not the face or force of any secondly a singular dexterity in comforting afflicted and wounded spirits as shall be likewise further shewed Vpon this he resolved to enter into the Ministery and about the thirty fift yeare of his age was ordained Minister after which he wholly applied him selfe to the worke of the Ministry and improoved all his learning and time to that excellent end A little while after he was in the Ministry he was by meanes made knowne to Mr. Iustice Nicolls at that time Serjeant at Law who observing the comlinesse of his person and the stuffe that was in him had it alwayes in his thoughts to advance him and about the thirty seventh yeare of Mr. Boltons age the personage of Broughton in Northampton shire falling void he did by my hand send for him from the Vniversity to his chamber at Serjeants Inne and presented him to that living at which time Dr. King late Bishop of London being then by accident at the Iudges chamber thanked him for Mr. Bolton but told him withall that he had deprived the Vniversity of a singular Ornament Then did he put out his first booke containing A discourse of true happinesse which he dedicated to Serjeant Nicolls his patron which for the godlinesse of the matter and cloquence of the stile therein contained was universally bought up and divers have confessed that at first bought it out of curiosity for some sweet relish in the Phrase tooke CHRIST to boote and thereby tooke the first beginning of their heavenly tast About the fortieth yeare of his age for the better setting of himselfe in house-keeping vpon his Personage he resolued vpon marriage and tooke to wife Mrs Anne Boyse a Gentle woman of an ancient house and worshipfull family in Kent to whose care he committed the ordering of his outward estate he himselfe onely minding the studies and weighty affaires of his heauenly calling in the which for the space of twenty yeares and more he was so diligent and laborious that twice every Lords day hee preached and Catechized in the Afternoone in which Catechisme he expounded the Creed and ten Commandements in a very exact manner And vpon every holy-day and on euery friday before the Sacrament he expounded some Chapter by which meanes he went over the greater portion of the Historicall part of the Old and New Testament And in them all as was well observed by a learned and graue Divine that preached at his funerall he prepared nothing for his people but what might have served a learned Auditory and in all his preachings he still aimed next to the glory of God at the Conversion of soules the very crowne and glory of a
body was wasted with continuall fits towards the Close of his life yet his understanding and memory was as active and quicke as in the time of his health He encouraged the Ministers that came to him to be diligent and couragious in the worke of the LORD and not to let their spirits faint or droope for any affliction that should arise thereupon To all that came to him he bad them make sure of CHRIST before they came to die and to looke upon the world as a lump of vanity He thanked GOD for his wonderfull mercy to him in pulling him out of hell in sealing his Ministry with the conversion of many soules which he wholly ascribed to his glory About a weeke before he died when his silver cord began to loosen and his golden boule to breake He called for his wife and desired her to beare his dissolution which was now at hand with a Christian fortitude a thing which he had prepared her for by the space of twenty yeares telling her that his approaching death was decreed upon him from all eternity and that the counsell of the LORD must stand and bad her make no doubt but shee should meete him againe in Heaven And turning toward his children told them that they should not expect hee should now say any thing to them neither would his ability of body and breath give him leave he had told them enough in the time of his sicknesse and before and hoped they would remember it and verily believed that none of them durst thinke to meete him at that great Tribunall in an unregenerate state About two daies after divers of his Parish comming to watch with him he was mooved by a friend that as he had discover'd to them by his Doctrine the exceeding comforts that were in CHRIST he would now tell them what he felt in his soule Alas said he doe they looke for that of me now that want breath and power to speake I have told them enough in my Ministry But yet to give you satisfaction I am by the wonderfull mercies of GOD as full of comfort as my heart can hold and feele nothing in my soule but Christ with whom I heartily desire to be And then looking upon some that were weeping said Oh what a deale adoe there is ere one can die The night before hee died when the doores without began to be shut and the daughters of Musicke to bee brought low and hee lying very low with his head expecting every moment when the wheele should be broken at the Cisterne yet being told that some of his deare friends were then about him to take their last farewell He caused himselfe to be lifted up and then like old Iacob bowing himselfe on his beds-head after a few gaspings for breath hee spake in this manner I am now drawing on apace to my dissolution and am just in the Case of Sir Iohn Pickering Hold out Faith and patience your work will speedily be at an end And then shaking them all by the hands prayed heartily and particularly for them and desired them to make sure of heaven and to beare in minde what he had formerly told them in his Ministery protesting to them that the doctrine which he had preached to them for the space of twenty yeares was the truth of GOD as he should answer it at that great Tribunall of CHRIST before whom he should shortly appeare This he spake when the very pangs of death were upon him Whereupon a very deare friend of his taking him by the hand and asking him if he felt not much paine Truely no said he the greatest I feele is your cold hand And then speaking to be laid downe againe hee spake no more untill the next morning when he tooke his last leave of his Wife and Children prayed for them and blessed them all and that day in the afternoone about five of the clocke being Saturday the 17. day of December Anno Dom. 1631. in the LXth yeare of his age yeelded up his spirit to GOD that gave it and according to his owne speech celebrated the ensuing Sabbath in the Kingdome of Heaven Thus in the space of fifteene weekes was the first and most glorious light put out in Broughton that ere that Towne injoyed or that many ages wil render againe And thus haue you good reader the Life and Death of this very learned and godly man truly set forth if any man shall contradict any thing that I haue written of him I shall not be carefull to answer him For if he be good and well knew Mr Bolton he will not have the face to object If he be bad I hold him not worth answering I shall onely say to him in the language of Tacitus didicit ille maledicere ego contemnere He hath taught his tongue to speake ill and I have learned to contemne it There is onely one obiection which I will answer and noe more which beganne to bee muttered in his life time and is now likely to make a lowder noyse if it bee not put to silence This preaching twice a Sabboth is more then needs halfe of it is but prating And Ministers under the Gospell may take more libertie and are not tied to such precisenes and severity of life as hee used I will not grace this objection so much as to beelong in answering it The former part of this objection this learned Author in his Booke of Walking with God and in his Epistle to his last Booke dedicated to that religious noble Knight Sâ— Robert Carre both by reasons and the constant practise and precepts of the ancient Fathers preaching twice a day sometimes every day hath a bundantly and unanswerably confuted I will onely adde two examples of later times the one of renowned Caluin the glorie of his age who Preached or Lectured almost euery day and some dayes twice which Preachings were so excellent that they were the matter of those laborious and learned Commentaries of his upon the Bible which occasioned D. Reynolds aptly and truly to call him doctissimus fidelissimus Scripturae interpres the most learned and faithfull expounder of Scripture The other of our most precious Iewell who was a very frequent and constant Preacher and hastned his own death this way for riding to preach at Lacock in Wilt-Shire a gentleman that met him perceiving the feeblenesse of his body which he had wasted out in such spirituall labours advised him for his healths sake to returne home againe To whom this godly Bishop by way of allusion to that braue speech of Vespatian the Emperor thus excellently replyed Oportet episcopum concionantem mori which in the storie of his life is thus englished It becommeth best a Bishop to die preaching in the pulpit And so he did for presently after the Sermon hee was by the reason of sicknes forced to his Bedd from whence hee never came off till his translation to
things but in shipwracks even of worldly things where all sinks but the sorrow to save them or especially upon the very first tempest of spirituall distresse they steere away before the Sea and Wind leaving him to sink or swim without all possibility of helpe or rescue even to the rage of a wounded conscience and gulfe many times of that desperate madnesse which the Prophet describes Isa. 8. 21 22. He shall fret himselfe and curse his King and his GOD and looke upward And he shall looke unto the earth and behold trouble and darknesse dimnesse of anguish and he shal be driven to darknesse By comfortable Provision therefore I meane treasures of a more high lasting and noble nature The blessings of a better life comforts of godlinesse graces of salvation favour and acceptation with the highest Majesty c. They are the riches of heaven onely which we should so hoard up and will ever hold out in the times of trouble and Day of the Lords wrath Amongst which a sound faith and a cleare conscience are the most peerlesse and unvaluable jewels able by their native puissance and infused vigour to pull the very heart as it were out of Hell and with confidence and conquest to looke even Death and the Devill in the face There is no darknesse so desolate no crosse so cutting but the splendor of these is able to illighten their sweetnesse to mollifie So that the blessed counsell of CHRIST Mat. 6. 19 20. doth concurre with and confirme this Point Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves breake thorow and steale But lay vp for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues do not breake thorow nor steale By moth and rust those two greedy and great devourers of gay clothes and glistering treasures two capitall vanities upon which worldlings dote and two greatest inchanters of mortall men are insinuated and signified unto us all those iron teeth and devouring instruments of mortality by which corruption eats into the heart of all earthly glory wasts insensibly the bowels of the greatest bravery and ever at length consumes into dust the strongest sinewes of the most Imperiall Soveraignty under the Sun Somtimes A day an houre a moment is enough to overturne the things that seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant The LORD of Heaven hath put a fraile and mortall nature a weake and dying disposition into all worldly things They spring and flourish and die Even the greatest and goodliest Politique Bodies that ever the earth bore though animated with the searching spirit of profoundest Policy strengthened with the resolution and valour of the most conquering commanders sighted with eagle eyes of largest depths fore-sights and comprehensions of state crowned with never so many warlike prosperities triumphs and victorious atchievements yet like the naturall Body of a man they had as it were their Infancy youthfull strength mans state old age and at last their grave We may see Dan. 2. 35. The glory and power of the mightiest Monarchies that ever the Sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnezzars great Image sink into the dust and become like the chaffe of the Summers threshing floores upon a windy day Heare a wise and noble writer speaking to this purpose though for another purpose Who hath not observed what labour what practice perill bloud-shed and cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised taken on them and committed to make themselves and their issues Masters of the world And yet hath Babylon Persia Egypt Syria Macedon Carthage Rome and the rest no fruit flower grasse or leafe springing upon the face of the earth of those seeds No their very roots and ruines do hardly remaine All that the hand of man can make is either over-turned by the hand of man or at length by standing and continuing consumed What trust then or true comfort in the arme of flesh humane greatnesse or earthly treasures What strength or stay in such broken staves of reed In the time of need the Worme of vanity will wast and wither them all like Ionahs gourd and leave our naked soules to the open rage of wind and weather to the scourges and Scorpions of guiltinesse and feare It transcends the Sphere of their activity as they say and passeth their power to satisfie an immortall soule to comfort thorow the length of eternity either to corrupt or conquer any spirituall adversaries For couldest thou purchase unto thy selfe a Monopoly of all the wealth in the world wert thou able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and the East of all her spices and precious things shouldest thou enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to another and fill this wide worlds circumference with golden heapes and hoards of pearle diddest thou in the meane time sit at the sterne and hold the reines in thine hand of all earthly kingdomes nay exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and set thy nest among the starres nay like the sun of the morning advance thy Throne even above the starres of God yet all these and whatsoever els thou canst imagine to make thy worldly happinesse compleate and matchlesse would not be worth a button unto thee upon thy bed of death nor do thee a halfe-penny-worth of good in the horrour of that dreadfull time Where did that man dwell or of what cloth was his coat made that was ever comforted by his goods greatnesse or great men in that last and sorest conflict In his wrastlings with the accusations of conscience terrours of death and oppositions of hell No no It is matter of a more heavenly metall treasures of an higher temper riches of a nobler nature that must hold out and helpe in the distresses of soule in the anguish of conscience in the houre of death against the stings of sinne wrath of GOD and last Tribunall Do you think that ever any glorified soule did gaze with delight upon the wedge of gold that tramples under foot the Sun and lookes All-mighty GOD in the face No no It is the society of holy Angels and blessed Saints the sweet Communion with its dearest Spouse that unapproachable light which crownes GODS sacred Throne the beauty and brightnesse of that most glorious Place the shining Body of the SONNE of GOD the beatificall fruition of the Deity it selfe the depth of Eternity and the like everlasting Fountaines of spirituall ravishment and joy which onely can feed and fill the restlesse and infinite appetite of that immortall Thing with fulnesse of contentment and fresh pleasures world without end Thrice blessed and sweet then is the advice of our Lord and Master IESVS CHRIST who would have us to turne the eye of our delight and eagernesse of affection from the fading glosse and painted glory of earthly treasures wherein naturally the worme of corruption and vanity ever breeds and many times the worme of an
whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3. 16. 2. Iohn 7. 47 48. Are yee also deceived have any of the Rulers or Pharisees beleeved on him Heere the chiefe Priests and Pharisees boyling with much envie and indignation against CHRISTS preaching for he preached with power and not as the Scribes And because the people so flocked after him for there followed him great multitudes of people had sent officers to apprehend him and bring him before them Who when they came to him and heard him preach they were so strucke and astonished with the most piercing Majesty of his Ministry that they had no power to lay hands or hold upon him at all Upon their returne these great men gathered together in counsell against him like so many morning Wolves thirsting eagerly for his bloud calls hastily and impatiently unto them before their officers could say any thing Why have yee not brought him They doe not examine them about his doctrine or inquire whether he be guilty or no but like unjust and tyrannicall wretches they labour to lay hold upon him though most innocent to stop his mouth and make him sure But the Officers answered Never man spake like this man Whereupon the spirit of prophane malice being yet further enraged in them they reply Are yee also deceived What Are you turned Gospellers too Will yee also gad with the giddie multitude after this new Master c. And then being frighted least they should fall from them goes about to take them off with a very foolish argument saith Theophylact though the Minor would be true and is the sinew of my proofe Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeved on him Alas No. They are so blinded with an opinion of their devout and deeper learning so puft up with the pride of their high places so swolne with selfe-conceitednesse of their owne formes and false glosses and so possest with prejudice against the spirituall and heavenly Doctrine of CHRIST that the very Publicans and Harlots goe into the Kingdome of GOD before them That is when they goe not And thus it is in all ages of the Church There is a Lecture I will suppose To which many of the meaner sort especially resort for spirituall foode as to the Market for corporall Some of which happily wrought upon by the saving influence of that Ministery begins to blesse GOD for the benefit and magnifie his mercy for such meanes but some By-standers like pestilent opposites interpose yea but which of the great men of the Countrey come to it when doe you see any of the Nobles Knights or Gentlemen there No alas They are afraid of hearing of their sins being made Melancholicke and to be tormented before their time and therfore they most wretchedly neglect so great salvation forsake their owne mercies and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Bowling-greenes gaming-houses horse-races hunting-matches Their curs and their Kites their cock-pits and their covetousnesse or something doe too often eate up and devoure that blessed fat and marrow of time those golden and goodly opportunities which GOD in great mercy affords them in the Ministry to make their peace with him before they goe into the pit and bee seene no more For one houre whereof to heare but one Sermon after the irrecoverable day of visitation is past and expired they would be content to live as precisely and mortifiedly as ever man did upon earth so long as the world lasts but it shall not be granted A thousand worlds will not purchase it againe And besides when your soules shall then furiously reflect upon their owne wilfull folly in this respect and the wofull misery they have brought upon themselves thereby it will sharpen infinitely the bitings of the never-dying worme and torment moreterribly than ten thousand Scorpions stings Remember this I pray you all ye that forget GOD before that wrath be kindled in His bosome against you which will burne unto the very bottome of hell and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines before He gird about Him those arrowes which will drinke bloud and that sword which will eat flesh and come against you as the Prophet speakes like a beare robbed of her whelpes and rent the very caule of your hearts and teare you in peeces when there is none to helpe 3. Nehem. 3. 5. But their Nobles put not their necks to the worke of the LORD Others as you may see in that place were industriously busie in building up the wals and repairing the holy City for the wonted worship and service of their GOD but the Nobles would do just nothing And thus it hath beene in all times and is just so in our dayes Meane men many times contribute very liberally and farre above their ability to the procurement and maintenance of a profitable and powerfull Ministery but the rich worldly-wise and gentlemen thereabouts will not part with a penny for any such holy purpose Such great men as these will by no meanes put their neckes their power and their purses to any such blessed worke of the LORD though it be for the erecting of the Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST amongst them for the illumination and refreshing of a darke and barren place with the light of the Gospell and waters of life where both their owne soules and many more about them are starving and bleeding to eternall death for want of heavenly food and ministeriall helpe Nay too many of them detaining the Churches Patrimony will neither restore it to the proper native use and end nor which is very lamentable part with a little portion of a large revenew in that kind towards a competency Before you receive encouragement to go on in this course with comfort I pray you procure us from your partakers if there be any such Answers to those many learned Treatises extant upon this argument and for any thing I know utterly unanswered especially Mr. Bernards Dr. Sclaters and Dr. Fields I know well some excellent spirits of late meerely out of the gracious freenesse of their truly noble dispositions to their great honour and adorning profession have given backe to the Church for ever I meane nothing about buying in Impropriations one of the most glorious works in that kinde for any thing I know that ever was undertaken in this Kingdome diverse Church-livings some an hundred pound per annum some sixe or seven score some threescore some one so many as amount to the value of above seven hundred pounds yearely But I must tell you also they are onely such as you mis-call Puritan-gentlemen for I neither heare nor know of any other that stirs this way and how few such are to be found in a Countrey every eye spiritually illightened may clearely see and heartily bewaile For I meane none but such as are in true search and censure GODS best servants and the Kings best subjects I come in a second place to make the
omnis Imperij vis adversus unum hominem qui DEVM habebat desensorem commoveretur Proditus tandem per ancillam quae ei ministrabat ex dominorum suorum jussu qui latebras Athanasio praeparaverant divino admoniâ—…us Spiritu ea nocte quà eum comprehendere veniebant ministri aufugit Funcâ—…ius Ao. CHRISTI 343. Cur verear Chrysostomum appellare Martyâ—…em qui tot injurijs tot contumelijs tot afflictionibus nec ad impatientiam perpelli nec a propagandâ Christianâ pietate depelli potuit Non percussus est securi sed caluâ—…nijs omni securi acutioribus non â—…emel ictus est Hoc praemij vir optimus pro tam praeclaris in Ecclesiam meritis retulit per Episcopos Orthodoxos sub Imperatore Christiano In vita Chrysost. per Erasm Rhoterod Quis non putasset Lutherum in tanto cunctorum odio invidiâ cui totus penè mundus insidiabatur etiam ille cujus pedibus Imperatores olìm cogebantur cervices 〈◊〉 non â—…lle moâ—…tes occubiturum c. â—…rightm in Cap. 3. Apoâ—…aly n Ioannes per celebrem illam concionem in Ecclesiam recitavit cujus exordium est Herodias denuò insaâ—…re denuò commoveri denuò saltare pergit denuò caput Iohannis in disco accipere quarit Socrat. Hist. Eccles. Lib. 6. Cap. 16. o Peccata tanta severitate arguebat ac si ipse etiam per injuriam â—…aesus esset omnium ordinum delicta magnâ dicendi libertate taxabat ita quidem ut etiam Ducum Evtropij Gainâ—… imò ipsius Imperatoris errata reprehenderet Omnes propemodum ordines in se concitavit Clerici Aulici occultè suas ipsi operas adjungebant Osiand Hist Ecclâ—…s Cent. 5. Lib. 1. Cap. 6. p Vbi autem in Cappadociâ—… provinciam vcnimuâ—… multi sanctorum Patrum chori juges lachrymarum fontes effundentium flentium eò quod in exilium nos prosiâ—…isci videbant dicebantque Tolerabilius fuisse Si Sol radi os suos retraxisset obscuratus qua quod os Iâ—…hannis tacuit Epiâ—… 2. q Milites praefecti praetorij qui illum deducebant non dissimulabant sibi promissa praemia magnifica si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in itinere moreretur Itaque mensibus â—…bus per imbres per aestus sine ulla refrigeratione corpusculi durissimum iter pertâ—…ht Erasm in vitâ Chrysost. r Etenim ego cum a civitate fugarer nihil horum cuzabam sed dicebam intra memet ipsum Si quidem vult Regina me exulem agat in exilium DOMINI terra plenitudo ejus Et si vult sâ—…care secet Idem passus est Esaias Si vult in pelagus mittere Imâ—… recordabor Si vult in caminum in â—…cere idem passi sunt 〈◊〉 â—…lli pueri Si 〈◊〉 feris vult objicere objiciat Daniclis in lacum leombus objectâ—… 〈◊〉 Si me lapidare vult lapidet me Stephanum habeo primum 〈◊〉 socium Si caput tollere vult tollat habeo socium Iohannem Baptistam Si substantiam aufeâ—…e auferat Nudus exivi de utero matris nudus etiam abibo Me admâ—…net Apostolus Etsi adhuc hominibus placerem servus CHRISTI utique non essem Armat me David dâ—…cens Loquebar coram Regibus non confundebar Multa quidem adversus me consinxerunt dixerunt quod ad communionem non jejunos receperim Et si quidem hoc feci expungatuâ—… nomen meum ex Albo Episcoporum non scribatur in Libâ—…o Orthodoxae Fidei Quoniam ecce si tale quid admisi 〈◊〉 me etiam CHRISTVS e Regno suo Si autem pergunt hoc mihi objicere contendere Deponant Paulum qui postquam coenavit totam domum baptizavit Deponant CHRISTVM Ipsum qui postquam coenatum â—…st Apostolis Communionem dedit Dicunt quod cum muliere dormiverim Exuite me inveniâ—…tis membrorum meorum mortificationem Sed haec omnia per inviâ—…iam excogitaâ—…unt Iohannes exul Cyriaco Episcopo exuli Tom. 5 Epist. 3â—… Psal. 24. 1. Gal. 1 10. Psal. 119. 46. s Invitis Diabolo persecutoribus Papisâ—…s Athanasius â—…utherus nobile Heroum par placidissimâ morte ex hâc vitâ excesserunt Heare the story Athanasius post multiplicia certamina qualia vix ullum Eâ—…clesiae Doctorem sustinuisse legimus placidissimá morte ex hac vitâ excessit cum ab initio usque ad finem sui Episcopatus Alexandrinae Ecclesiae praefuisset quadraginta sex anâ—…is adversus quem â—…otus penè orbis conspiravit Neque tamen ut D. D. Lutherum eum violentâ—… morte ex hoc mundo exturbare potuit Osiand Hiâ—… Eccles. Cent. 4. Lib. 2. Cap. 16. t Nehem. Cap. 8. 10. Be not sorie for the joy of the LORD is your strength Psalme 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but Thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee u Hos. 14. 4. I will love them sâ—…eely Ier. 31. 3. I have loved Thee with an everlasting love x Psal. 30. 5. In His favour is life y Exo 34. 6. The LORD The LORD GOD mercifuâ—… and gracious c. z Luke 10. 10 Butrather rejoyce because your names are written in heâ—…ven a Col 1. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountaine opened c. c 2 Pet. 1. 4. d Isa. 40. 1 2. Comfortye comfortye c. Her iniquity is pardoned e Eph 4. 24. The new man after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holâ—…nesse f Psal. 16. 11. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore g Iob 20. 5. Rom. 14. 17. Isa. 35. 10. * Psal. 32. 1â—… l Quum nemâ—… in arenâ seipsum exerceat quomodò aliquis in certamine insignis erit conspicuâ—…s Quis unquam athleta non ab incunte adolescentia in Palaestrâ corroboraâ—…s potuit in Olympicis excelso ac magno animo adversarium aggredi An non oportet quotidiè luctari atque currere Nonne videtis â—…os quos quinque certaminum athletas appellanâ—… quum nullum fortè reluctatorem repererint ad saccum arenâ plenum vires suas excitare â—…os imitari stude sunt enim multa quae ad irae noâ—… rabiâ—…m incitant multa quae concupiscentiae flammam incendunt Insurge igitur contra passiones vincaâ—… animi labores ut corporis quoque labores possis perferre Chrys. In Mat. Hâ—…m 34. T it â—… 12. Life of â—…aith in death pag. 〈◊〉 m In CHRISTâ—… morte mors obijt Gregor in 1 Reg. Cap. 2. n Nay but beare the Prophet It is a people of no understanding therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them and He that formed them wil shew them no savour Isa. â—…7 8â—… Iob. 20. 12. Psal. â—…3 6. Col. 3. 5. Mat. 5. 29 30. * That Saâ—… may worke our finall over throw it is his usuall custome to tell the true believing Christian that he is
am I let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him But the spirits of the other two false and rotten-hearted fellowes in the time of trouble were so overtaken nay over whelmed with griefe that they both hanged themselves 2. This holy providence before hand may happily prevent a great deale of restlesse impatiency reprobate feares forlorne distractions of spirit hying to the caves crying to the mountaines bootlesse relying upon the arme of flesh Cursing their King and their GOD and looking upward roaring out with hideous groanes Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings c. All which desperate terrours and tumultuations of conscience are wont to surprize and seize upon unholy and unprepared hearts especially when GODS hand is finally and implacably upon them 3. And we shall hereby excellently honour and advance the glory of Profession when it shall appeare to the world and even the contrary-minded are enforced to confesse that there is a secret heavenly vigour undauntednesse of spirit and noblenesse of courage which mightily upholds the hearts of holy men in those times of confusion and feare when theirs melt away within them like water and be as the heart of a woman in her pangs Worldlings wonder and gnash the teeth hereat When they see as Chrysostome truly tels us the Christian to differ from them in this that he beares all crosses couragiously and with the wings as it were of faith out soares the height of all humane miseries He is like a Rocke incorporated into IESVS CHRIST the Rocke of eternity still erect inexpugnable unshaken though most furiously assaulted with the tempestuous waves of any worldly woe or concurrent rage of all infernall powers But all the imaginary man-hood of gracelesse men doth ever in the day of distresse either vanish into nothing or dissolve into despaire 4. Expression of spirituall strength in the time of trouble from former heavenly store is a notable meanes to move others to enter into the same good way and grow greedy after grace to draw and allure them to the entertainment and exercise of those ordinances and that One necessary thing which onely can make them bold and unmooveable like Mount Zion in the day of adversity I have knowne some the first occasion of whose conversion was the observation of their stoutnesse and patience under oppressions and wrongs whom they have purposely persecuted with extremest malice and hate So blessed many times is the brave resolute and undaunted behaviour of GODS people in the time of triall and amidst their forest sufferings that it breeds in the hearts of beholders thoughts even of admiration and love nay a desire of imitation and turning on the other side When they represent to the eye of the world their ability to passe thorow the raging flames of fiery tongues untouched to possesse their soules in peace amidst scorpions thornes and rebels to passe by basest indignities from basest men without wound or passion to hold up their heads above water in the most boisterous tempests and deepest seas of danger to triumph over all adversary power in the evill day I say by GODS blessing this may make many come in and glorifie GOD marvelling and enquiring whence such invincible fortitude and bravenesse of spirit should spring concluding with Nabuchadnezzar Surely The servants of the most high GOD. And so at length their affections may be so set on edge after the excellency and amiablenesse of IESVS CHRIST who being The mighty GOD and The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah doth alone inspire all His with such a Lion-like courage that they may seriously and savingly seek His face and favour saying with those Cant. 5. 9. What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among women That we may seeke Him with thee When they behold such a deale of Majesty and miâ—…th to shine in his face whom they make the marke of all their spitefull rage and revenge their teeth with which they could have torne him in peeces may water and they industriously desire to know what that is which makes such a man so merry in all estates Vses 1. This may serve to awaken and reprove all those secure and carelesse companions who if they may enjoy present contentment and partake in the meane time of the prosperity and pleasures of the times wherein they tumble themselves with insolency luxury and ease take no thought make no provision at all against a day of reckoning provide no food against a foule day treasure up no comfort against the LORDS coming prepare no armour or aid for that last and dreadfull conflict upon their beds of death Alas poore soules Did they know and feelingly apprehend what a deale of horrour astonishment and anguish dogs them continually at the heeles ready and eager after a few daies of filthy and fugitive pleasures to seize upon them like travaile upon a woman with child suddenly unavoidably and in greatest extremity and that so intolerable that they shall never be able either to decline or endure the very weakest biting of the never-dying worme or the least sparkle of those everlasting flames they would think all the daies of their life few enow to gather spirituall strength against that fearefull houre Nay some are such cruell caitifs and Cannibals to their owne soules and so accursedly blinded by the Prince of darknesse that instead of comfortable provision they heape up wrath against the day of wrath instead of grace GODS favour and a good conscience peace joy and refreshing from the presence of the LORD they lay up scourges and Scorpions for their naked soules and guilty consciences against the time and terrour of the LORDS visitation For let them be most assured all their lies oathes rotten and railing speeches all their covetous lustfull ambitious and malicious thoughts all their swaggering and furious combinations against GODS people sensuall revellings joviall meetings c. will all When their feare commeth as desolation and their destruction commeth as a whirlewind like so many envenimed stings run into their sinfull soules and pierce them thorow with everlasting sorrow Alas What will the sonnes and daughters of pleasure do then And all those spirituall beggers and bankerupts who have greedily hunted all their life long after these mortall things of this life as if their soules had beene therein immortall and utterly neglected those things which are immortall as if their selves after the world had been but mortall What do you think wil be their thoughts upon the very first approach of the Port of death to which in the meane time all winds drive them Fullsad and heavy thoughts LORD thou knowest then at leisure enough to reflect severely upon their former folly though formerly beaten from them by their health and outward happinesse and will pay them to the uttermost for all the pleasing passages of their life past O then they shall lie upon their last beds like Wild Buls in
earthly excellencies labours in this Chapter to abase and dishonour the pride and vanity of all humane greatnesse and to advance the neglected Mystery of his heavenly Doctrine and the glorious power of downe-right preaching which the great men amongst them esteemed foolishnesse yet indeed such as by which the LORD of Heaven and Earth saveth those that beleeve And he so farre acquaints them with the counsell of GOD in the point that he gives them to understand that upon the matter whereas the noble the mighty and wise after the flesh with all the bravery and selfe-confidence vanish and perish Meaner men of lower ranke and more contemptible are converted In the words I read unto you he appeales to their owne experience in the point and bids them look about and view well the worke of the Ministery amongst them survey and search throughly that goodly flourishing body of the Church which he had there created and collected by his eighteene months presence and paines And they shall find that not many wise after the flesh nor mighty nor noble gave their names unto CHRIST or became Professors of the Gospell But the foolish and weake things of the world carrie all away in matter of salvation and entertainement of CHRIST He renders two Reasons in the Verses following 1. That the wise men of the world may be confounded 2. And that GOD himselfe blessed for ever may have all the glory The words then being plaine Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called I build directly and naturally this point upon them Few great men goe to Heaven Or thus Great men are seldome good I here understand greatnesse according to the world In respect 1. Of excellent learning 2. Worldly wealth and height of place Both make mighty nay many times gold is the more powerfull commander 3. Worldly honour and nobility 4. Worldly wisedome Greatnesse in any of these kinds is rarely accompanied with goodnesse few such great men as these are called converted or ever come to heaven I say Few for I finde Divines both Ancient and Moderne upon this Text to make Not Many and Few equipollent Primasius and Anselme Calvin and Piscator For proofe of the point First by Scripture Looke upon such places as these 1. Matth. 11. 25 26. At that time IESVS answered and said I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight CHRIST who knew full well the bosome of his Father casting his eye seriously upon the condition of his followers and fruit of his Ministry and seeing the Scribes Pharisees and great ones of the world not onely not entertaine and countenance but out of their proud and prophane malice disdaine and contemne the glorious Gospell and divine Messages hee brought from Heaven and a company of poore fishermen and some few other neglected underlings with an holy violence lay hold upon his Kingdome He brake out into this thankefull acknowledgement and admiration I thanke thee O Father LORD of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes And then ascends to the well-head and first moover of all his Dealings with and differences amongst the Sons of men the sacred and unsearchable depth of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beneplacitum the good pleasure of his will Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight In an humble adoration of the inscrutable and immutable courses whereof we must finally and fully rest with infinite satisfaction silenced from any further search and carnall curiosities by that awefull checke and countermaund of Paul Nay but O Man who art thou that repliest against GOD Flesh and bloud hath it old ages grumbled and repin'd kickt and cavil'd about this point but ever at length by measuring this deepest Mysterie by the line of humane reason and labouring to fathome this bottomelesse sea by the pride of their owne wits they have become wretched opposers of the grace of GOD. We behold the Sun and enjoy the light as long as we looke towards it but tenderly and circumspectly We warme our selves safely while we stand neere the fire But if we seeke to outface the one or enter into the other we forthwith become blinde or burnt It is proportionably in the present point Heere by the way from our Sauiours words wee may extract a soveraigne Antidote against those temptations and discontented reasonings which are wont to arise in our hearts sometimes when we see those great ones of the world who looke so big and carrie their heads so high not onely to carrie all before them to wallow and tumble themselves with all bravery and applause in the glory wealth and pleasure of the world to swimme downe the current of the times with full saile and prosperous winde though many times against the secret murmure and counterblasts even of their own Consciences In a word in these worst times to have what they list and do what they will but also lay about them with the fist of wickednesse and scourge of tongues to trample if it were possible the lambes of CHRIST even into the dust with the feete of malice and pride by a plausible tyranny and aide of the times iniquity to keepe them downe still and still in disgrace hunting them continually with cruelty and hate like a Partridge in the mountaines as the Pharisees did CHRIST I say when we see this let us never be troubled and take offence let us never be grieved or grow discontent or out of heart But pitty them pray for them and possesse our owne soules in patience and peace And after the precedencie of our blessed Saviour goe in private and say I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast revealed the Mysteries of CHRIST and secrets of the saving way to me a poore wretch and worme troden under foot as an obiect of scorne and a contemptible outcast and hast hid them from the wise and the noble and the mighty from the boysterous Nimrods and proud Giants of the world Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight And there staying a while ever magnifie admire and adore with lowliest humblest and most thankefull thoughts that dearest and dreadfull Depth of GODS free and incomprehensible love which made thee to differ Which is as it were the first ring of that golden chaine Rom. 8. 29. 30. which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting and gives being life and motion to all the meanes that make us eternally blessed Out of the rich and boundlesse treasurie whereof came that inestimable Iewell IESVS CHRIST blessed for ever and by consequent all those heavenly happinesses which crowne the glorified Saints through alleternity For so GOD loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that