with you and tell you that upon the LORDS Day you must not serve yourselves and your owne turnes in idlenesse travailing sports gaming in any earthly businesse or mis-imployment whatsoever but spend that whole blessed Day wholly and onely in spirituall refreshing heavenly businesses divine worship and holy duties in meditation upon the creatures spiritually upon the great worke of redemption and resurrection of CHRIST and upon that everlasting rest above of all which the Christian Sabbath is a remembrancer unto us in both publike and private prayer reading singing of Psalmes hearing Sermons conference c. and in ruminating and as it were chewing the cud upon Scripture points I say ruminate as it were and chew the cud for it is the very phrase of the Church of England in the Homily for reading Scriptures And those reverend and godly men which composed them expresse the benefit thereof emphatically Thus run the words Let us ruminate of the Scriptures sc. that we may have the sweet juyce spirituall effect marrow honey kernell taste comfort and consolation of them I say suppose ye were thus prest would ye not presently out of your worldly wisdome and impatiency to be so snaffâ—…d at to be tied all the day to spirituall exercises and restrain'd from ordinary recreations conceive of it and cry out against it as a puritanicall novelty and foolish precisenesse Because you mention precisenesse and novelty I could as I am wont and to make you without excuse appeale unto and implore the aid of antiquity which will utterly take off such aspersions And here were it incident and seasonable I were able to procure Councels and Fathers and other authorities concurrently to testifie and take my part that upon the LORDS Day we are to recreate our selves onely with spirituall delights onely then to ply divine businesses and to do those things alone which belong to our soules salvation Heare their owne words We ought upon that Day Solummodò spiritualibus gaudijs repleri Concilium Parisiense Anno 829. Tantùm divinis cultibus serviamus August de Temp. Serm. 251. Soli divino cultui vacemus Idem Ibid. Eaque tantum faciat quae ad animae salutem pertinent Hierom. in Cap. 56. Isa. Nay the whole Church of England hath this threescore yeares and above complyed exactly with antiquity in this point in the Hom. of the place and time of prayer These are the words GODS people should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and daily businesse and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of GODS true religion and service And yet for all this you are so wise in your owne conceipts ye will none of this saving folly you are no such fooles as after so long liberty to fall â—…o any such strictnesse Secondly suppose a Minister should counsell you when you come home from the house of GOD to take your Bibles and call both your wives and children to the comparing together and conferring upon those things which were taught That the husband should exact of the wife and the wife aske of the husband those things that were there spoken and read or at least some of them That you should set this law to your selves to be kept inviolably and not onely to your selves but also to your wives and children that you would spend that one whole Day of the whole weeke whereon you meet to heare the Word in meditation of those things which are delivered I say now in this case your carnall wisedome would resolutely condemne such counsells as contrary to the counsell of great houses as a way to become a By-word to the whole Country and as savoring too rankly of a foolish strictnesse and needlesse singularity And yet this was totidem verbis wise holy advise above twelve hundred yeares agoe For it giving the counsell I have but rendred Chrysostome word for word in diverse places Hom. 5. in Matth. In Eph. Serm. 20. Hom. 2. in Ioan. Hom. 5. ad Popul Antioch Thirdly If Preachers should presse you to plant and preserve Family Duties in your house Prayer and reading Scriptures evening and morning Singing of Psalmes c. and you of greatest meanes may best spare time for such blessed businesses Would not your wisedomes thinke this more then need And that it would bee a foolish thing and much against your profit to rob your selves and servants of so much time from your worldly affaires And yet here I could produce foure or five Fathers above a thousand yeares ago pressing this point and punctuall for my purpose Besides Ambrose quoted in my Book of Walking with God pag. 67. Here other Fathers Basil Origen Chrysostome August Fourthly If you were moved by the Ministery to restore every halfe penny that you have any waies at any time got wrongfully or by any wicked meanes or that you detaine unjustly from any man And then casting your eye backe and considering How you are growne hastily rich and by what waies you are come to a great deale of wealth should finde very foule workes would you not force your selves by a strong counter-plea of carnall reason not to beleeve the point and thinke it extreame madnesse at the instance and prating of a precise companion which understands not the world for so or in the like manner would you speake to part perhaps with a good part of your estate And yet Austins Rule of above twelve hundreth yeares standing and confirmed concurrently by all Divines to this day is That Non tollitur peccatum nisirestituatur ablatum No restitution no remission And our owne Church tels us in the second exhortation before the Communion That without readinesse to make restitution and satisfaction for wrongs done the Sacrament as often as you come doth nothing else but increase your damnation Thus might I passe through all the points of Sanctification and passages of holy life And all the great men of the world either in Learning Wealth Nobility or Wisedome according to the flesh would passe these censures upon them and entertaine conceits of them proportionable to that of Nicodemus about the New-birth They will not become fooles in the Apostles sense And therefore they are soakt and fast fettered in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity and that above ordinary Thirdly All ye great ones of the world in the sense I have said As yee are very wise in your own conceits and it may be truly so according to the flesh so you are selfe-conceited and soule-couseners about your spirituall state For you thinke all better then you too precise and all worse then you too prophane and your selves onely to have happily hit upon the golden meane and pitch upon that well-tempered moderation in Religion wherby you may enjoy temporall happinesse here and eternall hereafter Sleepe in a whole skin as they say and with a good conscience Live the life of pleasures and die the death of the righteous Whereas to be so conceited is the very complement and perfection
Prophet in the first place doth furnish the people of GOD before hand with a strong counter comfort and cordiall against their faintings in the furnace of affliction we may thence be instructed that DOCT. It is an holy wisdome and happy thing to treasure up comfortable provision against the Day of calamity It is good counsell and a blessed course to store up comfort against the evill Day He that gathereth in Summer saith Salomon is a sonne of understanding But he that sleepeth in Harvest is a sonne of confusion Prov. 10. 5. If not by an immediate sense yet by a warrantable analogy and good consequent this Place will beare this Paraphrase That man which now in this faire and seasonable Sun-shine of his gracious visitation is lull'd asleepe with the Syren-songs of these sensuall times upon the lap of pleasure swims downe the temporizing torrent of these last and lewdest daies with full saile of prosperity and ease against the secret wasts and counter-blasts as it were of a reclaiming conscience as thousands do to their utter undoing for ever mis-spends his golden time and many goodly opportunities of gathering spirituall Manna in grasping gold gathering wealth growing great greatning his posterity clasping about the arme of flesh satisfying the appetite and serving himselfe In a word he that while it is called To day turnes not on Gods side and by forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse in His blessed waies treasures up comfort and grace against his ending houre shall most certainly upon his bed of death and illumination of conscience find nothing but horrible confusion and feare extremest horrour and insupportable heauinesse of heart his soule must presently downe into the kingdome of darknesse and bottome of the burning lake there to lie everlastingly in tempestuous and fiery torments the sting and strength whereof doth not onely surpasse the pens and tongues of Men and Angels but the very conceipt of those that suffer them which if a man knew he would not endure one houre for all the pleasures of ten thousand worlds His body the pleasing and pampering whereof hath plunged him into such a sea of calamity and woe must descend into the house of death an habitation of blacknesse and cruelty lie downe in a bed of dust and rottennesse covered with wormes guarded and kept full sure by the Prince and powers of darknesse unto the judgement of the great Day and then the whole man must become the woful object of the extremity and everlastingnesse of that fiercest and unquenchable wrath which like infinite rivers of brimstone will feed upon his soule and flesh without remedie ease or end But that happy man which in the short summers day of his miserable and mortall life gathers grace with an holy greedinesse plies the noble trade of Christianity with resolution and vndauntednesse of spirit against the boisterous current and corruptions of the times growes in godlinesse GODS favour and fruits of good life purchases and preserves though with the losse of all earthly delights peace of conscience one of the richest treasures and rarest jewels that euer illightened and made lightsome the heart of man in this world I say that man though never so contemptible in the eyes of the worldly wise though never so scornfully trod upon and overslowne by the tyranny and swelling pride of those ambitious selfe-flattering Giants who like mighty winds when they have blustered a while breathe out into naught shall most certainly upon his dying-bed meet with a glorious troupe of blessed Angels ready and rejoycing to guard and conduct his departing Soule into his Masters joy His body shal be preserved in the grave by the all-powerfull providence as in a Cabinet of rest and sweetest sleepe perfumed by the buriall of our blessed SAVIOVR untill the glorious appearing of the great GOD. And then after their joyfullest re-union they shall both be filled and shine thorow all eternity with such glory and blisse which in sweetnesse and excellency doth infinitely exceed the possibility of all humane or Angelicall conceipt Thus you see in short what a deale of confusion that miserable man heapes up for his precious Soule against the Day of wrath which spends the span of his transitory life after the waies of his owne heart and how truly he is a sonne of understanding who in the few and evill daies of short abode upon earth treasures up grace and spirituall riches against the dreadfull winter night of death For I would have you understand that by comfortable provision I meane not Lands livings or large possessions I meane not wealth or riches Alas These will not profit in the day of wrath Prov. 11. 4. They certainly make themselves wings and in our greatest need will flie away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23. 5. I meane not silver or gold they shall not be able to deliver in the Day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 1. 18. Will he esteeme thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength Iob 36. 19. I meane not top of honour or height of Place this without religion serves onely to make the downfall more desperate and remarkable They are rais'd on hie saith the very Poet that their ruine may be more irrecoverable But what do I meddle with the Poet the Prophet is plaine and peremptory against the pride of ambition Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocke that holdest the height of the hill Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence saith the Lord Ier. 49. 16. I meane not the arme of flesh or Princely favours Assuredly that man which gratifies great Ones to the wounding of his conscience by the formall slavery of basenesse and insinuation or any ill offices of ambitious servitude in feates of irreligious policy in justice cruelty turning Turk and traitour to those that trusted him c. shall at last receive no other recompence of such abhorred villany when divine vengeance begins to take him in hand than that which justly fell upon Iudas in the extremity of his anguish and sorrow from the chiefe Priests and Elders Matth. 27. 4. If ever great men or earthly Potentates did take their slattering slaves out of the hands of GOD at that highest Tribunall or were able to free a guilty soule from eternall flames it were something to grow rich and rise by vile accommodations and serving their turne in the meane time But such a man sâ—…all certenly in the day of his last and greatest need be cast with horrible confusion of spirit and 〈◊〉 griefe of heart upon Wolsies rufull complaint and cry out when it is too late Had I beene as carefull 〈◊〉 serve the GOD of heaven as my great Master on earth he had neuer left me in my gray haires Favours of greatnesse may follow a man in faire weather and shine upon his face with goodly hopes and expectation of great
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
surprized by that last and great day which the LORD in mercy hasten how wilt thou then rescue thy free-hold when the whole frame of the world is on fire 5. They cannot possibly lead us beyond this life or extend to eternity If we see a servant follow two gentlemen we know not whose man he is but their parting will discover to whether he belongs When death shall sever the owner from the world then will riches and revenewes offices and honours stately buildings and all outward bravery cleave to the world and leave him to the world to come as poore a worme and wretch as when he first came into this world and therefore they are all the worlds Heireloomes and none of his Even as Absaloms mule went away when his head was fast in the great Oake and so left him hanging betweene heaven and earth as a wofull spectacle of misery and shame to all beholders So will all their wealth and worldly felicities deale with their most greedy ingrossers and dearest minions upon their dying-beds They will then most certenly as Salomon â—…aith make themselves wings and flie away as an Eagle toward heaven And leave their now forlorne former favourites to the fury of a guilty conscience for their cursed forsaking the Fountaine of living waters all their life long and hewing them out such cisternes broken cisternes that could hold no water nor help in the evill Day We all stand at the doore of eternity if death but once open it naturally or violently or by any of his thousand thousand waies we are presently stript of all and immediately enter upon it either that of everlasting pleasures or the other of everlasting pains And therfore it wil be our wisdome in the mean time to value worldly vanities at no more than their own price and industriously to ply all meanes which may enrich us with heavenly treasures of that divine stampe and lasting temper which may attend us thorow all eternity And as all these things here below are thus mutable and fugitive so thy selfe art mortall and fraile A creature as it were but of one daies lasting like that Flower and Bird which as naturalists report receive their being and birth in the morning but wither and die at night Thy abode upon earth is like a vanishing vision of the night a flying dreame the very dreame of a shadow c. This swift tide of mans life after it once turneth and declineth ever runneth with a perpetuall ebbe and falling streame but never floweth againe Our leafe once fallen springeth no more neither doth the Sun or the Summer beautifie us againe with the garments of new leaves and flowers or ever after revive or renew us with freshnesse of youth and former strength Not onely Salomon Eccles. 1. makes us in this respect more miserable than the Sun and other soule-lesse creatures but even the Poet also by the light of naturall reason whom I urge onely to make Christians mindlesse of their owne mortality athamed who have thoughts of heaven and earth as though eternity were upon earth and time onely in heaven tels us that Soles occidere redire possunt Thus in English The Sun may set and rise But we contrariwise Sleepe after one short light An everlasting night Which we must onely understand of returning any more to life and light in this world Nay in a word lay thy selfe loaden with the utmost of all earthly excellencies and felicities in the one scale of the ballance and vanity in the other and vanity will weigh thee downe Take heed therefore of trusting to the world in the meane time lest it torture thee extremely in the time of trouble 3. Take heed of weakening in the meane time and unnecessarily over-wearying thy spirit 1. By carking fore-thought of future evils which forty to one may never fall out Many men I am perswaded such is the naturall vanity of our minds do more vexe themselves with feare and fore-conceipt of imaginary evils which never befall then they have just cause to take on and trouble their hearts for all other true reall actuall troubles which fall upon them Thus many times do men torture themselves vainly with immoderate feare of forreine invasion home-bred confusion change of religion the fiery triall burning at a stake distraction of mind surprize by the Plague Small Poxe Purples Spotted Fever distresse and going backward in their outward state losse of some child they love best destruction of their goods by fire robbery ship-wracke the frownes of greatnesse hurt and revenge from those that hate them hardnesse of heart failing of their faith spirituall desertion overthrow by temptation despaire of GODS mercies sudden death discomfortable cariage in their last sicknesse the king of feare himselfe what shall become of their children when they are gone c. By these and millions moe of such causelesse and carking fore imaginations the very flower and vigour of mens spirits may be much emasculated and wasted wofully A godly care to prevent them by repentance and prayer and a carefull preparation by mortifying meditations and Christian magnanimity to beare them patiently if we be put unto it is commendable and comfortable but in the meane time to unspirit and macerate our selves with much distrustfull misery and needlesse torture about them to our hindrance distraction and discomfort in any businesses of either of our callings or any waies unchearefull walking by slavish pre-conceipts to double and multiply their stings and to suffer them so often before they seize upon us is both un-noble and un-necessary most unworthy the morall resolution of a meere naturall man and the generous spirit of an honest Heathen much more the invincible fortitude of any of CHRISTS favourites and heires of heaven Or 2. Selfe-created crosses that I may so call them For so it often is that many maried couples governours of families to instance there having the world at will as they say and wanting nothing that heart can wish from GODS hand for outward things and yet I know not how by reason of passion covetousnesse pride waiwardnesse frowardnesse or something they mutually embitter their lives one unto another with much uncomfortablenesse discontentment and jarring I would advise all such and there are many and many such abroad in the world punctually and impartially to examine their consciences whether such secret sinnes as these of which they take no notice may not be the causes of it 1. Matching as being not mooved principally and predominantly with portion parentage personage beauty lust riches lands slattery friendship greatnesse of family forced perswasions Parents covetous importunity or some base and irrellgious by-respect and gracelesse ground This the Apostle calleth marrying in the LORD that is for no by respect but in the feare of GOD 1 Cor. 7. 39. Without which all matches are miserable though they should be made up with hoards of wealth and heapes of gold as high as heaven crowned with honours
godlinesse restraining them from prophanenesse and prophaning the Sabbath by his owne example of piety and godly conversation he might plant grace in their hearts and provide a crowne of glory for their heads hereafter yet wretched man he doth not onely wickedly neglect these meanes of everlasting comfort but with too much worldlinesse variety of vexations and perhaps for his very wickednesse that way if there were nothing else with the great danger of his owne soule he heapes up for them those hoards that will hereafter heape coales of vengeance on their heads and purchases and provides for them those greene pastures of a prosperous state in this world wherein they are fatted for the same slaughter and thorow which they prophanely passe into the pit of the same endlesse destruction with himselfe 5. Aske his judgement about the Sabbath and ordinarily you shall find his resolution to be this that he sees no reason but mens servants and children may enjoy some houres of recreation and sport even upon the Sabbath especially with exception of times of Divine Service what would they have us to do will he say or what would they make of us I hope they doe not looke we should be Angels upon earth they know we are but flesh and bloud It is too true indeed this cavilling against the keeping of the Sabbath savours full rankly of flesh and bloud GOD out of the abundance of His owne goodnesse and compassionate consideration of our weakenesse hath allotted and allowed unto us six dayes for our owne businesse and reserved but one to be consecrated in speciall manner as glorious unto Him and yet wretched men they must needs clip the LORDS coyne encroach upon His sanctified time and unthankfully and accursedly spend those holy houres in which they should treasure up knowledge and comfort against that fearefull day in idlenesse worldinesse and prophane pastimes whereby besides the particular curse upon their owne soules they many times draw many miseries and plagues upon the place where they live This reason is carnall indeed this wisdome is earthly with a witnesse 6. Add another out of Luke 12. 39 40. Thus you see worldly wisdome in all that consultation and cariages inclines unto the earth provides ever with greatest care for the world and savours rankly of flesh and bloud 3. It is also sensuall for it doth senslesly preferre the pleasures of sense and pleasing the appetite before the peace of conscience and sense of GODS favour It provides a thousand times better for a body of earth which must shortly upon an unavoidable necessity feed the wormes and turne to dust than for a precious immortall foule the immediate issue of GODS almightinesse and which can never possibly die It doth with greater sweetnesse and hold-fast relish apprehend and enjoy the furious delights of some bosome-sinne which it hath in present pursuit taste and possession than spirituall graces GODS favour joy in that blessed Spirit and a crowne of life hereafter for which it hath GODS Word and Promise if it would be wise to salvation In a word it doth so highly preferre a few bitter-sweet pleasures for an inch of time in this vale of teares before unmixed and immeasurable joyes thorow all eternity in the glorious mansions of heaven Is not this wisdome strangely nailed and glued unto sense and stupidly senslesse in spirituall things that though many times fore-told and fore-warned by the Ministry of the Word yet will needs for the temporary satisfaction of its carnall covetous or ambitious humour with filthy vexing transitory pelfe with vanity dung nothing run wilfully and headlong upon easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments in the world to come And that which is the just curse and plague of worldly wisdome this spirituall madnesse commonly called it is confident that it doth wisely and takes the best way and thereupon becomes incorrigible and obstinate For there is more hope of a foole than of him that is wise in his owne conceipt Prov. 26. 22. And Though thou shouldest bray a foole in a morter yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him Prov. 27. 22. How fearefull then is his case that to his worldly wisdome joynes confidence in his wayes But the day will come that hee 'l see and bewaile the vanity of his wisdome and the truth of his folly and that with bitter griefe and horrible anguish even in hell fire as it is notably set downe in the booke of Wisdome Cap. 5. But the word which here in Iames is rendred sensuall is the same which is used 1 Corinth 2. 14. The naturall man receiveth not the things c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that worldly wisdome is in that sense naturall that it can neither relish nor receive the things of the spirit it cannot possibly conceive and comprehend the immediate meanes and mysteries of salvation let a man otherwise be never so faire and comely in body never so proportionable personable or goodly to look upon and in the eye of others yet if himselfe want eyes the instruments of light he cannot possibly behold and gaze upon with delight the goodlinesse and glory of this great frame of the world about him he cannot see the brightnesse of the Sun the beauty of the earth and the delightsome variety of the creatures so a worldly-wise man though he be never so gracefull for his other parts never so admirable to carnall eyes or mightily magnifi dby his flatterers or favourites yet wanting the saving sight of GODs sanctifying Spirit and the eye of spirituall understanding is starke blind in spirituall matters and cannot possibly behold the rich paradise of the kingdome of grace the secrets of sanctification and the incomparable glory and excellency of Christianity This wisdome of the flesh serves the worldling like the Ostrich wings to make him to out run others upon the earth and in earthly things but can helpe him never a whit towards heaven nay is rather like a heavy mill-stone about his necke to make him sinke deeper into the bottomlesse pit of hell The reason why these great politicians and jolly wise men of the world as they are called for all their depths and devices with all their wit and windings cannot understand one tittle of the things of GOD is because this spirituall knowledge is hid from them for so saith our Saviour CHRIST Mat. 11. 25. I give thee thankes O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding and hast revealed them unto babes And this reason our Saviour rendreth why he spake to worldlings in parables and to his Disciples plainely because to these it was given to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven but to them it was not given And indeed it is just with GOD that 1. Sith they when the glorious sun of the Word of life shines surely upon their faces do wilfully shut their eyes against it that He should strike them starke blind so that
And such is the Child as for its owne sake it will find good entertainment though the Father of it were unknowne Adistinct narration of the life and death of the Author you have truly and punctually as becommeth such a narration premised All his Workes do shew that he was full in what he undertooke so full as he leaves scarce any thing if any thing at all for another Author to add more than he hath done to what he hath done He had a very searching and diving gift whereby he was able to anatomize and lay open the severall parts and nerves of the points which he handled and to set out pertinent signes rules meanes and motives thereabout His expression of his mind by fit words and phrases was answerable to his invention Both very copious full of variety Take for instance this ensuing Treatise the maine scope whereof is to furnish a Christian against the evill day Therein you may observe how on the one side he discovers the false meanes which most use and how on the other side he revealeth the true meanes that are of singular use to the end intended yea and how he enforceth the same with reason upon reason the better to demonstrate the equity of the point how also he infers all sorts of Uses thereupon as Reprehension Exhortation Direction and Consolation and finally how he takes occasion from thence of an exceeding large discourse upon the foure last things which to use his owne words have beene ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill day Those foure Heads are DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL HEAVEN To add more to what he hath set out thereabouts were to powre water into the sea First read then judge and the LORD add his blessing W. G. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr. BOLTON THat one age may tell another that the memoriall of the just shall be ever blessed when the persons and names of those that are otherwise minded shall rot and vanish away It hath beene the pious custome of ancient and later times to commend to posterity the eminent graces of the Saints departed Famous are those Panegyricke Orations made at the tombes of the Martyrs in the Primitive times when as their persecuting Emperours priding themselves in their lamentable deaths have left no other noyse behind them than the loud and long continued cries of spilling innocent bloud Memorable also are the Funerall Orations of the two Gregories Nyssen and Nazianzen on Basill the great And in later times to give a few instances for the number in this kinde is infinite Melancthon and Camerarius wrote the life of Martyn Luther Iunius the life of Vrsine Beza the life of Calvin Antonius Faius the life of Beza Iosias Simler the life of Peter Martyr and Dr. Humphrey the life of our most renowned Iewell This manner of honouring the Saints is warranted by GODS owne example who for ought is revealed to us tooke order for Moses buriall digged his grave covered him with molds and made for him that excellent Funerall Sermon expressed in the first Chapter of Ioshuah And that all-wise GOD who sweetly disposeth all things thinkes it needfull thus to grace his owne people that he may hereby uphold their spirits amid those many pressures scornes reproaches cruell mockings and innumerable other miseries which they endure of the world meerely for his service be they otherwise never so wise just meeke peaceable and unrebukeable amongst men Witnesse those many terrible persecutions mentioned in Ecclesiasticall Stories against the Christians though harmlesse and innocent though they prayed for their Emperours and GOD did miracles in their armies by their prayers yet for this onely cause that they honoured CHRIST and called themselves Christians so odious was that precious name unto their adversaries they were put to the extremest tortures that the utmost inventions of cruelty and rage could devise against them as Iustine Martyr and Tertullian in their learned and eloquent Apologies for them do amply demonstrate this caused Adrian the Emperour to ordaine that thenceforth none of them should be appeached barely for that name unlesse they transgressed the Lawes According to these examples and for the very same causes I have adventured to publish to the world the life and death of this man of GOD the Authour of this Work now a Saint in heaven I confesse his worth and parts deserved rather an advancement by some such eloquent Orators as I mentioned before than a depression by my pen but yet a pearle may be shewed forth as well by a weake hand as by the arme of a gyant I shall do no more And let his owne worth and workes praise him in the gates I knew him from the beginning of my youth being my first Tutour in the Vniversitie of Oxford and my selfe one of his first Schollers and from that time to the day of his death being above seven and twenty yeares none knew him better or loved him more our familiarity was such that alluding to that betweene Paul and Timothy I may say I knew his doctrine manner of life faith charity patience and now will onely relate what I have heard and seene wherein I will not exceed the bounds of modesty or truth To begin with his birth I observe that throughout the sacred Bible and writings on the persons of holy men their places of birth are ever remembred GOD loves the very ground his servants tread on The LORD shall count sayes David when he numbreth up the people that this man was borne there whereas of other men there shall be no remembrance of them they shall have none to lament or bury them but shall be cast forth as dung on the face of the earth so that I may say of them as was said of Pope Boniface the eight famous for nothing but his wickednesse intravit vulpes regnavit leo exivit canis the Prophet David renders it thus in plaine English They spend their daies in mirth and suddenly go downe into hell He was borne at Blackborne a towne of good note in Lancashire on Whitsunday Anno Dom. 1572. His parents being not of any great meanes yet finding in him a great towardlinesse for learning destinated him to be a scholler and strugled with their estate to furnish him with necessaries in that kind apprehending the advantage of a singular Schoole-master that was then in the towne He plied his booke so well that in short time he became the best scholler in the schoole and no marvell for he had those sixe properties of a scholler noted by Isocrates and others which concurring in one thrust up learning to a very high elevation 1. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of excellent parts and abilities of mind and of a sound constitution of body 2. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a very strong memory I meane such a memory as was notably actuated
evill conscience attends the one of which eats out their heart when we expect an harvest The other seizes upon the Soule in the time of sorrow and sinks it into the lowest hell And as Men of GOD and Sonnes of Wisdome to mount our thoughts and raise our spirits and bend our affections to things above which are as farre from diminution and decay as the Soule from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken than the Seat and Omnipotency of GOD surprised For besides that they infinitely surpasse in eminency of worth and sweetnesse of pleasure the comprehension of the largest heart and expression of any Angels tongue they also out-last the dayes of heaven and run parallell with the life of GOD and line of Eternity As we see the Fountaine of all materiall light to powre out his beames and shining abundantly every day upon the world without wearinesse emptinesse or end so and incomparably more doth joy and peace glory and blisse spring and plentifully flow every moment with fresh streames from the face of the Father of Lights upon all His holy ones in heaven and that everlastingly O blessed then shall we be upon our beds of death if following the counsell of our dearest LORD who shed the most precious and warmest bloud in His heart to bring our soules out of hell we treasure ap now in the meane time heavenly hoards which will ever happily hold out a stocke of grace which never shrinks in the wetting but abides the triall of the spirit and touch-stone of the Word in all times of danger and Day of the LORD even that accurate circumspect and precise walking pressed upon us by the Apostle Eph. 5. 15. Though pestilently persecuted and plagued by the enemies of GOD in all ages And that purity which Saint Iohn makes a property of every true-hearted Professour 1 Iohn 3. 3. So much opposed and bitterly opprest by the world and yet without which none of us shall ever see the face of GOD with comfort If while it is called To Day we make our peace with His heavenly Highnesse by an humble continued exercise of repentance by standing valiantly on His side by holding an holy acquaintance at His mercifull Throne with a mighty importunity of prayer and godly conversation above by ever offering up unto Him in the armes of our Faith when he is angry the bleeding Body of His owne crucified SONNE never giving Him over or any rest untill He bepleased to register and enroll the remission of our sinnes in the Booke of Life with the bloudy lines of CHRISTS Soule-saving sufferings and golden characters of His owne eternall love If now before we appeare at the dreadfull Tribunall of the euer-living GOD and little know we whose turne is next we make our friends in the Court of Heaven the blessed Angels in procuring their joy and love by a visible constancy in the fruits teares and truth of a sound conversion The Spirit of comfort by a ready and reverent entertainment of His holy Motions and inspirations of grace the Sonne and Heire of the King of glory the Foundation and Fountaine of all our Blisse in this world and the world to come from whose meritorious bloud shed and blessed mediation arise all those flouds of mercy and favour which refresh our Soules in this vale of teares and also those unknown bottomlesse seas of pleasure peace and all unspeakable delights which will superabound and overflow with new and fresh sweetnesse for ever and ever in the Paradise of GOD. Blessed are they that ever they were borne who have already got Him their Advocate at the right hand of His Father For besides many other glorious priviledges thereby in all their exigents and extremities they may be ever welcome to the Seat of mercy and be sure to speed If a man had a suit unto the King it were a comfortable and happy thing to find a friend in Court But if the Kings speciall and choisest Favourite nay His own only Son were his Intercessour how confident would he be to prevaile and prosper to conquer his opposites and crowne his desires Why then should any poore Christian be discomforted and cast downe nay why should he not be extraordinarily raised and ravished in spirit with much joyfull hope and sweet assurance when he throwes himselfe downe at the Throne of grace sith the dearest Sonne of the eternall GOD the Heire of heaven and earth the Mediator of the great Covenant of endlesse salvation is his Advocate at the hand of His All-mighty Father in the most high and glorious Court of Heaven Wherefore when an humbled soule and trembling spirit is sore troubled and almost turned backe from his purpose of prayer and prostration at the foot of heavenly Majesty by entertaining before hand a feeling apprehension of his owne abhorred vilenesse and the holy purity of GODS all-seeing and searching eye which cannot looke on iniquity let this consideration comfort and breed confidence that IESVS CHRIST the Son of GODS love doth sollicite and tender the suit who out of His owne sense and sympathy of such like troubles and temptations doth deale for us with a true a naturall and a sensible touch of compassionatenesse and mercy Shall that blessed Saviour of ours call and cry for a pardon to His Father for those which put Him to death who were so farre from seeking unto him that they sought and suckt his bloud and shall He shut His eares against the groanes of thy grieved spirit and heavy sighes of thy bleeding soule who values one drop of His bloud at an higher price than the worth of many worlds It cannot be Thus that saying of Salomon and this counsell of CHRIST makes good the truth of the Point which may further appeare by these Reasons 1. Taking this counsell betime and hoarding up heavenly things in this harvest time of grace mightily helps to asswage the smart mollifie the bitternesse and illighten the darknesse of the evill Day It is soveraigne and serves to take the venime sting and teeth out of any crosse calamity or distresse and so preserves the heart from that raging hopelesse sorrow which like a devouring Harpie dries up dissolves and destroyes the bloud spirits and life of all those who are destitute of such a divine Antidote What vast difference may we discerne betweene Iob and Iudas David and Achitophel in the daies of evill The two men of God being formerly enriched with his favour and familiarity so behaved themselves the one in the ship-wracke of his worldly happinesse the other in the hazard of his Kingdome as though they had not beene troubled at all The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away saith Iob when all was gone blessed be the name of the LORD If I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD saith David He will bring me againe and shew me both it and His habitation But if He thus say I have no delight in thee behold here
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
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
heavenly Father will ever correct thee 1. Never before there be need and alwayes in 2. Wisdome 3. Measure 4. Love and tendernesse 5. For a moment onely 6. To trie thee what drosse of corruption and what sound metall of grace is in thee 7 To purge out sinne 8. To refine thee and make the vertues of CHRIST in thee more shining and illustrious 9. To stirre up quicken and increase all saving graces in thy soule Of which see my Exposition upon the 26 Chapter of Isa. Amongst all the rest Faith ever becomes most famous by afflictions Witnesse that cloud of witnesses Heb. 11 10. To make thee blessed 11. To save thee 12. And He wil be ever with thee in trouble 13. He will deliver thee 14. Nay and never was Gold-Smith more curious and precise to watch the very first season when his gold is thorowly refined and fitted for use that he may take it out of the fornace than our gracious GOD waits in such cases with an holy longing that He may have mercy upon thee and deliver thee But how soever or whatsoever befall thee in this life thou must upon necessity ere it be long lie gasping for breath upon thy dying bed and there graple hand to hand with the utmost and concurrent rage of all the powers of darknesse and that king of feare attended with his terrours and therefore let the whole course of thy life be a conscionable preparative to die comfortably Suppose every Day thy last and thereupon so behave thy selfe both in thy generall and particular calling as though thou shouldest be called to an exact account at night for all things done in the flesh before that last and highest Tribunall In all thy thoughts words actions and undertakings in any kind say thus unto thy selfe would I do thus and thus if I certenly knew the next houre to be my last In a word so live that upon good ground thou maist bring Davids undaunted boldnesse to thy bed of death Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill Here upon this seasonable occasion give me leave to commend and tender unto you some speciall preparatives rules motives and meanes to furnish before hand and fortifie your spirits against all future evils and terrible things that are towards 1. Treasure up richly and abundantly before hand the precepts practice and experimentall sweetnesse of patience that most usefull and precious vertue which may serve when time serves as a soveraigne antidote to abate and abolish the sting and venime of all crosses afflictions and mortall miseries and as a comfortable cordiall to support and hold up thy heart in the bitternesse and extremity of the sorest Mighty and miraculous was the worke of this glorious grace in blessed Iob. By its heavenly and invincible influence upon his humble soule it did not onely utterly extinguish which was a very admirable and extraordinary thing all that desperate anguish and slavish griefe which such variety and extremity of greatest miseries that ever befell any mortall man would have naturally bred in the hopelesse hearts of impatient worldlings least of which is many times enough to drive them to despaire and selfe-destruction but also enabled him with the sweetest calmnesse of a well-composed and unshaken spirit even to blesse the LORD his GOD for taking from him these transitory things of which he was the true Proprietary and which in much undeserved mercy He had lent unto him so long The LORD gave said he and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD With what infinite implacable indignation and bloudy rage would Shemeis railing have rent in peeces the heart of many a gracelesse King And yet David by the helpe of this holy vertue passed on along patiently without wound or passion That heavy newes which was so horrible that it made both the eares of every one that heard it tingle brought by Samuel to Eli immediately from GODS owne mouth might have made many an earth-worme to have run mad with the very fore-thought of so much misery to come But good old patient Eli when he had heard it all sweetly ejaculates It is the LORD Let Him doe what seemeth him good The taking away of two sonnes at once by a sudden and violent death with visible vengeance from heaven and in the middest of a most horrible sinne is naturally matter of sorrow which cannot be exprest and extremest griefe yet Aaron in such a case having learned conformity of his owne will to the divine pleasure of the onely wise GOD when Moses told him that the LORD would be sanctified in them that come nigh Him and before all the people Hâ—… would be glorified He held his peace And Aaron held his peace So quieting his heart because GOD would have it so See further for this purpose 2 Sam. 3. 15. 26. Isa. 39 8. c. By these few precedents you may easily perceive what singular and soveraigne power patience hath to pull the sting and extract the poyson out of the most grievous calamities and greatest troubles But now on the contrary Impatiency and unpleasednesse with GODS providence in sending both good and ill yet ever in love and for our good For what sonne is he whom the Father chasteneth not doth more afflict us than all our afflictions The storme of GODS wrath breaks out sometimes upon the outward state of some greedy fretting mammonist and He justly sinites him for his wicked covetousnesse and dishonest gaine perhaps in the height and hot gleame of his prosperity and thriving by some sudden visible consumption or secret wasting curse He as such covetous wretches are wont takes on extremely farre beyond the rage of the maddest bedlam He stamps and stares as they say roares and raves gâ—…asneth his teeth teares his haire bites his nailes almost like a damned soule that hath new lost heaven untill at length the Devill lead him to lay violent hands upon himselfe Now are not these selfe-vexing tortures farre more rerrible than the taking away of his transitories Is not the cutting of his owne throat incomparably worse than the crosse A bird that is intangled amongst lime-twigs the more she stirres and struggles the more she is made sure and doubles her danger A repining reluctation and angry striving as it were to get out of GODS hands doth ever enveaime and exasperate the wound and makes us ten times worse and more miserable than if we fairely and patiently submitted to his omnipotent and most mercifull will Neither doth want of patience onely mightily enrage a crosse but it also embitters all our comforts The bare omission of a meere complement in Mordecai did not onely fill Hamans proud heart with many raging distempers of hatred malice revenge foolish indignation and much furious discontentment but also turned al the pleasure and kindly relish in his courtly pleasures riches
honours offices extraordinary advancements and royall favours into gall and wormewood And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my selfe and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate Whereas now David a King as I told you before by the benefit of this blessed grace did not suffer his Princely spirit to be un-calmed at all no not by the traiterous and most intolerable reviling of a dead dog and his baseft vassall 2. Keepe off thy heart from the world in the greatest affluence of wealth and worldly prosperity Earthly-mindednesse ever sharpeneth and keenes the sting in all distresses It gives teeth to the crosse to eat out the very heart of the afflicted Had not Iob beene able to have professed that in the height of his happinesse he was thus affected If I have made gold my hope or have said to the â—…ine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Here say Divines somthing is understood as dispeream then let me perish or the like If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse And my heart hath beene secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand Then should I have denied the GOD that is above If I grew proud puft up or pleased my selfe with the glistering brightnesse of my earthly abundance let it be so and so with me I say except Iobs heart had beene thus wained from the world when as yet he wallowed in wealth he had never been able to hold out in the evill day and to have borne so bravely the ruine of so rich a state without repining But now churlish Nabal whose affections were notoriously nail'd to the earth though perhaps once or twice a yeare he made a joviall and frolicke feast as other cunning worldlings are wont to their good-fellow-companions upon purpose to procure and preserve a Pharisaicall reputation of bounty with some flattering dependants and for a cloke to colour their covetousnesse and cruelty yet he was of a â—…linty bosome in respect of doggednesse and extreme niggardise especially towards GODS people and his heart by excessive rooting there was turned wholly into earth and therefore in the evill day it died within him and he became as a stone To keepe off the world in a fit distance that it do thee no deadly hurt and undoe thee quite keepe still fresh and strong in thy thoughts a true estimate and right conceipt of the mutability of all things here below and thine owne mortality In their best condition and highest confluence they are but 1. Vanity We shall never â—…ind in them any solidity or that good or comfort which we still with much eager pursuit and thirst expect and labour in vaine to extract from them but upon triall and trust in them they will ever proove empty clouds broken staves of reed Appâ—…s of Sodom Wells without water And when we graspe them most greedily we embrace nothing but smoke which wrings teares from our eyes and vanisheth into nothing 2 Vexation of spirit Besides the emptinesse and absence of that imaginary felicity which we hunt after in them there is also the presence and plenty of much 〈◊〉 and hearts griese which the slaves of pleasure and lovers of the world little looke for when they at first resolve to sell their soules for such transitory trash Divitias invenisti saith one Requiem perdidisti Hast thou found riches Thou hast lost thy rest A man that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a racke or bed of thornes like Anacreon with his five Talents still distracted with worldly thoughts and continually prickt with cares and feares 3. They cannot satisfie the soule Gold can no more fill the spirit of a man than grace his purse Betweene heaven and earth spirits and bodies soules and silver there is no proportion And therefore no earthly excellencies no carnall pleasures no worldly treasures are fit matter or a full object for such an immateriall immortall and heavenly borne-being to feed upon with any proper delight true comfort or sound contentment Not all this great materiall world or greatest masse of gold can possibly fill the mighty capacity and immeasurable appetite of this little sparke of heaven breath'd into us by the infinite power of an Almighty hand A man may as well fill a bag with wisedome as the soule with the world a chest with vertues as the mind with wealth 4. They cannot helpe in the evill day Their bloud saith the Prophet shal be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shal be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS wrath Put a man into a pang of any painefull maladie and bodily torture as into a fit of the Stone Strangury deepe Melancholy Gout Cholicke or the like let some incurable devouring Ulcer Canker Elephantiasis the Wolfe the Plica c. take hold upon any part of his Body and let him tell me then what account he would make of all the Imperiall Crownes upon earth attended with the height and utmost of humane felicities Or what comfort could he take in the riches glory and pleasures of the whole world Or what ease and refreshing can large possessions sumptuous buildings pleasant walks princely favours dainty fare choisest delights or any thing under the Sun afford in such a case The very pricke of a needle or paine of a tooth for the time will take away the taste of all carnall contentments and pleasure of the worlds Monarchy If the LORD should let loose the cord of thy conscience and set His just and deserved wrath a worke to enkindle flames of horrour in thy heart what helpe couldest thou have in heapes of gold or hoards of wealth Remember Spira They would be so â—…rre from healing the wound or allaying the smart that they would yet more horribly afflict thy already enraged spirit and turne them even into fiery Scorpions for thy further torment Let thy last sicknesse seize upon thee and then say for the houre of death as they say is the houre of truth whether all the gold and goods in the world can any more deliver thee from the Arrest of that inexorable Serjeant than can an handfull of dust Nay whether then the extremity of thy spirituall affliction and anguish of soule will not be answerable to the former excesse of thine inordinate affection to earthly things and delights of sense Or suppose thou shouldest be
when GOD singles out and designes any of His for some speciall services and extraordinary sufferings He ever furnisheth them before-hand with singularity of gifts and sufficiency of spirituall abilitie to go thorow and stand to it to death But now on the other side He will never breake a bruised reed nor quench smoking flaxe Isa. 42. 3. but will ever gather the Lambs with His arme and carie them in His bosome and gently lead those that are with young Isa. 40. 11. I make no doubt but that in Queene Maries daies He mercifully hid many a good soule from the implacable fury of those Popish morning Wolves who though they were in a saving state and loved the LORD IESVS in sincerity Ephes. 6. 24. yet they wanted strength to stand in the face of the fiery tempests of those times 6. Beware lest any earthly contentment encroach upon empaire and eat up thy delight in heavenly things But let thy spirituall joy ever utterly over-weigh all humane miseries and overtop incomparably all worldly pleasures And there is good reason for it In respect Of the 1. Object The matter whereupon earthly joy doth feed is base and vile filth and fashions gaming and good-fellowship revelling and in our daies even roaring lust and luxury c. and other such froth and fooleries the very garbage of hell at the best corne wine oyle gold greatnesse offices honours high roomes Princely favours c. as transitory as an hasty headlong torrent a shadow a ship a bird an arrow a Poste that hasteth by or if you can name any thing of swifter wing and sooner gone But the object about which spirituall joy is exercised are IEMOVAH blessed for ever His free and everlasting love the light of His countenance His sweet name That our names are written in heaven the Son of His Love His Person whose glory beauty amiablenesse sweetnesse and excellency is somthing shadowed but infinitely short by outward beauties Cant. 5. 10. The preciousnesse of His meritorious bloud exceeding great and precious Promises pardon of sinnes CHRISTS glorious Image shining in our soules eternity of unconceiveable joyes 2. Of continuance Earthly joy is like the crackling of thornes under a pot a sudden blaze with some noise but soone extinct and comes to nothing The triumphing of the wicked is short and joy of the hypocrite but for a moment But spirituall joy is like the fire upon the altar it hath ever fewell to feed upon though we do not ever feele it The Kingdome of GOD is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the HOLY GHOST The ransomed of the LORD shall returne and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall slie away Be glad in the LORD and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart 3. Sincerity Earthly joy is cruelly embittered with many slavish stinging and envenimed mixâ—…ures and marre-mirths but GOD gives joy to the upright heart and no sorrow with it 4. Effects Carnall joy utterly unfits for all holy imployments but spirituall joy is to the faculties of the soule as oyle to the joynts of the body it makes quicke active and excellent for the discharge of any divine duty 5. Calling to mind carnall joy in the evill day torments extremely and turnes it into gall and worme-wood but remembrance of those sweetest glimpses and heavenly deawes of spirituall joy which were wont to shine into and refresh our humbled soules when we were conscionably busied in the waies and worke of the LORD will serve as a precious cordiall to re-comfort our spirits in sadder times and surest pledge of their most certaine returne in due time 6. Spirituall joy is many times much enlarged in times of tribulation But the heart of the wicked is sorrowfull in laughter and troubled with melancholy amidst their greatest mirth 7. Spirituall joy is ordinarily most free full and at the highest in solitarinesse soliloquies and the most retired exercises of the soule but carnall joy and want of company are for the most part incompatible And it is kept in that poore little dying life it hath by good-fellowship and sensuall imployments 8. Carnall joy ever ends in bitternesse spirituall in blessednesse As the rivers of fresh water run their course with an hasty current to fall into the salt Sea so the Posting Sun of all worldly pleasures after a short gleame and vaine glistering sets in the Ocean of endlesse sorrow 7. Make thy peace with GOD upon good ground in the meane time and graciously walke with Him by a rule and daily direction Watch over thine heart with extraordinary industry Mortifie thy members which are upon earth pride choler covetousnesse selfe-love hankering after the fashions c. Strangle thy lusts stand at the Swords Point with thy most beloved sinne Beare the yoke from thy youth and exercise thy spirituall armes every day Get a habit of heavenly-mindednesse and holy familiarity with GOD aforehand and then shall we hold up our heads and our hearts with boldnesse and undauntednesse of spirit in the evill day The strongest and stoutest creatures saith a godly Divine pressing this Point are afraid of those things which are contrary to their natures which other creatures never so weake feare not being of the same nature No more fearefull creature than a â—…ish flying at the shadow of a man yet it feares not the Ocean Sea because of its owne nature and acquaintance which Lions and the stoutest creatures feare A sheepe â—…eares not his shepheard by reason of acquaintance whom yet the beare and the wolfe feare Whatsoever is strange and unacquainted is fearefull If we acquaint our selves with GOD and walke with Him as His friends we shall have the more boldnes with Him when we have most need of Him In a word be very temperate honest holy For the more conscionable thou hast formerly beene the lesse power will the crosse have when it comes It was the saying of a reverend man where sinne lies heavy the crosse lies light and contrarily that heart is like to be most lightsome in a storme which hath beene the holiest in a calme 8. Possesse thy mind betime of many mortifying motives and meditations to master the immoderate feare of death the king of terrour and then thou wilt be able with farre more patience and resolution to digest all petty troubles and miseries in the meane time For which purpose Ponder upon these Points 1. There is almost no man but he hath suffer'd more paine in his life than ordinarily he shall passe thorow in death The pangs of death saith Mr. Ward are often lesse than of the tooth-ache 2. The covenant of GOD is offorce with us as we lie in the dust of the earth Mat. 22. 31 32. 3. Our union with CHRIST holds still Col. 1. 18. As the Hypostaticall
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
unto him and those softned thoughts of mortality which are wont to attend these times that I may conveigh and commend them to your liking and practise with more successe and stronger impression And the first I shall commend unto you is 1. His singular integrity and honorable purpose in disposing those Ecclesiasticall Livings he had in his power And in this Point I my selfe can say more than any who tasted deepliest of his worthy dealing this way When I never sought after as it is famously knowne nor thought upon any such thing he sent for me and bestowed that which I presently enjoy most freely Which though every Patron ought proportionably to do yet the horrible corruptions abroad in the world in such cases do as it were by a kind of Antiperistasis make a duty a transcendent vertue And this was not all Though incrochments upon the Church be like the breaches of the sea a thousand to one never returne yet did he restore to a farthing all that which had a long time beene detain'd from the Church and parted with it most freely though he had as much wit and power as any other to have continued it so if he had pleas'd And I said Ecclesiasticall Livings though I instance but in one because I partly knew his purpose for the rest For he gave me himselfe this message to as worthy and reverend a man as I know unprefer'd in this Land that if he would come unto him he would give him the first that fell and for no other reason in the world but because he heard he was a reverend and worthy man Now lay these things to the practice of the times wherein there is such sinfull and Simoniacall packing together compacting secret covenanting with the party or friends for present money or after-gratifications some part of the tithes or his owne must be reserv'd to the Patron or he must be the Farmer at his owne price or pin a wife upon the sleeve of the parson as they contemptuously speake a base also and unworthy respect or the like such wretched combinations to helpe one another towards hell my disacquaintance must excuse my ignorance in the termes and then tell me if this was not a noble part in him worthy the imitation of the best I am perswaded in this Point he might be a patterne not only to all here present whom it might concerne though I looke upon the faces of some who have dealt also very nobly this way but to all the Patrons in ENGLAND Be pleas'd then you that lov'd him to tread in his steps herein and the rather because your unconscionablenesse in so high and important a point for the glory of GOD and the good of the Church may not only bring upon your owne heads your houses and posterity the curse of GOD in the meane time but also a company of poore soules cast away by reason of your corruption against you at that last and great day who will then cry out upon you before the face of GOD Angels and men that you were the men who for a little bloudy gaine put upon them an ignorant idle dissolute non resident or some way unfaithfull Minister For it is too common that those who enter corruptly deale unconscionably in their places whereby they must now perish everlastingly whereas if you had been honest and uncorrupt there had beene hope they might have liv'd in the endlesse joyes of heaven And what a vexing cry in the eares of all sacrilegious Church-robbers will that be of a damned wretch in hell when he shall complaine everlastingly that his soule had been sav'd if such a man had not been Symoniacall 2. His forbearing travell upon the Sabbath in his Circuit Whereby he wan a great deale of honour to his name over all this Kingdome prevailed in the same with others of his owne reverend ranke and by his example as hath been observ'd wan much encouragement increase and regard to religion in those Countries thorow which he past I would I might so much prevaile with you as that upon this occasion you would be content to take nearer to heart a more holy and heavenly spending of the LORDS Day Not onely in forbearing sin the workes of your calling idlenesse vaine sports this is but onely flying evill and privative good but also to ply with conscience and reverence all GODS holy Ordinances prayer reading singing of Psalmes publikely and privately the Word preached specially conference meditation and the like and to feed and satisfie your prepared and hungry soules with all that sweetnesse comfort and spirituall strength which they are wont to conveigh into humble hearts upon GODS holy Day this also is doing of good and positive piety For a thousand to one a constant keeper of the Sabbath is sound-hearted towards GOD and as great odds a common Sabbath breaker howsoever he may deceive his owne heart is in truth and triall a stranger to the power of grace and life of godlinesse 3. His patient yeelding and submission to private admonition A vertue ordinarily as farre out with great men as flattery is familiar Yet in him so as I tell you Something there was to which his private affection was very much endear'd and his reputation thereabout in the respect of the world was also entangled in some more publike engagement And yet when I in zeale and love to his soule and salvation prest upon him in private as a Minister of GOD and in the humblest manner I could tendering my reasons against his resolution after he had well thought upon 't it never went further all was dasht for ever Yet let me tell you he had formerly given me encouragement hereunto intreating me once in private to deale plainly with him And now I am griev'd at heart I did not more in this kind Now I would to GOD you would imitate him in this also especially you that are great ones Alas You 'le give the Physitian leave to tell you the diseases of your body the Lawyer to shew you any flaw that is in your state your Horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horse nay your Huntsman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you your soules are bleeding to everlasting death Now GOD forbid 4. His taking his high place to heart I meane his extraordinary industry and indefatigablenesse in his judiciary imployments His painefulnesse this way was wonderfull even after his last sicknesse had seaz'd upon him If I should report unto you the particulars from eye-witnesses you would marvell And I rather name and commend this unto you because the contrary is cause of great misery in a Common-wealth Oh it is lamentable when men mount into high roomes only in a bravery and vanity and desire to be ador'd above others or follow the execution of their places and administration of justice onely as a Trade with an unquenchable and unconscionable thirst of gaine which justifies the common resemblance
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
be driven from his hold by the power of the Word and how he playes the Devill indeed when the light of the Gospell begins to shine in a place which himselfe hath long kept in darknesse and errour by those twofold fiends ignorance and prophanenesse Perhaps at the very first rising of that glorious sun of the Word of life unto a people that hath sit in darknesse and under the shadow of death it breeds onely astonishment and amazement they are for a while onely dazelled with the glory and beauty of so rare and extraordinary a light but when after some little space they be thorowly heated and it begin to burne up their noy some lusts to gall their guilty consciences to sting their carnall hearts to vexe and disquiet their covetous affections then begins all the stirre and Satan to play his part the sudden infliction of a wound is not so very painefull and while it is greene it is not so grievous but after when it comes to be searched in cold bloud to have tents put into it and corrasives applied then it goeth to the heart When the sword of the Spirit first strikes the carnall heart it may perhaps beare away the blow reasonable well but if the Chirurgion of the soule I meane the Minister of the Word follow his cure faithfully and open the wound wider as he sees need apply spirituall corâ—…osives to eat away the ranknesse of the flesh and the poyson of sinne then begins the prophane man if the LORD give him not grace to suffer his soule to be saved to rage and rave with the smart of it and perhaps with malice and fury to fly into the face of his soules Physitian See the humour of prophane men against the power of a conscionable Ministery Ier. 44. 15 c. Acts 13. 8. and Cap. 14. 2 c. and Ver. 19. and Cap. 16. 19. and Cap. 17. 5. and Ver. 32. and Cap. 19. 2â—… and 24. 5. This spite and malice of Satan against sincerity and grace is to be seene also in private families if the governours of the house the children and servants be all prophane as it is very true of very many in most places then they are passing well met for matter of Religion and were there nothing amongst them to breed difference and dissention but GODS service they would never fall out for they are all content to heare no more or more often of the affaires of heaven judgements for sin the wayes of GOD and reformation of their life than they must needs they are all willing and forward to prophane the Sabbath in one kind or other some by absenting themselves from the house of GOD some by worldly talke all the day long some by idlenesse some by sinfull sports c. They are well content to lie downe at night like wild beasts in their dens without lifting up their hearts together unto that mercifull GOD which hath preserved and prospered them all the day to rise up also in the morning prayerlesse or onely with formall prayers They all joyne in malice against the Ministry of the Word in slanderous lies against the messengers of GOD in base and reviling speeches against the professours of Christianity The reason is they are all possessed with the same spirit of prophanenesse love of pleasures hatred to be reformed and carnality of heart But if it once please the LORD to plant grace in the heart of the Master of the family so that he begin to plant in his house reformation houshold instruction prayer sanctification of the Sabbath and other holy orders and godly exercises then presently begins the Devill to stir in the hearts and tongues of their prophane servants they begin to be furiously impatient of such precisenesse strictnesse and restraints for so they wickedly and wrongfully call the pleasures of grace and way to heaven they can by no meanes digest such new fashions they 'l not be troubled with giving account of Sermons they heare they 'l have their recreation on the Sabbath that they will they 'l not be mew'd up at home when other mens servants are at their sports abroad c. Nay perhaps even their owne children except the LORD season them with the same grace may grow stubborne and refractory and very rebellious and disobedient to the best things so that in a holy sense CHRISTS words may be there truly verified Matth. 10. 34 35. Thus was zealous David troubled with the vanity of a scornefull proud and prophane wife 2 Sam. 5. 20. Abel with a bloudy brother Gen. 4. 8. Iacob with a prophane Esau Gen. 27. 41. Isaac with a mocking Ishmael And many a gracious heart in families where grace beares not sway with the lewdnesse malice and ungodly oppositions of those among whom they live Or if it so fall out that the power of grace seaze on the heart of a servant or sonne so that he begin to be sensible of the ignorance disorders prophanenesse and sinfull confusions of the house where he dwels desires to spend the Sabbath as Christians use to do then presently begins Satan to put rage into the heart and frownings into the face of the father or master of the family he then takes on tels him that such precisenesse is not for his profit hee 'l have no such inferiour fellow to be a reformer of his family hee 'l not be controlled and contradicted in his owne house hee 'l governe his people in the old fashion as his father did before him c. so that there is no longer biding for that new convert under such a crabbed master without a very great deale of patience All this and a thousand more mischiefes are the blacke broods and bloudy effects of Satans malice against the power of the Word and the plantation of grace GOD Himselfe is the GOD of peace CHRIST IESVS the Prince of peace and the blessed Spirit is the fountaine of peace that passeth all understanding the holy Word is the Gospell of peace the faithfull Ministers are the Messengers of reconciliation and peace the Saints of GOD are the children of peace The Divell and the rebellious corruptions of prophane men are indeed and truth the true causes of all these stirs and strong oppositions which are raised any where at any time any waies in the case and cause of Religion The fault I confesse and imputation of troublesomenesse is lai'd upon GODS children by the lewd tongues of gracelesse men See Ier. 15. 10. utterly without cause 1. Kings 18. 17. Act. 24. 3 c. but these and the like are lies hatch't in Hell and managed by the malice of carnall men And that was most true which the blessed Prophet of GOD Elijah and the holy Apostle Saint Paul answered in such cases 1. Kings 18. 18. Act. 24. 13 14. and so proportionably may all Christians answer all prophane wretches amongst whom they liue It is you and your prophane families your proud ignorance hatred to be reformed malice
for matters of salvation they should grope even at noone-day as the blind gropeth in darknesse and stumbleth in the darkest night 2. Sith they depend on their owne policy depths and turning devices GOD justly turnes them loose to follow the swing of their carnall reason and suffers them to lie and delight themselves in the sensualmists and self-conceipted fooleries and vanities of their own naturall wisdome while the Moone lookes directly upon the Sun from whom she borrowes her light she is bright and beautifull but if she once turne aside and be left to her selfe she loses all her glory and enjoyes but onely a shadow of light which is her owne so while men with humility and teachablenesse turne their faces toward the Sun of righteousnesse CHRIST IESVS and those Starres which he holds in his right hand the faithfull Ministers to receive from them illumination in heavenly things and instruction in the wayes of GOD GOD doth graciously vouchsafe unto them the glorious light of saving knowledge but when they turne their backs upon Him betake themselves to their owne plots and projects devices and policies and seeke deepe to hide their counsell from the LORD then they are justly left to the darksome giddinesse of their carnall reason and walke towards fearefulnesse and horrour thorough the windings and turnings of their worldly wisdome 3. Because they are proud of their earthly policy the LORD will not give them prudence in heavenly matters because they are wise in their own conceipts they are justly given over to follow the deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts with an imperious disdainfulnesse they scorne the simplicity of the Saints and therefore they are justly blinded to thinke the wayes of their salvation foolishnesse 4. Worldly men make an Idoll of their wisdome both in respect that they wholly repose themselves upon it for their provision and protection and because they secretly desire to be admired and adored for it as men of extraordinary endowments and oracles of discretion and policy and it may be that they are so by their favourites and flatterers but they must give GOD His Word and good men leave to censure them truly and justly to be the notoriousest fooles upon earth because they are infants and ideots in the matters and mysteries of salvation Now I say because they make an idoll of their wisdome GOD and this earthly Dagon cannot possibly dwell together in one soule but in his just judgement suffers them with such doting devotion self-conceipt to sacrifice unto it that they want both understanding and hearts to do him any acceptable service This naturall and sensuall wisdome being thus hoodwinked from al heavenly light by GODs just judgement and by the pride prejudice wilfulnesse selfenesse of the owner doth proportion and measure all its conceipts and considerations of Religion and religious men by the unsound and sensuall principles of our corrupt nature and by the false scantling of carnall reason We may see this carnality of worldly wisdome in censuring spirituall things in Nicodemus Ioh. 3. See also a carnall conceipt of worldly wisdome in my Discourse of true happinesse pag. 58 59. Hence it is also that we find it to be a constant property of a worldly-wise man to conceive or censure a zealous profession of GODs truth and sound practice of sincerity to be nothing but hypocrisie and humour an affectation of singularitie precisenesse and a kind of odnesse from other men The reason is when he lookes upon himselfe in the flattering glasse of selfe-conceipt he judges himselfe to be a very jolly fellow thinkes he within his owne heart I go for a sufficient man in the world the best make good account of me I am well beloved of my neighbours my sufficiency for wisdome moderation in Religion civility for cariage justnesse in dealings with men are both knowne and well spoke of by the most and what would you have more in a man Hereupon out of this practicall survey of his owne counterfeit worth and because he is starke blind in spirituall matters and the affaires of heaven he presently concludes whatsoever zeale singularities of grace and spirituall excellencies are supposed by some kind of men to be in others especially if they be of lower rank and lesse account for worldly wisdome than himselfe to be nothing but onely outward shewes pretences and hypocrisies he is furnished in his owne conceipt with a competency if not an extraordinary sufficiency of naturall and morall endowments and he never felt either the power of grace neither can possibly see or acknowledge those holy operations in others and therefore he cannot be perswaded but he is fully as good as the precisest of them for that 's the language of prophanenesse against grace and that there is no worth worth naming or any true reall goodnesse in those they now call Christians over and besides that which he findeth in himselfe 5. Concerning greatnesse of nobility understand that by nobles I meane both the greater and lesse nobility according to Dr. Smiths distinction in his Common-Weale of England And this double nobility is of diverse sorts 1. Personall 2. By descent 6. There is yet another nobility which is divine and super-naturall in regard whereof all other kinds whatsoever are but shadowes and shapes of noblenesse Here GOD is top of the kin and religion is the root These are truly and the onely noble indeed and so accounted by King David though of no account in the world at all How rarely is the glorious image of the LORD IESVS which onely creates this excellency seene shine in their soules or show forth it selfe in their holy conversation who glister in outward glory and are lifted up above others by eminency of noble birth or indulgence of highest favours Such noblemen and gentlemen are blacke swans and thinly scatter'd in the firmament of a State even like starres of the first magnitude For saith my Text Not many noble c. And that no marvell for many reasons And yet I will not here trouble you in telling how miserably and extremely ill those who be better borne are ordinarily educated Alas they are too often brought up in ignorance idlenesse excessive pursuit of sports and vaine things in drinking carnall loosenesse riotous excesse in sensuality pride prophanation of the LORDS Day In strange fashions healthing gaming good-fellowship in frequenting Playes those grand impoysoners of many hopefull plants with universall prophane unnaturall dissolutenesse melting unhappily the vigour of their spirits into effeminatenesse lightnesse and lust And almost ever in a constant opposition to the good way the power of godlinesse and strictnesse of the Saints who are the ordinary objects of their greatest distast jesting and scorne and whereas they of all others have best meanes largest maintenance most time capacity and pregnancy of wit and other encouraging advantages whereby they might become excellent schollers of eminent abilities proportionable to their precedency in birth yet for want of a conscionable
is a right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not onely deprive the body of temporall life but bring also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly 3. Desperate corrupt affection is strangely desperate to run headlong upon the damnation of hell for a little earthly delight if we should see a naked man in some furious moode as prodigall of his temporall life runne upon his owne sword or throw himselfe from some steep rocke or cast himselfe into some deep river and teare out his owne bowels we should censure it presently to be a very desperate part and ruefull spectacle what shall we say of him then who thorough the fury of his rebellious nature to the endlesse destruction of the life of his immortall soule doth desperatly throw himselfe upon the devouring edge of GODS fiercest indignation upon the sharpest points of all the plagues and curses in his Booke and into the very flames of everlasting fire It is a very fearefull thing to see a man bath and embrue his hands in the blood and butchery of his owne body and with his murderous blade to take away the life thereof but of how much more horrour and wofulnesse is that spectacle when a desperate wretch with the empoysoned edge of his owne enraged corruption doth cut the throat of his owne deare immortall soule so that a man may teach him all his life long by the blood thereof in the sinfull passages of his life untill at length it bee stark dead in sinnes and trespasses for how can a soule all purple red with willfull sheading its own blood looke for any part in that pretious blood of that spotles lambe Nay assuredly such bloody stubbornnes and selfe-murthering cruelty will be paid home at last by the severe revenger of such cursed desperatnesse Hee will judge such a man after the manner of them that shed their owne blood and give him the blood of wrath and of jealousie Lord it is prodigiously strange and lamentably fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man prince of all other earthly creatures by the priviledge of reason and enlightned with the glorious beame of understanding nature should be so furiously madded with its owne malice and bewitchedly blindfolded by the Prince which rules in the Aire as for the momentany enjoyment of some fewglorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches or some other worldly vanity at the best desperatly and wilfully to abandon and cast himselfe from the unconceivable pleasures of its joyfull place where GOD dwels into an infinite world of everlasting woefulnesse For let a carnall man consider in a word his prodigious madnesse in this point He might not onely in this vale of teares bee possest with a peacefull heart which is an incomparable pretiousnesse surpassing all created understandings For I dare say this I know it to bee true One little glimpse of Heaven shed sometimes into the heart of a sanctified man by the saving illumination of the comforting spirit whereby he sees and feeles that in despight of the rage of divels malice of men let sin and death the grave and hell doe their worst his soule is most certainely bound by the hand of GOD in the bundle of the living and that hee shall hereafter everlastingly inhabite the joyes of eternity I say this one conceit being the immediate certificate of the spirit of truth doth infinitely more refresh his affections and affect his heart with more true sweetnesse and tastfull pleasure then all carnall delights and sensuall delicacies can possibly produce though they were as exquisite and numberlesse as nature art and pleasure it selfe could devise and to be enjoyed securely as long as the world lasts Besides this heaven upon earth and glorious happinesse even in this world he might hereafter go in arme with Angels sit downe by the side of the blessed Trinity amongst Saints and Angels and all the truly worthy men that ever lived with the highest perfection of blisse endlesse peace and blessed immortality all the joyes all the glory all the blisse which lies within the compasse of heaven should be powred upon him everlastingly and yet for all this he doth not onely in a spirituall phrensie desperately deprive himselfe and trample under foot this heaven upon earth and that joyfull rest in heaven world without end but also throwes himselfe into a hell of ill conscience here and hereafter into that hell of Devils which is a place of flames and perpetuall darknesse where there is torment without end and past imagination The day will come and the LORD knowes how soone when he will clearely see and acknowledge with horrible anguish of heart his strange and desperate madnesse See Wisd. 5. 2 c. For after the moment of a few miserable pleasures in this life be ended he is presently plunged into the fiery lake and ere he be aware the pit of destruction shutteth upon him everlastingly and if once he find himselfe in hell he knowes there is no redemption out of that infernall pit then would he think himselfe happy if he were to suffer those bitter and intolerable torments no mo thousands of yeares than there are sands on the sea shore haires on his head starres in heaven grasse piles on the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth for he would still comfort himselfe at least with this thought that once his misery would have an end but alas this word never doth ever burst his heart with unexpressible sorrow when he thinks upon it for after an hundred thousand of millions of yeares there suffered he hath as farre to suffer as he had at the first day of his entrance into those endlesse torments now let a man consider if he should lie in an extreme fit of the stone or a woman if she should be afflicted with the grievous torture of child-bed but one night though they lie upon the softest beds have their friends about them to comfort them Physitians to cure them all needfull things ministred unto them to asswage their paine yet how tedious painfull and wearisome would even one night seeme unto them how would they turne and tosse themselves from side to side telling the clocke counting every houre as it passeth which would seeme unto them a whole day What is it then think you to lie in fire and brimstone inflamed with the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where they shall have nothing about them but darknesse and discomforts yellings and gnashings of teeth their companions in prophanenesse and vanity to ban and curse them the damned fiends of hell to scourge them and torment them despaire and the worme that never dies to feed upon them with everlasting horrour If carnall wretches be so desperate as wilfully to spill the bloud of their owne soules let us set light by the life of our bodies if the cruelty of the times call for it for the honour of the Saviour of our soules Let me give one instance of dangerous snares