spiders web which either the hands of enemies or the Bâ—esome of destruction or the wind of Gods displeasure can and will both easily and certainly break sweep down and blow away That deny and deprive themselves of all Comforts to make both themselves and their posterities miserable That acknowledge as it were a statute of that morgage nay sell their souls for a little wealth that so they may buy a corruptible fading inheritance for their Children although to purchase that they are sure to forfeit and lose both Heaven happinesse and their own souls That both lay and give * Esay 9. 18. fire to a train to blow up and consume those †I do earnestly desire all covetous irreligious Parents seriously to consider of and tremble at these few amongst many places of scripture Exod 34. 7. Job 18. 19. Job 19. 10 11 â—5 22. 23. 28. houses and lands which they have built upon and bought with the ruines of others That feed their Children with poysoned dainties That * Prov. 3. 33. sow their Lands with Sinne for their off-spring while they live which will bring forth no better fruits nor yeild any other harvest but infamy beggery curses and misery unto them and intail together with their inheritance the wrath of God upon them Certainly those that do thus are equally mad and miserable for as that Blessed and Pious Martyr Bishop Hooper said the gains of the World with the losse of Gods favour is beggery and wretchednesse And all they are such and so doe who preferre Earth before Heaven plenty before piety for they will one-day to their grief shame and astonishment find that their greenest hopes will be blasted their Aegyptian reeds broken their strongest holds demolished that their honey will be turned into †Prov. 20. 17. gall and gravell and that their wealth will end in wants and endlesse misery Alexander the great going upon a hopefull expedition gave away his Gold and being asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of better and greater things But these infatuated Mammonists give away their hopes of the most choice and precious things Christ Heaven Pardon a good Conscience Salvation c. and reserve nothing but their Gold and the guilt both of over-loving and sinfully getting it And although they may or doe expect a plentifull harvest after so laborious and troublesome a seed-time yet they will find that they have only plowed upon a Rock laboured in the fire sown the wind and therefore that they shall reap nothing but the whirl-wind for †Prov. 10. 2. Riches profit not in the day of wrath sayes Solomon And a greater then Solomon God himself saith * Ezech. 7. 19. their silver and their Gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath they shall not satisfie their souls neitheir fill their Bowells Let us then as we desire not to be spirituall beggers and everlastingly undone with an holy greedinesse covet the best gifts and strive to be vertuous and pious since f Plato Omne super terram et sub terra Aurum non est ex ulla parte cum virtute comparandum Let us with an indefatigable diligence labour to be rich in faith and good works And let us with an holy scorne trample upon shining dirt and that thick clay wherewith whereby and wherein so many are both soiled and suffocated defiled and destroyed remembring alwaies that man is de terra ex terra sed non ad terram nec propter terram And also seriously considering that Avarice is one of the Divells strongest toiles wherein he takes a Drag-net wherewith he catches and a pioner whereby he both undermines and kills the soul Superbia clausit Diabolo coelum Gula primo parenti abstulit par adifum Avaritia diviti aperuit infernum All covetous persons are spiritual Idolaters i Heylyn Geog p. 790. so that what the people of Brasile said to the Spaniards holding up a wedge of Gold g viz. Behold the God of the Christians may truly and sadly be objected to and charged upon all avaritious men and women for they make goods their God account gain godliness and so do treasure up wrath instead of Wealth * Prov. 3 33. Curses instead of Riches to themselves and their posterities Having thus presented to your view though very unskilfully an Anatomy of that loathsome meagre unsavory unprofitable carcasse worldly mindednesse together with a true though unlively picture of the folly indigency slavery and misery of all covetous persons I shal now commend to your consideration a duty which Christ commands †Matth. 6. 20. But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven c. Beg earnestly cry mightily to God for his favour and carefully endeavour to keep your selves in his Love labour for a justifying faith for purity humility and sincerity of heart for holinesse and all heavenly Graces c. For these are such Treasures to which all the Indian Mines are but dust heaps empty Exchequers or Gravel-pits and in comparison whereof the rarest the most precious Jewels in the World are but Glasse and flints As so many spurrs therefore to quicken or Arguments to perswade you to expresse your Loyalty to the King of Righteousnesse your Soveraign by your obedience and conformity to his will and Commands and also to prevail with you even for your own sakes and the eternal good of your Souls Conscientiously and carefully to put this duty the pious performance whereof you will find to be equally necessary profitable and comfortable unto you in practise consider First That these Celestiall treasures are not only permanent but they are also reall Riches such as will make you truely everlastingly great honourable wealthy happy Secondly Consider that these and only such treasures are suitable to the nature and necessities of the soul Gold they say is good Conira palpitationem cordis against that trouble called the palpitation or trembling of the heart but it cannot cure a wounded spirit nor so much as ease a heart that 's burdened with the sense and fear of Gods dreadfull wrath for sin The Soul is a spirituall substance and therefore it cannot be fed contented maintained or preserved with mundane mercies or carnal comforts though shel was Emperesse of the universe No nothing but a saving interest in Christ peace of Conscience a sweet communion with God victory over all her spirituall enemies assurance of Gods mercy in the full and free remission of all her Iniquities c. can quiet or satisfie her And therefore she cries out in her pangs wants and serious reflexions upon her self when she is either scorched with Gods hot displeasure and fiery indignation or warmed with the Beams of Love and Mercy darting from the Sun of righteousnesse and shining upon her as that Martyr John Lambert did in the fire h Fex B. of Martyrs vol. 2. p. 427. col 2. None
hands of Violence and Treason yet they will most certainly be rescued set at Liberty and preserved to the disappointment terror unpitied destruction and the joyfull execution of the enemies of God and the King For whose happy Restauration without swimming through a Sea of Christian bloud to his Throne and his preservation from barbarous bloudy men when he is safely arrived and restored let us all frequently heartily cry unto the Lord. The Prayer ANd be thou pleased most gracious God I humbly beseech theeto protect his Royall person from open violence and secret Conspiracies Let no weapon formed against him prosper and let every arm stretched out against him wither Make him O Lord good and great holy and happy Establish his Throne in peace upon the sure foundations of Truth and Righteousnesse Crown him with the chiefest and choycest of all thy blessings Be O Lord a shield and a Sun unto him fasten him as a Nail in a sure place and make him a gracious ancient glorious Father in Israel Shour down the Mercies and Comforts of the upper and nether springs upon the Heads and Hearts of him and the rest of that Royall Family Cause dear God Wars to cease Religion to flourish and Love to abound in this Kingdome Let not our sins provoke thee to turn our Goshen into an Aceldama any more Make O Lord our Soveraign happy in his People make his People happy in Him their rightful King and make us all happy in the enjoyment of thy love protection and favour for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Per obedientiam pax prosperitas libertas per Rebellionem Inf elieitas poena paupertas infamia desolatio damnatio VII Of Riches Riches are a golden hook wherewith Satan catches and destroys the greedy Sons of Mammon They are without Grace the rust canker poyson that eat consume and kill the very sinews heart and vitals of honestie contentment piety They are nothing without Christ but silver letters glorious burdens guilded miseries glittering troubles shining vexations painted Cares afflicting friends miserable Comforters Aegyptian reeds broken Cisterns birds on wing a squalid Gloworm They are the Mother of Pride fewell of contention pandars to vice Divitiae sunt alimenta vitiorum voluptatum organa Clavis aurea scelerum They make men the prey of Enemies spunges of Tyranny and the Butâ— of envy And therefore when the a Aemy Probus in vita Thrasibuli p. 28. Mitylenians had given to Pittcus one of the seven wisemen many thousand acres of Land he refused their gift saying Nolite rogo vos mihi dare quod multi invideant plures etiam concupiscant Do not I pray you said he bestow that on me which many will envy and more will covet Riches they breed a Dropfie in the mind which makes it thirst insatiably They make that Heart which immoderately loves them like the ground wherein the Mines are found so barren that no good thing grows in it They are that fair inticing apple for which men lose Paradise * Prov. 11. 4. false friends in distresse a shadow which vanisheth when the clouds of sicknesse trouble of mind * If every feather in that fetherbed whereon I lye were a piece of Gold it would now doe me no good if I had not made my peace with god said that sincerely gracious eminently religious and most heavenly Servant of Jesus Christ Ms. Sarah Sharp of Filby in Leicestershire upon her death-bed who put off her rotten Rags of flesh and frailty to be clothed with the white precious and shining Robes of Immortality Felicity glory March the 14. 1658. or death hang over our heads being no more able in such a condition to quiet content or satisfie the mind with reall Comforts then vertue is to fill a pot or the sight of Gold an hungry stomack As that rich-poor man found who being very sick and full of grief called for a bag of Gold and laid it at his heart in hope thereby to find help and ease but presently after he called to them that stood by to take it away saying O it will not do it will not doe Riches they glue and nail the heart of a Worldling to the earth so that what Valerius saith of Ptolomaeus King of Cyprus he was in title King of that Island but in his heart a miserable drudge of money may in truth be affirmed of most very wealthy men They are called Impedimenta the b Bacon Essaâ— 33 p. 205. Baggage of vertue that hinders men in their march towards Heaven They are compared to long garments which hinder men from running the Race of Piety Gold and Silver are too heavy metals for him to carry that seeks Heaven They are the roots of care and the seeds of Trouble Divitias invenisti requiem perdidisti King Eutrapeus used to heap most riches on them whom he most hated saying that together with their Riches he should crush and oppresse them with aâ— heavy burden of cares And Bishop Latimer said in a Sermon Believe me auditors if I had an enemie to whom I might lawfully wish any evill I would desire chiefly that he might be very rich because I am certain that when once he enjoys abundance of wealth he will alwaies want rest and quiet Riches they dead our affections to heavenly things and make us prefer gain before Godlinesse Silver before Sanctitie Plentie before Pietie and cosfers full of Gold before a gracious Christ If I were not Alexander the great I would be Diogenes the Philosopher said Alexander If I were not great I would be good sayes a rich man 'T is almost impossible saies one 't is a miracle of grace sayes another for a rich man to be righteous And yet if Riches be sanctified Prov. 10. 12. they are great * blessings and singular advantages to honour God and to do good withall to others if not curses being like poison if corrected physick if not death and like muck if not spread abroad good for nothing Wealth consists not in having but in desiring Vis fieri dives nil cupias Wouldest thou have enough desire nothing A contented mind is Lord of both the Indies c Plut. Apophthegm The Samnites after M. Curius had overcome them in battaile sent unto him for a present a good Sum of Gold the Embassadors came found him sitting by the fire side tending the Pot wherein he boiled certain Râ—pe Roots and tendring the present to him he gave them this answer d Plurimum habet qui desiderat minimum habet autem quantum vult qui vult minimum Putean Orat. 1. That he who could content himself with such a supper had no need at all of gold Would ye be rich be vertuous and righteous Be vertuous because they only saith an Heathen Qui virtute sunt praediti divites sunt soli enim possident res et fructuosas sempiternas solique quod proprium est divitiarum contenti sunt rebus suis c. Be
righteous because fidelibus totus mundus divitiarum est saith a Christian the Saints have all the world for their possession And if you would increase your riches the surest way is * Prov. 11 24. 1 Tim. 6. 19. Charitably to scatter them e Reinold Orat p. 397. Divitiae quo aliis jurandis profunduntur magis eo magis nobis ipsis amplificantur servando minuuntur minuendo crescunt acquiruntur largiendo congeruntur dissipando cetinentur impertiends Si parcas perdis amittis si recondas si distribuas custodis non erunt diu tuae si sint solius tuae nunquam erunt magis tuae quam si cunctis communes facias Qui ditissimus esse volet profusissimus sit oportet qui parcissimus esse studet egentissimus sit necesse est sayes the Orator elegantly Riches the more bountifully we distribute them the more abundantly we encrease them They are lessened by keeping and multiplied by lessening of them they are gotten by giving them away heaped together by dispersing and retained by bestowing of them If we spare them we consume them if we hide them we lose them but if we releive others with them we save them They will not stay long with us if we keep them only to our selves they will never be more truly ours then when we freely communicate them to others If then we would be wealthy we must be liberall since the way to be beggerly is to be niggardly and to be poor to be parsimonious The safest place to keep our Riches in is Christs treasury the poor When Alexander the Great had given away his Treasure and they asked him where it was he pointed to the poor and said in Scriniis in my Chests And the only way to take our wealth with us to Heaven or to find it there is to send it before on poor mens backs thither Money is a good Maid but a bad Mistress If we over love Riches they will destroy us If we trust in them they will deceive us They will serve a wordly wicked man when he puts off from the shoar of life by sicknesse and launches into the Ocean of eternity by death as Pharaohs Chariot wheeles did him and the Aegyptians in the midst of the red Sea they will fall off and fail him in his greatest extremity And as the f Mr. Weever Funer Acts Monuments Courtiers Counsellers Friends and Servants did that renowned King of England Edward the 3d. upon his death-bed they will forsake him and neither stay nor so much as appear to administer any either temporall or spirituall Comfort unto him g Rainold Oratus p. 290. What Hannibal said of Antiochus his Souldiers Auro fulgebant satis ad Pompam armis ad pugnam nihil valebant 't is most true of them They may yea can indeed make us shine and glitter with bravery but they cannot fit arm inable or spirit us to fight against our spirituall Enemies with Courage nor the wrath of God with victory And therefore Beatus ille qui non post illa abiit quae possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant A man may be very poor with abundance of Wealth yea when he hath the highest Tide of plenty and a man may be really h Mens bona possidet Regnum Nerva Imperator rich in the midst of wants yea in the lowest Ebbe of Poverty for pauper esse non potest qui apud Deum dives est 't is not goods but goodnesse not earthly wealth but Heavenly Wisdome not a great Estate in the World but a saving interest in Christ not gold * Prov. 8. 21. but grace that makes us truly rich Isse ad deum copiosus * Judges 4. 18 19-21 ille opulentus advenit cui adstabunt continentia misericordia potentia fides charitas God is not alwaies pleased with those he prospers in the World for he gives wicked men riches as †Jael gave Sisera milk and lodging * Judges 3. 17-21 As Ehud gave Eglon a to their destructions * 1 Sam. 18 21. And †as Saul gave Michal to David to be a snare unto them Riches are but the blessings of Gods left hand the comforts of the lower springs and therefore Goats profane men and women that shall be eternally damned may drink freely fill themselves at those wells and have abundance of them The Indians who never heard of Christ were owners of the Gold and Silver Mines when Christians had but quarries of stone But God deals with his Children as * Genes 24. 6. Abraham did to Isaac he gives them all that he hath grace mercy peace here and glory hereafter And as * 2 Cron. 21. 3. Jehoshaphat did with his Sons he gives the eldest those that are regenerate that are adopted and have the Spirit whereby they can truly comfortably cry Abba Father a Kingdome but unto all the rest to all those that are unconverted unholy he gives only gifts of silver and Gold and of precious things for the wicked have nothing but outward Mercies for their Portion The Prayer O LORD thou alone dost both blesse the substance and curse the blessings of Men. Thy dispensations holy God are various perplexing wonderfull For thou makest some persons that are poor oppressed distressed imprisoned banished and very indigent rich in Faith and dost assure them that they are heirs of an heavenly great glorious ever-enduring Inheritance whilst others that are great full opulent free from troubles and prosperous in the World are both exceeding miserable and very Beggers And yet thou art most just equall righteous in all thy doings wayes and dealings with men Thy mercy O Lord is plenty with Poverty Thy blessing is pure reall refined Riches having no mixture of sorrow care or fear in it Thou O God fillest the empty thou satisfiest the hungry and thirsty with good things when the wickedly wealthy are empty both of Grace comfort peace and contentment though they be brimful yea though they runne over with Abundance Let not Christians therefore O Lord fix their eyes or set their hearts upon earth or earthly things only as if there was no Heaven for them to look upon or no Celestiall riches for them to desire and seek But let them account all sublunary enjoyments but fair and fading Flowers which thine Anger can and will both blast and wither in a moment Let them not prefer a muck-hill before a Mine by esteeming gain more then Godlinesse Let them not strangle their souls with a silver Snare nor suffer themselves to be catched in a Net of Gold by either an inordinate Love of or an over-eager and sinful guest and pursuit after Riches while they live lest when they dye their Iniquity and Calamities teach them their folly upbraid them with their phrensy and sting them for ever with unexpressible misery Grant this O thou who art rich in Mercy for his sake in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdome reall
and carryed to the Court to be honoured advanced so highly by the King as not only to become his Favourite but his Son and Heir also But it 's the greatest wonder of all and the highest phrensy for men to wound and poyson themselves because they may be cured to break their bones because they may chance to get them well set again to run into the fire because it 's possible their Father will pull them out and not suffer them to be burned and to love act live and persevere both in theft murder and rebellion in hope of being not only pardoned but promoted when they come to be executed And certainly it 's no lesse then the greatest folly yea madnesse and cruelty to our own Souls that we are capable either to invent act or expresse to presume and expect to obtain mercy favor and pardon from God at our death when we have knowingly wilfully and impenitently continued both robbers of God and traytors to God by sinning against him all our life For it 's most just and equall that the Lord should abhorre reject and burn the bone when the Devill hath had all the marrow The Prayer O LORD under the Law those sacrifices that were acceptable to thy Majesty were offered up with Fire but under the Gospell those Oblations those duties and services are most pleasing to thee which are presented and tendered with Water with penitentiall tears flowing from the bitter-sweet springs of a saving sight of sin and godly Sorrow for sin Grant O Lord that we may both love thee and grieve that by our Iniquities we have offended thee Let us serve thee with gladnesse of heart and yet be in bitternesse of Soul for our dishonouring of thee O give us Holy God to worship serve and pray unto thee not only with the fire of Love and zeal burning upon the altars of our inflamed hearts but also with the waters of contrition and remorse streaming out of broken Spirits Let us not seek thee and sin wilfully against thee Let us not professe repentance and practise rebellion Let us not O Lord forsake Egypt and long to enjoy it again But grant that we may never any more attempt or presume to repeat or act our former old or any new crimes And since most Holy God every known sin even the very least is a great a grievous a deep and a desperate wound to the Soul so soon as it is acted that festers in it by continuance gangrenes by delight and kills the Soul by impenitency O let all transgressing Christians speedily search their Souls and sores with the Probe of serious consideration let them behold them with the eyes of grief and humiliation let them bath and wash them with Tears of sorrow and contrition inable them by a justifying Faith to receive and apply unto them that Soveraign all-healing plaister made of that most precious Balm the bloud of Jesus Christ let them bind up their wounded spirits with the hands of compunction and self-abhorrency and grant that they may keep on their plaister both by a through reformation and a constant conscientious care willingly deliberately knowingly to sinne no more that so they may recover be healed and live Grant this great mercy O thou God of mercy unto us for the merits of Jesus Christ Amen Poenitere est vere sapere valere vivere XIII Of Prayer 'T Is that safe carefull nimble spirituall messenger and post that carries and brings letters of intelligence and love-tokens to and from Christ 'T is the language of Canaan A Christians Shiboleth 'T is the souls both Orator and Sollicitor in that great Court of Requests Heaven 'T is a Jacob wrastling with God and prevailing A Jonah though buried alive in a swimming Sepulchre though shipt in a living Vessel and carried down under Deck to the confines of Hell crying for and obtaining a safe landing on the shoar of Life 'T is a Moses begging and receiving cure of the souls Physitian of Almighty God for Miriam a leprous sinful person 'T is a Christians Forces wherewith he besieges Heaven and takes it by storm by violence 'T is the souls industrious faithfull factor in Heaven from whence it brings the precious everlasting riches and Jewell of grace forgivenesse comfort to the heart T is the key that opens and shuts Heaven Oratio justi clavis est coeli ascendit precatio et descendit Dei miseratio licet alta sit terra altum coelum audit tamen Deus hominis linguam si mundam habet conscientiam Prayer like a Hackw Apolog p. 295. histor of Flanders .. Dousa's Doves when Leyden was besieged it brings certain intelligence of relief supplies assistance coming from the Lord of Hosts to strengthen succour and deliver the soul when it 's beleaguered indangered or assaulted by sin Satan or the world What was said of Luther is true of prayer It may have almost what it will of Christ There is a kind of omnipotency in it whereby it holds hinders and with an humble holy reverence be it spoken binds the arm of Almighty God that he cannot strike Let me alone saith the Lord to Moses and get thee out of Sodome said the * Genes 19. 22. Angell to Lot for thy supplication is her preservation thy prayers and presence are her protection thy company is her security thy residence her reprieve I cannot do any thing I cannot rain down Hell out of Heaven in a fiery showre to consume her till thou beest out of her and got to Zoar. As Faith is the Emperesse of Graces so prayer is the Queene of duties The Elements of effectuall Prayer are First Faith Vt oremus credamus ut ipsa non deficiat fides qua oramus * James 5 16. Hebr. 11. 5. Oremus Fides fundit orationem fusa oratio fi dei impetrat firmitatem Faith and prayer are like the fire and fewel fire makes the fewell burn and flame and fewell feeds the fire and keeps it burning and flaming Faithlesse prayers are fruitlesse prayers or rather such supplications are provocations for God is so far from smelling a sweet savour in the sacrifices of unbelievers that he loaths them they stink in his nostrils and therefore he will cast their duties like dung into their faces 2. * James 5. 16. Fervency Qui frigide rogat negare docet prevalency is the child of importunity An * Luke 18 4 5. Atheisticall unjust judge that neither fears God nor cares for man will grant the earnest suit of a poor Widow though a stranger to him How much more then will the great judg of Heaven and earth who is not only a just but also a most gracious compassionate God and Father both hear and grant the ardent humble and hearty petitions of his own Children He that did never say to the house of Iacob seek ye my face in vain He that commands us to aske and seek and hath promised that we shall receive and find
very strangely if not irecoverably distempered and sick Heu quam periculâ—sus est iste morbus quum et infirmitates suas amat medicos suos odio habet aegrotus Certainly that malady is mortall which makes the patient love his disease and hate his Doctor And thus to disesteem oppose and hate the faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ is a sin in the highest form of those crying crimes which wil shorten the life of our peace cloud if it do not totally eclipse the glorious sun of the Gospell amongst us †2 Chron 36. 16. and * provoke the Lord to consume and destroy the Land with the Inhabitants thereof Let us then if we will not love them nor be liberall to them and thankfull for them for Gods their own nor our souls sake yet be just to them and pay them their dues for very shame †Levit. 72 30. 1 Cor. 9. tithes are the Lords He hath reserved them to himself and therefore man cannot either lawfully or safely alienate them Nor did ever any man yet that purchased a Lordship or Lands except the Estate he bought were impropriate the rise and age whereof I mean of Impropriations is known almost to every man claime or pretend any right or title to the tenth part of what he bought And yet further Tithes have been setled upon the Ministers of England and confirmed unto them by sixty Acts of Parliament saies Mr. Prynne and which is yet more they were confirmed and payd unto them before the Conquest by the Saxons and all along since the Conquest down to these times wherein the malice and power of Satan the avarice of some self-seeking Christians and the both envy and subtilty of Jesuits those implacable enemies to and restlesse underminers of the Gospel and Ministers of Jesus Christ have stirred up some seduced people to declaime against them as a burden and grievance and to petition the Magistrates to take them away notwithstanding their undoubted right unto them See for your fuller and better satisfaction herein the 8th Chapter of Mr. Seldens History of Tithes p. 195. And yet further Tithes were instituted and payd both before the Law under the Law and under the Gospell too See D. George Carletons Tithes proved to be due by a Divine Right D. Will. Sclater his Ministers Portion Mr. Prynns Gospell plea c. since the Labourer is worthy of his wages Since Tithes is their unquestionable right both by the Lawes of * I know it is either hellish malice or pernicious basenesse or ignorance of the work and burden of Ministers that makes their maintenance so generally incompetent and their very livelyhood subsistence so envyed and grudged at M. Baxter Saints everlasting rest p. 91. God and men and since riches gotten by sacriledge are alwaies put into a bag with holes And therefore it was a saying among the Jews Decima ut dives fias Let then all such as have or do so defraud their pastors alwaies remember and seriously consider That it 's unpardonable Felony to rob Embassadors And let them frequently and impartially view and weigh what God himself sayes in * Malach. 3. 8. Malachi the last of the Prophets who is therefore elegantly styled Fibula legis Evangelii the button or claspe of the Law and Gospell ye have robbed me saith the Lord wherein say they that were guilty of Sacriledge have we robbed thee God himself is pleased to answer and resolve them thus In Tithes and offerings And if the conscience of their duty cannot perswade them to hate this crimson crime yet let the fear of Gods fierce wrath and heavy curse dissiwade and deterre them from being guilty of it Since it 's most certain that God will both apprehend and arraign all such Sacrilegious theeves and also that without true repentance they are then sure to be cast to be denyed the benefit of their clergy and to be condemned without mercy Lastly let such cankers and caterpillars of the Ministry consider that that dangerous odious felony will not inrich them nor will that unjust gain be enjoyed by them for others will be as ready and resolved to require yea to compell the payment of their Tithes to them as they are willing and desirous not to pay them to their Ministers whose just dues and rights they are o August Sermo 219. de tempore If thou wilt not give thy Tithes Dabis impio militi quod non vis dare Deo Sacerdoti Hoc tollit Piscus quod non accepit Christus saith St. Augustine Thou shalt be sure to give that to an impious Souldier which thou wilt not give to God and a religious Minister The Exchequer takes that away which Christ hath not received And what greater folly or madnesse can there be in the world then for men to sin ruine and wilfully to pull down Gods anger judgments and curses upon themselves to please or profit others The Prayer O LORD it is thy sweet gracious and precious promise that thou wilt be with thy Ministers to the end of the World Be pleased therefore I most humbly earnestly and heartily beseech thee to own honour blesse multiply protect and continue them in spite of all opposition both from earth and Hell And as thou hast assured us that the gates of Hell shall never prevaile against thy Church So neither suffer O Lord the Agents Factors and Emissaries of Satan the implacable enemies of truth holinesse reformation ordinances and righteousnesse to ruine or root â—ut thy Ministers lest thy Church lie buryed under the rubbish filth and straw of Atheisme idolatry heresie ignorance and profanenesse Preserve and shield them good God from contempt opposition and persecution Let their feet be beautiful in our eyes their voice melodious to our Ears and their message most welcome pleasant acceptable to our hearts that bring publish and preach the glad tidings of Salvation unto us Bring not a fatall dreadfull eclipse upon us by causing the Sun to go down upon our Prophots Let not O Lord those stars fall out of thy right hand but let them be as the Signet upon thy finger and as the Apple of thine eye near and dear unto thee And since in the darker times of the Law thou didst require and command that thy Priests should be holy and without blemish O grant that in these brightest days of the glorious Gospell thy Ministers may be holy heavenly harmlesse and blamelesse Make them O Lord carefull to feed their stocks both with holy doctrines and with religious examples that so they may be not only preachers but patterns too of vertue and piety to their people Grant this inward purity and outward Beauty to our Pastors O Lord for his sake who is the greatâ— Shepherd both of their and our Souls Jesus Christ Amen Sacerdotes pii sunt dotes preciosissimae XXI Self-calling Of Self-making preachers or rather Praters and Seducers THey are bloudy Empericks whose Medicines murder whose potions poyson
his people yet he hath declared * Esay 55. 7. promised * Ezechiel 33. 11. yea sworn that if by true repentance sound humiliation and a through reformation of their hearts and lives they will mourn for and turn from their sins enter into a Covenant to walk holily closely uprightly before him keep it and by servent prayer beg for mercy and forgivenesse heartily * Prov. 28. 13. acknowledge their crimes that then he will pardon them be reconciled unto them and not destroy them d Don Anthony de Guavara Diall of Princes Fol. 200. Darius to mock Alexander the great sent to him to know where his treasures were for such great Armies Alexander answered Tell Darius he keeps his treasures in his coffers and that I have no other treasures but the hearts of my friends He that hath God for his friend shall be sure to be rich he shall want no good thing the Lord will give him both grace and glory he will make him both holy and happy And he that makes God his Treasure esteeming loving seeking his favour a sweet holy Communion with him and a stock a hoard of vertue and all heavenly graces above all earthly enjoyments shall be sure to find all precious substance here and to be crowned with eternal felicity hereafter e Rainold Oâ—as p 484. When Caesar had commanded Pompeys Statua's to be erected M. Cicero said thus to him Statuas Pompeii statuisti stabilisti tuas He that sincerely indeavours to honour God shall certainly by it but not for it because all yea more then we can either do or pay is both debt and duty to him * honour himselfe Non reputes magnum quod Deo servis sed maximum reputa quod ipse dignetur te in servum assumere sibi f 1 Sam. 2. 30. Julian commanded by an Edict all the Christians in his Army to sacrifice to his Gods g Spee Chroâ—â—â— p. 171. 173. or else they should lose their places and Honours whereupon Flavius Valentinianus chose rather to forsake the Camp then Christ his Conscience and his Religion but God did eminently abundantly reward him for afterwards he became Emperour of Rome Amongst the Ancestors of the Rhodians it was a Law that if a Father had many Children the most virtuous should inherit and if he had but one virtuous child that then he should be the sole heir of his goods and Estate Only they who art obedient pious gracious men and women shall be Heirs of glory and enjoy the inheâ—itance of the Saints in light It is therefore our wisdome duty interest and will be our comfort peace happinesse to get cleare evidences that this God is our God for unlesse we have a propriety in him and can truly beleevingly experimentally say with Thomas My Lord and my God although he be aboundlesse bottomlesse Ocean of mercy not so much as one drop thereof will ever flow out from him to refresh our souls It s no advantage or comfort to an Esau that the Lord loves a Jacob. Quid mihi profuerit Deus alienus Vae illi qui non habet Deum de proprio The Ark preserved none but only those who were in it from perishing Let us therefore do to God as i Senec. de Benef. lib. 1. Cap. p. 385. Aeschines did to Socrates his Master resigne and give up our souls and selves freely sincerely intirely to him saying with him Nihil dignum te inveni quod dare tibi pâ—ssim hoc modo pauperem me esse sentio Itaque dono tibi quod unum habeo Me ipsum Such is O Lord my poverty that I have nothing worthy of thy acceptance or answerable to my desires to present unto thee and therefore I doe cordially give thee my selfe and then the Lord will answer us as Socrates did him Accipio sed ea lege ut te tibi meliorem reddam quam recepi I do not only accept thee but I will also make and return thee to thy self better richer holier happier then I received thee For if we will be his people then the Lord will be our God and in and with him we shall enjoy all good things but without him nothing Because Quicquid praeter te est Domine non reficit non sufficit si ad Corpus sufficit non tamen perpetuo satiat quum adhuc amplius quaeratur qui autem te habet satiatus est finem suum habet non habet ultra quod quaeratur quia tu es supra omne visible audibile adorabile gustabile tangibile sensibile In a word what King Henry the 5th promised to his Souldiers when he said to them h Speed Chroâ— p. 796. Whosoever desires Riches Honor and Rewards here he shal find them Ni mirum haec medio posuit Deus omnia campo the Lord of hosts makes good to his people who are sure to find life in his favour to receive grace with every good thing here and eternal glory hereafter This is the portion pay and promotion of all that faithfully serve that truly love God The Prayer MOST High most holy most gracious and most glorious God since thou art both the Lord of Hosts and the King of Saints the Father of Mercy and the fountain or rather the inexhaustible never-failing every fully sweetly and freely satisfying Ocean of all true felicity heavenly Joyes heart-reviving supporting Graces and thirsty soules Let all those I beseech thee that know and professe thy name fear love trust obey thee and delight in thee Let them know thee savingly fear thee filially love thee cordially obey thee sincerely and delight in thee chiefly yea infinitely more then in Corn Wine Oyle pleasure profit honour and all sublunary enjoyments Let oh Lord nothing please quiet or content them till they have gotten comfortable evidences of thy special Love and untill they enjoy an humble holy sweet communion with thee Let them not account the choysest rarest most endearing things in the whole world worth either desiring seeking or possessing without thee since they all are if they do not flow from thy Love in Christ as well as come or streame from thy common thy general providence but shels without kernels Bones without marrow Combes without honey and Huskes without fruit to those that receive them that so being sensible and perswaded of their Creators All-sufficiency the Creatures emptinesse deceitfulnesse insufficiency their own nothingnesse unworthinesse wretchednesse loathsomnesse and spiritual misery by reason of their Originall pollution actual Rebellions and crying abominations committed against thee they may beg earnestly heartily constantly to thee who alone canst and wilt hear help heal them for spiritual Mercy for hearts to abhor sin humiliation for sin pardon of it strength against it and victory over all sinne for mindes to know thee holinesse to be like thee sincerity to please grace to glorifie thee and for thy Favour which is at once like a Cabinet of Pearl full of most precious unvaluable
Loyall and impenitent truly sorrowfull for all our transgressions 3. It quickens and breatheth Life into us that were by nature dead and buried in trespasses and sins 4. It both inspires and stirreth up good motions in our soules 5. It helps our infirmities makes c Rom. 8. 26. intercession for us indites our prayers inables us to pray fervently faithfully prevailingly to God for Grace pardon and salvation 6. It comforts quiets and supports mourning doubting drooping hearts 7. It leads and keepeth Christians into and in the way of holinesse till they come to heaven and enjoy eternall happinesse 8. It sanctifieth and maketh Gods ordinances effectuall for the conviction and conversion of sinners Lastly to name no more it dwelleth and abideth in all those that truly repent believe love obey fear and serve God The Holy Ghost is compared and resembled in Scripture to divers things First it 's compared to d Jere. 23 29. Acts 2. 3. fire and that in these respects Fire first heats 2. shines 3. ascends 4. softens and 5. refines drossy and hard things so the Holy Ghost 1. inflames our frozen hearts with love to God and zeale for God 2 It makes Christians shine in works of piety justice charity mercy and in holinesse of life 3. It raiseth their naturally low-flying or rather crawling affections from earthly things and maketh them to mount and fix them upon God Christ and heavenly things 4. It turneth a heart of Adamant into a soft and tender heart of flesh 5. It purgeth away a Christians drosse it purifies him from his corruptions and filth Secondly the Holy Ghost is compared to e Ezech. 36. 25. water for as water 1. refreshes 2. quenches 3 cleanses 4. fructifies So the Spirit of God comforts cheares and reviveth troubled weary languishing hearts 2. It quencheth Gods fiery wrath kindled and flaming out against transgressors in their terrors spiritual desertion trouble anguish of soul and conscience for their sins 3 It cleanseth them from all filthiness both of flesh spirit 4. It makes them fruitful in every good work Thirdly the Holy Ghost is compared to a * John 3. 32. Dove As Doves are 1. meek for they have no gall 2. innocent and harmlesse creatures 3. Lovers of and delighted with white houses to sit and roost in Amant alba tecta Columbae So those Christians that have the spirit of God are 1. free from malice hatred sinfull anger envy or however they mourn and are exceedingly displeased with themselves for being otherwise 2. The Holy Ghost makes them not only carefull to do no hurt or wrong to any but also willing and desirous to do good unto others especially spiritually that is to their soules 3. It makes their hearts pure and white by sprinkling the bloud of Christ upon them and working godly sorrow in them without which it will neither delight nor dwell in them because sin unrepented of makes the soul black ugly and filthy Fourthly the holy Ghost is compared to * Acts 2. 3. cloven fiery tonguâ—s to teach us that our tongues must be cloven with Charity and fervency in our prayers for 1. we must not only beg earnestly for mercy but we must also praise the Lord most heartily for his mercies petition and thanksgiving must cleave them 2. We must pray for both spirituall and temporall mercies these must again divide our tongues 3. We must pray and â—ry mightily not only for pardon of sin for the removal or sanctification of afflictions for grace and prosperity to and for our selves but for all others also 4. We must pray not only that God would give us and others glory hereafter but also that we and they may honour and glorifie God here And certainly all those that have this glorious Spirit have also not only their tongues but their hearts too thus cloven with zeal I mean for God and love to their own and others souls Fifthly the Holy Ghost is compared to a * Ephes 1. 13. Seal because as Deeds and Conveyances are unable and ineffectual to settle and assure those things conteined in them being null and voyd in Law till they be fealed So we can have no sound good or clear Evidences that our sins are forgiven us that God is reconciled to us that the Lord Jesus is our Jesus and that our souls shall be saved till we be sealed by the Spirit of God Sixthly the Holy Ghost is compared to * 2 Cor. 1 22 and ch 4. v. 5. Earnest for as Earnest is an argument and proof of an agreement betwixt man and man for something to be delivered and given by one to another and also an assurance that some other and greater thing shall be made good and received when that is given and taken So by having the Earnest of the Spirit Christians are assured that now the Lord and they are agreed and reconciled that they shall undoubtedly have his favour blessing grace here and that they shall hereafter injoy eternall joy and blisse with him for ever Seventhly the Holy Ghost is compared to †John 16. 13. a Guide because as Guides do 1. Comfort 2. direct 3 defend 4. keep those they travail with from wandring 5. accompany them and bring them to their Journeys end So the spirit of God doth 1. wonderfully solace and rejoyce the hearts of tru Christians in their pilgrimage on earth 2. It directs and sheweth them which is the sure good and best way for them to go in 3. It secures and delivers them from those enemies and dangers that lye in Ambush to surprize them and are ready to seize upon them 4. It keeps them from erring and straying in the broad dangerous yea deadly ways of sin and leads them forward in the narrow but safe and happy path of life And lastly the Holy Ghost never leaves them finally but conducts them with safety joy and comfort to their earnestly longed for and desired home Heaven These and such like are the bright beautiful and refreshing Beams that ray from his glorious Sun and dart consolation exultation peace and felicity into the hearts of Gods people These are the pure reviving and pleasant streams that flow from this Fountain or rather Ocean into the fouls of true Christians These are the radiant rich yea precious and inestimable Jewels that embellish and adorn the Holy Spirits Mansion a truely Gracious heart Let us then sincerely desire fervently beg highly prize this Holy Spirit and when ever it knocks at the door of our hearts by any holy motions say as †Genes 24. 31. Laban did to Abrahams Servant Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without for I have prepared a room for thee The Prayer O Eternall infinite and incomprehensible Lord God who art Three in One and One in Three most glorious Persons distinguished but not divided grant I humbly beseech thee that the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Light Truth and Life may illuminate all
those that are darkened with Ignorance and benighted in Superstition with the glorious Beames of saving knowledge Let it guide all those that wander in the by paths of Errour and Wickednesse into the safe way of Verity and Holinesse And let it quicken such as are dead in Trespasses and Sins that those dry bones those stinking Lazarusses may rise live and praise thee Let it O Lord convince convert humble purifie and regenerate those that are secure profane carnall and unclean that so being sanctified by the Spirit of Christ they may be comfortably assured they are justified by the Merits of Christ Let good God thy Holy Spirit excite perswade inable Christians to try discern and judge which is the true Spirit the Spirit of Truth that so they may not be deluded but infallibly directed by it to choose and to walk under the Câ—nduct thereof in the way of Holinesse that leads to happinesse And do thou O Lord who art the Father of Spirits give us all thy Holy Spirit whereby we may be inabled to cry Abba Father for thy Sons and our alone Saviours sake Jesus Christ Amen Sine Spiritu Sancto nec lux pax puritas Sanctitas nec gloria IV. Of Sinne and Sinners T is the true and fruitfull mother of miseries A Pandoras Box full of all reall deadly plagues and curses T is the poyson of the soul rack of Conscience the Bellows fewell oyle that blow kindle and continue the fiery wrath of God burning against all obstinate perpetrators thereof a Ho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 632. Like Homers Thersites it's ugly without as well as within having like the subtile cruell Panther a deformed head as well as a destructive deadly paw Like Judas it kisses and betrayes us Like Ioab it embraces stabâ— and kills at once b Quint Curtius lib. 8. p. 154. Sin is like to the River Nilus whose streams do cause and produce a fruitfulnesse even to wonder but yet it abounds with crocodiles wickednesse is sometimes prosperous but it s always dangerous and without Repentance deadly It 's like the Caspian Sea which affords the sweetest waters but breeds the greatest Serpents The Preface of sin may be pleasure its Exordium delight but the Finis thereof will be punishment At sins table the first course may be contentment but the second will be death It may appear to our dim eyes a Dove but if we once lodge it in our bosomes or imbrace it we shall finde it a serpent that will both sting and kill us T is a Siren which allures us to our ruine a Thiefe that robs us of our chiefest treasures our choycest mercies Gods favour a saving interest in Christ pardon of sin peace of Conscience grace glory It 's the souls both Leprosie and murderer Like the stone by the river Maeander called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sober stone which put into a mans bosome would make him mad it distracts us Like that deaf-stone which I have read is in Scotland that one standing at one end of it can not hear what another saith standing at the other end thereof it stops the ears of the Lord that our Prayers cannot find audience or acceptance with him * Esay 59. 1. 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear c Plutarch in ejus vitâ— What Phociâ—n the Athenian once said to the people of Athens viz. All that ever you say and do dislikes me God * Prov. 15 8 9. 26. saith and declareth to all wicked persons whose both prayers wayes and thoughts are abominable to him yea and their civill actions too †for the ploughing of the wicked is sin * Prov. 21. 4. Sin it blots out all the characters of beauty comelinesse and amabilitie which God at first engraved upon the soul it covers also the face of the soul which was most fair and lovely till sin did spoil blast and soil it with a black vail of deformity and renders it loathsome and ugly in the pure eye of God It defaces yea ruins the rarest piece of the whole Creation the Epitome of the Universe the wonder of Nature the miracle of the world Man It not only poysons the lower springs of earthly injoyments turns blessings into curses but like Pharaohs lean kine it devours consumes those sat ones riches health greatness peace plenty and all * Read Deut. 28. chapt worldly prosperity It also which is a mischief infinitely greater then the other dams up the current of those upper springs grace mercy speciall love salvation so that the soul like the mountains of Gilbea hath no celestiall showres of holinesse or reall happinesse rained upon it It turned Paradise into a wildernesse and makes the world a Pest-house when that too pregnant womb the heart hath conceived Sin by the Devill who is the true Father thereof it nourishes seeds and keeps it till it falls in travail of those cursed dreadful monstrous Twins Guilt and Misery and then it 's carried and laid down by death and judgment in a bed of fire and attended only with Devils and Reprobates without all possibility or hope of ever being delivered It grieves Heaven but makes Hell triumph It 's a tree that bears no other fruit but shame sorrow wrath and death Doe but wipe your eyes and behold the ugly face of sin in the Crystall glass of Gods word and also in those red mirrors the fearfull judgements the dreadful vengeance of the Lord upon those pillars of salt those miserable standing monuments of Gods hatred and detestation erected both in his word and in the world Impenitent transgressors And lastly in the bloudy sufferings of Jesus Christ and then if your hearts be not harder then an Adamant or like the * Job 41. 24. Leviathans as firm as a stone yea as hard as a piece of the nether milstone they will relent and you will mourn confesse forsake yea loath all sin †Numb 32. 23. It 's the souls bloud-hound which will hunt pursue overtake and as Acteon was killed by his own dogs as Haman was hanged upon his own Gibbet as Holofernes was beheaded with his own sword destroy it T is that Jonas in the ship of the soul which raises a terrible tempest of divine wrath against it whereby it will be not only restlesly tossed upon the briny bitter Billows of fear anguish dejection and perplexity but also before the stone cease unlesse it be thrown over board cast out of the heart and life by godly sorrow and unfained repentance it will most certainly and miserably be wrackt and perisht without hope or help in a boyling Sea of fire and brimstome which hath neither banks nor bottome For as d Leigh choyce observat in the Life of Claudius p. 102.
Claudius was murdered by Agrippina his wife with that meat mixed by her with poison which he most and best loved So those sins wherein the wicked do most delight and please themselves will certainly if they do not get their pardon in this life both poyson and kill their souls T is a truth equally sad apparent and prodigious that there is no Creature in the world so mercilesse or mischievous to its self as a wicked man is For it is an e Bed Axiom ex Arist lib. 2. phys Axiome in Philosophy Idem non agit corruptionem sui ipsius nisi per accidens Every thing naturally either desireth or tends to its own preservation perfection and felicity But an impious profane Man yea every impenitent sinner doth deliberately contrive cunningly plot diligently seek industriously pursue and most laboriously yea indefatigably indeavour to ruine both his body and soul for ever He is a Wolf a Devill to himself for he is his own adversary his own tempter as well as to others Since he spends much time useth many means spares for no cost and takes very great pains to go to Hell So that f Camerar Hist medit lib. 1. p. 29. what the Common Souldier said unto Marius who was in his youth a Cutler but afterwards an Emperour when he slew him This is with the sword which thy self hast made God men Conscience and Satan may yea will one day say to every impenitent sinner This sin of thine thy pride hypocrisie drunkenness thy profaneness uncleaness worldlyness c. which thou hast in thy youth and life committed is the sharp glittering sword with which the Lord of Hosts doth now pierce thy hardened heart through with sorrow and kill thy sinfull soul T is the sole object of Gods eternall hatred Deo nihil est invisum odiosum execrabile nisi malum It 's a spiritual Gangraena which if it be not cured by hearty repentance will provoke the Lord to cut the soul off with the sharp Revenging axe of Justice and the two-edged sword of wrath from the body of Jesus Christ What the Jews said of the golden Calf g Godw. Jew Antiq. lib. 4. p. 175. No punishment befalleth thee Israel in which there is not an Ounce of this Calf is most true of sin it being certain that both temporall punishments spiritual judgments and eternall torments are procured by it and that they have been are and will be inflicted by the Lord upon those that are wicked as the just reward and deserved wages of iniquitie because sin like Goliah comes alwaies with an Army of Philistines with woes miseries curses and troubles in the rear of it And if men will suffer or rather combine with and help Satan to pinion themselves with the Cords of iniquitie God will also in his owne time bind them with the fetters of afflictions and hang them up as Spectacles of his just fury in the Chains of Damnation The counsell therefore of Otho 2. ought to be our practise Pacem inquit cum omnibus habe bellum cum vitiis because we cannot make our peace with God nor injoy that peace of God which passeth all understanding unlesse we wage war and maintain a couragious constant fight till death against sin Satan and our selves If we would have the Lord our friend and love us we must be enemies to and hate implacably every wicked way and every evill thing * Matth. 5 7. If we mourn for sin here we shall rejoyce hereafter but if we rejoyce in sin here * Job 20. 5. we shall †grieve hereafter because the short empty deceitful pleasures of sin which are but like the colours in the Rainbow pleasures in appearance only not in truth or reality in the end will sting and fill the heart with unspeakable yea unconceivable horror and sorrow for sin is neither h Socrates Epist 7. a gainful nor an honorable nor a pleasant thing but the greatest calamitie in the world Although then the distempered palat's of wicked men may at their first drinking a sugared draught of sinful delights tast some * Sin is like the River Atheneus whose upper waters were sweet grateful both towards the bottome brackish pleasantnesse and honey therein yet they will be sure to relish and find bitternesse yea gall and wormwood at the bottome of the Cup. Besides they cannot satisfie but they will satiate them and as at the first they will be sick of Love so ere long they will be sick of loathing like * 2 Sam. 13. 15. 27. Amnon even those dearest fairest Tamars on which but even now they so passionately doted For like the bloudy Sword of cruel war it will be bitrernesse in the end The Devill like a cunning cruell Master at first useth his Servants with seeming kindnesse and bids them welcome he will not crosse displease or deny them any thing nor in any thing but when he hath once got them into his workhouse and ingaged them in his service then the condition of an Isralite in Aegypt or a Galley slave in Turkey or of a Christian in the Inquisition is infinitely more desirable and comfortable then theirs When Satan first tempts men and women to drudge for him to sin he perswades them that the evill which he would have them act is so little veniall inconsiderable that it hath no danger in it and that they shall not fail to find and receive either delight advantage or advancement or all for he hides his deadly hook with such baits as he by his long experience finds are the likelyest to be swallowed by those he desires to catch and resolves to kill by the committing of it and by this pulley he drawes them with this screw he turns and winds them up to presume In this hood put over the eies of their mind he leads them blindfold quietly easily and securely to the very brink of the bottomlesse pit for they go with him as that more then foolish young wanton did with his unchast minion †Prov 7. 22. Even as a Beast goeth to the slaughter or as a foole to the correction of the stocks But when this bloudy Gaoler hath hung and lockt so many Irons upon his jocund fearlesse muffled miserable Captives that he is confident they cannot break Prison nor make an escape then he awakens them with thunder and represents their wofull condition in the most grisly terrible dreadfull form which he with all his skil and spite is able unto them suggesting and telling them That their sins are got above Gods mercy being too great to be pardoned that since they have chosen him for their master damnation must be their wages that since they have given him the flowr of their youth God will never accept the bran of their age that the day of Grace is ended and the door of mercy shut therefore it is in vain either to work or knock that their sins have made them like
them with their Bloud not only under the ten Roman most barbarous persecutions by those Heathenish Monsters when so many of them were slaughtered that there were for every day in the year saith St. Jerom 5000 Martyrs But this was also the judgment and practise of our English Martyrs in Queen Macies dâ—ies The fire of Loyalty burned in their hearts and flamed out at their mouths in Christian exhortations and perswasions of the Spectators to Allegiance and obedience unto the King and Queen when they were unjustly by their Authority Command or permission condemned sentenced to be burned and when that cruell Sentence was ready to be executed by remorsless men or rather Tygers upon them b Fox Book of Martyrs vol. 3 p. 665. Bishop Cranmer a little before his Martyrdome in his last words to the people said thus I exhort you that next under God you obey your King and Queen viz. Philip and Mary willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging not for fear of them only but much more for the fear of God Knowing that they be Gods Ministers appointed by God to rule and govern you and therefore whosoever resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God Authority is Gods creature Monarchy is a divine Institution not the work or Child of men Loyalty therefore is our duty and at once the comfort and the character of Christians and reall piety The spirit of truth hath joined Fear God and honâ—ur the King together true Christians therefore dare not attempt eiâ—her to divide or divorce them And as they have no warrant for it but a plain a peremptory Commâ—nd against it so neither is thâ—re any either wisdome or safety in doing of it For Loyalty is not only the Mother but the Nurse of Peace And peace is the Magazine the Mine Root and Spring of plenty safety prosperity and all temporall felicity Rebellion is the source of desolation Succâ—sâ—full Traitors are usually most cruell Tyranâ—s * Nemo unquâ—m imperium malâ—â— artibus quaesitum bene exercuit Tacit. Vsurpâ—rs are commonly Oppressors Their victories make them bloudy and miserable Captives to their brutish lusts and passions which overcome and enslave them Ira Superbia Crudelitas Furor Rabies sunt victoriae Comites victorum hosteâ— a quibus saepâ— Clarissimi victores turpissime victi sunt saith Petrarch and we can sadly say we have found his words most true Can we expâ—ct or hope that those Wolves which worrey the Shepherd will love spare or defend the Sheep That such as thirst for bloud struggle for Thrones and court the possessions of others will desire peace execute Justice or delight in mercy If conscience then do not prudence should perswade us not only to hate Treason but also to decline yea to detest all Communion Concurrence and correspondency with Traytors By wofull experience we now know though the widest broadest words and the highest the most eloquent language are too narrow low and flat fully to expresse it how great how grievous a Judgment Calamitie it is to have no King in Israel Have we not seen since the Crown did fall from our head because we had sinned against the Lord such things acted amongst us as we cannot but tremble to hear and abhor to think of Have we not had such Nero's as did with delight inhumanity and impiety rip up the Bowels of their Mother murder their gracious Father and endeavour with cunning cruelty and indefatigableness to ruine at once both the Church and State So that we may say of some of their Fathers as the Romanes did of him when he commanded a Boy to be so cut as to make him an artificial Woman Would Nero's Father had had such a Wife Since c Speed Chron. p. 103. what was said of Lucius the King of Britain may be too truly affirmed of them namely That they had been happy if they had not left a Son behind them because their Children as Lampridius said of Commodus hâ—ve livâ—d for the Subjects mâ—schiâ—f and their own shame We have been taught but we have paid exceeding dear for our Learning the difference betwixt being governed by Lâ—mbs and Lions Let us therefore prize Gods mercies whilest we enjoy them lest our sufferings and sorrows show ns the hainousnesse of our Sinne in sâ—ighting and rejecting of them And let us not only professe Loyalty with our lips but let us carefully really constantly express it in our Lives to our Sacred Soveraign it being both pleasing to God and profitable to our selves to be obedient faithfull Subjects For Allegiance is the faithfull Liâ—e-â—uard the invincible Râ—mpart both of King and people 'T is that sweet smell * 'T is said â—hat swâ—et smels wil kâ—l Vultures and revive Dâ—ves Aâ—ms are the defence of Tyrants and therefore â—he unsavory 〈◊〉 of Gunpowder is delightful but the odoâ—iâ—erous savour of peâ—ce is distastâ—ul yea deadly to them which kills Vultures I mean forraign and Domestick Enemies 'T is that Hoop that Ring which keeps Cormorants Avaritious Ambitious men fâ—om devouring of us 'T is that Muzzle tâ—at Chain which ties up and hinders those cruell wilde Beasts Factious Aspiâ—ing Traitâ—rous Incendiaries from tearing in peeces preying on and kindling amongst us the consuming fearful fire of Civil Warre which e like the Trojan horse hath ever an Army of Plagues Miseries and Calamities in the Belly of it 'T is that musick which drives away the evill spirit of Division from us The King is the Head Husband Father Lord of his people 'T is therefore against Piety Nature Law Reason Gratitude for those that are his Members Wife Children Subjects Servants to injure resist or Rebell against him 'T is an odious infamous damnable Crime to conspire against him that protects us to endeavour his Ruine that is exposed to daily yea hourly cares dangers troubles to screen shield preserve us and wickedly to violate those Sacred Oaths which we have solemnly taken to expresse our Aâ—legiance by a Christian sincere obedience unto him Tbough he be a bad King that rules us yet we ought to be good dutiful loyal Subjects For whether he be Merciful or Cruell Righteous or Impious Just or Tyrannical God doth †Rom 13. 1. ordain send set up and * Dan. 4. 32. give him his Kingdome He that gave Soveraignty to Augustus gave it also to Nero. He that gave it to the Vespasions Father and Son sweetest Emperors gave it also to Domitian that bloudy Monster In a word he that gave it to Christian Constantine gave it also to Juâ—ian the Apostate saith St. Augustine We are therefore strongly obliged He being Gods Vice-gerent on earth whether he be good or evill to reverence not resist him to * 1 Tim. 2. 1. pray for him not to plot against him to fear not to fight him Yea so tender jealous and careful is the Lord of Kings that in his holy Word he doth not only forbid us †Exod. 22 28. to speak evill of our
but Christ None but Christ He alone being able to quench her thirst to satisfie her hunger to grant her desires to supply her wants to cure her maladies to support her under pressures to ease her of her burdens to vanquish her enemies to resolve all her doubts to revive her in her swounings to strengthen her in her languishings to give her cordials in her faintings to secure her from her fears to comfort her in her sorrows to calm her in to sanctyfie unto her and to free her from all her troubles by confirming her faith increasing her graces multiplying her Joyes and establishing her peace in the firm assurance and cleer Evidence by his holy Spirit of his free infinite eternall unchangeable love unto her the full satisfaction given by him to the Justice of God for her and his free miraculous redemption of her from her spirituall thraldome from the curse and rigour of the Law from the raigning condemning power of sin and from Satan wrath eternal Death and Hell Thirdly Consider that these divine Treasures will afford you reall comforts in the dark cloudy showry daies of adversity yea in the saddest condition whereas all those sublâ—nary injoyments comforts and contentments which the worldly minded in their prosperity do so much admire delight and so eagerly pursue if you seek to them when you are afflicted tempted or dejected for relief deliverance or consolation will answer you as the * 2 Kings 26. 27. King of Israel did that distressed woman in the Famine of Samaria when she cryed to him as he passed by Help my Lord O King If the Lord do not help thee said he whence shall I help thee Riches will answer it is not in me to succour solace or save you Honour power pleasure c. will answer too nor in us For all we cannot make or give you an healing plaister for your hurt We cannot cure the wound which the fiery Serpent of sin hath made in your Consciences nor take out its painfull deadly sting We can neither make your peace with the Lord shield you from his mortall arrows interest you in his tender mercies procure the yearning bowels nor purchase the precious bloud of Jesus Christ to sanctifie or save to cure or comfort you Thus and no otherwise will they answer own befriend and bestead all those in the day of their visitation that have made earth their Heaven Honour their Idoll Opulency their Deity the World their God and Greatness their Happiness Fourthly Consider that you may have a Confluence of all temporall blessings and yet be both hated and Cursed of God You may have all the good things of this Life and yet be bad men You may enjoy the world and yet want Christ and so be truely eternally wretched undone ruined for all that Quid enim prodest si omnia habes eum tamen qui omnia dedit non habere 'T is not lucre but losse 't is not wealth but wants yea beggerie to have all the world from God if that God who made the World and gives us all things be not our God But if you have these spirituall treasures then you will enjoy Christ and with him all things * Rom. 8. 32. Will he who hath freely given us gold denie us clay Will he who hath bestowed pearls upon us refuse to grant pebbles to us Will he who hath cloathed us with Robes denie us Raggs will he who hath given us Diamonds denie us dust or dirt No * 1 Cor. 21. 22. 33. no do but read that great Charter of all true Christians which like the Laws of the Medes and Persians will never be altered nor repealed and there in Golden Letters you may run and read the portion priviledges and inheritance of every true beleever All is yours saith that great Apostle whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that every heavenly minded Christian as well as a holy Corinthian having a deed of Gift made to him by God written with Christs bloud sealed by his holy Spirit and witnessed by his faithful Servant pious and blessed St. Paul of such precious inestimable Riches may truly contemningly say to the World when she Courts him to imbrace covet love Idolize her and saies as the Divell did to Christ when he tempted him to worship him All these things will I give thee sugred pleasures gaudie riches glittering pomp swelling studied titles downâ—e ease rosie delights dazling Majestâ—e c. as * Dan. 5. 17. Daniel did to Belshazzer when he promised him Riches honour and promotion to interpret his Dreams Let thy gifts be to thy self and give thy Rewards to another And as †Genes 33. 9. Esau did to his Brother Jacob when he tendred his present to him I have enough keep that thou hast thy self For how can they want any thing whose Husband is not only kind loving and faithful but also both the Lord and Heir of all things and whose Father the God of truth hath promised to give to his Sons Wife every sincere Christian for a Dower or Jointure both * Psalm 84. 11 Grace Glorie and every good thing Lastly Consider that an holy greecinesse and covetousnesse after these ever enduring treasures these best gifts an indefatigable diligence to attain them a restlesse care for them and the setting of your hearts the fixing of your affections intirely upon them is both the best and surest way to provide not only for your selves but for your posteritie also For if God be your Father he will be your Childrens Guardian he will take the charge of them and care for them so that they shall neither * Psalm 37 25 want nor be wronged since the Lord is not only able but willing to protect and supply them And it 's a truth equally bright and comfortable that the Children of religious Parents who have had no other inheritance portions or legacies but their faithful prayers holy Counsells and pious Examples to settle upon them or be queath unto them to live upon and to set up withall in the World have yet prospered come to honour and been blest with both plentie and felicitie whereas the off-spring of the wicked who have been left heirs to very vast summs of money and great estates have come to a morsell of Bread by reason of Gods either secret or visible but alwaies most just curse upon what they enjoy for either their own or the sins of their fore-fathers in wickedly getting unlawfully keeping or sinfully abusing and mispending of them Male parta male et cito dilabuntur Besides Injusta lucra breves habent voluptates longos autem dolores The momentanie pleasures of unjust Gaine will be imbittered and punished with eternall pains and sorrows The Prayer O LORD so desirous art thou to save and so unwilling to destroy the miserable undone because
ditch to her lovers For although they doe preferre Dalilahs lap before Abrahams bosome yet they will one day most certainly find that all those fleshly vain and sinfull pleasures whereon they have doted and wherein they have lived will be Serpents and stones instead of fish and bread and but Thornes Thistles Briers instead of Grapes Figgs and Flowers Pleasure t is like an g Heylyn Geog ex Ovidio p. 726. Aethiopian Lake at which whosoever drinks it makes him they say either mad or drowsie T is like small beere or water in a fever which doth not quench but increase the thirst and though at first it may be pleasant yet afterwards it is alwaies dangerous and often deadly T is that Green fruit which breeds the worm of an evill Conscience in their souls that feed too greedily too long and too much upon it The Prayer O LORD thou knowest that the Devill that equally cunning cruell and implacable enemy of Mankind doth both long and labor to take possess and command that Royall Fort the heart In Order whereunto he uses both Fraud and Force Arms and art that so if he cannot conquer it by Battery he may yet gain it by Treachery or flattery and if he cannot by affrighting that then he may by alluring have it yielded up unto him Now to the effecting of this bloudy design upon too many he knows that an inordinate excessive Love of sensual pleasure is very useful and contributory prevalent and successful voluptuous persons being never vigilant and very seldome valiant resolved and constant opposers of his Assaults suggestions and sugred insinuations Self-denyal Mortification Precisenesse and Holinesse being too rough too sharp too hard too uneven and too troublesome a way for their delicate their tender Feet to tread upon and to walk in Be pleased therefore most blessed God who art the only overflowing ever-flowing Ocean of all true Joy really-sweet pleasures and refined delights to grant that all the streams of Christians affections may runne down right pure and holy Channels into thee That they may relish that incomparable pleasantnesse which is to be found in thee thy Word Worship waies and love that so all carnall pleasures may be sowr bitter and unsavory unto them Let not O Lord Satan poyson them with candled delights or sugred sensuality Let him not convey their death in Honey nor drown them in Rose-water But antidote them I beseech thee and preserve them against his mortal potions and his murdering Stratagems by convincing of them that Satan though he may seem a Friend will be sound a Fiend and that although pleasure may by his jugling and through the bemisted eyes and deluded sight appear a seemingly innocent Dove unto them yet if it be immoderately prized and pursued by them that it will certainly be found a fiery deadly Serpent which will sting them with immortal incurable intolerable sorrow terrors torments Amen Voluptas obcaecat titillat pascit placet perdit X. Of Health 'T Is a Jewell not valued because common 'T is the solace of life without which all other outward mercies are both unsavory and dead this being the soul that both animates them and the ingredient that gives a delightful relish to them 'T is a Venice Glasse easily quickly irreparably and very often unexpectedly crack't and broken a Pliny Nat. Hist 'T is a Bird or flower but of one day's life and continuance a guest or friend that doth but call or visit not stay with us It naturally kills fear breeds security feeds to wantonnesse excites to pleasure spurs on to vice inables to sin and without Grace it 's both the souls sicknesse and death The want of it makes men impatient discontented unserviceable the fruition profane If God deny this mercy to a man although there be a confluence of all other creature-comforts yet he is but like one clothed with Gold Silk or Tissue adorned with Jewels crowned with Honours feasted with dainties cheered with the rarest musick comforted with Cordials surrounded with a faithfull wife and with dutiful hopeful Children attended with reall friends skilfull Physitians obedient servants and laid upon a bed of Ivory in a chamber richly furnished with all his bones out of Joynt and broken 'T is usual for the sun of health to arise cleer to shine bright in the morning and to set in a cloud of sicknesse at night How easily quickly will a fiery fever devour and consume it An Aery colick rack yea ruine it A watery dropsie float and drown it or an aguish earthquake shake and swallow it up The elements are all up in arms and at civill warrs within the body naturall as heretofore the Saxons in the time of the Heptarchy was in the body politick of this Nation each of them contending for victory and aspiring to a Monarchy over that Microcosme Man non enim datur temperamentum ad pondus and when any of them prevails and triumpheth over the other Competitors Health is then both wounded vanquished captivated and commmitted either a close Prisoner to a dark room and a weary languishing restlesse bed by sicknesse or else it 's condemned and executed by death A thousand enemies combine assault beleaguer it and either by the furious storme of a suddain violent unexpected distemper they force and surprize it or els by a lingring lasting siege of pain and weaknesse as by consumptions c. they famish and conquer it Health 't is a Bibulus triumphing in a Chariot 'i th morning and lying in the afternoon in a Coffin A Caâ—sar now very well on the top of the hill of honour and power and anon expiring with wounds in the Senate A Quintus Scapula while supping and feasting himself turned into and served up for a Banquet to the worms An Aufejus while dining dying A Valla who as he was drinking Honey-wine had the gall of death put into his cup by the hand of providence and so departed out of the vale of the dying into the vale of the dead T is both a Conqueror and a Captive in a day hour moment 'T is a Cyrus strong secure prosperous in the morning and before night slain by Tomiris Death The Prayer O Most Mercifull and most Bountiful Lord God thou hast not not only given unto man a being but a well being also upon Earth Nor hast thou only built him a stately Palace this World to dwell in and furnished every Room every part thereof with necessaries for his entertainment to make his abode therein desirable but thou hast also deck't and adorn'd it with infinitely various and admirably curious delightfull things to make his life pleasant And as the top-stone the choycest of all outward Favours hast given him health without which he could not comfortably survey use or enjoy them O let good God thy Munificence and Mercy be so sanctified unto us that the sense of thy goodnesse and bounty may humble us that professe our selves to be Christians for our undervaluing and abusing
this eminent sweet excellent blessing by luxury by idlenesse ' gluttony drunkennesse and wantonnesse Ingage and indear our hearts by thy Love to thee make us carefull to imploy and improve all our Talents to thy Glory and grant that we may both fear scorn and hate to consume our precious time to spend our marrow to waste our strength and to destroy our health in drudging for Satan and in pleasing fewelling feeding our vain vile carnal and cursed Lusts Let our hearts be sound in thy Statutes that thou moist not punish us with rottennesse in our Bones Make us O Lord sick of sinne that sicknesse which is the fruit and punishment of sin may either be withheld or removed from us or however sanctified unto us And be thou blessed to heal our diseased souls and make us holy for otherwise healthfulnesse of Body will not be a Comfort or Mercy but a Crosse and Judgment to us Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Salus et Sal Sol est humanae vitae XI Of saving Faith and Sincere Love FAith t is a Diamond set in the Ring of the soul by the spirit of God other graces and vertues enamell beautifie it this gives worth and value to it 'T is the uppermost link in the Golden chain of Grace joyning uniting espousing a true believer to Jesus Christ 'T is the hand whereby he takes the long white Rayment of Christs Righteousnesse out of the glorious wardrobe of his infinite merits to cloath his soul withall which is stript stark naked by Adams fall and become both ugly and filthy through actual sins that so God may not behold the spots and deformity thereof to loath and abhorre it And 't is the hand also which not only receives but applies that Soveraign Plaister made of Christs precious heart-bloud to the soul for ease cure comfort 'T is the mouth that sucks the full and sweet Breasts of Divine promises to refresh feed nourish and strengthen the inward man a One saith of humane learning that if the faceâ— thereof could be seen it is fairer then the morning and evening star Aeneas Silvius in an Epistle to Sigismond Duke of Austria How infinitely more amiable delightful and beautiful then will the sight of Jesus Christ who is white ruddy yea altogether lovely Cantic 5. 10-16 by Faith here and for ever in glory hereafter be to a believing glorified Soul And saith Aug. Habet fides Oculos suos quibus quodammodo videt verum esse quod nondum videt Aug. Epi. 222. 'T is the eye by which a true beleever sees God through the thickest cloud of sin in the blackest mid-night of affliction yea in the darkest dungeon of tentation or desertion smiling upon him in the most amiable face of Jesus Christ 'T is the wing that carries Prayer to the Throne of grace and the usher that leads the soul home to Heaven and there leaves it 'T is a Peter catching hold of Christ when ready to sink in a Sea of perplexitie It 's a Sun that may be misted with fears and darkned with doubtings but can never be totally or finally eclipsed by despair for a Christian may lose his feeling but it 's impossible for him to lose his * Josuah 1. 5. compared with Hebr. 13. 15. union He may indeed want for a time the lustre but he cannot for ever be deprived of the light of Gods countenance Like a tree in winter he may seem to others yea and to himself too to be dead yet even then his root is full of sap and alive his heart hath saving grace in it for his life is hid in Christ he hath an immortall seed in him which cannot perish though like fire under ashes it may be couered and for a time not discerned either to grow or burn and therefore he will certainly like * Psalm 1. Davids tree be both green well liking and fruitful again These being truths to me like the Sun-beams when most radiant equally clear and comfortable 1. That where true and saving grace is once wrought in the heart by the spirit of God it may indeed decay but is cannot die For this Lamp will alwaies be fed with that Oyl from Heaven it may be hidden but it shal not be lost it may be wounded but it cannot be killed For though sin may blurre and fully a Christians evidences yet it cannot cancell them nor shall it ever pull off that seal which the holy Spirit hath set unto them and stampt upon them 2. That those whom God once loves with his peculiar his speciall love shal never become the eternal objects of his hatred and wrath Because whom God once loves loves he * John 13. 1. saith Saint John to the end that is for ever 3. And that none of those who by a justifying faith are espoused to Jesus Christ though they may provoke him to frown chide threaten yea punish them shall ever have a Bill of divorce given unto them by him Because all such though they be not so sanctifyed as to have no roots that bear Gall and the bitter fruits of sin in them nor so washed as to have no filth stains or soil adhere in this world unto them are fully acquitted of and discharged from that infinite debt they owed unto God by their Al-sufficient surety Jesus Christ who paid it for them so that it will never be required of them And although they be not perfectly yet they are sincerely pure and holy here and therefore shal most certainly be saved hereafter Saving faith 't is the only Receipt to cure the dead palsy of Atheisme in heart and life the Apoplexy of security and the best Aqua Coelestis the best cordial water to revive and cheer up a Soul that droops or faints under the sad apprehensions of Gods displeasure and for want of a Comfortable assurance of his Love It 's Alcinous his tree in realitie for it bears precious fruit continually 'T is like a Rod of Myrtle which saith Pliny will keep a travailer while he holds it in his hand from being faint or weary 'T is alwaies attended with her cheerful Sister and most faithful Companion Hope These two are to the Soul what Maroellus and Fabius Maximus was said to be unto Rome The Sword and the Buckler thereof b They are called uniones because they alwaies grow together by couples Heylyn Goerg p. 805. And like those Gemms called Vniones they alwaies grow together in it Faith and Hope are as it were the Breasts that nourish comfort and support the Soul affording it et tutamen et solamen as that Masculine Martyr Agatha said to Quintianus by whose barbarous command her Breasts were cut off both safety and solace in the midst of all dangers and miseries A true beleever is that beautiful * Esther 8. 4. Esther to whom Ahasuerus the great King of Saints God Almighty holds out the Golden Scepter of Mercy that he may come
Melch. Adam in vit Luth. Luther Mallem ego cum Christo ruere quam cum Caesare stare For Christ is the loadstone to which the needle of his heart doth willingly constantly restlesly though tremblingly turn Nothing can keep disswade or withhold him from him neither enemies troubles dangers nor devills for his love is strong as death and love alone over-powers all powers * Genes 8. 9. Christ alone is the Ark wherein his soul like †Noahs Dove in the Deluge can find rest Faith and love are to the soul of a gracious praying Christian wherein Amalek and Israel the flesh and Spirit are up in Arms and will continue fighting all the day during the time of this natural life as * Exod. 17. 11 12 13. Aaron and Hur were to Moses the Servant of the Lord. For although Amalek may yea doth sometimes prevail against Israel Corruption against Grace And although as Moses hands were heavy a Christians Spirit may be faint or weary with so long so sharpe a conflict yet he like Moses being set upon a stone resting trusting and relying upon that chief corner-stone that precious stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands Jesus Christ and being also like Moses hands steady fixt and constant being upheld by faith and love as Moses hands were by Aaron and Hur in crying to and begging of the Lord both strength assistance and victory untill the going down of the Sun till death he obtains under the great Captain of mans Salvation through whom Christians are more then conquerors Jesus Christ a comfortable happy glorious Victory over Amalek and his people Satan temptations sin corruptions and all its deadliest enemies The Prayer MOST Holy Lord God thou hast not only given unto Christians a glimpse of the Felicity and Glory of Heaven by revealing to them what it is so far as they are capable to apprehend it for they can never comprehend it till they enjoy it and are crowned with it But thou hast also chalked them out the way that leads to it offered them an infallible guide to conduct them in it and promised yea assured them if they will accept thy gracious offer to give them both Leggs and strength to carry them unto it Thou O Lord art truth it self inable us stedfastly to believe thee Thou art Goodnesse it self grant that we may ardently intirely love thee And since without these graces in reality we can neither please nor enjoy thee Crown us with them I beseech thee for these are such sweet Flowers as did never grow since Adam by his fatall fall sowed it all over with venemous Weeds in the Garden of Nature that so being regenerated quickened inflamed and inabled by thee we may come boldly unto thee rely confidently upon thee set our Affections sincerely on thee delight chiefly in thee and rest eternally blessed with thee Grant this for his sake in whom thou canst deny thy people nothing Jesus Christ the Sonne of thy Love Amen Per fidem in Christo corona in Caelo XII Of Repentance 'T Is the Souls return from travailing in the foraign Countrey of sin 'T is a Vagabond prodigall * Luke 15. 17. First come to his right mind being before no better then a mad-man out of his wits and then coming home to his Heavenly Father upon the feet of †Idem v. 21. confession and sorrow for it 's not only far more infamous to commit sin then to confesse it because nihil pudori esse debet poenitenti nisi non faterl true penitents should blush at nothing but at the concealing of their crimes but it 's also very dangerous not to acknowledge or to excuse our offences Quicunque enim sibi se excusat accusat deo because either to extenuate our faults or to plead our own innocency will both aggravate our sins and provoke the Lord to punish us for our wickednesse Since the surest way for transgressors to be found guilty and to be condemned * Prov. 28. 13. is to †hide their sins and to justifie themselves for wounds that bleed inward and poyson that is not vomited up are most deadly Repentance is an Augustins a Christians retractation It makes the soul a Solomon wise and happy living as well as speaking or writing an Ecclesiastes 'T is an * 1 Kin. 20. 32. 34. Aramite with importunity submission and supplication begging the Life of Benhadad the soul of the mercifull King of Israel God Almighty An humble hearty particular ingenuous * Prov. 28. 13. confession of all sin a sound humiliation and godly sorrow for all sin a reall detestation of and an irreconcilable hatred to all sin a resolute resistance and constant opposition against all sin an holy jealousie and Christian vigilancie at all times in all places in all company and in all our callings and imployments over our consciences affections hearts tongues lives souls and bodies to fly and decline all occasions of all temptations unto sin a pious care when through frailty temptation corruption or securitie our souls are become black â—oul and deformed by sin to a Gods children fal but it 's the property of the Devils child to lye stil Mr. Philpot. Humanum est cadere â—ace rebelluinum resurgere Christianum perseverare in peecato diabolicum August bath them in and to wash them with tears of godly sorrow til they be white and clean to be afraid of fullying of defiling them again Inanis enim est ista poenitentia quam sequens culpa coinquinat A conscientious care to do no wrong to our neighbors or if we have willingly knowingly injurd any man to give him ful satisfaction for non tollitur peceatum nisi restituatur ablatum b I have read of one Pyâ—rhus that when he perswaded the Sultan Selimus to give the wealth and treasure which he had taken from the Peâ—sian Merchan S unto an Hospital for the maintainance of the poor Nay rather said Selimus let it be restored to the right owners and accordingly restitution was made thereof unto them It would certainly be very much for the glory of God the honour of the Gospel the comfort of those that profess themselves to be Christians and the good of their posterity if they would write after and copy out the honest example of this Turk herein but if this be called or esteemed foul because a Mahomitan set it I shall present them with one equally fair and necessary written by a good Christian I mean pious and conscientious Zaccheus Luke 19. 8. And also with one Royal precedent one noble pattern of our own viz. King Henry 7th who in his last Will and Testament willed that Restitution should be made of all such Moneys as had unjustly been levied by his Officers Speed Chron. p. 993. Go thou then and do like these who ever thou art that art grown rich or great by unjust gain and means and then the Lord wil pardâ—n honor bless thee But if
will certainly for he is the God of truth attend to the cries and grant the requests of his own people when they begge such things as tend to his glory and the good of their own souls But yet no heat no hearing because cold prayers are but carcasses and carnall sinful services which the Lord detests and will never accept 3. * Psalm 118. 1. We must love God 1. Amoreamicitiae because he is most excellent and lovely 2. Amore desiderii because he is the Ocean of our Joy comforts and happinesse 3. Amore complacentiae with a love of Joy delight 4. Amore benevolentiae with a sincere endeavour to honour serve and praise him Love Favours are both the seeds fewell and Bonds of Friendship Compassion is the Spring of affection Mercy is the Mother of Amity Magnes amoris amor Love is loves loadstone A saving sense and a right apprehension of Gods infinite immutable undeserved love to us will inkindle the fire of love in us And if we once truly love God we shall then be alwaies careful to please fearfull to offend and grieved if we do displease him †Minus te amat domine qui tecum aliquid a mat Aug. in soliloq we shall delight and rejoyce in him above all things We shall desire to be more intimately acquainted with him we shall esteem his favour and prize his presence more then the honours treasures and smiles of all the world we shall never willingly do any thing that may cloud his face or cause a distance between us And then but never before may or can we impart our sorrows or discover our wants straights wounds and miseries by prayer to our reconciled God with boldnesse assurance and a well grounded hope to be comforted inlarged supplyed cured delivered For God will not hear those that hate but * Prov 8. 17. those that love him 4. Constancy constancie in duty is the top-stone of duty If we would be heard we must persevere and continue * Rom. 12. 12. Eph s 6. 18. instant in prayer no constancie no crown T is so necessary and so profitable for us to call upon God that we are commanded to * 1 Thes 5. 17. pray without ceasing we daily commit iniquities receive mercies escape punishments and therefore we ought daily yea hourly not only to beseech the Lord to pardon us but also to praise and magnifie him for blessing and protecting of us Prayer 't is both a duty and a priviledge a work and a reward a service and a comfort T is an approved experimented infallible means to procure and obtain a blessing upon our blessings a glorious victory over the world the flesh and the Devill assurance of Gods speciall love deliverance in support under and protection from so far as it 's good for Gods children troubles afflictions desertions peace of conscience pardon of sin sanctification of the crosse Joy in the Holy Ghost a supply of our wants a holy contentation of mind in every condition and whatsoever is good either for soul or body here or hereafter Oratio est oranti subsidium Deo sacrificium Diaholo flagellum The Trophees Successe Triumphs of Prayer are eminent glorious infinite both in all ages and places T is Murus animae munimentum inconcussum armatur a inexpugnabilis T is a cordiall to the heart an acceptable sacrifice to God a scourge to Satan a brasse wall to the soul I shall therefore conclude with the same exhortation to all Christians that some of the blessed b Laurence Saunders George Marsh John Careless Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 138. Col. 1. vol. 3 p. 235. col 2. Idem p. 721. col 1. Martyrs did their pious confirming consolatory Letters to their friends and Relations Pray Pray Pray for the fervent effectual prayers of the righteous like * 2 Sam. 1. 22. the Sword of Saul do never return empty and like Jonathans Bow they neither turn back nor return without successe and victory The Prayer O LORD thou hast commanded all men to call upon thee promised that they that ask shall receive and yet that we may strive and resolve to be humble fervent upright pure and holy hast assured us that if we regard iniquity in our hearts thou wilt not hear us though we beg weep houl and cry unto thee O inable us to pray unto thee most holy God with Hearts stedfastly resolved not to provoke thee by sinâ—ing wilfully and delightfully against thee Because it 's not only a vain and a very dangerous attempt but also an intolerable dishonour to thee and a most horrible a most abominable crime committed against thee with our Tongues to professe piety and to beg for mercy when our hearts are deeply and resolvedly in Love with hatefull iniquity That therefore we may pray acceptably prevailingly give us Grace and hearts to hate all sin perfectly implacably and let thine own Spirit of prayer O Lord inable us powerfully and assist us effectually to call upon thee that so thou mayest both hear and grant the prayers of thine own Spirit Grant this O thou that didst never say to the house of Jacob seek ye my face in vain for his sake who sits at thy right hand to make intercession for us Amen Preces prosunt obtinent praeliant vincunt triumphant XIV Of Sincerity and Hypocrisie Together with some Characters of both sincere and hypocriticall Christians and Professors SIncerity 't is the salt that both seasons and purifies that muddy stinking spring the heart 'T is the Gardener that keeps though it cannot utterly extirpate nor kill the noysome rank poysonfull weeds of sin from over-growing and smothering the herbs of Grace in the garden of the Soul 'T is the touch-stone of vertue the marrow heart spirits life of piety 'T is a Simeon with Christ in its Armes Like the Emperesse Mammea's Guard appointed by her to watch at the door and commanded to keep out all vitious infamous persons from going in to her Son Alexander lest they should corrupt debauch him It stands Centinell at the gate of the heart that so no sin may enter into it to pollute or poyson it An upright man is like a Pliny Nat. Hist that Assyria malus quae venenis medetur et omnibus Anni temporibus edit fructus pomis aliis maturescentibus allis subnascentibus He is homo quadratus like a dye which cast high or low by the hand of providence still falls upon a square and stands firm as well when an Ace or when a Cize or Cinque He both really desires and carefully indeavours for he dares not divide or put asunder what God hath joyned together I mean the means and the end love and labour prayer and pardon hearing doing professing and practising holinesse happinesse Grace and Glory and therefore he hath Oculus ad Coelum manus ad clavem well knowing that bene cogitare est bene somniare good wishing is but good dreaming if
it be not animated by striving and resolving to please Gâ—od in all things in all his actions to honour God and so though he shoot many Bowes short yet he both reaches and hits the mark the white because his heart aimes chiefly ultimately in all his services waies and works at Gods glory who requires not of us in this world perfection but integrity He 's alwaies afraid of sinning and that prevents his both offending and suffering b Probus Mater timidi non solet flere * Vis in timore esse securus securitatem time He fears falling and by that means stands fast upon an hill of Ice the world Qui semper timet securus Hâ— will not endure a Rimmon in his heart because he knows that God like Alexander will have no Co-partner nor corrival Aut Caesar aut nullus That inscription which the Common-wealth of Venice hath politically written in their Magazine c Burt. Melanch Felix civitas quae tempore pacis de bello cogitat he hath religiously ingraved in his memory and mind and therefore 't is both his resolution and care in health to provide for sicknesse in a calm to prepare for a storme in Life for death He strives and aspires to be greater stronger higher in grace and Gods favour every day then other and gives this which was Pompeys for his Motto Ego cupio praecellere et esse supremus He can neither rest nor be quiet till like Saul he be grown taller then worldly morall hypocriticall men by the shoulders neck and head in honesty vertue piety And never as t is said of the Crocodile gives over * Psalm 92. 13. 14. Job 17. 9. growing in goodnesse and godlinesse till his death What Alexander the great said to one of his Captains named Alexander Recordare nominis Alexandri see thou do nothing that will smut stain or darken the fair the illustrious name of Alexander He being like the Ermin to whom nothing is so troublesome as to be soul for it will rather dye then be soyled indeavours carefully to observe and conscionably to perform and therefore he labours to keep himself unspotted from the world to get and to keep a pure heart and clear hands to be undefiled in Gods Law and to wash his heart from all wickednesse He doth as really endeavour never to commit sin as he doth unfaignedly desire never to be damned for sin He doth think speak and act at all times in all duties and places as under the eye and in the presence of God because he knows d Seneca Epist ad Luc 83. p. 711. Sic certe vivendum est tanquam in conspectu vivamus sic cogitandum tanquam aliquis in pectus intimum inspicere possit potest Quid enim prodest ab homine aliquid esse secretum Nihil deo clausum interest animis nostris cogitatiocibus nostris intervenit And also because he knows that although man can make no through lights to look clearly into the heart yet it lies unbowelled dissected unto his all-seeing eye to whom all things even the most dark hidden and undiscernable are both naked opened and transparent He makes God his center and so enjoyes both rest happinesse and stability in the midst of all either national or personal overturnings and shakings e Let their money perish with them who esteem all the gold in the world worth one days society with Jesus Christ and his holy spirit said that noble and pious Marquesse of Vico Gealacius Caraciolus when a Jesuit offered him huge sums of money to forsake his Religon and to turn Papist again videte jus vitam He like an Eagle disdains to pursue flies earthly enjoyments and sublunary comforts because like flies they are only to be seen and found in the sun-shine and summer of prosperity but flye away and hide themselves in the dark cloudy dayes and winter of adversity spirituall desertion and death Thou art not said Cleopatra to Mark Anthony to fish for Gudgeons and Trouts but thou art to angle for Castles and Towers and Forts and Cities When the heart of a true Nathaniel like Dinah begins to gad abroad to hanker and thirst inordinately after creature-comforts he considers and tells his Soul Soul thou wert not created by an omnipotent power nor sent into the world by an omniscient holy just glorious and dreadful God to fish for Gudgeons or Trouts for pleasure wealth honour or greatnesse to love and mind such poor contemptible empty treacherous worthlesse things as these burby faith and prayer holinesse hope and perseverance in a constant course of sanctification to angle to seek wait and labour for the impregnable Castle of a good Conscience for the strong rich and beautifull Forts of vertue and piety for the Citie of Heaven and for the Towers of glory felicity and immortality He desires and delights in the society of the brethren the people and servants of God because he sees the superscription of Caesar upon them the Image of Christ lively and truly drawn and stamped by the Spirit of God upon their souls And also because he doth experimentally find that f Socrates Bonorum conversatio est virtutis exercitatio he gets good by good company He doth with an ardent zeal and pious care set up the worship of God in his family because he knows that the prisons stink but yet not so much as those sweet houses where the fear and true honour of God is wanting As that blessed Martyr g Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 156. Bishop Hooper said And he desires to serve God who is the purest of Spirits with spirituall puritie If the candle of the Lord shine upon his Tabernacle so that his riches or honours increase he notwithstanding both longs and seeks for higher and better things and sayes as Luther did when many of the great ones of Saxony sent very rich gifts unto him Lord thou shalt not put me off so for he will not take or accept outward things for his portion or inheritance nor exchange Heaven for earth He is the Epistle the letter of Christ wherein men may run and read saving grace written by the finger of the Holy Ghost therefore he is exceedingly yea constantly carefull to keep both his heart and life fair and free from the spots of vice and the stains of sin That King of Rivers in Germany the rhine crosseth the muddy lake of Constance with a clean cours and keeps his streams both pure and clear So a sincere Christian keeps himself free from the corruptions sins and pollutions of the world and like Lot in Sodom he is grieved for but not defiled with the crimes vices and filthy conversation of the wicked for though he be in the world yet he is not of the world He mourns for the abominations of the land wherein * Psalm 119. 158. idem ver 136. and of the ungodly amongst whom he lives He rejoyceth in the
penitent And let O Lord all thy chastisements be so sanctified unto us that our understandings may be enlightened our judgements rectified our souls humbled our corruptions mortified our consciences purified our lives reformed that thy dreadful wrath may be appeased thy unsupportable judgements removed thy tender mercies evidenced and thy loving kindnesse which is better then life vouchsafed and continued unto us Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Afflictio illuminat decet purgat eurat XVI Of Patience PAtience 't is a * Job 1. 21. Job blessing God for the losse of blessings an * 1 Sam. 3. 18. Eli kissing the Rod that drew bloud from him with that sharp lash that heavy stroke the threatned ruine of his house and posterity with the mouth of submission saying It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good a Cedrenus in vit Mauritii Camerar It 's a holy good Mauritius who when he was not only deposed from his Empire and succeeded by one of the worst yea basest of all his subjects Phocas but also compelled to be a sad and mournfull Spectator of the bloudy butchery of all his five sweet innocent Children he meekly and joyfully kissed the hand that beat him saying Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments 'T is a Lamb that will be both shorn and killed without crying It 's a grace that keeps the soul in a calm holy contented frame in every condition 'T is an Isaac bound and ready to be sacrificed without murmuring A stone-wall that both blunts and repels the piled arrows of the sharpest sufferings 'T is a fountain without mud and clear though stirred or troubled with the hand and rod of affliction A face without a srown and peevish tear in the greatest pain disappointment grief torment 'T is a writ of restitution when distrust frowardnesse discontentment or rash anger have ejected a man out of his right mind and Christian behaviour whereby he is again peaceably and quietly restored unto himself In your patience possesse your Souls 'T is a stream that keeps within the banks of †Psalm 39. 9. silence with David and * Philip. 4. 11. 12. an holy contentation of mind with Paul when the stormy impetuous winds of affliction poverty sicknesse or persecution doe blow upon it 'T is cooling Physick that preserves the soul from falling into the dangerous fever of an angry murmuring against Gods crossing providences 'T is one like the Camell kneeling down to take up his burden It makes a man like wheat fall down in a silent submission and a willing resignation of himself to the will and pleasure of God when he 's winnowed with the fan of adversity 'T is a clear Skie in the worst weather An Anvile unbroken with the hardest strokes of injury calamity or Tyranny b Et non sentire mala sua non est hominis et non ferre non est vir Seneca 'T is the golden meane betwixt the extreams of stupidity and repining 'T is Jonah in a Whales belly without fretting 'T is the Cradle wherein passion is rockt asleep 'T is the earnest the bond of a liberall remuneration c Hug. Grocius of the Law of War and peace ex Terâ—ul For so bounteous a rewarder of patience is God that if you commit your injury to him he is a revenger if you grief an healer if your death a reviver How great is the power of patience to have God himself a debtor to it Patience 't is a Joseph relieving maintaining providing for the soul in the Egypt of this world when afflicted with the forest famine 'T is a childe descended of a Royall family being the Daughter of that Queen mother Meeknesse 'T is an Abraham prepared resolved contented to forsake and want all countrey friends land if God will have it so 'T is a Dove without Gall A tree without knots A spirit even and planed A fresh spring and sweet water in the saltest sea of tribulation A But that receives all darts without pain hurt and death A bush burning yet not consumed Patience 't will make a man like * Esay 39. 8. Hezekiah willingly consent and as it were set his hand to Gods Deed of gift of all his yea and his posterities temporal mercies to enemies and aliens with a Good is the word and righteous is the work of the Lord. 'T is a Christians Sandale and shooe wherewith he both can and doth tread upon the nettles and bryers of injuries and reproaches without either smart or hurt and also wherewith he walks upon Gravel and thistles indureth crosses losses and troubles without fainting * Prov. 3. 15. fretting or †tyring The Prayer O LORD if thou wert as prone to revenge as we are to rebell Or if thou shouldest be as ready to destroy us as we are forward to displease and dishonour thee showers of Fire and Fury instead of dews of Grace and Mercy would daily yea hourly fall from Heaven upon our heads But such O thou God of Patience though thou art angry with the wicked every day is thy wonderfull Long-suffering towards us though we daily vex and grieve thee that thou art graciously pleased to warn us to wait on us to wooe us to strive with us and to offer both favour and forgivenesse to us O let us resolve and indeavour to learn of Christ to imitate him and to transcribe into our own actions and behaviour that Golden Copy which our blessed Saviour hath set us by being like him meek and lowly in heart And since thy holy Word assures us that a froward mouth and heart are hatefull and abominable unto thee O let us never give thee any rest till thou hast adorned us with the precious the glorious Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit That so we may lie silently under thine angry hand when corrected bear injuries affronts revilings petiently and Christianly when they are done or offered unto us wait without fretting contentedly the Lords own time and leisure for comfort and deliverance when we are afflicted distressed oppressed And though we should be wrongfully or suddainly deprived either of all our sublunary mercies or of those which we most value affect and desire that so we may possesse our souls in patience and not be angry or froward at Gods sharpest dealings with us because how great or many soever our miseries are or may be they are lesse and fewer then our iniquities deserve Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Patientia tacet adjuvat exonerat XVII Of Baptism 'T Is a Moses leading and carrying Infants out of Egypt into the Canaan of Gods true Church It 's the hand that ingrafts them into the true Vine Jesus Christ that so they may become living and fruitfull Branches and escape everlasting burning 'T is their Matriculation in the Acadamy of Christianity The Oath of Allegiance which they take to be loyall Subjects to the King of peace and righteousnesse
all transgressions pardoned and exiled persons were recalled Whoever cometh to this holy Sacrament clothed with the new and rich apparell of Christs righteousnesse and can with the hand of a justifying faith touch Jesus Christ shall be sure to find and receive comfort favor acceptance a discharge from the debt of sin liberty and inlargement from the slavery of his own Lusts and from the captivity of Satan communion with Christ here and admission into the Kingdome of Heaven out of which man was justly excluded exiled for sin and Rebellion hereafter For when by death a true Christian doth put off the Rags of his mortality God will invest him with the Robes of Glory to all Eternity The Prayer EVer blessed God such are thy tender mercies unspeakeable Love and matchlesse Bounty to thy Children upon earth that as thou hast prepared and provided for them both Mansions and a feast a Supper of Glory with the Lamb in the Kingdome of Heaven so hast thou also provided a spirituall Banquet and furnished thy Table with most exquisite curious precious and delicious dainties to refresh nourish comfort strengthen and unite them in their journey and whilest they are upon their way thither this Blessed Sacrament O Lord let not I beseech thee this Soul-feeding heart-chearing Grace-strengthening and increasing communion and Supper be neglected undervalued contemned or denyed through the corruptions contentions differences carelesnesse or ungrounded scrupulousnesse of Men. â—ut let Ministers O Lord carefully obey thy command and conscientiously discharge their own Duty in rightly and frequently administring of it to their people that thy bitter thy bloudy Death O Blessed Saviour may be constantly and thankfully remembred thy wonderful unparalleled undeserved love pity goodnesse acknowledged and thy great Name praised and glorified And let Christians O Lord come to this Holy Sacrament so qualified and prepared that their Graces may be strengthened their Souls as with marrow and fatnesse satisfied their interest in Christ cleared and confirmed their joyes and comforts multiplied their Affections inseparably united and their mutuall love to one another mightily increased Grant this O Lord for his sake who is both the maker of the Feast and the Feast himself Jesus Christ Amen Coena Domini cibus est Animae alimentum Gratiae Nutrix pietatis solaminis canalis pignus amoris condonationis sigillum et corroborationis Sacramentum XIX Of Preaching THE sacred word of God purely rightly and powerfully preached is that Bethesday wherein Mephibosheths souls lamed in their feet their affections by the fall which they had out of the arms of Adam and Eve are cured and thereby inabled to run the ways of Gods commandements 'T is the * Cantic 4. 16. and 7. 5. Garden the Gallery where Christ meeteth speaks to and walks with his people 'T is the mount of blessings conduit of faith Golden Scepter of mercy and the spirituall seed of Grace and Life 'T is the Chariot in which Christ rideth triumphantly into the Soul 'T is the hammer that breaks open the iron door of the heart the key that unlocks it T is the fire that consumeth all Satans strong holds in the spirit 'T is spirituall eye-salve that gives a blind Bartimeus his sight And 't is the voice that awakens the most drouzy deaf secure sinner a Rainold Orat. 1. p. 41. What the Orator saith de Oratione is true de praedicatione Morbis inquit animi medicinam facere debet praedicatio facit comprimendo quae tument roborando quae languent quae inflammant leniendo coercendo quae diffluunt expurgando quae redundant 'T is an Ark alwaies bringing blessings with it Nathan which wil rouse convince and humble Davids relapsing Saints T is a Peter pricking the hearts of great and grosse sinners to their conversion sanctification Salvation 'T is a messenger sent from God and bringing with it those three wonderfull glorious instimable Jewels and blessings to the soul sense of sin assurance of pardon and a through reformation both of the Heart and life It s the means which God hath promised commanded owned blessed and sanctyfied by the inward powerfull and effectual operation of his holy Spirit speaking home to the conscience stirring those healing waters of the sanctuary and accompanying the outward administration of the word most ordinarily and efficaciously to instruct the ignorant confirm the weak to warm the cold mollifie the hard melt the frozen comfort them that mourn to awaken those that are drowsie resolve those who doubt incourage and quiet such as fear guide them that erre bind up the broken hearted and to quicken those that are dead in trespasses and sins T is a Cornâ—copia of all those excellent spirituall mercies and comforts 'T is the granary of celestial food and Manna the silver trumpet of peace and the white flag of mercy to a people It 's a Nilus that softens refresheth and fructifieth barren hard and languishing hearts T is a Mary with Christ in the womb of it an Angell instructing a Philip a light in the thickest saddest darknesse and a comfortable seasonable rain in a drought 'T is both meat to the hungry water to the thirsty physick to the diseased milk to the weak a Lamp to them that wander and wine to the sorrowfull In Asia it was a custome that the Child which was not nursed by his mother should not have the goods of his Mother Those who are not nursed by that Mother the true Church of Christ with the breasts of Gods word and ordinances faithfully and duly administred are never like to have God for their Father nor to be heires of the Churches estate I mean the love promises protection grace and blessing of the Lord nor to enjoy the glorious inheritance of her Children eternall felicity hereafter The Prayer O LORD thou art so farre from desiring or delighting in the eternall Damnation of the vilest greatest grossest sinners that thou hast commanded the Gospell of Salvation to be preached to every creature both to Jews and Gentiles Yet since even this word of Life is both a dead and a killing Letter without the quickening sanctifying influence and efficacy of thy holy Spirit Grant blessed God that the Holy Ghost may both teach and speak effectually convincingly convertingly savingly to the ears and hearts of unregenerated Sinners that so the dead may both hear and feel the voice and power of the Son of God and live And be thou pleased most merciful God so to own blesse and prosper thine own Labourers in thy vine-yard that the Consciences of those who are enemies to thine own ordinances and Ministers may be convinced their spirits grieved and humbled their mouths stopped their sin and errours discovered to them hated by them and forsaken of them And that the understandings of those who hear and enjoy them may be savingly enlightened their hearts graciously changed their Lives throughly reformed and their souls everlastingly saved Let him who is the Word Jesus Christ be ushered
and some continue thereon untill they be full ripe by old age and then drop down into their graves Man hath as it were two Sepulchres One in the warm belly of his naturall Mother and the other in the cold Bowels of the common Mother of all both men and women the Earth By life he is put into a Gaole by Death into a Dungeon So soon as we are born we cry as if because we then want language to speak them our eyes did weep elegies and by those tears at once prognosticate expresse and lament our future troubles sorrowes sufferings Funerals The Mexicanes thus salute their Infants coming out of the Womb Infant thou art come into the World to suffer endure suffer and hold thy peace Our Mothers are living Tombs to us before our birth and so soon as ever we do but peep or step into the world every thing not only mindeth us of but also preacheth and readeth Sermons Lectures and Lessons to us of our departure out of it again For what are our swadling cloaths but winding sheets What are our cradles but Coffins What is the ringing of the Bell before our being Christened but an antedated passing peal What are those arms which carry us to Church to be baptized but a Biere What doth our being first undrest signifie but the putting off of our mortality What is our being layd down to sleep but an embleme of our Buriall And what is our first sleep but the Image and elder Brother of Death Life 't is a weak twig and a slender thread upon which fraile man hangeth over both his Grave and Hell 'T is a Tragae-Comedie whose scenes are health sicknesse strength weaknesse joy sorrow mirth and mourning The Prologue tears the Epilogue groans a Rainold Orat 185. Romani duas angorum voluptatum deas Angerioniam Volupiam ita colebant ut Angeroniae pontifices in sacello Volupiae et Angeroniae simulacrum in ara Volupiae collocarent quo significarent angores voluptatibus dolorem gaudiis humana vita semper temerari In this world there is no day without clouds The door of this naturall life is alwaies turning upon the hinges of mutability and variety of conditions Winter Summer Autumne Spring prosperity adversity sadnesse gladnesse black and white daies b Godwin Rom. Antiq. as the Romanes distinguished them make chequer-work in our lives Our complexions our outward estate and conditions are sometimes fair and ruddy with joy comforts mercies and sometimes they are black wrinkled pale and wan with sorrows crosses and miseries Man hath neither * Psalm 102. 11. Job 14. 2. Solstice nor rest here and therefore the Romanes built the Temple of Quies without the City to signifie that the lower Region of this Life is subject unto and disquieted with storms and showres * Lacrymae nobis decrunt antequam causae dolendi Sencca de brevitate vitae troubles and afflictions The Womb of Life is alwaies pregnant with both consolations and tribulations which struggle therein and the one as * Genes 25. 26. Jacob did Esau usually taketh the other by the heel c Plin. Secund Panegy ad Trajan Habet enim has vices conditie mortalium ut adversa ex secundis ex adversis secunda nascerentur Like ship-boys we stand sometimes upon the top of the mast of Prosperity and sometimes we are put down underâ— deck by Adversity Our life is a Sea wherein these tides are alwaies ebbing and flowing Dolor voluptas se invicem succedunt No man was ever yet so happy as to injoy all those mercies which the hand of God hath liberally scattered and divided amongst all men Nor was there ever yet any man so miserable but he had some comforts And though the line of calamity be often if not ordinarily to the godly longer then that of felicity in this Life yet it will be but very short even in his own judgment that is most miserable if it be measured or compared with the endlesse line of eternity And this consideration will make the waters of Marah sweet to a Child of God Our Life is an Irish a troubled dangerous tempestuous Ocean we take Shipping at our Birth with tears we â—ail over it with care fear sorrow and we land at the port of Death with sighs sadnesse unwillingnesse The thread of Life is so short and rotten that it is often yea alas too often spun out by the wheele and broken off by the hand of providence before it leads us out of the Labyrinths and maze of sin and misery many millions being carryed to their graves before they consider why or for what they came out of the Womb into the world For they do not consider that Man was not made and born to imbase his Soul with the allay of sin which alone renders it capable and maketh it fit to receive the impressions of temptations and all reall evills To fewell and feed his filthy Lusts or to gratifie and comply with his vile and vain desires To burn himself in the fire of uncleannesse anger or malice or to drown himself in the waters of drunkennesse and intemperance To choak himself in the dirty puddles and muddy Fennes of sensuality and Epicurisme To lye groveling upon or to spend his time in rooting in the earth by wilfully diseasing his Soul with the falling-sicknesse of Avarice or to entertain a dumb Devill into his heart not only to hinder but disable him from either praying to the Lord for grace and pardon of sin or praising him for his great and undeserved mercies And yet it 's too true that with the most of these devills some men and women are possessed and the most with some of them 'T is most certain that God did not give mans soal brave wings to pursue the poor quarrey of pleasure profit and honour or to fly unto hell but that by holy meditations and a religious conversation it should with them mount up to Heaven The Lord both gives us our beings and continueth us in them to trust love serve obey honour and delight in him He hath assured us we must dye and yet concealed from us how long we shall live that so we might every day and every where expect death and by a holy life and faith in Christ escape the torments of an everlasting death in hell We read of many that had alwaies some memento's of their Originall by them Agathocles who was but the Son of a Potter when he became a King had earthen pots brought up and set in his Presence chamber to immind him of his low extraction d Camerar lib. 1. p. 48. Willigis from a base condition for he was but the Son of a Carter being advanced to so high a dignity as to be made Arch-bishop of Ments caused these following words to be written in great Letters in his Lodging Chamber Willigis Willigis remember from whence thou camest And certainly if Men and Women even the most Royal
inauguration in Constantinople had severall sorts of stone presented to them by a Mason out of which they was to choose one to make them a Tomb to be buryed in o Joseph of Arimathea had his Tomb in a Garden and so had their great men also Mat. 27 60. 2 Kings 21. 18. The Jewes had their Sepulchers in their Gardens that so in the the midst of their delights they might remember their mortality And others have had a Deaths head served up to their Tables that they might in that perspicuous mortifying glasse behold their own frailty in the midst of their mirth pleasures jollity And certainly serious frequent and pious meditation of death will beget in us a vigilant continual expectation of death expectation of it will p Vivere in in tota vita discendum est Quod magis mirum est in tota vita dissendam est mori Seneca de brevitate vita ad Paulinam perswade and spurre us on to preparation for it so that we shall be able not only to look it in the face with comfort but triumphingly to say O Death where is thy sting c. It being nothing to such as have the Lamps of their Souls filled with saving Grace and their Garments washed white in the bloud of the Lamb but the Death and period of all their sins sorrows fears dangers troubles enemies yea and of death it self Mors vita duello conflixere mirando Rex mortuus regnat vivuâ— In hoc duello mors et vita in arenam descenderunt sed tandem vicit vita et gloriose exiit e sepulcro de morte triumphans Irrideamus ergo mortem cum Apostolo dicamâ—s Vbi mors victoria For q Quid ipsa mors quam timemus g Lips Epist p. 75. Requies gaudium et vera vita aut siquid in ea mali malis tantum What is that death which we so much fear and at the very name whereof we tremble 'T is rest joy and life or if there be any evill in it 't is only so to those that are evill And indeed 't is very sad yea wofull to all ungracious persons who have this punishment In dying they forget themselves because in their life time they forgat God But besides this grievous punishment and heavy judgment most justly inflicted by the Lord upon them because when he came to them in their health prosperity life and offered them mercy they refused with equall madnesse and cruelty to their own souls to hear and imbrace the tenders of love and salvation when their Life is lost and ended all hope comfort help all means of Grace and seasons of mercy all possibility of pardon together with the society of the Glorious Angels and glorified Saints the beatificall vision and blessed fruition of the thrice blessed Trinity and those ineffable pleasures which are prepared for all that love God will then be lost for ever Deus amissus est mors animae anima amissa est mors corporis The Death of the body is but the body of death therefore disce non metuendum existimare quae metuenda finit But the death of the Soul the losse of God and his favour is the Soul of Death Fear therefore by sin to provoke that God who can and for sin unrepented of and continued in will inflict eternal death both upon the body and soul and make all impenitent transgressors ever living objects of his never-dying wrath I shall conclude all with presenting and commending the Lord Gabriel Simeons Glasse to your view and perusall Beauty is deceitful money flyeth away Rule-bearing is odious victory doubtfull peace fraudulent old age miserable the fame of wisdome everlasting Life short death to the Godly * Mark the perfect man behold the upright for the end of that man is peace happy Psalm 37. 37 The Prayer O LORD Man hath but one Door to let him into the World by Life but there are a thousand Posterns Wickets and Passages to let him out of it by Death We are born both Mortall and Miserable O give us blessed God so to live that at the end of our daies we may be immortally happy we came into the World Sinners O grant that we may go out of it Saints We were unclean at our birth O let us be pure and holy at our dissolution The hand of every moment winds off some of the little clue of Life The string and plummet of our daies creep and descend every minute nearer and nearer to the ground our Graves The Sunne of this naturall Life never stands still but moves or rather flies from the East and morning of our birth and infancy to the South and noon of Youth and Manhood and then hastens to the West the evening of old Age. Grant therefore holy God that when this Sunne shall set in the night of Death our Soules may rise and shine with the Sunne of Righteousnesse in Glory That as we grow older we may grow holyer every day then other That we may passe the time of sojourning in these Tents of flesh in thy way and Fear that so the Conscience Evidence and Comfort of a wel-spent Life may both Antidote and Arme us against the Sting and Power of Death before it comes and free us from the Horreus and Misery of it when it doth come O let it be no Stranger to our thoughts and then it will be no terrour to our Hearts O let us get death into our mindes and that will put life into all our Actions O grant good God that our Lives may be pious and then our Death will be peaceable joyfull welcome unto us and precious in the sight of the Lord. And give us I beseech thee most mercifull Father some clusters of Grapes of the good Land of Canaan here even the Graces of thy holy Spirit and some fore-tasts of thy speciall Love in Christ while we continue in the Wildernesse of this World that when we die our Souls may enter into and for ever possesse the spirituall Canaan of Heaven Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Diu vixit qui pie moritur Fructus est laboris finis operis placere melioribus FINIS Soli Deo Gloria THE CHARACTERS OF A True Beleever IN PARADOXES AND Seeming Contradictions AN ESSAY By THO. GODDARD Gent. Vetera legendo et metitando nova invenimus Quintil. Placere cupio prodesse precor laboro LONDON Printed by E. C. For Thomas Williams at the Bible in Litle-Brittain and William Thompson at Harborough in Leicestershire 1661. THE CHARACTERS OF A True Beleever In PARADOXES AND Seeming Contradictions 1. HE beleeveth that which he cannot comprehend because it is above reason That there are three distinct Persons in the Godhead yet but one God that God is the Father of Christ that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both and yet that they are all three Coeternall and but one in substance 2. He beleeveth that Christ who was
true Beleever is afraid of that which with zeal courage sincerity and constancy he is resolved to do to serve God He delighteth in it yet is grieved that he can perform duty no better He seeketh diligently for that which he knows he shall not find and beggeth that importunately which he is assured will be both denyed and granted in this world unto him He is what he seems to be yet is not what he seems being like Solomons Tents black without but adorned with precious things within He is both black and white weak and strong contemptible and Honourable sick and well at Liberty and in Prison a Sinner and a Saint fearfull and yet bold as a Lyon 19. He leaves the dirty broad way of the World and by crossing that he goeth on directly in the right way toward Heaven Though he be far from home and from his friends in a strange Countrey yea in the darkest night yet he can go to his Father almost in a moment without wandring Though all the men in the World should lye armed in Ambush to surprize him yet he can passe either safely by them or victoriously through them For although he may be taken or killed yet he cannot be kept or overcome 20. A true Beleever loveth Gods Words and Ordinances as dearly as his Life Because by them he was wounded to his healing humbled to his raising inlightened to the beholding of his Blindnesse emptinesse nakednesse nothingnesse filthinesse and because without them though he had been the sole Monarch of the whole world he had been everlastingly undone and a very begger He trembles at the good the holy Word of God yet both rejoyceth in it and findeth transcendent sweetnesse spiritual yea soul-ravishing joy and gladnesse by it 21. He honoureth highly loveth dearly and obeyeth willingly his naturall Parents yet prizeth and affects his spirituall Father a Godly Minister above and beyond all men though he be not at all akin to him Because he knoweth that it 's better never to be then to be everlastingly miserable and never to be Borne then not to be Borne again 22. He will not he dare not spare his own Flock and take anothers only Lamb. He therefore dedicates and consecrates the sabbath-Sabbath-day which is none of his own wholly cheerfully joyfully thankfully heartily and religiously to the Lord. And by so doing he getteth six for one to himself together with a promise of Gods guidance favour protection and blessing upon him his and his Labours in his calling in them And so by serving God he serves himself too and by giving God his due he both keep 's his own and getteth more then he had 23. A true Beleever increaseth his estate by giving it away gathereth by scattering By clothing others he adorns himself with Robes by relieving others he supplies his owne wants and by sowing Charity he reapâ—s Mercy 24. He saveth his Life by confessing his guiltinesse whereas others condemn themselves by concealing their crimes He 's the only happy man for nothing can make him miserable Because he is comforted when afflicted he is at Liberty in Bondage at home when Banished sed when famished full though empty satisfied when hungry advanced though degraded safe when most cruelly persecuted and when killed crowned 25. He is naturally heavy and droffy yet ascends and the nearer his body comes to its Center the earth and its long home the Grave by age and sicknesse the faster and the higher his Soul mounts towards Heaven And at length his Soul is divorced from his Body both with joy and griefe exultation and mourning 26. A true Beleever is never satisfied yet alwaies contented He feareth continually yet seldome wants Hope He doubts yet stedfastly beleeveth he is not worldly minded and yet he is so covetous that he never thinks he hath enough He is most temperate and sober yet is alwaies thirsty He is a modest Suiter yet is resolved to take no denyal He knoweth and confesseth himself to be unfit to ask and unworthy to receive either a gracious answer or any mercy and yet he will not cease begging till his prayers be heard and his petitions granted 27. He never sits stands nor lies but is alwaies walking His motion is neither retrograde nor circular but progressive yet the longer faster and further he travails the stronger and fresher he is All things â—re become new in him yet the old man is not destroyed He is very pitifull and tender hearted yet so mercilesse and implacable an enemy to sin that he is never quiet or pleased till it be mortified crucified and dead in him He is both in the world and out of it at the same time He is willing yea desirous to keep his estate yet freely parteth with it if God will have it and accounts the losse of all for Christ the greatest the truest gain 28. He injoies that which he doubts he wants loves unfainedly that which he feare he doth not care for prizeth above all things that which others trample under their feet He is assured of his Salvation and that he is an Heir of Glory yet questions his evidences and by * Nulla sunt sirmiora quam quae ex dubiis facta sunt certa doubting makes them firm and good 29. A true Beleever matters not his life nay he desires to dye yet strives more then any man to save himself He is terribly afraid of Hell and Damnation yet would not knowingly and with delight and perseverance commit or live in any one sin to obtain Heaven 30. He is diligent in his calling yet doth not mind earthly things He alone hath a true comfortable and religious right to the Creature yet accounts himself an Usurper till his Title be confirmed by his interest in Christ Though he hold his Land in free Soccage yet he acknowledgeth 't is but in Capite Though his Tenure be in Fee-simple yet he confesseth himself to be but a Tenant at Will Though his goods be his own yet he knows and beleeves himself bound freely and liberally if he be able to distâ—â—bute and communicate them unto others He beâ—eeveth all things without Christ are nothing but vaâ—ity and â—â—â—â—tion of Spirit and that Christ alone is all things without any thing else 31. That which others fear flie and abhorre he courts desires and welcomes That which is their Funerall is his Nuptials For death doth not kill but translate him it doth not execute but remove him He dies daily and so doth not die at all but deparâ— His sleep is a short death and his dissolution is but a long sleep Death which is a destructive deluge to the wicked is only an Ark to him preserving and carrying him safe to Mount Ararat Heaven and there it both lands and leaves him 32 A true Beleever anticipates the last day He accuseth arraigneth and condemneth himself and so is both acquitted and discharged by God at his death He is no Incendiaâ—y yet desires nothing so