AN ESSAY To Promote VIRTUE By Example IN A COLLECTION OF Excellent Sayings Divine and Moral OF Devout Learned Men In all Ages from the Apostles Time to this present Year 1689. By William Whitcombe Gent. Licensed March 2d 1688 / 9. LONDON Printed for the Author And are to be Sold by Edw. Evets at the Green Dragon in St. Paul's Church-yard 1689. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER I Here present to thy Perusal and Consideration these Serious Sayings following Spoken and Delivered not Rashly but upon the Experience of whole Lives and that too in those most seriously Reflecting Moments the Close of Life and Approach of Eternity And moreover not by any one Party or Perswasion or of any one Age but of all Men of all Perswasions of all Ages Spoken too when they were so disinterested and disobliged from the World as neither to be deluded or abused thereby nor by any the most tempting Baits of Honour or Wordly Profit whatever With this Authentick stamp upon them they are offered to thy Reading and retired Thoughts and for this Great End That these Memoirs and Reliques of the Learned and Pious in all Ages together with what other Examples of the like Kind thy farther Conversation with Good Books or Good Men may afford thee may in some Measure excite thee by a Zealous Imitation of their Lives to endeavour to arrive to the Comfort and Peace of their Deaths and that Eternal Glory that Crowns them And considering how certainly and very shortly we must Die as they did thou may'st therefore Labour to Die as happy too The Design of these Collections of so many Warning-pieces from departed Saints being no other than making the Dead an Instrument towards the Salvation of the Living W. W. Excellent Sayings OF DEVOUT AND Learned-Men c. Alphabetically Digested Abby-Lands THE Pope by a Bull would confirm Abby-Lands but who said Burleigh can confirm the Pope's Bull In the Secret Judgment of God it is to be Admired and Adored in that those Houses and Abbies that were so full of all Abominations as appeared to the Kings Commissioners upon Examination and remains upon Record so Horrible to be heard so Incredible to be believed that it is a Wonder God would suffer them unpluck'd up So that we may say with Mat. Paris Cujus foetor usque ad Nubes fumum toterrimum exhalabat i. e. Whose filthy Stink did Breath a most Pestiferous Fume even to the Clouds of Heaven and with Sodom's Sins cryed aloud for Vengeance c. Accusation IF God's People be Accused falsly Christ will Iustifie them If they have Sinned and truly Believe Repent and Amend He will Pardon them thro' His Meritorious Righteousness and Sacrifice and will make them and pronounce them Just Adversity PRosperity is not without many â—ears and Distastes and Adversity not without many Comforts The Vertue of Prosperity is Temperance the Vertue of Adversity is Fortitude Prosperity doth best discover Vice but Adversity doth best discover Vertue Prosperity is the Blessing of the Old Testament Adversity of the New and the clear Manifestation of the favour of God. The good things of Prosperity are to be Wished the good things of Adversity to be Admired My Lord Cook would say That no Wise Man would do that in Prosperity whereof he would Repent in Adversity His Motto was Prudens qui Patiens Advises EDward Earl of Rutland left these Four Advises behind Him viz. First Be always Imploy'd Secondly Look to the Issue Thirdly Be Furnished with a Friend Fourthly Reflect on thy Self Vita est in Reflectione Affections OBserve this Rule That we never give this Affection of Love leave to run out alone without Judgment and Consideration going before it and along with it That we suffer not our Passions which are Love Hatred Anger Joy Grief Fear or Hope to deal out their own Measures but our Judgment and Deliberation That we always keep this Affection of Love especially under Discipline and Government and suffer it not to run away from us as an unruly Beast without a Chain for it is certain the due Government of this Affection governs all the rest Vae Soli. If any Affection come alone I will ask him for his Fellow If Love to God or Good come alone I will ask him Where is Hatred for Sin If Grief or outward Crosses come alone I will ask him Where is thy Fellow that is Joy in the Lord and in Spiritual Mercies If Fear of Evil come alone I will ask Where is thy Fellow that is Hope in the Lord in his Promises and in his Providences Afflictions NIciphorus saith God so moderates our Actions using the Scourge of Affliction for our Castigation and Conversion and after due Correction shews his Fatherly Affection to those that Trust in him for Salvation Christ asked Peter Three times whether he Loved him not for his own Information but that for his Threefold Profession he may help and heal his Threefold Negation Among the many Preparations for Afflictions patiently take this one which includes the rest viz. Labour to get thy Peace made with GOD through Jesus CHRIST our Lord When this is once done and attained thou art above the Love of the World and fear of Affliction because thou hast an Assurance of a greater than this World can give or take away a Kingdom Heb. 12.2 9. an Hope an Expectation that is above the reach and Region of Affliction and renders the greatest and sorest Afflictions as they are namely Light and Momentany And yet notwithstanding because thou art in this glorious Expectation yet but in this lower Region and so subject to Passions Perturbations and Fears The Merciful God hath engaged his Promise to support thee under them to Better and Improve thee by them and carry thee thro' them by his All-sufficient Grace and Mercy 119. Psal 74. 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 4.17 Christians under your greatest Afflictions lies your greatest Treasure Afflictions are Good but not Pleasant Sin is Pleasant but not Good there 's more Evil in a Drop of Corruption than in a Sea of Afflictions God seperates the Sin he Hates so deadly from the Soul He Loves so dearly By the greatest Afflictions God Teacheth us the sweetest Instruction A Believer when he lies under the Hand that doth Afflict him he lies in the Heart that doth Affect him Believers are Crucified by the World that they may not be Crucified in the World. The Flesh is an Enemy to Sufferings because Sufferings is an Enemy to the Flesh It may make a Man an Earthly Courtier but it will never make a Man an Heavenly Martyr They that carry not the Yoke of Christ on their Neck will never carry the Cross of Christ on their Backs but the Believer Studies more how to Adorn the Cross than how to avoid the Cross None so Couragious as those that are Religious A Believer never falls asleep for Jesus till he falls asleep in Jesus Some Glory in that which is their Shame and shall
taking off from the hardness of the Law given to Adam which was Never to commit the least Sin upon pain of Damnation and requiring of us only an honest and hearty Endeavor to do what we are able and where we fail accepting of sincere Repentance Secondly By sending his Holy Spirit into our Hearts to Rule and Govern us to give us strength to overcome Temptations to Sin and to do all that He requires of us And in this He is our King to Govern Rule and Subdue our Enemies Our Duty in this particular is To give up our selves Obedient Subjects of His to be Governed and Ruled by Him to Obey all his Laws not to take part with any Rebel that is not to cherrish any One Sin but diligently to Pray for his Grace to enable us to Subdue them all and then carefully to make use of it to that purpose Lastly He hath purchased for all that faithfully Obey Him and Eternal and Glorious Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven whither He is gone before to take Possession for us Our Duty herein is First To be exceeding careful that we forfeit not our Parts which we shall certainly do if we continue Impenitent in any Sin. Secondly Not to fasten our Affections on this World but to raise them according to the Precept of the Apostle Col. 3.2 Set your Affections on things above and not on things below longing to come to the Possession of that Inheritance of ours in comparison of which all things here below should seem Vile and Mean. Whole Duty of Man. Christ indeed hath freed us from the Impossibilities of the Covenant of Works and from the Burthen and Yoke of the Legal Ceremonies but not from the Difficulties and Pains of Gospel Duties Baxter's Rest Comforts FEtch thy Comforts from Heaven and not from Pleasures or Hopes here below De Kempis What profit can it be for thee to bewail that Sin which thou wilt not forsake What Reward canst thou expect for that Obedience which so soon fainteth What Comfort in that Joy that is but Temporary How truly sweet says St. Austin is the loss of those Earthly Sweetnesses those Transitory Joys which I was formerly afraid to lose and rejoyce now to Banish It is Thou O Lord who arâ— entred in who art sweeter than aâ—â— Sweetness c. As thou hast raised me by thy Power so Rule me by thy Providence that thy Grace may be far sweeteâ— with my Sufferings than my Pleasures with my Sins Mr. Corbet When I walk in Darkness and see no Light in outward Comforts Human Helps and visible Means I will Trust in the Name of the Lord and stay my self upon my GOD. Ibid. Contentation BE not troubled if this Man lives in Tranquility and thou in Tribulation God will have it so He puts thee in the Combat thou therefore must Sweat before thou comest off with Victory whereas he that comes forward in the World goes back in Grace His Estate is miserable that goes Laughing to Destruction As the Fool in the Stocks for Correction Theophilact He that sets his entirest Love on God yet hath Liberty to Issue a Subordinate Portion of Love to other good things as Health Peace opportunity to do Good Wife Children Friends and in these he may be crossed and disappointed but the predominant Love of God delivers the Soul from Discontent and Impatience even under these Losses because the Soul is still assured of what it most values the Love of God returned to the Soul which compensates and drowns those other Losses and the Discontent that may arise upon it Trouble makes every sad Accident a double Evil Contentedness none at all When we lose our Estates let 's not lose our Constancy and Chearfulness If thou hast lost thy Health do not lose thy Patience also If thou Die a little sooner than thou expected'st do not Die unwillingly If thou have no Friend be not also thy own Enemy If others Vex thee do not withal Vex thy self If thou be Ill to Day be not solicitous for to Morrow sufficient to the Day is the Evil thereof Despair FRancis Spira about the Year 1548. saith this of himself I was excessively Covetous of Money and accordingly I applyed my self to get it by Injustice Corrupt Judgment Deceit Inventing Tricks to delude Justice Good Causes I either defended Deceitfully or Sold them the Adversaries perfidiously Ill Causes I maintained with all my Might I willingly opposed the known Truth and Trust committed to me either Betrayed or Perverted And for the Inordinate Love of the things of this World I wholly Wounded my Conscience by an Infamous Abjuration of the Blessed Truth which I formerly Professed upon the serious Consideration of what I had done in cold Blood acknowledging my self utterly undone for ever This poor Man became a Spectacle of such Spiritual Misery and Woe to the whole World that there is not any thing left to the Memory of Man more Remarkable his Spirit was suddenly smitten with the dreadful Sence of Divine Wrath for his Apostacy and splitting in pieces as it were by so grievous a bruise his Heart fainted fearfully and failed him quite and fell asunder in his Breast like drops of Water Hear some ruful Expressions out of his Desperate State from his own Mouth O that I were gone from hence that somebody would let out this weary Soul of mine I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am never was there a Man alive such a Spectacle of exceeding Misery I now feel God 's heavy Wrath that burneth like the Torments of Hell within me and afflicts my Soul with Pains unutterable Verily Desperation is Hell it self the gnawing Worm of unquenchable Fire Horror Confusion and which is worst of all Desparation continually Tormenting me And now I count my present State worse than if my Soul were separated from my Body with Judas The Truth of it is never had Mortal Man such experience of God 's Wrath and Hatred against him as I have The Damned in Hell I think endure not the like Misery If I could conceive the least spark of Hope in my Heart of a better State hereafter I would not refuse to endure the most heavy Wrath of the great God yea for Two Thousand Years so that at length I could get out of Misery O that God would loose his Hand from me and that it were with me as in times past I would scorn the Threats of most Wicked Tyrants bear Torments with Invincible Resolution and Glory in the outward Profession of Christ till I were choaked with the Flame and my Body turned into Ashes Discression IT 's more Discression to hold the Stile of Miserable which begets an Infamy without Hatred than to desire that of Liberal which being maintained by necessitous Courses procures an Infamy with Hatred Machiavil Death THe Young-Man hath Death at his Back the Old-Man before his Eyes That 's the more dangerous Enemy that Pursues thee than that which Marches before
We can hardly spare time for God because we Love him too little but we have abundance of spare time for our Idle Aversions only because we love them too much Sir Thomas Howard was wont to say That the less others set by him the more he would set by himself God makes his Love sensible to the faithful Soul and saith to it by the Presence of his Spirit Soul I am thy Salvation and the Soul saith to him Lord thou art my God I am thine save me teach me to do thy Will God Communeth with the Soul by his Word and Spirit that is by Prayer and Holy Meditations Pe. Du Moulin 39. All the Deliverances that God sendeth his Children all the Blessings that God poureth out upon them they take them as Productions of the Fatherly love of God who hath Adopted them in his Son they taste that love in the Enjoyments of present Goods they breathe that love in hope of future and eternal Good they rest upon that love when they sleep they rest upon that love in the Occurrences of their Life with what face soever the World looks upon them they see thro' them the evident love of God being certain that nothing happens to them but is directed by the good hand of their loving Father Ib. 37. Life to come THe Life to come is blessed Eternity certain Security a secure Quietness quiet Joyfulness happy Eternity and Eternal Felicity Lyes A Lye as Mountane saith is only to brave it towards God and to be a Coward towards Man for a Lye faceth God and shrinketh from Man. Lusts AS a great shower of Rain puts out the force of Fire so Meditations of God's Word puts out the Fire of Lusts in our Souls Maxims VIdeo Rideo is God's Motto on Affronts Video tacio was Queen Elizabeths And Prudens qui Patiens Sir Edward Cooks Melancholy A Mind in the dark of Melancholy and Trouble feareth every thing Mistakes in Divinity THere will be Mistakes in Divinity whil'st Men Preach And Errors in Government whil'st such Govern. Mirth and Vanity SIR Edward Fines would say That he that would be Merry for a Day let him be Trim'd He that would be Merry for a Week let him Marry He that would be Merry for a Year let him Build And he that would be Merry for Ages let him Improve his Land. Marriage HOly Marriage says St. Austin is better than proud Virginity Meekness THeodosius Senior Commanded That he that Reviled and spoke Evil of him should not be Punished because if it proceeded from levity it is not to be regarded if of Madness it was to be pittied if of Injury received it is to be Pardoned in them Malice Origen saith That Gods Providence hath ordered all things for some End or Purpose He made not Malice and tho' he can restrain it yet he will not for if Malice were not Virtue should not have a contrary and so should not shine so clear For the Malice of Joseph's Brethren was the means whereby God brought many admirable works of his Providence as the Story sheweth Mass AT Rome saith Luther I heard them say Mass in such a manner as I detest them For at the Communion Table I heard Curtesans laugh and boast of their Wickedness And others concerning the Bread and Wine on the Altar saying Bread thou art and Bread thou shalt remain Wine thou art and Wine thou shalt remain Martyrdom IGNATIVS said of his Tormentors That the Lions Teeth are but like a Mill for tho' it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good Wheat only prepares and fits it to be pure Bread Let me says he be broken by them so I may be a pure Manchet for Heaven Mr. Latimer being ready to be burnt said God is faithful that will not suffer us to be Tempted above that we are able c. When the Fire was brought he said to Bp. Ridley Be of good Comfort Brother and play the Man we shall this day light such a Candle by Gods Grace in England I trust shall never be put out Mr. John Philpot in a Letter which he wrote to Mr. John Careles then a Prisoner in the Kings-Bench he thus writes I am in this World in Hell and in the shadow of Death but he that for my deserts hath brought me down into Hell shall shortly lift me up into Heaven where I shall continually look for your coming and others of my faithful Brethren in the King's-Bench And tho' I tell you I am in Hell in the judgment of the World yet I assuredly feel in the same the Consolation of Heaven Praised be God their loathsom and horrible Prison is pleasant to me Mercy CHrisostom says God had rather Men should love him than fear him to be called Father rather than Master He wins by Mercy that he may not perish by Justice Only a Godly Man knows how to make use of Mercies Neatness SIr Edward Cook was wont to say It is profitable to be Neat that the outward Neatness of the Body may be a moniter of the purity of our Souls Negotiating USE such Persons as affect the Business wherein they are to be Employ'd for that quickneth much and such are fit for the matter As bold Men for Expostulation fair spoken Men for Persuasion crafty Men for Enquiry and Observation Froward and Absur'd Men for Business that doth not well bear out it self Use such as have been Lucky and prevailed before in things wherein you have employed them for they will endeavour to maintain their Prescription It is better sound a Person with whom he deals a far off than to fall on the Point at first except you mean to surprise him by some short Question Lord Bacon's Essays Nobility NObility without Virtue is a Disgrace Virtue without Nobility is low but Nobility adorned with Virtue and Virtue embellished by Nobility raiseth a Man as high as Nature reacheth and he in whom these two Concur have all the Glory a Man can attain unto that is both an inclination and a power to do well In the Life of Francis Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury Obedience LET it be thy serious and fixed purpose every Morning through the assistance of Grace not willingly or knowingly to commit any Sin or to do any thing thy Conscience shall tell thee is displeasing to God but if contrary to thy serious intention through Infirmity sudden Surprisal violence of Temptation or Incogitancy thou do'st at any time fall humble thy self before the Lord bewail and confess thy Faults with sorrow and grief and speedily recover thy self by a serious Repentance by flying to the Blood of Christ for Pardon Our Natures must be renued before the Command can be rightly obeyed Mat. 7.18 Whatsoever a Mans performances are they cannot be called Obedience whilst the Heart remains unregenerate because the Principle is false and unsound Every duty done by a Believer is accepted of God as part of his Obedience to the Will of God tho' it be done in much
Injuries INjuries of Evils present are to be neglected for hopes of things to come St. Cyprian You must saith St. Jerom be a Dove and a Serpent the one not to do hurt to others the other not to be hurt by others He knows not how to live that knoâ—â— not how to bear Wrongs David Chiterus The Mercies and Forgiveness that I find and hope for at the Lords hands engageth and disposeth me to forgive Injuries and Abuses done to me And I should not think it much that I who am so sinful should bear some Contumelies and Abuses from Men. Corbet The more Men Wrong thee the more watchfully maintain thy Love to them Ibid. When that another hath spoken to thy Disgrace beware of a transport of Anger that thou speak not harshly and unadvisedly against him or too Passionately or as too much concerned for self Ibid. Vid. Wrongs Incarnation TO believe the Incomprehensible Mistery of our Saviour's Incarnation that the omnipotent Divine Nature and the weak Nature of Man are united in one Person of Christ is sure a very hard thing of Belief and requires the express Word of God to submit to and captivate our Understandings in Obedience to it for the Union of the Divine Nature Vid. John 1.1 Idleness HE is a Sluggard that would raign with God and will not labor for God. In the promised Reward he takes delight but the Commanded Combats affright him Bead. Ingratitude ST Austin called Ingratitude the Devils Spunge whereby he wipes out all the favours of the Almighty Integrity SAint Cyprian says There can be no Integrity whereby they that should Condemn the Wicked are ever wanting and they only which should be Condemned are ever present Judgment SAint Jerom said Whatsoever he did he still thought that that Voice was still in his Ears Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment Interest THey who least consider Hazard in the doing of their Duty fare best still The surest way to Safety is to have one Interest espoused firmly as never to be changed KINGS IT is a Maxim that KINGS are like the Sun and Usurpers like Falling-Stars for the Sun tho' it be Effuscated or Eclipsed with Mists and Clouds yet at length becomes refulgent whereas the others are but Figures of Stars to the view and prove no more than Exhalations which suddainly dissolve and fall to the Earth where they are consumed First Jesus Christ is his Enemies King. Secondly His Saints King. Thirdly His Fathers King. The First he Rules Over the Second he Rules In and the Third he Rules For. Knowledge ST Basil said To know thy self is very difficult for as the Eye can see all things but it self so some can discern all Faults but their own There is a common Knowledge and there is a saving Knowledge common Knowledge is that which floats in the Head but doth not Influence and affect the Heart This Knowledge Reprobates may have Numb 23.10 but then the saving Knowledge of God and Christ which doth include the assent of the Mind and consent of the Will This is Knowledge which implies Faith Isa 5.8 By his Knowledge shall my Righteous Servant Justifie many For us to know but to know that 's Curiosity to know to be known that 's Vain-Glory but to know to Practise what we know that 's Gospel-Duty He only knows GOD aright that knows how to Obey him and Obeys according to his Knowledge of him Psal 111.10 a good Understanding have all they that keep his Commandments Law of GOD. EVsebius saith That Moses Wrote the Old Law in dead Tables of Stone but Christ did write the lively and perfect Documents of the New Law in Tables of the New-Testament in living Souls One Law Executed is worth Twenty Made No Laws so no good could be done by a Governor that was not Absolute without either restraint or a Competitor Machiavil Law and Equity have Two Courts but Law and Equity should dwell in one Breast Light Gold. THe Master of a Company affirmed That they had a pair of Scales that would turn with the Two hundredth part of a Grain I should be loath said Mr. Attorney General Noy standing by that all my Actions should be weighed by those Scales We are all but Light Gold. Liberty A People accustomed to live under a Prince if by accident they become free are like Beasts let loose and have much ado either to maintain their Government or their Liberty Machiavil Love. LOve is nothing but a disposition of the Will whereby it cleaves or makes forward to some good thing that is agreeable to it self Preston 216. St. Jerom used this excellent saying If my Father stood Weeping on his Knees before me and my Mother hanging on my Neck behind me and all my Brothers Sisters Children and Friends howling on every side to retain me in a sinful Life I would run over my Father fling my Mother to the Ground despise my Kindred and fling them under my Feet that I may run to CHRIST Here 's Love and Fortitude St. Austin saith Love is strong as Death as Death killeth the Body so Love of Eternal Life kills Worldly Desires and Affections The Love of Christ being predominant in the Soul deadens the Affections to any thing else Christ asked Peter Three Times Lovest thou me not for his own Information but that by his Threefold Profession he might help his Threefold Negation of him Nicephorus To Love God and to be conformable to him is that which I most of all desire should be in me Corbet's Enquiry God will never Damn in Hell any Soul that hath the habitual Predominance of the Love of God in his Soul tho' culpable or otherwise sinful whil'st remains such yea Hell and such Love are inconstant Ibid. 30. I Love to Love GOD says Mr. Corbet and desire this Love not only as an evidence of my Salvation but for it self I had much rather have an Heart to Love him perfectly than to have all the Honors Riches and Pleasures of this World. Ib. 17. Love to God is the Fountain and Spring of all true Obedience most of the Hypocrites Love empties it self in Vain-Glory Mat. 6.2 5. Hos 10.1 We know that we have passed from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren John 3.14 10. there we understand Brethren by Grace and not by Nature or otherwise to love God for Godliness sake the Saints for Saintships sake this is a sure Testimony of our Christianity A Sinner cannot Love a Saint Quatenus a Saint neither can a Saint love a Sinner Quatenus a Sinner John 15.19 Psal 57.4 It is a true Rule That Love is ever Rewarded either in the Recipoque or with an Inward or secret Contempt Watch against all secret Pleasure in the lessening of another for advancing of thy self Divine Love says Basil is a never failing Treasure he that hath it is Rich and he that wanteth it is Poor Chrisostom saith A Bulwark of Adamant is not more impregnable than the Love of Brethren
Faculty The Will against the Will Affection against Affection And this is that the Apostle calls The lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit That is the striving of one Unregenerate part against the Regenerate part and this ever in the same Faculty But striving against Sin may be in several Faculties as between the Will and Conscience as for fear of Hell which Wicked Men may have Acts 7.15 It is impossible for a Man to forsake Sin except he forsakes all that he knows to be Sin To hate Sin as it is an offence to God and wrong to his Majesty to hate Sin as it is a breach of his Commandments a wicked controuling of God's Will which is the only Rule of Goodness To hate Sin as being a disingenuous Transgression of that Law of Love established in the Blood and Death of Christ and so in a degree a Crucifying of Christ afresh to hate Sin as being a grieving and quenching of the Spirit of God as all Sin in its nature is Thus to hate Sin is Grace and thus every true Christian hates Sin and not for the Shame that attends it nor as it is contrary to some other Sin c. I do not cease to lament the more hainous Sins of my Life and cannot forbear continually to implore the Pardon of them I do not again return unto them and resolve never so to do I watch and pray against all Sin but especially against those Sins to which I especially am enclined my Conflicts are daily and I am hard put to it but I do not yield up my self to any Sin nor lie down in it Yea I do not suffer Sinful Thoughts or Cogitations to lodg in me howbeit I am much discomposed and damped in Spirit deadned in Duty distracted in my Studies and molested and hindered every way by Sin that dwelleth in me But I resolve that Sin shall never have rest in my Soul and that I will never enjoy it I cannot keep Sin out of my Heart yet it doth not raign in my Mortal Body nor do I yield my Members to the Service of it Mr. Corbet 's Enquiry It is a less Evil to do Sin and not to love it than to love Sin and not to do it for to do Sin may argue weakness of Grace but to love Sin argues strength of Lust What I hate that I do Rom. 7.14 A Man may forsake the Life of Sin and yet retain the Love of Sin. True Mourning for Sin is more for the Evil that is in Sin than the Evil that comes by Sin more because it dishonoureth God and Wounds Christ and grieves the Spirit and makes the Soul unlike God than because it Damns the Soul Mat. 7.11 O Lord when I confess Sin unto thee grant that I may feel the burthen and weight of it upon my Conscience that it may not be a customary Confession Where Confession is right it will be distinct especially of those which were our chief Sins Confession should come like Water out of a Spring which runs freely not like Water out of a Still which is forced by Fire Salvation by CHRIST's Blood. TAke it for granted there is no Man under Heaven whereby we can be saved but Jesus Christ all Grace for this Life and for that which is to come must come to you through the Channel of Christ's Blood. Acts 16.30 31. Sorrow I Could have born any Sorrow rather than this I am under this is a good sign GOD hath let me Blood in the right Vein he will have me part with all manner of Sin without exception It is doubtless our Sin to disable our selves by our Sorrow for our general or particular Callings Let us be heartily Sorrowful that we have so Carnally so Hypocritically so Covetously so Vain-gloriously Professed the Gospel Let the Plagues and Anger of GOD most justly fallen upon us be applyed to our Sins that from the bottom of our Hearts every one of us may say It is I Lord that have Sinned against Thee It is my Wickedness that causeth success and encrease of Authority to my Enemies M. Bradford Speech THERE is no Man that talks but I may gain by him and none that holds his Tongue but I may lose by him As Henry Wotton being bound for Rome asked his Host in Vienna a Man well versed in Men and Business What Rules he would give him for his Port Conduct and Carriage He answered There is one short Remembrance which will carry you Safe throughout the whole World and that is nothing but this Keep your Thoughts close and your Countenance loose He that knoweth to speak well knoweth also where he must hold his Peace Said that Old Grecian Think an Hour before thou speakest and a Day before thou Promisest Spirit SPirit in the un-erring Sense is nothing but Reason illuminated by Revelation out of the Written Word for when the Mind and Spirit humbly conform and submit to the Written Will of God then are you said to have the Spirit of God and to walk according to the Spirit and not according to the Flesh Mr. Hales of Eaton College There is an Having of the Spirit which is a sure Work of Saintship Where the Spirit is an effectual prevailing Principle of Grace and Sanctification renewing and regenerating the Heart Where the Spirit is as a potent Worker helping the Souls Infirmities Rom. 8.26 Where the Spirit is said to abide for ever John 14.16 The true Believer hath so much of the Spirit such a work of it in him that he cannot sin that Sin unto Death He that is born of God sinneth not to wit that Sin unto Death for that is meant 1 John 7.16 1. Mr. Smith in a Sermon said to this purpose If God be our Father in Christ he lays hold of us by his Spirit and we lay hold of Him by Faith. Now it is his Hold-fast of us that saves us so that tho our Faith be as it were a sleep yet the Fathers Hold-fast continues firm Many when they hear that Spiritual Comforts are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit presently conceive themselves to be meerly Passive therein and that they have nothing to do but wait when God will bestow them Notwithstanding tho these Comforts are Spiritual yet they are rationally raised up on the Understanding's Apprehension of the Excellency of God our Happiness and our Interest in Him and by the rolling of these blessed Objects in our frequent Meditations the Spirit doth advance and not destroy our Reason it doth ratifie and then use it as its ordinary Instrument for the Conveyance of such things to our Affections and Exciting them accordingly and not lay it aside and affect us without it Therefore our Joys are raised discoursively and the Spirit first revealeth the Cause of our Joy and then helps us to rejoice upon those revealed Grounds so that he rejoyceth groundedly who knoweth why he rejoiceth ordinarily Mr. Baxter's Rest 3d. part p. 159 160. Sufferings I May be Poor but still I
Universities Discharged himself of all publick Affairs and Attendants a quarter of a year before he died Desiring the Bishop of Winchester and Worcester to draw him out of the Word of God the plainest and exactest way of making his Peace with God in this present World adds That it was great pitty that Men know not to what end they were born into this World until they were ready to go out of it My Lord Bacon hath said at the latter end of his Life That a little smattering in Philosophy would lead a Man into Atheism but a thorough Insight into it would lead a Man back again unto a first Cause and that the first Principle of Right Reason is Religion in Reference to which it was the wisest way to live strictly and severely for if the Opinion of another would not be one yet the sweetest thing in this World is Piety Vertue and Honesty If it be true none are so miserable as the Loose the Carnal and Profane Persons who live a Dishonorable and Base Life in this World and are like to Fall into a most woful State in the next The E. of Arundel lying on his Death Bed said My Flesh and my Heart fail me and his Chaplain answered the next Words That God was the strength of his Heart and his portion for ever he would never fail him He answering tho all the World hath failed He will never fail me Sir Tho. Coventry Lord Keeper of the Great Seal hearing some Gallants jesting with Religion said That there was no greater Argument of a Foolish and Inconsiderate Person than to droll at Religion It is a sign he hath no regard of himself and that he is not touched with a Sence of his own Interest who playeth with Life and Death and makes nothing of his Soul. To examine severely and debate seriously of Religion is a thing worthy of a wise Man Whosoever turns Religion into Railery with two or three bold Jests rendreth not only Religion but himself Ridiculous in the Opinion of all Wise and Considerate Men because he sports with his own Life For a good Man saith If Principles were doubtful yet they concern us so nearly that we ought to be serious in the Examination of them Carolopator relateth how the excellent Painter Methoclius Drawing the last day the Heavens black the Earth on Fire the Sea in Blood the Throne of God environd with Angels in the Clouds wrought so upon Bogaris the barbarous Prince of Bulgaria that in a short time he yielded himself to God by an happy Conversion for he dreaming of the whole proceedings of that day amongst other things saw the things he made so light of by speaking thus I am the pleasure thou hast obeyed I am the Ambition whose Slave thou wast I am the Avarice which was the aim of all thy Actions Behold so many Sins that are thy Children Thou begottest them thou belovest them so much as to prefer them before thy Saviour Mr. John Bruen said At his Funeral he would have no Black for I love not said he any proud nor pompous Funeral neither is there any cause of Mourning but Rejoycing rather in my particular Immediately before his death lifting up his Hands he said The Lord is my Help my Portion and my Trust His Blessed Son Jesus is my Saviour and Redeemer Amen For so saith the Spirit to my Spirit Then come Lord Jesus and Kiss me with Kisses of thy Mouth and embrace me with the Arms of thy Love Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit Take me to thy own self Come Lord Jesus come quickly O come O come O come Mr. Brown of Norwich Phisitian entertained one Attribute of God to recreate his Devotion and that is Wisdome In which says he I am Happy for the Contemplation of this only I do not Repent me that I was brought up to Study the advantage I have over the Vulgar with the content and happiness I conceive therein is an ample Recompence of all my endeavours in what part of Knowledge whatsoever Wisdom is his most glorious Attribute no man can attain unto it yet Solomon pleased God when he desired it he is wise because he knoweth all things and he knoweth all things because he made them all Yet his greatest knowledge is in comprehending what he made not Himself and this also is the greatest Knowledge in man for this I do honour my Profession and Embrace the very Council of the Devil himself Had he read such a Lecture in Paradice as he did at Delphos we had better known our selves neither had we need to stand in fear of him I know he is Wise in all things he is Wise in all and Wonderful in what we conceive but farmore in what we comprehend not for we behold him but a squint upon reflex or shadow Our Vnderstanding is dimmer then Moses his Eye we are Ignorant of his Back-parts and his lower-side of his Divinity there to pry into his Councels is not only Folly in Man but Presumption even in Angels like us they are his Servants not his Senators he holds Councel but with that mystical One the Trinity where tho there be three Persons there is but one Mind that decrees without contradicion nor needs he any of his Actions to be begot with deliberation his Wisdom knows naturally what 's best his Intellect stands fraught with the superlative and purest Ideas of Goodness Consultation and Electi on which are two Motions in us make but one in Him his Actions sprung from his Power at the first touch of his Will There are Contemplations metaphysical my humble Speculations have another Method are content to trace and discover those Expressions he hath left in his Creatures and the obvious effects of Nature there is danger to confound these Mysteries no Sanctum Sanctorum in Philosophy the world to be Inhabited by Beasts but Study'd and Contemplated by Men. It is the debt of our Reason to Owe unto God the Homage we pay for not being Beasts without this the World is still as though it had not been or as it had been before the sixth day when as yet there was not a Creature that could conceive or say there was a World. The Wisdom of God receives small Honor from the Vulgar Heads that usually stare about with gross Rusticity admire his works Those highly magnifie him whose Judicious Enquiry into his Acts and deliberate Research into his Creatures return the duty of a Learned and Devout Admiration Therefore search whilst thou wilt and let thy Reason go To ransom Reason even to the Abyss below Rally the Scattered causes and that line Which Nature twists be able to untwine It is thy Makers Will for unto none But unto Reason can he e're be known The Devil knows thee but those Damned Metors Build not thy Glory but confound the Creatures Teach my endeavours so thy Work to read That learning them in Thee I may proceed Give thou my Reason that