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
precious a thing peace is that hath felt the extream calamities of War Famine teacheth us the worth of plenty Imprisonment indears liberty darknesse makes the light both more desirable and welcome so the burden of affliction felt and the bitternesse thereof being sweetned by being sanctified unto us will make us both highly to prize Gods great mercy in delivering us from troubles and heartily to praise him for his compassion and goodnesse in giving us songs in the night solace in the midst of our Sorrows and support under our sharpest sufferings since none will either so much value the favour and felicity of a pleasant calm or rejoyce in the security of an earnestly desired Haven as those who have experienced the amazing distracting terrours of a Cholerick furioâ—â— storm and have been exposed to the dreadful dangers 〈◊〉 an inraged Ocean whose angry cruell and remoâ—slesse Billows did seem to quarrell and contend which of them should be their Executioners and first overwhelm ingulf and bury them in the liquid bosome of their merciless Mother Christ is never so amiable dear or precious to any as he is to them who have been sensible of the weight height and smart of sin their own nothingnesse vilenesse and wretchednesse by reason thereof and his infinite undeserved Love in both freely seasonably safely bringing them by the gates of Hell to Heaven And therefore God who is not only wisdome it self but †1 John 4. 6. Love and the father of mercies who doth not willingly afflict the children of men who is grieved as well as fretted at their transgressions would not cut and lanch his people if their festered sores could be cured or the life of their souls preserved by mild unpainfull and mercifull applications He is also * John 1. 15. that husbandman who is Lord of the Vine-yard and he both takes care of it and delights in it He will not therefore cut down with the Axe of vengeance those trees that bear good though but little fruit * Revel 3. 19 but only prune them with the sharp knife of Affliction Deus paternum habet adversus bonos viros animum et illos fortius amat to operibus doloribus ac damnis exagitat ut verum colligant robur Senec. de Divin provident that so they may be more fruitfull He is not like Tyrants pleased with their sufferings for even then when his hand is whipping of them his tender Bowels like an indulgent pityful Mothers yearn toward them while he strikes he loves them yea therefore he strikes because he loves them you have his own word for it as many as I love †These are the Lots which all Kings from the first that ever was to the last that ever shall be shall most certainly draw in their courses Regnabo regno regnavi sum stâ—â—e Regno I rebuke and chasten His blows are Balm his wounds cure his anger is favour his displeasure mercy to them It 's then both the unspeakable felicity of and a prerogative Royal not only peculiar and annexed unto but also inseparable from all the Heaven-born heirs of Christs Kingdome That no condition how sad grievous or calamitous soever it be in this world either shal or can render them miserable * John 10 28. Psalm 103. 17. Because it 's beyond the power both of sin Satan sufferings and death either to extinguish the fire of Gods free love towards them or totally and finally to take away the inward soul-ravishing and reviving comforts of the Holy Spirit from them or to extirpate the root of grace out of them here or to keep them from or to deprive them of that crown of glory which the Lord hath both promised them in this life and prepared for them in the next when Angels shall carry their souls into Abrahams bosome whereas the undoubted immediate Heirs of earthly Princes are often either excluded disinherited deposed or Assasinated and so do not only lose their rights hopes honours lives and glories but become far more miserable by their being formerly so happy either in expectation or fruition We need travail no further then * Our age doth afford us the most bloudy barbarous and impious example of this kind that ever the Sun beheld viz. the horrid murther of King Charles the 1st England to fetch woful instances or examples to confirm this truth * Robert the eldest son of William the Conqueror King Henry the sixth and to name no more Edward and Richard the only Sons of King Edward 4. were disinherited deposed and murdered The first by his younger brethren William Rufus and Henry The second by Edward the 4. The other by their uncle then Duke of Glocester Thus we see that a Christians crosse is a Crown whereas an earthly Crown is but a crosse The statue of Neptune at Messina holds Scilla and Charybdis in chains with this inscription Pergite securae per freta nostra rates The Lord orders all his dispensations both of love and anger to his own glory and his peoples good so that neither prosperity nor adversity shall hurt them k Luther Quicquid enim passus est Christus idem nobis sanctificavit paupertatem ditavit ignominiam glorificavit mortem vivificavit Whatever Christ suffered that he hath sanctified He hath made poverty riches Ignominy honour and brought life out of the womb of death to and for his people l 〈…〉 â—aeom ex Arist lib. 2. Ethic. c. 5. It 's an Axiome in Philosophy Med cinae fiunt per contraria and it 's true in Divinity for the great Physitian of our souls makes miseries medicines sickness health and tribulations * Psalm 119. 71 mercies to his Children yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocuments are Documents corrections * Psalm 119. 67. instructions calamities cordials and crosses comforts unto them Beleeve me there is no such joy in the World as the people of Christ have under the crosse I speak by experience said pious Mr. Philpot. m Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. Guy de Brez being committed prisoner into the Castle of Tournay he was visited by many persons of quality and amongst the rest by the Countesse of Ren who coming into the Prison and beholding the iron chain to which he was fastned Mr. Guy said she I wonder you can either eat drink or sleep in quiet for were I in your case the very terrour thereof would go nigh to kill me Madam said he the good cause for which I suffer and that inward peace of conscience wherewith God hath endued me makes me eate and drink with greater comfort then my enemies can which seek my life yea my chains and bonds are so farre from terrifying me or breaking my sleep that I glory and delight therein esteeming them at a higher rate then chains and rings of gold or any other precious Jewels whatsoever for they yeild me much more profit Yea when I hear the ratling of my chains me
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
for givenesse because he sins willingly even at that very time when he seems earnestly to beg of the Lord the pardon of his sins and so doth not please or serve but mock God For the God of love and life doth infinitely hate and will not hear those that love hatred and live in it But he will avenge himself severely upon all those that desire and delight to revenge themselves implacably upon others 64. 'T is midnight with an impenitent transgressor when he hath the brightest noontide of prosperity And 't is a serene a shining Noontide with a Saint when he is in the cloudiest midnight of adversity 65. A Saint is a great gainer though he lose all that he hath in the world But a wicked man is a great loser though he gain all that the world hath in it 66. He is mercifully cruell to his own Soul that spares the lives of those Amalekites his Sinnes But he is both cruelly merciful and merciful without any cruelty to his soul that kils them all without mercy 67. He that would live when he dies must kill by mortification all his deadly sins in his life And he that would never die * Mortibus viâ—imus Senec. must die daily 68. The sins of others will increase his sorrow that doth not sorrow for others sins 69. He that would be married to Jesus Christ must get his heart divorced from an inordinate love of worldly things because Christ Jesus will give him a Bill of Divorce that loves the things of the world inordinately For he that makes earth his Heaven or Paradise by suffering a sinful love thereof to enter into his Soul his Soul shal never enter into the Paradise of Heaven 70. He that hath a saving interest in Christ shall be full and rich even when he is empty wantful and deprived of all creature-comforts But he that wants a saving interest in Christ will be poor and empty in the midst of his fullest injoyments and greatest plenty 71. His Soul is sick to death that neither is nor ever yet was heart-sick with grief for the sins of his Life which will be without true repentance the death of his Soul nor love sick for the great and good physitian of the soul Jesus Christ who is both lovely and loving to those only that are sick of love for him 72. His sins are most both odious and hainous that after he hath repented of them returns again with delight to the commission of his hainous sinnes Because he hath laid God in one and put the Devill into the other Scale of the ballance and suffered the Devill to weigh down the Lord. He hath also heard God and the Devill argue and plead and after a full hearing he doth deliberately by wilful relapsing decree for Satan against his Saviour And so he doth both undervalue dishonour and provoke God and also repent that he did repent God will therefore most certainly judge him for his sins without mercy that gives so sinful a judgment against the God of mercy 73. It 's reported that when Caesar saw M. Brutus come running upon him amongst those that murdered him he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou my son The sins of Gods Children do grieve and offend Christ more then the iniquities of his Enemies Because a contempt or an injury from a friend doth both dishonour him more highly and wound him more deeply then an affront or an abuse from a professed Adversary 74. He is a bad Magistrate that is not good for nothing And as pious Governors do clothe a Nation with the Robâ—â— of Joy and gladnesse So wicked Rulers do put it into Sackcloth and mourning 75. He that undermines the Church of God doth at once labour sweat and weary himself to dig a hole down to hel for his Soul to fall irrecoverably into the bottomlesse pit And he that persecutes the people of God by shedding their innocent crying bloud puls up a sluce to let in a crimson deluge to drown him 76. Never did any wicked men attempt to pull down God from his Throne by setting up themselves their lusts interests and idols above him or his glory but the God of glory pulled or rather tumbled them down headlong for that wicked attempt Either by humbling their proud presumptuous hearts or else by destroying their persons or blasting their cursed designes or which is yet more dreadful by damning their rebellious Souls 'T is then a fearful thing not to fear falling into the omnipotent Arms and the angry hands of that terrible God who both can and will with one irresistable blow kil and confound the offender and with one frown or stroke send him at once both to his Grave and Hâ—ll 77. A pious Christian though he hates no mans person is yet the worst most inexorable and invincible enemy of all mortall creatures to the ungodly whose works and waies his Soul doth loath and detest For by his faithful prayers he can prevail with God to infatuate their Counses dispirit their stout hearts blast their designs wither their flourishing hopes to break the Arme of their power and to rescue himself and those that fear God out of the Jawes of Enemies dangers and death 'T is therefore a stupendious astonishing madnesse in wicked men to hate those whom God loves to destroy those for whose sakes themselves are preserved to hope to build themselves houses upon earth by pulling the pillars thereof to condemn them that shall one day be their Judges and to plot and presume to plant themselves or their Posterities in the World by supplanting and rooting out the upright * Prov. 2. 1. who shall dwell in the Land whereas the * Prov. 3. 33. wicked * in whose house the curse of the Lord is shall be cut off from the earth †Prov. 2. 22. For if Cedars vinâ—â— olive and orenge trees be cut down then brambles briers and barren Fig-trees will certainly suddainly miserably be cursed burned and consumed 78. He is the worst malignant and Incendiary in a State that is a wicked man For he not only hates goodnesse and good Christians but he also both kindles the fire of Gods wrath against it and keeps it burning and flaming by casting continually the oyle of sinne upon it 79. Those Governours and great ones who are so bewitched with the fading dying and killing glories of this World as for the Love of them to slight Heaven neglect the great Salvation offered them and to reject Jesus Christ their pomp will end in pain their honour in Infamy and their Glory in eternal misery 80. He that slights opposes robs and wrongs the Ambassadours of Jesus Christ Gods faithful Ministers doth dishonour displease and bid defiance to their Master the Lord of Hosts He must therefore without repentance restitution and submission expect to receive neither peace pardon nor quarter but death without mercy that steals from or fights against the God of bounty Justice and Mercy and
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
intreat them to joine science and conscience together to live up to their knowledge and duty by burning inwardly with a well-grounded well-guided zeal for God and by shining outwardly towards men with sobriety innocency sanctity Since great gifts parts and abilities without honesty and grace are great snares temptations mischiefs and plagues both to themselves and others And since without a holy diligent careful improvement of them both to Gods glory and the good of others all those whom God hath honoured and enriched with them will by him be greatly and grievously punished for abusing or not using and imploying of them And as for those who are yet in the petty school and lower forms that have not overgrown nor travailed beyond their A. B. C. in understanding and religion nor as yet rightly learned to know themselves sin the world or their Christs crosse that great work duty and comfort of true Christians there are lessens offered and set by me very necessary for them to be acquainted with instructed in imminded of and seasoned withall 5. Lastly because I know that although many instead of accepting my poor indeavours and receiving the truth in the love of it will not only reject and disregard it but also censure yea bite and revile the Author with their invenomed teeth and frothy filthy tongues yet my labour will not shall not be in vain because it 's in the Lord and for the Lord. In his name and fear this plain not mosaick or carved work was undertaken to his glory it was and is intended directed and by his assistance it is finished I do not I dare not say perfected His blessing his powerful gracious fruitful influence I do therefore most humbly beg upon it And do only desire these few very reasonable things and favours of my Readers First that they would instead of carping snarling or barking at my book which I confesse hath too much Alloy and drosse but no poison in it communicate their own more pure and better refined labours to the world It will be I assure them my joy and contentment not envy or sorrow to see and their own not only honour but comfort to build marble and magnificent fabricks where such low mudwalâ—'d Cottages as mine is are erected 2. Secondly that they would prize welcome and imbrace truth though it curb crosse or kill their carnall Joies profane waies and worldly interests 3. Thirdly That they would seriously consider that Jewels are both as precious and resplendent in a woodden box or in an earthen pot as in a cabinet of Pearl That there may be usefull wholesome and savoury herbs in that Garden which wants the bravery beauty glories and the gaudey embroidery of curious flowers And that sweet meats may do well for sauce or to taste of but are not fit or safe to be made our daily bread 4 Fourthly that they would not be their own murderers and Executioners by loving vice and hating vertue by adoring earth and trampling Heaven under their feet by forsaking Christ to follow the world by poisoning their souls to please their senses by deferring their repentance and an holy Life till death or by leaving the safe and pleasant ways of truth and righteousnesse to walk in the dangerous destructive paths of error heresies and wickednesse 5. Lastly I do earnestly intreat them to read what I have written without partiality passion prejudice and prepossession that Maxim being most true here Intus existens prohibet altenum For vessels top full of earth cannot receive without being emptied either gold or gemms And the most precious cordial the most soveraign Julep must needs be lost and spilt if it be put into a dish that is brim-ful of dung or muck-hill-pit water Read them then once more I do importunately pray and request you with hearts willing desirous and resolved to be informed imminded convinced reformed confirmed and if you receive any good by my weak labours remember to give God the glory of his own work and mercy and instead of your praises Crown me with your prayers But if you do not profit by them consider That bad disaffected and distempered stomacks do turn the best meats into ill humours and into dangerous if not mortall diseases That none are more either sure to languish or likely to die then those that refuse loath and cast away the Physick that should cure them That those who hate the light shall one day when 't is too late clearly see their folly sin and misery in outerdarknesse That glorified Saints would be Gaolers Angels tormentors and heaven it self an hell to those that are unholy unheavenly unregenerated on earth That they who have forgotten forsaken left and lost God and Jesus Christ shall never without humbling their souls mourning for their sins and returning to the Lord find or feel any true comfort peace or happinesse either in life or death That they who do not with the spiritual eye of a justifying faith stedfastly behold the sun of righteousnesse Jesus Christ as 't is said the eagle can with her natural eyes the sun of heaven will and do like the kite with the eyes of sense corrupt reason look earnestly yea longingly at stâ—op eagerly unto and feed greedily upon the carrion and garbage of creature-comforts which do only fit and fat the wicked as the richest soil doth beasts for the day of slaughter vengeance and damnation That they who do not impâ— the wings of their knowledge and reason with the golden feathers of vertue and piety will never be able to soar above the World or to mount up to Heaven a Solus vir bonus est revera prudens Arist Ethic. 6. Contrae inquit alius stolidi et imprudentes sunt mali Keck syst Ethic. lib. 1. c. 3. p. 148. That they only are really wise and good who are sincerely religious because discoursing learnedly is but the bark the shell of knowledge and because professing zealously is but the husk the leaf of sanctity for only honesty and piety are the kernell fruit head heart bloud spirits light heat soul and body of true wisdome and saving grace That therefore Christians ought to conform their practise to their principles their works to their words and their Lives to their light That they whose actions are eccentrick to Gods honour word and will will never without repentance and reformation be found weight in the ballance of the sanctuary That it 's infinitely more both honour and happiness to be a truly holy Christian than it is to be a victorious Caesar a famous Scipio a renowned Castriot or an invincible Alexander That it 's transcendently unspeakably yea unconceiveably more both glory comfort and felicity to and for Christians to morâ—ifie their sins lusts and passions then to overcome own or command the whole world Praeclarum quidem est inquit b Xevoph in Orat. de Agâ—filio Agesilaus inexpugnabiles hostium muros superare multo verum praeclarius animum parare suum
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
stubble fully dry therefore God wil be a consuming fire to them that they have walked so far and so long in the broad way of death that it 's now too late to turn into the narrow way of life that their iniquities have made them too filthy for Gods pure eyes to pity them that they have turned a deaf care to their Makers commands and therefore he will not now hear their cries that they have both lockt and bolted the iron doors of their hearts against Christ and therefore God will not open the gate of mercy to them that they have sinned against infinite love admirable patience glorious light c. and therefore the Lord will now in fury both pour out the fullest vials of his dreadfull wrath upon them and cast their souls into utter darknesse that they have troden the precious bloud of Jesus Christ under their profane feet and therefore God will never set a Crown of glory on their heads that they have chosen to have their portion in this world and therefore God will not give them an inheritance in Heaven With these and such like Milstones of temptation which he strives to hang about the necks of their guilty awakened amazed perplexed consciences he both endeavours and hopes to sink and drown their souls in the Dead sea of despair For our groans are the Devils musick our sins his Banquet our sufferings his solace our torments his pleasure our sorrow his Joy our evills his doth desire and satisfaction our wickednesse his very wisâ— our destruction his delight and our eternal ruine his Triumph And our sins are those murdering peeces wherewith this politick cunning active cruell enemy of mankind both wounds and kils so many immortal souls They are the wheels of that Chariot wherein this Prince of the Aire rideth triumphing up and down the World over vanquished captivated murdered men and women They are the Rocks and quick-sands which split and swallow up so many millions of precious souls It is then a dear bargain when men purchase a few empty transient delights with infinite endless pain grief torments when they sell heaven and their souls to buy Hâ—ll yet thus do all wicked profane persons Breve est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat for impenitent sinners shal be alwaies burning in streams and drowning in flames without all hope or possibility of ever being either drowned or consumed Those that are truly wise will therefore fear Sinne. But a fool for so the wisest of men * Prov. 1. 7. 32. Solomon calls every one that is wicked makes a mock at it sports with it and like one that I have read of Joco venenum bibit serio mortem obiit He drinks the poysoned waters of sin in jest but murders his own soul in earnest And as i Julius Caesar was killed with daggers Fabius was cheaked with an hair some have been killed with a plumbstone and others have been choakâ—d with a bit of Châ—ese And the lâ—ast sin without Râ—pentance will be deadly to the soul because it 's an essence and contempt done and committed against an infinite puâ—e holy just God Cleopatra killed her self with a little serpent called Apis So wicked men do destroy themselves not only with great Scarlet and gross sins but with little ones also because the soul may be strangled with cords of vanity as well as with the Cart-ropes of iniquitie And the greatest wisest man in the world if wicked will or however hath just cause when he dies to say as Nero did Heu qualis Artifeâ— pereo since if he be not rich in grace and wise to salvation in this life at his death he will find himself to have been the veriest Idiot and the poorest Lazar that ever had a being upon Earth What was said of Domiâ—ian namely That all those evils which were scattered in others met and were united in him is most true of sin it being that Ocean from which all those streams of miserie and mischief flow which over whelm and destroy the ungodly If sin reign the man is dead since Grace and sin like Mezentius his couples cannot live together Like light and darknesse Heaven and Hell they are irreconcileable so that what was at first said of those two Princes Conradine of Sicily and Charles of Anjou and afterwards k Camden Annal. of Q. Elizabeth lib. 2. p. 142. applied to Elizabeth Queen of England and Mary Queen of Scots The death of Mary is the Life of Elizabeth and the Life of Mary the death of Elizabeth is most true of them for the life of piety is the death of iniquity and the life of impiety is the death of Sanctity and the Soul Besides all this both danger and misery to which a wicked person renders himself obnoxious by his sins enough one would think to rouse affright and humble the most Atheistical wretch in the world every impenitent transgressor doth yet add more fewell to the fire of Gods wrath and more weight to the already insupportable burden of his sins by his ingratefull injurious dishonourable undervaluing of Christ for he prefers Barabbas before Jesus his lusts before his Lord and which is a crime both most horrible and abominable Satan that roaring lyon who seeks daily to devour him before his Saviour the Lyon of the tribe of Judah who laid down his life to deliver him For Christ commands and he rebels Christ woo's and he will not love Christ knocks and he will not open the door to him but now let the Devill call and he will run let the Devill perswade and he will obey let the Devill knock by a temptation and he will let him in either at the gate or window and rather then he shall be kept out his ears eyes mouth heart and all shall be unlockt for him His condition is most sad and woful for bloudy cut-throats are got into his house his heart yet he fears no danger he is mortally sick yet he feels no pain death stands at the door and destruction is ready to come over his Threshold and yet he sayes Soul take thine ease Nihil enim est miserius misero se non miserante Let then all unholy ungratious men and women consider that if they do live and dye on earth fast asleep in a sinful * Quisquis desolationem non novit nec Consolationem agnoscere potest et quisquis ignorat consolationem esse necessariam super est ut non habeat gratiam Dei Inde est quod homines seculi negotiis flagitiis implicati dum miseriam non sentiunt â—o attendum misericordiam Bern. security their souls will most certainly awaken in Hell in unavoydable never dying misery for if impiety and impenitency be the praemises eternal damnation both of body and soul will be the conclusion Peâ—â—atum puniendum est aut ate aut a deo si punitur ate tunc punitur sine te si vero non punitura te tecum punietur To
be merciful to sin is to be cruel to our selves since he that loves and spares it doth not only lash and wound but * O Israel thou hast distroyed thy self Hâ—sea 13. 9. murder himself Because as holiness is both a work an incomparable felicity and a reward So sin is both a Crime a punishment and an Executioner to all unconverted offenders Pharoah's sins as well as the Sea drowned him * Numb 16. 32. And Corah's swallowing down sin without repentance was the cause that the earth swallowed up him without example for never did so many of her ungracious children as he his wicked companions were who was therefore most justly by God made wofully miserable in that dreadful destruction because they was all wilfully guilty of that damnable Rebellion fall down into her gaping inlarged new made mouth slide or rather tumble head-long into her empty greedy stomack entrails or lye down alive in her cold and mercilesse bosome before O the misery and madnesse of a gracelesse Sinner How can he expect or hope to escape the dreadful vengeance of God that by his unkindnesse unthankfulnesse and undutifulnesse to his heavenly Father hath most justly provoked the God of mercy to become his everlasting enemy What the people of Rome said when they lamented the death of Octavius Augustus he will most certainly when 't is too late have cause in another sense to say Vtinam aut non l Aurel. Vict. nasceretur aut non mor eretur would he had never been born or never dyed The Prayer O LORD thou art a God infinite in all Divine perfections Thou hast all things and art all things eternally from within and unto thy most glorious self Thou dost therefore want neither the praises nor the Services of either the most gracious Christians or the most glorious Cherubims The holinesse praiers and duties of Saints or Angels can add nothing to thy most transcendently divine Excellencies Nor can the vices vilenesse crimes and Sinnes of men lessen stain or eclipse thy Glory Yet such O Lord is thy miraculous condescensiâ—n thy wonderful thy undeserved Compassion to the Bankrupted posterity of Adam that thou art pleased not only to acquaint but also to assure all those who walk humbly conscientiously holily before thee and sincerely endeavour to praise thy great and glorious name that though they be but dust ashes and worms yet they do honour and glorifie thy ever blessed Majesty And although sin be so contrary to thy holy nature opposite to thy righteous Laws and Will and loathsome in thy pure eye that even the least sin is a great yea an infinite offence injury and contempt done unto thee and doth at once vex load and grieve thee Yet such O Lord is thy never enough to be admired acknowledged or magnified mercy and patience to rebellious self-polluting poysoning self-ruining Man that thou dâ—st not only forbear to punish plague and damne him but thou art also pleased though he daily offend thee and persist in his provocations of thee and reject thy gracious tenders of peace pardon and salvation to seek unto him to intreat yea by thy Ministers to importune and beseech him that he would be reconciled to thee love accept imbrace thee and thy offered mercy that so tbou mayest forgive own delight in him deliver and save him both from Wrath and Death O Lord let the riches of thy unparallel'd goodnesse long-sufferance and forbearance lâ—â—d us unto speedy unfeigned hearty Repentance Let the serious consideration of the cursed defiling deforming damnable nature of sin the guilt whereof could not be expiated nor the filth thereof purged away with any Sacrifice but the bloud and death of the only Sonne of God Jesus Christ both God and Man make us not only fear but tremble to commit the least evill O let it pierce and break our hearts with Grief and Remorse to consider how we have pierced our Saviours very heart and broken his most just and holy Commandements by our wilfully transgressing against him Let O Lord our spirits melt mourn and bleed within us for our shedding and trampling under our profane feet without pity or sorrow that precious bloud of our dearest Saviour which alone can cleanse and cure our defiled wounded Souls Whensoever we are tempted to commit any sinne let us O Lord not only meditate and remember what it cost Christ to make our peace with a displeased God to pay our debts and to ransome our inthralled Souls but let us also set before our eyes and look upon Jesus Christ who never committed any sin sweating suffering grâ—aning wounded bleeding and lying for our Sins that so we may in his unexampled and unexpressible miseries with the eyes of detestation and lamentation behold the danger and desert of our own Iniquities Let not sin most holy God be sweet dear or delightfull to us which was Gall and Vinegar bitter painful and deadly to Jesus Christ O let the knowledge of thy power and purity awe and deterre us from evill but chiefly let our frequent serious admiring and thankfull reflexions upon the bounty mercy and long-suffering of our gracious God and the free the infinite Love of Jesus Christ prevail with us and make us both watchful and carefull to detest decline loath leave confesse forsake and crucifie all our lusts and transgressions and to love honour please praise and glorifie our God And let us not imbrace entertain or welcome sinne into our hearts and crucifie our blessed Saviour any more lest our bloudy cruelty both to him and our own souls deprive us for ever of Christ Comfort Grace and Glory Amen Peccatum lethale est Venenum Quod delectat necat V. Of the World and the brightest Jewell in its Crowne Soveraignty 'T is a fools Idol a wise mans Inne 't is a storehouse of vanities a shop full of gaudy but empty pots a fair house haunted with evil Spirits it 's a maze a desert a disguised mockery an Ocean of troubles a pitfal to the rich a burden to the poor a traducer of the good a deceiver of all that love and trust it 'T is a Garden enamelled with beautiful flowers under which lurk deadly Serpents a green soft pleasant walk covered and bespread with nets and snares a Speed Chron p. 118. a path like that of a Heliogabalus strawed with the powder and dust of Gold and silver but leading to a Gibbet A sweet spring set round with lime-twigs a stately wealthy Citie infected with the plague 'T is the body's Paradise but a Purgatory to the soul 'T is a painted treacherous Harlot which allures invites but destroys her Lovers a tender Nurse to vice dandling it upon her knees of Pleasure and Profit but a step-mother which hates and strangles vertue 'T is a dâ—ie pit a broken Cistern in a drought an empty cloud a Feast in a dream and without Christ as one said of her dead husband a cold armful And as for Soveraignty though
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
wicked and rebellious Children of Adam whose Life on Earth is both a Warfare and a wayfare a Fight and a voyage that thou hast both provided them a Magazine and set them up great yea glorious Land-marks The Holy Scriptures to furnish them with Weapons to subdue all their Enenemies And also to afford them Light and to give them Direction whereby they may safely saile by those Shelves and Quick-sands that threaten to ruine and swallow up their Souls in their passage to eternity And further as one of the greatest and most mischievous of them all hast in love to their Souls acquainted them with the danger mischief and misery of Avarice that so they may both fear avoid decline and escape that Soul-wracking Soul-ruining Rock Blessed God add one Link more I beseech thee to the long the precious Chain of thy free Love and rich immerited Mercy Give Christians hearts I pray thee to hate Covetousnesse Let not their Affections O Lord be riveted to earthly things Let them not set up Gold or goods in their minds above their good God Let them not sinfully love or seek that here which will either leave or betray them when they come to lye under black and sad Providences under the burden anguish trouble and terrours of a wakened Conscience and the affrighting confounding Arrest of Death Give them Grace O Lord to covet the best Gifts and then the best of Gifts Jesus Christ that reall Indie wherein all the most precious I never-failing Mines of Saving Grace heavenly Blessings spiritual Joyes and Comforts everlasting Treasures purest sweetest pleasures highest Honoures and eternal Felicity are to be found and gotten will be given unto them Let them O Lord make Christ their All and then they will be sure to want nothing Let all their fresh springs be in thee and then dry and broken Cisterns Creature-comforts will neither deceive nor destroy them And let all O Lord that enjoy the Gospel of Jesus Christ both remember and consider with timely Care and Fear that covetous Persons are not written in the Book of Life and enrolled in Heaven but that they are Registred Listed and put by the Lord into that black Catalogue and Muster-roll of hainous Sinners and odious Idolaters whose souls shall never enter into Gods rest Kingdome and Glory Amen Avaritia Averni est porta pietatis Gangraena Honestatis Tinea Mors Animae IX Of Pleasure IT s an Itch that overspreads all the senses till it grow an incurable disease A hand which tickles us like Trouts to our ruine A Tarantula that stings men so as to make them die laughing It deprives us of our Palats so that we cannot tast any sweetnesse in the duties of holinesse and service of God It 's pleasing but dangerous Opium to the soul and hath a Sirent tongue wherewith it sings such Melodious Lullabies unto it that at length the heart is laid down by it so fast asleep in the Cradle of security that nothing but either the thunder of threatning or the lightning of flaming wrath and scorching anger or the fire of Hell flashing in the very face of Conscience can awaken it * All sublunary delights pleasures and contentments Gustata magis quam potata delectant Cicer. Tusc lib. 2. The top of the cup is honey but the bottome Gall. It at our first acquaintance with us smiles upon us and bids us welcome but afterwards it scourges us with Scorpions By it men and women a Hackwel Apolog p. 458. like the Jesters of Heliogabalus are smothered with violets and buried under Roses a bitter sweet death Voluptuous persons like the b Sr. Anthony Shirlies relation Kings of Persia doe Hauke at Butterflies with Sparrows their lusts make them pursue vanities They are like the c Howel in the Life of Lewis 3. French of whom one saith in regard of their Inconsideratenesse that they are Animalta sine praeterito futuro Creatures that have no respect either to time past or time to come When they have tired glutted and turned the edge of their lusts by a full and free injoyment of their darling lushious delights and their foolish filthy pleasures they say of such a day or time as the d Burton melancholy Barbarous Prince did of that when he saw Julius Caesar and his gallant Romane Army that he had now seen the Gods and that it was the happiest day that ever he had in his life And as the Glutton did at a great feast sure there is no other Heaven but this They are like that Cardinal who said he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise The Alpha of pleasures is mirth but the Omega mourning It 's a false fire an Ignis fatuus that lights leads and betraies those who follow it to danger dishonour destruction It 's a soft sweet pleasant Gale that fills the sails of mens corrupt affections and wasts them delightfully down the calm streams of carnall Joy and sensuall pleasures into the Mare mortuum of everlasting lamentation It 's like the Apples of Sodome very beautifull without when within there 's nothing but dust and rottennesse Like some pictures exceeding fair and amiable if look't upon one way but most ugly and deformed if beheld another way It hath a weight of lead on the one hand as well as a wing on the other a sting as well as a speckled skin And when best or sweetest it 's but honey and Aloes wine and water mixed together nay many times it stings the heart so painfully that even while smiles sit upon the * Prov. 14. 13. face sighs and sorrowes fill and pearch upon the spirit That very day saith Marcus Aurelius when I triumphed in Rome openly for my Victories my heart wept secretly Pleasure it strangles the soul with silken halters smothers it in a bed of down throws it from a Tower of Pearl stabs it with a Golden dagger kils it with a delicious banquet and drowns it in a Sea of Wine The infatuated Lovers of it are like e Speed Cro. p. 85. Domitian whose delight was to catch and kill flies Like f Hackwel Apolog p. 463. Nero who used to fish with golden hooks and nets drawn with purple coloured Lines for Gudgeons T is like Diogenes his laqueus melleus delightful but deadly A voluptuous person is an Aetna alwaies burning within with foolish and filthy desires and often flaming out in Acts of impurity beastialitie impiety Hee 's an Israelite dying with Quailes in his mouth Pleasure it 's like a Favourite both a summe and a cypher in a very little time all and nothing she serves and deludes her Lovers as t is said the Devill hath done some witches glving them shining leaves instead of reall Gold and proves an empty cloud instead of a Juno to those that embrace her She decoys men into snares and dangers and instead of a pleasant walk she proves at last a deep pit and a narrow
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
into his presence injoy his Favor and live for the just shall live by his faith him God doth love and will honour but all Vashti's * Esther 1. 11. all unbelievers shall be rejected divorced from Christ though Hypocrisie Morality wealth or greatnesse may make them like her very fair to look on who is the head and Husband of his Church and people for ever Faith 't is a tree that bears those golden Apples those rare sweet pleasant precious fruits love to God and his Saints purity and humility of heart and affections peace of conscience victory over the world charity joy in the Holy Ghost courage and constancy in the confession and profession of the truth c. These are the Daughters that rise up and call their Mother blessed These are the Jewels that adorn and the Royall train which attends the Kings Daughter who is all glorious within yea and makes that Palace that heart where she resides and keeps Court all glorious too for the God of glory the Lord of glory and the Spirit of glory do all take up their abode in a beleeving Soul Faith 't is a Stephen beholding a living Christ in heaven through a thick and violent shower of stones when the body is dying upon earth 'T is a brasse wall a * Ephes 6. 16. shield wherewith a beleever both repelleth and quenches all the fiery darts of the Devill Hostem visibilem feriendo invisibilem vincis credendo Our visible enemies may be subdued by striking and fighting but our invisible Adversary the Devill cannot be conquered but by beleeving 'T is that heavenly David which overcomes that spirituall Goliah Satan and all those uncircumcised Philistins sin the world temptations our carnal hearts corrupt affections filthy lusts and our disorderly unruly passions those wild horses which carry us headlong into sin and run away with the soul towards Hell 'T is a divine Apelles that draws the Image of God defaced by sin to the life again upon the Soul 'T is the salt which maketh all our Sacrifices both savory and acceptable because * Heb. 11. 6. without faith it 's impossible to please God Justifying faith works by love and lover runs down the several Chanels †We must love God above all things Apprenativè 2 Intensivâ— 3. Adâ—quatè First of Love to God Amat enim non immerito qui amatus est sine merito Amat sine fine qui sine principio se cognovit amatum And his love to God he demonstrates by yielding a willing sincere constant and universall obedience to all his Commandements For Quicquid propter deum fit aequaliter fit True obedience doth neither deny nor dispute Gods commands but obeyeth them all both equally and cheerfully 2. Of charity to the poor because he that 's freely through grace made a member of Christ cannot but both pity and relieve Christs members The sense of Gods undeserved mercy and bounty to himself will melt his heart into Compassion and open his hand to distribute unto those that are in want 3. Of praying and sorrowing for those that are profane The wicked like those who are infected with the plague desire and delight to corrupt and destroy others incourage them to sin and accompany them in sin But those that love God do so love their Brethren in the flesh also that they both mourn for their iniquities and earnestly heartily cry to the Lord to convince convert pardon and save them 4. Of forgiving enemies freely cordially fully since no man was ever either so malitious against or injurious to another as man was to his maker and Saviour yet Christ did not only forgive him but dyed also to make an atonement for him and to reconcile God and him and therefore for Christs sake in obedience to his command and to expresse his conformity to his Redeemer he will pardon his worst greatest and most implacable adversaries yea and love even those that hate him 5. Lastly of sympathizing with afflicted Christians If one string on a musicall instrument be but touched all the rest will expresse their fellow-feeling thereof in a sound If the head ake the tongue will complain if a finger be burnt the eye will weep And all those whom God hath comforted in their own sorrows will mourn for others calamities and grieve for the afflictions of Joseph Certainly then those are but dead and rotten members which are not sensible of nor affected with the maladies and miseries of their brethren Love 't is the weight which moves all the wheeles of the soul in duty Amor meus pondus meum Eo feror quocunqne feror said holy Augustine 'T is the spring of all wel-pleasing services to God e Curtius Alexander the great had two Friends Hephestâ—onâ— and Parmento Hephesten loved Alexander Parmenio the King God hath two sorts of Friends good men and bad men A worldly wicked man loves God as a King able to protect promote honour provide for him Nam amici ficti fortunae sunt amici non sui But a true believer loves Christ as a Lord Husband Prophet with a heart not only willing but resolved to be guided commanded instructed by him and to be loyal dutifull obedient chast faithfull unto him The one follows Christ for loaves forbâ—y base low carnal ends aimes designs the other to honour serve please praise him The one because he 's great and bountifull the other because he 's good and holy the one withers shrinks repines forsakes God when he is nipt with the frost of adversitie or threatned with the storms of persecution being like a tree that seeds and loses both its fruit and leaves in the cold sharp winter of tryals dangers and like a Mushroome without root But the other like a Palm-tree is not only green in the winter of Affliction but he will also rather then he will want deny or dishonour Christ goe through flames and flouds to serve obey meet injoy him Faith and Love are like a pair of compasses whilst saith stands firmly fixed with the center which is God nam Circumferentia fidei est verbum dei Centrum fidei deus verbum Love walks the round and puts a girdle of Mercy about the loins There may be a shew of charity without faith but there can be no shew of Faith without Charitie d Rainold Orat p. 320. Cato Vticensis being asked by one Quem maxime amaret Respondit fratrem my Brother Being asked the same question a second and a third time still answered Fratrem my Brother and nothing else Aske a true Believer whom he most really intirely loves both his tongue heart and life will answer My elder Brother Jesus Christ Socrates said often he had rather have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kings favour then the Kings gold or silver A true beleever had rather injoy the love of God the light of his countenance and a sweet Communion with Christ then ten thousand worlds and saies with e
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
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
where you will meet with aboundant satisfaction in this particular In short therefore for it 's not my design to be Polemicall herein to me it seems to be a very safe and good rule which g Arist Ethic. lib. 10. c. 3. That rule also of St. Augustine is very sate and good viz. Quod universa tenet ecclesia nec conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissime creditur Aug. Baptis contr Donatist lib. 2. c. 7. Aristotle layes down sc That whatsoever hath been affirmed by almost all should not hastily be denyed by any because h Vincent â—yrinensis Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus tenetur Ecclestis id demum Catholicum 'T is a Merldian shining truth that all new waies are false waies and therefore they must be carefully declined by all those that really desire to walk in that good old way of life that leads to blisse and glory And 't is as true that they must needs wander stumble and fall that resolve to walk in crooked uneven blind and slippery foot-paths of their own making The Prayer O LORD it is no less then a signall a singular and a very great Mercy to thy Church and Children that thou hast provided and given them a remedy for Infants against the danger the poyson and the pollution of Originall Sinne wherein they are born and thereby come into the world both defiled and spiritually deformed In that thou hast set open the door of Baptisme for them at which they enter and are admitted to come within the pale of thy visible Church Lord still continue this great Priviledge nnto them And as then and there they are listed under and Covenant with the great the glorious the victorious and invincible Captain of our Salvation to fight under him against the implacable Enemies of their gracious both Saviour and Soveraign and their own immortall Souls the World the Devill and the flesh O let them be conscientiously carefull to pay their Vows to discharge their solemn ingagements and to expresse their fidelity piety and loyalty by continuing Christs faithfull Souldiers and Servants unto death Amen Baptismus janua est Vitae Christianitatis Ostium Regenerationis Sacramentum XVIII Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper T Is the Souls Banqnet 'T is one of those * Certainly then those Ministers are very not only unkind but cruel and injurious to their flocks and people that either cut off this breast by absolutely â—â—susing or dry it up by deferring and neglecting to administer this necessity food this holy and comfortable Sacrament unto them Breasts wherewith our Mother the Church nurseth and nourisheth the Children of Christ 'T is both the food and fewell of Grace Jesus Christ is in this necessary Holy Sacrament a Pelican in deed and reality for he feeds his faithfull ones with his own Bloud 'T is a lively representation of Christ crucified to the eye of faith 'T is spirituall glue which joynes and cements Christians one to another in Love and Unity 'T is a Christians commemoration-day of his best and greatest Benefactor 'T is the last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ whereby he bequeathed the precious ineftimiable everlasting Treasures comforts and blessing of his Death and passion to all worthy Receivers I acknowledg the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ administred according to Christs institution to be one of the greatest treasures and comforts that he left us upon the earth a Fox B of Marty 5 vol. 3. p. 556. col 1. Those Ministers then do rob defraud wrong their people that either take away or keep from them this precious treasure faith Mr. Philpot. 'T is a deed of Guift A Conveyance from Jesus Christ of himself and all his merits both sealed and delivered with livery and seisin to all true Beleevers whereby they have a just right an unquestionable title unto and a saving interest in the Lord Jesus and all the sweet blessed and glorious benefits of his death resurrection and intercession b Camerar lib. 1. p. 64. Darius King of Persia had in his Bedchamber a vine all of Gold which was inriched with precious stones and did bear grapes made of pearl of an inestimable value And yet this Vine was but a barren figstree and its orient Gemms but dry and withered leaves compared with that * Joâ—n 15. 1. true vine Jesus Christ and the most precious fruit thereof For if all the Gold Jewells rarities and wealth of the whole world were put into one scale of the ballance and but one drop of that invaluable bloud which flowed from this vine when it was cut when Christ was crucified upon the cross in the other Scale all those would be but feathers chaffe or mosse light vain and worthlesse things in respect of the excellency and necessity of this Since 't is only the bloud of Christ that cleanses us from fin and makes the soul beautifull in the eyes of God and redeemeth it from eternall damnation For it is not in the power either of all the glorious Angels and blessed Saints in Heaven or of all the Christians upon earth to satisfie the Justice of God for one Soul much lesse then can stones or clay reconcile an angry God and free a sinner from everlasting misery To neglect this holy Sacrament then wherein this precious bloud of Christ is freely offered to us to purge and save us is both dangerous and sinfull to contemne it without repentance damnable Si qui Sacramentorum usum ac si opus iis non 〈◊〉 erent aspernarentur non modo arrogantiae summae sed etiam impietatis in Deum merito damnari debent quum non suae tantum infiâ—mitatis subsidia sed et Deum ipsorum authorem contemnant ipsius gratiam respuant et spiritum quantum in ipsis est extinguant saith one c â—â—akwel Apolog p. 417. Aesops Son at a Feast which he made dissolved Pearls in Vinegar and gave to each guest one to drink And yet his bounty was but parsimony his pearls below pebbles compared with the love and excellency of this true Magarite this pearl of infinite price and value the Lord Jesus Christ which every rightly qualified and prepared communicant both drinks and eateth also at this Supper of the Lamb. And Cleopatras draught when she swallowed an Exchequer and drunk an Indies was but puddle muddy water to those pure refreshing life-preserving streams which flow into the Soul from that Rock of living-water Jesus Christ through the golden conduit-pipe of this blessed Sacrament â—on Anthory de Guevara Dial of Princ. Fol. 417. d When the feast of the God Janus was celebrated in Rome none were suffered to go into his Temple but those that had new apparell That day also the Emperor put on his imperiall Robes and all the Captives who could with their hand touch them were delivered prisoners for debt were discharged
into their hearts by the preaching of thy Word Let not Christians spill the potion or throw away the plaister that should heal and cure their sin-diseased Sin-wounded Souls by neglecting or despising this Soul-converting and this Christ-conveying Ordinance But grant that we may both love prize and hunger after this Heavenly Manna thy word preached that so our souls may not be famished but fed and nourished unto eternall Life Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Evangelii praedicatio eternae est vitae promulgatio Pietatis semen virtutis pabulum consolationis vehiculum Cordis fulcrum Imber gratiae pharmacon Animae Mortuis tuba caecis Lux Dux errantibus Titubantibus baculus esurientibus cibuâ— ignorantibus fons Scientiae Oceanus gaudii parens Fidei XX. Of godly learned and of ungodly unlearned Ministers PIous Ministers they are the brightest stars in the firmament of the Church a Tully Diis proximi sunt Deorum sacerdotes They are the pillars on which it standeth The Spokesmen that wooe the soul with heavenly Rhetorique that court it with Divine Oratory to love Christ and the paranymphs that lead it to marry him They are Celestiall Ambassadors sent by the Lord Jesus to treat with sinners and to conclude an everlasting peace betwixt him and them They are the chariots horsemen watchmen and as Saint Ambrose was said to be of Millaine et ornamenta munimenta urbis ecclesiae The beauty safety blessing honour and bulwarks both of the Nation Cities Towns and places where thâ—y live b Dr. Arrowsmith Tact. Sa. Nequit Hippo devastari ante obitum Augustini nec ante obitum Parei Heidelberga c Dr. Stoughton Like the heavens they enlighten comfort fructifie that Microcosme Man with their heat light influence with the light of saving knowledge the heat of well grounded well guided zeal and the influence of an exemplary pious conversation without which Ministers are like those Physitians that give an Antidote with one hand to their patients their people and poyson with the other And at best they are but like that * Act. 27. 22. Ship wherein St. Paul was that perished it self though it saved others * Such Ministers are like Cooks that labor and sweat to dress meat for others but eate none of it themselves Or those carpenters that built the Ark wherein Noah his family were preserved and yet themselves were drowned in the deluge When they are wicked that may be said of them which was objected by Cato unto Tiberius concerning the Dalmatian commotions scl d Camden Annal. of Q. Elizabeth That their flocks are committed not to shepherds but Wolves e Such Ministers are praedatores non praedicatores seductores non doctores peculatores non speculatores raptores non pastores For such men do not watch but worrey they do not teach but tear they do not feed but kill and flay their sheep Ah Lord how black and terrible will that Bil of inditement appear which wil be both preferred found at that great assize the day of Judgment against such Ministers as do either poyson or pine their flocks That either kill them as Henry the first King of France is said to be murdered with consecrated wine with the deadly flesh-pleasing muskadine of erroneous or Heretical doctrins principles or famish them for want of the sincere milk of the word through their ignorance or idleness or lead them out of the narrow way of life and not only incourage and perswade them to but harden them in sin by their profaneness worldliness * Si quid injungere inferiorive lis id prius in te ac tu os si ipse stotueris facilius omnes obedientes habebis Liu. l. 26. vitious lives scandalous examples Certainly all such blind seducing dumb ungodly Ministers will inevitably irrecoverably without repentance and reformation sink under the insupportable weight of the bloud ruine and destruction of their wandering miscarrying and everlastingly undone people to the very bottome of Hell O Lord let them fear it here that they may not feel it hereafter There was as I have read a Woman in England who believed there was no God A Minister came to her to convince her and demanding of her how she became an Atheist she answered That the very first thing which caused her to question the Deity was the seeing of himself to live so wickedly for saies she I know you to be a Learned man and a good Preacher and the beholding you to live so impiously to be a Swearer a Lyar a Drunkard and a Profaner of the Sabbath this made me to question whether there was a God in Heaven or no seeing he did let you run on in your wickednesse still unpunished Methinks this sad story should make the hearts eyes and and ears of all scandalous ungodly Ministers to bleed weep and tingle that either do or shall know read or hear of and I heartily beseech the Lord it may But this is not all For besides the danger and misery to which they render their own souls obnoxious by their wickednesse they do also both bring a great * Thou therefore that teachest another teachest not thou thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal 1 Rom 2. 21. 22 24. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum scandall upon the Gospell and give their people just cause to complain of them for being a heavy burden and a grievous scourge unto them and most deservedly to account them the unworthiest men in the world That saying of Seneca is most true here Nullos pejus mereri de omnibus mortalibus quam qui aliter vivunt quam vivendum praecipiunt They are also wens and spots upon the fair face and beautifull body of the Ministery and which is yet more ignorant profane bad pastors are the very worst of men f Dr. Arrowsmith Tact. Sa. Perussima creaturarum visibilium est homo degener pessimus hominum pseudo-Christianus Christianorum vero pessimus nequam verbi Minister They live without Love honour and doing good and they dye without comfort g Gospell Ministers should resolve to do like him who said Ita literarum illud Nectar hauriam ita auditores mâ—os instruam tanquam parum victurus ita vivam tanquam semper docturus Pâ—tean Orat. He alone said that Tyrant Phalaris may be called happy of whom it may be truly said he gave good Doctrines to live and left a good example to dye Facile est monere said Thales that 's but the body pie vivere that's very difficult but it 's the soul of a true Gospell Minister Because the way for Ministers to do good is to be good Nisi praestes quod praedicas mendacium non evangelium videbitur It 's no peculiar conceit but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose
against her or any part of her be cast over-boord by her vigilant and valiant Pilots pious orthodoxe and zealous Magistrates * O quâ—m beati erunt in illo die judcii Magistratus illi qui subditos non modo honestis legibus judiciis disciplinâ— rexerunt sed etiam omnium maxime in hoc studium incubucrunt ut incorrupta Religio apud suos exculta sit doctrina coelestis per fidos eruditos et constantes Ministros sit tradita ingens hominum multitudo per spiritum et verbum renata in conspectum Christi prodeat quae tali Magistratui aeternas gra ias agat E contra quam infelices qui c. Religionem per varâ—as corruptelas passi sunt adulterare sayes one And an Heathen could say In nauâ—ragio Rector laudandus quem obruit more clavum tenentem Senec. ad Petil. c. 6. and Ministers that Pirates strangers and enemies the profest cruel subtle and secret adversaries opposers and underminers of thy Glory Gospel ordinances and Ministers may neither be inriched by her woful wrack nor pleased with the birth and sight of those grievous miseries and overwhelming calamities which too often proceed from her contentious and disagreeing Children but let the desires and designs O Lord of Sions enemies be blasted and frustrated And let blessed God all those spiritual Merchants those heavenly Mariners thy Saints thy faithful Souldiers and Servants that are resolved or shal resolve to venture all their treasures their souls lives and worldly interests in that Arke thy Church and to imbarque themselves in her for a voyage to the Holy Land to that new and glorious Jerusalem which is above Let them dear God I once more humbly beseech thee be crowned with a calm with quietnesse serenity and safety in their passage over the brackish boysterous dangerous Ocean of life and when they shall put into and cast Anchor in the port of Death then let them find that they are safely arrived at the Isles of Paradise the Kingdome of Heaven Glory and Felicity Amen Qui pugnat sine mandato poenam accipit non mercedem Qui praedicat sine vocatione peccat non prodest XXII Of a good and a bad Conscience A Good Conscence 't is the suburbs of Heaven 'T is the Sanctuary of the Soul when it 's pursued by sin Satan fear or temptation 'T is Heaven in hell riches in poverty honour in disgrace health in sicknesse in bonds liberty and light in darknesse 'T is Balm that healeth all woundâ— A medicine infinitely more precious then all the Benedicta Medicamenta of Physitians for it cures all spirituall maladies and antidotes the mind against all temporall miseries T is the best Mithridate to expell all troubles from the heart T is Gods temple Christs Bed-chamber and the Spirits Mansion for the highest Heavens and the humblest purest holiest heart are the two places of Gods most glorious * Esay 57. 15. Residence 'T is the souls soft Bed whereon it resteth quietly and sweetly with a pillow of Gospel promises and the left hand of Christ under its head his right hand also imbracing it when it 's either troubled dejected or distressed T is an admirable Soveraign Balsome against the stinging perplexing fears and all the dreadfull dismaying apprehensions of sin Gods wrath Satan Death judgment and Hell 'T is an Ark that keepeth the Soul safe and preserves it from sinking under the heaviest burden of sin or sorrow in the greatest deluge of inward or outward troubles 'T is a ship with Christ in it Heaven in a little volume 'T is divine love and speciall mercy printed usually upon the soul by the Spirit of God in the presse either of Gods ordinances or afflictions in great and golden characters with notes of choicest favour tenderest mercies and free grace upon it T is a Kingdome of fortified rich safe and happy 't is the daughter of faith and repentance and the Mother of all reall ineffable endlesse Joy comforts pleasures 'T is a serene skie with the Sun and Moon of Faith and repentance fixed and shining in the â—irmament of the Soul together with the brightest sparkling stars of all other saving graces which beautifie bespangle it and make a glorious constellation therein 'T is a feast in a famine an haven in a storm life in death 'T is an invincible fort in a Leaguer when the outworks City and Castle of health riches liberty are taken 'T is a Paradise with a tree of Life in it 'T is the Vialactea in a Laetitia bonae conscientiae paradisus est â—nimarum gaudium angelorum hortus deliciarum ager benedictionis templam Sclomonis aula Dei habâ—tac ulum spiritus heavenly heart The vena porta of * 2 Corinth 1. 12. gladnesse joy and a consolation to the spirit here and the beginning of that matchlesse felicity which will out-live time and run parallel with the longest line of eternity 'T is a Dove that brings an Olive branch of peace to a Noah a righteous person in the greatest inundation of perplexity and sorrow of heart 'T is the way to a life without fear or trouble 'T is a John lying in the bosome of Jesus 'T is a transcript a true copy of eternall felicity 'T is a consolatory epistle written with the bloud of Jesus Christ by the finger of the Holy Ghost sent by love and read by faith to a languishing mourning drooping bleeding Soul 'T is ipsum coelum saith Augustine a continuall feast saith Solomon Yea it is a Goshen in Aegypt an Angell in a Dungeon an harbour in a Tempest an Heaven upon earth and the day-star of Glory 'T is an immarcescible Crown A treasure which once got can never be lost for what that b Cicere parâ—dâ—x ad sinem Prince of Orators saith of vertue is most true of a good conscience Nec eripi nec surripi potest â—nquam Neque naufragio neque incendio amittitur nâ—â— tempestatum nec temporum permutatione mutatur But a bad conscience it 's the souls inquisition and strappado It 's the epitome or abridgment of eternall torments 'T is the gloomâ—e evening to the black day of Damnation 'T is the terrible Harbinger of that dreadfull furious cruell train and troop of dismall intolerable unconceiveable woes and plagues which are marching â—ay at the door to take up their everlasting Quarters and abode in the miserable Soul 'T is secretum ftagellum an hell in the soul before the Soul be in Hell 'T is the lightening of those horrors which the thunder of that confounding â—â—ntence Goye cursed into Hel-fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels c. will suddainly inflict upon the for ever undone impenitent sinners Perillus his brasen Bull when hottest was a Down-bed warmed to the scorching anguish of an evill Conscience Nam urit caedit lancinat et eo gravius quia sine morte The stinging of the most venemous Serpent is pleasure and delight to the agonies
he be dead And we ought not to lament our death but the wicked lives we lead saith Bruxellus How much more then should Christians receive it both with courage and * Prov. 14. 32. gladnesse Since Pagans knew not what should become of them afterwards Animula vagula blandula hospes comesque corporis quae nunc abibis in loca pallidula nudula frigida nec ut soles dabis joca said f Hadrian in his Sollioquy on his Death-bed one of them But the Children of God know that as they have an unquestionable right and title to a glorious inheritance so they cannot possibly injoy it untill they be put into quiet possession thereof by that high Sheriffe Death It 's true death was the most ugly frightful dreadful thing in the world It was the King of Terrors yea of all terrible things the most terrible being the first-born of that most deformed monstrous loathsome hateful Mother sinne But when Christ had put his precious bloud into its pale ghastly ill-favoured face it then became and so continueth beautiful amiable desirable I desire saith blessâ—d St. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ g Pontanus lib. 4. Libenter ecorporis vinculis evolaudum est Quid enim hic est quod quenquam ad diutius vivendum invitare possit an labores assidui an diurnae nocturnaeque solicitudines an quotidiani angores an fortunae ludibria an morborum varietas an mille casus mille incommoda vere melior est dies mortis quam natalis Ille siquidem quietis beatitudinis hic autem miseriarum dolorumque initium est Therefore many of the Martyrs courted importuned longed for and begged of their most bloudy persecutors a release from that debt which they owed desired yea thirsted and rejoyced to pay unto nature Why do you not give me that gold chaine and create me a Knight of that Noble Orde said Ludovicus Marsacus a French Martyr when the rope wherewith his Fellow were to be executed was put about his Neck 9 Fox B. of Martyr vol. 3. p. 891. And h one Priest's wife being condemned to be burnt at Exceter when that cruell Sentence was pronounced against her she lifted up her voice and thanked God saying I thank thee my Lord my God this day have I found that which I have so long sought Death is not now a Thorn but a Crown T is not a wound but a plaister to a good Christian who like the Sun shines brightest usually when setting This cruell Serpent hath now lost his sing so that the greatest hurt which it can do a Child of God is to free him from misery dangers troubles T is the bridge over which he passeth to Glory T is a soft bed of down a sweet bed of Roses as holy Bainam stiled it when he was riding in a fiery Chariot of Martyrdome to Heaven 'T is the Gate of Paradise the Messenger of Blisse the Usher and Harbinger of Glory Though it kill yet it cannot hurt nor conquer a Saint Hoc posteris dicite hominem Christo deditum posse mori non posse superari And therefore the Motto of a good Christian may well be the last words of i Aemil Probus in vita Epaminoned Epaminondas who being mortally wounded by the Beotians in a bloudy Battail and ready to expire it was told him that his Enemies were overthrown which pleasing happy news he no sooner heard but he concluded both his Speech and Life with these words Satis inquit vixi invictus enim morior I have lived long enough since I dye unvanquished For Christians are * Rom. 8. 37. more then Conquerors through him that loved them Death t is a spring-tide of * Euge Deo sit laus gloria quod jam mea instet liberatio horula gratissima said pious Graserus when he perceived his legs to swel with a Dropsie Melch. Adam in vit Graeseri joy and pleasure to the godly It 's the Souls Gaole-delivery 'T is Gods Servant sent in love and mercy to invite them to come to that Feast of Felicity and eternall Glory which the Lord hath prepared for them And therefore the people of God have gone merrily to meet death when their friends have followed them with sorrow and mourning to see them imbrace and suffer it k Fox B. of Martyrs vol. 3. p. 176. When Doctor Taylor being condemned was carried out of London to be conveyed to Hadley where he was to be burned he was all the way as merry and cheerfull as one that accounted himself going to a most pleasant Banquet or Wedding We see then that although Death be the Mother of misery and so terrible to the wicked that even the very thoughts and fear of dying is a death to them witnesse Lewis the 11. King of France who when he was sick commanded that none should so much as name that terrible word Death unto him Yet to the Godly it 's neither hurtfull nor horrible But yet as I said it is both * Hebr. 9. 27. unavoydable for the chief Law that the Gods have given to humane nature is That none should have perpetuall Life saith Pliny And also most uncertain l Senec. lib. 3. Epist 29. Incertum est quo loco mors te expectet Tu vero eam in omni loco expecta saith Seneca It doth and must needs therefore infinitely concern all men and women as they desire to save their Sâ—uls and fear to shed their own bloud and to become their own murderers butchers and executioners seriously timely yea daily to * Praecogitati mali mollis ictus Senec. Epist 77. consider the mortality of their bodies and the immortality of their Souls that they must dye but once That if they dye wickedly they are undone yea cursed eternally Since if the fire of Hell be once kindled upon them neither Rivers of tears nor infinite Oceans of Bloud nor prayers nor cryes though never so importunate or lamentable will ever be able to coole or mitigate much lesse then to quench it And also to have some Monitors and remembrancers of their approaching inevitable dissolution alwaies before the eyes of their minds because forgetfulnesse of Death maketh life sinfull and death most dreadfull m Camerar lib. 6. p. 420. Philip King of Macedon appointed one of his pages to come into his Chamber door every morning and to speak these words Memento te esse mortalem Neither did he ever come out of his Chamber or admit any man to speak with him till the Page had proclaimed every day thrice Philip thou art a man The Emperour Maximilian the first two years before his death whithersoever he went carried a Coffin with him to immind him of his end n Dial of Princes The Thebanes had this custome No Thebane might build himself an house to dwell in before he had made him a Sepulchre to be buryed in The Graecian Emperors upon the day of their
before all time and created the world was yet born in the fulnesse of time and became man in the world That he who fils both Heaven and earth and can neither be included nor excluded any where was shut up and confined within the narrow womb of a Virgin That he who is the Omnipotent and can do whatever pleaseth him could neither go nor stand That he who is Wisdome it self could not understand That he who is the Word could not speak That Christ was killed before he was alive and slain before he was born That he who is Almighty was held in the Arms and bound in the hands of a weak Woman That the Mother of Christ was both his Daughter Creature Spouse and a pure Virgin even after her Son was born And that if Jesus had not been slain for her from the beginning of the World Mary had not lived 3. A true beleever is both a Pebble and a Diamond a Pillar and a Troubler of the World He is both the honour and scorn the love envy and hatred of men In the Arithmetique of the wicked he standeth but for a Cypher but in the account of an holy God he is a Summe In the scales of the World he is drosse but in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Gold 4. A true Beleever is a merry mourner one cheerfully sorrowfull And as sometimes the clouds and Sun do rain and shine together So while Rivers of penitent griefe and tears spring up in his heart and run out at the floud-gates of his eyes celestiall beams of unknown joy comfort gladnesse dart upon irradiate and revive his dark troubled drooping Spirit 5. He riseth by falling Humiliation is his exaltation He goeth to Heaven by Hell And is never so high and precious in Gods eyes as when he is vilest and lowest in his own 6. A true Beleever is cured by sicknesse being never so well as when he fainteth is even ready to die of love for Christ Affliction is his physick Julip happinesse He is saved by ship-wrack landed by stormes and deeply rooted by winds and shakings 7. He beeleveth God to be most just and yet that the Lord from all eternity decreed that the innocent should be condemned and suffer to acquit the guilty And also that the greatest sinners should be saved by one should dye for sin and yet never committed any sin He beleeveth himself to be freely pardoned and yet knows that a price was paid for his redemption worth more then ten thousand Worlds He beleeves God to be most mercifull most loving and yet knows that God delivered up his own his only Son and suffered him to suffer not only the most bitter painfull and cruell but also the most shamefull Death And likewise that the Lord poured out upon him the fullest vials of his fiercest wrath and that all this was done endured and suffered for those who were both Enemies and Traytors to God and his Son 8. A true Beleever hateth all the World yet is no mans Enemy He is implacable yet without malice inexorable yet easy to be perswaded He prayeth for and heartily forgiveth his very Murderers His worst enemies are friends to him and do him good He sinneth least when he is most angry Taketh revenge on no body but himself And never pleaseth God more then when he is most offended and displeased with himself 9. A true Beleever is the most ambitious man in the World For nothing can satisfie or bound his aspiring mind but a Kingdome and Crown yet he is the most Loyall Subject and the greatest contemner of all sublunary things He wageth and maintaineth with courage resolution delight and constancy perpetuall Warrs and yet he is the greatest lover of peace lives in peace is the most quiet man and dies in peace He is victorious yea invincible yet fights without men against both men and Devills And though he be plundered beggered and lose all yet he groweth rich and great by wars without pay or pillage 10. He is born both alive and dead He dies twice and lives a threefold life of Nature Grace Glory He hath one resurrection before another after he is dead 11. He studieth with delight and diligence to know that which he is assured will both grieve and trouble him being known He is never so wise as when he knoweth himself to be a Fool. He is never so likely to get safe to shore as when he is most fearful of being cast away He is never beautifull untill he see and acknowledge himself to be ugly and deformed and the more he loaths himself the more God loves him 12. He is born of mean and base Parents and yet he is the only truly noble Man For he hath the Royallest bloud greatest alliances and relations highest titles choycest honours honourablest Attendants and the best estate of any man For God is his Father Christ is his Husband Heaven is his mansion Saints are his Brethren Angells are his Servants and Glory is his inheritance 13. A true Beleever is born both a Begger and an Heir He often lives poor yet is alwaies Rich and dies wealthy though without Lands money goods He keepeth his estate by sending it away and increaseth it by spending of it when others not only lessen but lose theirs by sparing and saving it And he taketh his treasure with him to his Grave and beyond it 14. He is never whole till he hath been broken He is never rightly throughly cured until he hath been deeply wounded He is never on earth more really happy then when he seemeth to be truly miserable Injuries are favours to him losses gain calamities mercies afflictions consolations The breaking of his bones setteth them and makes them both straight and strong 15. A true Beleever liveth in Heaven whilest he sojourns upon Earth he speaketh in company without being heard receives answers which no man can either intercept demurre or perceive enjoyes the best company though alone He walks while he lies still and is not there where men behold him 16. He hath a continuall feast without flesh and eating A Banquet without sweet meats melody without musick and Joy in the middest of sorrow He is dear beloved owned when he thinks himself despised rejected hated He beleeves he shall find pleasure in pain honey in gal life in death and doth so 17. He hath all things in the midst of his extreamest wants yet is beholding to the World for nothing for he fetcheth his meat drink clothes mercies comforts and whatever he possesseth from Heaven He sends by faithful frequent fervent prayers to Christ for them bids patience wait and appoints hope to bring him an answer which believing he shall receive it cometh indeed either according to his desires and expectation or beyond them He alwaies speeds and obtains even when his suit is denyed He hath what he will because he will have but what he may and therefore he sits down both contented and thankfull though he be crossed 18. A
rejects both the offers and the offerers of peace 81. He is an intollerable Traitor in and to a Common-wealth that hates and persecutes the Children of God For as it is Treason by the Laws of men not only to murder a Prince but also to stab or malitiously to deface his picture So it is spirituall Rebellion too not only to fight against God himself but also wilfully to wound and to destroy those that bear his Image his holy Servants 82. He that would have his shamefull sins for ever hidden must not be ashamed but resolved to lay them open and fully to discover them For concealing reveales but confessing covers them And he that desires never to be accused arraigned or condemned for his guilt must freely acknowledge himself to be guilty and most worthy to be eternally condemned An open bosome an unbared breast is a sure shield and Armour of proof against the deadly Arrowes of the Lords most dreadful wrath 83. He that will lose his Soul to preserve his Life shall save neither But he that is willing to perish to save his Soul shall save his Soul from perishing 84. He that is undone for Christ is truly rich and happy But he that is rich and prosperous without Christ is really undone poor and miserable 85. He that doth not in the time of this Life make Gods glory and the enjoyment of Heaven his chiefest ends shall neither enjoy the God of Glory nor the joyes of Heaven at his end 86. He that would never want must be poor in Spirit And he that would alwaies rejoice must mourn daily for he that did never grieve shall ever lament 87. He that is rotten at core that hath an unsound aâ— unsincere heart will like an Apple be speck'd without For a Leprous Soul will have some spot or other upon the Face of the Life And an Hypocritical Spirit will have foul hands which at one time or other will work Wickednesse â—lain its seeming purity and discover its artificial its borrowed paint and its real deformity 88. He that desires never to leave God nor to be left and finally forsaken of God must not only resolve but seriously endeavour both to depart from evil and to do good For sincerity is the root of couragious constancy but Hypocrisie is the true Mother of timerous Apostasie And it 's most certain that he who will not leave his Rimmon or Mammon his sweet sinne and his secret Lust to please Christ will never lose or lay down his Relations Lands Liberty or Life to enjoy and glorifie Christ 89. He that opens the door of his heart to let in sin or Satan shuts it and turns the key against his Saviour and Soveraign whose power made it whose Love prevailed with him to let his own heart be pierced on the Crosse to unlock it If then a Sinner will not suffer the hand of mercy to unbolt it the arme of wrath will most certainly break it to pieces If the fire of infinite unexpressible Love cannot melt it the flames of endlesse intolerable Anger will burn it If the precious bloud of Christ do not soften this Adamant it will sink it to the bottome of Hell For those whom goodnesse doth not win vengeance will destroy 90. The Life of a Saint is a publique Mercy his Death a common Calamity The end of his dayes is the Autumn of all his misery and the Spring of his endlesse Glory and felicity So that what Suetonius saith of Titus Vespasiaâ— may more yea most truly be said of him when he is cut down with the Sythe of death viz. That he was taken away to the greater losse of Mankinde then of himself Optima Eloquentia est bona vita He is most eloquent whose Life is most Holy and Innocent FINIS Soli Dea Gloria The Table 1 Of God pag 1. 2 Of Jesus Christ and a Christians Duty unto Christ 7. 3 Of the Holy Ghost 19. 4 Of Sin and sinners 23. 5 Of the World and the brightest Jewel in it's Crown Soveraignty 24. 6 Of Loyalty and Rebellion 42. 7 Of Riches 46. 8 Of covetousnesse and covetous persons 51. 9 Of Pleasure 61. 10 Of Health 65. 11 Of saving faith and sincere Love 67. 12 Of Repentance 74. 13 Of Prayer 80. 14 Of sincerity and hypocrisie together with some Characters of both sincere and Hypocriticall Christians 84. 15 Of Affliction 92. 16 Of Patience 102. 17 Of Baptisme 105. 18 Of the Sacrament of the Lords supper 109. 19 Of preaching 113. 20 Of Godly learned and of ungodly unlearned Ministers 116. 21 Of self-calling self-making preachers or rather Anabaptistical praters and seducers 124. 22 Of a good and a bad Conscience 132. 23 Of Life 137. 24 Of Death 144. FINIS A little dark PICTURE of the Great Glorious Unparallel'd Loyalty Piety and Policy of the Renowned Restorer of Monarchy Liberty Tranquillity and Prosperity to ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND The Lord Generall MONK THe World hath bred brave Hero's whose bright Name Darkens the Sun and fils the Trump of Fame Whose fragrant memory is still i'â—h Bloom And n'er shall wither till the day of Doom Whose acts at once astonish fire indear All noble souls that them do know or hear Those are the root and sourse whence that Renown Did grow and flow which justly doth them Crown With honour love and praise whereby they all Survive with glory their own Funeral Such vertuous great Worthies there have been But they dy'd childlesse sure for we have seen Nothing but dwarfs in this base Iron age Except in Treason Avarice and Rage Wherein such horrid Monsters have been known As n'er before in all the world were shown Until our true Saint GEORGE did rise and kill That hideous viprous brood who plotted still In their inchanted Castle to enslave Torment and keep us till we found our grave A dismall darknesse hath this sinful Land Ore spread e're since by a curâ—â— cruel hands That glorious * King Charles the first Light was quencht whose happy rayes While we enjoy'd him turn'd our nights to dayes That orifice at which we all have bled Almost to death our martyr'd Soveraigns head MONK now hath stopped by his pious Art And healed with his faithful Loyal Heart Twelve years we 've had nor day peace Law nor Spring He gives us all by bringing home our King The City gates he broke and threw aside T'unhinge Rebellion that great CHARLES might ride With Love and Safety there from whence did spring His hurt his help losse gain joy suffering Our bane is now our balm Such is his skill We 're now preserv'd by that which did us kill The bloudy Sword by his just loyal vote Hath made rank poyson our best antidote Some say there is a Phoenix but we see A Fable is become a truth in thee Thou art the healer honour Atlas love Of three expiring Kingdomes As above A Crown of blisse attends thee so below Prayers praises thanks which really we owe Thy