spirituall food which may bestead and comfort us in the Autumne of our old Age and in the could winter of Death Christ Commends unto us this Immortall food Jo. 6.51 where he sayes He that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever This bread is his body crucified upon the Crosse He that feeds on this bread by the mouth of Faith applying to his soule for pardon of his sinnes the merit of his Saviours death and passion that man shall never see death shall escape damnation And they that are predestinated to Eternall life doe labour for this heavenly and soule quickning food more then the Glutton does for delicacyes whose Belly is his God Christ when hee gave us this vitall bread this precious morsell charging us to communicate oft when he said Doe this c. intended not it should be slighted with a prophane neglect Our ordinary food our daily repast keepes the body in life and strength which otherwise by meanes of our naturall heat would be impay'rd and presently consum'd No lesse but rather greater vertue is in this blessed Sacrament of Christs body and blood by meanes of it the life of our soule is preserved which otherwise would be wasted by that devouring heat of our impure lust and concupisence which rages in the best Therefore Innocentius his Counsell may here take place We must beware sayes he least by dâ—â—e ring too long to receive the blessed Sacrament the food of life we incurre the hazard of eternall Death St. Hilary gives us the same advice Let us feare seast being abstracted or separated from the body of Christ i e. never communicating with the faithfull in the holy Eucharist we be hereafter severd and banishd from God our Saviour we that never cease to sin should never cease to partake of the holy Communion But this is our malady this one thing is our chiefe let and impediment Rather then wee will cease to sin wee forbeare to come to the blessed Communion We had rather desert this heavenly Table then shake hands and bid adew to our petulant wickednesse wee are unwilling to be led sweetly as it were by the hand from our pollutions and impurity to an holy conversation and practise of piety Wee beleeved once the lying Serpent perswading us that we shall be Gods but we give no credence no beliefe to God assuring us that if we frequent this caelestiall banquet Wee shall be converted and changed into his divine nature through the Sanctification of his blessed Spirit Consider what Christ promiseth He that eateh my flesh and drinketh my blood Joh. 6.56 dwelleth in mee and J in him Wee heare Christ promising but we do not readily beleeve him Christ commands us to doe this in memory of his death and Passion upon the Crosse And no doubt his will is that we often do this We conceive that his praecept is equall and just but we contrary to what Christ intended will not perswade our selves that this Commemoration is often to be celebrated All the ancient holy Fathers advise us in their writings to come often to this feast Their Counsaile does not displease us but our Corrupt and vitious custome prevaile with us All the holy Martyrs and Confessors in the Primitive times have shind before us in their Godly example inviting us to the practise of those Saint-like and Religious duties The light of their piety shines in our eyes but we will not conforme our selves to them by a Godly imitation of their vertues But to discover farther the corrupt perversenesse of our natures let us put case That as oft as A man received the Communion he were to receive withall a thousand Crownes If this condition were annexed to his duty there were no need of any Rhethoricall expressions to allure him those Arguments dressed in Gold would command his obedience by a sweet force and unresistable violence On these termes of conjuring we should rather want a staffe to keepe the rude multitude off then a goade to prick them on Oh the blindenesse of man we cannot see Gold but our affections are inflam'd with a love and desire of it because wee consider not that mine that rich treasure which is wrapped up and onteinedhidden in the blessed Sacrament therefore it is by us entertaind with neglect and vilified That vast masse of Gold in both Indies compard with this unvaluable Jewell is but dirt and mudde It is beyond the pitch of the sublimest understanding to set upon it a true value and estimation For by vertue of this holy Eucharist or Christs body and blood crucified represented to us in it our sins past of what nature or degree so ever are blotted out of Gods booke sins to come are prevented the strength of our imbred vitious corruptions is weakned our understanding is enlightned Our will and affections stirred up and incited to the desire and love of God and goodnesse our conscience is cleard being disburthened of its heavy load And by meanes of it we are furnished with spirituall Armature against the Devill It corroborates our Spirits that we faint not in adversity It sustaines and supports our natures that wee fall not in prosperity It confirmes us in the way of Godlinesse with constancy and patience Lastly by the holy Eucharist we receive a pledge of future glory and by it we get a rich purchase the contempt of death and desire of heaven the moderation of affections and loathing of our vices and a love of vertues the victory over our selves and perseverance in good workes But one may object I dare not come by reason of my great pollution my thoughts are vaine my heart is uncleane and not wâ—rmd with the love of God therefore I dare not come to the holy Communion This excuse is either bad or to no purpose for the more wicked thou art the lesse is thy accesse to it to bee deferr'd Art thou uncleane come first bewailing thy sins The â—ucharist is a pure and living fountaine it will wash away thy staines Art thou sick come for it is the only medicine and Antidote whereby the maladies and diseases of thy soule may be cured Art thou pinch'd with an holy hunger after righteousnesse Come for the Eucharist is the bread of Angells Is thy Soule benumm'd with a deadly chillnesse with a Lethargy of sin defer not to come for the Eucharist is such a fire such an heavenly flame that will warme thy spirit and enflame it with devotion Do thy spirituall Enemies the Divell or the Flesh molest and vex thee distrust not but come for here is an Armory out of which thou may'st fetch weapons to wound and subdue any of thy Ghostly Adversaries Art thou sad and consumd with wasting griefe Here is Wine that maketh glad the heart of man Desirest thou delicacies certainely there are not better then these which are exhibited in this banquet and cheares the heart of Kings Art thou in love with thy heavenly Country dost thou long after it in thy desires
his will I should spin a songer thred of life I am content to doe it so long as he is pleass'd to will it Is God willing I should dye and be gathered to my Fathers my will joyfully meetes with his and I desire that death may arrest my bedy without all delayes I would not live a moment longer then God pleases My beginning is from God and he is my end the end of my Hope and whatsoever hee shall send and think fitting for mee I will entertaine and receave it with a cheerefull alacrity Phil. 1. imitating herein Saint Paul who thus sayes of-himselfe Christ is to me an advantage both in life and death My heart is enflam'd with the love of thee O my God and I desire to be more enflam'd Let my heart bee melted with this fire of love No creature O my most deare God besides thee can make mee blessed or any way happy And when shall I appeare in thy presence when O my God shall my winged Soule fly away from hence to thee and be at rest I follow thee Blessed Saviour I follow thee in my desires which then are most earnest when I come nearer to thee in any bodily griefe or Sicknesse Neither ought these desires to seeme strange in a good Christian for as a Physitian sayes Theophylact when he sees his patient loath that diet be prescribed and refuse to drink his potions he first tasts of them himselfe that by his example he may induce the sick man to admit of his Physick so Christ our blessed Saviour himselfe first drank of Death's bitter cup that wee his Servants his redeemed his followers might not bee afraid to pledge him but looke death in the face with that undaunted cheerefullnesse which becomes those who have God for their Father and Christ for their Redeemer And now Christian Brother although thou art of a fearefull nature strive to excite and raise thy fainting Spirits with these or such like Divine expressions Be speake God in the words of the Prophet David and say with an emboldened confidence and with a spirit unappal'd with the feare of Death I will receive the Cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. The Cup indeed is bitter Psal 116.12 it hath Wormwood in it but my Saviour hath sweetned it having first drank to mee of it when he suffered upon the Crosse for my sinnes That Cup is Deaths fatall potion which Christ tasted willingly to purchase our salvation and all must drinke of it without exception All men must why then should J alone refuse it who ever hee bee whether Prince or Peasant Bond or free that hath entered upon the Stage of mortality and hath begun to act his part in this life 's sinfull Tragedy he must necessarily have his Catastrophe he must have an end that he may begin to Act a better part in the Theater of heaven and beginne a new life which nver shall have end Hence then all vaine and idle feares A way all vexing griefe and tormenting sadnesse The Cup which my Heavenly Father puts into my hand which Christ has temperd with his sweetnesse and drank deepe of it shall I not drinke off that I who am mortall whose composirion tends to ruine shall not I make it my study and a part of my daily businesse to learne to die wee read that when Alexander and the Madonian lay sick of a desperate disease and some of his friends who were too scrupulous had suggested to him that his Phisition by name Philip intended to give him poyson in his Physick The King when hee beheld Philip comming with his potion he raised himselfe upon his Pillow and thus entertained his Physition with one hand hee gave him his friends letters to read with the other hee took the potion from Philip And putting it to his mouth hee fixed his Eye upon the Physitians face knowing that if guilt were in his Conscience it would discover it selfe by the speaking blushes of his countenance and when he was fully satisfied that no mischiefe was intended by his Physition whose face spake him not guilty in that it was not stain'd with a blushing confusion the King with great confidence drank up the potion Thus by Gods grace will I do in this lifes pilgrimage my Iesus my Physition and my sweet Saviour hath prepard and temperd for mee a Cup which will cast mee into a long and sweet sleepe whilst I drink of it I will fasten my eyes upon his and fix my looke upon the gratious countenance of my Crucified Lord In the which I may read written in the bloody Characters of his passion his excessive love to mee and then with a Martyr like and cheerfull spirit I vvill drink off the potion vvhich the more bitter it is is better for us and the more vvholesome By this meanes deare Christian Brother may the sting of Death be blunted the force of his blow weakned and Death it selfe may be conquer'd if wee arme our selves against it by holy meditations if it be often thought on and never feared SYMBOLVM II. Promptitudo ad mortem Coarctor autem e duobus desiderium habens dissolui et esse cum Christo ad Philipp Cap. 1. Embleme 3. Frequenting of the Sacrament This is the bread which cometh downe from heaven that hee which eateth of it should not die Iohn 6.56 The third Signe A frequent use or receiving of the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Set out by a golden Cup with these words taken out of the. 6. IOHN 56. This is the bread which commeth downe from Heaven that be which eatch of it should not die WEE read in the 2. Acts 42. that the primitive Christians who were converted to the Faith by Christ and his Appostles were not daunted by the fury of their Enemies not discourag'd in their profession by their persecutors malice but continued as the Text speakes in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayers And it is observed by some that when the religious custome of frequenting the communion flagg'd and ceased Then that fervency of Spirit and ardor of love grew could Then that Sanctity or holinesse began to decay which before shined in the lives and Actions of those Christians who were burning and shining lights in their example and practice of all holy performances here the Divell bends all the force of his endeavours in this one thing he labours with all his art and cunning to hinder as many as hee can from the frequent use of the Eucharist or holy Communion And good God how many obstacles how many lets and impediments hath he invented how many rubbs has he laid in our way to retardate our intentions and stop the progresse of our devotion sometimes he shaks our Faith with the blasts of doubting feares when this suggestion succeeds not and takes no effect then he colours his Tentation and suggests to our soules that great reverence wherewith we should
and art thou moving to it Behold here is thy Viaticum thy provision for the way more costly then that was which Elias had in his passage to mount Horeb. If Christs Garment had such virtue in it that being only to touch'd it could stop an Issue of blood what efficacy what power may we conceive to be in his body when it is received and applyed by the hand of faith But you may say I am unworthy to partake of that divine food neither can I afford or give that reverence unto it which is meet I beseech you deare Brother let us not cover and cloake our sloathfullnesse with a colourable pretence ' of Reverence It is better sayes Aquinas to approach to this banquet out of love then out of a fond feare wholly to abstaine from it Part. 3.2.80 Art 10 and 3. St. Amb. expounds that Petition of the Lords Prayer Give us this day our daily Bread lib. 5 de Sac. c. 4. to be meant of the Supper of our Lord If it be daily Bread why receivest thou it but once a yeare Receive that daily which being received will profit thee So live that thou maist be fitted to receive it daily for he that is not fitted to receive it every day is unworthy to receive it after a yeares space when he has taken a surfeit in sinn and wickednesse lib 4. de Sac. c. 6. For as St. Amb. in another place if as often as the blood of Christ is poured out hee meanes the Wine in the chalice which is a signe of his blood it is poured out for the remission of sins It concerns mee to accept it ever with joy and thankfullnesse and that my sins may be wiped out and pardond I that alwayes wound my soule with sin ought alwayes to apply to those wounds a medicine Gemmadius Massi liensis determines this point well I neither praise nor discommend the Art of those who receive every day the holy Eucharist yet I exhort and perswade all Christians having first subdued their affections and repented heartily of their sins to communicate each Lords Day Hee that comes with a mind not infected with the love of sinne that man comes prepared And who so casts off all affections to his former sinnes that man ceases to hate and begins to love God Surely he is most ungratefull to his maker who for his sake and in obedience to his Command will not throw away and cast out the poyson of every pestilent and foule affection that so he may come prepar'd to the holy Communion with those that will not do this God is highly and deservedly displeased as appeares by that parable of the great man that made a Feast and invited Guests who would not come Luk 14.16 I say unto you said that Mr. of the Family that none of these men shall tast of my supper what Lord not tast of thy Supper why they are those that will not come and tast of it and dost thou Judge this to bee a fit punishment for their obstinate Rebellion so it is Their doome proceeded out of their own mouths They said they will not and God sayes they shall not Thus by their ungodly and rebellious will they shall be punish'd When the City of Samaria was straitned with a sore famine which threatned a generall destruction And Elisha promised that within a few dayes there should be great store and plenty of corne and other provision one of the lords of that City scoffing at his prediction answerd Though the Lord would make windowes in heaven could this thing come to passe to whom Eâ—isha replyed Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shall not eate thereof It happend to that proud Lord as the Prophet foretold And thus at this day are many puâ—ished They see abundance or good store of this holy bread in the Eucharist but they eat not of it And thou cold Christian whose heart is frozen with hatred and malice ' thou who now contemnest Gods Ordinance thou shalt see the bread upon the Table and the Wine stand by it but God will not give thee grace to drink of this or tast of that Thou shalt see and heare of many who have beene refreshd by this heavenly banquet whilst thou in the meane time art starved and famished Because thou hast excluded thy selfe thou art debarred from comming to Gods Table by which thou mightst have beene plentifully fed and satisfied However it bee thus with the ungodly and wicked yet those that are predestinated to eternall life that are the genuine and true sons of God count it as a marke of Gods high displeasure to want this heavenly bread and therefore they neglect no opportunity omit no occasion whereby they may obtaine and purchase it for they are not Ignorant that the most provident Creatour hath allotted its proper food to every creature as to Eagles birds to Lyons wild beasts to the Horse Oates to an Ox Hay to sheepe Grasse to the Whale fishes to man bread that comes out of the Earth but to those that are his Sons by the grace of Adoption hee hath appointed better food that is bread from Heaven This heavenly bread this bread of Sons this bread of Angells Gods adopted Saints for the most part receive with an ardent desire with most submissive reverence and with that affection which becomes Gods beloved Children who had rather shew themselves to be Gods sons by immodest piety then appeare to bee his Enemies by an impious modesty If to any ones conscience who is in the number of the praedestinate Christ should thus speake by the still voyce of his spirit whilst he is receiving the holy Sacrament Consider seriously with thy most collected thoughts what and how great things I have done and suffered of my meere love to thee to expâ—ate thy sinnes Lift up the Eyes of thy soâ—â—e and behold with good attention the thornes that peirced my head and the many Sorrowes that rent my heart My body was wounded with whips and nails but my soule received its wounds from many great and unsufferable Injuries For thy sake I had almost in the garden selt deaths stroke There the lashes of my inward griefs did anticipate the whipping of Herods Souldiers Thinke not with thy selfe what I suffered from my foes when such heauy strokes were laid on me by my freinds Thou Knowest upon how hard a bed I dyed for thee If thou hads't not find I had not suffered My loue that thou mayst vnderstand the greatnesse of it moued me to undergoe the most bitâ—er and Ignominious death but none could he sound more bitter and Ignominious then that I did sustaine for thee the death of the crosse Behold I I who am the son of God haue died for thee poore sinfull man and if that death had not beene sufficient I would not haue refused to dye a thousand times more to have redeem'd thee from the power of death and Hell But what wilt thou doe
of Good comfort my friends this is but a cloud which will soone vanish Indeed whatsoever horror or griefe we sustaine in this life it is a cloud that darkens all our contents and it is but a Cloud which shall be scattered and driven away by the serenity and shining lustre of that everlasting day wherein all teares shall bee wiped from our eyes Among the Ancients those that were most laborious would let no day passe without a line as their manner of phrase was i.e. no day slipt in which no good was done so carefull were they to make a Progresse in their study and improve their profession But Christians being as Active as those were in the businesse of their calling desire that no day may passe over their head without a cloud that so they may have an occasion to expresse by suffering their love to their Lord God The Heavens saith Tert. were to Job Tert. Li. de pat c. 13 not only clouded but also turnd as it were into Brasse and Iron and yet that holy man out of his quiver of graces did draw a shaft which subdued the Devill and put him to flight and that was patience whereby hee overcame all Satans temptations So that neither the driving away of his flocks nor the death of his sons by the fall of the house nor all the paines and torments which he sufferd in his flesh could drive him from his patient resolution to endure all this and an heavier burthen if God should please to lay it upon him How did God as it were erect in this holy man a pageant whereon he triumphd over Satan what a glorious banner did he set up in signe of the Devills foyle when that holy man at the report of each Messenger utterd nothing out of his mouth but God be thanked This did torment the Devill but was most pleasing to God By this meanes Job recovered all his losses with a double gaine and advantage whilst wee are suffering for the truth of Christ with a good conscience we are on our march to heaven and happinesse There be divers wayes that lead to heaven the safest and most sure of all is the high way of the crosse for through many Tribulations must we enter into the Kingdome of God Act 14. And as the Potters Vessels are tried in the Furnace so Tribulation is the tryall of the Just Only the chaffe is wasted and consumed in the Furnace so the wicked are the worse for their afflictions The Gold is purified in the fire and the Godly are bettered by their misery This world is a furnace the Righteous are Gold Tribulation the fire And God be it spoken with reverence the Artificer Iâ— the Gold which is under the hand of the Smith could speak if it had so much sence to understand and know what the Goldsmith did purpose to do with it which is perhaps to make a Vessell of it for a Kings Table or a Princes Cupboord if the Gold understood so much if it had a voyce it would resigne up it selfe to the will of the artificer it would say Let him do with me as he thinks fit Aug. in Psal 60. cast mee into what shape or fashion he pleases throw me into what place hec will therewith I must and will be contented The Straw and stubble which the Workman uses to kindle that fire wherein I am melted that is wasted and wholly consum'd whilst I am onely purgd and purified Consider this all yee that represent Chaffe and Stubble ponder this all yee that are Gods Gold In that fire wherein Straw and Stubbl is turnd into a black smoak Gold shines and is made the brighter In the very same affliction the wicked blaspheme and accuse God of Injustice in the which the righteous patiently bearing their Crosse praise God for his mercy and loving kindnesse and withall gather strength from their adversity as the fire whose flame is beaten back with the Bellowes growes hotter and is increasd by that very meanes whereby one would think it should be extinguisht Vertue best showes it selfe in extremity and flourishes when it is most tossed with the waves of misery If we run back in our thoughts and take account of all those who from the very first Infancy of the world were deare to God we shall assuredly find that they were all stampt with this mark that they all sufferd affliction which we make a certaine signe of Gods love and affection God tried them sayes the wiseman and found them worthy of himselfe Wisd 3. deseruing his favour and to have with him an habitation If wee look into the Scriptures there we shall find Abraham diversly exercised and chastised Ioseph sold by his Brethren and David persecuted by his ungratefull Son We read that Efay was saw'n asunder Ezechiels braines dasht out against the stones Ieremy stond Michah staine with the sword Amos murderd by a nail struck into his Temples Daniel exposed to the Lyons Mâ—aboth as Jeremy was ston'd to death Elisha mock'd and had in derision Iob full of uscers sitting upon the Dunghill and spit at by those who should have comforted him Tobie strucken with blindnesse Innocent Susanna condemned Many more examples might be alleadged to confirm this truth In what an Ocean of miseries was St. Paul plungd of the other Apostles some were whip'd some crucified some slaine with the sword None of Gods sons were ever spared For whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and scourgeth every one none excepted whom he receiveth Heb. 12.6 For all those who will live Godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Yet let every one who doth serve and worship thee O Lord know for a certain that if in this life hee be tryed by the Cross hee shall bee crown'd in the other with glory and Salvation Because that after a storm thou ever dost send a calm after teares and weeping thou fillest our hearts with joy and exultation Therefore blessed is the man who is chastisd by God for his correction and amendment For if we suffer we shall Raigne with him 1 Tim. 2.12 Let then no man be afraid to be scourgd but rather least he be disinherited We are fitted and prepar'd for our eternall inheritance by losses and Crosses by stripes and whippings with which God doth exercise us in the way to heaven least our thoughts being taken up with deceiving vanities and so we delighting too much in fading pleasures here below forget our heavenly Country which is above and whither we wish all to goe If thou be exempted from the lash of Sorrowes sayes Aug. thou hast no place in the list of Gods sons Throw away then all childish thoughts and vaine expressions say not my Father is better affected to my Brother whom he suffers to do what he list he loves him better then mee because if I stirr but one foot contrary to his command I am presently whipped and corrected for it Rejoyce rather when thou art chastised
affection as of Anger Love Hatred or the like will not easily repress its unruliness nor hinder its force but shall be hurried by the precipitate humor of that affection even to commit the foulest sins to which his nature is prone It is the safest way therefore to prevent the beginning of any passion to kill it in the bud and to stifle it in the Cradle before it gets strength and grovvth .. As an enemy is to be driven out of the borders of the City for vvhen he has gotten vvith in the gates or come vvithin the Walls he vvil shevv little mercy to the captive Citizens Pro. 16. He that is slow to Anger is beter then the a strongman he that ruleth his mind is beter then he that winneth a City Blessed are the peace-makers L. deser doc c. 2. sayes St. Aug. Those that make peace in themselves those that compose the tumults and stirrs that arise in their ovvn brests and subject them to the command of Reason Blessed are they who tame the lusts of the flesh by prayer and abstinence so that they become the kingdom of God or his house wherein all things are in order no confusion to be found vvherein Reason guided and enlightn'd by Gods spirit has the sole command the senses of the body obeying vvithout any the least reluctancy or contention This invvard peace vvas proclaim'd by a Quire of Angells when Christ was born but it is not to be obtain'd easily but by much strife and paine This was presignified by Gods giving his law to Moses with the loud voice of a Trumpet Ex. 19. an instrument of War A man would suppose that gentle and soft musick had bin fitter for this religious work The Trumpet fits better with the Camp then a Church But to leave off these nice expostulations and disputes we must know that God did this to teach us that as our life is a warfare so we are cal'd by God not to sit still at ease but to fight our battells against our sinfull lusts we are call'd by him who gave the Law to Moses which Law we cannot observe and keep unless we oppose and fight against the Law 's Enemies which are our lusts None ever subdued his flesh by flattering it none ever conquered an enticing Devill or the soothing world but by resisting both with those weapons which God prescribes in his holy Scriptures strive then we must and fight with every corrupt affection which is adverse to Gods Law and so to be esteem'd an enemy He that is only angry with his sins and favours his affections he cuts off the boughs of a bad tree but spares the Root so long as this remaines the boughs will againe shoot out Thus Chrys commenting upon those words of our Saviour He that looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her in his heart sayes that Christ in this precept forbids not only the disease it selfe but strikes also at the root of it The root of Adulstery is unchast lust And therefore he does not only condemne Adultery but concupiseence likewise which is its Mother or Nurse So he forbids not murder alone but Anger also which is oftentimes the spawne or cause of it or contumelious and reproachfull speeches which occasion many quarrells and the spilling of much blood Anger and love are two violent affections that admit of no lawes but those that are severe and serious they are not easily tam'd by gentle and smooth precepts Anger does not like other vices which sollicite by flatteries it suatcheth away our minds and drives them furiously into dangers And although scarce any man be found so cruell who having wounded his enemy with a sword desires to bury his hand in the vvound and never draw it out yet Anger is such a weapon that can hardly be dravvne out when it is driven in Anger is dareing and feares not to act any sin and having design'd a man for destruction is never pacified till it draws his hearts blood An angry man is like the fire-stone which if it be strook against the flint spits fire immediatly is hardly quench'd An angry man stirreth up strise Pro. 29. and a surious man aboundeth in transgression So sayes Salemon Anger and wrath are abominable things and the sinfull man is subject to them both No plague or murraine has destroy'd so many men as these two Anger and Wrath. Anger slayes the foolish man and envy the man of low degree Therefore my beloved Brethren L. 4. de civ c. 6. let us not sayes St. Aug. bring so great an evill upon our selves as to harbour that which is the disease of the soule puts out the eye of reason alienates us from God makes us forget our familâ—ar friends the beginning of Wars the Author of our calam ities and the worst of Divells who is so much the more to be abhorred as he is most misceivous letting almost none escape his hands Ep. 18. This affection sayes Seneca sets most mens hearts on fire it is engendred as well by hatred as love and no less conversant is it with our serious discourses then with our merry sports and Iests equally it mingles it selfe with all these And it is not so much to be regarded from what cause it proceeds as into what mind it enters As it matters not how great the fire is but where it lights for dry stubble or any the like combustible thing will take fire at a spark and break forth into a great flame Notwithstanding all this there is nothing so hard and difficult which the mind or spirit of man cannot overcome and there are no affections so feirce and untam'd which may not be master'd and kept under by the Rod of discipline The mind can effect any thing which it commands it selfe to do Although the work be not very easie to keep Anger within its bounds and with it to avoyd madness ravening cruelty rage and the like passions which are its Attendants and Companions yet that Work has been and it must be done What Seneca sayes of Anger may be applyed to those two famous and well knovvn furies Envy and Pride the same too may be verified of those two most impious Sisters Luxury and Gluttony and of all the whole brood and band of other vices All which may be subdued by bringing the mind to that settled and happy tranquillity that there may be in it a sweet concord and harmony of all our desires not swerving from the rubrick of Gods commandements Blessed is the man who indulges or grants a little liberty to his affections that he may serve sin the less and God the more And happy he that nailes as it were his passions to the Cross that he may place Reason in her Throne to act the Queen or Mrs. over any rebellious passion Those slaves who are confin'd to the Oares in Gallies have some remission though it be but short from their
never stopped nor staied 1 Sam 6.12 not turned aside to the right hand or to the left Now for the comfort of tender Christians who find in their lives many turnings and windings many slips failings sins of naturall infirmitie of suddain surreption and daily incursion as lustfull motions distrustfull thoughts a disorder in the Passions or the like against which they strive and bend the force of their best endeavours to subdue them but cannot by meanes of that Body of sin Rom. 6.6 that lump of flesh that principle of weakness which they cary about them for the comfort of such I must add this by way of a Corolarie or appendix to the former Treatise which pointeth at a Collective perfection scarce to be found in a Christian It is this Peccatum non damnat quod 〈◊〉 nen placet August That such frailties and Infirmities if they be bewailed daily in an humble confession to Christ if they be stroven against and by a constant use of the meanes as prayer and fasting be in part mastred though a compleat conquest over them be not atchieved they shall not seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Rom. 8.39 Who as St. Paul intimates Rom. 5.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. when we were weak died for us The Holy Ghost hereby assuring all such weak ones that such sins as these to which their weakness betraies them shal not damne them so long as they be resisted with a strict and constant opposition with all the vigour and activity of their soules so that they be neither allowed of nor contiâ—ued in by a daily practise It remaines in the last prace that I compleat what I in a manner promised in my preface that is for the better establishing the hearts of good Christians to discover more particularly then hath been done before the inward tokens and outward fruits of sanctification whereby they may attaine to an assured knowledge of their Election And then for a Conclusion subjoyne some qualifications which may by Gods helpe sustaine the drooping Spirits of those feeble Christians who either find not in themselves all the Signes that have been set downe in the preceding Treatise or are burthened with the troubles of an unquiet conscience which is incident to the best and dearest of Gods Saints The Casuists prescribe unto us 2. Two wayes to attaine to the knowledge of our Election wayes whereby we may come to the knowledge of our Election That our names are written in the Book of the living The First is by taking flight from Earth by ascending as it were into Heaven there to prie into Gods Cabinet to peep into his Closet and to enquire into the deep and hidden Counsell of God this way is dangerous and not to be attempted Deut. 29.29 it being besides the difficulty and danger of it forbidden by the Word This Position was delivered by the Doctors in our Vniversity at the death of that Famous and learned Man Dr. Whaly The Second Is by descending into our selves in a privy search of our owne hearts and so to climb up as it were by degrees and steps to Gods eternall Counsell concerning the welfare of our Soules This second way alone is to be practised and it teacheth us by certaine signes and infallible testimonyes in our selves to collect or gather what is God's eternall purpose concerning our Persons our Soules and Bodies Those testimonies which we call for their infallibility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of two sorts The first is The Testimony of Gods Spirit The Second The Testimony of our spirits of both which we read at once Rom. 8.15 The same spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Sons of God The Testimony of the spirit is effected in us by an application of the promises of the Gospell in the forme of a practicall Syllogisme thus Whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall be saved Ioh. 6.47 Now when the Spirit shall as J may so speak break into the dark roomes of the soule with light and discoveries opening the eye of a mans understanding so as to perceive and know that there is no other way to Heaven but by Christ and by stirring up the will and affections so as to make an assumption with freedome of Spirit without hesitation or doubting and to say I beleeve I renounce my selfe all my delight and comfort my joy and confidence is in Christ my stay and trust is in his all-sufficient merits from hence will result a blessed Conclusion Therefore shall be saved and I am the Child of God To say thus is the Testimony of the Spirit per modum causalitatis by way of causality to use the Scholemens phrase because it proceeds no from flesh and blood Mat. 16.17 from the strength of our owne Will but from the operation of the Holy Ghost stirring us up to beleeve to embrace the promises and to cry Abba Faâ—her as St. Paul there speakes St. Bernard hath an excellent passage to this purpose which runs thus in English Rom. 8.15 Bern. Ep 107. Who is just but he that being loved of God returnes love to him againe which is not done but by the spirit of God revealing by Faith unto man the eternall purpose of God that concernes future salvation Which Revelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace c. He meanes the Grace of Faith as he expressed himselfe before which is understood by that mark in the forehead of the hundred forty and foure thousand which stood with the Lamb in Mount Sion Rev. 14.1 and it is the only or chiefe marke of Election And as I take it Christ is therefore said in one sence to be the saithfull witness Rev. 1. Rev. 1 5. because by his spirit he stirres us up to beleeve which is accompanied with that inward experimentall Joy and inexpressible Peace of Conscience by the which he in a manner witnesses to that is assures our soules that we are his and shall infallibly one day if we persevere in the Faith partake of his happinesse The Second Testimony of our Election is the Testimony of our Spirit of the heart and Conscience purified and sanctified in the blood of Christ And it leads us to an assurance of Gods eternall love and to a certainty of our salvation two wayes as we are taught by Masters in these great Mysteries First By inward tokens in it selfe which are so many earnests of the spirit of Christ Secondly By outward fruits which break forth in our lives and Actions The former are speciall Graces of God in the Spirit or soule of man whereby he may be assured of his Adoption that he is God's Son These tokens are of two sorts The one respecting our sins The other Gods mercy in Christ who is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2 2â— The first are in respect of our sinnes Past 3. markes of Election