Christ alone He walkes along treading on earth and earthly things with his eies and heart fixed on his Sauiour in heauen To conclude he is so farre from selling Christ to get any thing y t he will sell al things to obtaine Christ Now true loue the fruite of a true faith makes this yoke easie and this commandement light 85 The naturall man hath in him an inclination to be proud in the enioying of such things as haue any excellence though himself be not the Author of that excellence and sometimes though he haue therby no addition of worth to his owne person So in the first kinde he is proud of a good wit and in the second is he proud of a proud horse of a rich iewell of an imbrodered garment And accordingly hee attributeth more glory to himselfe for possessing them then to the Author and giuer for creating and giuing them yea commonly all the glory to himselfe the standing poole and none to the spring But the true Christian euen the new borne sonne of God rips vp this swelling deceit and striues to free his soule from it and to bring her to a true and iust discerning of things To this end bending her eye to the contemplation of truth shee findes that chiefe and only glory belongeth to the giuer not to the receiuer to the Creator not to the thing made Shee sees no reason that she should boast of anothers worke nor that shee should be proud of what shee hath receiued but rather shee seeth great reason that the creature should giue all glory to the Creator and the receiuer to the giuer For the borrower is a seruant to the lender his receiuing is an implied subiection and hee oweth to him the thing lent much more the glory of the thing Accordingly the sanctified cry out Sing ye loud to the Lord all the earth for the Lord is God he hath made vs and not wee our selues And Thou art worthie ô Lord to receiue glory honour and power for thou hast created all things This if puft vp man would rightly consider hee would remember by the benefits of God to glorifie God his Benefactor not himselfe the almesman of God And thogh knowledge by mans corruption is made an instrument of puffing vp yet knowledge pursued to this point by sanctification would humble and abase For it would shew vs that wee must glorie in our owne not in our debts Rather thereby as borrowers and owners wee should become humble acknowledgers of our owne subiection and obligation to him who lendes and bestowes But miserable and distracted man how farre dost thou wander from this dutie thou art proud of a chaine borrowed of thy neighbour howmuch more wilt thou bee of a greater thing giuen thee of thy God Rather breake off thy sins by repentance humble thy false swelling abate the wisedome of thy foolish flesh yea let all glorie which other giue thee reflect from thee to thy maker who only is the true rest of glory Then if thou glorifie him thou shalt be glorified by him w c is the glory thou especially shouldest seeke for vnto thy self so maist thou aspire by humility which is the only honour yea most ready way of aspiring But if thou doe it not know that pride is the especiall barre of Gods mercies Pride keepes out God and many might haue beene farre more sanctified if they had beene farre lesse proud For God enters not into the soule that acknowledgeth not him nor his benefits those that are farre from beholding him hee beholdeth afar off But into the humble soule that giueth him abundance of glory he enters with abundance of grace sowing there and there only plenty of grace where he is assured to reape plenty of glory Now let vs beware that what God soweth for himselfe wee reape not to our selues lest we be found robbers of God but being as labourers in that haruest only for him let vs be content with our wages of labouring which wil be sufficient yea an exceeding great reward to vs for great glorie shall be giuen to those in the next world to whom God giueth grace to bee humble in this world 86 It is pittie we haue so wholly taken vp our minds with the controuersies betweene vs the Pope that wee haue much neglected the more immediate controuersie between vs the diuell It is good that thou lay thy hand on this and forget not the other The chiefe superedification on Faith is Loue and this loue tends to the fulfilling of the commandements Herein are the children of God knowne and the children of Satan Hee that loueth is borne of God and he that loueth not hath not seene God but the wrath of God abideth on him But as loue must bee had so must it be had to some purpose it must bee vseful bring forth the naturall kindly fruite thereof which is keeping the commandements But the blacknesse of darkenesse is so thicke on the soule of man by his fall that he cannot see the good which he would doe and hence it is that often loue brings the children of good workes to the birth but there is no strength of knowledge to deliuer them Many there are who haue consciences great with charitie yet in many things for want of knowledge they either abstaine from doing at all because they know not what is right to be done or somtimes mistake euill for good and so offend God instead of pleasing him Now lamentable it is to see zeale and deuotion mispent to see a good minde bring forth euill fruits the holy but diuine soule to goe cleane contrary to y t way it purposeth And this thogh neglected very much abateth y e glorie prosperitie of the light and enlargeth the power and limits of the kingdome of darkenesse And as much darkenesse as is left so much roome is there left for Satā so much territory is there allowed to him which as we should striue wholly to gaine from him so especially in those which belong not to him but haue giuen themselues to the God of light to walke as children of the light Be it therefore the precious worthy labour of some Bezaleel or Aholiab some one whose heart God hath touched and inlightned to lighten and kindle many of the yet-dim-shining lampes which are in the house of God Let them be eies to the blinde and let them ioyne with the spirit of God saying in the voice thereof This is the way walke in it Let them breake abroad the commandements of God into their seuerall branches of things forbidden and commanded that he which runneth may reade and hee which readeth may runne aright Then shall many a worke of darkenesse be preuented and the workes of light shall spring in farre greater aboundance Then shall the Prince of darknes bee chased much farther from vs and the God of light shall dwell more powerfully and fully in vs. Then shalt thou whosouer thou art that turnest a soule
that it is sufficient to beleeue the Church there mans minde is perswaded to rest in that beleefe and careth not to beleeue the word for it selfe Such a perswasion fastneth the eye on men and turneth it from the word of light which giueth light to the simple and might and would be seene it selfe Indeede it is an excellent couer for a bad Religion for it keepes men within the pale of securitie since they must aske their teachers only whether their teachers bee deceiued By the same rule may the Alcoran also be established or any the most pestilent Herisie if men must bee bounded by their teachers and not looke beyond their teaching But farre more blessed are they if they be also blessed with thankfulnesse who may looke Diuine truth in the face and loue it for the beauty which themselues behold in it And as men haue happinesse hereby so hath God his glory who scorneth that his word should haue men to giue their word for it It is a word that standeth by it selfe it approoueth it selfe And lest men should say that the former trust helpes the weakenesse of men and not of the word they shold know that God hath taken course himselfe that man should not still continue in such a weaknesse that still might neede such helpe For as he giues the word to shine from without so hee giues his Spirit to shine within that the light of the Spirit might apprehend the light of the word Let vs not therefore forsake this inuincible rocke of Christian religion euen a self-approuing and selfe-establishing authority of the word For as hreby it is strong in it own strength so beareth it selfe vnmoueable against all exception so herein it excelleth all errors and heresies since none of them can stand in their own power Bee this then the priuiledge of the word neuer to be lost 24 There are in man naturally three knowledges of good and euill one of reason which is true as farre as reason guides it Another of instinct imprinted into the nature of man at his creation such a knowledge thinks it good to loue our children to relieue the distressed and thinks the contrarie euill Hereto is ioyned that naturall affection which Paul commends Rom. 1. but in this sometimes is excesse sometimes defect and therfore it must be aduanced or lessened as the measure of reason requires A third is of lust and somtimes called by vs humour which esteemes things good or euill out of some blind affection not for any reason or iust cause So some loue killing and hate mercy some loue trouble and hate quietnes some loue nothing but wealth some vtterly neglect it some thinke fame to be good and honestie foolishnesse This came with the fall and hereof we must take heed in all our actions for this is that darknesse which brings foorth the workes of darknes and leades to eternall darknes 25 The things of the next world are as certaine as these heere for the same word that said Let these be and they were saith also There are such incomprehensible things prepared for them that loue God They are as certainely known by faith as these by sight as truly though not so largely For Moses saw them certainely else perchance for them would he not haue forsaken the certaine pleasures of sin And the Word saith that his faith truly saw God and no one true thing is more true then another Againe the things inuisible are certainly better then the visible for holy men haue euer despised the present for those to come The hart can conceiue temporall things but not eternal and that which is of God is infinitely inferior to God himselfe But what is the reason then that we chuse them not being certainly knowne and farre better The reason is because our station is natural elementarie and grosse and likenesse makes loue onely to like Therefore also the things aboue being supernatural and pure must haue a minde of like temper to loue them There must be a new station a second worke euen stinting and crossing nature Yea wee must haue a minde lifted aboue nature to loue things aboue nature wee must bee raised aboue flesh into an heauenly knowledge to see heauenly truth not sinking with beasts into the low region of seeing touching and tasting Thus lifted vp and made spirituall we shal discerne and approue spirituall things as the naturall man doth the obiects of nature Therefore let vs importune God the Father of this better nature that hee will distill into vs some drops of that heauēly dew which may giue vs heauenly mindes and make vs to loue the things of heauen as much as flesh and blood doth things of earth Surely vntill then the wise Naturalist thinks happinesse folly and then the spirituall man demonstrably seeth and prooueth all present things to bee vaine vanitie Vntil then we are but great children or brute beasts concluded vnder the senses and we then onely are men whē we get the image of God our Father which both knowes him and is knowne of him Such were they whom God made at first such are they whom God now makes againe 26 If euery thing bee desirable according to the benefit thereof then either prosperitie or aduersity may be loued and neither determinately hated or cōdemned For either is very profitable to a man and most commonly aduersitie Let vs therefore cease to despise it in others or impatiently to beare it in our selues since aduersitie hath whipt many to heauen when prosperity hath coached more to hell Let vs leaue off with children onely to desire pleasant things and growne into men in Christ let vs desire wholesome things It is better in good sadnesse to be saued then in good fellowship to be damned 27 The Church truely and rightly calleth God her saluation By God is not one person only meant but the whole three persons For God the Father through his Son by the holy Ghost saueth vs. God the Father principally out of a fundamentall loue elected vs appointed gaue the means by which this election might produce saluation God the Sonne principally did put himselfe into the very work of our saluation and became the maine matter meanes and treasurie thereof God the holy Ghost principally distributeth and imparteth by particular gift and application the saluation which was fore-ordained by the Father and is treasured vp in the Sonne So the whole Trinitie ioyneth together in this our happinesse it being absolutely necessarie toward our saluation that there should be an election and appointment of the meanes an actuall exhibition of the meanes appointed and an actuall application of the meanes exhibited Therefore when wee say we are saued by Christ we meane not that wee are saued by the second person onely and the humane nature vnited to him but with Saint Paul we meane that whole God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe Accordingly in our due thanksgiuings whē we praise God for his gifts toward
bestowed let vs thankfully glorifie the giuer who gaue it vs chiefely for his owne glory and withall let vs take heede that though there bee so great mercy with God yet wee make not worke for mercie lest mercy tempted turne into iudgement 47 The obedience of insensible and brute creatures vnto the will of God is a great checke and reproofe vnto the disobedience of man Man is the chiefest of creatures and they the lowest yet doe they as farre exceede him in obedience as he doth them in naturall eminence The will of God is a straight and fixed line to which all things created by the same will should so fit and fashion themselues that they should not bowe from it in any degree This doe the baser things stedfastly following the imprinted light law of their first Creation So the storke and swallow know their appointed times the oxe knowes his owner and the Asse his masters crib the sea moueth in setled and vnmoouing course the starres fit their many changes to a steadie rule answerable to the will of him that neuer changeth But man that had a burning Lampe euen a fountaine of light in his soule whereas brute beasts haue but a light determined and certaine and liuelesse things haue no light of reason but an orderly influence and moouing power fixed into thē this reasonable man is wholly gone astray from his rule and not onely runneth from it but against it Thus is he farre worse then things worse then himself and openly shewes that he hath fallen and not they What now remaines but that as this abased Lord of creatures hath beene checked and reprooued by the creatures his vassals so he should also bee instructed by them Therefore ô thou man goe willingly hereafter to the Oxe and Asse to learne thy duty There is in them as in the Asse of Balaam that which may instruct thee Be ashamed of thy corruption and fall but bee not ashamed by any thing not falne to bring thy selfe back to the place from whence thou fellest when thou seest creatures obedient to thee thence know that obedience is also due to God from thee who is infinitely more aboue thee then thou aboue them When thou seest mutuall loue betweene creatures of one kinde learne thence Charitie to thy owne kind In sum when thou seest any creature continuing the steady appointed course of his kinde call thereby to minde that there is a certaine and appointed course to thee also wherein thou shouldest as certainly satisfie the will of thy Creator who requireth a conformitie of all things in their place and order and the chiefest of the chiefest 48 It hath beene an often pollicy of Satan when hee could not pull downe good things with euill to pull them downe by setting them together by the eares betweene themselues Not to mention the too-much opposition betweene the reformed Christians I can example it in the quarrels which haue been betweene faith and workes prayer preaching and the commendation of the learned workes of some in a comparatiue despite of as profitable works of others But this is an vnkindly debate and issueth by no meanes out of the nature of the things thēselues but from mans contentiousnes want of iudgement or ouer-prising our owne apprehensions Each vertue hath her seuerall place and in that place shee excelleth hath commendation and thrusteth out no other vertue either from place or worth The place of faith is first in the vnderstanding but working downward on the wil and affections it ioynes vs to Christ so is it the hand of the ingraffer it sets the eye of the soule euer on God in Christ it is excellent for vnion for all the benefits and fruites comming from that vniō wherof workes are a part The place of workes is chiefely in the will and affections yet grounded in the vnderstanding springing forth at the members They expresse the vertue of the vnion they praise and glorifie him that bestowed this vnion they are excellent as fruits but they haue both being excellence frō him whom faith apprehendeth Preaching deliuers words of knowledge of reproch of comfort of exhortation to our ignorance to our sinnefulnesse to our despaire to our deadnesse of heart yea it teacheth vs how to pray it perswadeth vs to pray prayer fetcheth downe grace from the Author of grace by which preaching it selfe is made profitable and life is put into the dead letter it prouides vs for hearing and makes vs able to doe what we heare In summe it procures helpe in all things from him without whom we can doe nothing Thus it seemes both faith and workes prayer and preaching bee of kinne mutuall embracers and farre from that contention which is fastned to them each desire that their fellowes may haue appointed time and place because in their prosperitie themselues doe Horish Now for the last kind of debate which hath been set betweene excellent writers discretion and charitie might serue for a full remedie If any one bee in any thing good and profitable charitie and wisedome will rather commēd that worth of his then obscure it by comparisons if another be more learned it may bee the lesse learned doth more edifie and sure it is that such contention doth not edifie at all The Schoolemen are excellent in subtilties they search how things are they dig for the roote and in sum if sifted from errors and clearely cōceiued they may giue great light to the vnderstanding Another Diuine goeth more plainely to worke he sets foorth the matter without curious search of the manner herather shewes that it is then how it is yet he shewes enough for saluation hee shewes enough for the most general capacitie and withall he mooues the will and stirres vp the affections to receiue life refuse death The first make a few men excellent but find not often a fit great audiēce they are good teachers of teachers The later doth generally profit he goeth into the wil affections vnlockes the heart for God the seate where he delights to dwell Of this kind hath this age most neede of of which prophecies foretold that the loue of many shold now waxe cold that men should loue their pleasures more then God and of which experience telles vs that knowledge hath farre out-run obedience which should follow close at the heeles of it and therefore of the two lacks most nourishment and incouragement Generally let them that build the house of God if they hold a sword in one hand yet hold it against the enemy not one against another much lesse let the by-standers take their swords out of their hands and fight for them when they will not themselues The building is not promoted by this meanes but hindered yea pulled downe 49 The euils of this life are great and many whereof some are immediately from the hand of God others from the wickednesse of men others from the malice of Satan and of these also God hath the
more they continue in them the stronger they make a chaine for themselues so that at last they are mightily enthralled thereby and are still further from escaping 53 The roote of all obedience and fulfilling the law is the loue of God if wee loue God truly we keepe the first Table and we will doe what wee can to keepe the second For how loueth any man God whome hee hath not seene who loueth not his brother whome he hath seene And who loueth God y t will not please him keepe his commandements That this work of loue which of it selfe is pleasant whose yoke is light may by vs pleasantly and easily to be performed let vs consider partly for wee cannot fully wherfore God is bee loued God is to be loued first for himselfe For he onely is the fulnesse of happinesse and all sufficiencie since in him onely is Being Light Life Wisedome Glory Power Goodnesse Other things which carry these things names haue them not indeed for nothing created hath any of these of their owne but in him and his they haue all that they haue and they be that which they be So God is and there is nothing beside him Secondly God is to bee loued for the loue which he hath expressed to vs for loue deserueth loue and chiefely a great loue deserueth a little loue but most chiefely that greatest loue of the Creator deserues the greatest loue which at greatest is but little in comparison of the other of the creature Now if I shold go about to shew the loue of God to man I should labour to bring infinitenesse within measure and to bound within the knowledge of man a law incomprehensible This in summe may be conceiued That God loued vs when he had but foreknown and foreappointed our beeing when we were not at al but only in his purpose Then he loued vs with a loue that marked and sealed vs to eternall happines This loue produced our Creation in an excellent image this loue to man falne from that created image gaue him the greatest gift that is or may be euen his owne Son to cleare him from the guilt of his fall by a bitter satisfaction and to imprint a begotten image stedfast and permanent instead of the created image mooueable and decayed by a pretious regeneration Thus from God the Father with the gift of the Sonne haue we also the holy Ghost so is the whole Trinity imparted to vs and what more can he doe for his beloued Yet his loue ceaseth not but proceeds to guide to purge to increase to defend to cherish as a father nurtureth his sonne and as an Eagle stirreth ouer her yong Much is our weakenesse much he strengthneth vs many are our fals and he forgiueth vs much many are our dangers and troubles and the Lord deliuers vs out of all Let vs therefore loue the Lord our strength let vs loue him much who forgiueth vs much Let vs loue the Lord because hee receiueth our Prayers and deliuers vs in the time of trouble Let vs loue him first for that which he is for he only is worthie of loue his courts only are truely delectable and his presence amiable There only dwelleth the fulnesse of ioy the pleasures of eternitie Next let vs loue God for his loue to vs and be glad that so great a loue will bee contented with a loue so narrow and scant Let our loue be raised to the highest and let vs fit it to him as much as wee may that the narrownesse may bee caused rather by the lownesse of our condition and beeing then the straitnesse of our will so let it be with all the soule and all the strength Againe since our loue is chiefely expressed in pleasing him and hee is chiefely pleased in keeping his commandements Let vs as much as we loue him so much desire to please him in a proportionable obseruation of his commandements If this we doe we shall haue comfortable assurance of enioying him whom we loue and then are wee happie aboue our fellowes the oyle of gladnesse is powred vpon vs and according to Saint Paul we may reioyce continually For if we be assured to see and enioy God our perfect hapines what sorrow can ouer-way this ioy what losse can counteruaile this gaine Surely we may be contented with whatsoeuer wee haue for godlinesse hath brought vs the chiefest and most incomparable gaine If wee shall haue the greatest happinesse how can any temporall thing make vs miserable If then wee grieue much we esteeme not this happinesse as we should or we turne our eyes from the assurance thereof But theron our eyes beeing fixed and not on any thing betweene vs and it let vs goe on couragiously louing God pleasing God and reioycing in God in whom wee may continually and cōstantly through all changes behold as ours perfect ioy and absolute felicity 54 In a Christian when he becomes a sonne of God the forme and character of a Christian and of a sonne is created in him This character is the roote of him frō whence floweth whatsoeuer fruit of good-works issueth from him Beeing thus animated the Spirit which hath animated vs doth not then leaue vs but seconds this his first worke with a continuall supply of strength and increase of grace vntill we appeare before God in Sion For this roote is rooted in Christ from whose Spirit it sucketh stil new strength So we are not as Adam left to our selues for then wee should prooue accidents without a substance and perish into nothing But being grounded in Christ the Rock and the Life wee cannot perish or be annihilated and herein is our excellency aboue Adam Indeed sometimes Christ drawes in his Spirit and doth not water vs with fresh grace and then the soule drie and withering cries as forsaken Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me In all this is matter for humilitie against presumption and for comfort against desperation Thy goodnesse is altogether of God hee first powred it into thee when he new begat thee Againe the continuance and continuall increase thereof is from God So what hast thou of thine owne or what hast thou that thou hast not receiued of God Therfore be humble as a thing which in it selfe hath no goodnesse and if thou wilt not know farder that God will take this goodnes from thee for a time in which thou gloriest as thine own and by the lamentable experience of that time will plainely shew thee thy own weakenesse and corruption For when he takes his from thee thine is onely left and that will lothsomely appeare to thee to be nothing but dregs of sin and corruption Then shalt thou be humbled by miserie which wouldest not by bounty and thy own deadnesse which before thou wouldst not see now thou shalt feele Yet is here also matter for consolation for being rooted in Christ though hee draw in his breath and leaue vs so
farre that we feele not the power thereof yet our vnion still remaineth with him and wee are not parted from Christ though his vertue somewhat depart from vs wee are grounded on the Rocke and hell gates cannot preuaile against vs we are one with life and life cannot wholly forsake vs. Yea after desertions when God hath drawne vs to giue him the glory which is his owne and so instructed and bettered vs by his chastisements for punish vs meerely hee will not because wee are his sonnes hee addeth to this benefit another euen an increase of grace beyond the old bounds So that though out of our selues he giues vs humiliation yet from our vnion with him he giueth vs exaltation that he which glorieth may glorie in the Lord and that hee which wanteth may seeke him onely who onely filleth the hungrie with goodnesse 55 Death at y e diuels first bringing in of it was a fearfull punishment cutting off man from all ioy and comfort But when God in his mercy annexed infinite and euerlasting ioies vnto death death became then aduantage and that an especiall one as being the gate of eternall happinesse But the naturall man seeing onely with naturall eies beholdeth therfore only the sensible and visible comforts of this life not knowing the second ioyes wherfore his desire being bounded with his knowledge resteth onely in them and accordingly he accounts death a chiefly miserable feareful thing by which he must be depriued of such ioyes But the spirituall man by the spirituall eye of faith which the other hath not discerning spirituall things beholdeth euidently the infinite endles ioyes which are in the glorious presence of the highest happines euen God the Creator and valuing them according to the ods of their worth hee longeth after them he thirsteth to inioy them hee accounteth death that which it is euen a great aduantage as that which doth not take away life altogether from a Christian man but most happily changeth it turning a life fraile miserable and sinfull into a life mortall secure holy and happie And as that which doth not take away ioy but changeth it turning the impure narrow and the interrupted ioyes which here we take in the creatures into a pure vnbounded incessant ioies in God the Creator Now herein is the great difference betweene a naturall man and a Christian. The naturall man is in bondage while he liueth for feare of death hee goes on casting an eye still on this vizard as a thing of terror affrightmēt he is troubled with the darknesse of not being the fearefull shadow of death But the true Christian is bold as a Lion hee treadeth vpon death as hauing lost the sting by which it may kill vnto a second death he gladly makes vse of it willingly giuing himself to it as to a messēger of God which comes to fetch him from earth to heauen from miserie to felicitie from the workes of the sixe daies which could not blesse their daies to that blessed rest of the Maker of those workes which rest blessed the seuenth day it being indeed blessednesse it selfe and there being no other blessednesse but it selfe Be it therefore the high priuiledge of the Christian to enioy death to reioyce in it to account it the dore of felicitie And that euery Christian may make vse of this priuiledge this must also be the practise of a Christian euen often with the eie of faith cleared by prayer and meditation to behold the ioyes which are at the right hand of God euen the glory of the new Ierusalem whereof God is the Sunne For as much as we se it so much shall we see it to surmount all worldly ioy and as much as we see it to surmount so much shall our desire to it surmount our desire to the world and finally so much greater shal be our loue of death as our desire to that ioy is greater Wherefore if thou louest death but a litle thy sight of that ioy is but little but see it more thy affection to death shal be more If nature run to the eie and eare to draw thee to life run thou to the word spirit to draw thee to heauen These will shew thee more reason why to desire God thē flesh can why to loue this life But thou likest as thou saist the bargaine well and dost account it gainfull exchange but thou likest not the means death is painful and thou art not cōtented to be happy by paine Surely sicknes is paine but death absolutely in it self seemes not to be paine For the setting of a ioint is many times more paine then death by a consumption The conuulsions which appeare are cōmonly from the strife of nature with diseases but death followeth vsually after nature is ouercome and then life goes out gently like a consumed taper But if it must be cōfessed that there is paine in the sicknesse of death or in death it self get thou again into the spirit yet shalt thou see that death is aduātage Al the suffrings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be reuealed For the weight of y t ioy is an exceeding weight and ouerweyes farre all temporall and momentany affliction Therefore if by lesser weight of temporall griefe thou purchase y e exceeding weight of eternall ioy thou art yet a great gainer thou hast made a most profitable exchange thou maist yet reioyce and goe gladly through paine vnto a surpassing happines Go thou therefore and follow the patterne of our faith Christ Iesus who for the ioy set before him endured the crosse despised the shame Follow the seruants of Christ who reioyced in tribulations and went ioyfully through all persecutions scourgings stonings burnings and death it selfe vnto that glory which is aboue Yea let vs say with the seruants of God If God commanded vs yet a greathing should we not doe it for the end shall aboundantly recompence the way the end which is happines the way which is griefe and the way passeth away but y e end is endles endures for euer Let vs go on therefore hopefully and chearefully through al sorrowes bitternesses limited transitory vnto happines large without end or bound solid without lightnes continuing without cessation let y e sight of this felicity counterpoise yea ouerwey with comfort the trouble imparted by the feeling of griefe 56 A main cause of much of the griefe and folly of men is this That men resolue to make something of this world They raise great plots vpon it and intend to bring it into a Method and out of things so ordered to draw some great happines and contentment But God hath resolued the contrary to make nothing of the world but to turne it into vanity of vanities he hath set it forth as a thing to be shaken to be remooued to resolue with the lost fire and only to be a schole and nurcery for the next world Therefore doth hee
action had not come to passe whereas we should reason this If this action had not beene appointed to come to passe these effectual meanes had not falne out Then run we to see the true cause of things euen to Gods prouidence and purpose which to the godly is a sure rest and refuge since therby al euents must turne to the best to Gods children though effected by the malice and wickednesse of men For this purpose of God is rooted in Loue and loue purposeth all for the good of that which it loueth so through whatsoeuer kinde of actions it passeth it still remaineth one vnchangeable bringing forth stedfastly fruit proportionable to the roote of loue Gods purpose cannot be hindered or altered by men but passeth along conquering and preuailing vnchanged it selfe and changing all things to it selfe and it owne goodnesse So Shimei his cursing might produce a blessing to Dauid and Iudas treason did procure the saluation of mankinde 59 Consisting of Parts 1. Part. It is a strange thing that in this broad day light any man should stumble at the Popes supremacy in spirituall much lesse in temporall matters If with the Apostles wee will but testifie what we see we on whom the truth clearely shineth cannot chuse but see that this supremacy is a thing much yonger then the Christian Religion which prospered before it was and that much better then since Religion was put out to nurse vnto it If we will begin with Christ Christ equally endoweth his Apostles with power of binding and loosing and equally appoints al nations vnto them If Christ should haue said That on Peter he would build his Church which he speaketh of him only who only is the Rock 1. Cor. 10. yet Peter answering for all should receiue this in the behalfe of all for whom hee answered For since it was forbidden to all of thē to tell who Christ was it seemes all ioyned with Peter in the knowledg and confession of Christ and so all had interest in the benefit of that knowledge and confession Againe if at that time it should only haue beene spoken only to Peter wee haue another Scripture which equalleth the other Apostles with him euen in the building of the Church while it sayeth the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles so that the Apostles are ioyned together promiscuously not differently towards the making vp of the foundation Besides Paul plainely answereth that he is not a whit inferiour to the chiefest of the Apostles that he had of Peter the right hand of fellowship not of inferiority which most cuts off the Pope from claiming vs who are Gentiles by Peter and turnes him ouer to fetch his especiall claime by Paul Paul saith that the Apostleship of the circumcision or Iewes was committed to Peter and of the Gentiles especially to him To this Eusebius giues his testimony saying that Peter though cōming among the Gentiles yet preached only to the Iewes withall brings forth his first Epistle as that which was directed particularly to his own charge the Iewes And this indeede best fitteth with the History which reporteth that Peter and Paul exercised their Apostleships together at Rome which might most orderly be performed if the one taught there the Circumcisiō the other the Gentiles Therefore let the Pope take heed how he robs Paul to giue vnto Peter for hee robbes his best title to giue to his worse but hereafter let him find some new exposition of building the Church so vpon Peter that Paul also may haue a great part in the foundation wheron the Church is built Now if we descend from the Apostles betweene whome if there be any oddes in right to vs it appeares to be on Paules side to examine whether any such supremacy descended from among them to the succeeding ages wee shall finde none in diuers hundred years The church of Rome indeede was a famous Church founded by the Apostles flourishing with godly Bishops and Martyrs and full of Saints and therefore by many holy men great and large titles were giuen to her and her Bishops in letters and writings So might shee for the eminencie thereof be called the first Church or the chiefest Church and the Bishops the Bishops of the chiefest Church but a meane vnderstāding knows there is great oddes betweene being first in order and a head in gouernment And this the practise of those times plainly declared for though they had giuen neuer so many good words to the Bishops and Church of Rome yet as soone as the Bishop of Rome intermedled with their gouernment they presētly rose vp against him so did Cyprian yea a councell of African Bishops and among them Saint Austin walled vp their countrey from the command of the Romane Bishops Euen in the very matter of excommunication wherein is the pretented eminēce of their power Irenaeus a Bishop of France the Popes neighbour reprooued Victor a Bishop of Rome for excōmunicating the Churches of Asia vpon the obseruation of Easter And when Constantinus vniustly checked Liberius the Bishop of Rome for maintaining the cause of Athanasius with these words How great a part of the world art thou that thou alone shouldest iustifie a wicked man and trouble the peace of the world neither Constantinus acknowledged any supremacy in Liberius neither did Liberius in his answer though hee had occasion giuen to tell how great and Catholike a head hee was thereby iustifie his doings To conclude for particulars are infinite and this matter is commonly handled at length by a councel Christendome was committed to fiue Patriarches of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem of which Rome was the first but had no more authoritie ouer the rest then the second had ouer the third the authoritie of no one being subalterne or subiect to other And the proportionable practise of diuers of these Patriarches yet standing giueth hereunto confirmation But the same corruption of mans nature which in a clowne stirreth vp an ambitious desire to be a gentleman of a gentleman to become a nobleman and of a nobleman to become a king being in a Pope as much as in other men hath wrought the same effect in him that it hath in others And so from being a Patriarch he hath laboured to bee the head of the Patriarches that is an vniuersall Patriarch and from being and vniuersall Patriarch to be an vniuersall Emperour So Ambition still ascends making one degree of honor but a stayre whereon to mount it selfe vp to another and by this meanes at length hee is come to that all-comprehending toppe wherin he meetes iust with the title prepared for him by Saint Paul As God in the temple of God aboue al that is called God But he must remember that thereunto are annexed these two other titles the man of sin and the sonne of perdition 2. Part. These things beeing so euident most lamentable it is that there should bee plotted and deuised an ignorance so grosse that it
MEDITATIONS OF INSTRVCTION OF EXHORTATION OF REPROFE INDEAVOVRING THE edification and reparation of the house of God 1. PET. 4. 10. As euery man hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God LONDON Printed by I. L. for George Gibbs and Francis Constable 1616. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE THE SONNES of the most High his blessed Brethren by the best that is the second Birth TRuly Honorable whose Father is God and whose Inheritance a Kingdome the diuers sparks of holy fire which haue issued from the Spirit that baptizeth with fire I haue gathered together by their vnited heate to kindle a flame where is none or to increase it where it is alreadie kindled This blessing must come from God and therefore of God haue I desired it And surely the best as ye well know haue turnes of winter euen vpon their hottest zeale and then woe to him that is alone for how should he haue heate Therfore if in the time of cooling some spirituall worke be ioyned to the heart it may bee warmth will grow betweene them So haue I often from Elisha applied euen some Prophet of God receiued life and I wish that some quickning may proceede also from this worke which in all writings is more or lesse as the Spirit therein more or lesse speaketh These Meditations are indeede diuers in their matter being diuersly borne both in regard of time and occasion yet tend they to one ende and this profit often comes from variety that some one thing among many fitteth euery one and giues an answere to the particular question of his heart The glorie of God by your benefite is that which I seeke desiring also to be holpen by you both in prayer and exhortation As for an idle name made vp still of perishing and often of corrupt breaths I leaue it to them for an end to whom God is not an end sufficient But let our chiefe ioy and glory be to glorifie God and by being written in heauen to bee admitted vnto the beholding of his glory To that mark my beloued let vs steadily aime and sending our hearts before vnto Christ let vs goe on lustily to ouertake them Let vs draw hard vp the hill toward heauen and though the flesh presse downe the world and Satan draw backe yet strengthened by the Spirit incouraged by the word and fortified with the mutuall and vnited force of mightie loue let vs carry the Arke of God euen the soule wherein Gods Image dwells and his will is written from the Countrey of the Philistims to the Land of promise And though heere our fleshly brethren Ismael and his heires mocke and despise vs though Esau with his foure hundred men looke big vpon vs yet are we sure that their time is short and but for life whereas wee haue an inheritance eternally glorious Thither the sonnes of the flesh though with long pedegrees and large treasures can neuer enter but sitting without where is weeping and gnashing of teeth they shallsee despised holinesse triumph vpon magnificent and powerfull wickednes God our strength whose cloud and pillar guided Israel to Canaan guide vs to the heauenly Ierusalem by the grace of his Spirit This I humbly desire through Christ his first borne the purchaser of our inheritance and doore of all the mercy that issueth from God vnto man One of your least worthy brethren but a great louer of you and your peace F. R. 1 THe maine Faultinesse of these Times is a Disproportion betweene Knowledge and Action or rather a meere resting in knowledge short of Action So are we come from no knowledge to knowledge alone which will not lessen but increase our iudgement and from the ouerualuing of workes to the Neglect of them Surely the errour of workes without knowledge is lesse dangerous then the error of knowledge without works But this is the best of it it is the doctrine of our Nature not of our Diuinitie For while it is taught that workes deserue not some are content to thinke they are vselesse others being truly perswaded of their vse yet slouthfull to goodnesse lie down in knowledge and will not goe on to the labour of action But as hereafter the paine will follow the fault so now let the shame for certainly it is a great shame that so much knowledge should be idle and that skilful men should sleepe in this Midday light for the light was made for walking and working not for idlenesse The Father sheweth his will because he will haue it done wee are called to be sonnes because we should do the will of our Father and Nebuchadnezzar giues the greatest title when hee calls the three children the seruants of the most high God In the Spirit wherein is Life is also Actiuenesse If we nourish not the actiuitie of it we decay the Life so kill our selues with eternall Death Christ hath no dead or vnprofitable Limbes they all beare fruite or are not his and Faith which our slouth would magnifie by resting in her thrusts vs on for her life to action for shee liues onely when she is actiue If then faith not working bee dead and dead faith quickens not the vnactiue beleeuer may speedily with a Heathen see himselfe without life As these things may driue vs so the value of workes may draw vs for by Christ who worketh them in vs they are accepted of God and haue a valuation stamped vpon them by his Grace for Grace And first though workes iustifie not vs they iustifie our Faith in the day of iustice they shall goe so farre toward iustifying vs that they shall declare vs iust In the meane time they please and glorifie God the giuer of such gifts vnto men and then euen the least of them shall haue a reward of glory which they shall set as a crowne on their heads that wrought them Let vs not therefore bee wanting to this glorie belonging to God from vs and issuing from God to vs. Besides if we will cōsider what works are in themselues we shall finde that they are streames of the Deity their fountain and sparkes of that heauenly and eternall fire Accordingly they present and expresse something that is Diuine and supernaturally excellēt whence it was that a Reuerend Ancient wel said The deedes and conuersation of the Primitiue Christians had in them a perfume and sweetnesse wherwith they exceedingly delighted those with whome they conuersed And how can it otherwise be for whē he that is blessednesse and excellence powreth vertue from himselfe into these workes they must needs haue a resemblance partaking of their original And surely there are two things in them which as they are the most pleasant of all other so they most resemble and approach to the Creator One of these is Light and the other is Loue both which put life and soule into euery good worke God is Light and God is Loue and it is a pleasant thing to
behold the Light and Loue is as the precious oyntment which was powred on the head of Aaron Wherefore good workes beeing a Diuine heauenly off-spring let them bee highly respected and carefully cherished by vs. Againe workes are to vs strong euidences of the Spirit of Life and therefore as sure as wee would be of our saluation so carefull let vs be of good works shamefull it were for them who are so scrupulous and eagre for security cōcerning temporall things not to bee more eagre for the ensuing of their Election Lastly they are excellent in regard of the benefite they doe to mankinde which also is manifold They doe good by the worke wrought and so they are as the dewe of Heauen which refresheth and nourisheth the drie and thirstie land Surely to a good Christian there is nothing more pleasant then to do good For as he especially delighteth therein to please his Maker so he exceedingly reioyceth thereby to profit his neighbour They doe good also by example for they come before men as patternes their sound goes forth and tels mankinde what should bee done what may be done and so they palpably perswade men to be followers of them that are followers of Christ. Againe workes doe good vnto men while they are mooued by them to lift vp their hearts and eyes vnto the heauenly Father to glorifie him that giueth such gifts to earthen and corrupted vessels And whensoeuer God is glorified by man man that glorifies him shall be blessed of God whensoeuer glorie is giuen to God on high peace and good will shall be bestowed on Men below If these things will not yet mooue vs at least let vs preuent the taking away of our candlesticke the remoouing of it to a nation that will bring forth more fruite Let vs preuent the scandall and shame which we purchase to our selues from the enemies of our Religion Let vs preuent the vpbrayding of Chorazin and Bethsaida Finally let vs preuent that fearefull sentence I know ye not depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie This shall we doe if wee becom right Christians in whome faith worketh by loue For the soule that is rooted in Christ hath from this root the life of Loue Diuine and Humane which expresseth it selfe outwardly in the fruite of good actions 2 It is a great vnhappinesse to many that they mistake good nature for grace For so doing they set vp their rest in it thinking they are gone farre enough towards God because they wish all well no hurt to any But it must bee knowne that good nature at the best is not grace yea it is full of enmities that fight against Grace For though it bee somewhat apt and appliable to the second Table yet it is euer far short of the first not hauing in it that true knowledge loue of God nor that inward purenesse which therein is required So the obseruing of the second Table is faulty for want of the first for if a man do neuer so many seeming good workes if they proceede not from a heart truely sanctified by God they are glittering sinnes issuing from a corrupt fountaine and tending to the sea of death For nature is exceedingly blinde toward God neither beholding nor worshipping him as god yea it is peruerted from God against God chuseth many things to it selfe in stead of God Now that which is blind cannot leade vs the right way and that which straieth leadeth vs a false way euen a way from life Therefore let-vs employ our iudgements vpon our owne estates that we may know whether there bee in vs something more then Nature and by which Nature it self may be rectified and directed to the true scope and marke which is God If there be in vs this godly and immortall seede let vs water it let vs cherish it as the life of our life if it be not in vs let vs violently knock at the doore of heauen with grones with panting desires with vehement supplications vntill there be an opening to our knocking a giuing to our asking and vntill they that thirst may drinke freely of the waters of life Otherwise if in a lazy contentednesse we lie along vpon the streame of Nature suffering it to carry vs whither it listeth certainly it slideth along to death and all the benefit wee can pick out of it is this that we go thither pleasantly 3 The goodnes of any worldly thing which so much pleaseth and moueth vs is but a spark of infinite goodnesse which dwells in God the author of it If then wee loue these small and transitorie things with so great an affection proportionably should wee raise our affection if it were possible toward God as much aboue it as God is aboue his creature At least let the creature when it giueth vs any comfort bee a remembrancer vnto vs of God pointing to him as the Author of euery good thing and our soueraigne Good 4 Hauing vndertaken the profession of Christians and considering in our owne thoughts the persecutions and tentations that may befal vs or cōferring of them with others let vs not promise to our selues or others ouermuch strength or constancy let vs not promise ouer confidently what we will do lest with Peter wee performe nothing of that which we promise For the strength which must do this worke of resisting and ouercomming temptation is not our owne but Gods and how canst thou promise that which is anothers That which is ours is onely the strength of flesh and bloud now flesh and bloud bee it neuer so lusty is no match for temptations and persecutions Indeede the spirits of men in prosperitie are prompt and forward their imaginatiōs of themselues are high and they dare boast of great things But let vs know that the diuell ouercame man at the best and what may wee not doubt of our selues the weake issue of man fallen to the worst Let vs therefore rather mistrust our owne strength confessing it to be weakenesse and in humility and confession of our weakenesse runne to God call him our Rocke and our strength Let vs say By my God I can break through an hoste and by him I can leape ouer a wall of temptations And that we may obtaine God to be our strength let vs instantly beg of him that Spirit of Fire which makes men strongly to endure the fiery tryall Let vs pray to him that he will continue to do in vs what hee hath bin accustomed to do in others euen in infirmitie to make his strength plaine and euident And that we may be fully capable of the grace we pray for let vs present our selues as vessels empty and altogether voide that of fulnesse we may receiue fulnesse In summe let vs so speake let vs so thinke of our selues as holy Paul In vs that is in our flesh there is no goodnesse but wee hope and desire to doe all things through Christ that strengthens vs euen to be more then Conquerours
vnion with him haue a perfect wisedome and are in him perfectly wise Let vs therefore esteeme our selues others more or lesse wise as we are more or lesse partakers of that high and infinite wisedome and therein especially let vs striue for Supereminence If in this litle and narrow knowledge of man wee only excell others it may bee a iust ground of cōtempt against our selues rather then a reason of that pride which is commonly assumed and imployed in despising others For those whom this humane wisedome despiseth may haue an assured Right in the Diuine wisedome which in the foolishnesse thereof is wiser then the wisest of men and which being wise approoues her children for the most wise for iustifying of her and which finally shall raise vp her meanest children in so true an image of God that in regard of their new vnderstanding the Schoole-taught knowledge euen of old Doctors shall bee ashamed of the name of knowledge and shall appeare to bee but as the rudiments of children Let Christ therefore be the wisedome by which mankinde should be especially measured and valued so shall the iudging of them be according to truth not outward appearance we shall iudge the iudgement of God and not of man 13 If any man haue done some excellent worke by wit learning or valour we ascend presently from the excellencie of the worke to the excellencie of the worker imagining him to be a fountaine wherof his work is but a streame and wee earnestly desire to see the more excellent cause of so excellent an effect This is the ordinary course of naturall Men yet is there a most notable and incomprehensible worke the worke that containeth all humane workes yea man himselfe and this worke is daily seene but few ascend from the worke to consider the worker and much fewer desire to see him and fewest of all wonder that they doe not desire Surely to a rectified soule it is a great wonder that for Atchieuements small in comparison of this great one wee should looke vp with loue admiration to their cause but for this huge worke we should not lift vp our eyes and desires to the cause thereof which indeed comprehendeth causeth all other causes But againe the same soule ceaseth to wonder when it lookes on the fall of man for therin it sees mans chiefest corruption was in that fleshly wisedome which hath blinded vs to the Creator makes vs broad-sighted to the creature which hath put the head of a beast into the heart of a man and makes him looke downward with the beasts from the maker to things made But it is our part to vnhood our selues as much as we may from this vizard of wisedome and to iudge of things according to cleare truth not blinde opinion Let vs pursue truth as long as it lasteth not so long only as our muffled vnderstanding doth naturally and easily follow and apprehend it In this course of outgoing nature yet let vs set our first foote in her owne pathe So on her ground we fasten this that the Author is more excellent then the worke the cause then the effect and therefore if it be pleasant or glorious to see and know the worke and effect it is farre more pleasant glorious to see the cause and author himselfe But whereas grouelling nature applies this rule only to these lower things we knowing that the truth thereof proceeds further yea reacheth especially to the cause of causes let vs out-strip nature and follow this truth vntill it leade vs into an amazing wonder a feruent loue a longing desire to see that great producer of all excellent workes that infinite being from whom all this masse of Creation hath his Being and who as farre exceedeth in wisedome power and glory the created wisedome power and glory as an infinite and indeterminable cause may effects finite and determined 14 If God haue reuealed a truth to vs which hath bin long concealed let vs not seeke to haue our selues proclaimed as the fountaines of that truth nor draw followers to our selues but to it and by it to God For God is the Author and fountaine of all truth and of the reuelation of truth and so the truth found is Gods and the finding of the truth appertaines to the grace of God Therefore let vs desire to get glory to him to whom the glory indeede belongs And humbly thanking God that among many of his excellent seruants hee hath vouchsafed to vse vs in the reuealing of it let vs steale away our own names if we may from the honour thereof leauing the whole glory to the name of God whose worke it is If thus we draw men to the truth by the truth vnto God not to Paul or Cephas but vnto Christ this seeking of gods glory with the losse of our owne will God reward with infinite glorie whereas the setting vp of our selues in Gods stead the iealous God will punish with extreame torments as most odious idolatry Yet euen in this life to such humble seers doth honour belong though not the honour of fountaines yet the honour of cesternes euen the honour due to such as God honours by committing to them his oracles and secrets And euen to their humility belongeth honour for humility is Gods way to preferment which though it takes away the value of our selues to our selues yet as an excellent grace it ought to increase the same value in the sight of others as it doth in the sight of God 15 When there comes any pleasure to be lost or paine to bee suffered for Gods sake let vs set vp a balance in our hearts in one scale let vs set the temporal pleasure we lose and in the other the eternall pleasure we gaine by this losse and wee shall see the weight of this latter to bee infinitely exceeding So likewise for paine let vs set the temporall paine in one balance and the eternal in the other and wee shall see there also the weight of eternal paine farre to exceed that of the temporall Now if we vse but our ordinarie iudgement of good things to chuse the greatest and of euils to chuse the least we shal presently consent with the losse of temporall pleasure to procure eternal ioy and with the enduring of temporall paine to auoide paine eternall especially since with the auoiding of that eternall torment the exceeding weight of ioy is ioyntly procured 16 There is a great craft of Satan which passeth too much vnmarked or vnresisted and this it is That he seekes by all meanes to keepe his owne kingdome whole and vndeuided and to diuide by schismes and contentions the kingdome and body of Christ that by the malice of such contentions the flocke of Christ may bite one another and consequently deuoure one another and so doe Satans busines for him But it behoueth Christians to note this his cunning and with detestation to beware that they be not Satans in struments nor become those mad members
second for he that commeth after is preferred before for he was before Then are we translated from death to life then are we Citizens of the new Ierusalem wee are passed from the old things which must be blotted out and are come into the new world which abideth for euer Where bee now these pedegrees from Adam and the sonnes of Adam with their swelling glory They often come forth to amate Gods children of low degree yet are these the pedegrees of death they prooue their owners to be the glorious sonnes of sinne and mortalitie But O the infinite happinesse and priuiledge of the sons of God borne of the best Father in the best image to the best inheritance God their Father begets them to his owne image and becomes their inheritance in whom is the fulnesse of glory beyond whome is nothing and therfore nothing to be sought beyond him Let vs in comparison of this new birth and life despise the glory of earthly birth and earthly life not as if we had neither eminence of birth nor pleasures of life which perchance was a reason to Philosophers but must not be to Christians and to many it needs not but because they are grosse miserable and base in respect of the other For this cause let vs especially dote on our heauenly pedegree and celestiall happinesse growing still stronger in loue with heauen as we grow nearer vnto it Let vs refuse to be called the sonnes of Pharaohs daughter in respect of being the sonnes of Pharaohs Creator And though this descent and inheritance be inuisible yet therefore are they the better for that which may be seene shall vanish away but that which may not bee seene endures for euer that which may be seene is grosse but that which may not be seene is pure and glorious and only discernable by a glorified sight 20 Gods time and our time are often different but surely he that is wisest appointeth the fittest times Accordingly God who is wisedome giueth both meate and all things in due season Let vs therfore with patience surrēder our selues vp to him in all our necessities suffering willingly his time to be ours For he will come though he seeme to tarry and that in the fittest time Luk. 18. his comming being quicke enough in his iudgement when sometimes it seemes slow to ours 21 The children of Anak and Achitophel out of the acknowledgement of their owne strength and cunning thinke that if God would haue any seruants he would chuse such able men as themselues and not the meaner sort whome they despise with the Pharisies saying Doth any of the Pharisies beleeue in him but this base people which is accursed Againe they are perswaded that if God would not finde out them they could finde out God sooner then the simple swaine that beleeues as they thinke only out of a low spirited feare But let them know that the more earthen the vessell is the more is the glory of him that doth great workes in it For the basenesse of the vessell puts away all the glory from it selfe vnto God Therefore according to Gods speech of Gideons armie They are too many for me to ouercome Midian by them wee may say of these iolly men They are too good for God to worke his glory by them yet humility acknowledging all sufficiency to bee from God and to bee nothing without him might take them downe and so make them fit for God But as for the finding of God in Christ without his owne light surely they may as well finde the Sunne in the night and the secrets of the spirit of man when the man himselfe is silent God must shine if hee will bee seene he must both tell his secrets and giue an vnderstanding to conceiue them if man shall receiue them As no man can see God liue so no naturall man can see Christ who is God as long as he liues a meere naturall man He must dy and especially to his owne wisedome and his very sight which hee magnifies for clearnes must be acknowledged for blindnesse and be brought to be cured by the lightsome Spirit of Christ which then will shew him from whome it selfe proceeded 22 We are gods and not our owne so are our children by creation if not by sealing Why should we doubt that God will not prouide for his owne and in this doubt seeke to piece out his prouidence with a distrustfull prouidence of our owne which indeed at the best is but a shrid of his Surely our selues and our children being more his then ours and his loue to his owne being purer and wiser then ours we might rest well contented with that portion which is granted by him to our lawfull endeauours For the heauenly Father giueth good yea the best gifts though the earthly fathers would faine sometimes giue greater ones But the greatnesse which the earthly desire is earthly but the good which also is great that the heauenly giues is heauēly And this God knows to be a substantiall blessing for it is blessednesse it selfe stretching beyond time reaching in place aboue moth and rust Be we then thankesgiuers not murmurers when wee or our children haue store of grace though with little wealth for we are then very rich in the true treasure though not in the vanishing and our Father hath prouided for vs many cities and a large inheritance Luk. 19. 17. in the land of the liuing 23 The Scripture hath authority selfe-vpholding in it selfe because it is the word of God and this it hath and is whether men receiue it or not Truth is as much truth whē it is not acknowledged as when it is But the true manner of receiuing it is this At first the Church inlightned by Gods Spirit saw beheld in it the truth of God receiued it and commended it to all to be beleeued Now the learners of Christianity receiue it first on this commendation of the Church before by it they receiue the Spirit to discerne it As children beleeue rules giuen by their Masters vpon trust before that by the rules they come to the knowledge that they are right rules But after hauing beene inlightned by the Spirit they receiue it then vpō their own knowledge as the first Church did And thus proceeding they come at last to iudge the Church it selfe by that word which before they receiued from the Church So while I am a naturall man I receiue the word of men but when I become a spirituall man which discerneth all things I then discerne it to be the word by the Spirit And the beleefe which comes from this spirituall discerning is truly and onely faith the former is only credence and trust the one hath the very word for the obiect thereof the other the persons of men Now miserable is the estate of that Church that hedgeth in men within that trust and neuer doth suffer them or at least incourage them to proceede to faith Where it is taught
the new life we ascribe glory to him for our Election for our Iustification for our Regeneration which are the maine works of our saluation and are the ioynt-workes of the vndiuided Trinitie But yet we can follow this truth no farder then it goes before vs. Therfore when we come to regeneration there must we stop and looke no further for saluation for therein is our saluation accomplished and all the parts thereof perfected If after we will goe on to workes as to further causes of our saluation we goe beyond the truth being past the God-head and come vnto man For though it may be said that God worketh these workes in man yet man ioyneth therein with God Now the saluation of man is deriued into man from God alone and is then absolute and full in parts whē Election Iustification and Regeneration the absolute and only workes of the Trinity haue wrought vpon him For regeneration hauing put into man the seede of God which is the seede of life Man is then translated from death to life and hauing begotten him the Sonne of God hee is then the heire of promised glory and eternitie Indeed works comming after the state and right of life and glorie their goodnesse as it comes from God so it shall be rewarded by God increasing the degrees of that glory wherein before we had an vndeniable property and title Therefore works adde not a new part of saluation but only increase the issues and fruit of a part formerly possessed Accordingly doth the Diuine song of that rauished soule orderly declare Gods sauing of vs from our enemies to goe before our seruing of God in holinesse all the daies of our life So workes themselues are placed as fruits of our saluation and therefore the glory giuen to workes is but as the fruite of the fruite of saluation But why then shall it be said Come yee blessed for ye fed mee and blessed are they that keepe the commandements that their right may bee in the tree of Life So that good works seeme to iustifie and saue in the day of iudgement Herein comparisons may inlighten though not prooue If a man haue a wife of a suspected life whose many children when the dying husband calleth before him hee saith to those that liuely represent him Come to mee the true sonnes of Mee your Father you truely resemble mee therefore to you shall bee giuen the inheritance of your Father Here for their countenance and proportion is the inheritance adiudged to them yet is it not for that indeed giuen them but because thereby they are iudged to be sonnes for which Son-ship the inheritance is verily giuen them So doth God in his great iudgement he will iudge men to bee his sonnes by their good workes it being impossible that good works can come from any cause but Regeneration and for the regenerate sonnes was the kingdome of glorie long agone prepared euen by that election which was before the world So the word For doth not still imply the cause it selfe but sometimes an inseparable signe annexed to the cause as if it should be said My sonnes are heires of my kingdome those which are my sonnes and they only bring forth the works of loue these workes haue I seene in you therefore do I acknowledge you to bee my sonnes enter into your Fathers ioy 28 There are two things without in the word which witnesse it to bee excellent aboue nature A supernaturall truth and a supernaturall holinesse There are also two supernaturall things within a Christian which ioyne their inward witnessing to the outward A supernaturall inlightning to acknowledge and beleeue this truth and a supernaturall vertue changing the will into a conformity with this holinesse So in the mouth of many witnesses standeth firme the truth of diuine truth 29 Man and the earth are growne wilde by the fall of Adam both bring foorth weedes of their owne nature But as the earth is cured by husbandrie good seed so by the regeneration of Christ the chiefe husbandman and the seede of the word man is brought into a fruitfull nature and hath a remedy for the first Adam by the last Blessed be the word which is God and reuerenced and desired be the word of that Word which is of God for of them is our life and health 30 As a man in his first conuersion yeelded himselfe into a generall submission vnto the spirit so must hee doe in euery particular action and then most resolutely when sin tempteth most strongly our selues Wee made our couenant at first for the whole and continually we must performe the parts of the promised whole When we gaue our selues to the spirit of dead branches to be made liuely branches withall inclusiuely we gaue our selues to bring forth the continuall fruite of liuing branches which is done by a continuall sucking of life from the spirit which quickneth vs. Now if we rest contented onely with our first ingrafting though the Almightinesse of him whose seed is immortall and who wil not faile of his end may preserue vs aliue yet do we what wee may to kill our selues and to falsifie our couenant with him who therefore beeing offended will chastise vs with temporall iudgements and desertions and will shew that when hee is angry he is a consuming fire But let the true sonnes keepe neere to their father let them keepe close to his spirit moouing at euery motion of it and filling the wants in their Lampes with the continuall oyle thereof for this spirit is our very life and the witnesse thereof By our generall resignation this life entred and by particular resignation this life increaseth so the more we sow to this spirit the more we shal reape of life eternal Again as a mā in his great main conuersion from a sinner guilty to a sanctified and iustified man goeth ouer himself in general with y t iudgement of the Law whereby finding himselfe a man of death he flieth vnto Christ who baptizeth him from his guilt and sinfulnesse by his Bloud and Spirit giuing both his actuall righteousnes and the spirits habitual righteousnesse so after the committing of euery particular sin we shold go ouer it with a particular iudgment of y e Law wherby acknowledging it to be a worke of death wee should flie to a particular applicatiō of the great Baptisme that so putting away the particular guilt of that sinne by the washing of Christs blood and the particular vncleannesse of that sinne by the washing of Christs Spirit we which before were generally clensed and iustified may also haue a particular and continual clensing and iustification For our inward and outward Baptisme though at once performed is of continual vse and daily wee must haue a recourse thereto to wit by the outward remembring and passing to the inward that the stocke of iustification and sanctification at first imparted may be daily applied and distributed to our particular necessities And thogh being in Christ we
what estate this enioying is greatest we shall finde in that wherein naturall and as we terme them kindly affections and desires haue most satisfaction For indeede what comparison is their betweene the imagination of being pointed at for greatnesse and the solide sweetnesse of being loued of a wise and honest friend What comparison betweene the officious and hartles complements of seruice-offring-flatterers and the obsequious loue of a chaste wife and dutifull children what equality betweene the delicate inuitations of a dainty feast vnto a cloyed stomacke and the sweetnes of plaine fare to a naturall appetite which desireth it not beeing desired of it If these be the better comforts of life and that life is better which hath most of them then in a meane degree and not still in the greater is the best portion of life Therefore it is not amisse for men sometimes to aspire downwards euen to the conditions of an estate beneath them selues This I set forth not as perswading an vniuersall priuatenesse which as mans ouer-spreading ambition will euer make impossible so it needeth not but only in a publike fortune to carry a priuate minde not swilling in too generall and large desires but bounded within naturall and becomming affections And this not to make a heauen of it on earth as the Philosopher in vaine assayed in a world so throughly tempered and seasoned with misery but to draw men vpon profitable and aduantageable termes into the most quiet and orderly compasse of life that the order and quietnesse thereof might allow roome for the practise of some course profitable to the Commonwealth and especially to the contemplation of a better life For these are too much put out of minde by swolne Ambition that oft so takes vp the whole heart that it thrusts this present life the countrey wherein life was receiued and that country where only true life and happinesse shall bee beyond all care and remembrance 37 The pleasures of this world after they are past and after they begin they are going to be past are as much nothing as if they had not beene Therefore whē sinfull pleasures tempt vs let vs thinke that if we by Religion put them not from being they will euen by beeing put themselues from being Wherefore let vs much rather choose that grace should make them to bee nothing and to performe an acceptable worke to God which shal haue his reward then giue them leaue by their owne nature to bring themselues to the same nothing and yet to leaue guilt behind and obligation to punishment But if the mind will needs dote on dying pleasantnesse let the same mind at that same time know and beleeue the pleasure of seeing Gods face infinitely to exceede this both in quantitie and in qualitie and that it shall as certainely appeare to vs hereafter as these doe now if wee refuse these for it There is no ods that may disswade vs but presentnes of the one and futurenesse of the other which being againe vnmeasurablely ouerwaied by aduantage of excellencie and eternitie should so mainely carry vs that we should despise the presentnesse of all sinfull pleasures much more then Iacob his next present seuen yeeres libertie for Rachel or one that proueth masteries his present ease and pleasure for a corruptible crowne 38 The affections of man are vsefull and commendable meeting with fit occasions and limited by due measure But they are commonly inordinate among vs and lay hold on wrong obiects or on true in wrong measure Ioy is good yea necessarie when Gods loue is beheld and considered And ioy is good when Gods blessings are powred vpon vs for euen that ioy is the gift of God but ioy oft transgresseth for it reioyceth more in the blessings then in God and it is too liuely in temporall things and too dull in eternall Yea it reioyceth somtimes in sinne our owne or others which is a ioy in the place of sorrow For sorrow though hated is also very profitable and excellently meete for the sinfull and miserable estate of man Sinne when it hath myred the soule by repentant sorrow hath the filth though not guilt washed away and indeed the guilt is not washed away by Christ vntill the filth bee washed away by spirituall sorrow For as long as the dregges of sinne lie on the soule vnbathed in repentance so long the blood of Christ as it were lotheth to come neere it Againe sorrow fitteth excellently the estate of vanity and misery that our looke being sad our heart may be made better and that griefe may stirre vs vp to apply our hearts to wisedome whereby wee may escape through vanitie and misery into immortalitie and happinesse But sorrow is often faulty when it sorrowes more for losses then for sins which in effect is more for losses of this life then of life eternall It is faulty also when it is stubborne against spirituall ioy and will not let the hart reioyce in the mercy of God though he bid it reioyce continually yea hatred it selfe is good yet in one only cause when it is against men that hate God for then may we hate both their wickednes and them as our vtter enemies Yet wee must beware wee hate not men for some single sinne who otherwise striue to liue vprightly for in many things we offend al and haue need our selues in such cases often to be spared To such belongs the Spirit of meekenes to restore them and if Dauid say I haue sinned against God the Prophet must say Thy sinne is also forgiuen thee But the habitual and greedy sinner that putteth God far from him and in defiance saith Who is the Lord this man is odious and Iehosaphat shall be bitterly chidden if he loue them yet the bond of charitie may still hold on which must watch that our hatred be for Gods sake onely and not our owne for man ought not to hate man in his owne behalfe Beside this charitie must pray for the amendment of him for charitie to man desireth the preseruation not the destructiō of man as farre as it may without offending the charitie of God But summarily to bring all affections into their true vse and proportion let vs finde out both their vse and measure in the word of light kindling or quenching them lengthening or shortning them according to the direction and line thereof 39 The best knowledge hath been anciently thought to be mans knowledge of himselfe but the best knowledge indeede being the knowledge of the best which is God the knowledge of man comes next in worth who is the next best in this lower world and whom God knowne teacheth and commandeth to know himselfe and who by knowing himselfe shall the better know God Now the immediate vse of this knowledge being to better the knower hee that will make most vse therof must learne to know himselfe most in those parts and faculties which are of most vse and excellence Therefore on the soule let the soule of man
especially fasten her eies that knowing herself with a right and true knowledge she may finde what is right in her to continue and confirme it and which is crooked and corrupted to auoide amend it But to do this clearely she hath need of some light aboue her owne for it is hard for the blind soule to see her owne blindnesse Therefore begging for that eye-salue of the greatest Light and so hauing obtained it let her goe on to a true search and inquirie of her selfe In this inquirie let her generally compare the resolutions of her vnderstanding and the inclinations of her will with the lawes of her Maker For seeing the soule did and shold beare the Image of God which Image the lawes of God truly and vnchangeably expresse it is a certaine truth that wherin the soule differeth and boweth from these lawes in vnderstanding or will therein and in so much the soule differeth from God and hath abated and altered his Image And this is indeed a chiefe and most worthy employment of mans time on earth when the soule lookes into Gods loue as into a glasse and thereby trimmeth and fitteth her selfe for her Maker against the day of her appearance before his glorious Selfe who cannot abide to see any thing neere him that is vnlike him Now there are some parcels and remnants of this Law yet remaining of the first writing in the nature of man but if we will reade profitably therein we must take heed we follow it not too farre but still compare it with the Law written because there are but small broken and corrupted pieces thereof While we are in this search as generalitie and custome are great binders of the soule vnto error and corruption so a suspicion that a generall estimation of things may proceede from the vnderstanding deceiued or the will corrupted may be a great helpe to bring the soule into her place and true estate For to suspect deceit is a first and excellent degree toward being vndeceiued vnto this suspicion of mens wisest and most esteemed opinions the word of truth giueth vs a good foundation while it sayes that many things which are highly esteemed among men are abominable in the sight of God And of this againe there is an vnfallible reason euen the corruptnesse of the soule by the fall of man For this deprauation mightily possessing the vnderstanding makes it in the best iudgement thereof to think deceitfully of things and withall to thinke these deceiued thoughts wise because it knoweth nothing beyond them But let the soule that prepareth her selfe for God vntie her selfe from her selfe as from a thing corrupted and from the world as from a multitude of such things as her selfe is equally blinded and walking in the same darkenesse though among themselues they be agreed to call it light Thus putting off her own corruption and that of the world shee is fit and ready to be new stamped with the image of her Creator and to be inlightned with truth in her vnderstanding and to put on rightnesse in her wil which let her learne from the law and desire to haue ingrauen in her by grace In this course there will bee many Rubbs the glorious folly of the world will mocke thy particular and desolate wisedome it will disswade thee from singularity and desire or prouoke thee to erre with company it will aske thee whether the rulers doe beleeue as thou doest yea thine owne corruption will somtime strike thee into astonishment and make thee muse and wonder whether thou art in a right minde and purpose But goe on vnchanged knowing that thou seekest not what is vsuall but what is right and the patterne to which thou art fitting thy selfe is not man but God euen a patterne of perfection beyond all exception This is also their duty if they considered it Therefore let them that would turne thee returne to thee Returne not thou to them When thou shalt present thy selfe before God the more holy and vnblameable thou art the more acceptable shalt thou bee to him who wil not aske what company came with thee but wil know and acknowledge his sonnes by their likenesse to him and accordingly reward them as that is more or lesse then shal it be no sorrow of heart to thee that thou hast gone out of thy selfe and the world to passe through somewhat more vnsociably into happinesse 40 God is the iudge of the world and iudgeth it generally by two kinds of iudgment The first is by Deputies and so by Kings Magistrates and Iudges he iudgeth mankinde It is the iudgement of God which is committed to them and they are his mouth to the people How wicked and false are they then that out of the mouth of God giue not the iudgement of God but of their owne corruption that seeke not what God iudgeth of the case but what themselues may iudge corruptly if couertly These are in the ranke of the old false Prophets which said the Lord saith when hee speaketh not by them Thou standest ô corrupt man in the place of God to represent him but thou actest this part ill fauouredly and insteede of representing the pure and by-bribes-vnflexible Lord of the world thou plaiest the part of a base and rotten-harted slaue so doest thou expresse thy owne vice not his iustice and wee receiue that iudgement of mony not of God Yet is that indeede thy God and tells thee what sentence thou shalt giue and all this is wisedome if concealed from the eyes of men But euen for that point also know this that thogh thou art only in that place deputed to iudge yet many others particulars beeing heard cā do iudge as wel as thy selfe these see feele when the bias of couetousnesse and corruptions carrie thee from the straight line of iustice they feele whē the iudge is some way allyed to the cause hath some feeling of it because hee or his haue felt some thing for it yea generally they talke of it though out of hearing for corruptnesse though it haue no other goodnesse hath yet some modestie and is ashamed to heare it selfe spoken of for it knoweth it selfe to bee a vice yet this is one more vice of that vice to rage more against others that reueale it then against the owner of it that did such a thing which might iustly shame the Author of it if reuealed Let such a one be rather angry with himselfe for doing ill then with another for speaking truth But because through this net of humane iustice and deputatiue iudgement many guilty if profitable offenders breake out and escape God hath another greater net which he casts without these wherein hee takes both the escapers and the giuers of leaue to escape This is the great and generall iudgement wherein God in person will sit as iudge and will examine the iudges themselues and the iudged Then the righteous Iudge of the world shall iustifie the iudges that haue iudged righteously
dogs they runne away with the crie and barke out this terme against euery honest man they meete But a lamentable persecution of tongues is this the whiles especially among Christians that a man should be reuiled for being a Christian and that regeneration the worke of the holy Ghost should bee reproched Cursed is hee that despiteth the Spirit of grace euē that Spirit which gaue his tongue that power by which hee is able to speake against the Spirit Cursed is hee that reuileth the holy Ghost and raileth on the power of the liuing God Know that the time shall come when thy words shall returne vpon thee as so many Lyons yea the diuell who now sets thee on worke shall come to worke vpon thee with torments but especially that blessed Spirit whom thou hast reuiled shall come against thee and teare thee in pieces and there shall be none to deliuer thee Thou seest in the whole course of such a mans life a maine current of honestie and goodnesse and who would thinke that any should bee so shamelesse to raile on goodnesse and to oppose against it For the verie opposing against goodnesse giues thee the title of wickednesse which alone is the enemie thereof It shewes thou art a souldier of the Dragon who goes out to make warre with that blessed seede that keepes the commandement of God But I doe know thy vsuall defences thou wilt say that there are none worse then such as make such a shew of purenesse and withall thou art furnished with some merry tales that shew many mad trickes of these ouer holie brethren Heere a little discretion and iudgement in stead of salt would be of very good vse to amend the sauour both of thy heart and tongue For an vpright iudgement as it findeth many truths so toward the true discouerie of this businesse it findeth these First that whosoeuer is indeed good shall and must also seeme good for his works wil praise him whether he will or no his fruits wil shew what tree he is they must shine before men that men seeing them may glorifie God their heauenly Father Hence first we conclude that euerie one that seemes good is not an hypocrite but contrarily he may bee one of Gods chiefest seruants Therefore thou canst not presently fall to thy nickname only for the shew of goodnesse Secondly that there is indeede a dissembled holinesse worne for a cloake to wickednes that the shape of an Angell of light some times couers a foule diuell yea the foulest diuels are they that most vse need this couer Now for this fellow if thou findest him puritā is too good a name for him for the Scripture hath sharper names as generation of Vipers Wolues in Sheepes clothing and painted Sepulchers full of rotten bones These bee they whereon the diuell sets the one foote when he kickes at true Christians with the other iustifying by these his railings on those who especially hate these as the diuels chiefest seruants But now there needs some discretion to know these from the other that thou call not good euill nor euill good nor a Christian Hypocrite nor an Hypocrite Christiā Toward this thou must looke to the fruites of both and that not a few particulars but to the generall For a Godly man is subiect to infirmitie hath some fals and an Hypocrite knowes that to couer his wickednesse hee must shew some goodnes But looke to the continuall course of both and thou shalt finde one good generally though sometimes fraile and the other often grosly transgressing though much couering his rotten heart The things wherein especially thou shalt try the difference may be these First a loue to Christ secondly a loue of Christs voice thirdly a loue of the members of Christ and a reioycing in them who excell in vertue Now these things will againe appeare if for the loue of Christ the loue of his word and the loue of his members a man be ordinarily contented to lose sinfull profits or pleasures and with the steward to write 50. for an 100. This is the touchstone of a Christian euen the taking vp of the Crosse forsaking all and following Christ. But this the hypocrite cannot abide he serues Christ that Christ may serue him to get pleasure and profit by him not to lose by him Part. 8. But now heere come in the many stories which condemne these purer men to bee guiltie against these duties and so to be hypocrites Yet runne not away too fast with this neither but euen in the point of hearing reports take also some discretion with you For against good men very commonly are bold and confident slanders raised which by their stoutnesse might seeme to bee truth it selfe But let not the wise beleeue them before examination For most commonly in the very telling of them will appeare a venom and malice the true issue of the old Serpent and vpon farther triall falshood and lying the naturall brother of the former and a truly begotten sonne of the Accuser of the Brethren He began the rule in Paradise and will continue euen to the new Ierusalem lie boldly for some of it will sticke fast for euer And how can it be otherwise since the lasinesse of men is such that they will beleeue a report at the first telling rather then trouble themselues to examine and finde out the truth which onely should be belieued withall their maliciousnesse is so great that they are willing and readie to receiue euill reports yea they delight in them But the seruants of Christ know that the last iudgement shall be by words and that a rash and a bitter iudge shall though not rashly yet seuerely be iudged Therefore according to the Psalmist The good man is merciful and guideth his words with discretion He inclineth naturally to beleeue good rather then euill yet auoiding to condemne the iust hee also shunnes to iustifie the wicked Therefore that his iudgement may bee righteous hee searcheth both the matter how probable it is in it selfe and next he examineth the re-reporters whether they bee those in whom the truth dwelleth and who themselues haue a good report of the truth not being like Pilate ignorant and yet to learne what is truth For it is a kind of murther of our neighbour in his name and reputation which is almost as his life both to beare false witnes and to receiue false witnesse against him Lastly a good man if hee may conueniently will inquire of the partie himselfe or of some of his acquaintance whether such things haue beene done by him and if done in what manner and vpon what occasion for many times the maner of things wholly alters the matter and the matter may be good in the manner in which it was done yet euill in the manner bestowed on it by the reporter Againe the thing being true yet the occasion and cause may though not iustifie yet excuse the fact for many euill deeds are done by infirmitie which yet prooue
from sinning shine as the starres in heauen the blessing of him that hath receiued instruction from thee shall bee vpon thee and thou shalt haue an especiall part in that welcome of Christ in the day of Christ Come thou blessed of my Father for when I was hungrie and imprisoned in my mēbers pining for want of knowledge and fettered with ignorance thou didst enlarge mee thou didst feede and increase me But if the spirituall lawyers shall not be so diligent to search and set forth Cases of Conscience as the secular Lawyers are to publish Cases of transitorie and temporall right let them expect to haue a chiefe part in that curse of Christ Woe be to you Lawyers for ye withhold the key of knowledge ye either enter not your selues or you do not helpe those that would to enter 87 The man who intends deseruedly to get the name of a Christian hath vndertaken a worke called mortification a denying of vngodly lusts euen a dying to sin that he may liue in the spirit of Christ. He that purposeth the end must likewise intend the meanes els his purpose is not effectual and is not indeed a purpose of the end Now if hee seriously intend to vse the meanes a speciall part of that meanes will bee a true search and notice of the lustes which he must denie and chiefly of the chiefest which excell in force or in height of corruption For this must he looke into the nature of man in generall into the nature of the men of that countrie or place where he dwelles and into the custome which is also a nature of men at that time when he liues and especially into the mā which is himself This being done let him take the rule of the law lay it on mā thus distinctly cōsidered he shal find both wherein lust hath bowed mankind in general from that rule wherein eminently especially men of that country men of that time and wherein his owne hart And this being found he hath then his worke before him he sees what hee must generally denie and what parts of the generall with his chiefest strength he must resist and what he thinkes fit to resist himself let him also prouoke others to resist the same If wee make not this search at all lust may come to our harts not known to be lust but in the shape of righteousnes or at least couered by custome frō appearing to be vnrighteousnes and so may be admitted If wee make this search and that but general we may indeed find al vices and so may bee mooued to make a general resistance to al. But yet if we make not a different resistance that is more setled strong against the stronger such as are those of our nation time person by not matching them wee our selues are ouermatched and so ouer maistered This knowledge as it is in it selfe necessarie so it may be knowne to be such because our mercifull God by a long succession of Prophets taught and imparted it to man Hee sent early and late his faithfull messengers to tell Iacob his sinnes and Israel his transgressions to disswade the wicked that he turne from his wickednesse and liue And as those Watchmen of God marked the accesse and inroade of sinnes to giue warning both to thēselues and others that they should not perish in the deluge of vices so should there be a perpetuall watch kept by the Saints and seruants of God ouer themselues and others that they may not bee ignorant of Satans policies that the Foxes bee taken betimes which destroy the Vineyard and that all leauen of errours or maliciousnesse may be purged as soone as mixed And indeed what worke doth more profitablie imploy the skilful master-builders and edifiers then the finding and repairing of the ruines of the Citie of God That is building indeede to bring a stone into a decaied place not to fill vp that which is already full That is most properly fortifying which giues strength to the place that needeth it not to that which is alreadie safe wherefore let both Prophets and people labour herein vntill time shal be no more that the breaches of Ierusalem may bee both found and repaired that the enemie bee kept out at his places of aduantage that Satan may haue no new engin but that there may be a defence readie against it vntill our Lord Iesus the founder and foundation of his Church appeare Who now building by the Ministerie of his Prophets will then commend and exalt those that haue been the wise and faithfull builders and will lift vp the whole Citie once perfectly built into the safetie and blessednesse of his owne presence for euer and euer The Spirit and the Bride say Come euen so come Lord Iesus AN ALPHABETICALL TABLE OF all the Meditations that are contained in this Booke A THe benefite of Aduersitie 26 Against Ambition 36 The true guiding of Affections 38 B MAn is to learn of Beasts The excellence of new Birth in respect of the old 20 A continuall vse of the outward and inward Baptisme 30 C A Christians progresse 44 Euill Customes to bee abolished 52 Confutation of Chance 58 Proofes of Christian religion 57. 69 Against Couetousnesse 72 Christ not to be loued for temporall ends 84 An exhortation to the writing of Cases of conscience 86 The Creature should direct vs to the Creator 3 D AGainst Despaire 54. 9 To loue Death 55. 31 The Diuell in the last times most to be resisted 63 Against Diuisions and scismes 16 Against Distrustfulnesse 22 The cause of mans endlesse Desires 33 E TO auoid Extremities 7 F TRue friends 42 Dutie to the Fatherlesse 66 The veriest foole hee that sets his wit and heart most on the world 50 G REason of the littlenesse of Grace in the elect 57 5. Part The vse of the Gospell 70 God our All-sufficience 78 God the light of the soule 6 Not to draw followers to our selues but to God 14 God one and vnchangeable 17 God is the saluation of Man 27. and not workes H AGainst Hypocrisie 64 Of Humilitie 85. 4 The excellence of a Christians Happinesse 5 Heauenly things neglected because not seene and how to see them 25 I IVdges and iudgement 40 The foulenes of incest 43 Against spirituall Idolatrie 77 Against Images 82 K The kingdome of Satan 57 8. part Knowledge increased should increase good workes 1 Diuers knowledges of good and euill 24 The true knowledge of our selues and the vse thereof 39 L Shortnesse of life 41 The loue of God 53 The vse of the Law and the Gospell 70 To loue God aboue all things 11 13 Against lust 35 M THe right vse of Gods mercy 46 Mahumetan religion farre inferiour to the Christian. 57. 1 part Man created for another world 62 Against wicked Marriages 67 Remedies of mans Miserie 68 Contemt of the Ministerie 73 1. part Nobilitie makes not men vnfit for the Ministery 73. 2. p. The impouerishing of the Ministery 73. 3. part Remedies of the pouertie of the Ministerie 73. 4. part Comfort against present Miseries 83 N PRophanation of Gods name 51 The right vse of a good nature and comfort to an euill nature 80 Not to rest in nature 2 O OPposition of holy duties and holy men the diuels policie 48 P PResumption 54. 9 The prouidence of God the rest of man 58 Popes supremacy 59. 1. part And shifts ib. 2. part Purnesse of heart 61 The name Puritan 73. 7 Against spirituall pride 75 How to endure well the paine or the losses of pleasure 15. 37 R OF the Resurrection 57 7. part 60 Of Regeneration and vnregeneration 65 How to reade profitably 71 Resolution to be rich 72 Not to iudge rashly 73. 8. part 79 The rule and guide of a Christian 74 Against reuenge 81 S A Sanctified Soule 45 Swearing 51 The approouing of Sacrifices 57. part 4 Against Simonie 73. part 5 Reasons why Superstition may bring foorth many works 7 The Scripture vpholdeth it selfe 23 Diuers witnesses which approue the Scripture 28 T TRouble 's truly iudged and borne only by faith and the Spirit 49 How to escape tentations 18 V THe praise of Vnitie 16 W TO make vse of worldly wisedome 41. 13 How to vse the world 56 The folly of mans wisedome 57 part 3 Against whoredome 76 The chiefest wisedome is to seek God the soueraigne good 50 The excellence and necessitie of good works 1 The world much confused and disorderly but wee must be are with it and striue to amend it 10 How truely to iudge a man wise 12 The weakenesse of man sets forth the glory of God 21 How wee shall bee iudged by works 27 To beware of much intermedling with worldly things 32 FINIS