ioy and thankesgiuing doe runne before the Lord and giue away all the praise from our selues to him There is nothing can more reioyce the spirit of a Christian then this heauenly ioy will doe The ioy of the Lord is our strength Sorrow Nehem. 8.10 when we haue been foyled is no more auaileable to confirme vs against sinne then holy reioycin when we haue stood fast and resisted It is a more signe of self-selfe-loue to grieue for that we are weake but a greater signe of true loue to God to reioyce in him when hee makes vs strong Wherefore as a godly man if hee finde himselfe any day to haue yeelded to sinfull desires in any sensible degree must humble himselfe and confesse and cry out against himselfe so if he finde that any day he hath not been foyled but hath been able to represse and destroy euill motions especially if hauing occasion or tentation he haue beene strengthened to resist he must then leade his captiuity captiue and at night sing a new song of praise vnto the Lord and euen ride in triumph ouer his corruptions boasting himselfe in God and setting vp his banner in the name of the most High and with as cheerefull a soule as he can offer vp humble and hearty thankes to his heauenly Father that hath made him to doe valiantly The prayers of Gods seruants thus consessing their sinnes crauing power against them blessing God for the beginnings of helpe are weapons so mighty through God that they will wound the strongest corruption and pierce the soule of any lust and whosoeuer will begin and continue thus to resist and pursue his sinnes shall finde them as the Philistims before Samson to fly and fall downe dead before him 5. Holy meditations to mortisie sinne After Prayer or with it holy Meditations must come in both to quicken as also to backe it and amongst all matter of mditation against particular sinnes we must accustome our selues specially to foure generall meditations that are indifferently and equally forcible against euery sinne Of Gods holy nature First of the most holy and pure nature of God how great wise iust true mercifull he is that hee hath an all-seeing eye and an all-hearing eare in euery place beholding the euill and the good and pondering all the pathes of the sonnes of men that hee hateth sinne with a perfect hatred as being contrary to his most holy will and Commandements that he will punish it with most seuere punishment as being the righteous Iudge of all the world who cannot indure iniquity nor will hold the wicked innocent that he is most gracious and louing to the penitent sinner and will spare him as a father doth his child that hee will keepe all his promises and make good all his threatnings with all faithfulnesse and not suffer one tittle of his Word to fall to the ground In a word that he is euery way most holy and most excellent and will reward all that seeke to him and obey him and auenge himselfe vpon all that stubburnely rebell against him and forsake the wayes of his Commandements to walke after their owne crooked deuices and inuentions 2. Secondly Of Gods terrible threats we must often call to mind the most terrible threatnings of God against sinne in generall and specially against that speciall sin which most molesteth vs. Ho much euill God hath denounced against the committers of it and how much woe and miserie it hath brought vpon others and will bring vpon our selues if we take licence to liue in it Wee must consider sinne in the euill effects of it and so conuince our selues of its vilenesse and mischieuousnesse for God hath from Heauen manifested so much wrath against the workers of iniquitie in general and against each particular lust and sinne that men liue in that if we could presse these things vpon our owne soules and cause our hearts stedfastly to beleeue the same wee could not but hate wickednesse and tremble before the Lord and so abate the power of corruption and euen driue our selues out of the euill courses of sinne Wrath and anger tribulation and anguish Rom. 2.8 9. shall be vpon euery soule of man that worketh wickednesse vpon the Iew first and also vpon the Gentiles For these things sake Ephes 5.6 the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience vpon the wicked God will raine snares and tempest fire and brimstone and storme Psal 11.6 that shall be the portion of their cup. Marke 9.46 Their worme neuer dyeth and their fire neuer goeth out their smoke shall ascend for euermore Deut. 27.26 And cursed is euery man that continueth not in the whole Law to fulfill it So horrible so grieuous so intolerable are those things that God hath menaced in his Word against all the sonnes of Belial and all the workers of vnrighteousnesse that whosoeuer will euen bind these things to the tables of his heart and apply them to himselfe by faith shall stand in awe and not sinne and shal find the Iudgements of God so terrible vnto him as that they will beate downe his corruptions and make him to feare and depart from wickednesse for the end of these things is death 3. Of Gods gracious promises Thirdly we must oftē cal to mind the gracious promises that God hath made to those that leaue sin and the admirable comforts that both here and hereafter the God of truth hath vndertaken to reward them withall that for his sake denie themselues and crucifie their sinfull lusts Then shall wee see how vaine and friuolous the pleasures and profits of sinne are and by tasting the fruit of holinesse should bee well inabled to despise the offers of sin What comparison betwixt the good we get by doing euill and the vnspeakeable Ioy of the holy Ghost and the immortal Ioyes of Heauen What made Moses to set light by the honours and delights of Pharaohs Court but that he considered the rebuke of Christ to be greater riches What made Paul to count al dung that he might win Christ but because hee looked to the farre most excellent waight of glorie Wee must not suffer our selues to be forgetfull of the wonderfull benefits which the Lord will bestow vpon vs if in obedience and loue to him wee can be content to cast away our sinfull lusts He that forsaketh any profit or credit or comfort for Christs sake shall bee rewarded an hundred fold The man that refuseth to walk in the paths of the vngodly shall bee blessed vpon earth his soule shall dwell at ease the Lord will deliuer him out of the hands of his enemies God will be a Sun and shield vnto him and no good thing wil he withhold from them that walke vprightly His heart shall delight it selfe in God and he shall see the shining of the louing countenance of his Father His soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and he shall become like a watered garden
Saints ought to abound in fernent loue to the diuine Maiestie in regard both of those infinite excellencies which are in his holy nature and the innumerable demonstrations thereof as also of those great and many benefits which they themselues doe receiue from him This loue cannot be separated from an earnest desire that he may be honored serued obeyed and in word and deed acknowledged and respected according to his owne worth and greatnesse and the multitude and greatnesse of his mercies Now there is such a naturall sympathy betwixt the affections of mans heart and they are so mutually subordinated each to other in their workings as it is not possible but that loue to any person and desire that he should be well dealt withall must needs rayse vp griefe and sorrow vpon the beholding of the quite contrarie For loue must needs beget hatred and abhorring of those things that tend to thy hurt and dishonour of the partie loued because he that loueth cannot choose but esteeme and account them euill yea and very euill and if that thing bee present with any man which he hateth and reputeth euill it must of necessitie stirre vp in him a measure of sorrow proportionable to his hatred Wherefore this griefe must beare witnesse to the truth of that loue which we say wee beare vnto the liuing God and must iustifie all those protestations which wee are ready to make of hauing abundant good will vnto him For it is in vaine to say we loue if we bring not forth the effects of loue It is but painted and imaginarie fire which yeeldeth forth neither heate nor light so it is but tongue-loue and lip-affection which is good for nothing but to beguile our selues and make vs better conceited of our selues then there is cause that produceth not the true and proper fruites of loue Furthermore wee doe know and confesse Loue to men that our loue to God must alwayes bee ioyned with the loue of our brethren euen of all that are made of the same flesh with our selues I meane our hearts must bee settled in a liking of them and desire of their welfare as of Gods creatures to whom he hath pleased to vnite vs in many bonds For though the Lord doe allow yea and command vs to hate the workers of iniquitie as they well deserue because they commit hate-worthy actions yet this hatred must not be any habituall inclination or motion of the will to their hurt but alone a stirring vp of the affection of dislike against them or not brooking them in regard of the euill which they commit which may well stand and must euer be ioyned with the vertue of Christian charitie whereby out of a liking of them as Gods creatures we are alwayes prompt and ready to wish and seeke their good Now if we do thus loue them must it not needs grieue vs to see that which we know to be harmefull and mischieuous to them Loue cannot choose but breed a fellow-feeling compassion a sympathizing commiseration and sensiblenesse of the losse euill damage miserie of the partie loued Wherefore sinne being as in the next reason we are to shew a most dangerous and hurtful thing to the soules of them that commit it it cannot but call for our sorrow yea much sorrow and many teares whensoeuer we behold it Againe Loathing of sin euery Christian man should haue his heart possessed with a loathing detestation and hatred of sinne that being indeed the first and principal and most immediate obiect of hatred we may call it the chiefe odious thing in regard of which alone it is lawful to hate other things neither is any thing further hatefull then as it doth some way or other participate of sinne misery being alone hatefull so farre as it is an effect and concomitant of sinne from which if it be separated as in the case of suffering for wel-doing it is euen louely and desireable but whatsoeuer doth sauour of sinne in as much as it is sinfull is hatefull also and therefore the Word of God commands vs to be haters of euill And if a man doe neuer so much forbeare sinne out of other considerations of the inconueniences that insue it not out of a loathing of it in as much as it is a contrariety to the will and glory of God the chiefe good for indeed sinne alone is properly contrarie to God as hauing no manner of dependance vpon him nor similitude of him nor any other relation to him but alone as contraries be relatiues and as crimes haue reference to the Iudge that is to punish them I say if in this respect of loathing sinne as sinne wee forbeare it not our forbearance of it is not a thing formally good it is not truly nor sincerely good but alone good inshew a practice of hypocrisie a carcasse or painting of goodnesse It being then a thing so absolutely needfull to hate sinne as that wee cannot say we haue Gods Image vnlesse we resemble him in this for hee hateth sinne with a perfect hatred it is therfore also necessarie that we grieue for sinne for the presence of a thing lothsome and detested cannot be separated from griefe griefe being nothing else but a contraction and paining of the heart at an euill thing present and that must needs bee confessed euill which is accounted hatefull So then we shall falsely affirme that we hate euill if we sorrow not to see it committed There are some things which in nature a man abhorreth and cannot away withall as some cannot endure a Cat some a Mouse some a Frog or the like now when such a loathed thing doth of force and whether he will or no draw neere to any person experience will tell vs how grieuous it is vnto him hee cryes and shreekes and starts and shewes an extremitie of the passion of sorrow and if he cannot flie from it his whole body will weepe as it were in a kind of cold sweat as if the weeping of the eye were too little So if sinne be amongst the number of things that we cannot away withall that we do loath detest and haue in abomination we shall surely testifie our abhorring it by a sadnes heauines deiectednesse contraction contrition troublednesse falling melting and mourning of our spirits when wee cannot choose but see it committed for betwixt grace and sinne there is as true an antypathy as betwixt a mans nature and a toade And therefore so much grace I meane sanctifying Grace as we haue in vs so much sorrow must we needs haue for sinne So haue you the first reason of the point consider the second which wee fetch from the nature of sinne CHAP. III. Containing another reason of the doctrine gathered from the nature of sinne Reas 2 SInne is of all things in the World the most and greatest euill From the nature of sinne which separating the person in whom it ruleth from the Sea and Fountaine of goodnesse We may call it after a sort the
then shall all begin suffering for that is a sure proofe that sin is come to his full growth and that the measure of mans wickednesse is replenished euen to the brim Indeed what is there then remaining that can in any reason be thought able to moue the mercy of God to longer forbearance When none bewayleth or as good as none when none supplicateth when none pleade the causeat the barre of his mercy how can Iustice but raise it selfe vp and smite the abusers of former mercies with so much greater seueritie by how much they haue been longer borne withall And further They shall perish in the common destruction it will come to passe from this letting sinnes slip away by them without sorrow that the children of God if any few graines of Wheate bee found hidden in the huge heape of chaffe shall perish in the common destruction and bee smitten with the rest because they mourned not for the rest but did rather partake of their sinnes by not opposing them for none is in mercy marked for the day of deliuerance but a mourner Though a man be for the generall vpright and godly yet if in that particular hee doe so farre degenerate from the rules of godlinesse that he remaine sorrowlesse for the dishonour done to God by others this vngrieuing disposition hath so deepely ingaged him into the guilt of those sinnes that it will very hardly stand with the truth and wisdome of God to let him goe free but he must cause him for the good of his owne soule by the smart of crosses to grieue for such euils as else he would not grieue for So mischiefe vpon mischiefe breakes in when teares and mourning stand not vp to preuent the same A mans selfe is infected he becomes carelesse of reforming euill God smites the whole societie for the sinnes now committed by all and lamented by none and then hee that mourned not must himselfe also smart for company Shall we not seeke to stop the way against all and each of these euils by intrenching our selues as it were within these Riuers of waters And so Brethren you haue reasons great store to prooue the dutie and perswade vnto it If you loue God whom sinne grieueth if you loue your neighbour whom sinne hurteth and if you hate sinne it selfe which all ought to hate that loue God and their neighbour if you consider how loathsome and grieuous a thing sinne is how offensiue to God yea and iniurious how harmefull also to mankind both to him that dares practise it whose soule it tumbleth to the bottome of hel besides other crosses of all sorts which attend it for the present and also to the Countrie where it is suffered causing the Lord to send out Sword Pestilence Famine and all manner of dolefull miseries against it If you consider that this mourning wil surely cause the Lord to reprieue the whole Countrie and that it will keepe the soule of the mourner free from infection and stir him vp to al due meanes of redressing sin and so saue his own soule at least frō the cōmon calamity when it can now be longer no deferred And lastly if you remember that where this mourning is absent a mans soule will surely be infected he wil grow careles of doing that which he ought to doe for redresse of euill and so sin growing mighty will infallibly and ineuitably procure a common iudgement in which himselfe shal also as a man not signed for deliuerance be taken away among the rest If I say you doe acknowledge and confesse all these things as they are all manifest and doe seriously lay them to heart you cannot chuse but yeeld in your very consciences that you all ought to doe as the Prophet here professeth to the Lord that himselfe was wont to doe euen cause Riuers of waters gush out of your eyes because men keepe not the Law of God CHAP. VI. Containing the first vse of the point a reproofe of them that doe neglect this duty Vse 1 BVt alasse alasse my Brethren Reproofe of those that mourne not for common sinnes how slow and backward haue wee all been to this so plaine and needfull a dutie Ah it is most euident that we deserue most sharpe reprehension for being so scant in teares for that for which this man of God did weepe so abundantly For where is there my brethren alacke where is there to be found one man amongst vs that hath imitated so precious and withall so manifest example Where is his dwelling whose face is couered with these teares and cheekes made wet with this weeping In what corner may we meete with him or her that is able to professe in truth before the Lord and his owne soule O Lord Riuers of water haue run downe mine eyes because they keepe not thy Law O no no we are sold ouer to mirth and iollitie Behold slaying of Oxen and killing of sheepe eating and drinking and calling to hang sorrow as once among the Iewes Behold piping and dancing and minstrelsey behold making out harts fat and iouiall as in a day of slaughter But alas Ah alasse the sinnes of the Land are not laid to to heart by almost any of those that inhabite the Land and for a thousand sinners hardly haue we one weeper As for the common multitude why they would thinke him euen quite out of his wits whose face they should see blubberd with weeping in a corner And why forsooth Because his neighbours be wicked and ill liuing men and keepe not Gods precepts Why would they think and say what is that to him Shall he beare other mens burdens or answere for other mens sinnes Or can hee mend their faults by sighing and weeping for them Why then should hee vexe himselfe for that which will bere neuer a whit the better if hee should vext his heart out at it This would be the censure of the common and ordinary man of such a mourner as the Text speakes of they would count his teares ill spent and himselfe a foole for his labour And as is their iudgement such is and such needs must bee their practice They neuer in all their liues wept one tenth part of a teare for all the sinnes and abominable deeds that euer they heard of or saw committed vnlesse it haue falne out that the same thing haue been an hurt vnto themselues or some other man whose case they haue tendred and so bemoned the person not bewailed the sinne been sorry for it as an injury against man not as a transgression of Gods precepts But this neglect is not found alone with the vulgar sort of men Nay those that haue gotten some good measure of knowledge and of vertue and doe exercise themselues with some due care to keep themselues vnsported of the wicked world euen these also for the most part haue eyes altogether drie and tearelesse in regard of other mens offences Who of those that seeme to know and feare God to delight
of his grace resting abundantly assured of his loue and satisfied in it and finding him euer and anon sending messages of kindnesse vnto our soules as a Generall that comes amongst his souldiers when they fight valiantly and hartens them vp with his presence and his speech but if the Lord find vs dealing falsely and treacherously with him entring parley as it were with that Enemie that he doth irreconcileably hate and detest and ready to make a truce with that foe with whom hee would haue no truce taken no not for a moment then doth he cease to speake friendly vnto vs as there is great cause and begins euen to chide and reproue and threaten and send vs tidings of great displeasure And ah what soule can conceiue a more grieuous losse in this world then the losse of the light of his countenance 6. Committing of grosse sinnes But sometimes there followes a farre greater mischiefe namely that he which gaue sinne leaue to get head through carelesnesse is at last so foyled by the wicked lusts of his heart that he falles to commit some grosse and grieuous sinnes very foule very loathsome very disgracefull For you must not thinke that the man regenerate is out of the danger of being ouertaken with hainous offences Indeed whilest hee is earnest in beating downe his vnruly passions though he find trouble yet he enioyes safetie and though his lusts struggle and annoy him yet they cannot breake forth in extremitie but if he once become heedlesse and thinke it too much to be at the paines of continually mortifying them then they raise vp themselues and carrie him captiue and cause him to giue his members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse preuailing so farre at length that if God himselfe did not out of his vnchangeable loue come in to his rescue he would be brought backe againe into Egypt as it were his soule would be quite slaine the life of Grace would bee quite extinguished and hee would returne the second time to bee dead in sinnes And ah what wise man would suffer his sinnes to become so violent as to carrie him into such enormous deeds as Dauid and Salomon and Asa and Vzziah fell into and all for want of mortifying these members A man once sanctified may assure himselfe vpon his faithfull and constant endeauours in mortification that he shall escape such foules but if he grow slacke in this dutie he can expect nothing but to haue his conscience thus wounded Is it not more then needfull for vs to looke to our selues 7. For lastly Sore afflictions to the preuenting of farre greater euils our not-sufficiently mortified lusts will bring vpon vs exceeding sore afflictions because the goodnesse of God is such that he wil not see vs perish by them as we should perish if he did not apply such corosiues to cure them If afflictions come not betwixt neglect of the dutie of mortification will produce the euill effect I last named viz. the perpetrating of some vile and notorious wickednesse sometimes the Lord makes haste to strike vs for the preuenting of such falles but if we be once falne then is there no way of recouerie but by some bitter crosse either inward or outward or most times both wayes So we doe inforce the Lord of necessitie to afflict vs vnlesse we would haue him lose vs quite when we waxe carelesse of seeking to preuaile more and more against sinne A crazie bodie hauing disordered himselfe in diet must needs haue very sicke fits and some sicke-making physicke he must needs take or else death would follow his intemperancie So our weake and crazie soules being brought to strange distempers by our folly in not resisting the sinfull and inordinate dispositions of our soules could neuer be brought again to any tolerable soundnesse if God did not by heauie calamities helpe to purge out those euill humours which we had suffered to pester vp our soules as we may see in Dauid and Asa after their sinnes And certainly the farre greater number of crosses which befall the people of God doe come from hence that their heauenly Father is faine vnlesse hee would see them damned which he will neuer doe by miserie to keepe downe lusts which they might but will not without misery keepe downe by the careful exercise of mortification and to draw them to repentance for those loathsome sinnes which for lacke of mortifying their earthly members they haue falne into and would neuer repent of otherwise so that if we will not bee content to put our selues to the labour of working out our saluation by crucifying the flesh God will put vs to the paines of bearing heauie crosses that shall helpe to crucifie them in a manner whether we will or no. And doe we not see a necessitie of mortification CHAP. III. Shewing the profit of the dutie NOw because necessitie going alone 2. From the good will follow if we doeit doth drag rather then leade and so as an hard and rigorous commander is obeyed indeed but backwardly and against the haire therefore let vs discourse a little of the fruit that will arise from our labour in the worke of Mortification that seeing profit as well as need the difficultie may not hinder vs from doing it euen with chearefulnesse Now the mortifying of the deeds of the flesh will ring with it foure exceeding great and desireable benefits 2. The first is Great peace vnspeakeable peace and quietnesse of soule The heart will be at one with God it selfe and all men so long as it holdeth variance with sinne Hee that is at warre with his lusts shall not be at warre with his Maker If we fight his battailes against our corruptions he will not fight against vs. Nothing causeth the God of Heauen to frowne vpon man but sinne while the World was free from sinne it was also free from all tokens of Gods displeasure therefore it must needs follow that the surest way to keepe our selues in euen termes with God is to be diligent in resisting sinne He is not of so ill a nature as to picke quarrels against vs without a cause himselfe tels vs that he corrects not willingly Lament 3.33 nor of his own accord Sin then being the sole cause of mouing him against vs wee shall bee sure to find him so farre louing towards vs as wee are carefull to preserue our selues from sinning against him which is best and most attained by the studie of mortification so all will bee well aboue our heads in Heauen if we follow Pauls direction Now the conscience is Gods officer and deputie and that that will make him gentle and quiet to vs will make it also quiet and gentle The conscience neuer should and seldome doth rise vp in armes against a man but when he hath giuen leaue to some corruption to grow head-strong for want of opposing it in due season and order As there is no distempered motion in the body till the humours be immoderately stirred by
begins in the former Verse and this interrupts by a pertinent digression in the three following Verses and lastly goes on in and finisheth in the fiue next Here then the Apostle is about to make his meaning so manifest in that disswasion from marriage which formerly he had vsed that no occasion of hurt might grow from the mistaking thereof And as in the former Verse he had aduised men neither to be wearie of marriage if they were married nor yet to bee couetous of it if they were loose so here he shewes in what respects he discounselleth it viz. first negatiuely not as a sinne nay he plainely confesseth the lawfulnesse of it saying If thou being a man shalt marry thou sinnest not and if a Virgin marry she sinneth not but secondly affirmatiuely as a matter of more outward and bodily trouble for such saith he shall haue trouble in the flesh but saith he I spare you that is I will not vse more earnestnesse to disswade you from that that most mē are vnwilling to be disswaded from To spare is not to presse them ouer-hard to that whereto they would not bee drawne without some backwardnesse The thing then that the Apostle deliuers in this verse is in effect this That marriage is not to be forborne as a matter sinfull but troublesome and virginitie to be imbraced not as a state of life more holy but alone more easefull and that he disswadeth marriage not as if it were in any sort to bee reputed vnlawfull to marrie but alone because it is commonly attended vpon with more difficulties then single life in which regard also he forbeareth to vrge the forbearance of it any thing earnestly Now wee haue Pauls meaning let vs see what instructions his words will yeeld vs. CHAP. II. Containing the first instruction Doct. 1 ANd first from Pauls so plaine and precise disauowing of any conceite of the vnlawfulnesse of matrimony and endeuouring carefully and expressely to preuent such an opinion we may informe our felues thus much That it behoueth men to take heed of accounting those things sinfull or vnlawfull that bee not so No man must make more faults then God makes Our iudgement should be alwaies so cleare and sound that we might esteeme of things as they be and call that lawfull which is lawfull as well as that wicked which is wicked and as in the tribunall of humane Iustice a guiltlesse man must not bee sentenced as guiltie So at the barre of humane reason a faultlesse action must not bee wrongly burdened with the censure of faultinesse Whosoeuer reades this text will yeeld this point yet wee shall haue it made good by a voyce from Heauen Acts 19.15 viz. that that was spoken to Peter in his trance That that God hath cleansed cal not thou common The Lord had remoued the distinction of meates in regard of conscience to him-ward which was of force vnder the Leuiticall Law That Peter might be informed of this needfull truth whereof he was yet ignorant he is bidden in a Vision wherein all manner of beasts were offered to him being hungry to kill and eate hee refuseth because the things were such as the Law condemned for vncleane and common The voyce tels him the second time that it was not for him to make that common which God had made cleane Loe how the cleannesse or vncleannesse of things is not to bee ordered by mans authoritie no not by the authoritie of Peter himselfe so that a man would wonder how hee that calleth himselfe the successor of Peter should aduenture to do that which to Peter himselfe is prohibited And what was the sinne for which the Pharises are taxed by the Lord Matt. 15.2 c. was it not this that they would needs deeme it a great fault and pollution to eate meate without washing of hands first whereas the Lord in his Law had neuer forbidden such eating The point is vndeniable and needeth no more proofe there is a negatiue superstitiō consisting of Touch not taste not handle not c. that is Do not this and that for feare of offending God and hurting your soule though the Lord haue neuer condemned it as well as an affirmatiue superstition standing in Doe this or do that that you may please God and benefit your soule That wee may be more careful to auoyd the fault of coyning faults let vs consider what euils will insue from such mistaking Reas 1 First by this meanes a man shall vnnecessarily cumber himselfe and by fretting his owne conscience make his life vncomfortable and his soule more vnable to serue God with ioyfulnes in a good conuersation If a seruant put gyues or irons vpon his owne legs he cannot goe forward nimbly in his Masters businesse So if a Christian doe shackle his owne conscience hee cannot with chearefulnesse performe the wil of God in holinesse of liuing For to him that accounts a thing sinfull to him it is sinne as the Apostle faith Rom. 14.14 And so it will often come to passe that if he doe it not he shall sinne in one regard if hee doe it he shall sinne in another regard as being perswaded that it is sinfull Thus doth a man cast himselfe ineuitably vpon a necessitie of sinning and so vpon vnquietnesse perplexitie and much inauoydable miserie to the great trouble not of himselfe alone but of others also with whom he liueth to whom his intangled conscience will not suffer him to performe his duty with loue and readinesse as hee ought to doe Secondly by this meanes a man shall feede his owne self-conceitednesse and cause his heart to bee still swelling bigger and bigger in high imaginations of himselfe and vnlesse the Lord bestow some paines to keepe him downe by diuers aduersities and temptations hee will quickly grow to such a dotage as to bee little lesse then inamored of himself admiring and applauding his owne abilitie to iudge and discerne of things aboue other men whom hee will repute as very dim-sighted or starke blind because they cannot see so farre as he conceits himselfe to see Error in this kinde must needs nourish pride because in not knowing a man thinkes he knowes more then other of his neighbours Thirdly by so mis-taking a man is made apt which is a necessarie consequent of pride to censure other men to thinke hardly of them to condemne them as persons vtterly recklesse and vnconscionable as if they regarded not at all what they did because it stands not with their minds to runne in so narrow a line as himselfe runneth in Thus in Pauls time the men that would not eate were alwaies forward to iudge and condemne those that would eate For when a man out of an erring conscience forbeareth those things in which another vseth his libertie he must either condemne himselfe or another or else leaue another wholly to God self-loue will not suffer men to blame themselues selfe-conceitednesse will not suffer them to referre the matter wholly to God
like the fruitfull Vine comfortable aswell as fruitfull His children like the Oliue plants profitable and beneficiall as well as many Godlinesse is good for all things it hath the promises of this life and of that which shall bee and these promises must needs bee fulfilled An holy conuersation of life a well ordred and religious carriage in the whole frame of life this makes life sweet all the comforts of life cōfortable If thou walke in Gods wayes he hath vndertaken to make all you do prosperous Lo a sure way of attaining as much happinesse as this lower world can yeeld For why doth God send troubles but to correct sin and to redresse disorders and to draw men to godlines If they follow godlines of their owne accord by hearkning to the coūsel of his Word fewer afflictions will be needfull and fewer shal be sent for he corrects not willingly but as Parents giue bitter draughts to their children euen for the health profit of their children But secondly the man wife that would liue cheerefully must loue each other tenderly and plentifully Much heartie and holy loue to one another will sweeten all crosses and keepe out the worst and greatest crosses Let the husband loue his wife as Paul enioyneth and let wiues be louers of their husbands as the same Apostle prescribeth charity wil couer al things and hope al things beleeue all things and suffer all things and so wil mend very many things y◠else would surely go amisse Wherefore striue more to store thine heart with loue to thine yoke-fellow then to fill thy coffers with gold and siluer for grace is more auaileable to felicity then wealth and charitie is the King of graces And that you may loue each other in large quantity and after a spirituall manner pray often each with other and each for other that will breed much loue Do much good to the soules of each other and you shall not chuse but be kindly affectioned one to another Thirdly instruct your children and seruants in the feare and knowledge of God labouring to make them Gods children and seruants and then they will proue to you good children and seruants or if they proue otherwise the testimony of your consciences that your diligence hath not been wanting to make them such will comfort you much in their badnesse Dutifulnes and obedience to God wil come attended with dutifulnes and obediēce to you care of pleasing God will breed care of pleasing you a good cōscience towards their chief Gouernor wil beget a good carriage to you their inferior gouernors If pietie dwell in your hearts and houses it will chase the greatest troubles out of dores keep the rest from breeding much vexation And if you seek to plant and water it in your families it will likely grow there or if it should not yet the doing of dutie wil comfort the hart though successe be wanting to endeauour Lastly for your estates let your harts be moderate your hands diligent Labour about the things of the world else an idle person must walke vpon an hedge of thornes Loue not the things of the world else a person greedy of gaine shall trouble his owne house The diligent hand will bring sufficiencie and the moderate heart will bring contentment and then the troubles of a mans estate must needs be made few and easie He that for Gods sake applieth his calling and not for wealths sake shall haue Gods fauour in his calling and either shall not be crossed or shall not be vexed by crosses So haue we shewed you as good directions as we could to keepe afflictious out of doores But no care will altogether shame them You must therefore set your selues in the second place to beare them patiently and not to faint vnder them nor to be distempered by them Neuer vnwish marriage for the cumbers of marriage Had-I-wist is seemely in no mans mouth O that I had neuer married is a most vndecent thought in an husbands hart a fond word in his lips Why should our wils oppose Gods will when he hath made it knowne vnto vs Paul saith before Art thou joyned to a wife seeke not to be loosed A valiant souldier doth neuer repent of the battaile because he meetes with strong enemies he resolues to be conquerour and then the more and stronger his foes the greater his honour So must the husband and wife resolue to conquer the troubles of marriage and vse the buckler of patience against the blowes of aduersitie that they may conquer But here also you will aske how and I must tell you how The meanes to get patience in the cumbers of the wedded estate are chiefely these first to resolue you must and will bee patient secondly to pray that you may bee patient thirdly to consider your comforts as well as your crosses and fourthly to looke vp to God as the Author and Heauen as the end of your troubles A firme purpose of will to doe or suffer any thing doth greatly fortifie the soule Hee that often thinkes I am bound to beare my part of trouble quietly seeing euery man aliue hath his portion in troubles and seeing we haue brought troubles vpon our selues and seeing these troubles are but short and light in comparison of those we haue deserued and therefore I wil euen buckle my shoulders to the burden and not giue way to shrinking this man shall find that an hard loade will lye lighter vpon a resolute heart then an easier burden vpon an irresolute spirit Whatsoeuer a Christian man doth constantly tell himselfe that hee hath great reason to doe shall haue much good by doing and must needs doe or doe worse and therfore inacts this statute in his mind By Gods helpe I will doe it that shall he be able to doe in good measure and God will passe by his failings Doe thus much for the matter of patience inure your minds to thinke much of the reasons that should induce you to it and vpon those reasons to conclude that through the gracious assistance of God you will be patient and you shall be so But resolutions without prayer are presumptuous and God doth vse to chastice presumption by making it find its owne weakenesse Wherefore you must pray much and often as well as resolue Strong resolutions ioyned with strong supplications cannot bee in vaine Lord must thou say by nature I am impatient apt to fume and fret or else to faint and quaile but O let me be strengthened with all might according to thy glorious power vnto all long-suffering and patience with ioyfulnesse Lord strengthen me against all infirme and impotent fallings of heart against all furious and violent risings of spirit and seeing thou hast brought me into marriage inable mee to beare the burdens of marriage The frequent renewing of such acknowledgements of our owne feeblenesse and petitions to be fortified by the might of Gods Spirit will cause that wee shall find the grace of God
eternall glory in Heauen Name me a man that is noted to haue bewailed the sinnes of others and I will bring you a ground out of Scripture without doubt or question that he is saued so can it not bee said of those that haue mourned for their owne sinnes For in truth the fiercenesse of an euill conscience terrifying the soule with the feare of hell fire may stirre vp such griefe and make an vnsanctified man complaine bitterly that hee hath sinned in such or such a thing as Iudas in betraying innocent blood That naturall affectioÌ„ which we beare vnto our selues may also make vs sorrowfull fort that which we cannot but see will bee harmefull to our selues euen where no grace at all doth dwell But to sorrow for publike offences and for the sinnes of those that are no way neere vnto vs but as the common bands of Humanitie and Christianitie haue vnited them there can bee no motiue at all imagined except the true hatred of sinne and the true loue of God and man which no man can haue but from the Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ dwelling in him Desperation and horror without Grace may procure teares for ones owne faults nothing but holinesse can procure them for others A man may lament his owne sinnes and not hate them hee cannot lament the common sinnes but out of an hatred of them Wherefore let the people of God make much of these teares and preserue them as it were some hot and comfortable licour for their vse against the day of temptation that when the weake faith shall bee assaulted with manifold obiections it may haue this token of truth to alleage for it selfe against which there can bee none exception and let the people of God endeuour to be frequent in this exercise o mourning for the common sinnes that they may abound in comfort afterwards and be filled with ioy in stead of sorrow for alwaies holy sorrow ends in ioy Wee may not make our selues so carelesse of our spirituall estate as to lose a good dutie but must put al the Graces that God hath giuen vs and the effects of them to the best vse improouing them all to the encrease of our faith in God and our spirituall reioycing in the assurance of his loue It will make vs constant in good duties if wee shall find them to doe vs much good Let these sorrowes be much profitable and comfortable vnto them O Christian soule as indeed they ought and out of these weeping promises gather these gladsome conclusions I am sure I am Gods child I am sure I am a member of the same body that Dauid was a member of I am sure I partake of that Spirit that dwelt in him I am sure that sinne shall not mortally infect me that I shall not bee drowned in the publike Iudgements that God will either spare the Land for the sake of my selfe and other like mourners or at least that himselfe will make prouision for my welfare in the common woes I shall laugh when others are punished for sin because I wept when they committed sinne God will bee my shelter and refuge in the time of trouble and hee will not giue me ouer to the destroyer for often haue I caused and often doe I purpose hereafter to cause that streames of teares shall descend from mine eyes because the sonnes of men doe tread his Statutes vnder-foot I haue not onely wept for mine owne sinnes which feare of shame in the World or damnation in Hell hath made many a dissembler doe I haue not alone wept for the faults of my children and neere friends which also carnall affection hath made many a carnall man to do in some cases I haue not only wept for the faults of others that were harmefull to my selfe and my friends as selfe-loue wil make any man to doe but I haue wept for the generall sinnes of the whole Land for the sinnes of the high and low for the sinnes of strangers that knew mee not and enemies that loue mee not for the sinnes of any of Adams sonnes that I knew to haue sinned because they kept not Gods Precepts Blessed be the Lord that hath made maine heart in such a measure soft and tender I am in his Couenant seeing he hath created an heart of flesh within my body and I am sure that none but a fleshy hart will make the eyes to shed teares for the violation of Gods testimonies by other men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Errata Page 5. line 20. for fretting reade fettering p. 17. l. 13. f. 1. Corinth r. 1. Chron. p. 23. l. 30. f. be r. because p. 28. l. 5. f. disorder r. disorders ead f. doth r. doe p. 38. l. 22. f. know r. knowing p. 40. l. 1. f. First r. that is p. 51. l. 2. f. lesse r. losse p. 52. l. 15. f. kyes r. trees p. 55. l. 6. f. breake r. brooke p. 56. l. 3. f. common of those r. common Of those l. 8. f. desires Very r. desires very p. 68. l. 18. f. God alone r. God alone p. 70. l. 16. f. Hamar r. Hamor p. 72. l. 9. f. cumber and attend r. cumber attend p. 78. l. 2. f. thou r. you p. 80. l. 5. f. shame r. shun p. 112. l. 19. f. lend r. bend p. 119. l. 22. f. persecute r. prosecute p. 121. l. 2. f. of God r. with God p. 134. l. 13. f. them The one r. them The naturall meanes are two the one p. 164. l. 28. f. selues r. soules p. 170. l. 19. f. haue r. hath p. 176. l. 4. f. workes r. worke p. 204. l. 15 f. thy r the. p. 229. l. 3. f. longer no r. no longer p. â—44 l. 6. f. him r. himselfe p. 251. l. 17. f. vs and euery r. making all faces blacke all knees weake and euery body l. 19. f. houses r. windowes l. 20. f. buyer r. buryer p. 252. l. 24. f. soules r. selues l. 25. f. countries r. Countrie