the works of his worship but in those also of our conversation with men and putting our selvs in all our waies under his protection and that specially in the time of distresse or danger that as the bodily hand gets and gathers strength by being diligently used in works competent so may also the Spirituall hand do which Faith is Now as for our succesfull wrestling against the Rulers of the darknesse of this World and spirituall wickednesses in high places we must put on amongst other parcels of the Armour of God the Shield of Faith so must we not forget the Helmet of Salvation Hope whose strength is great to bear off all blows of temptation and that with chearfulnesse For what burthens of afflictions and temptations will not he cherfully undergo that expects undoubtedly their speedie ending in endlesse happinesse Alexander the Great meaning to invade Asia and giving away his riches aforehand being asked what he would reserv for himself answered Hope But what is the shadow to the substance He hoped for the Kingdom of Persia we of Heaven And what if his hope stretched it self to the Monarchy of the whole World It was but to this World wherein also it was frustrated and perished with him But the Anchour of our hope is cast within the veil and extendeth to the World to come being also firm and stedfast and which cannot be disappointed nor shall have other end then in being perfited in the end of all the full fruition and eternall possession of happinesse with God Were it not for hope the heart would break but we having this hope faint not but hold fast the profession thereof without wavering yea even glorie in afflictions under the hope of the glorie of God Lastly Touching Love as it is the affection of union so it makes after a sort the loving and loved one such being the force thereof as that he that loveth suffereth a kind of conversion into that which he loveth and by frequent meditation of it uniteth it with his understanding and affection Thus to love God is to become godly and to have the mind after a sort deified being made partakers of the Divine nature in its effects to love the World is to become a worldling and so of the rest Thus in the Parable of the Tares the Children of the Kingdom are called good Seed and Wheat as growing and becoming Wheat of the Wheat or Seed sowen in them as the Wheat ear groweth of the Wheat corn As on the contrarie ungodly men are said to have eyes full of Adulterie and the like and not onely to be sinfull but sin unrighteousnesse darknesse and beliall as being even metamorphized and transformed into the evils which they love and delight in Oh how happie is that man who by the sweet feeling of the love of God shed abroad into his heart by the Holy Ghost which is given him is thereby as by the most strong coards of Heaven drawn effectually and with all the heart to love God again who hath loved him first and so becomes one with him and rests upon him for all good and happinesse For this our love to God there is required not onely the positive affection of the heart aspiring unto union with God upon knowledg of him as the chiefest good both in himself and to us in Christ and a contentation in him so known and obtained but withall that we exercise prove and approve that our love to him in our love to such good persons and things as unto which he hath imparted some sparks of his goodnesse especially to his good Children and good Word and Ordinances He cannot love him that begetteth saith the Apostle who loveth not him and that in deed and truth who is begotten in truth of affection and in deed of action for his comfort and this with greater bent of both as the graces of God are more eminent in him Neither loves he God that loves not his Word and that both in affection of heart and effect of readie obedience to all his Commandments We must take heed of a shadowish love of goodnesse and pietie onely in the abstract and must love it in the concrete where both the person and good in him is visible in whom Hypocrites for the most part hate and persecute it He but pretends to others the love of goodnesse or imagines it in himself that loves not good men for it Lastly He that loves not his brother whom he sees how can he love God whom he sees not Not but that there is matter of love infinitely more then in any or all men but because for the loving of God we want the advantage of sense and motive of compassion by which our love to our distressed brethren is holpen This love is the fulfilling of the Law the love of God being the greatest Commandment and the love of our neighbour like unto it It is also that to which the Gospel in the end leads us by which Gospel or new Covenant God writes his Lawes in the mind and heart of his and so perfits the one in the other And so naturall to Christians is this brotherly love as that the Apostle makes account he needs not write to the Churches to teach them that which God taught them so many wayes By this we know our selvs to be raysed from death to life by it all others know us to be Christs Disciples if we love one another See said the Heathens pointing at the Christians how they love one another and see said the Christians of them how they hate another Oh that Heathens could not now say of Christians as they sometimes said of them If we were perfit in this Love we needed no other Law to rule us either in the duties towards God or our neighbours no more then do the Angels in Heaven and Souls of the Faithfull men departed who by the Law of Love alone do live both most perfit and most happie lives And indeed to love as we ought is a verie happie thing wherein we resemble God and the Angels as by the contrarie we complice with the Divel and wicked men who live in mallice and envie hatefull hating one another And howsoever naturally we desire rather to be beloved then to love yet is it incomparably a more both excellent and blessed thing to love then to be beloved as it is to give rather then to receav Besides Love is the Loadstone of Love And the most readie and compendious way to be beloved of others is to love them first They taking knowledg thereof will be effectually drawn to answerable good will if they be not harder then Iron and such as have cast off the chains and bonds of common humanitie for even Publicans and sinners love those that love them Yea admit thy love of them never come to their knowledg yet will God by the invisible
to the knowledg of God This knowledg we must seek with all earnest diligence and store it up carefully in the treasurie of our hearts that knowing God we may love him and trust to him and fear him and honour him that as the Daughters of Ierusalem though before marvailing what ailed the Spouse of Christ to be so affectioned towards her beloved and so earnestly to seek after him as she did when they once came to take knowledg of his perfit beautie would then seek him with her So we knowing God specially in the face of Christ Iesus may so be ravished with love of his Majestie as to have our whole heart set to seek and find him in whose presence is satietie of joyes evermore CAP. II. Of Gods love GOd loveth himself first and most as the cheifest good and all other good things as he communicates with them lesse or more the effects of his own goodnesse And from this infinit love of his own infinit goodnesse is it that he so severely punisheth some Creatures though the Work of his own Hands which he alwaies loveth For first The Creature by sin violating Gods Holinesse and despising his authoritie in his righteous Commandments and so going on in impenitencie and unbelief and withall it being impossible that Gods love of his own Holinesse and Iustice and the honour of the same and the love of the Creatures happinesse so obstinatly dishonouring him should stand togither it cannot be but that the latter must give way to the former and greater and the Creature so sinning become miserable rather then God forgetfull of his own honour and glorie God reveales his glorious Majestie in the highest Heavens his fearfull Iustice in the Hell of the Damned His wise and powerfull Prouidence is manifest through-out the whole World but his gracious love and mercie in and unto his Church here upon Earth which he therefore hath chosen and taken near unto himself that in it might be seen the riches of his glorious grace And albeit all things in God are infinit and one yet are the effects of his love more wonderfull and excellent then of any other his Attributes as appeares in that his greatest and strangest work of giving his only begotten Son to the cursed death of the Crosse for his Enemies out of his love and mercie This the Scriptures and worthily call a great mysterie and which for the rarenesse of it was not onely hidden from the Sons of Men but also from the verie Angels in their perfection of created knowledg Which manifold grace and wisdom of God they therefore desire to look into and learn by the Church Love in the Creature ever presupposeth some good true or apparent in the thing loved by which that affection of union is drawn as the Iron by the Load-stone But the love of God on the contrarie causeth all good wrought or to be wrought in the Creature He first liveth vs in the free purpose of his will and thence worketh good for and in us and then loves us actually for his own good work for and in us and so still more and more for his own further work And hence ariseth the unchangablenesse of Gods love towards us because it is founded in himself and in the stablenesse of the good pleasure of his own will And although the arguments of comfort be great which we draw from the certain knowledg of our love to him yet are those infinitely greater which are taken from the consideration of his love to us as being not onely the ground of the other but in him also infinite and vnchangable And hereupon it was that the Sisters of Lazarus seeking help for their sick Brother sent Christ word not that he who loved him though that were not nothing but that he whom he loved was sick As by the hand of a friend reached unto us we are made partakers of the strength of his whole body to hold or help us up so by the hand of the love of God reached down from Heaven in the Gospel we become interessed in the most comfortable apprehension and happy use of all other his attributes whatsoeuer The more wise powerfull holy glorious eternall and infinite God is the more happy are we by means of his love and mercy in Christ which moveth him to use and improve them all for our good and to communicate them with us as his friends in their effects so far as serves for our happinesse He whom God loves though he know it not is an happy man He that knows it knows himself to be happy Which caused the Apostle to make in his own name and in the names of all the beloved of God that glorious insultation over all the enemies of his their happines that they could not seperate him or them not from the power or wisdom or holinesse but not from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus From this love of God as from a Spring head issueth all good both for grace and glory Yea by it which is more all evill by all Creatures intended or done against us is turned to good to us By it our afflictions work together with our election redemption vocation c. for our good By reason of it the stones of the Feild are at league with us the beasts of the Feild at peace with us yea even the very Sword that killeth us the Fire that burneth us and the Water that drowneth us is a kinde of Spirituall and invisible league with us to do us good Vpon the knowledg of this love of God shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Ghost is laid the foundation and ground-work of whatsoever good thing we return again unto God with acceptation at his hands Vpon this we do build our Faith and confidence in him By this our cold and frozen hearts are not onely thawed but inflamed also with love again to him and to men for him As the Earth being heated by the beams of the Sun beating upon it reflecteth heat again towards the Heavens upon all the bodies between it and them Lastly from hence arise all the pleasing services wherewith we present his Majesty For howsoever we ow our selvs and whatsoever we are or can do vnto him as our gracious and powerfull Creatour absolute Lord yet can we do nothing heartily as we ought but from the Faith feeling of his love in Christ by the motion of the Spirit of a sound minde given unto us But being once drawn sweetly by the coards of Gods goodnes love we readily pleasingly follow after him as being debters and constrained not by necessity but w ch binds more strongly by love The tokens of this love of God in Christ are not onely by us highly to be prized but carefully to be discerned lest we bring our selves into a fools paradise and grow presumptuously secure which is the fore-runner of suddain and
inwards of the man and with what heart and affection he undertakes any state or action so is the outward also because God is the God of order Also when a man knows himself to be orderly called to a condition of life he both sets himself more chearfully and roundly to the works thereof wherein he is assured he servs Gods providence by his order and appoyntment and with fayth expects a blessing from God upon his endeavours in that course of life in which his hand hath set him and with all bears with comfort the crosses befalling him therein as wee see in David whose sheild of comfort against all darts of danger was that God had selected him unto himself and annoynted him his king upon Sion the mountayn of his holynes Litle account is made by many of a lawfull outward calling whereas indeed it is that alone by which all states save those that are naturall and so are subject neyther to election nor change are both constituted and continued For what makes him who yesterday was none to day to be a magistrate in the common wealth minister in the Church steward in the family or any other officer or member in any orderly society but an orderly outward calling by them who have lawfull authority to confer that state upon him This being neglected opens a gap to all confusion in all states The gifts of a man enable him to his office his grace sanctifyes both the gifts and office to the person his inward calling perswades his heart to undertake the outward in desire to glorify God and in love to men his exequution of it in the works thereof presuppose it and testify his faythfulnes in it but onely the outward orderly calling confers the outward state and condition of life Abilitie for a mans calling is greatly to be desired for many reasons For first it is a thing well-pleasing in Gods sight specially in the most serviceable courses of life as we may see in Salomon who being called to the state of a King desired above all other things kingly endowments and therein pleased God greatly Secondly He whom God calls to a place or sets over a busines he enables accordingly as he did the same Salomon being set over a people many in number as the sand by the sea shore with wisdom and largenes of heart as the sand by the sea-shore Thirdly It is great case to a man when he is mayster of his place and course and able to play with it otherwise if he be compelled to strive continually with it it will both make his life burthensome and force him at some time or other to let fall the works thereof as unable to weild it Yet if such a one be willing and able to bear it out it is a good way for him to grow to great perfection by daily improveing his abilitie to the full as Milo by using to bear a calf every day proved able to bear him when he was grown an oxe Fourthly It is an honour to a man to be excellent in his faculty yea though it be mean in it self And so men excelling in mean trades or callings are more regarded then those who are mean in more excellent faculties One sayth truly that even plowmen and sheep-heards being excellent are applauded Lastly the unskilfulnes of the artisan dishonours the art it self how excellent soever in the eyes of many although in reason it should not so be seeing that the more excellent any profession is it finds the fewer whose worth can answer its excellencie Although callings most usefull and necessarie are most despised by prowd folks both because they are ordinary and common and followed by mean and ordinary persons yet it stands with a good conscience to provide that our course of life be such as in which we benefit humayne societyes And an uncomfortable thing it is to him that hath any either feare of God or love to men to spend his dayes and labour in such a course as by which more hurt then good comes to the world It is a good and godly course for a person diligently to read and seriously to meditate upon such places of holy Scripture as concern his or her speciall calling as for the magistrate diligently to read Deut. 1. 16. c. the minister 1 Tim. 3. and so for husband and wife father and childe mayster and servant and the rest that by so doing we may both more fully learn and better remember and conscionably practise the particular duetyes in which God would have us exercise our generall christian graces CHAP. XXVIII Of the use and abuse of things WE are said to enjoy God alone and to use the creatures because we are not to rest in them but in God onely to whom we are to be holpen by them And of the things which we use some of them we must use as though we used them not others as though we used them The World and all things serving for this life we ought to use with a kinde of indifferency and without setting the affections of our hearts upon it or them how busy soever our hands be about them spirituall good things on the contrary and which concern our eternall happines we ought to use as using them indeed with all earnest bent of affection upon them and as not suffering our selvs at any hand to be disappoynted of the fruit of them God sayth the wise man hath made every thing beautifull in his time and indeed every thing is good for something I mean every thing that God hath made for there are many vayn and leaud devises of men which are truly good for nothing as on the other side nothing is good for every thing And hereupon Prometheus told the Satyre when he would haue kissed the fire upon his first seeing it that if he did so it would burn his lips as not being for that use but to minister heat and light Some things alwayes bear as it were their use on their backs and cause also the right use of other things where they are found as the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit which yet some use more fully and faythfully then others and this is also a grace of God whereas all other things haue theyr good in theyr useing and not in their owning And a great poynt of wisdom and advantage for good it is to apply things to their right use and end whether great or smal He that can doe this spiritually is happy though he have receaved but one pound for others five or ten As on the other side how many were though not happy yet lesse miserable if they altogether wanted the wit learning riches and authority which they want grace to use according to the will of the giver A man hath that most and best whereof he hath the lawfull use And hereupon a follower of a great Lord was wont to say that he had in effect as much
pardon of them then the removing of the bodily punishment as who having understanding in him would not raither haue the bodily soar healed then the playster though byting taken from it And withall when we acknowledge that our afflictions are infinitely lesse then our sins Which they that do not neyther know Gods justice nor their own demerits as they ought Neyther yet is it sufficient that in such cases wee confesse our sins and how we have walked contrarie unto God but we must withall confesse our miserie and that God hath walked contrary unto us and brought our present afflictions upon us In Confessing our sins we shame our selvs and declare our naughtines but in ackowledging our selvs justly punished for them we honour God as a wise powerfull and just Iudg. Notwithstanding there be alwayes the desert of sin procuring punishment yet God doth not alwayes principally aym at that but sometimes that his power may be seen as in the man born blinde sometimes for the honour of his holy name having been blasphemed of his enemies by the sins of his servants as it was by Davids adulterie and other mischeifs following thereupon sometymes for mans salvation as we see in the sufferings of Christ sometimes for the confirmation of others by testimonie given to the truth as in the case of Steven whose sufferings sayth one exhort to the confession thereof sometimes for the tryall of our faith seeing without afflictions neyther others knew us nor we our selvs and for the shameing of the divell therein as in the case of Iob sometimes to draw men nearer to himself by humiliation and repentance which is a generall end sometimes to wean us from the love of the world unto which we are too much addicted notwithstanding all the sorrows which we do finde in it and like foolish travaylers love our way though troublesome in stead of our country sometimes to prevent some sin ready to break out in us as physitians let blood to prevent sicknes Lastly to make the glorie which shall be shewed and whereof our afflictions are not worthy the more glorious as the sun is when the clouds are driven away wherewith for a time it hath been darkned Now as it were to be wished that we could alwaies certainly know the Lords particular ends in afflicting us as we may gather much ordinarily by the knowledge of his word observation of his dealing towards our selvs and others and due examination of our estate and wayes in his sight so is it most necessarie for all his people ever to hold this generall conclusion that in all their afflictions the justice and mercy of God meet together and that he begins in justice and wil end in mercy with them God hath in a peculiar manner entayled afflictions to the sincere profession of the gospel above that of the law before Christ. The law was given by Moyses whose ministerie began with killing the Egiptian that oppressed the Israelite and was prosequuted with leading the people out of Egipt through the sea and wildernes with great might and a strong hand and lastly was finished with bloody victorie over Sihon and Og the kings of Canaan But Christs dispensation was all of an other kynde his birth mean his life sorrowfull and his death shamefull And albeit the love of God towards his people be alwaies the same in it self yet is the manifestation thereof very divers Before Christs coming in the flesh in whom the grace of God appeared God shewed his love more fully in earthly blessings and peace and more sparingly in spirituall and heavenly But now on the other side he dealeth forth temporall blessings more sparingly and spirituall with a fuller hand It is not unprobably gathered that after the destruction of the dragon and beast and recalling of the Iewes after their long divorse from the Lord the blessings of both kindes shall meet together and the Church enjoy for a time a verie gracefull state upon earth both in regard of spirituall and bodily good things In the mean while many would fayn have their worldly advantage and the obedience of the gospell to agree together further then they will And when they cannot frame the world and their worldly conveniencie to the gospell they will fashion the gospel to the world and to their carnall courses in it Pitty it is that such men were not of the Lords councell when he first contrived and preached his gospel that they might have helped him in some such discreet and middle course as might have served the turn both for Heaven and earth But let the world in its foolish wisdom say and do what it will or can the way is narrow which leads unto life and considering mans naughtines it is neyther fit nor hardly possible that it should be broader All the afflictions which Christians suffer are not afflictions of Christ nor all the crosses which they take up the crosses of Christ. The afflictions of Christ may be set in three ranks The first and those most properly so called are when men for Christs cause hate revile and persequute us The second when we suffer evils which we might be free from and escape if we durst deny in word or deed any part of Christs truth The third and last sort are such as befall us in the course of godlines though humayn and as they do all other men as bodily sicknes death of freinds crosses and losses by sea and land and the like If we be members of Christ our such afflictions are the afflictions of Christ els the mercy shewed and good done to such were not done to Christ. But now if he that in his person is a true Christian suffer for evil doing he takes not up the crosse of Christ but of the divel therein and if he put himself upon needlesse danger and difficulties he takes not up Christs crosse but his own herein and so hath his amends in his own hands Yet may even afflictions so coming by our true repentance be sanctified unto us and we please God in their use though not in their cause Both good conscience and wisdom must be used in applying such scriptures as speak of the afflictions of Christians for well doing neyther is all that can be sayd out of everie text thereabout to be applyed to all times For howsoever hardly at any time or in any place things go so well especially in our dayes which even they who are none of the best themselvs will confesse yea complayn to be extreamly evill but that truth goes with a scratcht face lesse or more yet the differences of times and state of things must be observed and put this way Yea further though the times in the generall should be very evill yet for a person who himself is wel furnished with earthly good things wel fed and glad and in outward peace to dwel much upon the afflictions of Christians specially
do hurt without worldly prejudice to himself therein the more carefull had he need be that he take not to himself any lawlesse liberty that way remembring alwayes that he hath also a master in heaven and that he who is higher then the highest regardeth who also may with more right and reason destroy him for ever then he how great soever do the least hurt to the sillyest worm that crawls upon the face of the earth They who use injurious dealings themselvs hate them in others and them that offer them as do they also who take knowledge of them For whom men fear they hate Now there is cause for all to fear him to his power that hurts any seeing in wronging one he threatens all that he hath power to hurt Yet if we will look upon things a litle spiritually such persons are more to be pittied then eyther hated or feared as being though cruell to others yet more to themselvs hurting others in their bodies and bodily states themselvs in their hearts and consciences before the Lord which is far the greatest damage And upon this ground it was that the ancient father desyred Scapula that he would pitty himself if he would not pittie the Christians whom he cruelly persequuted seeing the most hurt came to himself thereby When therefore we thus suffer any heynous injuries of any kinde by any we must pray the Lord both to deliver us out of their hands and them out of the divels whose instruments they are in so doing For any one man whosoever to offer injurie to any other whomsoever is unnaturall and inhumayn but especially odious in these four sorts of persons The first is Magistrates and men in authoritie whom God hath therefore furnished therewith that they might prevent and redresse injuries by others and exequute wrath upon evill doers Which if they become themselvs they transform the image of the Lords power and justice which they susteyn into the image of Gods enemy Sathan whom therein they resemble and become after a sort wickednesses in high places as the divels are The second are freinds whose office it is by help counsayl riches or otherwise to succour their wronged freinds and if no other way at least by condoling with them and comforting them A man that hath freinds should shew himself friendly sayth the wise man and for such a one to shew himself enemie-like is very greivous as we may see in Iobs and Davids case Now if it be here demanded whether the injuries offered by freinds or by others be lesse tolerable Answer must be made with distinction that some injuries are such and so notorious as cannot stand with a true freindly heart but do plainly discover an evil and enimious affection and of these by false freinds David and worthily complayns as more greivous then by strangers Some again are such as may scape him that truly loveth through negligence rashnes or other infirmitie Such the heat of love should digest And they who in this kinde will bear more at the hands of others then of freinds are unworthy of them A third sort are men religious whose professed pietie towards God promiseth honest dealing with men as on the contrary Abraham looked for all injurious dealing in that place where the fear of God was not The fourth and last are men themselvs oppressed by others specially lying under the injuries of the times When one poore man oppresseth another it is like a sweeping rayn which leaveth no food Yet is it found by certain experience that it oft rayns from this coast and that the poore by oppressing one another teach the rich to oppresse both and this not onely in bodily things but in spirituall also none being found more injurious and unmercifull then are some out of the favours of the times themselvs to others that are a litle more in their disgrace then they None of the heathens were so cruelly bent against the christians as the Iews though themselvs but scattered amongst the Heathens to be tolerated by them Such should think of the brethren of Ioseph who being themselvs in danger to be violently oppressed remembred and bewayled the violence and wrong which they had formerly offered to their brother Ioseph There are two things causing inordinate stirring and indignation at injuries offered the one naturall the other morall The naturall is the aboundance of hoat choler boyling in the veyns by which the blood and spirits are attenuated and so apt to be inordinately stirred and inflamed upon apprehension of a wrong done This cause may something be helped by naturall means and medicines and the effect by true wisdom and government which represseth all inordinate motions in the minde The morall cause is pride and self-love for men having themselvs in high estimation make account that if they be a litle wronged some great and heynous offence is committed and that at which there is just cause of high indignation The injury to such seems great because they seem great to themselvs whereas to him that is litle and lowly in his own eyes injuryes and wrongs seem lesse specially if he set this low price and valuation upon himself in conscience of his sins against God as it was with David What strange thing is it if an earthen pot get a crack or if a silly worme be troden upon or that he who is litle be litle set by It is wisdom in cases not to seem to take knowledge of an injurie as eyther when it is small and scarse worthy the myndeing and such the stately gravitie of some persons make many to be which to others seem intollerable witnesse Cato who being asked pardon of him that had given him a bob on the mouth answered that there was no injurie done and so no pardon needfull or when the greatnes and mallice withall of the injurious is such as that to expostulate a wrong is to provoke to the doubling of it to which purpose his answer fitted well that sayd he had grown old in a tyrants court by thanking men when he had received an injurie from them Sometimes again it is wisdom to let persons know that we account our selvs yll used by them and that cheifly when our expostulation is like to prove their warning by working eyther fear or shame in them If the commendation given of Caesar had not been by him who was too good a courtjer that he was wont to forget nothing but injuries he though a pagan might therein have been a mirrour to all Christians considering the mischeivousnes of our corrupt nature this way which is apter to remember a wrong done then any thing els specially then a benefit because as one sayth we account thanks a burden and revenge an ease In regard whereof it was not without cause that Christ our Lord in our directorie of prayer which we must dayly use reinforceth nothing but the condition of the fifth
reliev its Father Faith in time of need whereupon the Apostle saith of the Faithfull that if they had hope onely in this life they were of all men the most miserable For what availeth it a man in miserie to beleev eternall life if he had not hope in time to obtain it and therewith freedom and redemption from distresse But we have therefore comfort in beleeving because we have hope of enjoying in due time Love is the affection of union in regard of the loving and of well-wishing in regard of the Creature loved And Divine love is the affection of union with God in his grace and glorie in which mans happinesse consists and with the Creature according unto God Faith is the root and Love the sap spreading forth it self for the fruits of good works throughout all the branches of our lives Faith the beginning and love the end of our conversation By faith we live the life of the Son of God and receav all good from him by Love we are moved and perswaded to use what we have to the good of men and prayse of God And whereas Faith makes a man some great thing richer then the richest and Lord of the whole World Love makes him a Servant unto all men in humbling and applying himself unto them in all lawfull things for their good Now albeit Love have these two prerogatives First that it perswades most effectually and immediately to the use and imployment of all the good things which we have receaved from God to the benefit of others and secondly that whereas Faith and Hope are determined formally in this life and ended in sight in the life to come Love abideth there also and that in these two respects the Apostle ascribes an excellencie and chiefnesse to Love above the other Yet herein Faith hath his singular preheminence that whereas by Love we and what we are become Gods and mens for God by Faith not onely all other things but even God himself becomes ours for all-sufficient good unto us as he saith I am thy God all sufficient By it the will and Word of God is ours for our instruction and direction his righteousnesse ours for our justification his Spirit for our sanctification his power for our protection and his glory for our happinesse in the fruition thereof This Faith in Christ is a gift supernaturall not onely in regard of nature corrupted but even created which therefore is not so properly repaired in men by grace as are some other vertues but after a sort new built from the ground as directing to that attribute in God primarily for its object whereof Adam in innocencie had no need which is mercie through Christ against the miserie of sin and punishment Vnto this Faith most precious promises are made and most excellent things affirmed of it And that not onely for the excellencie of the grace in it self which yet is great and greatly honoureth God in his truth which it beleeveth in his power as able and love as willing to bestow all good things upon us but specially for an attractive and applying facultie which it hath above other vertues to make God ours and all Creatures with him according unto God as is aforesaid To beleev in Christ is to receav him and the promises touching him And hereupon it is said of that cloud of witnesses that by faith they quenched the violence of fire stopped the mouths of Lyons put to flight the armies of alients c. The reason whereof seems to be for that as by justifying Faith they applyed the righteousnesse of God to salvation so by the Faith of myracles they apprehended and applyed the infinite power of God to the producing of those supernaturall effects The strength of true Christian Faith the Divel knows to his cost as that by which he the Prince with his whole Armie the World hath been so often foyled and overcome For being by Faith perswaded that in doing or suffering according to the will of God we please him and are under his protection and blessing we stedfastly persevere in well-doing and patiently endure all things for his names sake whereupon he specially in the day of their distresse assaults the Faith of the godly that that might fail as knowing that if the root of Faith be shaken loose the fruit of good works will wither Faith therefore must as a welcome passenger be well carried and conveied through the Sea of temptations in the Vessell of a good conscience that it suffers not shipwrack by the leaks of an evill directed by the chart of Gods Word and promises rightly understood that it run not a wrong course and having ever in a readinesse the sure and stedfast Anchour of Hope against a stresse and continually gathering into the out-spread sails of a heart enlarged by prayer and meditation the sweet and prosperous gusts of Gods holy Spirit to drive it to the desired Haven This Faith if it be not grounded upon Gods Word is fancie if it receav not the same Word in everie part but where it lists it is sawsinesse if it work not as well yea more in an afflicted state as in a prosperous it is nothing but fleshly presumption if it be not fruitfull in all good works as we have opportunitie and are able it is dead and will in the end like the Faith of the Divels affoard onely matter of trembling Lastly it must be firm and not ambiguous or going by peradventures els it is not faith but opinion Yet are we not here to imagine an Idea of faith free in this infirmitie of our flesh from doubting The tree may stand and grow also though shaken and bended with the wind so may Faith hold its both standing and life notwithstanding such doubtings as the flesh ever lusting against the Spirit mingleth with it Against which weaknesse and imperfection of our Faith we have this firm comfort that we are not saved for no nor by the perfection of the instrument which Faith is but of the object Christ which it apprehendeth and so may with a true though palsie hand of faith receav and keep both Christ and all his benefits This weaknesse and disease of Faith we must not commend as Papists do nor nourish like secure persons but cure with all diligence by the holy and diligent use of the Ministrations sanctified of God and given by Christ for the perfiting of the Saints and edifying of the body till we attain in the unitie of faith and acknowledgment of the Son of God unto a perfit man according to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Also we must nourish Faith by frequent meditations of Gods love and promises in Christ and of the gracious effects of them and must as the Prophet and Apostle teach us live by it both doing in faith and assurance of acceptance at Gods hands what we do not onely in
hand of his providence bend their hearts by mutuall affection unto thee at least so far as is good for thee and wherein they are inflexible and defective he will make supply out of the aboundance of his love and goodnesse that so it may be verified which is written With the same measure that ye meet with all it shall be measured to you again To conclude this point Let the grace of God herein specially triumph over our corruption that whereas by nature we would be loved of them whom we hate by grace we may love them Which hate us And this is a great work of grace in deed and yet most necessarie for all Christs Disciples We must not be like the Pharisees who in stead of enlarging their own affections streightned the Law of loving their neighbours unto such as loved them or dwelt within a certain compasse of them but we must account all our neighbours that need pittie or help from us and our Christian neighbours and brethren also if the Lord have receaved them though they be neither minded in all things as we are nor towards us as we are towards them Lastly as Faith is to rule Love that it prove not lust and Hope that it prove not presumption so also must it Reason and Sense in all their operations which it no way abolisheth but orders and sanctifies And as in Nature the denomination is from the predominant qualitie so is it in our course of life To live by Reason is to live the life of a man To live by Sense is to live the life of a beast But to live by Faith is to live the life of the Son of God and to be in its effects partaker of the Divine nature and that not onely in the reasonable but in the sensitive faculties also For these three Faith Reason and Sense being all Gods works in a man cannot be contrarie in their right use one to another neither can any thing be true in one which is false in another neither doth or can any one of them destroy another but use order and perfit it Reason Sense and Faith both Sense and Reason For Faith comes by hearing at the first and is nourished and encreased both by hearing and seeing and by the benefit of all other Senses afterwards Neither can it possibly either be begot or nourished or encreased but by the discourse of Reason ordered and sanctified by the Spirit of God Which Spirits work is so effectuall as it makes even the meanest powers of nature created in a man to serv effectually for the furthering of the highest works of supernaturall grace Sweet is the harmonie of all the powers and parts both of the Soul and bodie of a sanctified person Reason is that wherein man goes before all other earthly creatures and comes after God onely and the Angels in Heaven For whereas God and Nature hath furnished other Creatures some with horns some with hoovs others with other Instruments and weapons both defensive and offensive man is left naked and destitute of all those but may comfort himself in that one endowment of Reason and providence whereby he is enabled to govern them all Now who would not strive to excell other men in that wherein men excell all other Creatures How much more in that to which few men attain true faith and the life thereof CAP. XI Of Atheism and Idolatry SOme are Atheists in opinion others in affection but many more in conversation of life There are but few of the first coat and which can so wholy blot out the remainders of Gods Image written by Creation in their hearts as to leav them altogether emptie and devoyd of the knowledg conscience and reverence of a Divine Majestie and which come to conclude roundly in their hearts that there is no God Yet some without doubt in time and by degrees proceed from Atheism in conversation to Atheism in affection and from Atheism in affection to Atheism in opinion and judgment Men civilly honest seldom or never become Atheists in perswasion but lewd and flagitious persons do who being pursued by the furie of an accusing conscience for hainous evils wish and no marvail that there were no Iudg in Heaven to condemn them and so come at last to be perswaded in themselvs of that which they gladly would have true and are justly left of God to such horrible delusion that so sinning without fear they may perish without remedie And this is the reason why there are more Atheists in opinion in our dayes then of old even because so many are more bent upon mischief and liveing wickedly in this world bear themselvs in hand and so get to beleev that there is no justice in the world to come Another reason is the proportion of wit to which our Age is come above the former In regard hereof it is that Atheism though dissembled and concealed by the same ungracious wit which begets it is a thousand times more to be feared in the Land then Papism Men have too much wit to become Papists in any generallitie and just enough to fit them for Atheists if Gods powerfull hand restrain them not The verie simple dare not become Atheists but are more in danger to prove superstitious and to beleev everie thing the verie understanding hardly can but have by sound reason and sad thoughts will they nill they some acknowledgment of a Divine Majestie forced upon them But persons of froathy wit and vicious life are fitly tempered for the impression of Atheism for the Divel Atheism is incomparably worse and more odious then Idolatry as it is more intollerable in a State or Kingdom to enterprize the overthrow of all Kingly Power and Soveraigntie then to detract how much soever from the lawfull Kings or Magistrates due honour and to give it to a Stranger Besides whereas Idolaters and superstitious persons having in them some reverence of a Divine Power are thereby both restrained from many mischiefs and provoked to many good actions the Atheist wanting both this Divine restraint and motive both runs riot in wickednesse and villanie and is barren of all good things neither doing good nor forbearing evill further then for meer fear or shame of men Atheists use to be verie confident in their assertions as the Orator observs in Vellejus partly lest they should seem unto others to doubt or fear that there is a God who will punish heir impieties and partly to encourage themselvs in their wickednesse as fearing lest they should be drawn into some conscience and aw of Gods Majestie It is oft true in this case amongst others that the most cowards are the greatest boasters Idolatry either makes that to be God which is not or God to be that which he is not It is exercised either in intending Divine worship so known to be to that which is not God or in intending a devised worship to the true God
in respect of men howsoever such wiâ—y-beguiliâ—s may for a time if they carrie close amongst other advantages get the opinion of prudent and politick persons and be accounted the more wise by how much they have the more skill to deceav yet if their craftinesse come to be found out and appear they become oftens a prey to all alwaies a scorn to the most simple like the wily fox who being once catched hath his skin pluckt over his ears wherewith everie fool will have his cap furred as a worthy Lord was wont to say Such are heirs apparent to Achitophels comfort and reward His rule was peremptorie that said A wise man will not deceav nor cannot be deceaved So was his profession both of wisdom and honestie lowd who chose this Motto Fâ—llere vel falli res odiosa mihi And though usually it be worse to deceav then to be deceaved though Austin and who not met with many that would deceav but never with any that would be deceaved as a sin is worse then a crosse yet whereas to be deceaved is alwayes either a crosse or a sin or both a man may in some case and manner deceav without either as did Athanasius the President Lucius who pursuing him and approaching neer the boat wherein he was asked for Athanasius and was answered by him whom he knew by name but not by face that Athanasius was hard before him and that if he made hast he might presently overtake him who thus escaped deceaving his Arian persecuter by speaking nothing but the truth and that both wisely and with good conscience CAP. XVI Of Wisdom and Folly SOme have been found not onely contented with but glorying in the name of irreligious and unhonest but hardly ever any were willing to bear the note of foolish or unwise And even of them in whom is found some true love of vertue and goodnesse how few are there that either indeed do or would be thought to do any thing in fauour thereof which might in the least degree impeach the credit of their wisdom in the eyes of the partiall world So fain would all be counted though few in truth be wise The main reason of this seems to be that whereas the want of wisdom imports impotencie and inabilitie Irreligion and dishonestie are by election and free choyse The pride of men if Gods grace correct it not makes them more impatient of a want either inward or outward arguing them to be weak and impotent then of a grosser vice in either upon their own free election and choyse of will And hence it is that many boast of things done by them for some particular advantage which they know to be evill and unlawfull It is the first and a great point of wisdom to know wherein true wisdom stands specially seeing that the thing which God cals wisdom and which the world cals wisdom are as different as Heaven and Earth yea as Heaven and Hell That cannot but be best which God so valueth It is known from the Worlds wisdom by first its object Secondly the properties which attend it Thirdly the School where it is learnt Fourthly the end to which it tends The object is Christ primarily who of God is made unto us wisdom and in whom are hidden all the treasures thereof which the Gospel the wisdom of God openeth unto us He that knows Christ aright in the Gospel knows both God and man and the most gracious and glorious effects of both united in one Secondly The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercie and good fruits without jangling and without hypocrisie The other is clean contrarily qualified thick and muddie with lusts and monstrously compounded arrogant self-willing and self-loving inexorable quarrelsom craftie and cruell Thirdly The wisdom of God is learnt in the School of Christ and upon the Book of Holy Scriptures the other hath so many Masters as there are corrupt either lusts within a man or customs in the World Lastly The wisdom of God teacheth to provide surely for the Spirituall and Eternall state though with prejudice to the bodily and temporall The other bids make sure worke for the flesh and pinch not it though the Spirituall man speed hardly by it He that will be wise to God must be a fool to the World which yet makes him not a fool in worldly affairs but skilfull how to order them aright both for the Spirituall life and naturall also as far as it is subordinate unto it The high-way to wisdom Divine or humain is to observ and consider the reasons and causes of things He that beleevs a thing because God affirms it shews faith he that does it because God commands it obedience but he that joyns with these the reasons of the Doctrine or exhortation in the Word gets into his heart the props of wisdom against the storms of temptation both of unbelief and disobedience So in humain affairs he that minds or remembers things to be thus or thus gets skill in the things but he that observs and learns the reasons and causes why they come so to passe or are so done he takes the right course to become wise in the matter of what kind soever A wise man is the same though his outward state be changeable yea changed from a prosperous to an afflicted or the contrarie way els he but hits right at aventure when he doth well in either of both His condition is rather happily fitted to him as the howre once a day comes to the hand of the Clock that stands alwayes still then he to it by true wisdom A wise man will wish the more prosperous state but fear the more afflicted and use that which falls and his wisdom in it The Sayler which wants skill may misse his course or drown his Ship in a fair wind but he needs most skill in a tempest So is the wisdom of a man most seen in the right guiding of himself and his affairs in a stresse of trouble and affliction I have seen it in experience that many specially women and women like men who have shewed forth much goodnesse in a quiet and prosperous state of things if any great storm of tryall have happened to have overtaken them have through the want of wisdoms chart and compasse lost all and not onely been altogether uncomfortable but above measure burthensom both to others and themselvs The Apostle by the work of the wisdom of God knew both how to be abused and how to abound He that is not wise for himself first cannot be wise for another either in bodily or spirituall things though he may do him good in both But that is rather by occasion or in humour then upon ground of true wisdom God and nature which teach everie man to love himself most and his neighbour truly and heartily as himself teach him withall to use his best wit and
magnifie his mouth above measure and the weight of the matter and draw Hercules his hose upon a childes leg which the wise King counted no matter of commendation And besides affectation in which men strain the strings of their eloquence to make persons or things as good or bad or as great or small not as they are but as the speaker can I have known some by an abused benefit of nature and art so impotently eloquent as that they could hardly speak in prayse or disprayse of person or thing without doubling and trebling upon them superlative synonomies of honour or disgâ—â—â—e Such Oratours would make notable market-folk in crying up their own wares which they meant to sell and in making other mens which they would buy double nought Both length and shortnesse of speech may be used commendably in their time as Mariners sometimes sayl with larger-spread and sometimes with narrowergathered Sayls But as some are large in speech out of aboundance of matter and upon due consideration so the most multiply words either from weaknesse or vanitie Wise men suspect and examine their words ere they suffer them to passe from them and so speak the more sparingly But fools pour out theirs by talents without fear or wit Besides wise men speak to purpose and so have but some thing to say The other speak everie thing of everie thing and thereupon take libertie to use long wandrings Lastly they think to make up that in number or repetition of words which is wanting in weight But above all other motives some better some worse too many love to hear themselvs speak and imagining vainly that they please others because they please themselvs make long Orations when a little were too much Some excuse their tediousnesse saying that they cannot speak shorter wherein they both say untruly and shame themselvs also For it is all one as if they said that they have unbrydled tongues inordinate passions setting them a work I have been many times drawn so dry that I could not well speak any longer for want of matter but I ever could speak as short as I would Some have said that hurt never comes by silence but they may as well say that good never comes by speech for where it is good to speak it is ill to be silent Besides he that holds his tongue in a matter that concerns him is accounted as consenting Indeed lesse hurt comes by silence then by speech and so doth lesse good Some are silent in weaknesse and want either of wit to conceav what to speak or of courage to utter what they conceav or of utterance where the other defects are not They of the first sort are not desperately foolish seeing they are sensible of their own want which is half the way to mending it there being more hope of such a fool then of a man wise in his own conceipt that is thinking himself wiser then he is Besides such have the wit to cover their folly and a fool whilst he holds his tongue is accounted wise whereas a babâ—ing fool proclaims his foolishnesse For the second though it be a miserie for a man to be compelled to keep silence when he would speak and that the prison be strait where the verie tongue is tyed yet he wants not all wit who can for fear of danger hold his tongue and not make his lips the snare of his Soul Some again are silent in strength of wisdom and others of passion As deep streams are most still so are many of deepest judgment through vehement intention of mind upon weightie or doubtfull matters whereas the shallower are lowder and more forth-putting And here the testimonie which Spintharus gave of Epaminondus hath place that he met with no man in his dayes that knew more and spake lesse Again in some vehemencie of passion and affection dams up the passage of speech The grief is moderate which utters it self that which is extream is silent So Absolom hating his Brother Amnon to the death spake neither good nor evill to him Lastly there are who can bridle their tongue in discretion and know not onely how to take the time to speak but also the time to keep silence which surely is no small commendation in a wise able person And this the Phylosopher knew well who when all the rest of his fellows being ech to present the King with some notable sentence or other were forward to utter everie one his ware desired of the Kings messenger that it might be certified in his name that he had skill to hold his peace when others were forward to speak CAP. XXIII Of Books and Writings WRiting is the speech of the absent and even he that gives a writing into the hand of another to be read by him thereby after a sort sequesters his person from him and desires to speak with him being absent and that to his advantage if his personall presence and speech may endanger either contempt or offence The Lord God in providing that the Books of Holy Scriptures should be written effectually commended the writing and reading of other Books touching all subjects and sciences lawfull and lawfully handled For though the difference be ever to be held between Divine and humain writings so as the former may worthily challeng absolute credence and obedience as breathing out onely truth and godlinesse whereas the other are not onely to be learned but judged also yet even in humain writings the truth in its kind is taught commonly both more fully and more simply and more piously then by speech For howsoever the lively voyce more pierce the heart and be apter to move affection and that to the receaving of truth and goodnesse not onely by love and liking but by Faith also and assent for Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God yet men seldom take either the pains or time to lay down things in speech which they do for publike writings neither can any possibly either have the obportunitie to hear the tythe of that which he may read for information or take the time for the full understanding of things remarkeable spoken which in private reading he may do Besides men are commonly in their writings both freer from passion in themselvs and from partiall respect of others then in their speeches And hence it comes to be said of dead men that they are the best councellors to wit in their Books wherein they are freest from affection one way or other Lastly though the Father found some in his time who because Christ had said Thou shalt not swear thought they might do that in writing which they might not do in speech and confirm Idolatry with their hand so they professed it not with their tongue yet it is usually found otherwise and that men are or would seem to be more religious in writing then in speech Who ever shall finde a black-mouthed blasphemer
paynefulnes the labour is soon over and gone whereas the goodnes and reward thereof remayns behinde Proud folk despise labour and them that use it And so it would be thought by many far meaner then Iosephs brethren a disgracefull question to be asked as they were by Pharaoh Of what occupation they were And this difference I have observed for the matter in hand that whereas in plentifull countryes such as our own it is half a shame to labour in such others as wherein art and industry must supply natures defects as in the country where I haue last lived it is a shame for a man not to work and exercise himself in some one or other lawfull vocation And in truth there is more comfort to a good man in that which he gets or saves by his labour and providence and Gods blessing thereupon then in that which comes to him any other way For he considers it not onely as a fruit of Gods loue but withall as a reward of his obedience unto Gods commandement of labour and travayl to be undergone in this world of the children of men It is a blessing upon every one that feareth the Lord and walks in his wayes that he shall eat the labour of his hands And he that without his own labour eyther of body or mynde eats the labour of other mens hands onely and lives by their sweat is but like unto lice and such other vermine Let every godly Christian in his place say with Christ I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work Longa quiescendi tempora fata dabunt It is a great blessing when God gives a man grace and wisdom to take payns about things first lawfull and secondly profitable The diligent in evill are but like the divill who compasseth the earth and that like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour Such do best when they do least The life of others is iâ— quieta inertia buesying and oft times troubling both themselvs and others with things altogether unprofitable like the kings of Egipt in building their Pyramides to the mispending of their own mony and peoples labour I have known divers that with the tithe of the study and payns taken by them had it been rightly improved and to profitable uses might have benefited both themselvs and others far more then they have done with all their diligence and that with good meaning also Labour spent upon things eternall must not be counted lost or too much seeing temporall things of any worth are not usually obteyned without it And surely if heaven and happines could be had with so litle payns and trouble as the world reckons it were strange if they were worth the haveing And yet how many might obteyn the pearl of Christ promised with lesse payns then they take for earthly and transitory things which yet oft times they are disappointed of yea I add then many take for hell which their wickednes brings upon them unavoydably Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto eternall life sayth Christ our Lord. CAP. XXVII Of Callings THE effectuall calling of a Christian is that by which the Lord first differenceth actually and in the person himself the elect from the reprobate and by which the called approacheth and draweth nigh unto God that calleth him and that takes away his sin which separated betweene the Lord and him both by justifying and sanctifying him This generall calling of a Christian is incomparably more excellent and honourable then any particular calling and state whatsoever By it we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things both for grace glory It alone is properly an holy calling hallowing all other callings which also are so far lawfull and lawfully used as they further it and not otherwise If the excellency of it were well weighed rightly prized no man honoured therewith should be thought worthy to be despised for any other meannesse nor without it to be envyed for any other excellency how glorious soever in the worlds ey These two mayn priveledges of Gods providence the elect before their effectuall calling are made partakers of aboue others The former that into what other or howsoever otherwise greivous sins they fall yet they are kept by the power of the Lord from sinning against the Holy Ghost of which there is no forgivenes And this the Apostle insinuates where he testifyes of himself that before his calling by grace he was a blasphemer and pers quuter but doing it of ignorance in unbeleif he obteyned mercy which if he had done of malicious knowledg he could not possibly have done The second priveledg is that though such a man may fall into great dangers so as there is oft but a step between him and death yet still God will rescue and keep him alive till he be effectually called to the participation of his grace in Christ witnesse the Iaylour in Philippi God calls a man actually in tyme as he hath chosen him in his eternall decree that is as he hath purposed to call and save him in due tyme. And if there be a particular and effectuall calling of some above others then was there undoubtedly a particular election or purpose from eternity in God so to do except we will say that God doth that in tyme which he did not from eternity purpose to doe And if the Lord work no otherwise in calling of any to the grace of Christ then by outward means and motives so leaving them as some say to the freedom of their will to determine it self by chusing or refuseing the grace offered in the gospell then are many wicked men so liveing and dying more bound to the Lord for his work of grace towards them then are divers his holy and faythfull servants The reason is because many of the former have been made partakers of the outward means and motives of grace in preaching of the gospell godly examples and education in far greater measure and more ample and excellent then many of the latter have been Neyther are the true servants of God by this doctrine to go so far in humble thankfulnes to God as did the prowd Pharisee in the Gospell who thanked God that he was not like the Publican and other sinners For whatsoever els they have cause to thank God for by these mens gospell they have cause to thank themselves and not God that they are not like other men who haue been made partakers of as great and ample outward means and provokations of grace as they have been A lawfull calling is necessarie for every lawfull work the generall calling of a Christian before we can perform any Christian work aright and so a particular calling to this or that state of life before we perform the works thereof The inward calling is requisite in regard of God who knows the
neither hammer nor ax nor tool of yron heard in the house As the spirit of a man doth not quicken any member of the body but as it is united to it so neyther doth the spirit of God any member of the Church but being united in the bond of peace God would have Christians if it be possible and as much as in them lyeth to have peace with all men But in some cases and specially where this cannot be done without sin on their part it lyeth not in them to have peace but in the other which would put upon them the necessitie of sinning And in such a case they must rayther want peace with men which is a crosse then with God which is a greater crosse and a sin also The Apostle that bids follow peace with all men adds in the same place and holynes without which no man shall see the Lord. Such may be the case as a man may see God without peace with men because it may be their fault and not his so can he not possibly without holynes of which no man fayls but by his own fault and sin The contention which makes us nearer God is better then the peace that separates us from him They are not most unpeaceable alwayes who dissent most from others whether in opinion or practise but they who eyther affect differences or carry them turbulently whether small or great when they fall in A feirce horse may be so whistled or yoaked as he may draw in the same waggon quietly with others eyther gentle or head-strong so may a violent and turbulent person go on in the same course quietly a long time because it pleases him or because he is strongly yoaked though without all true love of or earnest pursuit after peace But the Lord would have us not onely to be held in peace by others and to hold peace with others when we have it and to imbrace it when it is offered but to pursue and follow after it even when it seems to fly from us Many can cry aloud for peace and against peace-breakers and can speak very glorious things in commendation of so profitable and pleasant a good whereby to perswade others to it But what is this peace unto which not a few of those good oratours so earnestly and eloquently perswade Surely too often nothings els but eyther a cursed consent in evill or servile subjection to their or their masters wils and lusts without regard eyther of equitie or reason They would willingly have peace that is they would do what they list and have others do the same their lists also how unreasonable soever But this saith one is not to follow peace but to command it The divell himself would have such peace and hath with his when the strong man armed keeps his house all things that he hath are in peace and upon condition that he might rule in and over them after his wicked will But to follow after peace aright is clean an other and the same an excellent thing requiring at the least these three particular vertues First a truely affectioned heart unto it in conscience of God and love to men out of a due valuation of its excellencie as Elisha loving and reverencing his master Eliah would follow after him and not leave him The second is to deal justly and equally with all men without wronging any It is double injury to beat men causelesly till they cry and then to beat them for crying Thus many breed strife by injury and oppression and then cry out against it as Athalyah cryed out of treason There are two freinds sayth the Father Righteousnes and Peace He that will have the one must do the other All would have peace but all will not do righteousnes But he that puts the one away and loves not the freind of peace peace loves not him nor will come at him A third thing is forbearance of others what may be though in our own wrong For considering how ready all sorts of men are to wrong one another and withall how apt to think themselvs wronged when they are not yea often times when they themselvs do the wrong except we mingle with the former two such moderation and Christian forbearance as to bear and tolerate for peace sake persons and things not intollerable we follow strife in effect whatsoever we eyther pretend or intend otherwise It is ill when good men have not peace and unity amongst themselvs and as yll yea worse when there is peace amongst wicked and godles persons seeing thereby their strength in evill is encreased It is better the work of God go on weakly as it doth when peace among the good is wanting then the divels work strongly as it doth in the conspiracie of wicked men It is therefore a speciall work of Gods good and powerfull providence to cast a bone amongst such and to set them one against another that a fire may come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and from the men of Shechem and devour Abimelech by which God makes one of them the others exequutioner in his just judgment and therewith provides many times for the peace of his people whose utter ruine otherwise their accord in evill and violence against them would endanger CHAP. XXXVII Of Societie and Freindship GOD hath made man a sociable creature and hath not onely ordeyned severall societies in which persons are to unite themselvs for theyr mutuall welfare but withall so dispensed his blessings as that no man is so barren but hath something wherewith to profit others nor any so furnished but that he stands need of others to supply his wants The head cannot say to the foot much lesse the foot to the head I have no need of thee And the lesse need thou by reason of thine aboundance of bodily or spirituall endowments hast of others the more neede they have of thee and thy plentie To which purpose tended his saying who having many servants some better and some worse and being moved by one to disburden himself of such as were unprofitable and to keep the rest answered that he stood need of the better and the worse of him The king himself is served by the feild and stands need of the husbandman and so doth he of many of far meaner condition Some wrong humayn societies by being too divine many more and much more by being too bestiall By the former I understand such as in the profession of devotion towards God swallow up dissolv such naturall civill bonds as wherein God hath tyed them unto men by chusing solitarie and monasticall lives All Christians ought to have their conversation in heaven and to use this world as though they used it not And herein such as are called to the holy ministerie ought to be ensamples to others and to go before them but not to hide themselvs in holes from them
but which will quickly take a toy and indanger the overthrow of all As in a tempestuous sea the waves in the same place are sometimes lifted up and the depths at other times disclosed so in an unmortifyed and passionate heart one unlawfull inordinate passion often breaks into the contrarie as evill and inordinate as it as did Ammons inordinate love to his sister Thamar into as excessive hatred So some of extreamly prodigall become extreamly covetous of credulous suspitious of mad-merry sad without measure The cause is for that such persons are not led by the lore of reason or conscience but caryed headlong by pangs of passion and withall driven by the divell and so must needs go and run too though up and down the same way and forward and backward after his will As in a fish-pond some one great pike devours both the lesser fish of other kindes and of its own also so in divers some one affection is so predominate as it eats up not onely reason and conscience but with them almost all other affections Many are so sowred with discontentment and sorrow that they appear to have place left for nothing els in their heart some are set upon so merry a pin as if they had the image of laughter which Licurgus set up for the Lacedemonians ever before them Others again are so overgrown with anger as they seem to have no blood but choller running in their veyns If any danger be comeing towards them which all reason would teach them to fear specially they will pick a quarrell at something in or about it to set anger and indignation awork If God send greivous crosses upon them and thereby call them to mourning it shall go hard but they will finde what to be angry at in some person or other to turn the stream that way It is some disparagement ordinarily to the government of a wise man specially in their eyes who haue no share in the motive to make great manifestation of affection one or other therefore Ioseph when he would make himself known affectionately to his brethren commanded all the Egiptians out of the place So Zachariah foretelling the extream mourning which shall be by the familyes in Ierusalem when God shall pour upon them the spirit of grace shews that every family shall mourn apart and their wives apart Yet are there cases in which it stands as well with wisdom to manifest great affections as with grace or nature to have them And this David prudently considered and practised at Abners Funerall We should order our affections before we have any speciall provocations and set down with our selvs what may be before hand that if such or such a thing come to passe we will allow it such and such a measure of its compatible affection and no more that as feirce dogs though provoked by other mens voyces yet are quieted by their masters voyce to which they are used so the feirce motions of the minde may be by reasons voice with which they are formerly acquainted for that purpose made still and quiet These motions and affections are well ordered when they rise and fall according to the varietie and weight of objects To be greatly affected with small occurrences is womanlike weaknes litle with great matters stoicall blockâ—shnes And me-thinks he that hath a life to loose and considers it well should not easily come to fear excessively the losse of his goods nor he the losse of his bodily life who hath a soul to loose or save for ever And therefore Christ our Lord bids Fear not him that can kill the body and then hath shot his sting and can hurt no more but fear him who can cast both body and soul into hell As physitions fearing a mans over-bleeding at the nose open a veyn in the arm thereby to turn the course of the blood another way so we finding one affection or other inordinate in us and like to overflow if we cannot so rule and represse it as is meet by good reason shall do well to set some other affection a working by some moveing and lawfull object that so the stream being turned another way we may disappoint the passion which we cannot so well order For example If a man finde himself in danger of exoâ—bitancy in anger it is good for him to set afoote sorrow or fear by some such lawfull object as God offers him and so for other passions of the minde Or if the stream of the affection happ to run so strong as that we can not well turn it another way it is wisdom to get it upon some such object in the same way as wherein it may freely take its scope as the horse that can not be stayed yet may be guided into such a way as in which there is no great danger how fast soever he runs which may also be so heavie as will keep him from running fast in it Thus if sorrow fear or anger be like to work inordinately in us let us set them upon our sins and so the danger of all excesse will soon be over for the most part And indeed it is no small point of christian wisdom for a man to provide fit matter for his affections especially predominant in him to be exercised in Is any among you afflicted sayth the Apostle let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes And by this means he shall neyther loose his own advantage for good nor further Sathans for evill by any passion or affection in him CAP. LV. Of Fear FEar hath onely evill for the object eyther evill in it self as is sin or to him that feareth as are the effects thereof temporall or eternall punishment and the anger of God inflicting them It is a base affection and the cognisance of the creatures infirmitie shewing him to be subject to evill from the fear whereof onely the creatour is absolutely free And so whereas courage and stoutnes of heart though none of the best procures unto men a kinde of respect in the eyes of others fear though better used makes them more contemptible A lyon is more regarded then many oxen though one oxe be of more use both for labour and meat and otherwise then many lyons But God loves rayther a good then a great heart And in the law Gods sacrifices were to be offered of lambs and kids and doves and pigeons fearfull creatures and innocent withall and not of Lyons and Eagles though they be the kings of beasts and birds There is in man a threefold fear of God arising from a threefold apprehension of his Majestie the first is of God as our glorious creatour and governour this is naturall The second as of a just and angry Lord which is servile The third as of our gratious Father in Christ called and being filiall All these are found in the true fearers of God in this life though the midle least which perâ—it love driveth out
pressed with great burdens of temptations in a kinde of abjectnes of minde to moulder away and make their gold litle better then drosse by undervaluing Gods goodnes towards them Such are unthankfull to God uncomfortable in themselvs and unprofitable unto others in comparison Besides there is an humble hypocrisy when men so subjâ—ct themsâ—lvs to others specially superiours as they reverence their viâ—es or suffer their reason more if their fayth and consciences to be captived to their lusts And hence comes the worshiping of Angels and other poynts of will worship in which the shâ—w of â—isdom in the inventers imposers and of humilitie in the followers bear â—wâ—y Lastly there is a desperate humilitie when out of an evill and accusing conscience a man knows and judges himself out of Gods favour and a vile person But now the most of this humilitie hath joyned with it no small pride That of the first kinde is very rare and the infinitely more common and dangerous disease is the overswelling of the heart through excesse of self-self-love and presumption Self-love disposeth a person to think himself and to desire to be thought of others to have the excellency which he hath not Herewith the minde is easily corrupted and vayn man induced to presume of that goodnes in himself which he wants and to be lifted up with that which he hath Many by stouping loose of their bodily height but few stoop too low in conceipt of themselvâ— Yet as Christ Iesus ceased not to be God though he humbled himself to the taking upon him the form of a servant so neyther is any man eyther in truth or account of God or good men the lesse but much the more excellent for his lowly appearance to himself or others Yea as the same Christ our Lord stepped from the shamefull crosse to the height of his glory and exaltation so he that will make any high building in christianitie must first think of and lay this low foundation of humilitie This lowlynes of minde is the mother of meeknes as Christ insinuates saying Learn of me for I am lowly and meek The humbly-mynded if a crosse come or injurie be offered bears them moderately as thinking moderately of himself yea meanly in regard of his sins and the miserie to which they expose him The proud through want of consciousnes hereof if he be a litle crossed is feirce and violent â—ove dignas concipit iras What He A man of his worth so to be used specially by such a one And as the boar wheâ—s and sharpens his â—uskes in his own foam so doth a proud person whet and sharpen his heart hands and tongue to indignation and revenge in the froathy and foamish imagination of his own worth Seeing that in evill dayes the meek and milde in spirit following Christs example who was as a lamb dumb before the shearer not opening his mouth are in danger not onely to be shorn but to be flayed also the most in the wisdom and lust of the flesh think it better to â—owl with the wolves and to byte too then by departing from evill specially by bearing wrongs patiently to make themselvs a pray But here fayth steps in and leads the meek to Gods promises that he shall inherit the earth and that God will arise to judgment to save all the meek of the earth and that he will see and hear and in due time right the wrongs of meek Moses though he passe them by and as a deaf man hears not But for the violent and self-avenger he puts himself out of Gods protection and goes upon his own hazzard As the stommack swels eyther with good meat excessively used or with winde and ill humours so there is â—carse any thing eyther so good or so evill but mans corrupt heart takes occasion of prydeing and puffing up its self by it The prophet speaks of some who boasted in evill and the Apostle of others whose glorying was in their shame If former ages have been bold ours is impudent this way in which it is hard to say whether the pride which persons take in good or in evill be greater Many shame not to boast of the evils practised by them which modest men are ashamed to hear of and some of the evils which they never did nor dare nor can doe thereby to get credit with vayn persons If pride in good be hatefull it is abhominable in evill specially when men bely themselvs to get matter of glorying in mischief as Austin confesseth he in his youth had done Fools glory in their moâ—ley coats and therein shew why they wear them But worse then mad are they who glory in sin and are lift up for that which cast the Angels from heaven Adam out of Paradise and Nabuchadnezzar out of his kingdom amongst the beasts of the feild and which will cast all into hell that delight in it As wicked men pride themselvs in their evils so are the good in danger to be enamoured of their goodnes And as he that beseigeth a cittie if he can neyther obteyn it by composition nor take it by assault nor constreyn it by hunger will in the last place if he can undermine and blow it up with gunpouder So our and Gods enemy Sathan when he cannot corrupt or destroy Gods servants otherwise attempts and that oft successively the lifting them up with vayn conceiptednes of themselvs and their own worth The holy Apostle was in danger to be exalted above measure with the number of revelations for the preventing whereof he needed a messenger of Sathan to buffet him So God for the keeping and driveing of pride from his servants sometimes brings great afflictions upon them and humbles them thereby and sometimes he doth this by suffering them to fall into other sins to remedy that greater sin of pride as men use to drive out a greater pin with another somewhat smaller How close doth this corruption cleav unto us and how dangerous is it withall for the purging out of which the Lord useth such a medicine There are in this pride many strange touches some being proud in and some of their humilitie Of the first sort were they who being vaynly puffed up by their fleshly mindâ— in voluntarie humblenes worshâ—ped Angels From a touch of this kinde Peter was not free when he so refrâ—ctâ—rily refused to suffer Christ to wash his feet There is also danger of being proud of not being proud nor â—oftie in caryage apparaell or contempt of inferiours and of being called rayther goodman then mayster and rayther mayster then Sir knight Besides all these many will goe on their tiptoes though barefoot being proud of no man knows what eyther within or without them and none more then they There want not also amongst the rest who put out pride to usurie that by forbearing it a while and uâ—ing for it humble and submissive appearances they might after