words or rather no words but a few poor thoughts conceived aright pass all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullus and all the Orators that ever were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit A Father delights more in the stammering of his little Child than in the eloquence of the best Orator Neither is hearty prayer in our own power but it is the gift of God which at somtimes in plentifull measure hee bestoweth upon his children and at other times again hee pulleth back his liberall hand that by the want thereof wee may leern to ascribe the glory and praise of this grace to the giver who worketh in us the will and the deed which praise otherwise in pride of heart wee would arrogate unto our selvs as beeing in our own power Also that wee may more highly esteem it and with more joy and diligence use it when we have it bestowed on us If it bee asked why God reckons so highly of a few sighs and groans and why the prayers of the faithfull are so powerfull it is because they bee not ours but the intercession of Gods own Spirit in us powred out in the name of Christ his own Son in whom hee is ever well 〈◊〉 for as for us wee know not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it self maketh request for us with sighs which cannot bee expressed Rom. 8.26 It is the Spirit whereby wee cry Abba Father ver 15. Gal. 4.6 Now if thou wouldest have the Spirits assistance and bee heard of God when thou makest supplication to him do not as too many do fall into prayer without preparation and utter a number of words without devotion or affection for no marvell if we ask and miss when we thus ask amiss Iâ—â— 4.3 Neither do as Children which never look after their Arrow but like Daniel Dan. 9. take notice of thine inlargements in prayer and of thy success after Nor onely pray and no more for to pray and to do nothing else is in effect to do nothing less But let your Prayers be ushered in by Meditation and 〈◊〉 by zealous devotion and then beleeving that you shall receive whatsoever you ask in Christs name and according to his will 1 John 5. â—â— John â—6 23 God will bee 〈◊〉 to give you that you desire 1 John 5.14.15 Mark 11.23.24 or that which is better for you 〈…〉 And suppose thou art not presently heard yet continue asking stil as Peter continued knocking till the door was opened for afâ—er an ill harvest wee must sow and after denials wee must woo God Yea if it bee possible with the Woman of Canaan let delays and seeming denialls encrease the strength of thy cries And commonly they bee earnest suits which issue from a troubled soul like strong streams in narrow straights which bear down all that stands in their way Nothing so strong as the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah for it overcame the roaring Lyon yet the Praier of Faith from the knees of humility and a broken heart will conquer even that Conquerour Matth. 15.28 And thus you see that nothing can befall us without the sorciall appointment of our good God who not only takes notice of our sufferings but sweetneth them with his presence takes our part stints our enemies and so ordereth the whole that our grief is either short or tolerable and that though hee is oftentimes harsh in the beginning and progress and late in coming yet hee coms on the sudden and is always comfortable in the conclusion And lastly that if hee defer his help it is on purpose that our trialls may bee perfect our deliverance welcome our recompence glorious And may not this comfort thee CHAP. 37. That stripes from the Almighty are speciall tokens and pledges of his adoption and love 3 WEe shall bear the Cross with more patience and comfort if wee consider that stripes from the Almighty are so far from arguing his displeasure that contrarily there are no better tokens and pledges of the Adoption and love As many saith God as I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. â— 19 My Son saith the Author to the Hebrews out of Solomons Proverbs Despise not the chastening of the Lord neither saint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and hee scourgeth every son whom hee receiveth If you endure chastening God offereth himself unto you as unto sons for what son is it whom the Father chastenâ—th not If therefore yee bee without correction whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sons Heb. 11.5 to 13. Prov. 3.11.12 Hee is a Thistle and not good Corn that cometh not under the flail Yea what use of the grain it self if it pass not the edg of the sickle the stroak of the flail the wind of the Fan the weight of the milstone the heat of the oven Many a mans fellicity driveth him from God and where happiness domineereth virtue is commonly banished And doth not experience shew that fear and joy sweet and sowr sharp and flat one with another do better than either alone for if you bee too â—aâ—sh you make the 〈◊〉 a fool if â—oo fondâ— a wanton The bridlâ—â— governs the horse the 〈…〉 hiâ— the weight upon 〈…〉 Iack â—o the 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 The sayls give the speed the 〈…〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 upon God 〈…〉 to us our favours and crosses in an equall ballance and so tempers out sorrows that they may not oppress and our joys that they may not transport us Each one hath some matter of envie to others and of grief to himself Thou dealest mercifully with us lest wee should fall from thee and despair thou beatest us lest wee should forget thee and so perish saith Saint Austin Hee that knows our frame knows wee are best when wee are worst and live holiest when wee are miserablest wherefore by affliction hee separates the sin that hee hates from the sinner whom hee loves and wee are by much the better for this scouring It is the wont of Fathers to hold in their Children when they suffer the children of bond-men to go at large and do as they list yea when diverse children are playing the wantons if wee see a man take one from the rest and whip him soundly we conclude that alone to be his Child Yea wise and discreet Fathers will force their Children earnestly to apply themselvs to their study or labour and will not let them bee idle although it bee holy-day yea constrain them to sweat and oftentimes to weep when their Mothers would set them on their laps and keep them at home all day in the shadow for burning their white Iacob is bound Apprentice while prophane Esau rides a hunting of Elkanah his two wives Hanna was in more esteem with God yet barren and Peninnah less yet shee was fruitfull 1 Sam. 1. They were all gross
easily parteth with his worldly goods to these uses unless by faith he be assured that he shall have in lieu of them heavenlâ—y and everlasting treasures The merciful man is ever a faithfull man Fourthly it testifies our unfeigned repentance whereof it is that Daniel saith to Nebuchadnezer Wherefore O King break off thy sins by repentance and thine iniquities by shewing mercy unto the poore Dan. 4 27. The which Zacheus practised Luke 19. For no sooner was he converted unto God but to testifie his unfeigned repentance he giveth half his goods unto the poore Verse 8. Fifthly giving much is an infallible signe that many sins are forgiven us as our Saviour speaketh of the woman Luke 7.47 Sixthly by it we may know our selves to be the children of God 1 Iohn 3.14 Yea and others may also know it Iohn 13.34 35. And hereby we know the unmercifull to be none of Gods children â—or the Father of Mercies hath no children but the mercifull Seventhly it is said that Obadia feared God greatly for when Iesabel destroied the Prophets of the Lord he took an hundred Prophets and hid them by fifty in a cave and he fed them with bread and water 1 Kings 18.3.4 Therefore it is a sure signe of the fear of God Eightly they are undoubted signes of our love towards God When as we so love the poore for his sake as that we be content to spare somewhat even from our own backs and bellies that we may the more liberally communicate unto their necessities But this a wicked man will never do the onely loves the Lord is 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 onely 〈…〉 riches by him Or as Saul loved Samuel to gain honour by him True they will say they love God and perhaps think so too but let them say what they will if unmercifull I will never believe against Scripture that they love God whom they have not seen that love not their brother whom they have seen if we love him we will love one another 1 Iohn 4.20 21. If any man saies the Apostle have these worlds goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 Iohn 3.17 And as they are manifest signes of our love to God so also of our love towards our Neighbours when as we carry our selves in all Christian bounty towards them as unto Children of the same Father and members of the same body suffering with them in their wants through compassion and fellow-feeling and rejoycing with them in their fulness and prosperity Hereby we know that we love the brethren because our hearts and hands are open to them for love is bountifull For otherwise it is but an unprofitable counterfeit and hypocriticall love to make shew of kindness and compassion in word and to perform nothing in deed as Saint Iames plainly affirmeth Iamesâ— 15. But that this alone is the best touchstone to shew the sincerity and truth of our love many places demonstrate as 2 Cor. 8.8 24. 1 Iohn 3.18 CHAP. XXVII And as our Almesdeeds are a sign of our love to God and our Neighbourâ— so the quantity of our almes respect being had to the proportion of our estate is a signe of the quantity of our love for he loveth but little that having much giveth but a little and contrariwise his heart is inâ—lamed with fervent love who hath it inflamed with bounty towards his poore brethren the extension of our love towards them being the true touchstone of the intention of our love towards God And as a great tree with many and large branches is an undoubted sign of a root proportionable in greatness and a small shrub above the ground plainly sheweth that the root also is small wch is under it so is it with our Almesdeeds which spring from it For if we be bountiful in Almes we are plentifull in love if we be slack in giving we are cold in loving but if we be utterly defective in bringing forth these excellent fruits then it is a manifest sign that this grace of love is not rooted in us 1 Iohn 3.17 Ninthly It is an evident demonstration that we have saving knowledge and spiritual wisdom for the wisdom that is from above is full of mercy and good fruits Iames 3.17 Otherwise we are not wise our wisdom descends not from above but is earthly sensuall and devillish Verse 15. Tenthly By these works of mercy we make our calling and election sure for if we do these things we shall never fall as St. Peter speaks 2 Pet. 1.7 8 10. And St. Paul infers Col. 3. Put on as the elect of God holy and beloved the bowels of mercy and kindness Verse 12. Which makes him in another place call charity a never failing grace 1 Cor. 1.8 And a little afâ—er he useth these words Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Verse 13. Eleventhly This is a duty which undoubtedly must justifie the truth of our religion or else condemn us as hollow hearted and swayed by hypocrisie Iames 1. This is pure religion and undefiled before God to visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction Verse 27. O that this lesson would enter home into every one of our hearts before we go out of our houses For men may cry up this side and cry down that but of all the three the Priest the Levite and the Samaritan none but the Samaritan that shewed mercy to him that was fallen into the hands of theeves was wounded and stript of his rayment was justified and approved of by our Saviour Luke 10.36 37. And indeed God so highly prizeth and esteemeth mercy and the works wherein it is exercised towards the poore that he preferreth them before the outward acts of religious duties Hosea 6.6 I desired mercy and not sacrifice that is rather then sacrifice This is the oblation which he chiefly requireth yea if we but look Micha 6. we shall fiâ—d that God esteemeth it more or above all sacrifices and burnt offerings were it thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of oyle Verse 6.7 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Verse 8 Finally these works of mercy are not onely an odor of a sweet smell and a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God as the Apostle speaks Phil. 4.18 But also such an oblation as if we offer unto God with a lively faith the use of all the creatures shall be clean unto us according to that of our Saviour Luke 11 4â— See more Heb. 13.16 Isa. 58.6 7 8. Iames 1.27 And this is a Twelfth benefit CHAP. XXVIII Thirteenthly another no small benefit that we have thereby is by our bounty towards the poor we have the benefit of their prayers unto God the which are very available for the obtaining of all good things for us the which
Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.22 Whom hast thou blasphemed And against whom hast thou exalted thy self Even against the Holy One of Israel Whom are you angry withal Doth the rain and waters or any other creature displease you Alas they are but servants if their Master bid smite they must not forbear they may say truly what Rabshakeh usurped Are we come without the Lord Isa. 1.36.10 Yea are we not sent of the Lord in loue and to do you good and to give you occasion of rejoycing afterward if you bear the Cross patiently and make that use of it which others do and the Lord intends Yea Saint Paul could rejoyce even in tribulation But alas these are so far from rejoycing with that blessed Apostle that they rave in tribulation and like some beasts grow mad with baiting or like frantick men wounded who finding ingredients prepared to dress them tear them all in pieces But let us not be like them if Satan robs us of a bag of silver let not us call after him and bid him take a bag of gold also If he afflict thee outwardly yet surrender not to him the inward rail not at the Hangman but run to the Iudge fret not with Ioash 2 Kings 6.33 but submit with Hezekiah Isai. 39.8 When Gods hand is on thy back let thy hand be on thy mouth If thou beest wronged call not thine adversary to account but thy self and let it trouble thee more to do ill then to hear of it be more sorry that it is true then that it is known Yea neither rage at the Chirurgion as mad-men nor swoun under his hand as Milk-sops but consider with whom thou hast to do The Lord the Lord strong merciful and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty but visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 34.6 7. And this if any thing will do It was before the Lord saith David and therefore I will be yet more vile Reproach in Gods service is our best preferment the Lord so noble the servant cannot be too humble even Bucephalus that disdained any other rider in all his trappings would kneel down to his Master Alexander and go away proud of his burthen Yea to go yet further let us with good old Eli who was a good son 〈◊〉 God though he had been an ill Father to his sons even kiss the very rod we smart withall and say It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good for whatsoever seemeth good to him cannot but be good howsoever it seems to us Yea let us receive his stripes with all humility patience piety and thankfulness resolving as that holy Martyr Iohn Bâ—adford who said to the Queen how much more did he mean it to the great King of Heaven and Earth If the Queen will give me liâ—e I will thank her if she will banish me I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her A man will easily swallow a bitter Pil to gain health The stomach that is purged must be content to paâ—t with some good nouâ—ishment that it may deliver it self of more evil humours and the Physician knows what is best for the Patient the Nurse better then the Infant what is good and fit for it Now the Tenant is more noble then the House therefore why are we not more joyed in this then dejected in the other since the least grain of the increase of grace is more worth then can be equalled with whole pounds of bodily vexation Yea let us take them as tokens and pledges of Gods love and favour who loves his Children so as not to make wantons of them They that would tame pamper'd Horses do add to their travel and abate of their provender as Pharaoh served the Children of Israel Which of us shall see pieces of Timber cut and squared and plained by the Carpenter or Stones hewn and polished by the Mason but will collect and gather that these are Stones and Timber which the Master would employ in some building If I suffer it is that I may reign And how profitable is that â—ffliction which carrieth me to Heaven Oh it is a good change to have the fire of affliction for the fire of Hell Who would not rather smart for a while then for ever It 's true these Waspes wicked men sting shrewdly but the Hornet Sathan would sting worse a great deal And not seldome doth the infliction of a lesse punishment avoid a greater Neither must any man think to be alwayes free from censures aspersions and wrongs nor sometimes from faults The very Heathen could say It is for none but God to feele or want nothing Indeed many are too apt to expect it and therefore can bear nothing like Minderides the Sybarite who was grieved for that some of the Rose-leaves which he lay upon were rumpled together But this is to vilipend and undervalue his kindnesse to make no repute nor reckoning of his deepest indulgencies whereas the contrary approves our sincerity beyond all exceptions Every man can open his hand to God while he blesses but to expose our selves willingly to the afflicting hand of our Maker and to kneele to him while he scourges us is peculiar to the faithfull 3. Vse 3. Thirdly if the sharp sufferings and bitter conflicts and sore travels of Gods children are usually the forerunners of a joyfull issue even the happy birth of saving repentance that the sharp pain of the Chirurgions cutting them is only to ease them of a more durable and dangerous yea a far heavier pain the stone of the heart If while their enemies go about to rob them they do but inrich them As that Sexton who in the night went to rob a Gentlewoman that had been buried the day before with a gold Ring and having opened the coffin loosed the sheet and chafed her finger to get it off she having been but in a swoone before her spirits returning she revived and for many years after lived comfortably If they may be resembled to the five loaves in the Gospel which by a strange Arithmetick were multiplied by Division and augmented by Substraction then let none dare to flatter or flesh themselves because their estate is prosperous especially in an evil way As it fared with Leah whoÌ„ we may hear thus chanting her happines God saith she hath given me my reward because I have given my maid to my husband Gen. 30.18 when she should rather have repented then rejoyced And the like with Micah Iudg. 17.13 and Saul 1 Sam. 23.7 and Dionysius when he found the windes favourable in his navigation after he had despoiled the Temple of all the gold therein Neither let such as suffer not censure their brethren that do as those
And know withall that it is no small sin even to doubt when we have God's command and warrant to secure us Thou thinkest thy self miserable God saith thou art blessed Thou saiest thou art hated of the world God saith thou art beloved of Christ who hath chosen thee out of the world Thou thinkest it a shame to be reproached God saith It is thy glory Thou grievest at it God saith thou hast great cause to rejoice for it sheweth thee to be born of God thine enemies to be the seed of the Serpent Thou saiest that all things go crosse with thee God saith That all things shall work together for the best it may be the increase of thy temporal happinesse however that it shall bee for the improvement of thy graces here for the advancement of thy glory hereafter Thou thinkest it a sign of displeasure God saith it is to thy Enemies a token of perdition but to thee of salvation Thou thinkest thy self near forsaken God saith The spirit of glory and of God resteth upon thee Thou saiest thou shalt one day perish God saith that neither things present nor things to come shall ever be able to separate thee from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thou thinkest the Lord doth not hear thee because he doth not presently answer thee in the things that thou requirest I tell thee it were ill for the best of us if we were permitted to be our own choosers Let Peter have his desire and his Master shall not die so Peter himself and the whole world had been lost In unfit supplications we are most heard when we are repelled our God often times doth answer our praiers with merciful denials and most blesseth us in crossing our desires We may ask either bad things to a good purpose or good things to a bad purpose or good things to a good purpose but in an ill season Now if we ask what is either unfit to receive or unlawful to beg it is a great favour of our God to be denied granting is not alwaies the effect of love if so then had Paul been lesse loved then Satan Satan begg'd but once and had his paier granted concerning Iob S. Paul begg'd thrice that he might not be buffeted yet was denied Satan beg'd his shame who envied his successe Saint Paul that freedom from temptation which would have been worse bad then wanted yea if granting were alwaies an effect of love then was our blessed Saviour lesse loved than Satan for the Lord would not let the Cup of his Passion passe from him upon his earnest praier which he made as he was Man But you must know that denials in some cases are better than grants the Lord will not take away the body of sin from us upon our earnest praiers yet he granteth us that which is equivalent viz. Grace to subdue our corruptions and withall takes away the occasion of pride which is better for certainly he is more supported of God that hath grace given him to conquer a temptation as had the Martyrs in being able to suffer those tortures than another who is excused to fight Again we must not measure God's hearing of our suit by his present answer or his present answer by our own sense touching the first Zachary a long time failed of a Son for all his Praier but when he had even forgot that Praier he had a Son the Angel brings him good news Luk. 1.13 Thy Praier is beard When did he make this Praier Nor lately for then he was grown old and had given over all hope of a child so that his request was past over many years and no answer given The like example we have in Hannah who powring out her soul before the Lord in the trouble of her spirit God did not immediately tell her by revelation that she should conceive a Son but he gave her for the present faith which did work in her joy and peace of conscience for saith the text she looked no more sad and when shee had waited his leisure a certain time The Lord remembred her with a Son 1 Sam. 1. There is nothing between God and thee but time prescribe not his wisdom hasten not his mercie now his grace is enough for you his glory shall be more than enough hereafter Tarry a little the Lords leisure deliverance will come peace will come joy will come thy tears are reserved thine hunger shall be satisfied thy sorrow shall be comforted In the mean while to be patient in misery makes misery no misery while we consider that when a little brunt is once past troubles will cease but joies shall never cease Wherefore let us never give over but in our thoughts knit the beginning progresse and end together and then shall we see our selves in Heaven out of the reach of all our enemies 2. To prove that wee are not to judge of Gods answering our praiers by our own sence I need but to instance the woman of Canaan as what can speed well if the praier of faith from the knees of humility succeed not and yet behold the further she goes the worse she fares her discouragement is doubled with her suit It is not good saith our Saviour to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs here was cold comfort yet stay but a while he clears up his brows and speaks to her so comfortably that 't were able to secure any heart to dispel any fears O Saviour how different are thy waies from ours when even thy severity argues favour The trial had not been so sharp if thou hadst not found the faith so strong if thou hadst not meant the issue so happie It is no unusual thing for kindnesse to look sternly for the time that it may indear it self more when it lists to be discovered It was cold comfort that the Cripple heard from Peter and Iohn when he begg'd of them an alms Silver and gold have I none but the next clause rise up and walk made amends for all O God! we may not alwaies measure thy meaning by thy semblance sometimes what thou most intendest thou shewest least In our afflictions thou turn'st thy back upon us and hidest thy face from us when thou most mindest our distresses So Ionathan shot the arrows beyond David when he meant them to him So Ioseph calls for Benjamin into bands when his heart was bound to him in the strongest affection so the tender mother makes as if she would give away her crying child whom she huges so much closer in her bosom If thou passe by us whiles we are strugling with the tempest we know it is not for want of mercie thou canâ—st not neglect us Oh let not us distrust thee if thou comest it is to relieve us if thou staiest it is to trie us howsoever thy purpose is to save us Surely God will work alone and man must not be of his counsel Wherefore many times he deals with wicked men as
§ 6. Now the meditation of what God and Christ hath done for us should make us do what we are able for him again For did Christ all this for us and shall we do nothing for him for our selves like favours require like gratitude He that confers a benefit upon a grateful nature robs him of his liberty and self also and in one and the same act makes him a vassal and himself his master Wherefore if we have any ingenuity in us it will make us to direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to his glory as he hath directed our eternal salvation thereunto But to help and further you herein if you be willing so to do take these few directions First Let these things be never out of the mindes memories mouthes of those whom Christ hath done thus for O let us I say remember as we should never forget Si totum me debeo pro me facto quid jam reddam pro merefecto saith holy Bernard If I owed my whole self unto thee for giving me my selfe in my creation what have I left to pay for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption which was not so cheap as my creation Great was the benefit that thou wouldst create me of nothing but what tongue can sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse then nothing We are full of thy goodnesse O let our hearts run over with thankfulnesse yea let so many of us as have either heart or brain in the next place say O Lord What is man that thou art so mindefull of hiâ— Psal. 8.4 And O man what is God that thou art so unmindful of him And then conclude with What shall I render unto thee ô Lord for all these thy benefits but love thee my Creator and Redeemeâ— and become a new creature I will serve thee ô Lord by the assistance of thy grace because thou hast given me my self but much more honour thee because thou hast given me thy Son Christ. § 7. Nor can any man in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerably thankful demeanure If a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient What a price then should we set upon Iesus Christ who is the life of our lives and soul of our souls But thirdly this should at least make us part with our nearest dearest and sweetest darling sins to serve him in righteousness and holiness every day every hour all the dayes of our lives Even every sin for what sin should be so dear to us as Gods onely Son was to him Do we then for Gods sake not spare our dearest sin when God for our sakes did not spare his dearest Son Yea what a brutish and barbarous unthankfulness and shame were it that God should part with his Son and his Son with his own precious blood for us and we not part with our sinful lusts and delights for him § 8. Fourthly Hath Christ done all this for us his servants so much and so many wayes obliged unto him let us do what we are able for him again 1 Let us be zealous for his glory and take his part when we see or hear him dishonoured Nor can there be any love where there is no zeal saith Augustine Well-born Children are touched to the quick with the injuries of their Parents And it is a base vile and unjust ingratitude in those men that can endure the disgrace of them under whose shelter they live 2 Let us seek to draw others after us from Satan to Him 3 Do we all we can to promote his worship and service 4 Take all good occasions to publish to others how good God is and what he hath done for us 5 Let us wholly ascribe all the good we have or do to free grace and give him the glory of his gifts imploying them to our masters best advantage 6 Let us that we may expresse out thankfulnesse to him shew kindnesse to his Children and poor â—embers who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes. 5.30.7 〈◊〉 or we ourselves for our former unthankfulnesse and our wonderful provoking of him 8 Hearken we unto Christs voice in all that he saith unto us and express our thankfulness by our obedience Yea all this 〈…〉 if we do it but for our own sakes For what should we have if 〈…〉 thus serve Christ who hath done all these things for his enemies 〈…〉 and dishonouring him True we cannot properly be said to do any thing for 〈…〉 that have all we have from him Or if we could give him our bodies and souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them yet we may do these and many the like things which he accounts and rewards as done to himself CHAP. V. § 1. NOw these things we ought to do thus thankful we ought to be to God for his inestimable and unspeakable benefits towards us But do we thus requite the Lord or do we what we are able for him again O that I could say we did Yâ—â— I would we were but so thankful to Christ for all his mercies the least whereof is greater then all the courtesies of men as we are to a friend for some one good turn But wo worth us a people not worthy the crumbs of Christs our Makers least mercy Yea well worthy of more plagues then either Tyre or Sydon Chorazin or Bethsaida Capernaum Sodome or Gomorrah Matth. 11.21 to 25. or any people since the Creation For as if all that Christ hath done for us were nothing to move us we are so far from being thankful from loving and serving him that did we seriously think of Christs love and our odious unthankfulness and compare Gods goodness with our ingratitude rightly weighing how we have from time to time abused his mercy and those many means of grace which he in his long-suffering hath afforded for our reclaiming it would even make us speechless like him in the Gospel as neither expecting pardon nor daring to ask it Yea ô Lord it is thine unspeakable mercy that our Land hath not long since spued us out and that we are not at this present frying in Hell For whereas God hath removed so many evils spiritual and corporal temporal and eternal from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination § 2. We have striven to multiply offences against him and to make them as infinite in number as his blessings We have done nothing from our infancy but added sin unto sin as he hath added mercy to mercyâ— whereby our sins are become for number as the sands in the Sea and as the Stars of heaven and answerable to their multitude is the magnitude of them as I have
and a true use of his riches Thirdly he cares not for grace but for gold therefore God gives him gold without grace He longs not after righteousness but riches therefore he shall neither be satisfied nor blessed whereas both are their portion that thirst after the former Mat. 5.6 He desires riches without Gods blessing he shall have it with a curse he loves gold more then God and desires it rather then his blessing upon it or grace therefore he shall have it and want the other Whereas if he did first seek the kingdom of heaven all things else should be added thereunto Mat. 6.33 But this worldlings appetite stands not towards the things of a better life he findes no tast in heavens treasure let him but glut himself on the filthy garbage of ill-gotten goods he cares not for Manna He sings the song of Curio vincat utilitas let gain prevail he had rather be a sinner then a begger The Apostle Saint Peter said silver and gold have I none Act. â— 6 The devil says all these are mine Luk. 4.6 The Rich man I have much goods laid up for many years Luk. 12.19 Now ask the covetous muck worm whether had you rather lack with those Saints or abound with the devil and the rich man his heart will answer give me money which will do any thing all things Eccles. 10.19 Now if he prefers gold before either God grace or glory no marvail if God grant him his desires to his hurt as he did a King and Quailes to the Israelites CHAP. XIIII FOurthly he puts his trust in his riches not in God loves serves Satan more then God therefore he shall have his comfort reward from them and not from God Yea Satan shall have more service of him for an ounce of gold then God shall have for the Kingdom of heaven because he profers a little base pelf before God and his own salvation He loves God well but his money better for that is his summum bonum yea he thinks him a fool that does otherwise What part with a certainty for an uncertainty if he can keep both well and good if not what ever betides he will keep his Mammon his money though he lose himself his soul. And yet the Lord gives far better things for nothing then Satan will sell us for our souls had we the wit to consider it as we may see Isa. 55.1 2. Again he loves his children better then the Lord oppressing Gods children to inrich his own for so his young ones be warm in their nest let Christs members shake with cold he cares not He loves the Lord as Laban loved Iacob onely to get riches by him or as Saul loved Samuel to get honor by him He will walk with God so long as plenty or the like does walk with him but no longer he will leave Gods service rather then lose by it That the Mammonist loves not God is evident for if any man love the world the love of God is not in him 1 John 2.15 yea the two poles shall sooner meet then the love of God and the love of money Not is this all for he not onely loves Mammon more then God but he makes it his god shrines it in his coffer yea in his breast and sacrifâ—ceth his heart to it he puts his trust and placeth his confidence in his riches makes it his hope attributing and ascribing all his successes thereunto which is to deny God that is above as we may plainly see Iob 31.24 28. Nor ought covetous men to be admitted into Christian society We have a great charge to separate from the covetous Eat not with him sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.11 and also wise Solomon Prov. 23.7 Covetousness is flat idolatry which makes it out of measure sinful and more hanious then any other sin as appears Col. 3.5 Ephes. 5.5 Iob 31.24 28. Ier. 17.5 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Fornication is a foul sin but nothing to this that pollutes the body but covetousness defileth the soul and the like of other sins Yea it is such a sordid and damnable sin that it ought not once to be named among Christians but with detestation Ephes. 5.3 It is a sound Conclusion in Divinity That is our God which we love best and esteem most as gold is the covetous mans god and â—ellychear the voluptuous mans god and honor the ambitious mans god and for these they will do more then they will for God Yea all wicked men make the devil their god for why does Saint Paul call the devil the god of this world but because wordly men do believe him trust him and obey him above God and against God and do love his wayes and commandments better then the wayes and laws of God We all say that we serve the Lord but as the Psalmist speaks other Lords rule us and not the Lord of heaven and earth The covetous Mammonist does insatiably thirst after riches placing all his joyes hopes and delights thereon does he not then make them his God yeâ— God sayes lend clothe feed harbor The devil and Mammon say take gather extort oppress spoil whether of these are our gods but they that are most obeyed Know ye not saith Saint Paul that to whomsoever ye give your selves as servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey Rom. 6.16 the case is plain enough that every wilful sinner makes the devil his god he cannot deny it I wish men would well waigh it The goods of a worldling are his gods Ye have taken away my gods says Micha and what have I more to lose Jud. 18.24 He makes Idols of his coyn as the Egyptians did of their treasure They have turned the truth of God into a lye and worshipped and served the creature forsaking the Creator which is blessed for ever Amen Rom. 1.25 The greedy Wolfe Mole or Muckworm who had rather be damned then damnified hath his Mammon in the place of God loving it with all his heart with all his soul with all his minde making gold his hope and saying to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence and yet of all men alive he is least contented when he hath his hearts desire yea more then he knows what to do withall the issue of a secret curse For in outward appearance they are as happy as the world can make them they have large possessions goodly houses beautiful spouses hopeful children full purses yet their life is never the sweeter nor their hearts ever the lighter nor their meales the heartier nor their nights the quieter nor their cares the fewer yea none more full of complaints among men Oh cursed Ciatifs how does the devil bewitch them Generally the poorer the merryer because having food and raiment they are therewith content 1 Tim. 6.8 They obey the rule Heb. 13 5. and God gives his blessing But for those that make gold their god how should not God either deny them riches or deny his
expression as this Praised be the Lord even the God of our salvation who loadeth us daily with benefits Selah Psal. 68.19 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure Psal. 145.15 16. To come to promotion is neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south but God is the Iudge he maketh low and he maketh high Psal. 75.6 7. And so of all other mercies and deliverances He that confers a Benefit upon a gratefull nature robs him of his liberty and self also and in one and the same act makes him a vassal will make us to direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to his glory as he hath directed our eternal salvation thereunto But to help and further you herein if you be willing so to do take these few Directions First Let these things be never out of the minds memories and mouthes of those whom Christ hath done thus for O let us I say remember as we should never forget Si totum me debeo pro me facto quid jam reddam pro me refecto saith holy Bernard If I owed my whole self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what have I left to pay for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption which was not so cheap as my Creation Great was the benefit that thou wouldst create me of nothing but what tongue can sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing We are full of thy goodnesse O let our hearts run over with thankfulnesse Yea let so many of us as have either heart or brain in the next place say O Lord What is man that thou art so mindfull of him Psal. 8.4 And O man what is God that thou art so unmindfull of him And then conclude with What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all these thy benefits but love thee my Creatour and Redeemer and become a new creature I will serve thee O Lord by the assistance of thy grace because thou hast given me my self but much more honour thee because thou hast given me thy Son Christ. Nor can any man in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerably thankfull demeanure If a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient but to him that hath given me all things I have scarce given so much as thanks Yea I have striven to multiply offences against him and to make them as infinite in number as his blessings Thirdly The continual meditation of what God hath done for thee will make thee do what thou art able for him again For did God and Christ do all this for us and shall we do nothing for him again Like favours require like gratitude This then should at least make us part with our nearest dearest and sweetest darling sins to serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse every day every hour all the daies of our lives Even every sin for what sin should be so dear to us as Gods only Son was to him Do we then for Gods sake not spare our dearest sin when God for our sakes did not spare his dearest Son Yea what a bruitish and barbarous unthankfulnesse and shame were it that God should part with his Son and his Son with his own precious blood for us and we not part with our sinfull lusts and delights for him Fourthly Hath Christ done all this for us his servants so much and so many waies obliged unto him let us do what we are able for him again 1. Let us be zealous for his glory and take his part when we see or hear him dishonoured Nor can there be any love where thereâ— no zeal saith Augustine Well-born Children are touched to the quick with the injuries of their Parents And it is a base vile and unjust ingratitude in those men that can endure the disgrace of them under whose shelter they live 2. Let us seek to draw others after us from Satan to Him 3. Do we all we can to promote his worship and service 4. Take we all good occasions to publish to others how good God is and what he hath done for us 5. Let us wholly ascribe all the good we have or do to free grace and give him the glory of his gifts imploying them to our Masters best advantage 6. Let us that we may expresse our thankfulnesse to him shew kindnesse to his Children and poor members who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes. 5 30. 7. Abhor we our selves for our former unthankfulnesse and our wonderfull provoking of him 8. Hearken we unto Christs voice in all that he saith unto us and expresse our thankfulnesse by our obedience Yea all this let us do if we do it but for our own sakes For what should we have if we did thus serve Christ who hath done all these things for his enemies neglecting and dishonouring him CHAP. XVI But thou wilt say What can we do for God or for Christ I Answer We cannot properly benefit God nor add to his fulnesse They can add no good to him that have all their good from him The Ocean is never the fuller though all the rivers of the world flow into the same So What is God the better for our praises or performances to whom in that he is infinite nothing can be added If we be righteous our righteousnesse may profit the sonnes of men but what can we give unto him or what receiveth he at our hands Can the Sun receive light from a candle What profit does the Sunne receive by our looking upon it We are the better for its light not it for our sight or at all prejudiced by our neglect A shower of rain that waters the earth gets nothing to it self the earth fares the better for it Lord saith David our well-doing doth not at all extend unto thee but to the Saints that are on the earth and to the excellent ones in whom is all my delight Psal. 16.2 3. Yea if we could give him our bodies and souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them It is for our good that he would be served and magnified of us True as the Ocean daynes to take tribute of the small brooks and accepts that in token of thankfulnesse which was its own before it being the maintainer of the rivers streams Or as Ioseph accepted of his Brethrens small gifts albeit he had no need of them Gen 43.15 So does God accept of our free-will offerings and bountifully rewards them Phil. 4.18 Yea if in impolying our Talents we aim at his glory and the Churches good he doubles them Matth. 25.21 22 23. Nor does God look
a great favour We would willingly do it without any reluctancy yea rather then fail we would borrow it though we had our selves many children yea there is no man when he sows his ground thinks that it is lost and cast away or so buryed in the Earth that he shal never see it more No he lookes that that should bring him in a great deal more and pay him with overplus for all his cost and this hope makes him prodigal of his Seed so that it shal have as much by his good wil as the ground can bear or bring forth And does not this plainly prove that we wil give credit to a man's Word or Bond yea that we wil trust the very ground it self rather then take God's or Christ's Bond or the Bible-Security You know the place wel enough where God hath given his Bill to you for the re-payment of what you give to the poor Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given he will repay him again Lo brethren the bil of Gods own hand as I may call it in which he hath both acknowledged the Debt and promised payment Be it known unto all men by this present promise That I the Lord God of Heaven Earth do own and acknowledge my self to be indebted to every merciful or liberal man all those sums of money which he hath bestowed or shal bestow in relieving the distressed to be paid back unto him whensoever he shal demand it for a Bond or Bill that names no day of payment binds to pay it at demand and to this payment wel and truly to be paid I bind my self firmly by this present promise sent sealed and delivered by Solomon my known Secretary or Scribe So that not to give readily upon this consideration is to proclaim the Lord an insufficient or a dishonest Pay-Master either that we do not believe Godâ—s â—s Promises nor give that credit unto him on his Word which we would give to a Turk or Infidel dwelling among us or that we do not esteem the payment of his spiritual Grace or Heavenly Glory vvhich together vvith pecuniary pay is super-added for current money or of equal value to these transitory trifles which we impart unto the poor for if a man of any credit should promise for the laying out of an hundred pounds that we should have Annuity of a hundred pounds a yeare for term of life how eagerly would we catch at such an offer though the quick approach of Death might make us loosers by the bargain But God promiseth that if we wil lay out our money on these uses wee shal have an hundred for one of these Earthly trifles together with Spiritual heavenly everlasting Treasures to boot in the Life to come So that it is undeniable if we do not obey the Precept of God herein we charge God with flat falshood For consider God saith he wil repay it thou saist He wil not He saith That to give is the onely vvay to have and to grovv rich yea never â—o want nor to have thy Children want Thou sayst if I give so much I shal neveâ— be rich yea I shal be a Beggar What is this but to give God the Lie and to make the excuse worse then the fault For shame then let us acknowledge the sufficiency and faithâ—ulness of God and go away assured that he wil abundantly perform more then we can imagine according to the riches of his grace in Iesus Christ. Nor can we doubt but God is as good a Debtor as a giver for if he freely give us wherewithal to lend and grace to give he wil much more pay us what we have lent and give us because we have given that is his Bounty this his Justice As what says Saint Paul God is not unrighteous that he should forget your work and labour of love which ye shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister As if hee should say that God were unrighteous if he should do so Heb. 6.10 Dost thou then love thy mony and wouldst thou have it increased Deliver it not into the hands of men saith Saint Austin who wil rejoice when they borrow and mourn when they repay it intreat that they may receive and calumniate when they should restore who may be bankrupt and cannot or deceitful and wil not pay or who wil put thee off with many delays and trouble thee with expecting as they have formerly troubled thee with their importunity in borrowing But if thou be a wise Usurer chuse God and Christ for thy Debtors who are owners of the whole world and all-sufficient sureties not subject to any casualties and just beyond all exceptions or comparison Nihil promittâ—t non reddit fidelis ille factus est debitor esto tiâ— avarus exactor as Austin on Psalm 32. And as the payment is most assured so the gain is inestimable so that we cannot lay up our wealth in a safer or better hand we cannot have a better Debtor then our Makerâ— nor a better Bond then the Bible Prov. 19.17 Luk. 6.35 CHAP. LXII BUt thou seest not this increase in thy worldly estate by giving Alms nor dost thou perceive that it brings thee any such blessedness as hath been talked of Answer This Objection makes me conclude that thou art a Miser and deservest not the name of an Alms-giver or if so let me add that if thou believest no more then thou seest why dost thou take upon thee the name of a Christian who liveth by Faith rather then by Sence For by how many secret passages can God conveigh unto thee the reward of thy Alms-deeds though he writeth no Superscription upon them to certifie thee for what it is sent it is sufficient that thou hast it and that thou knowest that he sent it As for the reasons which moved him to give these benefits unto thee he wil acquaint thee with them more particularly when he shal cal thee to make up thy recknoning Thou growest in thy stature from a Child unto a Man and thou seest not thy growing though thou perceivest that thou art grown neither knowest thou the particular time and means when or whereby thou comest to this height And thou knowest and acknowledgest that thou art nourished by thy meat though thou seest not the secret passages whereby it is carried from the stomach to the several parts nor canst tell at what time or by what food thou hast been chiefly nourished Why then hast thou not the like faith and much stronger in spiritual then thou hast in respect of natural things seeing they are much more secret and insensible and when thou hast God's promise of reward and seest it performed by his blessings multiplied upon thee why dost thou doubt or call them into question or ascribe them to thy self or other helps seeing whatsoever the means are they are of God's sending Finally if thou sayest that
like a fire of green wood which burneth no longer than whiles it is blown Affliction to the soul is as plummets to a Clock or winde to a Ship holy and faithful prayer as oars to a Boat And ill goeth the Boat without Oars or the Ship without winde or the Clock without plummets Now are some afflicted in reputation as Susanna was others in children as Eli some by enemies as David others by friends as Ioseph some in body as Lazarus others in goods as Iob others in liberty as Iohn In all extremities let us send this messenger to Christ for case faithful and fervent prayer if this can but carry the burthen to him he will carry it for us and from us for ever Neither can we want encouragement to ask when as the sick of the Palsie but asked health and obteined also forgiveness of sins When Solomon but desired wisedome and the Lord gave him wisedome and honour and abundance of wealth When Iacob asked but meat and cloathing and God made him a great rich man When Zacheus desired only to have a sight of Christ and was so happy as to entertain him into his house into his heart yea to be entertained into Christs Kingdom We do not yea in many cases we dare not ask so much as God is pleased to give Neither doest thou ô Saviour measure thy gifts by our petitions but by our wants and thine own mercies True if the all-wise God shall fore-see that thou would'st serve him as the prodigall son served his father who prayed but till he had got his patrimony and then forsook him and spent the same in riot to the givers dishonour as too many use the Ocean of Gods bounty as we do the Thames it brings us in all manner of provision cloaths to cover us fuel to warm us food to nourish us wine to chear us gold to enrich us and we in recompence soil it with our rubbish filth common shoares and such like excretions even as the Cloud that 's lifted up and advanced by the Sun obscures the Sun In this case he will either deny thee in mercy as he did Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12.8 9. and our Saviour himself Matth. 26.39 or grant thee thy request in wrath as he did a King to the Israelites and Quails wherewith he fed their bodies but withall sending leanness into their souls Psal. 106.15 And well doth that childe dâ—serve to be so served who will lay out the money given him by his father to buy poison or weapons to murther him with Wherefore let thy prayers not onely be fervent but frequent for thy wants are so And be sure to ask good things to a good end and then if we ask thus according to Gods will in Christs Name we know that he will hear us and grant whatsoever petitions we have desired 1 Iohn 5.14 15. CHAP. 7. That it weanes them from the love of the world 4 FOurthly our sufferings wean us from the love of the world yea make us loath and contemn it and contrariwise fix upon heaven with a desire to be dissolved Saint Peter at Christs transfiguration enjoying but a glimpse of happiness here was so ravished and transported with the love of his present estate that he breaks out into these words Master it is good for us to be here he would fain have made it his dwelling place and being loath to depart Christ must make three tabernacles Mat. 17.4 The love of this world so makes us forget the world to come that like the Israelites we desire rather to live in the troubles of Egypt then in the Land of Promise Whereas S. Paul having spoken of his bonds in Christ and of the spirituall combate concludeth I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1.22 23. Yea it transported him to Heaven before he came thither as Mary was not where she was but where her desire was and that was with Christ. Prosperity makes us drunk with the love of the world like the Gadarens who preferred their swine before their souls or him in the Parable that would go to see his farmâ— and lose Heaven or the Rich Gluâ—ton who never thought of Heaven till he was in Hell and thousands more who if they have but something to leave behinde them 't is no matter whether they have any thing to carry with them But as sleep composeth drunkenness so the cross will bring a man to himself again for when the Staff we so nourish to bear us becomes a cudgel to beat us when we finde the world to serve us as the Iews did Christ carry us up to the top of the hill and then strive to throw us down headlong Luk. 4.29 When the minde is so invested with cares molested with grief vexed with pain that which way soever we cast our eyes we finde cause of complaint we more loath the World than ever we loved it as Amnon did his sister Tamar yea when life which is held a friend becomes an enemy then death which is an enemy becomes a friend and is so accountted as who having cast Anâ—hor in a safe Road would again wish himself in the storms of a troublesome Sea Yea in case we have made some progress in Religion and found a good conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ the marrow of all comforts and resolved with Ioseph to forsake our coat rather than our faith yet if the World make new offers of preferment or some large improvement of profits and pleasures we begin to draw back or at least we know not whether to chuse like a horse that would and yet would not leap a ditch And after a little conflict having half yielded to forsake that with joy which cannot be kept but with danger we resolve thus The same God which hath made my crosses chearful can as well make my prosperity conscionable Why then should I refuse so fair an offer but alas having made choice it is not long ere these pleasures and honouâ—s these riches and abundance prove as thorns to choak the good seed of Gods Word formerly sown in our hearts as it is Matth. 13.22 For prosperity to Religion â—s as the Ivy to the Oake it quickly eats out the heart of it yea as the Misselâ—o and Ivy sucking by their straight embraces the very sâ—p that only giveth vâ—getation from the roots of the Oake and Hawthorn will flourish when the Trees wither so in this case the corruption of the good is alwayes the generation of the evil and so on the contrary crosses in the estate diseases of the body maladies of the minde are the medicines of the soul the impairing of the one is the repairing of the other When no man would harbour that unthrift son in the Gospel he turned back again to his Father but never before Lais of Corinth while she was young doted upon her Glass but when she grew old and withered she loathed it as much which made
was first got asleep Wouldest thou not be overcome be not secure Fly from the works of darkness at a great distance and consider as well the bitterness of what will follow as the sweetness of a momentany pleasure not unlike a great personage of this Land who said to his Lady offering him a bribe in behalf of a suppliant Gentle Eve I will none of your Apple Yea in vigilancy and watchfulness imitate the Nightingale which sleeps with her brest upon a thorn for fear of the Serpent which continually studies her ruine We would not willingly a Tempest should take us without our Cloaks Seneca reports of Caesar that he did quickly sheath the sword but he never laid it off the sight of a weapon discourages a Thief While we keep our Iavelins in our hands we escape many assaults so that a Christians resolution should be like King Alfrids Si modò victor eras ad crastina bella pavebas Si modò victus eras ad crastina bella parabas If we conquer to day let us fear the skirmish to morrow If we be overcome to day let us hope to get the victory to morrow An assaulted City must keep a careful watch or it will not long hold out Yea the provident Fen-man mends his banks in Summer lest his ground be drowned in Winter And we must so take our leaves of all afflictions that we reserve a lodging for them and expect their return And so much the rather because what hath been long expected falleth the easier and evils precogitated strike â—ut weakly CHAP. 9. How it discovers whether we be true Believers or Hypocrites 6 SIxthly that we may experimentally know our selves and be known of others whether we be true Believers or Hypocrites First our selves divers play Alexander on the Stage but few or none in the Field Many can suffer Martyrdom in speculation who being put to it cannot concoct a foul word We are all valiant Souldiers till we come to fight excellent Philosophers till we come to dispute Good Christians till we come to master our own lusts but it is opposition that gives the trial when corruptions fight against the graces and cause Argent to seeme more bright in a sable field Many while wealth lasts are very honest men and square dealers at least seem so yea they will maintain that all hardnesse is to be endured rather then Conscience violated or God offended but fall they into poverty and then that they may maintain themselves they will lie deceive steal prostitute their Chastity sell their Consciences and what not Even Hazael before he met with an opportunity could say What is thy servant a dog And Balaam could brag Though thou wouldest give me thine house full of gold I would not c. Yet when it came to the triall he did as bad for little or nothing but a man is indeed what he is in triall If with the Pome-citron Limon and Orenge-tree we are alwayes green and fruitfull Summer and Winter if our souls shall like of Christ for a suitor when we finde no other Ioynture but the Crosse we are sure we are Christians 2. That others may know us A Souldier is best known in the front of a Battel A Pilot in a storm a nimble active man in a Race and a Champion in the lists How well the strings of an instrument are tuned and set is best known when they are touched by the hand of a skilfull Musician There must be differences amongst you saith Saint Paul that the approved may be known 1 Cor. 11.19 For as Thrashing separates the straw and Winnowing the chaff from the Corn So Persecution separates the Hypocrite from the company of beleevers Luke 22.31 When a serving-man follows two men walking together we cannot tell which is his master till they part so when the Gospel and outward prosperity go together it is hard to judge which is most respected Our Churches are full blessed be God but come we not to please others as the Poet made his Plays or as Simon Magus was christened for company or is it not more for fear of the Law then for love of the Gospel It is a great question until persecution arising because of the Word puts it out of question but then is that of Claudius Taurinensis more then verified They worship the dead Saints in a cold profession while they worry the living in a cruel persecution so that if the Bramble had been the King of Trees the Vine could not have met with worse usage We all call our selves Christians Why it is an honourable thing to be so accounted but who are such is known onely where the power of godliness is in contempt Where as Saint Augustine speaks a Christian in name will scoff at a Christian indeed for Christ saith Nazianzen is stoned by many that are called Christians though no otherwise then the Heathen Images are called gods as Iustine Martyr notes or as another hath it many superstitiously adore the Crucifix that are enemies to the Cross of Christ. That Childe saith old Simeon meaning Christ is appointed for a sign to be spoken against that the thoughts of many hearts may be opened Luke 2.34 35. O how wicked men manifest their hatred and enmity against God and his people so soon as Persecution ariseth because of the Word Yea it would put a wise man into an extasie to think how prophane men in such times will rail upon those whom one day they will wish they had imitated as Iustin Martyr speaks But it 's well enough for by this means both the malice of Satan and the World are better known and avoided Demetrius the Silver-smith resisted Paul perhaps not so much for great Diana's sake as the little Silver Shrines by which his gain came in The carnal Capernaites followed Christ while he fed them Iohn 6.26 Pamachius an Heathen could say to the Pope Make me a Bishop and I 'le be a Christian. Aygolandus the better to make his peace with Charles the Great would become a Christian and be baptized But when he came to the Court where he saw at a table in a room thirty poor people in mean habits and at ordinary fare which the Emperour told him were the Servants of God he replyed That if God kept his servants so poorly he would be none of his servant Iudas can be content to bear the cross so he may bear the bag but Iob will trust in God though he kill him Iob 13.15 and David in deepest distress or desertion will hang on still Psal. 43.5 Now who will not say Give me the Bird that will sing in Winter and seek to my window in the hardest frost There is no trial of friendship but in adversity he that is not ashamed of my bonds not daunted with my checks not alienated with my disgrace is a friend for me one dram of that mans love is worth a world of inconstant formality But that friend is fals-harted who observes me
2.21 Again The Disciple saith Christ is not above his Master but whosoever will be a perfect Disciple shall be as his Master Luke 6.40 Yea Saint Paul made this the most certain testimony and seal of his Adoption hâ—re and glory â—fterwards his words are these having delivered that the spirit of God heareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and â—â—â—ving added If we be children we are also heires even the heirs of God and heirs annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him making suffering as a principall condition annexed which is as if he had said it is impossible we should be glorified with him except we first suffer with him Rom. 8.16 17. Whereupon having in another place reckoned up all priviledges which might minister unto him occasion of boasting he concludeth that what things were gain unto him those he accounted losse for Christ that he might know the fellowship of his sufferings and be made conformable to his death Phil. 3.10 So that as he bare his crosse before he wore his crown and began to us in the cup of his Fathers displeasure so we must pledge him our part and fill up that which is behinde of his sufferings Colos. 1.24 Whence the Church which is mysticall Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 is called Gods threshing-floor Isa. 21.10 A Brand taken out of the fire Zach. 3.2 compared to Noahs Ark which was tossed to and fro upon the waves to Moses Bush burning with fire Exod. 3.2 to the stones of the Temple which were first hewn in the Mountain before set in the building And set forth by that white Horse in the Revelation that is ever followed and chased by the Red Apoc. 6.2 4. by the sacrifices of the Law which were to pass the fire ere accepted Rom. 12.1 So that there is no Heaven to be had without touching upon Hell coasts as the Calendar tels us we come not to Ascension-day till the Passion-week be past Suffering is the way to reigning Through many tribulations must we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 14.22 And indeed who would not be ambitious of the same entertainment which Christ himself had Godfrey of Boloigne refused to be crownd in Ierusalem with a Crown of Gold because Christ his Master had in that place been crowned with a Crown of Thorns It was told a poor Martyr in Queen Maries dayes for a great favour forsooth that he should put his leg in the same hole of the Stocks that Iohn Philpot had done before And yet thy sufferings as they are nothing to what thy sins have deserved so they are nothing to what thy Saviour hath suffered for he endured many a little death all his life long for thy sake and at length that painful and cursed death of the cross To say nothing of the soul of his sufferings which his soul then suffered when he sweat cloâ—s of blood in the Garden Now why must we pledge our Saviour and sill up the measure of his sufferings Not that Christs sufferings are incompleat nor to satisfie Gods justice for sin for that 's done already once for all by him who bare our sins in his body on the Tree the just suffering for the unjust and indenting for our freedom as the Articles of Agreement fiâ—ly and fairly drawn out by himself declare Iohn 3.15 16. and 18.8 And Gods Acquittance which we have to shew under his own hand Mat. 3.17 Neither doth God afflict his Church for any delight he takes in their trouble for he afflicts not willingly Lament 3.33 Ier. 31.20 Isa. 63.9 Nor yet to shew his sovereignty Isai. 45.9 Rom. 9.29 to 24. Nor lastly is it meerly for his own glory without any other respect but out of pure necessity and abundant love to us as the Reasons both before and after shew Again by suffering we become followers of our Brethren who went before us Brethren saith Saint Paul ye are become followers of the Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Iesus because ye have also suffered the same things of your own Countrey-men even as they have of the Iews 1 Thess. 2.14 It was the lot of Christ and must be of all his followers to do good and to suffer evil Wherefore let us be exhorted in the words of Saint Peter to rejoyce in suffering forasmuch as we with all the Saints are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall appear we may be glad and rejoyce 1 Pet. 4.13 And what greater promotion can flesh and blood be capable of then a conformity to the Lord of glory Christ wore a Crown of Thorns for me and shall I grudge to wear this Paper-cap for him said Iohn Husse when they put a Cap upon him that had ugly Devils painted on it with the Title of Heresie Never did Neck-kerchief become me so well as this Chain said Alice Drivers when they fastened her to the Stake to be burnt And what said a French Martyr when a Rope was pur about his fellow Give me that Gold Chain and dub me a Knight of that Noble Order CHAP. 13. That it increaseth their faith 10 TEnthly because the malice of our enemies serves to increase our faith for the time to come when we consider how the Lord hath delivered us formerly God hath delivered me saith Paul out of the mouth of the Lion meaning Nero and he will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.17 18. When Saul tells David Thou art not able to go against this great Philistine to fight with him for thou art a boy and he is a man of war from his youth What saith David Thy servant kept his fathers Sheep and there came a Lion and likewise a Bear and took a Sheep out of the flock and I went out after him and smote him and took it out of his mouth and when he rose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slue him so thy servant slue both the Lion and the Bear Therefore mark the inference this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them Yea saith he the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hands of this Philistine 1 Sam. 17.33 to 37. Observe how confidently he speaks That Tree is deepest rooted in the Earth which is most shaken by the windes and they weak usually that are planted in pleasant Valleys so the Tree of Faith the more it is shaken with the violent storms of trouble the faster it becomes rooted by patience Alexander being trained up in huge and mighty enterprizes when he was to fight with men and beasts haughty enemies and huge Elephants said Lo a danger somewhat equivalent to my minde He can never be a good Souldier that hath not felt the toil of a battel Ease and plenty made Hannibal say he
piller of fire they have no shelter the Lord spreads a Cloud over them for a Canopy are they at a stand and want way the Sea shall part and give them passage do they lack bread Heaven it self shall power down the food of Angels have they no meat to their bread a wind shall send them innâ—merable Quails do they yet want drink behold a hard rock smitten wiâ—h a little wand shall powr them out water in abundance have they no supply of Apparell their Garments shall not wax old on their backs bee their Enemies too strong for them for want of Engines the Walls of Ieâ—â—cho shall fall down before them are their enemies yet too many and potent hail-stones shall fall and brain them Lamps Pitchers and Dreams shall get them Victory the Sun shall stand till in Gibeon and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon lack they yet a Land to inhabite the Lord will cast cut all the inhabitants and give them a Land which flows with milk and honey c. Afflictions have this advantage that they occasion God to shew that mercy to uâ— whereof the prosperous are uncapable as wee further see in Hagar Gen. 21.17 18 19. And Manoah's Wife Iudg. 13 3â— to whom the Angel of the Covenant had not been sent if they had not been in distress It would not become a motherâ—o â—o bee so indulgent to an healthfull child as to a sick and in deed some have found their outward castigations so sweetned with the inward consolations of Gods Spirit that they have fonud and confessed their receipts of joy and comfort to bee an hundred fold more than their payments even in this present life according to that promise of our Saviour Mark 10.29 30. So that a Christian is still a gainer in all his losses yea hee gains by his losses Now if wee could but remember and lay to heart these promises thus back'd with examples when wee feel the greatest assaults or pangs how could wee want courage But alass most of us are like the Prophets servant 2 King 6. who saw his foes but not his friends we are like Iosephs brethren who saw him converst with him were fed by him yet knew him not Like Peter who when the Angell brought him out of prison and went before him wist not that it was so but thought hee saw a vision Act. 12.9 Christ at his Resurrection was so changed that his own Disciples knew him not much more since his ascention may hee pass by us as hee did by Iob Chap. 9.11 or meet us as hee did Saul in the way to Damascus or walk and talk with us as hee did with the two Disciples in the way to Emaus Luk. 24.16 or stand by us while wee are seeking him as hee did by Mary in the Garden Joh. 20 1â— and yet wee bee ignorant that it is hee Yea hee may bee in us by his spirit even whil'st wee feel him not Iacob saw him both asleep and awake yet saith hee the Lord was in this place and I was not aware of it Gen. 28.16 at least wee are apt to thinke that God is removed from us when wee any way suffer calamity as the Israelites do but want water and presently they cry Is the Lord among us or no Exod. 17.7 as if God could nor bee with them and they a thirst either hee must humour carnall minds or bee distrusted But both his presence and love is the same in adversity as it is in prosperity our sence onely makes the difference even as a Church Castle or Town is unmoveable and keepeth one place though to us it may seem somtime on our right hand other while on our left as wee change our standing sitting or walking Yet if some unusuall crosses disturb our peace presently there breaks out a voice mix'd with murmuring and despair God hath forsaken us It was a common complain with David The Lord hath forsaken us thou hast cast off and abhorred us why hast thou forsaken mee c. Yea the onely Son of God came to this My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Yet consider did God forsake either of them hee might bee angry with David more angry with Christ for the sins of all the world and in their present sence that anger might work in them an apprehension of his forsaking them but hee did not forsake them nor will hee forsake thee if thou dost not first forsake him Thou maist think so but God will not do so but in the mean-time how can this bee well taken wee see our wretchedness wee do not see our blessedness No talk of his presence of his absence wee complain Our cowardly spirits give him for quite gone yet hee is not far from every one of us Act. 17.27 Yea this confession could Seneca make but like a Divine God is near unto thee hee is with thee hee is within thee and surely if hee had not been with these Israelites they had not lived if hee had been in them they had not murmured Wee can think him absent in our want and cannot see him absent in our sin yet wickedness not affliction argues him gone yea hee is then most present when hee most chastiseth for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolations abound through Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 Again God may bee present with us and yet wee not bee pleased as the Israelites repined for a King when the Lord was their King or Christ may bee with us and yet wee want somthing that wee desire Christ was in the Ship and yet say the Apostles wee have no bread Iesus was at the Marriage yet saith his Mother they have no wine Ioh. 2.3 Wee may want Bread and Wine and yet have Christ's company but if food fail it is because Manna is to come if Wine bee absent yet grace and salvation is present if God takes away flesh and gives Manna deny Sun and Moon and gives himself hee doth us no wrong Now why doth God by his promise tye himself to bee present with us more especially in affliction but that hee may resist our enemies sustain us when wee faint and crown us when wee overcome but that hee may bee exact in taking notice of our particular sufferings and as David saith Count our wandrings put our tears into his bottle and enter all into his Register Psal. 56.8.9 All our afflictions are more noted by that God that sends them than of the patient that suffers them every pang and stitch and gird is first felt of him that sends it could wee bee miserable unseen wee had reason to bee heartless but how can it bee but less possible to indure any thing that hee knows not than that hee inflicted not As hee said to Manoah by an Angell Thou art barren Iudg. 13.3 so hee saith to one thou art sick to another thou art poor to a thiâ—d thou art defamed thou art oppressed to another that all-seeing eye takes notice from heaven of every mans
to Paul Act. 9.15 16. 23. ver 11. and our Saviour Christs words to his Apostles Ast. 1.8 yea to suffer for Christ saith Father Latimer is the greatest privilege that God gives in this world and the story of Iob is a book-case to prove it for did not God by him as sometimes a Schoolmaster with his Pupill who when he hath polished and perfected a good Scholar brings him sorth provokes adversaries to set upon him with hard questions and takes a pride to see the fruit of his own labours And in the warrs to have the hottect and most dangerous services imposed upon them by their General is accounted the greatest honour neither will he confer the same upon any but the stoutest and most valiant This Rod of the Lord like Ahasuerus his Scepter is never stretcht forth toward any of his but in great love and favour It is like the kisse which Cyrus in Xenophon gave to Chrysanthas which was accounted a greater and more special savour than the Cup of gold which he gave to Artabazus Which being so let us in this particular imitaâ—e the Muscovitish women who will not think their husbands love them unlesse they chastise them and the Indians who are ambitious to be burnt with them and the Thracians who are proud to wear their scarrs Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. And the Apostles esteemed it a grace to be disgraced for him and shall we grumble or think much at it No in the greatest extremity of straights let us acknowledge it a favour and give him thanks and so much the rather for that it is more acceptable to God to give him thanks once in adversity then six hundred times in prosperity as a grave Divine well observs and indeed it is the summe of all Religion to be thankfull to God in the midst of miseries True it is hard for Iob when the terrours of God fight against him and the arrows of the Almighty stick so â—ast in him that the venome thereof hath drunk up his spirit Iob 6.2 3 4. to think it a special favour and dignity but so it was being rightly considered It was hard for Iosephs brethren to hear him speak roughly unto them take them for spies accuse them of theft and commit them to prison Gen. 42.30 and think it is all out of love much more hard for Simeon to bee cull'd out from the rest and committed to ward while his brethren are set at libertie Vers. 24. and yet it was so yea he loved him best whom he seemed to favour least yet such is the infirmitie of our nature that as weak eies are dazled with the light which should comfort them so there is nothing more common with God's Children than to be afflicted with the causes of their joy and astonied with that which is intended for their confirmation Even Manoah conceivs death in that vision of God wherein alone his life and happinesse did consist Iudg. 13.22 And the Shepherds Luk. 2. who were sore afraid when the Angel of the Lord came to bring them good tidings of great joy to all people viz. their Saviours Birth which was Christ the Lord Vers. 9.10 But what hath been the answer of GOD alwaies to his children in such their extasies but his Fear not Gideon Judg. 6.23 Fear not Ioseph Mat. 1.20 Fear not Zachary Luk. 1.12 13. Fear not Abraham for I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Fear not Paul for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee to do thee hurt c. Acts. 18.9 10. the words are often repeated as Pharaohs dreams were doubled for the surenesse Yea to the end that we should be fearlesse in all our sufferings so long as we suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 4.15 Fear not as one well notes is the first word in the Annunciation of Christs Conception and the first word in the first Annunciation of his Birth and the first word in the first Annuuntiation of his Resurrection and almost the last words in his last exhortation a little before his death are Let not your hearts be troubled and be of good comfort strengthening his followers and sweetning his Crosse by diverse forcible reasons Luke 21. Mark 13. And the words of dying men have ever been most emphatical most effectual Nay more than all this if yet thou wilt not be comforted look but Ioh. 16.20 and thou shalt have thy Saviour assure thee by a double bond His Word I say Verily verily I say unto you His Oath I say Verily verily I say unto you that though for the present you do fear and sorrow and weep yet all shall be turned into joy 〈◊〉 that joy shal no man be able to take from you v. 22. And so much of the Patience of the Womans seed Innocency of the Womans seed Felicity of the Womans seed If you will see the Malice of the Serpents seed Subtilty of the Serpents seed Misery of the Serpents seed Read the three foregoing parts viz. The canse and cure of Ignorance Error c. The cure of Misprision Characters of the kinds of preaching The last whereof sold only by Iames Crump in Little Bartholomeâ— Well-yard A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening as also another to be said at any time Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon them that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name Psal. 145.18 Rom. 10.12 The Lord is nigh and rich unto all that call upon him in truth Isa. 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not 1 Joh. 5.14 If wee ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Joh. 16.23 Mat. 21.22 Whatsoever yee shall ask the Father in my Name believing he will give it you Psal. 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as we brought a world of sinne into the World with us and deserved to dye so soon as wee began to live so ever since that thou hast spared us we have done nothing but add sinne unto sinne as
may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience but we are constant in nothing but in perpetual offending onely therein we cease not for when we are waking our flesh tempts us to wickednesse if wee are sleeping it sollicites us to filthinesse or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day at night we pray unto thee but what is the issue of our praying First we sin and then we pray thee to forgive it and then return to our sins again as if we came to thee for no other end but to crave leave to offend thee Or of thy granting our requests we even dishonor thee and blaspheme thy name while thou do'st support and relieve us run from thee while thou do'st call us and forget thee while thou art feeding us so thou sparest us we sleep and to morrow we sin again O how justly mightest thou forsake us as we forsake thee and condemne uâ— whose consciences cannot but condemne our selvs But who can measure thy goodnesse who givest all and forgivest all Though we be sinful yet thou lovest us though we be miserably ingrateful yet thou most plentifully blessest us What should we have if we did serve thee who hast done all these things for thine enemies O that thou who hast so indeared us to serve thee wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls And because infidelitie is the bitter root of all wickednesse and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse nor are wee Christians indeed except we imitate Christ and square our lives according to the rule of thy Word Give us that faith which manifesteth it self by a godly life which purifieth the heart worketh by love and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Yea since if our faith be true and saâ—ing it can no more be severed from unfained repentance and sanctification then life can be without motion or the sun without light give us spiritual wisdom to try and examine our selvs whether we be in the faith or not that so we may not be deluded with opinion onely as thousands are Discover unto us the emptinesse vanity and insufficiencie of the things here below to do our poor souls the least good that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls considering that if we have him wee want nothing if we want him wee have nothing Finally O Lord give unto us and increase in us all spiritual graces inlighten our minds with the knowledge of thy truth and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good that we may esteem it our meat and drink to do thy blessed will Give us religious thoughts godly desires zealous affections holy endeavours assured perswasions of faith stedfast waiting through hope constancy in suffering through patience and hearty rejoicing from love regenerate our minds purifie our natures turn all our joies into the joy of the Holy Ghost and all our peace into the peace of conscience and all our fears into the fear of sin that we may love righteousnesse with as great good will as ever we loved wickednesse and go before others in thankfulnesse towards thee as far as thou goest in mercy towards us before them Give us victory in temptation patience in sicknesse contentment in poverty joy in distresse hope in troubles confidence in the hour of death give us alwaies to think and meditate of the hour of death the day of judgment the joies of heaven and the pains of hell together with the ransome which thy Son paid to redeem us from the one and to purchase for us the other so shall neither thy benefits nor thy chastisements nor thy Word return ineffectual but accomplish that for which they were sent until we be wholly renewed to the image of thy Son These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that of our selvs we are not worthy to list up our eyes to heaven much less to present our selves before thy Majesty with the least confidence that thou shouldest hear our praiers or accept of our services but rather that thou shouldest take these our confessions and accordingly condemne us to the lowest place in Hell for our continually abusing thy mercy and those many means of grace which in thy long suffering thou hast affoarded for our reclaiming Wee are the cursed seed of rebellious Parents wee were conceived in sin and born the children of wrath And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us so soon as thou gavest us being and so prevented our further dishonouring thee wee have instead of humbling our selves before thee our God and seeking reconciliation with thy Majestie done nothing from our infancy but added sin unto sin in breaking every one of thine holy Laws which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walk by and to keep us from sinning Yea there is not one of thy righteous precepts which we have not broken more times and ways then we can express so far have wee been from a privative holiness in reforming that which is evill and a positive holiness in performing that which is good which thou maist justly require of us being wee had once ability so to do if wee had not wilfully lost it for thou did'st form us righteous and holy had not wee deform'd our selves whereas now like Satan wee can do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who would not so sin but for us for we have an army of unclean desires that perpetually sight against our souls
the Cistern my Bowels the Sink my Lungs the Bellows my Teeth the Chopping knives except you divide them and then they are the 32 points of the Sea-card both agreeing in number Concoction is the Caldron and hunger the Salt or Sawce my belly is the lower Deck my Kidneys Close Cabbins or receptacles my Thighs are long Galleries for the grace of the Ship my Arms and Hands the Can-hooks my Midriffe is a large Partition or Bulk-head within the circumference of my head is placed the Steeridge-room and chief cabbins with the Round-house where the Master lieth and these for the more safety and decencie are inclosed with a double fence the one Dura-mater something hard and thick the other Pia-mater very thin and soft which serveth instead of hangings The Ears are two doors or Scuttles fitly placed for entertainment the two Eyes are Casementâ— to let in light under them is my Mouth the Stowidge or Stewards-room my Lips are Hatches for receipt of goods my two Nostrils serve as Gratings to let in air at the one end stands my Chin which is the Beak-head my Forehead is the Upper-deck all which being trimmed with my fat instead of pitch and hair instead of Ockham are coloured with my skin The fore-deck is humility the stoarn charity active obedience the sayls which being hoysed up with the several Yards Halliars and Bow-lings of holy precepts and good purposes are let down again by sicklenesse faintings and inconstancie Reason is my Rudder experience the Helme hope of salvation my Anchor passive obedience the Capstain holy revenge the Cat and Fish to hawl the sheat-Anchor or last hope fear of offending is the Buâ—y virtues are the Cables holy desires and sudden ejaculations the Shrouds the zeal of God's glory is my Main-mast premeditation the Foremast desire of my own salvation the Mizzen-mast saving-knowledge the Boltsprit Circumspection a Sounding-line my Light is illumination Justice is the Card God's Word the Compasse the meditation of life's brevity a four-hour-glasse Conâ—emplation of the creatures the Grosse-staff or Iacob's Staff the Creed a Sea-grammer the life of Christ my Load-star the Saints falls are Sea-markes Good examples Land-marks Repentance Pumpes out the sink of my sins a good Conscience keeps mee clean imputative righteousness is my Flag having this Motto BEING CAST DOWN WE PERISH NOT The Flag-staff is sincerity the Ship is victualled afresh by reading hearing receiving Books are Long-boats Letters are little Skiffes to carry and re-carry my spiritual merchandise Perseverance is my speed and Patience my name my fire is lust which will not be clean extinguished full feeding and strong drink is the fuell to maintein it whose flame if it be not supprest is jealousie whose sparks are evil words whose ashes is envie whose smoke is infamy lascivious talk is as flint and steel concupiscence as tinder opportunity is the match to light it sloath and idlenesse are the servants to prepare it The Law of God is my Pilot Faith my Captain Fortitude the Master Chastity the Masters-mate my Will the Coxen Conscience the Preacher Application of Christs death the Chirurgion Mortification the Cook Viviâ—â—cation the Calker Self-denial is an Apprentice of his Temperance the Steward Contentation his Mate Truth the Purser Thankfulnesse the Pursers-mate Reformation the Boat-swain the 4 Humors Sanguine Choller c. are the Quarter-masters Christian vigilancie undertakes to supply the office of Starbord and Larbord waâ—ch Memory is Clerk of the Check Assurance the Corporal the Armour Innocencie the Mariners Angels Scismaticks are Searchers sent aboard my understanding as Master-Gunner culls out from those who Budg-casks of the New and Old Testament certain threats and promises which is my onely Powder and Shot and with the assistance of the Gunners-mate holy anger against sin chargeth my tongue which like to a Piece of Ordinance shoots them to the shame and overthrow of my shirituall Adversaries My Noble Passengers are joy in the Holy Ghost and the peace of conscience whose retinue are divine graces my ignoble or rather mutinous Passengers are worldly cogitations and vain delights which are more than a good many besides some that are arrant thievs and traytors namely pride envie prejudice but all these I 'le bid farewell when I come to my journies end though I would but cannot before Heaven is my Country where I am registred in the Book of life my King is Iehova my tribute Almsdeeds they which gather it are the poor Love is my Countries badge my language is holy conference my â—ellow Companions are the Saints I am poor in performances yet rich in Gods acceptation The foundation of all my good is Gods free Election I became bound into the Corporation of the Church to serve him in my baptisme I was inrolled at the time when hee first called mee my freedom is Justification it was purchased with the blood of Christ my evidence is the earnest of his Spirit my priviledges are his sanctifying Graces my Crown reserved for mee on high is Glorification My Maker and owner is God who built mee by his Word which is Christ of earth which was the materiall hee fraught it with the essence of my soul which is the Treasure and hath set mee to sail in the Sea of this world till I attain to the Port of Death which letteth the terrestriall part into the harbour of the grave and the celestiall into the Kingdom of Heaven in which voyage conveniency of estate is as Sea room good affections serve as a tyde and praier aâ— a prosperous gale of wind to help forward But innumerable are the impediments and perills for here I meet with the proffers of unlawfull gain and sensuall delights as so many Syrens the baits of prosperity as high banks on the right hand or weather-shore and there with evill suggestions and crabbed adversity as Rocks on the left hand or Lee-shore ready to split mee the fear of Hell like quick-sands threaten to swallow mee Originall sin like weeds clog me and actuall transgressions like so many Barnacles hang about mee yea every sin I commit springs a new leak my senses are as so many storms of rain hail and snow to sink me lewd affections are roaring billows and waves self-confidence or to rely upon any thing but divine assistance iâ— to lose the bolt sprit Restitution is heaving goods over-board to save the Ship Melancholly is want of fresh water the Scoffs of Atheists and contempt of Religion in all places is a notable becalming the lewd lives and evill examples of the most a contagious air Idleness surs it and is a shrewd decay both of Hull and Tackling Moreover sailing along and keeping watch for they that are Christs friends you know must look for all they meet to bee their enemies wee no sooner look up but presently wee ken a man of war and then wee must bee for war too and provide for a skirmish Now the Gallion that hath our Pinnace in chase and always watcheth for
my own holiness and thought my moral honesty would be sufficient to save me Nor did I know wherein I had offended And whereas the Law is spiritual and binds the heart from affecting no lesse than the hand from acting I was so blind and ignorant that I thought the Commandement was not broken if the outward gross sin be â—orborn Whence these were my thoughts I never brake the first Commandement of having many gods for I was no Papist nor Idolater nor the second for I worshipped God aright nor the third for I had been no common swearer only a few petty oaths nor the fourth for I had every Sabbath gone duly to Church not the fifth for I ever honoured my â—arents and have been a loyal subject not the sixth seventh eighth ninth or tenth for I never committed murther or adultery never stole ought never bare false witness nor could I call to mind that I had at any time coveted my neighbours wife servant estate c. And nothing more common with me than to brag of a good heart and meaning of the strength of my faith and hope of my just and upright dealing c. And because I abstained from notorious sins I thought my self an excellent Christian if God was not beholding to me for not wounding his name with oaths for not drinking and playing out his Sabbaths for not railing on his Ministers for not oppressing and persecuting his poor Members c. Sect. XXX And yet had it been so as I imagined admit I had never offended in the least all my life either in thought word or deed yet this were but one-half of what I owe to God this were but to observe the negative part of his law still the affirmative part thereof I had been so far from performing that I had not so much as thought of it And to be just in the sight of God and graciously accepted of him these two things are required the satisfactory part to escape Hell and the meritorious part to get Heaven And the true method of grace is Cease to do evil Learn to do well Isa. 1.16 17. The Fig-tree was cursed not for bearing evil fruit but because it bare no good The evil servant was not bound hand and foot and cast into prison for wasting his Masters goods but for not gaining with them And those Reprobates at the last day shall be bid depart into everlasting fire not for wronging or robbing of any but for not giving for not comforting Christs poor Members Mat. 25. So that my case was most desperate For though with that Pharisee Luk. 18.11 I was apt to thank God and brag that I was just and paid every man his due yet I never thought of being holy and of paying God his dues as his due of believing or repenting of new obedience his due of praying hearing conferring meditating on his word and works sanctifying his Sabbaths and instructing my Children and Servants teaching them to fear the Lord. His due of Love Fear Thankefulnesse Zeal for his Glory charity and mercy to Christs poor Members and the like I should have served God in spirit and according to Christs Gospel as all that are wise hearted do live and believe and hear and invocate and hope and fear and love and worship God in such manner as his word prescribes I should have been effectually called and become a new Creature by regeneration being begotten and born anew by the immortal seed of the Word I should have found an apparant change wrought in my judgment affections and actions to what they were formerly The Old man should have changed with the New man worldly wisdome with Heavenly wisdome carnal love for spiritual love servile fear for Christian and filial fear idle thoughts for holy thoughts vain words for holy and wholesome words fleshly works for works of righteousnesse even hating what I formerly loved and loving what I formerly hated But alas I have heard the Gospel day after day and year after year which is the strong arm of the Lord and the mighty power of God to salvation That is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two edged-sword and yet stood it out and resisted Instead of submitting to Christs call even refusing the free offer of grace and salvation I have heard the word faithfully and powerfully preached for forty years yet remain'd in my natural condition unregenerate without which new birth there is no being saved as our Saviour affirms Ioh. 3.5 I had not troden one step in the way to conversion for the first part of conversion is to love them that love God 1 Joh. 3.10 11 14. I should daily have grown in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ but I was so far from growing man shall see the Lord Heb. 12 14. I was all for observing the second Table without respect to the first or all for outward conformity not at all for spiritual and inward holinesse of the heart Sect. XXXI Either what I did was not morally good for the matter or not well done for the manner nor to any right ends as out of duty and thankfulnesse to God and my Redeemer and out of love to my fellow members Without which the most glorious performances and rarest virtues are but shining sins or beautifull abominations Gods Glory was not my principal end nor to be saved my greatest care I was a good civil moral honest hypocrite or Infidel but none of these graces grew in the Garden of my heart I did not shine out as a light by a holy conversation to glorifie God and win others Now only to refrain evil except a man hates it also and does the contrary good is to be evil still because honesty without piety is but a body without a soul. All my Religion was either superstition or formality or hypocrisie I had a form of godlinesse but denied the power thereof I often drew near unto God with my mouth and honoured him with my lips but my heart was far from him Isa. 29.13 Mark 7.2 to 14. Matth. 15.7 to 10. All which considered viz. the means which God had afforded me and the little use I had made thereof left me in a far worse condition than the very heathen that never heard of Christ. So that it was Gods unspeakable mercy that I am not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed God hath sent unto us all his Servants the Prophets rising up early and they have been instant in Preaching the Gospel both in season and out of season but my carnal heart hath ever been flint unto God wax to Satan you shall dye if you continue in the practice of sin I heard but you shall not dye as saith the Devil I believed Sect. XXXII Besides all this suppose I had none of these to answer for neither sins of Commission nor sins of Omission yet Original sin were enough to damn me no need of any more and yet my actual
upon it Neither let Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an hour lest your resolution proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing Besides death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill you and give you no leasure to be sick Thirdly If thou wilt be safe from evil works avoid the occasions have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity neither fear their scoffs for this be sure of if your person and waies please God the world will be displeased with both If God be your friend men will be your enemies if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy But take heed of losing Gods favour to keep theirs Beda tels of a great man that was admonished by his friends in his sicknesse to repent who answered He would not yet for that if he should recover his friends and companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker they again prest him but then his answer was that it was now too late for I am judged and condemned already A man cannot be a Nathaniel in whose heart there is no guile but the world counts him a fool But Christ saies Verily except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 Again Satan and your deceitfull heart will suggest unto you that a Religious life is a dumpish and melancholy life but holy David will tell you that light is sown to the righteous and joy to the upright Psal. 97.11 Isa. 65.14 And experience tells that earthly and bodily joys are but the body or rather the dregs of that joy which Gods people feel and are ravished with As O the calm and quietnesse of a good conscience the assurance of the pardon of sin and joy of the Holy Ghost the honesty of a virtuous and holy life how sweet they are Yea even Plato an Heathen could say That if wisdom and virtue could but represent it self to the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And the like of a sinners sadnesse as hear what Seneca saies if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the uglinesse and filthinesse of sin and the guilâ— and sadnesse of his conscience But experience is the best informer wherefore take the counsell of holy David Psalm 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him To which accordeth that of holy Bernard Good art thou O Lord to the soul that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee As I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted of the powers of the world to come to him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost whether his whole life be not a perpetual halellujah in comparison of his natural condition Whence they are able to sleight all such objections as he did you tell me that scrupling of small matters is but stumbling at straws that they be but trifles When I know your tongue can tell nothing but truth I will believe you Fifthly Beg of God that he will give you a new heart and when the heart is changed all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sun when it ariseth But without a work upon the heart wrought by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shall say to the contrary That must be first reformed which was first deformed It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.23 24. Yea it is Gods own counsell to the men of Ierusalem Jer. 4. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved ver 14. It is most ridiculous to apply remedies to the outward parts when the distemper lies in the stomach To what purpose is it to crop off the top of weeds or lop off the boughs of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth as cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop of the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the roots then and not till then it will grow no more Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Great Cities once expunged the dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves the heart is the treasury and store-house of wickedness Mat. 12.34 such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which proceed from it Mat. 12.35 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean otherwise not Mat. 23.26 Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Psal. 51.10 do thou the like importune him for grace that you may firmly resolve speedily begin and continually persevere in doing and suffering his holy will desire him to inform and reform you so that you may neither misbelieve nor mislive to change and purifie your naure subdue your reason rectifie your judgment reform and strengthen your will renew your affections and beat down in you whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Iesus Christ. Sixthly and lastly If you receive any power against you former corruptions forget not to be thankefull yea study all possible thankfulness For that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed that we have the offer of grace here and glory hereafter it is his unspeakable goodness And there is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have than thankfulness He will sow there and there onely plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sow those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to loose both their seed and labour Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so much for the Second Part. An Appendix followes wherein you have instances of all sorts how sin besots men THE TRYALL OF TRUE WISDOM WITH How to become Wise indeed OR A Choice and Cheap Gift for a Friend both to please and pleasure him Be he inferior or superior sinful or faithful ignorant or intelligent By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Floreligus Add this as an Apendix or Third Part to The Hearts Index And A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation Section 41. LUcian tells of an Egyptian King
to my detestation of it Only here is a discovery how drunkards tempt if you will see directions how to avoid their temptations read my Sovereign Antidote against the contagion of evil company Onely take notice for the present that the best way to avoid evill is to shun the occasions Do not onely shun drunkennesse but the means to come to it and to avoid hurt keep thy self out of shot come not in drunken company nor to drinking places As for their love and friendship consider but whose Factors they are and thou wilt surely hate them Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things POSTSCRIPT COnsidering the premises if there were any love of God any hatred of sin any zeal any courage any conscience of an Oath in most of our Iustices of the Peace they would rather put down and purge out of their Parishes and Liberties this viperous brood of vice-breeders and soul-murtherers I mean Ale-house keepers then increase them as they do when any Common Drunkard Cheat or Witch may procure a Licence to sell drink if they will but bribe some one of their Clerks But if it be left to them if his Highness himself do not by some other way redresse it as blessed be God he hath already begun the work in some Counties I look never to see it mended untill Christ comes in the clouds Onely it is much to be feared that as we turn the sanctuary of life into the shambles of death so God may send a famine after such a satietie and pestilence after famine Or rather that our Land which hath been so long sick of this disease and so often surfeted of this sin should spue us all out who are the Inhabitants Or in case God be pleased to dispence with the Nation the wickednesse that is done by these drunkards and drink-sellers shall be reckoned unto those that are the permitters for their own For Governors make themselves guiltie of those sins they may redresse and will not But I know to whom I speak and my hopes are depending In the mean time it is sad to consider how many Drunkards will hear this Charge for one that will applie it to himself For confident I am that fifteen of twenty all this Citie over are Drunkards yea seducing Drunkards in the dialect of Scâ—ipture and by the Law of God which extends even to the heart and affections Mat. 5.21 22 28. Perhaps by the Laws of the Land a man is not taken for drunk except his cies stare his tongue stutter and his leggs staggers but by God's Law he is one that goes often to the drink or that tarrieth long at it Prov. 23.30 31. He that will be drawn to the Tavern or Alehouse by every idle soliciter and there be deteined to drink when he hath neither need of it or minde to it to the spending of his money wasting of his pretious time neglect of his calling abusing of the creatures which thousands want discredit of the Gospel the stumbling of weak ones the incouraging of indifferent ones the hardning of his associates and all the truths enemies that know or hear of it Briefly he that drinks more for lust or pride or covetousnesse or fear or good fellowship or to drive away time or to still conscience then for thirst is a Drunkard in Solomon's esteem Prov. 23.30 31. Perhaps thou doest not think so but can you produce that holy man of God that will not deem him a drunkard who can neither buy nor sell nor meet any friend or customer but he must to go the Tavern or Ale-house perhaps six times in a day and who constantly clubs it first for his mornings draught secondly at Exchange time thirdly at night when shops are shut in as is the common but base custome of most Tradesmen yea and the Divel so blindes them that they will plead a necessitie of it and that it is for their profit Nor can it bee denied but in cases of this nature things are rather measured by the intention and affection of the doer then of the issue and event And why should not a man bee deemed a drunkard for his immoderate and inordinate affection to drink or drunken company as well as another an Adulterer for the like affection to his neighbours wife Mat. 5.21 22 28. Yet these men are in their own and other mens esteem not onely good and civil men but good Châ—istians forsooth Certainly the more light we have the more blinde men are or else this could not be For I would gladly aske such Are you Christian in what part of the Word finde you a warrant for it Where finde â—ou that this custome was ever used by any one of the Saints in former ages Well may you with Agrippa be almost Christian but sure enough you are not with Saint Paul altogether such and then what will become of you For almost a son is a bastard almost sweet is unsavorie almost hot is luke-warm and those that are lukewarm will God spue out of his mouth Rev. 3.15 16. A Christian almost is like a woman that dieth in travel almost she brought forth a son but that almost killed the mother and the son too If thou believ'st almost thou shalt be saved almost as we may say of a Thief that hath a pardon brought him whiles he is upon the gallows he was almost saved but he was hanged and his paroon did him no good To be almost a Christian is to be like the foolish Virgins that had Lamps but without oyle in them for which they were shut out of heaven though they came to the very door Matth. 25.10 11 12. Can the door which is but almost shut keep out the Thief Can the ship that is but almost tite keep out the water The souldier that does but almost fight is a coward And therefore if thou lovest thy self look to it and that in time least hereafter you most dolefully rue it For know this that you shall once given an account for every idle penie and hour you spend and for every cup of drink you shall spoil or waste and for every one that is incouraged to do the like by you example For which see Matth. 12.36 Luke 16.2 Rom. 14.12 1 Pet. 4.5 Rev. 20.13 and 22.12 That by the blessing of God our children and childrens children may loath drunkennesse and love sobrietie let this bee fixed to some place convenient in everyhouse for all to read The Persians Parthians Spartans and Lacedemonians did the like and found it exceeding efficacious And Anacharsis holds in the most effectual means to that end Imprimatur EDMUND CALAMIE FINIS Offer of Help to Drowning-Men Imprimatur THO. GATAKER SEeing and fore-seeing the sad effects of men's crying down Books Learning the Ministery Sanctification c. if this their deep and divellish design do meet with no stop and seeing we should specially prepare for defence where Satan specially prepares for offence Considering also â—he numberlesse
observation Sacrilege is the greatest theft yet of it men make the least conscienceâ— But lastly You make your selves not only guilty of persecution theft sacrilege of murdering bodies and souls of provoking God to send a famine of his Word and the like but you become by it guilty of high treason against God in thus using his Ambassadors and against Christ and all his members For besides that all the disgraces and wrongs that are done to Christs Ministers redound to him and he that â—raduceth or any way wrongs a Minister for the discharge of his place his envy strikes at the Image of God in him as a world of places prove So the very root or spring of this their spight and enmity against the Ministry is an inbred enmity and hatred against God himself As when Satan slew Iobs sons and servants his malice was against Iob Or as when Saul darted a spear Ionathan his spight was against David And accordingly God takes what is done to his messengers as done to himself as in that case of David sending his Ambassadors to the King of Ammon 2 Sam. 10.6 7. They have not cast thee away says God to Samuel but they have cast me away that I should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 You are gathered together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him Numb 16.11 and the like Exod. 16.7 8. Luke 10 1â— Ioh. 15.23 24. Ioh. 7.7 He that despiseth you despiseth me 1 Sam. 17.45 Isa. 37.23 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 Rev. 16.9.11 Psal. 89.23 9 ¶ Which being so how does it behove you to look to your selves and bewail this sin this horrible and desperate sin Was there ever any that was stout against the Lord and prospered as Iob speaks Iob 9.4 When the Pitcher contends with the Rock straw with the fire it is easie to judge who will come by the worst And certainly if most men were not both blinde and mad they would more respect the Ministry For if I understand any thing of the Word of God or know what rectified reason is there is not a sin in the Nation that so hinders the blessings or pulls down the judgments of God upon us as does this very sin And yet it is not more provoking then it is a common sin How it will be answered to their Lord and master at the great day I tremble to think Can you answer it then with flashes of wit or carnal reasons as you do now I beseech you look to it Nor is our love or hatred to God any way better known then by our respect to and usage of his Ambassadors Lip-love is but lying love If you love me keep my commandments says our Saviour Ioh. 14.15 Wherefore let my counsel be acceptable Break off your sins by repentance kick no more against the pricks Refrain your selves from these men and let them alone lest ye be found even fighters against God Acts 5.38 39. Nor will it ever repent you if you come in Heaven that you were stopt in this your way to destruction Yea let the consideration of what you have already done make you sink down with shame and tremble for astonishment to think that notwithstanding you have been so many years in arms against your Maker and Redeemer and most spightfully and maliciously persecuted his Ambassadors that came to rescue you from the subtlery and slavery of Satan that bloody devouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankinde yet God hath no taken the advantage of casting you into Hell but of his never enough admired mercy hath spared you to this hour whereas he might most justly have prevented all in sending you body and soul into everlasting torments when you were but a span long For know this that we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us Yea we were condemned so soon as conceived And that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell-flames never to be freed no reason can be alâ—â—adged but O the depth Wherefore take heed in time and as you tender the good of your own souls defer not a minute but study and bestir your selves how you may make your peace with God Yea do it while the yerning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Iesus Christ lie open to receive you whiles ye have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God As you tender I say the everlasting happiness and welfare of your almost lost and drowned souls As you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endless bliss and glory at the last As you shall escape the direfull wrath of God the bitter doom and sentence of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul-scorching flames of Hell and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure and utterly renounce this accursed sin Oh get an interest in Christ For till we become members of his mystical body by regeneration and a lively faith we even the bâ—st of us are as Traitors condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell-fire â—eing onely reprieved for a time O bless God all the dayes you live yea to eternity that the gate of mercy yet stands open 10 ¶ But withal take hold of the opportunity before the Draw-briâ—ge be taken up lest you never have the like again Do not dally with God and your own souls for if this warning be slighted never look for the like For warning such a warning not taking is a certain presage of destruction Pro. 29.1 1.24 25 26. The sons of Eli would not hearken unâ—â— nor obey the voice of their Father why because saith the Text the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 I know saith the Prophet to Amaziah the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsel 2 Chron. 25.16 20. Whereas contrarily the Ninevites by hearkning to Ionah and those very murtherers of the Lord of life by listening to Peter were converted and saved Acts 2.36 37. O take heed of preferring your own carnal reason before the written were of God And that what is spoken of Babel may not be verified in you We would have cured him but he would not be cured lest you be given to destruction as she was What sayes our Saviour This is the condemnation noâ— like this that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather thâ—â— light because their deeds were evil Iohn 3.19 20. Indeed if you will rather beleeve Satan or his sollicitor the Flesh or be led by the perswasions of your own flattering heart which is deceitfull above all things and most desperately evil Ier. 17.9 No marvel you should be deaf to all hath been said 〈◊〉 thinking your selves already good enough and then farwel all hope of being better For the opinion of mens being wise and
sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore ô wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse then lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesâ—â— Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally ô the deepness of Gods love ô the unmeasurable measure of his bounty ô Son of God who can sufficiently express thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us § 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world then to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six dayes to finish it the Redemption of man cost him three and thirty years In the Creation of the World he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderful things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater then the making of the whole World In every new creature are a number of miracles a blinde man is restored to fight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meets with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with § 4. But the better to illustrate this love consider that salvation stands in two things First in freedome and deliverance of us from Hell Secondly in the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the Law merits the second The parts of our Iustification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse And to this would be added first Conversion which comprehends both Faith and Repentance Secondly Sanctification the Parts whereof are Mortification that is dying unto sin and Vivification which is living unto righteousnesse Thirdly Glorification begun and perfected which is freedome from all evil here and the perfection of all good and happiness in heaven § 5. What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and 〈◊〉 great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we finde our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breath in Fire to warm us Water to cool and cleanse us Clothes to cover us Food to nourish us Fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all Himself and his own Son to be injoyed of us So that whithersoever we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence We are bound to praise him above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoyes so much light or so many blessings as we above any creature c. God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castaways for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse for whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reason others are blinde deaf dumb are sick maimed imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For if the whole Heaven were turned into a Book and all the Angels deputed Writers therein they could not set down all the good which Gods love in Christ hath done us For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace mercie given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was faâ—â— asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwayes raised us Now if we are so bound to blesse God for his external temporal inferiour earthly perishing benefits what praise do we owe for the lasting fruits of his eternal love and mercy and how thankful should we strive to be which shall be the next thing treated of Now what should we render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies for favours bestowed and deliverances from danger binde to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings require retribution of thanks or wil bring distribution of plagues Neither could we possibly be unthankful if we seriously thought upon what God gives and what he forgives For in reason hath he contrived so many wayes to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him hath he done so much for us and shall we denie him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lambe cannot soften them stony bowâ—ls if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again
to that renowned Captain Bellizarius It was yet worse which Popilius shewed to Cicero which Lycaon shewed to his stranger guests that came to him for relief It was worst of all in the Iews to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies enlightened their mindes of God became Man and lived miserably amongst them many years that he might save their souls though in killing him they did their utmost to sink the onely ship that could save them But all these fall far short of our ingratitude to God for his maintenance we take and live on the bread we eat the air we breath the cloaths we weare all are his § 3. That we are out of Hel there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory hereafter in Heaven where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 we are beholding to him Yet we not onely deny this Lord that hath bought us as every one does that prefers Mammon or any other thing before him but we hate him as he doth hate and not love God that loves what he hates or hates what he loves but most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans and sins side against him and persecute his Children and the truth with all our might perswading and enforcing others to do the same even wishing that we could pull him out of his Throne rather then to admit him our just Iudge And all this against knowledge and conscience after illumination I wish men would a little think of it and then if this will not melt their hearts no hope that any other means should do it but perish they must § 4. I confess I have small hope that what hath been said of Gods love and our odious unthankfulness his goodness and our ingratitude which being seriously considered were enough to bring the whole world upon their knees should make them any whit ashamed or the better because their blockishness is such that they think themselves good enough and that to doubt of it or strive to be more holy were but a foolish and needless scrupulosity Yea they prefer their condition before other mens that are so consciencious A thing strange yet it is so For although there be not a leaf in the sacred Volume but hath matter against a voluptuous life none for it For â—o please flesh and blood is the Doctrine of the Devill Yet how do a woâ—ld of men stifle their consciences and force themselves to believe if it were possible that in case men will not swear drink drunk conform to their lewd customes and the like they are over-precise and that God will like a man the worse for his being the better or for having of a tender Conscience And that he looks for less fear reverence and obedience from his servants then we do from our servants and yet hold that a servant can never be too punctual in his obedience to his Masters lawful commands They think it not enough for themselves to prefer the pleasing of their senses before the saving of their souls and to venture tasting the forbidden fruit at the price of death eternal but they account them fools that do otherwise CHAP. VII § 1. O My brethren it is not to be believed how blinde and blockish men are that have hardened their hearts and seared their consciences with accustomary sinning for albeit I have informed them how dangerous their estate is that they might plainly see it truly fear it and timely prevent it yet I have very little hope to do any good upon them For first These lines to them are but as so many Characters writ in the water which leave no impression behinde them as being like one that beholdeth his natural face in a glass who when he hath considered himself goeth his way and forgetteth immediately what manner of one he was James 1.23 24. of like some silly Fly which being beat from the Candle and hundred times and oft singed therein yet will return to it again until she be consumed Prov. 23.35 All those Beasts which went into the Ark unclean came likewise out unclean Secondly Though these sparks of grace may kindle piety in others yet not in them for they are out of all hope of being healed For what is light to them that will shut their eyes against it or reason to them that will stop their ears from hearing it and men of their condition do on purpose stop their ears and wink with their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and so should be converted as our Saviour shews Matth. 13.15 and St. Paul Acts 28.27 yea it 's well if they do not carp and fret against the Word and persecute the Messengers as Herod did Iohn Baptist Demetrius Paul and the false Prophets Ieremiah And how should not that patient perish who after he is launced flies from the Chirurgion before the binding up of his wound Or how should not that sin be past cure which strives against the cure certainly salvation it selfe will not save those that spill the potion and fling away the plaister O if these Adders had not stopt their ears how long since had they been charmed I grant they have reason so to do such as it is For will a Leper take pleasure in the searching of his sores and Satan the like for if they could clearly see the loathsomnesse of their impieties it were not possible not to abbor them not to abhor themselves for them but their blindnesse makes them love their own filthinesse as Ethiopians do their own swarthinesse § 2. And to tell you the truth though I speak against my self had I not a further reach in it it were an unreasonable motion in me if I should request mindes propossest with prejudice to hear reason Since the World and the Devil hath so forestalled their judgements therewith against Gods people and goodnesse it self that they resolve never to be better then they are And where Satan hath set this his porter of prejudice though Christ himself were on earth that soul would make an ill construction of whatsoever he did or spake as we see in the Scribes and Pharisees who when he wrought miracles reputed him a sorcerer when he cast out Devils thought it to be by the power and Prince of Devils when he reproved sinners he was a seducer when he received sinners he was their favourer when he healed the sick he was a Sabbath-breaker and the like yea they counted him the greatest offender that offended not once in all his life which would make a wise man suspect his own judgement or the common â—ame and to examine things throughly before they condemn one whom they know no evil by Yet this is the case of these men of most men for
trifle O that we might as we ought lay this to heart and that Gods Heralds would be often and ever minding men of this their sordid and base condition and their grievous provoking the Lord who is even a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 For to me it is a wonder that of all other sins this is the least preacht against And me thinks it should â—ut the very hearts of thâ—se that have felt the love of Christ â—o hear him so dishonoured who is the life of their lives and soul of their soules and that by those who profess themselves Christians Nor do I think I could have pitcht upon a Subject more serious publick and profitâ—ble whether we consider the generality of the disease or the necâ—ssâ—â—y commodity and common good that I hope and is likely to come by the 〈◊〉 As tell me will it be any desertlesse office to find out a way to help all this and to make the most poor and melancholy the richest and happiest men alive for that is my drift it is a Theam that perhaps hath not hitherto been thought of at least not handled but you will grant it as profitable a Project when once it is effected as was Columbus his discovery of the West Indies yea and I hope will extend it self to as many for like a cunning Augler I have baited my hook with that at which every fish will be sure to bite As who or where is the man that desires not to be rich and happy I dare say if the Great Cham who is said to have a tree full of pearles banging by clusters should but make proclamation that whoever would reâ—â— it to him should have plenty of gold he might drive such a trade as would soon make him a Bankcrupt For as the Prophet observes every one even from the least unto the greatest is given unto covetousnesse Ierem. 6.13 All â—â—ape after gain and how to get is each mans thought from sun to sun insomuch that it is to be feared nineteen parts of all the men in Christendom are whorshippers of the golden Calf And let this serve by way of Preface least the parâ—h or entry prove too big for the house Or least it should be said of me as once Nebuchadnezar objected to the Inchanters and Astrologians that I do but while away the time because I cannot tell them this thing they so much expect and long for Dan. 2.8 SECT 4. As what will some Momus say Here are great words but no security It s well if all prove not like the Indian Fig-tree whose leaves are as broad as a target when the fruit is no bigger than a bean Many an Alchymist in projecting the Phylosophers stone have been so confident to find that which should do all the world good that they have distilled away great estates of their own and other mens to whom they have promised before-hand gold in whole scuttles but at length their glasses have broken together with themselves and all their adherents Answer I know it is no unusuall thing with Projectors to lift up Expectation so high that she not seldom over-thinks the birth But I had rather men should find more than they expect than look for more than they shall find Nor do I ask any more than that you will hear all before you censure which is no unreasonable request for so far as we see we dare believe a suspected or discredited person and there are some dishes that we may â—at even from sluttish bands Neither shalt thou after the perusal of it in case I should tall short of what I pretend have occasion as many buyers to cry out with him in the Comedy pol ego oleum operâ—â— perdiâ—â— Yea these two things I will poremptorily promise thee First That whosoever can shew thee the way better yet none can shew thee a better way to grow rich and happy The second 〈◊〉 that if thou beest not wanting to thy self if thou wilt but reserve those rules and directions which I shall produce from the mouth of God who never yet deceived the trust of any that had the wit or grace to confide in him and obey his Precepts thou shalt become of poor and melancholy both rich and happy Wherefore be at leasure to hear what I shall say and call your best thoughts to counsell touching this great business CHAP. I. NOw for the better discharge of what I have undertaken you may please to take notice that a poor and malancholy man is like a City infâ—sted with too Enemies the one forraign the other domestick which can never injoy peace and safety unless the one be kept out and the other cast out or which is better both subdued The domestick or in-bred enemy to be cast out is Melancholy the forraign foe to be kept out Is Poverty of these two I will chuse to sâ—t upon the last first and the rather for that this being kept out or vanquisht the other will the sooner yeild or with more easâ— be overcome Touching Poverty for that error in practise proceeds many times originally and dangerously from errour in judgement and because a sound mind and a right understanding of things will much advantage a man in the obtaining and injoying of a good and happy estate for the one layes the foundation as the other raiseth the walls and roof and lastly because this discourse may inrich the soul settle the heart and with Gods blessing change the will as well as increase wealth an ignorant rich man being no better than a sheep with a golden fleece that so God in all may have the glory I will first shew what it 〈◊〉 and what it is not to be rich and then acquaint you hâ—â— of poor you may become rich As touching the first of these it is to be observed that most men are much mistaken in judging who are poor and who are rich as strongly perswading themselves that a man is so much the happier by how much the more he is wealthier which is as gross a delusion as possibly can be for there are some cases wherein men are never the better for their wealth and others again wherein they are much the worse as thus God giveth to every man a stock or portion of this worlds goods as well as of grace and wisdom more or lesse to occupy withallâ— yea I perswade my self there are few men that have not once in their life a golden opportunity offered them whereby if they neglect it not they may live comfortably all their dayes and to him who is thankfull and useth the same well 〈◊〉 to Gods glory and profit of himself and others he giveth more as to the servant which used his tallents well be doubted them but to such as are unthankful and abuse the same to their own 〈◊〉 and Gods dishonour or distrustfully â—oord it up he either taketh from them that which he had formerly 〈◊〉 as he took away the â—â— talent from the servant which had 〈…〉
outward blessings without his blessing upon them and then they wâ—â— better mist then had and will do them more hurt than good Eccles. 5.13 Or thirdly which is worst of all he bestowes riches upon them in wrath as he gave a King to the Israelites and Quailes of these severally and is order Onely it will be necessary that I first give you an account in breif how sordidly and ingratefully they deal with God that so you may the better see how God again requites and payes them back in their own coin without the least tincture of injustice or severity CHAP. II. GOD hath bestowed more blessings upon many men than they have hairs on their heads yea God hath given them far larger portions of this worlds wealth than he hath done to millions of their brethren they so grow and increase in substance as if they had found out the Philosophers â—tone and had the art to turn copper into gold or as if with Thales they had the faculty to fore-see what commodities will be cheap and what dear and the more God hath bestowed upon them the greater is their debt of thankfulness and the greater their duty of obedience But alass They are like the hog that â—cornes feed upon But never look up from what tree they come Or they more regard the gift than the giver as Martia Catoes daughter found it to fare with her Suitors who being asked why she did not marry mâ—de answer that she could not meet with a man that would love her more than hers Perhaps they will profess they love God and afford him a kind of verbil thanks so resembling the Elder-tree whose slour is more worth than all the tree besides Or Nazianzens Country of Ozizalâ— which abounded with gay floures but was barren of corn for their thanks is a meer complement and heir lip-love no other than self-love as any one may see by those few signs As observe but how easily they are moved at their own injuries how pâ—rlâ—n at Gods let their own credits or riches be troubled they rage little Lions let Gods honour be questioned they are as tame as Lambs If the aspersion of scandal lights upon their names there is sute upon sute from Court to Court all to begger the raiser of it let the Lords dreadful name be blasphemed they are so far from spending a penny that they will not spare a sillable like Ionah they are more moved for the losse of their gourd than for all Nineveh which could not be if they did in the least love God or were thankful as they say they do and are Yea â—r were well if this were the worst if they were onely negative if they did return nothing for all the loving kindness of God and good they haâ—â— received from him for they return evill as may not God say to these I meâ—â— all unholy and unmerciful rich men as â—arah spake to Abraham concerning Hagâ—r I have given thee mine handmaid and now I am despised in thine eyes And to 〈…〉 return that rich men make to God for as of 〈…〉 as Seneca observes so fares it between God and the ingrateful As our â—â—omacks are usually worst in summer so are our appetites to grace-wards weakest in time of prosperity and peace And as the Moon when she is fuller of light is still farthest from the Sun so the more wealth men have the farther commonly they are from God Too much rankness layeth the corn and trees overladen with fruit are their own ruine God hath thrown away a little white and red earth upon thee and thou art like some vain Whiffler that is proud of his borrowed chain It had been happy for many a man if God had permitted them to be poor still for as Saul was changed to another man presently upon his anâ—ynting so are men commonly upon their advancement and according to our ordinary proverb their good and their bloud rises together As if you observe what ever they were before if they be now but a little crossed they will swell like the Sea in a storm and be more troubled at an affront from their inferiour or equall than for death or hell Yea how many with their greatness have such great thoughts of themselves that God himself must not displease them for if an unseasonable shower doth but crosse their recreations they are ready to fall out with heaven and to quarrel with God himself like Mrs. Minkes riding to Ware as if they were wronged because he did not take his times when to rain and when to shine resembling therein the Horse that being over-much pampered will grow fierce and kick and not abide his rider Or the Mules Fâ—â—es who when she hath suckt her sill and hath enough of her damms milk casteth up her heels and kicks unkindly But he is a very quartellous cuâ—â— that barks at every horse and in the silent night the very moon-shine opens his clamourous throat Now how do we not then wonder and blesse our selves that such men injoy so much something any thing yet hear all and you will confess that others are more beholding to God whom he denies and keeps short of these bewitching balts of wealth and greatness But I have not told you one half of their base ingratitude for commonly when they have been fatted with Gods blessings they not onely spurn at his precepts but as if they studied to be superlative in their provoking of him they return the greatest and most malitious evill for the greatest and most admired love even hating God and his people Iohn 15.24 25. yea they most spightfully and malitiously fight on Satans and sins fide against Christ and persecute his members and the truth with all their might perswading and as far as they can inforeing others to do the same and all this against knowledge and conscience as I have upon another occasion made it plainly appear though the Devill so blinds them that there is no convincing them thereof Thus theis sin is many degrees beyond ingratitude it self it is a wickedness of that nature that there is no name significant enough to express it Yea to receive so many such good things at the hands of God and return such and so much evill is a desperate wickedness not to be endured CHAP. III. BUt observe what they get by it and how God even here payes them again in their own coin whereof I will give you several instances for God does not deal alike with all in this case but is various in these kinds of â—etallation If I be large upon this point consider of what consequence and concernment it is and you will not blame me for prolixity yea admit it should be supposed a digression yet would I hope to have thanks for it First How many are there to whom God gives abundance of wealth and after some few years for their abusing the same and their great unthankfulness taketh from them again even that which he had formerly given
we cannot miscarry if we trust to his Yet this is to be considered that God does not work upon us as upon blocks and stones in all and every respect passive but converts our wils to will our own conversion He that made thee without thy self will not justifie nor save thee without thy self Without thy merit indeed not without thine endeavour When those deadly waters were healed by the Prophet the outward act must be his the power Gods he cast the salt into the spring and said Yhus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death or barrennesse Elisha was the Instrument but far was he from challenging ought to himself Wherefore be sure to use that power which Christ shall give thee and then my soul for thine he will not be wanting on his part And amongst other thine endeavour exercise Prayer Omit not to beg of God for the grace thou wantest and praise him for what thou obtainest Abhor to attribute or ascribe ought to thy doing trust only to Christs obedience in whom only what we do is accepted and for whom only it is rewarded Now you are to know that as no Sacrifice was without Incense so must no service be performed without Prayer And Prayer is like the Merchants Ship to fetch in heavenly commodities It is the Key of Heaven as St Austin terms it and the Hand of a Christian which is able to reach from earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of the Lords Treasury Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name saies Christ believing he will give it you John 16.23 Matth. 21.22 Unto fervent Prayer God will deny nothing It is like Sauls Sword and Ionathans bow that never returned empty Like Ahimaaz that alwaies brought good tydings It is worth the obseâ—ving how Cornelius his serious exercise of this duty of Prayer brought unto him first an Angel then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himself Hast thou then a desire after that happinesse before spoken of seek first to have the asistance of Gods Spirit and his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost Wouldst thou have the love of God and the asistance of his Spirit ask it of him by Prayer who saith If any of you lack in this kind let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him James 1.5 Wouldst thou pray that thou maist be heard Ask in faith and waver not for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea tost of the wind and carried away Vers. 6. Wouldst thou have faith be diligent to hear the Word preached which is the sword of the Spirit that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable Cannon-shot that battereth and beateth down all the strong holds of sinne and Satan Rom. 10.17 Unto him therefore that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think I commend thee CHAP. XIV Lastly For conclusion of this point Wouldst thou be a contented and Happy man then strive to be a Thankefull man and when God hath the fruit of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much Wouldest thou become thankefull then bethink thy self what cause thou hast by calling to mind and considering what God and Christ hath done for thee As first That he is the Authour of thy natural life For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 Secondly Of thy spiritual life Thus I live saies Paul yet not I now but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Thirdly Of thy eternal life 1 Joh. 1. He is the way the truth and the life John 14.6 The resurrection and the life John 11.25 Or more particularly thus In the first place He gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledge of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse But this was nothing in comparison For when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this and our selves when by sinne we had turned that Image of God into the Image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not only without asking but even against our wils so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal 4.7 Here was a fathomlesse depth a wonder beyond all wonders 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse did not only find out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Sonne his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Crosse to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 The very thought of which death before he come to it together with the weight and burthen of our sinnes put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sonnes of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore O wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesus Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God! who can sufficiently expresse thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world than to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six daies to finish it the Redemption of man cost him
for such glory or service from us as he is worthy to receive but as we are able to give Our praises and performances are not sinnes yet they are not without some touch of sin Duties and infirmities come from us together but Christ parts them forgiving the infirmities and receiving the praises and performances They are full of weaknesses yet does not he except against them for their imperfections He takes them well in worth though there be no worth in them and vouchsafes them a reward which had been sufficiently honoured with a pardon Neither can we hurt or take away any thing from him For if we be wicked our wickednesse may hurt a man like our selves but what is it to him Job 35.7 8. Yet neverthelesse we may do many things which he accounts and rewards as done to himself of which I will give you one in special and I pray mind it Though we can do nothing for Christ himself he being now in Heaven yet we may do much for his poor members those excellent ones whom David speakes of Psalm 16.2 3. which Christ accounts all one as if it were done to himself as appears by many expresse testimonies When I was an hungred ye fed me when I was naked ye cloathed me when sick and in prison ye visited me c. For in as much as ye did it unto one of these little ones that believe in me ye did it unto me Matth. 25.34 to 41. He that giveth unto the poor lendeth unto the Lord Prov. 19.17 And many the like which I have formerly cited CHAP. XVII Now do we love Christ or would we indeed expresse our thankfulnesse to him for what we have received from him Or do we desire to do something again for Christ who hath done and suffered so much for us here is a way chalked out unto us which he prefers before all burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mark 12.33 When David could do the Father Barzillay no good by reason of his old age he loved and honoured Chimham his son 2 Sam. 19.38 And to requite the love of Ionathan he shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth So if thou bearest any good will to God or Christ whom it is not in thy power to pleasure thou wilt shew thy thankfulnesse to him in his Children and poor members who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes. 5.30 Is our Ionathan gone yet we have many Mephibosheths and he that loves God for his own sake will love his Brother for Gods sake Especially when he hath loved us as it were on this condition that we should love one another Iohn 15. This is my Commandement saies Christ that ye love one another as I have loved you Vers. 12. And greater love than his was cannot be Vers. 13. And untill we consider how infinitely good God hath been unto us we can never shew any goodnesse towards our Brethren We must know he hath given us all we have before we will part with any thing for his sake God in the beginning had no sooner created the Heavens and the Earth but he said Let the Earth bring forth grass the Herb yeelding seed and the fruitfull tree yeelding fruit c. Gen. 1.11 12. So when he hath by his Word and Spirit created us anew he commands us to be fruitfull in the works of Piety and Charity Col. 1.10 And the river of Charity does alwaies spring from the fountain of Piety Faith is as the leads and pipes to bring in and Love is as the cock of the cunduit to let out And what availeth the one without the other What avileth it my Brethren saies St Iames though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no works that is works of Charity can the faith save him For if a Brother or a Sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them Depart in peace warm your selves and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needfull for the body what helpeth it Even so the faith if it have no works is dead in it self James 2.14 to 18. A just man lives by his faith Hab. 2.4 Heb. 10.38 and others live by his charity Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their adversity and to keep himself unspotted of the world James 1.27 Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 and Faith is the fulfilling of the Gospel Act. 13.39 16.31 1 Thes. 4.14 1 John 3.23 A Christian in respect of his faith is Lord over all 1 Joh. 5 4. 2.14 in respect of his love he is servant unto all Gal. 5.13 Faith is the mother grace by it we are justified Lukâ— 7.47 50. Gal. 3.8 our hearts are purified Act 15.9 our persons are accepted and our soules saved Ephe. 2.8 9. Luke 18.42 Yet in many respects love is preferred before it as 1 Cor. 13.13 Now abideth Faith Hope and Love even these three but the chiefest of these is Love So that what the diamond is among stones the Sun among Plaenets and gold among mettals such is Love among the graces Love will make us to have publique spirits resembling the Moon which borroweth her light from the Sun that she may convey it to all the inferiour creatures takes from the Sea that she may give to the lesser rivers It will inforce us to practice what the Apostle exhorts unto Phil. 2. Look not every man on his own things but every man also of the things of other men let the same mind be in you that was eâ—en in Christ Iesus c. Vers. 4 5 6. It will make us remember them that are bound as if we were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if we were also afflicted in the body Heb. 13 3. Which is but reason As mâ—ist not thou thy self be in affliction or want and wouldest not thou in thy need be relieved Why then shouldest not thou know it reason to do to others as thou wouldest have them do to thee We ought to love our neighbour as our selves Levit. 19.18 but how do we so if we take not care for them as we do for our selves There is nothing that any one doth or indureth but any other may We are all lyable to the same common misery if unsustained Therefore insult not over him that is cast down but let it make thee humble thankfull and compassionate because it is a goodnesse not our own that makes the difference though pride will scarce believe it The proudest he cannot say this or that shall never befall me Who can say saies Menander I shall never do nor suffer this or that For that we go not the round of others sinnes or punishments it is neither our goodnesse desert policy or power preventing but from those lines of gracious Providence from Gods preventing and preserving mercy Doubtlesse he had been counted a prating fool that should have told Haman
in composing the Poores Advocate in eight parts I printed the first two of them with these words in the front That it is an incomparable favour to the rich that there are poore to accept of their Charity had they the Wit to know it This they no sooner read but their bloods would rise saying We must be beholding to the poore to accept of our charity wee 'l see them hanged first An expression more sit for a Caniball then a Christian And certainly such men had need to look to it in time for of all men in the world they shall have judgement without mercy that are so miserably unmercifull And I would wish them to take heed of turning the deaf ear to Christ when in his members he cryes to them for mercy lest Christ turnes the deaf ear to them when they being in far greater need shall cry to him for mercy Again which is worth the observing when the said two parts took so with the good that provision was made a way thought upon that to every rich man in the Nation there should be one of them freely given for the poores good by the Clarkes of every Parish they I mean some of them so abused their trust that the donor was forced to withdraw his hand whereby both Rich and Poore might sustain no little loss the one in their souls the other in their purses For it is well known that a person of quality upon the reading of it sent in many hundred pounds to the our parishes to be be bestowed by the Church-Wardens upon their poore If any shall think I wrong Parish Clarkes let them but ask the Clark of Lawrence Church whether the then Reverend Pastour did not deliver him five and fifty of those Bookes with the names of five and fifty rich men in that parish together with a great charge to deliver them into every of their hands And whether he did not most perfidiously and sacrilegiously barter them away to the Booke Women for other Bookes instead of giving them to the parties And this for I le mention no more I acquaint the woâ—ld with as tendring the good of his soul more then that of his honour for I have done in private what lies in me to make him sensible of the crime but he is the more obstinate Now that I have taken occasion to shrowd the Remaines of the poores Advocate under the notion of how to become happy here and hereafter these are my reasons First Bounty to the poore is the most proper meanes tending to happiness And secondly it is very probable that many will read or hear thus far under this notion whether out of curiosity or self ends and having heard hitherto will be willing also to hear me a few words in behalf of the poore which is of no less concernment when otherwise they would have heard neither of both Now such as have read the two first parts of The Poores Advocate may remember that I have dispatched these six heads 1. The necessity of the duty 2. The persons of whom it is required 3. They to whom it must be performed 4. VVhat 5. How 6. How much we are to give In the other six parts I intended to have treated 1. Of the time when we aâ—e to give 2. Of the meanes inabling to it 3. Of the ends to be propounded in it 4. Of the impediments that hinder it 5. Of the remedies or incouragements And 6. Of the Vses But finding that it would have been as welcome to the parties concerned therein as water into a ship I will onely give you a few gleanings out of them In which also I will more respect the weight and benefit of the matter then the order of handling that so I may couch all within a little compass CHAP. XXI Touching the grounds reasons and inducements which may move men to be bountifull and beneficent to the poore with which I will begin they are so many that onely to name them all would by worldlings be thought too much Wherefore I will onely nominate such as every wise man even out of self love will allow for weighty And therein be as brief as possibly I can in running them over 1. If in some good measure we perform this duty if we deal our bread to the hungry bring the poore that are cast out into our houses and that seeing them naked we cover them as it is Isay 58.7 God hath promised and given it under his hand that it shall go well with us in our estates and that we shall be no loosers by it but he will surely pay it us again Ecc. 11.1 Luke 6.38 Matth. 6.4 And lest any should be discouraged from performing these duties because he is able to give but a little he assureth us that whosoever giveth a cup of cold water unto a Disciple in the name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his reward Matt. 10.42 And that because this reward is not grounded upon the excellency and merit of the work but upon Gods righteousness and truth in fulfilling his promises according to that Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous that he should forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed toward his name in that ye have minstred to the Saints and do minister Whereby he implyeth that it is no more possible that those who in love and obedience have exercised themselves in these works of mercy should lose their reward then that God himself should lose his righteousness And the wise man telleth us that he who hath pitty on the poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given he will repay again Prov. 19.17 Neither in reason can it be otherwise for if mercy and bounty be in God as an inexhaustible everspringing fountain and in us as a little stream that floweth from it how is it possible that our small and shallow rivulets of mercy should flow to our Neighbours and that the everlasting spring of Gods mercy and goodness should be dry unto us or how should the stream flow and the fountain and well â—ead be dried up Yea let us assure our selves that we cannot faster in a wise and discreet manner empty our selves of these waters of Gods blessings for the satisfying and quenching of the poore mans thirst and relieving of his wants but we shall again be replenished from the fountain of all goodness and if like kind Nurses we let these deare Children of God suck the breasts of our bounty for their comfort and nourishment that which is thus spent will again be restored whereas if we churlishly refuse to impart and communicate this milk of Gods blessings it is the readiest way to have it quite dried up Neither are we to imagine that if we be carefull in feeding Christ that he will be carelesse in feeding us That he will deny us meate who hath given us his precious blood That he will suffer us to want earthly trifles who hath provided
indeed if the very worst of men did but know and consider how they should pleasure themselves in being humble and thankful they would use all their possible endeavours to that end As most pleasant it is to God and most profitable to us both for the procuring the good we want and for the continuance of the good we have CHAP. XLVI INto the humble and thankful soul that giveth him abundance of glory his Spirit enters with abundance of Grace sowing there and there only plenty of Grace where he is assured to reap plenty of glory But who will sow those barren Sands where they are not only without all hope of a good Harvest but are sure to loose their Seed and Labour And in common Equity he that is unthankful for a little is worthy of nothing whereas thanks for one good turn is the best introduction to another Holy David was a man according to Gods own heart and therefore he continually miâ—â—eth with his Prayers Praises and being of a publike spirit he discovereth the secrets of this skill As when he saith Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee then shall the earth bring forth her encrease and God even our God shall give us his blessing Psal. 67.5 6 7. When Heaven and Earth are friends then Summer and Winter Seed-time and Harvest run on their race When God was displeased what was the effect Ye have sown much and have reaped little Again when God was pleased mark the very day For from that very day I will bless you Hag. 2.15 to 20 Whensoever glory is given to God on high peace good will shall be bestowed on men below Luk. 2.14 Psal. 84.11 12. Noah gave a Sacrifice of Praise for his deliverance from the Flood And God being praised for that one deliverance he perpetuateth his blessing and promiseth an everlasting deliverance to the World from any more Floods Again it is the only way to procure Gods Blessing upon our endeavours It happened that Bernard one day made a curious and learned Sermon for which he expected great applause but received none The next time he made a plain wholsom Sermon and it was wonderfully affected liked and commended A friend of his noting it askt him what might be the reason Who answered In the one I preached Bernard in the other Christ in the one I sought to win glory and praise to my self in the other the glory of God and the salvation of souls which received blessing from above and that made the difference yea were there nothing good else in it yet this were the way to gain true honor We cannot so much honour our selves as by seeking to honour God To seek a mans own glory says Solomon is not glory Prov. 25.25.27 but to seek Gods glory is the greatest honour a man can do himself For as Cicero said of Iulius Caesar That in extolling of dead Pompey and erecting his Statues he set up his own So who are more venerably esteemed and spoken of then such as are most tender of Gods glory and least seeke their own They are the Lord 's own words to Saul They that honour me I will honour but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 The way for a man to be esteemed the greatest is to esteem himself the least It is humility that makes us accepted both of God Man whereas the contrary makes us hated and abhorred of both The Centurion did many excellent things but he never did a Work so acceptable in the sight of Christ as was his disclaiming his own Works While Saul vvas little in his ovvn eyes God made him Head over the twelve Tribes of Israel and gave him his Spirit but when out of his Greatness he abused his Place and Gifts God took both from him and gave them to David whom Saul least respected of all his Subjects 1 Sam. 15.17.28 16.14 Other proofs of such as he will honor for honoring him you have Gen. 39.21 Zeph. 3 19 20. Dan. 2.19 to 50. as when Nebuchadnezzar sought his own honor honor departed from him and he was made like a Beast but when he sought God's honor honor came to him again and he was made a King Dan. 4.34 to the end Before honour goeth humility Prov. 15.33 But when pride cometh then cometh shame Prov. 11.2 And commonly great Works undertaken for ostentation miss of their end and turn to the Author's shame nor have any less praise then they that most hunt after it It 's true the Lord sometimes gives wicked men even what in their thoughts they ask as some desire riches onely and God gives it them with a curse some honor and dignity and they have it that their fall may be the greater others fame and reputation as loving the praise of men more then the praise of God and these have many times what they aim at they are extolled to the skies and that shall be the reward of all the good that ever they do Lastly God's people make spiritual and eternal things Grace and Glory and God's favour their onely option and they have their desire yea not seldom are riches and reputation super-added though they seek them not they seek onely God's glory on Earth as for their own glory they let that alone till they come to Heaven knowing that he onely is happily famous who is known and recorded there True he lives so well that the praise of men especially good men will follow but as I said before so say I again he wil not follow it least to gain the shadow he should lose the substance as Absolom in seeking a Kingdom lost himself CHAP. XLVII IT is a sad thing to consider how many formal Christians gulâ— themselves in thinking that Christ will reward them when they have done him no service As for example we find the Iews in the 58. of Esay urging God with their fasting as those Reprobates Luke 13. alledge unto him their preaching in Christs Name casting out Devils We have fasted say they and thou seest it not we have afflicted our selves and thou takest no notice thereof they expect some great reward but the Lord answers Have ye fasted to me No such matter and therefore sends them away empty ver 25. to 29. And so will he say unto these that perhaps do many good works for the matter of them Have ye done these and these things in love obedience and thankfulness unto me and that in Christs Name that my Name may be magnified and my People won and edified No but in love to your own credit profit and such like carnal respects and therefore look to it as you love your own souls for if in doing good and discharging our places we have served our selves and sought our selves rather then God when we come for his reward as Esau when he had brought the Venison came for the blessing making himself as sure of it as if he had had it
thou seest no possibility of increasing thy wealth by giving away a great part of it unto the poor I answer And what more reason hast thou by the collection of Sence that thy seed which thou sowest should be multiplied which thou castest away and lettest to rot in the earth unless thou hast learned it by experience And is not God's Word a more infallible Teacher and surer ground for thy faith to rest on especially when thou art not without experience of the like increase springing from the sowing of the seeds of thy beneficence To conclude this point if thou doubtest of these promises of God made unto those who relieve the poor because thou seest not how or when they are performed why dost thou believe the Remission of thy sins Salvation by Christ and everlasting life when as thou seest none of these nor hast any other ground but God's promise even as thou hast for the reward of thine Alms-deeds And therefore it thou doubtest of the one thou doubtest of the other and were not the profession of thy faith concerning those spiritual things good cheap but that it should cost thee as dear as the giving of Alms thou wouldst doubtless discover and proclaim thy infidelity there as well as here and plainly shew that it was in meer formality and hypocrisie Methinks our mistrust or at least the smal confidence we have in what God speaks in his Word especially touching temporals is the greatest wonder in the world And certainly if we cannot trust him for our bodies how do we or how can we trust him with our souls which is the greater trust But beloved what I speak I speak not to all for we have perswaded our selves better things of you and such as accompany salvation though we thus speak Heb. 6.9 And so I have finished what at first I promised with an overplus in behalf of the Poor But as Iohn could onely Baptize with water so I can but teach you with Words and when God withholds his contemned Grace Paul himself cannot move a soul. If the Holy Ghost shall set it home to your hearts that you may so meditate on what hath been spoken and so practise what hath been prescribed that God in Christ may be pacified your sins by free grace pardoned and your souls eternally saved That while you are here you may enjoy the peace of God which passeth all understanding Philip. 4 7. and when you depart hence you may arrive at the Haven of all happiness in Heaven where is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore blessed and happy are yee Psal. 16.11 Which being my praier and hope I shall not onely take my work off the Loom or turn my Pinnace into the Harbor by making a conclusion of this subject as well considering that those who are most insatiable in other things will soonest be cloied with Mannah but likewise take leave of the Press and that for these Reasons First according to my scantling I have said something if not sufficient in one or other of my Six and thirty Pieces to each soul seduced or afflicted Secondly which would by the Reader be considered As he gathers that reads so he spends that writes and who so spends ere he gathers shal soon prove Bankrupt Thirdly because the Bow that is alwaies bent will soon grow weak and sluggish Fourthly I have bestowed so many years and taken so much pains in gleaning ears of corn with Ruth grinding at the Mill with Samson in binding Sheaves carrying to the Mill Barn Garner in threshing Winnowing Garbling Kneading it into Paste making it into Loaves and baking it into Bread that so I might have fine Manchet to set before you my most welcome Guests that with Martha in entertaining her Saviour I have wearied my self And the truth is no mony could have hired me to have taken the pains had not an earnest desire and hope of the common good continually spurred me to go on Onely for this cause and the great pleasure I have taken in the work or imploiment I would not for a world have been debarred from it This may seem a Paradox but it is the immediate gift of God to those that he imploies in such his service thus to counterpoise their labour with more then answerable delight Now unto the King Everlasting Immortal Invisible unto God onely Wise be Honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.17 If you cannot remember all that I have said yet at least remember what the Holy Ghost says in these ensuing places Godliness is profitable for all things and hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come 1 Tim. 4.8 The Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psalm 34.9 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about on every side Psalm 32.10 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack Prov. 28.27 All things shall work together for the best unto those that love God Rom. 8.28 FINIS The sad and doleful Lamentation of ORIGEN after his Fall Set up as a Sea-Mark to make others beware of doing the least Evil that good even the greatest good may come of it BEing much affected with this Example of Origen as deeming it exceeding rare remarkable forcible to make others beware I have much desired that some Stationer would print it with some other small piece for the common good and thereupon I engaged first one and after that another who were to print Spira that they would add this of Origen unto it leaving my Copy with them but neither of them kept their promise because forsooth that of Spira alone would sell for six pence and both together for no more A solid reason while a little gain shall be more stood upon then the glory of God and good of Souls Yet this is the worlds method and as common as cursed and barbarous All which considered none of them I hope can justly blaâ—â— me for filling up the void pages of this sheet with that which may pleasure thousands For I dare say there is not one Reader of fourty that have formerly met with the same in any Author IN the days of Severus lived Origen a man famous for Learning and in mental excellencies most rare and singular he was bold and fervent under the reign of Severus Maximinus and Decius in assisting comforting exhorting and cherishing the Martyrs that were imprisoned with such danger of his own life that had not God wonderfully protected him he had bin stoned to death many times of the heathen multitude for such great concourse of men and women went daily to his house to be catechised and instructed in the Christian Faith by him that Souldiers were hired of purpose to defend the place where he taught them Again such search sometimes was set for him that neither shifting of place nor Countrey could hardly serve him