Naturall inability to fulfill these commandements he turneth all the precepts of God into prayers the vse whereof I hope in all the parts of thy life shall not be vnprofitable for thee And last of all hee liues in a continuall practise of those duâ—…ties of godlinesse which God in his word hath commanded him and he himselfe doth pray for Now in the end I haue onely to obuiate two sorts of men by the one it is surmized that I haue plowed with the Heifer of another specially of Cashmannus who hath written before me de nouo homine by the other it may be obiected that I haue presented an imperfect image of a Christian and haue left out many things which profitably might haue beene pointed out concerning him For the first as I giue thanks to God for the labours of that worthy man so if I had borrowed any thing from him I would neuer thinke shame to confesse it nam ingenui pudoris est vt ait Plinius fateri per quos profecerimus haec quasi merces authori iure optimo pensitanda est ne fures esse videamur but the truth is that many yeares before he came in this Country this Anatomie was drawne and portraited as now you see it As for the second I humbly confesse it Malim tamen aliquid agendo maiorem à me doctrinam sapientiam desiderari quam nihil agendo prudentior doctiorque iudicari It was a commendable policy of these Indian Philosophers called Gymnosophista qui à suis discipulis seuerius otis quà m negotiâ—… rationem exigendam esse arbitrabantar What I haue done in this little labour is a part of my negotiation with that one talent I haue receiued from the Lord and which hee hath charged me to put to the vttermost profit And therefore had I rather by doing of some good lay open my infirmities to the censure of men then to hide by idlenesse my talent in the earth and so to incurre the indignation of my Maister I know my selfe I haue not done what I should nay not what by the grace of God I could yet that which in regard of my daily labour in the worke of the Ministerie I might Accept therefore from me this image of a Christian in a Christian manner apply it to thy selfe and looke what similitude or dissimilitude thou findest betweene thee and it Doe as Elizeus did to the widdowes sonne when he raised him from death to life he stretched himselfe ouer the childe hee put his mouth on the childes mouth his eyes on his eyes his hands on his hands and therewithall he ioyned prayer and the childe reuiued so compare thou thy selfe with this ensample thy minde thy will thy affections thy words thy actions with these of the new man where thou â—…indest a conformity giue thanks to God for the beginning of the worke of his grace in thee where not pray to God further to quicken thee that thou mayest grow in an holy similitude and conformity with him to the glory of his holy name and thy euerlasting comfort in Christ Iesus to whom be praise glory and honour for euer Thine in the Lord Iesus Mr. VVILLIAM COWPER Minister at Perth PSAL. 49. Come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done to my soule THE ANATOMIE of a Christian. CHAPTER I. OF HIS NEW BIRTH OR REGENERATION The Lords Command concerning it I Knew that thou art obstinate and thy necke is an yron sinew and thy brow brasse Esa. 48. 4. I knew that thou wouldst grieuously transgresse therefore haue I called thee a transgressor from the wombe vers 8. In thy natiuitie when thou wast borne thy nauill was not cut thou wast not washed with water I saw thee polluted in thine own blood Ezech. 16. 4. 6. Neuerthelesse for my names sake and for my praise haue I refrained my wrath from thee that I cut theâ—… not off Esa. 48 9. Yea euen when thou wast in thy blood I said vnto thee thou shalt liue â—… sware vnto thee and entred into a couenant with thee saith the Lord and thou art become mine Ezech. 16. 8. For why shall I cause others to trauaile and bring forth and shall I remaine barren saith the Lord Esa. 66. 9. No But in the middes of my children the worke of mine hands shall my name be sanctified Esa. 29. 23. Thou shalt call me father and not turne from me Ierem 3. 19. And I will put a new spirit in thy bowels that thou maist walke in my statutes Ezech. 11. 19. Old things are passed away behold all things are made new if any man be in Christ let him become a new creature 2. Cor. 5. 17. Verely I say vnto you except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 3. Be yee therefore renewed in the spirit of your mind Eph. 4. 23. Putting on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created him Coloss 3. 10. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this command O Lord since flesh and blood cannot inherit thy kingdome and none can see thee but the pure in heart and such as are like thee I beseech thee Lord to transform me into thine image from glory to glorie by thy spirit that where thou art there I may be to behold thy glory It lies not in my power to change one haire of my head to make it white which is blacke farre lesse can I change mine heart to make it cleane which is filthy No man can tame the nature of man that which is crooked he cannot make straight but O Lord that which is impossible with man is possible with thee thou giuest sight to the blind thou raisest vp the crooked thou turnest a barren wildernesse into a fruitfull land thou sendest forth thy Spirit and renewest the face of the earth thou callest things which are not and makest them to be yea thou raisest vp the dead O Lord declare this thy great power in mercie vpon me turne the barren wildernesse of mine heart into a fruitfull garden water it with the dew of thy grace that receiuing a blessing from thee it may bring forth fruit vnto thy glorie Send forth thy Spirit and breath life into my dead soule that I may liue and praise thee O God of my saluation for euer thorough Iesus Christ. Amen The Christians Practise of this command I Was conceiued and borne in sinne Psal. 51. I walked as a child of wrath according to the course of the world after the spirit that workes in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. But now I am receiued to mercie 1. Tim. 1. 16. and am by the grace of God 1. Cor. 15. 10. the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesus to good workes Eph. 2. 10. And this the Lord hath made me I made not my selfe Psal. 100. 3. he quickened me when I
not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath Hatred againe strengthened by time brings out as abhominable Children to wit Lying Detraction and Murther By Lying the hatefull man layes that euill vpon another which is not his and by Detraction taketh from him the praise of that good which appertaines to him therefore the Apostle ioynes these as twinnes together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euny and Murther for Enuy hauing begotten Hatred Hatred bringeth out Lying and backbiting and afterward actuall Murther if God doe not stay Yea as the Basiliske slayes the man and it is not perceiued how so the hatefull man murthers his brother though no man can see how hee stroke him The Apostle cals Auarice the root of all euill and so it is yet Hatred exceeds it in euill The auaritious man will giue nothing of his owne yet hee cares not how much be giuen by another but the hatefull man can neither giue himselfe nor be content another should giue to him whom hee hates yea his eye is euill because God is good In a word among all wicked men a hatefull man is the worst other wicked men delight in their owne good at least in appearance but the hatefull man is tormented with the good of others ille diligit mala hic odit bona vt prope tolerabilior sit qui sibi vult bona saltem apparenter quam qui mala omnibus But of all this the euill returnes to himselfe for the malice of the wicked slayes themselues therefore Basil compareth Enuie to the Viper that rends the bowels wherein it was conceiued and Augustine to the rust that consumeth the yron wherein it was bred among the Ethnicks Socrates called it Serram animae a Saw that cuts and diuides the soule in two Thus in Enuy said Basil are many euils and one onely good thing to wit that it is a plague to him that hath it The Censure But now the great number of them who nourish in their hearts this poyson of the Serpent proueth that all haue not the Christian disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER VII Of his Feare The Lords Command BLessed is the man who feareth alway for hee that hardeneth his heart shall not prosper Prou. 28. 18. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Prou. 1. 7. it leadeth to life and he that is visited therewith shall not be visited with euil Pro. 19. 23. It is the well-spring of life to auoid the snares of death Prou. 14. 27. in the feare of the Lord is assured strength Pro. 14. 26. and nothing shall be lacking to them who feare him Psal. 34. 9. As high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is the Lords mercy to them who feare him Psal. 103. 11. The Lord hath compassion on them that feare him euen as a father hath compassion on his Children ver 13. his louing kindnesse endureth for euer vpon them verse 17. the Lord delighteth in them that feare him and attend vpon his mercy Psal. 147. 11. and he will fulfill their desires Psal. 145. 19. When thou eatest the labour of thy hand thou shalt be blessed that fearest God and it shall be well with thee Psal. 128. 2. The Lord will increase his graces toward thee and thy children 115. 14. Therefore feare the Lord ye his Saints and depart from euill Prou. â—… working out your owne saluation in feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. passe all the time of your dwelling here in feare I. Pet. 1. 17. for nothing else doth the Lord thy God require of thee but that thou feare him and walke in his wayes to loue him and to serue him with all thine heart and all thy soule Deut. 10. 12. But if yee will not keepe this and feare this great and fearefull name THE LORD THY GOD then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy scede great plagues and of long continuance Deut. 28. 58. And next vnto God giue feare to them to whom yee owe feare Rom. 13. 7. My Sonne feare the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are seditious for their destruction shall rise sodainely Prou. 24. 21. And yee shall feare euery man his Father and his mother Leuit. 19. 3. and be ready to giue an answere to euery one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare that in all things hauing a good conscience they who speake euill of you as of euill doers may be ashamed 1. Pet. 3. 16. But feare ye no other Gods neyther bow downe vnto them 2. Kings 17. 35. for they can neither doe good nor euill Ierem. 10. 5. Neyther feare ye the Signes of heauen whereof the Heathen are afraid Ier. 10. 2. And ye that know righteousnesse and in whose heart is my Law feare not the reproach of men nor be afraid of their rebukes for the Moth shall eate them like a garment Esa. 51. 7. Remember that I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine Esay 43. 1. I am thy God and will be with thee to strengthen thee and help thee and sustaine thee with the right hand of my Iustice. Esay 41. 10. I euen I am he who comforts thee who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the Sonne of man who shall be made as grasse Esay 51. 12. But sanctifie the Lord God of hosts and let him be thy feare Esay 8. 13. not fearing them who kill the body but him who is able to cast both soule and body into hell Mat. 10. 28. And as for thy sinnes for which thou fearest least I forsake thee feare indeed but yet so that thou misbelieue not and distrust my mercie Feare not little stock it is your Fathers will to giue you the kingdome Luke 12. 32. for you are not now vnder the Law but vnder grace Rom. 6. 14. and haue receiued not the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father Rom. 8. Feare not therefore for thou shalt not be confounded nor put to shame thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widdow-hood any more If for a little while I forsake thee yet with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment may I hide my face from thee but with euerlasting mercy will I haue compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer the mountaines shall remoue and the hils shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neyther shall the Couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compasson vpon thee Esay 54. 4. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command THou O Lord like vnto whom there is none among all the Gods so glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises and doing wonders I beseech
it is come to passe by a most iust recompence vt qui exteriori negligenter vtitur oculo interiori non iniustè caecetur that hee who negligently vseth the exterior eye should iustly be blinded in the interior The necessitie of this rule shall yet better appeare to vs if we consider that it is not the eye which seeth there is one within that lookes out at the window of the eye to wit the soule if the soule be spiritually disposed there is nothing wee looke to shall offend vs if otherwise then euery thing we looke vnto becomes a snare vnto vs. Mâ—…lta enim retia tenduntur nobis à diabolo for many nets are spread out by Sathan wherein to trap vs yea if our hearts be not kept in a good estate ipsi nobis oculi retia sunt The second rule for gouernment of our eyes is to acquaint them with pouring out of teares for the miseries which our sinnes haue brought vpon vs. The same eyes which God hath giuen vs for organes of our sight hee hath also giuen vs for conduits of our teares therefore we see that in Nature children first mourne with their eyes before they looke on any thing to delight in it Thus if the sight of the creature moued vs to mourne as there is no creature which hath not in it a witnesse of that vanitie whereunto for our sinne it is subiect it should not so readily be a snare vnto vs to entrap vs in sinne as it is For as the Children of Noble men looking to pleasant buildings and lands which sometime belonged to their Fathers but now are possessed by others are rather moued to mourn then to laugh so we when we see the heauens altered the earth accursed the soueraigntie ouer the creatures taken from vs and in euery creature a foot-step of that misery which is the punishment of our Apostacie haue more need to mourne for those miserable effects of our sin then vainly to be delighted with an apparent beautie of the creature The Censure But now the great number of them who looke with wandring eyes Esay 3. 16. with eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2. 14. with hauty eyes and eye-lids lifted vp Prou. 30. 13. proueth that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER IIII. Of his Tongue The Lords Command HEe that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life Pro. 13. 3. yea hee keepeth his soule from affliction Prou. 21. 23. for life and death are in the power of the tongue Prou. 21. 23. Specially be not rash with thy mouth neither let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God for God is in the heauen and thou art in the earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles. 5. 1. and vse not thou vaine repetition as the heathen who thinke to be heard for their much babling Mat. 6. 7. But before all things sweare not neither by heauen nor by earth nor any other oath Iam. 5. 15. but let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill Mat. 5. 37. And say not this day or to morrow we will goe into such a citie but if the Lord will and we liue we will doe this or that Iam. 4. 13. In many words there cannot want iniquitie but he that refraines his lips is wise Pro. 10. 19. If any man among you seem to be religious and refraine not his tongue but deceiues his owne heart this mans religion is vaine Iam. 1. 26. A wise man concealeth knowledge Prou. 12. 23. and hee that hath knowledge spareth his words yea euen a foole when hee holdeth his peace is counted wise Prou. 17. 27. In all labour there is abundance but the talke of the lips bringeth want Pro. 14. 23. be yee therefore swift to heare but slow to speake Iam. 1. 19. Put away from thee a froward mouth Prou. 4. 24. and cursed speaking Colos. 3. 8. for cursing and blessing ought not to proceed out of one mouth no more then out of one fountaine proceedeth sweet water and bitter Iam. 3. 10. Lye not one to another Iames. 4. 11. keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lips that they speake no guile Psalme 34. 13. Speake the truth euery man to his neighbour Zach. 8. 16. for a righteous man hateth lying words Pro. 13. 5. And see you speake not euill one of another Iam. 4. 11. Put away all filthy speaking also out of thy mouth Colos. 3. 8. neither let fornication once be named among you nor filthinesse nor foolish talking nor iesting which are things not comely but rather giuing of thanks Ephes. 5. 3. for euill speeches corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. And generally let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouthes but that which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers your speech being gracious alway and powdred with salt Colos. 4. 6. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command SEt a watch O Lord I beseech thee before my mouth and keepe thou the doore of my lips Take neuer the word of truth vtterly out of my mouth but open thou my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise yea I shall be filled with thy praises and with thy glory euery day So let thou the words of my mouth be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my redeemer Amen The Christians Practise of this Command I Will keepe my mouth brideled and will take heede that I sinne not with my tongue Psal. 39. 1. I haue purposed that my mouth should not offend Psal. 17. 3. I will speake no vaine word Esay 58. 13. but with my mouth will I declare thy praises O Lord from generation to generation Psal. 79. 13. I will not hide thy righteousnesse within my heart but will declare thy truth and thy saluation and will not conceale thy mercy and thy truth from the great congregation Psal. 40. 10. Yea the praises of God shall be in my mouth continually Psal. 34. and my tongue shall intreat of thy word Psal. 119. 172. I will sing to the Lord all my life and will praise him while I liue Psal. 104. 33. At midnight will I rise to giue thanks to thee O Lord. Psal. 119. 62. I preuent the morning watch to cry to thee Psal. 119. 147. Seauen times in the day doe I praise thee Psal. 119. 164. yea all the dayes of my life will I praise thee as long as I haue any being will I sing to my God Psal. 146. 2. Thy statutes shall be my songs in the house of my pilgrimage Psal. 119. 54. and my mouth shall daily rehearse thy righteousnesse and thy saluation for I know not the number Psal. 71. 15. Moreouer I will speake vnto man as before God in Christ Iesus 2 Cor. 12. 19. A deceitfull tongue shall not be found in
all things our owne in Christ but makes vs all manner of waies to enioy Christ it being most certaine that by faith wee heare him and discerne his voice by faith we see him by faith wee smell him by faith we taste his sauing grace and by faith we so touch him that we draw vertue out of him In Nature that which is the obiect of one sense is not alway the obiect of another as for example a voice is heard by the eare but is not seene by the eie but in the Christian renewed by grace that which is the obiect of any one sense is also perceiued by all the rest And herein hath the Lord made his aboundant loue manifest vnto man for looke what manner of waies a man may enioy any thing that iâ—… good all those waies doth God communicate himselfe to man some good things we enioy by seeing and some by hearing and some by tasting but the Lord not content to communicate himselfe vnto vs by hearing doth also call vs to see him to smell him to taste him to touch him that so all manner of waies we may enioy him euerlasting praise therefore be vnto him Againe wee see that as in nature those things which are learned by Sense cannot be vnderstood of him who is destitute of Sense what auailes it to teach the harmonie of Musicke to him that is without eares or to discourse of the comfortable light of the Sunne to him that is without eies Can any eloquence so well expresse the sweetnesse of hony as it is felt by tasting Sensus enim omni sermone est efficacior But it is more impossible that they who are destitute of these new and spirituall Senses should vnderstand those things which concerne the spirituall life Pitifull then is the ignorance of Naturalists euen of them who seeme to the world to be most wise for surely as the bruit beast vnderstands nothing of the naturall life of man and knowes not how farre it excels that sensitiue life by which it liues and therfore desires not a better because it knowes no better so the naturall man knowes nothing of the excellencie of that spirituall life which the Christian hath begun to liue here and by which he shall liue for euer hereafter and therefore being delighted with his owne miserable life hath not so much as a desire of a better The Censure By these rules it is euident that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER III. Of his New Foode The Lords Command I Am the bread of life hee that comes to me shall not hunger and he that beleeues in me shal not thirst Ioh. 6. 35. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that which endureth to eternall life which the Sonne of man shall giue you Ioh 6. 27. Wherefore doe ye lay out your siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied Euery one that thirsts come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse Encline your eares and come to me heare and your soule shall liue and I will make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Esa. 55. 1. 2. 3. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord thou who of thine aboundant mercie hast begotten me againe by the immortall seede of thy word in the bosome of Ierusalem thine owne spouse and my mother graunt that I may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that so thy louing kindnesse may come to me O Lord and thy saluation according to thy promise and mine heart may be comforted of thee my God in Christ vnto whom be praise and glorie for euer Another O Thou whom my soule loueth shew me where thou feedest Many say who will shew vs any good but O Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon mee so shalt thou giue mee more ioy of heart then they haue when their wheat and their wine doe abound Bring me into thy wine-seller stay me with thy slagons and comfort mee with thine apples I know O Lord that he who drinks of the water which thou giuest him shall neuer thirst any more but it shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life Lord giue me of that water that I may not thirst thou art that bread which came downe from heauen and giues life to the world Lord euermore giue me of this bread that I may be strengthened in the inward man Let thy tender mercies come downe vnto me that I may liue to thee my God for euer in Christ Iesus The Christians Practise of this command HOw sweet are thy commandements to my mouth yea more then hony vnto my mouth Psal. 119. 103. The Law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer Psal. 119. 72. My delight shall be in thy commandements which I haue loued vers 47. In mine infancie as a new borne babe I desired the sincere milke of the word that I might grow thereby 1. Pet. 2. afterward comming to age I delight in stronger meat Heb. 5. 14. Hauing by custome my wits exercised to discerne both good and euill ibid. and I know that when I shall be a perfect man hauing attained to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Eph. 4. 13. the Lord will giue mee to eate of his hidden Manna Reuel 2. 17. he will satisfie mee with the fatnesse of his house and giue mee drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal. 36. 8. THE OBSERVATIONS IN the Law of Moses euery creeping thing that creepeth vpon earth and goeth on the breast was an abhomination and it was not lawfull for Israel to eate thereof this was to signifie that no earthly thing can be a liuely food to nourish true Israelites to eternall life The proper food of a Christian is Iesus Christ offered and presented to vs in the Word and Sacraments receiued of vs by faith digested by prayer for which cause the Word is called our food by S. Peter like as prayer is called our food by Nazianzen quod corpori cibus hoc animae est oratio Looke what meat is to the body that same is prayer to the soule Israel was fed with Manna in the wildernesse and they loathed it it is not so with this bread the more we eate of it the more we desire it so farre is it from working in vs a loathing that it wakeneth in vs a new appetite the more we eate of it the more we desire to be further refreshed by it To the Christian in his infancie the word is milke in his
like vnto those seauen yeares of famine in Egypt eating vp the seauen yeares of plentie shall deuour all the apples of their former worme-eaten pleasures all fat and excellent things shall then depart from them the earth shall giue them none of her encrease the water shall not lend them out of her treasures so much as a drop to coole them the light of the Sunne shall not comfort them yea the light of a candle shall not shine vnto them because they despised the light of the Lord and rendred no fruit vnto him in all the time of their life And now the great number of Professors who stand like fruitlesse trees in the Lords Vineyard who in stead of growing decay hauing lost their first zeale with the Church of Ephesus looking backe to Sodome with the wife of Lot longing againe for the Onyons and flesh pots of Egypt with the carnall Israelites returning like dogges to their vomit and so ending in the flesh where they made a shew of beginning in the spirit euidently proues The Censure That all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER V. Of his New Apparrell The Lords Command concerning it THou art miserable and naked by nature and knowest it not Reuel 3. 18. I counsell thee come and buy from me white rayment that thy filthy nakednesse doe not appeare verse 1â—… If thou wilt hearken to my wisedome and hide my commandements within thee Prou. 2. 1. I will spread my skirts ouer thee and couer thy nakednesse Ezech. 16. 8. Put ye therefore on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse and long suffering Col. 3. 12. and aboue all things put ye on Loue. Col. 3. 14. Finally be strong in the Lord and put on the whole armour of God that yee may be able to stand against the assaults of the diuell Eph. 6. 10. 11. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord who giuest all health and grace to thy people take from me I beseech thee the filthy garments of sinne shame and confusion wherwith I was conceiued and borne and cloth mee with thy righteousnesse and saluation giue me that marriage garment whereby I may haue place at thy banquetting table and get inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in Christ Iesus The Christians Practise of this Command THE Lord hath taken from me my filthy garments and clothed me with change of rayment Zach. 3. 4. hee hath giuen me the Lord Iesus to be my righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1. him haue I put on and am baptised in him Gal. 3. 27. I haue cast away the workes of darknesse and walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13. clothed with a garment not party-coloured as Iosephs was but compact of many vertues tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse and long suffering Col. 3. 12. Iudgement is a crowne to my head I haue put on Iustice and it hath couered me Iob. 29. 14. I haue also put on loue 1. Thes. 5. 8. and haue decked the hid man of my heart with a meeke and quiet Spirit 1. Pet 3. 4. these are excellent ornaments which God hath giuen me Ezech. 16. 7. Aboue them all I haue put on the whole complete armour Eph. 6. euen the armour of light Rom. 13. the armour of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 6. 7. the armour of God Eph. 6. The hope of saluation is my helmet Righteousnesse is my breast-plate Veritie my girdle Faith is my Bucklar and my feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace And the Lord hath put into mine hands the shield of saluation Psal. 18. 35. the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Eph. 6. and the sling of Prayer Eph. 6. Thus am I forced to walke armed continually because of mine Aduersarie for my life on earth is a warre-fare Iob. 7. 1. and as the good souldier of Iesus Christ 2. Tim. 2. 3. I must fight against principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse Eph. 6. And I am sure that when the weeke of my warre-fare shall end then shall appeare the day of my refreshment Acts. 3. 20. my euerlasting Sabboth and my marriage day with the Lambe Reuel 19. 7. then shall I be throughly couered with white rayment Reuel 3. 5. then shall this mortall put on immortalitie and this corruptible incorruptibilitie 1. Cor. 15. The Lord shall cloth me with broydred worke a frontlet on my face earings in mine eares a chaine about my neck and bracelets on my hands and hee shall put a crowne vpon my head Ezech. 16. Yea the Lord himselfe shall be vnto me a crowne of glory and Diademe of beautie Esay 62. thus will hee decke mee like a Bride attyred with Iewels Esay 61. 10. and as a chaste spouse to be presented to my immortall Husband the Lord Iesus 2. Cor. 11. THE OBSERVATIONS THE Christian yee see hath foure suites of Apparrell three whereof hee puts on ordinarily in this life the fourth is his holy dayes garment for when the weeke of his warrefare is ended and the Sabboth comes which is the day of the consummation of his marriage with Christ after which shall neuer come a night then shall his Father cause his best robe to be brought out and shall couer him with it His first garment is the garment of Christs righteousnesse which on the part of God being imputed to him that is by the free gift of God giuen to be his owne and on his part receiued by faith and couered therewith defends him against the stormy and consuming wrath of God By this righteousnesse of Christ is not vnderstood that holinesse of his diuine nature which is incommunicable neyther that righteousnes of his humane Nature consisting in a perfect obseruance of the Law Morall which hee neuer transgressed in thought word nor deed and by vertue whereof Christ the man was sufficiently able to inherit life by the condition of the couenant of worke Doe this and liue But that righteousnesse which hee as our Mediator by fulfilling that singular Law of a Redeemer hath acquired and purchased that hee might communicate it to his brethren for their saluation who had none of their owne by which they could be saued For this singular law of a Redeemer which was neuer imposed to man nor Angell but onely to Iesus Christ required that he should loue God and his brethren in such sort as to beare in his owne body the punishment of their sinnes and satisfie the iustice of God to the vttermost for them that so the praise both of Iustice and Mercy might be reserued vnto God If all Adams posteritie had perished in sin where should haue beene
the praise of Gods mercy and if their sinne had not beene punished where should haue beene the praise of his iustice but the Lord Iesus hath vindicated the glory of both For this law of a Redeemer found out by the meruailous wisedome of God as the Lord Iesus did willingly accept it for the loue hee bare to the glory of his Father and saluation of his brethren so hath hee perfectly fulfilled it In his blessed body hee bare our sinnes on the cursed tree the chastisement of our peace was laid vpon him hee hath satisfied the Iustice of his Father and so hath purchased a righteousnesse not for himselfe hee needed it not but that as I said hee might communicate it to his brethren And this garment of righteousnesse is so perfect that it couers all our nakednesse from head to foot both of the Soule and Body for in both he suffered His blessed head was crowned with thornes that hee might satisfie for the proud imaginations of our braine His hands and feete which neuer offended were pierced with Nayles that hee might satisfie for the vnrighteous deedes wee haue done with our hands and feet and so of the rest of his sufferings As Iacoh couered with the garment of his elder brother got the blessing so wee couered with the sweet smelling garment of our elder Brother the Lord Iesus are acceptable to God for in him the Father is well pleased The second garment which vnder this the Christian puts on is the garment of sanctification compact as wee said of many vertues both these at one instant are giuen to the Christian the one defends him from the wrath of God the other sanctifieth and reformeth corrupted Nature Other garments may couer the nakednesse and filthie sores of the bodie but cannot cure them This garment both couers and cures our filthy nakednes it turnes our sicknes into health our darknesse into light for whosoeuer puts on the Lord Iesus for his righteousnesse to iustification puts him on also for holinesse to sanctification so full of Grace and Vertue is the Lord Iesus that not onely by the merit of his sufferings doth hee pacifie the wrath of God towards all them in whom hee is but also by his vertue sanctifieth them by creating a new minde and a new heart in them hee maketh them new creatures The third is a suite of complete armour most necessarie for the Christian for Sathan enuying this new happinesse of man endeuours continually to defile or rent in pieces our garment of holinesse sometime hee assaults our Patience sometime our Temperance c. so that it is not possible for the Christian to keepe vnviolated the seuerall pieces of his holy garment vnlesse hee put on the whole complete armour of God The seuerall pieces of armour requisite to preserue the seuerall graces of the Spirit are set downe Ephes. 6. called there the armour of God both because it is that God furnisheth vs with them and also because no other then these can serue vs in the spirituall warre-fare For in the bodily war-fare men commonly doe resist their aduersaries by such weapons as their enemies doe impugne them with all but in the spirituall if wee sight against Sathan in his Instruments with such weapons as they vse in sighting against vs the aduersarie shall easily ouercome vs. And therefore as Dauid cast from him the armour of Saul and tooke him to weapons farre vnlike those that Goliah brought against him so must wee when wee goe out in the name of God against that vncleane vncircumcised Philistim cast from vs carnall weapons and take vs to the armour of God if we would be sure of victory That is wee must not render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but if our enemies curse vs let vs blesse them if they persecute vs let vs pray for them that so we may ouercome euill with good The last garment is his Sabboth dayes garment which in this life is not put vpon him but is kept in his Fathers Treasure till his warre-fare be ended then shall he be decked with all those excellent ornaments whereof we haue spoken The Censure But the want of these garments proueth that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER VI. Of his New Names THe Christian being born againe as we haue said is aduanced by the Lord with many honourable stiles in holy Scripture for he is called The Son of God 1. Ioh. 3. the heire of God Rom. 8. Christs brother Iohn 20. Christs fellow-heyre Rom. 8. a spirituall man who discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2. 15. a new creature 2. Cor. 5. a free-man Ioh. 8. a holy man 2. Cor. 6. a Citizen with the Saints and Burges of heauenly Ierusalem Ephes. 2. 19. the Lords domestique or houshold man Eph. 2. the Lords annoynted 1. Iohn 3. a branch of a wilde Oliue contrary to nature ingrafted into the right Oliue Rom. 11. 14. an Israelite in whom there is no guile Ioh. 1. one of the congregation of the first borne Heb. 12. 23. one of Gods peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. a member of Christ 1 Cor. 6. the Temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. a royall Priest 1 Pet. 2. 9. the elect man of God Col. 3. 12. a vessâ—…ll of mercie Rom. 9. a childe of the marriage Chamber Mat. 9. an excellent one Psal. 16. 3. The Christians Prayer for Grace to answere these Names O Lord who promised that thy Children should be called with a new Name which the mouth of the Lord should name and according there to hast put thy name vpon thy Children confirme I beseech thee all this great goodnesse which thou hast spoken to thy seruant let it please thee to blesse mee and I shall be blessed teach me to chuse that which pleaseth thee and to take hold of thy couenant that thy name may be sanctified in me and I may walke worthy of my heauenly vocation so shalt thou fully performe to me thy promise and giue mee that euerlasting name which shall neuer be â—…ut out and thy name shall be stable and magnified for euer praise and honour and glory without â—…nd appertayning to thee THE OBSERVATIONS THE first man being blessed of God in the day wherein hee was created had his name called Adam to remember him that hee was taken from the dust but now higher stiles and names are giuen by God to the Christian to declare that high honour and dignitie wherevnto by Christ hee is aduanced in this his new Creation For albeit it be customable among men to vsurpe stiles which do far surmount their estate for there hee that is a vessell of dishonour oftentimes is named honourable and many slaues of Sathan goe vnder the name of great Lords Yet is it not so with God for to whom soeuer hee giues a name to them also hee giues the thing
regard any that are wise in their owne conceit Iob. 37. 24. but pronounceth a woe against them Esay 5. 21. Let therefore the same minde be in you which was in Iesus Christ who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputation and was found in shape as a seruant Philip. 2. Deck yee also your selues in lowlinesse of minde 1. Pet. 5. 5. that yee may walke worthy of the calling wherevnto yee are called with all humblenesse of minde Ephe. 4. Furthermore thinke of those things which are of good report are which and true honest iust pure pertaining to loue Philip. 4. 8. Let there not be in your heart a wicked thought Deut. 15. 9. for many minde earthly things whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame Philip. 3. 19. But vnto him who doth thinke on good things shall be mercy and truth Prou. 14. 22. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord I am a man void of Counsell neyther is there any vnderstanding in me I am not sufficient of my selfe so much as to thinke a good thought but my sufficiency is of thee for thou Lord dost giue wisedome and out of thy mouth comes knowledge and vnderstanding thou art he who puttest wisdome into the reynes and giuest vnderstanding to them who haue erred in spirit I therefore pray thee O Lord if I haue found fauour in thy sight shew me thy way that I may know thee thy hands haue made me and fashioned me Lord giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements lighten my darknesse that being filled with the knowledge of thy will I may walke in thy light studying alwayes to doe that which is good and pleasant in thy sight through Iesus Christ. Another O Lord who didst command light to shine out of darknesse make it I beseech thee to shine in mine heart to giue me the light of the knowledge of thee my God in the face of Iesus Christ take away good Lord the vaile wherewith my mind is couered that I may behold as in a mirrour thy glory with open face and may be changed into the same Image by thy spirit let me not be of the number of those Infidels whom the God of this world hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the Image of God should not shine vnto them but make me to abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that I may discerne betweene good and euill and betweene things which differ one from another and may be kept pure and without offence till the day of Christ filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are by Iesus vnto the praise and glory of God Amen The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command ONce I was darknes but now I am light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. I walked in darknesse and dwelt in the land of the shadow of death but now the light hath shined vpon me and I haue seene light Esay 9. 2. and God hath giuen me a minde to know him who is true 1. Iohn 5. 20. for his word is my wisdome and vnderstanding Deut. 4. 6. and his commandements haue made me wiser than mine enemies for they are euer with me yea I haue had more vnderstanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation Psal. 119. 99. I will not any more lift vp my minde vnto vanitie but I will thinke vpon God in the night Psal. 63. 6. and I will meditate in the Law of the Lord continually Psal. 119. 97. and of the beauty of his glorious Maiestie and his wonderfull acts Psal. 145. 5. And I will alwaies giue thanks to him who hath made me meet to be partaker of the inheritance of his Saints in light who hath deliuered me from the power of darknesse and hath translated me into the kingdome of his deare Sonne to whom be praise and glory for euer Amen Col. 1. 13. THE OBSERVATIONS AS in the first creation God began at the light so in the second he begins at the illumination of the mind and the mind changed and renued by the Lord worketh a change also of the will and affections Naturally the minde of man is darke proud and prophane the ignorance that is in it being both a punishment of mans first sinne a sinne it selfe and the cause of all other sinne For man aspiring to an higher knowledge then God vouchsafed vpon him lost the knowledge wherewith God endued him by creation except some generall notices of good and euill which like sparkles of fire couered with the ashes of mans corrupt nature are left in him to make him inexcusable By his first creation he was made a companion of Angels but falling from that honour hee became a companion of beasts and hath so far degenerated from that which God made him that hee hath assumed the very properties of beasts wherefore also God giues vnto him the name of a beast Quidenim an non tibi videtur ipsis bestijs bestialior homo ratione vigens ratione non viuens And now seeing restitution is proclaimed in Christ how carefully should hee take heede to himselfe that hee despise not grace which is offered by his first fall hee fell from light to darknesse his second fall shall cast him into vtter darknesse the transgression of the couenant of workes made him a companion of beasts but the contempt of the couenant of grace shall make him a companion of damned Diuels And as this ignorance is a punishment of mans first sinne so is it also a sinne as is euident out of 2. Thes. 5. 1. The Lord shall appeare in staming fire to render vengeance vnto all them that know not God Thirdly it is a cause of other sinnes as we are taught by the Apostle Eph. 4. that the Gentiles wer strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them As Balaam went on blindlings in an euill course because he saw not the Angell standing with a naked sword against him so the wicked walke boldly in their sins because they know not the danger thereof A body destitute of eyes cannot discerne the day from the night a friend from a foe nor the pit from the plaine no more can a darkned minde discerne the manifold snares of Sathan but as our Sauiour saith where the blinde leads the blinde both of them must fall at length into the ditch so where a blinded minde is the directer of a corrupted will what can the end be but fearefull damnation and yet no better is mans miserable estate by Nature But this naturall ignorance is remoued in the regeneration and a holy light created in the minde of man which the Lord workes by degrees as hee opened the eyes of
that blind man by degrees And this light as it increaseth in the minde hath alwaies following it holinesse and humilitie not that euery knowledge doth sanctifie and humble him that hath it for albeit the Lord illuminateth euery one that comes into the world yet doth hee not sanctifie euery one yea there is knowledge in many which doth not humble but puffe vp not conuert but conuince The Gentiles were endued with great knowledge of God the Creator by the light of Nature but they with-held it in vnrighteousnesse to their iuster condemnation the bastard Christians of our time are endued also with the knowledge of God the Redeemer by the light of the word but it is likewise shut vp in the prison of their inordinate affections For either in their actions they neuer seeke counsell at the light which God hath put in their mindes or else if at any time the light that is in them warne them of the good which they should do and reproue them for the euill that they haue done it is oppressed and borne downe by the tyranny of their sinfull affections But this liuely knowledge created in our mindes by God in the regeneration doth work in vs both humilitie and holinesse For first it banisheth out of our mind that threefold naturall pride which is in it to wit Blinde pride Foolish pride and Vaine pride Blinde pride is when decepta deceptrix cogitatio the deceiuing and deceiued cogitation of mans minde makes him to thinke hee is far better then indeed hee is and this may be seene in many who are proud without any cause at all Foolish pride is when a man is puft vp with that which he hath as if it were his owne this is as if the Axe should take to it selfe the praise of hewing or the Pen should vsurpe the praise of writing or the Wall should waxe proud because the Sunne shines vpon it so is it with the man who waxeth proud because God hath looked vpon him and doth any notable worke by him Vaine Pride is when a man is puft vp with that which hee hath indeed but it is without him like Nebuchadnezzer glorying in his golden Image and worldlings proud of their gorgious apparrell surely it is the pittifull folly of a base minde for a man to thinke that any thing can make him great which is lesse then himselfe but it is the recompence of mans error that because he lost the glory which God gaue him he vainely seekes his glory in things which cannot profit him Pride is a dangerous euill and most deceitfull Noâ—…erca virtutum mater vittorum the mother of all vices the stepmother of vertues it can neuer attaine to that whereat it would be Quid aliud superbia quam propriae excellentiae appetitus but a proud man can neuer be high nor excellent for seeing the Angels by pride fell from heauen to hell is it not folly to think that man by pride can rise from the doung-hil to glory But our Sauiour by his example hath taught vs that an humble minde is the way to an high and glorious estate therefore it is recommended to vs in that pretext Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ who being equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and was found in shape like a seruant As Rebecca leaped downe from her Camell when she saw her husband Isaac walking on his feet so the Christian casts from him the proud conceits of an high minde when hee considereth the humilitie of his Lord Iesus Christ. Neither peace nor grace can be in that soule in which is not Humilitie Peace cannot be to him because hee seeketh his owne glory and not the glory of God therefore doth the Lord alwayes resist him yea at peace with himselfe can he not be but as a tree on the toppe of a mountaine which is tossed with euery winde so is a proud man perturbed with euery accident that fals out contrary to his humour but humilitie is the resting bed of the soule Learne of me saith Christ that I am lowly and meeke and yee shall finde rest to your foules And as for grace it can no more bide to lodge in a proud heart then raine can abide on the tops of mountains The Church of Christ is called Lilium conuallium a Lillie of the vallies for with the humble and low in spirit his grace remaines but the curse of the mountaines of Gilboe whereon Israels glory was obscured belongs properly to the proud and high heart wherein the glory of God is defaced let neuer the raine nor dew of Gods grace fall vpon it Humilitie is not onely a Grace but a conseruer of all the rest of the Graces of the Spirit therefore haue the Saints of God specially regarded it to practise it I am but Dust and ashes said Abraham I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies said Iacob who am I said Dauid I am not worthy to loose the shooes of my Lord said the Baptist I am not worthy to be called thy sonne said the Prodigall Childe I am not worthy thâ—…u shouldest come vnder my roofe said the Centurion Goe from me for I am a sinfull man said Saint Peter I am not worthy to be called an Apostle yea I am the least of all Saints and the chiefe of all sinners said Saint Paul These were little in their owne eyes and yet none of the children of men greater in Gods eyes then they for hee accounted Abraham the father of the faithfull Iacob his seruant Dauid a man after his owne heart the Baptist the greatest Prophet the Centurion a man of greater faith then any in Israel the Prodigall is clothed with the best robe Peter a blessed of the Lord and Paul a chosen vessell Where on the contrary the proud are an abhomination to the Lord great in their owne eyes contemptible in his eyes their greatnesse is but swelling and not soliditie Superbia non magnitudo est sed tumor or like vessels puft and blowne vp with winde which seeme large without but are empty within so are the mindes of the wicked good for nothing but to be the nests and habitations of Sathan I haue spoken the more of this euill because Pride is the first-borne childe of Infidelitie the first poyson that Sathan poured into our nature As the Egyptians would not let Israel goe till their first borne were slaine so will not our sinfull affections giue subiection to God till the first borne among them naturall Pride be slaine in vs. And with humilitie there is alway wrought holinesse for these three light humblenesse and holinesse are the speciall ornaments of the minde of the new man As a new sight of God made Esay lament his sinfull corruption and made Iob to abhor himselfe so new light arising in the Christians minde workes in him a new
in time he repent and turne from his euill wayes And wonderfull it is how this shall conuince the wicked man in the houre of death when their conscience shall stand vp before the supreame Iudge and testifie against him in this manner O Lord I haue giuen this man according as thou deputed me warning euery day for his sinnes and hath terrified him for them but hee would not receiue my correction Oh that impenitent men could consider how this despising of Conscience shall be a great augmentation of their iudgement But on the other part to the children of God Conscience of his speciall mercy is giuen for these two vses first it is as a Paedagoge appointed by God to guide his children in the right way Secondly when they goe wrong it is a diuine warner within them which suffers them neyther to eate nor sleepe long in rest till they returne to the Lord by repentance for as Peter was wakened by the crowing of the Cock and made to weepe bitterly for his sinnes so is the crowing and accusing voyce of Conscience to the godly Thus we see how it is a great benefit to Gods children to haue a liuing feeling and wakeing Conscience for eyther it keepes them that they do not euill or that they continue not in it as we may see in Dauid whose Conscience was more troubled for cutting the lap of Sauls garment then Saul was for cutting off the liues of fourescore seruants of the Lord. Wheras on the contrary the Lord in his anger suffers Sathan so to benumbe the conscience of the wicked as if they were burnt with an hot yron whereof it comes to passe that being past feeling they commit iniquitie with greedines Surely a good conscience is mans paradice vpon earth therefore Salomon called it a continuall feast it is the fruit of righteousnesse and euer bringeth out peace and ioy in these three stands the beginning of eternall life But as Sathan enuyed Adam dwelling in his Paradice so doth he enuy euery Christian that dwels in the Paradice of a good Conscience and therefore doth what he can to entise him to sinne that so he may driue him out of it for which cause we haue neede by daily repentance to take away the euill wee haue done and by godly circumspection to eschew his snares in time to come The Censure But now the small regard which is made of a good Conscience proues that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christians name CHAPTER V. Of his Affections And first Of his Loue. The Lords Command LOue ye the Lord al his Saints Psal. 31. 23. for they who loue him shall he as the Sun when he riseth in his might Iudg. 5. 31. If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration yea excommunicated to the death 1. Cor. 16. 22. Loue not the world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him 1. Iohn 2. 15. Hee that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruit thereof Eccles. 5. 9. but keepe you your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Iude. 21. A new commandement also I giue vnto you that you loue one another Iohn 13. 34 yea that you serue one another by Loue Gal. 3. and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which you are called in one body and be ye amiable Colos. 3. 15 He that loueth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of euill in him 1. Iohn 2. 10. but hee that loueth not knoweth not God for God is Loue 1. Iohn 4. 7. and Loue commeth of God Euery one that loues is borne of God 1. Iohn 4. 7. therefore loue one another without faining with a pure heart and feruently 1. Pet. 1. 22. that your loue may be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. not in word nor in tongue onely but in very deed and in truth 1. Iohn 3. 18. Moreouer loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that persecute you for if ye loue them that loue you what reward shall yee haue doe not the Publicanes the same Mat. 5. 44. Finally let all your things be done in Loue. 1. Cor. 16. 14. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord I know that though I speake with the tongue of Angels if I haue not loue I am but as a sounding brasse or tinckling Cymball and though I had the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had no loue I were nothing therefore guide thou mine heart in thy Loue Encrease me also and make me to abound in Loue towards all men Another O God of all patience and consolation grant vnto vs that wee may be all alike minded one toward another according to Christ that with one minde and with one mouth wee may praise thee endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace and so our Loue may yet more and more abound in all knowledge and in all iudgement to the glory of thy name through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command I Loue thee dearly O Lord my God Psal. 18. 1. the desire of my soule is to thy name to the remembrance of thee whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none on earth with thee Psal. 73. 25. Surely as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God Psal. 42. 1. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Psal. 143. 6. and waites on thee more then the morning watch waites for the morning Psal. 130. 6. Yea it fainteth O Lord for thy saluation Psal. 119. 81. And as for the Lord Iesus Christ albeit as yet I haue not seene him yet I loue him and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. And as for thy Law except it had beene my delight I should now haue perished in my affliction Psal. 119. 92. for thy promises are sweeter then hony to my mouth Psal. 119. 103. and I loue thy Commandements aboue gold Psal. 119. 127. O how loue I thy Law it is my meditation continually Psal. 119. 97. yea for the loue I beare to thy Law I loue the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honor dwelleth Psal. 26. 8. and I desire nothing more then this one that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy temple Psal. 27. 4. for thy Tabernacles are amiable to mee blessed are they who dwell in thy
thee hearken to the prayer of thy seruant who desireth to feare thee Giue me good Lord that holy feare of thy Name which thou hast commanded that I may not erre from thy wayes nor harden my heart from thy feare for I know that great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee Lord therefore knit mine heart vnto thee that I may feare thy Name and may receiue grace to serue thee so that I may please thee with reuerence and feare through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command VVHo would not feare thee O King of the nations for to thee appertaines dominion Iere. 10. 7. Surely I tremble for feare of thee and am afraid of thy iudgements Psal. 119. 120. My whole conuersation hath beene in weakenesse feare and much trembling 1. Cor. 2. 3. I haue had fightings without and terrours within 2. Cor. 7. 5. Yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life Psal. 61. yet will I not feare what Flesh can doe vnto mee Psal. 56. 4. nor be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Psal. 3. 6. Neyther will I be afraid of euill tidings because mine heart is fixed and beleeues in the Lord Psal. 112. 7. hee is mine hope and strength in trouble ready to be found therefore I will not feare though the earth be moued and the mountaines cast into the sea Psal. 46. 1. Yea though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I feare none euill for the Lord is with me his staffe and his rod they comfort me Psal. 23. THE OBSERVATIONS FEare among the rest of our Affections is also disordered by Nature so farre that now wee feare where there is no cause and do not feare where we haue cause to feare Naturally men are more afraid of Sathans shadow then of Sathan himselfe his apparition without terrifieth men but the power of his kingdome commanding their affections within is not feared It is now the matter of mans feare which should be the matter of his ioy Adam in his innocencie placed not his ioy in the creatures which were vnder him and gaue him obedience but in the Lord who was aboue him and with whom hee had his familiar conuersation but now after his apostacie it is become far otherwise the Lord is become a feare and terror vnto man who before his fall was his principall ioy And where it shall be our ioy in heauen to see that glory of Christ which hee had with his Father from the beginning wonderfull it is that those three Disciples who were pillars of the Church should haue beene confounded and afraid at the onely representation of that glory which was made to them on mount Tabor so vnmeet are wee now to haue fellowship with God by reason of our sinnes that as I said the matter of our ioy is become the matter of our feare Yea so farre are wee now fallen away from a similitude with our God that wee are afraid at the sight of one of those holy Angels that minister vnto him Nay if a man like our selues in regard of our bodies should come from him illuminate with his brightnesse we might not abide him no more then Israel could abide the shining face of Moses when he came down from the Lord but ranne away from him therefore doth Basile call our corrupted feare a certaine ebrietie which makes vs be strange with our friends and start at shadowes that is to say feare where no cause of feare is We are therefore to consider how in the regeneration this affection is renewed and rightly ordered and how in holy Scripture there is a feare commanded and commended which we must embrace another forbidden and condemned which wee must eschew Feare renewed in our regeneration is the daughter of Faith the sister of Loue the mother of Humilitie and Obedience Therefore Moses Deut. 10. 12. ioynes these three together that to feare the Lord to loue him and to serue him is all that God requires of Israell The obiects of godly feare in the man regenerate are either in God in our selues or in the creature without vs. The obiects of our feare in God are first his iudgements secondly his mercies For first we are taught to feare him as our iudge then to feare him as our Father For the holy Spirit in the work of our regeneration keeps this order first he rebukes vs for sin terrifies vs with the iudgements of God due to them and then comforts vs with the sense of his mercie in Christ. This feare of Gods iudgements primus est incipientium gradus it is the first steppe of them who are beginning to learne godlinesse If thou hast not yet learned to loue God deerely yet it is a good beginning if thou feare him If thou loue not the pleasures of Paradice yet be afraide of the torments of Gehenna Sicut enim aqua extinguit ignem c. For as water quencheth the fire so this feare queneth the heat of sinne And this feare of iudgement in the Christian begets at length a feare of God for his mercies therefore Basile called it a Paedagogue that instructs the man to godlinesse Timor transit in Charitatem said Gregorie Vincat itaque in te pius timor erit amor let therefore godly feare ouercome in thee and at length there shall be loue feare shall not abide in thee but as a Master shall lead thee vnto loue Therefore said I that the second obiect of our feare in God is his mercy according to that in the Psalmist Mercy is with thee that thou maist be feared And this reconciles that apparant discord between the Psalmist and the Apostle The feare of the Lord is cleane and endures for euer saith Dauid Perfect loue casts out feare saith Saint Iohn If feare be cast out how doth it endure but the answere is that feare whereby we feare the iudgements of God and is as I said in the godly an introduction to the loue of God shall be cast out when our loue is perfected but that feare whereby wee feare him for his mercies and reuerence him as our Father shall endure for euer In heauen wee shall haue no feare of Gehenna wee shall be so filled with his Loue yea euen on earth the more wee grow in the loue of God the lesse feare of his iudgements is in vs Maior est peregrinantium timor minor propinquantium nullus peruenientium The obiects of Feare in our selues are our sinnes which wee haue done and our infirmities by which wee are ready and prone to sinne againe This feare ariseth in the godly from the feare of God for his mercies for the sweeter and more desired his mercies are vnto vs the more fearefull vnto vs are
non est ibi dissolutio est vitae said Augustine where no feare of God is there is dissolution of life It is semen Iustitiae said Bernard the seed of righteousnes without which can be no ingresse into godlinesse without it can be no religion said Lactantius quod enim non metuitur contemnitur quod contemnitur non colitur for that which is not feared is contemned and what is contemned cannot be worshipped In a word it is in holy Scripture compared to a naile which being stricken into the heart of man by the hand of God keepeth it stable that neither the tyranny nor deceit of sinne can carry it away therefore doth the holy Ghost conioyne these two feare God and cleane to him The Censure But now the licentious liues of many in this age led without all feare of God proue that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER VIII Of his Confidence The Lords Command THe Lord is God in heauen aboue and in earth beneath Ios. 2. 11. blessed is the man that makes the Lord his trust regardeth not the proud Psal. 40. 4. for they who trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot be remoued Psal. 125. 1. The eye of the Lord is vpon them that trust in his mercy to deliuer their soule in death and to preserue them in famine Psal. 33. 18. The Lord is good and as a strong hold in the day of trouble and hee knoweth them that trust in him Nahum 1. 7. Therefore trust in the Lord for euer and you shall be assured 2. Chron. 20. Trust in the Lord and hee shall comfort thine heart Psal. 2â—… 14. Commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe Psal. 37. 5. Hee that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay vpon his God Esay 50. 10. for in the Lord is strength for euermore Esay 26. 4. But in his owne might let no man be strong 1. Sam. 2. 9. leane not to thine owne wisedome Prou. 3. 5. for he that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Prou. 28. 26. Neither put you your trust in Princes nor in the Sonne of man Psal. 146. for confidence in man is like a broken tooth Prou. 29. there is no help in him his breath doth depart and hee returneth to his earth then his thoughts perish Psal. 146. 4. Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and doth make Flesh his arme and with-drawth his heart from the Lord. Ierem. 17. 5. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord who dost preserue the state of the righteous and art the hope of Israel seeing all that forsake thee shall be confounded and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth it is good for me to draw neere vnto thee O Lord therefore be thou my strong rock wherunto I may alwyes resort be thou the glory of my strength that by thy fauour my horne may be exalted for my shield appertaineth to the Lord and my King is the holy One of Israel Haue mercy on me O God haue mercy on me for my soule trusteth in thee and in the shadow of thy wings will I trust till these afflictions ouerpasse Giue me help against trouble for vaine is the help of man and let thy mercy be vpon me as I trust in thee through Iesus Christ. Amen The Christians Practise of this Command TRuely the hope of hils is but vaine and the multitude of mountaines but in the Lord our God is the health of Israell Ieremie 3. 23. Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but I will remember the name of God my Lord Psal. 20. 7. The eternall God is my refuge and vnder his armes I am for euer Deutro 33. 27. I will not say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence Iob. 31. 34. but O Lord thou art my fort my strength and my refuge in the day of affliction Ierem. 16. 9. I trust not in my Bow nor my sword thou sauest me from mine aduersaries Psal. 44. 6. My defence is in the munition of rocks Esay 33. 16. euen in the Lord who preserueth the vpright in heart Psal. 7. 10. he is my rocke my fortresse the horne of my saluation and my refuge Psal. 81. 21. he is the strength of my heart Psal. 73. 26. his Name is a strong tower Prou. 18. therefore I will trust in the Lord and will not feare what flesh can doe vnto me Psal. 56. 4. THE OBSERVATIONS IN a worldling feare and confidence consists not together the one of them weakeneth the other in a Christian it is not so his feare of God is not without confidence in God neither is his confidence in God without feare of God and of this it is euident that the confidence by which the feare of God is weakened and empayred is carnall and not Christian. Christian confidence is that grace of God whereby the beleeuing man rests so vpon the promises of God that in greatest commotions and temptation he abides fixed stedfast and vnmoued As a rocke in the Sea beaten with the waues which are raised by euery Winde so liues a Christian in the world an obiect of all tentations sometime impugned by trouble comming from God sometime by trouble comming from men and sometime by trouble comming from Sathan but in all these assured confidence sustaines him For in such troubles as come immediatelie from God it is the Nature of faith that by it his Children cleaues fastest to God when hee seemes sharpliest to put them from him they runne to the hand that strikes them and will know no other Come and let vs returne to the Lord for he hath spoyled and hee will heale vs he hath wounded and he will binde vs vp So deeply is the assurance of Gods truth rooted in their hearts that their conclusion is set downe with that holy man Iob albeit the Lord would slay me yet will I trust in him And as for all those troubles that come by men they consider that they are moderated by God according to that which our Sauiour said to Pilate Thou couldst haue no power ouer mee were it not giuen thee from aboue And in this by manifold experience hath God confirmed them For hee made the Barbarians courteous to Paul Artarxerxes fauourable to Nehemiah the keeper of the prison friendly to Ioseph yea the Lyons peaceable to Daniel Againe hee raised Absalom against Dauid to chastise him he made Pharaoh rigorous to Israel that so hee might winne them from the loue of Egipt Seeing it is so that their harts are ruled by God to like or dislike his Children as hee sees may be for their good why shall trouble comming from them disquiet vs And by the same consideration is the
Christian sustained in all those troubles that come from Sathan hee knoweth he can doe nothing but by diuine permission and therefore in trouble from Sathan hee seekes his comfort from God Thus is the Christian shaken with many temptations but is neuer remoued But the confidence of Worldlings is eyther in themselues as namely in their owne might and these proue weake like Goliah or in their owne wisedome and these proue fooles like Achitophel or in their owne righteousnesse and these proue most vnrighteous as the Pharises before whom Publicans and sinners shall goe into the kingdome of heauen Or else their Confidence is without them as eyther in men and of all these it is true which Rabsache spake of the King of Egypt they are but broken staues of Reede or else in strong holds which are as easily shaken by the Lord as ripe figs fall from a tree said Nahum or else in riches which are deceitfull refuges of vanitie and cannot help in the day of trouble Outward meanes are good to vse but euill to trust in if we set them in Gods roome they become either very pernitious or most vnprofitable Example of this one for many we haue in Asa and Ezechia whereof the one being diseased but in his seâ—… 〈◊〉 thereof because he sought Physitians and not the Lord the other being diseased in his bowels recouered of it because hee looked to GOD more then to meanes Thus we see how the wicked like a Reed shaken with the winde are tost with euery tentation because their confidence is not in God The Censure Now the great number of them who eyther turne aside to vnlawfull meanes or looke to the lawfull meanes more then to God proues that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER IX Of his Ioy. The Lords Command BE glad yee righteous and ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart Psal. 32. 11. let the heart of them who seeke the Lord reioyce Psal. 105. 3. But let not your ioy be in wine and oyle Psal. 4. nor in Men 1. Cor. 3. 21. nor in this that Spirits are subdued to you Luk. 10. 20 but in God through Iesus Christ by whom ye haue receiued attonement Rom. 5. 11. by whom also your names are written in the booke of life Luk. 10. 20. Reioyce ye also with Ierusalem and be glad with her and all that loue her reioyce with ioy for her all yee that mourne for her that ye may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the brightnesse of her glory Esay 66. 10. And pray continually for her peace Psal. 122. 6. If men reuile you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for Christs sake reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Mat. 5. 11. Count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into many tentations Iames. 1. specially in as much as yee are made pertakers of Christs sufferings that when his glorie shall appeare yee may be glad and reioyce 1. Pet. 4. 1â—… Finally reioyce in all good things which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee and thine household Deut. 26. 11. but see thy ioy be in trembling Psal. 2. 11. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command BLessed are the people that can reioyce in thee O God they shall walke in the light of thy countenance they shall reioyce in thy Name continually and in thy righteousnesse shall they exalt themselues Let therefore thy tender mercy come to me that I may liue for thy Law is my delight Make me to heare ioy and gladnesse and reioyce the soule of thy seruant Yea Lord fill me with thy ioy and peace in beleeuing that I may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost by Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Christians Practise of this Command I Will reioyce in the Lord and my soule shall be ioyfull in my God Esay 61. 10. I will be glad O Lord and reioyce in thy mercy for thou hast seene my trouble and knowne my soule in aduersitie Psal. 31. 7. thou hast encreased my ioy according to the ioy of the Haruest and as men reioyce when they diuide the spoyle for the yoke of my burden and the rod of my oppression hast thou broken Esay 9. 3. In Christ Iesus therefore will I reioyce in those things that pertaine to God Rom. 15. 17. And God forbid I should reioyce in any thing saue onely in his Crosse by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world Gal. 6. 14. For this cause Thy word O Lord is vnto me the ioy and reioycing of my heart Ierem. 15. 16. As the friend of the bridegrome who stands and heares him reioyces greatly because of the bridegromes voice Ioh. 3. 29. so doe I reioyce at thy word O Lord as one that findeth a great spoile for thy promises are my comfort in trouble Psal. 119. 50. I haue taken thy testimonies as an heritage for euer Psal. 119. 111. and haue had as great delight in them as in all riches 119. 14. therefore I reioyced when they said to me we will goe to the house of the Lord Psal. 122. 1. for it is my ioy to draw water out of the Wels of thy saluation Esay 12. 3. And like as Israel reioyced with a great ioy when they offered willingly to the Lord with a perfect heart 2. Chron. 29. 9. Or as Iudah reioyced when all the Land bound themselues by an oath to seeke the Lord 2. Chron. 15. 15. So is it my ioy alwayes to doe well and iustly Prou. 21. 15. yea though trouble follow well-doing yet in my greatest tryall of affliction my ioy shall abound 2. Cor. 8. 2. and I will reioyce that God hath counted me worthy to suffer for righteousnesse and for the name of Christ. Acts. 5. 41. Neyther shall the spoliation of my goods impaire my ioy knowing that I haue in heauen a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. And as for Ierusalem I will preferre it to my chiefe ioy Psal. 137. 6 I will loue the stones and dust of Sion better then the palaces of Babell 102. 14. I will euer wish that peace may be within her wals and prosperitie within her pallaces Psal. 122. 7. that her sonnes may be as plants growing vp in their youth and her daughters as corner stones grauen after the similitude of a pallace Psal. 144. 12. Generally I wil not reioyce at the destruction of any man nay not of him that hated me Iob. 31. 29. But with the Angels will reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Last of all as Sara reioyced in the Childe which God had giuen her so I know it is lawfull for mee to reioyce in all the gifts that God hath giuen vnto mee Deut. 26. 11. and
vpon vs. And herewith also comes in the troublesome estate of Gods Church as good Nehemiah was not so merry for the preferment he had in the Court of King Artashashte as sorrowfull for the desolation of Ierusalem why should not said he my countenance be sad when the citie of my fathers lyeth waste so is it with the Christian though his owne particular estate be neuer so good yet is it his griefe to see the Church of God in trouble The third matter of our griefe ariseth of the consideration of that which wee are not but would be The Christian hath some liuely foretaste of the excellent pleasures of the life to come and therefore it is a griefe to him to be holden from it and a ioy to remoue toward it but certainely hee shall neuer goe out of the body with ioy who liues not in the body with griefe for his absence from God Si desideras quod non habes funde lachrymas vnde dicturus es Deo posuisti lachrymas meas in conspectu tuo If thou desirest that which thou hast not shed teares that thou maist obtaine it Alas how shall the Lord gather our teares into his bottle if wee shed them not or how shall hee giue vs that comfort for which wee neuer mourned In worldlings ioy and griefe agree not together the one of them excels the other It is not so with a Christian Lachrimae sunt illi vice deliciarum for in mourning he findes vnspeakable ioy And as after raine the aire becommeth more pure so after the showers of teares the Conscience is cleared and comforted Quae enim secundum Deum sunt lachrymae iugem pariunt certamque laetitiam for those teares which are according to God doe alway bring forth most sure consolation The Censure But the want of this holy mourning which is euident in many proues that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER XI Of his Griefe arising of a troubled Conscience OH that my griefe were well weighed and my miseries laid together in a ballance it would now be heauier then the sand of the sea Iob. 6. 2. The Lord doth renue his plagues and encreaseth his wrath against mee Iob. 10. 17. his hand is heauie vpon mee night and day Psal. 32. 4. hee writeth bitter things against mee and maketh mee possesse the iniquities of my youth Iob. 13. 26. his indignation lyeth vpon me Psal. 88. 7. hee filleth mee with bitternesse and suffers me not to take my breath Iob. 9. 18. Changes and armies of sorrowes are against me Iob. 10. 17. My spirit is in perplexitie my soule is amased Psal 143. 4. I go mourning all the day long and am sore broken I roare for the very griefe of my hart Psal. 38. 6. My bowels swell and mine heart is turned within me Lam. 1. 20. Mine eyes are dimme through griefe Psal. 6. My flesh hath no rest at all but fightings without and terrors within 2. Cor. 7. 5. As a woman with childe who draweth neere to the trauatle is in sorrow and cryeth in her paine so am I in thy sight O Lord. Esay 26. 17. The Christians Prayer for deliuerance from these terrors ALas O Lord wilt thou absent thy selfe for euer is the multitude of thy mercies compassions restrained from me shall my heauinesse be continuall and my plague desperate that it cannot be healed Alas Lord how long wilt thou forget me how long wilt thou hide thy face from me how long shall I take counsell within my selfe hauing wearinesse daily in my hart O Lord it is thy praise that thou art gracious and mercifull Thou breakest not the bruised Reede and quenchest not the smoaking slaxe Thou exaltest the sorrowfull to saluation Hide not therefore thy face from mee O Lord neither take mee for thine enemie but haue mercie vpon mee and consider how I am sore troubled Contend not with mee any more neither rebuke mee in thine anger least thou turne mee to nothing What shall I say vnto thee O thou who art the preseruer of men I haue sinned against thee but according to the multitude of thy compassions haue mercie vpon mee and put away my iniquities restore me to the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free spirit O Lord who speakest peace to thy Saints make me to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce then shall my tongue sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise THE LORDS ANSVVERE TO THE CHRISTIAN NO tentation hath ouertaken you but such as appertaines to man 1 Cor. 10. 13. Remember that I am faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will euen giue the issue with the temptation that ye may be able to beare it 1. Cor. 10. 13. I will not breake the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flaxe Esay 42. for a little while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger haue I hâ—…d my face from thee but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee The mountaines shall remoue and the hils fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neyther shall the Couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord who hath compassion on thee Esay 54. 7. THE OBSERVATIONS THE heauiest griefe of a Christian is that which doth proceede from a troubled Conscience The Spirit of a man may sustaine his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can beare it The health of conscience consists in these two first in a sense of Gods mercy pardoning our sinnes in Christ secondly in a holy disposition to spirituall exercises And the disease or trouble of conscience proceedeth from the contrary euill for if the soule be forsaken for a time it becomes vnable for spirituall exercise Faith becomes weake Loue waxeth cold Grace to pray is relented yea as the Moone is but a darke body when the Sunne looketh not vpon it so the soule is but dead when God doth not worke in it and in this absence of God no man can tell how sore the soule is troubled but he who hath felt the comforts of his presence But the other euill is much more fearefull when God erects a tribunal in the conscience giues out into it a iust condemnatorie sentence for sin which cannot be denyed there followeth vpon it a sense of wrath which like a fire burning within it doth miserably torment the soule of him in whom it is Whereupon there followeth such a distemperature of the whole body that as Dauid felt in himselfe the moisture thereof is turned into the drought of Sommer the reason hereof is giuen by Bernard the soule hath vnder it a body which it gouernes aboue it the Lord
Sathan but pittie the weake creature who is abused by him to offend thee In the third roome wee haue a prescribed remedie against carnall Anger if it ouer-take vs Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath There are some men slow to Anger but if once they conceiue it they cannot easily be pacified others are both hastily angry and stubborne in continuance in it the third sort are slow to anger and ready to forgiue and these are the best ad tranquillitatus bonum plus appropinquant for they come neerest the nature of God It is an euill thing to conceiue this carnall Anger but it is farre worse to keepe it such is our corruption receiued from the first Adam that wee cannot hold Anger out of our heart but such is the obedience wee owe to the second Adam that wee should not let it lodge in our hearts after the setting of the Sunne As Bryers and thornes which pricke euery hand that doth handle them are the cursed fruit of the earth so are these spightfull men whom if thou dost stirre neuer so lightly they pricke thee with bitter speeches yea oftentimes though thou dost not stirre them they sting thee in secret with their backbitings manifested by their fruits to be of the cursed race of Caine the first murtherer of his Brother But the Children of God are full of gentlenesse loue and meeknesse they will not pricke thee no when thou dost handle them roughly by the words of sobernesse and truth they endeuour to make euill men better rendring good euen to those that haue offended them The Censure But now the want of this holy disposition proueth that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name THE THIRD PART WHEREIN IS DISCRIBED THE DISPOSITION OF HIS OVTWARD MAN CHAPTER I. Of his Outward Man The Lords Command I Beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable seruing of God Rom. 12. 1. And suffer not sinne to raigne in your mortall bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof Neither giue your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne but giue your selues to God and your members as weapons of righteousnesse to God Rom. 6. 12. The night is past the day is at hand cast away the workes of darknesse and let vs put on the armour of light so that we may walke honestly as in the day not in gluttonie or drunkennesse or chambring and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuie but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 12. Let your conuersation be such as becommeth the Gospell Phil. 1. 27. that yee may walke worthy of God who hath called you to his heauenly kingdome and glory 1 Thes. 2. 12. for the grace of God which bringeth saluation to men hath appeared vnto vs and teacheth vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 11. Therefore as obedient Children fashion not your selues to the former lusts of your ignorance but as he who hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation 1 Pet. 1. 14. Cleanse your selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. hauing an honest conuersation that they who speake euill of you as of euill doers by your good workes which they shall see may glorifie God The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command SHew the light of thy countenance O Lord vpon thy seruant and teach me thy Statutes that I may walk worthy of thy calling blamelesse and pure as thy Sonne without rebuke in the middest of this noughty and crooked generation and may shine among them as a light in the world To this effect I beseech thee good Lord to performe thy worke toward me thy mercy endureth for euer therefore forsake not the worke of thine hands but fulfill in mee the good pleasure of thy goodnesse and the worke of Faith with power that the Name of my Lord Iesus may be glorified in mee and I in him according to the grace of thee my God and of the Lord Iesus Christ. Amen The Christians Practise of this Command VVHen I was in the flesh the motions of sinne which were by the Law had force in my members to bring forth fruit vnto death but now I am deliuered from the Law being dead vnto it whereof I was holden that I should serue God in newnesse of spirit Rom. 7. 5. God therefore be thanked that albeit I was once the seruant of sin yet now I haue obeyed from the heart the forme of doctrine wherevnto I was deliuered and so being now made free from sinne I am become the seruant of righteousnesse Rom. 6 17. and doe bring forth fruit in holinesse ver 22. For I know that my body is the Temple of God and that the holy spirit of God dwelleth therein 1 Cor. 3. 16 and I know that I am not mine owne but bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. therefore doe I beat downe my body by discipline and studie by all means to glorifie God both in body and spirit 1 Cor. 6. THE OBSERVATIONS HItherto wee haue spoken of the new disposition of the inward man in the Christian it remaineth that now wee speake of his outward Man In regeneration first the soule is renued then the body restored Sinne began in the soule and from it shame and death came vpon the bodie Grace againe first reformes the soule and then proceeds to reforme and restore the body for as the inward Man is so is the outward The regeneration of the body hath in it two things first a restitution of it to originall dignitie and glorie and greater this shall be done in the resurrection secondly a sanctification of all the members thereof whereby they are made weapons of righteousnesse and this is presently done by grace For as by grace the Christian is renued in the spirit of his minde so also in all his externall conuersation As those holy Angels that stand about the throne of God are full of eyes within and without so all the Saints of God foris se intus circumspiciunt within them they haue light and holinesse by which they looke to their Iudge euer seeking to please him without them also light and holinesse by which they looke to their brethren euer labouring to giue good example to them Fidelem decet vndique esse manifestum a godly man should be manifested and knowne by all the parts of his life ab incessu aspectu a vesâ—…e a voce both from his vestment and his voice from his looking and his walking Vox enim quidam
the increase which God giueth me I will stretch out mine hands to the poore and needy Prou. 31. that so in my need I may stretch out my hands to the Lord. Psal. 143. THE OBSERVATIONS AS God hath giuen to man a tongue to speake an eye to see and an eare to heare so hath hee also giuen him an hand to worke it were a monstrous thing to see the mouth of a man bigger then his whole body and to see the most part of mans life spent in eating and idle talking with his mouth rather then in doing any good with his hands is certainely no lesse vnseemely Idlenesse was neuer tollerated by God euen when Adam was in his innocencie hee would not haue him to liue without labour and therefore appointed him to dresse the garden of Eden and laid it as a law on him and on all men In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou liue Caine and Abel were borne Lords and heyres of all the world yet were they not brought vp without a calling the one was a keeper of sheep the other a tiller of the ground Iacob being demanded by Pharaoh what his vocation was gaue him a very good answere but if it were demanded of many now a dayes they would not know what to answere on whom it were good for the common-wealth the Apostles Canon were practised he that laboreth not with his hands should not eate To no Country hath God giuen all things not to Canaan in her best estate therfore when Salomon built the Temple hee sent to Tirus for Timber to Ophir for Gold yea to no man in the world hath God giuen all things but hath so dispensed his gifts among men that euery man should worke one for the help of another The actions of the hands of a Christian are three first hee lifts them vp to God by prayer secondly he puts them downe to labour in his vocation and thirdly hee extendeth them to do the works of mercy and compassion toward the needy The first action of his hands is the lifting vp of them to God by prayer and that is a testimonie of the lifting vp of his heart this he doth because hee knoweth that all labour is vaine vnlesse the Lord blesse it It is in vaine to rise earely and to lie downe late and to eate the bread of sorrow the Lord will surely giue rest to his beloued Adam without the Lords command made a garment to himselfe but it couered not his nakednesse Ionas made a booth but it defended him not from the heat Rahel sought children by artificial meanes as the eating of Mandrakes by naturall meanes as copulation with her husband but shee got none till shee sought them from God by prayer Peter fished all night and tooke nothing but when Christ commanded him to cast in the net then he prospered On the other hand Prayer drawes downe a blessing vpon the workes of our hands The marriage of Isaac could not but prosper for Abraham in the beginning of it sought Gods blessing by prayer Eliazer in procuring it he vseth prayer Rebecca her parents and brethren sent her away by prayer and Isaac receiued her with Prayer Thus our workes sanctified by prayer shall prosper and if wee call the Lord to the beginning of our actions wee shall not faile to see his blessing vpon the end of them The second action of the hand is to worke in the lawfull trade and vocation whereunto God hath called vs. A lawfull trade I call that manner of life which is allowed in the word of God and these are of diuers sorts for God in his wisdome hath so distributed his gifts among men that vnto none hath he giuen all but hath made euery one to stand in neede of the help of another Religion then takes not away lawfull Trades and vocations but rather establisheth them When those men of war asked Iohn the Baptist what they should do they receiued this answer doe violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages he commanded them not to forsake their calling but the corruptions of their calling Thus Cornelius after his conuersion to be a Christian remained a Captaine and if Religion take not away the calling of a Souldier farre lesse are we to thinke it takes away other callings Onely it correcteth the abuses of the calling whereby men adde to the good ordinance of God the deceit of Sathan vsing a lawfull calling in an vnlawfull manner as when the merchant in making of his merchandise vseth deceitfull ballances or weights of a double measure As indeed there is no calling in the world so good which hath not the owne worme to corrupt it The third action of the hand is to stretch out and giue to the poore It is true of all the godly which Salomon saith of the godly woman She stretcheth out her hand to the wheele and then shee stretcheth out her hand to the poore for after that God hath increased them in their lawfull calling then of their aboundance they giue to the needie The Lord hath made some of his children rich in worldly things and others hee hath made poore that the one should be examples of mercy the other patternes of patience in his Church Vnder the Law God fore-warned Israel that the poore should euer be with them and our Sauiour hath sore-warned vs of the same vnder the Gospell and therewith the commadement is giuen With-draw not therefore thine hand from thy needie brother For this cause was it inioyned to the Israelite in the time of haruest that hee should leaue a part of his cornes standing in the fields that the poore might take it teaching vs that as wee haue a hand willingly to take from the Lord so we are bound to open it and liberally giue to the poore For this liberalitie to the indigent and needie is recommended to vs both by the example of God himselfe and of his most excellent creatures The goodnesse of God is extended to all hee makes his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall euen vpon those which are vniust teaching vs not to neglect farre lesse to contemne other men who are Gods creatures euen then when for their euill qualities wee may make iust exception against them that so wee may be the children of our heauenly father And as for the creatures of God we see that as they excel in goodnes so they communicate their good vnto others Omne enim bonum est communicatiuum sui The Sunne keepeth not his light to himselfe but sends out his beames to giue light and heat to the world the Cloudes when they are full drop downe their raine to the earth the Trees of theiâ—… owne accord le ts fall their fruit to the vse of man albeit no man doth require it yea the Angels doe delight to Minister vnto our necessities for why is
and commit my soule vnto God as vnto my faithfull Creator 1. Pet. 4. 19. The Christians last prayer made in the body HOW excellent is thy mercy O God therefore doe I trust vnder the shadow of thy wings Psal. 36. 7. O blessed is the man whom thou dost choose and causest to come vnto thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house euen of thy holy Temple Psal. 65. 4. Thou shalt giue him drinke out of the riuers of thy pleasures for with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall wee see light Psal. 36. Send out therefore thy light and thy truth Psal. 43. 3. and let thy good spirit lead me vnto the Land of righteousnesse Psal. 143. 10. Carry mee O Lord by thy mercy and bring me in thy strength to thy holy habitation plant me in the mountaine of thine inheritance euen the place which thou hast prepared and the sanctuary which thou hast stablished Exod. 15. 3. that I may see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal. 27. 13. Turne away my soule from the pit and illuminate it in the light of the liuing Iob. 33. 30. Let me behold thy face in righteousnesse and let me be satisfied with thine Image Psal. 17. 15. For in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. 9. Into thine hands O Lord I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed mee O Lord God of truth Psal. 31. 5. Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Act. 7. The end of the vpright man is peace Psal. 37. 37. As many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and vpon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. A THANKS-GIVING NOW vnto him that is able to keepe vs that we fall not and to present vs faultlesse before the presence of his glory with ioy To God onely wise be glory maiestie dominion and power both now and euer Amen Iude. 24. FINIS THE TABLE The Table of the first Part. Chap. 1 OF his new birth or Regeneration Fol. 1 Chap. 2 Of his new Senses Fol. 14 Chap. 3 Of his new Food Fol. 28 Chap. 4 Of his new Growth Fol. 36 Chap. 5 Of his new Apparrell Fol. 46 Chap. 6 Of his new Names Fol. 56 The Table of the second Part. Chap. 1 OF his inward man Fol. 60 Chap. 2 Of his new minde Fol. 65 Chap. 3 Of his new Will Fol. 78 Chap. 4 Of his Conscience Fol. 87 Chap. 5 Of his Loue. Fol. 99 Chap. 6 Of his Hatred Fol. 110 Chap. 7 Of his Feare Fol. 117 Chap. 8 Of his Confidence Fol. 133 Chap. 9 Of his Ioy. Fol. 141 Chap. 10 Of his Griefe Fol. 150 Chap. 11 Of his griefe arising of a troubled Conscience Fol. 159 Chap. 12 Of his Patience Fol. 166 Chap. 13 Of his Anger Fol. 177 The Table of the third part Chap. 1 Of his outward Man Fol. 190 Chap. 2 Of his Eares Fol. 197 Chap. 3 Of his Eyes Fol. 206 Chap. 4 Of his Tongue Fol. 216 Chap. 5 Of his Eating Fol. 234 Chap. 6 Of his Hands Fol. 248 Chap. 7 Of his Feet Fol. 260 Chap. 8 Of his Company Fol. 269 A short description of the Christians departure out of the body Fol. 280 FINIS Martial 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Act. 8. 22. Act 6. Act. 16. Act. 17. Tertull. Apologet. Aug. de Temp. 215. Gregor morâ—… lib. 1. Ber. in Cant. ser. 66. Chrisost. in Math. Ber. in Cant. ser. 15. Aug. de Temp. ser. 17 Basil. hexaâ—… hom 10. Marke our naturall miserie Behold what a loue the Father hath â—…ewed vs. See the will of God concerning our sanctification a 1. Cor. 15. 50. b Matth. 5. 8. c 1. Ioh. 3. 2. d 2. Cor. 3. 18. e Ioh. 17. 24. f Matth. 5. 36. g Iob. 14. 4. h Iames 3. 8. i Eccles. 1. 15. k Luk. 18. 27. l Psal. 146. 8. m Psal. 107. 34. n Psal. 104. 30. o Rom. 4. 17. p 2. Cor. 1. 9. q Heb. 6. 7. God is the author of our regeneration it is not done by vs. The seed of our new birth is Gods word The manner of his working it vnspeakable 1 Our election is not knowne to vs before our Regeneration 2 Regeneration is the first manifest effect of God his mercie toward man 3 And the first lesson we must learne in Christs schoole 4 Our first generation and our second compared together Iob. 25. 6. Ephes. 2. 5 By nature we haue nothing in vs can profit vs to saluation Bern. in Cant. Serm. 35. Rom. 1. 18. 6 For in a naturall man there is nothing but the blind leading the crooked 7 Natâ—…lists boasting of the priuiledges of their first birth are to be pitied 8 Ignorance of the doctrine of Regeneration is now mexcusable 9 By what names Regeneration is expressed in holy Scripture Basil. in Epist. 41. ad Caesar. 10 What Regeneration is 11 Of the change made in Regeneration Ephes. 4. 22. Basil. de Sancto cap. 15. 12 Regeneration of the Soule consists in two 1 The first is mortification of the old man 13 Corrupted nature compared to an old man for three causes 14 Sinfull nature is neuer old in the wicked 15 Regeneration cannot be without spirituall paine and dolour 16 Sathan a great troubler of vs in the worke of our Regeneration 17 But he fights in vaine for God wil finish it Luk. 11. 22. 18 2 The second is viuification of the new man 19 Regeneration of the body consists in two 20 Regeneration will not be perfected til the resurrection 21 Of our parents in the new generation 22 The naturall mother discerned from the stepmother 23 The Church of Rome a strumpet and a stepmother 24 The lawful and kindly sonnes of God discerned from the bastard Naturally wee are borno senselesse of heauenly things Spirituall Senses required to saluation a Luk. 8. 10. b Psal. 119. 88. c Ephes. 2. 8. d Mark 9. 24. e Luk. 17. 5. f Psal. 119. 18. g Hos. 2. 14. h Reuel 2. 29. i Psal. 34. 8. k 2. Cor. 2. 16. l Ioh. 20. 31. m 1. Cor. 6. 17. The Christian by regeneration receiueth the new senses Of hearing Of seeing Of smelling Of tasting Of touching 1 The Christian liues as soone as he is conceiued 2 Sense and motion two principall effects of life In the natural man motion goes before Sense not so in the Christian. 3 No imperfect nor mutilate children borne by the new generation 4 The first Sense restored in Regeneration is Hearing Bern. in Cant. Serm. 28. 5 We must heare the Lord before we see him Bern. in Cant. serm 41. 6 For by hearing our â—…ies are cured and prepared to see God Bern. in Cant. serm 48. Psal. 48. 8. 7 A warning for such as refuse to heare the word of the Lord. Prou. 28. 9. 8 Eares of the man regenerate are internall Reuel 2. Matth. 13. Aug. Hâ—…m 28. 1. Sam. Psal. 85. 8. 9
our sinnes and our infirmities these two a godly man feareth continually the one because by them hee hath fallen from God the other least they should procure a new diuorcement betweene him and the Lord whom his soule loueth And this feare is so necessary to keepe vs within the compasse of godlinesse that if any man be without it hoc ipsum vehementius timere debeat quod non timeat he ought so much the more to feare because he is without feare I haue learned said Bernard by experience that for obtaining and retaining of grace it is very profitable that these three feares succeed by course in the soule of man vt timeas pro accepta gratia amplius pro amissa longe plus pro recuperata If thou haue receiued grace feare thou procure it not to be taken from thee if againe in thy sense thou finde it to be lost feare much more because thy keeper hath left thee and hee is gone from thee that sustained thee And last when againe it is restored vnto thee feare most of all least againe thou procure by thy sinnes that it should be taken from thee Now the obiects of our feare without vs are men of sundry ranckes whom vnder God wee are commanded to feare among whom the first place belongs to the King The second to our naturall Parents Leuit. 19. Let euery man feare his Father and his Mother where wee are to obserue that the infirmities and imperfections of our Parents must no way be the matter of our sport farre lesse of our disdaine if wee feare God and looke to be blessed of God with Iapheth and Sem wee must reuerence them and couer their nakednesse otherwise the contempt and mockry of Parents euen where they deserue it shall bring vpon children the curse of Cham. The third belongs to our spirituall Fathers to whom also wee owe feare and reuerence in the Lord according to that were yee not afraid to speake against my Seruant And the fourth is to al men among whom we should liue of a pure conuersation with feare for if they be prophane they are Sathans snares and wee are to feare least liuing among them wee be tempted to euill by them if they be godly they are the Lords holy ones and we should also feare to offend them Now as our Feare should be set vpon the right obiects so should it be rightly ordered The iudgements of God are not so to be feared that we distrust his mercies nor our sinnes so to be feared that wee misbelieue his promises neither men so to be feared as if they were not vnder God nor shadowes so to be feared as if we had not a most sure word to which wee should take heede and to one of these sorts are to be referred all feares forbidden in holy Scripture The wicked eyther are without Feare their prosperitie encreasing carelesse securitie because they haue no changes they feare not God and againe because I hold my tongue and that of a long time therefore thou fearest mee not And this securitie endeth alway in a most horrible and confused feare or else if they haue any feare it is distemperate and out of order For there is a vaine and blinde feare whereby they feare when there is no cause Psal. 13. and this is the fruit of an euill conscience yet euen the godly are not exempted from these sorts of blinde feares because they are regenerate in a part onely but at length these feares in them are banished and chased away by the true feare of God Againe there is in them a carnall feare the obiect whereof is man this is a feare in extremitie when man is so feared that God is offended of it speaks Salomon The feare of man brings a snare Prou. 29. 25. And from this feare also the godly are not fully exempted this feare made Abraham deny his wife it made Iacob afraid of Esau notwithstanding that God had twise comforted him it made Samuel feare to annoint Dauid least Saul should slay him it made Ionas decline from the calling of God and it made Peter deny his Maister but it is certaine that in the godly the true feare and loue of God at length doth ouercome it Beside this there is in them a seruile feare by which they feare God for his iudgements onely for the most prophane mockers among them are afraid when the Lord shewes himselfe angry as is euident in Pharaoh and this Feare is neuer alone in the godly but conioyned as I said with a feare of God for his mercy which at length shall ouercome and cast out all feare of his iudgements But in the wicked seruile feare encreaseth alwaies vntill it end in desperate feare as we may see in Saul who feared Dauid because hee saw that God was with him and became alwayes his enemie O most miserable and vnhappy condition to hate a man because God loues him to be enemie vnto him because God is with him for as Gods loue towards his owne can neuer end so matter of feare and perturbation to the wicked can neuer be lacking the end whereof can not be hurt to the godly but desperate destruction to themselues As it was vnto Saul so let all thy enemies perish O Lord. And this feare is also in damned Diuels but godly men neuer fall into it For this cursed feare is the daughter of Infidelitie the sister of Hatred the mother of Disobedience and Despaire Timor tristis inutilis qui veniam quia non quaerit non consequitur a sad and vnprofitable feare which neuer gets mercie because it cannot seeke it Hic timor cum infidelitatis filius sit salutaris non est this feare being the childe of distrust cannot be profitable vnto saluation Of all this it is euident that the wicked who cast off the feare of God are not for all that with out feare yea rather as is threatned if thou wilt not feare this great and fearefull name The Lord thy God the Lord shall giue thee a trembling heart and thou shalt feare continually Merito certe omnia timet qui vnum non timet it stands with Gods iust iudgements that hee should feare all things who feares not one to wit The Lord his God The Soueraigne remedie therefore against all disordered feare is the true feare of God if there be any wickednesse in thine hand put if from thee and let not euill dwell in thy tabernacle so shalt thou lift vp thy face without spot and thou shalt be safe without feare This holy feare of God is the beginning of wisdome Pro. 1. 7. yea it is the end of all Eccl. 12 It is Custos innocentiae said Cyprian It is Anchora cordis the anchor of the heart said Gregory which keepes it vncarryed away by the waues of raging tentation vbi timor Dei