changed and quickly fall but Christ remaineth firm and standeth sure unto the end Blessed is he that understandeth what it is to love Jesus Thou ought'st to leave thy beloved Creature which is not worthy of thy Heart and set it on Jesus Christ who hath the only right to it for if thou fix thy Love on the Creature thou wilt find it deceitful and to fail thee then when thou standest in most need of help whereas Jesus Christ will never fail thee of help at all times but especially when there 's most need who hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I will hear what the Lord will speak in me Blessed is the Soul that heareth what the Lord speaketh in her and receiveth from his Mouth the Word of Comfort Blessed are those Ears that receive the sound of the Divine Voice and listen not to the Voice of the World Blessed are those Ears which hearken not to the Voice that soundeth outwardly but to the Truth that soundeth inwardly Blessed are those Eyes that are shut to outward things and open to those things that are Internal Blessed are they that enter into the Inward Man and endeavor to prepare themselves more and more by daily Excellencies to the attaining of Heavenly Secrets Blessed are they that delight to converse with God and rid themselves of all Worldly Impediments Consider these things O my Soul and shut the door of thy sensual Desires that thou might'st hear what thy God saith unto thee Whatsoever I can desire or imagine for my Comfort I look for it not here but hereafter for if I should alone have all the Comforts of the World after that his Master hath forgiven him Ten Thousand Talents to forgive his Fellow Servant an Hundred Pence It is in vain to come to the God of of Peace without Peace or to Pray for the Remission of our own Sins without Forgiveness of others we must not come to make an Attonement with God without Forgiveness of others we must not come to make an Attonement with God at the Altar before we have made Attonement with our Brother in our Hearts God giving us Peace and Content we must give him Content by Obeying him or else we do not love him A Man is well-pleased with Himself and his own Actions when he doth that which his own Conscience tells him he ought to do and is then offended with himself when he goeth against the Light of his own Mind neglecting his Duty or doing that which is contrary to it Tillotson on Psal 159.156 O how good is it and tending to Peace to be silent of others Faults and not to believe promiscuously of them all that 's said nor easily to repeat what we have heard to lay our selves open to Fear De Kempis 257. Use not Animosity and Contention in any matter that may be brought to a good Issue in the way of Peace We are apt to hinder our Peace by dreading and fearing those Troubles it may be he never intended to bring upon us Mr. Butler our Minister He that seeketh Liberty and Ease shall ever live in Disquiet for one thing or other will displease him De Rempis 82. As far as is lawful let us become all things to all Men that we may live in Peace and Quietness And let 's not by a Tumultuous handling of any Matter give them occasion to oppose themselves unto us It is true that to lift up our Hands pure unto God we had need to wash them in a better Innocency than our own and the purest have need to be wash'd in the Blood of Jesus Christ David himself having said he would wash himself in Innocency Psal 36. And soon after But as for me I will walk in mine Integrity Immediately upon that to Redeem and have Mercy upon him yet God requires our Innocency which he examines as a Gracious Father not as a severe Judge He looks more to the Sincerity of our Hearts rather than the Perfection of our Actions giving Peace to the Penitent Soul void of Hypocrisie Psal 32.2 Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no Guile that walketh before him knowing his Infirmities and together with Confidence knowing God's Mercy and the certainty of his Promises Peter Du Moulin 65. Our Confidence in God by the Merit of his Beloved Son is the Ground of Peace and Content but that Confidence is fed by Works we bear Testimony by our Faith as by the Respiration we know that a Man is alive so the exercise of Good Works is together the Work of Faith and the way to maintain the Spiritual Life Doctor Edward Fox Discoursing one Day when Embassador of terms of Peace he said Honourable ones last long but Dishonourable ones no longer than Kings have Power to break them The surest way therefore to Peace said he is a constant preparedness for War. The only Foundation of the Peace of the Soul and contentment of Mind is that Peace made for us which God by his only Son Jesus Christ who hath taken our Sins upon himself and in consequence the Punishment giving us in exchange his Righteousness and consequently the Reward of it since by it we appear Righteous before God. This is the Summary of the Gospel it is the only Comfort of the Faithful that being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Without that Perswasion all the Moral Precepts and all the Reasons of Philosophy cannot set the Mind at rest much less the Riches Honors Pleasures and Pastimes of this World for who can have Peace with himself whil'st he is in Dissention with God and who can have Peace with God but by the Mediation of his Beloved Son Jesus Christ there being no other Name under Heaven by which we must be Saved What tho' my Sins be great yet they are less than the Merit of Jesus Christ no Sin so great that it ought to take away the Confidence of God's Promises no Sin so great that it may Damn a Soul beaten down with Contrition but together raised by Faith and wash'd in the Blood of the Son of God Indeed the remembrance of my Sins must be bitter unto me yet that Bitterness must be Drowned in the Joy of Salvation and my Repentance must be a step and not an hindrance to my Confidence And to maintain this Peace we must first make it our earnest task to make our selves sure of our Peace with God by a lively Faith whereby our Hearts may be Purified from Evil Works and made Fertile in all Fruits of Holiness for hereby we shall have Peace with our selves and shall be Masters at home Also this Peace with God brings Peace with our Neighbour for he that hath a Comfortable feeling in his own Conscience that God is reconciled with him will easily be reconciled with his Brethren holding it a point of Equity Generosity and Gratefulness after that his Master hath
We can hardly spare time for God because we Love him too little but we have abundance of spare time for our Idle Aversions only because we love them too much Sir Thomas Howard was wont to say That the less others set by him the more he would set by himself God makes his Love sensible to the faithful Soul and saith to it by the Presence of his Spirit Soul I am thy Salvation and the Soul saith to him Lord thou art my God I am thine save me teach me to do thy Will God Communeth with the Soul by his Word and Spirit that is by Prayer and Holy Meditations Pe. Du Moulin 39. All the Deliverances that God sendeth his Children all the Blessings that God poureth out upon them they take them as Productions of the Fatherly love of God who hath Adopted them in his Son they taste that love in the Enjoyments of present Goods they breathe that love in hope of future and eternal Good they rest upon that love when they sleep they rest upon that love in the Occurrences of their Life with what face soever the World looks upon them they see thro' them the evident love of God being certain that nothing happens to them but is directed by the good hand of their loving Father Ib. 37. Life to come THe Life to come is blessed Eternity certain Security a secure Quietness quiet Joyfulness happy Eternity and Eternal Felicity Lyes A Lye as Mountane saith is only to brave it towards God and to be a Coward towards Man for a Lye faceth God and shrinketh from Man. Lusts AS a great shower of Rain puts out the force of Fire so Meditations of God's Word puts out the Fire of Lusts in our Souls Maxims VIdeo Rideo is God's Motto on Affronts Video tacio was Queen Elizabeths And Prudens qui Patiens Sir Edward Cooks Melancholy A Mind in the dark of Melancholy and Trouble feareth every thing Mistakes in Divinity THere will be Mistakes in Divinity whil'st Men Preach And Errors in Government whil'st such Govern. Mirth and Vanity SIR Edward Fines would say That he that would be Merry for a Day let him be Trim'd He that would be Merry for a Week let him Marry He that would be Merry for a Year let him Build And he that would be Merry for Ages let him Improve his Land. Marriage HOly Marriage says St. Austin is better than proud Virginity Meekness THeodosius Senior Commanded That he that Reviled and spoke Evil of him should not be Punished because if it proceeded from levity it is not to be regarded if of Madness it was to be pittied if of Injury received it is to be Pardoned in them Malice Origen saith That Gods Providence hath ordered all things for some End or Purpose He made not Malice and tho' he can restrain it yet he will not for if Malice were not Virtue should not have a contrary and so should not shine so clear For the Malice of Joseph's Brethren was the means whereby God brought many admirable works of his Providence as the Story sheweth Mass AT Rome saith Luther I heard them say Mass in such a manner as I detest them For at the Communion Table I heard Curtesans laugh and boast of their Wickedness And others concerning the Bread and Wine on the Altar saying Bread thou art and Bread thou shalt remain Wine thou art and Wine thou shalt remain Martyrdom IGNATIVS said of his Tormentors That the Lions Teeth are but like a Mill for tho' it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good Wheat only prepares and fits it to be pure Bread Let me says he be broken by them so I may be a pure Manchet for Heaven Mr. Latimer being ready to be burnt said God is faithful that will not suffer us to be Tempted above that we are able c. When the Fire was brought he said to Bp. Ridley Be of good Comfort Brother and play the Man we shall this day light such a Candle by Gods Grace in England I trust shall never be put out Mr. John Philpot in a Letter which he wrote to Mr. John Careles then a Prisoner in the Kings-Bench he thus writes I am in this World in Hell and in the shadow of Death but he that for my deserts hath brought me down into Hell shall shortly lift me up into Heaven where I shall continually look for your coming and others of my faithful Brethren in the King's-Bench And tho' I tell you I am in Hell in the judgment of the World yet I assuredly feel in the same the Consolation of Heaven Praised be God their loathsom and horrible Prison is pleasant to me Mercy CHrisostom says God had rather Men should love him than fear him to be called Father rather than Master He wins by Mercy that he may not perish by Justice Only a Godly Man knows how to make use of Mercies Neatness SIr Edward Cook was wont to say It is profitable to be Neat that the outward Neatness of the Body may be a moniter of the purity of our Souls Negotiating USE such Persons as affect the Business wherein they are to be Employ'd for that quickneth much and such are fit for the matter As bold Men for Expostulation fair spoken Men for Persuasion crafty Men for Enquiry and Observation Froward and Absur'd Men for Business that doth not well bear out it self Use such as have been Lucky and prevailed before in things wherein you have employed them for they will endeavour to maintain their Prescription It is better sound a Person with whom he deals a far off than to fall on the Point at first except you mean to surprise him by some short Question Lord Bacon's Essays Nobility NObility without Virtue is a Disgrace Virtue without Nobility is low but Nobility adorned with Virtue and Virtue embellished by Nobility raiseth a Man as high as Nature reacheth and he in whom these two Concur have all the Glory a Man can attain unto that is both an inclination and a power to do well In the Life of Francis Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury Obedience LET it be thy serious and fixed purpose every Morning through the assistance of Grace not willingly or knowingly to commit any Sin or to do any thing thy Conscience shall tell thee is displeasing to God but if contrary to thy serious intention through Infirmity sudden Surprisal violence of Temptation or Incogitancy thou do'st at any time fall humble thy self before the Lord bewail and confess thy Faults with sorrow and grief and speedily recover thy self by a serious Repentance by flying to the Blood of Christ for Pardon Our Natures must be renued before the Command can be rightly obeyed Mat. 7.18 Whatsoever a Mans performances are they cannot be called Obedience whilst the Heart remains unregenerate because the Principle is false and unsound Every duty done by a Believer is accepted of God as part of his Obedience to the Will of God tho' it be done in much
we say less than the least of God's Mercies Prayer THat Prayer that is pure and holy entereth into the Heavens and returneth not empty It is a shelter to the Soul a Sacrifice to God and a Scourge to the Devil Austin's Prayer was Lord first give me what thou requirest and then require what thou wilt And he that Prayeth well cannot choose but Live well Mr. Perkins upon his Death-Bed said to his Friends praying for the ease of his Pain Pray not for the ease of Torments but for the encrease of my Patience He that Prays for the good Things that he hath not doth not seek for that which is good but that which seems to be good Oh! what do I inwardly suffer when in my Mind I consider Heavenly Things and presently in my Prayers a multitude of Carnal Imaginations present themselves before me My God be not far from me depart not in thy Wrath from thy Servant cast forth thy Light and scatter them send forth thy Darts and break all the Imaginations which the Enemy casts in Gather in call home my Senses unto thee make me forget all the things of this World grant me to cast away speedily the imaginations of Wickedness Succour thou me thou everlasting Truth that no Vanity may move me come Heavenly Sweetness and let Impurity fly from before thee Pardon me also and mercifully forgive me as often as I think of any thing else besides thee in Prayer I do humbly confess I am wont to be subject to many Distractions for I confess I am not there where I do corporally stand or sit but there am I whither my Thoughts do carry me where my Thoughts are there am I. There are oftentimes my Thoughts where my Affections are that offer themselves quickly unto me which is naturally delightful and by custom pleasing Tho. de Kempis 268. If thou be in God Christ is thy Father and therefore in Prayer thy Applications are to thy Father Mat. 7.7 If we being evil know how to give good things whatsoever thou canst expect from thy Earthly Father so much and much more may'st thou expect from thy Heavenly Father patience to bear with thy Infirmities and Failings Psal 78.18 compassion to pity thy Sufferings Psal 103. Goodness to supply thy Wants Justice to revenge thy Injuries Psal 105.14 Those Prayers that are from the workings and sighings of God's Spirit in us from sincere Hearts lifted up to God through the sense of our own Emptiness and from God's infinite Fulness that are suited to God's Will and the great Rule of Prayer that are for Spiritual things more than Temporal that are accompanied with Faith and dependance these Prayers speak a Man altogether a Christian Mead. A Prayer for Purging the Heart and for obtaining Heavenly Wisdom STrengthen me O God by the Grace of thy holy Spirit give me to be strengthened in the inward Man and to empty my self of all unprofitable Care and Anguish not to be drawn away by sundry desires either mean or precious but looking upon all things as passing away together with them for nothing is permanent under the Sun where all things are vanity and vexation of Spirit Oh how wise is he that considereth of them Tho. de Kempis 112. A Powerful Letter IN a Letter to King Henry the VIII it is concluded thus Wherefore Gracious King have pity on your Soul and consider that the Day is even at hand when you shall give an Account of your Office and the Blood that hath been shed with your Sword. In which day that you Grace may stand stedfast and may have your Quietus est sealed with the Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ which will only serve at that day is my daily Prayer c. Our Persecutors FRet Fume and Gnash the Teeth to hear that we under these grievous Afflictions can be so Merry let us Pray instantly that this Joy may never be taken from us for it passeth the Delights of this World This is the Peace which passeth all Vnderstanding This Peace the more it is chosen and possessed with the more they feel it and therefore cannot faint neither by Fire nor Water Prosperity HEre lies the danger of a pleasing Condition in regard of Pleasures Credit Delights Riches Friends Habitation Health or any inferiour thing the more of Good that seemeth to be in them as distinct from God the more Dangerous for they are more like to stand up in Competition with him and carry it with our partial and blinded Souls in the Competition Remember this if you love your selves when you would have all things about you more Pleasant and Lovely here lies the danger of a prosperous Condition and State. On the contrary here lies the blessed benefit of Adversity which if Men were not Brutish and Unbelieving they would heartily welcome it as the surest Condition Mr. Baxters Rest 3d Part 216. Papist MY Lord of Worcester being a Papist had this Maxim That he would not be Disordered within himself only because things were out of Order without him Queen Elizabeth was wont to say That my Lord of Worcester had Reconciled what she thought Inconsistent A stiff Papist to be a good Subject Punishment WHensoever God Punisheth he doth it for just Cause and the Godly never accuse him of Rigour as the Wicked do but acknowledge that in themselves is just cause why they should thus intreat them Dan. 9.7 Why should a Living Man complain for the Punishment of his Sins Hale 130. Reason IT 's Human to use Reason rather than Force and a Christian to seek Peace and ensue it Reformation IT would be an easie matter says Malvezzi for Favourites to Reform Kings Palaces if it were not an hard thing to Reform their own Houses Regiment of Health TO be chearfully disposed at Hours of Meat Sleep and Exercise is one of the best Exercises of long lasting As for the passions and studdies of the Mind avoid Envies Anxious Fears Anger fretting Inward subtile and knotty Inquisitions Joys and Exhilerations in Excess Sadness not Communicated entertain Hopes and Mirth rather than Joy variety of Delights rather than Surfeit on them Lord Bacon 's Essays 188. Rejoycing at Death MR. Edward Deering said As for my Death I bless God I feel and find so much inward Joy and Comfort in my Soul that if I were to make my Choice whether to Live or Die I would a Thousand times rather choose Death than Life if it may stand with the good Will of God And shortly after he Died in the Year of our Lord Christ 1576. Religion REligion and the Practice of its Vertues is the Natural state of the Soul the condition to which God designed it As God made Man a reasonable Creature so all the Acts of Religion are equal and suitable to our Natures and our Souls are then in Health when we are what the Laws of Religion require to be and to do what they Command us to do Dr. Tillotson The great Principals of Religion