〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Protrept p 30. A spark of wickednesse neglected or dallied with in the fancy may quickly beget a flame of wickednesse in the heart Corpus opere sordidatur animus voluntate Chrysost in Matt. Lat. tantum Hom. 52. pleasures which we have not opportunitie outwardly to performe which is called speculative wickednesse and greatly defileth the man and dishonoureth God and so answerably provoketh Him even to give us up to our imaginations and to cast us loose into the lap of our Delilahs or lusts which is the greatest judgement in the world for when sinne is let into the soule by the eye and rouled about by the imagination it will quickly like a canker eat out all the grace in the soule and then what follows but a filling of our hearts with Satan and in the end a reaping the fruit of our own wayes If we suffer our fancy to brood upon lusts we shall hatch Cockatrice egges or weave Spiders webbs the issue will be mischiefe or vanitie and so we shall weave the web of our own sorrow and shame Therefore we must watch over our thoughts if we regard our peace whereof watchfulnesse is the preserver They may make a through fare in our minde they must not get entertainment nor lodging there n From sinne lighting upon our thoughts it is impossible from making a nâ—st there or hatching that we may do and are charged so to do We must keep our heart from resolving and saying content Bp. And. p. 190. And that we may be afraid to think before God what we are ashamed to do before men we must consider first 1. That we have to do with an holy God who specially sees the heart and requires puritie there It is our spirits with whom God who is a spirit hath most communion with all And the lesse freedome we take to sinne here the more argument of o Voâ— scelera admissa punitis Apud nos cogitare peccare est Vos conscios timetis nos etiam conscientiam solam M. Minut Fael p. 25. lin 3. in sol Summum praesidium Regni est justitia ob opertos tumultus Religio ob occultos Card. de sap lib. 3. â— Incentiva viâ—â—orum statim in mente iugulabis parvulos Babylâ—â—is allides ad Pâ—tram c. Hier. lib 2. ep â—8 p. 216. â— Succubâ— Incubi Zanch. de oper Dei lib. 4 cap. 16. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 2. sinceritie because there is no Law to binde the inner-man but the law of the Spirit of Grace whereby we are a law to our selves But on the contrary the more way we give to wicked imaginations the more we shew what our actions would be if we dared o for if we forbeare doing evill out of conscience we should as well forbeare imagining evill for both are alike open to God and hateful to Him And therefore oft where there is no conscience of the thought God gives men up to the deed The chiefe lesson then is this As we desire and expect to have communion with God we must addresse our spirits before Him p we must be pure not in body only but in heart also nay we must be in our measure pure and holy as He is if we look to see Him as He is We must consider withall That our unclean spirits make us like that Spirit who though he commits no corporall uncleannesse some tell us of sexes in divels or assumed by them and of their filthinesse that way q yet he is called an uncleane spirit And as he is he is called which tells us That the uncleannesse of our spirits and hearts as it is the greatest defilement so it doth make us most like the divell And therefore if this uncleane spirit or our selves have stirred a sinke in our soules we must not stirre it more by our imagination but as we use to do when a sink is stirred we go into a sweeter roome so we must remove our thoughts and take off our imagination from stirring and puddering in that filth And this we may do by finding it some sweeter more cleanly and befitting work It is certain that the imagination hath a power if it be put forth but that requires an other power to raise it selfe as swiftly and as quick which is the excellency of it to heaven to the high and great things there as it will descend to hell though it be a naturall descent to those black things there And it is certain too that hopes on high will lead to thoughts on high The noblenesse of the soule and thoughts thereof and of great things prepared for it will remember our imaginative sacultie of noble work of high and weightie considerations If our affections be indeared to any sensuall delight they will drown our fancies therein and on the other side our fancies quicke and nimble though they be yet will they move heavily and die in their excessive motion to the things below if the soule be taken up with the Love of the best things And this leads me to the last thing which is a more speciall and soveraign vertue to help and fortifie our soule against her sensuall appetites I meane such helps which reason can suggest I know if the Eye of the Lord awe us Job 31. if destruction from God be a terrour unto us if the spirit of holinesse comes into the heart then the work is done 2. In the last place then because our imagination hurteth and betrayeth our succours within by false representations and by preventing reason usurping a censure of things before our judgements try them whereas the office of imagination is to minister matter to our understanding to work upon not to lead it much lesse to mis-lead it sith I say our case is so and so depraved our facultie is we must take great heed and give all diligence That as one excellently adviseth we suffer not things to passe suddenly from the imagination to our will and affection we must aske advise first of our judgement That is the light and eye of the inward man and we must pray for the inward anoynting whose office it is to weigh things in the ballance and so to discerne This judgement doth acquaint the minde to ballance reasons on both sides and to turne backe the first offers and conceits of the minde and to accept of nothing but first examined and tryed There is a sicknesse of fancy and there is no way to cure it but by advising with judgement We shall as Saul in another case account the wayes of sinne and death even the shedding our own souls bloud in the pursuit of our own appetites and the libertie to satisfie the same All this we shall account a compassion r 1 Sam. 23. 21. if judgement do not come betwixt our imaginations and will The tumults and distempers of the soul though they rage in silent darknesse would be in a great measure quieted if summon'd before strength
the winde of the soul carrying it so as it is neither becalmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed that it moves disorderly They are the very wings of the soul A prayer without them so we may say of any other performance is like a bird without wings If I cared for nothing said Melancton I should pray for nothing They are the springs of all our services to God we are dry cold and dead * Fear is worse then the thing feared as is prooved by the communication of Cyrus and Tygranes Xenop Cyri. paed l. 3. p. 192. without them They set the soule and heart on worke and then we seeke the Lord. David had prepared much for the house of his God and the reason was which himself gives Because I have set my affection to the house of my God We are as a dead Sea without our affections and as a raging Sea if they exceed the bounds And exceed they will if they are not held in order by His voyce who said to the Sea Be still f Oratio sine malis avis sine alis g Sinibil curarem nihil orarem h 1. Chron. 22. 29. i 1. Chron. 28. 3. pâ—s meus affectus meus cò seror quocunque seror They are as it is said of the body like a curious instruments quickly out of tune and then we as quickly have lost the mean between too much and too little They are just like moyst elements as Aire and Water which have no bounds of their own to contain them in but those of the vessell that keeps them water is spilt and lost without something to hold it so it is with our affections if they be not bounded by the Spirit of wisdome and power And if so they will answer all Gods dealing to His children As He enlargeth so they are enlarged as He opens so they open if evills threaten the more feare fixeth where it should and then feareth no evill tidings h Feare hath torment when it is out of place but if placed right upon God it quieteth and calmeth the heart it makes a man fearelesse his heart is sixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. The more tokens of displeasure the more sorrow yet ordered not without hope not a sorrow swallowing up the heart in despaire but a godly sorrow putting on to obedience These well ordered affections put the soul into a sutable plyablenesse that they answer the Lord in all His calls to joy when He calls for it to mourn when He calls for that But this sweet harmony and temper in the affections is never but when the Lord sets them in tune and keeps them so when His spirit watcheth over ours which should be our prayer for then look how many affections so many graces Love is turned to a love of God Ioy to a delight in the best things feare to a feare of offending Him more then any creature sorrow to a sorrow for sinne And this is the main and chiefe help to bound and order our affections even to look up to the Lord that as He hath planted them in the soul He would order them so there that they may tend to Him and for Him Other rules and considerations there are which may help some thing to calme our affections as followeth 1. Let this be a standing rule Nothing deserves our sorrow but sinne and the losse of Gods favour by sinne It is seasonable at no time I speake of some exceeding that way for man must not have if it might be an Apathie he must not be without naturall affection like a stock moved at nothing no This is the commendation of a true Christian That he hath strong affections but through God he is mightie to Chap. 4 § 7 command them It is I was saying seasonable at no time but at our prayers and with our instructions saith i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad Colos Hom. 12. Chrysostome It is pitie that such a sweet and fruitfull affection should like water run-out to waste should be spilt upon that which cannot profit 2. Nothing commands our feare but God and if we keep to Him He will be our Sanctuary if it be removed from Him we shall feare every thing 3. We must use this world but as if we did not use it use it but enjoy God In the one is changeablenesse and vexation in God is no variousnesse nor shadow of changing The world and things of it are but the cisternes of comfort they quickly emptie and dry up God is an ever springing fountain 4. Many things will command our love and must have it but we must hold it under command and to its rule In God and for God we must equall nothing unto Him much lesse account of any thing above Him He will have no corrivall that which we equall with Him will prove our snare that which we honour above Him will be our shame and sorrow 5. There are some times when there will be some flushes of joy some exceeding that way as it is hard in any passion of the minde to keep just measure But there is never more need of watchfulnesse then at such times It was a fit season for the Father to be at his Sacrifice when his Children were at the Feast I have observed times of feasting and merriment strangely crossed to call back the heart which would soone forget if not loose it selfe and to teach man to feare at all times In such cases as these such thoughts as these may help to allay the over sweetnesse of our contents as thus to think Now I could sing for joy for we give no time for Calvish mirth others there are who at this very time do sigh for heavinesse of spirit and groane under heavy pressures k Hic nuptias ibi planctum c. Hier. 21. 22. lib. 2. ω. pag. 247. As a member of the body my passion of joy must be moderated with my compassion l Remember my bonds Colos 4. 18. Lege Chrysost Calamitas illius fores pulsat qui aliorum calamitatibus non movetur I will speake in Hirons words they are to this purpose There is a wedding in that house to day and there they are merry with them I should rejoyce In the other house there is a funerall a beloved yoke-fellow or a deare childe is carrying forth to buriall there are sad hearts we are sure I should weep with them for this is to be like minded to be companions with others as members of the same body I must think again I know not how soone their case may be mine Mirth and sorrow have their turns and I know not how soone they may exchange with me As I shall let my heart loose in the one the lesse command I shall have over it in the other As my sensuall contentment shall dilate and expand my heart so will sorrow compresse and shrink it up If my heart be as light as
refreshments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for our hell here and our Fatherly punishments as for our Heaven hence and our hope of rest He puts afflictions c. into the Catalogue or register of Gods mercies and in the first place Indeed it is no hard matter to open the mouth in way of thankfulnesse for the good things of this life as we call them but to be thankfull for the evills that is an hard task but yet the dayly work of a true Christian The Heathen Philosopher could say g Mar. Aur. Aut. medit 12. B. sect 2. p 197. A wise man should be fitted for all estates and conditions like Empedocles his Allegoricall Spheare or like a square body Throw it you cannot overthrow it cast it down if you can it will stand as upright as before losing nothing at all of its height h Lege ep 168. Basilâ—i And such a man saith he hath gained unto himself great rest and ease for he hath get his minde loose from outward intanglements and that manifold luggage wherewith we are round about incumbred We may discern our selves as we do our metalls best by our falls or casting down if when we are thrown our sound is flat and dull murmuring-wise it argues a leaden spirit * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazâ—anz which sinks under trouble like lead into the waters But if our sound be silver-like cleare and pleasing it argues we are of better orat 18. When there is a storm withâ—ut he keeps his minde cleare within pag. 302. metall That is not silver which comes not clearer out of the fining pot nor is that gold which doth not shine in the fire i Prosperitie doth best discover vice but adversitie doth best discover vertue A good eye is for any colour though all colours are not equally lightsome A good care for every sound though every sound hath not the same gratefulnesse Good teeth are for all meats that are wholesome though all be not alike toothsome so a sound understanding is fit for whatsoever shall happen though every thing which happens is not alike pleasing He that cannot receive evill as we call it from Gods hand as well as good shews that he is of a crazed temper in the Inward man as an eye that seeks after green colours or as teeth after that which is tender which argueth saith the same Philosopher Sore eyes and unsound teeth k Mar. Aur. lib. 10. sect 37. p. 177 I have been long upon the point the longer that I might perswade to a contentednesse in every condition and that we might finde use and pick good out of all But it is the Lord who perswades the heart and He doth it else no condition will please seem it to others never so pleasing To possesse our souls in patience we lose them else is the readiest way to be eased and in time to be exalted The Lord teach thee the wisdome of His people and give thee content in present things understanding in all He subdue thy spirit He meeken thy heart He fashion and mould thy will to a patient submission unto His that it may be as conformable there unto as the wax unto the seal All this God can do He onely And when He hath thus humbled the heart and thus meekned the spirit when he hath thus fashioned it then the work is done and nothing will be grievous It is a remarkable speech from Mr Bradford l â—ox p. 1503. he hath many such but with that one I will conclude and shut up this Though my body be in an house out of which I cannot come when I will for he was in prison yet in that I have conformed my will to Gods will I finde herein libertie enough and for my lodging bedding feeding c. all above my worthinesse worthinesse quoth I alasse I am worthy of nothing but damnation So he wrote to his mother I must tell you also what he said to his friend He was in a strong hold neare the time of his enlargement when he was to passe to his crown but through the fire His friend told him that he would if it pleased intercede with the Queen for his life Do if you will said he if her Majestie will be pleased to give me my life I will thank her if my libertie I will thank her for that if neither of both I will thank her still If she will keep me here I can thank her here if she will send me hence to the stake I can thank Chap. 5 § 1 her there also See what an humble man can do he can smart patiently he can suffer silently he can receive blows and return thanks No murmuring no repining no complaining in his mouth He hath committed his cause to God Learn how contented this man is and observe the patience of the Saints so I have done CHAP. V. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper The mysterie thereof Graces required in those who come to this Table In case these Graces be wanting what is to be done Of Mans worthinesse AND now Childe having made some discoverie unto thee of those our master-sinnes and corruptions which most dishonour our outward man and disturb our inward peace And having supplied unto thee some provision for the better subduing thereof I shall now for thy better provision and preparation also put thee in minde of two extraordinary and solemne approaches both before the Lord and both in the face of the Lords congregation In the one the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we professe by faith to be one with Christ and by union with Him to partake of all His honour and glory In the other falsly by some called a Sacrament also they who were two are made one joyned together in so straight a band that nothing but death or that which is worse and more destroying then death can dissolve We must be well advised before we approach to either of these ordinances for it is for life It was well answered by one who was asked why he took so much pains and was so curious about his work it is said he because I work to eternitie m Pingo aetoâ—â—â—tati Much fitter might the same be said in these cases we must walk warily here we must take pains here for we work to eternitie we receive to eternitie and so we marry too to our eternitie it is for life both and beyond it as farre as the heaven is above the earth A glorious life depends upon the right receiving of the one so do all the comforts of our temporary life depend upon our advised entrance into the other I shall give thee some instructions for this better provision for both And first of the first The Sacrament of the Lords Supper therein we see the Cost of our Redemption and the matter and substance of our Righteousnesse before God which doth consist principally in His body broken upon the crosse and His bloud
from the best part of his estate and then which was the fall Indeed from himselfe very ominous this to younger Brothers saith a Noble a Verul Essay Schollar who are commonly fortunate but seldome or never when the Elder are disinherited Your hand was put forth to uphold this pillar that was not Substantive enough to stand of himselfe nor had so much wisdome as to cleave to a Nother so though he had your hand yet he stood not he is falne So it must needs be sooner or later with every man who hath not a single eye to that invisible Hand who is the Great Supporter of a Man and onely makes the house a Blessing The low Cottage as well as the high Throne is established by Righteousnesse b Prov. Chap. 16. vers 12. 20. vers 28. 25. vers 5. 29. vers 14. it is spoken more then once nay Twice doubled as the c Gen. 41. 32. Dreame for the thing is certain Since he fell we have been in our Ruines and in them some of us having recourse to your selfe found you as ready and active as you were able you said you would doe it and what you said was done your word was your deed This and more whereof none can speake more then can my selfe renders you honoured I think of all that in a faire and cleare way else you will not heare of it have had occasion to use you And my intendment here is but to tender my acknowledgement thereof and you cannot be offended that I shew my selfe thankfull I could give you Titles of respect c. and not flatter neither as the manner is and as some doe who feare not their Maker d Job 32. But what are Mans eulogies in a wise Mans esteeme Nothing They whom the King of Kings will honour are honoured indeed and they who honour Him shall be so honoured that 's certain You will give me leave then to leave the common way of complements a way I could never comply with and to be your Remembrancer in two things they are very grave and weighty both 1. God hath given you a rich portion in things below It is a point of your excellent wisdome not to think these The portion It was and is the Righteous Mans Sinne e He received his good things not as he should as a pledge of Gods further favour but as a full and compleate reward as a propriatory not as a Steward and an Accountant he accounted his life as his and as if there had been no other Bish Andr. pag. 316. either during or satisfying not During of such portions it will be said as once it was In the Time-past Thou had st them pleasures profits honours They were now they are not And when they were and thou had'st them They were not satisfying They filled They wearied thee They did not satisfie no more then the East winde doth satisfie an hungry stomack There are three markes upon the Rich-mans folly which makes it very remarkable 1. He said to his soule Thou hast much goods That was a great mistake They were the goods of the Body not of the soule Barnes full and Coffers full and yet the soule not the fuller not the richer perhaps the poorer the leaner The more emptinesse the more of that fulnesse 2. Laid up for many yeers A cleere mistake that too for that Night the soule was pluckt away But grant a continuance for many yeers a thousand twice told yet an end comes at last They must be eternall good-things which an eternall soule can relish and enjoy being sutable and proportionable thereunto 3. Take thy ease That was a third deceit exceeding all for suppose The soule continue with the Body and the Body with the Goods Soule with Body Body with Goods wife children riches health honours all continued together there were no parting suppose it so yet we know for so we read that the Mountaine it contains all the fore-mentioned may be strong yet the Man weake upon it The Mountaine may continue yet the Man may be troubled It was Davids case All is in Gods face towards us if that shine upon a Man all is well and Lightsome it that be clouded or hid all is nothing The Man will be troubled God can without Taking the soule away or goods away He can put the Spirit of a Man into such a condition of darknesse as that all those comforts shall be to a Man but as the white of an egge no more relishing As there be joyes the world gives not so are there afflictions the world inflicts not saith a Learned Divine f Mr. G. Childe of Light 6. There is a breaking of the bones whereof David complained when there is not a bone in the body out of joynt The soule may be broke with sorrows vvhen there is a confluence of vvorldly comforts round about us And this requires our Marke for mighty reasons for it is as difficult a thing to goe-out of our selves to God a-alone for comfort as to goe-out of our selves to Christ alone for Righteousnes The Rich mans Tower is as strong now as ever it was in his coneeit g Prov. 18. 11. and he is as firmely bottomed upon his Mountain and he speaks as confidently novv to his soule Take Thy Ease as ever he did for though the History be old the practice is new But this is our wisedome and for this we shall be counted understanding Men if looking for ease and Comfort we look up to God with a single eye and trust perfectly on Him for enquire from one end of the heaven to the other Aske of the Barnes and Winepresses they are the fullest and fattest places under the Sunne aske them or any Creature else whether they can give ease to the soule They will answer no it is not in them though yet they can contribute a great deale But then the light of Gods countenance must shine through them if not they contribute Nothing That He may be known and acknowledged to be the God of all comfort and the Father not of some but of all consolations What ever outward comforts we have the comfort of our spirits is from God So then we are driven to this conclusion God onely makes the soule to Rest and gives it ease and that is never till He deales bountifully with it h Psal 117. 7. till He satisfies it with Himselfe a sutable and proportionable-good both During and Satisfying The soule is scattered and lost when it is parcelled-out to variety of things It cannot fixe now It doth but roule like a Ship at Anchor in a Tempest It must be brought to the Vnity of one Desire and one love Till then it will be as unstable as the water as restlesse as a Meteor still tossed and in doubtfull suspence So Truth it selfe Assureth by that very Metaphor i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 12. 29. Psal 9. 112. But ô the peace the securitie of that person
a 1 Tim. 6. 6. and 48. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost in Gen. 48. Hom. 66. ω. is great gaine it is profitable for all things having the promise of the life that now is and of the life that is to come And therefore if the Parent had but one request to put up for the Childe it should be That the Lord would be its portion That He would blesse him indeed for whom He blesseth are blessed b 1 Chron. 4. 10. And if he had but one instruction it should be for the getting the principall thing Get Wisedome and withall thy getting get understanding c Prov. 4. 7. The last Consideration containeth in it the very pith of reason and equitie and mightily engageth the Parent to give All diligence at this point touching the good Nurture of his Childe when I have cleared so much I have done 3. A Childe is the Parents Image right A branch from a sinfull stock An off-spring from a corrupted fountaine The Parent is the Channell which conveyeth unto it Sinne and Death This is that hereditary evill which is truely and really stated and feoffed upon every Childe of Adam But if we will see the first originall of the conveyance we must descend as low as Adam who was the sonne of God made as every thing else very good with this excellency and prerogative royall above other things in Gods Image that is in Holinesse and righteousnesse But being in this honour he understood not but sought out many inventions d Eccles 7. 29. that is They would finde out something beyond God and so for it was not possible to be otherwise they found out their owne finddings Sinne and Sorrow They reached forth their hand unto the forbidden fruit and did eate so they fell from their stedfastnesse and glory Then they knew both good and evill Good if they had obeyed Evill that they obeyed not Now they had experience and feeling of their good they lost and the evill they brought upon themselves Thus sinne entred into the World and by sinne death that is more evils and weightier then we can think them For we must note That the Actuall sinne of Adam determined not the bound of Misery but brought a second Misery with it the Misery of our whole Nature While Adam stood we stood in him his obedience kept his whole estate and Nature entire But when he fell we fell in him for though the sinne were a limited thing in act of eating yet it was an unlimited excesse in respect of the Committer and the frame of his revolting heart and therefore it was just with God to plague his whole Nature for that sinfull Act. So then The same hand that was reacht forth to this fruite reacht it also to the fruite of their loynes wherein that fruite was seminally as branches in a common stock And thus the Childrens teeth were set on edge so the next verse tels us And Adam begat a sonne in his owne likenesse his owne indeed that is With that generation Sinne was also derived for he begat now not the Body onely but a Man in his receptivenesse of the soule and in those bands and ties which knit body and soule to wit these spirits of reasonable Nature and by the infection of these spirits the soule is also corrupted We cannot with sobriety enquire further into this thing I know the dispute how this sinne is propagated from the Father to the Childe is very large But we may say of it as the Philosopher of that Dispute touching that supposed voide place It is an empty and vaine Dispute e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist phys de vacuo voide of use and to none effect It was a wise and seasonable reproofe which a Mariner in a dangerous tempest gave to the Philosopher troubling him with a Dispute touching the Windes We f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aul. Gell. lib. 1. cap. 2. ω. are at the point of sinking and you trifle out the time with a vaine discourse Enquiries touching this point have blotted much Paper and spent much precious Time and all to little purpose for so we give time to a growing mischiefe It is as if while the fire rageth on the sides and tops of houses a man should hold his hand and moove his tongue not joyne force to quench it but onely aske how it begunne where and when It was a good answer to one who would know by what Chinke sinne entred into the Childe g Hist of the Couns of Trent l. 2. p. 174. That Chinks were not to be sought where a gate stood wide open The Apostle saith That by Adam sinne entred into the world It sufficeth to know That God by just imputation realizeth the infection into the whole race of Adam in whom we were as in a common Lumpe and in his leaven sowred In his Loines we were and there we sinned and so did partake of his guilt which like a common infection worse then a leprosie we took from our Parents and transmitted it to our Children a Seede of evill doers So we sprang up as the seede doth with stalke and huske though the fanne made the same difference betwixt the wheate in the heape and the other fitted for the seede as grace doth betwixt the Parent and the Childe Though the Parent be accepted in the righteous one and his sinne covered the guilt remitted yet sinne and guilt are transmitted to the Childe Hereby the Parents see matter of great humiliation h Book pag. 32 they feele a tye also and an engagement upon them to doe their utmost to prevent the evill whereof they have beene a Channell of conveyance unto their Childe It is their Image They its debtors It is very equall and a point not so much of mercy as of justice That we should for I am a Parent too labour by all meanes and take all occasions whereby through Gods blessing our owne and bad image may be defaced and the New which is after Christ formed on and in the Childe This is that we should endeavour with all our might giving All diligence It is an heavy and grievous judgement which we reade threatned against Parents and Children I will recompence your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together i Esa 65. 7. That is Because the Fathers have committed an abomination and ye their Children have done according to the same abomination therefore the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him k Ezech. 18. 20. I will lay your sinnes together as upon heapes visiting you both Children and Fathers in your heapes of sinne O pray we in our prayer pray l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iames 5. 17. wrestling and weeping pray we earnestly m Hosea 12. 3. 4. Remember not against us former iniquities n Psal 79. 8. Recompence not our iniquities and the iniquities of our Children together nor measure out unto us our old Worke into our
carriage will win the love and draw the eyes of all unto us as a cleare Sun-shine upon a faire Diall where as a rough stout and boy sterous nature doth thrust out a rough and hasty hand against every man and will finde every mans hand as boisterous and rough against him but gentlenesse sinks into the heart and wins it makes the clearest Demonstration of a Gentle-man Others may assume the name but it is the Gentlemans right his whom gentlenesse calmenesse sweetnesse of carriage doth denominate There are other meanes to work and mould the spirit this way which I cannot thinke of but we must remember still that there is no way like this The looking up to the Lord the spreading this crookednesse and peremptory bent of nature before Him who onely can subdue it and set it straight But the Parent must do his part else God is lookt-up unto in vaine He must set the 21 chapter of Deut. before the childe there to reade the punishment of a stubborn childe He must informe him how unsociable a Nabal-like disposition is a 1. Sam. 25. 17. Latrant non loquuntur Cic. Brut. pag. 161. fol. Stridet non loquitur Cal. epist 339. Ch. 4 sect 3 How b 2. Sam. 23. 6 7. Vt spina ex quacunque parte conspexeris habet aculeos Sic servus Diaboli Chrysost in Matt. 7. Hom. 9. lat aut untractable such a person who is of the nature of a thorne But above all things the Parent must bid the childe behold how God raiseth valleys and takes down hills Represseth the presumptuous and giveth grace to the modest 3. Spare not the childe for his lye children are strangely addicted to it because they are children and understand not he is a childe though a man threescore yeers old that useth it It is the winding crooked course the very going of the serpent which goeth basely upon the belly and eats the dust There is no vice doth more uncover a man to the world and covers him with shame It out-faces God and shrinks from man and what can be more childish It unmans a man debasing his glory and making it his shame It makes a man most unlike God most like the Divell I know not how a Parent can dispose of a lying childe he is unfit for any societie We take more content with our Dog then with one whose language we understand not saith De Civit. lib. 18. cap. 7. Austin I adde And then with one whose words we cannot trust A Parent must labour hard for the rooting out of this evill He may tell the childe That God is truth And that He commands and loves the same in His creatures and in our converse one with another That He sees the secrets of mans heart and will bring every secret thing to judgement The Parent may shew the childe as on a theater Gods judgements on lyers how quick and sharpe God hath been against this abuse of the Tongue punishing it with Leprosie and sudden death And that He hath allotted to lyers a place without amongst Dogs because they have abased themselves Reve. 22. 15. below men c. But perhaps the rod is the onely thing which yet the childe feares and understands and let him feel it now for the preventing of this great evill but yet so handle the childe that it may not run further into the thicket and shift the more as he we spake of did into the house Thereby the childe will be the more hardened against the next time A childe hath no more wit but to think as too many old folk do That an evill is cured with an evill which as one ch 4. sect 4. saith is a most absurd conceit there being no remedie against Isid Pelus lib. 2. epist 145. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Isid the evill of sinne this specially but confession and repentance Therefore handle the child with great discretion at this point And let the childe finde some profit in speaking the truth and incouragement that way that if possibly it may be prevailed with by gentle meanes Children that will not lie so He was their Saviour Isa 43. 8. A parent may hit on a better way then I can point unto him many waies he must try and I am confident nothing will more pose him then the way to take whereby to pluck downe the childes stomack and to fetch out his lye And yet in case he cannot do both specially the latter he will be posed as much how to dispose this childe for afterwards The Lord direct the Parent and blesse the childe 4. Suffer not the childe to be idle nor vainely imployed keepe him in exercise and in breath Accustome him to fitting and moderate labour in the morning of his life and of the day Labour is the pickle of vertue it keeps our faculties of body and soule sweet and fresh as the pickle keeps fish Labor muria virtutum or flesh Idlenesse and sloth like standing waters putrifies It is the very rust and canker of the soule The Divels cushion Hic motus aquas maris à putrefactione tuetur Magir. his very Tide-time of temptation wherein he carries with much ease the current of our corrupt affections to any cursed action The very houre of temptation wherein Satan joynes with our imaginations and sets them about his work to grinde his greese for the soul as a mill either grindes that which is put into it or else works upon it self our imagination is the soules first wheele ever turning and naturally it is evill continually and yet as that moveth so the other wheeles stirre we are ever weaving Spidâ—rs webbs or hatching Cockatrices Egs that is naturally we are alwayes imagining vanitie or mischiefe Therefore it is good and safe to finde the minde imployment and imployment to good purpose for an unimployed life like a Serving-man whose only worke is to hold a trencher and carry a cloake will prove a burden to it selfe or to the earth that supports and Ch. 4 sect 4 maintaineth it We must look to this betimes in children by giving them fitting worke and using them to some hardnesse else the inconveniences will not be small I have observed when a childe put forth to learne a Trade could not indure the toyle for every labour is a toyle to him whose chiefe work was to lye by the fire or in the street and field taking his pleasure so home he returnes to his pottage and bread and butter whence he had his growth and the worst part of his breeding This kinde of Culture will cause an infection which if it takes the childe now will not out of the bone hereafter it is the disease the sturdy beggar complained of but when he was searched for so he was it was found to be idlenesse Camerarius hath that pleasant Story so he calls it in his 16 Chap. and it may teach us so much in earnest That if we imploy not our children
3. shew to the house of Saul 8. We cannot command h Joh. 38. 12. the morning nor stay the out-goings of the same The morning commeth and also the night i Esay 22. 12. they know their appointed time And it teacheth us to know ours which is our season the smallest k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—p praecep pag. 273. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. Pyth. ode 4. point of time now it is and now it is not The Time past is gone that to come is uncertaine Time present is mine and the Time acceptable the Day of Salvation when is that Samuel tells us as he doth Saul Now was the Time l 1 Sam. 13. 13. The Apostle answers also Behold now is the day of salvation m 2 Cor. 6. 2. which should stirre us up so to husband the present Time that it may appeare we had Time and Grace to use it both together Opportunitie is a great favour even to have it a greater to discerne it the best grace of all to discerne and take it It is as the joynt in the member hit it and the labour will be nothing but there is all the cunning n Vigilantis est occasionem observare properantem Itaque hanc circumspice hanc si videris prende toto impetu hoc age Sen. ep 22. to hit upon this Article or little joynt of Time the tempestivitie thereof Now if there be a tempestivitie a set convenient o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 24. 25. season which Felix had but discerned it not for the convenient time was then when Paul was speaking and himself trembling if I say such a Time there be then is the morning the tempestivitie thereof That is the convenient set time when God is orderly sought and found early will I seeke Thee p Psal 63. 1. before the morning watch c. And they that seeke me earely shall finde me q Prov. 8. 17. saith Wisdome earely in the morning of their life offering up their strength the first fruits unto God earely in the morning of the day too that is a convenient Time the set Time that is certaine The morning is the very marrow r Mr. Bolt Direct p. 205. and fat of time as one saith the flower and first fruits of the day and they were to be given unto God The night is for sleepe which must serve as other creatures to strengthen and refresh our bodies not to satisfie ease sloth and a sluggish humour Å¿ Plus vigilare plus vivere est Indalgendum somno est ut corpus reparet non resolvat vires revocet non enervet Chrysol de servo vigili Ser. 24. we must beware least that great Devourer t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Paed. 2. cap. 9. and waster of time sleepe rob and bereave us of those precious and golden houres in the morning when we are freshest and fittest for imployment we should often remember saith the same Divine u Indecens est Christiano si radius solis eum inveniat in lecto posset enim dicere Sol si potestatem loquendi haberet An plius laboravi heri quam tu tamen cum jam surrexerim tu adhuc dormis when we see the Sunne up before us that saying of Austin It is an uncomely thing for a Christian to have the Sun-beames finde him a bed And if the Sunne could speake saith he it might say I have laboured more then thou yesterday and yet I am risen and thou art still at rest And yet as good rest as to move and to no purpose We must not so much as eat in the morning certainly it doth concerne not those of the higher sort onely which we read x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iliad 2. A governour ought not to sleep all night long And it is a forerunner of a woe when Princes eate in a * Eccles 10. 16. morning It cannot be conceived that the meaner sort have more priviledge then their betters to eate unseasonably or intemperately so Tremellius expounds that place These precious houres of the morning are for precious imployment the serving of God as becommeth with reverence and feare and then our selves and our brethren in love These are the services which must take up the whole day But more especially in the morning we are fittest for them when we are wholly our selves as the saying is The powers and faculties of the outward and inward man being awakened and refreshed But first we must addresse our selves to God and set our soules in order before Him that we may strengthen and perfume our spirits with some gracious meditations specially of the chiefe end and scope wherefore we live here and how every thing we do may be reduced and ordered to further the maine This is first to be done and a necessitie there is that it be done first else that which follows to be done will be done to little purpose It follows now That we consider briefly how we stand ingaged to this principall service even to call upon all to awake as the Prophet saith All without us and within us to return unto the Lord according as we have received and to give praise unto His Name for now praise is comely †1. It is He that kept us when we could not keep our selves He kept our houses which the watch did not keep from those who y Job 24. 16 17. marked them forth in the day-time Our security is as Noahs was in Gods shutting our doores He it was who preserved that spark of mankinde alive in the midst of the waters as the Father z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Tom. 5 Ser. 6. in medio elegantly for so we reade And the Lord shut him in a Gen. 7. 16. The Lord shut in our doores upon us also kept us in safety kept out danger else we had not been alive The destroying Angel I mean danger in any kinde waiteth but his commission from the Almighty and when he had it we heard what havock he makes From this destroyer the Lord kept us though our hearts were not so besprinkled as they should have been nor did we keep our selves according to our b Exod. 11. 22. See Mr Ainsw charge under the safe and secure protection of that Bloud as we should have done yet notwithstanding the Lord kept us The Lord is the great wing of our protection our castles towers houses doores chambers c. but the small feathers thereof These nothing without Him He All without them We may reade of c Atloanasius Cent. 4. one who had a safe convoy himself alone through a troop of enemies five thousand in number all and every one appointed for his destruction And of another d H. 3 Charron we may reade murdered by a Monk when he lay entrenched with an Army of friends about him 40 thousand strong Safety is from on high from
if we look downward upon the convex surface of the same for the curvature or bending thereof appeares not to the eye nor is it possible it should being but a foot or there abouts in fifteen miles yet something it is But the Globe representing the same which with the earth and sea makes but one tells us what the figure of the earth is so do the waters in compassing the same and the Sun or the Heavens rouling round about But more clearely the fabrick of the heavens declares the figure of the earth whose concave we behold and see it like an Arch or Furnace over us which plainly sheweth the Fornace flammeo same figure to be of the earth And that which is demonstrated in a little circle no part of the surface thereof is uppermost and lowermost in respect of it self but lyeth in a full aspect to heaven though it seemes otherwise to us who live on this side of the Globe as it doth likewise to them who are on the other side in the South Which also clearly concludes That there are e Antipodes though they tread not See Plin. nat Hist lib. 2. c 65. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 16. cap. 9. Lact. lib. 3. cap. 23. in a direct opposition to us which so posed the Ancients I meane a people for the word is improper who inhabite that other side of the Globe so clearly I say concludeth this truth and so universally that now to phrase it as one doth it scornes defence This is wonderfull to sense It is so and it must be granted to be so both to young and old for it leaves us all to wonder and no more It leaves us with our light in the darke Note it There is enough in the greatest portion of knowledge to humble us very low And enough in the least portion thereof for there is the greatest danger to puffe us up and make us swell so needfull it is to know the imperfection and shallownesse of our knowledge but more especially to know our selves to be but men And if we conceive so small a part of God here about the earth how little little is that we conceive of Him when we go higher If He be wonderfull in His foot-stoole thinke we and thinke seriously How glorious is He in His Throne This meditation should not be passed over untill it hath wrought us from wonderment to an holy trembling before Him and a godly feare There is one thing more touching the figure of the earth which offers it self and I cannot passe it by though it is very ordinary and familiar and the sense can make report thereof to the understanding It is this A circular or round figure cannot fill up that which hath corners there will be still an emptinesse It tells us this ordinary lesson That the earth and all the stuffe and lumber there cannot fill up the heart of man no more then wind or ashes can satisfie the hungry stomack We may weary out our selves and lay out our stock of time and parts about the encompassing of Capacem Dei non implet minus Deo Tu Deus diligenti Te quantum praecipis oslendes Te sussicis ei Aug. Cons 12. 15. some portion here below but it will not be a portion proportionable unto the nature of the soul it will not profit nor give satisfaction That very seale which made the impression will fill up and answer the same impression and no other for it It is only heaven and the great things thereof which give rest and peace which fills up the heart and makes it stable removed there-from the heart is like a needle shaken off from the pole starre in an unquiet trembling posture when it feeles it self like a Meteor tossed with every motion and still in doubtfull suspence f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 12. 29. Behold then The heaven is before us and Christ in our nature hath opened the way thither and There appeares for us And thither-ward must the soul tend if it looks for rest The Lord Christ seemes to speake to every soul as Ioseph to his brethren g Gen. 45. 20. Regard not stuffe for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours Regard not the stuffe and baggage lumber here below ye are borne for higher things Behold the heavens Behold all the good in those spacious mansions is yours This meditation must be followed till it hath set us loose from our spirit of infirmitie bending us down-ward and hath wrought our affections off from things below and raised them upward where the treasure is which only satisfieth thereon to fasten even upon the Lord Christ as the portion to the soul every way proportionable And woe unto us if this meditation doth not work upon us even thus farre for how shall we answer our coveting an evill covetousnesse to our house our increasing that which is not ours h Hab. 26. 9. our heaping up riches or rather as one saith sins i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Isid Pelus lib. 2. ep 135. but all this while contemning the blessing our minding earth and earthly things wherein is such varietie of changes and neglecting house or kingdome rather which cannot be shaken How shall we answer this It is not possible saith the Father k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Psal 4. w. to expect pardon for so great a neglect for our eager pursuit after and care about the earth and our neglect of heaven and of our right precious souls which live to all eternitie This will besaid of us if our care be so preposterous which was said of him l Isid Pel. lib. 2. ep 156. who had built him a sumptuous house which he enjoyed a short time but neglected the chiefe and principall thing which leades to those everlasting doores whereat the King of glory is entred in In the one he proclaimes his covetousnesse in that other his great neglect his extreame folly rather So much in way of resolution to the first enquiry What figure the earth hath and what use there-from 2. Whence its dependance or how born up It is Gods question So He demands of Iob m Job 38. 45. 6. Where wast thou when I layed the foundation of the earth who hath layed the measures thereof whereupon are the foundations fastned c. And as it was the Lords question so must it be His answer for there is not a man upon earth nor ever was clothed with sinfull flesh that can shew the Kings matter What then is the Lords answer If we know the Scriptures we know what it is for thus they say He hath founded the earth upon the Seas and established it upon the floods n Psal 24. 2. Vpon the seas and upon the floods what finite understanding saith the Father o Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 12. Neere the middle Ad Pop. Ant. Hom. 9. Lege Hom. primum S. Basil in Hex can understand or comprehend
67. Occasions must be prevented a watch kept over our senses Over our fancy That it may be ordered and must else all will be out of order to pa 73. What may awe our thoughts 74. What the soveraigne help next to the awfulnesse of Gods eye to page 79. the summe and use thereof to the Childe to page 81. § 3. Of profit how unsatisfying what doth satisfie indeed to page 82. § 4. Anger What it is whence it ariseth who most subject unto it How we may be armed against this passion and overcome it Chrysostome's note notable and Melanchthons practise Gods patience towards us mighty to perswade us thereto Abraham and Isaac how meek and yeelding this way of the tongue from page 83. to page 92. § 5. Of Censure Charities rule her mantle how largely we may stretch it according to Chrysostomes and Mr Perkins rule A rule in Herauldry of great use to pag. 95. § 6. Affections sometimes the stormes of the soul sometimes the sweet gale or winde thereof like moist elements Who boundeth them Considerations of use to moderate our feare sorrow c. to page 100. § 7. Of Discontent how unreasonable it is Considerations teaching us content in present things Chrysostomes short story very notable so are the Philosophers words with Mr Bradfords concluded to page 107. CHAP. V. THe Sacrament of the Lords Supper Graces required in those who present themselves at that Table If wanting what is to be done Note Chrysostomes words and Dr Luthers at that point The close of the chapter very notable so is Mr Raynolds meditation to page 121. CHAP. VI. MAriage A solemne ordinance I. Our well and orderly entring into that honourable estate Abuses very many and great touching that point in young and old Whose abuse most notorious and how justly punishable c. to page 125. Our rule in treating about a match application thereof to the childe A childe no match-maker A childe no match-maker A notable story to that purpose to page 127. The duty of every single person threefold of infinite concernment to page 131. The Parents or overseers duty at this point five-fold The last of the five least thought on and worse answered but of infinite concernment page 138. II. Our well ordering our selves in that state as becometh the honour thereof Affections at the first strongest how to guide their streame in a right channell sinne hath put all out of frame Chrysostomes note notable Page 140. Good to count our Cost and forecast trouble Page 142. Equality inequality hard to draw even The man the leading hand how he stands charged the weight of the charge If the head be surcharged or so headlesse it cannot lead or drawes backward what the wives duty The head hath a head a grave consideration 148. A consideration which may helpe to make up all breaches and silence all differences betwixt man and wife out of Chrysostome Page 149. Grievances rancked under two heads What is only evill and to be feared Page 152. Evils Imaginary Reall The former how prevented Page 154. The bearing the latter silently and like a Christian supposeth two things greatly to be studied to Page 158. Snares they spring from two rootes how snares from plenty are prevented that our foote be not taken with them Feare a Catholike remedy page 163. snares from scarcenesse how to breake through them and how to carry and quiet our spirits in them 165. The houswifes charge how it may be discharged towards children what the parents ambition touching them and servants our charge over them how neglected The houswifes duty engageth the Tongue that it bee apt to teach The eyes for over sight The hands that they be diligent and open mercy to the poore inforced to page 170. Diligence a great thriver well husbanding the present makes us secure for the after-time The family the fountaine of society how ordered if it be as those families whose praise is in the Gospell The conclusion to page 175 CHAP. VII OLD-Age as an Haven we must doe as men arrived safe there What questions we must put to our soules the more to quicken us to the sacrifice of praise Many questions resolved into one to page 180. Two periods of this Age. I. Desired not welcomed A calme Time if youth hath not troubled it It must be imployed The lamp of our life must not now blaze-out to page 184. A grave complaint and counsaile page 186. who gives understanding 187. II. How burdensome those yeares The Grashopper a Burden When our time is shortest our expectation is longest a weake Body but a strong presumption how vaine to think we can turne to God then when we have turned from Him all our dayes It is not our Time nor Gods Time to page 192. Fooles delay Time Children of wisdome not so to page 193. Two lessons drawne from hence We must not wish for death in a passion Eternity when we may wish for death to page 196. Not trifle away Time Grave counsell to that purpose 197. Who may be said properly to live Groanes not discernable from what spirit they proceed 199. We make an Idoll of the last prayer What first to be done 221. Comfort in death Whence the peace of the Godly They taste not death they see it not c. Applyed to the Child concluded Faults escaped Page 29. line 12. of thy wings read whereof Page 50. line 34. covered read opened Not be hid Page 108. line 7. this read thy 109. Last line read imply Page 116. line 29. would read should These faults were found not sought for and because they marre the sense are noted so might many more if there had been will or leasure to have perused the Book The Remaines must stand as properly belonging to every person and presse and expect favour from every one who knows himselfe partaking of the same common nature But if here are more faults then usuall our excuse is that the coppy could not be made legible by the Authors own hand and being written by another was the more wanting in stops and otherwise and we keep to the Coppy A CHILDES PORTION The Second Part. Respecting a Childe grown up CHAP. I. What we are taught by beholding our selves in the wombe and what by our outward frame of body I Shall now call thee back to look unto the Rock whence thou was hewen to the wombe whence thou was taken I shall begin with thee at the very beginning of thy being that thou maiest take a more cleare sight and consideration even there of Gods goodnesse thy Parents kindnesse thy self misery Assuredly there is no period of a mans age that yeelds him such a discerning as this point of time doth at which he first breathed in this world and so set forth to runne his race Therefore I shall reduce thee now to thy primitive originals and as it were lay thee again in the wombe whence thou Chap. 1 didst spring That in this way of reduction thou maiest take
person suffering who was the eternall Sonne of God And this He suffer'd even such a weight of wrath that He might free us from the same I mean that wrath which is to come which hath in it the very life and spirits of wrath The present wrath though it lye heavy for sinne yet it is but for present but the wrath to-come seizeth upon the soul and lyeth upon it to all eternitie l Omnis peccator peccat in suo aeâ—â—rno And this is the life and spirit of this wrath the thought whereof swallows us up as a drop is swallowed in the wide Ocean This weight He suffered as the greatest sinner that He might save to the utmost those that come unto Him Mark it for the houre may come saith m Disc of Just pag. 519. Mr. Hooker when we shall think it a blessed thing to heare That if our sins were the sins of Popes and Cardinals ours are very great having had a clear sun-shine of grace so long yet not walked as children of the Light the bowels of the mercie of God are larger I must reade his following words too I do not propose unto you a Pope with the neck of an Emperour under his feet A Cardinall riding his horse to the bridle in the bloud of Saints but a Pope or Cardinall sorrowfull penitent disrobed stript not only of usurped power but also deliver'd and recalled from errour Antichrist converted and lying Chap. 3 prostrate at the foot of Christ And shall I think that Christ will spurn at him No He suffered to the utmost that he might save to the utmost those that beleeve whom he maketh the righteousnesse of God re-instateth in the Paradise which they lost that there they may live ever with their Lord partaking with Him of an exceeding weight of glory And here for the time would fail me my understanding both I would fix thy thoughts even at this well of Salvation On this Rock I would settle thee but that my hands are too short but under the shadow of thy wings my heartie desire is that thou mayest trust and dwell for ever then happie art thou and for ever happie for this Rocke is Christ from Him issueth water of life healing sinne washing away guilt sweetning sorrow swallowing up such a Death before mentioned with all its issues Christ I say get Him thou hast all a Sea an Ocean of good things as Clemens cals Him cleave to Him He hath strength enough enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protrep p. 51. against all assaults from within from without He and His righteousnesse answers all makes us firme and stedfast like an everlasting foundation the gates of hell nor policie nor strength shall prevail All in Him all of Him all from Him And all this as it is fully discovered in his Word therefore let it be thy delight and thy counsellour and pray that His Spirit still would be thy Interpreter for without Him it is as a Book sealed so was it figured out and sealed unto us in Baptisme But before I come to that Sacrament we must look over what was said touching our inward frame of spirit Where we behold from what a dignitie we are falne into what a depth of miserie That the Scripture speaks not in vain The o Jâ—r 17 â— heart is desperately wicked It is for hardnesse like the nether mil-stone the Rocke the Adamant It is in point of conversion or turning unto God as dead as a doore-naile as unchangeable as the spots of a Leopard It is in point of that poyson malignity and rage that is in it a Lyon a Dogge an Adder a Dragon an Aspe a Viper in point of uncleannesse like a Leper from head to the foot polluted All this and much more That we may remember and be confounded and never open our mouth any more b Ezek. 16. ω. but in acknowledging our selves unclean vile lothsome and in magnifying the abundant treasures of grace and riches of mercies in and through Christ freely offered and secured unto us in Baptisme which now comes to be treated of c. CHAP. III. Baptisme the outward the inward the secret and mysterious working thereof BAptisme wherein sacramently is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretium Redemptionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavacrum bloud to justifie and water to sanctifie even all Christ in that signe of water to quicken to renew to sanctifie He bids us in this Sacrament wash and be clean as in the other eat and live There we put off the old man with his lusts and we put on the new man with his righteousnesse here we are made one with Christ as a branch with the vine as a member with the body we are Christs and Christ is ours we are as truly united unto Him as is my hand to my arme my arme to my shoulder both to my head as truly I say but more strongly and firmly for these may be parted though my outward sense gives me not a feeling of it but such a neere union there is and it is sealed unto us in Baptisme I meane not that as was said of circumcision outward in the flesh made with the Hand sprinkling the face which doth but tye us to the body in an outward profession as a graft to the stocke from whence it hath neither life nor nourishment it doth not put us into Christ nor will it in the day of visitation and separation difference us from the Heathen b Jer. 7. 19. but exposeth us rather to more wrath And this outward Baptisme which without an inward work cleanseth not is as much as the Baptist that is deputed by the Church can administer Iohn who was the greatest that was born of women c Matth. 11. 11. could reach his hand no further then to the outward water and dipping therewith It is the Baptisme made by fire and the holy Ghost which reacheth to the heart which cleanseth and purgeth indeed He or she who have received this washing who are purged from their old sinnes may glory in their fountain opened for sinne and for uncleannesse d Zech. 31. 1. and in their priviledges worthy to be gloried in as we read a great Emperour did more then in his Imperiall Crown e for what greater glory is there then to o Aust de Civit. Dei l. 5. c. 26. be of the off spring of God to receive the adoption of sonnes and daughters and to have that worthy name to be called upon us and such honour have all thy Saints And now we are come to a great secret The way how the Lord works and upon whom He works is more secret then is the winde which bloweth where it listeth c. and as indiscernable to sense as is the knitting of the bones in the wombe and covering of them with flesh What we cannot conceive pray that we may admire what we cannot understand pray we that we may experimentally finde and feel
themselves and their desires shall be made subject to an higher Law of reason and true judgement They shall not rule but be ruled and commanded The summe of what hath been said may be thus gathered and put together Pleasure is a great Enchantresse at the first encounter she charmes our senses therefore we must be the more prepar'd against her first we must avoid all occasions they are the becks of pleasure and panders for lusts especiaby we must avoid idlenesse it is pleasures pillow the houre of temptation the devils tide time An unemployed life is a burden to it self and vexation It is like the Dead sea or a raging sea raging rather We must make a covenant with our eyes they are also caterers for lusts and watch our fancy finding it work suitable to so noble a faculty We must remember That the Father of Spirits hath communion with our spirits if after Him kept pure and holy like a room perfumed and prepared for such an entertainment But if unclean then like that house which was empty swept f Matt. 12. â—4 and garnished for that spirit who is most unclean though he commit no corporall uncleannesse And this our uncleannes which so debaseth man that noble Creature happeneth by the sicknesse of the fancy The way to cure it is to go to our judgement for counsell before we suffer our thoughts to passe from the imagination to the affection This is the summe I adde we all hunt after pleasure and strive after peace we would finde rest to our souls and satisfaction therein This is naturall to us though nature can never hit on the right way that leads thereunto If we follow the bent and bias of nature we shall seek the living among the dead But now tread we the paths of holinesse of righteousnesse they are the wayes of pleasantnesse all those paths peace g Prov. 3. Certainly were the beauty of holinesse discovered unto us in any measure our affections would be strong towards it we should mount up with wings of Eagles h we should 1. Esay 40. 3. run after it and not be weary we should walk and not faint The straitnesse and wearinesse we finde in these wayes is caused through our indisposition and unto wardnesse to those wayes through our want of giving all diligence * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Eurip. Orest 23. A vain conceit to think of doing great things with little pains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the conclusion of all that are truely wise That those great and insuperable difficulties that we usually pretend to meet with in the way that leads unto vertue and godlinesse are rather vain pretences want of heart sloth and lithernesse as St. Chrysostome in many places specially in his i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Ibid. 19. Hom. to the people of Antioch that is meere want of courage and resolution then difficulties really hard and insuperable We see saith he what your wonder-workers can do what strange feats They will run upon the ground like a wheel circularly They will run up and down a rope with as much steadinesse as another in Ad Pop. Ant. H. 19. plain ground They will cast up swords like Tennis-balls and catch them again with the like ease yet stranger things he tells of and all attained unto by diligence and custome provoked by a little gain What then saith the same Father can we think the way or practise of vertue and holinesse more difficult and the end of that way to have lesse gain and peace overcome we the stubbornnesse of our Will gain that winde up our selves to a resolution i we cannot by our own strength choose we the wayes of holinesse give we all diligence to Chap. 4 § 3 walk in those paths then we are assured custome will make our paths easie and pleasant and at the end we shall have peace The conclusion then is Awake thy soul give all diligence and with the same diligence keep thy heart for out of it are the issues of life Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established k Prov. 4. 23. and 26. §. 3. Profit 3. The other great Enchantresse of Mankinde so I finde them coupled in the forementioned place l Hist of the World lin 2. chap. 4. § 13. p. 239. is profit A restlesse desire of getting still more when though all the world were gotten it could never satisfie nor make a man say It is enough It jades a man and tires his spirits out in an eager pursuit of that wherewith he can no more fill himself then a coffer with knowledge and a bag with grace m You must not account that the chief riches which you can put in a purse Clem. Alex. paed 3. 7. p. 173. And yet he layeth out his pretious stock of time and parts in his eager pursuit this way which is as if a man should furnish forth a chamber in a Through-fare where he is to stay but a night and neglect to provide himself of a Mansion in the citie where he is for ever to dwell This is our folly the chain of darknesse over our heart That spirit of infirmity with which we are bowed down so as we will weary our selves in the wayes of vanitie though we finde our selves hungry and faint as the beast under their idols and as the Smith working them with the strength of his arm or if we think our selves filled it is as with the East-winde or ashes instead of bread when we awake for now the deceitfulnesse of riches hath closed the eye we shall be hungry And it is not possible to be otherwise for the heart turned from the Creatour to the Creature must needs be empty there being a vanitie upon it And being removed from the onely and eternall Good it must needs be like the needle shaken off from the pole-starre in an unquiet trembling condition Like a meteor still in agitation and doubtfull suspense n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12 29. The way then to fill the heart and to quiet it is to point it heaven-ward where is Rest and Satisfaction And this consideration may help to cure us of this spirit of infirmity which clings us together that we cannot look up to wit that God hath summed up all our happinesse in Himself as the drops in the Ocean All our streams of comfort come from that Sea and must return again thither If we have Him we have all if we want Him we have nothing Here our comforts lie strangling and divided some in this thing and some in that we go to the coffer for some and to the table for other some and yet we are not satisfied but in Christ these comforts are united if we have Him we have all But God we cannot have nor is it possible to feel how sweet he is while we feel a sweetnesse and satisfaction in the Creature and are feasting thereon It was a
D. G. But if we gaine not some leisure and time here for our better proceeding we shall for our repentance k The end of passion is the beginning of repentance Felth. Res 8. Plut. Mor. de Ira. Phocion advised well to hinder the Athenians from a present resolution upon the hearing of Alexanders death News came that Alexander was dead And the Athenians would the same night meet in Counsell and determine things Forbeare till next morning said he if Alexander be dead to day he will be dead to morrow Be not so hasty this businesse will admit some houres delay and we shall proceed much more warrantably It is very applicable here we must not proceed hastily in any thing for that is to proceed in a passion if it be a fault we are about to punish it will be a fault anon and teo morrow and we shall be better able to discerne it and to helpe it We may do nothing while we are angry for then we will thinke we may doe any thing He must not loose the power of himself who hath an other under his He had need have all his wits about him that comes to drive out folly and to understand himselfe very well that would direct another It is the wife mans lesson The discretion of a man deferreth Anger It is a point of wisedome to subdue betimes Prov. 19. 11. the first beginnings of unruly passions which else like an ill nurtur'd childe will grow head-strong here we should meet with the tongue again And this is by giving a check and stop to our selves so giving time for reason to enterpose and to aske this question only What do I For want hereof we observe men dealing unreasonably with senselesse things falling foule upon them misusing the poore beast also that doth better service in his kinde and sheweth more obedience then man doth But very Imperious and domineering over children and servants for our spirits as was said stir as intemperately and raise as great stormes in our little ponds as great persons do in their great seas l Vide dominum saevientem in servos c. Fluctus cosdem c. Lips de cons lib. 2. pag. 25. I passe by them who are so furious upon the Oxe the Horse and the Asse the poore Sheep also all which do after their kinde but he that misuseth them doth against nature I have nothing to say to such their folly may correct them But when a parent is correcting his childe in a passion this may check him if he take so much time as to consider That he is a childe and his own so is its fault also This will stop his eagernesse but of this in the first part So also when I am angry with my servant this may check me That though I may be bold with him or her being my servant yet not so bold as to shame my selfe or hurt them Did not he that made them make me Have we not both the same masters over us on earth and would we not be used kindely and gently by them And have we not all one Master in heaven See the first Part. chap. 4. sect 12. and would we not all finde mercy there Yea but he is thus and thus and doth so and so and so often he hath provoked me I must check my selfe now with this and it will surely calme and coole my spirit how m Chrysost in ep ad Rom. cap. 8. Hom. 14. pag. 206. 2 Pet. 3. 15. Rom. 2. 4. much and how long God hath borne and forborn me And can I be impatient now The long suffering of the Lord is salvation It was salvation to Saul waiting till he became a Paul so was it to Peter waiting till he went out To us else we had been before this consumed Marke this and enlarge thy meditation upon it I it will be a meanes to frame upon thee that ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price for if I can say to my selfe but thus much how long suffering hath the Lord been to me ward I cannot be short and eager spirited toward my brother I cannot say more which is more pressing and availeable to subdue my passionate spirit and to gaine that constant and comfortable temper which resembles the highest region of the ayre where there is still a perpetuall serenitie and peace Lastly are they the wrongs and unworthy usage from others hands and tongues that have put me out of the possession of my selfe or are they crosses in my estate that trouble and disquiet me Then thus I must check my selfe By looking narrowly into my selfe and up to an higher hand as the children of wisdome have done I must remember the ten thousand talents There is nothing that can be thought of of more force to win upon a passionate spirit and to frame it to lowlinesse lovelinesse calmenesse and unpassionatenesse which is the cement of societie and sweet converse nothing I say of such force as these considerations First of Gods all disposing over-ruling hand who is so good that He would suffer no evill to be were He not so powerfull that out of the greatest evill He can extract the greatest good Secondly The riches of His mercy that forgave ten thousand talents And should I flye at the throat of my fellow servant for a few pence Thoughts hereof will frame us to a setled reposed estate and an unpassionate spirit But the remedy of remedies the most certain and excellent remedy whereby to shoare-up and underprop the soule against the shakings and impetuous blustering of this weake but impotent distemper which bloweth hard and boasteth great things The best remedy I say is To addresse our spirits before the Lord To look to Him who rebuked the winds and Seas and they were still We may say of this fiery exhalation as is said of the tongue n James 3. 8. a fire too and angers first o Prima semper irarū tela maledicta sunt quicquid non possumus imbecilli optamus irati Salv. De Gub. lib. 3. pag. 81. weapon But this unruly evill can no man tame we must then pray and in our prayer p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 5. 17. pray that is we must pray earnestly we must wrestle and weep in our prayer before the Lord That He would hold in our spirits calme and meeken the same We are taught of God to love one another saith the Apostle we are so indeed saith the Father For no man can teach it and if God teach not we shall flye off and all to pieces like an unserviceable piece of Ordnance before we are discharged We shall bite and devoure on another Vpon every occasion we shall flye out into sparkles of heat like the sonnes of the coale as one speaketh which if you blow it will sparkle in your face behold then how great a matter a little fire kindleth q Jam. 3. 5.
We may allude here to what we reade spoken of the Leviathan r Job 41. 21. An angry-mans breath kindleth coales and a flame goeth out of his mouth But if God meekens the spirit if He humbles the heart all this fire will be quenched or if not so yet so kept in this fire shall be that no burning lamps no sparks shall leap out I meane nothing shall be done or spoken which may kindle wrath but much yeelding there will be much forbearing in the spirit of meeknesse as we learne by the example of Abraham who yeelds unto the younger rather then difference shall arise And the true sonne of a gracious father will yeeld not to Abimelech only but to the Heardsmen of Gerar though the place shall carry a memoriall of the contention there and injury done Chrysost Ibid. to Iacob there the taking from him that which God and nature makes common yet rather then there shall be any contention Isaac yeelds and accepts of an apologie or defence afterwards though never a word thereof true And this is meeknesse and patience indeed mildly to yeeld not to superiours only against whom perhaps we cannot stirre and be safe but to yeeld to inferiours such we would have disdained as Iob saith ſ Chap. 30. 1. to have set with the dogs of our flocke This is a point of a meeke spirit indeed And this is a spirit of Gods own framing even His to whom these two things do of right belong To subdue iniquitie and pardon sinne Marke it The Lord He it is who subdueth every distemper of the soul which vexeth there and pardons all the iniquity t Micah 7. 18 19. there from casting it as into the bottome of the Sea therefore to Him we must seeke I conclude with the wise mans lessons u Prov. 16. 23. 24. Verse 32. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth and addeth learning to his lips Pleasant words are as an honey-combe sweet to the soule and health to the bones He that is slow to anger is better then the mightie and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a citie I know That before I came off from this point I should have spoken more concerning the tongue and the government thereof But the subject is so large and so largely Chap. 4 § 5 handled That we cannot say a little of it It is me thinks observeable That he who wrote a booke thereof was a whole yeare so himselfe saith bethinking Drexelius himselfe what to call his booke which if I remember he was ten yeares in composing At the length he intituled his booke Phaeton and we know what is faigned of him as we do know what was the originall of that fiction But the Title fits very well and the Spirit gives good warrant to it For the tongue is a fire a world of iniquitie x Jam. 3. 6. it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell Great cause to look unto it to guard it well as nature teacheth us with all our care But he that can master his passion and this master passion can master his tongue also that is supposed For the tongue as we heard is but angers first weapon And if we can binde the strong-man we can spoile him of his weapons that 's out of question for it is first done I will say but this then for I have spoken to it before in the first part It is the wisdome of a man to see himselfe speake That is well first to observe the way his tongue is travelling in That he may be sure and certaine that the way is safe Remembring still what was said too That a man hath falne more 1. Part. dangerously by his tongue then he hath by his foot § 5. Of Censure I would charm the tongue here before I leave it but so it is hard for man to do nay impossible yet I will lesson it in point of Censure Which is a bold libertie the tongue takes as if it had a a K. I. Daemonolog lib. 3. cap. 1. patent for prating or had received another edict that all the world should be taxed The lessons are these 1. Take no evidence from heare-say It is the greatest liar in the world Report will fully the whitest name upon earth and when it hath done and you would finde the authour you cannot he walks as undiscerneable as if he had his head in the clouds b Caput inter nubila condit vide Scal. Poet. lib. 5. cap. 3. pag. 524. Report nothing upon bare report especially nothing touching any ones good-name which the purer it is like a white ball the more fullied with tossing 2. Where thou wantest certaintie judge charitably the best and leave that thou canst not know to the Searcher of hearts Indeed sometimes a mans out-side actions words gestures do make an easie and plain Commentary upon the heart we may expound the heart by them There is a speaking with the feet and a teaching with the c Prov. 6. 13. 14. fingers The organ or instrument of speech is the tongue What can the feet speak What can the fingers teach why the feet can speak and the fingers can teach what is in the heart Their commentary is so plain that a man may reade frowardnesse is there But now when a mans actions his meaning and intent are of as doubtfull construction as some old Characters worn out and decayed Take we heed now that we reade them not according to our sense unlesse it be most agreeable to charitie It is a good rule d Ampliandi sunt favores We must shew all the favour that may be We must stretch out charities mantle as wide as we can that is as wide as heaven is wide saith e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Acta Apost 21. Hom. 44. ω. Chrysostome and we must note it We are bound to give the fairest and most candid interpretations of actions and meaning as possible may be It is Mr Perkins rule and but the rule of charitie Be as tender of a mans meaning as with his eye so of his actions as perhaps he did not so as it is suggested if he did it then not with a minde to do me hurt or if with that purpose then by some temptation which might have carried my self too and upon a worse evil Still deale tenderly we should with our brothers Name with his Conscience with his meaning as tender of all this we must be as we are of our eye or of a glasse of Chrystall 3. Speak well of the dead or nothing at all It is for such to trouble them that are at rest who are of his generation who did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pitie and his anger did tear perpetually and kept his wrath for ever f Amos 1. 11. Mark well how sadly and confidently Job speakes touching the
securitie of the dead mark it I can but point to it g Job 3. from 13 to the 20 verse And learn we may something from the devil when he feigned himself Samuel That it is no point of Civilitie to disquiet the dead h 1. Sam. 28. 15. 4. No nor to disquiet those that are absent in conjuring up their names for they are dead to us and cannot speak for themselves Stay a little till Mephibosheth i 2. Sam. 16. 2. Chap. 19. 27. He hath slandered thy servant verse 27. Not slanderers 1. Tim. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can be heard to tell his own tale he will prove himself as sound at the heart as he is lame in his feet and Ziba shall be counted as he is a Devil 5 If the name of thy neighbour be in question and thou canst relieve it by a word and that word but the very truth Take heed now Let not that pretious name of thy neighbour faint and die under thy hearing for want of a word thy speaking what thou knowest and standest bound to speak by the bond of charitie If thou shalt be faulty in this point of charitie it is a privative censure I keep the chief lesson last I take it from a rule in Herauldry this it is 6. All k Joh. Guil. display of Herauldry pag. 163. Animalls born in Armes or Ensignes must in blazoning be interpreted in the best sense according to their generous and noble qualities if a fox be the charge of an Escutchen we must conceive his qualitie represented to be wit and cunning not pilfering and stealing c. I may finde bad qualities in the King of beasts I must in blazoning take the most noble Then much more in blazoning my brothers Name I must finde-out his good qualities So the Apostle with Iob l James 5. 11. we have heard of the patience of Iob not a word of his impatience And observeable it is how David fills his mouth with Sauls m 2. Sam. 1. vertues But how if my brother have not one good qualitie I must not think so not that any one is so buried under the rubbish of his own and Adams ruines but some good may be found in him if with the Chymist we would set the fire of our charitie on work some good might be extracted for as there is some rubbish in the best of men so there is some ore too something of God some good in the very worst doubt it not while thou canst see a poore woman puddering in the dust-heap and finding some good there And let this teach us how we deale with our brother not worse then with a dust-heap I hope pick-out his good and let go the bad But if thou must fix upon the bad as so the case may require Chap. 4 § 6 do it tenderly like a brother as one knowing thy self and thy common nature in love in meeknesse in the spirit of meeknesse so shalt thou honour thy brother but thy self more Chrysostome n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In Gen. 13. Hom. 34. â— gives us a good note The truest signe of a man honoured with reason is to be gentle meek courteous mercifull as one that would obtain mercie for consider we our selves or others we are vessells of earth all which could not be cleansed with water they must be broken o Levit. 11. 33. â—eade Mr Answ or like bell-mettle once broken never sound again till new-cast and that will not be till the morning of our resurrection There be faults in all make the best of all It is good for a man nay it is his wisdome to pudder much in his own dung as a devout Spaniard p Avila's spirit Epist 24. p. 200. phraseth it To pry well into his faults and frailties and with great diligence there for from thence that bitter-root springeth that excellent and sweet grace humilitie but to pudder in another mans dung is Beetle-like q Scarabaeum aiunt simo sepultum vivere apobalsomo immersum emori a creature we know which lies covered in dung and findes sweetnesse there but put it amongst sweets and there it dies I will shut up this in the words of the Learned Knight changing but a word They who have sold the bloud of others good name of others at a low rate have but made the Hist of the World preface markets for their neighbours to buy of theirs at the same rate and price But Chrysostomes words upon those of our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In 8. Gen. Hom. 40 Iudge not that ye be not judged will serve better to stitch upon our lips How darest thou set thy self in Gods Throne by judging thy brother If thou wilt be a judge judge thy self and thy own wayes so mayest thou mendon But if thou sittest and judgest thy brother thou shalt but make thy own judgement the heavier § 6. Affections So much to the master passion and the subduing thereof and to order the tongue too that disordered member Affections are the next which may be called passions also when they come like sudden gusts for then they are the stormes of the soul and will overturn all if they be not suppressed and the heart steer'd aright by the interposing of judgement and right reason Our Affections set at libertie are like a Multos dominos habet qui unum non babet childe set loose and left to himself which will cause our shame and our sorrow both To instance our affection of feare not ordered and pointed right will make us like a Roe before the hunter or like a leafe shaken with the winde The Apostle speaks much in one word where feare is there is torment c. It slayeth without a sword Thy b Esay 22. 2. reade Edmunds upon Cesars Comment p. 17. p. 38. 39. slain men are not slain with the sword nor dead in battell How then a 1 John 4. 18. were they slain for it is not proper to say slain with famine with c Exanimantur metu Trem. A man that had his eyes covered to receive his death and uncovered again that he might reade his pardon was found stark dead upon the seaffold Char. chap 16. p. 69. feare that surprised them before the battell and did the part of an executioner before the sword came Such an astonishing affection feare is if not fixt upon Him whom onely we should feare The like we may say of Love d Furori proximus amor Tacit. Aâ—nnal lib. 11. Ioy e Joy and sorrow have a contrary working but being immoderate they drink and quaffe up the spirits quickly and sometimes suddenly Sorrow if not plac'd aright but immoderately set upon the Creature they will swallow us up as a ship in the quicksands In a word The excesse of our affections do cause the greatnesse of our afflictions But contrary when our affections are well ordered they are
condition we shall reason more like Christians if we speak as we are directed by him who was taught in the School of Christ In all our grievances let us look to something that may comfort us as well as discourage x Dr Sibs So. Conf. p. 172. look to that we enjoy as well as that we want As in prosperitie God mingles some crosse to diet us so in all crosses there is something to comfort us As there is a vanitie lies hid in the best worldly good so there is a blessing lies hid in the worst worldly evil God usually makes up that with some advantage in another kinde wherein we are inferiour to others Others are in greater place so they are in greater danger others be richer so their cares and snares be greater The poore in the world may be richer in faith then they The soul can better digest and master a low estate then a prosperous and being under some abasement it is in a lesse distance from God Others are not so afflicted as we then they have lesse experience of Gods gracious power then we Others may have more healthy bodies but souls lesse weaned from the world We would not change conditions with them so as to have their spirits with their condition For one half of our lives the meanest are as happy and free from cares as the greatest Monarch that is whilest both sleep usually the sleep of the one is sweeter then the sleep of the other What is all that the earth can afford us if God deny health and this a man in the meanest condition may enjoy That wherein one man differs from another is but title and but for a little time death levelleth all There is scarce any man but the good he receives from God is more then the ill he feels if our unthankfull hearts would suffer us to think so Is not our health more then our sicknesse do we not enjoy more then we want I mean of the things that are necessary are not our good dayes more then our evill And yet so unkindly we deale with God one crosse is more taken to heart then an hundred blessings We should consider God doth not owe us any thing Those that deserve nothing should be content with any thing We should look to others as good as our selves as well as to our selves and then we shall see it is not our own case onely who are we that we should look for an exempt condition from those troubles which God 's dearest children are addicted unto The chief help then of our discontent is to look up to a supreame hand The Heathen also by their glimmering light could discerne how vaine it was to strive against the absolute prerogative thereof We must not quarrell with that condition which God sees fit for us for that were to blame His wisdome who gives no account of His matters and in so strugling we make our bands the stronger The humbled y and meekned spirit that can resigne it self submit and wait under Gods Almighty hand shall be lifted up in Gods good time In the mean time having knowledge of Gods excellencies and his own vilenesse He looks upon mercies and counts himself lesse then the least of them He looks upon afflictions and under the greatest can say right humbly It is Gods mercie I am not consumed Are his pressures many he sees mercie in it that they are not yet more Sees he little light of comfort he praiseth God he can see any at all nay discerneth he none at all yet he stayeth himself upon his God and submits x I can be abased Phil. 4. 12. If we can once take out this lesson it will bring with it such a Christian perfection that we shall not be to seek almost in any point of Christianitie Dr Alray's lectur Yea but how if this person now under the rod is not Object perswaded that God is his Father though he cannot but know that He correcteth every childey As many as I love I chasten y Heb. 12. 6. Revel 3. 19. If so yet he doth know that God is his Lord and thence an humble submission must follow As Laban z Gen. 24. 50. and Bethuel Answ in another case This thing is proceeded of the Lord we cannot therefore say either good or evill So whatsoever the affliction be be it in body goods or good name yet he must say for he is better instructed then they This is proceeded of the Lord we must say good of it Let His will be done so we pray His will is done let us submit Woe be to these crosse wills a Vae oppositis voluntations they struggle strive and tugge to pluck the neck out of Gods yoke and so put themselves to more pain Thus still we must resolve the case God is a debter to no man He may do what He will with His own And they that deserve nothing should be content with any thing But this is not all there must not be only a submission unto Gods hand but a bettering by it we must gaine by our wants and be bettered by our afflictions It is not gold that comes not purer out of the fining pot he that doth not learn by affliction will be taught by nothing We reade but of one whose heart did not somewhat relent under the blow and one there was that did not That was King Ahaz b 2 Chron. 28. 22. In his affliction he sinned more but we must be made more wise by it else we lose the utilitie c Perdidimus utilitatem calamitis miserrimi facti est is pessimi permansistis Aug de civit ib. 1. cap 33. and benefit of our affliction which is not little to a good heart We must in patience submit and learn thereby to search in particular what the sins are in our souls which God pointeth at and would kill by the smart in our bodies If we have worldly losses we must search then was not our sinne covetousnesse bottoming our selves on things below If disgrace was not my sinne ambition If scarcitie was not my sinne the abuse of Gods good creatures vainly needlessely unthankfully And if pains or aches did'st thou not offend in sinfull pleasurâ—s d Lege Chrysost â— Psal 3. Thus shall we speak good of the affliction and submit yea and be thankfull That is a dutie of a Christian to be thankfull for afflictions for corrections It was good for me that I have been afflicted e Psal 119 71. if it was good for him then doubtlesse he spake good of it and was thankfull I remember saith Chrysostome f Hom. 10. in Coloss 3. a very pious and holy man was used to pray thus We give thee thanks O Lord Thanks was his first word for all thy mercies from the first day to this present day bestowed upon us Thy unworthy servants for those we know for those we know not c. for our tribulations and for our
communicated unto us These holy mysteries received in due manner do instrumentally both make us partakers of the grace of that body and bloud which was given for the life of the world and imparts unto us even in true and reall though in mysticall manner the very person of our Lord Himself whole perfect and intire together with the communication of His holy Spirit to sanctifie us as it sanctified Him that what merit force or vertue there is in His sanctified Body and Bloud we freely fully and wholly have by this Sacrament And all this for the Sacrament in it self is but a corruptible and earthly creature and an unlikely instrument to work such admirable effects in man all this resteth upon the strength of His glorious power who bringeth to passe that the bread and cup which He giveth though true Bread and Wine for our senses tell us so and in such cases they cannot be deceived shall be truly the thing promised the flesh of Christ which is meat indeed and the bloud of Christ which is drink indeed If we understand not this but will ask How can these things be n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—n â— Ad Tim. c. 1. Hom. 1. we must remember that nothing is hard to the Lord therefore to Him we must pray that we may be taught of Him and that His Spirit may reveale it unto us That is all we are to do for further question is needlesse and fruitlesse Very observable it is that in the sixth of Iohn o Verse 26. The people finding Christ at a place whereto by an ordinary way and means they knew He could not come fall to wondering and then to questioning Rabbi when camest thou hither The disciples in the 20. of Iohn when Christ appeared to them in farre more strange and miraculous manner moved no question but rejoyced greatly in that they saw For why The one sort beheld only that in Christ which they knew was more then naturall but yet their affection was not rapt there-with through any great extraordinary gladnesse the other when they looked on Christ were not ignorant that they saw the well-spring of their own everlasting felicitie The one because they enjoyed not disputed the other disputed not because they injoyed If then the presence of Christ with them did so much move judge what their thoughts and affections were at the time of this new presentation of Christ p Hooker câ—â— Pol. 5. 67. pag. 358. not before their eyes but within their souls And so much for the opening and unfolding of the mysteries which we are to receive The further manifestation we leave to Him who worketh All in All according to the pleasure of His good will It follows now That we consider how we must come addressed to this great feast of the soule wherein our approach to an earthly banquet gives us good instruction though the persons inviting and the cheere to which we are invited are of a very different nature and yet somewhat such a feast instructs We come to a common table specially if invited thereto by no common person well fitted and prepared decently and in order And in case we finde our stomacks clogged with bad humours or feaverishly disposed we come not at all or we forbeare to eate This allusion Chrysostome follows and makes very usefull in his 27. Hom upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 11. toward the end but more fully in the following Hom. neere the beginning of the same very full of instruction all I shall follow our plain Catechisme and therefrom set down these requisites which must be in every worthy Communicant and they are three strongly enforced and imployed in the signes before our eyes 1. Repentance from dead works which God gives and it answers The eating of the Lambe with sowre hearbes There I see in the Bread first thrashed then put into the mill after in the oven All this the True Bread went through before He was made the Shew-Bread to God the Bread of Life to us as much as the Church of old did in the q Exod. 12. 9. Lambe which was to be rosted with fire or in the Manna which was ground in the mills r Numb 11. 8. I see in the wine powred forth That Christ powred forth His soul unto death and by Himself purged our sins Å¿ Heb. 1. 3. See Mr. Dearing on that text Hence we learn to hate sin and to hate it with a perfect hatred as the only ground of our misery the creatures vanitie and of Gods dishonour t Mr. Raynold on the 110. Psalme pag. 411 412. We see it is so hatefull unto God that He will most certainly be avenged of it If he spare me yet He will not spare my sinne though His own beloved Sonne must be punished for it O then how should that be light to me which was as heavy as a mill stone to the soul of Christ How should that be in a throne with me which was upon the Crosse with Him How should I allow that to be really in me which the Lord so severely punished when the guilt thereof was but imputed to His Son so our second Raynolds Therefore we should learn with David to hate every evill way because God hates it and suffers it not to passe unpunished To revenge the quarrell of Christ against those lusts of ours which nailed Him and to crucifie them for Him again for for that end was Christ crucified that our old man might be crucified with Him that the Body of sin may be destroyed that hence-forth we should not serve sinne u Rom. 6. 6. What measure of sorrow is required in every Receiver for it is said The Land shall mourn x Zach. 12. 10. 12. the Prophet doth fully declare where he saith And they shall looke on Him c. The sorrow for sinne is set forth by our sorrow for such things whereof we have the quickest sense And such a sorrow it is past all question which is lasting which makes us mourn as David for his sonne every day * 2 Sam. 13. 37. It is a bitter sorrow and it is accompanied with loathing y Ezech. 6. 9. 43. 20. 43. How these will stand together Godly sorrow I mean and spirituall joy is not to our purpose now But the greater our sorrow if it be godly the greater our joy The more sowre our sinnes the more sweet is Christ The more loathing of them as the alone and greatest evill the more prizing of Christ as the only and greatest good the choisest of ten thousands Whether we have this grace of repentance the tryall is easie for if we sorrow after a godly sort behold what carefulnesse it works what clearing of our selves what indignation 2 Cor. 7. 11. what feare what vehement desire what zeale what revenge Infallible marks these of repentance unto life It is now with the penitent as once it was and as ever it will be
A sorrow to repentance is not a work of a day or two the hanging down the head like a bulrush for a day or an houre as the custome is Where there is a breaking the bands of our yoke there is a making to go upright z Levit. 26. 13. a constant walking with God as those that have now communion and fellowship with the Father and the Sonne And though this godly sorrow is more secret in the heart and there the work also of a true penitent is most in the well ordering thereof and in watching over the issues there-from yet is it not altogether undiscernable to the outward sense for as Mr. Dearing a Heb. 2. 11. noteth well There is no affection in us according to to the flesh but if it be great it will appeare in its work much more this which is of the Spirit of God If thou be sorrowfull it will make thy face sad b Deprendas animi tormenta latentis in aegro Corpore Juven Salyr 9. if joy be within it maketh thy countenance merry if thou have a flattering heart all the members of thy body will streight serve so vile a thing if hatred be within thee thy body will shew it forth in all manner of cursed doing and there is nothing that can possesse the minde but it leadeth the members in obedience of it How much more if the Spirit of God have replenished our mindes with these affections of godly sorrow and spirituall joy And so much to the first requisite 2. The second is Faith the hand of the soul which the Lord createth and strengthneth to lay hold on eternall life by Iesus Christ In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we see a full Redemption wrought and a full price paid in His body broken and bloud poured forth In the bread and wine he that Qui dividit perdit devides destroyes the Sacrament we have a full and compleat nourishment all that the soul can desire But now as the mouth is opened so are we filled As the heart is enlarged so do we receive If the mouth be shut and the principle of life be wanting no matter what dainties are set before us or what put in Therefore we must consider our Interest in the Covenant and whether we can lay hold on a promise for life reconciliation and peace For the bloud of Christ and His Body serve not for the nourishment of any in whom they have not been as the seed of regeneration both in pardon of sin and change of the heart in which conversion standeth we must remember Sacraments convert none but strengthen the converted To the fainting spirit they are meanes to convey power they encrease strength c Isa 40. 29. The Sacraments are as the breasts of the Church from which the living childe doth suck and is satisfied with consolations from which the thirsty soul doth milke out and is delighted with the abundance of her glory d Isa 66. But it is the living childe that draweth comfort here and the instrument by which he draweth is Faith which is Gods gift as is Repentance He gives both So then we must examine how provided we come hither else we come to a well of living water but having nothing to draw or we are like a vessell cast into the Ocean which hath no mouth or if any it is stopt The outward man can do its part it discerneth tasteth digesteth the outward signes But now what inward principle hath my inward man and what help hath it from all this in the beholding tasting enjoying the spirituall part Christ and the influence of His Grace issuing therefrom This is all the Question and point to be examined what Faith I have whose work is the same about the spirituall part as is the work of the outward man about the outward And yet had we all Faith I mean justifying faith we could not receive all that is offered here and though we have a weake faith if true we shall receive sufficient Our hearts as one noteth cannot comprehend all the wisdome of God in the wind that bloweth Mr. Dearing Ibid. how He raiseth it up or maketh it fall again how can we understand this wisdome of our uniting unto Iesus Christ only this we true members can say God hath given us faith in which we may believe it and out of which such joy shineth in our mindes as crucifieth the world unto us how farre our reason is from seeing it it skilleth not it is sufficient if we can beleeve it We beleeve in the Lord our God yet we know not what is his countenance we beleeve and apprehend by hope His glory yet neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it We beleeve and see immortalitie yet our heart cannot comprehend the heighth the breadth the length the depth We beleeve the resurrection of the dead yet we cannot understand such excellent wisdome how life is renewed in the dispersed and scattered bones and ashes We beleeve our Saviour Christ is man and we have seen Him and felt Him yet how He was man born of a virgin all men in the world have no wisdome to declare Even so we beleeve that our Saviour Christ and we be one He of us and we of Him He the head we the body really substantially truly joyned together not by joynts and sinewes but by His spirit of which we have all received And this unitie I cannot conceive nor utter till I know God even as He is and His holy spirit which hath wrought this blessing But yet though thus secret and undiscernable this work of faith is we may take some evidence of the life and operation thereof by those things that our understanding part doth here in matters below and of another and much inferiour nature As thus My minde by the velocitie and speed of my apprehension can be many miles off upon the naming of the things I love Then surely my heart is dull and slow and wants the principle of a new creature if by so lively representations of the Lord Iesus Christ under these signes to nourish and cheere me if I cannot Eagle-like flye up to heaven unto Him and on that carcasse fasten and fixe my faith thence to draw strength and refreshing The soul can presently be one with that it delights in be it profit be it pleasure and it should much convince and ashame us of our flatnesse herein a matter of such concernment And in case we finde no such working then to withdraw our foot being Tremenda mysteria now approaching towards those high and awfull mysteries For if our hearts can open towards the earth and unite with things there but are flat and heavy towards Heaven no working that way where the Treasure is the Lord of Glory then surely we are no fit guests for this table For certain it is That whensoever our soul shall feele its union with God in Christ all things below will seeme
Pleasure not so properly for saith one l Isid Pelusit l. 2. epist 240. How can we call that Pleasure which causeth so much sollicitude and carefulnesse madnesse saith the Author before we take it so much trouble and wearinesse in taking so short a satiety presently after and so much anxiety and perplexity of spirit anon or some while after If this be pleasure that hath so much sower and gall in it then we say well when we call it so The onely remedy against this Siren or Witch is to binde our selves as one was to the mast of his Ships m Hom. Odyss lib 12. Resolution the morall of that fiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Ad Gentes pag. 55. with the cords of strong resolution n Psal 17. Act. 11. 23. unto a constant walking onwards in the wayes of holinesse I am fully purposed saith David c. But for preventing this snare and fortifying our selves against it and to learne us to call it by its right name something hath beene spoken in its proper place which I will not recall here There are other snares in plenty so many that it is impossible to give severall remedies against them But yet to speak in a word and yet enough for prevention that our foot be not taken by them note wee There is one thing which God hath appointed as our watch-keeper and will hold us waking and well provided against them all if it doth its office and this is feare feare I say according to Godlinesse It is the most waking affection and most serviceable of any if it doth its office It is the house porter the bodies spiall and the soules too still keeping watch it is next to love the most commanding affection our keeper and p Sit moderatus cibus nunquam venter expletus plures quippe sunt quae cùm vino sint sobriae ciborum largitate sint ebriae c. Hier. ad Hist ep 17. pag 204. c. Lege epist 14. Truths keeper also it is the best king in the world The great or little for it keeps both Tables I will say no more of it for I cannot say a little but let us observe what it will doe what good service to a man if it be right and we use it right Iude o Vers 12. the servant of Iesus Christ tels us of some who fed themselves without feare That is who fed themselves suspecting no snares at their Table or in their meate whereas according to the plenty there there are plenty of snares in both A feare now according to godlinesse will make us to prevent all So likewise there are some who goe to bed q Tenenâ—i codicem somnus obrepat Ibid. p. 205. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The feare of God is a Catholike remedy c. Clem. Alex. Protrep p. 52. 86. without feare as if there were no snares in sleeping nor in waking whereas in Bed wee shall finde many snares a feare according to godlinesse inables against these also There are some who rise again without feare who walk abroad without feare who converse with men and amidst the affaires of the world all this without feare as if there were no snares in all this whereas there is no lesse variety of snares then there is occasions or things in the world Feare according to godlinesse awakens a man he can look before him It armes him against all In a word feare helps to feed a man with food convenient for him It cloathes him as with a garment It armes him as with shield and buckler it keeps him in his walk and course as under watch and ward It guards the eye eare hand and foot that all may do their office and keep in order It aweth his very thoughts All this feare doth if it doth its office which is to keep the watch strong for this is certain If I feare death to be in the pot I will not taste of the pottage And thus soveraign it proves to be because it winds up the heart continually to God who promiseth to be a sanctuary to all such who feare before Him The Wise mans counsell is notable Be thou in the feare of the Lord all the day long r Prov. 23. 17. For it is a conclusion of experience A wise man feareth and departeth from evill But the foole rageth and is confident Å¿ Prov. 14. 16. as if there were no snares in his way whence it commeth to passe that his foot is taken like a bird in a snare he is holden by it and cannot be delivered for this is a resolved case also Happy is the man that feareth alway But He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe t Prov. 28. 14. And so we have enough in one word for the prevention of all these snares which are ever strawed thickest in a full and plentifull state There are snares in wants also O give me not too little saith Augur but feed me with food convenient for me u Prov. 30. 8 9. lest poverty be a snare unto me lest I put forth my hand to that which is not mine and take the Name of my God in vaine such a snare there is in poverty Therefore to help thee here and not mention what hath been said though it would fit very well I will reason out this point with thee If God make thy family like a flocke of Sheep and thy pasture be bare if the Mouthes thou hast to feed be many and thy provision of Meale is now toward the bottome if thy charge be increased and thy meanes shortned if so I know here is a straight and a burden Want is a burden x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost de Lazâ—r Conc. 1. saith the Father grievous to be borne they will tell us so that feele it But yet as the same father elegantly saith Wee are all Stewards and we must all give an account what shall the poore man give an account of who hath scarce any thing Sermone praecedent pag. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to give to his mouth The Father answers The rich Steward must accompt with his Master how bountifull he hath beene according to his Masters appointment And the poore Steward hee must be accountable too how patient he hath beene under wants how hee hath humbl d himselfe under the Almighty Hand And how dependant upon that hand If there bee a straite and the Meale be at the bottome here is an hint of a glorio is dependance upon Him that multiplyed the oyle and the meale and the Loaves And with the fewer loaves though the power was the same fed the more And the more was remaining upon Him That doth cloath the Lillies feed the Ravens makes a path in a wildernesse causeth water to flow out of a Rocke or in a parched ground filled the Valley with water when they saw neither winde nor raine a 2
y Nos sumus qui nullis annis vacationem damus canitiem galea premimus c. Senec. de otio sapientis cap. 29. said and it may instruct Christians We allow no vacation to our long tearme of yeares we can put an head-piece upon our hoary-scalp We will rest when we are dead life is for action Keep then thy body in breath and in ure with exercise else it will quickly grow unprofitable and a Burden Vse strength and have it it is a sure proverbe and if ever we will use expedition it is then seasonable when gray haires are upon us It is dangerous to burne the Day-light and to trifle out this pretious time The putting off this day and the next and halfe a day cost the poore Levite and his Concubine very deare as we may read Iudges 19. The evening hasteth on a pace and the Sun is neare the setting now put on the more earnestly because night is comming and thou must to Bed in the darke now gather twice as much I meane now pray heare read twice as much For the great Sabbath is comming when thou lookest for ever to Rest for ever to be with the Lord. This Sabbath Day is comming which shall never have night Now gather spirituall Manna thy Homer full twice as much as formerly If in thy youth thou didst by hearing reading conference c. gaine thirty-fold now gaine sixty Now bestirre thy selfe and put to all thy strength for the laying in store of provision in this thy day that thou mayst rejoyce in that great Day the Day of the Lord or the particular Day of thy Death Let it appeare thou art going out by the clearnesse of thy light and that the night is comming by the hasting of thy pace It is strange to consider what old men have done and how fit they have been for the best actions I meane of the minde I know outwards must decay because they kept their minde like a bow so they said alwayes bent I forbeare to put them down here The holy Scripture Heathen Authors our own observation doth reckon up not a few But remember still that there are none recorded in the sacred Register after the terme of life was shortened for old men but their old age was a crown unto them being found in the way of righteousnes z Senibus vita productior à deo tributa est in eum finem ut insiginum aliquorum operum in Ecclesiaesuae emolumentum organa essent Mardochaeus ad liberaudam Ecclesiam sub Artaxerxe vixit annos 198. Jehoshua ut pâ—pulum è Babylone cum Esdra Zorobabele reduceret vixit annos 130. Philo Ammiâ—nus in breviario temporum Tobit senior ut populi calamitas sub Salmanasare levaret vixit annos 158. Eâ ipsâ causa Tobit junior vixit annos 127. Judith ad liberandum patrium sub Holoferne vixit annos 105. Sixâ—us Senensis Bibliothec. lib. 8. They that are planted in Gods house bring forth much fruit in their age He that is fruitlesse in his latter yeares may be much suspected how he spent the former But I am sure there can be little comfort in it It is a sad thing to be an old man in yeares and a childe in understanding To grow like a Leeke greene fresh and lively towards the earth flag and saplesse upwards towards heaven To have the eye of the body dim and the eye of the soule as dim To have the body bending towards its earth and the spirit no more elevated To have one foot in the grave and the other tending to the place of utter darknesse To have the outward man quite decayed and the inward dead or fainting To be hasting toward the pit and to have the heart within like a stone A dying spirit in a dying body what a woefull conjunction is this I consider thy sex childe and thy charge but whatever it be thou wast never so fit as now thou shouldest be to serve it Now admonition correction instruction counsell all are in season before they might be suspected Now thou hast the advantage of all thy former past dayes and every following day is the disciple of the preceeding day a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. ol od 1 Here is Master after Master and lesson upon lesson thou art a very bad proficient if thou art not now an old Disciple b Acts 21. 16. I shall never examine thee upon this point but be assured He that numbers out thy yeares unto thee will take an account of thee how thou hast spent them what provision thou hast laid up for their coming what store thou hast treasured up against a deare yeare against a time of spending Old-age is like our winter a time of expence we must get and lay up in youth what we must use and lay out in age c Juveni parandum Seni utendum Senec. And here we must use the more diligence because it is not with man in his winter as with the earth the trees and fruits thereon in theirs If they look dead and saplesse in their winter the Sunne will return unto them and renew their face they will spring out again but man decayeth and reneweth not he must not look in a naturall way to renew his youth like an eagle If the Lord hath lengthned out thy span and thread of life unto old-age thou must needs say the Lord hath been gracious and full of patience to thee ward and then thy heart must needs answer Render again praise and obedience to Him that is so good unto thee So thou wouldest expect from thy childe from thy servant so a Prince from his Subject Great favours are great engagements between man and man betwixt God and man much more for He is the fountain and well-head of mercies The mercie which man sheweth is but as a drop derived to us from that fountain Gods mercies are all strong cords to binde unto obedience which ever is the fruit of true thankfulnesse David said very much in a few words against Nabals churlishnesse Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow had in the wildernesse d 1. Sam. 25. 21 So David argued or rather reproved Nabals churlishnesse And had not Abigail seasonably stopped David in his way Nabal had heard more touching his churlish dealing and answer This instructs us to sobrietie and watchfulnesse that the Lord may not have the same controversie against us when we come to our declining age Surely in vain have I kept this man this woman and all that they have so as nothing is missing of all that pertained unto them In vain have I lengthened out their dayes in vain have I fed them all their life and redeemed them from evill in vain have I preserved their inward and outward faculties both of soul and body all sound and entire for all this have they so and so churlishly requited me for all they have returned evill for good This is a