evill conscience attends the one of which eats out their heart when we expect an harvest The other seizes upon the Soule in the time of sorrow and sinks it into the lowest hell And as Men of GOD and Sonnes of Wisdome to mount our thoughts and raise our spirits and bend our affections to things above which are as farre from diminution and decay as the Soule from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken than the Seat and Omnipotency of GOD surprised For besides that they infinitely surpasse in eminency of worth and sweetnesse of pleasure the comprehension of the largest heart and expression of any Angels tongue they also out-last the dayes of heaven and run parallell with the life of GOD and line of Eternity As we see the Fountaine of all materiall light to powre out his beames and shining abundantly every day upon the world without wearinesse emptinesse or end so and incomparably more doth joy and peace glory and blisse spring and plentifully flow every moment with fresh streames from the face of the Father of Lights upon all His holy ones in heaven and that everlastingly O blessed then shall we be upon our beds of death if following the counsell of our dearest LORD who shed the most precious and warmest bloud in His heart to bring our soules out of hell we treasure ap now in the meane time heavenly hoards which will ever happily hold out a stocke of grace which never shrinks in the wetting but abides the triall of the spirit and touch-stone of the Word in all times of danger and Day of the LORD even that accurate circumspect and precise walking pressed upon us by the Apostle Eph. 5. 15. Though pestilently persecuted and plagued by the enemies of GOD in all ages And that purity which Saint Iohn makes a property of every true-hearted Professour 1 Iohn 3. 3. So much opposed and bitterly opprest by the world and yet without which none of us shall ever see the face of GOD with comfort If while it is called To Day we make our peace with His heavenly Highnesse by an humble continued exercise of repentance by standing valiantly on His side by holding an holy acquaintance at His mercifull Throne with a mighty importunity of prayer and godly conversation above by ever offering up unto Him in the armes of our Faith when he is angry the bleeding Body of His owne crucified SONNE never giving Him over or any rest untill He bepleased to register and enroll the remission of our sinnes in the Booke of Life with the bloudy lines of CHRISTS Soule-saving sufferings and golden characters of His owne eternall love If now before we appeare at the dreadfull Tribunall of the euer-living GOD and little know we whose turne is next we make our friends in the Court of Heaven the blessed Angels in procuring their joy and love by a visible constancy in the fruits teares and truth of a sound conversion The Spirit of comfort by a ready and reverent entertainment of His holy Motions and inspirations of grace the Sonne and Heire of the King of glory the Foundation and Fountaine of all our Blisse in this world and the world to come from whose meritorious bloud shed and blessed mediation arise all those flouds of mercy and favour which refresh our Soules in this vale of teares and also those unknown bottomlesse seas of pleasure peace and all unspeakable delights which will superabound and overflow with new and fresh sweetnesse for ever and ever in the Paradise of GOD. Blessed are they that ever they were borne who have already got Him their Advocate at the right hand of His Father For besides many other glorious priviledges thereby in all their exigents and extremities they may be ever welcome to the Seat of mercy and be sure to speed If a man had a suit unto the King it were a comfortable and happy thing to find a friend in Court But if the Kings speciall and choisest Favourite nay His own only Son were his Intercessour how confident would he be to prevaile and prosper to conquer his opposites and crowne his desires Why then should any poore Christian be discomforted and cast downe nay why should he not be extraordinarily raised and ravished in spirit with much joyfull hope and sweet assurance when he throwes himselfe downe at the Throne of grace sith the dearest Sonne of the eternall GOD the Heire of heaven and earth the Mediator of the great Covenant of endlesse salvation is his Advocate at the hand of His All-mighty Father in the most high and glorious Court of Heaven Wherefore when an humbled soule and trembling spirit is sore troubled and almost turned backe from his purpose of prayer and prostration at the foot of heavenly Majesty by entertaining before hand a feeling apprehension of his owne abhorred vilenesse and the holy purity of GODS all-seeing and searching eye which cannot looke on iniquity let this consideration comfort and breed confidence that IESVS CHRIST the Son of GODS love doth sollicite and tender the suit who out of His owne sense and sympathy of such like troubles and temptations doth deale for us with a true a naturall and a sensible touch of compassionatenesse and mercy Shall that blessed Saviour of ours call and cry for a pardon to His Father for those which put Him to death who were so farre from seeking unto him that they sought and suckt his bloud and shall He shut His eares against the groanes of thy grieved spirit and heavy sighes of thy bleeding soule who values one drop of His bloud at an higher price than the worth of many worlds It cannot be Thus that saying of Salomon and this counsell of CHRIST makes good the truth of the Point which may further appeare by these Reasons 1. Taking this counsell betime and hoarding up heavenly things in this harvest time of grace mightily helps to asswage the smart mollifie the bitternesse and illighten the darknesse of the evill Day It is soveraigne and serves to take the venime sting and teeth out of any crosse calamity or distresse and so preserves the heart from that raging hopelesse sorrow which like a devouring Harpie dries up dissolves and destroyes the bloud spirits and life of all those who are destitute of such a divine Antidote What vast difference may we discerne betweene Iob and Iudas David and Achitophel in the daies of evill The two men of God being formerly enriched with his favour and familiarity so behaved themselves the one in the ship-wracke of his worldly happinesse the other in the hazard of his Kingdome as though they had not beene troubled at all The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away saith Iob when all was gone blessed be the name of the LORD If I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD saith David He will bring me againe and shew me both it and His habitation But if He thus say I have no delight in thee behold here
am I let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him But the spirits of the other two false and rotten-hearted fellowes in the time of trouble were so overtaken nay over whelmed with griefe that they both hanged themselves 2. This holy providence before hand may happily prevent a great deale of restlesse impatiency reprobate feares forlorne distractions of spirit hying to the caves crying to the mountaines bootlesse relying upon the arme of flesh Cursing their King and their GOD and looking upward roaring out with hideous groanes Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings c. All which desperate terrours and tumultuations of conscience are wont to surprize and seize upon unholy and unprepared hearts especially when GODS hand is finally and implacably upon them 3. And we shall hereby excellently honour and advance the glory of Profession when it shall appeare to the world and even the contrary-minded are enforced to confesse that there is a secret heavenly vigour undauntednesse of spirit and noblenesse of courage which mightily upholds the hearts of holy men in those times of confusion and feare when theirs melt away within them like water and be as the heart of a woman in her pangs Worldlings wonder and gnash the teeth hereat When they see as Chrysostome truly tels us the Christian to differ from them in this that he beares all crosses couragiously and with the wings as it were of faith out soares the height of all humane miseries He is like a Rocke incorporated into IESVS CHRIST the Rocke of eternity still erect inexpugnable unshaken though most furiously assaulted with the tempestuous waves of any worldly woe or concurrent rage of all infernall powers But all the imaginary man-hood of gracelesse men doth ever in the day of distresse either vanish into nothing or dissolve into despaire 4. Expression of spirituall strength in the time of trouble from former heavenly store is a notable meanes to move others to enter into the same good way and grow greedy after grace to draw and allure them to the entertainment and exercise of those ordinances and that One necessary thing which onely can make them bold and unmooveable like Mount Zion in the day of adversity I have knowne some the first occasion of whose conversion was the observation of their stoutnesse and patience under oppressions and wrongs whom they have purposely persecuted with extremest malice and hate So blessed many times is the brave resolute and undaunted behaviour of GODS people in the time of triall and amidst their forest sufferings that it breeds in the hearts of beholders thoughts even of admiration and love nay a desire of imitation and turning on the other side When they represent to the eye of the world their ability to passe thorow the raging flames of fiery tongues untouched to possesse their soules in peace amidst scorpions thornes and rebels to passe by basest indignities from basest men without wound or passion to hold up their heads above water in the most boisterous tempests and deepest seas of danger to triumph over all adversary power in the evill day I say by GODS blessing this may make many come in and glorifie GOD marvelling and enquiring whence such invincible fortitude and bravenesse of spirit should spring concluding with Nabuchadnezzar Surely The servants of the most high GOD. And so at length their affections may be so set on edge after the excellency and amiablenesse of IESVS CHRIST who being The mighty GOD and The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah doth alone inspire all His with such a Lion-like courage that they may seriously and savingly seek His face and favour saying with those Cant. 5. 9. What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among women That we may seeke Him with thee When they behold such a deale of Majesty and miâ—…th to shine in his face whom they make the marke of all their spitefull rage and revenge their teeth with which they could have torne him in peeces may water and they industriously desire to know what that is which makes such a man so merry in all estates Vses 1. This may serve to awaken and reprove all those secure and carelesse companions who if they may enjoy present contentment and partake in the meane time of the prosperity and pleasures of the times wherein they tumble themselves with insolency luxury and ease take no thought make no provision at all against a day of reckoning provide no food against a foule day treasure up no comfort against the LORDS coming prepare no armour or aid for that last and dreadfull conflict upon their beds of death Alas poore soules Did they know and feelingly apprehend what a deale of horrour astonishment and anguish dogs them continually at the heeles ready and eager after a few daies of filthy and fugitive pleasures to seize upon them like travaile upon a woman with child suddenly unavoidably and in greatest extremity and that so intolerable that they shall never be able either to decline or endure the very weakest biting of the never-dying worme or the least sparkle of those everlasting flames they would think all the daies of their life few enow to gather spirituall strength against that fearefull houre Nay some are such cruell caitifs and Cannibals to their owne soules and so accursedly blinded by the Prince of darknesse that instead of comfortable provision they heape up wrath against the day of wrath instead of grace GODS favour and a good conscience peace joy and refreshing from the presence of the LORD they lay up scourges and Scorpions for their naked soules and guilty consciences against the time and terrour of the LORDS visitation For let them be most assured all their lies oathes rotten and railing speeches all their covetous lustfull ambitious and malicious thoughts all their swaggering and furious combinations against GODS people sensuall revellings joviall meetings c. will all When their feare commeth as desolation and their destruction commeth as a whirlewind like so many envenimed stings run into their sinfull soules and pierce them thorow with everlasting sorrow Alas What will the sonnes and daughters of pleasure do then And all those spirituall beggers and bankerupts who have greedily hunted all their life long after these mortall things of this life as if their soules had beene therein immortall and utterly neglected those things which are immortall as if their selves after the world had been but mortall What do you think wil be their thoughts upon the very first approach of the Port of death to which in the meane time all winds drive them Fullsad and heavy thoughts LORD thou knowest then at leisure enough to reflect severely upon their former folly though formerly beaten from them by their health and outward happinesse and will pay them to the uttermost for all the pleasing passages of their life past O then they shall lie upon their last beds like Wild Buls in
when GOD singles out and designes any of His for some speciall services and extraordinary sufferings He ever furnisheth them before-hand with singularity of gifts and sufficiency of spirituall abilitie to go thorow and stand to it to death But now on the other side He will never breake a bruised reed nor quench smoking flaxe Isa. 42. 3. but will ever gather the Lambs with His arme and carie them in His bosome and gently lead those that are with young Isa. 40. 11. I make no doubt but that in Queene Maries daies He mercifully hid many a good soule from the implacable fury of those Popish morning Wolves who though they were in a saving state and loved the LORD IESVS in sincerity Ephes. 6. 24. yet they wanted strength to stand in the face of the fiery tempests of those times 6. Beware lest any earthly contentment encroach upon empaire and eat up thy delight in heavenly things But let thy spirituall joy ever utterly over-weigh all humane miseries and overtop incomparably all worldly pleasures And there is good reason for it In respect Of the 1. Object The matter whereupon earthly joy doth feed is base and vile filth and fashions gaming and good-fellowship revelling and in our daies even roaring lust and luxury c. and other such froth and fooleries the very garbage of hell at the best corne wine oyle gold greatnesse offices honours high roomes Princely favours c. as transitory as an hasty headlong torrent a shadow a ship a bird an arrow a Poste that hasteth by or if you can name any thing of swifter wing and sooner gone But the object about which spirituall joy is exercised are IEMOVAH blessed for ever His free and everlasting love the light of His countenance His sweet name That our names are written in heaven the Son of His Love His Person whose glory beauty amiablenesse sweetnesse and excellency is somthing shadowed but infinitely short by outward beauties Cant. 5. 10. The preciousnesse of His meritorious bloud exceeding great and precious Promises pardon of sinnes CHRISTS glorious Image shining in our soules eternity of unconceiveable joyes 2. Of continuance Earthly joy is like the crackling of thornes under a pot a sudden blaze with some noise but soone extinct and comes to nothing The triumphing of the wicked is short and joy of the hypocrite but for a moment But spirituall joy is like the fire upon the altar it hath ever fewell to feed upon though we do not ever feele it The Kingdome of GOD is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the HOLY GHOST The ransomed of the LORD shall returne and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall slie away Be glad in the LORD and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart 3. Sincerity Earthly joy is cruelly embittered with many slavish stinging and envenimed mixâ—…ures and marre-mirths but GOD gives joy to the upright heart and no sorrow with it 4. Effects Carnall joy utterly unfits for all holy imployments but spirituall joy is to the faculties of the soule as oyle to the joynts of the body it makes quicke active and excellent for the discharge of any divine duty 5. Calling to mind carnall joy in the evill day torments extremely and turnes it into gall and worme-wood but remembrance of those sweetest glimpses and heavenly deawes of spirituall joy which were wont to shine into and refresh our humbled soules when we were conscionably busied in the waies and worke of the LORD will serve as a precious cordiall to re-comfort our spirits in sadder times and surest pledge of their most certaine returne in due time 6. Spirituall joy is many times much enlarged in times of tribulation But the heart of the wicked is sorrowfull in laughter and troubled with melancholy amidst their greatest mirth 7. Spirituall joy is ordinarily most free full and at the highest in solitarinesse soliloquies and the most retired exercises of the soule but carnall joy and want of company are for the most part incompatible And it is kept in that poore little dying life it hath by good-fellowship and sensuall imployments 8. Carnall joy ever ends in bitternesse spirituall in blessednesse As the rivers of fresh water run their course with an hasty current to fall into the salt Sea so the Posting Sun of all worldly pleasures after a short gleame and vaine glistering sets in the Ocean of endlesse sorrow 7. Make thy peace with GOD upon good ground in the meane time and graciously walke with Him by a rule and daily direction Watch over thine heart with extraordinary industry Mortifie thy members which are upon earth pride choler covetousnesse selfe-love hankering after the fashions c. Strangle thy lusts stand at the Swords Point with thy most beloved sinne Beare the yoke from thy youth and exercise thy spirituall armes every day Get a habit of heavenly-mindednesse and holy familiarity with GOD aforehand and then shall we hold up our heads and our hearts with boldnesse and undauntednesse of spirit in the evill day The strongest and stoutest creatures saith a godly Divine pressing this Point are afraid of those things which are contrary to their natures which other creatures never so weake feare not being of the same nature No more fearefull creature than a â—…ish flying at the shadow of a man yet it feares not the Ocean Sea because of its owne nature and acquaintance which Lions and the stoutest creatures feare A sheepe â—…eares not his shepheard by reason of acquaintance whom yet the beare and the wolfe feare Whatsoever is strange and unacquainted is fearefull If we acquaint our selves with GOD and walke with Him as His friends we shall have the more boldnes with Him when we have most need of Him In a word be very temperate honest holy For the more conscionable thou hast formerly beene the lesse power will the crosse have when it comes It was the saying of a reverend man where sinne lies heavy the crosse lies light and contrarily that heart is like to be most lightsome in a storme which hath beene the holiest in a calme 8. Possesse thy mind betime of many mortifying motives and meditations to master the immoderate feare of death the king of terrour and then thou wilt be able with farre more patience and resolution to digest all petty troubles and miseries in the meane time For which purpose Ponder upon these Points 1. There is almost no man but he hath suffer'd more paine in his life than ordinarily he shall passe thorow in death The pangs of death saith Mr. Ward are often lesse than of the tooth-ache 2. The covenant of GOD is offorce with us as we lie in the dust of the earth Mat. 22. 31 32. 3. Our union with CHRIST holds still Col. 1. 18. As the Hypostaticall
be driven from his hold by the power of the Word and how he playes the Devill indeed when the light of the Gospell begins to shine in a place which himselfe hath long kept in darknesse and errour by those twofold fiends ignorance and prophanenesse Perhaps at the very first rising of that glorious sun of the Word of life unto a people that hath sit in darknesse and under the shadow of death it breeds onely astonishment and amazement they are for a while onely dazelled with the glory and beauty of so rare and extraordinary a light but when after some little space they be thorowly heated and it begin to burne up their noy some lusts to gall their guilty consciences to sting their carnall hearts to vexe and disquiet their covetous affections then begins all the stirre and Satan to play his part the sudden infliction of a wound is not so very painefull and while it is greene it is not so grievous but after when it comes to be searched in cold bloud to have tents put into it and corrasives applied then it goeth to the heart When the sword of the Spirit first strikes the carnall heart it may perhaps beare away the blow reasonable well but if the Chirurgion of the soule I meane the Minister of the Word follow his cure faithfully and open the wound wider as he sees need apply spirituall corâ—…osives to eat away the ranknesse of the flesh and the poyson of sinne then begins the prophane man if the LORD give him not grace to suffer his soule to be saved to rage and rave with the smart of it and perhaps with malice and fury to fly into the face of his soules Physitian See the humour of prophane men against the power of a conscionable Ministery Ier. 44. 15 c. Acts 13. 8. and Cap. 14. 2 c. and Ver. 19. and Cap. 16. 19. and Cap. 17. 5. and Ver. 32. and Cap. 19. 2â—… and 24. 5. This spite and malice of Satan against sincerity and grace is to be seene also in private families if the governours of the house the children and servants be all prophane as it is very true of very many in most places then they are passing well met for matter of Religion and were there nothing amongst them to breed difference and dissention but GODS service they would never fall out for they are all content to heare no more or more often of the affaires of heaven judgements for sin the wayes of GOD and reformation of their life than they must needs they are all willing and forward to prophane the Sabbath in one kind or other some by absenting themselves from the house of GOD some by worldly talke all the day long some by idlenesse some by sinfull sports c. They are well content to lie downe at night like wild beasts in their dens without lifting up their hearts together unto that mercifull GOD which hath preserved and prospered them all the day to rise up also in the morning prayerlesse or onely with formall prayers They all joyne in malice against the Ministry of the Word in slanderous lies against the messengers of GOD in base and reviling speeches against the professours of Christianity The reason is they are all possessed with the same spirit of prophanenesse love of pleasures hatred to be reformed and carnality of heart But if it once please the LORD to plant grace in the heart of the Master of the family so that he begin to plant in his house reformation houshold instruction prayer sanctification of the Sabbath and other holy orders and godly exercises then presently begins the Devill to stir in the hearts and tongues of their prophane servants they begin to be furiously impatient of such precisenesse strictnesse and restraints for so they wickedly and wrongfully call the pleasures of grace and way to heaven they can by no meanes digest such new fashions they 'l not be troubled with giving account of Sermons they heare they 'l have their recreation on the Sabbath that they will they 'l not be mew'd up at home when other mens servants are at their sports abroad c. Nay perhaps even their owne children except the LORD season them with the same grace may grow stubborne and refractory and very rebellious and disobedient to the best things so that in a holy sense CHRISTS words may be there truly verified Matth. 10. 34 35. Thus was zealous David troubled with the vanity of a scornefull proud and prophane wife 2 Sam. 5. 20. Abel with a bloudy brother Gen. 4. 8. Iacob with a prophane Esau Gen. 27. 41. Isaac with a mocking Ishmael And many a gracious heart in families where grace beares not sway with the lewdnesse malice and ungodly oppositions of those among whom they live Or if it so fall out that the power of grace seaze on the heart of a servant or sonne so that he begin to be sensible of the ignorance disorders prophanenesse and sinfull confusions of the house where he dwels desires to spend the Sabbath as Christians use to do then presently begins Satan to put rage into the heart and frownings into the face of the father or master of the family he then takes on tels him that such precisenesse is not for his profit hee 'l have no such inferiour fellow to be a reformer of his family hee 'l not be controlled and contradicted in his owne house hee 'l governe his people in the old fashion as his father did before him c. so that there is no longer biding for that new convert under such a crabbed master without a very great deale of patience All this and a thousand more mischiefes are the blacke broods and bloudy effects of Satans malice against the power of the Word and the plantation of grace GOD Himselfe is the GOD of peace CHRIST IESVS the Prince of peace and the blessed Spirit is the fountaine of peace that passeth all understanding the holy Word is the Gospell of peace the faithfull Ministers are the Messengers of reconciliation and peace the Saints of GOD are the children of peace The Divell and the rebellious corruptions of prophane men are indeed and truth the true causes of all these stirs and strong oppositions which are raised any where at any time any waies in the case and cause of Religion The fault I confesse and imputation of troublesomenesse is lai'd upon GODS children by the lewd tongues of gracelesse men See Ier. 15. 10. utterly without cause 1. Kings 18. 17. Act. 24. 3 c. but these and the like are lies hatch't in Hell and managed by the malice of carnall men And that was most true which the blessed Prophet of GOD Elijah and the holy Apostle Saint Paul answered in such cases 1. Kings 18. 18. Act. 24. 13 14. and so proportionably may all Christians answer all prophane wretches amongst whom they liue It is you and your prophane families your proud ignorance hatred to be reformed malice
is a right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not onely deprive the body of temporall life but bring also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly 3. Desperate corrupt affection is strangely desperate to run headlong upon the damnation of hell for a little earthly delight if we should see a naked man in some furious moode as prodigall of his temporall life runne upon his owne sword or throw himselfe from some steep rocke or cast himselfe into some deep river and teare out his owne bowels we should censure it presently to be a very desperate part and ruefull spectacle what shall we say of him then who thorough the fury of his rebellious nature to the endlesse destruction of the life of his immortall soule doth desperatly throw himselfe upon the devouring edge of GODS fiercest indignation upon the sharpest points of all the plagues and curses in his Booke and into the very flames of everlasting fire It is a very fearefull thing to see a man bath and embrue his hands in the blood and butchery of his owne body and with his murderous blade to take away the life thereof but of how much more horrour and wofulnesse is that spectacle when a desperate wretch with the empoysoned edge of his owne enraged corruption doth cut the throat of his owne deare immortall soule so that a man may teach him all his life long by the blood thereof in the sinfull passages of his life untill at length it bee stark dead in sinnes and trespasses for how can a soule all purple red with willfull sheading its own blood looke for any part in that pretious blood of that spotles lambe Nay assuredly such bloody stubbornnes and selfe-murthering cruelty will be paid home at last by the severe revenger of such cursed desperatnesse Hee will judge such a man after the manner of them that shed their owne blood and give him the blood of wrath and of jealousie Lord it is prodigiously strange and lamentably fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man prince of all other earthly creatures by the priviledge of reason and enlightned with the glorious beame of understanding nature should be so furiously madded with its owne malice and bewitchedly blindfolded by the Prince which rules in the Aire as for the momentany enjoyment of some fewglorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches or some other worldly vanity at the best desperatly and wilfully to abandon and cast himselfe from the unconceivable pleasures of its joyfull place where GOD dwels into an infinite world of everlasting woefulnesse For let a carnall man consider in a word his prodigious madnesse in this point He might not onely in this vale of teares bee possest with a peacefull heart which is an incomparable pretiousnesse surpassing all created understandings For I dare say this I know it to bee true One little glimpse of Heaven shed sometimes into the heart of a sanctified man by the saving illumination of the comforting spirit whereby he sees and feeles that in despight of the rage of divels malice of men let sin and death the grave and hell doe their worst his soule is most certainely bound by the hand of GOD in the bundle of the living and that hee shall hereafter everlastingly inhabite the joyes of eternity I say this one conceit being the immediate certificate of the spirit of truth doth infinitely more refresh his affections and affect his heart with more true sweetnesse and tastfull pleasure then all carnall delights and sensuall delicacies can possibly produce though they were as exquisite and numberlesse as nature art and pleasure it selfe could devise and to be enjoyed securely as long as the world lasts Besides this heaven upon earth and glorious happinesse even in this world he might hereafter go in arme with Angels sit downe by the side of the blessed Trinity amongst Saints and Angels and all the truly worthy men that ever lived with the highest perfection of blisse endlesse peace and blessed immortality all the joyes all the glory all the blisse which lies within the compasse of heaven should be powred upon him everlastingly and yet for all this he doth not onely in a spirituall phrensie desperately deprive himselfe and trample under foot this heaven upon earth and that joyfull rest in heaven world without end but also throwes himselfe into a hell of ill conscience here and hereafter into that hell of Devils which is a place of flames and perpetuall darknesse where there is torment without end and past imagination The day will come and the LORD knowes how soone when he will clearely see and acknowledge with horrible anguish of heart his strange and desperate madnesse See Wisd. 5. 2 c. For after the moment of a few miserable pleasures in this life be ended he is presently plunged into the fiery lake and ere he be aware the pit of destruction shutteth upon him everlastingly and if once he find himselfe in hell he knowes there is no redemption out of that infernall pit then would he think himselfe happy if he were to suffer those bitter and intolerable torments no mo thousands of yeares than there are sands on the sea shore haires on his head starres in heaven grasse piles on the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth for he would still comfort himselfe at least with this thought that once his misery would have an end but alas this word never doth ever burst his heart with unexpressible sorrow when he thinks upon it for after an hundred thousand of millions of yeares there suffered he hath as farre to suffer as he had at the first day of his entrance into those endlesse torments now let a man consider if he should lie in an extreme fit of the stone or a woman if she should be afflicted with the grievous torture of child-bed but one night though they lie upon the softest beds have their friends about them to comfort them Physitians to cure them all needfull things ministred unto them to asswage their paine yet how tedious painfull and wearisome would even one night seeme unto them how would they turne and tosse themselves from side to side telling the clocke counting every houre as it passeth which would seeme unto them a whole day What is it then think you to lie in fire and brimstone inflamed with the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where they shall have nothing about them but darknesse and discomforts yellings and gnashings of teeth their companions in prophanenesse and vanity to ban and curse them the damned fiends of hell to scourge them and torment them despaire and the worme that never dies to feed upon them with everlasting horrour If carnall wretches be so desperate as wilfully to spill the bloud of their owne soules let us set light by the life of our bodies if the cruelty of the times call for it for the honour of the Saviour of our soules Let me give one instance of dangerous snares
of folly And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet You thinke yee have a reach beyond the Moone To lie in some sweete sinne and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation To have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come which was never heard of to weare two crownes of joyes whereas IESVS CHRIST himselfe had the first of thornes But alas Beloved if you be saved in this condition you must have a new Scripture and there must bee found out another way to heaven then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall doe to the end of the world And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves That they might have prooved excellent Schollers if they had not beene so perswaded already So if you did not thinke falsly your selves safe already you might be saved But while you thus hugge the golden dreame of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees the very Publicans and Harlots shall goe into the Kingdome of heaven before you Matth. 21. 31. Fourthly you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects and meant in the Text cannot possibly downe with and digest downe-right dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called vers 21. And that vtterly undoes you You like well enough nay and much approve and applaud such Sermons as King IAMES censures in the reasons of his directions for preaching c. which he there cals a light affected and unprofitable kind of preaching which hath beene of late years saith he taken up in Court University City and Countrey whereby the people are filled onely with ayrie nourishment c. and I warrant you not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted for these are not wont to discover your consciences nor disturbe you in your present courses they never terrifie you with any fore-thought of the evill day neither torment you before the time but now let a man come with the foolishnesse of preaching by which it pleaseth GOD saith the Apostle to save them that believe with demonstration of the Spirit and of power and come home to the conscience if he suffer not Satan to revell in the bloud of your soules without resistance nor see you post furiously towards eternall fire but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you In a word if he take the right course to convert you and shew you therefore onely your spirituall misery that you may be fitted for mercy c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man a terrible and intolerable Teacher able to drive men to distraction despaire selfe-destruction he breaths out nothing but damnation and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hel Fit phrases for the Devil himself railing in a drunkard or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulnesse in preaching and if you know where or when such men preach and it may be you entertaine some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture you will not you dare not heare them for your hearts except you cannot decline it for starke shame or for a time or two to satisfie your curiosities but as S. Paul saith you become their enemies because they tell you the truth to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation will herafter when it is too late torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour Alas Beloved what meane you You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses nay your hunâ—…sman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death Preposterous and prodigious incongruity If it be thus then that of all the severall sorts of great men mentioned before by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares entangled in so many temptations so much taken up by the world and for other reasons rendred already very few are called converted and saved my counsell in a word unto all such is CHRISTS owne word Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate lay violent hands upon flesh and blond strangle your lusts contend and wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games to which the word seemes to allude become fooles in the worlds censure that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST be little and vile in your own esteeme that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit and foolishnesse of preaching as the Apostle cals it that you may be wrought upon savingly and brought into the good way and that by such works and waies as these Upon which before I enter give me leave to give you an account why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places When I well weighed with my selfe the truth of that principle and position in Hooker That it is no peculiar conceipt but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed And finding by experience of all ages and most of all in these worst and wofull times that men of publike imployment and in high places untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by untill aliquid CHRISTI as they say be planted in them by the power of the Ministry they cannot possibly be universally thorow and unshaken Some strong affection feare favour or some thing will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times and their owne turnes for alas as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge and mighty vigour as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times and not to be overflowen with it I say upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time for if once you turne on the LORDS side in truth you are won for ever to an invincible constancy and conscionablenesse in an uniforme regular and religious discharge of your publike duties and will ever hold fast without partiality cowardlinesse or feare of mans face that brave and noble resolution Vt fiat justitia ruat coelum let heaven and earth be blundred together with horrible confusision before I make shipwracke of a good conscience or be any waies drawne to do basely Being
to heare him preach whose plaine but very sound and substantiall preaching meeting at once in him with a curious palate and unsanctified heart quite turned his stomacke against that good man that he thought him to speake in his owne phrase a barren empty fellow and a passing meane scholler I have heard many of late much of Mr. Boltons temper in goodnesse at that time but inferiour in learning speak the like of Mr. Perkins but the eminent learning of that man famous abroad as well as at home is so farre above their reach that to traduce his worth is to question their owne And that late learned Bishop of Salisbury in the defence of his booke against the cavils of Dr. Bishop hath in many places amply commended his learning So that the precious name of Mr. Perkins shall like an ointment powred forth fill all the quarters of this land with a fresh and fragrant sweetnesse when nothing shall survive of his Detractors but their unsavoury and unlearned spight against so holy a man And Mr. Bolton himselfe when GOD changed his heart which I will next write of he changed his opinion of Mr. Perkins and thought him as learned and godly a Divine as our Church hath for many yeares enjoyed in so young a man But I proceed When he was of Brasen-nose Colledge he had familiar acquaintance with one Mr. Anderton his country-man and sometime his schoole-fellow a very good scholler but a strong Papist and now a Popish Priest and one of the learnedest amongst them This man well knowing the good parts that were in Mr. Bolton and perceiving that he was in some outward wants tooke this advantage and used many arguments to perswade him to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and to go over with him to the English Seminary telling him he should be furnished with all necessaries and should have gold enough one of the best arguments to allure an unstable mind to Popery Mr. Bolton being at that time poore in minde and Purse accepted of the motion and a day place was appointed in Lancashire where they should meet and from thence take shipping and be gone Mr. Bolton met at the day and place but Mr. Anderton came not and so he escaped that snare and soone after returned to Brasen-nose where falling into the acquaintance of one Mr. Peacocke Fellow of that House a learned and godly man it pleased GOD by his acquaintance to frame upon his soule that admirable workmanship of his repentance and conversion to eternall life but by such a way of working as the LORD seldome useth but upon such strong vessels which in his singular wisdome he intendeth afterward for strong incounters and rare imployments The first newes he heard of GOD was not by any soft and still voice but in terrible tempests and thunder the LORD running upon him as a gyant taking him by the necke and shaking him to peeces as he did Iob beating him to the very ground as he did Paul by laying before him the ugly visage of his sins which lay so heavy upon him as he roared for griefe of heart and so affrighted him as I have heard him say he rose out of his bed in the night for very anguish of spirit And to augment his spirituall misery he was exercised with fowle temptations horribilia de DEO terribilia de fide which Luther called Colaphum Satanae for as he was parallell with Luther in many things as I shall shew anon so was he in these spirituall temptations which were so vehement upon Luther that the very venome of them dranke up his spirits and his body seemed dead Vt nec calor nec sanguis nec sensus nec vox superesset that neither speech sense bloud or heat appeared in him as Iustas Ionas that was by and saw it reporteth of him but this sharpe fit of Luthers lasted but for one day but Mr. Boltons continued for many moneths but yet GOD gave him at length a blessed issue and these grievous pangs in his spirituall birth produced two admirable effects in him as well as in Luther which many times ensue upon such hard labour an invincible courage and resolution for the cause of GOD in the which he feared no colours not the face or force of any secondly a singular dexterity in comforting afflicted and wounded spirits as shall be likewise further shewed Vpon this he resolved to enter into the Ministery and about the thirty fift yeare of his age was ordained Minister after which he wholly applied him selfe to the worke of the Ministry and improoved all his learning and time to that excellent end A little while after he was in the Ministry he was by meanes made knowne to Mr. Iustice Nicolls at that time Serjeant at Law who observing the comlinesse of his person and the stuffe that was in him had it alwayes in his thoughts to advance him and about the thirty seventh yeare of Mr. Boltons age the personage of Broughton in Northampton shire falling void he did by my hand send for him from the Vniversity to his chamber at Serjeants Inne and presented him to that living at which time Dr. King late Bishop of London being then by accident at the Iudges chamber thanked him for Mr. Bolton but told him withall that he had deprived the Vniversity of a singular Ornament Then did he put out his first booke containing A discourse of true happinesse which he dedicated to Serjeant Nicolls his patron which for the godlinesse of the matter and cloquence of the stile therein contained was universally bought up and divers have confessed that at first bought it out of curiosity for some sweet relish in the Phrase tooke CHRIST to boote and thereby tooke the first beginning of their heavenly tast About the fortieth yeare of his age for the better setting of himselfe in house-keeping vpon his Personage he resolued vpon marriage and tooke to wife Mrs Anne Boyse a Gentle woman of an ancient house and worshipfull family in Kent to whose care he committed the ordering of his outward estate he himselfe onely minding the studies and weighty affaires of his heauenly calling in the which for the space of twenty yeares and more he was so diligent and laborious that twice every Lords day hee preached and Catechized in the Afternoone in which Catechisme he expounded the Creed and ten Commandements in a very exact manner And vpon every holy-day and on euery friday before the Sacrament he expounded some Chapter by which meanes he went over the greater portion of the Historicall part of the Old and New Testament And in them all as was well observed by a learned and graue Divine that preached at his funerall he prepared nothing for his people but what might have served a learned Auditory and in all his preachings he still aimed next to the glory of God at the Conversion of soules the very crowne and glory of a
good Minister at the appearing of that great day and herein GOD wonderfully honoured his Ministery in making him an aged father in CHRIST and to beget many sonnes and daughters vnto righteousnesse for I may truely say many hundreds were either absolutely converted or mightily confirmed or singularly comforted in their grievous agonies by his Ministery for he had such an art in this kinde of relieving afflicted consciences which hee acquired partly by great paines and industry in searching into that skill but chiefly by that manifold experience he had in himselfe and others that he was sought to farre and neare and divers from beyond the seas desired his resolution in divers cases of Conscience which was the onely cause that made him put forth that last learned and godly Treatise of his which he stiled Instructions for a right comforting afflicted consciences And though in his manner of preaching he was a Sonne of thunder yet unto bruised reeds and those that mourned in spirit hee was as sweete a sonne of Consolation as ever I heard and with a very tender and pitifull heart powred the oyle of mercy into their bleeding wounds He as was said of Luther was a mighty opposite to the Divels kingdome and had a singular skill to discerne his sleights and that cunning craftinesse whereby hee lies in wait to deceive He ever thought that there was no such way to cast downe the strong holds of Sathan and to batter his kingdome then after the steps of Iohn the Baptist to lay the axe close to the roote of sinne and to set it on with such power as that the Divell and all his agents were not able to resist it By this meanes he got ground of Satan and wasted his kingdome and there were daily added to his Ministery such whose hearts were softned thereby And in all his Sermons he ever used to discover the filthinesse of sinne and to presse very powerfully upon the conscience the duties of Sanctification in expression whereof three things were remarkeable in him 1. Such courage and resolution of spirit as is scarcely to be found in any I am perswaded that in the cause of GOD he could have beene contented with Martin Luther totius mundi odium impetum sustinere to have undergone the rage and violence of the whole world whereby he gave such vigour unto the truth he delivered that it pierced betweene the very joynts and the marrow 2. Impartiality he would spare none in their sinnes either great or small he knew he was to deliver his Masters will with whom was no respect of persons 3. His wisedome as he was of high courage so was it excellently tempered with wisdome descryed in these foure things 1. In all his denunciations against sinne he never personated any man whereby to put him to shame unlesse his owne inward guiltinesse caused him to apply it to himselfe 2. Hee would never presse upon the conscience the guiltinesse of sinne but he would forâ—…ifie it by Scripture by the ancient Fathers in which he was ripe and ready and the concurrence of the best Orthodoxe Writers to stop the mouth of all slanderers that should accuse his doctrine either of novelty or of too much precisenesse 3. When he had searcht the conscience to the very quicke as he would doe he ever offred CHRIST in all his beauty and sweetnesse and powred it forth upon the conscience with such a torrent of Eloquence as would haue melted the hearts of any but those which obstinately refused the voice of that powerfull charmer 4. He would alwaies protest unto his people that it was a trouble and griefe to him to preach against their sinnes hee delighted not to vexe any of their consciences he should be glad the case was so with them that hee might only preach the riches of the mercies in CHRIST all his dayes But he knew no other way to pull them out of the snare of Satan and state of darkenesse then the way he tooke without drawing the horrible sin of Bloud-guiltinesse upon his soule But that which made his preaching more illustrious was that burning and shining light which appeared in his life and conversation in these five particulars 1. His Piety wherein I need not say much for that second booke of his concerning directions for walking with GOD were framed out of the pious Meditations of his owne heart as a guide for himselfe for the ordering of his steps in the waies of righteousnes which he so strictly observed throughout the course of his life that allowing to him his frailties and infirmities which the holiest men while their flesh is upon them shall not be freed from hee could not bee justly taxed by any no not his very enemies if he had any such of any grosse and scandalous sinnes since his first conversion from them And no marveile if hee attained to such a height of holinesse when he was lifted up thither by the wings of prayer His constant course was to pray sixe times a day twice by himselfe in private twice in publique with his family and twice with his wife Besides many daies of private humiliation and prayer ever before the receiving of the Communion and many daies besides for the miseries of the Churches in France and Germany c which he performed with such ardencie of spirit that as was said of Martin Luther He used such humility as in the presence of Almighty GOD but such fer vencie and faith as if he had beene talking with his friend And GOD heard his prayers for to the comfort of his soule a litle before his death he heard of the mighty victories obtained by the King of Sweden against the Emperour to the astonishment of all the world that those eyes which now behold it with joy doe scarce beleeve themselves in the fruition of it When the LORD saith the Psalmist turned againe the captivity of Zion wee were like them that dreame So indefatigable were the paines of this godly man in his private devotions and publike preaching that being advised by Physitians for his healths sake to breake off the strong intentions of his studies he rejected their counsell accounting it greater riches to enjoy CHRIST by those fervent intentions of his minde then to remit them for the safeguard of his health Much like the speech of that famously learned D â— Reynolds to the Doctors of Oxford comming to visit him in his last sickenesse contracted meerely by his exceeding paines in studie by which he brought his body to a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who earnestly perswading him that he would not peraere substantiam propter accidentia i. e. â—…o loose his life for learning he with a sweete smile finely answered out of the Poet. Nec propter vitam vivendiperdere causas Nor yet for love of life loose that dare I Which is the cause I live my industry 2. For his Gravity he was of a very comely presence he had a
a net full of the fury of the LORD And in the morning they shall say would GOD it were even and at even they shall say would GOD it were morning for the feare of their heart wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall sâ—…e Then though too late will they lamentably cry out and complaine What hath pride profited us Or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a Poste that hastâ—…th by And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water and when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path-way of the keele in the waves Or as when a bird hath flowne thorow the aire there is no token of her way to be found but the light aire being beaten with the stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them is passed â—…horow and therein afterwards no signe where she went is to be found Or like as when an arrow is shot at a marke it parteth the aire which immediately commeth together againe so that a man cannot know where it went thorow Even so we in like manner assoone as we were borne began to draw to our end and had no signe of vertue to shew but we consumed in our owne wickednesse For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thin froth that is driven away with the storme like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarieth but a day If a Minister who labours industriously all his life long to worke upon such as sit under him every Sabbath Of which some all the while preferre some base lust before the LORD IESVS others will not out of their formality to the forwardnesse of the Saints do what he can or presse he them never so punctually and upon purpose I say if it were possible that he might talke with any of them some two houres after they had been in hell Oh! How should he find the case altered with them How would they then roare because they had dis-regarded his Ministry What would they not give to have a grant from GOD to trie them in hearing but one Sermon more How would they teare their haire gnash the teeth and bite their nailes that they had not listened more seriously and taken more sensibly to heart those many heavenly instructions spirituall discoveries secret but well understood intimations that their state to GOD-ward was starke naught by which he sought with much earnestnesse and zeale even to the wasting of his bloud and life to save the bloud of their soules And yet for all this you will not be warned in time charme the charmers never so wisely But some of you sit here before us from day to day as senslesse of those things which most deeply and dearely concerne the eternall ruine or welfare of your precious soules as the seaâ—…es upon which you sit the pillars you leane unto nay the dead bodies you tread upon others looking towards heaven afarre off and professing a little sit before us as though they were right and truly religious and they heare our words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse And loe we are unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they heare our words but they do them not They are friends to the better side may go farre and even suffer somtimes in good causes c. But let us once touch them in point of commodity about their enclosures immoderate plungings into worldly affaires detaining Church-dues usury and other dishonest gaine and base niggardise If out of griefe of heart for their shaming Religion exposing the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST to blasphemy and â—…dening others against Profession we meddle with their fashions their pride their worldly-mindednesse and conforming to the world almost in every thing save onely some religious formes If we presse them more particularly upon danger of damnation to more holy strictnesse precisenesse and zeale knowing too well by long observation and acquaintance that they never yet passed the perfections of formall Professours and foolish Virgins Alas We then find by too much wofull experience if they politikely bite it not in that this faithfull dealing doth marvellously discontent them and these precious Balmes do break their heads with a witnesse and make the bloud run about their eares whereupon they are wont to fall upon us more foule such true Pharisees are they than would either the drunkard or good-fellow the Publicans and harlots do in such cases they presently swelling with much passionate heat proud indignation disdaine and impatiency to be reform'd have recourse to such weake and carnall cavils contradictions exceptions excuses and raving that in nothing more do they discover to every judicious man of GOD or any who doth not flatter them or whom they do not blinde with their entertainments and bounty or delude with painted pretences and art of seeming their formality and false-heartednesse And yet as they are characteriz'd Isa. 57. 2. They seeke the LORD daily and delight to know his waies as a nation that did righteousnesse and forsooke not the ordinance of their GOD they aske of Him the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to GOD They may have divine Ordinances on foot in their families entertaine GODS people at their Tables fast and afflict their soules upon dayes of humiliation as appeares in the fore-cited Chapter Verse 3. Heare the word gladly with Heroâ—… and with much respect and acceptation observe the messenger c. But they will not stirre an inch further from the World or nearer to GOD say what he will let him preach out his heart as they say They will not abate one jot of their over-eager pursuit after the things of this life or wagg one foot out of the un-zealous plodding course of formall Christianity no not for the Sermons perhaps of twenty yeares and that from him who hath all the while laboured faithfully so farre to illighten them as that they might not depart this life with hope of heaven and then with the foolish Virgins fall utterly against all expectation both of themselves and others into the bottomlesse pit of hell O quà m multi cum hac spead aeternos labores bella descendunt How many saith one go to hell with a vaine hope of heaven whose chiefest cause of damnation is their false perswasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Well be it either the one or the other the besotted sensualist or selfe-deluding formalist could we speake with them upon their beds of death their consciences awaked or the day after they were damned in hell we should find them then though in the meane
time they suffer many sowre apprehensions to arise in their hearts against us in a much altered tune and temper Then would they with much amazednesse and terrible feare yell out those now too late hideous complaints We fooles counted his life madnesse c. we wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction c. What hath pride profited us c. Then would they curse all dawbers and justifie all downe-right dealers contempt of whose counsell would now cut in peeces their very heart-strings with restlesse anguish and horrour and mightily strengthen the never-dying worme whereby the enraged soule will thrust its owne hands as it were into its owne bowels and teare open the very fountaine of life and sense to feed upon it selfe For the worme of conscience say Divines is onely a continuall remorse and furious reflexion of the soâ—…le upon its owne wilfull folly and thereby the wofull misery it hath brought upon it selfe 2. This may serve to stirre up all the sonnes and daughters of wisdome to hoard up with all holy greedinesse instead of earthly pelfe transitory toyes and shining clay the rich and lasting treasures of divine wealth and immortall graces For these heavenly jewels purchased with CHRISTS bloud and planted in the heart by the omnipotent hand of the HOLY GHOST will shine comfortably upon our soules with beames of blessednesse and peace amid all the miseries and confusions the darknesse and most desperate dangers of this present life nay in the very valley of the shadow of death their splendour and spirituall glory will not onely dissolve and dispell all mists of horrour which can possibly arise from the apprehension of hell the grave those last dreadfull pangs or any other terrible thing but also illighten conduct and carie us triumphantly thorow the abhorred confines of the King of feare upon the wings of joy and in the armes of Angels to unapproachable light unknowne pleasures and endlesse blisse It may be as yet thou standest upright without any changes unstir'd in thy state by any adverse storme supposing thy mountaine so strong that thou shalt never be mooved Thus long perhaps the Allmighty hath beene with thee His candle hath shined upon thy head and His patient providence rested with all favour and successe upon thy Tabernacle so that hitherto thou hast seene no dayes of sorrow but even washed thy steps with butter and the rocke hath powred thee out rivers of oyle c. Yet for all this the day may come before thou die that thou maist be stript of all and become as poore as Iob as they say by fire robbery suretiship ship-wracke the destroying sword desolations of war or by the hand of GOD in some other kind Even A day an houre a moment saith one is enough to over-turne the things that seemed to have beene founded and rooted in adamant Labour therefore industriously before-hand so to furnish and fortifie thine heart with patience noblenesse of spirit Christian fortitude the mightinesse of Iobs faith Cap. 13. 15. And his manifold integrities Cap. 31. That if such an evill day should come upon thee and who can looke for exemption when he lookes upon Iobs affliction thou maist with an unrepining submission to GODS good providence and pleasure take up his sweetest resolution and repose Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD Though as yet by a miracle of rarest mercy calmnesse and serenity rest upon the firmament of our state yet who knowes how soone especially sith many of GODS dearest servants beyond the seas have lyen so long in teares and bloud some dismall cloud and tempestuous storme may arise out of the hellish â—…ogs of our many hainous sinnes and crying abominations and breake out upon us and that with greater terrour and farre more horribly by reason of the unexpectednesse and our present desperate security Though the Sun of the Gospell and glory of a matchlesse Ministry shine yet full faire among us in the Meridian of our peace and prosperous daies yet little know we how soone and suddenly it may decline and set in a sea of confusion calamity and woe And therefore hoard up greedily in the meane time and while the Sun shines a rich treasury of saving knowledge grace and good life that if need require thou maist then resolutely reply with blessed Paul against all contradictions and temptations to the contrary I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die for the name of the LORD IESVS Though at this present thou doest perhaps with much sweet contentment enjoy thy GOD comfortably and His pleased face many heavenly deawes of spirituall joy glorious refreshings and abundance of spirituall delights fall upon thy soule from the Throne of mercy every time thou commest neare Him Thou canst say unto thy Dearest out of thy present feeling I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine and in some good measure keepe a part with the Saints of old in such victorious and triumphant Songs as these Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rocke for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth c. We will not feare though the earth be remooved and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea though the waters thereof roare and be troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof Selah I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers c. Yet for all this that onely wise GOD of thine may hereafter for some cause seeming good to Himselfe and for thy good with-draw from thee the light of His countenance and sense of His love and leave thee for a time to the darknesse of thine owne spirit and Satans â—…orest temptations c. Ply therefore in this prosperity of thy soule all blessed meanes the Ministry Sacraments Prayer Conference Meditations humiliation-dayes holinesse of life clearenesse of conscience watching over thy heart walking with GOD sanctified use of afflictions experimentall observation of GODS dealings with thee from time to time workes of justice mercy and truth c. Thereby so to quicken fortifie and steele thy faith that in the bitterest extremity of thy spirituall distresse thou maist be able to say with Iob Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him Iob 13. 15. A thousand crosses moe calamities and troubles may over-take thee before thou takest thy leave of this vale of teares It will be thy wisdome therefore now in this calme to provide for a storme to treasure up out of GODS Booke many mollifying medicines and soveraigne antidotes against all slavish and vexing fore-thought of them in the meane time and their bitternesse when they shall come upon thee Thou maist be assured if thou be a sonne thy
All-powerfull GOD scorne with infinite disdaine to feed upon Earth or any earthly things which are no proportionable object either for divinenesse or duration for so noble a nature to nestle upon But let them ply and fat themselves all the dayes of their appointed time with their proper native and celestiall food At that great Supper made by a King at the mariage of a Kings sonne Luke 14. 16. Mat. 22. 2. And therefore must needs be most magnificent and admirable At that Feast of fat things that Feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Isa. 25. 6. The founder and furnisher whereof is the LORD of Hosts He that made Heaven and Earth makes it and therefore it must needs be matchlesse and incomparable At the Well-head of Wisdomes richest Bounty who hath killed her beasts mingled her wine and furnished her table Prov. 9. 2. In and by these and the royallest â—…east that can be imagined are shadowed but infinitely short and represented unto us but nothing to the life all those inexplicable divine dainties delicates sweetnesses those gracious quicknings rejoycings and ravishments of spirit which GOD in mercy is wont to communicate and convey thorow all the ordinances and meanes of grace to truly humbled soules for a mighty increase of spirituall strength and invincible comfort O how deliciously may a heavenly hungry heart feed and fill it selfe 1. In the powerfull Ministry unfolding all the sacred sense and rich mines of GODS owne meaning in His blessed booke 2. In the precious promises of life by the applications and exercise of Faith 3. In the LORDS Supper by making the LORD IESVS surer to our soules every time and every time by feasting afresh upon His body and bloud spiritually with exultations of dearest joy and sweetest glimpses as it were of eternall glory 4. In fruitfull conferences and mutuall communications of gifts graces prayers duties with GODS people which the LORD doth usually and graciously water with the deawes of many sweet and glorious refreshings and quickning much increase of Christian courage and an holy contentation in the good way 5. In meditations upon the mystery of CHRIST the miracles of mercy upon us for our good all our life long and the eternity of joyes and blisse above 6. Upon the LORDS Day when showers of spirituall blessings are accustomed to fall from the Throne of grace all the day long upon those who sincerely endeavour to consecrate it as glorious unto Him 7. Upon those soule-fatting daies of humiliation which who ever tried either secretly privately or publikely either by himselfe alone with his yoke-fellow in his family or congregation and found not GOD extraordinary according to the extraordinarinesse of the exercise About the last IVDGEMENT Consider 1. How cuttingly and how cold the very first sight of the Son of Man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory will strike unto thine heart who hast refused to turne on His side and take His part all the time of thy gracious visitation Then wilt thou begin with extremest griefe and bitternesse of spirit to sigh and say within thy selfe Oh! He that I now see sitting downe upon yonder flaming white and glorious Throne is that IESVS CHRIST the mighty GOD the Prince of Peace that sweetest Lambe whose precious bloud was powred out as water upon the earth to save His people from their sinnes And He it was who so fairely invited and wooed me as it were by His faithfullest Messengers and intreated me with termes of dearest love all my life long but even to leave my lusts and biâ—… the Devill adieu and He even He would become my all-sufficient and everlasting Husband and now as at this time have set an immortall crowne of blisse and glory upon my head with His owne all-mighty hand But I alas like a wilfull desperate wretch did not onely neglect so great salvation forsake mine owne mercy and so judge my selfe unworthy of everlasting life but I also a bloudy butcher to mine owne soule all my few and evill dayes basely and bitterly oppos'd His blessed kingdome the purity power and holy precisenesse thereof as quite contrary to my carnall heart and that current of pleasures and worldly contentments into which I had desperately cast my selfe I indeed wretchedly and cruelly against mine owne soule persecuted all the meanes which should have sanctified me and all the men which should have sav'd me Happy therefore were I now if I could intreat the greatest Rocke to fall upon me or be beholding to some mighty mountaine to cover me there to lie hid everlastingly from the face of Him that sâ—…teth on the Thâ—…one and from the wrath of the Lambe O that I now might be turned into a beast or bird or stone or tree or aire or any other thing Blessed were I that ever I was borne if I could now be unborne That I might become nothing and in the state I was before I had any being Ah that my immortall soule were now mortall that I might die in hell and not lie eternally in those fiery torments which I shall never be able either to avoid or abide Let us then betime in the name and feare of GOD kisse the Son lest he be angry at that Day and so we perish everlastingly Let us now while the day of our visitation lasts before the Sun be sâ—…t upon the Prophets addresse our selves unto Him 1. With hearts burdened and broken with sight of siâ—…ne and sense of divine wrath Mat. 11. 28. 2. Prize Him infinitely and above all the world Matth. 13 46. 3. Sell all part with all sinne Ibid. Out of Egypt quite leave not an hoofe behind Exod 10. 26. 4. Take Him as our Husband and LORD whereby we become the sonnes of GOD Iohn 1. 12. 5. Take his yoke upon us and learne to be meeke and lowly Matth. 11. 28. 6. Enter into the way which is called the way of holinesse Isa. 35. 8. 7. And there continue Professours of the Truth and of the power of the Truth and of the power of the Truth in truth For otherwise thou mayest be a Professour and perish eternally That CHRIST may owne thee at that Day Many professe the Truth and not the power of the Truth some professe both the Truth and the power of it but are false-hearted Where then shall the non-Professour appeare Nay the Persecuter of the Sect which is spoken against every where Acts 28. 22. 2. That thou must presently passe to an impartiall strict the highest and last Tribunall which can never be appeal'd from or repeal'd there to give an exact account of all things done in the flesh For every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every glance of thine eye every moment of thy time every omission of any holy duty or good deed every action thou hast undertaken with all the circumstances thereof every office thou hast borne and
and rare peeces what majesty and incomprehensible excellencies may we expect in the Palace of the great King and the heavenly habitations of the Saints and Angels * How full of beauty and glory are the chiefe roomes and Presence-Chamber of the great and royall Monarch of Heaven and Earth O with what infinite sweetest delight may every truly gracious soule bathe it selfe before-hand even in this vale of teares in the delicious and ravishing contemplation of this most glorious Place wherein he hath an eternall blisfull mansion most certainly purchased and prepared for him already by the bloud of IESVS CHRIST Let us therefore as an holy Divine would have us spend many thoughts upon it Let us enter into deepe meditations of the inestimable glory of it Let us long untill we come to the fingering and possession of it even as the heire longeth for his inheritance Let us strive and straine to get into this golden Citie where streets walls and gates and all is gold all is pearle nay where pearle is but as mire and dirt and nothing worth O what fooles are they who deprive themselves willingly of this endlesse glory for a few stinking lusts O what mad men are they who bereave themselves of a roome in this Citie of Pearle for a few carnall pleasures O what bedlams and humane beasts are they who shut themselves out of these everlasting habitations for a little transitory pelfe O what intolerable sots and senselesse wretches are all such who wilfully barre themselves out of this Palace of infinite pleasure for the short fruition of worldly trash and trifles 2. In a second place let us take notice of some names titles and epithetes attributed to heavenly joyes eternall glory which may yet further represent to our relish their incomparable sweetnesse and excellency They are called 1. A Kingdome Mat. 25. 34. Luke 12. 32. Now a Kingly Throne is holden the top and crowne of all earthly happinesses the highest aime of the most eager and restlesse aspirations and ambitions of men A confluence it is of riches pleasures glory all royall bravery or what mans heart can wish for outward welfare and felicity What stirres and stratagems what murders and mischiefes what mining and counter-mining what mysterious plots and machivillian depths what strange adventures and effusions sometimes even of bloudy seas to catch a Crowne Witnesse Lancaster and Yorke nay all habitable parts of the earth which from time to time have become bloudy cock-pits in this kind 2. An Heavenly Kingdome Mat. 7. 21. And 18. 3. to intimate that it surpasseth in glory and excellency all earthly kingdomes as farre as heaven transcendeth earth and unconceiveably more 3. The Kingdome of GOD Acts 14. 23. A Kingdome of GODS owne making beautifying and blessing who doth all things like Himselfe as I said before replenished and shining with Majesty pleasures and ineffable felicities beseeming the glorious Residence of the King of Kings 4. An Inheritance Acts 20. 32. Not a tenement at will to be possessed or left at the landlords pleasure but an inheritance setled upon us and sealed unto us by the dearest and highest price that ever was payed which wil be as orient precious and acceptable after as many millions of yeares as you can think as it was the very first day it was powred out and payed 5. A rich and glorious inheritance Eph. 1. 18. Fit for the Majesty and mercy of Almighty GOD to bestow the un-valuable bloud of His Son to purchase and the dearely Beloved of His Soule to enjoy 6. An Inheritance of the Saints in light Coloss. 1. 12. Every word sounds a world of sweetnesse 7. An Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. There can never possibly be the least diminution much lesse any abolishment of the least glimpse of heavenly glory But all blisse above wil be as fresh and full innumerable yeares hence as at our first entrance and so thorow all eternity 8. A Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. Fairly come by and full dearely bought A crowne of life Iaâ—… 1. 12. A Crowne of glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Glory it selfe Rom. 9. 23. Nay an exceeding exceeding eternall waight of glory 2 Corinth 4. 17. Which Crownes Kingdomes Pearles Iewels Feasts c. do but weakely shadow out unto us A superlative transcendent Phrase saith one such as is not to be found in all the Rhetoricke of the Heathens because they never wrote of such a theme nor with such a spirit 9. Fulnesse of joy everlasting pleasures Psal. 16. 11. A swift flowing river and torrent of pleasures Psal. 36. 8. The very joy of our LORD and Master Mat. 25. 21. 3. In a third place let us consider the beauty and blessednesse of glorified Bodies I do not here curiously enquire with the Schoole-men whether the glory of the body doth spring originally out of the blessednesse and beautifull excellency of the soule and so redounds upon the body by a continued constant influence as Aquinas thinks Or which I rather follow that those excellent endowments and heavenly splendours are originally and dispositively implanted by GODS hand in the reformed body onely perfected and actuated as it were by the glorious soule as Bonaventure supposeth Sure I am in generall they shal be made like the glorious Body of CHRIST Philip. 3. 21. And that is happinesse and honour enough inexplicable supereminent Besides their freedome from all defects and imperfections diseases and distempers infirmities and deformities maimednesse and monstrous shapes infancy or decrepitnesse of stature c. From want of meate drinke mariage for we shal be like the Angels of GOD in heaven Matth. 22. 30. We shall hunger no more neither thirst any more Rev. 7. 16. of sleepe for there shal be no wearying of the body or tyring the spirits for we shall live by the all-sufficient Spirit of GOD which never needs refreshing of physicke for we shall enjoy perpetuall impregnable health a glorified body cannot possibly be distempered either by inward contrariety of elementary qualities or any outward contagion or hurtfull impression of aire to coole our heat or keepe us from stifling of clothes for we shal be clothed with long white robes of immortality Rev. 7. 9. which can never be worne out but shall be so beautifull and glorious that like the Sun we shall be best adorned when we have no other covering but our owne resplendent Majesticall brightnesse of Sun for the glory of GOD shall illighten that heavenly city and the Lambe shal be the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. Of any thing for GOD shal be unto us All in All 1 Cor. 15. 28. I say besides an everlasting exemption and priviledge from all ils paines miseries our bodies shal be gloriously crowned with many positive prerogatives marvellous excellencies high and heavenly endowments 1. Immortality 1 Cor. 15. 54. Glorified bodies can never possibly die They shall last as long as GOD Himselfe and run parallell with
earthly excellencies labours in this Chapter to abase and dishonour the pride and vanity of all humane greatnesse and to advance the neglected Mystery of his heavenly Doctrine and the glorious power of downe-right preaching which the great men amongst them esteemed foolishnesse yet indeed such as by which the LORD of Heaven and Earth saveth those that beleeve And he so farre acquaints them with the counsell of GOD in the point that he gives them to understand that upon the matter whereas the noble the mighty and wise after the flesh with all the bravery and selfe-confidence vanish and perish Meaner men of lower ranke and more contemptible are converted In the words I read unto you he appeales to their owne experience in the point and bids them look about and view well the worke of the Ministery amongst them survey and search throughly that goodly flourishing body of the Church which he had there created and collected by his eighteene months presence and paines And they shall find that not many wise after the flesh nor mighty nor noble gave their names unto CHRIST or became Professors of the Gospell But the foolish and weake things of the world carrie all away in matter of salvation and entertainement of CHRIST He renders two Reasons in the Verses following 1. That the wise men of the world may be confounded 2. And that GOD himselfe blessed for ever may have all the glory The words then being plaine Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called I build directly and naturally this point upon them Few great men goe to Heaven Or thus Great men are seldome good I here understand greatnesse according to the world In respect 1. Of excellent learning 2. Worldly wealth and height of place Both make mighty nay many times gold is the more powerfull commander 3. Worldly honour and nobility 4. Worldly wisedome Greatnesse in any of these kinds is rarely accompanied with goodnesse few such great men as these are called converted or ever come to heaven I say Few for I finde Divines both Ancient and Moderne upon this Text to make Not Many and Few equipollent Primasius and Anselme Calvin and Piscator For proofe of the point First by Scripture Looke upon such places as these 1. Matth. 11. 25 26. At that time IESVS answered and said I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight CHRIST who knew full well the bosome of his Father casting his eye seriously upon the condition of his followers and fruit of his Ministry and seeing the Scribes Pharisees and great ones of the world not onely not entertaine and countenance but out of their proud and prophane malice disdaine and contemne the glorious Gospell and divine Messages hee brought from Heaven and a company of poore fishermen and some few other neglected underlings with an holy violence lay hold upon his Kingdome He brake out into this thankefull acknowledgement and admiration I thanke thee O Father LORD of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes And then ascends to the well-head and first moover of all his Dealings with and differences amongst the Sons of men the sacred and unsearchable depth of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beneplacitum the good pleasure of his will Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight In an humble adoration of the inscrutable and immutable courses whereof we must finally and fully rest with infinite satisfaction silenced from any further search and carnall curiosities by that awefull checke and countermaund of Paul Nay but O Man who art thou that repliest against GOD Flesh and bloud hath it old ages grumbled and repin'd kickt and cavil'd about this point but ever at length by measuring this deepest Mysterie by the line of humane reason and labouring to fathome this bottomelesse sea by the pride of their owne wits they have become wretched opposers of the grace of GOD. We behold the Sun and enjoy the light as long as we looke towards it but tenderly and circumspectly We warme our selves safely while we stand neere the fire But if we seeke to outface the one or enter into the other we forthwith become blinde or burnt It is proportionably in the present point Heere by the way from our Sauiours words wee may extract a soveraigne Antidote against those temptations and discontented reasonings which are wont to arise in our hearts sometimes when we see those great ones of the world who looke so big and carrie their heads so high not onely to carrie all before them to wallow and tumble themselves with all bravery and applause in the glory wealth and pleasure of the world to swimme downe the current of the times with full saile and prosperous winde though many times against the secret murmure and counterblasts even of their own Consciences In a word in these worst times to have what they list and do what they will but also lay about them with the fist of wickednesse and scourge of tongues to trample if it were possible the lambes of CHRIST even into the dust with the feete of malice and pride by a plausible tyranny and aide of the times iniquity to keepe them downe still and still in disgrace hunting them continually with cruelty and hate like a Partridge in the mountaines as the Pharisees did CHRIST I say when we see this let us never be troubled and take offence let us never be grieved or grow discontent or out of heart But pitty them pray for them and possesse our owne soules in patience and peace And after the precedencie of our blessed Saviour goe in private and say I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast revealed the Mysteries of CHRIST and secrets of the saving way to me a poore wretch and worme troden under foot as an obiect of scorne and a contemptible outcast and hast hid them from the wise and the noble and the mighty from the boysterous Nimrods and proud Giants of the world Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight And there staying a while ever magnifie admire and adore with lowliest humblest and most thankefull thoughts that dearest and dreadfull Depth of GODS free and incomprehensible love which made thee to differ Which is as it were the first ring of that golden chaine Rom. 8. 29. 30. which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting and gives being life and motion to all the meanes that make us eternally blessed Out of the rich and boundlesse treasurie whereof came that inestimable Iewell IESVS CHRIST blessed for ever and by consequent all those heavenly happinesses which crowne the glorified Saints through alleternity For so GOD loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that
and dearest bloud of her heart for one drop of CHRISTS bloud to do away her sinnes If corrupt affections fall in love with worldly pleasure such as are surfeiting and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse lust and uncleannesse unlawfull sports and recreations it begets a strange furious thirst and heat in the carnall appetite which cannot be satisfied but like the two daughters of the horsleech which cry still give give which is set on fire by hell and therefore it is as unsatiable as that bottomlesse infernall pit every taste of sensuality serves as fewell to increase the flame and fury of concupiscence We see it in drunkards who by drinking do not quench their thirst and satisfie their appetite but by their immoderate swilling both increase the burning thirst of their bodies and inraged intemperance of their minds We heare it of wantons Wisd. 2. Come let us enjoy the pleasures that are present c. Let us crowne our selves with roses before they wither let there be no pleasant meadow which our luxuriousnesse doth not passe over let us leave some token of our pleasure in every place for that is our portion and this is our lot Every Carnalist feeles it in himselfe after once he hath given the reins to his concupiscence he is like a strong man running headlong downe a steepe hill though he would never so faine he cannot stay himselfe but run still faster and faster till he breake his neck at the bottome If once he suffers the fountaine of originall pollution which naturally flowes out of his rocky heart to have that free and full course it will shortly gather in its passage many strong and heady streames of stub bornenesse and rebellion untill by growing by little and little in strength and swiftnesse it swell into a mighty and furious torrent so at last fall with fearefull noyse and horrour into the gulfe of irrecoverable misery In a word after the heart of a man be set upon any sensuall delight it feeds upon it as greedily as the horsleech upon corrupt bloud it will burst before it give over It will by no meanes part with its hold untill it either be broken with the hammer of the Word or burst with the horrour of despaire It drinkes so deepe and long of the empoysoned cup of carnall pleasures untill the LORD fill it unto its brim full of the cup of wine of his indignation and bid it drinke be drunken and spue and fall and rise no more Ier. 25. 27. A counterpoyson against this greedy wolfe of devouring earthly delights consider that at our conversion Mutantur gaudia non tolluntur Heavenly succeed carnall joyes See Iackson of Iust. Faith pag. 340 341. 4. If it fall in love with revenge it begets a base a cruell and wolvish disposition and an unnaturall thirst of bloud of all the sinfull passions of the soule desire of revenge is the most base and cowardly it ever breeds in the most hatefull and weakest minds And of all kind of revenge that is most execrable and deadly which like a serpent in the greene grasse lies lurking in the flatteries and fawnings of a sâ—…iring face which kisses with Iudas and kils with Ioab entertaines a man with outward formes and complement and curtesie but would if it durst or might strike about the third rib that he should never rise againe When a mans words are to his neighbour as soft as oyle and butter but his thoughts towards him composed all of bloud and bitternesse of gall and gun-powder for we commonly see that the basest and most worthlesse men are most malicious and revengefull seldome doth it find harbour in a well-bred and generous spirit but as thunder and tempests and other fearefull motions in the aire do trouble onely and disquiet those weaker fraile bodies below but never disturbe or dismay those glorious heavenly ones above so wrongs disgraces and wrongfull usages doe vexe and distemper men of baser temper and conditions but the causelesse spite and prophane indiscretions and childish brawles of fooles wound not great and high minds Above all others the true Christian which is onely of a true noble spirit contemnes scornes and disdaines to be revenged upon any though his undeservedly basest and greatest enemy For 1. He is completely fortified with the armour of proofe of his owne innocency against the malice and mischiefe of wicked men and comforted continually with that inward spirituall feast of a good conscience against all the lies and slanders of lewd and spitefull tongues 2. He leaves them to be scourged of their owne consciences for their causlesse ill-wils against him and wrongfull dealings then which except they repent and be reconciled there is no more certaine and severe revenger and executioner no scourges no scorpions can so lash and torture a man as his owne foule and guilty conscience 3. He is kept in awe by an holy feare from presuming to take vengeance out of GODS hands It is one of GODS royall prerogatives we must not meddle with that or incroach upon it Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the LORD Rom. 12. 19. 4. He will not pollute so farre and defile the glory and noblenesse of his Christian resolution as to be mov'd and disquieted with the rage of any dogged Doeg or railing Shimei by procuring temporall punishments to the spirituall afflictions and outward vexations to the inward wofull misery of the soule of his prophane malicious opposite except he see it probable that by suffering justice to have its course the party may be humbled and others terrified 5. He knowes out of his Christian policy that a couragious and undaunted insensibility in suffering injuries is the way to tame and stop the rage and fury of the wrongers and to make them to returne and rebound wholly like heavy blowes upon their owne pates For a prophane malicious man cannot be possibly more vext than to see himselfe direct particularly his hate and contempt against his supposed adversary a good Christian and yet he is able to beare it away without wound or passion nay with reputation and comfort As revenge is base so it is bloudy and unquenchable and prodigiously thirsty that way I will give instance in the most revengefull wretch I am perswaded that ever lived It is reported of a man or rather a monster of Millaine in Italy when he had surprised upon the sudden one whom he deadlily hated he presently overthrew him and setting his dagger on his breast told him he would presently have his bloud except he would renounce abjure forsweare and blaspheme the GOD of heaven which when that fearefull man too sinfully greedy of a miserable life had done in a most horrible manner he immediately dispatch'd him as soone as those prodigious blasphemies were out of his mouth and with a bloudy triumph insulting over his murdered adversarie as though his heart had beene possest of all the malice of hell he added this horrible speech Oh saith he this
can never be wise unto salvation 1. If any of you then would come out of Satans clutches into the armes of CHRIST he must be illightened convinced and cast downe with sight sense and trouble for sinne as in my art of comforting afflicted consciences I have shewed 2. Secondly the point may teach us not to be greedy of greatnesse nor hunt ambitiously after high roomes 3. The point may serve as a soveraigne antidote against all discontent or fretting when we see men of the world carrie all before them c. We may entertain an holy indignation to see folly set in great excellency so many servants on horse-backe and Princes walking as servants upon the ground But I am prevented by the time from prosecuting these two latter Uses Let me briefly say two things more and I have done 1. The first concerning what I have said I have spoken much as you have heard my Text naturally and directly leading me thereunto of the true misery and spirituall madnesse of all great men in learning wealth nobility wisdome according to the flesh Least any be unjustly angry and mistake or caussesly grumble and gainsay let me take up the words of that ancient holy Father Salvianus about a thousand yeares ago in the like case He having impartially discovered the horrible impieties of the noble and rich men in those corrupt times tels them by the way and it is my just apologie at this time I do not saith he speake thus of any but onely such as know these things to be in themselves If their consciences be free nothing that I say tends to their disparagement and disgrace but if they know themselves to be guilty let them know also that they are not my words but their owne consciences which vexe them And in another place thus Sith I speake not these things of all but those who are such none of you ought to be angry at all which findeth not himselfe to be obnoxious least thereby he make himselfe seeme and be suspected to be of the number of those that are naught Rather let so many as being guiltlesse and truly noble abhorre such unworthy courses be angry with them who disgrace the name of Nobility by their base and wicked behaviour because although others be much worse and scandaliz'd by them yet especially they bring a great deale of shame and dishonour upon those who are of the same noble ranke Take notice by the way that by the Fathers words those men are much too blame who go about to dawbe over the disorders and smother up the scandalous exorbitancies of delinquents in their owne profession or to be concurrents for their deliverance from deserved shame and punishment To give instance in the highest calling A Minister which fals to drunkennesse and ale-house-haunting should rather be publikely sham'd and censured than a fellow of an inferiour calling We do not honour the Ministry by having our hands in helping out such but by disclaiming and not owning them well may we by so medling incurre suspicion of obnoxiousnesse but never bring credit to our so holy a calling I knew a Knight did penance at Pauls-Crosse but at the same time I heard that many of his ranke in the City labour'd to have him dis-knighted first before he so publikely disgraced their order Me thinks all well-minded should be so minded 2. The other is to my Lords the Iudges My reverend and noble Lords give me leave to cloth the thoughts of the Countrey in a word or two We much rejoyce in you and blesse GOD for you as men of singular and knowne integrity speciall friends to the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST and a great honour and happinesse to these parts and heartily pray that we may hold you still and therefore my intreaty unto your Lordships is that you would couragiously advance forward and do like your selves and nobly still Draw our your dreadfull swords against the torrents of Belial as David cals them which even threaten a deluge and be your selves as mighty torrents armed both with jâ—…st and holy lawes and the godly resolutions of your owne noble spirits to beare backe and beat downe the common crying and raigning sins of our Countrey In a word be unto the oppressed and innocent as a refuge from the storme but as a terrible tempest upon the face of every humane beast and sonne of Belial And O that you could helpe us that GODS people might not perish for want of bread Is it not a pitifull thing that in such a deare yeare specially it should be almost as hard a worke to get downe a wicked ale-house as to win Dunkerke That Maultsters should snatch as it were the graine from the mouthes of the poore in the market place to uphold these hell-houses these nurceries of the Devill that Magistrates should be so unmercifull as neither for GODS sake nor the Kings sake nor the poores sake nor their owne soules sake to take the utmost penalties for blasphemies ale house-hauntings drunkennesse and prophanations of the LORDS Day And were it not an honourable course and worthy to have an universall contribution over the Countrey to pull downe something the excessive prizes in market-townes for the poore thereabouts during this extremity But I leave it to your Lordships charitable wisdome to do the best you can possibly that the bloud of the poore this yeare be not added to the already crying sinnes of the Kingdome to hasten GODS judgements upon us and our long since deserved ruine And in the meane time you need not feare the face of the proudest Devill whether incarnate or in his owne shape For while you thus advance GODS glory and truly honour the King assure your selves the hearts and teares and prayers of all good men shal be for you and yours shal be the crowne and comfort when all prophanenesse and prophane opposites to the good way all the enemies of GOD and pestilent packings and complotments of the Devils agents against GODS people shal be buried in hell FINIS Io Payne Feâ—… 1032. * A quarian ague * Iustice Nicolls as grave and learned a Iudge aâ—… this Kingdome câ—…joyed in the age it held him 1 Sam. 2. 30. * Qui pecunia largitionibus honores sacerdotia magistratus ambiunt his poena deportationis est praestituta Lex Iul. de ambitu Iustice of Peace and Quorum Iustice of Oyer Oyer and Terminer Knight of the Shire High Sheriff of the County * Honor fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit Iâ—…y 40. 〈◊〉 Degeneres animos timor arguit Psal. 146. 3 4. Nec Christiani ultrà durare aut esse possumus si ad hoc ventum est ut perditorum minas atque insidias pertimescaâ—…us â—… Cypr. Lib. â—… â—…pist 3. ad Corn. Oportuit in divinis castris milites CHRISTI ut non minae terreant nec cruciatus tormenta devincant Cyp. lib. 2. Cap. 6. Exod. 18. * Or able men in the last â—…slation Iosh. 1. 6 7 9 1â—…
honours offices extraordinary advancements and royall favours into gall and wormewood And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my selfe and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate Whereas now David a King as I told you before by the benefit of this blessed grace did not suffer his Princely spirit to be un-calmed at all no not by the traiterous and most intolerable reviling of a dead dog and his baseft vassall 2. Keepe off thy heart from the world in the greatest affluence of wealth and worldly prosperity Earthly-mindednesse ever sharpeneth and keenes the sting in all distresses It gives teeth to the crosse to eat out the very heart of the afflicted Had not Iob beene able to have professed that in the height of his happinesse he was thus affected If I have made gold my hope or have said to the â—…ine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Here say Divines somthing is understood as dispeream then let me perish or the like If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse And my heart hath beene secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand Then should I have denied the GOD that is above If I grew proud puft up or pleased my selfe with the glistering brightnesse of my earthly abundance let it be so and so with me I say except Iobs heart had beene thus wained from the world when as yet he wallowed in wealth he had never been able to hold out in the evill day and to have borne so bravely the ruine of so rich a state without repining But now churlish Nabal whose affections were notoriously nail'd to the earth though perhaps once or twice a yeare he made a joviall and frolicke feast as other cunning worldlings are wont to their good-fellow-companions upon purpose to procure and preserve a Pharisaicall reputation of bounty with some flattering dependants and for a cloke to colour their covetousnesse and cruelty yet he was of a â—…linty bosome in respect of doggednesse and extreme niggardise especially towards GODS people and his heart by excessive rooting there was turned wholly into earth and therefore in the evill day it died within him and he became as a stone To keepe off the world in a fit distance that it do thee no deadly hurt and undoe thee quite keepe still fresh and strong in thy thoughts a true estimate and right conceipt of the mutability of all things here below and thine owne mortality In their best condition and highest confluence they are but 1. Vanity We shall never â—…ind in them any solidity or that good or comfort which we still with much eager pursuit and thirst expect and labour in vaine to extract from them but upon triall and trust in them they will ever proove empty clouds broken staves of reed Appâ—…s of Sodom Wells without water And when we graspe them most greedily we embrace nothing but smoke which wrings teares from our eyes and vanisheth into nothing 2 Vexation of spirit Besides the emptinesse and absence of that imaginary felicity which we hunt after in them there is also the presence and plenty of much 〈◊〉 and hearts griese which the slaves of pleasure and lovers of the world little looke for when they at first resolve to sell their soules for such transitory trash Divitias invenisti saith one Requiem perdidisti Hast thou found riches Thou hast lost thy rest A man that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a racke or bed of thornes like Anacreon with his five Talents still distracted with worldly thoughts and continually prickt with cares and feares 3. They cannot satisfie the soule Gold can no more fill the spirit of a man than grace his purse Betweene heaven and earth spirits and bodies soules and silver there is no proportion And therefore no earthly excellencies no carnall pleasures no worldly treasures are fit matter or a full object for such an immateriall immortall and heavenly borne-being to feed upon with any proper delight true comfort or sound contentment Not all this great materiall world or greatest masse of gold can possibly fill the mighty capacity and immeasurable appetite of this little sparke of heaven breath'd into us by the infinite power of an Almighty hand A man may as well fill a bag with wisedome as the soule with the world a chest with vertues as the mind with wealth 4. They cannot helpe in the evill day Their bloud saith the Prophet shal be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shal be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS wrath Put a man into a pang of any painefull maladie and bodily torture as into a fit of the Stone Strangury deepe Melancholy Gout Cholicke or the like let some incurable devouring Ulcer Canker Elephantiasis the Wolfe the Plica c. take hold upon any part of his Body and let him tell me then what account he would make of all the Imperiall Crownes upon earth attended with the height and utmost of humane felicities Or what comfort could he take in the riches glory and pleasures of the whole world Or what ease and refreshing can large possessions sumptuous buildings pleasant walks princely favours dainty fare choisest delights or any thing under the Sun afford in such a case The very pricke of a needle or paine of a tooth for the time will take away the taste of all carnall contentments and pleasure of the worlds Monarchy If the LORD should let loose the cord of thy conscience and set His just and deserved wrath a worke to enkindle flames of horrour in thy heart what helpe couldest thou have in heapes of gold or hoards of wealth Remember Spira They would be so â—…rre from healing the wound or allaying the smart that they would yet more horribly afflict thy already enraged spirit and turne them even into fiery Scorpions for thy further torment Let thy last sicknesse seize upon thee and then say for the houre of death as they say is the houre of truth whether all the gold and goods in the world can any more deliver thee from the Arrest of that inexorable Serjeant than can an handfull of dust Nay whether then the extremity of thy spirituall affliction and anguish of soule will not be answerable to the former excesse of thine inordinate affection to earthly things and delights of sense Or suppose thou shouldest be
surprized by that last and great day which the LORD in mercy hasten how wilt thou then rescue thy free-hold when the whole frame of the world is on fire 5. They cannot possibly lead us beyond this life or extend to eternity If we see a servant follow two gentlemen we know not whose man he is but their parting will discover to whether he belongs When death shall sever the owner from the world then will riches and revenewes offices and honours stately buildings and all outward bravery cleave to the world and leave him to the world to come as poore a worme and wretch as when he first came into this world and therefore they are all the worlds Heireloomes and none of his Even as Absaloms mule went away when his head was fast in the great Oake and so left him hanging betweene heaven and earth as a wofull spectacle of misery and shame to all beholders So will all their wealth and worldly felicities deale with their most greedy ingrossers and dearest minions upon their dying-beds They will then most certenly as Salomon â—…aith make themselves wings and flie away as an Eagle toward heaven And leave their now forlorne former favourites to the fury of a guilty conscience for their cursed forsaking the Fountaine of living waters all their life long and hewing them out such cisternes broken cisternes that could hold no water nor help in the evill Day We all stand at the doore of eternity if death but once open it naturally or violently or by any of his thousand thousand waies we are presently stript of all and immediately enter upon it either that of everlasting pleasures or the other of everlasting pains And therfore it wil be our wisdome in the mean time to value worldly vanities at no more than their own price and industriously to ply all meanes which may enrich us with heavenly treasures of that divine stampe and lasting temper which may attend us thorow all eternity And as all these things here below are thus mutable and fugitive so thy selfe art mortall and fraile A creature as it were but of one daies lasting like that Flower and Bird which as naturalists report receive their being and birth in the morning but wither and die at night Thy abode upon earth is like a vanishing vision of the night a flying dreame the very dreame of a shadow c. This swift tide of mans life after it once turneth and declineth ever runneth with a perpetuall ebbe and falling streame but never floweth againe Our leafe once fallen springeth no more neither doth the Sun or the Summer beautifie us againe with the garments of new leaves and flowers or ever after revive or renew us with freshnesse of youth and former strength Not onely Salomon Eccles. 1. makes us in this respect more miserable than the Sun and other soule-lesse creatures but even the Poet also by the light of naturall reason whom I urge onely to make Christians mindlesse of their owne mortality athamed who have thoughts of heaven and earth as though eternity were upon earth and time onely in heaven tels us that Soles occidere redire possunt Thus in English The Sun may set and rise But we contrariwise Sleepe after one short light An everlasting night Which we must onely understand of returning any more to life and light in this world Nay in a word lay thy selfe loaden with the utmost of all earthly excellencies and felicities in the one scale of the ballance and vanity in the other and vanity will weigh thee downe Take heed therefore of trusting to the world in the meane time lest it torture thee extremely in the time of trouble 3. Take heed of weakening in the meane time and unnecessarily over-wearying thy spirit 1. By carking fore-thought of future evils which forty to one may never fall out Many men I am perswaded such is the naturall vanity of our minds do more vexe themselves with feare and fore-conceipt of imaginary evils which never befall then they have just cause to take on and trouble their hearts for all other true reall actuall troubles which fall upon them Thus many times do men torture themselves vainly with immoderate feare of forreine invasion home-bred confusion change of religion the fiery triall burning at a stake distraction of mind surprize by the Plague Small Poxe Purples Spotted Fever distresse and going backward in their outward state losse of some child they love best destruction of their goods by fire robbery ship-wracke the frownes of greatnesse hurt and revenge from those that hate them hardnesse of heart failing of their faith spirituall desertion overthrow by temptation despaire of GODS mercies sudden death discomfortable cariage in their last sicknesse the king of feare himselfe what shall become of their children when they are gone c. By these and millions moe of such causelesse and carking fore imaginations the very flower and vigour of mens spirits may be much emasculated and wasted wofully A godly care to prevent them by repentance and prayer and a carefull preparation by mortifying meditations and Christian magnanimity to beare them patiently if we be put unto it is commendable and comfortable but in the meane time to unspirit and macerate our selves with much distrustfull misery and needlesse torture about them to our hindrance distraction and discomfort in any businesses of either of our callings or any waies unchearefull walking by slavish pre-conceipts to double and multiply their stings and to suffer them so often before they seize upon us is both un-noble and un-necessary most unworthy the morall resolution of a meere naturall man and the generous spirit of an honest Heathen much more the invincible fortitude of any of CHRISTS favourites and heires of heaven Or 2. Selfe-created crosses that I may so call them For so it often is that many maried couples governours of families to instance there having the world at will as they say and wanting nothing that heart can wish from GODS hand for outward things and yet I know not how by reason of passion covetousnesse pride waiwardnesse frowardnesse or something they mutually embitter their lives one unto another with much uncomfortablenesse discontentment and jarring I would advise all such and there are many and many such abroad in the world punctually and impartially to examine their consciences whether such secret sinnes as these of which they take no notice may not be the causes of it 1. Matching as being not mooved principally and predominantly with portion parentage personage beauty lust riches lands slattery friendship greatnesse of family forced perswasions Parents covetous importunity or some base and irrellgious by-respect and gracelesse ground This the Apostle calleth marrying in the LORD that is for no by respect but in the feare of GOD 1 Cor. 7. 39. Without which all matches are miserable though they should be made up with hoards of wealth and heapes of gold as high as heaven crowned with honours